Liebster Awards

This week is dedicated to catching up on numerous posts so to kick off the week, here’s a Liebster Award post!

I was nominated for the Liebster Award in early June by Broken Heart Designer and in late June by Sara LeTourneau. These are my second and third Liebster Award nominations but I am so grateful for the recognition. Thank you! 😀 I’ve decided to combine both award nominations into one post because I’m tired it seems practical.

The rules:

1. Thank the blogger who nominated you.
2. Answer the 11 questions that the blogger gives you.
3. Nominate 11 blogs that you think are deserving of the award.
4. Let the bloggers know you nominated them.
5. Give them 11 questions to answer.

Here are Broken Heart Designer’s questions and my answers:

1. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Do I have to give just one answer? If I was presented with the opportunity to do so at this very moment I would say ItalyFranceEnglandIreland. I don’t know which one I’d rather visit first. Maybe Italy. I just want to walk around and stare at buildings and visit the museums and castles and such.

If I was asked this question back in January or February, I’d have to say Trinidad so I could go Carnival.

2. What is your go-to Starbucks (or Tim Hortons, Second Cup, etc) order?

I don’t frequent Starbucks anymore but when I did, I’d either get a Hot Chocolate or a Double Chocolaty Chip Blended Crème. I hate coffee.

3. Why did you start blogging?

Well, when I just started I didn’t know why I wanted to blog but later I decided to blog about books and reading because I didn’t know anyone who was interested in the same books as me or who would enjoy chatting about them as much as me. So I guess the answer is so I could talk to people about books and reading.

4. What is your favorite thing to do in the summer?

Chilling in the sun. 😉

5. What is your best memory from high school?

Lunch time. My friends and I would wander around the school sometimes aimlessly, sometimes running from security guards if we were on a floor we weren’t supposed to be on or sneaking out of school to the restaurants across the street. Lunch was always fun.

6. What is your biggest fear?

I’d rather not say.

7. What is one thing that, if you could, you would go back and redo?

College. I would actually do my homework this time.

8. What is your favorite makeup product?

I don’t wear makeup unless someone puts it on my face, which happens about once every 5 years or less, BUT I love eye shadow. The only reason why I would ever want to learn how to apply makeup is so I can play with eyeshadow.

9. What is your favorite restaurant?

Umm…I don’t have one. I don’t eat out often since my family mostly cooks.

10. Who is your favorite celebrity?

At the moment, Joe Manganiello because of the gas station scene in Magic Mike XXL. Lol, lol! Every time I think of it, I laugh.

11. If you could do one thing, knowing that you cannot fail, what would it be?

Well that’s a toughy. Assuming that someone I know will be tortured or something if I fail, I’ll select something easy and say read the first three Harry Potter books in a day (when I have nothing else to do).

And now Sara’s questions and my answers:

1. Why do you blog?

Although this is similar to the question I answered above, to me the two are different. I interpret this one as why do I continue to blog and why have I committed myself to it. My answer is that it’s fun and I do enjoy interacting with others on here. I’m also using this blog as a sort of bookish diary to record what I’ve read and how I felt and what I thought about the things I read.

2. What was the last good book you read? Why did you enjoy it?

Well since I’ve just completed The Curse of Crow Hollow by Billy Coffey, I’ll say that’s the last good book I’ve read. I enjoyed it because of the fear that the curse incites in the characters and how the characters deal with the fear. Also, I liked how he melts religion into folklore and folklore into religion so that sometimes it’s hard to distinguish the two. The characters and locale too were so realistic, and in some ways relatable (I know some people who’re like the Reverend and the Mayor and Chessie), that it’s easy to get swept up in the story.

3. In your opinion, are film adaptations of novels as good as the original? Not as good? Or better? Why?

Not as good because they never measure up to what I have in mind though I judge them harshly. There’s only one film adaptation I like and that’s the old Princess Bride movie. Otherwise, it’s best I watch the movie before reading the book.

4. What is the kindest or most compassionate thing someone has done for you?

Hmm…there are many but the one that comes to mind right now is when my friend helped me out financially during my last semester of college. He didn’t ask any questions, he just helped.

