The lovely and hilarious Lynn from Lynn’s Books tagged me to participate in this tag so we can learn more about each other. And why not? Because I know y’all are just dying to know more about me. Me, me, me!

Image: via http://lynnsbooks.wordpress.com
Image: via http://lynnsbooks.wordpress.com

Four Names That People Call Me (Other Than My Real Name)

Yes, my real name is Danya.

  1. Dee by my parents and family.
  2. Danaynay by my [intoxicated] girl friends.
  3. Moon pie. Funny story: my guy did an intense marathon of the Game of Thrones TV show and was trying to be all romantical, but instead of saying “Moon of my life” he said “Moon pie of my life.” I almost peed my pants laughing. It’s since been shortened to moon pie.
  4. Bee (as in bumble bee). I’m not sure where this one came from, really. But it stuck!

Four Jobs That I Have Had

  1. First job: I had my first babysitting gig when I was 11 or 12 I believe, and for the most part they were really good. There was one incident involving a kid who chucked a Jenga block at my head but you know…no harm, no foul.
  2. Hostess: When I was about 15 I got a job hostessing at an Italian chain restaurant. For those of you who don’t know, the host/hostess is the person who seats customers, clears tables, wipes menus, etc. This was my first real experience with customer service and it taught me a lot about people – mainly that they suck and you can’t take it personally.
  3. Page, volumes 1 and 2: I quickly moved on from hostessing to working as a Page at my local public library, which is basically a fancy title for the people who put the books away on shelves. I like to think of this job – along with some volunteer work – as the first step on my path to becoming a librarian. When I left home for university, I found another job as a Page in that public library system…
  4. Library Assistant: From my job as a Page, vol. 2 I was promoted to an LA position, which is my current job title. I work in a very small community branch that caters mostly to regulars and my duties include circulation services, reference, and customer service. This ranges from signing people up for library cards to recommending titles for someone’s 6 year old son who’s a reluctant reader to trouble shooting e-readers and other personal electronics. I LOVE this job and I’m going to be so heartbroken when I leave for grad school.

Four Movies I Have Watched More Than Once

  1. The Lord of the Rings trilogy (obviously)
  2. Howl’s Moving Castle
  3. Legally Blonde (DON’T JUDGE ME)
  4. Pride & Prejudice, circa 2005. You don’t like that version as much as the mini-series? Haters gonna hate!

Four Books I’d Recommend

  1. For all of you Tamora Pierce beginners out there, you should begin with the Lioness Quartet beginning with Alanna: The First Adventure. Chronicles her life from age 12 to womanhood and it’ll give you a good feel for the Tortall universe, where many of Pierce’s books are set.
  2. For you UF lovers out there I recommend Bitten by Kelley Armstrong, the first book in her Women of the Otherworld series. Set between Toronto and Syracuse, NY it introduces you to the North American werewolf Pack and Elena Michaels – the first known woman werewolf.
  3. If you love fantasy romance then try Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder, the story of a young healer who’s captured by rebels in the aftermath of a plague that’s decimated their kingdom. Can Avry escape and find a cure before the rebels kill her? Or will she decide that the rebels’ cause is the best of some seriously bad options? Also recommend Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder although the romance plot line is more in the background.
  4. Are you secretly a non-fiction lover? Have no fear – I can recommend some of that too. Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo is a gorgeously written examination of one of Mumbai’s undercities located in the shadow of one of the most palatial hotels in Mumbai. It follows the lives of five residents and recounts their struggles with poverty, power, race, sex, and corruption. Winner of the National Book Award, The PEN/John Kenneth Galbraith Award, the LA Times Book Prize, and many others.

Four Places I Have Lived

I’m only 21 and my family didn’t move around, so I’ve actually only lived in two towns. I’m going to do houses/apartments instead!

  1. Childhood home/Parents’ house: cue the nostalgia feels! My room was in the attic and it was seriously the best – it was actually one massive room and one average sized room that covered the entire top floor. I remember decorating with yellow paint and hanging up a bunch of colourful swaths of fabric to make the space my own.
  2. University residence room: aka the seventh circle of hell, I kid you not. I was on a floor with about 30 other people and suffice it to say that as nice as most of them were, I am not built for communal living spaces. Thankfully I had a single dorm room, and I did meet some really great friends there. Didn’t get much sleep though!
  3. First apartment/house: for my first independent living situation I rented a room in a house with two great friends (coincidentally we met in residence). The house was beautiful and in a great location, my housemates and I got on really well. I lived there for my second and third years of uni.
  4. Current apartment: in May of 2014 I moved into my current place, my very first apartment living alone! You guys…I am an adult who lives alone and pays all her own bills. What the f*ck is happening?! It’s the perfect place for me right now, but I won’t hesitate to say that it’s in a SUPER sketchy neighbourhood. Thankfully my neighbours are quiet! Best part? I get to fully embrace my inner neat freak. This place is spotless, yo.

