Sunshine Blogger Award III

It was unexpected but earlier this month, I got another blogging award nomination. Marjolein at URL Phantomhive nominated me for the Sunshine Blogger Award, my third nomination. I am always grateful for every award nomination I get because I feel like I am doing a good job, or at least somewhere or sometime, I did a good one. By the way, Marjolein has a great and interesting book blog where she concisely discusses her thoughts on books she read. Do check it out. Again, thank you Marjolein for this nomination.

And without more ado, here’s my Sunshine Blogger Award post. Have a great end to October and an even better start to November! Happy blogging!

What is The Sunshine Blogger Award?

The Sunshine Blogger Award is a blogging community-driven award wherein bloggers nominate their fellow bloggers. Its primordial intent is to bring recognition to bloggers, especially those who fly under the radar, for their inspiring, creative, and motivational blogs.

What are the Rules?

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 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.

Questions from Marjolein

1. How did you get into reading?

I’ve always been a reader I guess even when I was younger. I would pick up magazines and read about interesting topics. There was one phase where I would buy all newspapers and just read the editorials, news, and sports pages. When I was about 11 or 12-years old, I would go over to our neighbor’s house and borrow their encyclopedia. I liked the glossy pages and reading about foreign places and random facts.

However, it was way later before I started reading fiction books. I was then a senior in high school. Someone lent me Mary Higgins Clark’s A Cry in the Night which everybody seemed to love. The book, somehow, aroused in me a curiosity and interest that would grow in the coming months. This book was also the reason why my first love is suspense and mystery.

2. Is there a book you regret reading?

I value every book I read because, in one way or another, they helped awaken in me an interest that I never thought I had. With the number of books I have already, there were some that I regretted. One example is Lang Leav’s Sad Girls, a book I was truly looking forward to because I was curious of how Leav would translate her poetry background into prose. I guess it never worked and my expectations were simply too high. Herman Melville’s Moby Dick is another example; I am just glad I finished reading the book.

3. Which book release are you currently most excited for?

I’ll have to say Nobel Laureate in Literature Kazuo Ishiguro’s Klara and the Sun which is set to be published in March 2021.

---

Blurb from Goodreads

From the bestselling and Booker Prize winning author of Never Let me Go and The Remains of the Day, a stunning new novel – his first since winning the Nobel Prize in Literature – that asks, what does it mean to love? A thrilling feat of world-building, a novel of exquisite tenderness and impeccable restraint, Klara and the Sun is a magnificent achievement, and an international literary event.

4. Where do you like to discuss books?

I am not that active in reviewing or discussing books in my Goodreads account so I’d say my blog.

5. How are your shelves organized?

LOL. I don’t even have any bookshelves; only one I guess. I am so disorganized my books are piled all over my room. I do, however, clean up the pile at least once every year in what I call my own spring cleaning. To not get disoriented, I just segregate books I have just read from books that I am still to read.

6. How do you treat a reading slump?

Readings slump is a reality that fervent readers often encounter. I have encountered it many times as well. When I have a reading slump, I slow down my pace and breathe things in. I remind constantly remind myself that there is no rush, that I should take my time. When reading becomes more tedious, I switch to lighter reads or to authors whose bodies of work I am more familiar with.

7. Do you aspire to write a book someday?

It is something that I do dream of. I am playing with a lot of things on my head and hopefully someday I muster the courage to pick up the pen and translate my imagination into printed form. There are times, however, when I get discouraged or get insecure about my writing. Still, the ultimate goal is to write something that will inspire other budding writers as well.

8. What kind of posts do you like to write the most?

My blog is a mix of travel and book blog. Whilst it has become more of a book blog these past few years, I enjoy writing travel blogs more than I do writing book reviews. HAHA. I guess it is easier writing a travel blog; the only thing that keeps me from writing more is that I have to choose and edit pictures to compliment my blog.

9. How do you keep a healthy life/study-work/blog balance?

First off, I don’t think I have a healthy life-work-blog balance. It is a constant trial and error. I read whenever I can. I write whenever I can. I travel whenever I can. It is about finding the time to do the things you want to do. But I guess that is easier said than done. And when everything gets tedious, I simply hit the brakes. I either take a leave from the office or not do anything for a day. It is a sort of righting the equilibrium or a mental reset.

10. Has there been something good to come out of being stuck at home for months on end? (for example a new hobby or skill)

There are three things that I can come up with. First, I managed to read a lot of books, way above my personal average. I am currently reading my 76th book for the year. What is even more important is that my reading list is very diverse. Second, being stuck at home allowed me to blog on a more regular basis. Except for October, I published a blog piece more regularly than I usually did. Lastly, I managed to save money which I could have spent on travelling. 🙂

11. If you could travel back five years to give your younger self some advice, what would you say?

There’s actually a lot of things I would want to tell myself. I would tell myself that it is okay if things don’t always work out on my end, that the most beautiful things in life take time to blossom. I will remind myself to trust in the perfect timing.

My Nominees

I want to reiterate that none of you is under any obligation to do this tag unless you truly want to. I totally understand if this is not your cup of tea. Happy blogging!

In no particular order:

1. Riddhi @ Whispering Stories
2. Julie @ One Book More 
3.  Piyush @ The Thinking Pen
4. Ayooluwa @ The Lit African
5. Kitty Marie @ Kitty Marie’s Reading Corner
6. Max @ Maxxesbooktopia
7. Aarti Athavle @ Books and Blues
8. Naemi @ A Book Owl’s Corner
9. Em @ The Geeky Jock
10. Renee @ Renee Reviews
11. Brianna @ Books with Brianna

My questions

1. If you are to write a book about something important to you, what would it be?
2. What is that one book that you really looked forward to but you ended up disliking?
3. If you were given the opportunity ask your favorite author one question, what would it be?
4. What literary or fictional place do you want to visit or want to live in?
5. What one title to you recommend to non-readers or someone who wants to start reading?
6. Is there a book or books that has inspired you? How did it influence your life?
7. What does reading mean to you?
8. Apart from reading, how do/did you cope with the quarantines/lockdown measures?
9. What qualities from fictional characters would you take and how would you use it to improve yourself or the world?
10. Give three things you enjoy about book blogging or blogging in general.
11. When do you feel most accomplished?