QUESTIONS:
1. You have to get rid of all your books and you can only keep one from each of these genres - contemporary, fantasy, non-fiction, historical fiction, classic, YA and one other genre of your choosing. What books do you keep?
So harsh, though I do love the library the thought of owning only a few books breaks my heart. It's the Marie Kondo situation all over again (be sure to check out my post The 30 Books I'd Keep inspired by that very thing). So let's go in the order of the way the question is written..
For contemporary, I'd have to go with Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I adored this book (read my entire review HERE), not only was the story captivating with great characters, but the overall empowerment it gave me as a woman makes it a must reread. Any book that has a personal affect on you is worthy of keeping.
Fantasy is a tough one for me as it isn't necessarily my usual genre, and though I do love Brandon Sanderson's books I have far too large of a soft spot for the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead to not lean towards that as my answer. Though Twilight got me back into reading in my teenage years, Vampire Academy was my first taste of strong female power in YA. I have reread this series so many times that I can confidently choose Shadow Kissed, the 3rd book in the series, knowing that I can reread it without boredom. Is this series problematic? Yeah, of course, it was a young adult series written in the shadow of the Twilight series. But I think the further the series went, the more empowering it become for a young audience of mostly girls wanting to be Bella Swan. Screw that, I want to be Rose Hathaway. It is quite reminiscent of the early years of Buffy the Vampire Slayer which probably adds to my overall love of the series.
Non-fiction, have I ever reread a non-fiction book? Only poetry. So this is pretty hard to choose, screw it, I'm going to go balls to the wall and choose The Unabridged Journals Of Sylvia Plath by Sylvia Plath despite only having read certain parts of this humongous book. Plath's writing speaks to my heart, she perfectly summarises depression for me, I've yet to read any of her work without tearing up. If I have to choose a book that I've read to completion, the I'd choose Wild by Cheryl Strayed.
For historical fiction, I'm semi cheating as my husband is choosing The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, and what's his is mine sooooo... I don't have to choose that, as it'll be in our personal library? Because of that expert decision, I'm going to choose The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. I adored this book club favourite when I read it, and it opened up the entire historical fiction genre for me.
Classics, thought I'm unsure whether modern classics count for this category, I'm going to play it safe and choose Little Women by Lousia May Alcott. I read this beloved novel for the first time in 2018 and ate it up. It made my laugh, cry, and hate being an only child. Since seeing the 2019 movie adaption, I've had a huge desire to reread it, so perhaps this'd be the push I need?
Young Adult was my everything genre for many years so this should be a tough decision for me, but seen as The Perks Of Being A Wallflower by Stephan Chbosky is my all-time favourite book, what'd you expect me to choose?
As my bonus book/genre, I'm going with another book by Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar. This was an eye-opening book for me regarding just how not alone I was with mental health issues. I return to quotes, paragraphs, and even chapters of this novel on gloomy mental days so I can't envision a bookcase of mine not having at least one copy of this semi-biographical novel. (which, yes, I'm counting as a genre)
2. You're at the bookstore and you hear a teenager telling their mom they don't like to read, but their mom insists they pick something. You walk over and recommend a book you think is great for people who aren't big on reading - what book is it?
This is a difficult question to answer as it would be next to impossible to correctly recommend a book to a stranger, so maybe I'd ask what genre they're drawn to. But if we're talking about a magic teenage with no personality or personal preference, then maybe A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. Though magical realism is quite a marmite genre, I think any book that pulls emotion out of you will leave a lasting impression and this book is just that. No matter your age, you will undoubtedly be crying buckets by the time you finish this novella. And it has pictures, which is always a little more inviting to non-readers.
3. You're not feeling yourself and need a pick me up. Which book do you read to put yourself in a great mood?
I'm not usually a reader during times like these as I'm a huge mood reader, so gloom invites gloom. However, if I want a book that'll make me laugh I'll usually reach for some biography or memoir by a celebrity I already know is funny, like Lauren Graham or Anna Kendrick. If I'm wanting fiction, then I'll likely reach for something by Fredrick Backman or Jojo Moyes. Both authors write touching stories but with a lighter undertone, which tends to lift my mood.
4. You go back in time for a day to your teenage years. What book would you most likely have caught yourself reading?
All the fantasy YA books that got published during the Twilight years. I read New Moon, the second installment of The Twilight Saga so many times that it literally fell apart in my hands. I was a huge twihard and as we all knew, that resulted in buying all those similar series that publishers put out at a startling speed. My favourites included the Fallen series by Lauren Kate, House of Night series by P.C.Cast, the Evermore series by Alyson Noël, and of course, the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead. I lived for dark romances with tortured males and 'not your average girl' girls. Young Anne digested a whole lot of Twilight fanfiction that likely resulted in my now interest in smutty chick-lit.
5. Your friend surprises you with a 4 day trip and you have 1 hour to pack. Which book do you bring to read on the way?
Probably whichever book I was in the middle of reading. But if I had to choose one from my TBR right now, I'd take a huge risk and pack my two recent loans from the library. Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender and Beach Read by Emily Henry.
Can I choose a collection? Is that cheating? I've been slowly growing quite the collection of The Worlds Best Reading Collection Books from Readers Digest. Though I've mostly paid $1 for each book, they're special to me because it's always a happy occasion when I find one at a library sale.
7. Your friend borrows a book and returns it in awful condition. Do you a) Just pretend you haven't noticed b) Ask them to repurchase it or c) Secretly do the same to something of theirs.
I'm a gal who doesn't like confrontation, so I'd just pretend I haven't noticed. Healthy or sane? Probably not, but I'm British. We seethe in silence.
If this tag interests you, consider yourself officially tagged! Have any book tag suggestions? I'd love to know!
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