Bloggy Buddy: Meet Michelle!

Introducing Bloggy Buddy where we feature the bloggy friends we love so much!

Hey yall! Ash and I came up with a new feature we have been jabbering about together for a while. We love the blogging community and we aren't very good at being social... but we do have some great bloggy buddies out there and we would love to feature them. Not only are we going to feature or blogging friends, we are asking them to share some blog friends too. We think it's a great way to get to know each other and make some new friends. 

Our first featured friend is a long time blogging buddy of mine, Michelle from Pink Polka A Dot Books. She was one of the first blogs I followed way back when and I just adore her. She and I share a lot of the same book likes, she is the sweetest, and I just love her blog. It's pink, it's polka-dotted, and it's so much fun. 

I actually did get to meet Michele in real life in 2016 at BEA.... she is really just as sweet and wonderful in person as she is on her blog. 

So we have asked Michelle to tell us about herself, her blog, and some of her bloggy 
buds. 

Michelle:  Hi Ash and Jen!!! I just want to say I’m so happy you guys asked me to do this interview with you guys!! I missed both of you when you were on your blogging
break and couldn’t be happier that you are back!

How long have you been blogging?

Michelle:  I just had my 6th Blogoversary— it equally feels like I just started yesterday and that I’ve been blogging forever.

What inspired you to start blogging?

Michelle:  Hmmm…. good question!! I honestly can’t remember exactly what it was
besides I was on Goodreads just keeping track of my books and I followed
somebody’s link (it could’ve been Anna Reads— remember that blog??) to the
wonderful world of blogging. I honestly didn’t know book blogging was a THING
before that day.

What was your first blog post?

Michelle:  My first ever blog post was a review of the book Trapped by Michael Northrop.

What are some unique features you do on your blog?

Michelle:  I’m not as creative as you guys (you 2 are always coming up with cool features!!), but something I love doing on my blog are the annual fashion posts. I have a Summer Reading & Summer Accessories post that combines summer books with fun accessories (like sandals, beach bags, sunglasses, etc.), and I do a
Spring Break post every year where I combine Spring releases with Spring Break
vaca spots & outfits to go with. I also do a post called So Obsessed… which is basically just me sharing my obsessions in TV, apparel, books, and really just anything.

What was your inspiration behind your blog design and name?

Michelle: Haha. Well, I just really like pink and polka dots in an equally obsessive way.
Also, when I was originally going through blogs trying to come up with a name of
my own that wasn’t taken, I started realizing that I didn’t want something that
sounded like any other blog. So I came up with something that really didn’t have
anything to do with reading— I thought it would stand out in the crowd??
I’ve definitely had my ups and downs with the name because I made it without
too much thought— but to change it now would be maddening (though it is a
mouthful that doesn't really flow or sound smooth like I would like if I had actually thought I would still be using it 6 years later).

What genres do you like to read and feature?

Michelle:  I am a black sheep. I always tend to LOVE books that aren’t popular and feel MEH about books that are. Or maybe I’m not a black sheep, maybe I’m rebel??
I’ll go with that— BOOK REBEL over here!! 

I like to read YA Contemporary, but not really romance. I like the “issues” books,
I guess is what people call them. And I LOVE YA Mystery— although the good
ones are hard to find sometimes.

What were some of your favorite reads from last year?

Michelle:  Bad Girls with Perfect Faces by Lynn Weingarten— this is totally a “ME”
book. Dark, twisty, messes with your head, but at it’s core has a very sweet
friendship even if it’s not the most healthiest of friendships.

A List of Cages by Robin Roe— This book made me want to be a better
person, and that’s saying something!!

16 Ways to Break a Heart by Lauren Strasnick— I read this book on the beach
and it was PERFECT for that. It was short and NOT sweet!!

The Forgetting (#1) by Sharon Cameron— I know I’m about 5 years late to the
dystopian bandwagon, but I loved this dystopian/sci-fi-ish book, and I loved that it
was out of my comfort zone.

Three of your favorite blogs to follow?

Michelle:  SO hard to pick 3 because I have a lot of faves (including you guys)!!

We Live and Breathe Books- This is a joint blog, but I only really know Sam so
far- she has similar reading tastes as me (& she gives me the BEST recs), and
she’s super active w/ social media boosting and blog commenting, which I admire
and vow to do more of.

It Starts at Midnight - One of my favorite blogs for a long time. I love that she
hosts the New Release Giveaway Hop!! I love all her fun graphics and creative
posts! Seriously, Shannon is like the never-ending idea girl. Also, I’ve met her
IRL and she’s cool people.

Super Space Chick- I found Kristin during the annual Broke and the Bookish
Secret Santa exchange a few years ago, when I was chosen to be her Secret
Santa— & it was a perfect match for me. I love that she blogs and vlogs. I’m not
much of a booktube watcher, but I like her content and happiness, so I watch her
stuff a lot. Also, she’s into a lot of other geeky, fandom, and fashion stuff that
makes her blog unique and fun to read. And it’s a PRETTY blog, which is an
important follow-factor for me :)

I’m always on the lookout for new ones to follow as well!!


And lastly, tell us a bit about yourself and your blog.

Michelle:  Okay— I’m Michelle, a 30-something mother/reader/blogger/blog tour
organizer/friend/wife/stay-at- home-dog- mom. I’m a Slytherin and a rebel at
heart, but I’m loyal to my friends. 

My kid is my mini— and not just in looks, he’s a reader too!! We read a lot of MG together and it’s one of my favorite things in life ever. Being able to share books like Harry Potter and Matilda and Hatchet— books that meant EVERYTHING TO ME growing up, with my kid and having him love them too??? Life = complete.

My blog— Pink Polka Dot Books— is just me talking about books that I love. I
didn’t realize it at the time, but I was dying inside before I found an outlet to share
and book talk all the books that I love so hard. At that time, I didn’t have bookish
friends, so everything I read just stayed bottled up inside my own head, and
that’s just no way for a bookworm to be!!

Other places to find me: Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest
Also, check out the blog tour co. that I help run, The Fantastic Flying Book Club,
and become one of our members.

Thanks for having me!!!

Thank you so much Michelle for being our first Bloggy Buddy Feature. We love your blog and we enjoyed spending time with you at BEA. You are amazing. 

If you don't know Michelle's blog... check it out. Its awesome!  Also, if you would like to expand your blogger buds you can check out the blogger friends Michelle mentioned too.