The Seven Questions Book Tag

My splendoriferous friend Katie tagged me for this (thanks a bunch, Katie! ♥), and I was really excited to answer her questions. :D  Let's get right into it!

What’s one genre you used to avoid, but now love? 

Memoir, actually!  I never used to read any non-fiction at all other than devotional/religious books or assigned reading for school, but lately I've discovered that I can really enjoy real people relating their real stories.  I don't tend to like biography or autobiography as much, but something about the intimacy ⎼ the visceral intimacy, in some cases ⎼ of memoirs does appeal to me.


Have you ever liked a movie adaptation better than the book? Which book? Why? 

*snorts* Have I ever . . . ALL THE TIME.  I've actually watched adaptations before reading the original material more often than I've done the reverse.  Often I end up liking the book and the movie about equally, but for different reasons. 

Currently, however, I probably like my favorite movie versions of all of Jane Austen's works better than the books, simply because I grew up on Austen adaptations and they're my preferred way of experiencing her stories.  

this because this is pretty

Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell would be another example, probably because it's one of my favorite movies ever and it actually, y'know, has a conclusive ending.  (Not that the non-ending in Gaskell's novel was her fault, of course.  The poor woman could hardly be held responsible.  But still.)  And Jane Eyre.  While I enjoy the book, a lot of things in it translate better to the screen, in my personal opinion.  (Such as the entire character of Edward Fairfax Rochester. *ahem*)

(Also, like, I do like Jane Austen and Elizabeth Gaskell.  I just like the movies more.)

Name one thing about your favorite genre that you absolutely can’t stand. Something you wish you could change. 

☆•° Follow mami candidaesthete on pinterest for more lit pins and snatchurdaddy on snapchat for some poppin snaps

I think . . . I think my favorite genre is probably fantasy, because when I find a fantasy specimen that speaks to me, it speaks to me in a way that other genres simply don't.  (That said, I don't tend to read a whole lot of new-to-me fantasy, as I'm sure I've mentioned before.  There are a few different reasons for that, and that's a post for another time.)

One trend I've noticed in the current YA fantasy market, that, as Katie so obligingly worded it, I absolutely can't stand, is tHE RIDICULOUSLY DISPROPORTIONATE AMOUNT OF STORIES CENTERING AROUND ASSASSIN "PROTAGONISTS" (or assassin "love interests").

Demek trying to speak the group's language

Mmm.  *facepalms forever*

[ATTENTION ALL LOVERS OF THE ASSASSIN PROTAGONISTS TRADITION:  I am now going to spew spontaneous hate at this concept.  You are not obligated to read it.  You are also not obligated to agree with me, obviously.  Just my personal opinion, this.]

I KIND OF HATE THIS TROPE SO MUCH I CAN'T EVEN EXPLAIN IT.

Because, see, look.

If somebody wanted to write a character who was an assassin and actually delve semi-deeply or with even a semblance of accuracy into the moral ramifications of making your living killing people, I'd say, fine and dandy.  Go for it.

But people don't do that.  Instead, people try to push this "morally grey" garbage at me, trying to convince me that a bunch of hypothetical adolescents choking on their own angst are somehow made "cooler" by being able to kill a bunch of strangers with indifference.

"A clue:"


When was the last time you shipped a non-canon book couple? 

Probably Liesel and Max in The Book Thief.  I have my Thoughts on the rather ambiguous ending, y'all ⎼ I have them, indeed. ;)

The Book Thief.  Liesel & Max. Love. Love. Love.

How often do you write ‘rant reviews’? Or do you prefer to keep quiet if you didn’t like a book? 

I try not to talk too much about stories I don't like; unless they elicit some uber-strong reaction in me that, like, Existentially Shakes me with the depth of my aversion to the story in question (*cough* Rebecca *cough*).  Or if I feel like I just have to "get it out of my system."  Then I'll indulge occasionally. :-P


Also, though, I've pretty much figured out by this point certain trademarks (i.e. in the cover, title, synopsis, other people's reviews, etc.) that I can easily spot and that can usually tell me pretty reliably whether or not I'm going to like a book.  And if it's givin' off strong "not for me" vibes, I try to just pass on it.  (Though sometimes I am tempted, as I was in the library yesterday. ;))

Thoughts on Charles Dickens? Love him, hate him, in-between him? 

