25 Bookish Facts About Me | Tag

I watched a video by Amanda Carter, a booktuber I’ve recently subscribed to, called “25 Bookish Facts About Me”, pretty self-explanatory. Here’s the original video.

I wasn’t tagged BUT I’m gonna do it anyway.

1. I don’t mind movie/television book covers. I don’t care which edition someone buys because inside the story is still the same, so if you want a particular edition with a movie photo, you do you.

2. I’m the kind of reader who bends the spine or dog ears pages. I’m sorry!! You can unclutch your pearls now.

In my defense, I only do it to the books I own and never ones I borrow. Even I know that’s a big no-no! (I know that’s still unheard of for a lot of people.) Even if I happen to not bend the spine, the book I’m reading ends up looking distressed by the time I’m done with it. I sound like such a violent reader, oh god.

3. I buy too many books. That’s probably old news for some of you. I have a bad habit of buying lots of books to add to my TBR list, and it just piles up to the point of being overwhelming. I have 40+ books that I have yet to read and it’s a problem. But it’s hard not to buy more when they only cost $1-5! (I shop at used bookstores and Goodwills frequently…)

A majority of these books are part of my TBR list

Book Artist Tag

I’ve been wanting to do this tag since I saw it on Maria’s blog last year! I definitely judge books by their covers. A good design is very important, if I don’t like the way a book looks, I won’t be drawn to it. I’m a designer, so book design is something I’m very interested, but I don’t think I have the talent to make a career of it (YET!!).

You can find the original tag video here — it’s in German, so thank you, Maria for the translations!.

1) Show me whatcha got: Show me a book with the best cover

Do you understand HOW difficult this was?? I ended up choosing this set of Lord of the Rings with cover art by John Jude Palencar. This is one of my favorite copies of LOTR.

2) The inside matters: Show me a book with the best colours/ design on the inside of the cover

I chose this edition of The Silmarillion illustrated by Ted Nasmith. I love all the different colors in the map.

3) It’s all about the spine: Show me a book with the most interesting/ beautiful spine

I tried not to include so many Tolkien books but here we are. I picked two editions of The Hobbit for this one: the 50th anniversary and a collector’s edition (not sure if that’s the official title).

4) Make my heart sing: Show me a book with the best colours (cover, spine, and back)

Ever since I saw this book a while back, I knew I wanted to buy it and read it (haven’t yet though). Red, white and black is a classic color scheme and it really works with the cover. I love the way the title is treated, using two colors to separate the words, the clean illustration, ahh I just really like it.

5) It starts at the beginning: Show me a book with the best designed chapter beginnings

The edition of The Hobbit illustrated by Alan Lee is beautiful! Anything Alan Lee does is superb, let’s be real.

6) Down to the basics: Show me a book with a unique title font

This is another book I haven’t read yet, but after seeing the cover I had to buy it. Shadow and Bone is part of the Grisha Trilogy and the other two books are equally well-designed.

7) Do it like Picasso: Show me a book with the most artistic cover

I am only halfway done with The Neverending Story, I stopped reading it last August…I got a little bored with it. I’ll finish it eventually. All that aside, I love this cover! There’s a lot going on but it flows nicely in my opinion.

8) Everything matters: Show me a book with the best book edge

This was my dad’s set of LOTR, as you can see it looks pretty old. The pages are all yellowed, there are little tears and rips on the covers but that’s what I love about it. I’m the type of person who has a habit of bending spines and being kinda aggressive with books so I like seeing worn books.

9) Pretty without any makeup on: Show me a book that is still beautiful without its book jacket

When I go to bookstores, I always take hardcover books out and take off their dust jackets because I want to see what the actual book looks like. For this, I ended up choosing The Secret Garden illustrated by Inga Moore. I bought this from a Goodwill for $2, and it’s sooo nice!

Infinity Dreams Award

I was nominated by Maria and the Traveling Geek Show for the Infinity Dreams Award.

