book tag

The Books and Life Tag

As it’s blogmas and I need to think of things to fill each day I of course turn to tags. The Books and Life tag was created by Steve Donoghue on YouTube and I was inspired to do it after seeing RinceyReads’ video. It’s all about reading habits and where and how books fit into your life.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being a normal person and 10 being the late Harold Bloom, how much are books and reading a part of your life?
This honestly fluctuates. I’ll always say I’m a reader and have been since I was a kid but the amount of time I dedicate to reading can change each month or year. Like this year will be the least amount of books I’ve read in years as I just haven’t felt the need to read like I have before. So, I’d say for now I’m about a 4. I still read more than the average person but I’m never up to date about new releases or what books coming out I’m super excited about.

Where does your personal library stand right now in relation to the rest of your life? Do you have more books now than you ever have? Fewer? How has your library changed?
I definitely have fewer books compared a few years ago. I unhauled boxes of books earlier this year, partly due to space and partly due to admitting that some of the books I had I was no longer interested in and would never read. My personal library is probably a 70/30 split on books I’ve yet to read and favourites that I’ll probably never get rid of. I think nowadays it takes me a lot to keep a book after I’ve read it if I didn’t love it. If I have no desire to read it again and just thought it was fine, I’d rather it go to a new home where someone else can maybe enjoy it.

Take a mental step back and ask yourself: what is the most likely first bookish impression a newcomer would have in your home?
I rent a room in a flat so the many living space is pretty sparse in terms of either of our personalities. In my bedroom I have a little TBR organiser that fits about 4-6 books in depending on how big they are. They’re the only books on show, the rest of my books (which is the majority of my TBR) is on shelves in my wardrobe as I don’t have a bookcase here. My favourite books are at my mum’s where they are on display on bookcases in the living room.

How often (if ever, gulp) do you clean or re-organize your books?
I sometimes dust the tops of the books in my TBR organiser but I very rarely clean or reorganise the books in my wardrobe. They’re all stacked on top of one another so unless I want to read a book that’s in the middle or near the bottom of a stack, they don’t move.

On average, how many books do you acquire in a given week?
This ebbs and flows to be honest. Some weeks or months I can buy like six books at once, especially if I go into a bookshop to buy a book for someone else. I can then very rarely resist buying some for myself at the same time. But equally I can also go weeks or months without acquiring a single book. So on average it’d probably work out to be one a week.

What song is your current ear-worm?
I’m so bad at keeping up with music but That’s What I Want by Lil Nas X is super catchy and I very much enjoy it every time it comes on the radio when I’m driving.

What percentage of your self-control do you retain in a well-stocked bookshop?
Accidentally kind of answered this in question before but I really lack self-control in bookshops. I can probably keep about 30% of my self-control when I’m in one. Especially if I see a buy on get one half price deal on a book I wanted, it’d be rude not to get another book and take advantage of that deal!

Do you ever feel the need to take a break from books? If so, what form does it take?
This year it’s definitely been TV shows that have taken up my reading time. Before that, films were definitely what I watched the most. If anything, recently it’s been reading that’s been the break from other things. I would like to change that in 2022 and have a more even split across my hobbies.

When you meet a new person, how long does it take you to bring up books?
A while if I’m honest. I’m more likely to try and bond over favourite films than favourite books. Part of that is because my reading is so varied it’s hard to think of a book that’s a good chance to be able to bond over. Also, I seem to instantly forget every book I’ve ever read when people ask me about them.

Have you given any thought/made any provisions for your personal library after you croak?
Not really. I suppose I’d like it if friends/family went through my books and took soe they thought they might like but really as long as they weren’t dumped anywhere and were instead donated to a charity shop or a library, I’d be happy.

Are you known among your friends & loved ones for your weird and probably unhealthy relationship with books?
Well, they definitely know I like books and it’s probably one of those things that is used to describe me. My friends and family definitely know that they can always give me a book as a birthday/Christmas present and I’d love it. I love seeing what books people might think I’d like.

