Tag: Sunshine Blogger Award (Take 8)

I was nominated for an eighth(!!!) round of the Sunshine Blogger Award by Amanda, Cat, Siobhan, Eram, Write Where I Read, Jamsu, Sara, Eline, and Mani! Thank you all so much!! ❤

You can see all seven previous takes of this award here: 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7

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Rules of the award:

• Thank the blogger who nominated you in a blog post and link back to their blog.
• Answer the 11 questions the blogger asked you.
• Nominate (at least) 11 new blogs to receive the award and write them 11 new questions.
• List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post and/or on your blog.

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10 questions from Cat:

1.  Do you like to watch Booktubers?
I really try to stay away from Youtube since I’ll just fall into a rabbit hole of a million videos. If my self-control crumbles and I make my way to Youtube, then yes, I love watching people talk about books. I just watch whatever it recommends to me, though, I don’t have anybody in particular that I watch.

2. Do you like to write? If yes, what do you write?
Once upon a time, I was a journalism major who cried a lot over her writing being criticized and I pretty much came to the conclusion that writing is not in the cards for me. I love writing reviews and blog posts, but that’s about as far as it goes these days. I’m definitely not a writer.

3. Favourite city to visit
I love visiting New York! I could visit New York a thousand times and still never do everything that I want to do. There’s a Tim Burton bar there that I really want to visit the next time I’m up there.

4. If you were given $30 to spend on a book today, what book would you buy?
Well, now that I’ve read my most anticipated book ever, I’m not sure how to answer this question! I might preorder The Assassin’s Guide to Love and Treason. That’s pretty high on my TBR right now.

5. What is one book you wish everyone would read?
THE HATING GAME

6. What’s been your favorite book-to-movie adaptation?
Recently, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. ❤

7. What’s the best book you have read this year so far?
I’m going to say that it’s probably Nevernight. I was so impressed by that book and it was really hard to put it down!

8. If you could teleport to any bookstore in the world where would you go?
Would you believe that in all the times I’ve been to New York, I’ve never gone to The Strand? I’d like to teleport there RIGHT NOW.

9. Where is your favourite place to read?
I mostly read on the couch in my living room, although I’m really not that picky. As long as I have a book and it’s relatively quiet, I can read anywhere.

10. Do you review books on your blog? 
I sure do, usually at least five times a week. 🙂

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11 questions from Amanda:

1. Top 3 non-series books- go.
✨ The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
✨ Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett
✨ What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

2. NetGalley, Edelweiss or other?
I’m definitely pro-Netgalley. It’s the first website I really used for ARCs and it’s the one where I have the best luck. I’m denied for 99% of what I request on Edelweiss, although I did (shockingly, somehow) get approved for 99 Percent Mine. I also really like Penguin’s First to Read since I’ve had really good luck there so far, but there’s a really limited selection of books.

3. Favorite animal & why?
I love cats so much. Every cat on the planet is my favorite.  And why do I love cats? Well. They’re cute. They’re cuddly. They have an attitude but in a good way. They’re pretty self-sufficient. A purring cat on my lap is a pretty foolproof way to calm me down. I just love cats.

4. Book that you thought you were going to love and was super let down?
On a Tuesday by Whitney G. since I’ve liked most of what I’ve read from her. Also How to Breathe Underwater by Vicky Skinner because I usually really like Swoon Reads books!

5. Book that you thought you’d dislike and ended up loving?
My re-read of The Catcher in the Rye. I didn’t love it the first time I read it, but I absolutely adored it the second time around. I also wasn’t sure whether I’d like Nevernight, but I really, really did.

6. What genres do you enjoy the most?
I tend to love most contemporary YA. I also like romantic comedies. I’m kind of picky about my sci-fi and fantasy, but if it’s well-written and fast-paced, I’ll probably like it.

7. Where do you get your reads from (ie. book shops, online, library, etc)?
Setting aside ARCs, probably about half of what I read comes from the library. The other half is split pretty evenly between books that I’ve bought online (usually Amazon) and books that I’ve bought from a bookstore (usually Barnes & Noble). Although I have been known to order from TBD from time to time and if I find a cute indie bookstore, I will definitely buy something.

