A Sunshine Blogger Award I Was Given Last Month

Cat over at The Strawberry Post was nominated for a Sunshine Blogger Award recently, and she nominated me for it.  You can check out Cat's post by clicking here.

Here are the rules for this award:

1. Thank the blogger(s) who nominated you in a blog post and link back to their blog.
2. Answer the 11 questions sent by the person who nominated you.
3. Nominate up to 11 new blogs to receive the award and write them 11 new questions.
4. List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post and/or on your blog.

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So, first of all, thank you, Cat!

Secondly, here are the questions she asked me to answer, along with my responses:

1. If you had to eat one food for the rest of your life what would it be?

I think I’d have to go with potatoes.  Because you can prepare them in all kinds of ways: baked, roasted, turned in to chips (fries) and so on.  Plus, I’m a big fan of potatoes, and eat them most days already.

 

2. Is there anything you like to collect?

I collect books, cuddly toys, and stones (as in gemstones, crystals, minerals, etc).

 

3. What is your favourite colour(s)?

My favourite colour is purple.

 

4. What hobbies do you have apart from blogging/reading?

Apart from blogging and reading, I also write poetry and children’s stories, do various crafts, watch movies and TV shows, listen to music, play roleplaying games, and play some other kinds of games (for example, I have recently become addicted to the Dice World app I was introduced to that I now have on my phone... You should check it out if you're a fan of games like Yatzi, Farkle, etc... If you do, let me know what your username is and I'll tell you mine so we can have a game of something).  I’m also interested in certain parts of history, and have a few other interests that randomly capture my attention from time to time. Not to mention everything I’m involved with in the ACB community these days.

 

5. If you could live in any time period in history which would it be and why?

There are several periods of history I’d like to visit, but as a general rule I’d rather it just be a visit.  If I had to pick one to live in though, I’d prefer the time period usually refered to as pre-historic times, when there weren’t so many people, and the people who existed still respected and took care of the Earth.  Yes, I’d be minus all the modern conveniences and technologies I rely on, and every day would be a fight for survival.  But at least my tribe would be working together to try and assure that survival, and the world would still be free of pollution.

 

6. What is your favourite animal(s)?

My absolute favourite animal is a lion, with a horse an incredibly close second.  I also love rats, and most other kinds of animals.  If it’s an animal, as long as it’s not spiders or creepy crawly bugs, I probably like it.  Yes, even snakes.

 

7. Which season is your favourite and why?

My favourite season – which I’m sure comes as no surprise to those who know me – is Winter, because it tends to be colder, and sometimes we get snow.  I can’t deal with heat very well, so bring on the chilly Winter days, and even colder Winter nights.

 

8. What music do you like to listen to?

I enjoy most kinds of music, and will listen to quite a variety depending on my mood, from Jazz to soft rock, and across multiple decades.  But country music is my favourite genre, and the one I’d pick if forced to choose one single music genre to name as my favourite.

 

9. When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

When I was young I wanted to be either a vet or a nursery (preschool) teacher, plus an author; I wanted to have a large family, work with either animals or young children, and write in my free time.  Though where I was finding free time between all the kids I planned on having and work, I have no idea.  But there you go.

 

10. If you were granted your own national holiday, how would people be told to spend/celebrate it?

It would be a national day of rest and relaxation, where people would be encouraged to spend some time doing things that they find relaxing; things that recharge them, replenish their souls, etc.  It would be up to them whether they do so alone or with people they’re close to, as well as whether they do things at home or not.  As long as they did something that made them happy, feel relaxed, etc.

 

For example: I would most likely spend it by myself at home, with a plentiful supply of tea and snacks, curled up somewhere reading.  I’d alternate between reading on my Braille display while listening to music (I’ve found classical piano music to be an excellent accompaniment to this) and listening to either an audiobook or a book on my Kindle while working on a craft project.

 

11. If you could live in any book which would it be and why?

 

If I could take liberties with this question and merge three books, I’d want to move Hogwarts to Narnia, and have a hobbit hole somewhere in that world.  That way I could go to Hogwarts, and during school holidays I could live in my hobbit hole and invite various talking animals over for tea.

 

However, if I absolutely had to choose one… This is harder.  But I think I’d go with Narnia, because of the talking animals and Aslan.  The Harry Potter books might be the ones I revisit most often, but the Chronicles of Narnia books contain a world I’d really love to be a part of.

