The Real Neat Blog Award

I was over the moon to be nominated for the Real Neat Blog Award in June by Jessica @ Beyond the Front Cover! Thank you so much for the nomination Jessica – I really appreciate it and I’m sorry it took me so long to get the post together.

If you don’t follow Jessica’s blog already, please do go and take a look. You’ll find a wonderful variety of bookish content, from writing tips to balanced reviews I always trust. Plus she’s a lovely, friendly, supportive book blogger!

The Rules

• Display the award logo
• Thank the blogger who nominated you and post a link to their blog
• Answer the questions of the one who nominated you
• Nominate some bloggers
• Ask them seven questions

I think it is a wonderful idea to find out more about the bloggers whose posts we read every day. My answers are below:

Jessica’s Questions

Have you ever read a book through recommendation that you ended up hating? If so, what was it?

My crime fiction lecturer usually gives great recommendations, but I disliked the hard-boiled 1940s crime novel Farewell My Lovely by Raymond Chandler. Every page just screamed ‘white male gaze’…

You can read my review of Farewell My Lovely here.

What was your favourite book when you were a child?

The Wolf Brother series by Michelle Paver.

There’s a photograph in my family albums of me as a child sitting in a restaurant in Menorca, reading Wolf Brother with a hypnotised look and my tongue sticking out in concentration!

Apparently, my parents used to let me take a book when we went for meals out on holiday, to keep me on my best behaviour. I remember it as one of the first completely immersive, imaginative experiences I had when reading – no matter how busy the restaurant or how loud the clientele, I was riveted.

If you could sit down for a chat with one author who would you choose?

Oooh, it’s tricky to pick just one but I think I would go with Christopher Marlowe, a playwright around the time of Shakespeare and also a spy for Queen Elizabeth. He led a life worthy of a play in itself but was sadly killed in suspicious circumstances aged just 29.

You can read my post Questioning the Canon: Shakespeare vs Marlowe here.

Which destination is number 1 on your travel bucket list?

As a huge animal lover, I definitely want to visit the Galapagos Islands and see all the wildlife. The giant tortoises found there are some of my favourite animals – this is Biggie and Helen, who I met on work experience at a zoo.

How is your timekeeping? Are you usually early, late or on time?

Early for sure – I’m a very organised person.

If you didn’t need to sleep, what would you use the extra time for?

I would certainly read more books, but that’s probably a bit of an obvious answer! Aside from reading, I’d like to listen to more podcasts to stay up to date with current affairs. I’m also learning British Sign Language so would dedicate some more time to that.

What is your favourite time of the day, and why?

I love evenings after dinner as this is family time in our house. We’ll either sit down to watch a film or TV programme together or have ‘reading club’ and get cosy with our books.

My Questions

1. Share a bookish quote that you love.
2. What are your top three recommendations for diverse reads?
3. Where is your favourite place to buy or borrow books?
4. What is your favourite bookish film or TV adaptation?
5. Aside from reading, are there any other hobbies you enjoy?
6. Do you have any pets? Feel free to share pictures, I’d love to see them!
7. What is your proudest moment?

Thank you again for the tag, Jessica! I really enjoyed reading your answers and joining in myself. I’m looking forward to finding out more about other bloggers!

My Nominations

Corina @ The Brown Eyed Bookworm

…for her personal, emotive reviews and book lists that will leave you helplessly adding to your TBR. Her blog is also gorgeous!

Emer @ A Little Haze Book Blog

…for her eclectic reviews, empowering honesty and vulnerability in her blog posts and for being such a kind, passionate and treasured member of the book blogging community.

Alex @ Whimsy Pages

…for her creative variety of posts and for the sheer, inconquerable enthusiasm that shines through every word!

Aditi @ One in a Million

…for being an absolute go-to blogger for amazing #OwnVoices reviews and diverse book recommendations!

Nikita @ Prose and Pancakes

…for always bringing fresh and creative ideas to her blog – from discussion posts to recommendation lists to reviews with a twist, I am inspired every time I visit.

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Don’t worry if you’re not really into tags or are feeling overwhelmed by blogging at the moment, I promise I won’t be offended! Otherwise, I can’t wait to hear your answers 🙂