Books? That's my thing!: Introducing Me

    So, this is the first "Books? That's My Thing" post, I thought of the idea to write every week about bookish things happening in my life, I know there might be something similar out there, but honestly, I can't find it... Anyway, as the title said, this week, I am going to introduce myself to you. (How does that count as bookish? Well, I consider myself a bookish person, so bear with me ;) )

     First, the basics, I am Allyson Rida. Okay, we both know that's not my real name, I'm pretty sure no one's last name is Rida. I am not even a fan of Flo Rida, I don't how I decided to choose this one... As for Allyson, that's not my real name either. However, I really like the name Allyson (I don't know why), and since reading and blogging is something that I like to do, I want to do it in a name that I like. Not that I don't like my real name, it's just... Okay, I 'll save you from another rant and move on.

     Second thing about me, I don't live in the US. Meaning buying books is some sort of a headache to me. I have to order books online and wait for at least 2 weeks for delivery. So you might not see  reviews of the newest books out there, 'cause even though I know the books are out, I have to wait at least half a month to get them. *sigh* Okay, you're wondering why I don't buy them from bookstores. Well, there's two reasons, first, the price. Since I live in HK, the rent here is HIGH. The only English bookstore we have here is Page One (how I would kill for a Barnes & Noble), and since the Page One shops are HUGE, the books are usually sold at higher pricces because they have to earn enough for the rent. Since I can't spend all my money on books, I don't buy books from the local book store very often. The second thing, the selections of books there are... UNBEARABLE! Even though the book store is big, they still have a very small section for YA books. Exhibit A: Yesterday, I went there looking for Sweet Evil 'cause I'd like to join the October read-a-long hosted by Magical Urban Fantasy Reads, Two Chicks on Books, Tater's Tall Tails, Fikshun and A Lush Budget Production, but I. Couldn't. Find. It. Sure, the book is not super popular, but it has been out for MONTHS and I couldn't believe they don't have it... So there goes my chance for joining a Read-a-long, online ordering would mean by the time I get the book, October is already over.... It's hard finding US books out of US (That's an understatement)... Anyway, here are my reasons for hating my local book store. A side note, we don't have indie book stores, so if anyone want to help me buy physical copies of the Ancient Legends series, let me know ;) (Okay, just kidding, but I would love to have them...)

     Third thing... Well, let's talk about how I fall in love with YA. My first language is not English (that you know of), it's Cantonese (very different from English). So how come I am now constantly reading and writing in English? Well, it started when I was in Form 1 (meaning 7th grade in the US) and stumbled upon the 39 Clues series. I read the books in Chinese but couldn't wait for the next installments to be translated, so I bought the English version and just started reading. I'll spare you all the details about the hardships I've been through to understand the book and tell you, I owe the 39 Clues series big time. Sure, it might seem a little silly to me now, but if it wasn't for the series, I wouldn't ever stumble upon the vast army of YA books out there, so the series will always have a special place in my heart. (A little info, do you know the reading levels of 8th and 9th grade students in HK? We are not exactly bad at English, but there's definitely a big difference. Since for 8th grade, I have to read Charlotte's Web, yes, the kids book. And this year, in 9th grade, Holes. It's a great book, but really? We're in 9th grade! *sigh*)

I notice that this post is getting a little too long, so I'll wrap it up by telling you a few of my favorites:
Favorite book: Gosh, I don't know which to choose. But most recently, Doomed by Jayde Scott, it's awesome! Catch my review here
Favorite Author:  Ally Carter (her Gallagher Girls series is Great with a capital G!)
Favorite book character:  Cammie and Zach from the Gallagher Girls series
Favorite genre: Obviously I like YA, that's practically all I read, and my favourite genre in YA is paranormal. I don't exactly need romance in a book but I found that it made the book more enjoyable ;)
Favorite series: Harry Potter series (Okay, that's a cliche)
A Book that you need to have right NOW: Alice in Zombieland by Gene Showalter
Favorite movie:  Batman Trilogy directed by Christopher Nolan (That guy is a genius!)
Favorite TV show: Austin & Ally (this involve my guilty pleasure), Pretty Little Liars, Warehouse 13
Favorite singer: Adam Lambert
Favorite song (right now): Better Then I Know Myself sung by Adam Lambert and practically all Ross Lynch songs
Favorite flavor: (Not chocolate or vanilla) Banana
Celebrity Crush: Ross Lynch & Laura Marano (both lead stars of Austin & Ally)
Guilty Pleasure: Since reading is not a bad thing, I am NOT guilty. My guilty pleasure is that I still watch Disney Channel (hence the crush on Ross and Laura) and Nick shows... What? They are funny and I need a good laugh! Don't judge me!

Any suggestions on what to write about next week on "Books? That's My Thing!"? What do you want to know about me, ask me in the comments and I'll try my best to answer! :)