Bookish #Christmas Tag - #AmReading

Here's another festive Christmas book tag I spotted on The Strawberry Post when Cat did it last year, so kept for this year, because I also thought it might be fun to do.  This tag is all about the most well known aspects of Christmas, and whether I could pair a book to them.

 

If you decide to play along, you can either leave your answers below, or play along on your own blog.  If you do the latter though, please make sure to let me know where I can read your answers, since I don't want to miss them, because I'd love to know what yours would be.

For now though, you can check out Cat's post here, and read on for both the questions and my answers.

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Father Christmas: Name a book you received as a child and treasure to this day
 

That's easy.  It's got to be my copy of "The Bear Father Christmas Forgot" by Diana Kimpton.  I still have the braille copy my brother gave to me after I learned to read braille well enough to read it to him all those years ago.

 

The Ghost of Christmas Past: is there a book or series you like to revisit each year at Christmas time?
 

Appropriately, it's "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens.  I love reading that every year.  "Winter Solstice" by Rosamunde Pilcher is another one I love to revisit around the holidays.

 

Christmas Tree: name a series that reaches new heights with every entry. 

 

Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander" series.
 

Friends and Family: name a book with fantastic characters.

 

There are loads I could pick for this one, and I really don't know where to start, so I'm not even going to try.  I mean, there are many books I've read without fantastic characters in them, but there are even more with fantastic characters, so how can I choose just one?

 

Decorations: name a book with a gorgeous cover you would proudly display on your shelves.
 

I was never really one to judge a book by its cover, and certainly don't consider covers these days when I can't see them.  I only care about covers when arranging for the covers of my own books to be produced.

 

Christmas Cards: name a book that carries a great message.

 

"The Midnight Library" by Matt Haig.
 

 Ice and Snow: name a book that you were hoping to love but which ultimately left you feeling cold.
 

"The Nox" by Joe White.  I thought it was going to be a great spooky Halloween read, and it wasn't at all what I hoped it would be, or expected it to be
based on the reviews I read of it on Audible.
 

Christmas Lunch: name a book that was big and intimidating but oh so worth it in the end.
 

This is tricky, but one that comes to mind that I struggled to get in to at first but later felt it was worth it was "World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War" by Max Brooks.  It's one I read back in 2019, if I'm remembering correctly how long ago I read it, but it's the one that comes to mind, so I'm going with it, since I can't think of a more recent read right now.

 

Mince Pies: name a book you found sweet and satisfying.
 

"Haunted Halloween Holiday" by Robbie Cheadle.
 

Presents: what book do you wish you could give everyone to read?
 

Whichever book is the one they want most from their to-read list.  After all, it's the fact you're reading rather than exactly what you're reading that's most important.  In other words, as long as people are enthusiastic about reading, I'd be happy for them to have  any book that will encourage that.

The #Christmas Songs Book Tag - #AmReading

Cat over at The Strawberry Post did this tag right before Christmas last year, which I'm pretty sure I haven't done - I couldn't find it when I took a quick look in my old tag posts, and didn't remember having done it anyhow - which I wanted to do, since I love doing these things.  But I didn't have time to do it when Cat posted it, and by the time I would have been able to do it the holidays would have been over.  So, I decided to keep it to do in the run up to this Christmas instead.  Since it's now only a month until Christmas Day, I figure we're close enough to Christmas that I can do it now.

You can read Cat's post here.

If you want to do this tag too, either post your answers in the comments section below - whether via my blog, or via whatever social media platform you're reading this through - or do it on your own blog.  If you do the latter, please drop a link to your actual tag post below, so I can be sure to come check out your post, since I'd hate to miss it.  Either way, I'd love to read your answers.

For now though, here are the songs you need to match a book to, as well as my answers.

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‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’: Favourite Bookish Couple
 

Jamie and Claire from Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander" series.

 

‘I’ll Be Home for Christmas’: Name a book where a character is away from home (school, vacation etc)
 

Anyone who knows me knows I had to get this one in here somewhere.  And, hey, it does fit.  So I'm going with J K Rowling's "Harry Potter" series.  Though I love them all, my favourite of the series is "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" - just in case you want to know.

 

‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’: Name your favourite ‘little’ book (Children’s book, short story, novella, etc)
 

I'm sorry, but I have to pick two.  First, even though it's a sad one, I love "The Little Match Girl" by Hans Christian Anderson.  For a more cheerful holiday story, it's got to be "The Bear Father Christmas Forgot" by Diana Kimpton.

