Friday, January 15, 2016

One Lovely Blogger Award (Round Two) and Dragon's Loyalty Award


The marvelous Victoria @ The Endless Oceans of my Mind nominated me for the One Lovely Blogger Award. (Thank you, Victoria!) I’ve actually done this one before but the cool thing about this award is that I get to share seven facts about myself, so I could maybe do it a bazillion times without it getting old. At least, not for me. 


On top of that, the esteemed Ashley @ [insert title here] nominated me for the Dragon’s Loyalty Award. (Thank you, Ashley!) Since both of these awards involve listing seven facts about myself, I’m just going to combine them and give you fourteen facts. You could challenge me on this, if you wanted, but Ashley’s award says I’m a dragon, so you might not want to get on my bad side in case I decide to eat you. Fair warning. Also, why wouldn’t you want to read fourteen facts about me? 


Fact one: In order to get stuff done, I need to be in a brightly lit area, especially if I’m reading or cleaning. If it’s a rainy, overcast day, I’m fine to work on the computer with the light a little lower than usual because it’s cozy and all. But otherwise, poorly lit rooms deeply bother me. Often the overhead light doesn’t cut it, and I need to supplement. 


Fact two: 50% of my current projected TBR pile for this year (at the very least) consists of books I want to reread. And a lot of those planned rereads will be stuff I read last year. As a part of my mental system, I’ve always found that I process everything better the second, third, (and so on) time around. Last year, I read a lot of new-to-me books, so I’m eager to experience those again this year and analyze them more thoroughly. 


Fact three: I will always love Star Wars, to the ends of the universe and back, but first and foremost, I will always be a Trekkie. In fact, when I got home from watching The Force Awakens, I sat down and watched an episode of Star Trek: Voyager


Fact four: By the time I finished editing my first complete novel, I had spent about eleven years working on various writing projects (I started way young). During that time, and in the year since, I have come up with so many story ideas that if I were to suddenly stop thinking of anything new, there’s a good chance I would still be set for the rest of my life. This is one of the main reasons why I write so quickly—I have to keep up somehow. I’d hate to let any of those ideas go to waste. 


Fact five: I have a minor obsession with trilogies. While I love stand-alone books, nothing grabs my interest quite like a trilogy, and as a testament to that great love, I just bought three trilogies I’ve never read and have no clue if I’ll love or not. I actually prefer the all-in approach over buying the first book to see if I like it before committing. Even if I’m not a huge fan, like with MATCHED and UNDER THE NEVER SKY, I will still eventually break and buy the whole trilogy, just because. My brain will bug me non-stop unit the day I do. Also, if a book is disappointing, I am more likely to forgive it and reread it if it is part of a trilogy. I honestly have no explanation for this—it just is. 


Fact six: I can’t write well if I’m not surrounded by books and coffee (preferably both). I can function without those, of course, but not with the same depth of comfort, concentration, and consistency. My stress levels immediately lower and my contentment levels immediately rise in the presence of books and coffee. So you could say that spending loads of money on books and coffee is justifiable, not just for energy and entertainment, but for medicinal purposes as well. After all, I have to maintain my sanity somehow. 


Fact seven: I enjoy swimming, and I was even a certified lifeguard for two summers, but I’m scared of the ocean and I can only swim in lakes if I don’t think about what might be underneath me. When I was younger, I also used to be afraid about going outside because I was certain an animal was going to jump out of the woods and get me. Actually, to this day, I’m still not a big fan of being outside alone—I’m just generally less of a wimp about it. But my fears are more reasonable now because, when I go for walks, I usually come across a small herd of deer that likes to hang around in the woods by the side of the road and stare at me as I pass by. Obviously they are plotting my demise. There is no other explanation. 


Fact eight: In school, I had a love/hate relationship with math. There were times when I would genuinely enjoy it (especially algebra), and I even wanted to take calculus at one point. But my biggest frustration was that I could happily spend a whole hour solving equations, only to find out that I had answered everything incorrectly. And then I would lose confidence and get a mental block and it would be all downhill from there for a while. After taking physics in high school, I had always planned to take advanced physics and astrophysics but I never had the time. I still might study those some day (when I was eight I watched a documentary or two or on quantum physics and string theory, because I could, and I think that’s why I love physics so much now). But I was very bad at the math part of physics. So that was fun. 


