Category: Book Tag Page 1 of 4

I had in mind putting up a new version of this with new answers, because 2024 me is different than 2021 me, right? But I really like these answers (although I might switch out Lethal White for a different Galbraith), so…holidays are for laid back approaches to things, right? What’s more laid back than a repost with a two-sentence intro?

I’ve seen this on a few blogs, but it was on Bookstooge’s Reviews on the Road that I decided to do it myself. I don’t know where this originated, so I can’t credit them.

I really tried not to let recency bias rear its ugly head on these responses, but I ended up listing two books I read this year. Whoops.

1. Bread- What book is purely fluff, and has no real plot line?

I’m left scratching my head here–what doesn’t have a plotline?

Love by Roddy Doyle

There’s a plot here, but it’s slight–and covered under layers and layers of clever dialogue. (none of which is a criticism, it worked wonderfully)

2. Turkey- What book made you want to fall asleep?

Zorro by Isabelle Allende

It is Zorro–the swashbuckling, womanizing, swordsman who’s a proto-Batman figure. How do you make him dull? I still don’t know how you do it, but Isabelle Allende must, because she nailed it. The only reason I finished this was because I had to see if it ever got exciting. According to my logs, I read this in 2010–but at the time, I felt like I spent more than a decade reading it. So, I guess I might still be reading it.

3. Gravy- What book makes the whole series worth reading?

I’m struggling to answer this one–it seems to suggest that the others aren’t up to snuff, or aren’t even worth the time, “but this one book…” I’m sure there are some, but I can’t think of any. I’m tempted to say Red Dragon or The Silence of the Lambs are so good that it makes Hannibal worth it–but it’s easier to just skip the others.

I guess…

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

I have problems with The Wise Man’s Fear. And, sure, I’d love to read The Doors of Stone. But you know what? I loved The Name of the Wind enough that I can live with what ever’s lacking in the others (including, but not limited to, not being published).

4. Stuffing- What book is stuffed full of action scenes?

A Wanted Man by Rob Parker

The first Ben Bracken novel is as non-stop as you could ask for. Pound-for-pound there’s more action in this book than any other I can remember. Sure, Parker can go whole paragraphs without much in the way of action–but he doesn’t do that often here.

5. Mashed Potatoes- What book looked good, and then wasn’t?

Behind Her Eyes by Sara Pinbrough

A Killer hook. A lot of hype. Some compelling writing. And an ending that made me want to hurl it across the room and into a shredder. It was a library book, however, so I really couldn’t indulge the impulse.

Also…really? l;ike Bookstooge said, what’s up with this slander against Mashed Potatoes? (not just saying this as a reflexive defense of the crop Idaho’s best known for)

6. Cranberries- What book has the sweetest romance?

Not Famous by Matthew Hanover

The first romance that jumped to mind was Nick and Alli from Hanover’s first book. (sure, most of the sweetness came from Alli, but Nick’s not bad, either).

I’m not convinced that cranberries are really all that “sweet,” however. Tart? Sour? Sure. Sweet? Eh, only with anough sugar added. Unlike everything Hanover’s written.

7. Corn- What’s the corniest book you’ve ever read?

The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists
by Gideon Defoe

This is just a ridiculous novel–I laughed a lot. I cringed a lot, too. It was a delightful batch of corny silliness.

8. Green beans- What book is too long and needs to be shortened?

Lethal White by Robert Galbraith

Part of the reason that I haven’t jumped on Troubled Blood is that this one was just too long. At the time (or since), I couldn’t figure out what needed to be cut, but something sure needed to.

Unlike any green bean dish I’ve ever had, however, I enjoyed Lethal White in the end.

9. Pumpkin Pie- What book do you read to get out of a reading slump?

Nero Wolfe/Archie Goodwin by Rex Stout

It’s been a while–a very long while–since I’ve been in a slump. But I could always count on some of my favorite Nero Wolfe/Archie Goodwin novels. They’re pure comfort food–tasty and sweet.

