Armchair BEA: Introductions & Classics!

Well, the title is a little self explanatory... I'm an unlucky soul who can't make it to NYC so I'm going to have fun at BEA from my chair! So, first things first, allow me to introduce myself:

Please tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? How long have you been blogging? Why did you get into blogging? 

My name is Nikki H and I love all things with words and Wonder Woman. I love reading all genres, but my favorite age groups are YA, NA, and MG, only because I can escape the "adult" life I already live. Right now I'm studying to become a YA/Children's Librarian. I've been blogging since May 2011 (my blogoversary should be soon!) and I love it! I started blogging because of an English class I took in my undergrad college years. We were supposed to keep notes on all the books we read, and I thought a creative idea would be to make it through a blog! After the class was  over I didn't want to get rid of it so I kept it going!

Where in the world are you blogging from? Tell a random fact or something special about your current location. Feel free to share pictures. 
I'm blogging from the south side, Texas to be more specific! Home of the most bipolar weather ever! And just in case you're wondering, NO we do not use horses as transportation everywhere and not everyone has that terrible twang accent lol 

Tell us one non-book-related thing that everyone reading your blog may not know about you. 

I am addicted to spicy foods. Sometimes when we go to the movies and I finish my nachos, I eat just the jalapenos and cheese by themselves. I blame my mother, she did that all throughout her pregnancy with me. 

What is your favorite part about the book blogging community? 

Talking to authors. Authors are our celebrities, so tweeting them, having a convo with them, or meeting them makes my day. 

What are you currently reading, or what is your favorite book you have read so far in 2013? 
Another Little Piece
I'm currently reading Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn, but I'm looking to read more summery reads. (As in romance, sand, hot literary guys, etc.) 

Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles, #2)Splintered (Splintered, #1)
Eleanor and ParkMy Life After Now
My favorite books of the year have been Splintered by A.G. Howard and Scarlet by Marissa Meyer. In a different category, I really liked My Life After Now by Jessica Verdi and Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell. 


Classics

     For a long time I wasn't a huge fan of the classics. Only because throughout my school years they were shoved down my throat as assignments and not enjoyment. I was one of those that automatically hated anything I had to read for class. 
     As I got older and had to reread them for college classes they grew on me. For example, I now LOVE To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. 
     I think a better way to get students to appreciate the classics is to give them a choice. If you know that particular student loves romance novels, let them read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Going by what they love could make the world of a difference. 
What do you think could change the way students feel about the classics?