8. Book blogs you love following?
My favorite question!! I think that everybody knows Daniel (Page to Page) is my favorite book blogger of all time. I have a lot of favorite bloggers, though, and you can see a big list of them in my Top Ten Tuesday post!

9. Place you’d love to travel to, either in a book or in real life?
I would love to go to Spain. I’ve wanted to travel there for as long as I can remember.

10. Biggest blogging/blogger/book reviewer pet peeve?
My biggest pet peeve when writing a review is probably when I can’t figure out how to put my feelings into words. This is usually when I either really loved or was indifferent to a book. I never have a problem talking about what I hated.

11. Favorite book review you’ve written, and link please!
My current favorite review is Troll because I don’t think I’ve ever had quite so much to say about a book before.

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11 questions from Jamsu:

1. One of your happiest memories?
When I met Daniel and we went to Dollywood and it was the best. ❤

2. Top 5 NA books?
It’s been a long time since I read any NA books that I really loved, but here are five that I gave either four or five stars:

• Amour Amour + Infini (Aerial Ethereal series) by Krista & Becca Ritchie
• The Deal by Elle Kennedy
• Anything You Can Do by R.S. Grey
• Remember When by T. Torrest
• Some Sort of Happy by Melanie Harlow

3. What snack/drink is your vice?
I don’t really have a drink vice. I guess maybe coffee since I would drink it all day if I could. But I don’t drink soda and rarely drink alcohol. For snacks, my biggest vice is any kind of sour candy. I love Sour Patch Kids and sour gummy worms.

4. How do you organize your books and why?
Books I’ve read are on my living room bookshelf and they’re more or less in a rainbow. Books I haven’t read are scattered throughout my whole house without really any organization. There used to be sort of a system, but I just keep buying more books and now there really isn’t.

5. What countries have you visited?
I went to Peru in 2010, Scotland in 2015, and Costa Rica in 2016.

6. Who’s your favorite TV villain?
Good question! I hardly watch any TV, and the shows I watch don’t really have villains, so I’m not sure how to answer this.

7. Favorite middle grade book?
The only middle-grade book I’ve read in at least fifteen years is City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab. It was fine, but I didn’t love it.

8. What kind of posts do you prefer to write and read?
I like reading AND writing really snarky book reviews.

9. How would you describe yourself?
I am an awkward and affectionate crazy cat lady. I am very bad at talking to people that I don’t know and even when I can think of something that I want to say, it usually comes out wrong. I’m a hugger, which probably doesn’t mix well with being awkward, but it is what it is. And I love every cat on the planet, including fictional ones.

10. What kind of coffee is your favorite?
If I’m at home, I only put half and half in my coffee. If I’m at a coffee shop, I just like a plain latte. I used to only be able to drink really sugary coffee drinks (a peanut butter cup frapp was my favorite when I was in high school) but now I just can’t drink sweet coffee.

11. Are you planning to take a part of Blogoween?
I thought about it, but no. Maybe next year. 🙂

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11 questions from Siobhan:

1. Which is the last book that made you giddy/laugh?
WHAT IF IT’S US.

2. Which fictional character would be your partner-in-crime?
Maybe Michael and the rest of the gang from Heretics Anonymous. I feel like we would have gotten along in high school and we could’ve come up with some good plots.

3. If you had limitless funds, how would you design your library?
I would want floor-to-ceiling bookcases covering every wall with comfy couches covered in fluffy blankets and nice pillows. I would also have a cat or two available for cuddling.

4. Which is your favourite season?
I like spring because it means that winter is done.

5. What book reminds you of Fall?
Between the cover and the book itself, The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman.

6. What book/series do you want everyone to read?
THE HATING GAME

7. What keeps you to continue blogging?
The book blogging community, which has been so amazing and so welcoming. ❤

8. What is your most recent post that’s your favourite?
Of my own? Probably my review of Troll.

9. What book universe would you love to live in?
My standard answer for this is the world of the Raven Cycle. It’s just so magical!