 

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I never tag people on these things any more.  Most people I’d want to give it to don’t do these kinds of things these days.  With that in mind, if you’re reading this post and want to join in; consider yourself tagged.  And you can answer the questions Cat gave to me – I’m sure she won’t mind me using those, and I can’t think of better ones.  Just be sure and make sure I know where to find your answers if you do this.

#Easter Time Book Tag - #AmReading

 Cat over at The Strawberry Post did this last Easter (you can find her post here, if you'd like to check that out).  But by the time I saw it and could have played along Easter was completely over and done with.  So, I decided to keep it until around Easter this year to post it instead, even though that means this post has been waiting for about a year to go live.

Anyway, as I always say with these things nowadays: I'm not going to be tagging anyone, but I would love to see answers from anyone who wants to play along.  So, if you feel like playing - either by doing a post on your own blog, or posting your answers in the comments section of this one - please feel free to do so.  Do remember to let me know where I can read your answers if you aren't posting them in the comments though, won't you? I'd hate to miss them.

 

For now though, here are the questions, along with my answers:

    

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1. Easter Egg – Name a book that feels like a hidden gem!

 

"All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr.  There were a few times when I was irritated by how the author seemed to believe some of the myths about blind people, but for the most part it was a fantastic read, I loved the fact it explored how things might have been during WWII for someone with a disability, and hope those who read it will gain a better understanding of blindness through it.
 

2. Bloom – A debut novel you loved!

 

"Outlander" - the first book in the series of the same name by Diana Gabaldon.  In fact, the entire series is fantastic, doing a wonderful job of combining hihistory with the paranormal/fantasy elements and romance that also make up the plot.  Plus, it has James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser in it, and Jamie is one of my favourite male characters ever.
 

3. Chocolate Bunny – A book so good you didn’t want it to end!

 

"Qualify" - the first book in the "Atlantis Grail" series by Vera Nazarian.  In fact, that whole series.  Why? Two words: Aeson Kassiopei.  Who's he? He's one of the main characters, another favourite male character of mine, and the reason I wish I could take the place of the main female character.
 

4. Cheep, Cheep! – A book you bought for super cheap!

I've gotten a lot of books cheaply over the years, and really don't know which title to go with here.

 

5. Jelly Bean – A book you thought was just so sweet!

"The Ickabog" by J K Rowling.  It's got a lovely message about not being too quick to judge.

 

 6. Church – A book that changed your life!

 

"Matilda" by Roald Dahl.  It was comforting to me when I read that first as a child to learn there were actually other children like me who loved to read and do maths, and maybe I wasn't quite so weird after all.  Not that being weird is a bad thing to me these days, but children are desperate to fit in, so I loved knowing I wasn't the only one... Even if the other little girl who enjoyed those things was in a book.

 

7. Easter Basket – A book filled with so many surprises!

"Subject A36" - the first book in the "Colony" series by Teri Polen.  I had been eagerly anticipating its release, I'd even seen and read a couple of teasers for it, and yet the plot was still full of surprises, and I would highly recommend it to all fans of the kind of young adult science-fiction involving actual science here on Earth, rather than aliens and spaceships.

Visiting Dan Yr Ogof National Showcaves In Wales

Though - as some of you might already know - my birthday’s not until mid November, at the end of August my Mam booked me a birthday outing that would be happening in early October.  The reason for the early outing being that where she was taking me wasn’t going to be open by the time my birthday rolled around.  And it’s somewhere not too far from where I'm now back to living, where I’ve wanted to go for years: Dan Yr Ogof National Showcaves and Dinosaur Park.

 

The advisability of my still going with being unwell was questionable, but I didn’t have anything that would put others at risk, so the two of us were determined to still go, despite my not being well, and the fact it was absolutely pouring with rain on October 2^nd.

 

We’ll ignore the fact that because of my fever I spent half the time feeling like I was so cold I wished I had another layer of clothing I could put on, and the other half feeling so hot I wished I could remove some layers.  We’ll also pretend Mam and I weren’t in so much pain from all the walking that it was pure willpower that gave us the energy to push on and see everything that wasn’t closed because of the weather (parts of the caves are closed in heavy rains for safety reasons) and that we weren't so exhausted by the time we made it to the end and walked in to the gift shop that the gift shop woman told us to take the fire exit to get from there to the cafe, since the only difference in the route from that door or the official exit to the cafe was that leaving via the fire exit gave us less distance to walk from the shop to the cafe.  Because, if we ignore those things, as Mam and I did our very best to at the time, we can focus on the fact we had a fantastic day, since – other than those things – we really did.

