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.

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. 🙂
  

~

 

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 (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?

#Febookary Book Tag From @TStrawberryPost - #AmReading

 Cat over at The Strawberry Post started a reading challenge called Febookary - I mentioned it in last week's post, and she explains what it is on her blog too.  But she didn't stop there.  No.  She also created a book tag to go along with it.  Well, given that I'm participating in the challenge, and also happen to be addicted to these tag things - in case you didn't notice from all the ones I did last year - I had to play along, of course.  Now, come on, you know I had to. 😉

     

Anyway, here's Cat's original post about the Febookary tag.  If you'd like to play along too, feel free to do so, either in the comments section below, in the comments of Cat's post, or on your own blog.  If you do the latter, don't forget to let me know, because I'll want to read your answers.

     

There's still just over half of February left, so there's still time to join in with Febookary too, if you want.

     

Either way, here are the tag questions, along with my answers to them:

    

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1. Have you always enjoyed reading books?  If not then when did your love of books start, or end?

    

I've always enjoyed reading books.  Reading - and being read to - were excellent ways to pass the time while waiting around in hospitals, and I quickly learned what an excellent escape reading could be. 

    
2. What books, if any, did you like to read as a child?
     

As a young child it was fairy Tales, anything by Roald Dahl and Enid Blyton, and Beatrix Potter's books ("The Tale Of Peter Rabbit" etc).  Later that expanded to be anything and everything, though I was particularly drawn to books involving magic, like Jill Murphy's "Worst Witch" series, and animal stories, especially ones with horses in them, such as Bonnie Bryant's "Pony Tails" books, and Monica Dickens' "Follyfoot" and "World's End" books.

    

3. What are your favourite genres, if any, of fiction and why?
      

Fantasy and science fiction are my top favourites, with cosy mystery not too far behind.  Fantasy appeals to me because of the fantastical make-believe worlds many of them contain, the magical aspects, and fantastical creatures.  Science fiction appeals to me because I have an interest in space exploration and science in general, and a lot of real facts are combined with the fantastical elements that aren't all that different to the kinds of things you find in fantasy, such as creative worldbuilding on unknown planets, and potentially interesting made up creatures (aliens).  As for cosy mysteries, I like the puzzle of trying to see if I can figure out who did it before it's revealed, and cosy mysteries give you that  without things getting overly dark as a rule.  I do enjoy other genres too, such as other mystery genres, historical fiction, romance, etc.  But those are my favourites.

 

4. What are your favourite genres, if any, of non-fiction and why? 

    

I love books with random facts in them, plus ones that teach me more about a subject I'm interested in.  The random facts because I enjoy learning new things, and my reason for enjoying the ones that teach me more about something I'm interested in - be it a particular historical period, how to do something for a craft I like to do, or whatever - I'd think are self-explanitory. 

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

    

There are so many genres out there that I'm not too sure about ones I haven't read anything from.  I'm sure there are plenty I haven't tried though.  As for ones I don't like: Christian fiction is the one I dislike so much I'd never even agree to read it for Febookary.  I find it too preachy, probably because I don't share the beliefs mentioned in it.  No offense to people who read and write those kinds of books, but if I want to be preached to I'll go to church, or read the bible again.  Yes, I read it once.

    

6. Do you often DNF (Did Not Finish) books and why? 

    

No.  If I start a book, I finish it.  Sometimes it might get better.  Other times it doesn't.  Either way, if I start a book, I'm going to read to the end, even if it's so bad all I feel on finishing it is relief that it's over.  I've even been known to finish a series just because I started it, even though I'm not enjoying the earlier books in that series.  If I start it, I have to finish it.

    
7. Do you enjoy reading things that aren’t books like magazines, newspapers or blogs? 

    

I enjoy reading almost anything, though my level of enjoyment varies depending on how good the content is, and how high my interest in the genre or topic is.  I mean, I once read the dictionary from cover to cover, just because I complained about having nothing new to read to my Mam and she told me to (she meant it as a joke, but I took it literally and did it).  Actually, if you count the time I read and entire English-Welsh dictionary, technically I've read the dictionary cover to cover twice... Can't even blame my Mam for that second one.  Anyhow, I read pretty much anything I can that's in front of me for long enough, read both blogs and books daily, and am just as likely to enjoy the book as the blog posts. 

    
8. Are there any books that have put you off reading a whole genre or reading in general? 

    

Only if you count the fact the preaching in the Christian fiction I've tried has made me dislike that genre. 

    
9. What books do you plan to try for #Febookary this year? 

    

For Febookary this year I'm reading "Metal Warrior: Born of Steel" (Mech Fighter, Book 1) by James David Victor.  Kelly chose it for me when I told him I needed a book to read that I wouldn't necessarily pick up for myself.  He chose well for me last year, so I'm hoping he has this year too.

The Naughty Or Nice #Book Tag - #AmReading

Books make great gifts because they have whole worlds inside of them. And it's much cheaper to buy somebody a book than it is to buy them the whole world!
~Neil Gaiman

    

*~*~* 

    

As regular visitors to my blog know, today was meant to be a weekly media shares and reviews post.  However, since I'm not reading or watching much at the moment due to a combination of settling in to the new place and the holidays, today I’m doing the fun Naughty or Nice Book Tag instead.  It's a tag which aims to show whether you’ll end up on Santa’s naughty list or the nice list, depending on how you answer the questions below.  I got it from Cat at The Strawberry Post, who did the tag on her blog recently (click here for Cat's post). As Cat said in her post, if you’d like to do this tag then please go ahead.  It’ll be fun to find out which of us are on the nice list and which on the naughty. 😉
  

If you do this tag on your own blog, don’t forget to let me know where your answers are so I can check them out.  Alternatively, just comment below with what your answers to these questions would be. 🙂
     

~ 

 

    The idea of this tag is that there are 20 questions , for each thing you say yes to, is counted as a point, the more points you have the more likely you will go on the naughty list! If you score more than half you’re on the naughty list, so let’s see how I do! 😀
     

~

     

1. Received an ARC and not reviewed it

    

No.  Never.  Also, I just got caught up on the books I had off people to review a few weeks ago. 

    

2. Have less than 60% feedback rating on Netgalley

    I'm not even on there, so I'm counting this as a, "No," since I can't be expected to have a high rating on something I'm not even on, can I? 

    

3. Rated a book on Goodreads and promised a full review was to come on your blog (and never did).

    No.  If I promise a review will come on my blog as well as Goodreads, it always does. 

    

4. Folded down the page of a book

    

Never!  Never done it, never will!!!! 

