Thursday, July 23, 2015

The Ultimate Book Tag

Found this over at The Regal Critiques and just had to do it. (And decided it's been sitting on my computer long enough.) Thanks Veronika! So, this got pushed back because another post suddenly cropped up as 'I have to post that' and this was the only thing I could move.

1. Do you get sick while reading in the car? 

Not 'sick' but dizzy. I start getting a bit of a headache and know I need to stop reading right now.

2. Which authors writing style is completely unique to you and why? 

Completely unique...? I'm not sure there is one... I think maybe Barbara Michaels/Elizabeth Peters. (Same author, different pen names. The former is for 'gothic mysteries' the second is mysteries with an archeological twist.) The reason would be because she loves and deconstructs gothics. You know those stories that feature a woman looking over her shoulder back at a foreboding castle while racing along a windswept hill? She follows the pattern and makes my favorite gothic mysteries, but at the same time she...deconstructs them.

3. Harry Potter series or the Twilight Saga? Give 3 points to defend your answer.

Harry Potter series:
  1. I've actually read it. (Well, the first six books so far.)
  2. It's told in the third person perspective instead of the first (which I hate).
  3. It does not have a romanticized stalker as the love interest.

4. Do you carry a book bag? If so, what is in it (besides books…)?
Nope. Unless you mean my messenger bag. Besides the book I'm currently reading, it doesn't often have much else in it. Usually just a hat for those rainy days.

5. Do you smell your books? 

Sometimes. I like new book smell and I even like old book mustiness - but I draw the line at some of those scents you pick up on used books. (Cigarette, mouse, food...) If they're those kind of old books, they don't get sniffed.

6. Books with or without little illustrations?

With! There was a time that I probably would not have said that, but I love the little chapter illustrations that some books have. To me it just really pulls you into the story and the world the author created even more.

7. What book did you love while reading but discovered later it wasn't quality writing? (Ex. I read Twilight before I read HP and thought the writing was amazing but read HP and now think Twilight is a little bit of a joke.)

I don't know. I'm one of those people that can appreciate corny, cheesy things. And then there's the nostalgia factor and ... hmm. All the books that I'm thinking of, the writing style was the least of my problems.

8. Do you have any funny stories involving books from your childhood? Please share!

Uh...No. I...don't actually have stories from my childhood. Involving books or otherwise.

9. What is the thinnest book on your shelf? 

Judging by my Goodread read list sorted by page number (once all those that are 'unknown' and '0 pages' are gotten rid of) that would be: A Certain Crossroad by Emilie Loring! (I do have three other books are all within ten pages to the length of this one.)

10. What is the thickest book on your shelf? 

Do you realize that less than ten pages separate my thickest book from the next? (And for the purpose of this question, I'm assuming that thickest means 'most pages'.)

Clocking in a whopping nine hundred and thirty-two pages is...*drumroll* Heir of Novron, The Riyria Revelations books 5 and 6 by Michael J. Sullivan! (I'm now going to gloat because I got to mention this book in this tag!) And yes, it totally counts even if it is two books, because they're bound together like an omnibus. (Even though I thought that had to be three.)


11. Do you write as well as read? Do you see yourself in the future as being an author?

I do, actually. I don't write as much now as I used to because whenever I start writing something, I don't like the way it turns out. Currently though, I'm working on a fantasy story set in a world with magic/technology similar to the Final Fantasy games. I don't know if I've got the courage to ever try for publishing - even self-publishing - but I would like to someday.

12. When did you get into reading? 

I've always been into reading. My mom used to read to me before bed and when I got old enough to read on my own, I did. I'm somewhat lucky in that I'm the youngest of three kids so I inherited all my older sister and brother's old books. Things like Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, The Hardy Boys - so I've been reading pretty much my entire life.


13. What is your favorite classic book? 

Treasure Island. Of course, I've not read the book in over ten years and, while I've thought about re-reading it, I'm terrified I won't like it any more. (My brother deserves a big 'thank you' for buying this book for my birthday one year, otherwise I'd still think all classics were like: Tom Sawyer, The Three Musketeers and...uh, there was another one... Oh! Edgar Allen Poe's writing. *Shudders*)


14. In school was your best subject Language Arts/English? 

Nope. Probably because I didn't try very hard. No one was ever able to tell me why I would ever need to 'diagram a sentence'. My best subject before high school was Math. It just came so easily to me...right up until Pre-Algebra. Then it lost me and I barely muddled through it. In high school, it was Science. Science has always been my favorite subject and it was the one that I actively worked the hardest on.

15. If you were given a book as a present that you had read before and hated…what would you do?

Thank them, find an out-of-the-way place on my shelf for it until I could get rid of it (give it away or sell it) without feeling guilt. Just please don't let them ask me if I liked it, because I won't lie.

16. What is a lesser known series that you know of that is similar to Harry Potter or the Hunger Games?

Hex Hall? This was the first book that jumped to mind for being similar to Harry Potter. The main girl is a witch that is sent to a bootcamp like boarding school for paranormal misfits. You didn't ask for the book to actually be good, which is good because I found this book painfully annoying.

17. What is a bad habit you always do (besides rambling) while blogging?

I over think things. I get nervous about what I wrote: example: did that make sense? What's the word I want? Did I use too many ellipses, parentheses or hyphens? I sound like an idiot, don't I? I'm not even going to bother posting this. No one would comment anyway. It's not like this actually makes sense. What was my topic idea to begin with?

I'm trying to get better, but if you meet me in person, I'm on the shy side and I get easily nervous so I try to keep my natural insecurity from just spilling out over everything. Yeah.


18. What is your favorite word? 

I don't actually have one, I think. I might have a least favorite word or two (like beautiful) but there's never really been any word that caught my attention as being one I really like.

19. Are you a nerd, dork, or dweeb? Or all of the above?

Can I take a third (rather, fourth) option? Because more than any of these, I'm a geek. If I seriously have to pick between these three, I'm more of a nerd than anything else.

20. Vampires or Fairies? Why? 

Ugh. Vampires, I guess. Because while I've seldom found a vampire story (or, being honest, a vampire) that I like, I've never found a story about fae that I like.

21. Shapeshifters or Angels? Why?

Shapeshifters. Because it's awesome, that's why.

22.  Spirits or Werewolves? Why?


Hmm... Spirits. Because they've not been as done to death.

23. Zombies or Vampires? 
Zombies. *Ahem* Shoot them in the head! (If you'll pardon the Resident Evil reference.)

24. Love triangle or forbidden love? 

Loveless? Seriously, I'd give so very much to find a fantasy young adult series that isn't romance-y. I think this is why I randomly retreat back to adult fantasy.

25. AND FINALLY: Full on romance books or action-packed with a few love scenes mixed in?

Uhh... See answer 24. Can I have action-packed with lots of fighting and explosions and stuff without the romance? Please? (Seriously, if you know of any YA books like this, please suggest them!)

I tag anyone that's interested in doing this. (Hope you have as much fun as I did because I love tag!)