10. Dog/Cat- What’s your favorite Thanksgiving food that you would steal from the table?

This varies a lot from year to year, but more often than not, I’d say stuffing.

(image borrowed from Happy Life Blogspot)

As usual, I’m not tagging anyone in this—but I’d like to see what you all have to come up with.

Last week just as I was scheduling the publication of my responses to Game Night Book Tag, I thought, “ooh, I wish she’d included Game X and Game Y.” Next thing you know, I had a whole roster of games for this sequel (maybe I should say expansion pack?). If you use this version yourself, I’d ask that you include this post as well as the original from Witty and Sarcastic Book Club.

Pictionary: A Book with a Dynamite Cover

The Name of the Wind: 10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition by Patrick Rothfuss

I had a realy hard time narrowing this down to one, and had started to think of a different category/game (which was extra-annoying because this was the first one I thought of). But then I remembered this cover by artist Sam Weber and designer Paul Buckley and settled down. The original cover was more than good enough–but this one went the extra mile.

Stratego: A Book with an Epic Battle Scene (or Some Complicated Scheme)

The Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames

I could’ve named any number of thrillers, SF adventures, or Fantasy epics (and even as I type this, I fight off the impulse to make a half-dozen replacements). But there’s something just right about the way that Eames handles fight scenes–no matter the scale. But that last one? Chef’s kiss.

Candyland: A Book from Your Childhood that Brings Back Fond Memories

The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Edwards

You thought I’d say The Westing Game here, didn’t you? It seems to be the first book from my childhood I tend to mention. But from Edwards’ descriptions of the characters–particularly the Whangdoodle himself, the solution to the big problem, and a large part of the setting–there’s little about this book that isn’t as sweet as Candyland. As for memories…from the time Mrs. Jennings first read this to our class through me repeatedly checking this out from the Library (and eventually it being the first hardcover book I remember getting), few books evoke fondness like this for me.

Sorry: A Book about Revenge

Light Bringer by Pierce Brown

Okay, sure, any of Brown’s Red Rising qualifies as being “about revenge.” But Light Bringer seemed to be vengeancier than the rest.

(my post about it)

Life: A Book that Tells the Story of a Life

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman, Henning Koch (translator)

From the flashbacks to his childhood or over the course of his marriage and up to the events that changed his life/attitude in his later years (and the last chapter that probably helps the bottom line for whatever facial tissue companies the readers use), this book is a sure-fire winner. Funny, touching, inspiring…Backman knows how to deliver the goods.

(my post about it)

Operation: A Book with a Lot of Technical Details (that may or may not be true)

Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

(I really should’ve thought about the two yellows there when I combined them into that image…gak)

First, Adjei-Brenyah gets the fight scenes (the ugly and the beauty) just right and delivers them in such a way that you feel like you can see them–and he gives enough detail in the SF-ish elements and all the rest to bring this to life. But the part that brought this book to mind for this category for me (and why I cancelled my first pick in its favor) are the footnotes–those that are actual documented history and those that are fictional (from a future to us, but history to the characters), these details, studies, and quoted documents add a weight and depth to the narrative to make this feel like a non-fiction work that had slipped through a wormhole to arrive in our time. (the narrative didn’t need that weight and depth, I stress…)

(my post about it)

Trivial Pursuit: A Fun Non-Fiction Book

The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe

I probably use this too often for Non-Fiction prompts in Book Tags–but every alternative that I came up with didn’t feel as right. So…here we are. Wolfe’s book is probably my all-time favorite Non-Fiction, it captures the spirit of the Space Race, the way it depicts the individuals involved is so vivid and lifelike, the way the narrative moves, and Wolfe’s style make this both informative and enjoyabler.

(my post about it)

I don’t typically tag anyone in these, but I’m making an exception here. I’d love to see what Jodie has to say about my amendments.

Image by OTH Amberg-Weiden from Pixabay

I’ve only seen this on one other blog–Witty and Sarcastic Book Club–which is also where it originated. Like Jodie said, these games aren’t my go-tos, but it was fun to revisit them. Just for fun, I tried to find images from the editions of the games that I used to play from.

