Unique Blogger Award

I have a quick, fun little post for you today! The lovely Ellie @bloggingfordopamine nominated me for the Unique Blogger Award, and asked some interesting questions. Now, it’s time for me to answer.

First, the rules:

• Share the link of the blogger who has shown love to you by nominating you.
• Answer the questions.
• In the spirit of sharing love and solidarity with our blogging family, nominate 8-13 people for the same award.
• Ask them 3 questions.

And here are my answers:

1. I have so many books I’m looking forward to reading this year. What’s your most anticipated 2018 read?

It is (or actually was) Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie, which is now my current read. And it’s great so far, I’ll definitely write a post about it soon. Another book I really want to read is The Sagas of the Icelanders, a collection of old Icelandic tales and sagas. It’s a huge book, but I’m sure it will be worth my time.

2. When I was younger, I was obsessed with Willow from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and now that I’m older, I have even more admiration for her character. Are there any childhood favourite characters that you appreciate even more now that you’re older?

I can’t really think of one specific character for this question, but the characters from Winnie-the -Pooh as a whole really mean a lot to me. I loved then as a child, and when I reread the book I realized just how wonderful they are. They are all flawed – Piglet is always anxious, Eeyore is depressed, Pooh doesn’t understand what’s going on most of the time… But they are all supportive of each other, and accept their friends the way they are. For example, they try to mae Eeyore happy on his birthday, but they don’t expect him to change and instantly stop being sad. And they say the sweetest, most innocent things. Oh, I just love how pure those books are.

3. My blog has changed so much since I started it. What was the topic of the first ever blog post you wrote?

My first post as a silly “introduction”. Not really interesting. XD And the first real one was about my favourite books of all time. I guess I could do a new one, since there are some books that should definitely be added to the list.

Now, here are the questions I came up with:

1. A monster breaks into your home! (Gasp!) But it’s not a very dangerous one, don’t worry. It’s just lost, poor thing. It can easily be scared, and then it will go into the wild and live happily ever after. But you need to scare it. The only thing that comes to mind is to throw a book at it, because you’re standing next to your shelves. You obviously don’t want to throw and possibly destroy a book you love, so you grab a book you don’t like and you don’t even know why you still have it. What book do you choose?

2. You’re walking down the street, minding your own business, and you find a magical lamp. (You now it’s magical because it sparkles. Or something.) And what do you do – you rub the lamp of course. You know how these things work! And, yes, a genie comes out and says he’ll give you any superpower you want.
“But, I thought I was supposed to get three wishes!” you say.
“I’m the genie, I know how this works! You get a superpower!”
You shrug and accept the offer. A superpower is still great. Which superpower do you choose?

3. I’ll keep this one shorter, I promise. XD Now, you have superpowers, but you still need help because you’re new at the whole supernatural thing. Which character (from a book or tv show) would you choose to be your partner and best friend?

Now I will nominate some people, but if anyone wants to answer these questions, feel free to do it. I’m interested to hear your answers. 🙂

Anna @mybookishdream

Chelsea @spotlightonstories

Lola @lolaetlavie

Sarah @dragonsandzombies

Jewel @foxynerdyrebelle

Naty @natysbookshelf

Luna @bookishluna

Izzy @thinkingandinking

Maniacal Book Unicorn @maniacalbookunicorn

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The Sunshine Blogger Award #2

The lovely Lana @lifeinwordsandlyrics nominated me for the Sunshune Blogger Award. Thank you so, so much! ❤ You can see Lana’s post HERE. Now, let’s start!

What is the Sunshine Blogger Award?

The Sunshine Blogger Award is given to those who are creative, positive and inspiring, while spreading sunshine to the blogging community.

How Does It Work:

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

My Answers to Lana’s Questions:

1. Is there something you can tell readers about yourself and your blog?

Well, my name is Irena and I’m a tea-drinking, almond-eating bookworm and the mother of chinchillas. (Two chinchilla girls, Seffi and Kira.) And my blog is mostly about books. I still don’t know exactly what I’m doing here, but I like to talk about books so I do that. XD

Seffi and Kira ❤

2. What satisfaction do you get from blogging?

As I said, I like to talk about books. It’ really fun for me to write the posts for the blog. It’s also great when I get some book recommendations from other bloggers.

