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    Book Addiction Tag

    Studious Saturday

     

    I’ve been tagged in the Book Addiction tag by Ash. Thank you so much, Ash, this looks like a really fun one to do! If you don’t follow her blog then I definitely recommend that you check it out!

    QUESTIONS

    1. What is the longest amount of time you can comfortably go without picking up a book?
    2. How many books do you carry on your person (or kindle) at any one time?
    3. Do you keep every book you buy/receive or are you happy to pass them on to make space for more?
    4. How long would you spend in a bookshop on a standard visit?
    5. How much time per day do you actually spend reading?
    6. Where does the task ‘picking up a book’ appear on your daily to-do list?
    7. How many books do you reckon you own in total (including e-books)?
    8. Approximately how often do you bring up books in conversation?
    9. What is the biggest book (page count) you have finished reading?
    10. Is there a book you had to get your hands on against all odds (i.e searching bookshops, online digging, etc.)?
    11. A book you struggled to finish but refused to DNF?
    12. What are 3 of your main book goals for 2019?
    13. Have you ever had the privilege of converting someone into a reader (maybe via inspiration or incessant nagging)?
    14. Describe what books mean to you in five words.

    MY ANSWERS

    1. What is the longest amount of time you can comfortably go without picking up a book? – There have been times when I didn’t read for pleasure for months, mostly when I was at university. However, as a general rule I can go a few days without reading if I am very busy.

    2. How many books do you carry on your person (or kindle) at any one time? – I normally only carry my kindle with me if I am going out and I generally have around 10 unread books at any time. It gives me the option of choosing a book I am in the mood for when I’m travelling which is always great.

    3. Do you keep every book you buy/receive or are you happy to pass them on to make space for more? – If I buy them as an ebook then I am very happy to share with others however I rarely give away any paperbacks. There are exceptions, for example books I didn’t enjoy or those which friends want to borrow.

    4. How long would you spend in a bookshop on a standard visit? – I could easily spend hours! I tend to go alone as it is usually what ends up happening but if I go with people I would only spend a half hour.

    5. How much time per day do you actually spend reading? – It varies, sometimes I don’t read at all and other times I can spend hours reading. On several occasions I have read a book from start to finish in one sitting and I only realise when I finish it that I have been reading for hours.

    6. Where does the task ‘picking up a book’ appear on your daily to-do list? – I try and prioritise it but it doesn’t always work, quite often life gets in the way. However I usually read on my commute to and from work.

    7. How many books do you reckon you own in total (including e-books)? – I own roughly 200 books, the majority of which are ebooks.

    8. Approximately how often do you bring up books in conversation? – It depends who I am with but if I know the person likes reading then very often! If not then I try not to bring it up as I know many people get bored (though how they can get bored I really don’t understand!).

    9. What is the biggest book (page count) you have finished reading? – I had to check my Goodreads statistics and it appears to be 576 pages – Absolute Power by David Baldacci – and I am quite surprised as his books never seem that long to me!

    10. Is there a book you had to get your hands on against all odds (i.e searching bookshops, online digging, etc.)? – I had to get Origin by Dan Brown as soon as it was published which was difficult because it wasn’t originally available in English here in Spain but I managed to do it eventually!

    11. A book you struggled to finish but refused to DNF? – I really struggled with The Martian by Andy Weir but decided to keep reading until the end as everyone around me at the time was insisting that it would get better. I found it to be an average read in the end but I think it wasn’t for me and can see why others really loved it.

    12. What are 3 of your main book goals for 2019? – Read more in Spanish (I am failing at this miserably!), read 55 books, read a wider range of genres

    13. Have you ever had the privilege of converting someone into a reader (maybe via inspiration or incessant nagging)? – I wish but unfortunately not!

    14. Describe what books mean to you in five words. – Possibility to escape and dream

    I won’t tag anyone this time as I realise that I have been doing a lot of tags lately. However, it has been quite an interesting one and looking back at some of my answers it may seem that I am not such a keen reader although I promise I am! If you want to find out more about your reading style then I suggest doing this tag as it’s very insightful!

