As hosted by The Broke & The Bookish
Today’s Top Ten Tuesday is all about a subject I have no doubt you’re all waiting to hear about… me!
To change it up a bit for this post, I thought I’d mix up a few bookish facts (this is a book blog after all) with some more personal facts. From the basic dry facts to the more personal and slightly embarassing facts, I lay it all out here! Well maybe not all, but let’s start with ten…
I am currently 30 years old. The day I turned 30 I also discovered my first grey hair. More have followed since. So I’m basically an old lady already. However, I still FEEL like I’m only 22 and I always have to think a bit when people ask me how old I am. I don’t feel like I’m 30 and I haven’t felt a day over 22 since I actually was 22. Except when I’m out at night and struggle not to fall asleep. Then I’m old and I just need my bed. #truefact
I love love love any book by Sarah J. Maas. If I would have to choose one favourite author (which is one of the most difficult choices you can ever ask a bookworm), it would be her. Definitely. Also J.K. Rowling. And Leigh Bardugo. Three favorite authors of the moment.
My birthday is on Halloween and for some reason I am super proud of that (like I had any say in the matter…). Ever since I was old enough to understand that little fact I have enjoyed celebrating Halloween more than my actual birthday. It’s one of the only days in the year I actually enjoy watching scary movies (I usually don’t because I always end up really liking one character only for him or her to end up dead. Real bummer.). Another classic that will always be my favorite: Hocus Pocus.
I read on average 1 to 2 books a week, leading to about 70 books per year. I used to think this was a lot but then I started blogging. 150 books a year? How do some of you guys do it? Please, tell me all your reading secrets! (Though I guess I could start with not falling asleep every time I try to read in the evenings, so …yeah)
I live in the beautiful country of Belgium. I like it here fine most of the time, but I don’t like how we’re always behind on the latest movies, tv shows and books. Some movies come out months after they were released in the US, some tv shows just NEVER make it to our tv (at least there’s Netflix though) and don’t even get me started on the books. No, I will not wait years until a sequel is finally translated! I’ll just read it in English, thank you very much. Latest addition to this lateness horror? The fact that Pokemon Go is not yet available here. Seriously, what? I need to catch them all and I need to do it NOW! #seriousproblems
I read both adult and young adult fiction. Young adult often has a bad reputation but I think that YA can be just as good or even better than adult fiction. They just happen to have younger characters. I’ve read YA books that have had better writing, character development and world building than some adult books. So I read what I want depending on my mood and I dislike book snobism. There are lots of different books and genres out there and everybody should just read whatever they want to read. It should not matter what you like to read, whether it’s fiction or non-fiction, YA or adult, romance or fantasy, classics or recent releases, comics or magazines, and so on.
I am introverted, shy, socially awkward and bordering on social anxiety. Fun times! However, I’ve learned to accept the way I am and like with anything I have bad days where I just want to cry when anybody expects me to make conversation and good days where I feel like I’ve got a handle on this thing called life. My job (marketing) and hobby (dancing) really have helped with that. I figure that if I can hold a presentation or dance in funny costumes in front of people, I can do anything. It’s still way out of my comfort zone, but I’m always immensely proud of myself if I managed to push through it and get it done. My advice to anyone who feels the same way: small steps are steps too and dare to be proud of that!
This one time in high school my Dutch teacher told me I had a great writing style. Ever since then I’ve been dreaming of someday writing my own book. However, I have zero imagination and no clue as to what I would write a book about or how I would start. I did once start writing my own book as a kid. However, since I have zero imagination it was a blatant rip-off of a Fear Street book I had just read, but with me and my friends in the main roles. I wrote one page. Let’s never speak of it again.
I LOVE MUSIC! And I have a very varied music taste. One day I can be listening to classic rock, the next to the latest top 40 hits and the next could be a Disney soundtrack kind of day. I think there’s a time and place for every kind of music and I don’t really appreciate music snobism. However, I do have a big soft spot for any kind of rock. I suck at labeling it further than that, but if it has a guitar I’m pretty happy. Some of my favorite bands include Linkin Park, Fall Out Boy, Rise Against, Muse, Editors, AC/DC, My Chemical Romance, Against The Current, Snow Patrol, and any incarnation of Andrew McMahon. Latest additions: Pierce The Veil and Sleeping With Sirens <3 <3 <3
I’m a hopeless romantic and I love romance in books. I need to have a ship in a book or it just does not do all that much for me. That said, I am very critical of said romance in books. I don’t like insta-love, love triangles or abusive or obsessive relationships. It needs to feel real but still swoon-worthy. I need to be able to get 100% behind the romance. Some of my favorite book ships include Ron and Hermione (duh!), Katniss and Peeta, Damen and Laurent, Tessa and Jem and Feyre and Rhys.