3. How do you bring traffic to your blog?

I don’t. XD I really don’t try to bring traffic at all. I just write my posts and hope people will read them.

4. What’s something that you’d like to improve on this year?

I would probably like to write more regularly and have some kind of a schedule…

5. How do you get motivated to blog?

I am usually motivated, the only problem is to find time for writing posts. My motivation is usually low when I’m very busy. I write less often then, but still manage to keep up.

6. Do you have any favorite books this year?

Yes! Bright Air Black by David Vann, and Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier, which I finished a few days ago, are amazing books! I also finished Marie Brennan’s series Memoirs of Lady Trent which I really liked.

7. Are there any songs you’re into right now, or music artists?

Well, of course, though I rarely listen to new music. My tastes haven’t changed in years. XD I like Korn’s new single Black is the Soul and another song they haven’t released a video for The Hating. These songs also made me want to listen to some of their older songs as well.

8. What do you like to do with your spare time?

I read (well, who would’ve guessed that XD), watch my chinchillas eat (it’s so cute!), and since it’s summer I like to go swimming in the sea (I hate crowded beaches, though, so I just stay in the sea for as long as I can, and then go home XD). I also like to make almond butter, and eat it afterwards, of course. And I like to spend time with those few people I love. 🙂

9. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Oh, no, don’t ask me that! I have some idea, but who knows.

10. If you could choose ONLY 5 subjects to read on other blogs, what would they be? (Books, music, film, health, etc.)

Books, mythology, healthy food and recipes, film, and history. I just recently spent the entire afternoon reading about medieval fashin on the internet. XD

Examples of medieval clothing. Source.

11. Do you make money from your blog? If not, do you have plans to try in the future?

I wish! XD But no, mine is just a small blog.

My Questions:

1. What is your favourite period in history (the one you find most interesting)?
2. If you could be a fictional character for a day, who would you be and why?
3. What is your favourite TV show at the moment?
4. What is the best book you’ve read so far in 2017? (Or at least one of the best, I know it can be hard to choose.)
5. Do you have a favourite toy, from childhood or now? (Yes, I still buy toys for myself.)
6. Who are some of your favourite villains?
7. What is the favourite place you’ve visited?
8. What is your favourite snack?
9. If you had to choose, would you rather become a vampire or a werewolf?
10. Pirates or ninjas? 😛
11. Share a quote you really like!

My Nominees:

Rachel @paceamorelibri

Ann @annreadsthem

Beatriz @booksnreviewsohmy

Misty @mistysbookspace

Luna @bookishluna

Breeny @breenysbooks

(That isn’t 11 but I hope it’s fine…)

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The Liebster Award

The lovely Rachel @paceamorelibri nominated me for the Liebster Award and her questions seemed very interesting so, of course, I decided to do this! Thank you so much Rachel! ❤ Let’s do this!

The rules:

• Thank the person who nominated you and link their blog.
• Answer the 11 questions the person asked you.
• Nominate 11 people (comment on their blog to let them know).
• Ask the people you have nominated 11 questions.

Q & A:

1. What’s your dream vacation?

I love to travel! So going anywhere where I haven’t been before would be great for me. But, at times, I just really want to stay in bed and relax all day. XD So, both is fine. Yes, I know contradict myself. To quote Walt Whitman:

Do I contradict myself?
Very well then I contradict myself,
(I am large, I contain multitudes.)

2. How do you take your coffee (or tea)?

I hate the taste of coffee (yes, I know I’m in minority here), but I love tea. I take it with just a bit of lemon juice, no milk or sugar. 🙂

Image from: Pixabay.com

3. What’s your favorite kind of blog post to make (e.g. book reviews, monthly wrap ups, Top 5 Wednesday/Top 10 Tuesday, etc)?

I just recently started doing Currrently Reading posts, and I really like those. I think they are my favourites at the moment. I also like Top 5 Wednesday posts, though I sometimes skip them. It really depends on the topic, not every topic will suit everyone.

4.  Have you met any of your internet friends in real life?

No… They live far away. XD

5. If you had to blog about something other than books, what would it be?

Food, maybe. I really like making healthy deserts, but I’m a total beginner so I don’t know how helpful my blog would be. XD

6. What’s the best movie you’ve watched so far this year?

Split was amazing, it was the first one that came to mind because it was so memorable. I had nightmares after seeing it. XD But I loved it so much! Sadly, I still haven’t seen Wonder Woman, but I definitely will. I think I’m going to love that one.

