So, I saw this tag going around before Christmas and have wanted to give it a shot. I figure since things have been a little quiet around here recently, this was a good time to do it!
This tag was created by TurtleSympathy on Youtube... with the original video here.
Onto the questions!
1. Expecto Patronum: A childhood book connected to good memories
I'm going to have to go way back with this one and talk about RL Stine's Goosebumps series. I know that might seem a little weird to connect it with good memories, since Goosebumps is the children's equivalent of horror... But Goosebumps books were one of the first times I can remember really loving reading. I devoured these books and for a while they were literally I could talk about when people mentioned books. I love reading because I loved reading Goosebumps. So.
2. Expelliarmus: A book that took you by surprise
Lips Touch: Three Times by Laini Taylor. I did not expect to love this book as much as I did. Ugh, it was just so good. And the illustrations were amazing. I did a review of this book here and had to retroactively sneak it on to my top reads of 2013, that's how much I loved it!
3. Prior Incantato: The last book you read.
Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier. Meh.
4. Alohamora: A book that introduced you to a genre you had not considered before.Worldshaker by Richard Harland. When I first picked this book up, I'd assumed it was fantasy. What with the whole living on airships bit. (It was totally a cover-buy, shush!) But as I got into things, I realized it was really an alternate history book--a "what if", if you will. I hadn't really considered that before and was pleasantly surprised by the revelation. (The book itself, unfortunately falls into "just okay" territory and was kind of a waste of potential.)
5. Riddikulus: A funny book you've read.
Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh. Hilarity. Do yourself a favour and read this immediately.
6. Sonorus: A book you think everybody should know about.
Most of my favourite books already have enough hype surrounding them. So let me go a little off the beaten path and recommend a graphic novel instead--Saga by Brian K Vaughan. So so amazing. People have described it as Romeo & Juliet meets Star Wars, which isn't inaccurate, but also only just barely scratching the surface. It's a visually stunning space opera with family at the centre and lots of shades of grey. It's phenomenal.
7. Obliviate: A book or spoiler you would like to forget having read.
The Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks. UGH. What a waste of my life. I just did not enjoy this series at all. Truth be told, the only reason I managed to slog through the whole darn thing was because it was June and I didn't have guaranteed employment in the fall, so there was nothing else to do during exam week. I couldn't prep any courses because I didn't have a job. So it was supervise exams, clean out my room and then read. I powered through this series in two weeks because I literally had nothing else to do with my time. And I didn't enjoy it. (Logan was a decent character, though, but I couldn't stand Kylar. At all.)
8. Imperio: A book you had to read for school.
I'm going to pick a book I enjoyed reading for school--George Orwell's 1984. At my school we had TA (teacher advisor) periods, once a day. It was for homework and whatnot and had students from all grades (9-12) in it. In grade 12 we also got to pick from a selection of books for our independent novel study. And I remember being in grade 9 or 10 and seeing a grade 12 student reading 1984 and thinking to myself, "That's the book I'm going to pick in grade 12." And I did. And I loved it.
9. Crucio: A book that was painful to read.
Can I use Night Angel again? No? Okay. Then let's go with A Strong and Sudden Thaw by RW Day. In theory, this book should be doing everything right for me. Post-apocalypse/dystopia. Dragons. LGBT content. Sounds great!
It was not. In fact, it was so bad I immediately went out of my way to get rid of the stupid thing. It was so overwrought. So soap opera-y. So actually bad in places. And it included the most awkward and badly written sex scene I have ever read in my life. (And that's saying something, because I have been on the internet for a long time and have read pretty terrible fanfic smut by 13 year olds.) Skip this one. Seriously.
It was not. In fact, it was so bad I immediately went out of my way to get rid of the stupid thing. It was so overwrought. So soap opera-y. So actually bad in places. And it included the most awkward and badly written sex scene I have ever read in my life. (And that's saying something, because I have been on the internet for a long time and have read pretty terrible fanfic smut by 13 year olds.) Skip this one. Seriously.
10. Avada Kedavra: A book that could kill (interpret as you will).
Water by Terra Harmony. I think I picked this up cheap/free on kindle because I was bored. I certainly know I read it because I was bored. I was visiting a friend out of town and had to entertain myself at her apartment during the day while she went to work. So I read this. It was barely even worth the distraction. I should have settled for staring into middle distance all afternoon. I wrote a rather scathing review on my Goodreads after having read it--check it out.
And there's the book tag! Have you read any of these books? What do you think? If you want to take a crack at the tag, feel free to link me to your posts!
