The Sunshine Blogger Award

The lovely Kat from The Perks of being a Daydreamer nominated me for the Sunshine Blogger Award, my very first award nomination – Thank you so much!

---

The Rules:

•  Thank the blogger who nominated you by linking their blog.
•  Answer the questions
•  Nominate 11 blogs with 11 questions
•  List the rules as well as display the Sunshine Award Logo on your post.

---

Answering Kat’s questions:

1. What inspired you to create your blog?

I have blogged before under many different guises, the most cringy of which was Thoughts of an invisible teenager; you can imagine the angst on there. I also had a book blog imaginatively named The Bookshelf and a web address way too long to ever be remembered. I enjoyed The Bookshelf  but I placed a lot of pressure on myself to review all that I read. This did mean that I was able to interact with publishers more – which I loved! but it became a chore and when university started it was easy to leave it gathering dust.

Books inter alia began after a week at HarperCollins. It was mentioned that blogging was a good way of forming connections and testing your voice, I knew I no longer felt anything for my previous blog identities and wanted something a bit more … grown up. I love discussing books, reading and the ‘reader lifestyle’ including intricacies like whose reading, why, social media and reading, ect. Being able to find other people on the internet who are interested in the same things, finding the community really pushed me to make the new commitment. There may be weeks when I feel a bit unmotivated but I love it!

2. Who is your favorite author and what would you ask them if you got the chance to meet them?

There are so many authors I love and would jump at the chance to have a chat with.

Predictably, it would have to be J.K.Rowling. I’d love to ask her about the intricacies of the series, and discuss the process, as well as just getting to know her. I also couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to expres how much the books mean and have meant to me. I am sure she hears it all the time but even I don’t fully understand how much the adventures of Harry Potter have shaped me as a reader and a book lover.

I would also love to sit down with Matt Haig. He is one of my all time favourite authors (up there with J.K. Rowling, definitely) and he makes some fascinating observations about human life, nature and relations. I would revel in the opportunity to discuss these with him, as well as his writing process.

3. What’s your favorite book?

This is so hard! Honestly, I don’t know. Every year I re-read the Harry Potter series and I absolutely love every second of it. There are the books I would take with me if I could only read a limited number of books for the rest of my life. However, upon reading this question several other books also came to mind:

• Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend – Katarina Bivald
• Ready Player One – Ernest Cline
• Eleanor and Park – Rainbow Rowell
• The Book of Strange New Things – Michel Faber

It’s worth mentioning though that this list is highly subject to change.

4. Ebook or physical book? Why?

Physical! I had a kindle for approximatly 2 weeks before passing it on – I hated it! I understand the practical and access arguments for Kindles and ebooks but it’s just not for me. I also have a bit of an issue – and I utterly acknowledge that this petty and ridiculous – with kindle books being described as books. I might be wrong but, they’re not, are they?

5. Favorite character? Least favorite character?

Ooo, another hard one. Again, I am going to take this back to Harry Potter. I have always had a soft-spot for Luna Lovegood. I really wish we were introduced to her early on in the books. She is so confident in herself even whilst being ridiculed and mocked. She has the confidence to say what she thinks  – for example, when she points out that can be mean at times – but does so in such a disarming way. She goes through a lot but remains calm, friendly, trusting, loving, kind and respectful.

Least favourite character, Emma from One Day by David Nicholls. I loathed the entire book but Emma was just so predictable and cliched. I have to admit that I have only read this book once and that was at least 7 years ago. As a result, there is a chance my opinions could change if I gave it another chance but, I really struggle to think about it without getting cross.

6. Favorite ice cream flavor?

Real strawberry, I really dislike synthetic strawberry flavours but real strawberry ice cream is amazing.

7. Many POVS or one POV?

There are a couple of books I have read with multiple POVs that I really enjoyed. However, as a rule a single POV is my prefered. I find that I get a bit confused with multiple POVs, especially if the characters are similar, and I also find that the repeated information gets a little boring and frustrating.

8. Do you annotate books? Why or why not?

No! There are ocassions when I wish I could take pencil to page (never pen, absolutely not), but I just can’t make myself do it. I am more inclined with text books but even then it has to be exceptionally neat and planned. Highlighting involves a ruler and a key.

9. What’s your go to hobby?

Reading or Netflix. I also enjoy training and messing about with Ginny (my dog), but my first go-to will always be to pick up a book. I tend to move to the other things upon being reminded that I haven’t moved for hours and it might be a good idea to move around and do something different.

10. What’s your favorite book genre?

Contemporary. I love reading about aspects of life and experience. My niche within that is definitely YA contemporaries about Mental Health.

11. Do you like book to movie adaptions?

I do. Some are better than others (Oh, Ready Player one, I was so very excited ) but I really enjoying seeing how my visions match to others. It also enables me to reexperience that atmosphere.

 

These were so much fun to answer – thank you Kat 🙂

---

I nominate:

(In no particular order)

Amy ~ Amy Edmonds

Jen ~ Adventures of a Book Reader

Maud ~ My Pasion Projects

Sam ~ Oh Book It

Kate ~ Reading Through Infinity

Jenn ~ Jenniely

Ashley Rae ~ Thrifty Bibliophile

Taylor ~ Tea Time and Books

Jenny ~ Jenny in Neverland

Lee Newbery – Boswell – Rugby and Writer Dads

Francesca ~ Diary of a twenty-something

---

Questions from me to you:

What are you currently reading?

What do you enjoy most about writing/blogging?

Where is your happy place? why?

Favourite book or film trope?

You’re going away; which book, song, and film would you take with you?

What is your least favourite genre?

Which country would you most like to visit?

Which book would you love to see adapted?

You’re hosting a dinner party; which five famous people (alive or dead) would you invite?

Whose auto/biography would you most like to read?

What are you most looking forward to in the future?

 

Many thanks everyone! This was really fun and I hope that those of you who want enjoy answering my questions. Have a fabulous day!