Liebster Blog Award 2012

Oh my goodness! Two sweethearts of this wonderful community we call the book blogging community have tagged me for the Liebster Blog Award, Shelby @ Gobs and Gobs of Books and Quixotic Magpie. Thank you ladies so much.

My first thought was "OH my goodness! I've been tagged for a blog award! This is so awesome! Who are these awesome girls who nominated me?? Must move them to the top of my BBBF (Bestest Book Blogging Friends)--yes, I just made that up--list." And then my second thought was "What in the world is the Liebster Blog Award?"

Because my google search didn't seem to produce the origins of this award, I'm basing most of my information on the two bloggers that tagged me.

The Liebster Blog Award is an award given to new bloggers who have less than 200 followers.

Shelby @ Gobs and Gobs of Books's rules are as follows:

1. Post 5 facts about yourself.

2. Answer the questions that the blogger gives you.

3. Tag 5 other bloggers that have under 200 followers and come up with 5 (or however many you like) questions for the bloggers you tagged.

4. Let these bloggers know that you tagged them (comment on one of their posts).

Quixotic Magpie's rules are as follows:

Award winners share 11 facts about themselves, answer the 11 questions asked by the blogger who tagged them, come up with 11 of their own questions and tag 11 more bloggers with the award.

So here's my 11 facts (all non-bookish facts):

1. I'm a Christian.

2. My husband is 12 years older than me.

3. I workout 5-6 times per week.

4. I count calories.

5. I have 2 siblings. A brother and a sister.

6. I'm the baby.

7. My parents are still married after 35+ years.

8. I found out I have an irrational fear of being on the side of a mountain.

9. Which I discovered when my now husband took me hiking up one to propose to me.

10. We went to Greece and Turkey on our honeymoon--where every interesting place to see happens to be on top of a mountain.

11. I'm currently watching Conan's monologue.

The questions from >Shelby @ Gobs and Gobs of Books and my answers:

1) When did you start blogging and why?

I started blogging in March 2011. And I honestly can't remember much about what I was thinking back then. I knew people did blog about books, but I didn't know a single person who did, and I didn't follow any bloggers who did either. I wasn't sure I would ever tell anyone that I was even doing it. And slowly over time I started telling my friends and it's grown from there. I just really love reading and talking about books.

2) Who is your favorite author/what is your favorite book?

My favorite author growing up was Lurlene McDaniel. Now...I'm not sure I can nail down a single author as being my absolute favorite. I'm a really big fan of Carrie Ryan, Maggie Stiefvater, and Richelle Mead. And I'm a huge Jane Austen fan. But nailing down a favorite of anything is hard for me. So that said, Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion are in my top favorite books as well as The Dead Tossed Waves.

3) Where is your favorite spot to read?

Mostly I read on the couch while Husband is watching TV. Sometimes it's hard to concentrate with the TV on, but I like being near him. Plus I can multitask.

4) Do you buy the books your read or borrow them from the library?

Well the majority of the books I read come from books I buy--though I have been trying not to buy just any book these days, you guys know that can get expenise--or books I borrow from my sister-in-law, Holly, or my friend, Paula. Sadly, I've yet to visit my local library. Though, I recently drove by to make sure I know where it's located whenever I get ready to go by. I currently have too many books in my possession that need to be read to justify going to the library to pick up any more. But soon I will. And I have a feeling once I start that, I'll be buying less and less. And come to think of it, I get alot of the books I own from birthdays and Christmas.

5) What is your favorite movie adopted from a book?

Um...Again with the favorites. This is so hard. I love the Harry Potter movies. I love the Lord of the Rings movies. I like the Chronicles of Narnia. I'm a fan of the Twilight movies--no surprise there, right? Each movie's gotten better and better. I'm a huge fan of Pride and Prejudice (the version with Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen--LOVE him as Mr. Darcy). I thought they did a good job with The Hunger Games. Like the BBC version of Persuasion. And I also really liked the recent version of Jane Eyre (starring Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender). And now that I've named every book made into a movie ever...I think I've covered this question.

Moving on to the questions from Quixotic Magpie:

1. What is your favorite holiday?

Halloween and Christmas

2. What is the best book to movie adaptation you have watched?

See my answer to #5 above.

3. What is the best and what is the worst book you have ever read?

See my answer to #2 above for the best book ever read. Worst book ever read...um...this is hard. I hate to be too negative. Maybe Soulkeepers by GP Ching. But if I can bring myself to finish Destined by PC & Kristin Cast...then that might just take the prize of the worst book I've ever read. We'll have to see once (if) I finish it.

4. What other hobbies do you like besides reading?

As I mentioned above, I workout, but we have a love/hate relationship. I did martial arts for almost 2 years at the end of high school. I'd love to have some time to work that back into my schedule.

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

Surprisingly I'm pretty cool with where I live now (po-dunk--yes that's a southern word--Alabama).

6. What is your favorite amusement park ride?

Ugh, have we not established by now that I'm not so good with the "favorite" questions? ... Maybe Batman at Six Flags Over Georgia. Definitely not The Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia considering I literally lose my vision every time I ride it. And yes I've ridden it multiple times, even after losing my vision more than once. However, I've finally made the decision that perhaps that's not healthy, and I do not plan to ride that one anymore.

7. What is your favorite bird?

Eagle? I've never really been a huge bird fan. And though I'm not a real football fan either, if I had to support a school it'd be Auburn University--hence, War Eagle.

8. Do you ever skip to the end of the book while reading it, just to see what happens?

Absolutely not! And I refuse to tell any of my friends what's going to happen in a book they're currently reading if I've already read it. Even knowing a few of them will go google it anyway.

9. Where do you usually read?

See #3 in the previous set of questions.

10. What do you think of e-books and e-book readers?

Dig 'em. Do I hate the idea of printed copies going extinct? Sure. But I can't combat the convenience of being able to have my books with my in hand at all times and not just the book I'm currently reading, but ALL of my books (all of them I have as e-books anyway).

11. Do you go to the library?

See #4 in the previous set of questions.

My questions for the bloggers I tag:

1. Do you read the Acknowledgements written by the author in the back of the book?

2. Did you start blogging because you love writing and perhaps want to be a writer, or just for the genuine love of books?

3. What is your favorite genre?

4. What's the first book you remember falling in love with?

5. What kind of music do you like?

6. Do you create a playlist in your head for books you read?

7. Do you prefer happy endings to books or not so much?

8. Do you prefer series or stand-alone books?

9. Do you develop character crushes? If so, which characters have you developed crushes on?

10. Do you partner with your local bookstore/library?

11. Is there a genre/theme/characteristic that you see repeated in your reading that's beginning to annoy you?

The blogs I'm tagging are:

Kristen's Book Nook

Ivy Book Bindings

The Housework Can Wait

Christian Novels

Pink Polka Dot Book Blog

Joie De Lire

Helene's World of Books

Candid Diversions

Booksmartie

Books with Cass

Love, Literature, Art, and Reason

Now that this post is entirely too long, I'd just like to say thanks again to the ladies that tagged me for this.