My Life in Books Tag

I was tagged to do the My Life in Books tag by two lovely and awesome people: Ashleigh over at A Frolic Through Fiction and Michelle over at Book Adventures. Thank you both for the tag! Ashleigh and Michelle are two absolutely fantastic book bloggers, so if you haven’t checked out their blogs, be sure to head on over! 🙂

Find a book for each of your initials.

My initials are AJML so…

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…I chose A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, Jackaby by William Ritter, More Than This by Patrick Ness, and Legend by Marie Lu.I have a lot of “A” books, but A Monster Calls is one of my favorite books of all time. Jackaby is the only “J” book I own, but it just so happens to be another favorite of mine. More Than This I have not read yet; I am severely lacking in the “M” book department, but it’s by one of my favorite authors (hence my “A” choice!). I am also severely lacking in the “L” book department, but Legend is fantastic.

Count your age along your bookshelf—which book is it?

I’m 21, so the book I got was…

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Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. I had to use my Goodreads bookshelf for this, but I went in alphabetical order by last name, so it will be the same on my physical shelves once I have them set up. This is embarrassing to admit, but I actually don’t currently have any shelves in my room! I am in the process of rearranging things and adding new furniture, so all of my books are in storage boxes at the moment.

Pick a book set in your city/state/country.

Since I very highly doubt that there are any books that take place in my actual city, I chose my top three favorite American novels.

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Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Pick a book that represents a destination you would like to travel to.

I decided to choose one real place (Prague) and one fictional place (Narnia).

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Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor takes place in Prague, a city to which I have already been and have completely fallen in love with. I desperately want to go back for another (and hopefully longer) visit.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis takes you to Narnia, the fictional world that I would like to visit the most out of any I’ve ever read. Also I want to live in England one day, so this could count toward my real place as well.

Pick a book that’s your favorite color.

Even though I love every color and vibrantly colorful things in general, “rainbow” is not technically “a color”. I will now take this moment to address the fact that I am a strange human being (yeah, we knew that already, Ari.) because, having just stated my love of bright, multicolored things, oddly, my favorite color is black…

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Once again, I’ve chosen more than one book because Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn has one of my favorite color combinations (pink and black), and Vicious by V.E. Schwab has my other favorite color combination (red and black).

Which book do you have the fondest memories of?

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Though I have incredibly fond memories of reading the entire series as I grew up, I have to say, some of my fondest memories are of reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling. This was the first Harry Potter novel I was old enough to read on my own, which made it very special to me, and it also happens to be one of my favorite storylines on top of that. I also have quite a fond memory of going to the midnight release of The Deathly Hallows with my best friend, then staying up all night together and reading it, so that would be a close second!

Which book did you have the most difficulty reading?

I have to admit, it slightly pains me to put this two books next to each other.

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1984 by George Orwell I found to be relatively difficult to get though due to the fact that my brain did not click well with Orwell’s writing style, gorgeous as it was. This, however, is an incredible story, one of my favorite novels of all time, and a book that I am very glad I pushed through; it was well worth it in the end!

(Apologies in advance if you like this story. Don’t read on if you did!) Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad on the other hand…where do I begin? This is technically considered a novella because of its length, but I just had to throw this in here. To be completely honest, this was the worst and most excruciating eighty or so pages I have ever read in my life. The writing is atrocious and the story was absolutely not worth the effort in my opinion.

Which book in your TBR pile will give you the biggest sense of accomplishment when you finish it?

Let’s whip out those frighteningly massive books shall we!

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A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

I tend to get a bit intimidated by giant books sometimes, and these are the two largest ones on my shelf. Aside from the feeling of accomplishment I will get by completing about 2,000 total pages between the two, I feel like these are also two books that everyone has read. Three (or five) other novels I will feel a huge sense of accomplishment after finishing are…

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The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien

…again, mainly due to the fact that I should have read them by this point in my reading life. Also, I clearly feel quite accomplished by finishing books with authors who have the initials “R.R.” in their names.