The Spooky Books Tag

As blogtober draws to a close, it’s time for one more seasonal tag! The Spooky Book Tag was created by Shelby Masako and I’m going to do my best to not repeat any of my answers from previous tags I’ve done this month.

What goes bump in the night?: Name a book that has legitimately scared you while reading it.
I know I’ve mentioned Lirael in a previous tag for this kind of question but it’s still relevant. Maybe Safe as Houses by Simone van der Vlugt also deserves a mention as that was a different type of scary as it’s about a home invasion.

Jack O’ Lanterns and Classic Costumes: A book you always reach for during Halloween time.
I don’t have a spooky/horror book that I always pick up at this time of year. In fact, I cant remember the last time I reread a book (must be at least four years ago) and that’s something I’d like to rectify soon.

Black Cats and Magic Mirrors: A book you love that is laced with superstition and/or magic.
Again, I think I might’ve mentioned this series in a previous tag but I don’t care – The Magician’s House Quartet by William Corlett. There’s magic and secrets in the house and talking animals and an evil Magician’s assistant.

Witch’s Brew: Favourite witch character in any book/series
It’s easy to say Hermione Granger from Harry Potter but really, I think my favourite witch is Angela from the Inheritance Cycle. My first thought was Hermione because Angela is more than a witch, she’s a healer and maybe a seer and there’s so many layers to her that witch almost seems like a too simple term.

Ghouls and Ghosts: A book that still haunts you to this day (good or bad).
Allegiant by Veronica Roth. I wasn’t a huge fan of the Divergent trilogy but the ending of Allegiant sticks with me, mainly because I think it’s an incredibly ballsy move from the author and I kinda liked how things went down – even though I know a lot of people weren’t.

Haunted Graveyard: You’re all alone in a haunted graveyard, you get ONE book to give you comfort, which is it?
Hawkeye vs. Deadpool by Gerry Duggan and Matteo Lolli. The vast majority of comics featuring Hawkeye (especially the Clint Barton Hawkeye) bring me comfort but Hawkeye vs. Deadpool was just so much fun, it’d hard to be scared when revisiting that book.

The Undead: Favourite supernatural creatures to read about (i.e. vamps, zombies, werewolves, etc).
I don’t often read about supernatural creatures – the Cal Leandros series by Rob Thurman has a lot of them in there though. I think my favourites though are vampires, I think they’re the creature that authors can really put their own spin on.

In the dead of night: Pick a book with a black cover.
I feel like I’ve mentioned this book so much on my blog over the past few months, but I’ve got to pick The Sisters Grimm by Menna van Praag. It has a stunning cover and it’s just the sort of book I should be reading at this time of year as I think there’s magic and witches and mysteries, but I haven’t picked it up yet.

The Autumn Tag

It’s time for another autumnal tag! You know I love a tag when I’m trying to post something every day of a month. This is the Autumn Tag and it’s created by Jenniely, do go check their blog out. Now onto the tag!

1. Hot Chocolate – what is your comfort book?
I’m not sure if I have a comfort book anymore as it’s been so long since I’ve read a book multiple times, no matter how much I love a book. Thinking about it, the only book I think that fits this description – even though I’ve only read it the once – is The Martian by Andy Weir. It was such a fun and hopeful story and I adore the film adaptation.

2. Pumpkin Carving – what is your favourite creative outlet?
I don’t think I’m that much of a creative person. Though I guess my blog and writing for JumpCut Online are my creative outlet. I enjoy writing reviews for books and films and just generally being organised and scheduling posts ahead of time.

3. Falling Leaves – changes that appear bad, but you secretly love?
(This one is a bit ambiguous; it can refer to your life or fictional changes in books & movies!)
In terms of books, I sometimes struggle with stories that have multiple point of views or have been from one characters perspective for the majority of it and then suddenly switches to someone else’s, but in the end I do end up liking seeing another side to things more often than not. I think I tend to like multiple POV stories more than most people.

