Book Bloggers Abroad (3) – USA

Welcome to the weekly guest post in the Book Bloggers Abroad series. Every week a book blogger from a different country will be featured who will talk about what it’s like to be a book blogger where he or she lives.

USA

Our guest blogger for today is Bellezza from USA. Her book blog is called Dolce Bellezza. She prefers to read books by Japanese authors and runs the Japanese Literature Challenge, which is now in its fourth year. Go and have a look!

Me in the Winter (my favorite season)

I live in a suburb of Chicago, in the midwestern United States, with my husband and nineteen year old son. I’ve lived here for most of my life, except for a few years when I lived in Europe as a child and then again in my early twenties. I began my elementary school teaching career with the Department of Defense when the wall dividing East and West Germany was still up, so during those years I lived in Germany. Other summers were spent in France as well as traveling throughout Europe when I was a girl in the late 60’s.

I get my books every where I can, most especially from amazon.com because they have such a large selection of books for very good prices. The children in my class often give me gift cards to large bookstores, such as Borders or Barnes and Noble, because they know how much I love to read, but storing all my books is becoming a problem. I’m finding I use the library much more now, to save money and space.

My husband and I bicycled in Chicago on Lake Shore Drive (a very famous road there, which was closed especially for the event).

When I began blogging in 2006, it was to have the experience of establishing a blog, but I didn’t designate myself necessarily as a book blogger. Once I discovered that community, I immediately leaped in, and find that blogging is a most consuming occupation. I teach full time during the year, but I often spend the evenings (and summers) blogging. It is so exciting to learn of new books from other bibliophiles, and to discuss our passion together.

I read any place I can, most often in the living room in a big soft chair, but also in bed. My favorite thing to do is to crawl back in bed in the mornings I don’t work, with my coffee and my book, and read in my pajamas as long as I can.

Books for the Japanese Literature Challenge

My favorite American authors are those who have written children’s books: E. B. White’s Charlottte’s Web, Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series, and Madeleine L’Engle’s novels, such as The Love Letters, are my favorite. But, I am very passionate about Haruki Murakami’s work. He is my current favorite author, and Kafka On The Shore is my favorite book by him.

Click on the world for a Google Maps picture!

Thanks, Bellezza for letting us have a look at your life as a reader and blogger. I’m also in the Japanese Literature Challenge and I think it’s a great idea. There are many more great Japanese authors than you might think.

Don’t forget to take a look at Bellezza’s blog. If you have any questions or comments for Bellezza, just leave them in the comments section.

Next week Jane from London, UK will be visiting us for the fourth Book Bloggers Abroad guest post. Don’t miss it!