 

‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town’: What book(s) do you hope Santa brings you this year?
 

Any book I don't have from my to-read list.

 

‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’: Which book turned your nose read (made you cry)?
 

"Wolfbane" (Chronicles Of Ancient Darkness, #9) by Michelle Paver.  There were a couple of points where the book had me in tears for one reason or another, especially near the end.

 

‘The Most Wonderful Time of the Year’ Your favourite book/kind of book to read during the holidays
 

I love reading any kind of book at any time of the year.

 

‘We Three Kings’: Your favourite trilogy
 

Terry Pratchett's "Bromiliad" trilogy is one that's been a favourite of mine since I first heard of it when I was a child.

 

‘Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow’: A character you would love to be snowed in with
 

Aeson from Vera Nazarian's "Atlantis Grail" series.

 

‘Last Christmas’: A book that seriously let you down
 

"The Nox" by Joe White.  I thought it was going to be a great spooky Halloween read, and it wasn't at all what I hoped it would be, or expected it to be based on the reviews I read of it on Audible.
 

 ‘White Christmas’: An upcoming release you’re dreaming about
 

I'm not really dreaming about any specific upcoming release.  I don't tend to necessarily get excited about upcoming releases unless it's a new book by an author I know I love, and none are springing to mind right now.

A Sunshine Blogger Award I Was Given Last Month

Cat over at The Strawberry Post was nominated for a Sunshine Blogger Award recently, and she nominated me for it.  You can check out Cat's post by clicking here.

Here are the rules for this award:

1. Thank the blogger(s) who nominated you in a blog post and link back to their blog.
2. Answer the 11 questions sent by the person who nominated you.
3. Nominate up to 11 new blogs to receive the award and write them 11 new questions.
4. List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post and/or on your blog.

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So, first of all, thank you, Cat!

Secondly, here are the questions she asked me to answer, along with my responses:

1. If you had to eat one food for the rest of your life what would it be?

I think I’d have to go with potatoes.  Because you can prepare them in all kinds of ways: baked, roasted, turned in to chips (fries) and so on.  Plus, I’m a big fan of potatoes, and eat them most days already.

 

2. Is there anything you like to collect?

I collect books, cuddly toys, and stones (as in gemstones, crystals, minerals, etc).

 

3. What is your favourite colour(s)?

My favourite colour is purple.

 

4. What hobbies do you have apart from blogging/reading?

Apart from blogging and reading, I also write poetry and children’s stories, do various crafts, watch movies and TV shows, listen to music, play roleplaying games, and play some other kinds of games (for example, I have recently become addicted to the Dice World app I was introduced to that I now have on my phone... You should check it out if you're a fan of games like Yatzi, Farkle, etc... If you do, let me know what your username is and I'll tell you mine so we can have a game of something).  I’m also interested in certain parts of history, and have a few other interests that randomly capture my attention from time to time. Not to mention everything I’m involved with in the ACB community these days.

 

5. If you could live in any time period in history which would it be and why?

There are several periods of history I’d like to visit, but as a general rule I’d rather it just be a visit.  If I had to pick one to live in though, I’d prefer the time period usually refered to as pre-historic times, when there weren’t so many people, and the people who existed still respected and took care of the Earth.  Yes, I’d be minus all the modern conveniences and technologies I rely on, and every day would be a fight for survival.  But at least my tribe would be working together to try and assure that survival, and the world would still be free of pollution.

 

6. What is your favourite animal(s)?

My absolute favourite animal is a lion, with a horse an incredibly close second.  I also love rats, and most other kinds of animals.  If it’s an animal, as long as it’s not spiders or creepy crawly bugs, I probably like it.  Yes, even snakes.

 

7. Which season is your favourite and why?

My favourite season – which I’m sure comes as no surprise to those who know me – is Winter, because it tends to be colder, and sometimes we get snow.  I can’t deal with heat very well, so bring on the chilly Winter days, and even colder Winter nights.

 

8. What music do you like to listen to?

I enjoy most kinds of music, and will listen to quite a variety depending on my mood, from Jazz to soft rock, and across multiple decades.  But country music is my favourite genre, and the one I’d pick if forced to choose one single music genre to name as my favourite.

 

9. When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

When I was young I wanted to be either a vet or a nursery (preschool) teacher, plus an author; I wanted to have a large family, work with either animals or young children, and write in my free time.  Though where I was finding free time between all the kids I planned on having and work, I have no idea.  But there you go.