In-between him.  His stories are too sprawling for my taste, but I've greatly enjoyed Bleak House and especially Little Dorrit.  

In general I've also found him a bit depressing/borderline nihilistic.  I wish he incorporated more humor into his books, because when it does appear, it displays a bit of a Knack, doesn't it?



Paperback covers: glossy or matte? 

Ooh. *rubs hands together*

I guess, usually, matte?  But a glossy cover, if well-executed, can be quite nice indeed. :)


My questions:
  1. What is your favorite genre to read?
  2. What was the best book you read for the first time last year?
  3. Do you remember when you first began to read?  What drew you to it?
  4. How do you arrange your books?  By color?  By title?  By author?  By series?  By something else altogether?
  5. New books or used books?
  6. What tends to send you into a reading slump?
  7. What tends to pull you out of a reading slump?

I tag:
  • Anyone who ate fruit with their breakfast today. :-P 

Los libros son el avión, el tren y la carretera. Son el destino y el viaje. estan en casa.

Comments

  1. Hahahah! I just finished eating a banana with my breakfast, so I guess I'm tagged!

    I enjoyed reading your answers to the questions posed to you!


    What is your favorite genre to read? -- Fantasy/sci-fi

    What was the best book you read for the first time last year? -- oh boy, can't remember.

    Do you remember when you first began to read? What drew you to it? -- No idea, but as soon as I could. What drew me to it? My parents had a library of 3000 books, so I was surrounded by them. They encouraged reading, and then I discovered that stories could transport me to places I couldn't go to otherwise and I never looked back.

    How do you arrange your books? By color? By title? By author? By series? By something else altogether? -- They're arranged by genre, sort of. Non-fiction by subject, fiction by genre and then author. Special books are in my living room and office. The rest are in my library downstairs.

    New books or used books? -- Both. If it's something I love, I want a brand new shiny copy. If it's something I just want to read, then used.

    What tends to send you into a reading slump? -- lack of brick and mortar bookstores where I can browse book shelves. When bookstores started vanishing, my reading dropped to nil. I simply can't browse books online the way I can in a bookstore, so I don't impulse buy anymore, and I don't keep up on what's new anymore because of the lack of bookstores.

    What tends to pull you out of a reading slump? -- Haven't found anything yet. Would love a good answer to this.

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    1. Huzzah! :D

      Thanks! I enjoyed reading yours, too.

      I know what you mean about keeping "special books" somewhere other than the rest of them. I tend to keep my core favorites in my bedroom, though the majority of my books are in our basement.

      Ooh, interesting! I love thrifting because I'm able to satisfy my urge to buy all the books but still keep it within my stingy spending limits, haha.

      I don't know that I've found an answer either, yet. *shakes head* Typically I just have to ride it out. Or simply give up on whatever I was reading before.

      Delete
  2. I ate grapes at breakfast and since I've been liking everyone's questions, I've been answering the new ones in the comments.

    But first, Max and Liesel, I can't believe I forgot them and yet, are they really non-canon? I think he left the ending open to conjecture even though he said he didn't see them together. I don't see how they could NOT be together, they were so close, it was so perfect, Rudy was her first love yes, but she was so young when he died, and she and Max had such a connection, a history. I feel like I rarely go for non-canon couples, unless to me they feel like they ARE or should be canon.

    Also, that quote from Henry and Shawn in Psych is perfection. I just rewatched that show after oh, 7 years, and was so happy to find I still loved it.

    What is your favorite genre to read?
    I feel like my favorites don't necessarily have a "genre" always. I'm more drawn to authors, meaning, if I like an author, I will try all their works, but that doesn't mean I will like any other author in the same genre. I do like many mystery authors though, but I wouldn't say, I'd read any mystery book simply because it's mysteries.

    What was the best book you read for the first time last year?
    I listened to the audiobook All Creatures Great and Small narrated by Christopher Timothy, best decision ever. I'm still not sold on audiobooks overall, but this is the type of book and narrator that brings out the work far better than merely reading it would. I'm currently on the 3rd of the series.

