Behind the Blog of… Norrie @ Reading Under the Blankie

Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog. Today I would like to present to you a new segment in my blog in which I feature a fellow blogger that I look up to and I will interview that person so you all can find out more about the person behind the amazing blogs we follow.

My first guest for this segment is the wonderful Norrie who runs the blog Reading Under the Blankie.

The Blogger

A: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
N: I grew up in Hungary, but have been living in the UK for the past 11 years. I love reading and enjoy the occasional hike, and weight-lifting in the gym. I’m not a particularly great cook, mainly because I just can’t be bothered, but every now and then I enjoy making cheesy foods and steak. I love watching series on Netflix and talking to my cat. He’s actually very chatty.

A: Since the title of your blog is Reading Under the Blankie, how many blankets do you actually own?
N: Ha! Funny you mention that… I have 9, but the collection is ever growing! I know I should say I love them equally, but it usually depends on the weather. During winter I usually make a nest with my fluffy ones. I have some quilted throws which are awesome all year around, and I have them in all kinds of colours. The oldest blankie one I have is a grey one with white bunnies – it’s the one in the picture with Toby and my little cat Benji (who passed away last year.)

History of the Blog

N: I had my first blog around 2003. Back in the day, personal blogs were all the rage, and I kept my diary style blog up until about 2012. Reading Under the Blankie is my first ever book blog and it will turn one year old in November.

A: What got you into blogging, and why did you choose to make a book blog?
N: Though I love chatting about books, none of my friends read regularly, and it’s just not the same as talking to someone who actually read the same thing. I also love the creative aspect of blogging, choosing a lovely design, finding and arranging pictures, and the writing itself. In my day to day job I don’t get to be creative, and spend most of my time writing about boring stuff in a super dry way, and that’s just no bueno.

The Blog

A: What do you like and dislike the most about book blogging?
N: What I love about book blogging is that it’s fun to connect with likeminded people, having discussions and discover new books. And I do not really dislike anything about book blogging! Although I wouldn’t mind having more time to blog hop!

A: What do you think is the most unique feature you have on your blog that you’re most proud of?
N: Me? But for real, I don’t think there’s anything particularly unique. I mostly post reviews, or various book lists. I don’t think I’m doing anything unique that nobody else does.

A: What is your blogging habit? How often do you write posts or go blog-hopping, do you schedule your posts?
N: I don’t have a particular schedule, because I promised myself in the beginning that I will treat blogging like a fun hobby. My job involves schedules and planning all the time, and I didn’t want to do the same in my free time. I usually post 2-3 times a week, and try to visit my favourite blogs every week (usually when I’m at work and have some free time… which hasn’t happened for quite a while now).

A: Any blogging tips for newbie bloggers?
N: You do you! I know the most popular advice is to find the schedule that fits, but as I just said, I can’t do that, so won’t tell anyone else to do it either. Be yourself, and write what you feel, talk about what makes you passionate. My favourite blogs are those where I can see the person behind the blog shine through their writing.

Some of my favourite posts by Norrie:

• Five books I’ve read so far as ARCs
• Five books for my younger self
• Her segment Sunday Coffee and Blog Hop!

Traveling

A: Is there anything else you enjoy doing in your spare time other than reading?
N: I do enjoy discovering new places! The actual travelling part usually gives me the nerves though. Just the other week I got stuck at Corfu airport for 7 hours. In theory it sounds all right, and I could have actually finished a whole book while waiting, but sitting on the floor for half that time just made me super agitated. I hope teleportation will become a thing soon! But once I’m at my destination, all is well!
I have a thing for taking pictures of cats wherever I go and attempting to pet all of them. When I went to Rodos a couple of years ago, I spent about two hours at the cat sanctuary in the marina, hugging them and playing with them. I’d love to visit Thailand and the Caribbean, but so far it’s just been a dream. I only have one trip that has been already decided, the rest is still under debate. I’m going to visit Cyprus next April. I’m quite excited!

A: What is your favourite thing to do when you go abroad?
N: You might laugh, but I love going to the grocery store in foreign countries. They always have some interesting food that I haven’t come across yet in the UK. Of course I love going to the beach as well and just chill there all day, or wander around the place if I’m on a city break. I’m quite particular and love restaurants and cafes where I can sit outside. Even during Winter!

A: Any tips for travellers wanting to take prettier pictures?
N: Use a proper camera. Seriously… I used to carry mine around and the pictures always turned out lovely. Now I just have my phone with me, and while it takes pretty good pictures of the landscape, I always struggle with selfies. I’m not comfortable asking strangers to take my pictures, and I refuse to use a selfie stick.

Cats!

 

A: I love cats too, I don’t own one at the moment cause I’m a poor student, but I own three at my hometown where my parents live. Tell us more about your chatty cat!
N: Toby is seriously the most polite cat I’ve ever met. He patiently waits for me to dish up his food, and never took the slightest interest in my dinner. Unlike other kitties I’ve met, Toby is also quite unimpressed with stuff on shelves and jumping up and down on things. I’d love to take credit for it and say I raised him well, but I think it’s also just how he is. He does talk quite a lot, and his welcoming meow actually sounds exactly how I say “hello”. It’s pretty funny.

And finally, back to the books

A: What are your recent favourite reads?
N: Oooh, where do I begin?! I’m going to stick to books I read this year, otherwise the list would be too long!

A: How do you decide what to read next?
N: Most of the time I spend an agonizing half an hour scrolling through my kindle or just stare at my shelves, trying to decide what I feel like reading. Occasionally I select five books and ask someone else to pick for me. Some of these occasions where quite disastrous I must say. It’s quite rare that I know for sure what I’m going to pick next while I still have something to read, so I pretty much gave up on even trying.

A: Any favourite genres?
N:  Mystery, thriller, sci-fi, and anything Stephen King writes. I’m also getting more and more familiar with contemporary, and I quite like it.

A: What is your reading habit?
N: I don’t sleep too well, and I’m usually up by 5 am every morning, so I spend 2-3 hours in bed with a book while I have my coffee and breakfast. I also tend to read before I fall asleep.

You can find the lovely Norrie at her Blog, Twitter (@norrie_reads), Instagram (@readingblankie), and Goodreads.

And of course, thank you so much for letting me barge into your life and ask so many questions Norrie! I really appreciate it. I hope you all liked this little segment I made, and if you do, expect to find more new bloggers I will feature in the future.

 

On another note…

This October, it will be 1 year since the start of my renewal of this blog. Though this domain has been running for over 6 years, I started book blogging and posting books, movies and travel posts only one year ago. Therefore I will be celebrating my first blogiversary by making a small form for you guys! In there you can send me your questions on me, my personal life, my blogging life, and my reading life. I will post a Q&A of all your questions in my blogiversary celebration. It will only take a couple of minutes of your time, so please go click on the picture below to fill out the form, I would really appreciate it.