Liebster Blog Nomination

I've been blogging for a couple of years now, and I've only just recently put in the effort to connect to the wider book blogging community. I've come across some amazing bloggers and great networking sites that allows us all to connect with one another.

I was more than surprised when I logged into my Goodreads account and discovered that I had been nominated for The Liebster Award by fellow blogger Danielle Smith over at Reading, Writing and What Not. 

I'd never heard of The Liebster Award, so I immediately took to Google and discovered that this is a recognition from my book blogging peers that my blog is read, valued, and followed. The Liebster Award nomination is a part of blog networking, so the nomination comes with its own set of rules which include submitting my own nominations for the blogs I follow and answering some writing related questions as well as posing some questions of my own for the bloggers I nominate.


I would like to nominate:

1. Francesca at Sundays and Ink
2. Melissa Rose at Around the World in Books
3. AJ Sterkel at Read All the Things!
4. As the Crow Flies (and Reads!)

5. Kristin Ravelle at Kristin Un-Ravelle'd

6. Ara the Booksnake at The Booksnake Etc.
7. Danielle Smith at Reading, Writing and What Not.
7. Olivia-Savannah at Olivia's Catastrophe

The questions I am supposed to answer are:

1. What world from a book would you want to live in?

The Magical World of Harry Potter. Without a doubt. 

2. What draws you to your favorite genre of books? (If you have several you love, pick one)
I have several genres I am drawn to...here are my top 3:

Historical Fiction: The ability to learn about a time period while following a fictional character has taken me on a roller coaster ride through time. You can learn a lot from this genre and how different groups of people were affected by a particular event or a war; stories you don't hear in history books. 

Dystopian/Speculative Fiction: These stories capitalize upon the great 'What If?' and I love where different imaginations take me in terms of setting, the environment, the impact on human nature, etc. 

Science Fiction: Science is a big part of our current paradigm, and using science as a basis for a story that goes beyond what is currently possible shows how imagination can be a big part of invention. It can also illuminate dangerous possibilities and create a bridge to Speculative Fiction.

3. Do you have a preference, real book or e-reader?

I used to be a hardcore book enthusiast, believing that the tactile aspect of the reading experience somehow elevates it, but as my bookshelves grew thick - I made the leap. I read some books on my Kindle, but if I love them...I buy a real copy so I can remember the experience, return to it, or loan it out to a friend. 

4. How do you feel about books that are made into movies?

I am completely okay with this. In fact, I write book vs. movie comparisons on my blog. Film is a different medium for storytelling and so adaptation becomes a skill, an art, an aptitude. I like to see how the written word is translated on screen and I have the critical capacity to keep the two separate within their own mediums. It's all about the story and how well it works as a movie and a lot of that has to do with those involved in the movie making process and the decisions they make. The written story is the inspiration for the visual one. 

5. If you could be any main character from a book, who would you be?

Wow. This is a tough one: Hermione Granger, Elizabeth Bennet, Jo March.

6. Do you have a favorite series that you would love to see made into a movie/tv show?

My answer to this was almost: Margaret Atwood's MadAddam Trilogy, but as I hear it...that one is coming to television in addition to Neil Gaiman's American Gods. So, no, not at this moment. Oh! Maybe Kate Atkinson's Life After Life - it would be one hell of a feat. 

7. How do you go about picking what books you want to review on your blog?

I like to pick books that have been highly recommended by the general populous, or books that I know are about to be adapted to film or television because then I get to write my comparison blogs. 

8. How do you feel about reading self-published books?

Hugh Howey's Wool, blew my mind. After that, I read all of the Wool, Shift, and Dust series. Which lead me to his book Sand, which was amazing and I could see his growth as a writer. I feel enthusiastic about self-published books and ultimately, there are some really good ones and then there are some that are less successful. It depends on your taste. I support the movement and will likely one day be a part of it, so I feel positive about self-published books. 

9. If you had to pick one book as your favorite of all time, what would it be?

I don't think I can pick just one! There have been so many. So. Many. A Wrinkle in Time is the first book I remember reading that really fascinated me, and after that it was Z for Zachariah that got me into dystopian fiction, and then The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, 1984, The Handmaid's Tale, Life After Life...I can't pick just one. However, Thomas Pynchon's Crying of Lot 49 had a pretty profound impact on me. 

10. Where do you do most of your reading? (bed, couch, at a desk, etc.)

Kicked back on my couch with a cat in my lap. 

Questions I'd Like My Nominees To Answer:

1. What is the first book you remember reading that left you in awe?
2. When a friend asks you for a good book to borrow, how do you judge what to recommend, or do you have a 'go-to' recommendation?
3. Have you ever developed an attachment (be it a crush or fascination) with a particular character from a story? If so, who?
4. What made you start blogging about books?
5. Do you think that there should be a book bloggers symposium of some kind, where bloggers can meet up with their network and with writers?
6. Do you plan to write a book of your own? If so, would you self-publish or go the traditional route?
7. If you could spend the day with one writer, throughout all history, who would it be?
8. What book have you read the most?
9. What author have you read the most?
10. What is it about books that makes them so special? In your opinion, of course.

The Rules:

1. Once you are nominated, make a post thanking and linking the person who nominated you. Include the Liebster Award sticker in the post too.

2. Nominate at least 5 other bloggers who you feel are worthy of this award. Let them know they have been nominated by commenting on one of their posts. You can also nominate the person who nominated you.

3. Ensure all of these bloggers have less than 200 followers.

4. Answer the ten questions asked to you by the person who nominated you, and make ten questions of your own for your nominees.

5. Lastly, COPY these rules in the post.