The Mysteriously Nameless Tag of Doom

HEEEY ALL

- it's 10pm November 1st
- NaNo is here
- I am hiding from NaNo
- shhh
- I have succeeded in hiding from NaNo for *counts on fingers* 22 hours so far??
- it's working
- this is going to be my most productive month ever
- in everything except writing

Except I NEED to write at least 20k because I joined a dare/threat thing?? The NaNo Dare Squad (courtesy of Kenzie)! Each person gives their goal and privately submits a dare; anyone who doesn't end up achieving their goals will randomly get one of the other people's dares. The dares are secret until half-way through the month or something?? so you don't know what horrors potentially await.

BUT if everyone but Kenzie achieves their goals, she gets to do ALL the submitted dares herself, if I'm understanding this correctly?? so. I live in hope.

(She's a super good sport to suggest this xD)

...ANYWAY I HAD A POINT HERE. *rereads title*

. . . . . . . .

A little while back [my catchphrase...] [it was like 2 months now?? SORRY KATE] Kate Marie tagged me for something she called "The Mysteriously Nameless Tag of Doom". I have since realized why it is a 'tag of doom':

It asks very difficult questions about books. I know you all sympathize.

So. I might waffle. Avoid the point. Talk around the question. I'll try not to outright refuse to answer... but you never know what may be necessary.

--{ What book has been on your shelf the longest? }--

I'm not sure - maybe Anne of Green Gables, or The Chronicles of Narnia? (both gifts from grandparents when I was young). Or maybe one of my "children's classics" - that term meaning, basically, "book that once was good but has been revised and edited so it's shorter and simpler and [an unfortunate but inescapable side effect] much more boring". E.g. The Railway Children is a good book? but my children's classic edition is so boring as to be unbearable. They take out the beauty of the writing style!

--{ What is your current read, your last read, and the book you’ll read next? }--

Currently reading: nothing, because a) I don't have any unread books at the moment; and b) upcoming assessments and NaNo
Last read: Leave it to Psmith, P.G. Wodehouse. (Reread.)
Next read: I don't know - it depends on what I can get my hands on.

--{ What book did everyone like, but you hated? }--

Who's "everyone"? People I know? Bloggers? Goodreads users?

Goodreads and I probably have the most disagreements. For example, I seem to recall that the reviews for Flame in the Mist (Renee Ahdieh) were overwhelmingly positive. Personally, I had no idea what was going on, didn't like the MC, hated the love triangle, didn't appreciate the "romance", and overall hated the book.

(Apparently it's supposed to be a Mulan retelling?? which I didn't know and didn't see.)

--{ What book do you keep telling yourself you’ll read, but you probably won’t? }--

There are multiple classics I feel like I should read, but haven't and probably won't. Jane Eyre is one. Most of Dickens' work is also on the list - I've read Great Expectations and a kids' version of Oliver Twist, but that's all.

--{ What book are you saving for retirement? }--

Why would I save a good book for retirement?? I might never live that long! I might DIE and NEVER get to read it! Or I might go blind! Or not like that kind of book any more!

--{ Last page: read it first, or wait ’til the end? }--

Wait until the end.

Usually.

But if I don't like the way the book's going, if the quality of the content seems to be going downhill, or if the book's just boring, I'll check the end to see if I should continue.

And then continue anyway, because DNFing a book is not something I do except in extraordinary circumstances.

--{ Acknowledgement: waste of paper and ink, or interesting aside? }--

While I'm sure it's an amazing experience for those mentioned in the acknowledgements, I normally skip that page.

But then there's these kinds of acknowledgements:

I believe these are from the Percy Jackson series? but I've only read the first book so I can't confirm.

--{ Which book character would you switch places with? }--

Which character would I be able to fill in for without dying or causing the end of the world??

I'd love to be Will from The Ruins of Gorlan (Ranger's Apprentice #1). Buuut [as I have previously mentioned] I would die. Of pain. Because I am not fit at all, and Halt is a super-tough mentor. (But I'd love to be able to shoot and ride and throw knives and Trust the cloak and everything.)