 

10. If you were granted your own national holiday, how would people be told to spend/celebrate it?

It would be a national day of rest and relaxation, where people would be encouraged to spend some time doing things that they find relaxing; things that recharge them, replenish their souls, etc.  It would be up to them whether they do so alone or with people they’re close to, as well as whether they do things at home or not.  As long as they did something that made them happy, feel relaxed, etc.

 

For example: I would most likely spend it by myself at home, with a plentiful supply of tea and snacks, curled up somewhere reading.  I’d alternate between reading on my Braille display while listening to music (I’ve found classical piano music to be an excellent accompaniment to this) and listening to either an audiobook or a book on my Kindle while working on a craft project.

 

11. If you could live in any book which would it be and why?

 

If I could take liberties with this question and merge three books, I’d want to move Hogwarts to Narnia, and have a hobbit hole somewhere in that world.  That way I could go to Hogwarts, and during school holidays I could live in my hobbit hole and invite various talking animals over for tea.

 

However, if I absolutely had to choose one… This is harder.  But I think I’d go with Narnia, because of the talking animals and Aslan.  The Harry Potter books might be the ones I revisit most often, but the Chronicles of Narnia books contain a world I’d really love to be a part of.

 

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I never tag people on these things any more.  Most people I’d want to give it to don’t do these kinds of things these days.  With that in mind, if you’re reading this post and want to join in; consider yourself tagged.  And you can answer the questions Cat gave to me – I’m sure she won’t mind me using those, and I can’t think of better ones.  Just be sure and make sure I know where to find your answers if you do this.

The Afternoon Tea Book Tag - #AmReading

It’s been a while since I’ve done a book blog tag, but today I’m doing the afternoon tea book tag, which is a tag Cat over at The StrawberryPost did on her blog recently.  It’s a short tag filled with delicious food and, of course, books.  I love doing these things, because they’re fun and you get book recommendations at the same time.

 

Anyway, you can check out Cat’s post here if you like.  I’d love it if you play along too, either by posting your answers in the comments section below or posting it on your blog or social media.  If you do it anywhere but the comments section of this post though, please let me know where so I can check out your answers, since I’d hate to miss them.

 

For now though, let’s take a look at my answers.

 

I’m trying to stick to recent reads to answer the questions, just to narrow selections down a bit.

 

1.       Finger Sandwiches – A book you savoured every minute of

 

“The Insurgent” (The Colony, #2) by Teri Polen.  I’d been dying to read this one since finishing the first book in the series (which is called “Subject A36” – in case you’re interested) and it definitely did not disappoint.  It’s an excellent dystopian/sci-fi series.

 

2.       Scones – A book everyone should own

 

I always hate to answer this question, because I don’t feel there is one book everyone should own.  Everyone has different reading preferences after all.  For example, there’s no point me recommending a fantasy book as one someone who dislikes fantasy should own, and no point me recommending a mystery to someone who doesn’t enjoy reading mysteries.  With that in mind, my answer is there isn’t one.

 

3.       Biscuits – A book that can be finished in one sitting

 

“Destruction” (Thor’s Dragon Rider, #9) by Katrina Cope.  In fact, any of the books in the series would work for this, but I name that one spacifically since I read it recently.  They’re quick reads which are great for anyone who enjoys the idea of combining Norse mythology with dragon-based fantasy.

 

4.       Patisserie – A book that is light and easy to read

 

“Chocolate Fudge Saves The Sugar Dog” by Robbie Cheadle.  It’s a fun food-themed children’s story, which is part of a series that she writes with her son, Michael.  The whole series is food-themed stories followed by recipes, and definitely worth checking out.

 

5.       Showstopper – A book that blew you away

 

“Klara And The Sun” by Kazuo Ishiguro.  I actually read this one near the end of last year on someone’s recommendation, and am definitely glad I did since it was an amazingly beautiful and touching story.

 

6.       Tea – A heartwarming classic

 

I haven’t read any classics recently, so I’m going to pick one from classics I read in the past.  And, it’s got to be “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens.  I love that book, and it has such a beautiful message.  Sure, it’s a bit grim in parts, but it’s a touching and heartwarming book over all.

 

#Easter Time Book Tag - #AmReading

 Cat over at The Strawberry Post did this last Easter (you can find her post here, if you'd like to check that out).  But by the time I saw it and could have played along Easter was completely over and done with.  So, I decided to keep it until around Easter this year to post it instead, even though that means this post has been waiting for about a year to go live.

