Blogging Extravaganza #1: Interview With Myself

Hey guys! Last week I saw Rachel's post for this challenge and I thought I'd sign up. As you probably noticed, I've been pretty absent lately, since I started my internship. This is because I've been a lazy human, basically. However, since I am a responsible adult *snorts*, I've decided to do something to improve my blogging skills. That and I want to join in, because this sounds lice fun. And because I also love talking and rambling (in case you missed that!). So here we are. The first challenge is to interview yourself. Here we go!

Q: Hello, self! What's your name?
A: Hello! I'm Ruby.

Q: Nice to talk to you, Ruby! What's the last book you read that absolutely loved?
A: Stronger Than Fear by Marc Levy. I loved the fact that after reading that book, I'm not sure if the plot unfolded completely in one character's imagination, because he was in a coma, or if those things actually happened.
Awesome! Errr...Next question!

Q: A bookish pet peeve.
A: What kind of questions are these, self? *long sigh* Dog-eared corners. Why is that even a thing? It shouldn't be done!

Q: Wow, don't be so touchy! You are talking to yourself here! A song you currently have on repeat?
A: Huh, I guess that's true! I See Fire by Ed Sheeran. I actually have Ed Sheeran on repeat in general right now.
Good choice, self!

Q: Latest TV show obsession?
A: Ha! That's a long answer. Second Chance, The 100, Strike Back, Blindspot, Supernatural, How To Get Away With Murder, NCIS, Quantico, Once Upon A Time, Agents of SHIELD, Agent Carter, Arrow, The Flash, and these are just a few.

Q: Coffee or tea?
A: Both. It depends a lot on my mood. And how hot it is outside.

Q: Favorite ice cream flavor?
A: Mint chocolate chip. Although coffee ice cream is also really tasty!
Yes it is!

Q: What's the funniest book you've ever read?
A: Probably Can You Keep A Secret by Sophie Kinsella. I still giggle whenever I remember the scene when Emma thinks a drawing of a tree, I think, was actually a drawing of a uterus. Because that was the funniest thing ever!

Q: What's one theme you never thought you'd enjoy watching or reading about?
A: Time travel. The idea of landing somewhere in the past or in the future freaks me out for some reason. Either I know absolutely nothing about the world, or I'm used to certain stuff that I wouldn't have access to in earlier centuries. Can we say toilets and hot water?? And yet, I did enjoy watching Outlander. I haven't finished watching the entire season, because I want to read the book first. But as far as I got (I think episode...3?) I enjoyed it. And Claire is a smart woman, which is probably why I enjoyed it so much. Okay, and Jamie too.

Q: Is it strange having your interview taken?
A: By myself you mean? Yes, because apparently I have no imagination when it comes to asking questions! Although that last question was pretty good, if I may say so!

Q: Well, it was nice talking to...myself.
A: Yes it was. As it says in that Facebook meme (that I can't find right now, for some reason), sometimes you need some expert advice, and who better to give it than yourself?

That's it for the first post of the Blogging Extravaganza. I hope you had fun and I can't wait to read your posts too!

The 15 Weird Questions Tag

Yesterday I saw that Jen @ The Starry Eyed Revue answered 15 weird questions and since it looks very fun and since I'm super weird, I decided to answer them as well. Here we go

1. A nickname that you get called

It used to be Tweety up until a few years ago. These days I'm called by my name, which is kinda good. Makes me feel slightly normal, which is a nice feeling :))

2. A weird habit

My habits aren't weird, they're just unique. Before I get out of the house, I triple check everything, from the stove, to the windows, to the doors. EVERYTHING. If I don't do that, I will be bothered by the idea that I may have forgotten to check something all day long. That sounds OCD-ish, doesn't it?

3. A weird phobia

Spiders are disgusting. I am also terrified of the times when I need to get up on a chair to reach something in my upper kitchen cabinets.

4. A song you are ashamed to like so you blast it in private

I'm not ashamed to like any songs, really. I do make sure I'm not surrounded by minors if I blast some hip hop because you know... curse words.

5. A pet peeve


"A" pet peeve? I like how this one is phrased. Like I have just one. The biggest one...it's... Look. I have sensitive hearing. I hate repetitive noises. Like people who click a ballpoint pen on and off. WHY THE HELL DO YOU DO THAT???? WHY? After 5 minutes spent in the company of those people I wanna smack them. Hard.


