We’re back with a new guest today on today’s fLiP iT fRiDaY — first one of the new year! Please welcome Lenore from Presenting Lenore, aka @lenoreva on Twitter.

Describe a typical day in your life.

My day always begins with my cat Emmy waking me up earlier than I want to be awake. You should hear her meow. Wow. I pet her until she runs off, make sure she has food and water and then I shuffle over to check my e-mail and google reader. If I have a freelance writing project with an urgent deadline, I work on that. If not, I curl up with a book. Then it’s lunch – either a quick sandwich or a stroll with my husband down to one of our favorite restaurants. In the afternoon, I’m either working or running errands. Sometimes I’ll go for a long walk, bike ride, or to a pilates class. Evenings we’ll often have some sort of social activity or we’ll watch a movie/TV series.

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

I’ve only recently gotten back into reading YA – let’s say in the last year. It’s so much more consistently sophisticated and innovative than it was back when I was actually in the target demographic. I am really into YA dystopias like Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies series and Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games.

I feel the same way about YA — so much more sophisticated and cool now, thanks to pioneer authors who weren’t afraid to take risks and the librarians and booksellers who supported them. It’s a great time to be part of the YA writing and reading community! By the way, I can’t wait for Hunger Games 3!

What are 5 of your favorite things?

1. Books, especially my signed ones.
2. My travel journal where I record my adventures from my trips.
3. My grandmother’s fried Okra with fresh tomatoes from her garden.
4. A comforter that my mother made for me when I was 10 (I still use it).
5. The foreign money collection I’ve amassed together with my father.

Ah, I think if I ever met you in person, I would just love you! All of your answers made me sigh (in a good way).

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

I started my blog in April 2007 but back then, it was mostly for the benefit of family and friends who wanted to see my vacation photos. In April 2008, I repurposed it into a book blog after hearing a speaker at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair.

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?

Book reviews are my main focus. I like to be involved in collaborative projects with other bloggers so you’ll probably see more of that. Hopefully more author interviews, more discussions and more fun! What else? I don’t do many memes, but I was one of the first to participate in Waiting on Wednesday and I really like featuring upcoming books.

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

I am working on several picture book projects with my husband. His first illustrated book, IS YOUR BUFFALO READY FOR KINDERGARTEN?, is coming out with HarperCollins in Summer 2010 so that has opened the door just a sliver for us to present our joint work to editors.

How fun! I love that book title. And since I’ve just professed my love for you, and I live in Buffalo, I have even more reason to pick up that book. Good luck on your future collaborations! Working on a book project with my husband is one of my dreams, too.

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

Well, I just sort of fell into my current occupation as a freelance advertising copywriter. I’ve been doing it for quite a few years now and enjoy it. But I always still think I’d like to be a diplomat and join the US Foreign Service.

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

These questions just keep getting harder! Let’s see…

1. I want to learn Russian.
2. I’d like to visit Bhutan.
3. And someday publish a book.

In college I had a good friend from Russia who taught me how to say “веснушки (vesnushki).” Freckles. There, now you’re well on your way! 😉

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

People who know me in real life probably aren’t surprised by anything I say or do anymore.

Then you need to shake things up, girl! I’m thinking of something that involves a gorilla suit, a case of bananas, a bucket of red paint, and a cannon…

Now, it’s time for Apocalypse Mad Libs!

If I ever had to face a raving pack of Zombie Chickens out to take vengeance on all those who did not pass on the Zombie Chicken Award I’d want A.S. King on my side, because she is very creative and I’m sure we could come up with some survival strategies together.

If she wasn’t available, I’d take Emer from the book Dust of 100 Dogs, because she can rock a sword and isn’t afraid to break necks.

In any case, if I only had 1 day to live before the end of the world, I’d eat 2 bags of Almond M&Ms and wash them down with a nice glass of chai tea and then I’d tell everyone, “Remember Zamora Chinchipe!”

Thank God I already got my Zombie Chicken award! Thanks for joining us on today’s fLiP iT fRiDaY, Lenore!

Don’t forget to check out Lenore’s blog at Presenting Lenore and follow her on Twitter at @lenoreva. Hopefully if she decides to try out that whole gorilla/cannon/bananas thing, she’ll post some photographic evidence! 🙂

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!