Today’s my birthday! And I thought I’d spend some time on this post with something a bit more personal. A meme by Ashley of Your Super Awesome Life called “If We Were Having Coffee” breaks free from the “all business” mode of blogs and explores the personal stories behind the blogger. Since this post will be centered around a birthday celebration, I’m changing the name slightly to “If We Were Sharing Cake.” So sit back, grab your favorite beverage, and take a slice of cake!

If We Were Sharing Cake . . . I’d tell you I recently received an amazing opportunity to work closely with an author on her social media, calendar, and bookish commitments. Her book will be out in July, published by Random House, and the whole experience of being a part of this process is fascinating and exciting.

If We Were Sharing Cake . . . I’d do my best not to tell you how truly scared I am about the future. As someone who likes to have things planned out and in control, it’s nerve-wracking and stressful to not know what will happen in my life post-graduation. Where will I be? What will I be doing? Will I be happy? This is when the existence of a time lord is needed — just one tiny glimpse of my future five years from now would be fantastic and put my mind at ease. Or, you know, at the snap of my fingers the job market and economy would be fixed instantly and everyone would have hope for the future!

If We Were Sharing Cake . . . I’d gush about how much I love book-to-vlog adaptations. While I thoroughly enjoyed “The Lizzie Bennet Diaries” and am completely engrossed with “Emma Approved,” my true love affair is with “The Autobiography of Jane Eyre.” Apart from the fact Jane Eyre is my favorite book, I have to say I really like the home video quality of this vlog. And the actors are so…natural! They feel far more real than the gussied-up actors with TLBD and EA, and I think it’s because it makes the whole vlogging aspect feel real. With AOJE, it’s not an actress playing Jane, she is Jane.

If We Were Sharing Cake . . . I would tell you how I ache to live in two vastly different places: out west, in the mountains, or in London, where my heart belongs. Every memorable family vacation took place in the West, and there’s something about it that speaks to my introverted soul. And yet, with an equal pull, London (or any part of England, really) is calling. I studied abroad for a bit and cried when I came back to America.

If We Were Sharing Cake . . . I’d share pictures of my beautiful black cat Rossetti, as it’s inevitable whenever anyone is around me. Follow me on Twitter and you can see some of my random updates about her quirks. Originally I wanted a black boy cat to name Byron, or an orange boy cat to name Keats (those two men speak to me), but when I met “Winifred” it was instant love and an instant name change to another wonderful poet. Byron and Keats will be saved for future pets — in the vault with a deaf kitty named Beethoven and a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Cromwell (heehee).

If We Were Sharing Cake . . . I’d ask you for book recommendations and TV show recommendations! I adore YA books, and will always want more recommendations (I tend to read fantasy or deeper/darker romances, but sometimes you need a good light and fluffy one too!). However, sometimes too much YA at once can create a bit of a whiny mental child, and so I’d need some more adult fiction recommendations too (some light, some historical, some mystery, some fantasy — anything). I tend to marathon TV shows too, and currently watch Once Upon a Time (Captain Swan!), How I Met Your Mother (what a crazy 48 hours it’s been…), Big Bang Theory, and New Girl. On my Netflix queue I have Bomb Girls, Land Girls, Doc Martin, Call the Midwife, and many other BBC/ITV shows that I’ve finished (Merlin, Downton Abbey, Robin Hood). Any suggestions for books or TV shows? Or movies??

If We Were Sharing Cake . . . I’d recommend two books, a movie, and a TV show for you! Books: Indiana authors Sharon Biggs Waller’s A Mad, Wicked Folly (YA, historical, hilarious and heart-warming) and Jessica Brockmole’s Letters from Skye (adult, historical, powerful). Movie: It’s also a book, but if you haven’t seen Winter’s Tale yet you need to now. TV Show: Bomb Girls, if you haven’t already. So many great stories woven into a perilous time in history!