Blogger awards: Liebster, Encouraging Thunder, and Sisterhood

Hey guys, it’s time I finally get to the awards I’ve been tagged in recently. So thank you to Michelle for tagging me for the Liebster award, Ariana for tagging me for the Liebster award, as well, along with the Encouraging Thunder award, and Giovanna for tagging me for the Sisterhood of the World award! Beware: there’s a long post ahead.

This is the second time I’m doing a post for this award. You can find the first post here. Is it bad if I copy Michelle copying Dana and posting the same paragraph? Because I’m going to.

The Liebster Award is given to small blogs in order to help them get recognition and bring the blogging community closer together.

So without further ado…

Michelle’s questions to me:

1. What is the most disappointing ending to a book you’ve read?
   There are many books that have disappointed me in the end because they either felt unfinished when it was a standalone, or I had high hopes and those hopes weren’t fulfilled, or I just wasn’t happy with how things ended up. The most recent one, though, was definitely In The Woods by Tana French. It’s actually become one of my favorite books, but the ending had let me down so much. And to know that there probably won’t be any answers in the sequels outrages me!! It makes me want to cry.
2. Most overhyped book.
   Oh god, I can’t name one specific book… there are so many. Ones I can think of right off the top of my head though are Cinder, Eleanor & Park, and The Red Queen.
3. Most underrated book.
   CAN WE HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE, PLEASE, FOR THE RAVEN CYCLE.
4. Who is your book boyfriend/girlfriend?
   Imogen Gray from Afterworlds 😍
5. You can possess a superpower. What is it?
   Being able to talk to animals. That is a superpower, I don’t care what anyone says. IT IS.
6. Describe your ideal atmosphere when reading.
   I can read practically everywhere. After a while you learn how to just block things out. If I had to say, though, it would probably be like when I’ve stayed inside all day and it’s chilly enough to stay underneath the blankets, it’s starting to get late but there’s still enough light coming through the window to see the words, and nobody is around to interrupt you.
7. You can only keep three books on your shelf and have to discard the rest. Which ones do you choose?
   From the ones I actually own, I’m assuming is what you mean, rather than choosing ones you’d want to own? Wouldn’t matter because I’d choose The Raven Cycle either way… though when The Raven Kings come out then I’d be in trouble.
8. Give your favorite blogger or booktuber a shoutout.
   I’ll do both. I have many favorites, but lately I’ve been loving Cait @ Paperfury‘s posts a lot. As for a booktuber, I haven’t been watching Youtube videos as of late, sadly, but Regan and Cece will always be fun to watch!
9. Who is your go to author?
   Maggie Stiefvater… are you surprised?
10. Ebook or real copy?
    Definitely real copy. For some reason, I read so much slower and get distracted way more when I’m reading ebooks.
11. Favorite classic.
    I’ll admit I haven’t read many classics, but I remember absolutely loving The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain!

Ariana’s questions (a couple of them are repeats from the first set of questions so I didn’t include those):

1. What are your favorite hobbies?
   Besides the obvious, I don’t really have any? Is that bad?
2. What is your favorite movie and who is your favorite actor?
   My favorite movie is a tie between Stand By Me and Girl, Interrupted. My favorite actor, currently, is Cameron Monaghan.
3. What is your top three places you’d like to travel to?
   Just all over Europe. But, also maybe Africa and Japan would be in my top three if I could choose Europe as a whole.
4. Who is your biggest inspiration/role model and why?
   Maggie Stiefvater, when it comes to writing, at least, because of her character development and how character-driven her books are.
5. Which Hogwarts house are you in?
   Ravenclaw!
6. If you could be best friends with any author, who would it be?
   Probably Holly Black! I think we could come up with some damn awesome ideas, honestly. 😄
7. Are there any books you feel intimidated to read? (Due to size, subject, etc.)
   I was just talking about this not too long ago with the Game of Thrones books, but tbh, I don’t really have any desire to read them at all? Maybe I’ll change my mind, eventually, but for now I don’t think I’ll be reading them any time soon due to disinterest. I would have to say, though, the Throne of Glass series just because of all the hype (I know, so common). I just don’t want to be disappointed.
8. Who are your top three auto-buy authors?
   Maggie Stiefvater, Holly Black, and Victoria Schwab.
9. What is your favorite book quote?
   “But a part of me lies buried in lace and roses on a riverbank in France–a part of me is broken off forever. A part of me will be unflyable, stuck in the climb.” — Code Name Verity, Elizabeth Wein. That book, specifically the last quarter of it, ruined me.

