Hi, friends, I’m back with another fun book tag today! Although I wouldn’t consider myself a diehard Swiftie, I’m still a big fan and according to Spotify, she’s my most listened to artist for the last three years and I find that totally unsurprising because of how completely obsessed I am with her lover, folklore and evermore albums. Prior to 1989, I’d never actually listened to any of her earlier albums in full but I enjoyed Red TV so much more than I expected, so I’m so excited to do this Red (Taylor’s Version) Book Tag!
I first saw this tag on Cielo @ Bellerose Reads‘ blog back in February but forgot about it until earlier this week, and then I saw Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole post it and took that as a sign that I should finally do this too—so here we are! 😉
note: the character doesn’t get cheated on in the story but her experience is recounted. i hate cheating and i don’t read books with it
I won’t be tagging anyone on this tag but if you’re keen on doing it, I’d love to see your answers! Have you read any of these books or could you think of fitting books for some of these prompts? Also, which is your fave Red TV track?
I was tagged by the lovely Michaela @ Journey Into Books to do the ‘Books I Want To Read’ tag and look at me–doing a tag within a month of being tagged! 🤣 Thanks for the tag, lovely! Check out her blog for great reviews and other fun bookish content ❤️
The basic idea of this tag (from the original creator) is: basically all those books where you really like the idea of reading the book / you do WANT to read the book, but the actual process of reading it seems daunting or unappealing! Why do I feel like I’m gonna struggle with this even though this sounds like a fun and interesting tag?! LOL 😂
The Rules:
Link back to the original tag (this post, and Jami!)
Complete the questions with books you want to have read but don’t want to read
Tag some people at the end to do the tag next
1: A book that you feel you need to read because everyone talks about it
Layla by Colleen Hoover. I’ve heard some wildly mixed reviews for this book but I’ve also seen it EVERYWHERE. That said, I think I can apply a lot of Hoover’s books for this prompt–not that I don’t want to read them but there are so many and honestly, I don’t really want to either? 🤣
2: A book thats really long
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. Not only is this one chonkster of a book, I also have very negative associations with this book because I picked it up during The Worst Slump Ever™️. I got reallyclose to finishing it but then I stopped reading for 3 months (see: worst slump ever) and now I get weird iffy vibes when I think about picking it up again. I want to finish it cos I’m so close to the end but also… It’s so chonky? And I don’t remember what’s happened last and… Hmm. 🤔
3: A book you’ve owned / had on your TBR for too long
There are… Quite a number of books that I’ve been contemplating removing off the shelf lately but for this I’m going with Catch-22 by Joseph Heller. This was gifted to me by a family friend and I mean, it’s one of those “classics” that I do want to read because it’s a “classic” but at the same time I don’t think I actually have any interest in it anymore?
4: A book that is ‘required’ reading (eg, school text, really popular classic – something you feel obligated to read!)
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I’ve actually attempted to read this one or two times (albeit without much enthusiasm) but I was never really able to get into it? I want to read it because it’s such a classic but also… I don’t know when (if ever) I’ll pick it up!
5: A book that intimidates you
Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. Confession time: I’ve never watched any of the adaptations because I’m convinced I want to read the book first but every time I look at this chonky beast of a book I wilt a little bit inside at the thought of making my way through it. I feel like it’s a book that’ll take not only my full concentration but also a good long while to read. I have a feeling it’ll be worth it(?) but it’s also very scary 😂 I guess time will tell if I’ll ever pick it up!
6: A book that you think might be slow
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norell by Susanna Clarke. This was honestly purely a cover buy but then I Goodreads’d it and it sounded really interesting. I don’t know why (maybe it’s the epic size of the thing but) I have a feeling that this might be on the slower side of reads. I do want to read it but also, I don’t know when that day might ever come! 😅
7: A book you need to be in the right mood for
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari. I do have an interest in reading this book especially because everyone and their mum seems to have read it. I tend to struggle a lot with staying focused on non-fiction though so I definitely have to be in the perfect mood to read this!