    
5. Accidentally spilled on a book

    

 I'm afraid this one is a very firm, "Yes," answer.  So, one naughty point for me.  I once spilled an entire large cup of grape Kool-Aid over a book.  I've also had blood end up on a book from a nose bleed.  There might be other incidents too.  OK, so those were in the past, but since I can't guarantee there wasn't one this year, I'm still giving myself the naughty point.

    

6. DNF a book this year

    No.  I never DNF (do not finish) a book.  If I start a book, I always finish it, no matter how little I'm enjoying it.  After all, sometimes books improve further in.

    

7. Bought a book purely because it was pretty with no intention of reading it
 

No.  What’s the point in buying a book if you aren't going to read it? 

    
8. Read whilst you were meant to be doing something else (like homework)

    

 Yes.  I do this a lot.  Sometimes I do the thing too - like listen to an audiobook while doing housework - but sometimes I get distracted by the book.  So, another naughty point for me. 

  
9. Skim read a book
     

No.  Even non-fiction I read from start to finish. 

    
10. Completely missed your Goodreads goal

     

I thought I might have had to say, "Yes," to this one, but it looks like I'm going to make it this year, and I usually do.  Unlike most previous years, when I more than beat it, it's going to be a close one this time though. 

   

11. Borrowed a book and not returned it to the library

    

Never.  Not used a library in ages, but always returned my books when I did. 

    

12. Broke a book buying ban
     

I'm going to have to come clean and admit that the answer is, "Yes," to this one.  I brought a book or two during the time I wasn't meant to be buying books while we were saving to move.   Actually, I brought three. I couldn't resist.  It means another naughty point for me though.

     

13. Started a review, left it for ages then forgot what the book was about
     

No.  Luckily for me I have a good memory, so even if I don't do a review immediately I can remember at least the gist of the book.  Not forever, but for long enough that it's never caused a problem when it comes to sorting reviews. 

     

14. Wrote in a book you were reading
     

Never! I didn't even like to do that kind of thing as a child, and certainly wouldn't now. 

     

15. Finished a book and not added it to your Goodreads
     

No.  All my read books are marked as read on Goodreads if I've finished them.  They usually get marked as read and have their reviews done on there before anywhere else actually. 

     

16. Borrowed a book and not returned it to a friend
     

No.  I don't generally borrow books, and I've certainly not done so recently.  The few times I have, I gave them back.  Once I even gave the book back before I was done reading it, and had to later go buy my own copy so I could finish reading the book, since borrowing it again wasn't an option due to me being in the process of moving to Canada at the time, and not having finished the book bothered me.

    

17. Dodged someone asking if they can borrow a book
     

Yes.  I don't like lending my stuff out, because I've had so many people either not return stuff or return it in such bad shape from how they've treated it that I almost wish they hadn't bothered.  So I tend to avoid the subject of people even considering borrowing my books as a rule. 

        

18. Broke the spine of someone else’s book
     

No.  Don't think I've ever done that, and definitely not this year. 

     

19. Took the jacket off a book to protect it and ended up making it more damaged
     

No.  I'm pretty sure I haven't ever done that, and know I haven't this year. 

     

20. Sat on a book accidentally
      

Yes.  I was packing, and things were everywhere, and... The book was OK though. 

 

    ~ 

     

So, it looks like my naughty points total is five out of 20, which means that - though I'm no angel - I should be on Santa's nice list this year.  How about you? Have you been naughty or nice?

The #HarryPotter #Christmas Book Tag - #AmReading

Of course, having stumbled across this one via this post on a blog called "For Books Sake" earlier this year, I knew I had to do it.  I mean, it's Harry Potter, and a tag I haven't done yet!

 

Interestingly, this one has a rule where you're not allowed to use any of the Harry Potter books for your answers.  That's a nice twist.  Good thing I've read plenty of other books too, isn't it? *wink*

 

As usual, I'm not tagging anyone, but if you want to play along, feel free to do so, either in the comments section of this post, or on your own blog.  Just don't forget to tell me where your answers can be found, because I'd hate to miss reading them.  For now though, here are the questions, along with my own answers:

 

1. It’s your first Christmas at Hogwarts. What’s one book you’ve asked for this year?

 

The rest of the "Animals Of Farthing Wood" series by Colin Dann.  I got the first book last year, and am hoping for the next this year, or maybe more than one of them.  Bet I don't get those books though.  I mean, there are a lot of books on my list...

 

2. You spot Hagrid hauling the Christmas tree through the grounds. What is the longest (or heaviest) book you own?

 

By page count, the longest is probably "The Lord Of The Rings" by JRR Tolkien.  But the heaviest is my copy of "Lief's Vegetarian Bible" - a recipe book in more than a dozen braille volumes.  Trust me when I say that even a doorstop like "The Lord Of The Rings" is easier to carry around than this thing.

 

3. It’s time for the famous Great Hall feast. What’s one book you can’t read without snacks?

 

Any of the books in Kim Harrison's "Hollows" series.  I don't always snack while eating, but so many of the scenes in those books revolve around food it's hard not to grab a snack while reading that series.

 

4. Well done, you’ve brewed your first Polyjuice Potion. What’s one book you’d change the cover of?

 

I can't think of one.  I mean, I wouldn't change the covers of any books I own.  Not just because I can't see them either, but because I did try not to judge a book by its cover even when I had the option to do that.  Or maybe I would be able to pick one if I could see them? *shrugs*

 

5. You receive a brand new Firebolt for Christmas. What’s one book you read super quickly?

 

I read most books super quickly, especially compared to most people.  I mean, there are people who read faster than me, but not many I know personally.  Most people don't read the 100 books and over that I read each year.  So I really can't pick one for this question either.

 

6. You join Harry for his first proper Christmas. What’s one book you’d love to receive this year?

 

To be honest, any book I don't have a copy of will be welcome.  Although, if you want a spacific book to be mentioned, just see my answer for the first question, since my answer for this question would be the same: the next book in the "Animals Of Farthing Wood" series by Colin Dann.

 

7. You get hit by one of Fred and George’s flying snowballs. What’s a book you wanted to throw across the room?

 

Throw a book across the room? *gasps in horror* I can't do that, and have never been tempted to do so.

 

8. You’ve just visited Hogsmeade for the first time. What’s one popular book you haven’t read yet?

 

Where do I start? Since I work to my own reading schedule, there are an awful lot of popular books I haven't gotten around to reading yet.

 

9. Congratulations, you’ve been invited to the Yule Ball. What book about Christmas do you love?

 

I can't pick just one, but my favourites are: "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, "The Bear Father Christmas Forgot" by Diana Kimpton, "Winter Solstice" by Rosamunde Pilchar, and "The Little Match Girl" by Hans Christian Anderson.