7. Where’s the coolest place you’ve ever been?

I’ve been to many lovely places, but I think nature leaves the most powerful impression on me. And I really can’t choose between Scottish and Irish nature. Impossible…

This is one of my favourite photos from my trip to Scotland. 🙂

8. Do you name your car(s) and other inanimate objects?

I don’t have a car, but we named my mother’s car Bubi. XD And all of my plush toys have names, of course. They need names. This is not debatable.

9. Which blog that you follow do you think is the most similar to yours?  In terms of, ‘if you like my blog, you should also follow ____.’

Oh, I really don’t know… There are so many lovely book blogs here on WordPress… And I’m not sure which ones are the most similar to mine. But I would definitely recommend all of the people I tagged at the end of this post.

10. Favorite season?

Autumn! Summer has just started and I’m already kind of sick of it. It too hot here in Croatia. Yes, we can go to the beach (I hate beaches, but I like swimming in the sea. XD), but that’s the only positive side of summer. Temperatures above 30°C are horrible.

Image from: Pixabay.com

11. Are there any genres that you refuse to read?

I don’t really like crime fiction. Finding out “who did it” is just not interesting enough for me, though some people might find that weird. I also don’t like romance books. It’s fine if romance is a part of the book, but not if it’s the entire book.

My questions:

1. What is your favourite period in history (the one you find most interesting)?
2. If you could be a fictional character for a day, who would you be and why?
3. What is your favourite TV show at the moment?
4. What is the best book you’ve read so far in 2017? (Or at least one of the best, I know it can be hard to choose.)
5. Do you have a favourite toy, from childhood or now? (Yes, I still buy toys for myself.)
6. Who are some of your favourite villains?
7. Which superpower would you choose to have, if you could?
8. What is your favourite snack?
9. If you had to choose, would you rather become a vampire or a werewolf?
10. Pirates or ninjas? 😛
11. Share a quote you really like!

I nominate:

@bloggingfordopamine // @mybookishdream // @natysbookshelf // @mia215 // @bionicbookwormblog  // @shannonpaigewaters // @spotlightonstories  // @readbychris // @dragonsandzombies // @blameitonchocolate // @quillsblog

As always, you don’t have to do the tag, of course. No pressure. 🙂

The Sunshine Blogger Award

Katy from Ardent Attachments nominated me for The Sunshine Blogger Award! Thank you so much for this! :* If you want to see her post, click HERE.

Now let me start from the beginning. Here are the rules:

• Thank the person who nominated you and link back to their blog.
• Answer the 11 questions set by the person who nominated you.
• Nominate 11 new blogs to receive the award and then write 11 new questions.
• List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger award logo in a post/on your site.

And here are my answers to the questions:

1. Favourite book-to-film adaptation?

I usually don’t like the film adaptations… But I’ve seen A Monster Calls recently, and I think the film was amazing! There were some changes but they were done great. I also like the Interview with the Vampire film.

2. Following on – what book do you want to be made into a TV show/film?

None. Just let books be books. 😉 Maaaaybe The Vampire Chronicles series? But one-season series, I don’t want it to go to far from the books.

3. Lastly – now dreamcast that film/tv show, only a few characters.

I think Jared Leto would be a great Lestat. And someone nice for Louis, maybe Tom Hiddleston since he already played a brooding vampire in Only Lovers Left Alive and he was great. Natalie Dormer would definitely be a great Gabrielle! And when you say Akasha, I think Aaliyah… She was so perfect, I don’t think anyone would be able to compare to her… Just look at her! It’s so sad and unfair that she’s gone…

4. If you were to write a book, what do you think your main character would be called?

Well, the main character of my WIP is called Evelyn.

5. What are three songs you adore and why?

This is soooo hard! *spends an hour thinking* OK, I’ll just say these three before I change my mind: “White Flag” by The Romanovs, “Deception” by The Crüxshadows, and “Pain Looks Good on You” by London After Midnight.

6. Do you play video games? What are a couple of your favourites?

I don’t play as much as I used to. My all time favourite game is Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines. (Vampires seem to be the theme of this post. XD) And I love The Sims, I have to admit. They are my on-and-off obsession.

