Sunday, February 26, 2017

The Sunshine Blogger Award! (thank you, thank you all...)



I'm honored to have been nominated for the Sunshine Blogger Award by the wonderful Prabhleen from Book Are Life

Thank you!
You thought up some great questions, and I hope I can do the same for the people I nominate (: 


☀The Rules☀

Rule #1: Answer the questions given to you by the end of this post (not the ones I'm answering). 

Rule #2: Think of 11 questions of your own to tag to the next generation of The Sunshine Blogger Award! 

Rule #3: Tag as many people as you want! It could be 3, it could be 4, it could be 10. 

Rule #4: If you can't / don't want to do the award, don't feel pressured to do it! It's all for fun, after all. Just relax and enjoy the ride! 



☀The Actual Award (begins now)☀


#1: What's Your OTP? 


Very cruel of you, Prabhleen, to demand of us to list only one. 
Only one, can you believe it?
*Gah* 

Hmm... well... hmm...
I have many OPTs. My passion comes and goes for them depends on how long it has been since I read the book / if the series is over and no new books are coming out.
Once I love an OTP, I love them *forever*. But you must constantly rekindle your connection to them or it might stay frozen until you do. 

In any case (sorry I bored you there for a second), lately I've been on a pretty long reading and blogging slump (*curse you, slumps everywhere!*), so I don't feel any passionately towards any OTPs (*sob-sob*).
Which is why I'm going to go with a classic favorite of mine:


Rose & Dimitry from Vampire Academy.


P.S: A lot of people didn't like the movie but I absolutely loved it.
And that's coming from someone who butchers almost every book to movie adaptation she sees (😅 ).
Did it have its problems? Sure. But It completely captured the sense of the book (which is most important of all); it was quirky, it was funny, it had action and mystery, and it had a kickass Rose and Dimitri.
It was perfect in my book.
Too bad there isn't going to be a second one. 


#2: What Are Your Opinions On Fanfiction and Fanart?

I'm definitely not opposed.
I think it's wonderful, how people express themselves and their love for those worlds and characters through fanfiction and fanart.

I love looking at fanart when I see it on twitter.
With fanfiction it gets a bit trickier since I simply love the original so much that, in my head, nothing can compare. And I'm too scared of reading something that I won't like about characters that I love so much.
Which is why I don't really read fanfiction, but I do support it. If that makes sense? 


#3: Which Bookish Character Do You Think Would Be Your Frenemy? 

Eh... that's a really tough one.
I mean, I can somewhat breezily try to answer who would be my friend and who would be my enemy, but frenemy? That's hard. 

Umm... well, according to urban dictionary a frenemy is an enemy disguised as a friend. Or someone whom you're rivaled with / dislike and yet act friendly towards.  

Okay... so... maybe... 

Kiran from Lady Midnight


Our favorite fairy.
I definitely do not want to be on his bad side, so I'll definitely act friendly to him. All the while, I'll have to keep him on close watch since we still don't know which team he's on (I desperately hope for him to be on 'team good', though!). 

P.S:
The love story going on in TDA - underneath all the action and drama - is messing with my head.
What's going to happen next?
I need Lord of Shadows in my life!
*sigh*
3... more... months. 



#4: List Your Top 5 Bookish Boyfriends/girlfriends


As of February 2017, here they are in no particular order: 


Will Heronadle from The Infernal Devices


"There's plenty of sense in nonsense sometimes, if you wish to look for it." 


"Remember when you tried to convince me to feed a poultry pie to the mallards in the park to see if you could breed a race of cannibal ducks?"
"They ate it too," Will reminisced. "Bloodthirsty little beasts. Never trust a duck." 


"Ah," said a voice from the doorway, "having your annual 'everyone thinks Will is a lunatic', are you?"
"It's biannual," said Jem. "And no, this is not that meeting." 


“It was books that made me feel that perhaps I was not completely alone. They could be honest with me, and I with them.” 


“Sometimes, when I have to do something I don't want to do, I pretend I'm a character from a book. It's easier to know what they would do.”


“If no one cares for you at all, do you even really exist?” 


“Are you implying that shreds of my reputation remain intact?" Will demanded with mock horror. "Clearly I have been doing something wrong. Or not something wrong, as the case may be." 
He banged on the side of the carriage. "Thomas! We must away at once to the nearest brothel. I seek scandal and low companionship.”


“Trains are great dirty smoky things," said Will. "You won't like it." 
Tessa was unmoved. "I won't know if I like it until I try it, will I?" 
"I've never swum naked in the Thames before, but I know I wouldn't like it." 
"But think how entertaining for sightseers," said Tessa, and she saw Jem duck his head to hide the quick flash of his grin.” 