Clue: A Book Featuring a Mystery

The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowall

Anyone who’s even glanced at this site knows I could go on and on and on here. But I limited myself to one–this is a fun mystery in a SF world. It’s basically The Thin Man in Space–classic mystery characters, classic mystery tropes, unclassic mystery setting–but you couldn’t tell from teh way that Kowall deals with it.

(my post about it)

Monopoly: A Book Focused on Treasure or Money

Tower of Babel by Michael Sears

This is all about New York Real Estate–doesn’t get more focused on Money/Treasure than that. Not that Sears limits himself to that, but the other parts of the book featured on money don’t seem as intense.

(my post about it)

Ticket to Ride: A Book Featuring Travel

Paradox Bound by Peter Clines

Paradox Bound jumped to mind when I thought of this category. It’s all about travel–both geographically and chronologically. Why stick to something as mundane as roaming the highways and byways of the world, when you can throw in history as well?

(my post about it)

The Settlers of Catan: A Book with a Lot Going On

The Cartel by Don Winslow

There are so many plotlines, layers in plotlines, betrayals, set-ups, twists, suprises…saying there’s “a lot” going on feels like an understatement. Winslow’s a pro at this kind of thing–you don’t even notice how much happens until you stop and think about it afterwards.

Risk: A Book in Which an Attempt at Domination is Key to the Story

Kitty Saves the World by Carrie Vaughn

Many, many books led up to this one–it’s for all the marbles, Kitty and her pack (of friends and wolves) vs. Roman. And if they lose, well, he wins everyething. Yet even in the midst of all that, Vaughn makes room for character moments, resolving arcs, and a satisfying series conclusion.

(my post about it)

Apples to Apples: A Book that Makes You Laugh

Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi

I could’ve put all sorts of things here, but I’d just had a conversation with someone about this book when I sat down to start working on this tag. So…

There’s some humor here about the entertainment industry (on both sides of the camera), about interpersonal relationships, Alien life, Aliens trying to blend in on Earth, the relationship between people and dogs, and…just generally funny stuff. I’ve read it multiple times, and listened to the audiobook once. Found it funny every time.
(my post about it)

Scrabble: A Book with Beautiful Writing

Seraphina’s Lament by Sarah Chorn

It’s been 5+ years since I read this, and it still haunts me–not becuase the images and characters are haunting, but because Chorn’s writing is beautiful. I think of it frequently. I’ve read a number of her books, and they all have that teeth-achingly tragic-yet-beautiful/tragic-while-beautiful prose, but this is the one that stands tallest in my mind.

(my post about it)

Indie Board Game: An Indie or Self-published Book that Everyone Should Read

Wistful Ascending by JCM Berne

I can name any number of Indie Books that more people should read. Several that many people should read. But everyone??? That’s a tall, tall, order.

I don’t know that Wistful Asending something that everyone should read. But most people should. Most people (everyone?) will find something in its pages they’ll enjoy, it’s got it all: Superheroes. Sentient space bears. Dinosaur-y/kaiju-y aliens. Talking spaceships. Fantastic Dialogue. Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Poison. True Love. Hate. Revenge. Giants. Hunters. Bad men. Good men. Beautifulest Ladies. Snakes. Spiders… Pain. Death. Brave men. Cowardly men. Strongest men. Chases. Escapes. Lies. Truths. Passion. Miracles. Er, wait. I think I started talking about a different book there. Eh, close enough.

(my post about it)

As usual, I’m not tagging anyone in this—but I’d like to see what you all have to come up with.

Image by OTH Amberg-Weiden from Pixabay

When I saw this over at Chasing Destino last week, I thought that seems like a bit of seasonal fun. I might want to try that. And as I did try it, I discovered it was a bit of seasonal fun. (phew)

It was created by That Book Gal blog, and if you desire to jump into the Back to School Fun, be sure to tag the creator.

