I've been Nominated for a Liebster Award

I recently received an email letting me know there was a comment for me on my Book Blogs account.  Now, I don’t know about other bloggers but I  LOVE º LOVE º LOVE  getting comments – whether they be good or bad … really!  As long as the bad is constructive and not nasty I’m good with it.  You can even disagree with me. 

Yup … I was the kid in school that was never happy with a grade, I always wanted a comment too.

But back to the email …

  

I quickly clicked over to Book Blogs to read my comment.  Well, was I ever pleased, surprised and quite honored to read that Denise at I Am Shelfless had nominated me for a Liebster Award.  I had seen the Liebster Award icon on the side of some of the blogs I follow and, not really knowing what was entailed in receiving it, assumed that it was something quite elite that my little entry into the blogging world would never earn.

Well, it IS quite elite because you receive your nomination from fellow bloggers and what could be more flattering than that?  It is always wonderful to know that someone is actually reading your blog.  Putting aside all the “warm fuzzies” knowing that provides it is also a wonderful way to let people know about your own blog as well as some of the other blogs you follow.

There are some rules you have to follow (yes … aren’t there always rules?) but I’ll post those at the end.  Honestly, when I first read the rules it seemed a little bit like a chain letter without the threat of something horrible happening to you if you break the chain, but then I realized that it is simply a very thoughtful way of allowing those of us new to the blogging world to connect and help promote each other’s blogs.

Firstly, my nominees for a Liebster Award.  Participation is totally voluntary.

1. Emily-Ann at Don’t Judge Read
2. Jenna at A Novel Undertaking
3. Book Girl at BookGirl’s BookNook
4. Olivia at Olivia’s Catastrophe
5. Selina at Dear Book Geeks
6. Finitha at FinithaJose

Some Liebster rules say that you should nominate back the person who nominated you and some say you should not.  I am going to err on the side of caution and say PLEASE DO check it Denise's blog.  It is worth the look, but not put her to the task of completing another questionnaire.

 Secondly, I need to ask 10 questions (Tee-hee-hee)

1. Is there a genre you will NEVER, EVER, NOT IN A MILLION YEARS pick up to read?
   
2. Do you ever buy a book solely based on the cover?
3. Have you ever bought a book you have no intention of reading just because you thought you “SHOULD” own it?
4. Ebooks, Audiobooks or real books?
5. Library or buy?
6. Do you have an absolutely favorite author?
7. Have you ever quit reading a series before the last book?
8. Are you a “Totally Organized Bookshelf” or “Random Piles of Books Everywhere” kind of book lover?
9. Do you read more than one book at a time?
10. Why, or how, did you decide to blog?

Thirdly, I need to answer the questions that Denise put out to her nominees.  If you want to skip this part I totally understand, but if you want to know a little bit more about me.

Here I go …

1.  How do you deal with cliffhangers?

If I am reading a book in a series I follow or I KNOW it’s the first book in a new series, the cliffhanger ending is expected so I’m okay with it.  Obviously I am interested in the series so will be picking up the next book anyway.  If it’s a book that I assumed to be a “standalone” then it upsets me a little because a cliffhanger usually means there is another book on the way.  My personal mantra is “I do NOT have time to get involved in another series! I DO NOT have time to get involved in another series!”  That being said, if the book was good and the cliffhanger intriguing enough – you just know I’m gonna pick up the next installment.

2.  Where do you do most of your reading?

Strangely enough I do most of my reading sitting at my kitchen table.  I used to read a lot in bed or in my super-comfy “reading chair”, but (as I’m getting older) I find that those two spots just cause my eyelids to start to flutter closed.  Serious reading time = comfortable (but not overly so reading) spot.

3.  Do you have a preference, standalone or series?

I like to read series that I am already invested in.  I will start a new series if it’s an author on my faves list (refer to answer for question #1).  Of course I love standalone books – there is closure when you turn the last page.

4.  How long does it take for you to finish a book?

Depends on the book.  Sometimes I can finish a book in one sitting if it’s really good.  But usually real life keeps happening and the average book takes me 3-4 days of picking it up and putting it down.  Lately I’ve been digging in to some interesting non-fiction books and they take longer because I have to read them more carefully to “absorb” the facts.

5.  How do you feel about dystopian books.

Although a few have snuck into my reading they are not my “go to” preference.

6.  What do you do when you are not reading?

I love to spend time with my (all grown up now) daughters – thank goodness they actually still seem to enjoy spending time with me.  I work full time.  I am the leader of a local TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) group, so that takes a little time and prep work.  I enjoy movies and live theatre.  I enjoy going out with friends.  I grudgingly try to sneak in some exercise every now and then to convince myself I am staying healthy.

7.  How do you write your reviews?

By tapping the keys on my keyboard!  

(SORRY … couldn’t resist)

I always write my reviews after I have finished a book.  I try to do them while it’s all still fresh in my mind, but sometimes I fall a little behind, which is difficult because I do try to include a synopsis of the story at the beginning of reviews (NEVER including spoilers).  It’s also challenging because it means I am usually halfway through another book and have to remember back

Non-fiction books – I do a lot of bookmarking and jot down notes to refer to so I don’t forget some interesting or really pertinent facts.

Fiction books – I go by impressions and how the book made me feel.

If it’s a book I received specifically for review (Goodreads First Reads, Netgalley or from an author) – I try to go into more detail and include an “About the Author” section.  I think they deserve a little extra time and effort since I received the book at not charge. 

8.  What made you want to be a blogger?

I believe inside every avid reader is a frustrated writer just screaming to be let loose.  I putz around with writing a little bit so I had started another blog for random thoughts (kind of virtual file folder for things so I could keep them) … God help me if the Internet ever goes down!  I also have a blog where I post my TOPS meeting topics for members of group who are snowbirds and miss meetings in the winter (woefully neglected this year unfortunately).  Somehow or other both those blogs always used to come around to the topic of books so it just seemed logical to have a blog dedicated to my passion for books and reading.

9.  Is there a book you did not finish?  Why?

Life is too short and my TBR pile is too high to finish books that are not interesting to me, so yes, there is a list of books I have not finished.  The bane of my “Did Not Finish” pile is “Dune”.  A dear friend has recommended it to me several times and even went so far as to gift me a copy … for some reason I just cannot complete that book.  It bothers me because I usually try to make a point of reading books that my friends are enthusiastic about or have loaned to me.

10.  What advice can you share to fellow bloggers?

I don’t really think I have been doing this long enough to offer advice to anyone.  If someone threatened my secret stash of chocolate or worse yet, to cut off my coffee supply, I would have to say write what makes you happy and don’t worry if someone else does not agree with you.  That’s what makes the blogging world so very interesting – diversity!

Personal Note to Denise:  Thanks for NOT asking what my favorite book is.  We all know that’s a question almost impossible to answer.

Now I have to continue on to the business side of things.  Here are the rules:

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 10 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.