“Reparations,” said Jem very suddenly, setting down the pen he was holding.
Will looked at him in puzzlement. “Is this a game? We just blurt out whatever word comes next to mind? In that case, mine is ‘genuphobia’. It means an unreasonable fear of knees.”
“What’s the word for a perfectly reasonable fear of annoying idiots?” inquired Jessamine.”


Oh, Will.
Always and Forever. 






“Don't feel bad, I'm usually about to die.” 


Braccas meas vescimini!"
I wasn't sure where the Latin came from. I think it meant 'Eat my pants!'


My name is Percy Jackson. 
I'm twelve years old. Until a few months ago, I was a boarding student at Yancy Academy, a private school for troubled kids in upstate New York.
Am I a troubled kid?
Yeah. You could say that.


“You weren't able to talk sense into him?"
"Well, we kind of tried to kill each other in a duel to the death."
"I see. You tried the diplomatic approach.”


I'd love to tell you I had some deep revelation on my way down, that I came to terms with my own mortality, laughed in the face of death, et cetera.
The truth? My only thought was: Aaaaggghhhhh!


“You must forge your own path for it to mean anything.” 


“I learned a long time ago: Never bet against Annabeth.” 




Ash from The Iron Fey


“Touch her, and I'll freeze your testicles off and put them in a jar. Understand?” 


“You are my heart, my life, my entire existence." 


“Hey, princess.”
“Hey,” I whispered, as Ash slipped his arms around my waist from behind, drawing me close. I could feel his glare aimed at Puck over my head, a silent, protective gesture that spoke louder than any words. Mine. Back off.


His breath hitched, and he regarded me hungrily. “You’re playing with fire, you know that?” 
“That’s weird, considering you’re an ice prin—” I didn’t get any further, as Ash leaned in and kissed me.


He shook his head, examining the wound again. “It's not frostbitten,“ he muttered. “It'll blister, but you should be fine. You might only lose a couple fingers.“
I glanced at him sharply, but he was smirking. For a moment, I was speechless. Good God, the Ice Prince was making jokes now; the world must be ending. 


“I will be with her again, or I will die. There aren’t any other options” 


“For better or worse, I'm afraid you're stuck with me now."


“I hate it when you’re reasonable.”
He laughed. “Someone has to be."


“Technically, I was trying to kill Puck. You just happened to be there. But yes, if I'd had the shot, I would have taken it."


Warner from Shatter Me


His smile is laced with dynamite. "Go to sleep"
"Go to hell."
He works his jaw. Walks to the door. "I'm working on it.”


“Don't do that," he says. "Don't ask me questions you already know the answers to. Twice I've laid myself bare to you and all it's gotten me was a bullet wound and a broken heart. Don't torture me," he says, meeting my eyes again.
"It's a cruel thing to do, even to someone like me.”


“Come back to life, love. I'll be here when you wake up.” 


I almost forget that she still hates me, despite how hard I've fallen for her.
And I've fallen.
So hard.
I've hit the ground.


“People seldom realize that they tell lies with their lips and truths with their eyes all the time.”


“Love is a heartless bastard.” 


I touch the tip of my finger to his lips. "There are secrets in here," I say. "I want them out."
He tries to bite my finger.
I steal it back.


“I loved making you mad," he says to me, his eyes wicked. "I love making you mad.” 


“This girl is destroying me.” 


“You allow the world to think you're a heartless murderer," I tell him. "And you're not."
He laughs, once; his eyebrows lifting in surprise. "No," he says. "I'm afraid I'm just the regular kind of murderer.”


“In just two days, one girl has managed to cripple me.” 


The small hand of a clock taps me at one and two, three and four, whispering hello, get up, stand up, it's time to 
wake up
wake up
"Wake up," he whispers.


Barrons from Fever


“Some people bring out the worst in you, others bring out the best, and then there are those remarkably rare, addictive ones who just bring out the most. Of everything.
They make you feel so alive that you'd follow them straight into hell, just to keep getting your fix.”


“You're leaving me, Rainbow Girl.” 


“Last night you said you wanted to know what to expect so you could better select your attire. I told you we were going to visit a vampire in a Goth-den tonight. Why, then, Ms. Lane, do you look like a perky rainbow?”


“I'm not the hero, Mac. Never have been. Never will be. Let us be perfectly clear: I'm not the antihero, either, so quit waiting to discover my hidden potential. There's nothing to redeem me.”


