Happy first day of Autumn, folks!!
Is this going to be an Autumn related blog post? No. No it is not. (I don’t plan like that, as it turns out. I’m just excited that it’s Autumn now. So. Yes. That’s all I have to say about that.)
Today we are doing a book tag (Namely, the “I Should Have Read That Book” Tag). Because a) Sam tagged me and b) it is a custom of mine to take every opportunity I am given to talk about books.
The Rules:
1) Thank the person who tagged you and link back to their post. (Thank you muchly, Sam!)
2) Link to the creator’s blog in your post. (That would be Beth @BooksNest.)
3) Answer the questions below. (I will…try.)
4) Tag 10 others to take part. (HA, do you know me?)
The Questions:
A book that a certain friend is always telling you to read
Actually, my friends are not all that pestery, come to think of it. I am the pestery one.
ME: MY FRIEND, THIS IS GOOD BOOK YOU MUST READ AT ONCE
FRIEND: Um, okay-
ME: (two minutes later,popping up from behind the bookshelf) OKAY HAVE YOU READ IT YET
FRIEND: Well, I haven’t gotten the chance-
ME: Oh. Right. (ten seconds later, springing out of a hedge) OKAY NOW HAVE YOU READ IT
FRIEND: …
ME: DID I MENTION IT IS GOOD BOOK??
But every few years when I’m at a certain friend’s house and I see Princess Academy by Shannon Hale lying about (because she’s in the middle of a reread), I mention that I still haven’t read it, and she is always surprised and tells me that I need to.
I still haven’t. Hence its appearance in this post.
A book that’s been on your TBR forever and yet you still haven’t picked it up
Oh, you want me to pick just one?
*stares bleakly at towering TBR from Ancient of Days Ago*
Hm, well, one of the books that’s been on there the longest is The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien… I feel I should read it at some point if I want to be considered a true Tolkien fan, but…it’s a bit daunting. And it’s mainly not about hobbits, which is a major drawback.
A book in a series you’ve started, but haven’t gotten ’round to finishing yet
Hm, well. I kind of want to give the 100 Cupboards series another go, so Dandelion Fire by N.D. Wilson. (It was practically ages ago that I read the first book, though…I should probably start over.)
(I actually started to read Dandelion Fire, back in the day, but thought it was “too weird”. I don’t remember exactly why, except that maybe his stomach was glowing or something?? …It’s hard to say. But anyway, my tolerance for “weird” things has gone up significantly since then, so you never know.)
A classic you’ve always liked the sound of, but never actually read
Oi. There are so, so many…
But let’s go with Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott. I mean…it has “cousins” in the title. It should be a no-brainer. It’s been living on our shelf since before I was born. And yet, have I read the thing??
(No. The answer is no.)
But also the rest of Dickens and Dostoevsky.
A popular book that it seems everyone but you has read
But I’ve read all the popular books, guys. The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lord of the Rings- and even the first book in both the Twilight and Divergent series’ (…to my great misfortune and shame).
(The social rebel in me just died a little on the inside.)
And yet, I have not read Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. I know I’ve seen that one around, and I even know a couple of people who have read it. I’ve also never read a book by John Green, Cassandra Clare, or Sarah J. Maas, so. *social rebel in me feebly scraping together what is left of its self-respect*
A book that inspired a film/TV adaptation that you really love, but you just haven’t read it yet
The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo. I adore the Disney movie (largely due to Alan Menken’s phenomenal music), but I haven’t yet gotten up the courage to read the book, as of yet… I’ve heard it’s…well…not a Disney movie.
But also Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl. The movie is a thing to behold (seriously, it’s hilarious), and I generally enjoy Roald Dahl, so you’d think I would have picked this one up. But once, when one of my younger sisters was reading it I think, I discovered that the book doesn’t have Ash or Kristofferson in it.
Why would I want Fantastic Mr. Fox without Ash or Kristofferson, hm??
Though I should still probably read it at some point.