Anyway, as I always say with these things nowadays: I'm not going to be tagging anyone, but I would love to see answers from anyone who wants to play along.  So, if you feel like playing - either by doing a post on your own blog, or posting your answers in the comments section of this one - please feel free to do so.  Do remember to let me know where I can read your answers if you aren't posting them in the comments though, won't you? I'd hate to miss them.

 

For now though, here are the questions, along with my answers:

    

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1. Easter Egg – Name a book that feels like a hidden gem!

 

"All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr.  There were a few times when I was irritated by how the author seemed to believe some of the myths about blind people, but for the most part it was a fantastic read, I loved the fact it explored how things might have been during WWII for someone with a disability, and hope those who read it will gain a better understanding of blindness through it.
 

2. Bloom – A debut novel you loved!

 

"Outlander" - the first book in the series of the same name by Diana Gabaldon.  In fact, the entire series is fantastic, doing a wonderful job of combining hihistory with the paranormal/fantasy elements and romance that also make up the plot.  Plus, it has James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser in it, and Jamie is one of my favourite male characters ever.
 

3. Chocolate Bunny – A book so good you didn’t want it to end!

 

"Qualify" - the first book in the "Atlantis Grail" series by Vera Nazarian.  In fact, that whole series.  Why? Two words: Aeson Kassiopei.  Who's he? He's one of the main characters, another favourite male character of mine, and the reason I wish I could take the place of the main female character.
 

4. Cheep, Cheep! – A book you bought for super cheap!

I've gotten a lot of books cheaply over the years, and really don't know which title to go with here.

 

5. Jelly Bean – A book you thought was just so sweet!

"The Ickabog" by J K Rowling.  It's got a lovely message about not being too quick to judge.

 

 6. Church – A book that changed your life!

 

"Matilda" by Roald Dahl.  It was comforting to me when I read that first as a child to learn there were actually other children like me who loved to read and do maths, and maybe I wasn't quite so weird after all.  Not that being weird is a bad thing to me these days, but children are desperate to fit in, so I loved knowing I wasn't the only one... Even if the other little girl who enjoyed those things was in a book.

 

7. Easter Basket – A book filled with so many surprises!

"Subject A36" - the first book in the "Colony" series by Teri Polen.  I had been eagerly anticipating its release, I'd even seen and read a couple of teasers for it, and yet the plot was still full of surprises, and I would highly recommend it to all fans of the kind of young adult science-fiction involving actual science here on Earth, rather than aliens and spaceships.

Febookary Book Tag 2022! (Time For The #Febookary Book Challenge!) - #AmReading

Welcome to Febookary, which started on 1st February, and will take place during the whole of February!

 

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For those that don’t know, Febookary is a reading challenge Cat over at The Strawberry Post created two years ago with the goal of trying to encourage everyone to face their reading ‘fears’ and read something you never would have tried before.  The challenge is a flexible one, which doesn’t have any specific challenge board or mini goals to reach, the goal is simply try during February to read a book in a genre you’ve never read before, a book you’d never normally pick up but which sounds interesting, and for those who are reluctant readers, just try to read anything at all. 🙂
 

I hope you’ll all want to try and take part and get any children who are reluctant to read involved too.  You can read as little as one book for the whole month, but you might discover a new author and genre you’ve never tried before, or even a love of reading if you’ve never enjoyed it before. 🙂
  

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Below is a new Febookary tag Cat created, based on the old one from last year, but with some newer questions.  You can read Cat's answers in her post from last week, which you can find by clicking here, and - as I always say when doing these tags - I'd love to know what your answers to the questions would be, so feel free to join in with both the tag and the challenge.  And, if you do the tag on your blog or social media, make sure I know where to find your answers, because I'd hate to miss them.  For now though, let's check out the questions and my answers.  I hope you enjoy my answers and the whole of Febookary! 😀
 

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1. What books, if any, did you dislike reading when you were younger?
 

None.  I've loved reading since I knew how, and would read anything I could as a child.

 

2. What books, if any, did you like to read when you were younger?

 

I loved reading pretty much anything I could get my hands on, especially if it contained animals.  Bonus points if those animals were horses, since I was absolutely obsessed with horses as a child.  Still love horses a lot, and mention of a story being about a horse will still get my attention.  I also loved - and still love - stories where the children were in boarding schools, for reasons I'm not so clear on, but there you go.

