Thanks so much to Ruqs over at Many Bookish Things for nominating me for the Liebster Award. So much fun! Please go and check out their blog, lots of great content. 🙂

This is my first time being nominated for an award and I wasn’t quite sure how these things worked so I went and looked up the official rules over at The Global Aussie to see what it’s all about.

 

The Rules (should you choose to accept your nomination):

1. Thank the person who nominated you, and put a link to their blog on your blog.
2. Display the award on your blog.
3. Write a small post about what makes you passionate about blogging
4. Provide 10 random facts about yourself. (optional)
5. Answer the list of questions you were provided with by the person who tagged you.
6. Make a new set of 11 questions and nominate 5 – 11 blogs that you feel would enjoy blogging about this award the award.
7. List these rules in your post.
8. Inform the people/blogs that you nominated that they have been nominated for the Liebster award and provide a link for them to your post or the original post about the award.

What Makes Me Passionate About Blogging

I’ve actually been blogging on and off for a pretty long time. Blogging is an interesting experience in that it’s like a diary that you write online where everyone else can read your thoughts on things. I think what drives me to blog is this need to get my thoughts out, onto paper or onto the net, either way as long as they’re out there in some way, whether people are reading them or not. Of course, I absolutely love it when people do read what I’ve written down and interact. I think that’s the most fun aspect of blogging–meeting new people and forming connections, getting to know people with similar interests. I always find it neat how people all over the world can connect over a shared interest. It kind of gives me hope for humanity (which means a lot to me as I’m generally a cynical person by nature). I love the sense of togetherness and community that’s built up around blogging and book blogging in particular.

Ten Random Facts About Me:

1. I used to hate the color pink for years because when I was a child and my brother moved out of our shared bedroom my father insisted on painting the room pink and it was a terrible shade of the color and I hated it because I wanted a purple room. It took me a long, long time to like pink again.
2. When I was in college a classmate mistakenly called me by the wrong first name and I felt bad about correcting her so I didn’t and just answered to that wrong name for an entire semester.
3. I usually only get a haircut once, maybe twice, a year. And for years I cut my own hair. It’s been both really long (down past my butt) and really short (about an inch in length), but I usually keep it between chin and shoulder length these days.
4. I’ve been a fan of anime since the 90’s but don’t watch much these days. I love me some older shows though so if anyone ever wants to chat about Fushigi Yuugi, Escaflowne, Rurouni Kenshin, or Sailor Moon – I’m your girl!
5. When I was in third grade I made an illustrated fanfiction of Narnia. I think I still have it floating around my house somewhere because I have a hard time throwing things away (bonus random fact!).
6. When I was sixteen I watched The Land Before Time and cried on and off for two weeks afterwards. Just would randomly think about it and start crying. Lol.
7. I can’t play music but I love listening to it!
8. I met my husband on the very last day of my high school life sitting together at graduation but then we didn’t see each other again for a few years until we started working together at the same company and thought each other looked familiar for some reason…
9. I have a drawers and drawers of arts and crafts supplies that I hardly ever use anymore. I think I just like collecting things. O.o
10. I used to be fairly good at drawing and painting but am horribly out of practice these days. I kind of miss it and keep thinking I should get back to it.

My Answers:

What is one book you’re most excited for in 2019?

Oh gosh, so hard to pick because there are so many sequels and new books coming out next year that I’m anticipating. (I’ve already made a list on goodreads!) But, if I have to pick one to talk about, probably Grave Importance by Vivian Shaw (which should hopefully come out next year even though an exact date hasn’t been set yet). Not only am I super looking forward to this book, but it will also conclude a series for me and I can check that one off my list!

What is one book you’re desperate to finish before 2019?

I wouldn’t say desperate, but I am looking forward to catching up the latest Dresden Files book (Skin Game – not counting Brief Cases) after spending a year reading the series. I want to have caught up by the end of the year so I can start my massive Discworld reading in January with a clean slate. I have three books to go until I’m all caught up!

What is a book that you read this year that shocked you?

Hmm, there were a few that I read knowing almost nothing going into them and was pleasantly surprised at how much I loved them. Shocked, though? Maybe The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang. I don’t remember feeling so brutalized by a book before. It’s such a great read though, loved it.

What is your bookish goal for the end of 2018?

I have already met a lot of my goals for this year (book count, finishing up some series, almost finished book bingo). I guess to organize my data, finish setting up my series tracker bullet journal, and to come up with my 2019 goals. And maybe finish off a couple of more series before I head into the new year.

Sum up 2018 as a reading year for you in one sentence.

Eating, sleeping, and breathing books!

Name a few of your favourite bloggers.

Lynn from Lynn’s Book Blog, Tammy from Books, Bones, and Buffy, everyone over at The Fantasy Inn, Esme at The Weatherwax Report, Lisa at Tenacious Reader, Mogsy at The BiblioSanctum, and so many others–it’s really tough to narrow down because everyone’s blogs have their own personality and flavor so I love them all for different reasons. If I left you off here, I still love your blog, this was just getting to be a long answer. 😀

Are you a seasonal reader?

Not sure exactly what this one is asking. The last couple of years I have tracked my reading pretty thoroughly for different factors and season is one of them. I can’t say that I read more in one season than any other. Sometimes I will go on book binge reads but it’s never consistent with any one time of year, so I don’t think I am a seasonal reader (unless you count all seasons lol).

What is a trope you would read any time?

This one really made me think. Any trope can be good or bad depending on what the author does with it. I do enjoy a good ‘coming of age’ story though, with young people figuring out who they are. Not sure if that’s really a ‘trope’ but it’s something. 🙂

What was your Goodreads reading goal and how far have you gone to completing it?

I originally set it at 100 books but then I was getting close so I upped it to 120 and I’ve somehow read 168 books so far this year and I don’t know how I’ve done that except maybe I’m crazy. (Also, I’m trying to think if I go on some reading binge during the holidays maybe I can get up to 200? Now that would be totally nuts but not impossible…)

How long have you been blogging?

This is a little bit of a complicated one for me. Blogging overall, on and off for…around 20 years now? I used to have an old blogger site back in the day and then migrated over to livejournal for over 10 years. Book blogging is sort of new to me though, although I’ve always talked about what I’ve been reading to some extent. Even this blog (started four or five years ago) has gone through a couple incarnations. In this current form, about a year full-time. 🙂

How would you describe your blogging experience so far?

I’ve really love it. Being able to connect with other book lovers has been great. I didn’t realize there was such a community built up around book blogs and I’m continually meeting new bloggers and making new connections. Sometimes it can be a bit hectic or even grueling at times, but I always try to make sure it’s fun overall–otherwise there’s not much point to such a hobby.

My Questions:

1. What are your blogging goals for 2019?
2. What’s your favorite post you wrote in 2018 and why?
3. If you were stuck on a deserted island and could only take three books with you, which would they be?
4. What’s a book that surprised you in some way this past year?
5. What is your favorite thing about blogging?
6. Your favorite book-ish experience of 2018?
7. What book-ish thing are you most looking forward to in 2019?
8. When you’re not reading about books, talking about books, writing about books–what other things do you enjoy doing?
9. Is there any one genre you prefer, and if so, why?
10. Is there any adaptation of a book where you prefer the adaptation over the original? Or is the book always better?

 

I’m going to go ahead and nominate Goddess in the Stacks for the award. Such a wonderful blog that I think deserves a lot more attention. Please go and check it out!