Four Places I Have Been

  1. Acapulco, Mexico: my first time ever on an airplane was with my Dad on a trip to Mexico. Such a fabulous experience! I was really young, probably about 7 years old and I was awestruck. It was also the first time that I was ever consciously aware of real poverty and sowed the seeds for a lot of the volunteer work I do now.
  2. Vienna, Austria: I went for a school trip in high school and it was incredible. We were there with the school’s music department and saw the symphony and operas and it was amazing! What can I say? I’m a geek and I love that stuff. It was my first time in Europe and I can’t wait to go back!
  3. New York City: my very first NYC trip happened this summer with my mum Linda and we had SUCH a great time. Highlights include: and of course the New York Public Library.
  4. Montréal, Quebec (Canada): if you ever find yourself in Canada, I highly recommend visiting Montreal. It’s tourist friendly and gives you a taste of French Canada without too much pressure, since the vast majority of people in Montreal speak English. I went for a weekend with my guy this summer and it was the best low key vacation ever. The city is historic, fun, vibrant, romantic, and chock-full of delicious foods. What more could you want?

Four Places I’d Rather Be Right Now

  1. Somewhere tropical. Damn you, winter!
  2. The Great Library of Alexandria. Because this is my list – and in my list, I can go to places that no longer exist!
  3. Scotland or Ireland. I’m super into Gaelic culture these days, probably because I’ve been reading Juliet Marillier’s books. She describes the magic of the forests there so beautifully – I’ve got to see for myself!
  4. Hogwarts. I mean really, magical boarding school in a castle? Hell yes. I’m not sure what house I’d have been in…maybe Ravenclaw?

Four Things I Don’t Eat

  1. Meat! I’m a vegetarian. More bacon for you!
  2. Fish. Personally I consider fish ‘meat’ since it’s flesh, but I’m always surprised by the number of people who assume I eat fish.
  3. Homemade wild berry wine. Story time, kids! Once upon a time a princess went to a shining castle to pay her prince a visit, and his father the king offered her some of his prized homemade wild berry wine. He said to her with a gleeful smile “it’s extra sweet because I added more sugar to it!” The princess soon discovered that the wine also had pulp.
  4. Shiitake mushrooms. They’re just slightly too mushroom-y for me.

Four of My Favourite Foods

Y’all don’t even know how tough this is…I am a colossal pig. Haven’t you seen my twitter bio? I’m a semi-professional eater (not actually)!

  1. Macarons. Like eating baby angel wings…
  2. Avocados.
  3. Vegetarian pad thai, extra Sriracha.
  4. Tacos.

Four TV Shows That I’ve Watched

  1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The first show that I ever got really obsessed with.
  2. Police procedurals, especially from the U.K. Particular favourite at the moment is Scott & Bailey, following two detective constables in Manchester who are both ladies. Oh, and their chief is also a lady. LADY COPS!
  3. The Legend of Korra. Recent discovery thanks to Twitter and I’m loving it so far. Who knew kids’ shows had such high production values?
  4. The 100. Current obsession. Cannot wait for it to return this week!

Four Things That I’m Looking Forward to This Year

  1. Graduating from undergrad and getting that shiny (useless) Honours BA. As much as I’ve enjoyed it, I’m ready to move on to grad school.
  2. Travelling. My guy and I are talking about going to Europe for two weeks at some point and I am ALL for it. Euro trip! Maybe I’ll even go back to Vienna.
  3. Getting my  driver’s license. Yup, that’s right – I can’t drive. In all fairness I’ve never really tried…but I need to get on that.
  4. Adventures and change. I’ve lived where I’m at for four years and I’ve loved it, but now I’m ready to see some fresh places and faces. The city where I’m planning to go to grad school isn’t exactly the cultural centre of Ontario but I’m sure I’ll have some adventures!

Four Things I Am Always Saying

I just want to preface this by saying that I’m pretty sarcastic and these are not things that I say around my family (or at work).

  1. “I will kill you.” Said tonelessly whenever I’m jokingly annoyed. Actually annoyance usually involves more huffing and stony silence.
  2. “You know where the dictionary is.” I say this whenever my guy asks me what a word means…probably because it’s what my Dad used to say to me whenever I asked him that. Quick! Blame your obnoxious habits on your parents!
  3. Excuse me?” Sassy eyebrow raise is implied.
  4. “You heard me.” Sometimes I’m a bit of a shit disturber so whenever I say something controversial around my friends and they do a double take, I just say archly: “you heard me.”

Four People I Tag

  1. Kaja from Of Dragons and Hearts. Hello, have you MET her? Because she is the best. Girl, you’re the best! #girlcrush
  2. Miriam from Inky Realms. Girl’s life seems so interesting! I bet she’s got some great travel stories.
  3. Tabitha and Kat from Not Yet Read. These ladies are gems! I’ve heard rumblings that Tabitha is already planning on doing this one, so look out for that. As for Kat, she’s like the Queen of Goodreads and she’s freaking hilarious! One of her reviews legitimately made me snort chocolate milk.
  4. Anya from On Starships and Dragonwings. I must know all her secrets! Fine, I’ll settle for groups of four. 😉