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    The Liebster Award

    Studious Saturday

    Happy Saturday! It’s going to be a rainy weekend here and so I am really looking forward to spending the majority of my time reading in bed. This week’s Studious Saturday post is a tag which has been really fun to complete.

    What is The Liebster Award?

    “The Liebster Award is an award that exists only on the internet and is given to bloggers by other bloggers. The earliest case of the award goes as far back as 2011. Liebster in German means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome.” – The Global Aussie

    Rules:

    • Say thank you to the person who has nominated you for the Award.
    • Answer the 11 questions the person has asked you
    • Nominate 11 people
    • Ask the people who you have nominated 11 questions

    I’ve been tagged by Emer who has proposed the below questions. Thanks so much for tagging me, Emer! These questions really made me think and reflect which I love!

    1. If you had the power to talk to and be understood by any animal, what animal would you choose and why? – Dogs because I would love to have a dog one day and it would be extra special if we could communicate not just through actions but words as well.
    2. If you could spend a year living in another country where would you choose and why? – I’ve already done this twice before but only one was a choice. If I had to move again I would probably choose Switzerland because I fell in love with the country when I visited last year and it is one of the few places I have been to where I can see myself building a life.
    3. Would you rather be the best player on a terrible team or the worst player on a great team? – Tricky question but I think that I would prefer to be the worst player on a great team because I would be able to learn a lot from my teammates and improve enough to become like them.
    4. Is a hot dog a sandwich? Explain your reasoning. – No because they are both different shapes. A hot dog is like a sandwich but it is not a sandwich. You could also argue that nachos are pizza because of the topping and technically if you ignore the size they are something like a pizza but that doesn’t make them a pizza, same with hot dogs and sandwiches.
    5. Do you like to read the book before you watch its film adaptation? – Yes! I almost always read the book before watching a movie.
    6. What is your all time favourite TV show? – Friends is by far my all time favourite TV show. I’m currently rewatching it from the beginning and realising all over again how much I love it!
    7. Do you have any special or unusual talents? – I am quite a good ballroom dancer after having been dancing for over 15 years. I wouldn’t say that it’s unusual because there are many ballroom dancers across the world but it’s definitely a special for me!
    8. What strange food combinations do you enjoy? (Mine is scallions in milky tea… yes I know it is weird!!) – Yes, that is quite weird! My favourite food is strawberries and I eat them with anything I can find.
    9. If they were making a film of your life who would you like to cast as yourself? – It’s a tough question but I would probably pick Mila Kunis because she has a background of various cultures and languages and a story similar to mine and if they made a movie of my life I would like that to be the running theme.
    10. What would you do if you were invisible for a day? – Travel! The temptation to sneak into any flight would be too much so my first stop would be the airport.
    11. What three books would you recommend that everyone read? – A Thousand Suns by Khaled Hosseini, Quiet by Susan Cain and To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

    I tag:

    MeggyIngeYvoManiMarinaEllieAshToyaMeaghanShrutiDee

    My questions are…

    1. If you could pick anywhere in the world to be right now where would you pick and why?
    2. Do you have any pet peeves?
    3. Do you ever skip to read the last few pages of a book to find out how it ends?
    4. If you had to keep only one physical book in your home which book would it be and why?
    5. What is your opinion on audiobooks?
    6. Do you have a favourite quote that you like to live by or follow?
    7. What’s the first thing you like to do when you get back home from a busy day?
    8. Imagine you wake up one day only to realise that you are famous. Would you love it or hate it?
    9. If the world from Fahrenheit 451 ever becomes a reality how would you react and what would you do?
    10. Is there a book that made you fall in love with reading?
    11. If you met your five year old self right now what advice would you give him/her?