8: A book you’re unsure if you will like
Um… Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I really don’t know why I feel this way but I just have a feeling that I might not like it and that’s why I keep putting off the many opportunities I’ve had to read it. I know it’s an incredibly well loved story so I’m not sure what about it makes me feel this way but I’m leaning towards maybe not reading it? (pls don’t hate me) 😂
And that’s a wrap, friends! That was fun (and I did have a time making up my mind lol)! I won’t be tagging anyone specifically but everyone is welcome to do the tag if you want! If you decide to do the tag don’t forget to link back so I can check out your post! 😃
Hello, friends! We’re tackling some more tags/awards today and since I didn’t do one last week, I’ve decided to tackle two of “The Outstanding Blogger Award” tags from Becky @ Becky’s Book BlogandStephen @ Stephen Writes. Becky and Stephen are such wonderful people and have awesome blogs! Their reviews are always so thorough and well-written and I always enjoy reading their thoughts 😍 They’re also two of the most supportive and friendly bloggers I’ve encountered in the blogosphere, so please do check them out cos you won’t regret it! ❤️
The Outstanding Blogger Award was originally created by Colton Beckwith. Also, I don’t know if rule #5 below still applies since 2020 has come and gone but I’m still gonna do this tag anyway! 😂
Nominate 10 bloggers. Ensure that they are aware of their nomination. Neither the award’s creator, nor the blogger that nominated you, can be nominated.
At the end of 2020, every blog that ping-backs the creator’s original post will be entered to win the 2020 Outstanding Blogger Award!
BECKY’S QUESTIONS
Do you have any bookish or non-bookish goals for 2021?
I actually do have a few bookish and non-bookish goals that I’m tackling this year! My main bookish goal this year is to read 150 books (Goodreads Reading Challenge) but I’m also aiming to read more of my existing backlist, read more diverse books especially by South/Southeast Asian authors, and I’m hoping to continue growing my book blog! I wrote a whole post about my goals & hopes for 2021 if you’d like to check it out 😊
Which books are you most looking forward to reading in 2021?
Ohoho, there are so many books and it’s always so freaking hard to narrow them down to smol lists, such as this list of 10 anticipated releases for the first-half of 2021. Since last year I’ve also decided to start making yearly release lists on Goodreads that I’m interested in, so you can check out these 111 books *cough* I’ve shelved (HAHAHA) but here’s a taste of some titles:
What are you currently reading?
I’m reading two ARCs at the minute: The Songbook of Benny Lament and Namesake. I’m really enjoying both although they’ve very different genres (one is historical literary fiction and the other is YA fantasy) but both also have pub days just around the corner(ish)! 😉
Do you prefer series or standalones?
Hmm… it really depends! I really enjoy series but sometimes I get tired of waiting forever for the next book to come out so I mostly prefer series that are already finished before starting them. It also depends on how long a series although there are some exceptions! 😜
Which animal best describes your personality?
Well, if my blog name isn’t quite the giveaway I don’t know what would be 😂 I’m quite a lazy bean plus I love to sleep and eat. I know there’s more to them than that but we’ll keep it simple 😂 I also think elephants can be a good match as they’re sensitive and emotional creatures and very family oriented (pandas & elephants are my two fave animals besides the doggos)!
Do you have a favourIte book or author?
I have so many! It’s a bit cliche but the two books that’ve stuck with me the longest are Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion! I’m not much of a re-reader but these two have been re-read quite often 🥰 Some new authors I’ve recently discovered over the last two years are T.J. Klune, Talia Hibbert, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Elizabeth Acevedo, Helen Hoang and Kristin Hannah, to name a few!
Describe your blog in three words.
Um… Playful, Passionate, and Welcoming? I’m sorry, I’m really bad at these 🙈 LOL
STEPHEN’S QUESTIONS
Is there a particular genre that you feel you should read more of?
I feel like I should always be reading more non-fiction! I have a yearly goal to read more non-fiction and I tend to … not exactly increase the number but I do at least read one or two non-fiction books every year. I want to at least read five which should be hard considering I tend to read 100+ books yearly but my attention tends to stray very easily whenever I read non-fiction 🙈
What is your favourite book-to-film adaptation?
Okay, this is going to be so lame but I don’t know? I realise that I tend to either only read the book or only watch the movie. The only book+movie combo that I can recall doing (not including HP) is Pride & Prejudice, Persuasion, and The Hobbit. I really struggled with The Hobbit (book) though! So I guess I’m gonna have to go with Pride and Prejudice, the 2005 version! I know it’s not 100% accurate but it will never not be a favourite! 🥰
We have spent a lot of time at home in 2020. Have you found (or rediscovered) any new activities that you enjoy doing?
I started journaling again during the pandemic. I used to journal a lot quite often growing up and although I don’t do it as often (now) and I don’t have those really pretty bujos that everyone seems to have, it’s been a pretty cathartic process! I tend to get stuck in my head a lot and so it really helped me sort through my jumbled mess of thoughts and feelings!
Which writing or blogging achievement are you most proud of?
