Shelf we get to know Sadaf H. from The Life and Times of Me

If you knew you were getting amnesia and you could leave yourself a note to re-read just one book or series which one would it be?

"The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch. This book chronicles Randy's last days on earth before he died from terminal cancer. What I found astounding was that Randy knew he was dying the whole time. I found it so inspiring that Randy was able to live before he died. This is my unofficial manual on how to make the best of a bad situation.

What has been the review that you've had the most fun writing?

My first book review I ever wrote was the most enjoyable. I reviewed "The Wizard Heir" by Cinda Williams Chima. After doing a bit of research, I connected with Mrs. Chima through facebook (and later through Twitter). She is a very down to earth author who stays connected with her fans, and even replies to your messages, facebook posts, etc! I found it so humbling that such a successful author takes time out of her day to (personally) connect with her readers. I shared my book review with her and she thoroughly enjoyed it. I was ecstatic to say the least!

The Wizard Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

Tell us a little bit about your book crush, literary significant other or however you wish to call it ;)

As mentioned in my Wizard Heir review, I developed a bit of a literary crush on Seph McCauley. He is described in the book as very small, skinny and unattractive. However, it was his courage that I was attracted to. Despite his small body frame, he was able to fend for himself when he needed to.

Tell us what in your opinion sets your blog apart from the others

Most of the blogs I follow have weekly schedules. (ie, Book reviews on Mondays, book trailers on Tuesdays and so on). I love this format because it gives us blog follower something to look forward to every day of the week. However, my blog does not have such a schedule. For me, I am the type of person who is unable to write just for the sake of writing. I can only write when I have something to say. I feel if I were to write on my blog daily, my posts would be of low quality. I would rather write a good quality piece every now and then, as opposed to writing low quality posts every day.

What made you start your blog?

I love writing, and English has always been my favorite subject in school. I remember many of my fellow classmates would cringe when we had to do essay writing, but I really enjoyed them. Since I'm not in school anymore (and don't do as much essay writing as I did once upon a time), I decided to start a blog as a medium to write. It allows me to do something I love and at the same time, practice (and improve) my writing skills.

Do you eat when you read? If so tell us a little about what snacks you like to have.

I have a passion for both literary and culinary arts. However, if I were to eat while reading, it'll almost feel like I'm insulting both arts. I'm not good at multitasking, so I prefer to put my full focus on one or the other. On the contrary, I do sometimes have a cup of coffee or tea before I sit down to read a book.

Tell us about the most random character you have ever read. Did you love the character or hated it?

Grover from the "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" series. Being a satyr, he is described with both human and goat qualities, which I found really amusing. I wouldn't say I hated the character, I just felt like I would have enjoyed it a lot more if I had read the books as a kid. I read them in my twenties. I found the books both enjoyable and childish.

 You mentioned you are part of a book club; please tell us in your opinion what sets a book club reading experience apart:

I was originally part of two book clubs, but I recently dropped one of them. The local library book club mostly consisted of older women, aside from me and the coordinator. Then a couple of years later, my girlfriends and I decided to start a book club of our own. Both book clubs were enjoyable in very different ways. The library one gave me the opportunity to meet new women from very different backgrounds who had very different opinions about each book. On the other hand, the book club with my friends is a lot more casual in comparison. As much as I absolutely loved going to the library book club, I decided to leave it (which was a hard decision to make). I was feeling really overwhelmed, and it felt like every time I picked up a book, it was always for book club. I hardly ever had time to read the books I wanted to read anymore. It was starting to take the fun out of reading for me.

A lovely thing about book clubs is that they introduce you to books you normally wouldn't pick up on your own. Most people don't like to step out of their comfort zone, and book clubs open you up to new book experiences. I ended up falling in love with so many books I would have never expected to. In that respect, I feel like book club is a nice experience. You may be surprised at how much you enjoy a book you never thought you'd read! 

Most emotional or passionate review.

My most passionate review is actually not a book review, and it is on my other (personal) blog. One of my favorite TV shows is/was BBC's Merlin. It ran for five seasons and just recently ended. I was so disappointed by the series finale, I did a rant/review about it. I would like to warn you in advance, it is full of major episode spoilers.

Second Merlin Rant

Have you ever met any of your favorite authors?

Two of my favorites authors (Nicholas Sparks and Cinda Williams Chima) recently came to my hometown, but I did not meet either of them! =(. However, our city holds an anual book festival called Word on The Street which hosts Canadian up and coming authors. I've gone to this festival twice, and have met a few authors. I even bought a book from one and got him to sign it!