Blogger Award: Sisterhood of the World

Briana @ Reader, Writer, Critic tagged me for the Sisterhood of the World award (thank youuuu!!) a couple weeks ago and after much avoiding-of-the-metaphorical-eye-contact it is here!

The Rules

1. Thank the blogger who nominated you and link back to their website.

2. Use the award logo on your post.

3. Answer the 10 questions provided by the blogger who tagged you.

4. Nominate 10 bloggers.

5. Ask them 10 questions.

My Answers

1. What is your favorite book based TV show or movie?

I have one TV show and one movie that I want to use here because I love them both astronomical amounts.

Movie first, The Help, which is weird, because I have yet to read the actual book (I keep meaning to, but it's SO HUGE and I am afraid). But the movie was amazing. I both laughed and cried and it just had so much depth. 

The message was and is so important.

For TV shows... The 100. And if you read my review of the book, you know I'm not a fan, but I am head-over-heals in love with the show and I always want to stop people from reading the book first because then they get the wrong idea about the show and... Gah.

Basically, the book is romance and teenage angst, and the show is death and tears and loss and just pain in general, really. The romance is a side plot (!!!) because the teenagers have to deal with things like people they did not know existed trying to kill them.

Everyone in this show needs at least three showers.

2. Do you write posts in the moment or way ahead of time?

It's a terrible combination of the two. 

What I mean by that is, I get an idea precisely as I'm writing the now post. After I actually reach the time where I should publish that idea, I back out. I decide that it's terrible, toss it away, and come up with a brand new idea on the spot. Sometimes it works but usually it's awful. 

3. Do you ever get overwhelmed by the size of your TBR pile or do you revel in it?

Neither. I actually don't have that big of a TBR (this is basically the biggest crime a bookworm can commit, I know) and I only add books to it a couple times per year. I have 232 books on my TBR on Goodreads right now and most of those books I added years ago.

4. What post are you most proud of this year? 

I haven't got a whole lot to chose from. Buuut, probably my post about the duology I'm writing (which is literally the last post before this one). I opened up about a lot regarding the characters that I hadn't ever talked about before. 

5. When you aren't reading or blogging, what do you like to do?

A little bit of everything? Outside of school and writing (which I decided is too closely related to reading and blogging to count) I am an unorganized mess.

Buuut, I do particularly enjoy watching k-dramas. And I've been trying to watch more English-speaking shows (aka Supernatural and Jane the Virgin). And I occasionally draw.  

6. Do you read books little by little or all at once?

ALL. AT. ONCE.

Which is pretty much how I live my life, really. If I don't read the book in one or two sittings, I lose interest and have to start all over weeks or months later. Whenever I see the book sadly perched on some piece of furniture and the guilty to lazy ratio is tipped in the first's favor.

7. Do you have any blogging or reading rituals when starting a new post or book?

Nope. I'm a fairly spontaneous person outside of school, so there's no time for a ritual. I must just furiously type or read away with no regard for anything else until I'm done or I pass out from over-exertion. 

8. What genres do you gravitate toward the most and what ones do you avoid like the plague?

I will read anything (and I mean anything) that promises snark and blood, but genre-wise I'm pretty chill?? I do love reading horror. OH. AND DARK FAIRYTALE RETELLINGS.

For some reason, I used to love contemporary romance-- but now I can hardly stand them. It takes a serious amount of willpower to read them and I always get bored somewhere during the process because they're so predictable. It's really frustrating because I don't want all of my reading experiences to be emotionally devastating. 

9. How do you balance blogging and reading with the other things is your life?

Badly.

Really, really badly.

10. What are three of your favorite posts by other bloggers that you've read in the past month or so?

Oh, dear.

Well. I haven't really been present in the blogosphere for the past month. I've just kinda been on Youtube whenever I'm not doing school and avidly evading the Blogger logo so I don't feel guilty for not writing a post in almost three weeks.

BUT I AIM TO PLEASE and despite my amazing avoiding skills I still stalked some people so...

1. Cait's unpopular opinions on popular characters.
2. Aimee's very serious guide to things books taught her.
3. Sophia's guide to reviewing on a schedule that I admire while doing the opposite.

Annnd, I am breaking the rules doubly by doing this (first because the question specifically states 3, and secondly because the following post was published precisely a month and three days ago) but here goes. Skye did a post on not letting other people define you that is really important.

My Questions

1. Do you snack while you read? If so, what is your favorite thing to munch on?

2. What inspired you to start blogging?

3. What are you the most confident about with your writing/blogging?

4. Permanent blue hair or permanent purple hair? This is a serious question. I must know.

5. Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

6. What book that you read this year has made the biggest impact on you? This can be anything.

7. Give an example of one or more characters (they can be from anything-- book, TV show, movie, or even comics) that you can relate you and/or remind you of yourself. Do you like those characters?