7. What book would you like to play through as a video game?

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. I think that would be very fun!

8. What is your favourite Disney film?

Just one? Oh, I can’t pick one, so here’s a few: The Emperor’s New Groove, Tangled, Mulan, The Huchback of Notre Dame, Lilo and Stitch…

9. What three book characters would you like to have lunch with?

Hermione Granger, because she’s great and bookish and I think we would get along quite well. Lady Trent from A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan – we would talk about dragons and she would teach me a lot. And Newt Scamander, because we could talk about magical creatures. I think Newt, Lady Trent and Hermione would all get along perfectly so if we all had luch together, that would be great. 🙂

10. If you were to get a book related tattoo, what would you get?

A quote, definitely. I love quote tattoos! I’d pick one from Fankenstein because that’s my favourite book, but there are a few I like so I’m not sure which one… Or, since we’re talking so much about The Vampire Chronicles, this one from The Vampire Lestat: “Who cares? Kingdoms rise and fall. Just don’t burn the paintings in the Louvre, that’s all.”

11. What’s your favourite breakfast food?

Oatmeal, either with grated apple and cinnamon, or with cocoa and coconut crumbs. Mmmmmm…

I tag: Blogging for Dopamine, Slamah’s Bookshelf, Nicole, llady literary, Misty, Azia, Reg, bookowly, The Storyteller’s Abode, Cat’s Shelf, Birdie Bookworm, Silvia.

And here are my questions, if you want to answer them (no pressure, of course!)

1. What are you currently reading? Are you enjoying it?
2. If you had a theme song, which song would it be?
3. What is the last movie you’ve seen? Would you recommend it?
4. Besides reading, what are some of your other passions?
5. What fictional world would you like to visit?
6. Now, let’s get back to real life – what is the place in real world you want to visit most?
7. What’s your favourite mythological creature?
8. Which is the last book, film or series that made you cry (or really sad).
9. Do you have a favourite superhero? Who is it?
10. What superpowers would you like to have?
11. Share one of your favourite quotes!

Happy blogging! 🙂

The Sunshine Blogger Award

So,, I was nominated for the Sunshine Blogger Award by the lovely Nicole at Sorry, I’m Booked. (See her post HERE.) Thank you, Nicole, I really like your questions, so I’ll start right away!

The Rules:

• Answer the 11 questions from the blogger who nominated you.
• Nominate some wonderful bloggers and write 11 questions for them to answer

Nicole’s Questions

1. If you had to pick one word to describe yourself, what would it be?
Confused. XD 

2. Do you like to travel? If so, what’s next on your list to visit?
Oh, I love to travel! If only I had the time and money to travel more! But I did visit quite a lot of interesting places so I won’t complain. I would definitely like to travel to Iceland. Or Amsterdam. 

3. Which do you prefer, hardback or paperback or digital books?
I prefer paperbacks. It surprises me that most people prefer hardbacks. I think paperback are more practical in every way, and I also think they are prettier.

4. What’s your favorite mythological creature?
Dragons! But, I love almost all of them. 

5. Regardless if it’s real or would be a financially stable job, what’s your dream job?
Writer. 🙂 I would also like to work in publishing.

6. What’s the last book you read that exceeded your expectations?
For most of the books I read recently, I had high expectations. But the one that I wans’t expecting to like was a Croatian book, a collection of short crime stories by Pavao Pavličić, which my students had to read, so I had to read it as well. I don’t really like crime stories, and I didn’t like the first one in the collection. But then, they got better and better, and in the end I really enjoyed the book.

7. Batman or Superman? Or neither?
Between the two, definitely Batman. I never cared much for Superman. But Spider-man is my all time favourite superhero, and I can’t wait to see the new one in Captain America: Civil War. By the way, I really didn’t like Batman v Superman. The only good thing about the film was the Wonder Woman theme. It’s really powerful! Here’s a link if you wish to hear it, and enjoy.

8. What Harry Potter character do you identify the most with?
Sometimes I like to identify with Hermione, other times it’s Luna. XD

9. DO you have a favorite sport you like to play and/or watch?
I’m not really an athletic person and my exercise is minimal. I like to watch football at times. (Soccer I mean, not the football you don’t play with your feet. European here! :P) But I don’t watch sports that often.