3. What fiction genres, if any, do you enjoy reading?

 

I still enjoy reading pretty much anything I've tried besides Christian Fiction, though Fantasy, Science-Fiction, and Cosy Mystery are my absolute favourites, with Dystopian and Historical Fiction a close second.

4. What non-fiction genres, if any, do you like to read?

 

When it comes to Non-Fiction I enjoy books about any subject that interests me in its own right, so, for example, enjoy reading recipe books and blogs, books and articles on crafting, scientific papers, books and papers about certain periods of history, as well as articles and books on meditation and mindfulness.

 

5. What is the last book you DNF (Did Not Finish) and why?

 

There isn't one.  If I start a book, I finish it.

 

6. Are there any genres/books you just don’t like or have never tried reading?

 

I do not like Christian Fiction, or Christian Non-Fiction.  I'm sure the stories in the books are great - if you like that kind of thing.  But I struggle to enjoy them due to a conflict of beliefs.  Those beliefs sprinkled throughout something else I can deal with, and I have no problem with people believing whatever they want to.  But it's not for me, so I steer clear of anything in those genres.

 

7. What book(s) are you going to try reading for #Febookary this year?
 

The book I'm reading for Febookary this year is "The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity" by Julia Cameron, which I'm reading not only because it's one I've hesitated to read for some time - I have no idea why, but have passed over it without adding it to my to-read list or buying a copy several times, despite briefly considering it multiple times - but also because there's an ACB call for people reading it, which started up on February 2nd, so I can combine my reading for that with my reading for Febookary.

 

8. Any other goals for this month?

 

My other February reading goals are to read the review copy I got of "Leaving And Other Poems" by Kevin Morris, and read "Paper, Scissors, Death" (Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series, Book 1) by Joanna Campbell Slan, which is the book of the month for the newly started ACB Crafters Bookclub, as well as "Critical Role: Vox Machina - Kith & Kin" by the cast of Critical Role, who are a roleplaying group who game live via YouTube and a couple of other streaming platforms, who I've mentioned on here at least once before if I'm not mistaken, since I follow them on YouTube and often watch their sessions.

The Emoji Book Tag - #AmReading

I recently saw Cat over at The Strawberry Post do this interesting and short book tag that looked fun to do, and I couldn't resist joining in.  It’s called the Emoji book tag, and the idea is that you have a look at your phone, tablet, etc, when typing and see the first five emojis you have on there (your most recently used, or most popular) and see if you can match a book to the emoji.

 

If you'd like to check out Cat's post, you can do so here.  Also, feel free to play along too, whether in the comments section of this post or on your own blog.  But make sure you let me know where I can find your answers, because I'd hate to miss them.

For now though, let’s take a look at the five emojis I apparently use most, and see what books I can match to them, shall we? And, by the way, I'm going to do the same thing as Cat did and concentrate on books I've read this year, since I happen to agree with her that it's a great idea considering the theme of the tag. So, let's check out my list of emojis and books.

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1. 👍 Thumbs up.

 

 "Skin Taker" (Chronicles Of Ancient Darkness, #8) by Michelle Paver - in fact, the whole series gets a very firm thumbs up from me.  If you enjoy historical fantasy there's a good chance you'll enjoy this one.

 

2. 💜 Purple heart.

 

 "Kingfall" (The Kingfall Histories, #1) by David Estes - in fact all the series so far.  If you love epic fantasies, you should totally check out this series, as well as the "Fatemarked" series, which is set in the same world, but a while before the events of this one.

 

3. 😢 Crying face.

 

 "Water For Elephants" by Sara Gruen.  Seriously, if you can read this one without crying, you have a heart of stone.

 

4. 😊 Smiling face.

 

"The Midnight Library" by Matt Haig.  I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did, but it turned out to be an excellent read, with some parts that really make you appreciate those small things in life.

 

5. 🎂  Birthday cake.

"Meant To Be Immortal" (Argeneau, #32) by Lynsay Sands.  OK, with this one I'm clutching at straws for connections.  But I would be with any book I've so far read this year to use it for the birthday cake emoji, so... *shrugs* There is cake involved in it, which counts, right? Anyway, if you're a fan of paranormal romances involving vampires, like a creative vampire origin story, and don't mind when things get a bit steamy in places (if you know what I mean) you should definitely check out not just this book, but the whole series.  They're best read in order if you can, but to be honest you can just pick up the series with whichever book you want and not be lost.