    Do you remember when you first began to read? What drew you to it?
    I apparently struggled to read, but my parents read aloud to us. I remember my dad reading the American girls books. Also, Mom used the 5 in A Row homeschooling curriculum which focuses on the Charlotte Mason method, using books to learn, so we had lots of lovely illustrated books.

    How do you arrange your books? By color? By title? By author? By series? By something else altogether?
    I keep my Barnes and Noble leather and Penguin clothbound editions separate and try to group them by color. Everything else has been divided between nonfiction and fiction, then fiction by author. But I'm going to be redoing my room plus have some newer paper backs and hardbacks that I might keep separate because they are pretty.

    New books or used books?
    New or like new, yet then I'm afraid to touch them, and might just end up reading a library version instead.

    What tends to send you into a reading slump?
    A lack of interest to try anything in my current library horde because I don't know if I'll like it or not. A determination to plow through a book I'm not enjoying but have disinclination to read. It's better for me to put such a book down for a time and pick up another. Occasionally, an addiction to another form of entertainment. Usually that seems to come during the reading slump, but sometimes it's before.

    What tends to pull you out of a reading slump?
    A easy read or an old favorite, this year thus far it's been majorly Georgette Heyer, M.M. Kaye, and Mary Stewart

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    1. Good idea!

      Yeah, see, I think they're one of those couples where they're not completely non-canon but they're definitely not officially canon, either. Personally, I agree with you: I think the open-ended conclusion was probably to at least let readers pair her up with Max if they were so inclined, and I personally think that, like you said, it just makes sense for them to have married--eventually, possibly later in life.

      My brother loves that show!

      I know what you mean about the authors. I feel like I tend to think, "Ooh, I should try all of this author's other works!" if I liked one of their books, but then I often end up disappointed or turned off by more content than I was expecting, so sometimes I just keep my relationship with that author to the one book I liked, ha.

      Oh, the struggle of what to do with one's room when one gets new books . . .

      Same, for getting out of a slump.

      Delete
  3. Fun tag! I enjoyed reading your answers, Olivia! :)

    Well, I ate a muffin with raisins in it for breakfast this morning. Do raisins count as fruit? XD

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  4. YES TO DICKENS. I want to read more and my he is verbose. I also don't care for disparaging a book so much as ENTHUSING. I also adore Austen adaptations (1995 Sense & Sensibility and Pride & Prejudice!) and that adaptation of Wives & Daughters, which Mom & I stayed up almost all night watching. I HAVE STILL NOT READ THE BOOK.

    I had a fruit smoothie with blueberries and strawberries in it for breakfast:

    What is your favorite genre to read? Historical biography

    What was the best book you read for the first time last year? Testament of Friendship by Vera Brittain

    Do you remember when you first began to read? What drew you to it? I don't remember when I first began reading because it was so far back. I remember my dad teaching me with flashcards, and my mother helping me with vocabulary words for a test in elementary school, & I remember my mother settling me in her lap with my brother and sister to read Aesop's Fables. Books were just part of my family. My mother encouraged us to go to the library. She said if you read, you can do anything. I read Amelia Bedelia first, I think. I remember reading EVERY SINGLE ONE. When we had our weekly library visit at school, my friends would always find her for me because they knew I'd select her.

    How do you arrange your books? By color? By title? By author? By series? By something else altogether? I lump them by group -- what I most want to read next, what might be research for my novel, interesting women in history, that sort of thing.

    New books or used books? I love used books! I love knowing the book belonged to someone else. I have a copy of On Becoming a Writer by Vera Brittain where a lady signed her name in the front and wrote "1848" after it, & then crossed that out & put "1948" BECAUSE SHE FORGOT SHE WAS NOT A VICTORIAN. Kindred spirit!

    What tends to send you into a reading slump? Assigned reading and having to stick to one list, a buddy read, a reading challenge, or a TBR -- anything imposed on me by an outside force, even if I want to do it initially. :P

    What tends to pull you out of a reading slump? Choosing a title spontaneously & reading it in secret without ever telling anyone.

