Thursday, May 1, 2014

Liebster Award


Look at the award I got from Ruby Bastille. How thoughtful, Ruby. Thanks a lot. Ruby's blog covers a range of topics that seem posted just for me: books, quotes, equality, cooking, tea, fashion (good, sensible, classic fashion that she often models herself. You've got great style, Ruby!) and loads of links to other sites of interest. 

Okay, so. It's been a while since I've done one of these, so bear with me while I try to complete Ruby's questions and pick new recipients with new questions of my own...

Q&A

1. It's game night! What do you want to play?
Being a total word-nerd, I have a weakness for Scrabble (the board game), and Words With Friends and Wurdle on my phone.  

2. What's the best book you read last year?
Oh golly. I had a couple of favorites last year. The old school classic War and Peace turned out to be much more readable than people give it credit for. It's really not that hard. It's a big story, yes, but it sweeps you away into history like nothing I've ever read before (except maybe his Anna Karenina). Glorious books, both. And then I'd have to say J.K. Rowling's A Casual Vacancy, which interestingly enough reminded me of a modern day Anna Karenina. Rowling's writing is remarkably reminiscent of Tolstoy.

3. The book you're reading currently is terrible/boring/not what you expected. Do you quit reading, or do you force yourself through it?
I'd quit! If I forced myself to read through to the end of everything I picked up, I'd be too afraid to try anything new. I have no idea why people feel compelled to abuse their time and energy like this. There are already too many things in life we *have* to do, slogging through the wrong book should not be one of them. And there's nothing wrong with giving it another try sometime in the future.

4. You have the opportunity to do any extreme sport, whether or not you actually know how to do it, with very little risk of serious injury. What would you do?
I'm not a very sporty person, but I do like hiking and kayaking so I would go on an extreme hike like Cheryl Strayed did in Wild. 

5. What movie have you seen so many times that you basically have it memorized?
Ha! This one's easy. Caddyshack

6. What book or movie coming out in 2014 are you most looking forward to?
Silkworm by Robert Galbraith (the next installment of J.K. Rowling's Cormoran Strike mysteries) And the movie adaptation of Gone Girl. 

7. Do you like science fiction? (Hope so!) What's your favorite book/TV show/movie?
I'm not so much into sci-fi books or TV, but I do need a sci-fi movie fix every once in a while. I have to go with Terminator 2 as a classic favorite. 

8. Do you watch the news?
Rather than watch the news on TV, I read the newspaper every morning and then keep up with it online during the day. I don't know if it rates as 'news,' but I love me some Jon Stewart.

9. What talent or ability are you most proud of?
Erm... I don't really have any, unless baking a decent loaf of sourdough bread counts? I've been using the same starter for over a year and it's still giving me a good, tangy, chewy, crusty loaf every time. 

10. You get to to use a time machine to go back in time and meet three different people and do only three things: punch someone, hug someone, and have a drink with someone. Who would these people be?
I would punch anyone who suppressed/terrified/killed others in the name of some ideology or religion.   
I would hug Mother Teresa
I would have a drink with William Shakespeare perchance to hear him use words like verily and forsooth. 

That's it for me. Now how about I pass this award on to a few other deserving bloggers... 

~Lucy at Tolstoy Therapy. 

~Heidi at Heidi's Books.



~Amy at Bookzilla



....with some questions to get to know them better:

1. At what age and with what book did reading 'click' for you?

2. If you were stranded on an island for a year with all of your needs taken care of and could only fit five books in your bag, which books would you bring?

3. If you could get to know an author, dead or alive, on a personal level, what would you like to ask them? 

4.  Is there a book you were afraid would be too difficult or dense and then ended up loving?

5. Where do you get your best reading done?

6. What non-bookish activities do you enjoy?

7.  Do you have a life philosophy? 

Please let us know when you've posted your answers on your blog! 

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Maybe this year I'll finally attempt Anna Karenina...Russian literature has always intimidated me!

Trish said...

I felt the same way for a long time. Take a deep breath and jump in! The water's fine ;)