Hello darlings, and welcome! I may cry happy tears right now. I've been thinking about having a little space on the internet for what feels like forever, but the odds were against me. Let's say that setting up this blog has been a real struggle (ahem, my computer died an incredible number of times). But let me introduce myself: my name's Alessandra, Merli for friends, and I'm an Italian bookworm, writer, and mum of a little hobbit girl. I like tea, autumn breeze, spring sun, flea markets, Halloween, foreign languages and cultures, and collecting fandom jewellery. While I'm not reading or writing, you can find me on Goodreads and Instagram, let's be friends!
To get to know each other a little bit better, I decided to do a bookish Q&A. Feel free to answer the questions in the comments or wherever you want.
What got you into reading?
I had to read a book a month during primary school, and then write a review about it. Most of the time, I flipped through the pages to have an idea of the story cause I hated being told to do anything and even more writing the reviews. Some of the books left a mark, but I remember vividly that the summer after finishing primary school was when I started reading what I liked and getting passionate about it. I never looked back from then.
What's your favourite childhood book?
Either Septimus Heap or Fairy Oak. I have read them quite a number of times. Also The Chronicles of Narnia, but I read them when I was a little older.
What are your favourite genres?
Fantasy, YA and Jane Austen (let's pretend she's a genre too). I love to get lost between pages, especially in worlds filled with strange creatures, good manners, and kick-ass heroines.
Do you like poetry?
I don't read a lot of it, but I do like it. I love reading it out loud in its original language, even if I don't understand everything, to hear the musicality of the words. One thing I like to do is buy a poetry book whenever I travel, usually picking it at random.
Hardcover or paperback?
Both, it depends on the vibe of the book, the size, and the art on the cover.
Book or Ebook?
I prefer owning physical copies, but sometimes ebooks come in handy, especially for travelling, saving money, and lately to read while I put my daughter to bed and pretend to sleep.
What are you reading right now?
"Alemmia: a law of attraction novel" by E.A. Deverell. Her blog is one of my favourites, she has a lot of worksheets and resources for writers.
Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
I tend to find myself reading several books at the same time, but they usually are some essays where I can't move forward and a novel that I actually read.
Do you eat while reading, and if yes, what exactly?
I try not to, but when I do, it's almost always sour cream and onion Pringles.
Do you write notes on the margins of your books?
Only if I'm studying them. I tended to do it with books in English, but now I do it only with essays.
What's your favourite language to read?
English, I've been buying books in English this whole past year.
Do you have a bad book habit?
I tell myself I can read multiple books at the same time. I can't, one book wins on the others.
Bookmarks or dog-ears?
Bookmarks all my life. I enjoy even making them and have a bookmark for every book series I own. Dog-ears make me shiver.
What's your favourite cover?
I really can't choose. My copy of Wynnie the Pooh that looks like the original one, all the covers of the Italian special editions of A Song of Ice and Fire, and pretty much every old book I own that has a faux leather cover. My friends also gifted me that beautiful edition of Circe a while back, and I love it.
Who's your favourite character in a book series?
Hermione Granger no doubt. Katniss Everdeen, Annabeth Chase, and Pervinca Periwinkle come close. But I think my favourite character of all times is Elizabeth Bennet.
What book made you cry the most?
"The Fault in Our Stars". I had to stop reading it when I got to the middle because I sensed what was coming, and I just couldn't cope with it at the time. I reread the whole book the year after, having already watched the movie, and I cried nonetheless.
What book made you laugh the most?
I have a few that I read recently: Fire and Heist, To All the Boys I've Loved Before, Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda, and Paddington's first three books.
What’s your top 5 go-to recommendations?
To get to know each other a little bit better, I decided to do a bookish Q&A. Feel free to answer the questions in the comments or wherever you want.
What got you into reading?
I had to read a book a month during primary school, and then write a review about it. Most of the time, I flipped through the pages to have an idea of the story cause I hated being told to do anything and even more writing the reviews. Some of the books left a mark, but I remember vividly that the summer after finishing primary school was when I started reading what I liked and getting passionate about it. I never looked back from then.
What's your favourite childhood book?
Either Septimus Heap or Fairy Oak. I have read them quite a number of times. Also The Chronicles of Narnia, but I read them when I was a little older.
