I had a look on the Internet for some fun book tags I haven't yet taken part in and stumbled upon the A to Z Bookish Survey on Courtney's blog, 'A Wonderland of Books'. It seemed like a fun survey to spend some time on, and I'm actually quite impressed with how the creator managed to think of some pretty good questions for all letters of the alphabet... OK, here we go!
Author you've read the most books from
I'm not 100% sure, but it has to be either Cecelia Ahern, Lindsey Kelk or Meg Cabot.
Best sequel ever
I have to go with 'Harry Potter' here, no other choice really!
Currently reading
I'm currently reading 'Bourbon Creams and Tattered Dreams' by Mary Gibson.
Drink of choice while reading
Chai Latte, if possible, and otherwise just a regular cup of tea with milk.
E-reader or physical book
I'm slowly but surely falling in love with my e-reader and the positive sides of it, but I can't help but still prefer the smell and feel of a physical book, and I hope that will still be the case in several years' time!
Fictional character you probably would have actually dated in high school
Hmmmm, I find that a tricky one. I have to admit I was pretty blown away by Edward from the 'Twilight' series when I read the books years ago, but I don't think I would have ever actually gone for a real-life vampire, haha.
Glad you gave this book a chance
'Girl Waits with Gun' by Amy Stewart. One of my recent reads which I hadn't heard anything about until I was contacted by the publisher, and it turned out to be a really fantastic read.
Hidden gem book
'Wish Upon a Star' by Olivia Goldsmith. The book that made me fall in love with chick lit, and one I never hear anyone talking about but which I still love.
Important moment in your reading life
Probably reading Jane Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice' for the first time when I was 15 or 16 years old; by that time I had no idea how much Austen would actually end up influencing my life and the choices I'd make in the future.
Just finished
'Don't Stop Me Now' by Colleen Coleman; a great read!
Kind of books you won't read
I've tried some erotic fiction but it just really isn't for me. Same goes for books about zombies, and anything science fiction, really. I just can't get into it.
Longest book you've read
Either the longest Harry Potter book or one of the classic novels I had to read at university... There were definitely some never-ending ones on that list...!
Major book hangover because of...
I don't experience many book hangovers, to be honest; it's usually quite easy for me to just step into another fictional world, but I definitely needed some time to recuperate after Harry Potter 6 & 7.
Number of bookcases you own
Not enough for all the books I currently have, but I currently have 6.
One book you have read multiple times
'Pride and Prejudice'.
Preferred place to read
At home in the comfy reading chair in my living room.
Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you've read
"You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you."
*sigh*
Reading regret
I still can't help judging books by their covers, and I am 100% sure this is stopping me from reading some pretty amazing stories, just because the cover doesn't appeal to me, but I can't seem to stop myself...!
Series you started and need to finish (all books are out in series)
'Beautiful Creatures' series.
Three of your all-time favourite books
The 'Harry Potter' series, 'Pride and Prejudice' and 'Mary Poppins.'
Unapologetic fangirl for...
'The Babysittersclub', even after all those years.
Very excited for this release more than all the others
The next book in Lindsey Kelk's 'I Heart...' series. I can't WAIT for that one.
Worst bookish habit
Judging books by their cover. Not being able to read more than one book at a time.
X marks the spot: start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book
'Summer Daydreams' by Carole Matthews (actually one of the first books I reviewed for this blog...!).
Your latest book purchase
I bought several books in one go when I was in the UK a few weeks back.
ZZZ-snatcher book (last book that kept you up WAY late)
I never have books that really keep me up at night, last time that happened was with Harry Potter...!
Jess over at 'Jess Hearts Books' had the brilliant idea of creating a Bookish Christmas Q&A for book bloggers to answer to get into the festive Christmas mood. Thanks so much for coming up with this survey, Jess!
1.) Advent Calendar: what's the next big book release you're counting down to?
