This post's theme comes to you courtesy of A Fangirl's Opinion. Her blog is a lot of fun to read and is a treasure trove of book tags, so you'll probably see me cite this website more than once as a source for my posts. Anyway, read on for a variety of bookish questions!
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
Do you get sick while reading in the car?
Yes. I feel a weird sensation around my eyes and head after a while and then I get queasy. It wasn't always this way but it's been so long that I don't remember when it started happening.
Which author’s writing style is completely unique to you and why?
Margaret Rogerson for describing a caress like a "flabby hand," Holly Black for all the time she spent describing clothes in The Folk of the AIr series, and Stephen King for his method of interrupting his own narrative with random interjections, memories, song lyrics, etc.
The Harry Potter Series or the Twilight Saga? Give 3 points to defend your answer.
Some context before going into my choice: I grew up reading Harry Potter and totally loved it and was obsessed with it for a huge chunk of my life. I read Twilight when it first came out and zipped through it quickly with the same amount of fervor the YA crowd felt for it, but couldn't finish the trilogy and gave up after not completing the second book.
But I'm not going to choose between Harry Potter or Twilight, and go with neither.
It could have been Harry Potter, but I can no longer support the work of the author.
As for Twilight, I never finished the series despite liking the first book, so I can't choose Twilight either because I don't have the data to make an informed decision.
Neither series reflects my life or my interests as of who I am right now, so I wouldn't choose either to read or recommend.
Do you carry a book bag? If so, what is in it (besides books…)?
The last time I actually carried a bookbag with the purpose of holding books was during a convention, and it held all the literature and booklets and pamphlets I got. Otherwise I use a bookbag for when I go hiking. It holds water, snacks, and some emergency stuff.
Do you smell your books?
It's not so much that I smell books themselves, but I like to smell the air in rooms full of books.
Books with or without little illustrations?
I like illustrations on the whole so whenever they're in a book I always take that as a happy bonus. Not all illustrations work in a book, though...there's one book I read where the illustrations were such low quality (they looked like someone scanned a sketchbook) that I thought the book was better off without the art, and it actually hurt the scariness of the villain because it rendered him so ridiculous. I will not name and shame the book; just believe me when I say it was bad and that the art cheapened the professionalism of the book.
What book did you love while reading but discovered later it wasn’t quality writing?
I'm going to say the HP books. I haven't read them since the last book in the series came out (according to the internet, that's 2007) so my view of them is a rosy hue tinged with nostalgia...but I've seen it discussed in discourse online and some of the writing style and choices have not held up so well.
Do you have any funny stories involving books from your childhood? Please share!
It's not so much a funny story, but more like a fond memory--my brother laughing like a maniac reading the Bunnicula books by James and Deborah Howe. He was either in another room or downstairs while the rest of us were on the couch in the living room, and there would be silence, and then this howling laughter out of nowhere....
What is the thinnest book on your shelf?
Magic: A Very Short Introduction by Owen Davies. It's only 135 pages and is a cute little book that I use for research for my fantasy worldbuilding.
What is the thickest book on your shelf?
My hardcover of Junji Ito's Tomie apparently clocks out at 752 pages (!).
Do you write as well as read? Do you see yourself in the future as being an author?
It's really more like, "I read as well as write." Writing is primary and reading is secondary. I definitely see being an author in my future because everything in my life has been leading up to that point.
When did you get into reading?
I think I always liked it, ever since I started learning how to read.
What is your favorite classic book?
It's either Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre or A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.
If you were given a book as a present that you had read before and hated…what would you do?
Donate it to Half-Price Books or the library.
What is a lesser known series that you know of that is similar to Harry Potter or The Hunger Games?
I don't actively go out seeking books that are like Harry Potter or The Hunger Games, so I don't have an answer for you. And even though I own The Hunger Games I haven't actually bothered reading them...so I am definitely the wrong choice of person to answer this question.
What is your favorite word?
I like words based on how they sound in addition to what they mean. One of my favorites in English is luminescence. Mausoleum is another word I really like the sound of. It flows nicely.
My favorite Japanese word is とりあえず (toriaezu) just because of how the combination of letters sounds. Although the most fun word to say overall is わくわく (wakuwaku).
My favorite Welsh word is llyfergell for both the meaning and pronunciation. It's fun to say!
Are you a nerd, dork, or dweeb? Or all of the above?
I'm a geek, or perhaps more accurately, otaku. Loud and proud.
Vampires or Fairies?
I'm going to go with fairies. I thought for sure it would be vampires but the Fae are deadly in their own way...and I think they would have more interesting fashion!
Shapeshifters or Angels?
I've not really read anything with either of these happening so I'm just going to go ahead and choose shapeshifters.
Spirits or Werewolves? Why?
I love me a good ghost story. "Spirits" it is.
Love Triangle or Forbidden Love?
Both seem to come with a great deal of pining...but there's something about forbidden love that makes me want to root for the people involved. Usually it's something stupid or unfortunate or tragic holding people back from loving each other, and I want love to win.
Full-on romance books or action-packed with a few love scenes mixed in?
I've read both and most of the books I've read, action-packed or not, have love scenes mixed in as an offshoot of the main plot. I think I'm more comfortable reading those types of books than a romance-only novel just because I don't have the attention span for a story whose main plot is a romantic relationship. I need a break from that stuff now and again. But if it's a plot with romantic elements, I'm a happy duck. 🦆