Rules:

• List seven dreams. They can be personal or website related.
• Nominate seven other bloggers/authors/dogs for this award and notify them.

Meet my Middle-earth News Family

I have already met the U.S. members from Middle-earth News (you can read about it here), but that was so long ago and I desperately want to see them again! Not only them, but the European peeps too! We all pretty much talk to each other everyday and I can’t even begin to imagine how much fun we would have together. Our LOTR marathon would be epic and hilarious!

Theatre Designer

Some of you probably already know this but I’m a graphic design major (hopefully graduating soon!!) and I love watching Broadway shows (mainly musicals). Since I’m not an actor or singer, any dreams of starring in a musical are unrealistic. I’d still love to be able to work in the NYC theatre world as a designer. Making ads for musicals/plays, developing logos, do marketing…this is my dream job.

Become a Tolkien Scholar

While I love all things relating to Tolkien and hoard too many books, I’m no where near becoming a scholar but it’s something I hope to accomplish one day. I want to be that person who can drop trivia at any time, answer people’s questions, speak Sindarin, and know how to write in Tengwar. I have a lot of study material (too many books, haha) at my disposal, so it is a possibility for me. I just need to find the time and determination to really get down and learn as much as I can.

Collect, Collect and Collect!

A big dream of mine is for my Tolkien Collection to keep growing. Hopefully when I get a place of my own, I’ll be able to really get it set up nicely. Imagine a room of Middle-earth. There are so many book editions, action figures, statues and movie memorabilia that I want to own. It would be a dream come true to have a good job and home where I’m able to focus on collecting.

Cosplay

I’ve always wanted to cosplay but it’s basically an impossible dream for me because I don’t sew at all. I’m so envious of cosplayers, they get to be their favorite characters! I wish I had the talent and drive to cosplay, and I hope that one day I will. My friend Rachel makes fun of me because I want to cosplay as the most random characters: Cabbage Man from Avatar: The Last Airbender, the Matchmaker from Mulan and Old Bilbo (Grey Havens scene). I also want to be a Kyoshi Warrior and Eowyn (have you seen her dresses???)

Read

I’m the type of person to start something and never finish it, and this relates mostly to all the books collecting dust in my bookshelf. Reading is FUN, but I’m a horrible person and always put it off. There are currently five books I need to finish and I can’t even begin to count the number of series and books I want to start. There are so many great stories out there, worlds I want to explore and what happens? I don’t read. I suck.

Attend More Tolkien Events

HobbitCon, RingCon, MythMoot, OxonMoot…I want to go to all of these events! If it’s Tolkien-related, I want to be there. Especially if that means there will be tons of other fans and scholars to talk to. And I know this isn’t exactly Tolkien-related, but I want to go to a Renaissance Fair. I am filled with lots of shame because I don’t know the joy of a giant Ren Fair turkey leg.

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I don’t really know who to tag, so if you’re reading this and it sounds like something you want to do, I nominate you!

The Musical Theatre Tag

I found this musical theatre tag post and felt a very strong need to do it too. If you don’t already know, I love musicals, soundtracks and scores are some of the only music I listen to and it’s a shame I’m an absolutely horrible singer otherwise I’d sing all the time around everyone.

1. What was the first musical you ever saw?

Either 42nd Street or Beauty and the Beast, I can’t remember which came first. I’m like… 76% sure it was 42nd Street.

2. What was your favorite musical growing up?

Rent!!! I first became a fan in 5th grade when my music teacher had everyone in my grade sing “Seasons of Love” for a concert and it still is my favorite musical.

3. Were you ever in a musical?

Only the ones I was forced to be in in elementary school. I don’t act, sing or dance, it’s a travesty.

4. What was the first musical you saw on Broadway?

*see question no. 1*

The Epic Disney Tag!

Yup, I’m doing another tag post because who gets tired of those? You can find the original Disney tag from Smilingldsgirl here. I’ll probably include some Pixar as well.

