100 Truths Tag

I was tagged to do this by LaRhonda @FlyingPaperbacks (thank you!) and you should definitely check out her post too, as she has some great answers. I like this tag a lot because some of the questions really made me consider my own personal beliefs and ideologies. This is quite a long post, so you might want to grab a cup of tea and a snack.

1 What’s your name?
Kate

2 Any nicknames or aliases?

I don’t have any real nicknames, but some of my best friends do call me their ‘wifey’ on Twitter and in real life.

3 Your gender?

Female.

4 Your star sign?
Gemini.

5 How old are you?

24.

6 Your relationship status?

I’m in a long-distance relationship with my boyfriend and a short-distance relationship with books.

7 Any children?
Haha NOPE.

8 Any pets?

Sadly not. I had a rabbit and guinea pigs growing up, but I don’t have any pets now. *distant weeping*

9 Any tattoos or piercings?

I have my ears pierced at the lobe, but no others. I’d quite like to get a helix or cartilage piercing at some point but I’m not in any rush.

10 What do you like about yourself?

I’m all for self-confidence and positivity so here we go: I like my adventurous streak that wants to see so much of the word, my creative side, and my drive to achieve things and pursue the career/life I want. I like it when my happiness and excitement rub off on others, and I like that people associate me with linguistics and grammar.

11 What do you dislike about yourself?

I dislike it when I realise I’ve been irked or unhelpful with someone because I always try to be the best version of myself and annoyed/unhelpful Kate is definitely not that version. I don’t like my selfish streak and I think sometimes I’m not generous enough. I also hate it when I forget to ask people what they’ve been up to because it makes me seem disinterested in them when I’m not.

12 Righty or lefty?

Lefty power.

LASTS

13 The last thing you drank:

Tea. (It’s literally always tea.)

14 The last thing you ate:

A ‘Nice’ biscuit. (Can confirm, they are indeed nice.)

15 Your last phone call:

My Dad called me earlier to ask if I’d seen his keys before I left for work because he couldn’t find them. Oh dear.

16 Your last text message:

That was to my Mum asking if my Dad found his keys (he did). I also said I hoped she was making the most of the sun.

17 Your last email:

I’ve got quite a few projects ongoing at work, so my last 247 emails were to work colleagues.

18 The last song you listened to:

That would be the mighty Sia’s Never Give Up.

19 The last book you read:

I just finished Vicious Rumer by Joshua Winning for a blog tour I took part in. I’m currently reading Ace of Shades and Children of Blood and Bone and loving both.

20 The last time you cried:

I watched an episode of DIY SOS the other day, and the story about the boy whose life they were trying to change by improving his house made me well up. That programme hits me in the heart every time.

21 The last blog you read:

That would be Marie @DrizzleandHurricaneBook‘s brilliant post on how to master your TBR.

22 The last person you spoke to:

My friend Jennie,who is currently living in Japan. ❤

23 The last place you visited:

Paris and Le Havre in France.

24 Your last holiday abroad:

Also France, and before that Croatia.

YOUR BELIEFS AND OPINIONS

49 Do you believe in aliens?

Yes, I think it’s incredibly unlikely that the universe is as big as it is and there is no other sentient life out there. It just seems impossible.

50 Do you believe in miracles?

I’m undecided on this one. I’d say I’m more of a sceptic than a believer, but I’ve also read stories about some pretty unexplained events, so perhaps miracles can happen. I think aliens are more likely though.

51 Do you believe in the power of positive thinking?

Yes, definitely. Psychology is a fascinating thing because you can teach your mind to think in certain ways, through cognitive conditioning.

52 Do you believe in love at first sight?

Not really. I definitely think you can be emotionally and physically attracted to someone at first sight, but I think love is a connection and a feeling that takes longer to form.

53 Can money make you happy?

It can make you comfortable, but that doesn’t always equate to happiness. Certainly, in the short term, buying things can bring enjoyment and happiness, but I think you have to have other things in your life (a stable home, good relationships with others, hobbies you enjoy, a work/life balance) to have true happiness.

54 Would you describe yourself as a feminist?

OH YEAH. You betcha. Had my feminist awakening when I was 19 and there’s been no going back. Intersectional feminism is especially important, because what’s the point of fighting for women’s equality if it doesn’t include ALL women?

55 Are you pro-life or pro-choice?

Definitely pro-choice. People should have the freedom and autonomy to decide what they do with their bodies.

56 Do you have strong political beliefs?

Just like my writing, I’m a bit of a lefty. I support Labor and the Green party, who, in the UK, are the two opposition parties to our current Conservative government. I’m in favour of giving more money to hospitals and schools that desperately need funding for resources, and I voted against Brexit so I’m very upset that we’re leaving the EU. Having said this, I don’t usually let differing political beliefs get in the way of my friendship with someone; most of my friends share the same political beliefs as me, but my parents vote differently and we get on just fine!