 

10. You find Ron’s deluminator. What’s one book that’s helped you through some dark times?

 

It's not one book, but a series: Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander" series.  Those books got me through the early weeks of the pandemic.  Being able to escape to 18th century Scotland and America (with some 20th century parts thrown in) was a great - and incredibly welcome - distraction from the year 2020.

The Book Snob Tag - #AmReading

Yes, that's right, we're doing another tag.  I got this one from Cat when she did it on her blog a few months ago.  You can find her post for it here if you'd like to check it out.

 

As usual, I'm not tagging anyone.  But if you want to play along, feel free to do so, either in the comments, or on your own blog.  If you do the latter, please let me know where I can find your post, because I'd hate to miss reading your answers.  For now though, here are the questions, along with my answers to them.

 

*~*~*

 

1. Adaptation Snob: Do You Always Read the Book Before You See the Movie?

 

No, not really.  Sometimes I read the book first, and other times I watch the movie or TV series first.  It depends which way around I feel like doing it.  Also, sometimes I don't know a movie or TV series is based on a book until after I watch it, and seeing the movie/TV series will make me go look for the book if I enjoyed it, while other times I'll read a book and later learn it has a movie/TV show based on it, in which case I might go looking for that if I enjoyed the book.

 

I do have to admit I often get more out of the book than the movie or TV show, but that's because they're more visual, where as I don't need to see to fully enjoy the reading experience.  It doesn't stop me watching - and often enjoying - the movie or TV show versions of things though.

 

2. Format Snob: You can only choose 1 format in which to read books for the rest of your life.  Which do you choose, Physical books, Ebooks or audiobooks?

 

Audiobooks, because physical print books aren't any use to me, physical braille books are bulky and take up a lot of space, and listening to a narrator reading an audiobook to you is much nicer than listening to a mechanical voice reading an eBook.  I do often read eBooks, because they're cheaper, and some books are easier to get hold of as eBooks.  But if I had to stick with only one format, I'd rather audio.

 

3. Ship Snob: Would you date or marry a non-reader?

 

Yes.  In fact, my hubby isn't a big reader.  Kelly does read a bit, but he'd almost always much rather watch the movie or TV show than read the book.  As long as we have some things in common, and interests we can share, it doesn't matter.  Now, if he was to insist on me reading less... Well, that's another matter, and would be a dealbreaker.  But as long as I can read as much as I want - and Kelly does let me do so, even often buying me books - it doesn't matter how little he reads.

 

4. Genre Snob: You have to ditch one genre – Never to be read again for the rest of your life, which do you ditch?

 

If I can just pick one I don't like to read anyhow: Christian (fiction or non-fiction... I don't like to read either).  If I have to pick one I actually read: horror, because I enjoy a good horror story now and then, but the plots of others can be filled with the same kinds of things as you find in horror stories sometimes, and I could live without that genre (especially since they rarely actually scare me anyhow).

 

5. Uber Genre Snob: You can only choose to read from one genre for the rest of your life, which genre do you choose?

 

Easy: fantasy.  It covers such a wide variety of themes and subjects, and is my favourite genre.

 

6. Community Snob: Which genre do you think receives the most snobbery from the bookish community?

 

I don't know.  I know a lot of booklovers, and some of them like some genres while others like other genres.  I think all genres get their fair share of negative comments from people who don't like it.

 

7. Snobbery Recipient: Have you ever been snubbed for something that you have been reading or for reading in general?

 

For reading in general, yes.  I've always prefered to read than socialize, and gotten quite a few negative comments because of it over the years.  It's not my fault if I'd rather stay home curled up with a book than go to a pub on a Friday or Saturday night.  We all have our likes and dislikes, and our prefered ways of spending time.  One of mine just happens to be reading.  If people don't like that... Well, I'm not stopping them going to the pub without me.  In fact, some of them were glad enough of it when they realized it meant I was willing to babysit while they went out, because I got to read to the little one(s) and then read my own book after they went to bed.  Yes, I did that several times.

Rapid Fire Book Tag - #AmReading

Here's yet another tag I found via Cat of The Strawberry Post when she did it on her blog a couple of months ago.  As usual, I'm not tagging anyone, but if you want to play along, feel free to do so, either in the comments section of this post, or on your own blog.  Don't forget to let me know if you do it on your own blog though, because I'd hate to miss your post, since I'd like to read your answers.  But, for now, here are the questions, along with my own answers.

1. E-book or physical book?
 

I'd love to pick physical, since nothing beats the feeling of holding a real book in your hands, and the smell... Well, if you don't know what I mean, you won't understand.  But unfortunately being blind means I have to go with eBooks, because I need to be able to read them, and at least those are accessable to me.

 2. Paperback or hardback?
 

Hardbacks are beautiful, but paperbacks are easier to carry around, so I have to confess to having had a preference for those when I could still see to read print books.

 

3. Online or in-store book shopping?
 

When I have the choice, in-store shopping.  Online is more convenient for me with my lack of sight, but inside the shop you get to enjoy the physical feeling of holding the book in  your hands, and inhale that bookish smell... Even now, when I have to head for the audiobook section, I love taking my time passing the print books so I can enjoy that scent for a bit.

4. Trilogies or series?
 

I don't get why this question comes up in so many tags.  Does it really matter? A story takes as long as it does to tell.  It doesn't matter if that means one book, a trilogy, or a 30 book series.  What matters is that it has a solid plot, and characters you don't mind spending however many pages it ends up being with (or at least care enough about what happens to them to not mind tolerating them for that long).

 

5. Heroes or villains?

 

Both.  Everyone loves a hero, but a villain with a good story can be an excellent main character too, so I actually enjoy hearing both sides of the story, and can't really pick between the two.

 

6. A book you want everyone to read?
 

There isn't one.  I mean, I think everyone who loves fantasy should read J K Rowling's "Harry Potter" books and C S Lewis' "Chronicles Of Narnia" series, fans of cosy mysteries should read Agatha Christie's books, everyone who loves historical fiction set in pre-historic times should read Jean M Auel's "Earth's Children" books and Michelle Paver's "Chronicles Of Ancient Darkness" series, and could likely find books to recommend for other genres too if given enough time.  But recommending just one book? I don't think I can do that, especially since it depends on your genre preference to what you may or may not enjoy reading.
 

7. Recommend an underrated author?
 

Again, this is tough to do, since it depends on your genre preference.  Plus, since I don't follow the crowd, so to speak, I'm not entirely certain who does or doesn't count as being under rated these days.  If I've given a book four stars or higher, it means I think it - and by extension its author - is worth checking out, so check out my past reviews.
 