4. Pumpkin Spiced Latte – something you love that others tend to judge
Having a weekend doing nothing and staying in your PJs all weekend? I’m sure everyone enjoys lazy weekends now and then, but I still feel a little judged sometimes when I either say before a weekend that I have no plans so I’m really looking forward to the weekend, or if after a weekend people ask what you got up to and then I’m like, “I slept and watched Netflix and/or read books?” Guess this is one I should lean not to get too caught up in what other people think.

5. Bonfire Night – what makes you explode with joy?
Oh boy, after the year that has been 2020, I’d definitely say the answer to that is seeing my friends, especially in real life. I haven’t seen my best friend of ten years since February due to us living in different cities and I cannot wait to see her again. And I think even generally before 2020 I loved seeing my friends as I’m lucky enough to have a lot of different groups of friends who live in different places, so I’m used to not seeing some of them for a while but now it feels extra weird that I can’t see some of them – like it’s almost exactly a year since I’ve seen my work wife!

6. Fright Night – favourite scary book or film
I am a wuss so have read or watched very few scary things. There’s a sequence in Lirael by Garth Nix that I still think is one of the scariest things I’ve ever read. No matter how many times I reread that series, that sequence still freaks me out.

7. Halloween candy – favourite thing to eat
When the nights get darker and longer, I seem to eat a lot more biscuits – especially chocolate chip cookies and chocolate digestives.

8. Scarves – your autumn ‘must have’ accessory
Well it’s obvious but I do love a good scarf. I’m also a big fan of fingerless gloves even though they’re not too practical. Note to self: I need to get new fingerless gloves as I seem to not have a complete pair anymore.

9. Fire – a book or film that burns your soul
A recent read that made me very happy at a deep an emotional level was Spain: The Inside Story of La Roja’s Historic Treble by Graham Hunter. I just loved reliving those six incredible years in Spanish football and learning things I didn’t know about people and matches that I’d watched.

10. Toffee apples – a book or film that seems one thing but really has a different inside
For book I’m going to say The Passage by Justin Cronin, mainly because I didn’t realise it was a first book in what turned out to be a trilogy when I was reading it, so as I was getting through the story and there were less and less pages for everything to be resolved I was really freaking out!

As for films, I’ll mention Personal Shopper as for some reason I thought it was going to be a full on horror/thriller and while it certainly has those elements it was a much more impactful film than I thought it’d be.

I tag anyone who facies doing this tag!

The Finally Fall Book Tag

Who doesn’t love a seasonal tag! I think the Finally Fall tag was created by Alina Melena on YouTube (not 100% sure as the original video no longer exists) and I saw it over on Bookables channel.

1. In fall, the air is crisp and clear: name a book with a vivid setting!
I didn’t like the book a lot, but I won’t deny that Uprooted by Naomi Novik has a very vivid setting and it’s the main thing I remember about it.

2. Nature is beautiful… but also dying: name a book that is beautifully written, but also deals with a heavy topic like loss or grief.
The Places I’ve Cried in Public by Holly Bourne has such good writing that’s powerful and sad and is about a teenage girl trying to understand how her relationship wasn’t OK and it was actually emotionally and sexually abusive.

3. Fall is back to school season: share a non-fiction book that taught you something new.
I work at a university and while my job is all year round, there is a sense on new beginning when the students come back at the end of September. I’ve read a lot of non-fiction thanks to my Read the World Project and I’ve learnt a lot about different cultures and countries. I think The Wife’s Tale: A Personal History by Aida Edemariam was one of the ones where I learnt the most though as I knew nothing about Ethiopia’s history.

4. In order to keep warm, it’s good to spend some time with the people we love: name a fictional family/household/friend-group that you’d like to be a part of.
It’s so easy to say the Weasley’s and while they’ll be an honourable mention, I’m going to say Izzy’s small but awesome family/friend unit from The Exact Opposite of Okay by Laura Steven. I love her relationship with her grandmother and her best friend Ajita and they’d be an awesome, fun and supportive group to be a part of.

