Welcome back to BOOK AND A BEVERAGE!

In case you don’t know the deal about Book and a Beverage, it’s a very simple yet fun feature: We read books, we drink beverages, we take pictures of them and then I share your photos and a little about you to the blogging world!

Give a big welcome to Hawwa from It Was Lovely Reading You!

Name & Blog Name: Sawubona! My name is Hawwa, I recently turned sixteen years old [not young: old, and tired, and craving sleep] and I blog over at It Was Lovely Reading You. And no, unfortunately I don’t speak Zulu. I wish I did though.
Tell us a little about your blog! It Was Lovely Reading You was created one cold winter day just about two years ago out of boredom, and the idea that I could share my creative writing on an internet platform [although how I thought that would ever work when I don’t even show it to my family is a mystery still unsolved]. After six months of having three followers: an anonymous profile which creeped me out because I wanted to know who was reading the rants and raves of a teenager about life…my aunt, and – erm, myself… [In my defense it was encouragement. Two followers is, pitiful. Three is – maybe not so bad?!] I stumbled across a book blog. Cue fireworks and rainbows as I realized people shared opinions on books online, and I was not the only teenager obsessed with reading, nicknamed a ‘book vulture’ and craving more more more books all the time. The rest is history –
Oh, but what does my blog offer? Giveaways, book reviews, book photography, book graphics, bookish illustrations and more. I am a very visual and creative person so I try to break up the few reviews that I do with eye-catching and inspiring posts that are extremely fun to make, and to stare at: [I hope?]
What’s been your favorite post you’ve written so far? (Link us up!) Firstly, I just changed the word spelt ‘favorite’ to ‘favourite’ because I am British and live in the land of rain and Harry Potter. Hence the change from alien American spelling to good ol’ English. Heh. But, back to the question at hand, as I trawl through my blog archive I can honestly say I don’t know. Each post is special to me in some way otherwise it would never see the light of day – Ah, found some. I enjoyed both writing, and reading the responses to my A Sea of Pages [The Novel Idea(s)] post I did, which actually turned into a tag after a few people decided to join in with moaning talking about their writing life. I also loved my Harry Potter: Bookish // V.II graphic-filled post I did, because who ever gets tired of Harry Potter + Art? And finally I liked my Keri Smith Collection post because I actually shared some of my art, and didn’t die of shame.
Got anything special coming up we should know about? Sadly: no. I started college a month ago and am currently drowning in homework, exams looming on the horizon and stress. So nothing extremely exciting is going to be happening in the coming future until maybe the winter holidays, just regular posting; however some of the posts coming up I am rather proud of!

Whatcha reading? The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkins. I actually just finished it so I am in that uncertain place hovering between two fictional worlds. I feel rather like a ghost in limbo right now to be honest. A ghost with a torn heart though because whatdidIjustreadandcanIhavethenextbookNOWplease.
Where did it come from? (Library, purchased, publisher, etc) I was given it by a lovely human being with a book shaped heart. It’s a mystery who gave them their heart though – maybe Dorothy found it?
Any special reason you chose to feature this book? Because: whatdidIjustreadandcanIhavethenextbookNOWplease.
What’s important that we should know about this book? Would you recommend it? WARNING: Do not read this book if you are just recovering from a case of book feels syndrome. I fear you may not survive. If you are fully recovered – go on ahead. But tread carefully.

Whatcha drinking?  Nothing right now, I have a bottle of water in front of me but it’s too far away to reach…
What’s your favorite thing to drink while reading? Mint tea, or a fruit smoothie, I am partial to both. [Not at the same time obviously]
Favorite beverage of all time. Go! UM UM UM UM UM UM a milkshake/smoothie.

What are your top three books you would recommend to other people? Top three. Can you hear theincredulity in my voice? I’m obviously going to cheat because what self-respecting book lover wouldn’t. I usually recommend to everyone: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein, The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson, the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series by Laini Taylor, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern,  If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch, The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale, Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys, Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell; and finally, even though this is aimed at middle-grade, I feel like anyone could read and enjoy it: theRuby Redfort series by Lauren Child
What’s your proudest blogging/reading/writing moment?  I’m not a majorly successful blogger in that I am not a popular/well-known blog but I GET TO DO COOL STUFF TOO OK. Okay? Okay….I nearly fell on the floor when I was allowed to interview one of my favourite authors ever [sadly not face to face]: Laini Taylor. I was extremely proud when I had my first ever article published on the Guardian website, and finally, when I realised I was quoted in a book [I suddenly saw my blog name in the front inside cover of Siege by Sarah Mussi when I was flicking through the new paperback in my local bookshop and danced around everywhere. Thankfully I was the only one there – although that saddens me a little].
Anything else you’d like to share? Don’t ask me why I know these things [and they’re probably all false information I haven’t had the energy to work out are lies] but did you know Dr. Seuss coined the word ‘nerd’ in his 1950 book ‘If I Ran the Zoo’? Oh and a bibliokleptomaniac is someone who steals books – Liesel, Rudy got it all wrong – sorry to disappoint you but your nickname isn’t sophisticated enough..*sobs in a corner*…

Thanks so much, Hawwa! Very excellent recs and I cannot wait to finally get into the Mara Dyer series! I’ve been meaning to for a long time!

I hope you enjoyed getting to know the Hawwa! Connect with her at the links below!
Blog // Twitter // Pinterest // Tumblr // Bloglovin’

And don’t forget! You can participate in Book and a Beverage at any time! Got a book? Got a beverage? Just tweet or post your photo on Instagram using the hashtag #bookandabeverage and I’ll retweet or repost your photo!

If you want to sign-up for Book and a Beverage, keep an eye out for sign-ups to re-open sometime in mid to late November! We’ll finally be catching up on the current schedule and I’ll be able to bring on some more people for the feature!