The Ultimate Book Tag

Last updated on 30 August 2017

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One of the things that I love about YouTube is the booktube community. If I were to ever start a YouTube channel (and I have been thinking about it – let me know what you think!), it would definitely be a bookish one. And probably be mostly reviews and book tags. I love a good book tag. I always find myself coming up with answers that I never really thought about before, and it’s super fun seeing everyone else’s opinions on the same questions.

Because I don’t have a YouTube Channel, I thought it would still be fun to do some of the amazing book tags that are out there. The first one, appropriately, is the Ultimate Book Tag. According to the internet, as I was researching this Ultimate Book Tag, this particular one was created by Megan on Goodreads, but I first saw it on Chapter Chicks YouTube Channel. They posted their video back in 2012, so it’s an oldie, but a goodie.

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1. Do you get sick while reading in the car?

No. Never. I suspect it’s because I grew up in the car. That sounds weird, I know, but what I mean is that we were travelling around so often growing up that I was so used to the movement of the car, and the motions that it didn’t affect me. I can still read, watching shows, draw, and write in the car without feeling ill. It also means I can do these things on the boat, on the plane, on the train … much like a Dr. Seuss story.

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2. Which author’s writing style is completely unique to you and why?

I absolutely love A Series of Unfortunate Events and Lemony Snicket’s (Daniel Handler’s) writing style. I definitely haven’t read any like it before, and I don’t suspect I ever will. I love how he talks to the reader and begs them not to read the books. I love the seemingly random but always-has-a-reason prose at the beginning of a lot of chapters, and the way that it’s still so easy to read.

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3. Harry Potter Series or the Twilight Saga? Give 3 points to defend your answer.

Pfft. What a question. Have you seen my blog? Have you seen this shelf? Harry Potter is life. Having said that, I did read and enjoy the Twilight books before they blew up and became super popular. But 100% Harry. Always.

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4. Do you carry a book bag? If so, what is it in (besides books…)?

My book bag whatever bag I have with me. There’s always a book in my handbag, and on the occasion when I have too much stuff, I either get a bigger bag, or I have a little bag that says ‘My book and my lunch’ on it, which is super sweet and I use that occasionally to take to work.

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5. Do you smell your books?

When I first get them, totally. Not when I’m reading them, normally, but if they’re new then yes. That new book smell…so exciting. So full of adventures.

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6. Books with or without little illustrations?

I don’t mind either way. Some of my favourite series have little illustrations, but that’s more likely due to the fact that they are aimed at kids. The Edge Chronicles by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell have these amazing images throughout (by Chris Riddell), as do the the A Series of Unfortunate Events books. Wonderful. Love them.

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7. What book did you love while reading but discovered later it wasn’t quality writing?

I think I’m going to have to go with the Twilight Series. I really enjoyed them when I read them, but then after reading so many fantastic books after these, I realised that the writing is not great. Thankfully, unless the writing is so bad I can’t read it, it’s the story that I enjoy more than the writing, so I can usually see past it. Unless it’s really bad. And Twilight, I realised afterwards, is not wonderfully written at all.

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8. Do you have any funny stories involving books from your childhood? Please share!

I’ve been trying to think of something, anything (!), but I can’t really. There must be some amusing story from when I was a kid, but it escapes me. If I ever think of something, I’ll let you know.

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9. What is the thinnest book on your shelf?

I’m pretty sure it’s this copy of The Great Gatsby, by F Scott Fitzgerald.

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10. What is the thickest book on your shelf?

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell, by Susanna Clarke. I have yet to read this, mostly on account of the size. Just look at that. Huge. Colossal.

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11. Do you write as well as read? Do you see yourself in the future as being an author?

I think I do. Or rather, I like to think I do. Each year I participate in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and while some years are better than others, I would love love love to publish a book one day. It’s on my bucket list for sure.

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12. When did you get into reading?

Ever since my parents put Where’s Spot and Hairy Maclary into my hands. Books and stories have always been a huge part of my life. I’ve always been reading, but I think in the last maybe 8-10 years I’ve really upped the reading. I discovered the joys of YA and now am much more involved with the book blogging community online.

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13. What is your favourite classic book?

I am ashamed to admit I haven’t read too many. I really like The Great Gatbsy, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I enjoyed The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde, also, despite it’s crazy themes and morbid story line. I’ve only read Emma by Jane Austen, but really liked that too. Mush read more classics. Must.

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14. In school was your best subject Language Arts/English?

My best subject in school was actually Classical Studies. Alexander the Great for the win. but closely followed was English, even though my favourite subject was Art.

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15. If you were given a book as a present that you had read before and hated…what would you do?

Awkward! I would probably tell them that I had read it before, and hopefully they would offer to take it back, or exchange it, or there would be an exchange card with it and I could swap it myself. If nothing happened then I might just keep it, let it hang about my bookshelves for a while. But moral of the story: either take me to pick my own book, or give me a voucher for a book.

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16. What is a lesser known series that you know of that is similar to Harry Potter or the Hunger Games?

A series that is similar to Harry Potter is probably The Magicians. It’s been dubbed ‘Harry Potter for grown ups’ (which I understand, but also Harry Potter is for grown ups too so…), but I think it’s becoming more well known because there’s now a T.V. series based on the books.

A series that is similar to the Hunger Games that isn’t all that popular (at least it doesn’t seem to have that great an online presence) is the Under the Never Sky series. It’s similar in that it’s dystopian, but that’s about it. Probably not the most helpful of explanations, but I did really enjoy this series.

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17. What is a bad habit you always do while filming while blogging?

As you can see, I have changed ‘filming’ to ‘blogging’ because I don’t film. Yet. I might in the future. Let me know if that’s something you’d like to see. But I think I ramble. Sentences are often way longer than they have to be. It’s possibly because I get too excited about a book or a topic and just go nuts.

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18. What is your favourite word?

I love the word Cacophony. It’s so underrated and people need to use more in their writing.

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19. Are you a nerd or a geek?

According to the internet (yes I googled to find a good difference definition) ‘Geeks are fans, and fans collect stuff; nerds are practitioners, and practitioners play with ideas’. Found here.  I’m totally a geek. I am forever geeking out over books and shows and movies and franchises and Pop Vinyl Figures are a dream.

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20. Vampires or Fairies? Why?

Vampires. I’ve been sitting here trying to come up with an explanation, but I can’t really think of a good reason.

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21. Shapeshifters or Angels? Why?

Angels. Because of the Mortal Instruments series probably.

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22. Spirits or Werewolves? Why?

Werewolves. Oooh wait. Would spirits include demons? Because again, Mortal Instruments.

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23. Zombies or Vampires?

Vampires. Zombies have never really been my thing.

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24. Love Triangle or Forbidden Love?

I feel like in books it’s so often either one or the other. Love triangles hurt my soul, because I so often am rooting for someone and then the other person is the ‘winner’ for want of a better word. But forbidden love is like this frustrating thing where it’s all oooh and secret and then boom, everyone knows and people die (or everyone dies, hello Romeo and Juliet). It’s a lose-lose situation.

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25. AND FINALLY: Full on romance books or action-packed with a few love scenes mixed in?

I’m a sucker for a good love story – naw! – but I’m not into just romance novels. Like, at all. I don’t want an entire novel of mushy or sexy stuff happening. I want a good story with action and drama and love too. Give me an action-packed novel with a relationship thrown in any day.

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So there we have it! The Ultimate Book Tag. I loved doing this so much! It’s such a great way to think about some of the books I’ve read in the past, and ones that I hope to read too. I hope to do a tag like this every so much – there are so many neat ones out there – so keep an eye out for those.