5. The colourful leaves are piling up on the ground: show us a pile of fall-coloured spines!
Good job I was at my mum’s when I was drafting this post as I don’t have any TBR books that have autumnal colours on their spine. So all but one of these (A Keeper) I’ve read.

From top to bottom we have:
The Door in the Tree by William Corlett
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Illuminae by Amy Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
A Keeper by Graham Norton
Marvel Comics: The Untold Story by Sean Howe
The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore

6. Fall is the perfect time for some storytelling by the fireside: share a book wherein somebody is telling a story.
This was a hard one to think of a book for, I’ve definitely read books that were like a story inside a story, but it took me ages to think of one. In the end I remembered The Murdstone Trilogy by Mal Peet, in that a creature tells a story of a fantasy world.

7. The nights are getting darker: share a dark, creepy read.
It’s been a long time since I’ve read a dark and creepy book. Thinking back, I’ll mention The Strain by Chuck Hogan and Guillermo del Toro. It’s a creepy story with vampires and conspiracy theories and from what I remember there’s some really eerie moments.

8. The days are getting colder: name a short, heart-warming read that could warm up somebody’s cold and rainy day.
I wouldn’t say it’s short or even heart-warming, but it is a lot of fun and it’s set somewhere warm and sunny – Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan. It’s been a while since I’ve read a book I’d call “heart-warming”, but fun contemporary stories are always a good shout on dark nights.

9. Fall (luckily, it’s my favourite season) returns every year: name an old favourite that you’d like to return to soon.
There are so many books I’d like to reread but I think I’m going to go with The Passage and The Twelve by Justin Cronin. I’ve still not read the last book in the trilogy, The City of Mirrors, so I’d love to reread the series and finally finish it and see what happens to this huge cast of characters. I’d also like to revisit The Magician’s House quartet by William Corlett, of which The Door in the Tree is the second book, as that was a childhood favourite series.

10. Fall is the perfect time for cosy reading nights: share your favourite cosy reading “accessories”!
Definitely my blue fuzzy blanket. Well, technically it’s a Slanket (a blanket with sleeves) but I don’t often use the sleeves, instead I just have it on my legs as I read.

11. Spread the autumn appreciation and tag some people!
I think this tag has been around for a while so no doubt a lot of you have done it before but consider yourself tagged if you want!

The Guilty Reader Tag

Created by ReadLikeWildfire on BookTube, the Guilty Reader Book Tag is all about those things we have – or haven’t – done when reading and how we treat our books. I’m a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to look after my books, so we’ll see how guilty I am.

Have you ever re-gifted a book that you’ve been given?
I’m not sure if I’ve ever regifted a book I’ve been given but I have definitely gifted a book that I bought and read myself. Book I read often don’t look like they have been read as I don’t bend the spines or anything, so I’ve gotten away with gifting a book that I don’t want to keep many times.

Have you ever said you’ve read a book when you haven’t?
I don’t think so… no wait! I say I’ve read The Lord of the Rings trilogy, but I never actually finished The Return of the King, so I technically haven’t read the trilogy.

Have you ever borrowed a book and not returned it?
Nope. I’d hate someone borrowing one of my books and never returning it, so I always make sure I give a book back to who I’ve borrowed it off.

Have you ever read a series out of order?
I don’t think so but if I did it was probably by accident.

Have you ever spoiled a book for someone?
Luckily not. I hate spoilers and I’m always paranoid I’m going to accidentally spoil things for people.

Have you ever doggy eared a book?
No. I may not use an actual bookmark most of the time (I’m a big fan of using receipts and train tickets), but I don’t go as far as dogearing the book.

Have you ever told someone you don’t own a book when you do?
Nope or if I have it’s probably because I’d forgotten that I own the book.

Have you ever told someone you haven’t read a book when you have?
Nah, I’m not a believer in guilty pleasures when it comes to books and films. Even when I’ve read books that are considered “bad” or “trashy” I’m alright with saying I read them. The books this question makes me think of is the Twilight Saga. I read Twilight and found it pretty enjoyable in an easy-read kind of way but then I read New Moon and hated it and didn’t carry on with the series.

