Liebster: (der) n. sweetheart, beloved person, darling
You know what I love about book blogging? Aside from the books, I mean. The new friends I am “meeting” through our shared love of books. I’ve e-met some lovely people over the past few months and I wish some of them lived closer so we could talk about The Look (that’s what you get when yet another parcel arrives at the door), our sagging bookshelves, dropping books in the bath, getting new books into the house in secret, characters we loved or hated … and more. But that’s the thing about blogging – it connects people from all over the world, so that glass of wine and shared block of chocolate (make that a big one) is something we have to do over cyberspace. For now.
Anyway, I found out the other day that a new bloggish friend, Jess from The Never Ending Bookshelf has nominated Write Note Reviews in the Liebster Blog Award. I’d only heard of it a few days earlier when Jess was nominated by another blogger, but here’s what I’ve gathered. It’s like an encouragement award passed from blogger to blogger, like a chain mail letter I guess, which says:
“Hey, I think your blog’s pretty cool (insert age-appropriate word here, like awesome, ace, brill, sick, wicked) and I just wanted to tell you.”
You can probably guess it felt nice to be nominated – a bit of praise, a spoonful of sugar, goes a long way. So, yes, I accept this Liebster blog and if anyone wants to hear my acceptance speech … wait, I have to go wash my hair, so I’m probably a bit busy to write one. What do I do now? I pass it on, of course. It’s a bit of a “your mission, should you choose to accept it” thing, so they may or may not respond, and that’s fine. If nothing else, they know I think their blog is pretty sweet.
The mission
The nominated blogger must post 10 facts about themselves.
They must then answer 10 questions from the blogger who nominated them.
Then nominate 10 bloggers and give them 10 questions to answer.
Link to your 10 bloggers in your blog post.
Let the bloggers know you have nominated them.
Don’t nominate the blogger who nominated you.
Ten facts about me. In no particular order.
I really, really, really want to go to Italy one day. I don’t know why. I’m not Italian – in fact, my family’s German (does that count as another fact?). So, I absorb books/blogs about Italy – memoirs, novels, picture books – so I can live vicariously through others’ Italian experiences. For now.
I love cooking and when I cook, it’s with love. But I don’t go for the fancy, de-constructed, foamy foods in fine-dining restaurants. Give me home-style, rustic food made with love and care anytime.
I hate chain mail on FB that’s designed to make you feel bad if you don’t pass it on. Emotional manipulation really gets my back up. Yes, I do care about abused children, bullying, soldiers in war zones, abused animals, children with special needs, Jesus and so on. But I don’t need to put it on FB and I don’t need to be “guilted” into passing it on.
I find reading the spam comments on WordPress really amusing. Especially the ones that say “I find the knowledge you have on this subject is to be most helpful and logical” or “I have read the blog about the very good description and I would like to get to know you in an intimate and relationship way”. What the?
A book parcel was JUST delivered. OK, that’s not about me … but it does tell you I get parcels delivered.
My family is the most important thing in the world to me. I love them to bits.
I do a “stompy dance” when I hurt myself. Apparently.
Sometimes I do read ahead to the ending of a book. But, sometimes, I just have to!
I wish I could dance, play a musical instrument or sing. Instead, I just provide comic relief with my efforts. Unless they’re crying in agony at my efforts. Or fake laughing.
I can make a box of Lindt balls last for ages (I love chocolate, but I like to savour it). But put a packet of plain Smith’s crisps in front of me … and I’m hoovering them up. Well, if I wasn’t a lady, I’d hoover them up.
Q & A from the blogger who nominated me – Jess @ The Neverending Bookshelf.
What made you want to start blogging? I left my job as a newspaper editor and still wanted to review books. I love the combo of writing and reading so book blogging seemed like a good hobby. Of course, I didn’t know there were other book bloggers out there already. But there’s room for all of us.
If you could ask an author anything what would it be (and to who)? That’s hard. Still thinking about that one.
Do you get attached to fictional characters? And if so, what draws you to them? Oh yes. Some more than others. It’s just something in their character. Or sometimes it’s a similarity we share, whether in experience or nature. Anne in Anne of Green Gables has this beautiful way of seeing the world that I love – I still want her to be my best friend. I also love Vianne from Chocolat.
Apart from good writing, what qualities make up a great read/book to you? Aside from great characters, contemporary issues that make me think … suspense, mood, atmosphere … it’s probably easier to say what makes a bad read.
What book do you wish you had written yourself? Another hard one. It’s implying I could write it better, so I don’t think I can answer that.
If you could have any job in the world, what would it be? (It can be as outlandish as you dare) I’m pretty lucky with what I do – I freelance from home two days and work at an arts centre three days. For the most part there’s a good balance. I used to dream of having a little book shop, like the one in You’ve Got Mail. But, what I would love to do is travel (with my man, of course) and write about it.
If you could live any fictional character’s life for a day who would it be and where would you go? Just one? I wouldn’t mind being Hermione Granger and seeing inside Hogwarts.
If you could go anywhere in the world where would you choose? Italy. The easiest question of all.
Do you prefer short stories or novels? Novels.
Do you read more ebooks or paperbacks? Do you have a preference? I prefer hard copies of books, but a few months ago I bought a Kindle paperwhite and it’s been great. I love highlighting passages, something I’d never do in a book. Instead, I stick little bits of paper in so I can find that fantastic quote/passage/scene.
