The Liebster Award

So, I have been nominated for the Liebster Award by Irena at Books and Hot Tea. Thank you, I am super grateful for this, and sorry it has taken me a while to get round to writing this post! 🙂 [See her post here.] I have narrowed down my favourite blogs, and I’m guessing I can’t nominate Irena again so I won’t add her to the list, but you should go see her blog: Books and Hot Tea, which you will definitely enjoy if you like literature and a good read! Now, down to business.

The rules:

• Thank the person who nominated you and post a link to their blog.
• Display the Liebster Award on your blog.
• Share 11 random facts about yourself.
• Answer 11 questions your nominator has asked.
• Nominate up to 11 bloggers with less than 1000 followers.
• Ask them 11 new questions or the same ones you were asked.
• Let the bloggers you nominate know!
• Copy the rules into your post.

11 Random Facts

1. I did all sorts of dancing up until I was 18, but haven’t really done it since coming to university. I still love it though and get a buzz whenever I watch dance videos.
2. I find the smell of Olbas Oil very comforting. I think it reminds me of being taken care of.
3. I love the look and the sounds of the sea, or any large body of water really.
4. I’m a quick walker.
5. I am proud to be from my home county Yorkshire, I have the flag hanging in my room.
6. I am a big fan of boots and leather jackets.
7. I love accents. This is one of the reasons I did linguistics at university, there’s so much that accents can tell us. Mine isn’t as broad as my parents’, but I like it when people tell me I sound like I’m from the North.
8. I can’t stand loud eaters.
9. When I’m writing and think of an idea for something else, I immediately jot it down separately and end up working on it right there and then. This results in me having to go back and finish a lot of abandoned sentences from the previous project.
10. I value a good sense of humour dearly, and love making people laugh.
11. I want to learn German properly. I did it at AS level at school and really enjoyed it, but dropped it before A Level. I would like to learn it again!

11 Questions & Answers

1. If you could own a fictional/fairy tale/fantasy pet, what would it be? Why?
   I think it would be Pascal, the chameleon from Disney’s Tangled. He is small so he could rest on my shoulder easily, he is adorable, and I feel he would have my back when needed.
   
2. Do you have any pets (real ones XD)?
   I don’t have any pets! I have had fish in the past since I am allergic to fur, but I think if I could choose any animal it would be a hamster.
3. What are your favourite films?
   Dead Poets Society, Dirty Dancing, and Love Actually.
   
4. What’s the last book you’ve read and would you recomend it?
   The last book I read was technically Amy Poehler’s Yes Please, and I loved it. Though it’s not fiction, I would recommend it if you are a fan of hers or of Saturday Night Live or Parks and Recreation. It’s interesting, funny, and inspiring to hear how she got to where she is now.
   
5. If you could choose your theme song, which song would it be?
   I would have to say Shut Up and Dance by Walk the Moon would make a good theme song for me. The title itself depicts how I feel most of the time, anyway 😀 I first heard it put to a montage of different dance clips and it made me so happy [you can find that here.]
   
6. People often ask about favourite characters, but I would like to know who your favourite villains are? (Either from books, films, tv…)
   That is a difficult, but great question! The villain that first comes to mind is Iago from Othello because he is so deceptive and manipulative, it is something to be admired. Then, The Joker from Batman, because he is so theatrically homicidal that his mannerisms are almost contagious. And Count Olaf from A Series of Unfortunate Events, another master of manipulation, and even though his motives are simple, his plans and techniques of getting what he wants are complex and exciting.
   
7. What are some of your favourite names?
   Lily, Daisy, Holly, Harry, Oliver, Jack.
   
8. What is your favourite time of the year?
   I would say Spring, because it’s when the weather is starting to get a little less gloomy and the flowers start to reappear!
   
9. Coffee or tea?
   Neither… I am more of a hot chocolate person.
   
10. Moonlight or sunshine?
    Sunshine! I like seeing the moon out and about too, but I think sunshine lifts people’s moods and it highlights nature wonderfully.
    
11. Share a quote! (From anything you like.)
    “Young writers should read books past bedtime and write things down in notebooks when they are supposed to be doing something else.” – Lemony Snicket.

My nominees: Tamara, Steph, Amir, Mary Kate, and cassidyslangscam

Of course don’t feel obliged to do this, but this is lovely way of getting to know people a bit better! 🙂

My questions:

1. Do you have a favourite accent?
2. Does music help you work, or does it distract you?
3. Do you consider yourself an organised person?
4. If you could play any role in the performance of a lifetime, what would it be?
5. What was your favourite childhood book?
6. What is a past mistake you have learnt from?
7. Which fictional character do you love to hate?
8. Is there a particular song that chokes you up every time you listen to it?
9. Do you prefer salty or sweet foods?
10. What would you name your autobiography?
11. What was your favourite subject at school and why?