I Tag:

SSJ Time Lord

Trisha @ The Bookgasm

Emma @ The Terror of Knowing

Fran @ Nightjar’s Jar of Books

Michelle @ Michelle, Books and Movies Addict

Umbreen @ Read by Umbreen

And if you are reading this and haven’t done it, then I tag YOU! 🙂

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The Starlight Blogger Award

I was nominated by Magda over at Magic of Books. Thank you so much for the nomination! 🙂

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The Rules

  1. Thank the giver and link their blog to your post.
  1. Answer the 3 original questions and then the 3 new questions from your nominator given to you.
  1. starlightbloggerawardNominate your 6 favorite bloggers! In your nominees, I would like for you to think of the light emanating from the stars, the ones that truly touch your soul with their work. The ones that are the light for you; a true STARLIGHT Blogger.
  1. Please pass the award on to 6 or more other Bloggers of your choice and let them know that they have been nominated by you.
  1. Include the logo of the award in a post or on your Blog, please never alter the logo, never change the 3 original questions. Answer that first, then answer the 3 new questions from your nominator, and never change the Award rules.
  1. Please don’t delete this note:
 The design for the STARLIGHT Bloggers Award has been created from YesterdayAfter. It is a Copyright image, you cannot alter or change it in any way just pass it to others that deserve this award.
 Copyright 2015 © YesterdayAfter.com – Design by Carolina Russo”

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The Original Questions:

1. If you could meet anyone from throughout history, who and why?

As someone who writes, reads and acts, I definitely have to pick William Shakespeare for this. He is one of my favorite writers of all time, an absolute master of the craft, and he would be an incredibly fascinating man to meet.

tkam2. What is your favourite book and why?

I have a sizable number of books that I completely adore; however, my absolute favorite book of all time is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. This is such a beautiful, powerful, and meaningful novel with vivid characters and important themes. This is a book that should definitely be read by everyone at least once in his or her life. To Kill a Mockingbird is a book that I can read over and over again and never get tired of. In fact, it gets better with each read, and I get even more out of the story during every experience with it.

3. Who is your favourite fiction character from any medium and why?

This was a pretty hard one to decide on because I love so many fictional characters. However, I think I would have to pick either Atticus Finch or Sherlock Holmes; I have to say both because I’ve been thinking about this for a while and there is absolutely no way I can choose between these two! They are both intelligent and remarkable men, and two of the best literary characters out there.

Magda’s Questions:

1. What is your favorite movie which takes place in space?

As a major sci-fi fan, I love a lot of movies that take place in space. However, I think I’ll have to stick with a classic and go with Star Wars. Really any of the Star Wars movies (except maybe The Phantom Menace) could fit here, but my favorites are the original trilogy. My all-time favorite is Return of the Jedi, though The Empire Strikes Back is an extremely close second. And just as an honorable mention, I have to bring up The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy; such a fantastic novel and movie!

f4a482f5-5fd5-4ee7-81d5-021604edfd822. If you could have any pet from any of the books you’ve read, what would it be?

For this, I think I would choose a direwolf from A Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire series. They are beautiful and intelligent creatures that would make very loyal companions. And let’s face it, on the show, they are just plain adorable. Fierce…but still adorable.

3. What was the first book that kept you awake through the night?

I definitely have to go with Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets for this one. This was the first Harry Potter novel that I was old enough to read completely on my own, and I remember many a late night working my way through this multiple times because I loved it so much! Another one around this same time was The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I spent my evening hours in either Narnia or Hogwarts!

I Nominate:

Anna @ My Bookish Dream

Heather @ The Sassy Book Geek

Michelle @ Book Adventures

Ashleigh @ A Frolic Through Fiction

Leslie @ Confessions of a Bookaholic

Paige @ Page by Paige

My Questions:

1. Do you prefer series or standalone novels?

2. If you could live in any fictional world, which one would it be and why?

3. What book or series would you recommend to someone who says they don’t like to read, and why would you choose that book or series?

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The Creative Blogger Award

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I was nominated by the awesome Rachel over at (bargain)bookbliss! Thank you so much for the nomination, Rachel. She is a fantastic book blogger so if you haven’t already checked out her blog, be sure to head on over there! 🙂

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creativebloggeraward1The Rules:

  1. Thank the person who nominated you and include a link to their blog.
  1. Share 5 facts about yourself.
  1. Nominate some bloggers in return and notify them about their nomination.
  1. Keep the rules in your post to make it easy for everyone to know what to do.