A book you see all over Instagram but haven’t picked up yet
*adjusts glasses and squints* I know not this “Instagram” of which you speak, sonny.
What are people reading these days, anyway?
I gauge that mainly by what I see in the blogging world, I guess. So my perception might be pretty skewed, since I read, like…five blogs on any kind of regular basis.
The Tales of Goldstone Wood series by Anne Elisabeth Stengl has definitely come up several times. I don’t really know anything about it, but I was quite intrigued when a goat from this series came in second place for the Wisest Counselor Award in this year’s Silmaril Awards.
I know I’ve seen the Skyward series by Brandon Sanderson mentioned a few times? Doomslug has piqued my interest, I must say. But I haven’t heard great things about Sandersons’s prose, and, well…I’m not exactly planning to pick any of his books up any time soon?
And also the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer, though it was a while ago that that kept popping up. I’m sort of curious since it’s fairy tale retellings, but I’ve heard there’s a lot of romance in it, and…eh.
(Does the question say “a book”? I definitely thought it said 15 books, my bad.)
Epilogue
The TBR just keeps growing, folks. It has no plans to stop. Maybe I’ll get to some of the books on the list…eventually.
Many thanks again to Sam@Bookshire for the tag!
I tag you if a) you are currently wearing socks, b) you are left-handed, or c) there are books that you would like to read but still haven’t gotten around to yet (don’t tell me this does not describe you, I know it does).
Also I’d love to hear your answers to any of the questions in the comments. 🙂
And lastly, I should mention that I am taking my leave of the blog for a little while. (Because the French Revolution in musical format is taking over my life. Not that I’m complaining.) I’ll probably be back at some point near the end of November??
We shall see. But rest assured, I shall grace you all with my presence again.
Until then, I wish you all the best, my friends! Read good books and eat many wholesome snacks.
The Story Sponge 
So fun to see you do this tag!
Okay, The Silmarillion doesn’t have hobbits (which, I agree, is a major drawback) BUT it is epic and wonderful and beautiful and awesome AND if you read it just a leetle bit at a time (like reading the Bible, almost, if that’s something you do, I’m not actually sure?) it goes quickly.
I loved Eight Cousins when I was younger! It’s honestly a very wholesome cousins read, and given that you are a cousins lover…you should definitely pick it up. And it’s not super long, either!
I was with you up until Twilight… XD (Actually, I am morbidly curious about the Twilight books, and might read the first one at some point, just so that I can understand what’s going on and make fun of it. But not in public, because I wouldn’t want people to think I was reading it unironically, lol.)
If you’re not a fan of somewhat cliche bookish romance, then Lunar Chronicles is definitely not for you. There are a lot of misunderstandings and dramatic swoony kisses. *facepalm*
WAIT ARE YOU IN LES MIS????? WHAT???? THAT WOULD BE AWESOME!
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Yes…I know that if I just picked the thing up and DECIDED to, I could probably read The Silmarillion in a reasonable amount of time…I just…haven’t yet. A little at a time sounds like a good way to go. (And yes, reading the Bible is absolutely something that I do. 🙂 )
The cousinness of Eight Cousins is definitely a draw, and the fact that it’s not very long is a plus as well. It will happen…at some point. 😉
Hm, yes…Twilight. *cringes* As a silly twelve-year-old I allowed by morbid curiosity to get the better of me. I remember being somewhat embarrassed about it, but I actually…sort of…enjoyed the book?? (What folly!) But even at the time, I could tell that the writing style was significantly below par…and I wasn’t invested enough to read the sequels, and now I’m glad of it because it’s one thing to have read a single Twilight book in one’s foolish youth, and it’s quite another to have read the entire series (an appalling thought indeed). I like being able to relentlessly bash the first book now (because I still remember things like Edward sparkling, which even at the time I thought was ridiculous…there is a LOT to bash), but it’s not a moment in my history that I am proud of, haha.
Hm…misunderstandings and dramatic swoony kisses are definitely not my jam. Thanks for the warning. 😉 (This coming from someone who just confessed to reading Twilight.)