1. A scene in any Disney movie you wish you could experience?

There are a bunch and let me just say this right now: expect me to give multiple answers to each question, it’s too hard to just give one!

I wish I could experience the moment in Tangled when Flynn and Repunzel are on the water and sitting beneath all the lanterns, I bet it would be breathtaking.

Another scene would be in Tarzan when he takes Jane up in the trees to all the birds during “Strangers Like Me”.

Honorable mentions:

• Riding alongside horses on the flying carpet – Aladdin
• Jumping over a waterfall – Pocahontas
• Walking into the Beast’s kick-ass library – Beauty and the Beast
• Looking up to see Zeus creating a constellation in the sky of Hercules – Hercules
• Seeing all the animals in the lights (sorry that doesn’t make sense haha) – Brother Bear

Harry Potter Questionnaire

I saw this questionnaire on the Traveling Geek Show blog and wanted to do it as well. Enjoy~

1. What is your favorite book? Why?

I’ve only read the series once and that was about 6 (?) years ago so I don’t remember exactly how I felt about each book but I think I’m going to have to go with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. It felt the most exciting to me, I love the beginning when everyone comes to bring Harry to 12 Grimmauld Place. And I love Tonks. I hope I’m remembering everything correctly, haha.

2. What is your favorite film? Why?

A tough question but maybe Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (I should actually say Philosopher’s) because I’m a sucker for the first in any series. It was also my introduction to the Harry Potter universe and everyone looks like such a baby and cute and ahh. Babies.

…..But I also really like Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban because Lupin. That’s enough of a reason to choose that movie as a favorite, right?

3. What is your least favorite book? Why?

Hmmmmmm. I don’t know if I have one. I’ll have to do a re-read to figure that out.

The Lord of the Rings Themed Questionnaire

I posted a list of LOTR themed questions on my tumblr a few years ago (I also made not-so-good graphics for them) and I thought it would be fun to answer them now. There are 50 questions so this post may get long-winded, just bear with me. If you want to answer too, you can find the full list of questions here. 🙂