Have you every skipped a chapter or a section of a book?
I’ve never skipped a full chapter or section, but I do definitely skim read when I’m in a chapter following characters I don’t really care about or if there’s a lot of description that I find boring.

Have you ever bad mouthed a book you actually liked?
No, I don’t think so. I don’t see the point of it, especially if it’s just to fit in with the general consensus about a book.

Do you have any bookish sins to get off your chest?

The Christmas Carol Book Tag

We’re almost halfway through blogmas so thought it was time for a Christmassy book tag. The Christmas Carol Book Tag was created by Lauren Wade on YouTube and I saw it over on Jess’s blog, Jessticulates. I read A Christmas Carol when I was in school, but when I think of the story, it’s the film Muppet’s Christmas Carol that always comes to mind.

The Ghost of Christmas Past – A book that was a childhood favourite
Love Street by Andrew Matthews
I think this is one of the first YA books I read and it was one I reread over and over again. It’s about a teenage girl who makes up her own soap opera in her head to deal with the stresses of friendship and relationship drama.

 

 

The Ghost of Christmas Present – A recent book that you think will become one of your all time favourites
The Exact Opposite of Okay by Laura Steven
I read this book at the start of the year and I still think about it. It’s funny and heartfelt and it deals with such tough topics it can be equally infuriating and inspiring.

 

 

The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come – A book coming out next year that you’re most excited about
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
I’m so bad at keeping track of book releases but this in one I know about and will definitely be getting. I don’t particularly like the books title but I’m looking forward to going back into the world of The Hunger Games.

 

 

Bah, Humbug! – A book that everyone else loves that you just can’t stand
Uprooted by Naomi Novik
I do get why people like this book and I did like the writing style but the story just didn’t grab me and I didn’t like the relationship and (albeit very small) hints at romance between the two main characters.

 

 

Bob Cratchit – An old dependable that you always recommend
Luther: The Calling by Neil Cross
This is the prequel book to the first series of the TV show Luther but I still think it’s the kind of book that both fans and non-fans of the TV show would enjoy because it’s such a creepy and tense thriller.

 

 

Tiny Tim – An underhyped book that you think deserves more love
Safe as Houses by Simone can der Vlugt
I read this thriller earlier this year and it gripped me from beginning to end and it definitely deserves to be talked about more.

Today? Why it’s Christmas Day! – What’s a book that always gets you in the mood for Christmas (apart from A Christmas Carol)?
I don’t really read a lot of Christmassy books to be honest, nor do I reread a lot of books, but I do like reading comics and graphic novels on the run up to Christmas because they’re shorter and my brain likes to get in that more chilled out mood as Christmas is a time for relaxing.

The Muppet Christmas Carol – Your favourite film adaptation of a book
The Martian by Andy Weir
Book to film adaptations often get a bad wrap but there are a lot of good ones out there. While an honourable mention has to go The Lord of the Rings, I’m picking The Martian. It’s one of my favourite books of recent years and the film got so much right, the humour, the characters and the heart of the story. Plus, The Martian is just an endlessly rewatchable film.

Thanksgiving Book Tag

OK. Thanksgiving was last week so I’m a little late with this tag but we’re just going to deal with that. This tag was created by Fangirlscity on YouTube and I saw it on Aoife’s blog, Pretty Purple Polka Dots.

1. Bread – What book is purely fluff, and has no real plot line?
Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde
I flew through this book and it was a cute, fluffy read with a lot of nice relationships but it was so character-focussed that it didn’t really have an overarching plot.

2. Turkey – What book made you want to fall asleep?
The Book of Ebenezer le Page by G.B. Edwards
I’m currently listening to the audiobook of this and it’s not bad but the narrator sounds like an old man as he’s telling his life story and it is very soothing and is just the sort of thing I could accidentally fall asleep when listening to it.

3. Gravy – What book makes the whole series worth reading?
Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness
I listened to the audiobooks of Chaos Walking series last year and really struggled with it. My main issue was Todd, it wasn’t until Monsters of Men that I actually started to like him and the therefore the half of the book that was from his perspective.

