I know, I know, I’m two days late with this post (Valentine’s Day was Thursday, for reference). However, I am writing this post on Valentine’s Day, in my defense, and I wanted to do another fun book tag. Holiday-themed book tags are some of my favorites.
I found this tag on The Sassy Book Geek, but she cites YouTube channel CC’s Books as the original creator. However, that channel no longer exists (this tag was created two years ago) so I’m going off the former’s blog and not the latter’s video.
1. Stand Alone Book You Love
This seems like an obvious answer. I even did a throwback review for this. It has been one of my favorite books since I was about fourteen, and few books have stood the test of time like this one. Plus, this book is perfect to read for Valentine’s Day, considering it’s one of the most famous fictional romances of all time. While there have been many sequels of this book written by other authors, none of them I have read are even a fraction as good as the original. The one exception might be Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James. While not perfect, it is enjoyable.
2. Dystopian Book You Love
For me, dystopian books can be extremely hit or miss. Some classic dystopian novels are brilliant (take 1984 by George Orwell, which I recently reviewed). But most of them are not so good. But I was impressed when I read this book. I did a review for it a while back. However, I have not read any of the sequels, mostly because I’ve heard people saying they are not as good as the first book.
3. A Book You Love But No One Else Talks About
I’ve already talked about this book several times on my blog, but that was when my audience was much smaller. This book follows a young Western woman as she travels to China in the 1920s, and befriends a Chinese man, named General Yen. Most of the book is just them discussing the differences between the west and the east. Unlike what the horrible movie adaptation would have you believe (please, don’t look it up, it’s horrible), this is not a romance. But it’s a beautiful book which I stumbled across which nobody else I know has read.
4. Favorite Book Couple
Harriet Vane and Lord Peter Wimsey
These characters appear prominently in four of Dorothy Sayers books, starting with Strong Poison. Their relationship is so beautiful, both slow and realistic, and to this day I have never read a couple with more depth than them. While they appear in murder mysteries, Sayers had an understanding of people like few authors I have read. However, I have many more couples who I love which might find themselves the answer to this question.
5. Book That Other People Love But You Haven’t Read Yet
I have only read positive reviews of this book and everyone seems to love it, but I haven’t gotten a chance to read it yet. It is on my TBR, so hopefully I’ll get to reading it eventually, but so far I haven’t had time. I actually don’t know much about it either, just that it’s about an old, strict man by the name of Ove. It’s one of those cute, bittersweet books, I can imagine.
6. A Book With Red on the Cover
I had mixed feelings about this book (you can read my full review, if you’re curious), but I can’t help but love the cover. The bright red of the tent, the yellow dress of the girl, and the white font of the title. It’s such a simple, but elegant cover, and the red definitely catches your attention.
7. A Book With Pink on the Cover
I read this book years ago, and I loved it. It tells the story of a clumsy fairy godmother, and weaves many famous fairytales into the book. It is definitely a light read, just under two hundred pages, but it’s also a fun and hilarious ride.
8. You were given a box of chocolates. What fictional boyfriend/girlfriend would have given them to you?
Um…I wouldn’t want to have a fictional boyfriend. That’s kind of weird. Though, I wouldn’t mind receiving a chocolate box from any character from Harry Potter. Imagine what crazy, magical treats might be inside!
9. You are single on Valentine’s Day. What Book would you read? What TV show would you watch? What movie would you watch?
I don’t read a specific book for Valentine’s Day, nor the other two. This Valentine’s Day, I was reading Malice by Kiego Higashino. Great book, but more thriller than romantic. Tv show? I don’t know. I’m currently watching a Korean tv series called Secret (2013, starring Ji Sung and Hwang Jung-Eum). Again, it’s not super good for Valentine’s Day. As for the movie, I did just watch Mary Poppins Returns (it wasn’t great, but it wasn’t horrible either. It was just meh). As you can see, Valentine’s Day is super important to me (that was sarcasm, for the record). Besides, this question wants me to be hypothetical, but realistically I read/watch the same things on Valentine’s Day that I do the rest of the year.
10. You are in a book store. All of a sudden you get shot with an arrow by Cupid. What New Release will you love?
Damnit, Cupid! How dare you shoot me into loving a book? This is actually a difficult question to answer, since I don’t keep up with new releases. So, specifically for this question, I went to Goodreads to look at new releases this month to see any that might look interesting. I found this book. The beautiful cover drew me to it at first, and then the synopsis made me stay. Apparently, it follows a girl and boy in 1930s Malaysia, and explores mythology, ancient superstitions, and a prowling tiger who attacks during the night. It’s a mystery, a fantasy, a history, and a romance all in one. It was released on February 12, 2019, and it’s definitely going on my TBR!
What would your answers be to this tag? As always, I’m not tagging anyone, but if you do end up doing it, I would love to read your answers! With mine, what can I say, I’m not much of a romantic and I’ve never cared that much about Valentine’s Day. Let me know your thoughts down in the comments, follow my blog for more madness and, as always,
Best wishes in your life full of adventure,
Madame Writer