Also, I would fail in Will's responsibilities, plot-wise, and then the Kalkara would kill Halt and me and everyone. And there would be no more books. The end.

--{ Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life? (Place, time, person?) }--

I have two books which were birthday gifts from two friends, and whenever I look at them I remember that these people knew me well enough to give me a book :')

(Or, okay, it was obvious that I would appreciate a book. BUT THEY GAVE ME A BOOK which is all that matters and I am very grateful.)

--{ Name a book that you acquired in an interesting way. }--

I...

Most of my books were either gifted to me (for birthdays/Christmas) or I bought them myself at a thrift shop? I can't think of any particularly interesting acquisition stories. Sadly. (Those stories would certainly spice up my book collection.)

--{ Have you ever given a book away for a special reason to a special person? }--

No.

I am a book dragon. I hoard books. I do not get rid of them. (Unless they're below standard.)

(Fine. I sometimes give people books. Because that's the best gift I can give. But they're typically new and not from my book hoard, just saying.)

--{ Which book has been with you most places? }--

Technically my little Gideons' Bible - you know the tiny ones with the NT + Psalms + Proverbs? It's in my handbag. Other than that, I'd take whichever book I was reading at the time with me for a trip in the car and I would get terribly carsick. Not that it stopped me.

(Me @ my bad life choices)

--{ Any “required reading” you hated in high school that wasn’t so bad later? }--

 I was not impressed when I was told we'd be doing Pride and Prejudice for English in Grade 12.

Buuut I loved it. When I got over my "it's a classic it mUST BE BORING" prejudices. And I watched both movies. And moved on to reading Emma and Sense and Sensibility (my least favourite) and Persuasion. Haven't read her other [more Gothic] novels, though.

--{ Used or brand new? }--

Used. Thrift shops are the best. I can buy the entire first 10 of the 39 Clues series (okay, #9 wasn't there, but Cahills vs. Vespers #1 was) for $2 each. They're basically in brand new condition?? what fool threw them out??

Books are super expensive when they're brand new, so I don't buy them unless it's for a special reason.

--{ Have you ever read a Dan Brown book? }--

No?

--{ Have you ever seen a movie you liked more than the book? }--

Love Comes Softly.

--{ Have you ever read a book that’s made you hungry, cookbooks included? }--

Not that I'm aware of. (Who reads cookbooks anyway?) (scratch that, as kids my siblings and I would go through all the Sweet Treats-style cookbooks and pick out all the things we'd like. Probably that made us hungry. Or at least grumpy.)

--{ Who is the person whose book advice you’ll always take? }--

...

Not sure. My mum used to pre-read our books, and she has some pretty good advice, but our tastes have started diverging. (She seems to tend towards heavier reading, e.g. children in the Holocaust.)

As for anyone else... "always" is a bit inflexible? there are people whose tastes are similar to mine, but that doesn't mean we're going to agree all the time on what books are good.

--{ Is there a book out of your comfort zone (e.g., outside your usual reading genre) that you ended up loving? }--

The Lost Girl of Astor Street is historical fiction - in the jazz era. I don't believe I've read any other book set then, and I'm not usually big on historical itself. But I picked up Lost Girl because I "knew" Stephanie Morrill from Go Teen Writers. And I am so glad I did, because it was amazing.

. . . . . . . .

So that's the Mysteriously Nameless Tag of Doom done. Thanks for tagging me, Kate, and I now tag:

Lila @ Cheapskate Bibliomaniac
Evangeline @ I Just Happened
Jazzy @ thriving hope

Only if you want to, of course!

I didn't receive any rules with the tag? which suits me anyway :) #IdowhatIwant #youcantoo!


Have you read any of these? Are any on your TBR?  Where do you buy your books? Which movie was better than its book? Are you a book hoarder, or a giver? What character would you swap places with? Jane Austen - yea or nay? Am I missing out by not reading Dickens?

Do you have any random ramblings about books? (I am here for all the book ramblings <3)