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Random Facts About Me:

  1. Along with writing, reading, and film, art is one of my biggest passions. I’m not particularly good at painting or sculpting, but I love drawing/sketching and graphic design.

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  1. When I am not writing or reading, I am probably doing something musical. I have been singing for over 15 years. I also have played four instruments (piano, violin, guitar, and recorder) and I plan on starting electric violin sometime in the near future.
  1. I desperately want to become a writer and filmmaker, and one day move to London so I can work there.

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  1. I am pretty much obsessed with anything to do with superheroes/super villains/comic books, particularly if it has to do with Marvel. I own far too many comic book related items, and the next story I plan on writing is all about super villains.

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  1. I love anything to do with color and creating designs and patterns with it, which partially explains my recent obsession with adult (theoretically, I am one now) coloring books. Seriously, they are the best!

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I Nominate:

Kayla @ bookedsolid1989

Jessica @ Mud and Stars

Ana @ Ana Reyhs

Michelle @ Mishi-Reads

Rachel @ One Little Bookshelf

Nick @ The Paper Dragon

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Real Neat Blog Award

I was nominated by the lovely Kayla over at bookedsolid1989. Thank you so much for the nomination!

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The Rules:realneatblogaward

-Thank and link the blogger who nominated you

-Answer the seven questions the nomination has provided

-Nominate 7 other bloggers

-Create 7 questions for your nominees

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Kayla’s Questions

1. What are you most excited about for the end of the year?

I am definitely most excited for the holidays; specifically, I am excited for the music! I’m a singer, and my absolute favorite time of the choral year is coming up. We do some of the best music and the most fun concerts at the holidays. Plus the season is just lovely and cheerful in general, and I’m particularly looking forward to that this year. I can’t wait to see friends and family, and (hopefully) have a good amount of time to relax as well.

2. What book or book series do you love and would recommend to others?

tkam thechroniclesofnarnia

The book that I would recommend the most to others would be my absolute favorite book of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. It is such a beautiful and important novel, and something that everyone should read at least once in their lifetime. A book series that I would recommend to others, aside from the obvious ones like Harry Potter or The Hunger Games, would be The Chronicles of Narnia. Okay, so that might be a slightly obvious one too…but it’s one of my favorites! I can’t not mention it! 🙂

3. Who are a few of your favorite authors?

My all-time favorite authors are Arthur Conan Doyle, William Shakespeare, C.S. Lewis, J.K. Rowling, Neil Gaiman, and Harper Lee. Some of my semi more recently discovered favorites are Gillian Flynn and Patrick Ness.

4. What is your favorite television series at this time?

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I actually don’t watch all that many shows that are still on the air. However, my current favorite television series is definitely Doctor Who, though Sherlock is a very close second. I have been getting into Game of Thrones lately though, so that’s working its way up my favorites list too.

5. If you could spend one day with a fictional character, who would it be?

If I could spend a day with one fictional character, I would choose Sherlock Holmes. Not only is he one of my favorite literary characters, but I also think it would be absolutely amazing to have a chance to accompany him on a case for a day. I’d love to see his deductive skills in action first hand, and maybe even assist him in the investigation. However, I don’t think I could stand him for long periods of time; I’m not nearly as patient as Watson! So one day would be absolutely perfect. Another character I might like to spend the day with would be Mr. Tumnus.

6. Which cover of a book (whether you’ve read it or not) do you absolutely love?

rebecca assassinsquest thefinalempire jackaby theravenboys vicious sixofcrows thefirstfifteenlivesofharryaugust

Come on…there was no way I was going to be able to pick just one! 😀

7. Are you currently reading a book? If so, what is it and how are you feeling about it so far?

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I am currently working on Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli. I’m not overly far into it yet, but I am already really liking it; I’m very excited to continue on, and I should have a review up when I’m done!

I Nominate:

Michelle @ Book Adventures

Bree @ The Literary Hellion

Liam @ Liam’s Library

Ashleigh @ A Frolic Through Fiction

Poppy @ Poppy’s Best of Books

Cherry @ Read Forevermore

Bear @ Book Bear Blog

My Questions:

1. Who are a few of your favorite authors you discovered in 2015?

2. What is your favorite hobby outside of reading?

3. What are two places, one fictional and one real, that you would most like to travel to (or maybe live)?

4. What book or books do you think deserve more recognition?

5. If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why?

6. What are your favorite songs/bands/artists to listen to?

7. What are some of your most anticipated book releases of 2016?

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Liebster Award

Huge thanks to the wonderful Anna over at My Bookish Dream for nominating me!

