The Book Courtship Tag

I saw this tag a little while ago on Jenna @ Bookmark Your thoughts’ blog. I thought it looked like fun, so couldn’t resist getting involved. Let’s just jump right in.

Isn’t it pretty?

PHASE ONE: INITIAL ATTRACTION – A BOOK YOU BOUGHT BECAUSE OF THE COVER

Vixen by Rosie Garland has one of my favourite covers of all time. In fairness, I thought the blurb sounded very intriguing as well, but it was undoubtedly the cover that first grabbed me.

PHASE TWO: FIRST IMPRESSIONS – A BOOK YOU GOT BECAUSE OF ITS SUMMARY

There’s always a slightly dubious feeling when someone already famous turns their hand to novel writing, but the moment I saw mention of historical fiction inspired by true events, Icelandic mythology, and the power of storytelling in the blurb for The Sealwoman’s Gift by Sally Magnusson, I knew I had to check it out. I’m excited to give it a go!

PHASE THREE: SWEET TALK – A BOOK WITH GREAT WRITING

When I think about Burial Rites by Hannah Kent, it’s the beauty of the prose and the wonderful atmosphere it creates that always come to mind first. Funnily enough, it’s also historical fiction set in Iceland and inspired by true events. I actually read it whilst on holiday in Iceland during a bitingly cold, snowy winter, so that certainly helped to enhance the reading experience as well!

PHASE FOUR: FIRST DATE – THE FIRST BOOK OF A SERIES THAT MADE YOU WANT TO PICK UP THE REST OF THE SERIES

I recently read Binti by Nnedi Okorafor. It’s a sci-fi novella that explores themes of cultural identity and racial prejudice. I enjoyed what it had to say a lot, and though things wrapped up a little neatly, there are two other books in the series, so I’m excited to see if we’ll get to dive a little deeper.

PHASE FIVE: LATE NIGHT PHONE CALLS – A BOOK THAT KEPT YOU UP ALL NIGHT

Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House was so absorbingly atmospheric that I simply didn’t want to put it down. Plus, there are some deliciously creepy moments that may keep you awake for other reasons.

PHASE SIX: ALWAYS ON MY MIND – A BOOK YOU COULD NOT STOP THINKING ABOUT

I don’t think a book has ever haunted my thoughts as much as Bird Box by Josh Malerman. I read it about two-and-a-half years ago, and I still think about how intense and unsettling it was on a regular basis.

PHASE SEVEN: GETTING PHYSICAL – A BOOK THAT YOU LOVE THE WAY IT FEELS

I don’t have many of them as yet, but The Penguin Clothbound Classics are very tactile. They’re sturdy naked hardbacks with a rough, textured feel.

Some examples of the Clothbound Classics.

PHASE EIGHT: MEETING THE PARENTS – A BOOK YOU WOULD RECOMMEND TO YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS

Most of my family and friends aren’t big readers, so I would probably recommend something accessible and universally relatable regardless of your level of interest in reading – but something that is also timely, with an emotional pull to it. So, perhaps something like My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher, or A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness.

PHASE NINE: THINKING ABOUT THE FUTURE – A BOOK OR SERIES YOU KNOW YOU WILL RE-READ MANY TIMES IN THE FUTURE

[ insert generic Harry Potter answer ]

PHASE TEN: SHARE THE LOVE – WHO DO YOU TAG?

I wasn’t tagged, so I’ll leave it open to anyone who wants to get involved. I’d love to see your answers though, so pingback here if you do it so I can check out your post.

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The Netflix Book Tag

I fancied doing a book tag, and have seen this one floating around on and off for a while, so let’s just jump right in, shall we?

Recently Watched: The book you most recently read

The Power by Naomi Alderman (spoiler: I was disappointed).

Top Picks: A book recommended to you based on another book you’ve read

Rachel recommended A Pale View of Hills by Kazuo Ishiguro after I read Never Let Me Go and wasn’t sure where to go next with his books. Both are great; his work is so quietly affecting.