It’s something that still shocks me whenever I think about it but I’m quite proud to have over 500 followers! I know stats are just “blah, blah, whatever.” I just didn’t think that such a number would be possible for me when I started blogging! I was so intimidated about immersing myself in the community and the imposter syndrome was really really real (and on most days still is)! So I’m quite proud that I’ve been able to connect with so many readers and bloggers and hope I can continue to do that in the years to come! ❤️
What is your favourite type of blog post to write?
It’s probably the most difficult post for me to write but I really enjoy making discussion posts when I can or when I feel inspired! I tend to do a lot of weekly memes on my blog and they’re obviously a lot of fun and I love doing them too but I feel like discussion posts add ‘next level’ vibes to my blog (even if my posts aren’t super special)!
Are you able to finish a book in one sitting?
I do quite often with my bouts of insomnia! A lot of the romances that I tend to binge read are usually read in one sitting in the late/early hours of the night/morning 🤣 It does depend though! I also tend to read graphic novels in one sitting and also some novellas, too! I think I once managed to finish a whopping 670 pages in one sitting overnight one time–it was Mariana Zapata and her books are chonksters but compulsively readable!
Which of your 2020 reads has the most beautiful cover?
Ooh, this is a toughie because I loved so many covers! To narrow down the choices I decided to only stick to the books published last year and even then it’s a tie for me between the cover of Fable and Unravel the Dusk! Love the details on both covers 😍
And that’s a wrap on The Outstanding Blogger Award questions from Becky and Stephen! I had so much fun answering these and so I think I’m going to do a mix-match of some of these questions.
MY QUESTIONS:
What is your favourite read of 2021 so far?
Which writing or blogging achievement are you most proud of?
Which of your most anticipated 2021 reads has the most beautiful cover?
Describe your blog in three words.
Which animal best describes your personality?
Are you able to finish a book in one sitting?
What’s the next book you predict will be a 5-star read for you?
I’M TAGGING:
No pressure to do this if you’re not into tags! I’m tagging:
A little while back I was nominated by the lovely Leelynn @ Sometimes Leelynn Reads to do the This or That Book Tag! As you well know by now I’m pretty bad at doing tags on time but I do get around to them eventually 😅 Not sure where the original comes from but I’ve seen a few people do it and I’m excited to join the ranks. LET’S DO THIS!
READING ON THE BED OR COUCH?
BED ALL THE WAY! If I had a comfy couch I’d probably read on there most of the time but as it is, it’s covered with all the books that … I can’t fit on my shelves anymore 😬
male or female main character?
Hmm… That’s a tough one. I like both male and female main characters but I’m going to have to go with female. I usually relate to these characters more but I realize the majority of my books have female MCs! Not that I have anything against male MCs, obviously.
sweet or salty snacks while reading?
This is gonna sound like a weird realisation but… I’ve been figuring out lately that I’m much more of a salty snack panda than a sweet one! Sure, I like my chocolates, but gimme some crisps or better yet chips or cheese and crackers or salty popcorn any day! Salt bae got me covered LOL
trilogies or quartets?
Trilogies! I’m not mad at quartets but I like to get through series quickly (most of the time)! I also prefer to not wait forever for all the books to come out if it’s a new series, so the shorter it is the better it is for my impatient ass! 😂
READING AT NIGHT OR IN THE MORNING?
I’m a night owl, plus I have major sleep issues, but most of my free time is also after work, so I’m usually doing the most reading at night!
FIRST OR THIRD POV?
I don’t mind both POVs… But I like first POV more? I think? I’m so indecisive omg lol
LIBRARIES OR BOOKSTORES?
OK, first of all I’m gonna say that I wish they had libraries here because they don’t and it makes me sad. So obviously, bookstores. I mean, my bank hates it but I don’t! LOL
BOOKS THAT MAKE YOU LAUGH OR CRY?
I’m a sucker for a good cry so I’d probably pick up a book that’ll make me cry. I mean, who doesn’t love a book that’d make you cry, right?! It makes you feel all the feels and you build such a connection with the characters too. Love it!
BLACK OR WHITE BOOK COVERS?
I love white book covers. Especially when they’re brand new — it’s like they’re sparkly even though they’re not?! They picture so well too. I love white covers 😍
character driven or plot driveN?
OH, THIS IS SO HARD! 😅 I think I’m going to have to go with… Character driven! It really does depend most of the time, but I think if I can connect to the characters (and I mean really connect to them) then it’s okay if the plot is blah. Even if the plot is good, I will find myself bothered if I don’t connect to any of the characters of if I find them annoying / boring.
And that’s it folks! WASN’T THAT FUN!? I’m feeling a little lazy at the moment so I’m just going to say that if you feel like doing this tag then…
dinipandareads 