Fact nine: I pace like a caged animal testing its boundaries when I’m waiting for my coffee to heat up. And I tend to do it without even realizing it. (Also, thanks to Geico, this is what I think of when I’m using the microwave.)


Fact ten: I’m less fond of libraries now than I used to be. I’m a huge fan of the idea of libraries, don’t get me wrong, I just don’t like borrowing books and then having to return them. If I’m going to read something, I like to own it so I can enjoy the story knowing I’ll be able to reread it whenever I please. Also, sometimes library books have gross stuff on them, and they’re rarely in as good condition as my books, so they’re not as much fun to read. They don’t even smell as wonderful. But, this year I’ll try to do more with libraries because, let’s face it, I can’t buy all the books in the world so I have to make compromises sometimes. 


Fact eleven: I am a book dragon, and I hoard books. If you touch my treasures, I will breathe fire at you. Grr. I’m also super picky about how I shelve my darlings. It’s a strange, idiosyncratic system involving how much I love the authors, the stories, the colors of the books, and the genre, as well as size and smell. (I kid you not. I shelve my copy of BATTLE ROYALE differently than I otherwise would because it seems to be made of some sort of strong-smelling cedar, and strong smells give me migraines so I try to keep the cedar smell from spreading into my other books.) This means that when I buy new books, as fun as that is, I have to go through the trauma of reorganizing my ENTIRE book collection to make everything look just so. 


Fact twelve: My childhood nickname was Little Miss Morbid. In case you were wondering, it still applies. 


Fact thirteen: I have an obsession with heights. Where normal people look up celebrities to stalk their gorgeous faces, I just look them up to see how tall/short they are. Maybe this comes from being taller than most people I know, which means that when people comment on my appearance, (and they do, quite frequently), it’s usually about how tall I am. So I find it a little comforting to know that the average female celebrity height seems to be 5’7”, which is my height (actually, I’m technically 5’6” and three quarters, but my driver’s license says 5’7”, so we’ll just go with that). This is a clear indication that all I need to do to fit in height-wise is become famous, and that was already on my agenda. Isn’t it neat how that works out so perfectly? 


Fact fourteen: Rats are my favorite kind of animal. I used to keep pet rats, but they all died, and I’m not really allowed to have any in my apartment, so I’ll have to wait till I’m living somewhere else. *sad face* They make excellent pets because they are social, affectionate, and wicked intelligent. Imagine, personality-wise, a hybrid between a dog, a monkey, and a hyperactive pig, plus maybe a smidge of octopus—that’s pretty much what you’re getting into if you buy a pet rat. Hamsters would be my second favorite, and I would actually be allowed to keep one here if I wanted. Which I might, eventually. I love hamsters because they are anti-social, neurotic, and introverted—like me. Only, if I were locked in a cage with my fellow kind, I wouldn’t kill them (probably). Not so with the adult hamster. Other animals I want as pets include: mice, sugar gliders, hedgehogs, and skunks (I’m not even kidding on that last one). 



There you go, little coffee beans, fourteen wonderful facts about me that I’m sure you were dying to know. (I’m not going to tag anyone, because I’m lame like that, but you are welcome to tag yourself—just make sure to drop me the link in the comments so I can read your post.) What about you? Do you have any interesting obsessions? Any telling childhood nicknames? Do you reread books? What are some of your fears/phobias? Oh, and the most important question of all—Star Wars or Star Trek? (Just kidding, you’re free to love them equally.)

24 comments:

  1. OMG! #1 is ME. I haven't yet come across someone who gets that. =O Once the sun goes down, my productivity drops. But then it picks up again in the late evening, and for some reason I'm in my prime again between 1-7am.

    I never get to reread books because I'm always trying to fit in new ones for uni or for me. =( Sad times. #4 was interesting - I used to write quickly as well because ideas used to flood my head, but these days even opening the word doc feels like a chore. I have no idea why. =/ Here's a trilogy for you - The School for Good and Evil. If you like fantasy, and you don't mind reading MG/kids, its such an INCREDIBLE trilogy and really surprised me. Definitely a favourite of 2015.

    LOL the deer XD I've never seen deer in real life. And how cool is it that you were a certified lifeguard!! =D #11 made me laugh SO MUCH. I hatee it when I get that one book that is SO. INEXPLICABLY. PUNGENT. My copy of Battle Royale wasn't that bad actually, but my Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus reeked for years, I just did not understand it. Thankfully, finally, it has faded. I tend to dab a little essential oil on those books.