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    1. Wow, my mom and sisters and I also stayed up until the wee hours of morning watching Wives & Daughters the first time!!!

      I love your answer about what pulls you out of a reading slump!

      ~ Caiti

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    2. Such a fun staying up all night memory! :)

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    3. Ahhh, that's such a happy story about watching Wives & Daughters! :D <3

      I like the idea of grouping by purpose/interest. *muses*

      Oh my word, that's such a fabulous story about that inscription! XD That makes me happy. XD

      Girllll, I feel you about challenges and such-like. I can't really do it. Doesn't work.

      Delete
  5. Your answers are splendiferous and I luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurve them. Thank you so much for doing the tag. *all the hugs*

    "Do you want salt with your answer" UM, ALWAYS :D :D :D :D

    I love it!!! You're so right: the whole 'assassin progatonist' trope COULD be cool if you were ACTUALLY exploring the real-life moral ramifications; but, as it stands in YA right now, it's pretty much nothing but an escapist fantasy. "Look, kids! We kill people and we get paid for it and it's fun!" It's also playing into the whole "violence = strength" schtick in the Very Worst Way. The ability to rip some dude's guts out does not make you a strong or admirable person. Sorry to have to inform you. ;-P

    "I'm gonna ask you to be respectful here." "I will politely decline." MOOD. xD

    Oooooh. I agree, about Dickens: his comic / hopeful / uplifting stuff rises to SUCH HEIGHTS, it's a pity he ever abandoned it for the sad stuff. That's why The Pickwick Papers will always be my favorite of his books.

    Once again, loved your answers!!! <3

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    1. Thank YOU so much for tagging me! I loved it and I loved your questions. :) <3

      Hehehehehe. :D

      PREACH, MY GIRL. I just . . . nope. Not for me, fam. Not for me At All.

      XD

      Yes! I started one of his a while ago (I can't remember which one), and I haven't finished it, but I was kind of Astonished by how funny and allllmost "light" it was. I'll have to look into The Pickwick Papers, in that case.

      Thank yoooouuuuu!!! <3 *hugs*

      Delete
  6. Yes, I really know what you mean about memoirs! I didn't necessarily *avoid* them, but I was never particularly drawn to them until recently. (Btw, I love it when you use the word visceral!)

    I ate a banana for breakfast this morning, so I shall answer your questions!

    What is your favorite genre to read?
    Classic literature, always. And more recently, historical biographies/memoirs.

    What was the best book you read for the first time last year?
    This such a hard choice, but maybe The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown?!

    Do you remember when you first began to read? What drew you to it?
    Oh yes, I vividly recall learning to read at age 5! I loved it immediately, even though it required so much mental energy in the very beginning. As soon as I could read even the simplest stories, I wanted to do so all day, every day.

    How do you arrange your books? By color? By title? By author? By series? By something else altogether?
    I used to ALWAYS arrange them by author, but a few months ago I rearranged my shelves by color and I like it quite well, although it *was* an adjustment.

    New books or used books?
    I usually prefer new books, although I buy used ones much more often!

    What tends to send you into a reading slump?
    Forcing myself to continue reading a book after I've lost interest.

    What tends to pull you out of a reading slump?
    Rereading old favorites, or sometimes a really great children's book.

    Caiti <3

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    1. Isn't that interesting?? (Hee hee, thanks. ;))

      I remember switching to color-arrangement a few years ago and having the same reaction! I like it, but it's definitely different.

      *nods* Makes sense. If only new books weren't so expensive, eh? ;)

      Thanks for answering the questions! :D <3

      Delete
  7. I like how you tagged anyone who ate fruit with their breakfast! (Never let it be said Olivia of Rivendell isn't original!:) I read Pride and Prejudice after seeing the movie and it really helped to know the story beforehand as I'm not used to reading classics. And besides....then I had faces and voices behind the words! :)

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    1. Haha! Thanks ;D

      That's the other thing: it's helpful to have a more accessible idea of the story before delving into the old-fashioned writing style and all that. Yes! ;)

      Delete
  8. What is with the "good assassin" thing?? Is killing people ever good? Not really. Why do the authors do this? *sigh*

    Nice answers! I might find time to do this...