8. The last book you finished?
 

"HMS Lanternfish" (The Lanternfish, #2) by C.S. Boyack.  Which shows how long ago I put this post together for those following my reviews, since it was one of my August reads.

 9. Weirdest thing you’ve used as a bookmark?
 

A cup coaster.  It was a thin plasticy one with a cartoon lion on it, just in case you're interested.

 

10. Used books: Yes or no?
 

Yes.  Although I prefer new most of the time, I'll never say no to a book just because it's not new, and got some great reads in the past from grabbing used books from charity shops, snatching up books from bring and buy sales, buying cheap ones the library was trying to clear out, etc.  Not so easy to do now I can't grab print books, but still.

11. Top three favourite genres?
 

This is easy: Fantasy, Science fiction, and Mystery (especially cosy mysteries).
 

12. Borrow or buy?
 

Buy.  I don't like to lend my books to people, and I don't like borrowing books myself because I'm worried I'll accidentally damage them (even though I generally take very good care of books).  Plus, I always hate having to give books back.

 

13. Character or plot?
 

I pick both, because you need both.  A great plot with weak characters wouldn't be as bad as great characters with a weak plot, but you really need both to make a story work.

 

14. Long or short books?
 

Either.  A book should be as long as the book needs to be to tell the story.

 

15. Name the first three books you think of
 

"Dark Matter" by Michelle Paver, "Slip" by David Estes, and "Matilda" by Roald Dahl.

 

16. Books that make you laugh or cry?
 

I think most people would rather books make them laugh rather than cry (unless it's tears of joy).  On the other hand, sometimes having a good cry along with a character you've grown to care about can help if you're dealing with things in real life and need that release.  To be honest, as long as the book makes me feel something, I don't really mind whether it's joy or sorrow.  What matters is that the writing makes you feel some kind of emotional response.

 

17. Our world or fictional?

 

Either, but if I had to pick one: fictional.  I mean, sometimes it's great to read about stuff happening in the real world - especially countries I'd love to visit but  know I never will beyond the pages of a book - but there are often some wonderful things in fictional worlds.  Plus, with how 2020 is going, I'd much rather be in some other world right now, as I'm sure many others would.

 

18. Audiobooks: Yes or no?
 

Yes, because they are generally nicer than having the Kindle's text to speach reading to me (even though I read more eBooks as a rule, because they cost less).  I always enjoy them better with a good narrator though, and have to wonder why some people choose the narrators they do sometimes, because some of them are just dreadful.

 

19. Do you ever judge a book by its cover?
 

These days, no, because I can't see to do so.  Before though.. Yes.  Honestly, who doesn’t? I wish I could say that covers weren’t ever important to me, but it used to be what would get my attention.  That's not to say I wouldn't buy a book with a cover that wasn't so nice.  I just would have been more likely to pick it up and take a closer look if I liked the look of the cover.  I wish I could say that wasn't the case, but I'm afraid it was.  Like I said though, these days I can't judge a book by its cover.  I am guilty of judging books by their titles these days though.

 

20. Book to movie or book to TV?
 

I don’t know that it matters.  On the one hand, TV shows have more time to go in to things, because you'll have a whole series to work with.  On the other hand, some books really don't need thatlong to be shown on screen, and doing a TV series can result in a load of stuff that shouldn't be there being added for no reason.  So whichever works best for the book in question, or whichever will make people keep it closest to how the book was.

 

21. A movie or TV show you preferred to the book?
 

I can’t think of one right now.  I'm sure there's probably something.  In fact, I'm sure I remember saying about something that was better than the book not too long ago, I just can't think what it was.  Usually the book version is better, but I do know there are a few exceptions to this rule.  Very few, admittedly, but still.

 

22. Series or standalones?

 

Whichever is needed to tell the story.  If it can be told in one book, great.  If it needs a duology, trilogy, or even a much longer series, that's fine too.  A story should take as long to tell as it needs to.  No more and no less.

The Birthday #Book Tag - #AmReading

Since it's my birthday today, I had to do this one. It's another tag I found during my hunt for new ones to play earlier this year, which I found on the Sassy Geek blog, where she says she doesn't know who originally started it. But at least you now know where I found it.  A lot of the tags I've done this year have come from her.
      
Anyway, as I always say, I'm not tagging anyone, but if you want to play along, feel free to do so, either in the comments or on your own blog. I'd love to see your answers. For now though, here are the questions, along with my own answers:
      
1. Count Your Birthday Along Your Bookshelf and Then Subtract Your Birth Month
     
Ah, we've hit a snag already. You see, right now my books aren't on shelves, because of the need to pack to move. So this isn't going to be from all my books. Having said that though, the 2nd book on my audio book shelves should be "The Diary Of A Killer Cat" by Anne Fine, if I remember correctly.  Unless I'm missing some that are on my Kindle that would come before it. 

    

2. If You Could Spend Your Birthday With Any Fictional Character Who Would It Be and Why?
      
OK, confession time. You see, I don't often go down this route, but it's the first thing that came to mind, so I'm going with it. My answer is Aeson Kassiope from Vera Nazarian's "Atlantis Grail" series, just for the excuse to spend some time with him, because... WOW! Aeson is one of those characters that really makes me wish I was the female main character in the book, because I'm so jealous of Gwen. It's rare for me to be crushing on a fictional character this hard, but if Aeson was real, and I wasn't married...
      
*clears throat*
      
Mind you, James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser - more commonly just called "Jamie" - from Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander" series is another option. I would pick Aeson over him - sorry, Jamie - but it's a close one, and I am as jealous of Jamie's Claire as I am of Aeson's Gwen. But, hey, if Aeson's not available, and Jamie is...
      
OK, so... Moving on...
      
3. Find A Book That Takes Place In The Season You Were Born In
     
Erm... OK. So do you consider November to be Autumn or Winter? The thing is, some people consider it to be part of Winter, while many people insist Winter doesn't start until the solstice, which isn't until December.
      
You know what? Never mind, let's just go with "The Scorpio Races" by Maggie Stiefvater, since the whole plot of that one revolves around an event that takes place on November 1st every year, so the main event takes place in my birth month.
      
4. Find A Book That Is The Color of Your Birthstone
     
This one's tricky too. The thing is, the main birth stone for November is topaz, and topaz can come in a variety of colours including - but not limited to - clear, blue, yellow, and pink. Most people think of blue when thinking of a topaz though, so I'm going to use that colour for simplicity's sake.
      
Anyway, Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3) by Suzanne Collins has blue involved in the cover. At least, it's on the list of books with blue on their covers I found on Goodreads when I looked up books with blue on the cover, and since it's one I've read, I figured I'd go with that one.
      
