Hey all! I’m feeling much better from yesterday, but I’m still not 100%. So I decided I would do an easy book tag, which is also a kinda get-to-know-me type tag? At least, that’s the feel I get from some of the questions. (This is also coming out later than I wanted to, but Luca Maricelli decided to slay my heart by being precious during a zoom call today. Oh, and I watched one of his other movies. I do not care.)
Without further ado, let’s go!
- E-books or physical books? Physical books like 95% of the time. Only when I’m travelling do I like e-books. Or, right now, where I can check out brand new books online and not risk having to go to the library. But I absolutely prefer physical books that I can hold.
- Paperback or hardback? I love the feel of hardback books, and I purchase most of my books within six months of publishing, so they end up being hardbacks. I don’t mind paperbacks though, especially if I’m carrying them around.
- Online or in-store book shopping? In store. I lived for my monthly trip to Barnes and Noble pre-pandemic. I’ve only shopped online since, but I miss walking bookstores.
- Trilogies or series? Trilogies, for the most part. Most series feel like they get drawn out too far. But trilogies can suffer from “middle book syndrome”, where the middle book so clearly sets up the final book. I’d rather read a trilogy than a long series at this point.
- Heroes or villains? Both. I love compelling villains and complex heroes. It’s not an either/or deal breaker for me. Poorly written characters are a complete turn off.
- A book that you want everyone to read? I would love to recommend so many books to people. It always depends on who I’m speaking to. For long reads and mature audiences, I’d throw out Battle Royale by Koushun Takami. A newer thriller I’d throw out is A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson (sequel coming out next year!). If you want the book that reminds me the most of myself, I’d say Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell and Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia.
- The last book that I finished? … The Old Guard: Force Multiplied. Around the end of August. I’ve been so unable to read lately.
- The last book that I bought? The Martian by Andy Weir. I’ve always wanted to read it, so why not. (I also bought Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy, but that came in like two days prior.)
- The weirdest thing I have used as a bookmark? My Avengers DVD. I needed something quick and I already had the blu-ray. It was worth it.
- Used books, yes or no? Honestly, no. I always end up with the book that has been marked it. I prefer to open a book for the first time, not one that someone else had first. (Unless the book comes from my mother. She doesn’t damage them.)
- My top three favorite genres? Urban Fantasy, Slice of Life, and Sci-fi. In no particular order.
- Borrow or buy? Buy, always buy. I hate borrowing books, as well as lending them out. I’d rather pay money and get the book and not risk it.
- Characters or plot? Both. Okay, hear me out. A great plot can be ruined with terrible characters. Wonderful characters can be wasted on a horrible plot. Put the good together and you get amazing books.
- Long or short books? Medium length books. Long books usually feel bloated, but short books feel over too quickly. 300~ pages is usually a good length.
- Long or short chapters? Shorter chapters. I don’t mean chapters that are a page or two in length. I mean about ten or fifteen. The thing is it depends on when the chapters need to end naturally.
- Name the first three books that you think of? The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy, The Martian by Andy Weir.
- Books that make you laugh or cry? Cry. I’m not one out laugh at the written word, but I can be such a baby. (Seriously, if I need a good cry, I read angsty fanfition. I still don’t reall laugh out loud though.)
- Our world or fictional worlds? Our world, I think. While I do enjoy reading about different worlds, lately I’ve been happier reading books based more in our world instead of another.
- Audiobooks, yes or no? Unfortunately, no. I know that many people enjoy them, but I just can’t focus on audiobooks. I’m glad that others do enjoy them though!
- Do you ever judge a book by its cover? All the time. I’m serious. If the cover doesn’t catch me, I honestly will probably not check out the book. I can’t really help it, I have too many books at this point.
- Book-to-movie or book-to-tv adaptations? So this is a surprising opinion. I prefer book-to-movie. So often, tv adaptations stretch plot lines that just don’t really need to be stretched. Or, in some cases, they combine so many plotlines to make it “different” from the source material, to the point that they are their own separate things. Book to movie at least usually keep to some semblance of the plot of the source material. Usually. But nothing is perfect.
- A movie or tv show that you prefer over the book? Nerve (based on the book by Jeanne Ryan) is better as a movie, especially with the third act, hands down, this is my hill to die on, I will scream it from the heavens. Also, The Old Guard film takes a major twist from the comics and I actually think I prefer it. (But I love the comics too, because I’m contractually obliged as an TOG fan to say so.)
- Series or stand alone? Stand alone. Too often a good book feels rushed or ruined because the story is split over two or three books. Not that there is a problem with having a series of books, but sometimes a story doesn’t need to be in three parts, separated by a year each. I’ve gotten into more stand alone stories lately, or novels that are only loosely related to one another (most of Sarah Dessen’s novels, for example).
That’s all for today. Tomorrow, I hope to do a double post, to play catch up for those few days I missed. I’ll see you then!
Until next time!
