Get to Know Me

Hi everyone!  I figured it was about time to tell you a bit about myself:

Hi - I'm Thalia. Let's get some easy stuff out of the way, shall we? My favorite color is pink, my favorite food is probably pizza, and I truly just LOVE my life. I am very lucky to be pursuing my dream of attending law school in New York, where I was raised, and to have such an awesome support team behind me, including the love of my life. I'm type A in my work life but I'm more laid back in a social setting and watch things unfold, I’m usually just happy to be included.  Below I'll be answering some book related questions, feel free to message me or comment below any questions you may have!

I'm excited to let everyone into my mind for a moment!

1. What’s your favorite series?
• To date, it's Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments world. I can't even explain how deeply I love the world she created and the characters. I think TID is my favorite of all because of Will and Tessa (if you know, you know!) There are a lot of series that I enjoyed and tell people about, the SeaBreeze series by Abbi Glines, the Dirty Series by Jaine Diamond, From Blood and Ash series by Jennifer L Armentrout. I think each series serves a very important purpose at a specific point in life, so I usually ask questions about the person before I recommend (or share my favorite) series.
2. What’s your favorite genre?
• I struggle with this one because I really love young adult, but as I get older I need a little spice so I guess I'd say new adult is my favorite. Also a big fan of contemporary fantasy.
3. eBooks or audiobooks?
• eBooks for sure. I wouldn't be able to live without Kindle Unlimited!
4. Favorite book of all time?
• Lame but it's The Catcher in the Rye. It was the first book to rock my world and made me fall in love with reading in high school. I had always enjoyed reading growing up but god damn, something about Holden Caulfield's story struck a cord with me.
5. How do you choose your next read?
• I either let Bookstagram decide, or I look at my endless TBR and pick 3 books and make my boyfriend pick out of the 3 based solely on the cover. So far, that has worked super well.
6. Reading outside or inside?
• Hmmm... Reading outside in the sunshine, at the beach or by the pool, BUT inside once the sunsets.
7. Series or standalones?
• This is very tough. If I'm reading fantasy which typically requires world building, I want a series out of it. If I'm reading new adult romance style, a standalone is preferable.
8. Hardcover or paperback?
• Hardcover ALL DAY. Well... Unless it's summer, then I prefer paperback. Not sure why exactly but I can only read paperbacks or ebooks in the summer.
9. Where do you keep your books?
• On my room on a book shelf but only if it's been read. I also have plastic bins I put them in for storage purposes until I have room to display them. If a book hasn't been read it can be found in one of two very large piles on my night stand.
10. How many books have you read this year?
• I am up to 58 out of my goal of 65. Updated: as of 9/30 I am up to 118 out of a new goal of 150.
11. New or used books?
• New. 100%. I just prefer my books to look a certain way and some people really use and abuse their books!
12. Do you use an eReader?
• I love my Kindle Paperwhite. It was the best money I’ve spent in 2021. Prior to that I used my iPad mini or my iPhone (on the Kindle app) when I read eBooks.
13. How many books did you read last year?
• Last year I had a lot of free time with the pandemic and read 63 books.
14. What was the last book you bought/borrowed?
• The last book I purchased was actually Homer's The Illiad and The Odyessy, I've been dying to read it but I keep getting side tracked by the Kindle Unlimited books available. That brings me to the last book I borrowed which was The Ruin of Us (Stolen Moments #3) by Catharina Maura.
15. Do you own multiple copies of the same book?
• I do. I rarely do this because I do try to save money sometimes but if some special editions are being released then sometimes I impulse buy, like when The Bookish Box released the From Blood and Ash hardcovers... I couldn't NOT buy them... I also sometimes buy the Kindle edition first and if I love the book I will buy it a physical copy for my library.
16. Do you have any signed books?
• I do!!!! I have several signed bookplates but I do have some actual signed copies of a few books such has Namesake by the fabulous Adrienne Young, and While It Lasts by Abbi Glines (who I met at BookCon in NYC and got her signature at). I have a few Barnes and Noble signed editions but there’s nothing more special than getting a personalized book from your favorite author. My most prized one is The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky.