8. Do you have a thousand ideas for writing/blogging per day or do they come once in a blue moon? Somewhere in the middle?

9. Are you a morning bird or a night owl?

10. What music do you like listening to? Is music a big part of the writing experience for you?

My Nominees

I tag...

1. Aimee @ To the Barricade!
2. Skye @ Ink Castles
3. Ely @ what can I say?

...and anyone else who wants to join in! Drop a link in the comments and I'll check out your post and leave a comment.

The Milk Tea Book Tag

Aimee@To the Barricade! tagged me aaages ago and I feel really bad for not doing it for so long but TA-DA!! I finally got my life together enough so that I can do a blog post. Thanks for tagging me, Aimee!

Tea: the foundation of your reading life. 

Picture is not mine.

The Phantom Stallion series is probably what got me into reading. I used to be obsessed with horses and read nearly every children's series that had horses in them. However, this is the only one that I finished and liked for more reasons than oooh, horses. (Jake and Sam for life, man. OTP). I own almost the complete series and I'm still upset that I'm missing a few. *grabby hands*

Milk: a rich, smooth book.

What do you mean by rich and smooth? Do you mean descriptions? Because if you mean descriptions, Cruel Beauty had one of the richest settings and descriptions I've ever read. It was like you were right there. You could see the castle and feel the silky soft dresses.

Sugar: A book you love but is controversial 

I wouldn't say I loved "To Kill a Mockingbird", but I did appreciate the message and the way it was delivered. I don't think I've actually read many controversial books, actually. 

Ice: A book just for fun

Hex Hall is, in my opinion, an awesome lighthearted, snarky series. That's not to say it doesn't have faults-- it's got a whole lot of cliches. In fact, you can probably guess exactly what's going to happen. But that's why it's for fun! No stress, no flipping between the last few pages going WHAT DID I MISS (*cough* Dangerous Girls *cough*).

Silk stocking: A book that's much better than it sounds

Answering this would be a lot easier if it was A book that's much worse than it sounds. (Because it's very easy for me to view things negatively). 

Did I love Twilight? No. But it wasn't awful! And I went in fully expecting it to be the worst thing to ever exist. It changed my mind. There are many worse books. The book was great, in my opinion. The movie is not. So if you watched the movie, thought, "Well, that was awful," and decided never to read the book-- please change your mind.

Not only does everyone who has heard of Twilight think it's horrible and cliche and ridiculous, they refuse to give it a chance. Don't be that guy. 

Yinyang: A book with foreign influence

I'M SO HAPPY I HAVE AN ANSWER FOR THIS ONE. Shadow and Bone was influenced by Russian culture and it is quite wonderful. I'm just a teensy bit sad about this series because my ship is dead. 

And yet again, I have no idea who to tag. 

Selena, sister dearest, you are once again my go-to. You have 24 hours to accept the mission. This message will self-destruct. *Mission Impossible theme plays*

Anyone else who wants to join in, go ahead! Leave a link in the comments and I'll check your post out. 

Liebster Award { 3 }

I was tagged by Rebekah @ Worldsmithing and Worldbuilding for the Liebster Award! 1) Thank you. 2) You are awesome. 3) *hands you virtual cake*

I'll try to find enough people to nominate to continue the awesomeness, but I might have to cut the number down since I... don't know a lot of bloggers, especially those with smaller amounts of followers. (I will admit I am very bad at finding new blogs to read-- if you have some favorites, let me know!).

11 Things About Moi:

1. I started driving recently, and the first time I saw another car on the opposite lane I flipped out and nearly drove into a ditch. (Not a proud moment).
2. I have a very high tolerance for cold temperatures, but I hate the heat.
3. I got back into drawing and have been trying a few new styles-- my favorite so far is realism.
4. My favorite color is lime green. Then red, then black.
5. My mom always gets frustrated with me when I get shoes, because they're always black.
6. I can't stand tea, but I love coffee.
7. I have only once cooked something other than ramen noodles, eggs, and bacon.
8. I have been in 17 of the fifty states.
9. I speak tid-bits of Chinese and Korean, although I've never been in either country.
10. However, I have been in Taiwan, and the two main languages there are Chinese and Taiwanese. Chinese is the easier of the two. Also, Fun Fact: Taiwanese people do not speak Chinese with harsh "h" "sh" and "r" sounds. And so I also speak Chinese without a strong "mainland" accent.
11. My favorite animals have always been horses, followed closely by dogs.

Rebekah's Questions:

1. Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what? If not, why?

Yep. It feels weird if I write without it. Recently, I finished a second draft and I listened to the following album throughout the entire process.

