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The book interview tag

Posted on by Kathryn Randell

I saw this on Isabelle‘s blog and thought that this was a great idea. That was you guys can get to know me a little better as a blogger. You can read Isabelle’s answers here.

Name/blog name:

Name: Kathryn

Blog name: KathrynBooksville

Age:

At the time I’m writing this 23.

Favorite Genre:

Might have to go with contemporary and romance.

Favorite Male Author:

As of right now, might have to go with John Green. Just because the books that I’ve read I’ve enjoyed, even if they aren’t his most popular books.

Favorite Female Author:

Probably JoJo Moyes. I enjoyed her series Me Before You.

Forever Favorites:

Five Feet Apart

When We Believed In Mermaids

One Of Us Is Lying

First Book Of 2019? How did you like it?

(Will also be doing 2020)*

2019:

My first book of 2019 was PS I Still Love You, the second book in the To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before.

I enjoyed this book. I thought the ending was okay. Would have been better if Lara Jean chose John Ambrose over Peter but that’s just my opinion.

2020:

My first book of 2020 was Don’t Read The Comments. This book came out back in January and you’re more than welcome to buy it if books with video games are your thing.

I thought this book was okay. Books with video games are the main theme arent my favorite. I don’t think I will be reading another book where video games serve as the main theme.

Last book of 2019? How did you like it

The last book of 2019 was I am watching you. I enjoyed it and thought it was a good thriller/mystery. It is free on Kindle Unlimited if you want to check it out.

What do you look for in a book? / What makes it really stand out for you?

I don’t look for a lot in a book. I think the cover is just as important as the context of the book.

But how it really stands out for me is if I can connect to a character. It doesn’t have to be the main character but a secondary main character. Also, I like when books make me feel something. It doesn’t have to be sadness but if you can make me feel something it can be a wonderful thing.

Do you collect any particular sets/editions of books?

I don’t collect sets or editions of books. But I do have the first three illustrated editions of Harry Potter. But other than that, if I own a collectors edition then I own a collectors edition. It’s sometimes my only copy.

Favorite Place to Read

The couch or the space between my bed and window.

Do you keep books you didn’t like, or just get rid of them?

If it was a gift I usually keep them. Just because I have a hard time getting rid of books that were gifts. But if it’s a book that I know I bought and didn’t like it then I have no problem getting rid of them.

Which literary character best defines you/do you best relate to?

Minho from the maze runner trilogy. Cause some of his replies are sassy sarcasm and I can reply with sassy sarcasm sometimes as well.

If you want to do this then you are more than welcome to. If you don’t want to that’s completely fine as well.

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Why did I start blogging

Posted on by Kathryn Randell

I know that some people (not all) kinda explain why they started blogging in their abouts so you can get to know them better. But I thought why not just make a blog post about ‘Why I Started Blogging’. I know that it might not be interesting or anything but why not right?!

Because I love to write:

For me I enjoy writing because I personally find it relaxing. I may not be the best writer but at least I can share ideas and get feedback.

Books:

I mainly started this blog in order to get more experience writing book reviews. I hardly ever write them on goodreads so obviously a book blog would be more useful. Personally think it is considering how I construct my book reviews.

Being Creative:

This is a way for me to be creative. Where I can post what I want to post without hopefully being judged for what I was posting.

Connecting:

Personally think I can only do so much threw social media. I can only tweet so many times to watch a video. Or write reviews on goodreads. But connecting threw blogging that’s something else. Because think that it’s a group of people (at least the ones I’ve connected with threw Twitter as of recently) that genuinely want to see you succeed.

Something I can keep up with:

I have a generally hard time being consistent. I know that blogging isn’t going to be easy especially when first starting out. But I honestly believe that it’s something I can be consistent with. With ideas that pop into my head, for future blog posts, I can put them in my drafts for me to come back to.

Being myself:

I honestly have a hard time expressing and being myself. Threw blogging I can be like ‘this is how I feel’ and not care what others think. Even though I still care what others think about my work, I don’t care as much as when it comes to blogging. Yes, there’s things that I will probably never share on this blog and I’m honestly okay with that.

Therapy:

Everyone has their form of therapy without talking to a therapist. Mine just happen to be cooking, writing, wrestling, and reading. So why not do a somewhat public diary about something I’m passionate about. So I decided to just combine my 2 favorite things to do. Reading and writing. Just doing a blog has been so helpful. On the bad mental health days, setting aside an hour just to blog helps put me in a better place.

Here’s why I started blogging. Know we all started for different reasons. We each have different ways of how we became successful. I’m still learning how to blog. I absolutely enjoyed blogging.

