t. The Screwtape Letters is amazing, though. Funny and intuitive, all written in gorgeous prose by C.S. Lewis (of Narnia fame).
I love your name! (why, thank you!) What is an interesting/unique character's name you've seen in a book?
Angharad - or Harry, for short, the heroine in Robin McKinley's The Blue Sword. Alwa
ys been secretly tempted to name a future child that, but I don't want to deal with the repercussions... :)
I noticed that one thing you enjoy doing - aside from blogging and reading - is baking. What's your favorite thing to bake?
I really like baking just about anything. A lot of the fun is trying a new recipe and seeing if it's as good as they say. But I really love making bread, which I did from scratch for the first time only last year. Such a sense of accomplishment when the dough rises, and then again when it comes out of the oven fluffy and warm. I really don't think you can beat butter or jam spread on freshly baked bread.
What is something that people would be surprised to find out about you?
I've been down gold mines on two continents - in California (North America), and in Ouro Preto, Brazil (South America).
What is your favorite debut author's book of 2009?
I've just been looking through the debut authors of '09 - so many great books! I have MANY of them in my to-read pile, and the rest are on reserve at the library. But the best one I've actually read is Cindy Pon's Silver Phoenix. I loved the imagery, the mythical Asian setting, and the adventure and especially the wonderful creatures and characters that populated the novel.
Name a couple of books on your wish list right now.
Oh, there are so many! But a couple I really want in my possession, like, YESTERDAY, are: Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines, Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh and Baked: New Frontiers in Baking by Matt Lewis, et. al.
If you could design your room any way you wanted (no expenses) what would it look like? (Color, layout, theme, etc.?)
I like color, and right now my room is painted pink, green and white. But if I was going to do it over now I might go for a warm cream and a neutral gray on the walls, and bright pops of color in the accents and accessories. I'd have enough closet space for 3 people, and a big architect's desk in front of a multi-paned window. Lots of lamps or hanging lights, and some greenery, too. Oh, and bookcases, of course. Maybe a whole wall...with dark walnut shelves, like an old-fashioned library. And if there are going to be books, I demand a comfortable chair. And armchair, maybe, where I could throw my legs over one side and feel very cosy.
Which section of a bookstore do you go to first? What are your favorite genres to read?
I usually go to bookstores with a purpose these days...lots of my shopping is done online. But if I am really and truly browsing, I --peruse the fiction best-sellers, then head to sci-fi/fantasy. On rare occasion I'll detour to history or romance first. My favorite genres? There are many! I'm going to cheat and copy and paste what Goodreads has for me:
Biography, Chick-lit, Childrens, Classics,Contemporary, Fantasy, Fiction, Historical fiction,History, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Philosophy,Poetry, Religion, Romance, Science fiction,Spirituality, Travel, and Young-adult. Who knew?
What genre will you not read?
Psychology or self-help. Just...NO. Ha!
What's the last song you listened to?
Honey Bee, by Zee Avi. I love Zee! She's so retro-awesome. In fact, if you want, I'll offer to giveaway an iTunes or Amazon mp3 download of her album to someone who comments on this interview post!
What movie based on a book do you like best?
A lot of my favorite books have been made into movies. I thought that the Lord of the Rings films were exceptional - those are probably the best. Or maybe it's just that they're the only ones I can remember right now?
Recommend one novel, one author, and one blog I have to check out!
Novel: If you haven't read
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, check it out. It is phenomenal, heart-wrenching, make-you-think kind of stuff. Author: Neil Gaiman. The man is a freaking genius. He's written so many different things, in all different genres. He's smart, he's funny, and it really comes across in his writing. I don't think they make them like that any more. Blog: The Clothes Horse (
http://theclothes.blogspot.com). Fun and affordable street fashion modeled by a pixie-like college grad in amazing settings. Great tips and quotes and contests, too. I check her photos every day for my fill of beauty and style.
Thanks for having me - these were awesome questions! As I answered them I learned a little bit about myself, which is always really cool. Happy BBAW!
I am so happy to announce my first blog tour! My stop is on November 20 and I hope you all will stop by! Here are the rest of the dates: 
