Book Blogger of the Month: Katy Cronk
I'm excited to announce that I'm going to have a new series on Off the Beaten Shelf: Book Blogger of the Month! On the 1st of the month I'll post a Q&A with an awesome book blogger so you can connect with other readers and get even more recommendations to stack on your TBR pile.
This month's featured book blogger is Katy Cronk of The Bookish Cronk! I just adore her and she's definitely one of the internet friends I'd love to meet in real life one day.
Mandy Shunnarah: What got you started blogging?
Katy Cronk: I've always been a writer and from time-to-time have started blogs because I enjoy it as a medium. You get to determine your brand, what you write about, what type of audience you want, etc. From LiveJournal, to Blogger, and now Wordpress, I've tried them all!
MS: How often do you post?
KC: This year I'm making an effort to post at least two times a week or 8 posts a month. So far it's been working and people are engaged with my posts more than before.
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?
KC: This is such a tough question because I read a lot of series. Probably Sourdough by Robin Sloan because it's such a delightful read and I could probably make sourdough bread on a deserted island with some luck and flour. A Perilous Undertaking is my favorite Veronica Speedwell book to date so that would also be on the stack. My third book would need to be a Dan Brown book because I tend to learn something new I didn't know about each time I read one. The latest Origin is my favorite in the series because it's unlike and a lot like a Dan Brown book at the same time. Family Jewels would be book four because Rose Gardner is spunky and the book has a great female friendship at the center of it. The last one would be Pachinko. I love a good family saga novel and this one has a great mix of everything I love: family, drama, history, baggage, great writing, culture, cooking. It's amazing.
MS: Does your blog have a theme?
KC: My blog is about how books fit in with real life or what's going on in our world. So, for example, I wrote about the feel-good books or series I go to for self-care.
MS: How are you most comfortable reading?
KC: Usually on the couch with a blanket over me. That inevitably invites my cat, Sonny, to cuddle and lay on my book, but it's very comfortable.
MS: What's your favorite indie bookstore?
KC: I LOVE Murder by the Book in Houston, TX. I haven't been to many indie bookstores, but it will always be my favorite. The staff is nice and knowledgeable, the book signings are organized, and they have all the mystery books I could want. If you stop by there, just down the street is Brazos Bookstore, another Houston staple. They have bigger author signings (my first was to see Roxane Gay) and have a wider selection of books.
MS: What's the biggest issue you see in the book world today and what do you hope to see change?
KC: Representation. I try to spend my book dollars on POC, female, and/or LGBTQ+ authors. It's important that there are books that represent not only who the reader is, but who we are a society, and publishing is very male and very white.
MS: How does blogging about books enhance the reading experience?
KC: Sometimes it stretches my book knowledge when I'm working on a specific topic and I appreciate a challenge.
MS: Have you ever met an author who left an impression on you? What was that like?
KC: Roxane Gay was amazing. The book signing in Houston for her book Hunger was unlike anything I've ever experienced. People were asking her advice, crying about how much the book meant to them, talking about the influences on publishing. She was gracious with her time to answer everyone's questions and stayed to sign everyone's book even though hundreds of people were there. Definitely the most inspiring author I've met so far.
MS: What's a bookish thing you think everyone should know about?
KC: Every Thursday at 12pm ET, librarians from around the country will participate in #AskALibrarian on Twitter. It's primarily for book recommendations, but I've seen people ask how to become a librarian as well.
MS: Besides your blog, where can we find you on the internet?
KC: I'm @katycronk on Twitter and @thebookishcronk on Instagram.
MS: Anything more you'd like to add?
KC: I usually sign off my blogs with "Happy Reading." And I really believe that. Don't feel like you have to impress anyone or be pressured to read a specific book. It should be fun and about something you're interested in. Reading should never be miserable because there is a book for anyone, at any length, and on any topic.
Are you a book blogger? Do you want to be featured in this Book Blogger of the Month series? Clickety click right here.