5. Pick A Book Set In A Time Period, World, or Country You Would Like To Have Been Born In
       
If you want to go with a book based on a real period of history, my choice is "The Valley Of Horses" (and the rest of the "Earth's Children" series) by Jean M. Auel. Why would I like to have been born way back then? Because, though they certainly didn't have all the modern conveniences we have these days, and times were tough - especially in Winter - at least people still had plenty of respect for the land, killed for food rather than sport, and made use of everything from their kills. None of this wasting and taking the planet for granted you see a lot of these days.  Being vegan would have been tricky, but still.
      
Alternatively, if you want to go with a book set in a country I wish I'd been born in, I'm going to go with "Amanda In Alberta" (part of the "Amanda Travels" series) by Darlene foster, which is actually set in the same part of Canada Kelly is from, where Kelly and I got married, almost stayed, almost went back to, and often wonder where I'd be if I had stayed.
      
Or, if you want to go with a fictional world, then "The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe" by C S Lewis, because then I'd get to live in Narnia with all those talking animals, which is the only thing that would be cooler than getting to go to Hogwarts.  Though if you could move Hogwarts to Narnia, that would be so totally awesome!
      
Then again, if I go with a different planet instead, and pick "Win" (the third book from Vera Nazarian's "Atlantis Grail" series, and the first of the series to be set on Atlantis) there's Aeson Kassiope... Need I say more? *wink*

The #Fireworks #Book Tag - #BonfireNight #AmReading

It was Bonfire Night here in the UK this past Thursday (November 5^th) and Cat did this fireworks tag over on her blog that day.  Since I hadn’t done it, and I love fireworks, I had to play along.  I mean, it’s books and fireworks.  Not to mention my slight obsession with these tag things. *clears throat* Anyway, since I wanted to do it as soon as possible after Bonfire Night, I even rescheduled the one I was going to post today for another day.  So, let’s enjoy some bookish firework themed fun!

     

~ 

     

1.      Screamers: A book that made you want to scream! (In a good or bad way)

 

Any book that ends on a cliffhanger makes me scream with frustration, especially if it’s one I’m really enjoying (or was really enjoying until it just suddenly ended).

 

2.      Bombers: A book that you read before it “exploded” in the book community

 

The books in David Estes’ Dwellers Saga.  He was just starting to try and get noticed as a self-published author when I started reading his books, and read “Moon Dwellers” as part of a read and review programme.  Now David’s books are much more widely known, and he’s getting some of the attention he deserves.

 

3.      Banger: A banned book you read

 

I’m going to follow in Cat’s footsteps here and go with “1984” – not the most amazing of books, but one that was banned in several places, and that people should get a chance to read.

 

Having said that, I think the Harry Potter books were banned for a while at one point, and those are definitely ones I’ve read – several times.

 

I actually hate that books get banned at all.  If you don’t want to read something, don’t read it.  But allow others the freedom to decide if they want to or not for themselves.

 

4.      Peony: A book/author you think everyone needs to read

 

Michelle Paver.  Whether you go for her ghost stories – I especially recommend “Dark Matter” – or any of her other books, you need to check her out.  She’s got an excellent series called “The Chronicles Of Ancient Darkness” that I highly recommend, especially if you like historical fantasy.

 

5.      Crossette: A book/series with a complicated plot

 

A Song Of Ice And Fire – more commonly known as “A Game Of Thrones” – enough said.

 

6.      Diadem: A book/series with a set of amazing central characters

 

Diana Gabaldon’s “Outlander” books.  I love Jamie and Claire as characters, and Brianna and Roger too when they start being bigger parts of the story.

 

7.      Matches: Light your own fireworks by tagging 5 people!

 

I don’t tag people in these any more, so I’m not going to tag anyone in particular.  But – to make sure my fireworks are lit – I’m going to take this opportunity to invite anyone who wants to do this tag to play along, either in the comments section or on your own blog.  After all, I’d love to read  your answers.

The Nightmare Before Christmas #Book Tag - #Halloween #AmReading

I got this one from here a while ago, and it looked fun, so I thought I'd do it. As usual, I'm not tagging anyone, but feel free to play along if you like.

Here are the questions, along with my own answers:

1. Sally- A book with a character who loves someone so much and actually gets them in the end.

SPOILER ALERT: I'm using a series rather than a single book, but... Vera Nazarian's "Atlantis Grail" series. I'm so jealous of Gwen Lark, because she gets to be with Aeson Kassiope.

2. Jack - A book with a character who longs for more.

"Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone" by J K Rowling. Harry certainly wants more than to be stuck with the Dursleys any longer, that's for sure. Though perhaps gets more than he bargained for.

3. Zero - A book with a loyal sidekick.

"Wolf Brother" - the first book in the "Chronicles Of Ancient Darkness" series, by Michelle Paver. In fact the whole series could count for this one. You can't get a more loyal friend than Wolf is to Torak.

4. Oogie Boogie - A book with one hell of a wicked villain.

I know I already mentioned the "Harry Potter " series in a previous answer, but... The best villain, in my opinion, is Belatrix Lestrange. She's crazy and cruel. What more could you want in a villain? I know she's not the main villain, but she's certainly the best in the series. Far scarier than Voldemort, if you ask me.

5. Halloween Town - A book that's creepy or has a scary theme.

Again, I know I've used a book by this author for an earlier question, but it has to be "Dark Matter" by Michelle Paver. It's the scariest/creepiest book I've ever read, and no doubt about it.

6. Christmas Town - A book that left you feeling warm and fuzzy inside.

"The Bear Father Christmas Forgot" by Diana Kimpton. Such a sweet Christmas story!

7. What's This? - A book that took you by surprise.

"Artemis" by Andy Weir. It wasn't an unpleasant surprise mind. I expected something like "The Martian" but it was quite different. Different in a good way, but still different, so a surprise.

The Spooky "Would You Rather" #Book Tag - #Halloween #AmReading

So, I found this while doing an online search for Halloween themed book blog tags, and my sources tell me it originally came from someone called The Book Pusher. Sorry if this is incorrect. Either way, it looked fun, so I decided to do it. If you want to do it too, feel free to, either in the comments section of this post, or on your own blog. If you do the latter, make sure to let me know, and tell me where I can read your answers, since I'd love to know what your answers would be. For now though, here are the questions, and my own answers.

1. Thrillers or Supernatural(s)?

Supernatural. I like the odd thriller, but supernatural events in other types of books are more my thing, to be honest.

