The Sunshine Blogger Award

Thank you so much to @emily_aagaard  for the nomination. It’s the first time I’ve ever been tagged in anything so I really appreciate it! Emily has a great blog, which you should check out here. I particularly enjoyed her post on 10 Chillout Games for a Bad Day. I’m a keen gamer so was really pleased to find someone who has similar tastes!

What is The Sunshine Blogger Award?

It is a peer award given to bloggers who inspire creativity and positivity in the blogging community. All the little rays of sunshine that sometimes go unnoticed. I think that it is a lovely idea to bring smaller bloggers to the forefront as well as celebrating those who truly inspire you within the community.

As The Sunshine Blogger Award is voted for by other bloggers, there are a few rules to follow.

Rules:

• Thank the blogger who nominated you and link their blog so others can find them.
• Answer the 11 questions which the blogger who nominated you asked.
• Nominate 11 bloggers and ask them 11 different questions.
• List the rules and display the Sunshine blogger award logo in your post and/or on your blog site.

Emily’s Questions

Why did you start blogging? Why do you continue?

I started blogging at the beginning of 2018 for a few reasons. Firstly, I am very passionate about the importance of reading books and sharing reviews is a great way to encourage others to pick up a book. I also wanted to find similar people to share some of my hobbies with, including both reading and gaming. Although I haven’t written about my health and disability yet, aside from guest blog posts, sharing these aspects of myself is very important to me and will become more of a focus in the near future. Honestly, I have so much admiration for bloggers who suffer with health problems and still put out amazing content. Sharing your own experiences of living with a disability is one of the few ways that you can help others to understand what it is like and hopefully be able to support those around them that struggle in similar ways.

I feel like I really have only just started my blogging adventure. I am very motivated to continue because I have come across lots of like-minded people and am starting to make some real friends.

How do you come up with your blog post ideas? What’s your process?

I’ve not been blogging long enough or frequently enough for ideas to really be a problem! I have a massive list of things that I want to talk about including health, food, gaming and of course books! There are also so many wonderful bloggers out there that are truly inspiring. I hope that I will be able to post more frequently in the future and perhaps then I will have to work a bit harder to find things to talk about. Currently I have a lovely little Star Wars themed notepad from an Illumicrate book box that is perfect for listing all my ideas down. I tend to write posts in one sitting, so really it’s just a case of sitting down and trying to find the right words!

What is your preferred social media for blogging? What about for personal use?

Twitter has definitely been the biggest social media influence for my blog. It has been a fantastic way to find other bloggers and I adore taking part in twitter chats. There is a really nice book blogging community on Twitter. I even took part in a Summer Secret Santa with other book bloggers arranged by Mols, which was really fun. I will share a post about that very soon! I have also been lucky enough to win a couple of books from publishers on Twitter. I use Facebook for personal use but honestly the time I spend on there is mainly in book box groups.

What’s your current phone lock screen background?

My current background is by Aentee @readatmidnight. It is a lovely design based on Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik, which I am currently reading! I’m loving the book so far and couldn’t resist the themed wallpaper. Read at midnight is a really cool blog that I recommend you check out. There are great reviews, beautiful artwork and even a few free phone wallpapers (for personal use).

If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?

Be more confident in your own abilities. I wasted a lot of opportunities when I was younger because I never believed that I was good enough. You are much more likely to regret never trying something than trying and failing. In the past I’ve listened to too many people, who called themselves my friends, talk me out of things that I should have just gone for. Now, I try to believe in myself and make my judgements on that basis.

What’s your favourite type of light? (sunlight, candlelight, moonlight, LED light…)

Christmas Light(s)! I love pretty, sparkly lights decorating the house and it immediately puts me in a happy, festive mood. It is far too early to talk about Christmas though so I will say no more!

