Sunshine Blogger Award✺

October 14, 2018

Taking a break from a book review today for some fun!

The Lexington Bookie unexpectedly and graciously nominated me for the Sunshine Blogger Award (You’re awesome Amanda, thank you!). I had some pending reviews to finish and this is somewhat out of my comfort zone, thus I’ve procrastinated for a few weeks. So, here we go!

THE RULES:

1. Thank the blogger who nominated you by linking their blog  (The Lexington Bookie)
2. Answer the questions
3. Nominate 11 blogs with 11 questions
4. List the rules as well as display the Sunshine Award Logo on your post

AMANDA’S QUESTIONS and My Answers:

1. Top three non-series books–go.
   :::::Sigh::::: choosing three out of the number of books I read seems like an overwhelming task. So I decided to choose three from a specific genre. The genre with the smallest number of books read (thus reducing my angst at choosing three) is Escapist or Vacation Reads. My top three books in the Escapist/Vacation Read genre include Castle of Water by Dane Hucklebridge (a castaways romance), The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain (science fiction/time travel, histfic, mother/daughter), and How to Find Love in a Bookshop by Veronica Henry (a book about books, romance, quaint seaside English village). These three also might fall into the chick lit genre. All the reviews can be found on the blog if you check the A-Z Index. If you’re looking for a book for your next vacation, start with one of these!
2. NetGalley, Edelweiss or other?
   I’m a NetGalley newbie!  Tips?!
3. Favorite animal and why?
   My favorite animal has to be a Labrador or Golden Retriever. A dog of this breed is truly your best friend, loyal companion, and lives to please. Meet “Cooper.” Favorite exotic animal is an elephant. I love the story of how a group of elephants surround another elephant when that elephant is in danger of being attacked by a predator or when giving birth. It’s a great lesson in having each other’s back.
4. Book that you thought you were going to love and was super let down?
   There have been several, but this year I can think of two: I’m Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter and Lincoln in the Bardo. I know they’ve received some good reviews and I was looking forward to the reads but they were both not for me and shelved as DNF.
5. Book that you thought you’d dislike and ended up loving?
   There have been a few, but one that stands out is the Hunger Games Trilogy. (Better than the movies!) Once I started I couldn’t stop and read all three in one week during Spring Break from teaching. I did like the first and second books more than the third and have mixed feelings about the ending, but overall it’s a great series which I devoured and it totally surprised me!
6. What genres do you enjoy the most?
   This should NOT be a surprise to my followers! Historical Fiction is the genre I enjoy the most (obviously!). But thanks for asking!
7. Where do you get your reads from (i.e. book shops, online, library, etc)?
   The primary place I go for books is the library! Disclaimer: I use Libby/Overdrive apps to read electronically and rarely make a physical visit to the library. I average 8-10 reads per month and it would be too expensive to buy them all. I’ll let you in on a best kept secret….if the library doesn’t have the book you want, ask them to purchase it and you will be put on a waiting list (I do this through the Overdrive app)…when they buy it, you will be at the top of the wait list! Next, I am always on the lookout for Amazon Kindle deals (I subscribe to MMD Daily Kindle Deals Email and find many great books this way). I usually don’t pay full price for a book unless it’s a new release that I simply can’t wait to read (looking at you Kingdom of the Blind). Of course, my family gifts me Amazon cards for birthdays and holidays so I feel comfortable ordering a book occasionally at full price.  I very rarely purchase a book from a bookstore unless it’s for a gift that I need immediately.
8. Blogs you love following?
   I’m a blog addict! These are a FEW of the blogs I read on a regular basis! (I’m sure I’ll think of more as soon as I hit Publish…I may come back to edit this as I think of more.)
   Black Coffee With White Friends (important thoughts about race), Top Shelf Text (for ideas on diverse reads), Modern Mrs. Darcy (all things books), The Thankful Heart (inspiration, hospitality, recipes, reflection, etc), Under the Sycamore (photography, lifestyle, family), GraceLaced (art, inspiration), Ann Voskamp (inspiration, meditation, reflection, author of One Thousand Gifts), Jess + The Mess (special needs, blended family), Kendra Nicole (lifestyle, family, and book reviews), The Livesay Haiti Blog (missionaries providing leadership and support for maternal health care), …… for more book blogs see the links of “nominees” below.
9. Place you’d love to travel to, either in a book or in real life?
   I will never pass up a trip to Hawaii or another exotic tropical location!
10. Biggest blogging/blogger/book reviewer pet peeve?
    I admire the effort that all bloggers put into their work to help readers choose their next read. Although sometimes it bugs me when reviewers provide a synopsis and a star rating without ever telling the reader what the reviewer liked or didn’t like about the book. Sometimes I wonder if the reviewer really read the book. Which brings me to a second pet peeve and that is bookstagramers (instagramers whose accounts are focused on books) who post beautiful pictures of books and never ever offer a review! Again, I suspect they’re not actually reading!
11. Favorite book review you’ve written, and link please!
    I have many favorites, but I think perhaps the review that I worked the hardest on was The Hate U Give.