Friday, February 25, 2011

Get to Know the Reviewer: Sheila Staley of LDS Women's Book Review and Why Not? Because I Said So!

Today's interview is with a reviewer so talented that she needs not one, but two review sites to keep up with all the books she reads! Sheila Staley is one of the four reviewers behind LDS Women's Book Review (click here to read my interview with LDSWBR reviewer, Mindy Holt). She also has her own review site, Why Not? Because I Said So! More about both blogs below.

JDP: Thank you for joining us today, Sheila. Did your mother read to you as a child?

Sheila: Oh Yes! My Mom would read chapter books out loud to all of us, my 1 sister and 2 brothers. She also read plenty of picture books. All of us are avid readers today. Our children are also avid readers. This is a great tradition in our family.

JDP: Do you remember a favorite book from your childhood?

Sheila: I loved the Little House In The Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. My favorite Christmas present was getting the whole series for Christmas when I was nine years old. I also loved reading Rebecca From Sunnybrook Farm, The Little Women Series, and The Hobbit.

JDP: Name a favorite author as an adult.

Sheila: Besides you (Joyce blushes here)...Jessica Day George, Jeff Savage, Rebecca Talley, Suzanne Collins and Brandon Mull and....I go on forever!!

JDP: Share a book you’ve read multiple times.

Sheila: The Harry Potter Books (several times),  Fablehaven and The Work And the Glory Series.

JDP: Kindle, Nook, or good old hard copy?

Sheila: I am a die-hard for old hard copies. I am not sure if and when I will break down and get a Kindle/Nook. I love the feel of a book in my hands, flipping the pages of a book and going to the library and walking down row, after row of books.

JDP: I’m still adjusting to my new Kindle. I like it very much for some things, but I don’t feel myself giving up my love of hard copies anytime soon. (Just ordered 3 more from Amazon.) What’s your favorite place to read?

Sheila: In bed, on the couch, in the car, at school while eating my lunch, while brushing my teeth etc. I just love to read!!

JDP: What are your three favorite reading genres.

Sheila: Fantasy (YA or adult), Romance, Speculative.

JDP: What’s the last book you read?

Sheila: Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

JDP: What are you’re reading now?

Sheila: Cold As Ice by Stephanie Black

JDP: What’s next on your reading list?

Sheila: Matched by Ally Condie and Meg's Melody by Kaylee Baldwin

JDP: What you would like to read more of? (author, genre, etc)

Sheila: I always read a little of everything. I am waiting to read your next book, Joyce. (Joyce: Uh oh. Now the pressure’s on!) I can't wait to read Brandon Mull's new book, Beyonder's #1 A World Without Heroes. I also am very excited to read Robinson Wells new book coming out this Fall called Variant

JDP: Share a favorite book that you’ve read in the last 12 months

Sheila: Two come to mind #1 Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card and #2 The Cross Gardner by Jason Wright

More about Sheila! : I am a very busy, single Mom to my two great kids; a 12 (almost 13) year old girl and an 8 year old boy. I work full time teaching 2nd grade. I love to read and met my goal of reading 100+ books last year. I love to write and enjoy attending writing conferences. I am seriously working on a romance novel. I have a YA fantasy and a mystery suspense in the beginning stages. I have been a member of LDS Women's Book Review for five years. I love podcasting with the ladies of LDSWBR. I also love to do book reviews on my own personal book review blog and at the LDSWBR site. For fun, besides reading, I love to play games with my kids (especially Harry Potter Scene-It), go camping, scrapbook, and play the piano and sing.

Please come and visit my blog Why Not Because I Said So where I review all genres of books. I do "Tuesday's Teaching Moments" sharing something I hope is helpful to my readers.  I also do "What Do You Think About...Wednesday" where I invite guests to come to my blog and answer a variety of questions that I pose to them having to do with reading and writing. I also am starting to have guest bloggers. My first guest blogger was my daughter and she did a very awesome job!! I would love to have people come visit me at my blog and become a follower and participate by commenting. I also hope that people will come and visit all of us at the LDSWBR site. We have great things going on there.

Note from Joyce: Sheila interviewed me for her "What Do You Think About...Wednesday" post on the subject of romance novels. Ack! If you'd like to read a few of my thoughts on the matter, click here.

6 comments:

Cranberryfries said...

Two fantastic women!! Great interview Joyce and it was fun to learn more about Sheila.

Why Not? Because I Said So! said...

Thanks Joyce for letting me be your guest reviewer at your blog.

Debbie thanks for your comment! You are fantastic right back!

Miss Mae said...

A gal after my own heart! I absolutely LOVE that you are a hardcopy die-hard fan! Yaaayyy! I'm like you, I love to hold 'em, smell 'em, flip pages, carry 'em out -- yep, yep!

It's fantastic to meet you! :)

DanielleThorne said...

What a great interview. I like learning about reviewers as much as I do authors! We need more great teachers who celebrate the love of reading. Well done!

Rebecca Talley said...

Wonderful interview. Sheila is one of my favorite people and I loved reading more about her. I also love that she's such an avid reader and is passing that on to her own children and to her students!

Nichole Giles said...

Fun interview! Hi Joyce, hi Sheila!