It’s another Tag Thursday and I discovered another fun tag that I knew I wanted to do. Though I’m not much of a dater, anything that’s book related will draw my attention.
As with most Tags, they come with rules:
\\Link back to the original tag. (This tag was created by Alice @ Love For Words, but I discovered it on Sometimes Leelynn Reads blog, so definitely check both out for more fun with this tag.)
\\ Thank and link back to the person who tagged you. (FYI I’ve not been tagged, I just want to do this one 😄)
\\ Tag 5+ bloggers. (I pretty much never tag anyone ~ I tag everyone, without singling anyone out
\\ Have fun!
First and Last
A book/series you’ve read and enjoyed, but can’t bring yourself to read again.
I had a lot of fun with this series. It’s an interesting futuristic take on traditional fairytales and I like the female empowerment that comes with it. I also enjoyed seeing what fairytale would be adapted next and all the ways that each would blend together within the series.
But it doesn’t feel like a series that calls me back. While I enjoyed reading it, it’s not a series that is worth the re-read, at least for me. I have so many other books that I want to get to, so I’m very choosy about what I will re-read. I still will recommend this series to others, though, because it’s a fun one and of fairytale retellings, I think this is one of the cleverer ones.
With a Friend of My Friend
A book/series someone recommended to you that turned out to be different from what you had expected.
The Age of Miracles | Karen Thompson Walker
I was recommended this by a coworker who was shaken by it. Though she described the book to me, it didn’t really sink in what this story was truly about. When I finally read it, I was shocked by the ultimately dystopian story about what would happen to the world if the Earth’s rotation began to slow.
Honestly, this book made me feel physically ill at pats – not because anything particularly gross happens, but simply because my anxiety with what the characters were experiencing and going through was elevated throughout reading this book. I was not prepared for the emotional toil this book made me go through. I didn’t expect it, at all. It’s a well-written book, but I was shook.
Double Date
A book whose sequel you immediately had to read.
I definitely waited a bit after this book had come out before reading it, so fortunately the sequel ( and final installment) had been published when I finished reading this book. I was unfortunately disappointed with the outcome of the series, but I still do love and appreciate it, ultimately, this book in particular.
There is such emotional drama and the worldbuilding is so, so cool. I think part of its success is that Bardugo had already worked out the ins and outs of this universe in her first series, the Shadow & Bone series (which is infinitely inferior to this one), so she was firing on all cylinders with this one. The characters are interesting, complex, and the story itself is a wild ride that you will not be able to predict the ending.
Let’s Go to the Movies
A book/series that should be adapted to the screen.
This series, and especially this book, would make such an amazing movie or even tv series. It’s so action-packed, full of interesting characters, and lots of emotional drama. It feels like the kind of sci-fi epic blockbuster material you would expect Hollywood to go for, but perhaps it has been considered too complicated?
I think that under the right direction and with skilled actors and a well-adapted script, this could really be an amazing adaptation. The current world of special effects would make most of this story and setting very do-able, in my opinion, with a decent budget. But don’t ask me who I’d like to play the main characters because I honestly don’t know. Just please not anyone super famous because I don’t think this is the right project to cram into a whole bunch of big-name actors.
Dreamy Stargazing
A book that made you go ahhhh and ohhhh.
Walk on Earth a Stranger | Rae Carson
This was a difficult prompt for me, as most books don’t get such emotional responses out of me. I did think of The Night Circus, but I wanted to see if there was any other book that might also be a good choice for this prompt and I thought of Walk on Earth a Stranger.
It’s definitely one of the most exquisite historical fiction books I’ve read, thought it has a touch of fantasy to it (the main character can summon gold). It takes place in the Gold Rush era and there is also a bit of Westward Expansion element to the story as well. There are lots of amazing descriptions of the American west and a lot of breathtaking twists and turns to boot. It’s a well-written book (and series), and I always remember it fondly.
Fun at the Fair
A book full of colors.
Pumpkinheads | Rainbow Rowell, illus. by Faith Erin Hicks
I’m being a little on-the-nose with this one, since the book takes place at a fair, but when I saw this prompt I immediately thought of this book. I wanted to pick a graphic novel, anyway and this is such a good one!
The color scheme is very Autumn-forward. I love the overall appeal of Fall that is captured in this book, between all the pumpkins and the cider and the caramel everything. This book is just super sweet and the colors do a lot to highlight the atmosphere of the story. It’s a lot of fun and the cast of characters is pretty diverse.
Amusement Park Adventure
A book that was a rollercoaster.
The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires | Grady Hendrix
This is one crazy book. I was not prepared for how crazy it got. I’d say it was a rollercoaster of a read, both action-wise and emotionally. This is not your typical vampire story.
Hendrix is an interesting storyteller. His horror is often based in the “gross” category, but there’s a good amount of tension, too. I would not recommend reading it if you don’t like horror. I normally don’t, but I read Hendrix’s My Best Friend’s Exorcism and that was really good, plus this one is about vampires, which I like reading about, so I gave it a go. It was quite a ride.
Picnic With Cherries
A book whose food descriptions made you feel all *heart eyes.*
One of the reasons that I picked this book is because I’m a big fan of Vietnamese cuisine, particularly pho. I love most Asian cuisines, in general. This book is full of fantastic food descriptions that will in fact make you hungry. It doesn’t hurt that part of the premise is that the two main characters have to team up to write up articles about great food places to go on a date. We see several restaurants in this book, including the two main characters’ family restaurants.
If you don’t mind getting hungry while reading, this book is a really sweet YA romance with a bit of a Romeo-Juliet vibe, just without all the murder and death. It’s a cute contemporary about two students whose families have competing restaurants. There is delicious food galore in this book.
Trip to the Museum
A book that taught you valuable stuff.
How to Invent Everything | Ryan North
I’m being a little cheeky with this one, too. I mean, this book is essentially a “how to” make anything (not necessarily everything, but it’s pretty comprehensive!). North plays a little fun with the premise of this book. It’s subtitled: A Survival Guide for the Stranded Time Traveler, and is full of little author comments and notes about being stuck in a past time.
Though it doesn’t seem like a fun book to read, it’s actually quite enjoyable! It doesn’t necessarily read like a manual, mostly due to North’s hilarious commentary. I did learn a lot about the invention of various things. You could say I learned quite a lot of valuable things from this book, not strictly in the survivalist vein, but mostly.
Thoughts & Thanks
Though I like participating in tags, I’m bad at tagging people. My favorite thing is just to say, if you’ve read this post and like it, please consider yourself tagged! And feel free to share your Tag post in the comments so I can see what you picked.
As always, thank you for visiting and happy reading!
The Knitpick 
Loved reading your answers, Sara! They made me add a few books to my TBR
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Thank you! That makes me smile!
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