The Sunshine Blogger Award III

Hello! I’m doing the Sunshine Blogger Award for the THIRD time.

What is the Sunshine Blogger Award?

The Sunshine Blogger Award is given to those who are creative, positive and inspiring while spreading sunshine to the blogging community.

How does it work?

• Thank the blogger(s) who nominated you in a blog post and link back to their blog.
• Answer the 11 questions sent by the person who nominated you.
• Nominate 11 new blogs to receive the award and write them 11 new questions.
• List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post and/or on your blog.

I was tagged by the ever-excellent Emer @A Little Haze Book Blog.

If you’ve never read one of her rants, you’re missing OUT.

I trust Emer’s positive reviews; if she likes something, it’s definitely worth checking out.

Why did you start book blogging?

The short version: in 2015, I was reading a ton of YA fiction, anticipating the new Star Wars movie, and writing a novel of my own.

I needed an outlet to discuss my favorite media, so I started a blog.

 

What are your favorite parts of book blogging?

I love getting controversial opinions off my chest and discovering other people share them.

For example, turns out I am NOT the only person to hate The Night Circus. That was so gratifying to learn!

I adore the blogging community.

Interacting with other writers and readers makes blogging worthwhile.

 

What are your least favorite?

I feel like my opinions, compared to the rest of the community, are pretty negative.

I tend to dislike books that others really love (e.g., The Night Circus) and sometimes I feel self-conscious about it.

I also feel a lot of pressure to post “quality” content (i.e., not book tags) or cover popular material.

As such, I sometimes read books I don’t like to stay current.

(Still not going to read The Name of the Wind, though.It’s not happening.)

 

What advice do you have for new book bloggers?

Book reviews (should you choose to write them) can be as informal and unstructured as you need them to be.

Just write; you can worry about branding and organization later.

Also: don’t be afraid to comment on others’ blogs! You’re not being annoying, I promise!

 

What makes you want to read a book?

Usually hype and a pretty/interesting cover.

I look out for certain elements, like witches, loyal steeds, or romance.

The phrase “breathless romance” tends to get me every time.

Oh, and any mention of elemental magic.

 

What were your favorite reads of 2019?

A good top four would be:

• Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough
• In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado
• Technically, You Started It by Lana Wood Johnson
• High Heel by Summer Brennan

I give each of these my highest possible recommendation.

Worth a read, every one.

 

What books were your least favorite of 2019?

Here we go.

Wayward Son was legitimately the worst book I had the misfortune to read last year.

I was really disappointed by The Grace Year. It billed itself as an edgy feminist fantasy, then took some problematic turns. I wasn’t into it at all.

Also, one of the girls chopped another girl’s scalp off with an AXE???

WHAT???

 

What books lived up to the hype? Which didn’t?

Books that worked:

These Witches Don’t Burn was everything I wanted it to be.

I also read the internet’s favorite book (Red, White, and Royal Blue) and ended up loving it.

 

As for books that didn’t live up to the hype…

Hot Dog Girl promised so much. That’s all I want to say on that matter.

I thought One of Us is Lying was lukewarm at best; it completely failed as a thriller.

I thought The Hazel Wood was going to be something different. The actual story freaked me out.

Dead Queens Club could have been so good. Unfortunately, the plot was too muddled to leave a lasting impression.

 

What are your favorite tropes and why?

I have SO MANY and they’re largely romance-related.

Defeat Means Friendship: After the antagonist is bested, they begrudgingly befriend the main characters and GO ON ADVENTURES WITH THEM.

Heel-Face Turn: Villains who become good are some of my favorite characters. YOU REALIZED THE ERROR OF YOUR WAYS. I’M SO PROUD OF YOU.

Defecting for Love: YOUR RELATIONSHIP/CRUSH/WHAT-HAVE-YOU MADE YOU A BETTER PERSON. WHO CARES ABOUT REALISM WHEN TROPES SUCH AS THESE EXIST!?!?

Villainous Crush/Dating Catwoman/Foe Romance Subtext: What did I say my favorite ship dynamic was? Oh, that’s right.

Was It All a Lie?/Becoming the Mask/It Meant Something to Me: The relationship started out as a lie but ALONG THE WAY IT BECAME REAL. Angsty betrayals are my lifeblood.

Look at this list.

Is it any wonder Scarlet by Marissa Meyer is one of my favorite books?

 

Who in the book world (blogger, youtuber, bookstagrammer, author, friend, etc.) inspires you the most?

Authors (like Aiden Thomas and Rosiee Thor) who publish queer content inspire me.

They’re both out here creating content and repping queer communities and advocating for more inclusive fiction.

Read Tarnished Are the Stars (out now) and pre-order Cemetery Boys (out June 9th, 2020.)

 

What is one book that helped you through rough times (or taught you something valuable?)

I learned two lessons from Beyond the Black Door.

The book includes a moon phase chart that helps break down gender, aesthetic, romantic, and sexual identity.

I’m very visual – putting human sexuality in that context was really helpful for me.

This book also taught me that good rep needs a solid story behind it.

I tagged a bunch of bloggers the last time I did the Sunshine Blogger Award, so this time I’ll tag:

Sunshine (2007) dir. by Danny Boyle | Sunshine by Robin McKinley | Sunshine Cleaning (2008) dir. by Christine Jeffs | Sunshine Biscuits

Here are my questions:

1. How
2. About
3. You
4. All
5. List
6. Your
7. Top
8. 11
9. Favorite
10. Fictional
11. Characters?

That should do it.