    All the people tagged deserve this award and I hope that they enjoy answering the questions if they choose to do it. (No problem if not!) If anyone else decides to do this tag and answer my questions please let me know as I would love to read your answers!

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    Summer Sweatalong Book Tag

    Studious Saturday

    This week’s Studious Saturday post is a tag which has been really fun to complete. Thank you, Lori, for tagging me! If you don’t follow Lori yet you should definitely take a look at her blog!

    The Rules

    1. Link back to the original creator of the book tag (thebookwormdreamer).
    2. Start off with telling us your favourite season and why it is/isn’t summer!
    3. Tag five friends to take part.
    4. Enjoy!

    My favourite season: Winter

    I definitely do not enjoy the stifling summer heat here in Madrid. If I have to pick a favourite season it would most likely be winter because I always associate it with Christmas and New Year’s celebration which I love because I spend them surrounded by family. I also like being wrapped up and watching the snow fall from indoors (although we don’t get much of it around here).

    Don’t Stop! A book you couldn’t stop reading:



    Circe was just too good to stop reading and I had to force myself to leave it several times in order to not miss my stop and arrive to work on time!

    You’re a cheetah – A book you read in just one day:



    I remember starting this book during a flight and trying to rush and finish it but failing to do so. I then proceeded to finish it as soon as I arrived home.

    Couldn’t let go – A book you reread straight away:

    None! I don’t reread books.

    Calm it down! A book that got your heart racing:



    Twisted sure did get my heart racing on several occasions and kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end.

    Second best – A sequel you read faster than the first:



    I am a huge fan of Cara Hunter’s writing and read the third book in the DI Adam Fawley series right after it was published!

    Books on fire! A series you read straight through:

    It only took me around one week to read Stieg Larsson’s Millenium series and I still remember the excitement of finishing one book and starting the next. This series is by far one of my favourites.

    Midnight Madness! A book that kept you up late:



    I stayed up very late several nights in a row trying to finish The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. It was tough because there are so many little details that end up being key to the story line so I was skipping pages and turning back to check facts the entire time.

     

    I won’t tag anyone this time but I really encourage everyone to do this tag. It is so great to look back on books that we hurried through because they were so brilliantly written!

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    Studious Saturday: The Out of My Comfort Zone Book Tag

    studious saturdays

    Hi everyone! I hope you are having a beautiful weekend and have been able to fit in some reading. I was recently tagged by Stephen in the Out of my comfort zone book tag which looks super fun. I am generally open to reading new genres and authors but I’m sure that I’ll surprise myself with some of my answers.

    Rule:

    You have to pick ONE GENRE that you frequently read about… and then, you can’t use ANY books from that genre while answering the questions!

    I usually lean towards books in the Mystery/Thriller genre but I am not sure that I would typically choose any books of this genre as my answer to these questions. Therefore I have decided to extend the rule out to include Contemporary Fiction too which will make it even more interesting and difficult!

    1. A Book That Is An Exception When It Comes To Genres Or Elements You Don’t Typically Like


    I don’t usually read Fantasy but I decided to read this as part of the book club that I recently attended and I was astounded by the unique storytelling and even more surprised by how much I enjoyed the book!

    2. A Book You Enjoyed From A Genre You Previously Held Some Stigma Against


    This book was everywhere a few years ago and I still remember all my friends discussing districts, characters and other elements completely unknown to me so I ultimately agreed to borrow it from my flatmate and read it in one sitting.

    3. A Book You Didn’t Know Was Out Of Your Comfort Zone Until You Started Reading It


    I am a huge fan of Dystopian Fiction but I honestly did not expect such a hard-hitting story and I definitely didn’t think that it would affect me as much as it did. Nevertheless, this is still one of the most memorable books I have read and I recommend it to everyone (or at least try it even if you don’t manage to finish it).

    4. Pick A Friend Who Motivates You To Pick Up Books You Might Not Normally Be Interested In – Is There A Book They Convinced You To Give A Try?