English – Name your favorite author’s (or books) writing style.

Mortal Stakes by Robert B. Parker

I just can’t get enough of Robert B. Parker’s style–even when the novel is “meh,” his voice…man, oh, man. (the similarities between his and so many other authors I follow blindly show just how much I love his voice).

This is a dangerous topic for me, style is so important in my tastes, I could list two dozen others here…I’m going to leave it with two others that I can’t help but think of…

Math – A book that made you frustrated!

The Meifod Claw by JW Bowe

I literally just searched my posts for the word “frustrated” and this one came up. Sorry to Mr. Bowe but man, this book did.

Science – A book that really made you think or question things.

The Appeal by Janice Hallett

You just can’t get through Hallett’s fascinating and mind-boggling book without having to rethink everything you’ve read in it by the end.

History – Your favorite book from a different time period.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Did anyone really think I’d say something different?

Art – Your favorite book with pictures.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Illustrated Edition by Douglas Adams and Chris Riddell and The Mysteries by Bill Watterson and John Kascht

This was a stumper for me (especially with all of the board books and picture books that I’ve been swimming in lately), but the artwork in these two are just great.

Drama – A book you would love to see turned into a movie.

Whistful Ascending by JCM Berne

I don’t know how it could happen, but I’d preorder every Blu-Ray collector’s edition today. (outside of animation…maybe when the Invincible team start looking for their next project).

Music/Band – A character with a similar music taste to you.

The Heathens by Ace Atkins

There was a character, TJ Byrd, that Atkins made a Spotify playlist for–I listened to it a lot. It’s not really representative of my taste as a whole, but it hit a sweet spot. (and every other character that I could tie to a specific taste made me think, “eh, that’s too ____ for me”)

Lunch – A food from a book you would love to try.

Kneading Journalism by Tony Ganzer

Between how bad I am at baking bread, and the fact that I might have celiac…this isn’t something I should try (but man, did I want to)

Bus Ride Home – A book or author that is relaxing.

Any Nero Wolfe/Archie Goodwin book by Rex Stout

Reading Stout is like coming home after a long day. It takes me less than a page to be comfortable and forget whatever chaos is around me.

Extra Credit – A book someone recommended that you enjoyed.

No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister

I could name so, so, so many–and I feel like I’m insulting people who aren’t Carol who’ve recommended books to me. But this is the most recent and the freshest in my mind.

Sorry to not mention one of your recs Nicole, Micah, Jodie, Paul, Sean, Jamie, Mom…..

As usual, I’m not tagging anyone in this—but I’d like to see what you all have to come up with. How’re you hitting the books?

See what I did there? Hitting the books…Ha!!

This was created by TheBookishKat and I found it on Jo Linsdell’s ever-so-helpful Book Tags To Try This Summer post. I just needed a little variety in my life, so figured I’d give it a shot.

1. Iced Drink- a refreshing book

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

I don’t remember what I was home sick with when my mother brought this home to me, but it helped me feel better then and every–countless–time that I’ve read it since then. This story about fifteen contestants (and 1 mistake) competing for the inheritance of Samuel W. Westing has always been as refreshing as the best iced tea I’ve ever had.

Image by Stefan Schweihofer from Pixabay

2. Cotton Candy- a book that was fluffy and sweet

The Book That No One Wanted to Read by Richard Ayoade

So this was just charming and sweet from beginning to end. Yes, it was written for a MG (at the oldest) audience, but I enjoyed it as much as–if not more–than cotton candy. It was light, it made me smile, and it made me want more.

Image from Pixabay

3. Sunglasses- a dark book

According to Mark by H.B. O’Neill

Does it get darker than a couple of hundred pages about a broken-hearted man, who needs social/medical/psychiatric aid, seeking to kill himself because he’s convinced that Mark Twain wants him to? (still, it is a beautiful book with some moments of joy)

Image by Ronny Overhate from Pixabay

4. Picnic on a Rainy Day- a sad book

The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman

With a little thought, I could come up with sadder books, no doubt. But this was the first to jump into my mind (since I’d already used According to Mark). I stuck with it, because it fits this so well–not only is it sad, but like even a rained-on picnic, there are plenty of smiles and even some chuckles and warmth in this book. But yeah, it won’t just be rain that dampens your cheeks by the time you finish this.