17. How many books do you own?
• Definitely over 100, probably closer to 200.
18. How many books are on your TBR?
• According to GoodReads I have 174 on my list but currently at home I have about 30 sitting on my side table purchased and ready to be read....
19. What do you love about reading?
• What I love most about reading is getting absolutely consumed by a different world and a different story. When an author is passionate about their characters and puts intention behind each word they say, I feel the emotion and can imagine it happening in my world. I love that for a few hours a day I can be somewhere/someone else. I think a lot of people use reading as an escape from their day to day and luckily for me I have found an amazing balance between work, school, life, and reading. 
20. Which characters would you date?
• I have a soft spot for the bad boy who is only sweet to the girl he's interested in. I heard a quote on Tik tok that is summed up to "a hero would sacrifice you for the world, but a villain would sacrifice the world for you." I mean.. How could you NOT love that kind of man? I love a good boy too but I think every girl wants to be the center of their lover's world. I also love the quiet type. He doesn't have to be moody quiet but just quiet in the "I don't share a lot about myself to people" sort of way, but naturally he opens up to his love interest.
• I think my favorite book boys (the first few that come to mind) are Ford from Fearless King (Kings of Rittenhouse, #4) by Maya Hughes, Cary from Lovely Madness (Players #4) by Jaine Diamond, Hardin Scott from After (After series) by Anna Todd, and Will Herondale from The Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare. 
21. Do you DNF books or read all the way through?
• I try to finish all the books I start, sometimes it can be difficult but I buckle in when they’re hard to get through and focus pretty exclusively on dialogue, breezing through the rest. I really try to not compare books to others and treat each book individually! I rate it on whether or not it did it’s job as a book in its genre. Did it make me laugh? Cry? Feel? If it did any of those then it deserves to be treated fairly.
22. Who are your auto-buy authors?
• Oh there are so many... Jennifer L. Arementrout, Chanda Hahn, Cassandra Clare, Adrienne Young, Sarah J. Maas, Maggie Stiefvater, Maya Hughes, Lisa Suzanne, and more!
23. Would you rather be a librarian or a bookseller?
• I think I would rather be a librarian because then I can hear what a person thought of the book when they come back to return it. I'm like a golden retriever, I want to talk to people! I want to know their interests and help them expand their world.
24. Would you rather meet your favorite author or favorite character?
• I would want to meet my favorite character for sure, which at the moment is Poppy Belfour from the From Blood and Ash series by Jennifer L. Arementrout. I think we'd become fast friends because we have very similar values and ways of thinking when it comes to our friends, family, and our home.
25. What are your favorite book covers?
• My favorite book cover I think of all time is between The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab or any of the Hades & Persephone covers from Scarlett St. Clair.
26. Where is your favorite book setting?
• Any book that takes in New York City will automatically have a leg up in my TBR decision.
27. What color do you have the most books of?
• Honestly I never though about it... I have a lot of black, blue, and green now that I'm taking a gander. I wonder what that says about my book taste... As far as Kindle Unlimited books, well, they all start off with a light background and have a shirtless man on the cover which is hysterical. 
28. What books did Bookstagram make you buy?
• The ACOTAR series which made Sarah J. Maas an auto buy by me. I don't think those books are the end all be all but I do believe they're fun, exciting, and flirty, overall a great distraction from life which is how I pretty much grade all my books.
29. Do you reread books?
• Absolutely! Not a whole bunch but I do have some comfort books I reread... Weirdly enough Punk 57 by Penelope Douglas is one of those. I absolutely love Misha and Ryen's build up and tension. I don't know it's just one of those love stories that made me nervous but also so excited. I reread it often, on both my Kindle and in paperback.
30. What’s your favorite thing to drink while reading?
• Coffee for sure. I need something warm in my hands. 

Hopefully this gives my friends here a little insight on who I am as a reader and a person. If you find yourself agreeing with any of my answers, give me a follow and let's bond over books!