11 Random facts about me (for both awards because there is in no way I can come up with 22 facts):

1. I don’t like milk. At all. (Though I add a little bit to my coffee, but that’s different, ok).
2. I really like dresses, but I can’t seem to pull them off which is very disappointing.
3. Every year I get sick a million times during the winter. I’m practically sick the whole time, actually.
4. I have names picked out, but I’m not sure if I want kids lol.
5. I have the absolute worst habit of opening a million tabs in my browser at once.
6. Even though I have no time because I’m always either reading, writing, or doing other things that need to be done, I love playing video games.
7. I have a small aspiration, deep down, to act.
8. My favorite accent, I think, would have to be Irish. But don’t get me wrong, I really love all accents! ☺
9. When I was nine/ten years old, I use to horseback ride. I truly miss it! (Even though I’m a city girl. The best of both worlds, right?)
10. I had this best friend at age seven and we used to get a couple kids around our neighborhood and we played our own version of Teen Titans. It was the best.
11. From grades sixth to eighth, and then tenth to twelve, I was homeschooled and graduated a year early.

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Rules:

1. Thank the person who nominated you.
2. Post the Encouraging Thunder logo.
3. Mention your purpose in blogging.
4. Nominate others for the award.

To think of my purpose in blogging, it may not be at all different from the rest of you bloggers’ purpose. That’s okay, though, because as long as I’m happy then that’s all that matters. I made a blog because when it came to my interest in books, I felt alone. Although I knew there was a world of book lovers on the internet, I had no one close to me that shared a love for books as I do, therefore I had no one to talk to about them and share my opinions and just discuss a love for a certain character or whatever else we bloggers talk about. It’s not only about the books, though. It’s about meeting new people with a like-mind. It’s about expressing myself and finding who I am. If I’m honest, reading and writing is literally my life now. I write, and sometimes read, when I’m at work. After work, I come home and sometimes I’m still writing, but I’m mostly reading. When I don’t have work the next day, sometimes I’m up until nearly four o’clock reading a book even though I’ve already been reading all day, but that’s okay because it makes me happy. I do it because it makes me happy and I want to write reviews to share my opinions with you all. I think I’m starting to sound like a broken record, but the point is, no matter how many book bloggers there are on the interweb, there’s always room for another opinion.

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 Rules:

1. Thank the blogger who nominated you, linking back to their site.
2. Put the award logo on your blog.
3. Answer the ten questions sent to you.
4. Make up ten new questions for your nominees.
5. Nominate ten blogs.

I hope you don’t mind me using your picture, Giovanna!

Giovanna’s questions:

1. What are your top 5 reads for 2015?
   Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein, The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater, The Secret History by Donna Tartt, Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley, and The Archived by Victoria Schwab.
2. What is your favorite genre and why?
   Urban fantasy and murder-mystery-thrillers. I just love the feel of urban fantasies and I’ve noticed I fly through the murder-mystery-thrillers; I don’t know particularly why other than genuinely enjoying them.
3. Is there any genre you absolutely will NOT read?
   Erotica.
4. About how many books do you have in your TBR?
   Way too many to count.
5. Who is your favorite fictional character?
   Do I have to choose just one? Why?! ….Ronan Lynch.
6. What is your favorite book turned movie?
   I’ll answer with Girl, Interrupted again.
7. What is your favorite movie and/or TV show?
   Since I answered for the movie already, my favorite show at the moment is How to Get Away With Murder and Dancing With the Stars.
8. How long have you been a book blogger?
   Only a little over two months!
9. (Repeat question so skipping to the next). What is your dream job?
   An animal whisperer would be great.

My questions for you (only one set for both awards):

1. If genre were a person, how would you describe your favorite’s personality?
2. What’s one food you could never give up?
3. At what age did you start to read?
4. Do you have a favorite disney princess/prince? Who?
5. What’s your favorite holiday?
6. What are the top three things on your bucketlist?
7. If you could only have one of your senses, which one would it be?
8. What’s your favorite kind of weather?
9. A book that had the most impact on you?
10. A quote that inspires you?
11. A song that you never grow tired of?

I nominate for any and/or all (feel free to ignore if you’ve already done it):

1. Elly
2. Nya
3. Charley
4. Sara
5. Jodi
6. Michelle
7. Emily
8. Jasmin
9. Lia
10. Ivy

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