1. Books or movies?
   Ahh, this question. It’s always been near impossible for me to answer because both are very important to me. Movies were my introduction to Middle-earth but the book is the real deal, you know? It’s the basis for epic fantasy, it’s the original material of my all-time favorite story. I mean, if I haaaaaaad to choose one over the other I would choose…the book.
2. Which character do you connect with the most?
   I want to say Bilbo though I don’t feel worthy enough, haha. I love him lots. Like Bilbo, I like to spend a lot of time at home doing quiet things like reading or eating (yeah) but it wouldn’t satisfy me completely. I’d still like to go out and go on my own adventures to see the world.
3. What are your top 5 favorite tracks from the soundtracks?
   Okay, *cracks knuckles* I can do this. The Shire, The Breaking of the Fellowship, The Lighting of the Beacons, The Battle of the Pelennor Fields, and The Mouth of Sauron. Oh god I didn’t even include any from TTT. This is too difficult!! Oh nO I didn’t include The Last March of the Ents. Can that be my honorable mention?
4. Which scene always makes you cry?
   Which scene DOESN’T make me cry?? I’ll try to give my top five scenes because I could go on forever and no one wants that: Boromir’s death, Sam carrying Frodo up Mount Doom, the scene with Frodo and Sam after the Ring is destroyed, Aragorn’s coronation, and the Grey Havens. During the last half of ROTK I’m a teary snot-filled mess.
5. Where would you live in Middle-earth?
   Without a doubt the Shire. I’d like to live in Bag End but I don’t know how Bilbo would feel about a stranger sneaking their way into his home…
6. Which race would you be?
   Hobbit. Yes.
7. Orcs or Uruk-hai?
   Orcs because the Uruk-hai are bigger and can go in the sunlight. I might have a better chance of surviving an encounter with an orc. Lol, no I wouldn’t, they’d kill me. But if we’re deciding based on a coolness factor, the Uruk-hai.
8. Favorite character?
   BILBO. Mainly old Bilbo, though young Bilbo is cool too.
9. Which character do you look the most like?
   There aren’t really any Asian-looking characters in the films…but I’m chubby and short so I’d probably fit in well with the hobbits. Granted, they’re like two feet shorter than me but I’d make it work.
10. Who is your favorite paring? (canon or non-canon)
    Faramir and Eowyn because they make me feel the most feelings of happiness and gushy-ness. “Then, Éowyn of Rohan, I say to you that you are beautiful. In the valleys of our hills there are flowers fair and bright, and maidens fairer still; but neither flower nor lady have I seen till now in Gondor so lovely, and so sorrowful. It may be that only a few days are left ere darkness falls upon our world, and when it comes I hope to face it steadily; but it would ease my heart, if while the Sun yet shines, I could see you still. For you and I have both passed under the wings of the Shadow, and the same hand drew us back.” *swoon*
11. Who is your least favorite paring? (canon or non-canon)
    I love all of the canon pairings so I’ll have to go with a non-canon one, Gandalf and anyone. I have seen things I wish I’d never seen.
12. What unpopular opinion do you have for the movies?
    I don’t know how popular or unpopular this is, but I’m so happy there was no Tom Bombadil. Sorry to all of the hey dol merry dol fans. He just always rubbed me the wrong way and he also creeps me out for reasons I cannot explain.
13. If you could change anything about the movies, what would it be?
    More of Tolkien’s poems! Also I would have liked to see the scouring of the Shire, though I understand why it wasn’t included. I would have also liked a more diverse cast. *crossing my fingers for a cool LOTR TV show in the future.
14. How do you think Tolkien would have felt about Peter Jackson’s adaptations?
    No idea. I like to think that he would appreciate them but really, who knows?
15. Whose wardrobe would you like to have?
    It’s a tie between Frodo and Eowyn. I love Frodo’s outfits, especially the one we first see him in, you know, that blue shirt? Love. And Eowyn, oh man, her dresses are spectacular. Especially that green one!
16. Rivendell or Lothlorien?
    Both are breathtaking locations, but if I had to choose one to live in I’d choose Rivendell. I don’t know how well I’d deal with the heights in Lothlorien, I’d be that idiot who falls off the stairs while trying to climb up somewhere. But overall I just like Rivendell more. I like the open vibe and the autumn-like colors. I may be thinking of LOTRO now.
17. Least favorite character?
