The Liebster Award

The Liebster Award

Wow so four amazing bloggers have nominated me for the Liebster Award, how cool is that!! Well it's awesome, I'm so happy that people actually take notice of my blogging efforts and actually reads the content I post every week :) My readers/viewers are the best so thank you for nominating my blog. Up until a week ago I had no idea this award even existed but I'm so happy it does. So the blogs who have nominated me have each asked 11 questions so I'm going to try to answer them below as best as I can and also nominate 11 other people who deserves the Liebster Award. The Liebster Award only allows recognition for blogs with 200 followers or less, so read the rules below and nominate your favorite blogs!

Questions from Robyn Jones @ robgirlbooks

1. What is your favorite fictional place? Could be a funky bedroom, another planet, another time gets tricky.

My favorite fictional place is any place in a book I can get lost in be it Hogwarts from Harry Potter or a historical period in time.

2. What inspires you most?

 
I'm inspired most by the talent and creativity that goes into writing books that makes readers care and feel what the penned character is feeling. Authors are incredible that way.

3. Who is your favorite female character on TV or in movies?

 
Wow that's a difficult question to even begin to answer because I watch soo much TV and many movies. BUT I love Emily Thorne on Revenge right now. She is fantastic, she's strong, and does what needs to be done to get justice on the people who ruined her life and destroyed her family. She's just awesome and layered plus who doesn't love a good vengeance story? :)

4. What is your favorite movie-based-on-a-book?

 
Percy Jackson and the Olympians is awesome, I haven't gotten around to reading the book yet but I seen this movie and thought the actors did an outstanding job and it was just so fun to see and I look forward to the books which I've heard are even better.

5. If you had a chance to chat up an author, who would be your pick?

 
If I could chat with an author I'd choose Richelle Mead, Jeaniene Frost, or J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts). They write some of my favorite books and continue to come out with extraordinary novels still. They write some of the most strongest and interesting characters I've ever read about which says something about them. I'm sure each writer is absolutely fascinating so I'd love to pick there mind and see what they have to say about anything.

6. How much time do you spend blogging...thinking about it, clicking away, world building on your site?

 
A lot it's constantly on my mind even when I'm out and about living my life outside of books. I'm always on my blog tinkering with something or coming up with ideas on how I can make it better and attract more readers. It's something I love to do and so I'm always expanding and trying different things.

7. What is your favorite book series beginning to end?

 
SO MANY, I love series and rarely do I get the chance to read a standalone novel so I will name a few. The Georgina Kincaid series by Richelle Mead, the Night Huntress series by: Jeaniene Frost, the Fever series by: Karen Marie Moning, and the Archers of Avalon series by: Chelsea Fine. & About a million other ones as well.

8. What book series ended too soon for you?

 
Definitely the Tale of Lunarmorte series by: Samantha Young — I felt there was more that could of been explored but I really loved all the books regardless. Also the Star-Crossed Saga by: Rachel Higginson. It ended and I wanted to see the result of how everything worked out not a brief 1 page explanation, but she created a spin-off I have yet to read that apparently picks up after the last book in the series ends only through a different characters eyes. I can't wait to get ahold of that book. But all books must end, I'd rather them have a conclusion than none at all.

9. What book would you most love to see on the big or little screen?

 
The Archers of Avalon! I loved the trilogy so much and I kept thinking wow it could be made into a movie or a television show. If done with the right actors it could be something

amazing, I'd be incredibly happy if it got the opportunity. (I actually think it's been optioned but not picked up).

10. What's the right order, books, blogs, girls/boys (romantically), family, pets, kids? Exclude what doesn't pertain to your life.

