Bloggy Buddies: all About AJ!

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

Hey guys, it's Friday! Time to meet a new bloggy buddy. This is AJ. I have been visiting AJ's blog for quite a while now. Not only does she have an awesome blog name, she has awesome content. I love her posts, her humor, and her tastes for books. I can get some good recommendations from AJ and some good laughs. If you haven't visited her blog, do it like right now! I know you will love it! 

How long have you been blogging?

I’ve been blogging on and off since 2005. I started Read All The Things! in 2013.

What inspired you to start blogging?

I started reading blogs way back when I was in high school, and I thought, I can do that. Turns out, I couldn’t do it. My first few blogs were disasters. I got bored and abandoned them pretty quickly. Then Goodreads introduced me to book blogging. I haven’t gotten bored with that yet, so I guess I’m meant to be a book blogger. I love it and have no plans to stop.

What was your first blog post?

If I remember correctly, my first post on Read All The Things! was a recap of a writing conference that I attended/worked at. Honestly, I’m afraid to look at my blog’s archives. I’ve changed the layout of Read All The Things! so many times that my early posts are probably an embarrassing mess.

What are some unique features you do on your blog?

I don’t currently do any unique features, but I do have features! I participate in The Sunday Post, Top Ten Tuesday, and Stacking the Shelves. In addition to those, I write discussions, monthly wrap-ups, and book reviews. I have plans for a unique feature, but I don’t have the money or time to make it work right now. Maybe someday. 

What was your inspiration for your blog design and name?

The name was inspired by the “All The Things” meme. Also, I really do want to read all the things. The current design was inspired by really old newspapers. I thought that was appropriate because I mostly review backlist books. You won’t find many new releases on my blog. A lot of the artwork on the blog was first published in newspapers during the 1800s or early 1900s.

What genres do you like to read and feature?

All the genres. I try not to have a reading comfort zone. If it sounds interesting, I’ll read it. I usually stay away from fluffy books, though. I like my books to have a bit of death and destruction.

What were some of your favorite reads from last year?

My top three favorites were Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War by Steve Sheinkin; The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner; and The Ghosts of Heaven by Marcus Sedgwick.

Three blogs you really love?

Only three? I have so many favorites! Well, I like JennRenee Read, obviously. Some of my go-to blogs for book reviews are Feed Your Fiction Addiction, It Starts At Midnight, and Sarah’s Book Shelves. Those bloggers always seem to review books that are on my to-read list.

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

I’m AJ. I live in the flat part of Colorado, USA with my dogs and my books. When I’m not reading, I’m hiking, camping, exploring, taking nature photos, avoiding human contact, rewatching Game of Thrones, or retweeting hilarious things. My goal in life is to make “Nacho Enthusiast” a real career.
On my blog, I try to discuss books in a way that’s thought-provoking but not too serious. The world has enough stuffy literature classes. Books should be fun.