BBAW - Interview Swap

So, my partner for the BBAW interview swap is Melanie from The Indextrious Reader! It was all very last minute because we did not hear from our original partners. We asked each other the same questions. My answers are here and her answers can be found on her blog!

As a Canadian blogger, do you make an effort to read Canadian or does the 'nationality' of a book matter to you? What is your favourite Canadian novel?
Before I was even a blogger it was important to me to read Canadian authors. When I was a kid I read Lucy Maud Montgomery in bulk. I loved her! When I got a bit older I knew I had to read more Canadian authors, but it wasn't until high school that I made it a mission. In grade 12 especially I discovered Carol Shields, Douglas Coupland, Thomas King, Lesley Choyce, Thomas Wharton, Mordecai Richler, and more that I can't think of right now. I am actually impressed that I remembered that many! Then, in university I took every Canadian Literature course offered, so I discoverd a lot of great Canadian authors that way. Needless to say, I didn't need to be a blogger to consider Canadian literature important. I consider it important to not forget where you come from and to support the locals. As to my favourite Canadian novel? That's hard... I love so many! One that I think everyone should read who is by an author from my province is The Republic of Nothing by Lesley Choyce. I love that book! I need to do a reread...

Do reading stereotypes bother you? Do you prefer/avoid any genres due to lurking stereotypes?
I came up with this question because I was reading at work the other day and someone automatically assumed I was reading a romance novel! That drives me crazy. Words do not describe how much they bothers me. Nothing against romance novel readers, but I do not like the fact that people assume just because I am female I am reading a romance. Just like I am sure men don't like it when people assume they are reading a thriller or a western or whatever it is that they are stereotyped for the most! Or, even that it is 'uncool' to read because you are a male. I hate stereotypes! That being said, I have issues of my own and I admit them. I largely avoid the romance genre. Maybe I am being a bit snobbish, but it's true. I can handle some romance, obviously, but a lot is just not for me. If it gets to be too much (*cough* Laurell K. Hamilton *cough*) it will just turn me right off from a book. I do love Colleen Gleason, though, and she is the only author I have bought in the romance section, um, probably ever!

How do you feel about covers of books? Do you judge books by their covers? Is there something that could appear on a cover that would make you not want to read the book or be seen in public with it?
This topic also drives me crazy because there are so many authors that I love, but I know that men are largely going to stay away from them because of the covers. I actually have issues with a lot of the covers and reading them in public, but I pretend I don't and read them anyways! It's interesting to see my reading tastes from someone elses' point of view, though. The charming comedian would see my books laying around and I would watch him. He doesn't read really, but he would pick up books and browse through them. He went by the cover, though. It's unfortunate because I know that if he did read, there are a lot of books that I could recommend to him and he probably wouldn't read them because of the cover. This happens a lot and it really limits readership. I know they market to those that they think the most likely to read the books, but they shouldn't get rid of the other market at the same time!

Do your real life friends/family know you blog/read your blog? Does this make any difference to how you write?
I have been blogging since 2005, so it is pretty much common knowledge nowadays that I blog. Does anyone I know read it? Well, not very many people. The charming comedian read it, but mostly if I told him something was on there that would interest him and then he would read back through my older posts. One of my real life friends reads it, too, and she comments and guest posts! Other than that, if anyone I know reads it I don't know about it. I don't really say anything on here that isn't common knowledge and I am not exactly shy, so I doubt my readership really changes my writing.

What's the biggest change in your reading habits since you started blogging, if any? Reading choices or ways of reading?
I don't know. Frankly, it's hard to compare my reading now to back before I started blogging because I have went through life changes since then that would affect my reading, too. I think mostly I have read a lot of books that I would not have read otherwise. Colleen Gleason, for example. If someone told me that I would go into the romance section of the bookstore and buy a book I would've laughed at them back before blogging. I was a bit more of a snob back then, I guess. I don't think I read any differently, but it's been a few years now, so maybe it is getting harder to remember a time when I wasn't a blogger!