The (Very Late) 2021 Mid Year Book Tag - #AmReading #Reviews

As you've no doubt noticed, the year is more than half over, and I've had a lot to post about, so have ended up using days besides Fridays to post as it is.  With that in mind, originally I wasn't going to bother doing this tag.  But then Darlene did it on her blog, and tagged any of her readers who wanted to join in, and... Well, my regular readers will be familiar with my weakness for these tags, so won't be surprised to hear that was all I needed to hear to convince me to stop resisting and just go ahead and do the tag anyway.  I wanted to post it before we get too much further in to 2021 though, hence having it go live on what's officially not a posting day for me.

 

Of course, despite the fact we're already in August, if you want to play along too, you should feel free to do so.  I mean, it's never too late to share book recommendations, is it? So, feel free to play along, either in the comments section of this post, or on your own blog.  And, don't forget, if you do the latter be sure and let me know, because I'd hate to miss your post.

Now, on to the questions, as well as my answers and reviews for them.

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1. Best Book You’ve Read So Far in 2021
 

 Kingfall (The Kingfall Histories, #1) by David Estes

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My review: "I've been longing to get to read this book, and let me tell you, it was well worth the wait, and I was not disappointed. Vivid descriptions, well-rounded characters, excellent worldbuilding, and a gripping plot, all merge together to make this an amazing read. The story captured me from the first words, and only the essential nature of real life commitments, and the need to sleep, prevented me from devouring it from start to finish, otherwise it wouldn't have taken me nearly so long to finish reading. Now I'm eagerly anticipating the second book in the series, and strongly considering ensuring I clear my calender for a couple of days after its release so I can binge read it in the way I would have liked to do with this one. If you love a good fantasy story - especially one filled with magic, demons, and dragons - you need to read this book. And if you get the audio version, I can assure you the narrator does a fantastic job."

2. Best Sequel You’ve Read so far in 2021
 

 Skin Taker (Chronicles of Ancient Darkness, #8) by Michelle Paver

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My review: "This is an awesome continuation of the series, as well as being an excellent book in its own right. I have absolutely loved these books so far, and this one was most definitely no exception. The characters are well rounded and believable, the plot is exciting and gripping, and the world building is amazing. I had planned to take my time with this book, reading just a small amount before bed each night, but got so into it it was difficult to put it down, and I could easily have read it all in one sitting if I’d allowed myself to do so."

3. New Release You Haven’t Read Yet But Want To
 

There are several books I want to read.  Some actual new releases, some only new to me.  It would take too long to list them all here, and even longer to try and narrow down a few to mention, so I'm not going to even bother trying.

 

4. Biggest Disappointment
 

Highfire by Eoin Colfer

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

My review: "The plot concept was fascinating, and the characters were intriguing. It’s just a shame that the book was spoiled for me by overuse of foul language and crude comments, which I think were supposed to be funny, but were not the least bit amusing to me. Had it been the occasional bit of cursing, and the odd crude comment or joke, I might still have enjoyed the book, but as it was I felt like most of the book was made up of those things, and it ruined it for me."

5. Biggest Surprise
 

Mech Warrior: Born of Steel (Metal Warrior #1) by James David Victor
 My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My review: "I read this book for the "Febookary" reading challenge, where you have to read a book you might not usually pick up; this book was recommended to me when I asked someone for a recommendation for my Febookary book. It turned out to be a really good read, with a fascinating plot, and interesting characters. The actual writing itself could use a little attention (there are some issues like how we're told how people are reacting, rather than being shown, for example) but it was an otherwise great book, and I'm even feeling some enthusiasm about reading the rest of the series."

6. Favorite New Author
 

I haven't read any new to me authors I've loved enough to add to my favourite authors list so far this year.

 

7. Newest Fictional Crush
 

I don't have any new fictional crushes.  Sorry to disappoint you and all that.

 

8. Newest Favorite Character
 

I don't have any new favourite characters from books I've read this year to be honest.  The books have had great characters, but no one character stands out as being my favourite.

 

9. Book That Made You Cry
 

Two books immediately spring to mind, so I'm going to mention both of them.