57 Do you have strong religious beliefs?

I’m a Christian but I’m pretty liberal. I believe in some form of higher power but I definitely don’t think one religion is more ‘correct’ than another; they’re all equal in my eyes. I think a lot of the ideas and ‘rules’ in the bible discriminate against minority groups of people and should be discarded and ignored. Everyone should be who they want to be, love who they want to love, and try not to have prejudices against any one.

58 What do you think the most important thing you can give a child is?

Probably love and understanding. Telling a child that they can be who they want and follow their dreams is the kind of uplifting, caring message we should be giving to future generations.

RIGHT NOW

59 Are you eating anything right now?

An apple

60 Are you drinking anything right now?

Tea. Again. It’s always tea.

What are you listening to right now?

This banger.

62 What are you thinking about right now?

About what I’m going to get up to in London this weekend.

63 What are you waiting for right now?

My next cup of tea to be honest.

64 What are you most excited about right now?

Finishing Ace of Shades and trying new vegan food at Greenwich market this weekend.

65 What’s your pet peeve right now?

People crowding round train doors to board before everyone’s alighted. I commute every day and at one station people always form a really tight circle around the doors, making it hard to get past them. Just stand at the side and let everyone off first, it’s not hard guys.

66 What’s your favourite thing right now?

I’ve just started using my new backpack that my friends got me as a present and I absolutely adore it. (It’s grey and floral.) I haven’t owned a backpack for years and I forgot that they’re so comfy and light???

67 If you weren’t answering these questions, what would you be doing right now?

Probably watching Youtube videos and chatting to people on Twitter.

FIRSTS

68 Your first best friend:

I was best pals with a girl named Chloe in high school and we used to hang out in the library during lunch times and go to Forbidden Planet almost every Saturday to buy manga. We had a lot of fun, and this is how I’ve ended up with almost 120 volumes of manga.

74 Your first job:

I started working in retail when I was 17 as a part time job on a Saturday. This was to earn some money while I did my A-levels, and it was reasonably fun for the most part, although I did have to work sales, which was an eye-opener.

75: Your first childhood memory:

I remember dressing up in nursery when I was about 3 years old in some hideous red, velvet dress with puffy sleeves. Past me had so much style. *grimaces*

WHICH WOULD YOU CHOOSE?

76 Love or money?

Love.

77 Twitter or Facebook?

*snort* Twitter every time.

78 Hook up or relationship?

Relationship.

79 Dogs or cats?

Pigs.

80 Coffee or tea?

TEA. What have I been saying this whole time, jeez, it’s like this tag doesn’t know me at all or something.

81 Beer or wine?

Neither because I don’t actually drink.

82 Sweet or savoury?

SWEET. Always sweet, until the end of time. Everything sweet.

83 Introvert or extrovert?

It’s a scale, but I’m more of an extrovert so I’ll go extrovert.

84 Vampires or werewolves?

Neither if possible.

85 Seaside or countryside?

Countryside.

86 Summer or winter?

SUMMER FOREVER.

87 Books or movies?

Books, of course.

88 Horror or comedy

Comedy.

A FEW RANDOM QUESTIONS TO FINISH ON

89 Do you wish you could change your past?

Not really. I’ve been privileged enough to have a safe and happy childhood, and it formed the foundations for who I am today so I wouldn’t want to change most of it.

90 What’s your dream job?

To work as a publicity or editorial assistant for a trade publishing company. ❤ (Hit me up HarperCollins and Penguin.)

91 What’s your guilty pleasure?

Watching Youtube late at night while eating chocolate.

92 What are you afraid of?

Failure and not achieving my aspirations.

93 What was the first thing you wanted to be when you grew up?

A vet, but that quickly went out the window when I realised I’d have to euthanise animals. I’m too soft for that, I’d cry.

94 If you could have any super power, what would it be?

I’d like to have the ability to control energy and be able to throw it around at will. I imagine it to be a nice kind of golden, crackly power in my head. (Think Scarlet Witch, but gold instead of red.)

95 If you could change anything about your life what would it be?

I’d like to be working in publishing right now, although I do really like the job I’m in, and I’d like to not have such a long commute.

96 Would you want immortality?

Probably yeah, I’ve got too much stuff to do and I’m greedy for more time.

97 If you could interview anyone alive or dead who would you choose?

V. E. Schwab, my queen. ❤

98 Would you say you are happy?

I am.

99 What one piece of advice would you give to yourself at age eighteen?

Write stories, learn Japanese, and FIND FEMINISM FASTER. Oh and go and see the Avengers a sixth time, because why not.

100 Where would you like to be in five years’ time?

Working in trade publishing as a publicity or editorial assistant, either in London or in another big city. Hopefully also on the way to publishing my own book. I’d love to have been back to Japan at least once, and I’d like to own a pig, but that last one seems unlikely.

~~~

Phew, done. That was a long one, but really enjoyable to write.

I’m going to tag Hollie @Hollieblog, Ashleigh @FrolicFiction, Beth @ReadingEveryNight, and Marie @DrizzleAndHurricaneBooks if they’d like to do this one. (I know it’s long so no pressure.)