10. Which book are you anticipating (and/or fearing) to read?
My most anticipated for the year was What If It’s Us and now that I’ve read it… I’m kind of lost on how to answer this question. I have The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy but I haven’t read it yet, so I’m really anticipating that one. (I’m also a little afraid because I’ve seen some really glowing reviews and also some negative ones.)

11. If you could change the ending of a book, which book would it be and why?
Warcross, maybe. I think I would have liked it more with a different ending.

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11 questions from Eram and Write Where I Read:

1. What is the meaning behind your blog name?
I was looking up words for book lovers and came across bibliophagist, which literally means “one who devours books.”

2. Dog person, cat person, neither, or both?
I’m such a cat person.

3. If you could own any animal as a pet without harming it or people around you, what would you pick and why?
Honestly, the only pet I want is a cat. ❤

4. What is your favorite book from childhood?
I loved everything by Tamora Pierce! If you want a little younger, probably Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. Even younger… my favorite Golden Book was Doctor Dan the Bandage Man. 🙂

5. Do you have a place you like to go to de-stress after a long/tough day?
If it’s a Friday, I like to go to the farm by my house. Otherwise, sometimes I wander around my neighborhood or I just lock myself in my bedroom.

6. What would be the perfect book for you? I’m talking plot, genre, characters, themes, diversity, the whole shebang.
A romantic comedy about two friends who fall in love and silently pine over each other because neither of them thinks that the other could possibly fall for them. There would be so much sexual tension that I almost die. The characters have to actually talk to each other and they can’t run away from their feelings. They actually maintain their friendship because I can’t stand it when the friendship falls apart once feelings get involved. It should be slow burn but not any of that nonsense where they finally kiss two pages before the book ends.

7. Do you have any sort of comfort item (for example, a stuffed animal, a favorite blanket, a book, a particular music album, etc.)?
My cat is probably my biggest comfort item, although she isn’t really “an item” in the strict sense of the word. She does make me very happy, though. I also have a lot of albums I listen to when I want to feel better since usually any song I like will help cheer me up.

8. Hot weather or cold weather?
Give me hot weather any day.

9. What’s the goofiest way you injured yourself?
I was once so into an audiobook that I was listening to that I almost chopped my finger off with a mandoline.

10. If you had a superpower, what would it be?
I would love to be able to teleport.

11. Are there any particular goals (personal, book, blog, etc) that you have for the rest of 2018?
I don’t have any particular book- or blog-related goals for the year, but I would like to get through as much of my TBR as I can. I have accumulated a huge amount of books this year and ideally I’ll read all of them by the end of the year.

In my personal life, there’s kind of a lot going on right now and I have a bunch of goals related to that. For once, though, I’m not going to overshare on my blog. 🙂 One personal goal I’ll share is to apply for as many publishing jobs as I can and hopefully at least get an interview.

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11 questions from Sara:

1. What is the longest book you’ve ever read?
I just did a whole Top Ten Tuesday post about this! Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix topped my list.

2. Where has been your favorite place you’ve traveled to?
Definitely Costa Rica.

3. If you didn’t have a book blog, would you have another kind of blog?
At this point in my life, no. But when I didn’t work full time and I had a lot of free time to mess around with recipes, I had a cooking blog. But that was forever ago.

4. Do you like to read before bed, or does it keep you up all night?
I can’t fall asleep if I don’t read before bed.

5. What is your favorite T.V. show/movie adapted from a book?
Recently, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. So cute.

6. What is the scariest or creepiest book you’ve read?
The book that got to me the most was 172 Hours on the Moon.

7. What’s your favorite interest outside of reading?
Probably my cat. If my cat doesn’t count, then music. I love finding new songs to love.

8. Do you like to have a snack and/or drink when you read? If so, what’s your go-to?
I really don’t, because then I’ll mindlessly eat a lot of unnecessary snacks and I’ll probably spill the drink.

9. Do you know any languages besides your native language?
I have a degree in Spanish, but it’s been about six years since I’ve spoken it. I also took intensive Portuguese classes in college, but, again, it’s been a looong time.