 

A Ghost and His Gold by Roberta Eaton Cheadle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My review: "This is a thrilling and gripping read, with a wonderful cast of compelling characters, not to mention a fantastic plot. The author clearly did a lot of research, and reading the details of the war going on when most of the events in the story take place is fascinating, despite the disturbing nature of some of the unfortunately entirely factual occurrences. I only hesitate to give this book the full five stars because the way the different stories were told required some getting used to, so it took me some time to get in to the book (though I was thoroughly enthralled by the tale once I got used to the way it was being told). Also, I felt the definitions being presented as footnotes rather than simply in a glossary of terms at the end of the book interrupted the flow of the story - something possibly more noticeable to me due to the need to rely on a screen reader to read the book."

 

And...

 

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My review: "The concept was intriguing, but the plot was a bit slower than I'd have liked in places, and many of the plot points were predictable. Not to mention the fact the young Jacob was way more naive than you'd expect a 23 year old to be in those days, and most of the characters weren't as well-rounded as they should have been. However, I did enjoy the book, even if I didn't love it anywhere near as much as some seem to, and am a little uncertain as to why it's such a, "Must read," book. Regardless, reading this book was an emotional experience, because it was difficult to read about the cruelty to both animals and people knowing that kind of thing did happen back then. Plus, my heart went out to the older Jacob, since I know what it's like to lose the ability to do certain things for yourself, and can imagine how difficult it must be for him being in his 90s, in a nursing home, and unable to do much for himself."

10. Book That Made You Happy
 

Pass the Turkey: The Small Dog's Christmas by Sue Vincent
 My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My review: "This is a delightful book filled with entertaining and sweet stories and poems."

 

11. Most Beautiful Book You’ve Bought This Year
 

 The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My review: "Even though the concept sounded sort of interesting, I was unsure if I wanted to read this when I first heard about it, and though I put it on my to-read shelf, it was with little enthusiasm. But then I was in a book club meeting where someone was gushing about how awesome it was, and literally the next day saw it as an option to get in the two for one sale on Audible, so I thought I'd grab it, and see if it was any good. I went in to it with low expectations, despite the assurances from this person in my book club that it was an awesome read, and was pleasantly surprised, because it really was. The idea of being able to explore the questions about what would have happened if you'd done even one thing differently was an interesting one, and I liked how the fact even one small difference in your life can have a domino effect was taken in to consideration when the main character was exploring all these different lives. I also found the philosophical musings and quotes throughout fascinating, and thought the concept of depression and mental illness was handled well. In short, I'm most definitely glad I did give this book a chance, because I found it to be an excellent read, which really makes you think about how you look at things in your own life."

 

12. Books You Need to Read by the End of The Year
 

I'm not sure how to answer this one.  I mean, there are obviously several books I want to read.  But I generally randomly pick my next read when I'm ready to start it, so I don't have an actual list of the order I plan to read them in, which means I don't know which ones I plan to read during the rest of 2021 myself, so can't really tell you.

~

So, how about you? What would your answers be?

Outstanding Blogger Award From Cat @TStrawberryPost

I got a new award from Cat over at The Strawberry Post a couple of weeks ago.  Well, it's actually over a month ago now.  Either way, you can see the post she did for it by clicking here, if you want to go check that out once you're done reading mine.  Thanks so much, Cat!

~

 

The rules for this one are:

• Have the link to the creator’s original award post in your post
• Answer the questions provided
• Create 7 unique questions
• Nominate 10 other bloggers. Neither the award’s creator nor the blogger that nominated you can be nominated
  

 

There's another thing about how people nominated will get entered in to something, but it only applied for 2020, so I'm not going to bother mentioning it in the rules list.  If you want to know what it is, go check out Cat's post, since she did bother to include that part in her own post.

~

Well, I already linked to Cat's post above, so let's get on with the questions and my answers, shall we?

1. If you could live anywhere in the real or fictional world, where would it be?
 

In the real world, I'm happy being back here in Wales.  Though I wouldn't mind going back to Canada if we had to not live in Wales.  Hastings was OK, but Canada was better, and Wales is better still.

 

Fictional is harder, since I'm torn between wanting to live in Narnia, and wanting to be able to go to Hogwarts.  Can we just move Hogwarts to Narnia? Then I could live in Narnia, but still go to Hogwarts.  I've so got to write a book with a similar concept to that, and then I can live there for a little while, even if only while I'm actually writing it.

 

 

2. Can you play any musical instruments and if not are there any you would like to?
 

 I used to be able to play, "London's Burning,," and "Mary Had A Little Lamb," on the recorder, though I haven't tried to since I was about ten, so how well I'd do now is anyone's guess.  I also tried learning the cornet around the same time, but never got any good at it, and never progressed far enough to actually learn to play anything, and I know for a fact I don't remember how to play it any more.

