20 Questions Book Tag

Let’s chat about books!

I was kindly tagged by Holly @ Nut Free Nerd to do the 20 Questions Book Tag. Since there are so many questions to get through, let’s just jump right in!

1. How many books are too many books in a series? 

It very much depends on the series, I suppose. Generally speaking, I gravitate far more towards standalone reads, so a series has to have some serious staying power to draw me in. I’m not a fan of sequels for the sake of sequels; each one has to feel like it has earned its place, and that it was therefore justifiable to tell the story over several books, so anything more than three I’d be seriously questioning before I picked it up.

2. How do you feel about cliffhangers?

A cliffhanger can work really well if it provides enough closure for the book to feel like its own entity, whilst leaving enough unanswered to keep the reader hungry for more. If, however, it simply feels thrown in as a device to try and increase the writer’s chance of getting a contract for another book before it’s even been confirmed as the first in a series, no thanks.

3. Hardcopy or paperback?

I do almost all of my reading at home, so I don’t need to worry about which is easier to carry around. For that reason, and for collection and durability purposes, I’ll say hardbacks.

4. Favourite book?

We all know how readers feel about this question. My go to answer at the moment is Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, but ask me later and I’ll tell you something different.

5. Your least favourite book? 

Hmm, I don’t hate a lot of books, but I did hate Being a Beast by Charles Foster. It was exploitative, shock-value waffle dressed up like thought-provoking nature writing that reeked of someone desperate to prove how ‘quirky’ they are – which invariably means they’re painfully dull.

6. Love triangles, yes or no? 

There are exceptions to every rule, I’m sure, but no. It’s cliché, it’s annoying, and as Holly said, it’s a lazy plot device that’s almost always used to try and add some semblance of conflict or drama, when there are a million and one more interesting and original ways to do so.

7. The most recent book you just couldn’t finish?

I almost never DNF; the book guilt truly rules me. It was probably Being a Beast, actually. I suffered through 100+ pages, but was on the verge of finding it offensive, not just annoying, so I had to stop.

8. A book you’re currently reading?

The illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I read the last two illustrated editions around Christmastime the previous couple of years, and am hoping to continue to do so; something in the way of a new festive tradition.

9. Last book you recommended to someone?

My mum asked me to recommend a psychological thriller I’d enjoyed recently, and I suggested Good Me, Bad Me by Ali Land, which she really enjoyed. (+10 Bookworm points for a successful recommendation.)

10. The oldest book you’ve read? (Publication date)

I can’t be certain, but off the top of my head, possibly Daphnis and Chloe by Longus, which was written in the 2^nd Century.

11. The newest book you’ve read? (Publication date)

Probably The Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night, a short story collection by Jen Campbell, which was released a few weeks ago.

12. Favourite author?

Daphne du Maurier / J.K. Rowling / Agatha Christie / Patrick Ness / Alice Thompson / H.G. Wells – Call me a rebel, but I refuse to pick just one. In fact, that list could have kept growing, but I’ll restrain myself at least somewhat.

13. Buying books or borrowing books?

Buying. I love having a large collection of books, so I wouldn’t want to hand them back! Also, as snooty as it may sound, I love my books to be in near pristine condition; yes, I’m one of those people.

14. A book you dislike that everyone else seems to love?

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden was a recent disappointment, but on paper it sounds like an ideal read for me, and so many people have loved it, so I’m increasingly convinced it was a case of right book, wrong time.

15. Bookmarks or dog-ears?

As per my preference for books to look pristine; bookmarks, please and thank you. Also, I order so many books online from places that invariably include free bookmarks with every order that I have dozens, so there’s really no excuse.

16. A book you can always reread?

Harry Potter.

17. Can you read while hearing music?

I haven’t really tried very often, and definitely favour quiet when I’m reading. I could probably cope with something ambient or instrumental, but anything too catchy or wordy would probably just distract me.

18. One POV or multiple POV? (POV = Point of view)

I love multiple POV when it’s done really well, in a way that adds a whole other layer of depth or meaning to the story. I think this is very difficult to pull off though, and I often find that one narrative voice is naturally stronger than the others, meaning I find myself eager to return to it whenever we shift perspective. For that reason, I prefer most books to be single POV.

19. Do you read a book in one sitting or over multiple days?

Again, this is one that very much depends on the book. I do have a tendency to reach for shorter reads (I love when an author can pack a punch with a gripping and immersive yet succinct story), and so if I can read a book in a single sitting, I do enjoy it. With an average novel, however, it takes me several sittings.

Pretty, huh?

20. One book you read because of the cover.

I can’t think of a book I read purely because of the cover, as much as I am definitely drawn to a pretty book.

That said, I have owned Vixen by Rosie Garland for ages, and though I also think it sounds great, I was first grabbed by its gorgeous cover. Hopefully mentioning it again here will push me to finally pick it up soon…

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There we have it! Thanks again to Holly for tagging me. Since I’ve done a few tags recently, I’ll leave this one open to anyone who wants to do it. Let me know if you do, I’d love to see your answers. Thanks for stopping by!