2. Ghosts or Zombies?

Either. I love a good zombie apocalypse tale, but I also love a good ghost story.

3. Vampires or Werewolves?

Ah, now this one is harder. I love both, though I suppose I end up reading more vampire stories than werewolf stories.

4. Witches or Demons?

This one's much easier: witches. Demons are often interesting characters, but I like to see the different ways witches are portrayed in stories, so they'll win out over demons every time.

5. Would you rather read a book with 13 chapters or a book with a black cat on the cover?

I'm not bothered by either superstition, but since a book with a black cat on the cover should - in theory - feature a kitty cat, I'm going to have to go with that one, because cats are cool, and I like reading things with animals in them.

6. Would you rather read a spooky book in the dark with only a candle for light or by yourself in a locked brightly lit room?

I don't care about the lighting situation. I mean, being blind, light makes no difference to me. However, even if it did, I'd still pick the candle over the locked room, because I don't want to be locked in.

7. Would you rather face your worst fears or be trapped in the mind of a killer?

Face my worst fears. At least I'd know what to expect with those.

8. Would you rather watch a scary movie or read a scary book?

Read a scary book. Books have had better luck scaring me in the past, even when I still had sight. I think it's because it's much scarier when I imagine things than when it's right there in front of me. Plus, I tend to become more absorbed in books than movies, so that probably contributes to it.

9. Would you rather read spooky books during the fall time or all year?

I love doing both, but tend to do it more in the Fall, because I like reading scary things close to Halloween.

10. Would you rather read 10 spooky books in October or 10 spooky books all year?

That depends. If I could read them whenever I wanted over the year, and wasn't limited to only reading that number if I wanted to read more, I'd say all year. If I couldn't read more in the timeframe given, but was free to read as much as I wanted of whatever I wanted after the timeframe, I'd pick October.

The Literary Dinner Party #Book Tag

I found this one on this post on the Dreamland Book Blog when searching for some fun tags to do earlier this year - just so you know where I got it.

 

As usual, I'm not tagging anyone, so if you want to do it, just feel free to play along.  You can either post your answers in the comments section, or post them on your own blog, or whatever.  If you don't post them in the comments, make sure to let me know where you're posting them though, because I'd hate to miss reading them.

 

Anyway, in this tag, you’re hosting  a dinner party. You can invite any character you want, but there are 10 different categories you need to fill, and there is only room for 12 people - including you.  No social distancing or masks required for this particular party, and nobody will complain that there are more than six people attending either.  So, here are the catagories, along with who I'd invite from each of them:

 

1. One character who can cook/likes to cook

 

Rachel Morgan from Kim Harrison's "Hollows" series.  She knows her way around the kitchen - she has to to do her spellwork - and loves spending time in her kitchen, whether spelling or baking.  She's also good about being careful to keep spellwork and cooking seporated, so I won't need to constantly worry that there's potion in the pizza.

 

2. One character who has money to fund the party

 

Aeson Kassiope from Vera Nazarian's "Atlantis Grail" series.  He's royalty and a star ship commander, with plenty of money.  Plus, it gives me an excuse to invite him.

 

3. One character who might cause a scene

 

Harry Dresden from Jim Butcher's "Dresden Files" books.  Because something eventful always happens at parties Harry ends up invited to.  That's not always a good thing, but I could guarantee it wouldn't be a dull party with Harry on the guest list.  The survivors will likely be talking about it for some time.

 

4. One character who is funny/amusing

 

Adrian Mole from Sue Townsend's "Adrian Mole" series.  He's not the brightest of people in many ways, and is kind of naive at times, but he's a lover of literature, so we could talk about a lot of books we've both read.  He can also be entertaining, even if not always on purpose.

 

5. One character who is super social/popular

 

Pippi Longstocking from Astrid Lindgren's "Pippi Longstocking" series.  She's incredibly outgoing, and loads of fun to have around.  There will be fun at the party with Pippi there, that's for sure.

 

6. One villain

 

Artemis Fowl from Eoin Colfer's "Artemis Fowl" series.  Yes, he's a villain, but he's also a very intelligent young man who knows a lot about a lot of things from technology to fairy folk.  Having him on the guest list could make for some interesting discussions.

 

7. One couple – doesn’t have to be romantic

 

Jamie and Claire Fraser from Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander" series.  Because I want an excuse to invite Jamie, Claire would be useful to have on hand in case of medical emergencies, and Jamie wouldn't let Claire come without him if he could avoid it anyhow, so that's a good excuse for me to include him in the invitation.

 

8. One hero/heroine

 

Doctor Who, from the series of the same name.  No, I'm not cheating here, because there are several books telling the stories of The Doctor as well as the TV series you likely thought of first, though they're by a variety of authors, which is why I didn't name an author here.  Anyway, Doctor Who is good to have around in a crisis, and there's plenty of room for us to all fit in his tardis if needs be, so there's that.  But also he's seen a lot during his travels through time and space, so I'm sure could contribute a lot to some of the interesting conversations I hope we'll be having at my dinner party.

 

9. One underappreciated character

 

This one's tough to answer, since I'm not really sure which characters are appreciated most. although, house elves aren't appreciated much by most people in the "Harry Potter" books, and I like Dobby, so I'm going to invite him.  I'm sure he'll be thrilled.  I just hope he realizes he's a guest and not there to serve us.

 

10. One character of your own choosing

 

Luna Lovegood from J K Rowling's "Harry Potter" books.  Just because I want her to come.  She seems like someone who would be fun to have around, and I want to be her friend, so I'm inviting her to my party.

The Bedtime #Book Tag - #AmReading

I got this one from here, after coming across it while looking for tags a while ago.

As I always say, I'm not tagging anyone, but I'd love to read your answers, so feel free to play along.

Here are the questions, along with my own answers:

1. A book that kept you up all night reading- 

Honestly? There have been several, and I'd actually stay up all night reading all the time if I had the ability to go without sleep, so I really don't think I can just pick one for this question.

2. A book that made you scared to sleep- 

"Dark Matter" by Michelle Paver. Scariest book I've ever read!

3. A book that made you go to sleep- 

Books never make me go to sleep themselves. Sometimes I'll fall asleep listening to one, but it's nothing to do with the book.

4. A book that left you tossing and turning all night in anticipation of its release- 

"Subject A36" by Teri Polen. Between the fact the other two books of hers were so good, and my having read teasers for the book on her blog, I couldn't wait for that one to be out!

5. A book that has your dream boyfriend- 

The books in the "Atlantis Grail" series by Vera Nazarian. I have just two words for you: Aeson Kassiope.

6. A book that would be your worst nightmare to live in-

"Mace Of The Apocalypse" by Daniel J. Williams. Or any zombie apocalypse novel really.