10. What’s your favorite color?
Black, though it’s not a colour. And the next in line is grey, also not a colour. I’m so colourless. XD

11. What’s your go-to question that you ask someone that you’re getting to know?
I’m terrible when it comes to meeting new people… I never know what to ask or say. 

My Questions:

1. What is your favourite non-fiction book?
2. Vampires, witches or fairies? Or something else?
3. What are some of your favourite bands or musicians?
4. Sunshine or moonlight?
5. Do you prefer first person or third person narrative?
6. Which is the last book, film or series that made you cry (or really sad). (Because I can’t get over something that happened in Black Sails XD)
7. What superpowers would you like to have?
8. Who are your favourite villains? (From books or tv.)
9. What is your idea of having a good time?
10. Share a quote you like.
11. Give me a book recommendation. 🙂

My Nominees: 

I nominate: Emma, Maremma Gee, Start Your Fiction, Paully, Claudia McGill,Metal and the Geek, Eric Schweitz, The Scrawlyst, dumbnerd

No obligations, of course. 🙂

Spirit Animal Award

Thank you, Dear Kitty. Some Blog for nominating me for the Spirit Animal Award.(HERE is the original post.) I really appreciate it, especially since I love animals. And the logo is so cute. So thank you very, very much! 🙂

Here are the rules:

1.) Thank the blogger who nominated you, and link back to their page.

2.) Post the award picture on your blog.

3.) Write a short paragraph about yourself and what your blog means to you.

4.) If you could be any animal, what would it be?

5.) Pick and notify ten nominees.

About myself and my blog:

It’s always the hardest to write about yourself, isn’t it? XD Well, my name is Irena and I’m currently working as an apprentice Croatian teacher. The job’s been taking quite a lot of my time, and that’s why I don’t write as often as I used to, but even when I don’t have the time to write, I try to find some time to read other bloggers’ posts. There are so many interesting people here, and they make me want to come back, look for more posts and more people to follow. I started this blog because I wanted to share my thoughts on the things that interest me. I also wanted to put some of my short stories “out there”, wherever that may be. I didn’t expect anything much, but for reasons not completely known even to myself, I wanted to try it. I’m really happy I did. 🙂

If I could be any animal…

…I would be… Oh, this is even harder! XD There are so many animals I love, but I have to be smart about this… Maybe a crocodile? They seem chill. XD If it weren’t for the stupid people hunting them for their skin, they’d have quite a nice life. But for some reason, I want to say – wolf. They’re beautiful. And they seem so free. So, in the end, I’ll chose a wolf, even if may not be the smatrest choice. (Why do I make these things so complicated???? :P)

And in the end, nominations… these lovely bloggers: MWtheMermaid, A Little Bird Tweets, Musings of a Whimsical Soul, Candice Louisa Daquin, Elisabet Regina, Lovely Curses, tuckedintoacorner, j matthew waters.

 

Update + Teaching + Epic Awesomness Award

I didn’t have much time for blogging lately, and that’s because I started working. Bravo me! I’m an apprentice teacher in a school. This might sound confusing, but after finishing college, we have to work as apprentices for a year and then take a test to truly become teachers. College is apparently not enough. XD

Anyway, for now I mostly listen to my mentor teach and help her with some small things, but soon I’ll start giving my own lectures, grade tests etc. This would not be the first time I teach, since we had to do it in college, but there will be more of it, and with much more responsibility now. It feels a bit strange, I have to admit, especially since I feel more like a student than a teacher… (Even though my students are 11-15 years old.) The best thing is – I get payed, not much but for me it’s a lot – and that means that I will be able to buy ALL the books! Well, not all, but a lot. 😉

Now, for the real purpose of this post… I’ve been nominated for the Epic Awesomness Award by wonderful Aquileana (see her post HERE). You should all click on the link and visit her blog, especially if you’re interested in mythology! Once again, thank you, Aquileana, so much for the nomination. 🙂

The rules are as follows:

1. You are awesome; tell us why.
2. You are my friend; tell us about other (blogger) friends.
3. Be creative, but it’s ok if you are having trouble with this one.
4. There are no direct questions to answer; let yourself run wild!
5. Thank the blogger who nominated you.
6. Notify your nominees.

