The Sunshine Blogger Award!

   I announce with joy that I have been tagged for the first time in my blogging career! 

    Yup, you heard that right. The lovely Olivia from Meanwhile, in Rivendell nominated me for the Sunshine Blogger Award (thanks, Olivia!) which, if you don’t know, proceeds as follows:

1. Display the award’s official logo somewhere on your blog.

2. Thank the person who nominated you.
3. Provide a link to your nominator’s blog.
4. Answer your nominator’s questions.
5. Nominate up to 11 bloggers.
6. Ask your nominees 11 questions.
7. Notify your nominees by commenting on at least one of their blog posts.

    That noted, let’s begin, shall we?

1.  If you could live anywhere in the world, with money being no object and with your friends and family happily moving with you, where would you settle?

This may come as a surprise to you, but I would actually love to live on Perelandra. (Shocker, right? I know!) Anyhow, it’s wondrously beautiful, has everything you could possibly need, you walk directly in the presence of God—what is there not to love?

2.  What is an obscure book, film, or television series that you wish more people knew and loved?

Anne Brontë’s Agnes Grey. It’s a beautiful story, albeit devastating (as any good Gothic novel should be), and just in general deserves more attention.

3.  Who are five of your favourite musical artists at the moment?

Brahms, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Dvorǎk. Yes, I am unashamedly and unabashedly a classical music-lover, and no-one can convince me any differently. I could write a whole essay on why classical music is infinitely superior to popular music. Actually, statistic for you (getting a little math-y for once!)—Mozart was more widely listened to in the last year than both Taylor Swift and Beyoncé combined. How’s that for classical music appreciation??

4.  Do you prefer to travel by car or by plane for longer trips?

Car, because economy-class seats are Awful. 

5.  Are there any classic authors whom you feel are overrated?

Uhh… not particularly? If a book is a classic it’s a classic for a reason—it’s stood the test of time. But actually, I found The Picture of Dorian Grey to be less than satisfactory… it was just Very Weird. 

6.  What is your favourite holiday and why?

Christmas! Because the weather is Amazing, and it’s a celebration of the birth of our Saviour. I mean, come on!

7.  Do you prefer warmer or cooler temperatures?

I am wholeheartedly a cold-weather girl. Snow, rain, frost, warm tea, books, fireplaces—it’s a beautiful time of year :D

8.  What are some skills or hobbies that you don't have but wish you did?

I wish I was good at math. That would make life so much easier. 

Also, this is Very Random but it would be cool to play the lute. 

9.  What is your favourite animal?

Uhm, I might just have to go with dogs here. Specifically Great Pyrenees. 

This is not my dog, but I have a Great Pyr named Mozart. Go figure.

10.  Are you an early bird or a night owl?  Or an afternoon . . . I don't know, crow, let's say?

See, I have a problem. I love waking up early, but it’s So Hard when it’s so much warmer to stay in bed… So I’m going to go with both and neither. Is that an option? No. Do I care? 

…No.

11.  What are you currently reading?

Walking on Water by Madeline L’Engle and The Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis.

Alright, that’s it! Here are my 11 questions, along with the nominees. 

1. What was the last book you read?

2. What are you looking for in a ‘perfect’ movie adaption of a classic?

3. What’s your favourite season of the year and why?

4. If you could go anywhere in the world for one week, where would you go? (This could also be a fictional place.)

5. If you could choose your own name, what would it be?

6. If you had to write a short story about anything, what would it be?

7. What was the worst movie you watched this year and why?

8. British or American spelling?

9. Desert or Forest?

10. What is your favourite piece of music (or two, or three, because I know how hard these questions are)?

11. What was the last movie you watched?

And I tag…

Lizzie (Starlight and Saucepans)

Ruth (The Bend in the Road)

Hamlette (Hamlette’s Soliloquy)

Hannah Ruth (Faith, Fiction, and Fairytales)

Have fun, and God bless you!

Namarië, 

Astrya

20 Questions Book Tag

    Once again, I must apologise for this Slight Delay—I’m trying to get back into the rhythm of posting every week consistently, but, well—anything worthwhile takes work! (Even if it’s scribbling away in the most unholy hours of the night after the demands of Real Life have released me from their hold.)

    Ahem. Anyhow. Today I’m stealing borrowing a tag from Lizzie over at Starlight and Saucepans—more precisely, the 20 Questions Book Tag. 

Judging from the questions posted, this will have a good deal to do with what’s your favourite book and what’s your favourite this and that—which is… lovely, I suppose, except for Bookish People like myself it’s almost impossible to answer. So I’m going to do my best here, but We Shall See…

1. How Many Books Is Too Many in a Series?

    Erm. See, I tend to be Very Particular about this sort of thing. Because it depends on the story, on the kind of writing, as well as how likable the characters are. To me trilogies are the perfect length, but if it’s a fantastic story like Lewis’ Narnia then upwards of five is alright. So really it depends!

