As a brand new blogger, I was surprised to see my nomination for the Liebster Award. The idea behind this award is to promote new and obscure blogs, to help them gain followers and readers. Thanks to Josh at Been There, Read That for his thoughtful nomination.

Here are the rules for this award:

1. Link back to the person who nominated you.
2. Answer 11 questions from the individual who nominated you.
3. Nominate 11 new bloggers (with under 200 followers) and come up with your own 11 questions. You cannot nominate the person who nominated you.
4. Inform your nominee on being nominated.

So, here we go. (And reading these questions I can easily make them all relate to Harry Potter, but I will do my best to spread the love.)

1. Books are full of memorable quotes: which one is your favourite?
I am absolutely terrible with book quotes, it’s something I am trying to get better at. I read something I love, and think “I should remember this.” Alas, it is gone all too quickly. So my absolute favorite quote is one that has never left me. From my favorite of all the Harry Potter books, The Prisoner of Azkaban:

You think the dead we loved ever truly leave us? You think that we don’t recall them more clearly than ever in times of great trouble?

This has always been a very powerful passage for me, and even more so since I lost my Dad last Christmas morning.

2. Out of all the fictional characters we’ve read about, there are plenty that we can all relate to; but which one do you relate to most?
This one is tough for me. I read a lot of murder mysteries, and don’t necessarily relate to those hunting down the killer, particularly in the thriller genre. I love reading them, but there is no way I would actually be doing what they do. Off the top of my head, I’m going to go with Neville Longbottom. Neville is a great character with a lot to offer. It takes him a while, but he finds his niche and he blossoms.

3. Speaking of characters: who is your number one?
Up until a few years ago, it used to be Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley. Then Elizabeth George killed off a favorite character in With No One As Witness, and I’ve had trouble getting back to her books. So now I think M.C. Beaton’s Constable Hamish Macbeth is my number one.

4. You know all of those characters you love? if they were real, who would you most like to date?
Certainly not Hamish Macbeth. Let’s see…I’m sure there are some great characters from the classics, but I’m not much of a classics reader so none are coming to mind. I’ll pick from a recent book I’ve read, Darcy O’Mara (Rhys Bowen’s Her Royal Spyness series). Darcy is a peer without money, but always knows how to show a girl a good time in 1920’s England. Or I’d pick Sherlock, if he were played by Benedict Cumberbatch. 😉

5. What do you feel is the best book->movie adaptation?
Lord of the Rings. I really, really did not like the books, but I thought the movies were outstanding. (Sorry to all you Tolkien fans out there!) Typically for me it’s the other way around. TV adaptation would be BBC Sherlock, hands down.

6. What book or book series would you like to become a movie?
More often than not, when a book comes to the movies it just doesn’t translate well from a reader’s point of view. (Tom Cruise starring as 6′ 5″ overall bad-ass Jack Reacher? I think not.) If they could do it right, I would love to see Maisie Dobbs come to life on screen.

7. If you were zapped into Middle-Earth, which race would you like to become?
Elf. Everything is beautiful in Rivendell, and I feel like they would be the most supportive of the arts. Plus, they’ve got Orlando Bloom. Although I wouldn’t mind sharing a pint with Merry and Pippin back in the Shire, either. (They come in pints?!)

8. Come, tell us a story! How did you first get into reading?
Honestly, I’ve just always read books. I don’t remember this, but when I was little my Dad used to read to me every night. He was away from us for a few months when I was almost three, and apparently I just started reading myself since he wasn’t there to read to me. My mom says I used to read her the weather forecast in the paper each morning. My mom has always been a big reader, and my Dad got me into Stephen King when I was in High School. Books have always been a part of my life.

9. E-books, paperbacks, or hardbacks?
They all serve their purpose! If you are going to make me choose, hardback.

10. How many books do you think you’ve read in your entire life? Go on, take a guess!
I have no idea! I have over 500 books on my read list at Goodreads, 329 of those read since I joined in 2010. I’d wager that I’ve read over 1000 books.

11. As we have all probably though about this: if you could have saved one character in Harry Potter, who would it be and why?
Fred Weasley. I loved the twins throughout the whole series. Their mischief always lightened up the books, and their fierce loyalty to those they love was unmatched. The thought of George having to go through life without his best friend – it’s like half of him is forever missing. I was sad for all the deaths (it was a bloodbath!) but Fred’s was the worst for me.

My Nominees are:

Erika the Bibliophile

Must Read

Being Tori in Victoria

The Adventuring Bookworm

bellsiebooks

What Has Been Read Cannot Be Unread

Birdie Reads

Now for the hard part…My questions to you, dear nominees! Most are book related, but a few are not.

1. J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter Series or J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings?
2. What is the number one book you always recommend when someone is looking for a great read?
3. You can spend a day with one author (living or dead). Who do you pick and why?
4. If you could transport yourself into any book, where would you be?
5. I love books, but I also love a good TV show. What’s your favorite?
6. You are forced to pick one book genre to read for life. *gasp* What do you choose?
7. How many books do you read at one time?
8. Quick pick: Billy Joel or Elton John?
9. What book are you looking forward to reading in 2015?
10. When you’re not reading, what is your favorite thing to do?
11. The Doctor shows up with the TARDIS, and invites you to travel in time with him for one round trip. Where do you go? (If unfamiliar with Doctor Who, you can travel to the past or to the future. You can stay on earth, visit another planet, etc. The sky is the limit.)