I’VE GOT 800 FOLLOWERS (+Q&A)

Well, hello there! I think the title and the gif are pretty explanatory, but I got 800 followers on this little blog of mine *still not sure how/when/why this happened, but I’m not complaining*.

I’m really thankful for all of you who stuck with me for these past seven months, through blogging I found a new hobby, I rediscovered my love for writing, but I also found lots of people that I absolutely adore.

I wish I could repay you with a giveaway, but I’m sadly a broke student, maybe in the near future though! Until then, I have a nice Q&A for you that I hope you’ll really enjoy! Let’s see what questions you had for me!

1. How did you imagine blogging would be and how are your expectations different from reality?  – Marie (@dh_books)

I thought blogging would be really easy. I’ve been on Goodreads for four years prior to creating a blog and I thought it would be somewhat similar, I’d be reviewing books, talking about books, interacting with people. I had no idea I might have days when I feel like not blogging at all and other days when I’m thrilled to be here, to reply to comments and write whatever is on my mind. I had no idea how much blogging will come to influence my moods because whether I like to admit it or not, I feel down when I’m not feeling inspired enough and I feel so happy whenever I get a new comment or a like or anything that means someone likes my blog.

I also thought it would be a way more lonely experience than it actually is. I had no idea how many friends I would find here, blogger friends that will care about me outside of this amazing bubble of books that we all live in. I’m just so thankful for this beautiful community!!!

2. If you could eat only one food for the rest of life, what would it be?  – Kat (@Kat_Impossible) +

Favourite food? – Marie (@dh_books)

The before-college-happened Marta would have gone with pizza, but since my living conditions make it almost impossible to eat actual food, pizza has been my go-to food at college and it’s not as fun as it seems. Okay, it’s tasty, but it gets tiring pretty fast.

Therefore, I’ll have to go with cheese-cake (especially the strawberry one). I have no self-control when it comes to sweets. Don’t judge. 

 

3. What book started it all for you? – Ioana (@ioazam2002)

My bookworm days started after I read The Fault in Our Stars, mostly because it was the first young adult book I’ve ever read. I was losing my interest for reading due to studying pretty bad Romanian classics and that book felt like a breath of fresh air. It also had been the first book I’ve read in English, after that I was suddently getting confident that I could tackle a new genre, but also read in a different language and everything changed because of that.

That being said, I’m not sure how I’ll feel reading The Fault in Our Stars now, after five years, I might not like it as much as I did back then, but it really doesn’t matter.

4. I’m very curious to know why your blog name is Cursed Books. I took there’s a good story behind that one. – Nandini (@dini_bharadwaj)

Not sure if it’s a good story, but I put some thoughts into the title, that’s for sure. I’m quite bad at naming things, my future child(ren) will be very unfortunate (who am I kidding? They will surely receive bookish names), so it took a long time to think about a name, I choose this one for two reasons :

1) It sounds quite cool or so I thought back then. It also reminded me a bit about Harry Potter and witchcraft, in general, something that I believe to be extremely bad-ass.

2) I curse books all the time for being too painful, making me have too many emotions, taking over my life. You know just for existing. Therefore, they are my cursed books.

5. How do you organise your bookshelves? – Jo (@jolinsdell)

I try to do color coordinated bookshelves, but I fail all the time due to not having as many physical copies as I would like. I also don’t have as much shelf space as I would like, your question is making me aware of the fact that I should probably re-organize my books soon.

(I see them, Rory. It’s hard not to when they are all over the place) 

6. What is your favorite and least favorite thing about book blogging? – Dalindcy (@dalindcy)

My favourite thing about book blogging is the community, I’ve had so many refreshing conversations with people on here, the community sure has its lows, but overall it is amazing to be a part of it.

My least favourite thing about book blogging is the fact that it can get quite intense. But this is a subjective thing and very connected to my personality. Each month I try to come up with better ideas, to read more than last month, to do, to be. It gets tiring pretty soon – this whole competition I have with myself. So, yes, I don’t like whenever I forget blogging is supposesd to be fun and books and not this madness.

(this gif is an actual representation of me whenever I get too stressed)

7. Who is your favorite Harry Potter character & why? – S.B. (@HogwartsGrad_7)

Hermione, that’s for sure! I relate so much to her since she’s a bookworm and a nerd and somebody who tries so hard to do the right thing all the time. Also, she’s so sassy and she saved Harry and Ron’s asses so many times, really who doesn’t like Hermione? 