7. A book that reminds you of the night time-

"The House Beneath the Oak Trees" by Faye Belle, because most of the main events happen at night, and it makes me think of dreams and nightmares, and how sometimes it's hard to know for sure for a moment you've woken up after vivid ones.


8. A book that had a nightmarish cliffhanger- 

Any kind of cliffhanger is nightmarish to me. I hate cliffhangers!

9. A book that you actually dreamed about- 

The "Harry Potter" books by J K Rowling. I had a dream that I helped Harry defeat Voldemort with the help of the Weasleys, Dumbledore, and my primary school (elementary school) teacher. To make it even weirder, the battle took place in the assembly hall of one of my secondary schools (high schools). So... Yeah... That was kind of messed up.

10. A book monster that you would not want to find under your bed-

Any Lovecraftian monster. Especially Cthulhu. Although, to be honest, I'd really rather not find any monsters at all under my bed... Ever. Just saying.

A Fall/Autumn #Book Tag - #AmReading

Here's another I found during a search, and according to the blog I got this from, this one came from Dreaming Through Literature. Just so you know.

Anyway, if you want to play along, feel free to do so, either in the comments, or on your own blog. I'd love to read your answers! In the meantime though, here are the questions, along with my own answers:

1. Apple Picking: A book on your TBR that looks so delicious you can’t wait to take a bite out of it.

There are way too many. If it's on my to-read list, I want to read it. With varing degrees of enthusiasm, true. But if I haven't read it, and it looks good enough to me that it's ended up on my to-read list, then I'm going to be eager to read it.

2. Corn Maze: A book that’s so much fun to get lost in.

Again, this could apply to any book. I mean, what greater delight is there than getting lost in a book?

3. Haunted Houses: A book that scared you silly.

This is a pretty easy one to answer, because it's very rare this happens, but "Dark Matter" by Michelle Paver seriously scared me. It's one of very few books ever to have me scared at all, and did so well it was weeks before I was able to put it out of my mind and stop being scared. Awesome book though, and I've read it again since. Yes, it scared me just as much the second time around, and I bet it will when I read it again, which I totally plan to do!

4. Pumpkin Patch: The latest book you picked up (purchased).

This will have changed by the time this post goes live, because I'm writing it WAY in advance. But at the time I'm writing this my most recent book purchase is "The Hidden Stairway" - the fourth book in the "Abby & Holly" series by Janice Spina. If I remember, I'll try and come back and update this one closer. If not... Well, at least you have an answer, even if it's about a book purchase from quite early in the year.

5. Scenic Drives: A book that is lyrically beautiful.

This could apply to several I've read, but I'm going with "The Snow Spider" - and the other two books in the trilogy by the same name - by Jenny Nimmo. It's a beautifully written and wonderful trilogy.

6. Pumpkin Carving: A book you didn’t like and wouldn’t mind carving up.

There are very few books I've disliked after having read them. However, having said that, I would never want to carve one up. Generally the fact I didn't like it doesn't guarantee it's a bad book. Besides, think of the work the author put in to writing it. Being an author myself, I know how many hours of writing goes in to producing a book, and then there's all the other things you have to do before you can publish it. No. There are no books I would want to carve up, even though there are books I haven't enjoyed.

7. Hiking: A book that was a highly enjoyable romp.

Again, this could apply to a lot of books. However, "Bogamus In Space" - in fact, any book in the "Bogamus And Friends" series - by Nathan A Jones practically leaps to mind, and is highly amusing.

8. Drinking Apple Cider: A sweet book to curl up under the covers with.

Depending on your genre preference, pretty much anything could be a perfect book to curl up under the covers with. However, if you spacifically want one I think is sweet, "Winter Solstice" by Rosamunde Pilcher is a good one.

9. Jumping In A Leaf Pile: A book that reminds you of your childhood.

"The Tale Of Peter Rabbit" by Beatrix Potter, because it reminds me of the Sunday afternoons we'd visit my Dad and Nan when I was really little, and my Nan would read the Beatrix Potter books to us.

10. Scary Movie Night: Your favorite spooky read.

Apart from the scary book I mentioned a few answers ago, the one that springs to mind is "Sarah" by Teri Polen, which is one of those few books to actually scare me. So, since I don't want to pick "Dark Matter" again, I'm going to go with "Sarah" for this one.

11. Bonus! Costume Party: A book with an eclectic cast of characters.

There are several I could pick, but I think I'm going to have to go with "Fatemarked" (- the first in the series of the same name by David Estes. It has a fair sized cast of characters, and they really are quite the eclectic bunch. Actually, David is always pretty good at including a diverse cast of characters in his books.

The 'What Makes Me Pick Up A Book' Tag - #AmReading

I've got another book tag to do today, which I got from Cat over at The Strawberry Post when she did it a couple of months ago.  Check out her post for her answers to the tag, as well as some details about where she got it from.  Then check out the rest of her blog for some wonderful poetry and fantastic book reviews, among other things.

 

As Cat says, this is quite a short tag compared to many, but with some great questions.  Let's see what they are, and what my answers to them would be, shall we? Maybe then you'll consider playing along, either in the comments section of this post, or via your own blog.  If you do the latter, please make sure to let me know, since I'd love to read your answers, and hate to miss them just because I didn't know you posted them.

 

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1. Do you judge a book by its cover?

 

No.  Though I admit that's probably at least mostly because I can't see the cover, since images on the cover would have been the thing that first got my attention when I could still see, so I expect I judged books by their cover a lot when I could.  Although, a nice cover would have only grabbed my attention, and not guaranteed the book would come home, since I'd need to like what I saw on closer inspection too, so would have looked at the things I now use to judge a book by: title and blurb.

 

2. Focusing on just the cover, what attracts you to pick it up?

 

When I could still see, something bright that stood out would have gotten my attention, or something with an animal or fantasy creature on it.  Basically, if I thought the picture was pretty, the colours were bright enough to catch my attention, or I spotted a picture of something I liked, I'd be interested.  That's not to say I didn't look at books that didn't have those kinds of things on them, but those would have grabbed my attention quickest.

 

3. Do you read the synopsis first, or do you prefer to go in knowing nothing about the book?

 

If by "synopsis" you mean blurb, then yes, I'll read that first.  At least, I'll read it before I buy the book.  If I've had the book for a while though, I might not remember what the blurb said by the time I'm reading it, and don't bother checking it out again.

 

4. Do you have any auto-buy authors?

 

David Estes and Michelle Paver.  I've read stuff of theirs from a couple of different genres, and it's all been excellent, so I wouldn't hesitate to buy something just because they wrote it, regardless of genre, and without checking the blurb.  Most authors I'll at least want to take a look at the blurb first, but not them.