 
Family, books, blogs, pets, boys. :)

11. What character would you like to kick into a-whole-nother stratosphere?

 
Haha hmm I'm not entirely sure—most of the characters I dislike in that way usually meet there maker in one way or another. But I really did not care for Prince Humperdinck in the Princess Bride, he seriously irked me!
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Questions from Joana @ A Barmy Book Worm

1. What do you get from your blogging?

 
I get to talk about my favorite thing ever—books! I love sharing my reading opinion with others and hope to steer people like myself in the right book direction so they can find amazing new reads and share them. I support indie/self-published authors so it feels great to be able to promote them and get there incredible works recognized. Also I've learned so much from blogging especially about the publishing industry which makes me want to pursue a career in that area, so it's a huge learning experience and a great opportunity to be able to blog about books.

2. What makes good reading for you?

 
Well developed characters, I love character depth I think it's really important, also good writing not necessarily the editing though thats important but the word choices. For example; is the book complex? Does it use big words or smaller simpler ones? Either can make a book great but it all depends on the writer and if they can pull it off. Writing style kind of falls within what I just said but it's important also to get inside the mind of the lead character and be able to draw yourself into the story. & Lastly the story has to be good and interesting something that makes you want to keep reading — the writer needs to give you the reader a reason to continue reading and finish there book to the end whether it be because the characters have secrets that need to be divulged or because you enjoy the world building. You need only 1 reason to keep reading and whether it's good or not depends on you're own personal reading tastes. Not every person is going to like the same book let alone love it so you have to accept that and the same goes for writing book reviews not everyone's going to find it helpful and you have to acknowledge this :)

3. What makes you want to share good reading with others?

 
Passion. Books are what get me through difficult times and sometimes boring ones, without them I think my world would be a lot less colorful than it is. Reading about creativity in the form of words takes me somewhere else and I want to share that with everyone—those books that can do that. Books contain soo much knowledge and I think if more people read it would benefit them in all aspects of life.

4. Which books do you think everyone should read, at least once in their lives?

 
The Odyssey by Homer, it's a Greek epic poem with such an adventurous story that shows a man's journey to get home to his wife and son. Though there are gods and other mythical creatures it's about the stages and obstacles we all must face in our everyday lives. It's a great book and people can take away a lot of different meanings from reading it.

5. Which author would you like to/would you have liked to have met, and why?

 
There are a few who I'd have loved to have met—Douglas Adams who wrote The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I'm still reading the book but it has soo much wit and worldly insight that I'd loved to have seen what the writer himself was like. The same goes for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle—the creator of the fictional character Sherlock Holmes and his brilliant deductive skills. I'm sure Doyle would be one fascinating person to have created such an iconic character.

6. What's the most challenging book you've ever read, and why?

 
Any book that's told in old English is a difficult read but so often worth the struggle of understanding its context.

7. What's the funniest book you've ever read, and why?

 
The Princess Bride! It's really witty and hilarious, never have I laughed out loud like I did when I was reading that book.

8. What's the best book-to-film adaptation you've ever seen?

 
Probably again The Princess Bride seriously it is a replica of the book right down to the dialog and the actors who play the characters do a phenomenal job I can't even imagine different actors playing the roles because they are there characters to a tee. The adaptation captures the very essence of the book and that's a pretty difficult thing to do. Everyone who has loved the book has also enjoyed the movie and vice versa. I had seen the movie before reading the book and loved both immensely.

9. Has any book ever inspired you, and why?

 
Every book inspires me I'm always finding something I love about a book and from it I create new ideas which I jot down to form my own stories. A reader always takes something away from reading a book and I do that and it inspires me to write.

10. Do you stop reading books you don't like?  Or keep going regardless to the end?

 
There are only a couple books I can think of that I have not finished and those were books I just could not get into or it just wasn't my genre taste. I always try to finish all the books I set out to read but sometimes I can't always do that.

11. Do you get rid of books you've read?  Pass them on to others?  Or fill up your home with them till there's no more room for you?

 
I've been reading for years and have accumulated quite a collection for which I'm now starting to either sell off or donate to the Salvation Army so others can enjoy the books. Sometimes it's hard to part with them but at the end of the day you have to ask yourself if you're honestly ever going to read it again and if your answer is no then it needs to go somewhere useful—other than the closet or boxed away. Books need to be read not sit on a shelf forever never to be picked up again. All the books on my shelf get read often so those are the ones I keep.