Posted in Discussions

Blogger Burnout + Ideas On How To Beat It

Posted on by Kathryn Randell

Today I am going to be doing something a little different. I am going to be talking about Blogger Burnout. Which I think is something that all bloggers can relate to regardless of their niche. *And yes this can apply to other content creators as well. But I’m specifically going to be talking about bloggers.*

What is Blogger Burnout?

Burnout of us bloggers can be caused for a variety of reasons. From not being in the mood to blog to not being in the right headspace for blogging. Whatever the reason, pretty sure we all have dealt with it at some point.

At some point, we’ve always felt like “we can’t do this anymore”. My reasons for feeling burnout might be different from yours. My biggest thing is running out of ideas and feeling unmotivated as well as feeling drained. But these don’t happen to every blogger.

In my opinion, there are ways to deal with blogger burnout. So that way you don’t give up on your blog entirely especially when you want to. So here are ways to possibly deal with blogger burnout.

Ways to deal with Blogger Burnout!

Taking a break

Sometimes when you feel overwhelmed you just need to take a break. Blogging will always be here when you get back. But if you’re just not feeling it because you’re drained or you have writer’s block then just don’t write for a week or two.

Sometimes all you need is to take a step back and take a break. And you’re more than welcome to do self-care time while you’re on your break.

Change up the routine

If you are used to publishing Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Change it up to only Tuesday and Sunday. That way you are still getting a break in there of Wednesday-Friday (or more depending on if you’re the type of person who likes to schedule your posts). And yes posting less often can help when you feel like you’re not feeling it. So if you’re posting 3X a week then go to 2X. If you’re posting 2X a week then go to once a week. Just do less till you feel like posting more.

If you usually blog at home then blog at a coffee shop. If you usually blog at a coffee shop then blog outside with a coffee. Just try different settings and you might find that a change of scenery can help you tremendously when it come to blogging content.

Explore different areas outside your niche

As a book blogger, I dabble into things like movies and tv shows because sometimes I can tie that back into books. But I have done posts about Autumn TV Show Recommendations and Must-have apps for travel because sometimes I’m not in the mood to post book content.

Even though books are my overall niche, I do like posting in other niches. If you want to post food content then post food content. Just because you start with books doesn’t mean you will be doing book content forever. And you can always bring it back to your original niche if you change niches. (Books to food is my example) IE: your favorite cookbooks to cook from, your favorite recipes from your favorite cookbook, cookbooks recommendations.

Seek Inspiration

I am always on the lookout for inspiration when it comes to blogging. Whether it is for a tag or a topic I want to put my 2 cents on. If I see a topic I want to put my 2 cents on then I will give credit to the person whose blog I saw it on. Because even though a lot of topics do seem to overlap I do want to give credit if someone inspired a topic that I talk about.

For example, if someone talks about trigger warnings, which I have talked about here on this blog, then I will give them credit for inspiring me to create my post about trigger warnings. And I sometimes will reference back to said blog post that sparked the inspiration.

I do get some inspiration from Twitter. Mainly it has to do with whether not reviewers should tag authors in their reviews. I do have a post about that which you can read here. So feel free to use Twitter to your advantage when you can. Because you never know when you will stick up something that will give you inspiration for a post!

There are my tips for blogger burnout. Do you have any ideas on what bloggers can do when you are feeling burned out? I would love to know! Also, note what works for me might not work for you. I hope y’all are having a wonderful day!

Posted in List

Things to do in autumn

Posted on by Kathryn Randell

It is one of my favorite seasons! Autumn! Meaning it’s time for one of my favorite things I bring to my blog. These are some of my favorite things to post because it gives you some ideas for what to do if you don’t know what to do.

Football games

In Texas, football is what seems to bring all of us together. I think I can say this but in Texas, football is religion. From high school football to NFL there is always some sort of football going on. I think that this can be the best kind of thing to do on a Friday night or whenever you watch football.

State fair

Autumn usually means things like Big Tex (Texas State Fair). I think a state fair is usually the start that it is starting to get cooler even if it doesn’t feel like it sometimes. I think the state fair is a great thing to do in autumn during the dates that it is open every year. So that way you can try all the food and ride all the rides.

Pumpkin Patches

What is autumn without a pumpkin patch or two?? I think that it is perfect when pumpkin patches start going out. I don’t go to the pumpkin patches but it seems to be a popular thing in October and November. Pumpkin patches do start as early as September but I know here in Texas they can start as early as October.

