The Book Fests Award

Hello, folks!

I saw this thing over at I swoon over fictional, non-human men and since I cannot pass up a good tag, challenge, meme, award, whatever, I thought of jumping in. So, thank you Jazz for nominating the whole blogging community, which, why why, includes me too.

Rules

• It’s always proper and the right thing to do, when you receive something from someone, you thank them. It’s the same with this award. You can link the blogger who presents the award blog in the post you use to fulfill the requirements of the award.
• Answer the award questions that will be listed below.
• Write a Fifty Word Story, because it’s fun.
• Award five or more bloggers with this Award.
• Ask them a question of your making, you’ll like them to answer.
• Put up the award image badge on your blog via image widget.

Award questions

A book you started but never finished but want to finish. What stopped you from continuing to read it?

“Magic Bites” by Ilona Andrews. I stopped reading it when I was around halfway in because it was moving too slow and I wasn’t seeing one inkling of romance in a novel that I’d expected to become my next favorite PNR book. Although, I’ve read quite some reviews and apparently things pick up in the second half of the book, while the romance still leaves a lot to be desired, at least in the first instalment. I’m willing to soldier through, though, if the series is all it’s cracked up to be.

What elements attract you to a book, which makes you need to read it?

Definitely, if I read reviews of people waxing poetics on the amazing characters I’ll want to see for myself what all the fuss is about. My favorite genres are NA and Contemporary romance, which are both characters driven.

Anyway, there’s also something else that will have my ears perking: specific tropes or scenes. Some situations in books can truly make it or break it for me. If I hear the magic words “jock-tutor girl” for example, or “on-the-run romantic suspense”, you can bet your sweet behind I’ll be all over it. On the other hand, whenever I hear “age-gap”, it’s an instant turn off.

Which books do you prefer, e-copy or hard copy?

I don’t own many hard copies and the reason is quite simple. Leaving in a country where the English-language books selection is as wide as the colors’ range for a daltonic person, they don’t come easily. Anyway, as far as preferences go, I dream of shelves upon shelves of pretty covers and spines, all colored, some glittery, other dark and mysterious. Plus,  there’s nothing like holding in your hands a book signed by your favorite author.

When it comes to reading, I’m an e-copy kind of gal. All the way. I’d never highlight a physical book, plus I’m not used to holding books anymore while reading since I read everything on my laptop. An let’s not forget how much cheaper they are!

So, in conclusion, e-copies to use and hard copies to look at.

What book are you currently reading or going to read?

I’m reading two books. Sin with Me by JT Geissinger and Legally Yours by Nicole French

I loved both previous two instalments in this series, dealing with the members of a rock band, “Bad Habits”, finding their HEA, but I think I’m adoring this one even more. Although though the first two books were riddled with angst and drama (sometimes OTT but strangely good, given how I usually shy away from it), this one is turning out to be sweeter, funnier and less heavy on the angst, which I’m super okay with.

At first, I was skeptical about this one because it had all the ingredients to be another meaningless forbidden office-romance with cheesy hook-up lines and a spineless heroine. Instead, as the name of the series testifies (Spitfire), the heroine didn’t yield to the mortifying rules set by the H and set him straight right away. Girl power! Yas! Also, the H redeemed himself, confessing the cause of his humiliating proposition to be his inability to approach the situation from another way, given what every other girl seemed to want from him in the past. Now I’m thrilled to see how it’ll develop.

Is it fair to judge a book by its film?

No, I don’t think it’s fair. A film is its own thing. Maybe we can discuss about the essence of it, the general background idea which it probably shares with the book, but it’s rare for a movie to be so similar to the book for them to be judged as one.

Also, in a movie, there are so many other elements that make it or break it, like the acting or some director’s choices. I may not like a movie because of the actors or because of some strange take on the topic chosen by the director. It doesn’t mean the story behind it wasn’t good.

What book did you badly judge by its cover and end up loving?

*Goes on Goodreads to scan the shelves*

*Finds the best example ever*. This book. I think I included my thoughts on the cover in the review too.

Now, you look at this cover and the first word to pop into your mind is: “Smut.” Two words? “Sportsromance smut”.

But it wasn’t. This book was fun, yes, but it was waaaay deeper than the kiddies pool this cover advertises.

Which book character have you felt the most kin with and able to relate with?

This may be the toughest question so far… Gosh, this is so hard!

*goes on Goodreads again to peruse the shelves*

I really wish I could say someone kick-ass like Cat or or Xhex, but two other heroines come to mind…

1- Libby from Idol. Her initial situation of stagnation and stillness is something I often relate too. As of now, I’m all leaning toward my future and have lots of plans, projects and stuff going on, but nonetheless, I’m not a person who takes chances and am more inclined to just let life pass by than grab the moment and squeeze everything it has to offer. If I’m lucky, one of these days I’ll find my Lawn Bum.

2- Rimmel from the Hashtag series. In addition to being blind like a mole, I’m a nerd and proud of it.

50 word story

She’s writing a 50 word story, but since she isn’t able to, she decides to go all high school on it, like when she hadn’t studied for shit and, during the oral exam, was remixing the same three words in different nuances waiting for the bell to ring or a zombie apocalypse to happen. Whichever came first.

Jazz’s question

You’ve been taken hostage and the characters from the last book you read are being sent to rescue you. How screwed are you?

Absolutely safe and sound. The last book I read was “Blood to Dust” by LJ Shen. If Beat and Pea are coming to my rescue, I might as well kick back, relax and start practicing the smug grin for when they’ll barge in wherever I’m kept and murder whoever it is took me hostage.

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This is it, my book fest award! It was fun… but for the short story. That was torturously painful. Me and short stories don’t go hand in hand. Never have.

If you want to participate, then join the bookish wagon and consider yourself… awarded? I’d say tagged, but it’s not a tag. Maybe nominated, although awarded is more eg-stroking…