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liebsterawardThis award is given to smaller bloggers to help gain recognition and also bring the book community closer together.

The rules for the award are:

  • Acknowledge the blog that nominated you and display the award.
  • Answer 11 question that the blog gives you.
  • Give 11 random facts about yourself.
  • Nominate 5-11 blogs you think are deserving of the award that have less than 200 followers.
  • Let the blogs know you have nominated them.
  • Give them 11 questions to answer.

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Questions:

  1. What is the book / series that got you into reading?

The Harry Potter series was definitely the main series that got me into reading, as I’m sure it did for many other avid readers. I started The Chronicles of Narnia series around the same time as well, so that would also be another one.

  1. If you could hang out for a day with a fictional character who would you choose?

If I could, I would love to hang out with Sherlock Holmes for a day. I probably couldn’t stand him for long periods of time, but it would be fantastic to get a chance to join him on a case and see him in action!

  1. Your OTP?

I thought about it for a while and I don’t think that I actually have an OTP.

  1. What are your favourite TV series?

My all-time favorite television series is Frasier. Some of my other top favorites are Doctor Who, Keeping Up Appearances, Psych, Game of Thrones, and Sherlock.

  1. Which two places would you love to visit? (One real and one fictional.)

One real place that I am absolutely dying to visit is Iceland. The top fictional place I wish I could visit would be Narnia.

  1. Who is your favourite superhero?

This is an insanely difficult question; I love so many! It would probably be either Iron Man or Thor.

  1. Which is your favourite season and why?

Autumn is by far my favorite season! I love the changing leaves, the cool but not freezing weather, the big cozy sweaters and boots. And the pumpkins…definitely the pumpkins.

  1. What is something you miss?

There aren’t too many things I miss. However, one of the biggest things I miss is getting a new Harry Potter book or movie every year. Probably like many fans, I wish that I could read the series for the first time again.

  1. What do you like to do in your free time besides reading?

Besides being a reader, I am a singer and a writer. I also enjoy drawing and playing video games.

  1. What is your favourite place that you visited?

While London will always hold a fond place in my heart, I visited Prague last summer and completely fell in love with it. I definitely hope to go back there sometime very soon.

  1. What are some of your favourite bands / musicians / artists?

I like a wide variety of music. My top favorite bands are Panic at the Disco, Fall Out Boy, The Offspring, Imagine Dragons, Maroon 5, and Muse. My favorite composers are Mozart, Kraus, Bach, and Chopin. I also love listening to film soundtracks or soundtrack style music, like Two Steps From Hell and Audiomachine.

Random Facts About Me:

  1. I have been a singer for 15 years.
  2. I would like to work as a writer and filmmaker.
  3. I am a huge Marvel fan.
  4. I definitely have an addiction to Kit-Kats.
  5. I would like to move to London one day.
  6. I once fell into a water trap at a mini golf course.
  7. I used to act when I was younger, and would very much like to go back to it one day.
  8. Embarrassingly, I have never seen any of the Lord of the Rings or Hobbit films.
  9. Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve loved watching property shows on TV.
  10. I have fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.
  11. Over the years I’ve played piano, violin, guitar, and recorder, and I’d like to start electric violin.

I Nominate:

Ana @ Ana Reyhs

Rachel @ Bargain Book Bliss

Ember @ Literary Constellation

Ally @ Multifandomed Book Blogger

Aimee @ Aimee Elizabeth Charlotte

My Questions:

  1. What are your favorite hobbies?
  2. If you could only own five books, which ones would you choose?
  3. What is your favorite movie and who is your favorite actor?
  4. If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
  5. What are the top three places you’d like to travel to?
  6. Who is your biggest inspiration/role model and why?
  7. Which Hogwarts house are you in?
  8. If you could be best friends with any author, who would it be?
  9. Are there any books you find intimidating to read (due to size, subject, etc.)?
  10. Who are your top three auto-buy authors?
  11. What is your favorite book quote?

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