This month's Book Blogger of the Month is Jade McIntyre of Bindro's Bookshelf! Get to know her (and her two adorable chihuahuas named Bindi and Pedro whose names make up the portmanteau that's her blog name) in this interview. 

Mandy Shunnarah: What got you started blogging?

Jade McIntyre: Wanting to have a record of my thoughts on what I read. I also have a lot to say about reading because it’s one of my favourite things to do and I love discussing the reading life with others who also get it.

MS: How often do you post?

JM: I was posting every few days but work got in the way and life got busy, so I’ve missed a week or so but ready to get back into it this week.

MS: If you were shipwrecked on a desert island and could only read 5 books for the rest of your life, what would they be?

JM: Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, The Night Circus, The Lumatere Chronicles and Harry Potter.

MS: Does your blog have a theme?

JM: I’ve just started so it’s mainly reviews but I would like to comment on the reading life as well in some discussion posts. I also am tracking all the millions of reading challenges in participating in this year!

MS: How are you most comfortable reading?

JM: While the bed or couch is the most comfortable, once I’m invested in a story, I zone out and get entirely consumed, so it doesn’t really matter about my surroundings. 

MS: What's your favorite indie bookstore?

JM: Robinsons. It is a family owned bookstore that has been operating for roughly fifty years or so. It’s in Frankston in Victoria, my home state and anytime I fly home to visit, I have to check in. It’s got that low lighting, wooden bookshelf aesthetic and reminds of rainy days anytime I enter but in a good way. It always has the best editions of classics, quite a diverse YA and fantasy section, as well as a small cafe out back and a pop culture section with comics, funkos and all the fan merch. It’s started to branch out and appear in some other shopping centres around Victoria, but the Frankston site will always be the original on my heart. 

MS: What's the biggest issue you see in the book world today and what do you hope to see change?

JM: The judgement. Whether it’s on genre of book, or age range you are reading, or graphic novels or listening to audio, I feel like there will always be someone saying that’s not really reading. I have even heard people slam the ‘We need diverse books’ movement and say that it has been done to death (it hasn’t!). I would like to see everyone be encouraged for what they like and if they want to try something new, support them rather than put them down.

MS: How does blogging about books enhance the reading experience? 

JM: I feel like the books I have reviewed stay in my mind a lot longer and I have a deeper reading experience as cliche as that sounds.

MS: Have you ever met an author who left an impression on you? What was that like?

JM: Hannah Kent who wrote Burial Rites and The Good People. The amount of research and how she got her ideas was so interesting. I could listen to her go on about it forever: 

MS: What's a bookish thing you think everyone should know about?

JM: I love magnetic bookmarks. I commute by train and they are a godsend as I never lose the bookmark or my place in a book. Also library apps to borrow ebooks. 

MS: Besides your blog, where can we find you on the internet?

JM: Instagram and Goodreads.  

MS: Anything you want to add?

JM: The book community is a lovely one and is so supportive of one another. I love being a part of it and I hope that others will comment on my blog and continue the conversations.