It really depends on what kind of feeling I want. Music is all about emotion, so I think it's important to feel what your characters are feeling. I listened to a lot of sad songs (one of them being "Not About Angels" by Birdy) while writing a book about a ghost.

2. Do you have a certain type of character that you always love/root for? (I.e. the orphan hero, the bad boy/girl with a heart of gold, the loveable rogue). Why do you like them?

Hm. I guess I root for characters who use a lot of sarcasm and seem cold and aloof on the outside, but are actually just as emotional as anyone else and are constantly aware of other people's feelings. So... bad boy/girl with a heart of gold.

I'm not really sure why I like them. It's pretty corny to say that I feel like I relate to them, but on a certain level, I feel like I do, so...

3. Has your taste in books changed much in the past ten years? Do you find that you like a certain type of book now better than you did then?

I was five ten years ago.

Obviously, the answer is yes to both, but even if it was three years instead of ten, the answer would still be yes-- my taste in books has changed dramatically. I got into action, suspense, and dystopian books. Recently, I've been wanting to read more horror. Three years ago, I was allll about that contemporary.

4. What literary trope or cliche do you hate the most? Which one really doesn't bother you?

I don't know if this counts, but it's happened in so many YA books that I'm gonna role with it. The main character falls in love with a dude that's been

A) Stalking the MC.
B) Making many verbal jabs that are meant to hurt the MC.
C) Physically threatening the MC.

Reading about a relationship like this always ticks me off.

For one that doesn't bother me, I'd have to say... the character not listening to a person who tells them a specific location is haunted or something like that. I mean, you know the character is in a scary book. They don't. If someone told you a house was haunted, would you believe them?

5. Name one book that you love that no one else seems to have read. Include a picture and a link so the rest of us can check it out. 

Um... I don't know about love, but I like So. B It quite a lot and would definitely recommend it.

Click on the pic to go to the GR page!

6. Do you prefer contemporary novels or historical fiction? Why?

That's a hard one. I would have to say historical fiction. I've read a few contemporary books, and they all feel mediocre to me. Maybe I'm just not reading the right ones.

7. If you write (stories, novels, poetry, anything other than blog posts), do you write with the hope to publish, or just for fun?

I write with the hope to publish. I really want to get my ideas and novels out there. I have for as long as I can remember.

8. Why did you start your blog? What keeps you posting?

I started my blog when my sister did, and I thought it looked really cool. What keeps me posting... I don't really know. I guess I like having a place to write down my thoughts.

9. If the internet disappeared overnight, how would you feel? Do you think life would be better or worse, and why?

A) I WOULD FEEL VERY BAD.

B) I think it would be worse. We live in a world that is so dependent on internet and being able to connect that everyone would flip out. Also, I go to an online school. Call me a giant nerd, but the idea of "cutting class" freaks me out.

10. If you could have tea (or coffee) and a chat with any author living or dead, who would you pick? What would you want to ask? 

First of all, it would be coffee.

Secondly, I'm not sure. Maybe Vivian Vande Velde? Maggie Steifvater? Neal Shusterman? I CANNOT PICK ONE.

11. What do you like best about your writing or your blog? Why?

I like my dialogue in my writing.

I've been told it's good. ;)

My Questions

1. Who is your favorite superhero and why?
2. Top three genres? Why do you love them?
3. Have you ever written or started a book? If yes, where do you get inspiration to write? If no, have you ever wanted to?
4. What is the first book you remember reading? Did you like it?
5. Check your Goodreads. What is the book farthest back on your TBR? Do you still want to read it?
6. If you had to pick one character out of all the books you have read to switch places with, who would you pick?
7. Do you try to read a book before the movie/tv show comes out, after it comes out, or is it no big deal if you never read it?
8. On that topic, what's your favorite book to movie/tv show?
9. What's your opinion on fairytale retellings? Do you love them, or do you feel like they ruin the magic of the original?
10. Have you ever wanted to get a tattoo? Do you have one?
11. Are there any countries that you want to travel to? If so, why that country?

I Nominate... 

Skylar @ Life of a Random
Sophia @ Ravens and Writing Desks
Aneta @ The Graffiti On the Wall

... and anyone else that wants to join in! Leave a link in the comments and I'll make sure to drop by and check out your post.

20 Things You May Not Know About Me

I got tagged by the fabulous Briana@Reader, Writer, Critic! Her post can be found HERE.

1. How tall are you?

Uh. I don't know. Around 5'5'', I think.

2. Do you have a hidden talent? If so, what?

I can throw a spiral. My aim is actually pretty dang good. (Football, for those of you who don't know.) Ermm... nothing else, really. I'm a pretty good singer, but I don't know if that counts.

3. What is your biggest blog-related pet peeve?

This is going to sound pretty mean, but when bloggers clearly have NO IDEA how to design or format their blog and when nothing is capitalized. I typically don't read past the first couple sentences when that happens.

