Today on fLiP iT fRiDaY, we welcome our awesome Aussie friend, Adele from Persnickety Snark, @snarkywench on Twitter.

I was secretly hoping Adele would answer these questions in video so you could see how cute she is with that accent, but I guess you’ll just have to trust me and just imagine its loveliness on your own. 🙂

Describe a typical day in your life.

I captain a group of grade eight student’s towards the righteousness of the written word, the delights of our past and the frustrations of technology. (AKA I am the teacher of grade eight English, History and IT). My typical day is rushing around school corridors, waving my arms around in front of a whiteboard, telling boys to keep their feet off their chairs, drinking copious amounts of Diet Coke and then getting home to mark my student’s work, then read and review while managing my whole twitter addiction.

English, History, and IT? That’s quite a combo!

What is your favorite YA book and why? Or, which YA book has had the most profound effect on you and why?

My favourite would have to be Melina Marchetta’s Jellicoe Road. For fourteen years I was crushing madly on her debut work, Looking for Alibrandi, but I have switched alliances. It’s authentically Australian, beautifully characterised and a challenging but ultimately rewarding read (and now a Printz recipient).

OMG I *love* Jellicoe Road. Its my favorite YA book, too. I love it so much that I picked up her other books at ALA — Saving Francesca and Looking for Alibrandi. She was signing them and told me (after I was a complete fangirl, of course) that if I liked Jellicoe, I’d love Alibrandi. Can’t wait to read it. Everyone, go read Marchetta’s books. Like, right now, if you haven’t. You’ll love them. See? Fangirling again!

What are 5 of your favorite things?

1. Diet Coke – ambrosia of the Book Gods
2. The smell of damp grass
3. Friday Night Lights DVDs
4. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
5. Swirly dresses (you know the ones that you can get good spin factor in?)

I, too, love me some Reese’s PBCs. Halloween is coming here in the states, you know. And the only reason the kids get the good stuff (i.e. Reese’s PBCs) is so that I can eat the leftovers. One for you, two for me and all. Don’t tell my husband.

How long have you been blogging, and how did you get your book blogging start?

I stumbled across a couple of YA review blogs in late December and started my own the next month (January 9th, 2009). Ten months in and I cannot believe all the friendships I have made, the characters I have come to know (and love) or the experiences that have burgeoned because of this little thing called blogging.

Agreed. Thank God Al Gore invented the Internets! 🙂

Are you planning any upcoming new features or special content on your book blog and/or is there anything specific you want potential new visitors to know about your blog?

I have never thought my reviews are particularly special but I have found that people enjoy the constructiveness I try to convey. I still give a blanket grade (check out the system, your brain might collapse) but I like to be fair in my approach. I think my blog is a little different as I am presenting the amazing literature coming out of Australia and giving a voice to many authors that don’t get much media exposure. I have Author’s Spotlights frequently that feature an author’s thoughts on reading, an interview on their most current work and occasionally a guest blog.

I am definitely enjoying writing discussion posts the most and I think people like the subjects that I have covered so far. My Bad Boys discussion went down a treat but mention Logan Echols and the girls will come a-running. I am not much of a contest girl so I am trying to engage people with fun discussions and honest reviews.

Bad boys? Well, since you asked… my fave is hands down Jonah Griggs in Jellicoe Road. Really. Is there any contest? No. I don’t even know who this Logan boy is. There is only Jonah. And maybe Edward. But anyway…

In addition to blogging, what other creative pursuits do you enjoy?

I have been dithering with the notion of writing. I signed up for NaNoWriMo this year so that should be an educational month. I have many ideas floating around in my head but am not sure if that will translate to the page. Until recently I was a podcaster (PSnark took up too much time), I hosted a show that revolved around the FOX TV show Fringe. We got around 1200 listeners a week and was enormously fun. The listeners were beyond lovely but it proved to be too time consuming in the end. I also like weeding, not gardening just weeding. There’s something incredibly cathartic in pulling something out of the ground.

Yay, another NaNo victim! I look forward to procrastinating online with you. I mean, encouraging one another to finish a novel in 30 days.

What do you want to be when you “grow up”?

I have already grown up and achieved my goal of becoming a teacher. However, I did envision myself as Jo March, holed up in an attic with a weird hat, writing passionately for awhile. That still sounds good but, as Jo, I would definitely ensure that I ended up with Laurie (Professor Baer – shudders) and that my sister would live 😛

I would like to finish a good manuscript. Not necessarily to publish as the chances of that are monumentally slim but to have that sense of accomplishment in writing a book, even if it’s only for you.

What are 3 things you’d like to do or accomplish in your lifetime?

1. Find my tall, dark and dorky – or marry Ryan Gosling.
2. Travel and meet new people.
3. Continue to write for joy – whether blogging, journalling or creatively.

Continue to write for joy — I love that. It’s easy to lose sight of that core reason. Thanks for the reminder.

Tell us something that people who know you in real life would be surprised to learn about you.

I am beyond clumsy. It has been suggested that I seriously look into permanent bubble wrap or getting a seeing eye dog. And no I am not exaggerating, the bruises attest to my inability to walk straight and stay upright.

Hmmm… permanent bubble wrap sounds both fun and… impossible to sleep in.

Now, it’s time for Apocalypse Mad Libs!

If I ever had to face a clown apocalypse I’d want Beth Fantaskey on my side, because her random sense of humour and love of the bizarre would make the experience a little less terrifying.

If she wasn’t available, I’d take Jessica from the book Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, because because she’d belittle the scary clowns with fierce rhetoric and a well placed kick in the shins.

In any case, if I only had 1 day to live before the end of the world, I’d eat a big juicy steak and then I’d tell everyone, “Clowns are vegetarians….right?”

Thanks for the fLiP iT fRiDaY visit, Adele! I urge you all to visit Persnickety Snark and check it out Adele’s videos if you want to hear that accent! Follow her at @snarkywench on Twitter, too.

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fLiP iT fRiDaY is a weekly feature at SarahOckler.com showcasing the fabulous YA book bloggers and reviewers who share young adult fiction with the world and inspire raves, rants, intelligent discourse, and a whole bunch of book-lovin’ among readers everywhere. If you’d like to be featured on fLiP iT fRiDaY, contact me!