I think the next book release I'm counting down to is Lucy Diamond's 'The Year of Taking Chances.' The book will be released on the 1st of January 2015 and I'm sure it's going to be a great read, because Lucy's novels never disappoint. However, I also think it will be the perfect book to start the new year with; a year that will hopefully be filled with tons of amazing reads!
2.) Snow Day: which best friends from a book could keep you entertained all day long?
Definitely Angela and Jenny from Lindsey Kelk's 'I Heart...' series. They are both such great characters and they always manage to crack me up with the things they say and go through together. The 'I Heart...' series consists of 6 parts and I am keeping my fingers crossed there will be at least 6 more, because I honestly don't think I will ever get enough of it.
3.) The Nativity: which book/series would you most like to see adapted into a movie, TV show, play etc?
I think Ali McNamara's 'From Notting Hill with Love... Actually' would be an absolutely fantastic film which all chick flicks fans would fall in love with. And it could even be turned into a film series, because there are already 3 novels with the same groups of characters. Ah, I can easily imagine how amazing it would be!
4.) Carol Singing: which musical book character/s would you like to turn up on your doorstep caroling this Christmas?
I'd have to go with Elsie Maynard and the choir she belongs to from Miranda Dickinson's lovely novel 'When I Fall in Love'. I love this book and the choir consists of so many heartwarming characters; I'd love it if they appeared on my doorstep singing Christmas carols!
5.) The Perfect Gift: which book from your wish list would you most like to find under your tree on Christmas morning?
I'm keeping my fingers crossed I will find a copy of 'Jane Austen: Cover to Cover - 200 Years of Classic Covers' under my Christmas tree this year. I'm a big Jane Austen fan and I need this collection of book covers; it sounds amazing!
6.) Do You Want To Build a Snowman? What do you think are the key ingredients for a life like character?
I think it's really important for a reader to be able to relate to a character in one way or another. Even if it's just something small, there has to be something that connects me with the character in a certain way, to make me feel something, whether it's love, envy, sympathy, or intense dislike. Next to that, good and detailed descriptions also help to bring characters to life in my head, even though they sometimes look nothing like the actual description, haha!
7.) Tree, Tinsel, Fairy Lights: most decorative book cover of 2014?
I honestly can't just pick one 2014 book cover I loved the most, because there were so many amazing ones I fell in love with. A cover can do so much for a book and I can't get enough of pretty book covers like the ones below! <3
8.) Christmas Kisses: which book crush from this year would you most like to kiss underneath the mistletoe?
Hmmm, this is a good question. I think I'd have to go with Ben from Giovanna Fletcher's 'You're the One That I Want'; I developed quite a crush on him while reading the book!
9.) Snow Ball Fight: a book that you thought would be a lot of fun but left you feeling cold.
I finally got the chance to read Adele Parks' 'The State We're In' this year, a book which all bloggers seemed to be so incredibly excited about. The whole idea of this 'big secret' at the end of the book really intrigued me, but I think it prepared me for something so big, that in the end it could only disappoint. I had really high expectations and unfortunately the novel just didn't manage to live up to them, which was a shame.
10.) Christmas Traditions: a book that you read over and over again.
There are several books which I will never get enough of. Of course there's the Harry Potter series, which most people can read over and over again; Jane Austen's novels; and Louisa May Alcott's 'Little Women.'
11.) The Night Before Christmas: a book that kept you up reading late into the night.
I have to admit there are hardly any books that actually manage to keep me up late. I need my sleep, so I don't find it very difficult to put the book I'm reading down and just continue in the morning. The only books that actually managed to keep me up are the Harry Potter books; I REALLY didn't want to put those down.
12.) Rudolph: which book shone the brightest for you this year?
I have to think about this because my top 10 of 2014 will be up on my blog within the next couple of weeks, and I am even having difficulty picking just 10 books. I did, however, really love Lisa Dickenson's 'You Had Me at Merlot', so that's definitely one of the books that's going to be part of my list!