2. How Do You Feel About Cliffhangers?

    Yes, please! (If you’ve read any of my stories you’ll know that I love torturing my poor readers… heh)

3. Hardback or Paperback?

    Hardback! (Paperback is fine and cheaper and all that, but hardcover books, especially classics, are just so beautiful.)

4. Favorite Book?

    Ah, here we go… This cannot be answered. There are so many amazing and fantabulous and wonderful books. Buuuut if you were to threaten me on pain of death, I’d probably say either The Lord of the Rings, Till We Have Faces, or Jane Eyre. (Yes, that’s three, but come on, this is hard!)

5. Least Favorite Book?

    Um. I don’t know? I don’t tend to read things I dislike, to be completely frank. But—oh, yes, there was this awful book I had to read in fifth grade (goodness, that was a long time ago) and I think it was called The Great Horn Spoon or something like that? I can’t remember exactly, but it was extremely cliche, about some ignorant lad in the gold rush who tries to make his fortune and then looses it because of his lackluster butler. (I am in no shape or form recommending this book. Please refrain from doing so. It is not worth your time.)

6. Love Triangles? Yes or No?

    Yeah. Sure. Whatever. Just as long as it’s not cliche. 

7. The Most Recent Book You Couldn’t Finish?

    I… don’t know. Like I said earlier, I don’t really tend to read books I know I’ll dislike, and it’s been so long since I DNF’d a book I legitimately can’t remember. 

8. A Book You’re Currently Reading?

    Walking on Water by Madeline L’Engle.

9. The Last Book You Recommended to Someone?

    The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie, to a friend looking for an excellent mystery story. It’s really a fun and intriguing read!

This is Agatha Christie, in case you were wondering…

10. Oldest Book You’ve Read by Publication Date?

    If by oldest this means earliest written, then aside from the Scriptures, probably The Odyssey and The Iliad followed by The Aeneid and Beowulf. (A random side-note, but if you’ve never heard Beowulf in its original tongue, it’s quite something.)

11. Newest Book You’ve Read by Publication Date?

    Ehm. I must be honest, now—I can’t remember. I don’t exactly pay attention to publication dates. (Probably should?) But even though technically this hasn’t been published, I read a friend’s completed manuscript (which was quite excellent, by the way!)

12. Favorite author?

    Please, do not torture me thus!! 

    …Fine. Lewis, Austen, and Tolkien. Since you made me.

14. A Book You Dislike that Everyone Else Seems to Love?

    The Elsie Dinsmore Series, indubitably. Granted, I read the original versions and not the Life of Faith revisions, but guys, these books had Issues. They absolutely did not accurately demonstrate the life of a young Christian girl. I haven’t read the revisions, but do yourself a favour and do your research before reading them.

15. Bookmarks or Dogears?

    Bookmarks. Because dogears are Morally Wrong.

16. A Book You Can Always Re-read?

    Hmm, a comfort book! I love that. Let’s see… well obviously The Lord of the Rings, but also (maybe even more, if I dare say so) The Hobbit. It’s just so comforting and warm-fuzzies-by-the-fireplace kind of atmosphere. And hey, it’s Tolkien. ;)

Bilbo’s such a dear lad!

17. Can You Read While Listening to Music?

    See, I’m a musician. Any type of music will be distracting to me, because I tend to do this thing where I’ll be peacefully reading, and then Tchaik 6 will come on and I’ll be like, oh, that was my excerpt for this audition, and wait, that’s a deceptive cadence and just in general I can’t concentrate on two things I love at once. Because both of them must get equal attention. (And also I have perfect pitch and it can be incredibly distracting.)

    (The only exception would be this very specific lovely jazz piano playlist that we play in the evenings occasionally.)

18. One or Multiple Points of View?

    It really depends, but I tend to prefer one (unless the multiple are well-written!)

19. Do You Read a Book in One Sitting or Over Multiple Days?

    Well, I technically prefer over multiple days, because it’s so much nicer to stew in it for a while, but I tend to get sucked in Rather Frequently. Not my fault, okay? Books are just so good…

20. A Book You’ve Read Because of the Cover?

    Last question! Okay, so truth be told, I haven’t really done this. I do love collecting classics with beautiful covers, but what tends to suck me in is the story, not the cover. 

Alright, that’s it! Thanks for the tag, Lizzie, and whoever else so desires, please feel free to participate!

Soli Deo Gloria, 

Astrya