Keep hoping to see the light in her eyes. Even knowing it'll mean she's saying good-bye.” 


“You hated my rainbows, now you don't like my leather. Is there anything you like on me?” 


“There are two kinds of people in the world Ms. Lane: those who survive no matter the cost and those who are walking victims.”


“If you are not with me, you are against me. I have no mercy for my enemies.”


“Are we, like, having a conversation?"
"Did you just, like, ask me for advice and listen with an open mind? If so, then yes, I would call this a conversation”


Baz from Carry On


“You were the sun, and I was crashing into you.” 


“I can tell she still finds me both loathsome and distasteful, but Rome wasn't built on mutual admiration.” 


“Don't waste my time with sorries, Simon. If we stop to apologize and forgive each other every time we step


“Simon,” I say, and swallow again, “you’re being idiotic.”
“Because I like this better than fighting?”
“There is no ‘this’!” I protest.


“Just when you think you're having a scene without Simon, he drops in to remind you that everyone else is a supporting character in his catastrophe.”


“It's the good things that hurt when you're missing them.” 


“He smiles, and he's made of trouble.” 


“You called me Simon before."
"No, I didn't.” 


#5&6: What's the Most Exciting Thing About Blogging? Why Did You Start Blogging?

Blogging itself is exciting.
For this question, I stand by the very reason I opened Magiverse

Do you ever get that feeling, when you're reading an amazing book or watching a mind blowing episode on a show you love, and you have so much to say about it, so many feelings boiling up inside, and you just want to talk about it with someone, anyone, to fangirl and rave all about?
Welcome to Magiverse. 

I love to read and I love to write, but without anyone to share it with... it can get pretty lonely. So not to feel lonely anymore, I thought "what the hell" and opened my own little magical universe. There, I met some pretty amazing people. Kind people, wonderful people, warm people. I won some giveaways, did some of my own, read amazing blogs, wrote some stuff of my own, and this is only the beginning of my story. The rest... is still unwritten ;)
And that, my friends, is my favorite part about blogging.  


#7: What Book You utterly Despise and Want to Chop it to Pieces and Feed it to Your Cute Dogs (or Cats)?

How very... violent of you, Prabhleen ðŸ˜… 

But I get it.
We book lovers, as much love as we shower over our favorite books and characters, we can turn deadly and cold when things go wrong all the same. 

Disclaimer: I can never hate a book. I can be disappointed with it, disagree with it, be angry at it, but I won't ever let it be hate. Because hate it something that only hurts yourself, not anyone else. Not to mention, for every book you hate, there is someone out there who loves it. Which is why I want to show respect for those who do. Just thought I should say that (: 

deep in the depth of my Goodreads shelf, there lies a book... one single book, marked by the star of 1.
For I do not rate the books I did not finish. And it seems... once, long ago, I did, in fact, finish a book I did not like.
And so, there it sits. In the dark. For all of eternity.  


Fever by Dee Shulman

The one thing I can remember about this book is that the portrayal of emotions was so off, I couldn't stand it.
Not only I had not felt anything for the characters, I didn't feel anything from them either.
Basically: 1 star. I really didn't like it.
Apologies for those of you who did. 


#8: Do You Listen to Music While Reading and/or Writing?

I always listen to music when I'm writing my posts and stories.
Up until a while ago, I didn't use to listen to music while reading. Even though music is basically my life. Not sure why. But recently I started listening to music while reading too.
I usually put on instrumental music (my favorite band is Two Steps From Hell - I urge you to check them out!) since it might be hard to concentrate on the story when there are lyrics involved.
So the answer is: Yes, I do listen to music while reading and writing.
Music, like books, is my greatest passion in life. 


#9: Name One Book Everyone Seems to love but you don't, and One Book Everyone Seems to Dislike but you Love

I can't say I disliked the book I'm about to mention since I didn't even finish it.
And so, I would just say I couldn't, for the life of me, get into it.
Which was made even more frustrating by the fact everyone in the universe loved it so much. I honestly had to wonder why I just could not enjoy it.
One of the greatest bookish problems: not liking a book everyone else is raving about.
Anyways, apologies in advance for everyone who read - and most likely liked/loved: 


An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Sorry, fans of AEINA. This book just wasn't for me. 

fun fact: when I gave it away on a giveaway, it got lost in the mail! I still feel bad it didn't reach the girl who was waiting for it. Just like receiving books, giving them and seeing the look on that person's face is just as wonderful. 

And now for a book that everyone seems to dislike that I loved.
Hmm... let's see. 


