Liebster Award!

Thank you very much to Kristi (Hidden Staircase) for the nomination! I really appreciate it! Please go check out her blog! :)

Some of her questions are tricky, but I had fun coming up with the answers.

How it works:

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.

And here are my answers:

1) J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter Series or J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings?

Harry Potter always (*cries*). I’ve never been able to get into LOTR, but I’m going to try again soon.

2) What is the number one book you always recommend when someone is looking for a great read?

I feel like I constantly mention Audrey, Wait! (Robin Benway) but when asked, I always say my favourite book is Ella Enchanted (Gail Carson Levine). I also can’t stop talking about the Every series (Ellie Marney) or the Dispossesed trilogy (Page Morgan).

3) You can spend a day with one author (living or dead). Who do you pick and why?

Neil Gaiman. He seems like a fascinating person and I think a conversation with him would be full of amazing advice and kooky anecdotes.

I mean, I wouldn’t say no to meeting J.K.Rowling, but I really don’t know if I’d be able to do anything except yell “WHY’D YOU KILL THOSE GUYS?” and then cry for an hour.

4) If you could transport yourself into any book, where would you be?

I’ve always wished I could fall asleep and dream my way into the alternate Italy in the Stravaganza (Mary Hoffman) series.

5) I love books, but I also love a good TV show. What’s your favorite?

Most of my favourite TV shows (Scrubs, Gilmore Girls) are over and have been for a while :( Other than those, I love Adventure Time and I became obsessed with Sherlock late last year.

6) You are forced to pick one book genre to read for life. *gasp* What do you choose?

I’m going super specific and saying urban fantasy (not just regular fantasy!) because there’s so much you can do with it! But I also can’t imagine sticking to one genre forever (YA is not a genre, so that doesn’t count).

7) How many books do you read at one time?

Lately I’ve been reading 1-3 at a time; right now I’m reading 6 because this week has been chaos and I haven’t had time to focus/finish one.

8) Quick pick: Billy Joel or Elton John?

Elton John, I guess. I’ve never been a big fan of either of them, but here is my favourite EJ moment:

9) What book are you looking forward to reading in 2015?

Ahh, so many!! Libba Bray finally announced the sequel to The Diviners, so probably that, but also The Hollow Boy (Jonathan Stroud). OH and I just started The Wondrous and the Wicked by Page Morgan which I was dying for!!!!

10) When you’re not reading, what is your favorite thing to do?

I love going to concerts, but since that’s (unfortunately) not an every day occurrence, I can most often be found writing.

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? 

Elizabethan England. I would like to meet Elizabeth I because she is my favourite queen (I saw her tomb at Westminster Abbey and had to take a moment to fangirl). An added bonus would be an appearance by Shakespeare, but if I just got to hang with the queen, I’d be okay with that.

Nominations:

Um, I really suck at actually following other blogs (I’m working on that). So here are six that I’ve (relatively) recently followed. Some of them may have already been nominated (by people who pay more attention than me)!

Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Books
Starlight Dreamer
Being Tori in Victoria
Reading Rachael
Bibliowormed
Once Upon a Bookshelf

And even though she has a fancy-cool website and not a blog:

My friend Jane at janesviews

Questions:

This are mostly simple, but some of the answers could be complex if you’re like me.

1. Tea or coffee?
2. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
3. Who/what is your favourite cartoon (or animated) character?
4. What kind of music do you like?
5. Winter or summer?
6. Who is your book crush?
7. If you could live in a fairy tale, which one would you choose?
8. What is the best event you’ve ever been to (a show/concert/festival, etc)?
9. Vampires or werewolves (or something else entirely)?
10. What was your favourite childhood book?
11. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Versatile Blogger Award!

I realize this is like my 1354068th post of the day, but you guys! The very kind Laura (Tea Time Reads) nominated me for the Versatile Blogger Award! This was most unexpected, but I feel absurdly honoured. Thanks, Laura! Please go check out her blog! :)

How it works:

1. Thank the blogger who nominated you
2. Share 10 random facts about yourself
3. Nominate 10 other bloggers who are relatively new to blogging (& you like!)