What are your favourite genres?
Fantasy, YA and Jane Austen (let's pretend she's a genre too). I love to get lost between pages, especially in worlds filled with strange creatures, good manners, and kick-ass heroines.
Do you like poetry?
I don't read a lot of it, but I do like it. I love reading it out loud in its original language, even if I don't understand everything, to hear the musicality of the words. One thing I like to do is buy a poetry book whenever I travel, usually picking it at random.
Hardcover or paperback?
Both, it depends on the vibe of the book, the size, and the art on the cover.
Book or Ebook?
I prefer owning physical copies, but sometimes ebooks come in handy, especially for travelling, saving money, and lately to read while I put my daughter to bed and pretend to sleep.
What are you reading right now?
"Alemmia: a law of attraction novel" by E.A. Deverell. Her blog is one of my favourites, she has a lot of worksheets and resources for writers.
Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
I tend to find myself reading several books at the same time, but they usually are some essays where I can't move forward and a novel that I actually read.
Do you eat while reading, and if yes, what exactly?
I try not to, but when I do, it's almost always sour cream and onion Pringles.
Do you write notes on the margins of your books?
Only if I'm studying them. I tended to do it with books in English, but now I do it only with essays.
What's your favourite language to read?
English, I've been buying books in English this whole past year.
Do you have a bad book habit?
I tell myself I can read multiple books at the same time. I can't, one book wins on the others.
Bookmarks or dog-ears?
Bookmarks all my life. I enjoy even making them and have a bookmark for every book series I own. Dog-ears make me shiver.
What's your favourite cover?
I really can't choose. My copy of Wynnie the Pooh that looks like the original one, all the covers of the Italian special editions of A Song of Ice and Fire, and pretty much every old book I own that has a faux leather cover. My friends also gifted me that beautiful edition of Circe a while back, and I love it.
Who's your favourite character in a book series?
Hermione Granger no doubt. Katniss Everdeen, Annabeth Chase, and Pervinca Periwinkle come close. But I think my favourite character of all times is Elizabeth Bennet.
What book made you cry the most?
"The Fault in Our Stars". I had to stop reading it when I got to the middle because I sensed what was coming, and I just couldn't cope with it at the time. I reread the whole book the year after, having already watched the movie, and I cried nonetheless.
What book made you laugh the most?
I have a few that I read recently: Fire and Heist, To All the Boys I've Loved Before, Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda, and Paddington's first three books.
What’s your top 5 go-to recommendations?
1. Pride and Prejudice
2. Harry Potter
3. Fairy Oak
4. Shadowhunters
5. The Cruel Prince
I think this wraps up nicely my bookish self.
Talking about writing, do you ever feel excited while writing, thinking "Yes! I'm nailing this!". And then when you read it after a month or two, you start doubting whether you ever had a writing skill? I feel you. To kill that voice that keeps telling me I'm not good enough, last October I applied to a creative writing course, and I'm so happy I did cause I needed that gentle push and insight to begin writing my book. Right now is at an early stage and it will probably take a long time to finish cause I have a lot of research to do (spoiler alert: is set in a foreign country) but, in the meantime, I will chat with you about books, life and whatever comes to mind. I'm also a pretty artsy person so expect some bookish DIY's.
2. Harry Potter
3. Fairy Oak
4. Shadowhunters
5. The Cruel Prince
I think this wraps up nicely my bookish self.
Talking about writing, do you ever feel excited while writing, thinking "Yes! I'm nailing this!". And then when you read it after a month or two, you start doubting whether you ever had a writing skill? I feel you. To kill that voice that keeps telling me I'm not good enough, last October I applied to a creative writing course, and I'm so happy I did cause I needed that gentle push and insight to begin writing my book. Right now is at an early stage and it will probably take a long time to finish cause I have a lot of research to do (spoiler alert: is set in a foreign country) but, in the meantime, I will chat with you about books, life and whatever comes to mind. I'm also a pretty artsy person so expect some bookish DIY's.
Now I want to know about you. What are your life goals and favourite reading genres? If you don't want to commit to the whole Q&A, just pick the question that appeals to you the most. Also, let me know what your current read is and which book you're looking forward to reading in your TBR.
Till next Sunday, have a lovely week!
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