Better Know A Blogger: Leslie - Working for the Mandroid

One great thing about the Ultimate Reviewer's Challenge and our Better Know a Blogger feature is that I get to discover new blogs!  Check out Leslie's Q&A and then go visit her blog. They like books....and robots....and cupcakes! Can't find anything wrong there!

Introduce yourself! My name is Leslie and I'm a 26-year-old obsessive reader from Austin, TX. When I'm not reading, I'm baking, chasing after my little nephew or watching too much television. Most people find me a bit weird, but then again, I normally find those people a bit boring. I run a blog called Working for the Mandroid with the tech assistance of my boyfriend, Fernando, who has kindly allowed me to turn an entire room of our house into a place to stash all of my books.

What is the name of your blog? (include blog link) How did you pick your blog’s name? Working for the Mandroid It's from a quote in my favorite episode of Supernatural that I have a tendency to yell out at random times: "We're not working for the mandroid!". Most people don't get it, but I know that the people who do understand should definitely be my friends. After trying to think of a blog title for weeks, Fernando stopped me after I quoted the show yet again and suggested that be the name. I like robots, particularly friendly ones, so he drew me a little robot that I inadvertently made a background story about and everything sort of fell into place.

How long have you been blogging? The blog existed for a little while in 2010 as a general geek culture blog until I got wrapped up in freelance projects and house hunting. Now that I'm settled, we've been back up and running for about two months with more of a book focus though other geeky things do creep in from time to time (usually on Tuesdays). We're planning a redesign and I'm way too focused to stop now!

How do you measure blogging success? Is it strictly number of followers or something more? While email alerts saying that we've gotten more followers always makes me a little giddy, I think I measure success in the terms of number of comments and the amount of conversation that I can either instigate or become a part of through the blog. I started the blog to meet people who liked similar things to me, since I don't have a lot of sci-fi/fantasy book readers in my real life social circles (it's a bit sad).

What genres/subgenres do you review, and what do you like best about those genres? My favorite sub sub-genres are dystopian/post-apocalyptic and steampunk, but I love the larger fantasy and science fiction realms. The best world building happens in books that take place outside of the world we actually inhabit. I find my imagination captured by zombies, robots, spaceships, epic quests with fantastical creatures. I read to escape the world around me, so I really want to escape. It's the main reason I love comic books so much. You can't help but build a world in a comic book.

What are you reading right now? I'm trying to make a dent in my Netgalley list, so I'm currently reading a short story compilation called Supernatural Noir that's edited by Ellen Datlow and a YA fantasy novel called Legacy by Cayla Kluver.

Do you use social media to promote your blog or discuss reading/blogging? (include links to Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, etc) I've been on Goodreads for a long time, before the idea of a blog ever came to mind. I now also use Twitter to promote the blog as well as to participate in discussions regarding books, movies, and the occasional philosophical discussion of robots versus alien (I'm team robot). Or something like that...

Where is your favorite place to read? I have a cushy chair right in front of a window that gets lots of sun in the afternoon. I can curl up in there and not need to move for hours at a time.

What are your ideal reading conditions? Quiet, no talking, just some lovely white noise in a cushy chair, preferably with some tasty baked good within reach.

What are the top 5 books in your TBR (To Be read) pile?
Crossed by Ally Condie

Locke & Key: Head Games by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

The Return of the Dapper Men by Jim McCann & Janet Lee

The Native Star by MK Hobson

Obligatory controversial question: Love triangles! Love ‘em or hate ‘em, and why? Love triangles generally annoy me. It's really hard to create and maintain a credible love triangle where at least one party doesn't do something that makes me want to hit them in the face. I'm much more a "will they or won't they" type girl, where you have a pair of characters with a lot of chemistry contemplating being together without the third wheel there to provide artificial - and often unnecessary - conflict.

What has been the best thing about blogging and reviewing books? Meeting new people and finding a little corner of this vast Internet where I can chat with people about things we both love. The free books are nice too, of course, but I don't think I would be able to sustain a blog without the added social benefits involved. It's also a great excuse to read more!

Karen: It was great to meet you Leslie! Great answers - particularly on the love triangle controversy. I'm also definitely on board with reading with a tasty baked good within reach!