New BFF: Books of Magic

 
Happy humpday!

I want to present Marina as my new BFF today on the blog. Even though she only started blogging this year over at Books of Magic she’s like a pro already, she just has a gorgeous blog and obviously knows very well what she’s doing. If you don’t know her yet, show her some support and go and say hi for me will you, she really is such a nice girl. I love the fact that she chooses villains over heros any time. You’ll have to go see who her favorite villain is yourself though ;-). Other fun facts are: she was able to read at a very very young age (thanks to her grandma, wonderful anecdote) and she associates colors with numbers, but there’s really so many more interesting things she tells about herself in the awards and tags that she participated in. Very entertaining reading people!

Okay, time to get serious… here’s what you’re all coming for:

Name: Marina Savić

Age: 27

Birthday: November 14th

What did you study or do you study now / what is your current job?

*Kerning is the process of adjusting the spacing between characters in a proportional font, usually to achieve a visually pleasing result.

I have a B.A. in graphic design and that’s what I’ve been doing since college, along with illustration, mainly of children’s books. I’m a freelancer, but at the moment I’m working full time for a Texan SEO company. Here is one of my older illustrations:

Do you have any other hobbies?

I don’t think we can count reading, since it became a full-time thing long ago, so perhaps gaming? I like to play video games, a lot. 🙂 And blogging is my hobby too, since March this year. Here’s a trailer for my absolutely favorite video game, Ori and the Blind Forest:

Your favourite color? Purple! I also like turquoise and various shades of blue and green.

HINT: it’s a song 😉

Do you collect anything (besides books)? Yep, I collect various souvenirs from each country I visit, and I get a lot of stuff from friends. I can’t seem to decide between magnets and snow globes, though I own significantly more magnets. Here is one small part of my collection:

What’s the name of the book that you’ve had the longest? Have you read it? I have various collections of fairy tales and fables, bought to me by my grandma, and I’ve read them multiple times, still have them in good condition.

Have you ever regretted a book you purchased? A book that sounded so promising but you wished you’d have spent your money on another book after reading it? Maybe The Muse, by Jessie Burton. I quit halfways but I’m willing to give it another chance one day. That’s the only book I ever DNFed.

*Under The Covers – Designing the Jessie Burton’s The Muse

*Jessie Burton’s The Muse chosen as London’s 2018 Cityread. Cityread is a city-wide book group which each May aims to help Londoners explore and celebrate their city through its stories.

Do you listen to audio books? Yes, sometimes. I work from home so I can listen to whatever I want, but I can’t concentrate enough, so it has to be a light book.

Do you have a favorite genre? Fantasy and anything with magic in it! I also love historical fiction and mystery.

What is the book highest on your wishlist right now? Oooh only one? 🙂 Well perhaps Suitors and Sabotage, by Cindy Anstey, which is actually a historical romance, so not my genre, but I loved her previous novel so I’m excited to get this one!

How is your library organized? Haha oh no. 😀 Well my Terry Pratchett shelf is sorted chronologically, with a couple of random books there to fill the space, but my other shelf is a mess because of the way it’s built, take a look yourselves:

Do you read more ebooks or physical books? Lately I’m reading more on my kindle, because of the many ARCs I got, and the nifty Amazon deals, but I prefer paperback whenever I can because the feel of it is…wonderful.

Do you have a favorite book? Oooh cruel. 😀 I can’t possibly choose one sooo: Harry Potter, The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, Discworld series by Terry Pratchett, Alice in Wonderland, and Tender Morsels and The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan. And two very recent additions – My Lady Jane, and The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. I can list more, but…I have to stop here. 🙂

What’s the cover in your collection that you’re most proud of? Well it has to be this one, even though it’s not the one with the most beautiful illustration, but it’s real leather and it has gold sprayed edges. 🙂

Do you have any idea how many books you own? <100, >100, >200, >300 …? Around 150 physical ones and around 200 ebooks. I need more!

What’s the title of the last book you purchased? I’ve just bought five books on a semi-annual book event we have here in Serbia, with great discounts. The books are: The Ocean at the End of the Lane and Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman, Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn, The Alienist by Caleb Carr, and The Color Purple by Alice Walker.

What was your favorite author when you were a child? That would be Louisa May Alcott! I devoured her novels, and read them multiple times when I was a kid.

From which author do you have most books? Terry Pratchett. 24 and counting. 🙂

Are there books you’ve read 2 or 3 times? Of course, Harry Potter, The Hobbit, Alice in Wonderland, Tell the Wolves I’m Home, etc. Some of these I’ve read 10+ times. 🙂

About Tell The Wolves I’m Home: There’s only one person who has ever truly understood fourteen-year-old June Elbus, and that’s her uncle, the renowned painter, Finn Weiss. Shy at school and distant from her once inseparable older sister, June can only be herself in Finn’s company; he is her godfather, confident, and best friend. So when he dies far too young of a mysterious illness that June’s mother can barely bring herself to discuss, June’s world is turned upside down.

At the funeral, she notices a strange man lingering just beyond the crowd, and a few days later, June receives a package in the mail. Inside is a beautiful teapot she recognizes from Finn’s apartment, and a note from Toby, the stranger, asking for an opportunity to meet.

A the two begin to spend time together, June realises she’s not the only one who misses Finn, and if she can bring herself to trust this unexpected friend, he might just be the one she needs the most.

Tell the Wolves I’m Home is a tender story of love lost and found, an unforgettable portrait of the way compassion can make us whole again.

How many books are there on your Goodreads challenge this year and how many have you read already? At the moment it’s 28/60. Some of these are graphic novels, so I hope to catch up with some good fiction soon!

Can you spell your name with the first letters of titles in your book case?

Thank you so much Marina for sharing your awesome bookshelf and great answers!!

In case you missed it, here are some of the BFF’s (Blog Friends Forever) I posted about before :

Martina – The Mystery Corner
Liis – Cover to Cover
Danielle – Books, Vertigo and Tea
Betty – Bookish Regards
Anais – Zeezee with Books
Nicki – Secret Library
Donna – Chocolatenwaffles’ Blog
Chitra – Books & Strips
Annie – The Misstery
Dee – Novel Deelights
Tina – Reading Between the Pages
Savanah – Off-Color Lit
Delphine – Delphine’s Babble on Some Good Reads
Lisa – Rambling Lisa’s Book Reviews
Alex – Coffeeloving Bookoholic
Kathy – Books and Munches
Diana – A Haven for Book Lovers
Norrie – Reading Under The Blankie
Lynne – Fictionophile
Lorna – On The Shelf Reviews
Vera – Unfiltered Tales

I don’t want my BFF club to be complete just yet! There’s still room for plenty more so give me a shout if you want to join for a post at the end of this year! It’d be very appreciated!

Come back next month to read all about my new BFF Kelly!