Recently Added: The book you most recently bought

Our Numbered Days, a poetry collection by Neil Hilborn. I haven’t been reading as much poetry lately as I usually would, and this is a collection I’ve had my eye on for a while.

Popular on Netflix: Books that everyone knows about (2 you’ve read and 2 you have no interest in reading)

Books that everyone knows about instantly calls to mind classics, so with that said: Two I’ve read (and very much enjoyed) are Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie and The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells, whilst two I have no interest in reading are War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy and Moby-Dick by Herman Melville – I just couldn’t put myself through books that long when I’ve heard so consistently how dull they both are.

Comedies: A funny book

I’m a big Carrie Fisher fan, and the anecdotes in her memoir, Wishful Drinking, crackle with her amazing wit and warmth.

Dramas: A character that is a total drama king or queen

Her by Harriet Lane is, to put it bluntly, one of the worst thrillers I’ve ever read, largely because it wasn’t remotely thrilling. What’s more, when the motivation behind our villain’s actions was finally revealed, it exposed her as quite possibly the most ridiculous and petty character of all time. To say she over-reacted to things is an understatement.

Cartoons: a book with cartoons on the cover

The Imaginary

The Imaginary by A.F. Harrold is a middle grade novel with a fantastic concept, focusing on the idea of a villain who hunts children’s imaginary friends. The cover, and the images inside, were illustrated by Emily Gravett.

Watch again: a book or series you want to read again

Harry Potter goes without saying. I really want to re-read the Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness. I loved them first-time round, but my tastes have changed so much over the years that I’m also a little scared to revisit them… That’s why I generally do very little re-reading, truth be told.

Documentaries: a non-fiction book that you would recommend to everyone

Jo Cox: More in Common. It chronicles the life of the MP and humanitarian campaigner who was killed by a white supremacist, from the viewpoint of her husband. For a book focused on a political figure, it isn’t dry at all. Instead, it feels remarkably human, capturing the essence of a woman who stood with compassion and dignity for what she believed in.

Action & Adventure: an action-packed book

Saga, the graphic novel series written by Brian K. Vaughan and illustrated by Fiona Staples is an action-packed sci-fi romp about warring factions, bounty hunters, star-crossed lovers, and all sorts of weird and wonderful creatures, but it also has a lot of heart.

New releases: A new release or soon-to-be-released book that you’re excited about

I’m excited to pick up Kirsty Logan’s new book, The Gloaming, and Louise O’Neill’s The Surface Breaks, which both just came out. As for an upcoming release, The Water Cure by Sophie Mackintosh springs to mind. I appear to be on some kind of water-based feminist kick, and that’s more than okay with me.

As a lovely bonus, they all have gorgeous covers too.

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There we have it! I wasn’t tagged by anyone, so will leave this open to all who want to get involved.

The Feminist Book Tag

I was kindly tagged by Rachel to do the Feminist Book Tag, which I’m super excited about. So, let’s not waste any time, and just jump right in.

• Your favorite female author

I’m glad Rachel mentioned several, because there’s no way I’d have wanted the pressure of choosing just one. Here are a few that instantly spring to mind: Daphne du Maurier, Agatha Christie, Kirsty Logan, J.K. Rowling and Alice Thompson.

• Your favorite heroine

There are so many I could choose here. In the spirit of mentioning one of my slightly less obvious favourites, I’ll pick Mary Katherine (Merricat) from We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. She’s easily one of the most delightfully odd, disturbed and fascinating protagonists I’ve encountered.

• A novel with a feminist message

Asking for it by Louise O’Neill is all about the poisonous culture of slut-shaming. What’s really interesting is that O’Neill presents us with a very unlikable heroine, and in doing so shows us why people find it so easy to pin the blame on a ‘certain type’ of girl where sexual abuse and harassment are concerned – and why this mentality is so dangerous.

