I received a double nomination for the Sunshine Blogger Award from Anisa @ Bookish Bibliophile and Meeghan @ Meeghan Reads — both of whom have absolutely wonderful blogs that you should check out if you haven’t already! Thank you both so much 💕

rules

• Thank the blogger who nominated you and link back to their blog.
• Answer the 11 questions they asked 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 in your post.

Anisa’s Questions

What caused you to start reading?
It honestly wouldn’t surprise me to learn that reading is in my DNA, because both my parents were (and still are) avid readers! So they’ve been reading to me and telling me stories and taking me to the library as long as I can remember, and they’ve always been wonderfully nonjudgmental of whatever I wanted to read.

What does reading mean to you?
At this point I need to read the same way I need to breathe; it’s honestly not really something I think about, but it’s ever-present in my life and it varies constantly. Sometimes there’s a pause (like when I’m cramming for an exam or swimming) and sometimes it’s a sprint when I find a really immersive story.

Does your soulmate have to be a bibliophile as well?
In theory no, I don’t mind as long as they understand that books and reading are super important to me, though I do believe that sense of humor can make or break a relationship and I don’t know that a non-bibliophile would understand mine. I make a lot of weird references.

What do you normally eat/drink while reading?
Since I read throughout the day whenever I have a pocket of time (during lunch, waiting for the bus, before bed) there’s no staple food or beverage in my reading routine. When I’m in my room I usually have tea or at least water on hand, but that’s really it.

Choose 1 book that you hope people will never forget.
Oh, this is a tough one. Maybe Matilda — for the little girls (well, really for anyone) who love to read and want a reminder that they have the power to change their own lives.

You are now on an island, which 3 books will you bring along with you?
Surviving on an Island for Dummies, Lord of the Flies, The Little Prince … maybe The Neverending Story? I’m really not that picky, any books that I enjoyed or will enjoy (re)reading would be fine.

Who is your fictional boyfriend/girlfriend? List the qualities you like about them.
I actually quite like being single right now, but if I absolutely had to choose I guess I’d go with Blue Sargent from The Raven Cycle. She owns her quirks and flaws, takes no one’s shit, and literally makes the people around her stronger.

Has anyone ever judged you for being a bibliophile? How did you react?
Not that I can remember? Mostly I hear “OMG it’s awesome that you read so much, I wish I had the time / attention span” to which I just nod and continue making small talk; I’m pretty much past caring what people think of me.

Are you proud to be a bibliophile?
*looks around to make sure this isn’t a trick question somehow* Yes?

If you have to pick ONE magical item from ANY book and have it in real life, which one would you choose?
I’m kind of over the height of my Harry Potter phase, but if I can only pick one object I’d pick a wand since it gives me so many more options. *checks Pottermore* Apparently mine would be larch wood with a unicorn hair core, 11” and supple flexibility.

Unfortunately you have to kill a protagonist in any book, who would you kill?
Depends on how and why — I’m inclined to pick one with a lot of enemies (like Percy Jackson or any young dystopian rebel leader) because then it’s easier to get away with it, but if the decision is based purely on who I would feel least bad about getting rid of, it’s gonna be Nadya from Wicked Saints because holy wow I found that book underwhelming.

Meeghan’s Questions

What is your favorite book you’ve read so far this year, and why?
Ooooooh this is a tough one. It’s between The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, which was cranium-screwy and exciting and unputdownable; Small Town Hearts, my new standard for quiet YA and contemporary romance; and Descendant of the Crane, superficially comparable to Game of Thrones but actually so much better (sorry not sorry). I can’t pick just one — they’re all amazing in different ways.

What is your favorite book to movie adaptation?
Bridge to Terabithia or LOTR, probably. Apologies to all the diehard Tolkien fans; I think his characters and stories are incredible but I just can’t get through his writing.