I also read adult and YA titles. I really enjoy both. I am also fairly socially awkward and shy unless I am with my family or close friends. I just have a hard time with other people. I agree I am amazed at how many books some people can read in a year! I had n idea until I started blogging. Very cool to have your birthday on Halloween!
Glad you also read both adult and YA and I’m not alone in the social awkwardness! Even with family and friends I sometimes get pretty awkward 🙂 And blogging is indeed pretty bad for the reading confidence 🙂
I’m right there with you on the age thing except I’m even older! At 36 I still basically feel 25 or so until I get injured or sick and then discover that I don’t bounce back nearly as much as I expected. I’m not a fan of that! I always thought I was a fast reader (normally around 120 books a year but it was more pre-kids) until I started blogging. I’ve seen people with goals in the 200s. That’s awesome your birthday is on Halloween!
Glad I’m not the only one who only feels her age at certain moments 😉 Reading goals in the 200? That’s really super high, that’s like a superpower 🙂
Your romance GIF is the BEST!! I’m the same way. I always look for romance in my books, and when I don’t have it a little piece of me dies. Okay, not really… but I NEED a romance in like every single book I read. Ever. Go romance! 🙂
YES to romance! 🙂 And yes that gif is the best, it really show how I feel during romantic scenes in books 😀
I’m super jealous your birthday is on Halloween; its my favorite holiday!
At first I tried not to be a romantic in books, really I did, but I’ve come to accept it. Like you I don’t like love-triangles or that insta-love stuff. I need development and actually connections.
Here’s my TTT
Halloween really is the best holiday out there! I’m always sad when it’s over and all the Halloween decorations have to make way for winter and Christmas decorations…
And yes, romance is great but it has to be quality stuff 😉
YES to this one:
“I read on average 1 to 2 books a week, leading to about 70 books per year. I used to think this was a lot but then I started blogging.”
I have no idea how people read 150 books a year. Maybe if I didn’t have young kids…but still probably not.
I know, it’s like some people have a reading superpower 🙂
I used to be such a night owl and then when I turned 30 it was like “well, it’s 11 pm so it’s much past my bedtime, I’m going home now”.
Exactly! Now it’s like “Really, you still want to go out now? It’s 9 PM, it’s almost bed time!” 😀
Hello Belgium this is Spain (aka Macedonia) calling. We should make like a network of European based book bloggers hehe. http://www.curious-daisy.com/top-ten-tuesday/top-ten-facts-about-yours-truly/
Hi Spain! Definitely, us European book bloggers should stick together 😉
Hellow fellow October baby. 😉 Having your birthday on Halloween sounds pretty great.
Haha, spend every moment you can reading? I don’t know. I can’t quite do it either though I’d like to get to 120 some time. I wanted to do it this year but a baby got in the way. 😉 Some also just read a lot faster than others.
The Netherlands has the same thing. Though Belgium got the last Sherlock season faster than we did. 😉
Yay for October babies 🙂
Hope you’ll still manage 120 books someday and if you do, please let me know how you did it 😉 also, congratulations on the baby!
Ohh I love these facts, and yay Belgium, so close to France! 🙂 I don’t understand how some people can read 150 books a year, that’s insane, they have some kind of superpowers haha 🙂 Just like you, I love a great romance book, I’m so cheesy at times haha.
Hi France! 🙂
I think a little cheese is always a good thing 😉
We have a lot in common. I’m almost 30, awkward, and love both adult and YA books. I’d like to go to Belgium someday. I don’t get to travel very often.
Hi, nice to meet you! 🙂 I hope you’ll be able to visit Belgium one day, it may be a small country but it has some pretty nice places.
YA books are my LIFE. <3 I read them way more than adult books…although I'm starting to slowly creep into the adult genre a bit more hahhah. OH oh I love music too! I went really anti-music for a while because I couldn't find any bands I liked but omg Fall Out Boy.<333
And I am a shy nervous turtle too so I tooootally relate to that part. And I agree! We should definitely congratulate ourselves for the small things. 😀 WE'RE DOING WELL.
Thanks for stopping by @ Paper Fury!
OMG Fall Out Boy! <3 They really are the therapists running through my speakers 😉 So glad you love them too!
I love a good adult novel now and then, though the majority I read at the moment tends to be YA. It is awesome and I love it!
And yes, we are doing well and should be proud of that! 😉