    Another one of my flatmates convinced me to read The Martian (and watch it afterwards too). Unfortunately we don’t have the same tastes in books or movies but I did listen to his suggestion and was glad to read something different.

    5. A Book That Is Out of Your Comfort Zone, But You Would Like to Read


    Although I love suspenseful thrillers, I am not a huge fan of blood and gore but I have heard so much praise for Hunter Shea’s Creature that I have decided that it’s going straight to my TBR list.

    6. A Book/Genre So Outside Of Your Comfort Zone That You’ll Probably Never Give It A Chance

    Although I am open to many genres I don’t expect to read any Christian Fiction any time soon.

    So those are my diverse and somewhat random answers to this tag. It’s been fun looking back at some of my odd choices and although I won’t tag anyone this time around, I hope those of you that decide to do the tag enjoy it!

     

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    Studious Saturday: 50 things that make me happy

    studious saturdays

    Happy Holidays! I hope that you will all get to spend a truly relaxing and peaceful time surrounded by people you love. In the spirit of Christmas and holiday time I felt that today was the perfect Saturday to post the 50 Things that Make Me Happy tag after I was tagged by the lovely Molly. Thank you, Molly, for the tag!

    50 things that make me happy:
    1. The spirit of Christmas
    2. Meeting the New Year with high hopes of a successful coming year
    3. The excitement when booking flight tickets
    4. The even more exciting feeling of stepping on an airplane, ready for an adventure
    5. Seeing my mum’s happy smile when I walk into Arrivals
    6. Writing out and activating my out of office email at work
    7. The chatter of strangers in the Madrid metro every morning
    8. Hearing a song I associate with my university days
    9. Skyping with a dear friend
    10. Mastering a complicated dance routine after hours of practice
    11. The frenzy and enthusiasm when stepping out onto the ballroom competition floor
    12. The joy of a fast and fun quickstep
    13. Starting a new booking
    14. Sitting down and relaxing after having cleaned the whole house
    15. Watching the latest episode of a TV show that I’ve been following
    16. Going to the cinema with my mum
    17. Coming up with a good idea for a blog post
    18. The satisfying feeling of writing a blog post in advance and scheduling it
    19. Watching a loved one open a gift from me
    20. Spending time at my aunt’s house with the whole family
    21. My aunt’s dogs – Riley and Jacob
    22. Any dogs in general
    23. Skiing down from the top of a mountain with friends
    24. Summer BBQs
    25. Seeing friends after months apart
    26. Stumbling upon old photos from school and the nostalgia that follows
    27. Remembering fun nights in at home with friends at university
    28. Planning the next city trip with my boyfriend
    29. Spending summers in Bulgaria
    30. The joy in my grandma’s expression when she sees me after one year away
    31. My grandma’s homemade meals
    32. Finding a new favourite restaurant to eat at
    33. When a difficult recipe is a success in the end
    34. The relief of sitting a final exam
    35. Lazy at home Sundays with my boyfriend
    36. A crisp but sunny winter’s day
    37. When a wish comes true
    38. Picking strawberries in summer
    39. Cooking a meal for my favourite people
    40. Going on a walk in the park
    41. Spontaneous spa nights at home on Friday evenings
    42. Sleeping in on a weekend
    43. Having a bath after a long day
    44. Learning a new word or phrase in a different language
    45. Reading in coffee shops and blocking out the rest of the world
    46. Playing board games with the whole family
    47. Remembering the lyrics of a song I haven’t heard in a while
    48. Having three places in the world that all feel like home
    49. Seeing or hearing something that reminds me of a loved one
    50. The prospect of many good moments to follow in the future

    This was a fun and rewarding tag to do and I highly recommend it to other bloggers! I won’t tag anyone this time as I am sure that everyone has plans to spend time with family and perhaps even schedule their blog for next year. Next Saturday’s post is the final one of the year and it has been one of the hardest ones to write although equally enjoyable. Stay tuned for more and sending you all warm wishes for the holidays!