The Mystery Blogger Award Part One

“Mystery Blogger Award” is an award for amazing bloggers with ingenious posts. Their blog not only captivates; it inspires and motivates. They are one of the best out there, and they deserve every recognition they get. This award is also for bloggers who find fun and inspiration in blogging; and they do it with so much love and passion.

I got a fair few nominations for The Mystery Blogger Award so I have done this tag in two parts. If you nominated me for this award and don’t see your questions here they’ll be in part two, along with my nominations. I was tagged by Lauren at Wonderless Reviews, Katherine at Fabled Haven, and Marie at Drizzle and Hurricane Books. Thanks so much for the tag everyone, I had a lot of fun with this one.

Rules:

• Put the award logo/image on your blog.
• List the rules.
• Thank whoever nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
• Mention the creator of the award and provide a link to their blog as well.
• Tell your readers three things about yourself.
• Answer questions of nominator.
• Nominate 10-20 people.
• Ask your nominees any 5 questions of your choice; with one weird or funny question.
• Share your link to your best post(s).

Three Things About Myself:

1. I’ve never dyed my hair. This seems to surprise a lot of people but I like my natural colour and I know I could never be bothered with the maintenance that goes into dying hair.
2. I can be really competitive. A lot of the time it’s over things you wouldn’t have thought someone could be competitive over.
3. I am very much a creature of habit and I hate change. It doesn’t matter what kind it is. Even a positive change can take me longer than you’d think to get used to.

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Lauren’s Questions:

1. A series that you hope to start or finish this year?

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

This is actually one of my favourite series. The first book was a great read, once I got past the slow beginning that is, and the second was even better. After the way Golden Son ended I was desperate for the third book in the series, but when Morning Star was released I never picked it up.

2. Current favourite song?

HOLD ME TIGHT OR DON’T by Fall Out Boy

So far all the songs Fall Out Boy have released from their upcoming album, M A  N   I    A, have been incredible. Before my answer for this question would have been The Last of the Real Ones, but then last week the released a new track and HOLD ME TIGHT OR DON’T became my new favourite song.

3. ONE upcoming release that you could read right now if you had the chance?

Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Ever since I finished the second book in The Illuminae Files series I’ve been desperate for the third one, and the fact that it’s not being released until March 2018 just makes the wait seem all the more unbearable. Still I know this will be one book that’s worth the long wait.

4. What was your most recent 5 star read?

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao

Looking on Goodreads I noticed it’s been a while since I rated a book five stars, and despite reading some great series Forest of a Thousand Lanterns was the last book I thought was beyond incredible. I loved the story, the characters, the world, and I can’t wait to see where Dao takes the series in book two.

5. FUN/WEIRD Question: You’ve instantly taken the place of the main character in the book you’re currently reading/last read. How screwed are you?

Zenith by Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings

I’m going to say really really screwed. There are some insane challenges for Androma to face in the first book, but she’s been well trained and is so confident in her abilities that she’s able to face them all head on and come out on top. If I suddenly took her place in Zenith I’d fail at the first hurdle.

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Katherine’s Questions:

1. If you could try one fictional food, what would it be?

Anything from The Night Circus. The descriptions of food there – flavoured with vanilla and honey, chocolate and cinnamon – sound mouth watering and incredibly yummy. Plus I’d have to buy the treats from the Night Circus so I’d probably be able to explore a little of the world too.

2. Let’s say that, for your major in university, you could select one book/series to study – this includes the characters, the world, its history, etc. What book/series would you choose?

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

This is only one of my all-time favourite series, but also part of one of my favourite sub genres, fairytale retellings. I’ve already been through three years of university once so I know the importance of studying something you love, and this series definitely counts.

3. Who is your ultimate fictional crush/friend crush (the character you would die to be best friends with)? Throughout the years, have you noticed that you have a ‘type’?

Cress
Cress by Marissa Meyer

Cress was my favourite character from The Lunar Chronicles series, and that was probably because I saw so much of myself in her. Granted I’ve never been trapped in a satellite orbiting the Earth, but I’m constantly daydreaming and I’d love to travel and see everything the world has to offer.

I wouldn’t say I have a ‘type’ of character, but I am drawn to the ones I see something of myself or my friends in. Stubborn but with a love of travel and adventure like my sister, or witty and sharp tongued but loyal to a fault like one of my friends.

4. What is your favourite fictional friendship(s)? (Ex. the Golden Trio)

Blue, Gansey, Ronan, Adam and Noah
The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater

This has become my standard answer for this question, more so than the Golden Trio. I just love the friendship these characters have; they’re all very different, and some of them can be pretty stubborn about going their own way, but there’s still something drawing them together. Maybe it’s Glendower but maybe it’s something else.

5. FUN/WEIRD Question: Would you rather have the ability to read your favourite characters out of their books and into the real world, OR have the ability to read yourself into any fictional world?

Definitely definitely the ability to read myself into any fictional world. What I love most about the books I read, mainly fantasy books, is the world they’re set in, so any chance to explore those worlds full of magic, danger and adventure is a chance I would jump at.

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Marie’s Questions:

1. What are your goals for this year (reading, blogging, life, everything or anything you want to share)?

Honestly I don’t tend to set many goals when it comes to blogging. I like seeing where things take me so I guess as well as being a mood reader, I’m a mood blogger. Every year my main goals remain the same though; to complete my Goodreads Reading Challenge and reach my next blogiversary, and as I have succeeded in both for 2017 I’m already looking ahead to 2018.

2. What’s your favourite TV show at the moment?

I don’t think I have one, actually I think I’m in a little bit of a TV slump at the moment. There are so many TV shows I need to start watching – Stranger Things, Riverdale, American Gods – and so many recent series I need catch up on – season five of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, season thirteen of Supernatural – but I’m just not motivated to start them.

The TV show I’m watching the most at the moment, so I guess you could call it my favourite, is NCIS.

3. What’s one place you’d love to visit, fictional or not?

There are so many places, both in the real world and in fictional ones, that I can’t choose only one so I’m going to cheat slightly and give you a list of both;

Dubai, Rio, Athens. Anywhere in India, Australia, Japan, Egypt, Vietnam – as long as I get to see the Han Son Doong cave. I’d also love to go back to Prague, Rome, Amsterdam, New York and San Francisco one day as well.

The main fictional places are Red London, Velaris, Caraval, Luna, Weep, Camp Half-Blood, Les Cirque des Rêves, and of course Hogwarts.

4. What do you like the most about blogging?

The community. This does seem like a cliché answer, I know I’ve used it plenty of times before, but that’s because it’s true. I started blogging so I’d have people to talk to about books and on WordPress I found an incredible community that allows me to do just that.

5. FUN/WEIRD Question: Tell us an embarrassing blogging, or non-blogging story!

The main thing I can think of, non-blogging embarrassment here, is how my ability to not retain people’s names has caused some issues. It’s not even little mistakes we’re talking about here, but calling my friends boyfriend Seth when his name is Zack (or vice versa, I’m still not sure which is his name and which is the one my brain seems determined to call him), or calling my boss Colin instead of Simon. People just have to accept I’ll get their name wrong, really wrong, at one point or another.