The Ultimate Book Tag

I saw this great tag on both Way too Fantasy and the Irresponsible Reader’s blogs, and just had to do it myself. Check out their answers: they’re fantastic. Here’s mine. I’m sure I’ll ramble, so brace yourself.

Do you get sick while reading in the car? Nope. Well, I did when I was pregnant, but pretty much everything made me sick, so I don’t think that counts.

Which author’s writing style is completely unique to you and why? The first name that comes to mind is Chuck Palahniuk. His writing is flat-out bizarre. Although, I recently read an excellent book called You Favorite Band Cannot Save You by Scotto Moore that also had that Palahniuk vibe (that’s a good thing). So…I’ll probably go with Luke Arnold’s The Last Smile in Sunder City. I’ve seen movies with that Sam Spade-type narration, but I’ve never read a book with it, much less a fantasy. My husband has informed me that I have to read Dashiell Hammett, who created Sam Spade. Either way, Luke Arnold is a fantastic author. I definitely suggest reading him.

Harry Potter or Twilight? Give Three Reasons Why? With apologies to all Twilight fans, Harry Potter:

1. I thought Twilight was a trilogy and didn’t read one of the books, either the second or the third one. It made zero difference to the story, which says a lot about its importance (or lack thereof). I still haven’t read whichever book it was.
2. It was very much a romance, which isn’t my bag. Also, it was an icky romance.
3. The whole werewolf imprinting on Bella’s kid thing is just weird.

Do you carry a book bag? If so, what’s in it? I don’t carry one anymore. Anytime I do use a purse, it has to be big enough to fit a book. My favorite purse looks like a copy of Alice in Wonderland. It’s pretty perfect.

Do you smell your books? (*Sniff* ) I’ll never tell.

Books with or without illustrations? It depends on the type of book. I’m a big fan of children’s fairy tales, and I’m a sucker for any book with dragon art in it. If it’s a novel, though, I’m partial to maps.

What book did you love while reading, but discovered later didn’t have quality writing? The Mortal Instruments and the Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare are pretty poorly written. I wouldn’t say that I discovered that later on,though. I was pretty much aware of that from the beginning. I love them anyway. They’re my guilty pleasures. I blame Magnus Bane.

Do you have any funny stories from your childhood involving books? I was around twelve years old or so, and it was Christmastime. I was sitting in a chair next to the tree, completely engrossed in my book. I still remember what I was reading: Kindred Spirits by Mark Anthony. The tree slowly toppled over and encased me in a cage of pine needles and ornaments. It wasn’t funny at the time, but it cracks me up looking back on it.

What is the thinnest book on your shelf? Um, not counting the many picture books we have floating around? Probably Queens of Fennbirn by Kendare Blake, or Hollow Men by Todd Sullivan. By the way, both of those books are good and you should read them.

What is the thickest book you own? War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy is pretty hefty. It’s a good one, though. The Tanakh is also big, as is The Light of All that Falls. Which book do you think wins “thickest book” title? Please ignore my horrible photography skills.

Do you write as well as read? Do you see yourself becoming an author in the future? What, writing for a blog doesn’t count? Psshaw! As for writing a book, if I ever have an idea that I feel needs to be written, I’ll go for it. Right now, though, I’ve got nothing.

When did you first get into reading? I can’t think of a time when I didn’t have my nose in a book. I remember trips to the library being amazing expeditions when I was young. Before the pandemic, my husband and I would take our kids to the library every weekend. I really miss it. They do too.

What is your favorite classic book? Oh, that’s a hard one! I think I’ll go with The Three Musketeers by Alexander Dumas. Excellent book. Read it.

If you were given a book as a present that you’ve already read and hated, what would you do? I would thank the person. How I felt about the book is unimportant; that someone thought to give me a gift will always be appreciated.

What is a lesser known book you know of that is similar to the Harry Potter series and the Hunger Games series? I can’t really think of anything similar to the Hunger Games off the top of my head, but the Magisterium series by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare is very similar to Harry Potter. They’re meant for middle-graders. School for Psychics by K.C Archer is an adult series that reminded me a bit of Harry Potter as well.

What is a bad writing habit you have? I have an unfortunate penchant for parenthesis. I use them way more than any one person ever should.

What is your favorite word? Exacerbate. There’s a story behind that, involving dragging someone into a bookstore to prove that it was, in fact, a real word. What’s more, I did this while on a date. My date is a glutton for punishment: he married me.

Are you a nerd, dork, or dweeb? Yes. Oh- I have to pick one? I’m most definitely a nerd, and I’m proud of it.

Vampires or faeries? Why? I like vampires in theory, but I can only think of three vampires I like: Lestat (of course), Armand, and Spike from the Buffy tv show. Faeries, on the other hand, have a broader range: they are rich in variety, from the mischievous to the regal, to the downright dangerous. There is a lot that can be done with them, and I love reading the origins behind the different variations.

Shapeshifters or angels? Why? I love skinwalkers and changelings, and I once played a were-jaguar in a D&D campaign, so that’s the answer right there.

Spirits or werewolves? Um…I guess I don’t really have a preference. I read more books with ghouls and ghosts than I do books with werewolves. I’ve noticed that werewolves mostly live in romance novels, and I am not a fan of that particular genre.

Zombies or vampires? Why? Vampires, of course. If I wanted to see a dead, shambling, drooling husk of a human, I’d just look into the mirror before I drink my coffee.

Love triangles or forbidden love? I don’t love love. In books, I mean. I prefer forbidden love to love triangles, I suppose. Just keep it buried under tons of fantasy violence, and I’m good to go.

Full-on romance books or action-filled books with a little romance? I’m pretty sure my answer to the question above also answers this one. Give me some background romance and I’m fine, but I find myself rolling my eyes if the romance takes center-stage.

Wowza, that was a long one! I’m not tagging anyone here, although I might nag a few people on Twitter. If you do it, please link back to me so I can see your answers.