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    1. RIGHT THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYIN'.

      Thanks! Yess, do it!

      Delete
  9. Dang. Thanks internet connection, for wasting my last half hour. >.< Let's try this again!
    I haven't read many memoirs... I do enjoy a good auto/biography, but they tend to be a hit or miss for me. Do you have any memoir recommendations?

    Oh yes, Dickens definitely does have a certain Knack for humour and it's a shame he didn't use it more. Still, I always do find myself snickering at something in his books, because he tends to have a subtle, sarcastic undertone mingled through most of his stories, poking fun at something. I just finished The Pickwick Papers which was definitely the most comedic of the lot (though rather all-over-the-place)... perhaps you'd enjoy that one? Also, Little Dorrit and Bleak House!! Two of my favourites! Have you read Our Mutual Friend? I really enjoyed that one also.

    Ok, so your tag looks really fun and I was wondering how far we could twist the rules... I mean, I had raisen toast for breakfast. XD (I'm gonna take that as a yes, haha!)

    What is your favorite genre to read? Classics have my heart forever and always. <3

    What was the best book you read for the first time last year? Ohh, don't make me CHOOSE. For non-fiction, it was either "Kisses from Katie" by Katie Davis or "Don't Give Up, Don't Give In" by Lois Zamperini. For fiction, it was a tie between "Emma" by Jane Austen, "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie or "Black Arrow" by Robert Louis Stevenson. I read SO MANY great books last year.

    Do you remember when you first began to read? What drew you to it? I know I was 7 when I "officially" learnt how to read, swim and ride my bike all the in same week! Yeah, seven was a big number for me. XD I can't remember what drew me to it, exactly - Mum always had a great selection of stories, and once I started I never stopped! I was reading Dickens by the age of 12 and seemed to bypass a lot of children literature.

    How do you arrange your books? By color? By title? By author? By series? By something else altogether? I don't actually own a whole lot - my family does. But the ones I own I shelved with others of the same genre/series.

    New books or used books? Oh, new books please. :D

    What tends to send you into a reading slump? Not having enough time to ENJOY a good book, and reading a dull, slow-moving story. Also stress.

    What tends to pull you out of a reading slump? Something fun and easy to read! Lately, that has been Agatha Christie novels for me. Also any inspiring non-fiction book.

    Thanks for the great tag, Olivia - even if I wasn't particularly eligible for it! xP

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    1. Oh, dear! Stupid Internet. :-P

      Recommendations . . . hmmmmm . . . I guess it really depends on what tends to interest you and what your content boundaries are. Three of the best I've read so far are:

      Anchored by Kayla Aimee
      Permission to Speak Freely by Anne Jackson
      Educated by Tara Westover
      Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I've Loved by Kate Bowler

      Oh, yes, I've heard that The Pickwick Papers is a good one! I'll have to try it sometime. I haven't read Our Mutual Friend, no!

      Haha, I say raisin toast absolutely counts. ;D I'm glad you filled it out!

      Oh, I've been wanting to read The Black Arrow for a long time now! I've tried it several times and can't seem to stick with it, but I'm determined to do so eventually. :)

      I feel -- time crunches really affect the enjoyment factor of reading, don't they?

      No problem!! ;D

      Delete
  10. Love this!! Also I stole it and it's on my blog now. :)
    https://ramblings-of-a-red-head-girl.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-seven-actually-14-questions-book-tag.html

    Hahaha. You don't like "smol stabby sons"??? ;P

    PS. I also love the "text" reaction pictures you used! They appear to be a fun alternative to gifs. Did you find them on pinterest?

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    1. I'm so happy you stole it. :D

      Ha. ;-P

      P.S. Thanks! Yeah, I find most of that kind of stuff on Pinterest. I've been curating a giant collection of reaction gifs/pictures on there for quite a while and actually just finished setting up some sections to make navigating it easier on myself. :-P Here's the link if you ever want to find some new ones! ;)

      https://www.pinterest.com/undomielblogger/stuff-ill-need-someday-for-my-vibrant-blogging-lif/

      Delete

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