A couple of days ago, Doreth answered 20 random questions. If you haven’t read that post yet, click here. And now it is my turn! So if you ever wanted to know about my favourite lipbalm for cold days, or the books I am dying to read, then do read on.
1. What is your reading routine?
For my ideal reading routine, I will brew myself a steaming cup of tea, or make a mug of hot chocolate. I will turn on my fake candle, pick out a book from my shelves and turn on some soft music before taking a seat in my windowsill where I will read for hours.
I would love to say that this is how I read every day, but I would be lying. I just do not have the time to dedicate hours to reading every day. Most days I will finish up homework or one of my personal projects. Grab the book nearest to me (usually the one on the top of the pile next to my bed) and settle myself either in bed or my reading chair. I’ll read until I get too tired to comprehend the words on the page. After which I will turn off my light and turn on an audiobook to listen to until I actually fall asleep.
2. Favourite author at the moment?
I cannot really think of a particular author I have been enjoying lately.
3. Favourite release this year?
Personally, I am not someone who really keeps up with new releases. I usually just browse a bookstore and pick up what sounds interesting to me, most of the time these books are a few years old. The only book I went out of my way to get on release day this year was A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas but as you will know if you read my review on that book, I was a little disappointed by it. So I don’t really have an answer for this question either.
4. Favourite Christmas book?
Any Harry Potter book! I know they are technically not Christmas reads but they always give me the Christmas feelings. They’re cozy and perfect for a rainy evening. I also think it’s mostly because they make me feel very nostalgic and during Christmas break I actually have time to read 500-page book.
5. Current favourite TV show?
Don’t hate me, but I am not that big on TV shows. I always love and binge the first couple of episodes of a series but I never keep up with it. I just don’t care enough… But lately I have been watching Riverdale which I liked a lot (very original, I know). I haven’t seen past the first episode of season two tho, so no spoilers please.
6. Current favourite songs?
I have been DIGGING Shawn Mendes’ album Illuminate lately. I’ve owned it for a while now but I never really gravitated towards it. I’m really happy I decided to put it on a while ago though, cause I love the chill acoustic vibes it gives. Besides Illuminate I have also been loving Harry Styles self-titled solo album and Niall Horan’s Flicker. Favorite songs of each album: Don’t Be A Fool & Three Empty Words (Shawn Mendes). From The Dining Table & Carolina (Harry Styles). On my Own & Too Much To Ask (Niall Horan)
Also, I have been really enjoying Dodie Clark’s music lately! Would You Be So Kind? is by far my fave!
7. Favourite seasonal foods?
Anything involving cinnamon. The scent and taste of cinnamon scream Christmas to me, so that.
8. Favourite YouTuber at the moment?
This literally changes every. single. day. Some of my staples are Shane Dawson, Dan and Phil and Cheyenne Barton. Lately, I have also started loving Jenny Journals, and the Webb Brothers (mrAndersonWebb and OMGHarrisonWebb).
9. Favourite gift you’ve ever gotten?
I am not gonna pick a Christmas gift for this cause for the first, probably, 18 years of my life we didn’t really have a presents-under-the-tree type Christmas. But my birthday is on the 18th of December so I feel okay picking a birthday present for this. It’s tied between my 16th and 17th birthday I think. On my 16th birthday I got tickets to see One Direction which was really exciting to me. It was my first concert and I was pretty much obsessed with 1D so it was THE perfect present. For my 17th birthday I got a golden ring from my parents. I have worn it every day since then (I am turning 21 this year) and I feel empty without it on.
10. Favourite concert you’ve ever been to?
This is a tough one! I am kind of leaning towards the first One Direction (Take Me Home tour) concert I went to, just because of the memories. But the first Ed Sheehan concert I went to (Multiply tour) was also awesome! It amazes me how one person can hold the attention of 15.000 people. So it’s probably either one of those two.
11. Favourite Christmas tradition?
My favourite part of Christmas is definitely getting the Christmas tree and decorating it! We get a real tree every year so it’s always fun to pick one out.
12. Favourite character?
I feel like this is probably a very general answer, but it’s gonna have to be Hermione Granger. She was always a role model for me growing up. She was one of the first (if not the first) female characters I read about who just didn’t give a shit about people calling her bossy and stuff. Hermione is smart and brave and everything I aspired to be as a little girl. So she still holds a very special place in my heart.
13. Favourite purchase this year?
100% my MacBook! At the end of the summer, I decided to finally look around for a secondhand MacBook (ain’t nobody got the money to buy a new one). I have always been a Windows girl and have previously only owned Dell computers so the switch, not only to an Apple computer but also to the OS system was strange for me. But there are just a lot of companies who require you to have experience with Mac OS and some software that isn’t available for Windows users. So I found one that suited my needs and spent every single penny and more on the device. Don’t regret a thing though.
14. Favourite lip balm for cold days?
I have been loving Burt’s Bees lip balms lately. Especially the Ginger Spice one. But I also like the Vitamin E & Peppermint lip balm.
15. Most anticipated plan for 2018?
The most exciting things for me in the upcoming year are my personal projects. I want to work more on my design projects in my free time next year.
16. Most hated thing about Christmas?
This answer will be quick, cause there is not a single thing I hate about Christmas.
17. What are you itching to re-read this Christmas?
Harry Potter, Harry Potter and Harry Potter. HP is definitely the one series that I can read endlessly. And the best time, in my opinion, to re-read it is Christmas. One other book I would like to re-read this holiday is The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I read Chbosky’s book for the first time, during the Christmas of 2012. So it reminds me a bit of the Christmas season.
18. Books you most want to read in 2018?
In 2018 I definitely want to read a lot more non-fiction. Mainly centered around technology, entrepreneurship or self-help. A couple of titles from the top of my head are:
The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution by Walter Isaacson
Solve for Happy: Engineer Your Path to Joy by Mo Gawdat
iWoz: Computer Geek to Cult Icon: How I Invented the Personal Computer, Co-Founded Apple, and Had Fun Doing It by Steve Wozniak
#GirlBoss by Sophia Amoruso
Girl Code: Unlocking the Secrets to Success, Sanity, and Happiness for the Female Entrepreneur by Cara Alwill Leyba
19. Most anticipated movie of 2018?
I am not someone who keeps up with movie releases or really cares about movies enough, in general, to go to the cinema when something cool is playing. I make exceptions of course, but in general, I will go to the movies like 6 times a year…
There are two movies that I am kind of looking forward to though. Now before I tell you the first one just rinse yourself of prior judgment please. It’s the new Fifty Shades movie… Hold on, let me explain! Doreth and I have made seeing these movies into a tradition of sorts. So it’s more the tradition of going to the cinema to cringe at the storyline (and reminisce about the ‘good old’ Twilight days) that I am looking forward to rather than the actual movie. The second one is the new Fantastic Beasts movie. I know everyone is all up in arms about the way they are portraying Grindelwald. But I am fine with it, to be honest. We already saw him at the end of the last movie so I don’t understand why everyone is suddenly complaining about it…
20. Favourite clothing item for Christmas?
Anything cozy! Give me a pair of leggings or sweatpants, a warm sweater, and fluffy socks and I’ll be good. Maybe throw a scarf in the mix if the weather calls for it, but generally, that is my attire.
I hope you enjoyed this post and please let me know in the comments about the book(s) you are planning to read this Christmas season!
Lots of Love,
Lotte