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Questions from Heather @ Not Just a One Night Stand

1) Where is your favorite place to do your reading at?

I love reading in a comfy chair at night time or I'll read in bed where I can relax and lay down.
 
2) Do you find you have a crazy "cork" when you get really into a book or even just an intense sense? 

Yes, I'll pretty much shut myself in a room so no one can ruin the reading moment and I'll make sure I'm comfortable with a bottle of water next to me.
 
3) What book are you looking forward to the release of?

I've been waiting months & months for the release of Up From the Grave (Night Huntress, #7) by: Jeaniene Frost. Last January I got into reading the Night Huntress series and couldn't put it down and I've been waiting for the next book ever since! 
 
4) Tell us something people wouldn't expect about you.

Probably that I read so many different genres and the fact that I love cooking and that I'm quite good at it!
 
5) What is your favorite genre of books?

Probably paranormal/romance - I love the supernatural elements combined with relationships involved.
 
6) Do you ever wish you could be a character in one of your favorite books? Who and why?

Maryah from Grasping at Eternity by: Karen Amanda Hooper because she's strong-willed and she keeps getting reincarnated with the love of her life and all her friends/family. I think that's beautiful and her character is amazing so I'd love to be her.
 
7) All time favorite book? if you can narrow it down

That's really hard but if I absolutely had to pick probably Significance by: Shelly Crane. Yet again another beautiful story involving soul mates that will just captivate you.
 
8) What made you want to start a blog?

My love of books; because without that there would be no book review blog. I love reading and even that might be an understatement but I also love supporting authors and there wonderful works that people overlook. I also enjoying writing so with that combined this blog is pretty much my safe haven where I can express how I feel about particular books and share it with others. But my main motivation was for fun as long as it continues to be something I enjoy then my blog will be around.
 
9) How often have you had a dream about a book you were reading and tell us a little about it.

I actually don't think I've ever dreamt about a book that I've read or at least one that I can remember.
 
10) Bad boy? or the under dog?

Both? I love a good bad boy and I also like reading about the under dog who unexpectedly becomes endearing.
 
11) Name your dream date with any character from a book. Who and what would you be doing?
 
 Roarke from the In Death series by: J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts). We'd have an elegant dinner filled with fun and meaningful conversation then go to his mansion where we'd play video games in his game room and go for a midnight swim. I'm not very imaginative but this all sounded very lovely in theory :)

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Questions from Leti Del Mar @ Words With Leti Del Mar    

1. Why did you start a blog?

I started a blog so I could express my opinions about books.

2. What have you done to gain followers?

I've joined a lot of online book groups and forums and left my link all over, I also participate in blog hops that help gain readers, and started a Twitter account for which I follow authors and tweet my book reviews of there books to them and sometimes they retweet them to there followers which is really cool. But now my blog is getting noticed and I no longer really have to try so hard which is really awesome.

3. Do you have a post that you are really proud of?

Yes I feel like some of my reviews are written better than others. A few I particularly am quite proud of are:

*Note: these are all FANTASTIC reads!*

The Prophet: A Shepherd Thriller by: Ethan Cross (Review)

Enchantment (Channie, #1) by: Charlotte Abel (Review/Interview)

Avow (The Archers of Avalon, #3) by: Chelsea Fine (Review)  

 

4. How long have you been blogging?

Since July 2012 but I stopped for awhile and didn't really get invested into it until late October 2012.

5. What is your favorite genre to read?

Well I love to read a lot of different genres but I'll name some of my top ones, ya-adult paranormal/romance, dystopia, fantasy, mythology, and contemporary romance.  

6. What is your all-time favorite book?

I keep getting asked this but one of my all time favorite books is Naked In Death (In Death, #1) by: J.D. Robb which is the start of an amazing adult mystery/romance series.