 

 

 So, here are some photos and videos from when we were exploring the dinosaur park:

 

 

 

Here’s an Iron Age farm that was also there:

 

 And a mammoth:

Next, here are some photos and a video from the caves themselves:

 

 

Of course, we had to get stuff from the gift shop, didn’t we? So here are photos of the crystals and rocks I got to add to my collection, as well as the cuddly triceratops and plastic t-rex:

 

 

Finally, here I am enjoying a cup of tea in the cafe:

 

 

We weren’t sure if we’d be able to eat there or not, since it depended if they had anything we’d eat (between me being vegan and Mam being one of those people who will eat a limited variety of food items, it’s sometimes difficult to find things to eat when we’re out).  But we needed the chance to sit down, and figured we’d check.  As it turned out, the cafe catered to vegans, and also had something my Mam would eat.  So I was able to have a nice cup of tea with soy milk in it, as well as some tasty veggie nuggets (vegan nuggets made from potatoes and finely chopped vegetables) with chips.  Mam had some hot chocolate and a ploughman’s sandwich (a cheese and pickle salad sandwich, basically).

 

Oh, and before anyone comments on the fact we aren't wearing masks: both of us carry mask exemption cards, and have done since soon after the pandemic began last year.  Actually, I carry two cards, since I also have one that says social distancing rules don't apply to me in situations where my being blind means I need to ignore them for whatever reason.  You may be able to see both badges hanging around my neck in some of the photos.  One of them is on a blue lanyard, and the other is on a purple one.

The (Very Late) 2021 Mid Year Book Tag - #AmReading #Reviews

As you've no doubt noticed, the year is more than half over, and I've had a lot to post about, so have ended up using days besides Fridays to post as it is.  With that in mind, originally I wasn't going to bother doing this tag.  But then Darlene did it on her blog, and tagged any of her readers who wanted to join in, and... Well, my regular readers will be familiar with my weakness for these tags, so won't be surprised to hear that was all I needed to hear to convince me to stop resisting and just go ahead and do the tag anyway.  I wanted to post it before we get too much further in to 2021 though, hence having it go live on what's officially not a posting day for me.

 

Of course, despite the fact we're already in August, if you want to play along too, you should feel free to do so.  I mean, it's never too late to share book recommendations, is it? So, feel free to play along, either in the comments section of this post, or on your own blog.  And, don't forget, if you do the latter be sure and let me know, because I'd hate to miss your post.

Now, on to the questions, as well as my answers and reviews for them.

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1. Best Book You’ve Read So Far in 2021
 

 Kingfall (The Kingfall Histories, #1) by David Estes

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My review: "I've been longing to get to read this book, and let me tell you, it was well worth the wait, and I was not disappointed. Vivid descriptions, well-rounded characters, excellent worldbuilding, and a gripping plot, all merge together to make this an amazing read. The story captured me from the first words, and only the essential nature of real life commitments, and the need to sleep, prevented me from devouring it from start to finish, otherwise it wouldn't have taken me nearly so long to finish reading. Now I'm eagerly anticipating the second book in the series, and strongly considering ensuring I clear my calender for a couple of days after its release so I can binge read it in the way I would have liked to do with this one. If you love a good fantasy story - especially one filled with magic, demons, and dragons - you need to read this book. And if you get the audio version, I can assure you the narrator does a fantastic job."

2. Best Sequel You’ve Read so far in 2021
 

 Skin Taker (Chronicles of Ancient Darkness, #8) by Michelle Paver

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My review: "This is an awesome continuation of the series, as well as being an excellent book in its own right. I have absolutely loved these books so far, and this one was most definitely no exception. The characters are well rounded and believable, the plot is exciting and gripping, and the world building is amazing. I had planned to take my time with this book, reading just a small amount before bed each night, but got so into it it was difficult to put it down, and I could easily have read it all in one sitting if I’d allowed myself to do so."

3. New Release You Haven’t Read Yet But Want To
 

There are several books I want to read.  Some actual new releases, some only new to me.  It would take too long to list them all here, and even longer to try and narrow down a few to mention, so I'm not going to even bother trying.