    =] I'm 5'8 roughly. I used to be the tallest at school and college, but at uni I'm pretty average. If I need to go to Long Tall Sally for clothes, I'm the shortest tall person there! It's hilarious. Oh nooo, I am not a rat person! ._. I'm more of a cat person :3

    Really enjoyed reading your facts, and congrats on the award. It's always great to get to know more about the bloggers I'm following.

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    1. You get it! Oh my goodness, I'm so happy! I was wondering if I was just weird and/or high maintenance, so I am glad there is someone out there who understands how important good lighting is for productivity. And I would say my good writing times would coincide with yours, for the most part.

      Aww, I'ms sorry you don't have enough time to reread. :( And we all go through slumps sometimes--it's possible your brain is just going though a period where it can't produce as well as it normally does. I know that happens to me as well. And I will definitely have to check that trilogy out because it sounds very interesting. :) Thanks for the recommendation!

      You've never seen a deer? *sad face* They really are beautiful, even if the bucks are a little scary. It was definitely fun to be a certified lifeguard, although training was strenuous and took a lot out of me. Gah, pungent books are so annoying. Like, why can't you just be nice-smelling like all the rest of your kin? Why do you have to be different? I want to love you but you're not loving me back? I'm glad your copy isn't too bad though (and I'm hoping mine will quiet down eventually--essential oil sounds like a good idea). That's one of the main reasons I don't buy used books often anymore--they're more likely to smell like nicotine or moth balls or something else unpleasant, and I would rather not deal with that.

      Ah, another tallish person! *fist bump* Aside from my sister, who is two inches taller than me, I used to be the tallest as well. I think in my new area there may be more taller people, but even so, I still tend to feel like a giant. But wow, that must be kind of nice to be a short tall person. *nods* I like cats too. :) But yeah, rats are definitely a matter of personal preference--not everyone thinks they're adorable.

      Aww, thank you! *gives you coffee beans* Your comment made my day. :D

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  2. I definitely like the fourteen facts (cowers from the morbid, fire-breathing, book-hoarding dragon and offers coffee as a tribute).

    I have to say Star Wars over Star Trek, but I do like the new Trek movies (granted, you may have a different opinion on that one). My dad is a huge Trekkie, so I understand a bit more than most non-Trekkies. Do you think Beyond looks good?

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    1. Good, then I shall be merciful. *swallows fire back into furnace belly* *accepts coffee*

      I suppose I shall let you live. Star Wars is admittedly very awesome and Star Trek is geared toward a slightly different fanbase. I actually really like Into Darkness. I was okay with the first new one, but it didn't grab my fancy quite so much as Into Darkness. Beyond looks really good--I'm excited, but also a little worried. Because what if I hate it? Gah. Your dad sounds really cool. *nods* :)

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  3. *whispers* I actually watched a few episodes of Star Trek and didn't like it much? The reboot movies were nice but ... oh well. I don't see why you're bothered by deer. You should breathe fire on them to stop the conspiracy from spreading. I never add rereads to my TBR, I just spontaneously reread them! Which is why my actual TBR is so hopeless, I suspect :P

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    1. WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, GET AWAY FROM ME YOU VILE CREATURE. *breathes fire* I--I mean, you are still welcome here, I suppose. We can't all share the same interests. *sobs* And yes, I should barbecue them with my dragonish flames. I can't see why I didn't think of that sooner. Obviously this is why I keep you around. *gives you coffee* Spontaneous rereads are definately super fun, and I have been known to do my fair share of that. I'm hoping to use a more organized approach this year, but who am I kidding, I'm probably just going to get distracted and read random things and then fall over.

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  4. I LOVE REREADING BOOKS! I think 2017 will be the year of rereads, because all of the books I read in 2015 and 2016 I will have forgotten by then. :P

    And STAR TREK IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN STAR WARS! *hides from all the Star Wars fanatics* I mean, okay, I'm not a *huge* fan of either, but Star Trek is definitely my most favorite. :P

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    1. REREADING BOOKS IS THE BEST EVER I'M SO GLAD YOU UNDERSTAND. Bravo for 2017! In 2017, I will probably/most definitely end up rereading all the new books I read this year. Well, all the ones that are worth rereading. :P

      OH MY GOODNESS YOU ARE MY NEW FAVORITEST PERSON OF EVER HERE HAVE SOME PIZZA AND COFFEE. *hides you from the oncoming wrath* I shall stand at ready with my phaser to see that no harm comes to you.

