Thank you so much to Leslie from Books Are the New Black and Becky from Becky’s Book Blog for the nominations! Do check out their blogs! They’re both incredibly lovely ladies and read so many wonderful books across several genres. They certainly have something for everyone!
What is the Sunshine Blogger Award?
The Sunshine Blogger Award is given to those who are creative, positive and inspiring while spreading sunshine to the blogging community.
The Rules
- Thank the blogger(s) who nominated you in a blog post and link back to their blog.
- Answer the 11 questions sent by the person who nominated 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 and/or on your blog.
Leslie’s Questions
What are you currently reading?
To Walk Alone in the Crowd by Antonio Muñoz Molina. I just started this yesterday and still am not sure of quite what to make of it. It feels like a confusing bundle of experiences while walking through a city, but they’re all the experiences of one person.
What is your most anticipated read this year? If you’ve read it… did it live up to your expectations?
I only have a handful of anticipated reads this year and made my first anticipated reads post ever earlier this year! I’d have to say, of all of them, Honey Roasted by Cleo Coyle is my most anticipated read. It’s the 19th book in The Coffeehouse Mystery series. I’ve been reading this for around 15 years, since I was 18, so I’m expecting it will live up to my expectations. Haven’t read an installment I haven’t loved yet!
Have you read a book that surprised you this year (good or bad)?
Oh, so many! I think Fate Accompli by Keith R. Fentonmiller was the biggest surprise. It married Greek mythology and the Italian Renaissance, which was actually incredibly well done and so entertaining. The Romans have their own mythology and I hate when people get Greek and Roman mixed up, but Italy and the Greek myths actually worked in this book and I can’t wait to see what the next book will be about.
Which book has the nicest cover on your book shelf?
I can’t really decide, but I’m going to have to go with a childhood favorite:
I grew up calling it The Lupine Lady and loved it because of the flowers. It still remains one of the prettiest covers, but we’ll see how long it lasts since I gave my copy to my 4 year old daughter.
What are your favorite blog posts to read?
I actually really love to read reviews of books I’ve already read or books I’ve been debating on for a while. I love reading other readers’ views and seeing how they’re similar or different to my own.
Do you judge a book by it’s cover? 😀
Yes and no. When I’m looking for a book, I’m usually fascinated first by the cover, but I must thoroughly check out the book and what it’s about before I decide I want it. Otherwise, since I mostly read ebooks, I hardly ever remember what a cover looks like. I’m always a little surprised when I’m putting the image into my review posts!
What is the most recent book that made you laugh out loud?
Talk Bookish to Me by Kate Bromley. I couldn’t help it. The characters cracked me up. They’re all so funny and witty and have such incredible personalities. It was impossible to not crack a smile, at least.
Do you have any other hobbies besides books and blogging about them?
Baking. I bake too much sometimes. Does raising kids count? Probably not. That’s what I do most of the time. I sometimes can’t remember what a hobby is.
What was your last 5 star read?
Headlines & Hydras by Rebecca Chastain. It’s the second book in the Terra Haven Chronicles and they’ve yet to let me down. I don’t think there’s anything I dislike. These books literally have everything I love and nothing I dislike in a book.
What was in your last book haul?
It’s been a while since I personally have purchased a book, but my husband recently bought me 7 for my birthday. The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson, The Wayfarers series by Becky Chambers, The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t With Her Mind by Jackson Ford, and The Masked City by Genevieve Cogman.
What is your favorite color?
My kids have been asking me this on repeat for months. It’s actually green, but sometimes I’ll tell my kids other colors like blue and purple. Sometimes yellow, even though I don’t actually like it.
Becky’s Questions
What is your go to genre, and your favourite book in that genre?
Fantasy! I’ve spent over 20 years with it and it’s yet to let me down. It’s so hard to pick a favorite, but I’ll have to go with a childhood favorite series, The Circle of Magic quartet by Tamora Pierce. They’re some of the earliest fantasy books I’ve read and always make me feel cozy and happy. Come to think of it, I think these are the ones that really, truly launched me into fantasy, so they have a special place in my reading heart.
If you could play a character in a movie of your book of choice, who would you pick and why?
Without a question, Nynaeve from The Wheel of Time, mostly because she’s so incredibly powerful. I’d love to have as much magical power as her, even if it’s only pretend.
What is your favourite blog post you have written?
