Category: Tags

End of Year Book Survey 🎄 Blogmas Day 23

Post author By Eliza Eames
Post date December 24, 2020
2 Comments on End of Year Book Survey 🎄 Blogmas Day 23

So, today’s post was meant to be the End of Year Book Tag because I’ve never actually done it before but then I read the questions and it’s not exactly what I thought and most of the questions I simply don’t have answers to because that’s just not how I work. So instead I discovered the End of Year Book Survey which I believe was created by Jamie @ Perpetual Page Turner so I decided to give it a go instead as this is more what I thought The End of Year Book Tag would be. However, I am skipping the ‘My Blogging/Bookish Life’ section of the questions as I mainly want to talk about books and not my blog posts… Let’s jump in!

2020 Reading Stats

1. Number of Books you read?

As of today, 23rd Dec I am sitting on 150 books read. Hoping to finish at least 2 more before the end of the month.

2. Number of re-reads?

36 & you can see my post about rereads HERE if you are curious what books I reread.

3. Genre you read the most from?

Easily Fantasy with 68 of the books I read in the fantasy genre.

Best in Books

4. Best Book you read in 2020?

Really?! Just one? I haven’t even written my top 10 post yet! Having a quick look through my 2020 reading tracking I am going with The Hand on the Wall by Maureen Johnson.

5. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

I’m going to have to go with Queen of Volts by Amanda Foody. I did still enjoy it but it didn’t quite live up to the first two books in the series & I was left a little disappointed.

6. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?

There were two that came instantly to mind when I read this question & those are The Strange Case of the Alchemists Daughter by Theodora Goss & The Girl in Red by Christina Henry. Both of these I went into with no idea what they were about & also having not heard anyone else’s opinions and having no idea if these books were meant to be good or not. Then I discovered they were both really good!

7. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read?

I’ve been pushing people all year to read The Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club series by Theodora Goss as it’s amazing!

8. Best series you started in 2020?

I’m reading this question as series I’ve started but haven’t finished in 2020. So, I’m going to go with the Shades of London series by Maureen Johnson & The Inheritance Games duology by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. I am currently reading book 2 in the Shades of London series & really enjoying it, so I might even get it & book 3 finished by the end of the year! The Inheritance Games is a book I read fairly recently & is the first book in a new duology and I can’t wait for book 2!

9. Best sequel of 2020?

I’m going to go with 3 this time & they are Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire, The Hand on the Wall by Maureen Johnson & The Sinister Mystery of the Mesmerising Girl by Theodora Goss. All of these are amazing sequels! I also think The Sinister Mystery of the Mesmerising Girl is the best book in the series!

10. Best series ender of 2020?

Well I’ll have to mention The Sinister Mystery of the Mesmerising Girl again but also The Bone Thief by Breeana Shields which is the conclusion to The Bone Charmer duology!

11. Favourite new author you discovered in 2020?

I don’t really have an answer to this one. There are authors whose books I’ve read and loved this year but I’ve only read 1 book by them because that’s all that’s out and I don’t think reading 1 book is enough to say they are a new favourite. That’s more like someone who is now on my radar. All the other authors I ‘discovered’ in a previous year but just read more of their amazing books this year. So yeah, I don’t have an answer for this one.

12. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

I’m choosing two books again but who cares! For this one I’m going for They Called Us Enemy by George Takei which is a non-fiction, which is not a genre I read basically at all. I’m also choosing Even if We Break by Marieke Nijkamp which is a YA Thriller I loved! I’m only really getting into Thriller’s this year, so at the time it was not a genre I read often.

13. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

For this one I’m going with All Your Twisted Secrets by Diana Urban & Fable by Adrienne Young both of which were amazing & gripping! I didn’t want to put either down and they were very action packed.

14. Book You Read In 2020 That You Would Be MOST Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

Easily The Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club by Theodora Goss! I am so keen to reread that one! But also, Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline! I’ve already reread Ready Player One, so if I reread it again of course I’m going to reread Ready Player Two as well!

15. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2019?

Two that come to mind are Fable by Adrienne Young & Over the Woodward Wall by A. Deborah Baker!

16. Most memorable character of 2019?

As soon as I read this question I instantly thought of Catherin Moreau from The Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club by Theodora Goss! Catherin is actually based off Catherine from The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells.