4. What is your biggest non blog-related pet peeve?

Somebody doing something noisy repeatedly. Like clicking a pen. Or drumming their fingers on a hard surface. Repetitive noises drive me insane.

5. What is your favorite song?

Are. You. Kidding.

THERE IS NO WAY I CAN PICK JUST ONE.

List of Current Favorite Songs (this will probably change by next week):

Blank Space by Taylor Swift
Chandelier by Sia
Shatter Me by Lindsey Stirling and Lzzy Hale.
Pompeii by Bastille
Moonlight by EXO

6. What is your favorite Etsy shop that isn't yours?

I don't go on Etsy at all (unless I spot something cool on Pinterest and decide to check it out) so I don't really have any favorite shops. I saw one that made these super awesome fandom necklaces though.

7. What is your favorite way to spend free time when you're not alone?

Just watching a movie with the family and playing MMORPG games with the sis.

8. What is your favorite junk food?

Maybe cheetos? French fries? Oooh, ice cream. Ice cream is great because all the flavors. My favorite flavor is probably cookies and cream, but vanilla comes a close second.

9. Do you have a pet or pets? If so, what kind, and what are their names?

I have one dog. Her name is Dora, and she's part every-breed-in-existance, but most noticeably Labrador. She's got long shaggy black hair and a black-spotted tongue. (This is supposed to mean higher intelligence.) In my opinion, she's kinda little, but this is coming from a girl who thinks Great Pyrenese are average, so...

10. What are your number one favorite nonfiction and fiction books?

Um. Nonfiction? I don't think I've ever read nonfiction for pleasure, but the one that maybe had the biggest impact on me was Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl. 

For fiction, I have a thousand. I'll have to direct you to my Goodreads account, which still only has, like, half of my actual faves. But my most recent favorite is probably Angelfall by Susan Ee. 

11. What is your favorite beauty product?

I only started wearing beauty products a few months ago, and I still hardly ever wear it because it takes so long. But if I was actually good at putting it on, probably eyeliner. As it is, I mess up and then go absolutely crazy with it for the kick of it and end up like this:

12. When were you last embarrassed? What happened?

Oh, wow, um. Last time I was embarrassed? ... I get embarrassed all the time.

Probably when I was doing community service and I had no idea what I was doing and it was probably super obvious because there were people walking around the track that's around the basketball gym and I was just holding the dry mop and staring at it like What is this? I don't know how to use it???? Do I just????? I'm so confused?????????? 

Actually that whole day was pretty nerve-racking.

13. If you could only drink one beverage (besides water) what would it be?

I have no clue.

Maybe fruit punch. I don't think I could drink sodas, tea, or coffee all the time and be reasonably okay. (I really do not like tea, anyways.)

14. What's your favorite movie?

Most recently, Austenland. (It's hilarious.) But Marvel movies are really great too! (There totally needs to be a Black Widow movie). A while back my all time favorite movie ever was Peter Pan (2003). I LOVED it. I practically lived and breathed the darn thing and I could still quote 80% of the movie.

*Wendy gets shot down by a Lost Boy's arrow because EVIL TINKERBELL and cue Peter's rage*

*staring down at Wendy, who has unceremoniously fallen on the ground from WAY UP HIGH* (I mean, c'mon. If the arrow didn't kill her, the fall totally did)

Lost Boy 1: Tragic.
Lost Boy 2: Horrid.
Lost Boy 3: Terribly saddening.
Lost Boys: ...
Slightly: Good shot though.

SPOILER ALERT: Wendy totally lives.

ANOTHER SPOILER ALERT: Peter Pan is a drama queen in this movie.

15. What were you in high school: prom queen, nerd, cheerleader, jock, valedictorian, band geek, loner, artist, prep?

I'm only a freshman so I have no idea. But judging from the way I'm a hermit and I have zero friends, loner.

16. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?

Not here. There are bugs and humidity and mud and BUGS. More specifically, mosquitoes. Darn the mosquitoes.

Erm... probably somewhere in Europe. I just want to eat all of the food.

17. PC or Mac?

PC, since the last time I touched a Mac was probably a decade a ago.

18. Last romantic gesture from a crush, date, boy/girlfriend, spouse?

*loud laughter is heard*

I've never received any romantic gestures. The only things I have ever exchanged with guys are awkward hi's, awkward eye contact, awkward smiles, or sarcastic quips.

19. Favorite celebrity?

Robert Downey Jr.

20. What blogger friends do you secretly want to be best friends with?

I have no idea. 

I seriously have zero idea who.

My sister is my blogging friend, but we're already best friends, so... *shrugs*

I tag...

Aimee@To The Barricade!

and

Charnell@Reviews From a Bookworm