Good Monday Morning (is that an oxymoron)?
You are an OX and a MORON….
Thank you so, so much to Sereadipity for nominating me for the Liebster Award. Go check her blog out! It’s great!
This is my second time doing the tag for this blog award before and I’m so honored and I’m completely honored to be nominated (especially since I royally messed up the first one I was nominated for)!
The Rules:
(1) Acknowledge the blog who nominated you and display the award.
(2) Answer the 11 questions the blogger gives you.
(3) Nominate 11 blogs.
(4) Notify those blogs of the nomination.
(5) Give them 11 questions to answer.
P.S. I am reducing the number of nominees / questions to 5. <—- Sereadipity’s Note (I only mention because I didn’t want anyone to think I didn’t answer half her questions)!
My Questions:
(1) How do you choose which books to read?
Right now, as many know, I am trying to make sure I read all the ARCs that came through while on hiatus due to my mother’s illness. I have requested a few more while back, but about 85% are from the hiatus. I have to say I’m pretty proud of myself and am just about there. Most of May are books I requested since coming back and then it gets MUCH lighter and definitely books I requested post return. I will even be able to do a few back listed books.
I do want to make it clear this has not been a chore in any way except in the sheer number that built up. Had I not been on hiatus that would not have been the case. I always choose books that I believe I will enjoy,, so even in the amount needed to catch-up, I’ve enjoyed, if not loved 90% of them (there will always be those that miss the mark). The only lesson I have learned is to create a calendar to make sure I don’t pick too many ARCs in the same time period.
(2) Which three book characters do you wish were real? Why?
Sometimes I swear people create questions because they love hearing me blabber on about the Six of Crows Duology ;). I would think everyone would be sick of it by now… but maybe everyone is amused… lol.
Having said that… beyond Kaz Brekker, obviously– pick just 2… lord.
Ok, so about Kaz…. to quote my own post because I just think I said best in this post…
Why in the world would I possibly want to spend time with Dirtyhands? The Bastard of the Barrel?
For one, I haven’t crossed him. Nor do I plan on it. I’m the seventh crow and I have his car (it is his name sake, license plate and all) if he wants it. I want to run with the Dregs. Ok that is new and updated from the original post.
I simply want him to contemplate helping me enact some revenge (another update– like Arya Stark there are some new people on my revenge list since I wrote this last), a scheme for a boat load of money (I’m happy to split it 70/30 in his favor) and some time learning how that mind of his works (scheming face, anyone?). Plus maybe some philosophizing along the way… (he may be the Bastard of the Barrel but that doesn’t make him stupid… not by a long shot). Kaz Brekker from Crooked Kingdom:
Inej Ghafa
I said it once and I’ll say it again. For all my love of Kaz, you have to stand up for Inej. Respect. Trust and believe. Respect. “The heart is an arrow. It demands aim to land true.” Inej finds her purpose. Through being sold into a whore house, becoming a wraith, being kidnapped, beaten, chased down by an assassin? Inej finds her purpose and stays true to her core and what she knows she deserves out of life and a boy. Respect.
Copy Right Society 6
(3) Which themes or tropes do you dislike in a book? Why?
Forced Relationships. It is tired. I wish I know the root of it. I really think it is publishers that think readers won’t like any book that doesn’t have an A-Line relationship in it, but I could be wrong. In other words, I get the feeling books are pitched and developed with out them and publishers and/or editors say– WE LOVE IT! BUT you have to find a place for two characters to find a way to get together or it won’t sell. Some relationships make sense. See… We Set the Dark on Fire or The Hate U Give or They Both Die at the End for instance. But when it is forced? It can be a serious downer on an otherwise fantastic books. This is especially true when they do it from a friendship to relationship or enemy to relationship point of view.
(4) Who are your top three favourite authors? Why?
EVER? Geeze… depends on time period of my life. I was reading Stephen King and Dean Koontz at 16 and have read nearly all their books (not recent books but up until I went to college), and of course recently Leigh Bardugo, Tiffany Jackson, Nic Stone, Neal Shusterman, and Holly Black without a doubt. But then there is Adam Silvera and Shaun Hutchinson, of course. And Marieke Nijkamp… I can’t forget her… you see what you’ve done to me. This isn’t fair. But I guess if I have to narrow it as close as possible right now?
Leigh Bardugo, Tiffany Jackson, Nic Stone, Neal Shusterman and Holly Black.
And since it is comic book and lyric base I’m throwing Gerard Way in there, you can’t stop me :p.
(5) What do you think is more important in a book, well-developed characters or a gripping plot?
This question isn’t really a choice, is it? I mean how do you have one without the others. Take the Six of Crows Duology, or Arc of a Scythe.
You could never have such an incredible plot without such incredible characters or vice versa and really that all comes down to incredible writing.
Ok my questions:
- Your favorite book/comic turned movie/TV show?
- What book /comic you want turned into a movie or tv show (that hasn’t already been announced as being in production)?
- What character do you most love to hate/hate to love?
- Have you ever read a book where the bad guys win at the end (and I don’t mean if you are in the second book of a trilogy- they would have to win at the end of the trilogy or a stand-alone)? I ask because I have, and it is so rare and so remarkably brave for an author to do, in my opinion. I’d love to know if any are out there I don’t know about.
- What authors have you tried and tried to read but decided just aren’t for you?
- Favorite Indie bookstores that everyone should visit (doesn’t have to be where you live- maybe you found them on vacation).
- What was your “homerun book” aka… the book that hooked you into being a life long reader?
- Who is your reading companion (who is usually, if anyone/anything by your side when you read)?
- What book OR TV show have you read/rewatched the most?
- What book have you recommended the most to others?
- What book do you inwardly roll your eyes at when others say it is their favorite book?
I nomTimate:
- Kristen Kraves Books
- Sara @ biblophagaist
- The Caffeinated Reader
- Jenniely
- The Reading Chemist
- Graced With Books
- Dora, Swift Coffee
- A Reader to Whatever End
- The Bibliphagist
- Sleepy Sam Reads
If I ,haven’t nominated you but you still want to answer the questions then feel free!
Since A) I messed up the first time and B) they were different questions, I figured it was like a different tag each time lol
LOL…. You’ll get them done!
It is difficult! I mean getting it down to the ones I did… that I can do but any further… aw hell no! LOL
I know exactly what you mean about arcs, I totally oversubscribed myself last month because so many of the books sounded (and most were) great. A calendar seems like a good idea. I hate the forced relationships too when they serve no real purpose and make no sense.
It is a lesson I think everyone has to learn in the beginning. Then the hiatus I had to take didnt help, of course. But you live and learn. 🙂
Yeah I don’t know if it was always like this and I’m just noticing it now because of where my heart is at the moment or it has gotten worse? Or maybe I an reading more, or a combination of the three lol? But I wish things would get shaken up a bit. I get that it wont go away altogether but it would ne nice to see variations.
Wow… ???????? That’s a lot of questions but Wonderful ones! I could almost think of the answers as I was reading them! ☺️ Thanks for tagging me, Susan!
Oh and I knew you would pick Kaz!! ???????? Hehe..????
I tried to come up questions that were a little different lol…. and I know I’m pretty predictable on the Kaz front hahahaha
???????? it’s good to be predictable sometimes!!
Lol… one thing I’ve never been called is predictable … not sure if that is good or bad.
Whichever you want it to be.. ????
Great answers!
Wow, Susan, so many congrats from my side, its been great achievement.
Thank you!
It’s my utmost pleasure susan