So here are 10 Random Facts About Me:

1. “bellsiebooks” was coined by my oldest niece. My eldest sister (I have two sisters and a brother) nicknamed me Bella when I was little; when my niece was about 3, she realized that “Bella” and “book” both start with a “b”, so she combined it and pronounced it to be my new name.
2. I’m currently interning at a children’s book publisher, and I can honestly say it’s my dream job. I live for YA and children’s books.
3. I also dream of being an author; I’ve written one YA novel so far (though it’s in it’s fourth major revision), and I have about 10 other ideas floating around in various states (some have about 50 rough pages, while others are no more than a named document).
4. I love love LOVE music and going to concerts. If I come home sweaty and/or without a voice, then I know it’s been a good show.
5. My favourite movie of all time is The Nightmare Before Christmas. I love Tim Burton and I’m trying to watch all of his movies (I own most of them).
6. I often work Adventure Time quotes or Scrubs references into every day conversation. And I somehow manage to turn almost any music-based conversation into a discussion about You Me At Six.
7. I currently have three tattoos, have a consultation booked for a fourth, and have plans for at least five more. In my spare time, I fantasize about having enough money to spend on a full-coloured sleeve.
8. I have a ridiculous collection of tea, most of it from England. Twinings Earl Grey was the first flavour I liked and it’s still one of my favourites.
9. I also have a ridiculous collection of Converse sneakers, and one day I hope to have one pair of shoes for every colour of the rainbow.
10. Sometimes I write for idobi radio (an alternative/pop-punk online radio station), and recently I’ve been collaborating with my friend Jane on music reviews (so far we’ve done a review of a Bleachers concert, and a track-by-track discussion of Fall Out Boy’s American Beauty/American Psycho).

Nominations:

I don’t know that many blogs, so I’ve picked five random ones that I follow :)
Steam Punk, On the Edge of Food-vention
Starlight Daydreamer
A Baked Creation
Books For MKS
Vital Endeavor
BONUS (because she was also nominated by Laura!)
Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Books

My Favourite Scrubs

Last week, Ro and I finished re-watching (for the umpteenth time) Scrubs, aka one of my favourite TV shows to ever exist.

The Janitor, Elliot, Dr. Kelso, J.D., Carla, Turk, Dr. Cox, and Jordan.

I didn’t religiously watch Scrubs when it first aired on TV (I rarely watch TV on actual TV), but I own all the DVDs, and I watch them constantly. After much deliberation, I’ve come up with my favourite episode from each season (it was so hard to choose!).

WARNING: Spoilers were inevitable, but I tried not to give too much away.

Season 1 – My First Day

The first episode, obviously, introduces you to the characters. One of the reasons I love it is because I know how the characters’ storylines will eventually end, and I like trying to spot any foreshadowing. It also sets the stage for my favourite TV relationship since Gilmore Girls‘ Luke & Lorelai: J.D. & Elliot. I love them.

Season 2 – My Fruit Cups

One of my favourite Janitor-J.D. interactions occurs in this episode:

Janitor: Hey, have you been stealing pudding cups and toilet paper around here?
J.D.: No! I hate pudding and I don’t use… toilet paper.
Janitor: *stares*
J.D.: I have one of those French things that shoots water up your butt.
Janitor: Bidet?
J.D.: BIDET to you sir.

I’m laughing just thinking about it.

Plus Carla and Elliot’s friendship is on point in this episode (one word: bajingo). Oh, and pregnant Jordan coming back – you gotta love her messed up relationship with Dr. Cox.

Season 3 – My Screw Up

This scene, man. This scene. It’s horribly sad, but I remember being completely shocked the first time I watched it, and I still get chills. It was one of those episodes that had you on an emotional rollercoaster the entire time.

Season 4 – My Office

One of my favourite J.D.-Dr. Cox moments. I often yell at Ro, “Why do you hate me when I do nothing but love you?”

Season 5 – My Jiggly Ball

I’d rather play Jiggly Ball than try to explain why this episode is so great.

 Season 6 – My Musical

It’s guy love, between two guys.

I love every song in this episode.

Season 7 – My Princess

I like the way it’s told (as Jack’s bedtime story) plus the costumes are great and, apparently it’s supposed to be an homage to The Princess Bride which, as everyone knows, is a fantastic film.

Season 8 – My Finale (parts 1 and 2)

This ending is so perfect. I don’t always acknowledge season nine mainly because I feel like it takes away from this amazing two-part episode (especially the montage at the end. Don’t mind me, I’m just sitting here, sobbing forever). Easily the best series finale ever (How I Met Your Mother could have taken a lesson from Scrubs. Just sayin’).

I’m no Superman

Here’s a fun song to start your week (and happy first Music Monday of 2015!).

If you, like me, are a big Scrubs fan, then this song will immediately take you back to Sacred Heart Hospital. If you’ve never watched Scrubs…I’m not sure what you’re waiting for. It remains one of my favourite shows and I may or may not publish a post about it tomorrow (spoiler alert: I did).

I’m afraid I don’t know much about the song’s creators, the alt-rock band Lazlo Bane. In fact, everything I could tell you would just be taken from their Wikipedia page. But I’d like to thank whoever decided on this as the theme song for Scrubs because I can’t imagine the show starting without it.