10. Do you have any pets? If not, what kind of pet would you love to have?
I have the best cat on the planet! She’s so cute and she’s just the best. I love her so much. ❤

11. Do you also enjoy writing (i.e. like writing a book, poetry, etc; not blogging, of course)?
Not really. Way back when, I thought that I wanted to be a writer, but I can’t handle criticism and I don’t even know what I’d write about.

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11 questions from Eline:

1. Which fictional character would you like most to be real?
MICHAEL PHAN ❤ ❤ ❤

2. Where would you go and what would you do if you had an endless budget for a vacation?
There a lot of places that I would like to visit at some point, so I would like to just hop around and spend a few days in each place. I don’t necessarily like to do things when I travel. I mean, I’ll go see a thing or two each day, but I’m not one of those people who needs to keep every second occupied to make the vacation worth it. Some places I’d like to visit are the west coast of the US, Spain, and South Korea. I’ve also been to New York so many times but there are so many things I still want to do there.

3. What do you honestly like most about blogging?
The thing that I honestly like most about blogging is making friends.

4. Which book was disappointing recently and why?
Summer Skin by Kirsty Eagar, I’d seen so many great reviews and I ended up just thinking it was terrible.

5. If you were magically given the choice of one thing you would succeed at, no matter what, what would you choose?
A career in publishing!!

6. When do you stop and DNF a book? Do you give it a set number of pages or just based on feeling?
I very rarely DNF a book, but if I do, it’s for one of two reasons. The first is that it just kills any love I have of reading. (Example: The Last Time I Lied) The second is that it stresses me out and I don’t feel like it’s worth it. (Example: Why We Sleep) I try to give it a fair shot and make it to at least page 100, but it doesn’t always happen.

7. What’s a genre or type of book you want to read more of?
Mysteries!

8. What’s your top three favourite books of the last year?
💜 What If It’s Us
💜 Nevernight
💜 The Name of the Wind

9. Do you write?
Only blog posts and letters. 🙂 I used to want to write, but I don’t handle criticism well and I never knew what to write about.

10. What’s one book you love to recommend to people?
THE HATING GAME

11. What’s a book cover you would frame and hang on your wall?

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11 questions from Mani:

1. Do you lend out your books?
I’m totally fine with lending out (most of) my books, but I don’t have a lot of friends that are big readers.

2. Do you write in your books?
I don’t actually write in my books, but I do write comments or flag quotes with sticky notes.

3. What is the one book you will always recommend to everyone?
Probably The Hating Game. Or maybe Starry Eyes.

4. Can you read on the bus/in the car?
No 😭

5. What makes you love a book?
Great characters and great writing. Including some of my favorite tropes doesn’t hurt either.

6. How often do you agree with the critics about a book?
Not often! I tend to really dislike overly hyped books.

7. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
I… clearly don’t have a problem with it, since I am often posting really snarky reviews about really bad books. 

8. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you choose?
Oh, I don’t know. I mean, I have read many books in Spanish and a few in Portuguese. I really don’t know which language I would like to read in aside from those…

9. What’s the longest you’ve gone without reading?
Without reading anything? Not long, maybe a couple days. Without reading for fun? Probably a few weeks during college when I was busy with other things.

10. Favourite film adaptation of a book?
Recently, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.

11. Which book character strongly resembles your personality?
I usually go with Jane Cobalt from the Like Us series since she’s also a crazy cat lady who likes to read. 🙂

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11 questions from me:

1. What’s a book that you thought you’d love that you disliked?
2. What’s a book that you thought you’d dislike that you loved?
3. What’s a book cover you would frame and hang on your wall?
4. If you could recommend one book to me, which book would it be?
5. Which fictional character do you most wish was real?
6. If you could teleport anywhere right now, where would you go?
7. Where do you usually get your books from?
8. What’s one goal you have for the rest of 2018?
9. Which snack or drink is your biggest vice?
10. What’s the best adaptation you’ve watched this year?
11. What’s your favorite animal?

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I am officially nominating ANYBODY WHO HAS NOT ALREADY BEEN NOMINATED. And if you have been nominated and you feel like answering some questions, feel free! Just link back to me so I can see your answers. ❤