• A novel with a girl on the cover

The more the better, right? Here are a few random cover selections from my shelves that I really like:

The Tidal Zone, Tender Morsels, Real World, Memoirs of a Geisha, Eleanor & The Gracekeepers.

• A novel featuring a group of girls

Such Small Hands by Andrés Barba is a quietly sinister tale set in a girls’ orphanage. It captures the cruelty that children are capable of; the confusion and bewilderment that lies on the cusp between childhood innocence and adolescence; the fascination with bodies that emerges with youth; and the doll-like, compliant nature that girls are so often expected to assume.

• A novel with a LGBTQIAP+ female character

The One Hundred Nights of Hero by Isabel Greenberg is a fantastic and beautiful graphic novel about two female lovers using the power of storytelling to outsmart sleazy men so they can be together.

• A novel with different feminine POV

Like Rachel, I’m not entirely sure what this question was asking for… The Bees by Laline Paul is literally told from the perspective of a female bee. I actually ended up not liking this book all that much, but a bee is a pretty ‘different’ POV, right?

• A book where a girl saves the world

I don’t want to spoil too much, but if you’ve read The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey, you’ll likely know what I mean when I say that the world is technically saved by Melanie and Miss Justineau at the end, albeit in a suitably off-kilter and disturbing way.

• A book where you prefer the female sidekick to the male MC

I mean, we all knew I was going to mention Hermione Granger somewhere in this tag. Of all the categories, this one seemed the most appropriate. Sorry, Harry, but Hermione is queen.

• A book written by a male author and featuring a female character

Oh, there are lots of great examples. Again, why mention just one?

Bird Box, All We Shall Know & Tess of the D’Urbervilles.

Malorie from Bird Box by Josh Malerman is a fantastic heroine. She goes through a dramatic development arc, and through her, Malerman explores really great moral questions regarding motherhood and survival.

Melody from All We Shall Know by Donal Ryan is a phenomenally complex and layered heroine. Her emotional turmoil and moral struggles drive the entire narrative.

Tess from Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy is perhaps one of the most sympathetic characters I’ve ever encountered. I mean, this book was written by a dude in 1891, and the whole message of it is basically about how utterly unfair society is, with men consistently treating women like trash and then blaming them for it. I wish we could say everything has changed…

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There we have it! Thanks again to Rachel for tagging me. I invite anyone who wants to get involved to do so.

Two Tags for the Price of One

I’ve got a couple of tags I need to catch up on, so thought I may as well be proactive and combine them into a single post. First is the Get to Know Me Tag, which I was kindly invited to do by Satou Johns @ Inkish Kingdoms. Let’s jump right into the questions:

FAVORITE COLOR AND DO YOU HAVE A BOOK IN THAT COLOR?

My favourite colour is probably a deep blue, akin to this beautiful Waterstone’s exclusive edition of The Essex Serpent. I really must read this sometime soon…

The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN 3 BOOK CHARACTERS

When that ‘describe yourself in 3 characters’ tag was going around a while back, these were my choices, so whilst not all of them are technically book characters, I stand by my decision. I think they pretty much speak for themselves.

Seems about right…

HYPED BOOKS YAY OR NAY? IF YAY, WHAT WAS THE MOST HYPED BOOK YOU EVER READ? IF NAY, WHAT WAS THE MOST HYPED BOOK YOU DECIDED NOT TO READ?

Generally, nay. I read pretty widely, but at the same time I know what genres I like, so I wouldn’t pick something up that didn’t appeal to me purely because it was hyped. Too much self-inflicted hype can also damage a book for me, which is always a horrible feeling.

I rarely read YA, and a lot of the most hyped books on book blogs/booktube channels tend to be within that area, so I guess the most well-known examples I’ve not picked up would be anything by super popular YA authors like Sarah J. Maas or Cassandra Clare.

RECOMMEND ONE BOOK PER SEASON. SPRING. SUMMER. FALL. WINTER.

