Nominated for a Liebster Award!

A huge thanks to Sister Sinister for nominating me for the Liebster Award! I feel and appreciate the love.

The Liebster Award is a recognition passed from blogger to blogger; a friendly way of saying I appreciate you.  Generally gifted to bloggers with less than 1,000 followers, it is also a lovely means of promotion for both the nominator and the nominee.  And since "liebster" is a tern of endearment in German meaning "dearest", it gives you a warm fuzzy feeling just being nominated.






Now the Rules

1.  List 11 facts about yourself.

2.  Answer the 11 questions that the person who nominated you asked.

3.  Nominate 9 bloggers with less than 1,000 followers and leave them a comment letting them know they've been nominated.

4.  Ask 11 new questions for your nominees.

5.  No renominating the blog that nominated you!

11 Facts About Me

1. I'm a therapist by day (the psycho kind)

2. I love any book that can get me experiencing a strong emotion (even if it is an uncomfortable one).

3. I live in Illinois with my husband and 2 cats

4. Ich spreche Deutsch (aber nur ein bisschen )

5. The pinky on my right hand is made up of 4 segments. My left pinky (and most all other pinkies and fingers) have 3. Take a look at yours, I bet you've got 3.  

6. Until I get a hybrid car, I will always own a car with a manual transmission

7. Coffee is an important and delightful part of my life.  I take it black.

8. I love camping

9. If I have consumed any amount of alcohol, I will encourage an 80's music dance party. 

10. I love listening to well-narrated audiobooks. They can be a great way to re-experience a book I loved in a different way.  Also they make my commute to work much more pleasant.

11. I am an avid follower of Dan Savage and of the Savage Lovecast.  


Q&A From the Person Who Nominated Me

1. How do you feel about the current face of self-publishing? I am glad that there are so many avenues these days for those who want to write to get their work out there without needing to go through the traditional publishers.  There are a ton of indie authors who have written books that I have loved and I know would not have been a part of my life without the modes of self-publishing available at this time.  That said, I do still have respect for the quality of work that often comes through the traditional publishing world.  I think there is something to be said for the hard work and professional quality that comes with a book that has made it through many levels of scrutiny.    
2. Do you prefer a book to be a part of a series, or a stand-alone? This is a cop out answer, but both. I usually mix some stand-alone books in between series reads.  I love getting into a great series because there is an opportunity to really immerse yourself in the story and characters.  It's also nice to have something to anticipate when you are waiting for the next book in a great series to come out.  
3. Do you like to watch movies of the same genre that you enjoy reading? Yes with horror and science fiction.  I like reading and watching both of those genres.  However, while I love reading a lot of romance books I almost always hate rom/com movies and watch them only when forced.   
4. Is there is a genre you will not read unless asked to? I'm pretty open to anything since I've found some awesome books that came out of genres I thought I wouldn't like.  The only thing I won't deal with is anything with a religious or conservative political agenda. 
5. If you could meet one author in person, who would it be? Maggie Stiefvater.  I adore her books, and she seems like an incredibly interesting person.  
6. Is there a subject you think should be taboo? Not necessarily.  I think when written well, and addressed from the right angle, even the most abhorrent topics can be brought to light in a way that increases awareness or understanding.  There are obviously ways that writers could address controversial topics in a harmful or destructive way, but I would just hope that the reader would be able to use some critical thinking skills while consuming that writing. 
7. Do you believe in love at first sight? I believe in lust at first sight.  Boy, do I.  I think we might end up being in love with someone we lusted after immediately, but I don't think we can really love someone without some time passing and developing a deeper connection.
8. Sharks or giant squid? Giant squid. Obviously.
9. Zombies, mutants, or aliens? Zombies in movies and when I'm doing my post-appocalypse planning.  I do love me some good alien sci-fi lit though.  
10. Vampires, witches, or werewolves? Vampires
11. Thylacine or T-rex. If you had a choice, which would we resurrect? Thylacine.  I would probably shit myself if I saw a T-Rex.  Also, I don't really trust humans to know what they are doing with a living T-Rex. 

My nominees are: 

So many books, so little time
Books, Chocolate, and Lipgloss
A Touch of Book Madness
Thoughts of a Librarian (in training)
Books Keep Me Sane
The Ink Box
Invade Reality
Book YAbber
Something Wordy


My questions for my nominees: (please let me know if you answer, so I can check out your post)

1. In the last few months, what is the book you have enjoyed most?

2. Do you have the desire to write a book, or have you already written one?

3. Do you listen to audiobooks as well as read the old-fashioned "with your eyeballs" way?

4. How do you decide what to read next?

5. Are there any genres that you won't read?

6. What are your thoughts when you find out that a book you love is being made into a movie?

7. You are about to sing karaoke (pretend you are being forced if necessary).  What song are you going to sing?

8. You get to pick one super power.  What do you choose?

9. If you could have coffee or a cocktail with any literary character, who would you choose?

10. Do you read non-fiction?

11. You just got $100 to spend on something frivolous.  What do you buy?