7. Is there a book that really shaped your childhood?

Not exactly but one of my first favorite reads that got me so interested in books was "The Westing Game" by: Ellen Raskin which I read in 6th grade and from that point on I've just loved the entire mystery genre.

8. Do you have a guilty pleasure book?

Yes doesn't everyone?? I have a bunch that I love to reread such as Abbi Glines' "The Vincent Boys", Mary Ting's "Crossroads Saga", Rachel Higginson's "Star-Crossed Saga", and Shelly Crane's "Significance Series" and so many more!!

9. What is your all-time favorite movie?

My problem is I can never just pick one! So Better Off Dead, and Clue!!!! Both are 80's movies and both are amazing.

10. When a book becomes a movie, do you have to read the book first?

YES, books before the movie. Because reading the books sets my own vision of how I think things should look and then I watch the movie to see if it works. Also books have more details and incoporates important scenes the movie may have left out or rewritten and I always love seeing the original idea. I feel like if you watch the movie you're going to be missing important character details and scenes that don't translate out of the written word.

 

11. What is the best advice you can give a fellow blogger?

Don't give up on it because it may seem like you're not getting many readers but you will you just have to be patient and write about your passion and others will see that and want to follow what you do. It takes time and effort but it's incredibly rewarding so remember that!

11 Facts About Me:
1. I am a triplet.
2. I adore cats, they are cute and simply adorable furry creatures.
3. I prefer physical books as opposed to ebooks, nothing beats the real thing!
4. I love watching television series, I've seen soo many and they're so entertaining. My top favorite shows right now would be: Sherlock, Doctor Who, Merlin, Revenge, Supernatural, Arrow, Lost Girl, and Hart of Dixie.
5. I run another blog dedicated to my love of TV shows and movies called Expectation vs. Reality (www.ceewolff.tumblr.com)
6.  I love to bake and cook - I really want to take a culinary arts class one day.
7. I sell handmade necklaces made out of genuine gems/stones. (Obsidian, Glass etc.)
8. Some of my favorite movies include: TiMER, Boondock Saints, La Femme Nikita, The Mummy movies, the Resident Evil Trilogy, all the Marvel/DC films and almost all rom-coms. 9.) Since I love movies, I have the hugest lifetime crush on John Cusack - his earlier 80's films are the best! (Better Off Dead, Grosse Pointe Blank).

10. I'm half French Canadian so most of my family is from Quebec, Canada and I love it there. I can understand French but still have a difficult time speaking it. (It's a work in progress.)

11. I have a few book ideas penned out and I'd love love love to work on them when I get some more time to myself. I've always wanted to be a writer.

 

My 11 Nominees for the Liebster Award:

 1.) http://bookshelvesofdreams.blogspot.com/

2.) http://booksformee.blogspot.com/

3.) http://fantasticalpaperrealm.blogspot.com/

4.) http://broad-mindedbooks.blogspot.com/

5.) http://colorthepages.blogspot.com/

6.) http://feedonbooks.blogspot.com/

7.) http://aljambor.blogspot.com/

8.) http://jessysbookends.blogspot.com/

9.) http://finithajose.blogspot.com/

10.) http://kathrynwhiteauthor.blogspot.com/

11.) http://lilypondreads.blogspot.com/

 Questions For My Nominees:

1.) Who is your favorite author and why?

2.) What kinds of books do you like to read?

3.) Who would be your fictional book boyfriend/girlfriend?

4.) How often do you read and where?

5.) What's something important you've learned from blogging?

6.) If you could be a character from a book who would you be? Why?

7.) Genres that just don't interest you?

8.) Best blogging experience yet?

9.) Top 5 favorite books of all time?

10.) Two books you're dying to read that haven't yet been released?

11.) What book(s) got you interested in reading?        

 Directions For The Nominees:
-Copy and paste the award onto your blog.
-Come up with 11 questions, 11 nominees with less than 200 followers, and 11 facts about yourself.
-Answer my 11 questions.
-Leave a comment on your nominee's blog page telling them about the award.
-Thank your nominator