Honorable mention goes to Remus Lupin who is too precious and deserved so much better, bye. 

8. If you could be a character in any book you choose, who would it be and why?  – Atheinne (@atheinne)

These questions are always so hard, I never know what to choose because there are so many characters, soooo many books. I’ll go with Annabeth from the Percy Jackson series because she’s a daughter of Athena, she’s smart and driven, she gets to fight monsters and make out with Percy from time to time. I guess it’s not that bad of a thing.

I might get tired of all those monsters coming at me, though. But since I’m Annabeth, it will all be effortless to me.

9. Fave tea (or any drink) to rule them all? – Ioana (@ioazam2002)

I know almost every bookworm is obsessed with tea, but I’m not a tea person. I still like it, my favourite is peppermint tea. But I’m more of a hot chocolate girl myself.

10. ONE book you’d recommend EVERYONE to read? – Marie (@dh_books)

I have a feeling Marie wanted to torture me with this question.

I think you should all READ I WAS BORN FOR THIS BY ALICE OSEMAN BECAUSE IT’S  ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OUT THERE.

Of course, there are many other books that I would love to recommend to everyone, I usually mention them in my reviews, so you can always go check them!

(me talking about reading & screaming about IWBFT)

11. You can take 3 book characters on an adventure date. Who’d it be and what would you do? – Kat (@Kat_Impossible)

Alright, Legolas (Lord of The Rings), Nina (Six of Crows) and Elian (To Kill a Kingdom), we’d probably go hunting some mythical creatures or something monstrous, I’m not sure, depends on the world we are in. Also, there will be sweets involved because my girl, Nina is there and we will spend most of the time eating our chocolate.

12.  Favourite romanian food? (If not answered by papanasi or cozonac I am unfrending you forever) – Ioana (ioazam2002)

I feel like I might be unfriended forever *cries for eternity* but I really have to go with sarmale, I’m sorry, Ioana. I hope you can forgive me. Also, if you guys don’t know what sarmale is, please google it (I feel weird posting a photo of them on my blog, lol) because you have no idea what you’re losing on!!!

13. Your dream destination? – Marie &

 If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? – S.B.

I’m answering both of these together because they are similar and they also have the same answer. My dream destination and a place where I would love to live is New Zealand because that country is absolutely gorgeous.

Also, for Marie’s question, I would love to visit Costa Rica at some point as a holiday destination. Those beaches look glorious, I suppose a girl can dream.

14. If you could play a new character in a TV show, which one would you pick and what’s your role? – Kat (@Kat_Impossible)

Ahhh, Kat, you probably have such a well thought answer to this question. But I don’t. I would love to play a role in Vikings – a shield-maiden, anything that involves hanging out with Lagertha a lot because she’s the greatest character there. Also, Ubbe has dreamy eyes, so I wouldn’t mind my character being involved with him, lol.

The show is soooo good and I find the history of the vikings so fascinating, they were so fierce, duuuude, I want to be like them.

15.  A book you can’t believe you haven’t read just yet (but really want to)? – Marie (@dh_books)

The Night Circus? Crooked Kingdom? I’ll Give You The Sun? Moxie?

Probably will have to go with Crooked Kingdom because I should have read the book a while ago since I adored Six of Crows and there’s nothing that should be keeping me away from reading the sequel – besides my stupid doubts and the spoilers I’ve got.

16. What makes you passionate about psychology? And why did you choose to study it? – Ioana (@ioazam2002)

I love learning about what makes people behave the way they do, I’m a pretty analytical person, I overanalyse everything I and others do, therefore studying psychology was a simple choice. I’m also very interested by biology, especially genetics, therefore I’m very interested right now in this whole genes vs environment (nature vs nurture) debate, I love reading research papers on such subjects when I’m not reading fiction. What can I say? I am a nerd.

So, don’t think of me as a future psychotherapist because I’m much more interested in the research field and even in the organizational field rather than in psychotherapy.

17. Favorite movie? (NOT LOTR) – Marie (@dh_books)

HAHAHAHAHAHA, I love how Marie knows I would chose LOTR and took precautions. I really I’m not sure. I’m never prepared for this question because LOTR is everything. But I think Wonder Woman is a favourite of mine as well because I love seeing bad-ass women on the screen.