And here are my answers:

1. I’m awesome because I won the Epic Awesomess Award, duh! The title says it. 😛 But, honestly now, I don’t often think of myself as being awesome… And then, sometimes, when I manage to do something that really scared me or was very hard, I do feel awesome. I hope I’ll feel that way after my teaching exam… XD

2. In my personal life, I don’t have many friends, but those I have are very important to me. As for the bloggers, I’ve met some great and interesting people here. When I started my blog, I had no expectations, and now I’m so happy I did it. I love writing posts and reading everything that you wonderful, creative people write. 🙂

3. I pride myself in being creative, but when someone tells me to be creative, I go completely blank. XD That’s one of the reasons why prompts rarely work for me. I see it and can’t think of anything interesting about it. I guess I just have to wait for my brain to work in its own pace. Which can be in most inappropriate times sometimes, mostly when I’m trying to fall asleep. I guess we have all experienced that. XD

4. For this one, I’ll just write down some things which I find awesome.

The sound of thunder when I’m safe in bed.
Walking under a large umbrella in the mild rain.
When my tea is just the perfect temperature.
When a book captures me and takes me away from the real world.
Beautiful swords, bows and arrows.
The colour black, and a warm grey.
Soft fabric and cuddly plushies.
Watching a good film with someone you love, somewhere cozy.
Waking up and knowing I don’t have to get up soon.

And bubble wrap! XD

And now for the nominations: Shyla Fairfax-Owen, Izza Ifzaal, Unbolt, Jon Stephens, Old Road Apples, Simon, Paully1965, The Walking Pencil.

You are great bloggers and you are awesome, so I thought the award was fitting. 🙂

 

Dragons again!

So, I’ve been nominated for the Dragon’s Loyalty Award by paully1965. Since I was already nominated for this award recenty, it felt a bit strange to write another post… And I can’t think of that many facts about myself, honestly. XD I’m sorry… But I did want to give a shout-out to paully1965. His blog is great and I recommend you to at least have a look at it! You can also read his award post HERE and get to know him a little bit more.

Anyway, I’ll link my previous award post HERE, if anyone’s interested. And to make something out of this strange blog post, I’ll share some wonderful dragon art that I’ve stumbled upon on Deviantart.

Dragons are amazing, and so are these artists! Enjoy! 🙂

Dragon’s Night by eronzki999 on Deviantart

Lighting Strikes Twice by Blacktalons on Deviantart

Mountain Priest by Eclectixx on Deviantart

Dragon’s Loyalty Award

So, I’ve been nominated for the Dragon’s Loyalty award by Simon (you can read his post HERE). Once again, thank you for the nomination! And dear bloggers, do give Simon’s blog a look, he’s really great! 🙂

Anyway, the rules are:

•Display the award on your blog.
•Announce your win with a post and link the blogger who nominated you.
•Present 6 deserving bloggers with the award.
•Link your awardees in the post.
•Write 7 interesting things about you.

I’ve recently posted some facts about me in my Liebster Award post, so now I’ll try to think of different ones.

1. I dye my hair red, which is quite convenient if you look at the award picture. XD
2. I love dragons! (also convenient)
3. My favourite video game is Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines. I liked vampires before it was cool. 😛
4. I like everything creepy, even a bit disturbing, and everything cute. So, on my bookshelves you can find creepy books and plush toys one next to the other.
5. I’m really interested in mythology. Greek, Norse, Celtic, everything!
6. I’m fascinated my the Middle Ages for some reason. I really can’t explain why, not even to myself, but I’m just very interested in that time period. XD
7. The last book I’ve read is Honour by Elif Shafak and it was great!

Now, to the nominees! Once again, I’ll nominate some people I have never nominated before, and then felt sorry afterwards…

My nominees are: Aquileana, Svegliati Cara, Porter Girl, Fifty words daily,  The Passionate Shepherd, RedHeadedBookLover.

Don’t feel obligated to do this, but just know that I think you deserve it 🙂

The Liebster Award

I’m been nominated for the Liebster Award by Shyla Fairfax-Owen from Beyond the Threshold. Thank you and I’m so sorry it took me this long to write this post. (See her post HERE) Honestly, I get quite nervous when I have to tag people, because I don’t want to leave out anyone I really want to tag and I also don’t want to bother the people who do not like this kind of thing. Anyway, I will tag some people this time. Also, I’d really like to say that  Beyond the Threshold is a blog with so many great stories and you should all check it out! So, let’s start!