 

4. Biggest Disappointment
 

Highfire by Eoin Colfer

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

My review: "The plot concept was fascinating, and the characters were intriguing. It’s just a shame that the book was spoiled for me by overuse of foul language and crude comments, which I think were supposed to be funny, but were not the least bit amusing to me. Had it been the occasional bit of cursing, and the odd crude comment or joke, I might still have enjoyed the book, but as it was I felt like most of the book was made up of those things, and it ruined it for me."

5. Biggest Surprise
 

Mech Warrior: Born of Steel (Metal Warrior #1) by James David Victor
 My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My review: "I read this book for the "Febookary" reading challenge, where you have to read a book you might not usually pick up; this book was recommended to me when I asked someone for a recommendation for my Febookary book. It turned out to be a really good read, with a fascinating plot, and interesting characters. The actual writing itself could use a little attention (there are some issues like how we're told how people are reacting, rather than being shown, for example) but it was an otherwise great book, and I'm even feeling some enthusiasm about reading the rest of the series."

6. Favorite New Author
 

I haven't read any new to me authors I've loved enough to add to my favourite authors list so far this year.

 

7. Newest Fictional Crush
 

I don't have any new fictional crushes.  Sorry to disappoint you and all that.

 

8. Newest Favorite Character
 

I don't have any new favourite characters from books I've read this year to be honest.  The books have had great characters, but no one character stands out as being my favourite.

 

9. Book That Made You Cry
 

Two books immediately spring to mind, so I'm going to mention both of them.

 

A Ghost and His Gold by Roberta Eaton Cheadle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My review: "This is a thrilling and gripping read, with a wonderful cast of compelling characters, not to mention a fantastic plot. The author clearly did a lot of research, and reading the details of the war going on when most of the events in the story take place is fascinating, despite the disturbing nature of some of the unfortunately entirely factual occurrences. I only hesitate to give this book the full five stars because the way the different stories were told required some getting used to, so it took me some time to get in to the book (though I was thoroughly enthralled by the tale once I got used to the way it was being told). Also, I felt the definitions being presented as footnotes rather than simply in a glossary of terms at the end of the book interrupted the flow of the story - something possibly more noticeable to me due to the need to rely on a screen reader to read the book."

 

And...

 

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My review: "The concept was intriguing, but the plot was a bit slower than I'd have liked in places, and many of the plot points were predictable. Not to mention the fact the young Jacob was way more naive than you'd expect a 23 year old to be in those days, and most of the characters weren't as well-rounded as they should have been. However, I did enjoy the book, even if I didn't love it anywhere near as much as some seem to, and am a little uncertain as to why it's such a, "Must read," book. Regardless, reading this book was an emotional experience, because it was difficult to read about the cruelty to both animals and people knowing that kind of thing did happen back then. Plus, my heart went out to the older Jacob, since I know what it's like to lose the ability to do certain things for yourself, and can imagine how difficult it must be for him being in his 90s, in a nursing home, and unable to do much for himself."

10. Book That Made You Happy
 

Pass the Turkey: The Small Dog's Christmas by Sue Vincent
 My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My review: "This is a delightful book filled with entertaining and sweet stories and poems."

 

11. Most Beautiful Book You’ve Bought This Year
 

 The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My review: "Even though the concept sounded sort of interesting, I was unsure if I wanted to read this when I first heard about it, and though I put it on my to-read shelf, it was with little enthusiasm. But then I was in a book club meeting where someone was gushing about how awesome it was, and literally the next day saw it as an option to get in the two for one sale on Audible, so I thought I'd grab it, and see if it was any good. I went in to it with low expectations, despite the assurances from this person in my book club that it was an awesome read, and was pleasantly surprised, because it really was. The idea of being able to explore the questions about what would have happened if you'd done even one thing differently was an interesting one, and I liked how the fact even one small difference in your life can have a domino effect was taken in to consideration when the main character was exploring all these different lives. I also found the philosophical musings and quotes throughout fascinating, and thought the concept of depression and mental illness was handled well. In short, I'm most definitely glad I did give this book a chance, because I found it to be an excellent read, which really makes you think about how you look at things in your own life."

 

12. Books You Need to Read by the End of The Year
 

I'm not sure how to answer this one.  I mean, there are obviously several books I want to read.  But I generally randomly pick my next read when I'm ready to start it, so I don't have an actual list of the order I plan to read them in, which means I don't know which ones I plan to read during the rest of 2021 myself, so can't really tell you.

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So, how about you? What would your answers be?