The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke

I did not expect to enjoy this book, but I very much did.
The reviews were really mixed, and its overall rating on Goodreads wasn't all that high. I'm so glad I didn't end up listening to any of it because what I got was a fantastic pirate romance story. 

Now, I can totally understand why some people didn't like this book. The language takes a bit... time to get used to. Since it's historical fiction + pirate talk. 

I can't say I love this book with all my heart or that it's really all that disliked by many people. Honestly? I couldn't really find a good example for a book I absolutely loved that most didn't.
On the other hand, I have way too many books that everyone absolutely loved and I just didn't. Haha. 


#10: What Is Your Favourite Genre To Read? (List only one)

FANTASY.
If I had to choose to read one genre for the rest of my life, it would be fantasy.
Of course, I still want to read sci-fi, historical fiction, dystopian and contemporary, so lucky I don't have to choose then ;) 


#11: Name a Book, Write What It Is About, And Associate a Song To It. Then Write Why You Chose That Specific Song for the Book.

Great question!
Books and music... my favorite things in the world. I firmly believe every book should have its own soundtrack.
I just love associating songs with books.
Let's do this! 


Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
Associated song: Kiss Me Slowly - Parachute


Nevernight is about a girl (named Mia Corvere) on a journey to becoming an assassin. Her sole objective and motivation in life is taking revenge on the person who killed her family.
Nevernight is a high fantasy, YA novel with very adult themes, kickass protagonist, strange yet entrancing writing style, and a story you will never forget. 

It was on pure coincidence - or fate - that I got to listen to Kiss Me Slowly by Parachute the minute after I finished Nevernight.
I'm telling you, when I heard that song... it felt like fate. It fit Mia & Tric so perfectly it took my breath away. Both melody and lyrics wise. 

Just listen to is for a moment and see for yourselves.
I love this book. I love this song. They're perfect together. 

Speaking of books and songs, this song by Adam Lambert gives me serious Will & Tessa vibes.
And this song is perfect for The Call by Peadar O' Guilin.



☀  ☀  ☀ 


And that's the end of the very fun and very long Sunshine Blogger Award!
Did you have fun? Were you bored? Did you learn anything new?
Let me know! You know I always read your comments with delight.

In the meantime: 

Esther from Chapter Adventures
Uma from Books Bags Burgers 
AmyNikita from A Magical World of Words
Lola from Hit or Miss Books
Irena from Book Dust Magic
Cait from PaperFury
Emily from Reader Rising

Consider yourselves tagged for these 11 question: 


1. Name a book where the protagonist did not end up with the person you were rooting for (feel free to elaborate. With spoiler warnings, of course ;) ). 

2. Worst. Ending. Ever. What book had an ending so horrifyingly horrible, you wanted to erase it from your memory? 

3. What love story you simply could not stand? 

4. Name 3 of your 'read first, ask questions later' authors and tell us why your love for their words is so strong you'll buy any book they ever write (even if it's about cabbages) 

5. Name a book or an author you redeemed on your second try (because we book lovers are all about redemption and second chances, after all) 

6. What do you feel to be your best post yet? (remember, there is only going up from there ;) )

7. What book review was so challenging to write, you wanted to repeatedly bang your head on the wall and forget you had to write it? 

8. Did you ever work on a great post / chapter / story / any kind of writing, really, when all of a sudden it was... deleted? *tam-tam-tam*. Tell us the horrific details *shudders*. And if it never happened to you, feel free to sigh in relief and thank the universe for such unimaginable luck. 

9. What's the best book dream you ever had? (we all had those, didn't we? So great, we were disappointed to wake up to reality and find out none of this actually happened). 

10. What two authors are simply destined to write a book together? What two authors may very well make the world explode with the sheer power of their combined awesomeness? 

11. And now... for the final question: The zombie apocalypse is upon us. The world has plunged into darkness and chaos. You, one of the few left standing, know what you have to do to restore the balance to the world. But you can't do it alone. You must assemble a team of 5 fictional characters and 1 author to help you accomplish your mission and restore balance once more. No pressure or anything.
Who would they be? And what rules will they fulfill on your team?  



I hope you'll have as much fun answering those questions as I did!
Thank you again, 
Prabhleen, for tagging me.
If you decide to do it, make sure to let me know! Since I'm not yet fully back and I'd hate to miss it (:
Well then,
See you soon!
Until next time...




You don't realize how much you miss something till it comes back to you, and then you wonder how you went so long without it.  
-- The Assassin's Curse, Cassandra Rose Clake