Spring: Spring makes me think of baby animals, and so what better than a book full of gorgeous illustrations of baby animals by one of my favourite artists? Thus, my pick is Flying the Nest by Hannah Dale.

Summer: Little Deaths by Emma Flint is set during a stiflingly hot summer, and the building, sticky heat of the setting is used to cleverly mirror the mounting pressure and strain the book’s anti-heroine is under.

Fall: I haven’t read it yet myself, but Autumn by Ali Smith is an obvious choice, since that’s what we call Fall in the UK, and it’s precisely when the book is set. Plus, the cover is suitably autumnal. (SIDE NOTE AND POTENTIALLY STUPID QUESTION: Do Americans use the word autumnal, even though they don’t call it autumn? I’ve never thought about that before. Answers on a postcard please. Or, you know, the comments section would do.)

Winter: I’m going to pick Sweetgirl by Travis Mulhauser. I read it this winter and thought the cold, snowy, isolated setting was captured very well, and the dark tone of the story suits the mood of the season. A perfect, pacy read to curl up with by the fire.

My seasonal recommendations.

NAME ONE BOOK THAT WRECKED YOU EMOTIONALLY

Jo Cox: More in Common is a biography of a British MP and humanitarian campaigner who was murdered in 2016 in an act of terror because of her pro-EU views, written by her husband, Brendan Cox. It’s so tender, insightful and full of the love and respect Brendan obviously had for his wife. She was a remarkable person who achieved so much in her short life, and the more I learnt about her whilst reading this, the sadder I became that politics (and society in general, really – not to mention her two young children) had lost such a positive life force who genuinely wanted to do good in the world.

NAME ONE BOOK YOU WOULD RECOMMEND WITH TEA AND COOKIES?

This makes me think of something immersive that will sweep you up, hence stocking up on snacks and cosying in with a cuppa. My go to recommendation for such a book is Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier; a masterclass of brooding atmosphere that you just want to lose yourself in.

WHAT IS YOUR GUILTY PLEASURE BOOK?

I do enjoy a good middle grade novel every now and then when I’m in the mood for something with a nostalgic feel that is an easy read, but I don’t think I ought to feel too guilty about that 😉

FAVORITE DESSERT AND A BOOK THAT REMINDS YOU OF THAT

My favourite dessert is probably a chocolate brownie. It’s not specifically relevant to Harry Potter, but that’s the book/series I most associate with tasty treats. And let’s be honest, I was going to mention HP somewhere in this tag.

ARE YOU A PROCRASTINATOR? WHAT BOOK HAVE YOU BEEN PROCRASTINATING READING?

When it comes to important stuff like work, I’m not a procrastinator; I’m much more a ‘do-it-right-away-so-you-don’t-stress-about-it-later’ kind of person. But with reading, I definitely procrastinate picking up bigger books. Jane Eyre immediately comes to mind. I’ve wanted to read it for ages, and think there’s a good chance I’ll like it, but alas, that page count…

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I was also very kindly tagged by Steph @ Lost: Purple Quill to do the Unique Blogger Award a while back, so here are my answers to her questions:

What is the lock screen and home screen on your phone? (I’m just curious)

They melt my heart…

It’s always pictures of my pets. Currently it’s this pic of my dog (Barney) graciously sharing his bed with one of my cats (Frankie).

What’s something you were really into/obsessed with when you were a kid?

I used to be obsessed with the 1985 Ridley Scott film, Legend. It’s basically a fairy tale, which I love, and is so whimsical and dark. It’s got all kinds of fantastical creatures, one of the best screen versions of the devil ever (played by Tim Curry), and perhaps best of all: unicorns.

*can’t quite believe I’m about to admit this on the internet* I loved this movie so much that I used to roll up a piece of paper, tape it to my head and pretend I was a unicorn. Needless to say, no one was surprised when I later came out as gay. lol.

What was the best birthday you’ve had?

