Hi everyone! This weekend I’ll be participating in the Love-A-Thon hosted by 4 incredible book bloggers: Alexa of Alexa Loves Books, Cee of The Novel Hermit, Hazel of Stay Bookish and Mel of The Daily Prophecy. This Love-A-Thon’s purpose is to spread all the love with fellow book bloggers and readers, make new friends, and of course, talk about books!
For my first post, I’ll be sharing my answers to the fun questionnaire so you can get to know me a bit better! 😉
LOVE-A-THON QUESTIONNAIRE
1. What’s your name?
My name is Melissa Robles, but widely known as Melissa de Montigny since I married my fictional boyfriend Prince Tristan de Montigny from Stolen Songbird. 😀
2. Where in the world are you blogging from?
From Mexico! Hola!!
3. How did you get into blogging in the first place?
Hmmm… I think I discovered the bookish community back in 2010, when I started visiting book publishers’ websites and their Facebook pages. I saw them sharing reviews from book bloggers and once I visited a few, I fell in love with the whole idea and I knew I wanted to also by part of this amazing community. I started slowly by joining Goodreads and the book review team at Cuzinlogic.com, then as a guest reviewer on another site, until I finally made up my mind to start my own book blog in January 2014!
4. How did you come up with your blog name?
Oh, the name came to me real fast! When my sister told me she wanted to co-blog, I immediately knew we should call it The Reader and the Chef, I’m the reader, she’s the chef. Piece o’ cake!
5. What genre do you read and review the most on your blog?
I believe fantasy and contemporary YA are the genres I read the most. Fantasy because I love the world-building and epicness I go through every time I read them, especially since in this genre is where I can usually find book princes to fall in love with (and I LOVE book princes, they are my obsession!), and contemporary because I love sweet, swoony reads that make me hope for something similar to happen to me later on in my life. LOL
However, if I read a sci-fi book (for example) and I love it, I usually end up binging several more books from that genre because I just need more from that type of world. 😉
6. What other types of posts do you do on your blog, apart from reviews?
I love to participate on blog tours & talk about special events for my favorite books like read-alongs. From time to time, I also write discussion posts and do bookish lists about.. random stuff. 😉
In my sister’s reviews/posts you can usually find a delicious dish/dessert to go with the book she talks about!
I also have a weekly feature where I talk about the books I get, things that are happening on the blog and on twitter, my reviews on Kate Tilton, Connecting Authors & Readers, and what I’ll be reading in the week.
7. Best blogging experience so far?
Oh this is hard!Hmm, I think I’ll have to go with the amazing opportunity to beta read Warrior Witch by Danielle L. Jensen. If it weren’t for my blog, I would have never dared reach out to my favorite author and ask for an interview to share on my blog, which eventually lead to more interaction and the incredible opportunity to Beta.
Oh, and another amazing experience is to have an author say that my reviews/posts make them happy. Just recently, Ami Allen-Vath, author of Liars and Losers Like Us posted on her instagram that my review was one of her favorite reviews. My heart & I burst into tears. It is the best feeling ever. ♥
But seriously, book blogging as a whole and getting to know so many amazing authors & book bloggers/readers is the best experience in the word!
8. Favorite thing about the blogging community?
I love how we are all in this together. We are passionate, dedicated, a bit crazy, and so in love with books! I have made tons of friends and I love every one of them. My lovely readers, my awesome twitter friends. Love you all! ♥
9. Name the 5 books you’re most excited for this 2016!
- Warrior Witch by Danielle L. Jensen (can’t wait to talk about it with everyone!)
- The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury
- Water’s Wrath by Elise Kova
- The Mirror King by Jodi Meadows
- The Rose and the Dagger by Renée Ahdieh
10. Name the 5 books you want to read this 2016 that you didn’t get to in previous years!
- Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
- Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
- The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski
- Alienated by Melissa Landers
- A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray
11. What’s an underrated book or series that you think everyone should read?
The Good Sister by Jamie Kain was absolutely amazing and it completely destroyed me. It’s so darn beautiful and sad and a million other things. There’s a certain scene that’s always on the back of my mind and I swear I will never forget it. Read this book, you guys. It’s so so good.