Nope, though I hope to be in Les Mis one of these days! I’m in A Tale of Two Cities, which is a marvelous musical and you should listen to it if you haven’t already. 🙂
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“Read good books and eat many wholesome snacks.” Why thank you. I currently am eating a wholesome snack… but I am doing a very bad job at working through my TBR.
The 100 Cupboards series and Tales of Goldstone Wood are pretty good. I tried The Silmarillion three times, though, until I finally made my peace with not caring a bit about it.
“Because the French Revolution in musical format is taking over my life. Not that I’m complaining.” Oh, exciting! I assume you mean the Tale of Two Cities?
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You are welcome to my sage advice. I am glad to hear that wholesome snacks are being consumed. I understand what you mean about the TBR, though. It’s quite a struggle.
Haha, that’s totally understandable. In some ways I feel like one of the reasons I haven’t even attempted The Silmarillion yet is because I’m afraid I won’t find it interesting at all. If I don’t actually read it, I can pretend that I would like it…or something like that.
Yes, I do mean A Tale of Two Cities! It is very exciting. I love this musical so much and I think it’s going to make everyone cry. 🙂
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As far as MG fantasy goes, Princess Academy is kind of the cream of the crop, imo. Nuanced characterization, surprising depth, and the magic reminds me of LOTR for some inexplicable reason. Also FAMILY and stuff.
Ha, I think not having read Six of Crows, John Green, Cassandra Clare, or SJ Maas allows you to redeem your social rebel card. XD I myself have read Six of Crows and a John Green book, which honestly makes me want to die a little…
Dandelion Fire is, in fact, weird. I want to reread and see what I think because it was my least favorite of the trilogy, but also it was only my second N D Wilson book and I’ve since gotten more used to his specific brand of weirdness?? Which I actually quite love, mostly. But, yes. I remember stomachs glowing and alternate universes where people’s grammar makes no sense and Darius just being /super weird/.
It’s terrible how the TBR won’t stop growing, isn’t it? Like a younger sister. Just terrible. Good luck managing the growth! Also good luck with the musical (I hope to see you in one piece again come November!). I think it’s SO COOL you’re doing Tale of Two Cities? Not that I’m familiar with the musical, but of all the stories to turn into a musical, that one seems like one of the best.
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Good to know! Yes, I fully intend to get to Princess Academy at some point. The more I hear about it, the more I think it will be sooner than later.
Ugh, the popular YA does frequently make one want to die, doesn’t it? I feel your pain. If only one could just leave it alone. But then one does get curious. ‘Tis folly! Folly!
Hm, interesting. I had half thought I made up the glowing stomach bit. I really am curious to try this series again. But the time. the TBR. It just…how does one decide what to read?
“Like a younger sister.” Indeed. An apt comparison. Very difficult. (It is November, and I am in one piece! Despite the fact that I went to the guillotine every day for the past two weeks…I must be more resilient than I thought.)
THE SHOW WAS SO GOOD. I am very happy about it. Such a good story. Such a great adaption. And the audiences loved it, which is really nice after working so hard on it.
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So, I’ve just finished a reread of The Silmarillion and can say it is worth it! But the first 60 pages or so can be a slog at times. Once you get to Beran and Luthian through such an interesting and fascinating story!
My sister actually was in a version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Well done, and they all did a great job singing and acting. However, I now doubt I will ever read the book. 😉
I read the Lunar Chronicles several years ago, and yes there are several romances throughout, several of which I honestly don’t care whether they end up together, but the sci-fi stuff was good. The first book Cinder was my fav, with hardly any romance and an interesting cyborg storyline. The Rapunzel retelling was also good.
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Yeah, I should get to it….someday. I know there will be some interesting stuff in there. Plus, I will be able to call myself a true Tolkien fan if I read it, haha.
Ooh, nice! I love singing the music from that. It would be fun to perform it as a concert, I think.
Why do they have to go and put unnecessary romances into things anyway, hm?? It would be so nice if they would not do that. But alas.
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