BBAW: Interview with Suzi from Whimpulsive!

February 16, 2016 Book Blogger Appreciation Week 30

Greetings Gorgeous Bookworms!

It’s Book Blogger Appreciation Week, the newly re-instated love fest. The internet can be an ugly place, so the idea that we’re celebrating our blog friends is downright delicious. Because I’m all about the participation (I know, right? Who are you, and what have you done with the real Katie?!) I’m going to be introducing y’all to another book blogger today… Interview style. It’s Suzi from Whimpulsive! She and I were paired up for this shindig, and I am SO GLAD I got matched up with Suzi. As you might imagine, my interview questions are maybe a teensy bit off the wall, and Suzi was more than game for it. Ready to meet the most fun blogger on the Pacific Coast?!

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1.     Your blog is called Whimpulsive. I have my suspicions as to its meaning (and let me tell you, I adore my suspicions) but why don’t you define it for our fine fancy bookworm friends?

Many many years ago I was doing something (I don’t remember what) to purposely annoy The Hubster and enjoying the heck out of the moment. He asked me why and in that moment I inadvertently combined whim and impulse in my head and my answer was “Lack of whimpulse control”.  After that whimpulse became a commonly used word in our house. Later I was in a message board booklovers group and I began to use whimpulsive reads for books that suddenly appeared on my radar and demanded to be read ahead of all the books I already owned or planned to read. When I first started my blog I was stupid and didn’t think out the blog name very well. I called it “Blogging My Books”. Within a few months I hated the name and since the blog wasn’t totally about books any more I renamed it to Whimpulsive. (I’m adding additional commentary because that’s what I do. Originally I had hoped that “whimsy” came into play, but I rather like your definition.)

2.     This is, possibly the single most important question ever… What is your patronus? (Of slightly less importance, which Hogwarts house claims your membership?)

My patronus is absolutely a cat (I even took a quiz that confirmed it) although I would be thrilled if my patronus was Clairee Belcher from Steel Magnolias. I am also certain that the Sorting Hat would put me in Ravenclaw. I also took a quiz that confirmed my suspicion. (SUZI! You are the most wonderful creature. Clairee is obviously the best character in Steel Magnolias. Also, we’re in the same house. RAVENCLAW FOR LIFE!)

3.     What exactly do you have against zucchini? (Seriously no judgement here, I think beets are the work of the devil.) 

Totally my grandmothers fault. She cooked it until it was mush and I had to eat it that way as a child. It scarred me for life. (I hear you there. That’s probably part of my hatred for beets. For the love, canned beets, Mom?! I still get the heebie jeebies.)

4.     Since you are a self-proclaimed evil genius trainee, what means would you use to conquer the world? (My personal answer is an unholy army of penguin warriors who fight with nothing but utter cuteness, but this is about YOU, here, Suzi.)

Ooh – we should team up. My original plan was to use my cats as spies and have then hypnotize people into submission but they keep stopping to nap. Useless beasts. My new plan is to get a Dr. Horrible costume and hope a new brilliant idea comes to mind. (Watch out, World.)

5.     Tell us about your Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker because I am a terrible cook and impatient to the max and I want to know just how fast magically delicious foods can be cooked easily. Bookworms gotta eat, yo.

I totally bought the Instant Pot thanks to a twitter conversation.  A couple of people were talking about how much they loved theirs. I didn’t even know what it was until that conversation sent me looking. The old style stovetop pressure cookers scared me to death. I just knew if I tried one I’d blow up my kitchen. The electric seems a little safer and I’m enjoying learning how to use it. Best thing so far – fabulous baby back ribs in one hour. (I have a friend who suffered severe burns thanks to an old school pressure cooker, so I share your fear!)

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6.     How long have you been blogging and what made you start? (I know this question is rather dull, but indulge me.)

Way back in the dark ages (July 2006) a friend started a blog on Blogger. I thought it would be a fun way to keep an online book journal. I truly expected that it would only be a link that I could give to friends and family when they asked “what good books have you read lately?”.  I had absolutely no idea that book blogs were even a thing. When a total stranger commented and I followed that link to her blog and then from her commenters to other blogs it was like a miracle. I had found my people. Nine and a half years later I’m still here. (D’awwww, this is so sweet!)

7.     What is the best part of living in Oregon?

The variety and the beauty of it. Where we live outside of Portland it’s a little over an hour to the coast, an hour to the Columbia River Gorge, and a little more than that to the mountains. I’ve lived here most of my life (aside from a few years in Michigan and Texas) and it’s home. (Color me jealous. You know what we have in Illinois? Corn and soybeans. Okay, it’s not THAT bad, but we have no mountains and no ocean.)

8.     Do you work in addition to your blogging? If so, what do you do? (You can totally be vague here, I’m not looking to get you any stalkers.)

I work in downtown Portland as a data analyst. That means I spend most of my day staring at a computer. I actually have a t-shirt that perfectly describes my job “We do precision guess work based on unreliable data provided by those of questionable knowledge”. (We might be soul mates. Our real life jobs sound remarkably similar.)

9.     If you could jump into the pages of any novel, what would you choose? You have to live there for a while, so, you know. Choose wisely.

Just send me to Hogwarts. (Amen, Ravenclaw sister. Amen.)

10.  Which fictional character would you most like to punch? (You could choose imaginary smacking over imaginary punching if you like. Imaginary broken knuckles can be incredibly painful.)

While I have often wanted to punch characters for making stupid choices I think Delores Umbridge deserves to be punched just for being Delores Umbridge. (Totally worth any imaginary knuckle pain.)

HUGE thanks to Suzi for playing along with my interview questions, you were such a great sport. Hurrah for Suzi from Whimpulsive! Bookworms, would you indulge me and give Suzi a big old Words for Worms thank you? Oh! And if you want to read Suzi’s interview with me (it involves Muppets, so you totally should) go HERE!

*If you make a purchase through a link on this site, I will receive a small commission. I need to fund that penguin army, you guys.*

30 Responses to “BBAW: Interview with Suzi from Whimpulsive!”

  1. heather

    Great interview! I agree that cats would be horrible at taking over the world. Actually, they’ve already proved that. They could totally do it but just haven’t bothered yet.
    Ravenclaws forever!

    Reply

  3. Beth F

    Love this so much. I’ve been a stalker er, follower of SuziQoregon since I entered the online book world … I just know we’d get along just as well or better in real life.

    Reply

  7. Kay

    I, too, have read SuziQ’s blog for forever and a day. I love her pictures of Oregon – really, y’all, go for the pictures and stay for the other stuff. We used to life in Oregon and I pine for it at times. I didn’t know you wanted to Clairee – well, if you’d can’t say something nice, come sit by me! LOL LOL

    This was great! Truly – Whimpulsive should be on everone’s blogroll.

    Reply

  8. Jenny @ Reading the End

    Awww, y’all are a delight. I loved that you fell into the book blogging community by accident, Suzi.

    I also ardently cosign the imaginary punching of Dolores Umbridge. She absolutely deserves it. Like, either Ron or Harry definitely got to punch Malfoy after saving him in the Battle of Hogwarts, but we never saw anyone punch Dolores Umbridge, and she deserved it way more. Actually, Malfoy got punched TWICE, because Hermione ALSO hit him in Prisoner of Azkaban!

    Reply

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