The rules:

• Thank the person who nominated you and post a link to their blog.
• Display the Liebester Award on your blog.
• Share 11 random facts about yourself.
• Answer 11 questions your nominator has asked.
• Nominate up to 11 bloggers with less than 1000 followers.
• Ask them 11 new questions or the same ones you were asked.
• Let the bloggers you nominate know!
• Copy the rules into your post.

11 Random Facts About Me

1. I don’t believe in the cat-person dog-person distinction. – I love both cats and dogs and I don’t see why one should exclude the other. Love all the animals! 🙂
2. I collect postcards. – I love to travel, but I also like it when other people travel and bring me postcards. Travelling is amazing and it makes you a richer person, and postcards make me remember that.
3. I have a poster of John William Waterhouse’s “The Lady of Shalott” in my room. – I bought it when I was in London and it’s one of my most prized possesions. I love the painting and I love the poem by  Alfred, Lord Tennyson.
4. I own a sword. – It’s not sharpened, though. XD It was a gift from my parents. I’m a self-proclaimed pacifist, but am weirdly obsessed with swords. Maybe because of all the fantasy stuff…
5. I love Disney films. – I feel like I’ve mentioned this before, but never mind. Sometimes I just listen to the songs, especially the villain ones.
6. I love Emilie Autumn. – Have you ever listened to her? Well, most people I talked to don’t like her, but I think she’s amazing. Especially the “Opheliac” album. Wonderful.
7. I love gothic-inspired outfits. – And my favourite colour is black. XD
8. I love plushies. – I still have quite a few in my room. Childish? Yes, but I’m not sorry for it. 😉
9. I loooove chocolate. – Who doesn’t, right?
10. I’m a Slytherin. – On every quiz ever. I took the Pottermore quiz twice and both times I got the same. I thought I would be a Hufflepuff, honestly. But I’m kind of proud for being a Slytherin. 😉
11. I really don’t know what else to say, so I’ll just mention that I’m currently reading Grief is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter and I think it’s really good and unique.

Q & A

1. How did you come up with your blog concept? – Well, I just wanted to create a place to talk about books and post some of my stories, and it started from there.
2. What inspires you to keep blogging? – The books I read. And when it comes to stories, anything can spark my imagination. Something happens, and the idea just comes. I can’t explain it any better.
3. What are you currently reading (or most recently read)? – I’ve just finished Evelina by Fanny Bourney, it was more fun than I thought it would be. And I already said what I’m reading now.
4. What’s the scariest book you’ve ever read? – I’ve read some scary books, but the most disturbing one for me was American Psycho. I loved it, and I though it was really well done, but it is quite disturbing.
5. Are you a night owl or a morning bird? – I’m more of a night owl, since I hate getting up early, but I like late mornings.
6. What in your life are you most proud of? – This is a really hard one… I don’t really know what to say. XD
7. Who is your hero? – It may sound cheesy, but I’ll say my parents. They are great.
8. Do you have a phobia? If so, what is it? – Not really, but I’m quite afraid of dark (I slept with lights on when I was a child) and public speech.
9. If you were to write the story of you, what genre would it be and why? – I would personally like to be in a fantasy story, and meet dragons. Does that count?
10. What is the best movie you’ve seen recently? – It wasn’t that recently, but I’ll say Birdman. I really liked that movie.
11. What’s your biggest pet peeve? – When someone is just too irresponsible. In most cases, other people have to suffer for it.

My Nominees

So, here are the nominees:

Dara Reidyr, Morgan Mills, D. Wallace Peach, Emma, Ren, Krystal, Fictionatrix and The Blonde Writer

Don’t feel like you have to do this, it’s fine if you don’t want to, but I wanted to nominate you so that you know you’re great. 🙂 And for the questions:

1. If you could own a fictional/fairy tale/fantasy pet, what would it be? Why?
2. Do you have any pets (real ones XD)?
3. What are your favourite films?
4. What’s the last book you’ve read and would you recomend it?
5. If you could choose your theme song, which song would it be?
6. People often ask about favourite characters, but I would like to know who your favourite villains are? (Either from books, films, tv…)
7. What are some of your favourite names?
8. What is your favourite time of the year?
9. Coffee or tea?
10. Moonlight or sunshine?
11. Share a quote! (From anything you like.)