    Maybe Gothmog. But he’s like that character I love to hate. When he’s dragging himself with one arm to try and kill Eowyn I always have to resist the urge to yell “OH MY GOD JUST DIE ALREADY, NO ONE LIKES YOU!” Oh and there’s always Shelob. I cannot deal with her.
18. Have you ever cosplayed as one of the characters? If not, who would you choose?
    I wish! Also this may sound weird, I’ve had friends (lovingly) make fun of me about this, but I want to be old Bilbo. I’m talking old Bilbo in Rivendell with that pretty light blue shawl draped over his shoulders. I think I mostly just want to have my own replica of the Red Book.
19. What scene makes you laugh the most?
    I laugh the most at the dumb stuff like Gimli blowing the ghost hand away or stepping on the bones. I laugh every time, and most of the time I’m close to tears.
20. If you could meet 3 of the actors, who would you choose?
    *sobs* I want to meet all of the actors, I love the cast so much. (I’ve technically met Ian McKellen so I won’t include him.) Ian Holm, Christopher Lee and Andy Serkis.
21. What are your top five favorite lines from the films?
    Okay, I can do this.
    “Hobbits have been living and farming in the four Farthings of the Shire for many hundreds of years. Quite content to ignore and be ignored by the world of the Big Folk — Middle-Earth being, after all, full of strange creatures beyond count. Hobbits must seem of little importance, being neither renowned as great warriors, nor counted among the very wise.”
    —–
    “I thought up an ending for my book. ‘And he lives happily ever after, till the end of his days.'”
    —–
    “Many that live deserve death. Some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo? Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. Even the very wise cannot see all ends. My heart tells me that Gollum has some part to play yet, for good or ill before this is over. The pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many.”
    —–
    “I know. It’s all wrong. By rights we shouldn’t even be here. But we are. It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn’t. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something.
    “What are we holding onto, Sam?”
    “That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo… and it’s worth fighting for.”
    —–
    Hold your ground, hold your ground! Sons of Gondor, of Rohan, my brothers! I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of wolves and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down! But it is not this day! This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good Earth, I bid you stand, Men of the West!”
22. What are your top five favorite lines from the book?
    This is even more difficult.
    “I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend.”
    —–
    “He wondered what the man’s name was and where he came from; and if he was really evil at heart, or what lies or threats had lead him on the long march from his home; and if he would not really have rather stayed there in peace.”
    —–
    “The wide world is all about you: you can fence yourselves in, but you cannot for ever fence it out.”
    —–
    “The world is indeed full of peril and in it there are many dark places. But still there is much that is fair. And though in all lands, love is now mingled with grief, it still grows, perhaps, the greater.”
    —–
    “Yet it is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succour of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till. What weather they shall have is not ours to rule.”
23. Who do you think is the most underrated character?
    I don’t know, I feel like all the characters are loved. Maybe old Bilbo just because I feel like there can never be enough love for him. Also maybe Frodo, there is plenty of love for him don’t get me wrong, but there are still those who thinks he’s annoying or weak and it upsets me. Frodo is one of the most selfless people and he doesn’t deserve the grief he gets. “I feel that as long as the Shire lies behind, safe and comfortable, I shall find wandering more bearable: I shall know that somewhere there is a firm foothold, even if my feet cannot stand there yet.”
24. Have you watched any of the animated films? If so, what are your opinions?
    Ohoho, yes I have. The one for The Hobbit terrified me when I was younger because of Gollum. Even to this day I can’t read his parts in the book without feeling creeped out, it’s those glowing eyes and feet slapping on the water. I’ve also seen the other films and to be honest they are just…beautiful. Remember Treebeard? Of course you do.
    
