Gryffindor Books: Thanks for doing this with me!
Sophie: Of course!!! Thank-you so much for reaching out to me!
Gryffindor Books: Who or what got you into reading?
Sophie: I have been reading for as long as I can remember. Basically, my love for books started as soon as I was physically able to read! I give a lot of credit to my amazing mother, who would read to me every night. I think that listening to my mom’s voice reading is what gradually inspired me to pick up a book myself. Once I begun reading on my own, there was no stopping me!
Gryffindor Books: When you were growing up which fictional character did you look up to?
Sophie: Ooo that’s a tough question. Honestly, I LOVED Nancy Drew. I read every single one of those darn, neon-yellow colored books! And I LOVED Nancy. Even though I was quite young, I think I was aware enough to appreciate Nancy’s presence as a strong female protagonist. She was clever, independent, hard-working and classy all at once. As a young girl, I think that it was encouraging for me to read about a young woman who was unafraid to be herself entirely.
Gryffindor Books: If you were trapped on an island with a book series and the author of that book series which one would it be and why?
Sophie: SARAH J MAAS. Hands down, Sarah J Maas. It’s no secret that I’m entirely in love with Sarah as an author. Firstly, Throne of Glass is my favorite book. Secondly, she is my literary idol. And lastly, I think that she’s a sweetheart and downright hilarious. I think that we would be fabulous friends.
Gryffindor Books: Which book format do you like the most? Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook or eBook?
Sophie: Hardcover. My paperbacks always end up getting bent, torn and totally abused by me. I like that hardcovers are sturdy, bigger, and they rest in my lap nicely while reading. Although, to be honest, I’m really not too picky when it comes to the format of my books!
Gryffindor Books: When and why did you start your Booktube channel?
Sophie: I started my channel during spring of 2015. I was taking a gap year before starting college. That year was a rather difficult one for me, and I turned to books for company. One day, as I was perusing through Goodreads, I stumbled upon a book review by Benjaminoftomes that had a link to his booktube channel. I was absolutely astonished that people were making videos about books. I was seriously SO excited and ended up bingeing tons of videos. I was lying in bed one night when suddenly, out of nowhere, a thought occurred to me: “Tomorrow, I should film my own booktube video.” I had quite the spontaneous and overwhelming need to pull out my camera and give it a go. And so I did! That next morning, I filmed my first video with absolutely no idea what I was doing. My reason for starting a channel was simply to make a few booklover friends… I had NO idea it would result to what it is now, two years later!
Gryffindor Books: If you had to pick one of your videos as your favorite which would it be and why?
Sophie: I think that my favorite videos to film are my skits, which is why I should really do more of them. My favorite video is my “Why I Love Fictional Bad Boys.” I just had SO much fun filming that. It was completely improvisation. Making fun of that topic was so easy for me that there was no need to script it… I’ve read WAY too many cheesy, YA romance novels. Despite the fact that I’m mocking them, I’m entirely guilty of reading and loving “cliche” YA books (AKA my obsession with Jennifer L. Armentrout). However, it’s just way too fun to poke fun at them regardless.
Gryffindor Books: If someone asked for advice on how to start a Booktube channel what would you tell them?
Sophie: Well… I would tell them to do what I did! Pull out a camera, hit record, and start talking about whatever YOU want to talk about. You don’t need a super nice camera and you don’t need to be super great at filming or editing (I DEFINITELY wasn’t). People care more about the person behind the camera than fancy editing. Focus on what YOU are passionate about, not what you think your audience wants to hear. People are drawn towards authenticity; and ultimately, your videos will be wonderful if you stay true to your own style of talking, filming, types of books, etc! Don’t overthink it- just do it! See what happens!
Gryffindor Books: If you could live with one Author or Book Tuber who would it be and why?
Sophie: Well, I already answered Sarah J. Maas sooo… let’s see…. I mean, is it cliche to say J.K. Rowling? Okay, yeah, it’s totally cliche… but how can this not be my answer?! J.K. Rowling has been the voice to the story I have lived and dreamed about my whole life. She’s like the literary mother to all us HP nerds. Living with her would be… well, magical! The entire world of Harry Potter lives inside of her head. She literally IS all of the characters. So, basically, if I lived with her…. I’d be simultaneously living with the entirety of the Harry Potter world. Honestly, my head feels like it’s going to explode just trying to imagine how magnificent that would be.
Gryffindor Books: What is your Hogwarts House? What is your Ilvermorny House?
Sophie: My Hogwarts house is Gryffindor all the way! I am a Gryffindor though and through. My friends even make jokes about how I am “SUCH a Gryffindor” ….. whatever that means! I’ve done endless sorting hat quizzes, but without fail am a Gryffindor every single time. My Ilvermorny house is Wampus!
Gryffindor Books: Thanks so much for agreeing to do this with me!!
Sophie: Ahh thank YOU so much for inviting me to this interview! These was such great and fun questions! I had a wonderful time answering them 🙂 Take care!
Sophie’s Links:
YA Books are Epic 