4. Stuffing – What book is stuffed full of action scenes?
Flashfall by Jenny Moyer
I read this as a part of my NEWTS in August and the action never really stopped, especially once it got past the halfway mark.

5. Mashed Potatoes – What book looked good, and then wasn’t?
A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney
A Blade So Black isn’t bad exactly, but it wasn’t like what I expected, and the ideas were better than the actual plot.

6. Cranberries – What book has the sweetest romance?
The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson
I don’t read a lot of romance, but I found the romance in The Unexpected Everything to be really sweet and Andie and Clark really complimented each other.

7. Corn – What’s the corniest book you’ve ever read?
Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella
Sophie Kinsella’s books are always a little corny, fun, but corny, but I think Twenties Girl was even more corny than normal what with the main character being haunted by her great aunt or whoever it was.

8. Green beans – What book is too long and needs to be shortened?
Winter’s Tale by Mark Helprin
This was such a fat book. It was over 700 pages and it really didn’t need to be that long. I read it while I was at uni and I’m pretty sure it took me over a month to get through it and I’m not sure I even knew what was going on half the time.

9. Pumpkin Pie – What book do you read to get out of a reading slump?
In general, I read graphic novels or comics to get me out of a reading slump. Naturally they’re short and while I’m not saying I concentrate on them less than a novel, with the images it does make things easier if my brain’s having difficulty getting through a lot of description in a novel.

10. Dog/Cat- What’s your favourite Thanksgiving food that you would steal from the table?
Not had a Thanksgiving dinner before but I could always eat a lot of mashed potatoes.

And that’s the Thanksgiving book tag! If anyone fancies being even later to the party than I am, then consider yourself tagged. Also I hope those of you who celebrate Thanksgiving had a wonderful day.

The Joy of Christmas Book Tag

‘Tis the season for another festive book tag! Aka it’s getting near the end of blogmas and I’m running out of ideas! The Joy of Christmas Book Tag was created by Sam’s Nonsense on YouTube.

1) Anticipation: The Christmas excitement is real, what book release(s) are you most anticipating?
I recently listed my top 5 most anticipated 2019 releases but I somehow managed to forget about The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm: Tales from Alagaësia Volume 1 by Christopher Paolini which is definitely my most anticipated book of 2019. Eragon was such a formative influence for me and I can’t wait to return to that world with a new book.

2) Christmas Songs & Carols: What book or author can you not help but sing its praises?
A recent read that I absolutely loved was Multitudes by Lucy Caldwell. It’s such an affecting short story collection and I want to check out more of her work soon.

3) Gingerbread Houses: What book or series has wonderful world building?
While I didn’t particularly like the majority of the Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness (mainly because I couldn’t stand Todd) I did think the world building in the series was brilliant.

4) A Christmas Carol: Favourite classic or one that you want to read
I don’t really read enough classics to have a favourite, but a recent classic I read that I enjoyed a lot is The Three Musketeers by Alexadre Dumas.

5) Christmas Sweets: What book would you love to receive for Christmas
I think I really need to get my hands on a copy of Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi. I’ve heard nothing but good things so that’d be a nice Christmas surprise.

6) Candles in the Window: What book gives you that warm fuzzy feeling
When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon. I rarely read contemporary YA but every now and then I make the exception and When Dimple Met Rishi was a wonderfully quick, light-hearted and sweet read.

7) Christmas Trees & Decorations: What are some of your favourite book covers?
I’m a sucker for buying a book because of a pretty cover. Here’s some of my favourite covers (I could’ve listed way more) though I can’t comment as to what’s inside them as I’ve yet to read these books.

    

8) Christmas Joy: What are some of your favourite things about Christmas And/Or some of your favourite Christmas memories?
My favourite thing about Christmas is having a lot of free time. Especially now I’m in a 9-5 weekday job, having the free time to see friends and family, watch films or catch up on reading is much appreciated.

I tag anyone who fancies doing this tag!