12. Which book boy or girl would be your book BFF?
Lola from Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins. It’s not that we have similar personalities, we don’t, but I would love to have such a bright person in my life. She’s so awesome. And she comes with Anna, Etiénne, AND Cricket, so more awesome friends!
13. Which book boy or girl would be your book boyfriend/girlfriend?
Prince Tristan de Montigny from Stolen Songbird. Always. ♥
14. Who would you recruit for your apocalypse squad?
My love, Tristan. Prince Ash & Puck from The Iron Fey series, Vhalla from Air Awakens, aaaaaand Hermione. Have to have a bit of everything in my squad!
15. Apart from reading, what are your other hobbies or interests?
I love to sing. I’m not a REALLY good singer, but I do sing quite well. My voice can reach high notes found in Opera songs. I just recently nailed Sarah Brightman’s and Andrea Bocelli’s Time To Say Goodbye and it felt glorious. I mean, I’ve always been able to sing it, but not as good as I did recently. The sad thing is, I have stage fright. LOL.
16. Apart from book shopping, what else do you like shopping for?
FOOD. I love food. So… food. I hardly buy myself stuff to be honest. But I guess clothes too..
17. At a party, the DJ suddenly changes the song – and it’s your song. What song would be playing?
The first song that pops into my mind is Party in the USA from Miley Cyrus. IT’S THE WORDING OF THE Q, I SWEAR LOL. *puts hands up nodding her head like yeah*
Forgetting that one, I think the song that would get me moving like no other would be All About That Bass by Meghan Trainor. Just to do that little number.
18. Pick out either a book you want turned into a film/TV show, or a film/TV show you want turned into a book.
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins should be a movie!!! WHY IS IT NOT A MOVIE YET??? It would be PERFECT.
19. What would your dream library look like?
hehe beast and all 😉
20. Author you want to meet and sit down to tea with?
Danielle L. Jensen! One day I’ll get to meet her and thank her for writing my favorite books. ♥
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Thanks so much for reading! 🙂
Melissa! HELLO! This is Aditi (from twitter) and AAAAH! I would change my name too, but apparently, you've already taken the swoonn worthy, absolutely perfect Tristan!
Lovely answers, and I'm SO happy I found your blog. New Follower, and I can't wait to keep coming back.
– Aditi @ http://athousandwordsamillionbooks.blogspot.in/
Hiiiii Aditi!!! Hahaha sorry for taking up the name, I just couldn't help it *blushes*. Thanks for visiting my blog! Expect me real soon in yours ❤❤❤❤
Ahhhhh adorable! Am I a bad friend for not knowing you were from Mexico? I suck at this whole knowing thing but pretty happy I got to read this!
HAHAHA! And I think the library in Beauty and The Beast is everyone's library goals <3
You are noooot! ❤❤❤❤ It's kinda hard to keep track of everyone's whereabouts lol.No worries! And yup, that library is so darn perfect. I soooo need it in my life.
Congratulations on marrying your fictional crush! It's been a years-long goal of mine, but I have failed thus far. *sobs*
Fictional princes are A++. ♥
I absolutely support the goal to read Fangirl and Carry On! Fangirl is my favorite RR. I've read it twice, and I bought and read Carry On the day it came out, haha.
I jam hard to Party in the USA, not gonna lie. IT'S JUST SO MUCH FUN. I can't resist it. LOL.
Anna and the French Kiss WOULD make an excellent movie! I'd never realized before now. Someone should get on that!
Hahahah marry one! It's been the best decision EVER. It's funny how some people often send me emails using my fictional hubby's name LOL. I love it!
I trust that I'll love Fangirl a lot since everyone loves it. ❤
Party in the USA just gets me moving even if I don't want it to. xD
OH. And also, because I meant to mention it and forgot: I absolutely adore your blog design! The header in particular is lovely. ♥ Following via Bloglovin'.
Awww thank you so much!!!!
Hi Melissa, LoveAThon is great fro meeting other bloggers and booklovers. I think you might be the first I have 'met' from Mexico. My library is Belle's too.
I agree with you, its so cool to be able to speak to and interview Author's, and all because we want to share our love of books.