Don’t get your violins out but I’ve never really had particularly huge or fancy birthday celebrations. They’ve been lovely, but they were generally just nice days with my family when I was young and then nights out with friends now that I’m an adult. So, this is a very boring answer, but there’s not really one standout, special birthday.

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There we have it; I’m all caught up. Thanks again to both Satou and Steph for the tags. Between being late and lazy, I’m going to take the easy way out and leave both open to anyone who wants to take part. Have fun and let me know if you do either of them! Thanks for stopping by.

Winter is Coming | Book Tag

I was kindly tagged by Jenna @ Bookmark Your Thoughts to do the Winter is Coming book tag, so without further ado, let’s just jump right into the questions.

The End We Start From

Snow: It is beautiful when it first falls, but then it starts to melt. A book/book series that you loved at the beginning, but then, at the middle of it, you realized you don’t like it any longer.

The first thing that sprang to mind for this was The End We Start From by Megan Hunter. I love the concept (surviving in a post-apocalyptic, flooded London, from the perspective of a new mother) and was very excited to read it, but was ultimately disappointed. It felt like it was a case of style over substance, where the author relied on a ‘quirky’ writing style and a desire to write a ‘beautiful’ book over focusing on character, plot or themes.

The Vegetarian

Snowflake: Something beautiful and always different. Choose a book that stands out, that is different from all the other books you’ve read.

The Vegetarian by Han Kang is unlike anything I’ve ever read before, and is in fact very difficult to explain. It’s bizarre and hypnotic, and thus definitely not for everyone, but it is also a fascinating, allegorical look at society’s fear of difference and a futile need to understand everything that’s going on inside someone else’s head.

Snowman: It is always fun to make one with your family. Choose a book that a whole family could read.

Both The Christmasaurus and The Creakers by Tom Fletcher are brilliantly fun adventure stories perfect for kids and kids at heart alike. They both feature great main characters and tackle themes not often seen in middle grade fiction, but without bogging down the actual stories. Both are also nicely illustrated.

The Christmasaurus and The Creakers

Christmas: Choose a book that is full of happiness, that made you warm inside after reading it.

Questions like this always make me feel a little cold and dead inside because they make me realise that I hardly ever pick up ‘happy’ books, and definitely have a tendency to lean towards the darker side of fiction. Even the majority of the books I’ve read that are ultimately hopeful are depressing on the way there, rather than ‘full of happiness’, BUT, I did just read The Night Before Christmas this festive season, and that counts!

The Night Before Christmas

Santa Claus: He brings wonderful presents. Choose a book that you’d like to get for Christmas.

Well, since Christmas has just been, I guess I’ll mention one of the books I asked for and was very happy to receive. Leonora Carrington: Surrealism, Alchemy and Art by Susan L. Aberth is a look at the life and work of an artist and writer I’m fascinated by and am excited to learn more about.

Surrealism, Alchemy and Art, and a couple of examples of Carrington’s haunting artwork.

Peter and Alice

Snowballing: It can be painful to be hit by a snowball. Choose a book that hurt, that made you feel some strong emotion, like sadness, or anger.

Ah, and here we are back in my bookish comfort zone 😉 Peter and Alice is a play by John Logan that was one of my top reads of 2016, and I still find myself thinking about it regularly now. It’s based on a real-life meeting between the man and woman who inspired the characters of Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland in their youth, as they reflect on the ways the pressure to live up to people’s expectations have shaped and marred their lives. It is devastating and wonderful, and I urge you all to read it. Oh to see this actually played out on stage one day…

Huntress of the Sea

Sledding: We all loved it when we were younger. Choose a book that you loved when you were a child.

One of the first ‘proper’ novels for kids that I remember picking up by myself and totally falling in love with was Huntress of the Sea by Alan Temperley. I read it loads of times, and eventually met the author during a school trip to a book festival (he was very nice, from what I remember). I proudly took along my battered old copy and got it signed, and I still have it to this day.

The Cursed Child

Frostbite: Choose a book that you were really disappointed in.