The Festive Christmas Book Tag

It’s been a while since I’ve done a Book Tag but as it’s blogmas and I’m looking for blog posts, here’s a seasonal appropriate one. This tag was created by Girl Reading on YouTube and I came across it via Bookables video.

1. A fictional family you would like to spend Christmas dinner with?
Is it cliché to say the Weasley’s? Because they are the first family I thought of and I can’t think of a better fictional family to spend Christmas dinner with.

2) A bookish item you would like to receive as a gift?
If we’re talking about items from a book, could I get a Time Turner? That’d be very handy. Or bookish items in the real world, I’m a big fan of book sleeves. I love there’s so many designs and companies out there. I have two from BookBuddle which I love, and I received a Black Panther one in a subscription box which is very relevant to my interests.

3) A fictional character you think would make a perfect Christmas elf?
Samwise Gamgee. He’s so kind, helpful and thoughtful that he’d make a great Christmas elf! Plus he’s resourceful so if there was any mishaps, he could sort it out quickly.

4) Match a book to its perfect Christmas song.
I find this kind of thing really difficult but after a lot of thinking I came up with Step Into Christmas by Elton John to be paired with The Martian by Andy Weir. My thinking is, it’s just the kind of song that Mark Watney would be stuck listening to months on end.

5) Bah Humbug. A book or fictional character you’ve been disappointed in and should be put on the naughty list?
I read the Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness this year and was so annoyed by Todd through the entirety of the first two books, and then through a good chunk of the third book too. He disappointed and frustrated me with his naivety so he’d be on the naughty list.

6) A book or a fictional character you think deserves more love and appreciation and deserve to be put on the nice list?
The Murdstone Trilogy by Mal Peet. It’s a completely bonkers fusion of fantasy and real life and when the line blurs between fiction and reality it’s a lot of fun. I don’t know anyone else who has ever read this book so it definitely needs more love – or at least, I need to find people who have read it to talk about it.

7) Red, Gold and Green. A book cover that has a wonderfully Christmassy feel to it.
Now this one I found really difficult and I thought I was going to skip it as I didn’t think I had any books with Christmassy covers (mainly because I don’t tend to read books set at christmas time) but then I remembered by copy of The Awakening by Kate Chopin. I haven’t read this book yet (it’s been on my shelves for years though) and while it might not be exactly Christmassy, it’s definitely wintery with all the snow and mountains.

8) A book or series you love so much, you want everyone to find under their Christmas tree this year, so they can read it and love it too?
As the spin-off is coming in the New Year and I’m so excited, I’m going to have to say the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini. I think Eragon, and The Lord of the Rings films, was my gateway into fantasy. I’ve reread the Inheritance Cycle a few times over the years and I still love it.

I tag whoever wants to do this tag!

Finally Fall Book Tag

As I’ve said quite recently, I love Autumn. And look what I found that puts two of my favourite things (books and autumn) together – the Finally Fall Book Tag! This tag was created by Tall Tales, it features 11 questions and I’m just going to get stuck right in.

1. In fall, the air is crisp and clear: name a book with a vivid setting!
The Gunslinger by Stephen King. This is the first book in The Dark Tower series and not a lot really happens in it but you definitely get a vivid description of this place that the Gunslinger roams. It’s like a desert in a dying world, and it feels incredibly lifeless and harsh.

2. Nature is beautiful… but also dying: name a book that is beautifully written, but also deals with a heavy topic like loss or grief.
The Language of Dying by Sarah Pinsborough. This is a short story about death, grief and the ties that binds a family until they don’t anymore and it’s beautiful. It’s very sad as a woman is basically with her father, in the family home, waiting for him to die as her siblings briefly visit them. It’s a great look at family connections and how they can break so easily while also being about how hard it is to see someone you love slip away.

3.Fall is back to school season: share a non-fiction book that taught you something new.
The Good Immigrant edited by Nikesh Shukla. I learnt so much about what it’s like being a person of colour in Britain today, and no matter how much I read up on it I’ll probably never understand it because I’m white. (more…)