Hello and welcome to my first book tag post! I haven’t been tagged for anything, nor will I do any tagging, but I wanted to devote at least one blog post per month to answering bookish questions to help people get to know me better. I looked around for what tags are out there and found this one called 20 Questions from Zezee With Books’ blog. Here’s a link to Zezee’s post (my answers are below it):
How many books is too many books in a series?
I’m not a big series reader, but I’m usually cool with whatever length the author wants to make it. I love all 8 books in the Anne of Green Gables series, and something like the Fear Street series could go on forever without a complaint from me, as long as the vibes don’t change too much. Mostly, though, I don’t think a story needs to be stretched out much longer than a trilogy.
How do you feel about cliffhangers?
At the end of a chapter, I love them. At the end of a book, it’s cruel. Especially if the next one hasn’t been published yet!
Hardback or paperback?
Yes, please.
Okay, serious answer… I usually go for paperbacks because they’re more affordable, but I do love a well-made hardback with nice silky pages. My only real preference is FLOPPY PAGES. Whether it’s a paperback or hardback, if the book is too stiff to hold open properly, it ruins the reading experience for me.
Favorite book?
I have to give two answers to this one. My favourite classic is A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, and my favourite modern book is Molly of the Mall: Literary Lass and Purveyor of Fine Footwear by Heidi L.M. Jacobs. Probably the only thing they have in common is me!
Least favorite book?
Ohhh, this one’s hard. There have been quite a few books over the years that I’ve hated, but I think there’s only been one that I threw away as soon as I was finished reading/studying it for university, and that was The Man Who Died by D.H. Lawrence. Let’s just say the original title was The Escaped Cock, and it wasn’t in reference to a rooster. Lawrence was weirdly obsessed with his own anatomy, and he thought everyone else should be, too. No thanks, dude.
Love triangles: Yes or no?
I generally avoid books that centre around a romance, but if there’s a love triangle in the background and/or that makes sense to the plot, it isn’t necessarily going to bug me. I do think it’s an overused trope, though.
The most recent book you just couldn’t finish?
I’m trying not to dnf too much this year, because unfinished books tend to haunt me for the rest of my life, but the other day I rage-quit on Wilder: How Rewilding Is Transforming Conservation and Changing the World by Millie Kerr. I was enjoying the stories of how various animal species have been brought back from the brink of extinction and reintroduced to their native lands, but when Kerr started arguing for an initiative of dropping poison from airplanes on unwanted species despite the cruelty of the animals’ deaths and the effect the poison will have on the rest of the ecosystem, I had to stop reading. I couldn’t take anything else she had to say seriously after that.
A book you’re currently reading?
Only one? I have several on the go! I’m currently reading The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, fittingly enough from the library, which is my Black History Month read; I’m still working on Berlin Alexanderplatz by Alfred Doblin after starting it in January; I’m re-reading Pat of Silver Bush by L.M. Montgomery as my light read before bed each night; I’m slowly working through The Upanishads on ebook and preparing to post about it next week; I’m also reading Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix on ebook for some horror fun; and I’ve started listening to the audiobook for Beta Vulgaris by Margie Sarsfield, which is a new literary horror release I intend to review next week. I’ve probably forgotten something. I like a variety of reads to choose from based on my mood, the time of day, etc.
The last book you recommended to someone?
Hmm. I’m always recommending something to someone! BookTuber @ComfyCozyUp is currently reading The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde as her Subscriber Pick for February based on my recommendation, if that counts. And my review for Mask of the Deer Woman that I posted the other day can count as a recommendation to anyone who reads it.
Oldest book you’ve read by publication date?
The Epic of Gilgamesh, technically the oldest book in the world.
Newest book you’ve read by publication date?
Mask of the Deer Woman by Laurie L. Dove, published on January 21, 2025, is the newest one I’ve finished, but I’m reading Beta Vulgaris by Margie Sarsfield, which was published on February 11.
Favorite author?
The inimitable Charles Dickens! I wish I could remember when I first read him (and which of his novels it was), but I actually can’t remember life without Charles Dickens’ words and characters being a huge part of my personality.
Buying books or borrowing books?
I prefer to buy, but my bank account prefers me to use the library. It’s a constant battle.
A book that you dislike that everyone else seems to love?
The first one that comes to mind is Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice. I’ve never been into the sexy-vampires genre, but even so… doesn’t the pedophilia bother anyone else? And I’m not just talking about Claudia. I couldn’t finish it.
Bookmarks or Dog-Ears?
BOOKMARKS. Dog-eared pages go so ragged over time, I hate it. And I collect bookmarks, so I have lots around to choose from.
A book you can always reread?
I’m a pretty big re-reader, so there are a few. I re-read A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens most Christmases, I revisit L.M. Montgomery novels when I need a shot of hope and wholesomeness, and I could probably read a few pages of Jane Eyre every day and never get tired of it.
Can you read while hearing music?
Not music with lyrics, but I sometimes have instrumental music playing while I read. I prefer either silence or some kind of ASMR ambience, though.
One or multiple POVs?
Whatever works best for the story being told.
Do you read a book in one sitting or over multiple days?
I can maybe read a short story or children’s book in one sitting, but nothing longer than that. You need to get up and move every now and then, people! Plus, I usually have more than one book on the go so that I can stretch each one out more. I like to live in each world for a while.
A book you’ve read because of the cover?
I can’t think of one. I’m not a very image-centric person. The first thing I’m attracted to on a cover is the title, but even then, it’s the synopsis that makes me want to read a book or not. However, I did buy the book Faye by Katharina Herzog based on the cover, but it’s in German, so I haven’t read it. But it’s my name! Looking so pretty! It has pride of place, cover-out, on my bookcase.
If you’d like to answer any of these questions in a comment below or steal them to answer on your own blog, you’re more than welcome. Thanks for visiting!