Which fictional character do you think would be the most boring to meet in real life?
This is a fascinating question! At first I was trying to remember which character was described as “so boring it’s offensive” then realized that line is from a fanfic. I guess I’ll go with Emika Chen because I remember being super frustrated that she doesn’t make any decisions or take any actions of her own, particularly in the second book.

What is one thing you do to unwind?
Sleep. Enough said.

If you could pick any author to write fanfiction for Harry Potter, who would you pick?
Well Cassie Clare has already been there, done that. I would love to see what Maggie Stiefvater would do with the Wizarding World, but I actually prefer her original magical systems. Hm. Possibly someone like Celeste Ng who’s mostly known for realistic fiction? I like crossovers and AUs.

What’s the best book title you’ve ever heard of?
I love long but straightforward titles, like The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared and Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day and I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You. And if I had to choose between those three, I’d pick the first one because it tells a very specific story.

Who is your OTP?
I really only ever write fic for one pairing at a time; I haven’t written fic (or original fiction) in a while, but the most recent was Bellamy/Clarke from The 100 the show is better than the books, by the way. Though Percabeth and Bluesey are my forever / “they’re so perfect I will ship it for life” picks.

If you could control one element (earth, air, fire or water), which would you choose?
Air or water seem like the most versatile so that’s my instinctive response. And honestly I just like water, partly because swimming is the only sport I’ve ever been good at and because its physical properties are fascinating.

Who is your favorite fictional animal? (i.e., not just dragons, but Kozu from The Last Namsara)
The first non-human protagonist that popped into my head was Calcifer, but he’s not an animal. Um. The titular Fantastic Mr. Fox is pretty great? So are Pantalaimon and Kirjava from His Dark Materials.

What is your favorite way to treat yourself?
Oooooooh. It depends on the time of year, how much time I have, how stressed I’ve been feeling, and how much I feel like I deserve a treat … but I really enjoy online (window) shopping for stationery and books, and if I want something tangible / immediate, the on-campus cafes stock these awesome dark chocolate sea salt caramels. (I also love peppermint bark, but it’s hard to get off-season — it’s definitely on my list of recipes to perfect, though!)

If you were arrested with no explanation, what would your friends and family assume you had done?
I had to actually consult my friends because I have no idea and didn’t want to freak out my parents by putting the idea in their heads; one said “underage drinking or something equally minor” and the other said “drug distribution” because I’m a pharmacy major. For what it’s worth, I don’t drink (not just because I’m 20 and live in the US where that’s underage, but also I can’t stand even the smell of alcohol) though I am touched by that friend’s faith in me. As a pharmacy major I will soon be able to tell you exactly why most given drugs are bad for you, so even though it would be lucrative I would not deal drugs illegally … I swear. (Sorry, I’m pretty boring.)

My Nominees

(I know way more than 11 lovely bloggers deserving of this award, so these are mostly people I don’t think I’ve tagged recently.) 

Ruby • Jayati • Haley • Crimson • Arya • Lindsay • DB • Para • Michelle • Tanvi • Meaghan 

My Questions

1. Name an underrated book that you think has broad universal appeal (i.e., most people who read it will probably enjoy it).
2. Name an underrated book with an important message that everyone should read.
3. Name an underrated book that deserves a twelve-season TV adaptation and all the accompanying awards.
4. Name a popular book that lives up to the hype.
5. Combine the best aspects — looks, personality, etc. — of any three fictional characters to create your ideal partner (romantic or platonic, up to you). 
6. If you could impose any single genre’s tropes on our world, which genre would you pick and why?
7. If you couldn’t read, what hobby or hobbies would you use to fill the void in your life?
8. For the next week, your meals will come straight out of one book (you cannot pick a duology, trilogy, or any kind of series).  Which will it be?
9. What does your ideal morning routine look like?
10. What does self-care mean to you?
11. You get to rewrite the endings of three books in any way you like. Which do you pick and what do the endings become?

If you want to answer any of my questions in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you regardless of whether you were on the somewhat arbitrary list above!