5. Do you use bookmarks while reading? What are you currently using for a bookmark(s)?

I do! — if I remember to. Right now I’m using one I bought from Barnes & Noble but usually I use whatever I have, mostly party flyers and receipts.

6. What is your favorite book cover design of all time? Why? Share a picture / image of it, if it’s possible.

OMG Sara, that’s such a hard question! Hmm… I think I have to go with Kazu Kibuishi’s design for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. No, it’s not because I’m reading it now why I picked it. It’s because it has the Burrow on it and I’ve always wanted to see the Burrow. I love how Kibuishi did that cover and now that I’m rereading the story, I can’t stop staring at it. But what cemented this cover’s placement at the top of my favorites is the colors used for the sky. It’s a pale orange that gets brighter towards the top but it emits such a feeling of comfort in me…I really can’t stop looking at it.

7. Have you ever read about a real place on Earth in a book (fiction or non-fiction) and wanted to visit it afterwards? If so, which place?

Yes! Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love made me want to visit Italy, India, Indonesia, in that order. Recently, I read Stephanie Perkins’ Anna and the French Kiss and though I wasn’t crazy about France before, now I’d love to visit Paris.

8. What is your favorite season? Why?

SUMMER!!! 😀 I love summer, yes I do! I love summer, how about you?

Summer is awesome. You don’t have to wear a lot of clothes. You don’t have to worry about the cold. And the days are longer. I love summer nights.

9. Do you have a “hidden talent”? By that, I mean a talent that you haven’t had a chance to share with others online or in your blog yet. What is that talent?

Umm…I don’t think I do or maybe I haven’t uncovered it yet.

10. Are you picky about the writing utensils you use? Do you prefer pens or pencils? Any specific brand or style?

Yes, I am. I prefer fine-point pens. The finer the better because I like thin lines. I also like the body of the pen to be soft enough to be comfortable but not too bendy. As for paper, I like those smooth ones that your palm can easily float across. When you write on such surfaces, it’s as if the pen is swimming across with a swift, unfelt current. Of course, I never have any of these perks available when I do begin to write and when I do, I spend the majority of the time admiring them than writing.

11. What is one thing you’re grateful for today?

I made it through the day safely and didn’t make many mistakes at work. Plus, I finished a book! 🙂 I’m grateful for these because I was so exhausted.

And my nominees are:

1. Rebel Mommy Book Blog
2. Night Owl Library
3. Diary of a Teen Writer
4. Brin’s Book Blog
5. Swxftbooks
6. Alexandria’s Bookshelf
7. The Night Girl
8. Paein and Ms4Tune
9. Ronnie Reads & Reviews
10. Stacks and Shelves
11. The Orang-utan Librarian

My questions for the nominees:

1. What is your favorite classic novel? Why is it your favorite?
2. For some reason, the universe is feeling generous and everyone gets $10,000 next weekend to go anywhere in their respective countries. Where would you go?
3. Have you ever seen a shooting star? Did you make a wish? Care to share? Did it come through?
4. What’s your favorite type of blog post to write?
5. Suppose you lived in a world where your life is a novel, what genre would you want it to be?
6. Of all the novels you’ve read, which character do you dislike the most? Why?
7. What’s the most unique book you’ve ever read?
8. If you could meet any character from a book, show, or comic, who would it be and why?
9. Suppose you slept until your sense of time got muddled and when you wake, there’s no one around as if they’re still sleeping. Would you be able to tell the difference between dusk and dawn? (P.S.: The digital clocks stopped working.)
10. When do you like to write? Morning, noon, night? All?
11. It’s the end of the work/school day and you’re exhausted. As you’re about to leave, Big Billy the Bully grabs your keys and runs off. The keys are your only means for getting home. What would you do? Anything is possible. Disclaimer: Your solution must include a ladder, a donkey, and fried oreos with green cheese. (I ran outta questions.)

And there you have it. If you weren’t tagged but you’d like to answer these questions, you can give it a go below. 🙂