Image by J S from Pixabay

5. Sand- a book that irritated you Red Queen

Red Queen by Juan Gómez-Jurado

This felt like it was written using a template to generate the hero, her sidekick, and the villains by an unimaginative committee looking for the next Lisbeth Salander or Robert Langdon (obviously, more of the former than the latter). It grated on me like sand in your clothes and shoes after you leave the beach (and yet, it kept me turning the pages, which is another kind of annoying).

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

6. Summer Blockbuster- favorite book-to-screen adaptation The Princess Bride

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Is there another answer? I mean, really?

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

7. Dropped Ice Cream- a book you were anticipating, but it wasn’t good

Winter’s Gifts by Ben Aaronovitch

After the success of The October Man, I had faith in Aaronovitch’s ability to pull off an American adventure. Especially because I already know and like Special Agent Reynolds from when she shows up with Peter Grant. But, it’s just clear that Aaronovitch pull off writing in the U.S. from an American perspective. If this was about Peter or Abigail coming to visit Reynolds and running into trouble, I could’ve bought it. But this narrator just isn’t an American (or really, that American Evangelical…not even an ex-Evangelical). A rare miss in this series.

Image by Izwar Muis from Pixabay

8. Palm Tree- a tall book you loved 42

42: The Wildly Improbable Ideas of Douglas Adams edited by Kevin Jon Davies

I honestly couldn’t think of another tall book. But also, I like to spread the word about this as much as I can.

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

9. Bonfire- a book you want to burn

Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough

Sure–I’m diametrically opposed to book burning of any kind, but if there was a fireplace in use anywhere near me when I finished this book, I’d have been tempted to toss it in. (and would’ve gladly paid the library fees). The ending of this just made me so mad. I know I’m in the minority with this book, but I don’t care.

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

10. Fireworks- a book that exploded onto the scene

Don’t Know Tough by Eli Cranor

If you’re going to make your debut, you want to do it like Cranor. From the first page, this book hits you with the velocity of a rocket taking off—and as far as I can tell that’s how the book went, too. Suddenly, every Crime Fiction account/page I follow was talking about this book.

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

I don’t typically actually tag people when I do these, but I’m curious to see what you’d put here. So if you made it this far, consider yourself tagged. (no need to go overboard on graphics like I chose to do for reasons that I don’t quite get)

I’ve seen this on various blogs, but can’t seem to find the creator, so I can’t credit them. I’d like to, if anyone knows who did it.

I saw this over at Peat Long’s Blog, Biblio Nerd Reflections, and Chasing Destino (and, apparently, did it myself last year), and thought it was worth a shot. Three weeks later, here we are…

How many books have you read so far?

86 is what the ol’ spreadsheet says. Which is larger than I expected, I’ve gotta say (even after subtracting a handful of board books, picture books, etc., that’s still better than I’d have guessed).

Have you already found a book you think might be a 2024 favourite? If not, what was your favourite book you read that wasn’t quite five stars?

Smoke Kings by Jahmal Mayfield , City on Fire by Don Winslow, and The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett are the front-runners so far.

I’ve got Christa Comes Out of Her Shell by Abbi Waxman coming up this week (probably), I assume it’ll be in the running, too.

Any 1-star books / least favourite book of the year?

America Fantastica by Tim O’Brien is a title that begs for someone to say it’s not that fantastic. And it isn’t. Not really that good–and I kept waiting for it to raise to the level of mediocre, at least. As I tried to describe.

Most read genre so far?

Mystery/Crime/Thriller. Which will come as no surprise to anyone who is not me. I figured it might be on top, but I thought that Fantasy would be a lot closer so far this year. Which probably says a lot about how much reflection I’ve given to things.

A book that surprised you?