List three TV shows that you would gladly watch over and over

Would and have. The Big Bang Theory, Charmed and Friends. The Big Bang Theory I watched on loop about three times last year when I was in a tv funk. I love Sheldon and Amy, they are hilarious! Charmed is a massive nostalgia hit for me. I used to watch it with my best friend in school. We definitely did not try to cast a love spell… I don’t think I could ever get bored of sassy sister witches, unicorns, angels, demons and ghosts. Friends is also a big nostalgia trip and super easy viewing! I think the reason I would pick these three is that they are all perfect for playing in the background whilst doing chores or when I am far too tired to really concentrate.

If you could own one animal, real or mythical, what would it be?

I mean, unicorn wishes could come in very handy…. It would be amazing to fly on the back of a dragon…. I would have to go with a phoenix though. Firstly, I would never have to be upset that my pet would die as I know it is immediately coming back. That is massive. Secondly, I don’t think there would be anything better than sitting in the open air at twilight listening to phoenix song. Thirdly, healing tears would come in mighty useful considering the amount of times I accidentally injure myself. Finally, I think they are a beautiful symbol of hope.

What’s currently on your bucket list?

Meeting Becky Chambers. This is on there as the last two times she has been in the UK I have been unable to go and meet her. If I have it on my bucket list though it means that one day it will happen! I know that it may seem like a very small ambition, but it would mean a lot to me.

What is your favourite historical period? Why? (now is an option!)

Elizabethan England as I have always loved Shakespeare. For a long time I wanted to be a classical actress. I would love to have been able to see one of Shakespeare’s plays at The Globe theatre for the very first time.

What’s your favourite feeling? (Go crazy with this one!)

No, YOU have a dirty mind. Honestly? Contentment. It is a very rare feeling to be completely content. It’s like feeling happy with literally everything in your life yet more peaceful. One of my experiences of feeling content is a little crazy actually… When I was 19 I had Endocarditis, which is basically an infection of the heart. I’m prone to it because of my heart condition. It wasn’t diagnosed for a few months but just before it was, I had become rather poorly. One night I was laid on my bed and was literally delirious. It is what I imagine being high is like. I’d been watching Babylon 5 with my Dad (you can blame him for my sci-fi geek genes), in which there is an alien race called the Vorlons. The Vorlons were one of the oldest alien races to exist and had the job of shepherding newer races like Humans. Whilst laid on my bed, looking out the window into the night sky I genuinely thought that the Vorlons were coming to Earth. I would like to restate that I was VERY ill. In that moment though I felt complete contentment. I felt like a tiny spec of nothing in an endless universe. It was the most unbelievable feeling that I am pretty sure I will never experience again. Is that crazy enough for you? :p

My 11 Questions

1. What is the main thing that you wish you knew about blogging before you started?
2. What is your blogging focus and why did you choose that subject?
3. How did you decide on your blog logo and header design?
4. What makes a true friend?
5. If you could have lunch with anyone, living or dead, who would you choose and why?
6. Who is your favourite book or film character?
7. If you could merge three of your favourite films or books together into one epic adventure, which books or films would you pick and why?
8. What is your most important life goal?
9. If you had a time machine and could pick whether to travel into the future or back into the past, where would you travel and why?
10. What is your favourite musical instrument?
11. If you were given £1,000,000 tomorrow what would you do?

My Nominations

I have tried to choose people who have not already been nominated but apologies if I have missed your nominations.

1. Ebony @mileynoticedme ‏
2. Laura @books_and_geek
3. The Wayfaring Biblomaniac @MeredithRitter
4. Five Step Sarah @FiveStepSarah1
5. Jorie @joriestory
6. Ben Ace @AceOfBens
7. Charleigh @charleighwrites
8. Jessica @oddandbookish ‏
9. Jacqueline The Pufflehuffle Kitteh @Shadowkitteh123 
10. Cats Luv Coffee Book Reviews @cats_luv_coffee
11. Mols @bibookishbabe 

I look forward to reading your posts !