The Sunflower Blogger Award


I was tagged back in June by Aerykah over at Expressions of Me for The Sunflower Blogger Award. I don't really do awards because, honestly, they take time I don't normally have and I don't want to tag other bloggers. I did chat with Aerykah though and I decided I should at least post my 11 facts and answer her questions. So, here I am, two and a half months later, doing just that. :)

The Rules 
1. Share 11 facts about yourself
2. Answer the 11 questions the previous blogger asked
3. Tag 11 bloggers and ask them 11 new questions (I'm skipping this one)

My 11 Facts
Well, here goes:
1. I've been an avid reader my whole life, but still have a list of must-read classics and other books that I really should have read by now. Some of those would be:
The Book Thief Allegiant (Divergent, #3) The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #1)
The Princess Bride  The Great Gatsby A Study in Scarlet (Sherlock Holmes, #1) The Giver (The Giver #1)
2. I have four young children and am one of those weird mom's who hate it when they go back to school.
3. I have rather wide tastes in books. I read YA (all sub-genres), some NA, some Adult (I'm a sucker for chick-lit, especially when it's clean), Christian Fiction, LDS Fiction, classics, cookbooks, and craft books. Thus my very large tbr and ARC piles.
4. My favorite sport to play is racquetball.
5. I grew up watching a lot of tennis, among other sports. I still have a crush on Pete Sampras. My best friend was always pitted against me, cheering Andre Agassi on. 
 
6. I also have a crush on Harry Connick Jr., Keith Urban, Chris Hemsworth, and Theo James. My husband is aware. He tops them all. :)

 
Moving on...
7. I love to cook. Thai is my favorite, to cook and eat. Mexican would be second.
8. I also love to bake. I definitely have a sweet spot for chocolate chip cookies and really anything chocolate.
9. I used to play the piano a lot and majored in music my freshman year before switching to political science, which is what I graduated in. In case you're wondering, they don't relate, but they're both interests.
10. I've been to Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Missouri, Chicago, Maryland, Virgina, D.C., and Mexico. We're hoping to do some road trips soon as the kids get older and eventually visit every single state.
11. Hmm. What else to share? I'm a Mormon, or a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It basically carries over to everything I do and who I am. I have some friends who aren't religious and some who are from different faiths. I love them all! We all make the world go round.

Aerykah's 11 Questions

1. Who is your favorite author(s)?
That is a hard question. Classical-wise I love Dickens and Austen, Georgette Heyer, Jane Eyre, Anne of Green Gables, The Chronicles of Narnia... 
David Copperfield Pride and Prejudice The Grand Sophy
Jane Eyre Anne of Green Gables (Anne of Green Gables, #1) The Chronicles of Narnia (Chronicles of Narnia, #1-7)
If we're talking adult books, I love Julianne Donaldson, Sarah M Eden, then some chick-lit ones that I'm a sucker for, but have mature content.
Blackmoore Glimmer of Hope Call Me Irresistible (Wynette, Texas #6) The Perfect Match (Blue Heron #2)
Then if it's YA, I love Marissa Meyer, Diana Peterfreund, Kasie West, Robin McKinleyLeigh Bardugo, Janette Rallison, Ally Carter, Cinda Williams Chima... I could go on and on.
Cress (The Lunar Chronicles, #3) Across a Star-Swept Sea (For Darkness Shows the Stars, #2) On the Fence The Blue Sword (Damar, #2)
Siege and Storm (The Grisha, #2) My Fair Godmother (My Fair Godmother, #1) Perfect Scoundrels (Heist Society, #3) The Crimson Crown (Seven Realms, #4)
Then there's Christian Romance authors, such as Deeanne Gist, Susan May Warren, Becky Wade, Tamera Alexander, Jenny B. Jones, Julie Klassen, to name a few. ;)
It Happened at the Fair (It Happened at the Fair, #1) When I Fall in Love (Christiansen Family, #3) My Stubborn Heart
To Whisper Her Name (Belle Meade Plantation, #1) There You'll Find Me The Maid of Fairbourne Hall
Finally LDS Fiction authors, a few of which are Traci Hunter Abramson, Melanie Jacobson, Kay Lynn Mangum.
Obsession Not My Type: A Single Girl's Guide to Doing It All Wrong The Secret Journal of Brett Colton

2. What’s the best book you’ve read in the past month? 
I'm picking two:

Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin, #1) Storm Siren (Storm Siren, #1)


3. What’s the best movie you’ve seen lately?
Hmm. We've seen Divergent, which I really enjoyed, and Spider-Man 2, which I also really liked.
 

4. Do you have a favorite place to read? If so, where?
I do. We have this big olive-green chaise chair and ottoman that you kind of sink into and it just kind of hugs you. I love to sit in it while cuddled up with my down blanket. It sits next to a big bookshelf in our family room, which is the room that doesn't have a tv, so it has a quietness to it. I can hear what's going on in the house, but it also is somewhat removed so I feel I'm in my own space.

5. What’s your favorite time of day?
Hmm. I love nights because the kids go down and the house gets quiet and I can get so much done. That's also husband and me time, or tv, or reading time.

6. Do you like to travel?
I do like to travel. I love making memories with my loved ones, seeing new places, and trying new things. I also love going back to places full of happy memories and visiting family and friends. I don't nearly get to do it as much as I'd like.

7. What’s one place you’ve read about that you would enjoy visiting?
So many places! I'll pick France. :)

8. Do you play an instrument?
Yep, the piano.

9. What’s your favorite summer activity?
Hmm. I love swimming and playing with the kids, but I would say visiting the beach would be my favorite thing in the summer.

10. Do you prefer paper books or e-books?
I like the ease of ebooks, but really, I will always prefer physical books.

11. What’s your favorite season & why?
In Arizona the late fall/early winter is fabulous as is the spring. I love the feel of preparing for the holidays and as the mornings and nights start to get cold and then turn cold. So, I would say that's my favorite time, leading through Christmas.

I hope you enjoyed learning a little bit more about me. Do we have any of the same tastes?

6 comments

  1. Loved the questions and answers! Congrats!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm so glad you decided to do this! It was great getting to know you more :) And I added Jenny B. Jones to my to-read list...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh, Jenny B. Jones... She is great! You'd really like her books, Heidi.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Fabulous questions and answers. Yay for more 'Divergent' shout-outs (any excuse, right??) and for those fabulous books you list!
    ...and aw! What a sweet thing to say; your husband tops all those crushes. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. He does though. He's real and he does things like the dishes when I don't ask him too and plays with the kids and lets me have racquetball nights with my girlfriend once a week and makes me laugh... See. So much better than a celebrity I don't know. ;)

    ReplyDelete

I love comments! I try to read and reply to them all. Feel free to agree or disagree and generally share your thoughts with me.