Liebster Blog Award

The Liebster Award:

1. The Liebster Award is given by bloggers to bloggers who have less than 200 followers.

2. Each blogger should post 11 random facts about themselves.

3. Each blogger should answer the 11 questions given to you.

4. Choose 11 new bloggers to pass the award on to and link them in your post.

5. Create 11 new questions for the chosen bloggers.

6. Go back to their page and tell them about the award.

7. No tag backs.

Thanks to Lianne @ Caffeinatedlife.net for nominating me! I'll just answer the questions because I talk about myself too much already on this blog :)

1.) What is your least favorite book and why?

There are a number of books I haven't enjoyed very much, but I think I have to go with Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin. It's something around 800 pages, and I made a valiant effort but only managed to get through about 400. I like the surrealism in his writing, but his style is way too contrived for my taste. I could feel in the words how highly he thought of himself as a writer, and his descriptions were forced. Plus the love story didn't pull me in at all. I liked his ideas, but the execution wasn't there.

2.) What was the last book you read and what did you think of it?

The last book I read was Brunelleschi's Dome by Ross King, and I loved it! You can read my review here. It was really educational but told in a story-like way, so I didn't have any trouble getting through it and I absorbed a lot of information without realizing it.

3.) When recommending books to other people, what book do you find yourself recommending the most?

I don't really have any friends or family to read, so I don't find myself recommending books often, but I think if someone asked for a recommendation I would say Girl in Hyacinth Blue by Susan Vreeland. It's one of my favorite books and it's written in a sequence of short stories, so you can pick it up whenever and just read a chapter, and you'll get a full story out of it.

4.) What's the last movie you watched that you would recommend to others?

Hands down La Grande Bellezza by Paolo Sorrentino. I re-watched it on the plane coming home from Spain yesterday and almost cried just because I love it so much. It's such a work of art and a huge inspiration as far as filmmaking goes; I would love to study it in detail.

5.)When times are stressful, what do you do to relax?

Mainly I listen to music. When I feel really overwhelmed from school I put a song on repeat and put my head down for a few minutes; I've found it really helps me to calm down. I also make art- collage, draw, play the saxophone- but it takes awhile so I save that for the weekends. Sailing is amazing for relaxing too. The only thing I stay away from is writing because even though I love it, it can be really stressful for me.

6.) Is there a television show that you sort of hate-watch? It’s not even a guilty pleasure, you know you would never be caught dead watching it and yet you do anyways? You can expand this to a book or a movie if you can’t think of anything .

Huehuehue this is a fun one. To be honest, I remember watching a few animes overnight that I would completely forget the next morning, and if I were fully awake would never go near. There was one about the Shinsengumi being vampires or something (I remember red eyes...) and one that was like this girl that ended up managing some shrine with a fox god I don't even know. I'm not proud, but they were extremely entertaining at four in the morning.

7.) What's one place that you would love to travel to (or return to) and why?
Italy is my number one- half because it's beautiful and magical and half because I'm italian and yet have never been. I also want to go to France, especially to explore the South of France- but I'm going to France this summer and Italy next spring, so as far as places I'd like to go to further in the future- I'd love to visit Istanbul. My French teacher taught there for awhile, and I've only heard positive comments from her. Portugal would be amazing, and I would love to go island-hopping in Greece. Japan would be awesome to visit, especially since I have close family friends there and my brothers have both been there. Maybe Thailand as well, and Singapore. England would be so much fun to go to with a group of friends, and just travel from village to village. Oh and also the Netherlands; I have a friend who lives there and it just seems like a really healthy country. The other Scandinavian countries would be nice too. Basically everywhere. I want to travel the world.

8.) What's one sport you wish you could play or play well at?
I mean I always wish I could be better at sailing, because it's my main sport. Otherwise I don't love sports... they require exercise, which isn't my strong suit.

9.) What's your favorite sport to watch and why?
...sailing. Because I sail. But honestly it's not such great spectator sport but if you sail and know the tactics and how to read the wind and currents and what plays are being made, it's really thrilling. From shore it all looks calm but on board you just know everything is so intense and fast-paced. It's really a mind game as much as it is a physical sport, which is why I like it so much.

10.) If you could eat one particular meal or item for one year, what would it be?
Tuna fish salad sandwich. Mainly because that's all I know how to make so I actually do end up eating it every day.

11.) Is there something you've always been meaning to try, but haven't?
Making a short film! It's going to happen soon, though, I promise.

Now for the people I'm going to tag! Sorry if you've already been tagged or if you're an awards-free blog-it's totally optional to participate :)

Vampire (And Other Paranormal Things) Queen
There's More to Life than Books, You Know, But Not That Much More
The Pied Piper Calls
Paper Charade
Miss Bibliophile
Life of a Female Bibliophile
Irisjxx
Il Blog Di Chiara
Books Are My Favorite and Best
A Moot Point
Read My Breath Away

And any other blogs that want to participate! I don't follow too many book blogs so if you see this and want to respond, link up below!
The Questions:

1.) What does your happy place look like?
2.) Which book that you own has your favorite packaging/cover design?
3.)If you were to write a short story right now, what would it be about?
4.) What was the last song you listened to?
5.) What's the first memory that comes to mind when you try to think of a memory? Describe it.
6.)What's your favorite quote from a book?
7.) What films inspire you most?
8.) What was the last dream you can remember about?
9.) Describe a change in perspective you've had in the last year.
10.) Who is someone you would love to have a conversation with?
11.) What's your personal philosophy?

If you answer these questions comment with a link to your post! I'd love to hear your answers.