 

5. Are you more likely to buy a book if it has specific elements/themes?

 

Yes, but isn't everyone? Whether we mean to or not, we all have themes or elements we revisit through our various favourite books.  Which ones I look for depend on the genre though.  Like how acceptance when you're different (such as if you have a disability) or coping with circumstances out of your control (such as an apocolypse or war) are themes in a lot of what I read, and I'm more likely to pick up a paranormal about werewolves and witches than angels and demons, and adding talking animals to a fantasy will get my attention quicker than not.  That's not to say I don't stray from those elements and themes.  I definitely do.  But including one of my favourite elements or themes in something is more likely to get me to read something than if you didn't.

 

6. Do you ever read a book that has generally negative reviews just to form your own opinion on it?

 

Not intensionally for that reason, but I won't let negative reviews stop me from reading something if I like the look of it.  Although, I will go in to it with pretty low expectations if any of those negative reviews came from someone who I know has similar book tastes to my own.

 

7. Do you ever buy a book just because another booktuber/blogger has talked about it a lot?

 

Sometimes, but not just because they were talking about it.  If I like the look of something, and people I know - and trust the bookish opinions of - are talking about it a lot, I'll buy it.  In fact, I've heard about many a great book that way.  But I won't buy it just because they liked it if I don't like the sound of it from the blurb.

 

8. Is there anyone who’s book recommendations you always trust?

 

Yes.  I trust the opinions of a couple of people I'm friends with on Goodreads.  They've steered me in the direction of many a great book in the past, so I'd be willing to trust their opinions in the future too, and always keep a close eye on what they're reading - and what they thought of it - in case it sounds good enough that I want to read it too.  That's not to say I'll buy it just because they enjoyed it, since the blurb has to make it sound good too.  But a good review from one of my Goodreads friends, combined with a book blurb that gets my attention, will guarantee it makes it on to my "to-read" shelf, and maybe even mean it will be something I buy and read very soon.

The Day And Night #Book Tag - #AmReading

This is another tag I found via Cat. You can see her post for it here. As usual, if you want to play along too, feel free to do so, whether that be on your own blog, in the comments section of this post, or whatever. Just don't forget to tell me where I can find your answers if you're not posting them directly in the comments section of this post, since I'd love to read them, and would hate to miss your post. For now though, here's the tag, along with my own answers.

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D – Do you read more in the morning or at night?

As a general rule, I do most of my reading at night. I always read for a while in the evenings, whether for only a few minutes or for a few hours. However, I can - and often do - also read in the morning or afternoon. But since I read in the late evening every night, and only sometimes read at other times, I definitely do most of my reading at night.

A – Are there any books that changed the way you thought about things?

There are several, though I can't really name titles, or give you examples of how a certain book changed my way of thinking about or looking at something. Whether we realize it or not, the books we read can - and will - influence our thoughts and feelings on a particular subject, whether on a concious or subconcious level.

Y – YA or not?

Yes, absolutely; I read YA books quite often. I read books for all ages, including young adult books. I see no reason why adults shouldn't do so, since there are some fantastic YA books out there, and being older than the intended audience is no reason for me to miss out on getting to read them.

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A – Are there any characters that you honestly believe are real?

Is this a trick question to gage what little sanity I have? I know characters - while based on real people, or a mixture of several real people, regardless of whether the author conciously based them on someone real or not - aren't actually real, even if they feel real. However, there are several I wish were real. Also, in the best books, characters feel real to me while I'm reading the book and following their story, which is the important thing. I can only hope my own readers feel that way about at least some of the characters in my own books.

N – Nobody touches my books or I don’t mind loaning my books out?

Nobody touches my books. I used to be willing to let people borrow my books, but after one too many came back looking battered, with pages bent and scribbled on, etc, I stopped letting people borrow my books.

D – Do you ever smell your books?

I used to, when I could still see to read print books. But smelling braille books and eBooks just isn't the same; they don't have that bookish scent. So I don't any more, and have to settle for enjoying the smell of books if I'm in or near a bookshop, or if someone I know brought a new book and is willing to leave me alone with it long enough for me to have a quick sniff. Yes, I'm weird. No, I don't care what you think of that. At least, I don't care while I'm writing this, though I guess I must care a little, since I try not to make it obvious that I'm offering to carry someone's books for them so I can sniff them. The only thing better than that new book scent is the smell of old books that have been around for a long time; new books smell great, but you can't beat that musty library scent.

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N – Not everyone loves books…Is that a positive or negative?

Neither, though I do think it's a shame. To each their own though, and if books aren't your thing, that's totally up to you. Different people have different interests and passions, and if some people get their enjoyment in a way that doesn't involve books, that's not for me to judge. I do wish those who don't like books wouldn't look down on those who do, and vice-versa, and that everyone would at least give reading a chance though.

I – I keep my books in the best condition or not?

Absolutely! I always try to keep my books in the best condition I can. I mean, it's not easy to damage an eBook - not if I still want to be able to use my Kindle anyhow - but I did when I still read print books too. Even as a child I was reluctant to do anything that could potentially damage a book, prefered to use something as a bookmark rather than folding the corner of a page to mark where I was reading, and didn't scribble in my books. These days I know how much work goes in to producing a book, so am even more dismayed by those who mistreat their books, but from a young age - even before I knew exactly how much work it was to produce a book of publishable quality - I considered them treasures that needed to be cared for as well as possible, and did my very best to take care of mine.

G – Gosh! I have too many books!  True or false?

False. There's no such thing as too many books. I do wish I had more time to read, so my to-read list wasn't so long. But being surrounded by books is pure bliss as far as I'm concerned, and I would never claim I have too many books.

H – Have you ever spilled or stained your books with something, and if so how?

Twice, unfortunately. One time I had a nosebleed that came on suddenly, and a bit of blood dripped on the page before I could do anything about it. Another time I accidentally spilled a whole cup of grape kool-aid on a book... A super-sized cup too. I still feel bad about it... Especially the kool-aid incident, where the book was ruined in the drenching.

T – Toned or untoned?  In other words, do you read and workout at the same time?

Not really. I mean, I have in the past listened to audio books while using a rowing machine or an exercise bike at home. I've also listened to one through headphones while running on a treadmill at the gym. But these days the only exercise I get while reading is housework or playing with the dogs. Mind you, with how much I crawl around the floor with Lilie and Logan when I'm playing ball or tuggy with them, that could definitely count as getting a workout while reading. It's certainly as tiring as doing so, that's for sure!