Get A Pumpkin Spice Latte

I think that this one has become a tradition when you love pumpkin spice. You wait all year for the drinks to drop at Starbucks. You wait all year for the creamer to drop so you can have it in your coffee daily. It just seems like a tradition. I do get the creamer which is perfect for the iced coffee that I drink since it’s still pretty hot here in Texas when it drops. *And yes I am the type of person who likes to go between hot coffee and cold coffee depending on both my mood and the weather.*

Bake

It’s almost like when September 1st hits I get the itch to bake. Whether it is brownies or cookies or a spice cake. I have been making cookies almost weekly since the start of September and honestly, my favorite kind has been sugar cookies with cream cheese frosting. If you haven’t tried it, totally recommend it. It will change your life.

But I know that there are people who are baking all year round either because it is their job or they have the itch all year round. Personally, for me it’s like as soon as it starts in September when it usually pops up randomly throughout the year.

Perfect a recipe

I also love to cook and think that fall is the perfect time to perfect a recipe that you think that you have been struggling with. Or a recipe that you want to make. I usually make chicken spaghetti or a macaroni bake and those two are in my opinion, two of the easiest recipes to make if you don’t know what to cook.

*If you want to know how I make them then let me know and I can try and do a cooking post. If not what I use for chicken spaghetti is over on my food Instagram so you can see what I use and try and make it yourself.*

Rent a cabin or Air B&B

I think autumn is the perfect time to getaway. For some reason, I think a lot of people just need a weekend where they can recharge their battery and just get out of their normal busy life.

I think renting a cabin or an Air B&B is a good thing to do all year round. Especially in the fall because some people can go into nature and might experience things that they might not usually experience the same things that other people experience in the fall.

Have a movie marathon

I did post my Favorite Autumn Movies like last week if y’all want some recommendations. I think it is a perfect idea to turn on your favorite streaming services of Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus and just watch some of your favorite Halloween movies and television shows.

Curl up with a good book

I did do a Fall book recommendations post in 2020 and 5 Fall Book Recommendations in 2021 if y’all need some help with picking up a book. On a fall-like day where it’s not too cold but not too hot and you can curl up with an ASMR in the background, it is the best way to spend a day. This might be one of my favorite things to do in the fall when I get the chance. Just curling up and reading!

There are things that you can do pretty much no matter where you live. What are some of your favorite things to do in fall? I would love to know what they are!

Posted in Tags

Cozy Fall Book Tag

Posted on by Kathryn Randell

I saw this over on BooksWithBunny blog. If you want to read their answer you’re more than welcome to read them here. I have been enjoying doing tags this month!!!

What book always reminds you of fall/autumn?

Ok. This book came out in December of 2020 so this is the first autumn season that it is out. But I think that this is the perfect read for the autumn season. It kept me up late at night because I wanted to know what would happen and would the girls save the town in time.

This has all the perfect fall vibes for me so I might reread it here soon so that way I can feel all the feels of this book again. I do have a review of this book up on my blog if you want to go check it out here.

What is your favorite autumnal book cover?

This may not speak autumn to everyone but this one speaks autumn to me. And the book is one of those that makes you want to keep reading till you reach the end. This was one where I just want to listen to it till I reached the end. Even though there were things that I didn’t like while I was listening to it, overall I still enjoyed it.

This is one I think that everyone needs to read at least once. But I do have a review up here if you want to check it out and see if this might be a book that you will want to read.

What is your favorite Autumnal drink to read with?

I don’t drink anything when I read. But if I do in the autumn season it is a pumpkin spice latte (Iced or Hot) just because it is the perfect autumn drink especially when it is autumn. But I will drink other things like water or a Dr. Pepper if I need to.

Do you prefer to read late at night or early in the morning?

I try to read whenever I can but since I am a night owl then I prefer to read late at night. But if I can read in the morning then I will but I just think it’s easier to read at night than in the morning. Just because it is part of my night routine to read.

Halloween is coming! What is your favorite spooky read?

I think that this is the perfect spooky read. It has been a while since I read it but I am hoping I can get to it this year especially on Halloween. I think that this is a read that everyone needs to read especially if you don’t know where to start with the classic genre. Because I know that I loved this read and I usually don’t like classics.

Classics can be a hard genre to get into so that’s why I think Agatha Christie and her mysteries can be a good place to start. Because I know out of all the classics that I read this was the only author I knew I could at the very least get into and read.

What is the ultimate comfort read for you?

I think anyone who has read my blog for a while knows how much this series has become a comfort read for me. I still find myself reading the series once a year even though I know what is going to happen. I love the books and think that I will continue to read the books yearly till I die.

These are books that I still find myself mad at that Lara Jean chose Peter over John Ambrose. *If you’ve read the books then you might be pissed at this decision as well because the movies don’t go into Lara Jean and John Ambrose’s relationship as much as the books do.* I do have a review for the first book if you want to read it here.

What is your favorite autumnal reading snack?

I don’t eat anything while I eat. I never have been that kind of person for whatever reason. If I do want to eat something while I eat I usually end up forgetting that I even got food to eat.