Also, Never Let Me Go was a movie that gave me lots of emotions. I cry more easily at movies than at books, Hacksaw Ridge was also quite an important movie, wow, I can’t believe someone so heroic existed and we don’t really know anything about Desmond.

I wish there was a Goodreads version for movies because I have the worst memory ever when it comes to them.

17. What’s your favorite fairy-tale/myth? – Aurora (@auroralibrialis)

I’ll go with myths for this one because you know how obsessed I am with greek mythology. I love the myth of Cupid and Psyche – it’s really cool, I really need to read some retellings. Anything about the Amazons, if I ever write a book, it’s going to be something related to the Amazons because they are too bad-ass not to.

Also, anything from Norse Mythology – Loki and Thor are amazing and Odin (omg), I love the whole giving up his eye for knowledge thing – hello, fellow Ravenclaw.

18. What are your favourite posts to write? – Ruby (@rubyraereads)

Ohhh, totally discussion posts! They are the most fun for me to write because they usually get more comments, which means more interaction with my readers. I love seeing the opinion that those posts can spark, I also learnt a lot through some of these posts, more about how people relate to the community, more about other countries/cultures, in general, they help me get to know my readership a lot more than tags or reviews do.

19. What’s your biggest blogging pet peeve? – Lara (@wordswithlara)

Probably comments with ‘Follow me and I’ll follow you back/comment on my post and I’ll also comment on yours’, thankfully I rarely receive these types of comments. I want people to follow me for my content, not just because they want to gain followers. I also tend to comment back on the blogs that comment on mine (unless I’m busy or forgot about it), so there’s no need for that.

 

20. What fantastical creature would you want as your animal companion? – Aurora (@auroralibrialis) 

DRAGON. OR A PEGASUS.

Can you tell how much I would like to fly? I think they would both work so well, a dragon as moody as I am to throw fire around on my enemies – yes, please sign me up.

Just kidding.

21. How are you so amazingly awesome? – Ioana (@ioazam2002)

I want to thank my parents, my parrots and my books for making me this amazingly awesome.

Really I have no idea why you think I’m awesome. 

 I must have tricked you somehow. 

22. What are some of your blogging goals & dreams? – Marie (@dh_books)

I think one of my biggest blogging dreams/goals is to blog for more than one year. I have so many hobbies and sometimes I’m not very constant with them (besides reading), I don’t want something like that to happen to blogging because I really enjoy it.

I also want to interview some of my favourite authors (this would be the dream).

And meet some of my friends from the blogosphere – this would be absolutely amazing since I love all of you and I would have a total blast!

23. What’s your favorite standalone book? – Aurora (@auroralibrialis)

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, it’s the most amazing book in the world, has the great Achilles/Patroclus relationship we deserve, great retelling of the Illiad. You want to read it if you haven’t read it yet!

 

 

 

(credit)

And The Secret History, every book by Gillian Flynn & Kasie West. 

24. Favourite books you’ve read because of the community? – Ruby (@rubyraereads)

The Wrath and the Dawn duology, The Hate U Give, Vicious and some more. I feel like I haven’t read enough books because of the blogging community??? Though my TBR pile has grown so much bigger since I joined, I have to read the books too. I’m sure Marie is (im)patiently waiting for me to read The Forbidden Wish, I’ll Give You The Sun and This is How It Happened.

25. What are some over-hyped books you have read because of blogging in your opinion? – Ruby (@rubyraereads)

City of Bones, probably! I know many of you love it, but I disliked the book and didn’t continue with the series because I don’t know??? It’s just too much hype and so many mixed feelings as the series progresses. Nope, just not for me.

Red Queen is also a series that I won’t continue because the first book was meh and I’ve heard it only goes downhills.

26. And now a very serious question for you : Peeta or Gale? – Audrey (@audreyfrancisp)

I’m sorry Gale, but you had no chance! 

Peeta is one of my first book boyfriends, I’ll always love him.

That was it! These were your questions, thank you so much again to all of you who send me questions! I had such a fun time replying to them, I was a bit anxious that I won’t get any *hides away*

Thank you again for everything, every bit of support you’ve been giving me since I first started! You’re all so important to me, you’ve made me less afraid of speaking out and voicing my opinion because I know that there are people who relate to me, who would like to hear what I have to say.

Thank you!!!

Do you agree to any of my answers? 

What are some of your blogging goals and dreams?