Liebster Blog Award

Although I am terribly late in responding to this, I was thrilled to find that while my dear husband and I were dealing with yet another military move, Eustacia from Inside the mind of a Bibliophile  had tagged me as a recipient of the Liebster Blog Award (Thank you!)

The Liebster blog award is for "small" blogs (with less than 200 followers). That was true at the time of the award. Those who are tagged have to share 11 things about themselves, answer 11 questions from the person who tagged them, and then tag another 11 people who also have less than 200 followers. It may take me a couple of days to do the tagging part, especially as I'm in the middle of a well-overdue updating of my blog. Here are the 11 random things about me:

1. I'm very open minded, and that is often reflected in my reading tastes. (Basically, live and let live)
2. I don't like E-books. I probably never will. I like the entire sensory experience of reading. 
3. In order to read every book that is on my wishlist, or as I call it 'Mount TBR', someone needs to discover the answer to eternal life or at least extend my longevity by a couple of centuries.
4. I'm married to a French Bilingual Canadian in the Canadian Air Force.
5. I met my husband on the internet. 
6. I'm a survivor of sexual abuse, and domestic violence. 
7. I'm currently working on a healthier lifestyle, including continuing my weight-loss journey which currently sits at 41.6 lbs lost.
8. I'm passionate about animals.
9. I like languages. English is my first language. I studied French in high school but then after a year of taking both French and German classes, I dropped the French class. (Hindsight is 20/20 - If only I had known I was marrying into a French Canadian family)
10. I'm of Irish descent. My kids got the red hair (it skipped me) but I have an Irish temper and the sunlight tolerance of a vampire. 
11. I collect dream-catchers and postcards (and I really need to start actively postcrossing again). 

And now for the 11 questions asked by Eustacia:

1. Do you have a favourite genre or do you ignore genres when you choose your books?

A. I tend to ignore genres for the most part. I do however tend to lean towards certain subjects when picking out books at a store. These include spirituality, genocide, the holocaust, kink, survivor stories, and anything zombie related. I also avoid (for the most part) fluffy romance novels.

2. Most overrated book you read

A. 50 Shades of Grey. I tried to like it, I really did. I've been involved in that lifestyle for almost 23 years and I just felt that the book fed into the misinformation surrounding BDSM. After reading the first installment, I decided to skip books 2 and 3.

3. Most underrated book you read

A. Without any hesitation it has to be The Ability to forget by Norman Levine. I was new to reviewing then, and my review didn't do it justice. I think that calls for a re-read and an updated review. It was just brilliant.

4. Cats or Dogs

A. I love both, and have both. I feel guilty about even the possibility of choosing between them. I do prefer the more independent nature of cats though. 

5. How many languages do you read in?

A. Just English. Unless 'The French Easy Reader' and childrens' books count. I do hope to improve my French reading skills over the next 12 months though. 

6. How do you make time to read

A. I have a different problem. I was taught to read long before I reached school age. My mother was also a bookworm so there was no shortage of books in the house. The family atmosphere wasn't the best due to certain problems, and so I would escape to the library each evening after school and just read. I borrowed/returned books at such a rate that by the time I was 8 or 9, I found myself reading Stephen King, James Herbert, and Helen Forrester. Reading has always been a comfort for me and because of that I tend to read a great deal. For me, I need to make time to cook, clean, take care of the pets, and so on.

7. If you had 10 000 dollars, what would you do with it?

A. It would go towards a house. Since my dear husband has been in the CAF for 35 years now, I am really looking forward to us finding a forever home, and my husband retiring. Any spare cash I have right now goes fully towards that goal. I know everyone would probably expect a book related answer but that's my goal.

8. What are some stereotypes about bookworms that you think aren't true

A. That bookworms are introverts, or geeks, or boring. 

9. iPad or Kindle (or Nook or other tablet)

A. I have an iPad but I just detest E-books. Partially because as I said earlier, I enjoy the entire sensory experience of reading, but also I find that looking at a screen for any extended length of time can trigger a migraine for me and then I can't read for days. I'd just rather stick with physical copies of books.

10. If you had to run out of a burning library, which books would you save.

A.

• The End of Mr. Y by Scarlett Thomas
• Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
• The Ability to Forget by Norman Levine
• Deck Z: The Titanic by Chris Pauls and Matt Solomon
• The Map of Time by Felix J. Palma
• Any books by Helen Forrester
• The Lensman Series by E.E. Doc Smith. (because my husband adores them, and he needs something to read too!)
• Too many choices.... 

11. Speaking of burning books, have you ever read Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury?

A. I did and I had the same reaction that I have when my husband plays Left For Dead and shoots up the bookcases. I was horrified, and then cried.