I’m going to pinch Jenna’s answer here and go with The Cursed Child. I’m glad it brought some people joy, and I’m sure seeing it on stage is pretty special, but no thanks. What it did to certain characters, and the way it quite literally messed with previous plot points felt like a repeated slap in the face to all the fans who had stuck loyal to the series. It will never, ever be canon in my eyes. J.K. Rowling didn’t even write it, so I don’t see how it can really be considered as anything other than (poor) fan fiction. Oh, and the trolley witch sequence wins the award for most facepalm worthy madness I’ve ever read.

Reindeer: Something that is dear to us. Choose a book that is of great sentimental value to you.

In all honesty, I’d probably say my aforementioned signed copy of Huntress of the Sea for all the nostalgia tied up in it. Aside from that, I have a book I was gifted by my grandparents called Woozle the Wizard and other Scary Stories, which I also loved as a child and would re-read often, so that feels quite special too.

Huntress of the Sea, and Woozle the Wizard

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Thanks again to Jenna for tagging me! Since this is a time specific tag, I’ll leave it open to anyone who wants to get involved before they miss their chance.

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!

End of the Year Book Tag

I was kindly tagged by Steph to take part in the End of the Year Book Tag (thanks, Steph!), and so without further ado, let’s just jump right in.

• Are there any books you started this year that you need to finish?

I’m actually very much a one-book-at-a-time kind of reader, which means I don’t tend to have many unfinished reads lingering over me for very long. So, call me smug, but I’m all up to speed!

• Do you have an autumnal book to transition into the end of the year?

Hmm, most of the books I have in mind to pick up over the next month or so are more Christmassy or wintery than strictly autumnal… That said, The Good People by Hannah Kent looks and sounds very autumnal to me, and I’m very excited about it! Realistically, I probably won’t read it until early next year, but I’ll be excited about it at the end of this year, so that’s my thinly veiled lack of a proper answer for you.

• Is there a new release you’re still waiting for?

There are quite a few upcoming releases I’m really excited about, but as far as I’m aware, they all come out next year so I guess they wouldn’t count here. The most recent release that I may well get to before the end of 2017 is probably What We See in the Stars by Kelsey Oseid – a gorgeous coffee-table style book about space; which fascinates me but kind of makes me feel ill to think about, so yeah… maybe a pretty book explaining it will help with that? Let’s roll with it.

A little example of what the book looks like inside. Pretty, huh?

• What are three books you want to read before the end of the year?

Generally speaking, I’m definitely a mood reader, so at most points of the year I probably wouldn’t be able to answer this, but, seeing as we’re about to head into December, there are a few specific seasonal reads that I’m hoping to pick up, including A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, The Nutcracker by E.T.A. Hoffmann, and The Santa Klaus Murder by Mavis Doriel Hay – because I couldn’t possibly go a whole month without reading something at least a little macabre.

I enjoyed picking up some specifically Christmassy reads last December, and so I’d like to do it again. These are the ones I’ve marked out for this year.

• Is there a book you think could still shock you and become your favourite book of the year?
  

Well I probably wouldn’t include it on my list of favourite reads, since the story itself will of course be a re-read, but I’d like to try and pick up the new illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Having read the first two around Christmastime the previous couple of years, it would be nice to keep up that little tradition. And Harry is obviously a favourite. After all this time, you ask?… Always. (lololol)

• Have you already started making reading plans for 2018?

Along the same vein as being a mood reader, I haven’t really thought too far ahead in that sense if I’m honest. There are a few reads I’ve been wanting to get to for a while, but I have an annoying habit of putting off longer books, so perhaps I’ll set myself a goal in 2018 to finally pick up those somewhat heftier tomes.

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Thanks again to Steph (whose blog you should definitely check out if you haven’t already, by the way) for tagging me. Since this is very much a time-specific tag, I’ll take the easy way out and leave it open to anyone who wants to get involved  🙂