Several of them, really. But I’m going to have to give this one to the 2024 InCryptid novel, Aftermarket Afterlife–McGuire does things in this story I didn’t think she’d do in this series. I was caught way off-guard more than once. Literally stunned.

A book that’s come out in 2024 already that you want to read but haven’t yet?

Ugh. So many of them. The four that come to mind (and I’m sorry to everyone who should have a book that comes to mind, but didn’t).
The Ballad of Sprikit The Bard (And Company) by Seán O’Boyle, Strange Religion: How the First Christians Were Weird, Dangerous, and Compelling by Nijay K. Gupta, The World Entire by Jo Perry, City in Ruins by Don Winslow (but I have to read City of Dreams first).

One goal you made that you’re succeeding at

To read more for and to post more in the Grandpappy’s Corner series.

One goal you made that you need to focus on

All of the others would fit. Catching up on my To-Be-Written stack is my primary focus at the moment.

(not that anyone but me can tell that, I’ll note)

New to you Bloggers/Booktubers/ Bookstagrammers/Booktokers for 2023 you recommend?

Hair Past a Freckle
The Quill to Live
Burt’s Library

As per usual, I’m not tagging anyone in particular, but I’m curious–what’s the first of the year been like for you?

I saw this on a couple of blogs last week and thought it’d make a good one for me to do. But when I went back to check so I could link to them, I could only find the entry at Biblio Nerd Reflections. Sorry to whoever else inspired me, I didn’t mean to ignore you, but I apparently did.

Are there any books you started this year that you need to finish?

The only things that really fit here are my project reads—The Existence and Attributes of God: Updated and Unabridged by Stephen Charnock and A Mystery Revealed: 31 Meditations on the Trinity by Ryan McGraw—books that I’ve scheduled my reading to finish on December 31. Hopefully, everything else gets wrapped up before then. I don’t get too worked up about that kind of thing, but I appreciate making a clean start on January 1.

Do you have an autumnal book to transition into the end of the year?

Nope. I don’t get this kind of thinking—I know a lot of people do read seasonally, and more power to ’em! My brain doesn’t really work that way. I read Christmas-related ARCs in July, I could (but probably haven’t) read a book about a Summer Vacation in the dead of winter. So, basically whatever book I happen to be reading on December 21 will be my transition book.

Is there a new release you’re still waiting for?

As far as I know (which isn’t very far), the only two that I’m waiting for are Mike Lupica’s Spenser debut in Robert B. Parker’s Broken Trust and the next Bill Smith/Lydia Chin book, The Mayors of New York by S. J. Rozan. But I could easily be forgetting something.

Also, depending on when I decide to post this, the Lupica book could already be out.

What are three books you want to read before the end of the year?

There are five books that I’ve mentioned on previous tags/lists that I haven’t finished yet. I’m picking three of those (because I’m pretty sure that I’ll get to the other two without calling them out). The Moonshine Messiah by Russell W. Johnson, Charm City Rocks by Matthew Norman, and Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson Lancaster.

* The Narrow Road Between Desires by Patrick Rothfuss and The Olympian Affair by Jim Butcher

Is there a book you think that could still shock you and become your favorite book of the year?

Absolutely. Pretty much anything I pick up between now and 12/31. Sure, I don’t expect The Secret by the Child brothers will be it—that would be a shock for sure. But otherwise, I hold out hope for almost every book. As I’m still not sure what I’m going to read over the next month, I hesitate to mention a likely nominee (although Rothfulss and Butcher have to be in the running).

Have you already started making reading plans for 2024?

I have indeed. And stopped. And started again. And stopped again. I didn’t do a great job with my goals for 2023, so I’m hesitant to commit to much for next year. I’m also trying to figure out how much I want to plan ahead at the moment—it might be a time to lean into whimsy and clearing off my shelves. And polishing off the 2023 plans that didn’t get accomplished.

* How un-great is still TBD.

As usual, I’m not tagging anyone in this—but I’d like to see what you all have to come up with.