Enjoy LoveAThon,
Amanda.
Hi Amanda! Nice to 'meet' you. I only know about 3 more Mexican bloggers but I'm sure there are more of us. I think…
Haha this Beauty and the Beast library is quite popular! Maybe we should build one together. 😉
Thanks so much for visiting ❤❤❤
That's so cool that you co-blog with your sister!
The Forbidden Wish is really good!! As is Fangirl!
You've read it?! Omg yay, that's so cool to hear. I hope I get to love it ♥ And yeah, I love having my sister as a co-blogger. 😀
My best blogging experience was author related, too! I also answered food for the shopping question. I have been trying to get my sister to co-blog with me, but she is being a big chicken. Ha ha! 🙂
Food is EVERYTHING. Besides books, of course. ♥ Haha my sister is really shy too, but she makes an effort to be active on the blog.
I'm excited for The Rose and the Dagger by Renée Ahdieh too! I haven't read any of Stephanie Perkin's books yet (shame on me) but I agree it would be cute to see her books become movies.
Omg Fida!!! You should really work on reading Stephanie Perkins' books, they are so cool ♥
FANGIRL IS SUCH AN AWESOME BOOK. I seriously hope you get to that one this year! I also have to read Carry On still. I've heard it's really good, though some people just couldn't stop comparing it to Harry Potter! By the way, love your dream library pic. :b
Krystianna @ Downright Dystopian
So I've heard!!! I'm pretty excited to read it (hopefully) this year. Carry On sounds equally good, though this is the first time I hear it compared to HP. Makes me REALLY curious. 😀
Welcome to Love-A-Thon, Melissa! Oh man, that's wonderful that your sister wanted to co-blog with you. My sister never reads anything I like reading (aside from comics), so I love that you guys are bonding over this.
I have The Good Sister on my beside table! When the mood hits me, I AM READY FOR SISTERS + EMOTIONS. I WILL SAY BRING IT. 😀 LOLA IS AMAZINGGGG. Like you said, she comes with Anna, Etienne, and dreamy Cricket, so that's just an awesome crew all around.
FOOD IS IMPORTANT. IT'S THE BEST THING EVER. 😉
Thank you, Cee! My sister and I don't always agree on our love for books, unless it is fantasy. And a few contemporary!
I hope you love The Good Sister, it is so so so so amazing and agh. So many FEELS. Pretty darn awesome book. And yup, the Lola crew is fantastic.
The Rose and the Dagger is now my most anticipated book this year…since the rest of the books I couldnʻt wait for came out in February!
Lola would be the perfect BFF! I would definitely try to steal all of her clothes and wigs. And also probably pies…because PIES!!!!
Iʻm glad Iʻm not the only one who thought about Party In the USA when I read that question. I couldnʻt answer it because I couldnʻt think of anything else, hah.
HAHAHA Party in the USA ruining answers. ♥♥♥
I FORGOT ABOUT THE PIES. HOW COULD I FORGET ABOUT THE PIES??? Third best thing in Lola after her & Cricket. 😉 And yay for The Rose and the Dagger, I hope it lives up to our expectations (though I doubt it will disappoint). 😀
*waves hi*
Fangirl and Carry On are on my TBR this year too!
OH. MY. GOSH. You got to beta read Warrior Witch? THAT IS AMAZING! I'm so excited to read it after devouring the first two books this month. Thank goodness I don't have to wait too long till it's out! Also, The Mirror King is A+++. I love Jodi Meadows! Have you read her other series? Thanks for joining us, and happy love-a-thon!
This post is awesome. There's so many things I want to comment on. I definitely want to read Fangirl this year. Working on that. Hey, I like Party in the USA too! 🙂
Oh, I love this post so much!! I'm sooo happy you had the chance to beta read Warrior Witch! It sounds absolutely fantastic!
I think Lola would be the best BFF, and though I still haven't met your prince Tristan, I can say he's amazing.
Oh, I love this post so much!! I'm sooo happy you had the chance to beta read Warrior Witch! It sounds absolutely fantastic!
I think Lola would be the best BFF, and though I still haven't met your prince Tristan, I can say he's amazing.