Armchair BEA 2016: Introduce Yourself

It's time for Armchair BEA 2016. Today's blog topic is: Introduce yourself.

1. What name do you prefer to go by? Laura

2. How long have you been a book blogger? I started book blogging in 2011, but it took me a while to get to posting on a regular basis. 

3. And yes, I have participated in  Armchair BEA before.

Do you have a favorite book? Yes, actually more than one. And it varies depending on what's going on. Currently my favorite is Dreams Underfoot by Charles de Lint. It's a collection of urban fantasy stories.

What is your favorite genre and why? Again this varies a little from time to time. Currently my favorite genre is urban fantasy. I like the juxtaposition of things that are magical or paranormal with a current setting.

How do you arrange your books? Is there a rhyme or reason? I worked in a library before and have a tendency to group my books loosely by topic or genre. Fiction is close together on my shelf with subdivisions for genre. Nonfiction is grouped together. And I try to keep it by topic as well. Right now in my house I have very little shelf space, but I still try to keep up the arrangements.

If you could choose 3 characters to have lunch with, who would they be and why? It's tough to come up with just three. But today I would say: Jilly Coppercorn from Charles de Lint's Newford stories, Donald Shimoda from Illusions by Richard Bach, and maybe Biff from Christopher Moore's Lamb.

2015 Armchair BEA Introduction Questions

Who am I?
I am a middle-aged mother of adult children and a grandmother. I used to teach high school science and I've worked various positions in libraries and bookstores over the years. I've been blogging for about 5 years now, the last four of which have been dedicated to books and all things bookish. I got into blogging about books after I came to the realization that I would much rather talk about books and things bookish than any other topic.

Why do you love reading and blogging?
I've loved reading as long as I can remember. Books have always been a big part of my life. As for blogging? I love writing and blogging allows me to have a public forum to write about books and share this with like-minded people. I love it when I get comments that let me start a conversation or let me know how people feel about something I've posted.

What does diversity mean to you?
Diversity to me means variety. If I read all the same thing all the time, I might grow tired of it. Instead, I read a variety of books and book types. My taste in books is eclectic. Even if I do favor urban fantasies and mysteries, I do read and review other types of books as well. Diversity can mean more than just diverse genres. It can also mean diversity of characters within the books we read. And I don't go out seeking that, but I find that I will read anything pretty much as long as it sounds interesting regardless of who the main characters are. Diversity is important because readers come in all shapes, sizes, etc. And it's always nice to read about someone like you or to deliberately read about someone unlike you to try and understand others better.

What book are you reading right now?
I'm actually reading two books. Nightbird by Alice Hoffman and Ritual Crime Unit: Disturbed Earth by E.E. Richardson. The first one is a middle-grade book with magic realism. The second is a paranormal mystery.

If you were stranded on a deserted island, what author would you want to bring with you? Why?
Charles de Lint. I love the way he writes fantasy and urban fantasy. His Newford books are among my all time favorites. I think it would be fascinating to talk to him about mythology and folklore as well as about his writing. I was lucky enough to have a friend in my early 20s who introduced his writing to me with a hand full of books she was looking to get rid of to make room on her shelf for more.

And that is my 5 answers to questions for the BEA Introduction. Leave me a link to yours in the comments?