What is your favorite autumnal candle to burn whilst reading?

If I do burn a candle it’s usually the pumpkin spice candle that I got from Target a few years ago that I’m still trying to burn through. For some reason, it is one of my favorites to burn while reading. It just puts me in the fall mood.

When you are not reading, what is your favorite autumnal activity?

Probably cooking. Autumn usually makes me want to bake all these casseroles and sweets like cookies. One of my favorite things to make is chicken spaghetti and it’s starting to become a weekly thing lately. But baking wise I have been in the mood for cookies.

I do have a food Instagram if you want to check it out. It’s Kathrynfoods! I have been enjoying doing food content lately!

What is on your autumn reading list?

This has been one of the books that I have been looking forward to all autumn. It screams autumn and I think that it will be perfect for October or November.

I did do a cover reveal for this book if you want to check it out. It was one of my favorite posts that I think I did all year. And I did pre-order this book for my kindle so I would love to read this before pre-ordering Wicked Souls.

This one has to be on the top of my Autumn TBR. This is one of the books that I hope to get to before the end of the year. I love Katies content on YouTube and am honestly in love with the covers of her books. So can’t wait to dive into this read!

There is my cozy fall book tag. I am not going to anyone. So if you want to do this tag feel free to! I had a lot of fun with this tag!

Posted in Adaptations, List

4 Novels that I would like an adaptation to

Posted on by Kathryn Randell

Hey guys and welcome back! Today I am going to talk about the book-to-adaptions. This can be either book to movie, the book to a tv show. I have talked about adoptions in the past here on my blog. I love talking about book adaptions either ones I haven’t seen yet or ones that I would like to see. This was inspired by One Of Us Is Lying tv adaption that was recently released on Peacock here in the US.

The Poet X

I adored this book and everything about it. I think that it would be a great adaptation for television just because you can get more out of the characters from this book. I do have a review up if you want to go check it out here. I would love to reread it or listen to it on audio to see if my thoughts from the first go-around still hold. Because sometimes you might not like a book the second or third time around.

This has to be one of my favorite books and I adore Elizabeth Acevedo’s writing style. It’s almost like you get to see these characters in a whole new light. And if we ever get an adaptation of this book then I would love to see these characters and this world come to life. I can’t wait to reread this.

Cinder (or the Lunar Chronicles as a whole)

I will admit I don’t remember what this book is about. I do know that it has something to do with New Beijing and that it is a retelling of Cinderella. I did enjoy my first read-through of this but for some reason, I haven’t been able to get through it again. I think that this could be a very good movie if done correctly.

Now as for the Lunar Chronicles as a whole, I think you can do each retelling as a movie and it will do well. Because right now, who doesn’t want to see a remake of a well-beloved movie or story? And as much as a lot of us don’t want people to touch the original movies, I think these retellings could be done in a way where they are still original and still be entertaining while still being a remake.

If I ever reread this book I will be more than happy to post a review about it. I didn’t have my blog when I read this so there isn’t a review. Which kinda sucks because I would have loved to go back and see how I felt about the book and see if my feelings in any way shape or form changed about this book.

We Were Liars

Even though I hated this book. WITH A PASSION. I still think I would still watch this adaptation if there ever was one. I think it would be great to see how it could come to life. And truth be told I still might hate the adaptation. I do have a review for this book if you want to read it here.

This might be one of my least favorite books of the year but some books suck that have great adaptations. So this is one of those books that suck that could very well have a good adaptation.

Even though I didn’t like the characters and the setting as much as I probably should have, this is still one of those authors that I probably very well give a second chance to. To see if it’s just me not being able to connect to the author or what. I would give this author one more chance to see if there are other works out there that I love and maybe this book just wasn’t for me.

I will give credit where credit is due. I think I might have loved this when it first came out but now that I know what I like it wasn’t for me. If you think that this book might be for you then I’m not stopping you from reading it. This book did come out 7ish years ago and think it might have been relatable for 2014 me but not 2021 me.

Red, White and Royal Blue

This was the last book I read in 2020. And I honestly loved it and would love an adaptation for it. Like now, please. If you want to read my thoughts you are more than welcome to read them here.

Think that this will be a great adaptation *hopefully* just like the book. This was one of my favorite books and a tv adaptation I think would do this book the justice that this book in my opinion deserves.

For a book that almost made me cry, this is one that I’m going to have to reread. And hopefully soon because I would like to return to this book and all of its feels.

I loved this book and I do want to read other books by this author which I haven’t gotten around to doing yet. So hopefully I will fall more in love with more of this author’s work and more of her characters!

There you have it. Books that I would like to be turned into adaptations. Are there books that you want an adaptation to? I would love to know what they are!!