 

 I can play, "Frère Jacques" on the keyboard or piano too, and wish I could play more than that, but people mistook my inability to make sense of music sheets for lack of interest, so I missed my chance to learn in childhood.  The piano is one of the instruments I'd dearly like to be able to play properly, and more than once I've considered trying now that I'm old enough to explain the issue to have actual lessons, or trying to learn by myself via YouTube, to be honest.  But somehow I never seem to get anywhere with even starting the process.

The other instrument I wish I could play is the harp.  Harps have such a beautiful and soothing sound, and I wish I could have the knowledge of how to create it.  Especially with its use in a lot of Celtic music, and my being Welsh.  Like with the piano, more than once I've considered learning, but never seem to get anywhere with even starting the process.  Maybe one day...

 

3. What one book would you recommend to everyone to read?
 

I can't give just one title here, because there is no one book I would recommend to everyone.

 

The thing is, everyone has different reading preferences, which means there's no one-size-fits-all when it comes to books and reading, so what I would recommend depends on the genre and type of book the person is looking for, and what - if anything - I know about the person's reading preferences.  Even two people who like the same genre might have different preferences in that genre that would affect what I might recommend to them.  For example, two people might like fantasy, but if one prefers high fantasy while the other prefers urban fantasy, Terry Brooks' Shannara Chronicles would be something I might recommend to the first person, where as the second person might prefer J K Rowling's Harry Potter books.  And that's before you get in to different agegroups, since if we're talking about middle grade fantasy readers, I'd recommend C S Lewis' Chronicles Of Narnia books.  On the other hand, if we're talking about fans of historical fiction, I might recommend Michelle Paver's Chronicles Of Ancient Darkness series, or - for older readers who like a bit of romance in their historical fiction - I'd recommend Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series.

 

4. Do you have any favourite hobbies that you still enjoy that you started when you were young?
 

Though I've added or tweaked them as I got older, the general gist of the hobbies I enjoy are things I've loved to do since I was young.  Reading, writing, arts and crafts, and roleplaying... They're all things I started doing as a child, and still love doing now.  I mean, these days I have a long list of different roleplaying systems I've tried, where as back then I didn't even know there was anything but Dungeons And Dragons (actually, there might not have been anything other than that available at the time, but you get my point, I'm sure).  And where as drawing, painting, and the odd bit of knitting and sewing was about it for my childhood crafting, I now do a large cariety of crafts, with the potential of expanding in to others at some point in the future.  But the general hobbies are ones that have been with me since childhood.

 

5. Do you have any favourite foods?
 

My favourite foods are grapes, cherries, berries, kiwi fruit, tofu, tomatoes, mushrooms, chips (fries) and toast with vegan butter (and maybe a bit of vegan marmalade).  I'm also rather more fond than I perhaps should be of vegan marshmallows, and salt and vinegar crisps (potato chips).

 

6. What’s your favourite animal?
 

Despite the fact I was totally horse crazy as a child, my favourite animal is - and always has been - a lion.  They're just such beautiful and powerful cats.  But I love most kinds of animals. 

7. If you could go back in time to any time period where/when you would you visit and why?

 

There are several time periods I'd like to visit just for a better look at what went on during those times, or to experience things as they really happened - whether out of curiosity or for potential research for stories I may or may not write in the future, or possibly a bit of both.  But if I had to pick one particular time period I'd go with some time in what's labelled as, "Prehistoric times," when man walked the Earth, but there's little available to provide accurate information on what really happened during that time.  Why? Because it's harder to research that time, so it would be a wonderful oppertunity to learn things I can't just look up online or in a book.

 

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Now I'm going to start not following the rules properly, because I'm going to avoid actually tagging anyone, and tell you that if you want it, and have yet to be tagged, you should consider yourself tagged.  After all, a lot of people I know don't do these things, and I don't want to tag someone who would rather I hadn't done so.  I also don't want to leave out someone who deserves it just because I ran out of tagging slots.  So, I'm going with my usual action of tagging anyone who wants to play along.  Don't forget to let me know if you do decide to consider yourself tagged, since I'd hate to miss your post. I'm also going to cheat and tell you to answer the questions Cat gave me if you're playing along, because they're great questions, and I can't think of better ones.  Hope Cat doesn't mind.