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  5. Ugh, I don't like swimming in ponds or lakes or oceans, either. They seem nasty and all I can imagine are sticks and crabs and other terrible things impaling my feet. Also, it's interesting because I don't hear many bookworms say that they dislike libraries more than not just because they're pretty much the most economical way to read. XD Also, my sister has a rat (she had too but we gave him to a hardcore rat lady because he was being mean) and indeed, they are not bad pets to have around. :)

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    1. *shudders* I hate it when branches and stuff touch my feet. *shudders even more* I know, I'm an odd bookworm that way. I guess I find I'm able to relax and absorb a story better if I know I will have free reign to take as much time as I like and reread it whenever and that I have a copy that is solely mine. Otherwise it feels like I am just borrowing the story--like I can't really absorb it as a part of my psyche. I will eventually have to get over this if I want to read widely without breaking my bank. But I have a large enough selection of books, and I buy books often enough, that I don't feel deprived. I'm glad you agree on the greatness of rats as pets. *gives you coffee*

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  6. I feel the same way about all the story ideas I get.

    Don't fear the herd of deer; you are a DRAGON!

    When I was a kid I kind of got over my fear of walking in the woods (that's what our outside looks like) alone fairly fast. But recently it's come back, because sometimes there have been wild boars out there. And wild boars are NOT something to take lightly. I don't mind deer though, expect when they do not show themselves and I think of all the other things they could be. Also, some neighbors' llamas keep wandering around our property, and llamas have always given off shifty feelings. Besides, they look like giant, evil goats. Anything that looks like a giant evil goat is not to be trusted. I shouldn't mention spiders as they are everywhere, but SPIDERS!

    I looove science. But I could never retain the math for it. Probably because I didn't care enough to. I just liked the theories and thinking.

    I like your nickname. ;)

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    1. *nods* It's such a struggle.

      *flaps wings* "I am a dragon." *breathes fire* "I am a dragon--all deer shall fear me." Yes, I think I quite like that.

      Oooh, wild boars definitely don't sound like something to be messed with, and I hope you don't ever have a run-in with one. I'm glad that most of my fears of the outdoors are fairly irrational. But yeah, it can be scary when there are deer but you don't see them because they sound so much bigger. Even squirrels sound like full-fledged bears when they're spazzing out. And yes, llamas are like giant, evil goats and therefore must not be trusted. GAH, I HATE SPIDERS SO MUCH. *shudders* We also have to be really concerned about deer ticks in our area, because Lyme disease is a major concern in Virginia.

      Science is wonderful and beautiful and adslfkjsdf. But then math. *melts into puddle of sadness* Why can't I math, Ashley? Why can't I math? But theories and thinking are beautiful and sufficient, I suppose, and I will content myself with them.

      Aww, thank you! I quite like it myself, actually. ;)

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  7. Star Wars and Star Trek are the best things ever. *high fives* They're what got me into sci-fi and the things I like to write in the first place, and I'll never fall out of love with alll the brilliance that made up my childhood.

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    1. *high fives* I'M SO GLAD THEY GOT YOU INTO SCI-FI AND MADE YOUR CHILDHOOD WONDERFUL. Some of my fondest memories are of watching Star Trek with my cousins, along with watching Star Wars for the first time and being blown away by the storyline. Star Trek got my through my first NaNoWriMo. :)

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  8. I like trilogies to- there is something nice about them :) And I pace when waiting for coffee (I tend to go between my bedroom and the coffee pot). BUT MATH. I love math, so :)
    Swimming in the ocean is the best, I'm not so keen on indoor pools because everyone else gets in them?? I shelve my books to my taste as well, and my two bookcases have a different system. I don't know why :')
    That's the best childhood nickname :)

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    1. I love uneven numbers, so maybe that factors into it, but yeah, there's just something so nice and balanced about trilogies. YOU PACE TOO! *happy dance* I wish math loved me back. :P
      You are a brave soul. Yeah, indoor pools aren't hugely exciting. Who knows what sort of germs and grossness are hanging out in that deceptively clean-looking water. I think it's fun to have a personalized system instead of something typical like alphabetical order or the Dewey decimal system.
      Awww, thank you! *gives you coffee*