6. A nervous habit

Cracking my knuckles, bouncing my feet, tapping my fingers. You know, signs of a well-adjusted individual *laughs nervously*

7. What side of the bed do you sleep on?

The middle. I have a big-ass bed, so I get to sleep in the middle.

8. The name of your first stuffed animal.

Benny. It was a pink bunny that has somehow survived for nearly 3 decades (gosh, I'm old!). I still have it today and he sometimes makes himself noticed in some of my Instagram photos. But he's a shy bunny, so he doesn't let me take photos of him every day.

9. What do you buy at Starbucks?

I live in Italy, so no Starbucks, at least not in my town. But I usually get espresso when I go to cafeterias. On rare occasions, I'll drink cappuccinos, which are delicious, but not strong enough :)) I've also discovered ginseng coffee recently. It's not bad, and the coffee fiend in my appreciates it, but again I need something stronger.

10. Beauty rule

Whatever you decide to do, try out a new haircut, put on makeup, dress in fancy clothes or comfy clothes or whatever, do it for yourself. Because you need to like yourself, regardless of what other people think of you.

11. Which way do you face in the shower?

Ummm...I...rotate? I mean... Damn, I never thought of that. I usually stay with my back to the shower, because I need my back to be warm, otherwise I don't enjoy my shower. Does that make me weirder?

12. A weird body skill

I'm flexible which in my case is a negative thing. I can bend my left thumb backwards to touch my forearm. I can bend my toes and keep them in a "fist" for long periods of time. I'm too flexible, which can create problems and in fact has created some problems in the past for me.

13. Comfort food

Chocolate. I eat chocolate when I'm sad, when I'm happy, when I'm feeling crappy because of my period (TMI there, I know), when I feel like I need to reward myself after managing a full week of healthy diet. Chocolate is very versatile for me :D

14. A word or phrase that you say all the time

Do curse words count? Hell, I say hell a lot.

15. What do you sleep in?

A t-shirt. Or sometimes, if I'm really cold, I'll sleep in a PJ shirt.

This was fun! I might do more tags soon. If you want to do it, go ahead. Let me know so I can check your answers :D

Sunday Book Soundtrack #20: Firstlife by Gena Showalter

Sunday Book Soundtrack is a weekly feature at Ruby's Books, where I share some of my bookish soundtracks. Since I discovered my passion for reading years ago, I've discovered that more and more of the songs I loved remind me of certain books. So I thought I'd share my playlists with you. If you want to listen to the songs, I'll post a link to a Youtube videos for each and every title. No copyright infringement intended! I'll try to find the official videos for each song. There's no set number for each playlist, sometimes I might have 10, sometimes 5, sometimes if I'm one of my moods I'll have 15. If you want to read more about this feature, click the "show more" button below. 

I read with music. If there's no music, I can't read. And not just read, but almost anything, like studying of cooking or doing chores around the house. The only time I don't have music is when I sleep. And during exams, but that's a different story.

Sometimes it happens that a certain song and a book or a scene from the book I'm reading sort of... click. It's like they were made for each other. At least for me. And so I will almost always think of that particular book when hearing that song. I thought I'd share my book soundtracks with you.

Keep in mind that I have a very... weird taste in music. You'll find mostly rock music, country or the 80s-early 90s music in these lists. I might use some "contemporary" songs from now and then, but don't bet on it being something other than those particular genres. Also, not always the songs will be in English. If I have a link to a translation for the lyrics, I'll post it. If you like a song I'm using, that's fine. If not, that's fine too, just don't say I didn't warn you.

The songs aren't always on a book's playlist for their lyrics. Sometimes they're there for an instrument or for a feeling I get when hearing them. Also, I won't always mention what scene I used them for. If it's not a spoiler, I'll share the scene, if it is a spoiler, I'll let you guess.

Anyway, I hope you like my playlists :)

Hey guys! I've discovered the magical place called Spotify, which means I get to make bookish playlists so much easier. I'm also thinking about uploading my old Sunday Book Soundtrack playlists there soom. Thank you Kara @ Great Imaginations to recommend it to me *sends hugs and kisses*

This week's playlist is inspired by Firstlife by Gena Showalter. I loved this book so much and I had fun creating this playlist. I hope you enjoy it. Also, if you want to check out my review, click here.