25. How has LOTR affected your life?
    It has become such a huge part of my life, because of LOTR I’ve met some super awesome people, made some of the greatest friends of my life and my life is definitely better because of it. It’s helped me through the years and I have no idea if I would have been able to push through it without this story.
26. Which characters would you want in your Fellowship?
    Bilbo, obviously, Frodo, Aragorn, Gandalf, Sam, Gimli…everyone.
27. Weapon of choice?
    HERUGRIM! That’s my favorite sword from the films. I think I’d also like to wield Sting. I would say Anduril but that sword is almost as tall as I am, I’d never be able to fight with it, haha.
28. Would you have volunteered to destroy the Ring?
    Nope. I am not as strong as Frodo.
29. Who do you think is the most attractive character?
    Aragorn. Next question.
30. Do you own any LOTR merchandise? If so, what is your favorite item?
    Yes and my collection has taken over my room but it’s okay. My favorite item, hmmm, I have many favorites. Probably my One Ring replica or the first set of LOTR I read from.
31. Have you read the book?
    I have and I just want to say that it is OKAY if you haven’t read it for whatever reason. At age 9 or 10 I read the book but only a little bit up to the beginning of ROTK and I understood nothing, I was young (though there are people who were able to read and understand at a young age). I struggled with LOTR for years and only managed to actually do a full read-through when I was 18. It’s okay if you haven’t read it whether it’s because you find that it’s too hard, you aren’t able to get a copy of the book, you don’t have the time or you simply just don’t want to. It’s okay. I mean, I would of course recommend that you read it because it’s AMAZING, but you do you.
32. Have you ever had a LOTR marathon? Describe your perfect marathon.
    I have multiple times and it is exhausting. Not only is it tiring because it lasts for over 12 hours but it’s also because it’s emotionally draining. By the end of it I’m left there an empty shell of a person. My perfect marathon would include lots of friends, pillows everywhere and comfort food. So much comfort food.
33. When did you first watch the films and/or read the book?
    I watched FOTR when it came out in theaters and read the book…well I just talked about that for question 31.
34. What is your favorite film/book?
    Possibly one of the most difficult questions because I love them all so much! FOTR makes my heart happy juuuuuust a little more because it has the most of the Shire.
35. Get drink with/marry/fight to the death. (Pick three characters)
    I’d totally get drunk with Gimli, we’d have a good time. I’d marry Aragorn because I mean, duh. I’d probably die fighting Gothmog. Goddamn Gothmog.
36. Which scene scares you the most?
    As a kid the part that probably scared me the most was in the beginning of TTT when Gollum was scaling down the wall to get to Frodo and Sam. Out of everything that was the worst and I have no idea why. But now it’s Shelob’s scenes, all of her scenes. A giant spider? Nope nope nope nope.
37. Gondor or Rohan?
    Love you, Gondor, but I’m going with Rohan. If I didn’t live in the Shire, I would see myself as a citizen of Rohan.
38. Which character(s) would you want as your parent(s)?
    Rosie and Sam! Or Faramir and Eowyn. But seriously, Rosie and Sam! Imagine how fun it would be to grow up in the Shire, all of those fields to run in, the food you’d eat…I’m feeling nostalgic for a place I didn’t even grow up in.
39. Which characters would you want as your best friends?
    (All of them to be honest.) Merry and Pippin because they’d be a lot of fun.
40. When was the last time you watched the films/read the book?
    I watched the films last month at the concerts in NYC and I haven’t read the book in a while. I read snippets from time to time but I haven’t actually done a full read in a few years.
41. Favorite horse?
    Bill counts, right? I’m going with Bill.
42. If you could spend a day in Middle-earth, what would you want to do?
    I’d spend it in the Shire in Bag End with Bilbo. I would love nothing more than to relax with the windows open and have Bilbo tell me stories as we drink tea. My heart hurts a little now.
43. Is there anything you would change about the books?
    Not really. Well…yes. More women!
44. What do you think is the greatest lesson LOTR has to offer?
    That even the smallest person can change the course of the future.
45. What would your dream home in Middle-earth be like?
    It would be in the Shire, no one is surprised, and I’d like it to be in Hobbiton. My home would have a red door and a huge cherry blossom tree in the front. I would want a room dedicated for maps and books and a big living room full of comfortable couches, chairs, and pillows. My bedroom would have a window on the ceiling so I could star gaze at night. I want this to be a reality.
46. How would you describe what LOTR means to you in one word?
    Home.
47. Which death makes you the most sad?
    Probably Boromir. No matter how many times I watch that scene, it’s like watching for the first time. I still ache at those words: my brother, my captain, my king.
48. Favorite behind-the-scenes moments from the films?
    I have SO MANY! I love the bit about Dom’s splinter. I mostly love the way Billy says “splinter”.
49. If you could own any item from the films, what would it be?
    The Red Book of Westmarch. Full on with writing inside.
50. If you had the opportunity to meet the Professor, what do you think you would say?
    I’d probably just burst into tears and try to hug him. Don’t think he’d appreciate that.

Get to know me!

I have a bad habit of working on multiple posts at the same time and then never finishing them so I just wanted to take a break and then I saw my friend Maria post this questionnaire and thought it would be a fun thing to do in between posts. So if you would like to know more about me, keep on reading! 🙂

What is your middle name?
It’s Madeline, pronounced with a “lynn” not “line”.

What was favorite subject at school?
Art! I also liked math. I was good at math.

What is your favorite drink?
Give me a carton of apple or orange juice and I will drink the entire thing.