Oh, gosh, I don’t know! Though I do love doing the author readings. I get the most anxiety writing the introductions for each author since I mentally contort myself until they’re absolutely perfect and stunning, but getting to put everything together and helping an author I’ve loved reading always makes me so happy.
What book has been on your TBR the longest?
Going all the way back to high school almost 20 years ago, it would have to be King’s Test by Margaret Weis, the second book in the Star of the Guardians series. I read the first book for a book report when I was a freshman and never managed to find a copy of the second book and then forgot about it when online shopping became a thing.
What is a book/series you always recommend to people?
I don’t actually recommend books to anyone. Everyone has their own tastes and particularities that I’d rather not unless pressed.
What book first got you into reading?
Actually, I don’t know. According to my mom, I literally always liked books, even when I couldn’t read. I don’t ever recall a time when I wasn’t picking up a book. But, when I was very young, my mom signed up for some kind of reading club that mailed books to us every month. One of my favorites was one called The Goat Parade. My mom has some not so fond memories of reading it every night.
What movie would you love to be made into a book?
I don’t watch many movies, but my husband loves them, so probably every movie he loves so I can read them instead of watch them. Somehow, I have the attention span for books, but not movies.
Who are your insta-buy authors?
Am I bad booklover because I don’t have any insta-buy authors? I’m very picky about the books I read so, even if a book is by an author I usually read, if the book just isn’t my cup of tea, I won’t read or buy it. Case in point: my absolute favorite cozy mystery series is by an author who writes two cozy mystery series, but I only like one of them.
What are the longest and shortest book’s you’ve read?
At 1463, the version of Les Misérables by Victor Hugo that I have is the longest, beating out the version of War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy that I have by less than 100 pages. The shortest is probably one of my kids’ picture books. My daughter’s Paw Patrol books are seriously short. I think I flip only 3 or 4 pages and there are very few words on them.
Do you listen to music whilst reading? If so what kind?
Not at all. It’s kind of wasted on me because I get so into my books that I have a hard time hearing anything else.
What would be the title of the book based on your life?
I’ve actually considered writing my life’s story, if only for my kids to read it one day. But I think I’d call it What Are You? because, since I only look part Asian, most people ask me what I am.
Nominations
So, two nominations with 11 nominees each means I get to nominate 22 bloggers! Which is amazing (until I get to that 22nd slot and still have dozens more I want to nominate).
Sara@My Year of Reading Dangerously
My Questions
- If you could get up and go on a vacation right now, where would you go?
- What are three things that make you happy?
- What are you favorite kinds of stories and why?
- What’s your favorite thing to cook, bake, or eat?
- How did you get into blogging?
- What’s your best advice for bloggers trying to balance life and blogging?
- What’s your favorite book and why?
- Are you a dog or cat person? Or maybe fish?
- What’s your favorite quote or saying?
- If you could be any animal for a day, what would you be and why?
- Not a question, but share your favorite blog post or one you’re really proud of.
The Lily Cafe 
Congrats, Kat =) Oh, and you do a beautiful job on the introductions for your author readings.
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Thank you! I’m so glad you like the introductions. I agonize over them to make sure they’re perfect, so it’s nice to know they’re just as pretty as I hope they are.
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Nynaeve was my favorite character from the WoT series (of which I only read the first six). I thought that she was so much more practical than everyone else, but that was ages ago so I can’t remember too clearly, ha ha.
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It’s been years since I’ve read them, but I’d agree she always felt more practical. More mature and grounded than most of the main cast.
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Thank you so much Kat for nominating me! It really means a lot💜. BTW, your answers were just so fun to read🤗. Hope you have a nice day!
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So happy to! I really enjoy your blog and reviews. Have a lovely weekend!
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Thanks again Kat😊. A lovely weekend to you too!
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So glad you did this! I love getting to know bloggers better. It’s so awesome that you are still reading a series that you started when you were 18 and love them!! Haha- I totally wish raising kids was a hobby but it’s most definitely a job-the hardest job! Love my son but sheesh.. there are some tough days! Terrible Two’s are such a thing. haha! It’s also such a fun age.
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Thanks so much for nominating me! I haven’t done many of these in the past few years, so I forgot how much fun they can be. Haha, yes, definitely the hardest job! My kids somehow skipped past the Terrible Two’s, but they quickly made up for it later on…after they became fully verbal! Though I guess it’s nice to know exactly what I did to make them that angry? But then they can be so sweet and thoughtful. Kids are definitely a ton of fun.
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