Blogger Inquest - Melina (Reading Vacation)

I've been interviewing quite a few adult YA book bloggers so I thought I would buck the trend and head to the other end of the spectrum. And there I can find the lovely Melina from Reading Vacation - ten years old, gifted and a newbie in the blogging game. She's sweet, she's smart and she'll probably have a book of her own before she even hits fifteen. Most of all, as you will see from her answers, we have a lot to learn from her too.

The purpose of the Blogger Inquest is to delve into a specific blogger's mind and experiences online. To be up front, I presented each of the interview subjects with 21 questions to choose from and they took it from there. This is a month long series of interviews on Persnickety Snark and I've got a whole host of bloggers (new and old) lined up.

Blogging can be unbelievably supportive and sometimes catty environment – what three guidelines do you find to be good rules to live by in the blogging world?

1. Be kind. 2. SMILE when you type. 3. Be honest.

Characterise yourself as a blog reader – same old, same old/always trying something new? Lurker or commenter?

I am willing to try something new. For instance, my giveaways tend to be a little on the unusual side. My reviews, however, are all in the same format. I am a "talker" in real life and I guess that explains why I am also a "commenter" on blogs. I leave comments on many posts that I read and I also comment back on my own blog.

What are some of the best and worst incidents of an author contacting you after a review?

Best - One author is going to name a secondary character in a future book Melina. Oh, and the character will be from Texas. Worst - An author who contacted me, sent her series to me for review, and then did not acknowledge my email when I sent her a link to the 5-star review. Weird.

Newest old find that you wish you had read years ago?

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale.

What word is most overused on your blog?

A tie between great and fun.

How has attending conferences (BEA, ALA, etc) affected your blog?

I took part in the Armchair BEA. At that time, my blog was only two months old and I was still very new to all of this. I met so many bloggers that week and I still follow many of their blogs. Everyone was so nice and I will definitely take part again next year.

Writing a book review (for a title you’d ideally like to marry if legally possible) is one of the tougher tasks for a book reviewer. What is your approach to writing an informed, glowing review?

When I type a review, I try to picture myself telling a friend about the book. I try to include everything I would want my friend to know - but no spoilers that might ruin the fun.

What are you most proud of achieving on your blog?

Proving that age doesn't matter when it comes to book blogging. If I didn't tell you I was going into sixth grade, you might not know it from reading my blog.

How long do foresee yourself blogging for?

As long as there are books to read.

Blogger envy – do you get it and what over?

I try not to compare my blog to others out there. Mine is different because the mix of books is pretty well split between middle grade and young adult. I like being different. I will say, however, that I envy bloggers who consistently come up with fresh ideas. I like to think of them as an inspiration.

You can find Melina at the following places:
Reading Vacation
Twitter