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  9. These are some cool facts! Trekkies for the win. ^ ^ I was never allowed to have any soft of rodent pet, plus I have cats so they'd kill them. XD I love swimming, but I especially like swimming in the ocean. Boogie boarding is so fun! Great to know more about you. ^ ^


    storitorigrace.blogspot.com

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    1. Thank you! *high fives you* Rodents make great pets, but it can be quite hard to own both rodents and a cat. We had both at one point, but fortunately our cat was a little off his rocker and made friends with my rats instead of eating them, which was a relief. But I'm sorry you were never able to own rodents. *sad face* You are a brave soul to enjoy swimming in the ocean. Thanks for reading! :)

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    2. My cat is notorious for ... exterminating little rodents. ^ ^' She grew up a farm cat. Haha. I like the seashells and the salt, but not so much the sunburn. XD I fry like a lobster if I'm not careful.

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    3. Most cats are, it seems. :P And it's funny because our cat was really good at catching squirrels and chipmunks. :P But that makes sense, since she grew up as a farm cat. Sunburns aren't fun. :P Seashells and salt are great though. I love the smell of sea air. :)

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  10. Thanks for sharing! (And I didn't know you'd already done it, but I'm not sorry :) )

    Liz, how could you? You cannot watch The Force Awakens then go watch Star Trek!! (I'm kidding, Star Trek is great too. I haven't seen any ST beyond the JJ Abrams ones, though. Are the older ones any good?) I agree, buying books helps mental sanity. And I'm not being sarcastic or anything, being in the presence of books actually helps me to relax. When I was in London we went to the British Museum and George the 3rd's library was there. I almost wept salty unicorn tears of pure joy.

    AND YES FACT 11. There is no logical way (as in colour, author or genre) to the way I arrange my books. It's just the way certain books look next to each other, or all of my "poetry" (AKA beautifully written books like The Tale of Despereaux) are together, or my Artemis Fowl books are all at the right height that I can access them without moving my arms too much. (That actually sounds insane, thinking about it now.) But I've never done it by smell. That's pretty cool, actually.

    Thanks so much for sharing!!

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    1. You're welcome, and thanks again for tagging me! I loved doing it a second time. :P

      I know, I'm an awful person. *hangs head* Only not really. (The older Star Treks are great as well--the special effects aren't as advanced, and each spin-off has it's own feel to it. But I love them.) I don't know what it is, but there definitely is something so relaxing about books. I could almost cry just thinking about that library--I HAVE TO GO THERE. I also have to own all the books of ever, so there's that.

      Logical ordering is boring. Boo logic. (Although Cait's shelves are arranged by color, and they do look rather lovely.) I definitely arrange by the "poetry" as well. If you tallied up all the individual/intersecting systems I use to arrange my books, it would be like, twelve or something. *nods sagely* That's a very smart system though--you know to have your best books easily in reach. Mine aren't--my shelves line one wall, and I sit in bed (because I don't have a desk chair) propped up against the other wall, so I can stare at my lovelies while I work. Smell is very important when it comes to bookish arrangements. *nods* Thank you!

      You're welcome, and thanks for commenting! :)

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  11. I LOVE STAR WARS TOO! (though you may have already known that).

    Fact 4: actually me. I have a document where I put all of my Story Ideas and last I checked, it was 50 or 60-something pages long. Just ideas. And little snippets. Not even to mention all my various half-starts and random sentences... *sighs* I only hope I shall live to be 900567 so I'll be able to finish them all.

    Wow. That is some intense organizing.

    Wanna know my strange celebrity obsession? Ages. I have to know their ages. I really have no idea why, but whenever I have a new favorite actor/actress, the first thing that I look up is their full name and their age. *shrugs* I am a strange cupcake.

    I want a mouse and a sugar glider too!!!!!! Seriously, rodents are adorable.


    Alexa
    thessalexa.blogspot.com
    verbositybookreviews.wordpress.com

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    1. :D *Star Wars fist bump* A;FLKAJSDFLKAJSDF

      It's such a struggle, isn't it. TOO MANY IDEAS. We must all be immortal so we can read and write all the books of ever.

      :P I am very picky about how I arrange my books.

      Ages is a good obsession to have. *nods* I shall not judge you since I spend a ton of time checking heights. We can be strange cupcakes together.

      Rodents are so adorable! It makes me sad that some people don't like them. THEY ARE TOO CUTE TO BE UNLOVED.

      Thanks for commenting! :)

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