Sunshine Blogger Award #2

The lovely Astrya of Inkling Corner has nominated me for the Sunshine Blogger Award! (Awfully obliged, Astrya!)

First things first I’ll let you know the rules, so you can chastise me if you catch me breaking them.

1. Display the award’s official logo somewhere on your blog.
2. Thank the person who nominated you.
3. Provide a link to your nominator’s blog.
4. Answer your nominator’s questions.
5. Nominate up to 11 bloggers.
6. Ask your nominees 11 questions.
7. Notify your nominees by commenting on at least one of their blog posts.

I think I can just about handle that, so here goes!

1. What was the last book you read?

The last book I finished was The Hidden Power of Kindness by Fr. Lawrence Lovasik. The last book I spent time reading (and am still somewhere in the middle of) is Ben-Hur by Lew Wallace.

2. What are you looking for in a ‘perfect’ movie adaption of a classic?

Oh, this is such a great question! There are three big things I look for: good, book-accurate characterization and acting, a movie which is well-made in its own right, and (most importantly) that the heart and the spirit of the author’s original work be respected and maintained. I don’t think movie adaptations need to be word-for-word the same as the original, but I do think the author’s characters and overall vision should be be respected.

3. What’s your favourite season of the year and why?

Autumn. It’s beautifully cool without being too cold, the leaves look gorgeous, and I absolutely love the bittersweet, melancholy, wistful vibe.

4. If you could go anywhere in the world for one week, where would you go? (This could also be a fictional place.)

I think I might choose an English country estate in the 1920s, in late spring or early summer. Gently sloping fields and gardens, quiet sunny libraries, gorgeous architecture, lovely elegant clothing…all just exactly my aesthetic.

5. If you could choose your own name, what would it be?

This is a little difficult, because I actually really love the name I have – it’s beautiful, elegant, feminine, has gravitas, has a lovely meaning – and I can’t think of any other name I’d rather have. However, I can’t tell you what it is because of Privacy and All That. (Sorry about that.) If I had to choose a name not my own, I might choose Eleanor – it’s also very pretty and elegant, and it reminds me of a certain Dashwood sister I have a special kinship with.

6. If you had to write a short story about anything, what would it be?

Goodness, I don’t even know! It’s hard to know beforehand what inspiration will strike you. I like most to write character-based and character-driven stories, perhaps where a character struggles with or works on a certain character flaw or faulty relationship, so let’s go with that.

7. What was the worst movie you watched this year and why?

That’s hard to answer…I’ve seen pretty good movies this year! I suppose I’d have to say The Personal History of David Copperfield (though I feel bad doing so, since I did enjoy it). I think the best word to describe TPHoDC is messy. There were good things about it (and some great acting!), but it didn’t feel cohesive and it wasn’t condensed very well.  Also, I think it would have served the story better to cut down on the comedy. I know it was being billed as a comedy, but it was too much. Some of the humor was funny and legitimately made me laugh (which is a real compliment, since I don’t laugh easily at movies), but a lot of it also just fell very flat. I saw one reviewer say he would have loved to see this cast do a more serious and longer mini-series adaptation of David Copperfield, and I would have to agree.

Oh, but I loved the soundtrack! I’ve been using it as study music quite a lot since I watched the movie. Here’s a short track to give you an idea of it. (That solo violin work is *chef’s kiss*)

8. British or American spelling?

I personally use American spelling, because I am American, but just per se I probably prefer British spelling. I like British things. And there’s something very satisfying about spelling centre and colour and tonne.

9. Desert or Forest?

Forest without a doubt! Both to be in and to look at (though deserts can certainly also be very picturesque).

10. What is your favourite piece of music (or two, or three, because I know how hard these questions are)?

Even with the kind caveat, I still can’t say. I’ll cheat a little bit and just give three pieces of music/songs that I really like. They probably aren’t really my favorite. I’m not capable of that kind of decision-making.

– Movement 2 (Andante con moto) of Borodin’s String Quartet 1

This is so dramatic and angsty and it completely captivates the Marianne Dashwood part of me.

– Days of My Life by The Seekers

This is another very pretty and angsty and wistful one, and I also just love The Seekers.

– You Couldn’t Be Cuter by Al Bowlly

In addition to loving Melodic Angsty Things, I also love British Jazz Age music. I like a lot of the slower more romantic ones, and the perky slightly tongue-in-cheek ones, of which this song is a good example. (I have heard others try to make this song slow and romantic, but I’m afraid it doesn’t work. Trying to sing “your poise, your pose, that cute fantastic nose” slowly and seriously is simply a failed attempt.)

11. What was the last movie you watched?

Heh, well, this doesn’t fit the vibe of my blog at all, but as a matter of fact it was Planet of the Apes, the original 1968 one with Charlton Heston and Kim Hunter and Roddy McDowall.

Well, that was a lot of fun. Thank you again, Astrya!

~

I nominate for the Sunshine Blogger Award:

Autumn @ Shades of Art

Beth @ Small Home Comforts

Emily @ The Idlewood Archives

Eva @ birds, sky, and stars

House Mouse

Jeremiah @ Good Books Old and New

Katie (Awdur) @ Snippets and Speculations

…and anyone else who wants to grab it!

~

And here are my questions for you:

1. What’s your second favorite TV show?

2. If you could only read the works of one author all the rest of your life, who would you choose? (The Bible is exempted from this.)

3. What’s a fun fact about yourself that you would like people to know, but there’s never a good opportunity to bring up?

4. Tell us a random weird word that you like.

5. You’re going to Mordor with the Ring, and you’re assembling your Fellowship! Which eight fictional characters (from any fictional works, not just LOTR) do you want to come with you, and why? (If you aren’t familiar with The Lord of the Rings, just assemble eight fictional characters you would want to bring along on a dangerous quest.)

6. Do you on the whole prefer movies from before or after 1960? Why?

7. Suppose you’re tasked with creating a flag for a new country. What does it look like?

8. Is poetry or prose fiction more expressive? Do you think one form is higher than the other?

9. What are the last three songs you listened to?

10. If you had the ability to make it so that it was always your favorite season of the year, would you do it?

11. Dream cast your favorite actor and actress (either can be from any time period; this is dream casting, after all!) in an adaptation of the classic book you think they’re best suited for.