17. Most beautifully written book in 2020?

I know a lot of people discuss how ‘beautifully written’ or flowery books are written but that’s just not my thing. I want a book that is written with heaps of detail, that’s atmospheric & fast paced. So for me, what comes to mind is Fawkes by Nadine Brandes.

18. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2019?

This is more an answer for most thought-provoking but I’m going with They Called Us Enemy by George Takei.

19. Book you can’t believe you waited until 2020 to finally read?

I’m going with Sherwood by Megan Spooner! This book had always been on my radar but I finally picked it up this year & really enjoyed it.

20. Favourite passage/quote from a book you read in 2020?

The wonderful thing about reality is that it is highly flexible. One minute, all is doom; the next, everything is abloom with possibility.
The Hand on the Wall by Maureen Johnson

21. Shortest and longest book you read in 2020

Shortest is Harry Potter: Exploring Hogwarts which is 47 pages & longest is European Travels for the Monstrous Gentlewoman by Theodora Goss which is 720 pages.

22. Book that shocked you the most

I feel like shocked & surprised is basically the same in this case, so I have already answered this in question 6.

23. OTP of the year (you will go down with this r-ship)

Yeah I don’t do the whole OTP thing as I don’t generally care for romances…

24. Favourite non-romantic relationship of the year.

The friend group in The Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club is awesome! So have to go for them!

25. Favourite book you read in 2020 from an author you’ve read previously?

I’m going with both Loveless & Nick and Charlie for this as they are both by the same author & both good! Alice Oseman never fails to impress. I have previously read & loved I Was Born for This, Radio Silence & Heartstopper in recent years!

26. Best book you read in 2020 that you read based solely on a recommendation from somebody else/peer pressure?

I’m going with Skyward by Brandon Sanderson and it’s not because of a specific persons recommendation but because everyone and their dog has been recommending this book!

27. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2020?

Again, not my thing.

28. Best 2020 debut you read?

It was actually difficult to find a debut I read that I can actually recommend! I didn’t read many debuts this year apparently. But I’m going with The Silence of Bones by June Hur which is her debut & I really enjoyed it! I can’t wait for her next release The Forest of Stolen Girl which is coming out in 2021.

29. Best world-building/most vivid setting you read this year?

I kinda already answered this one with question 17 but Fawkes by Nadine Brandes is very atmospheric & has a very vivid setting.

30. Book that put a smile on your face/ was the most FUN to read?

This is actually a reread but I love it every time & that is the audiobook for Quidditch Through the Ages by J.K. Rowling. The audiobook features bonus content and it’s narrated by Bonnie Wright & it’s just amazing.

31. Book that made you cry or nearly cry in 2020?

I don’t think there is any new books I’ve read this year that made me cry but there is a reread that fits & that is Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel.

32. Hidden gem of the year?

Nocturna by Maya Motayne as I really didn’t expect this one to be as amazing as it was and not many people have been talking about it!

33. Book that crushed you soul?

There isn’t any that come to mind for this one!

34. Most unique book you read in 2020?

I’m going with The Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club by Theodora Goss because of the format of the book! You can find more books with an interesting format in yesterdays post!

35. Book that made you the most mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?

I’m going with Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare because this book was going so well & they they reveal the motive and it was like what, are you freaking kidding me?……… Still enjoyed it overall but the motive makes no sense.

Looking Ahead

36. One book you didn’t get to in 2020 but will be your number 1 priority in 2021?

This Vicious Cure by Emily Suvada! This has been on so many TBRs this year but when I sat down to read it earlier in the month i realised I don’t remember enough about book 2 in the series to follow what’s going on. So I want to do a reread of the first two books before reading this one! I’m hoping to do it very soon!

37. Book you are most anticipating in 2021 (non-debut)

I have a whole post about anticipated releases & you can find that HERE. I can’t decide which one is my MOST anticipated. So here is three.
The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni (April 13th)
The Mask Falling by Samantha Shannon (Feb 16th)
The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson (June 15th)

38. 2021 debut you are most anticipating?

The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould (August 3rd)

39. Series ending/a sequel you are most anticipating in 2021?

I’ve already mentioned the Mask Falling & The Box in the Woods so I won’t mention them again even though they fit this perfectly.
Red tigress by Amélie Wen Zhao (March 2nd)
Across the Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire (Jan 12th)

40. One thing you hope to accomplish or do in your reading/blogging life in 2021?

Review more audiobooks. I tend to forget to review audiobooks, so I want to get more in a habit of reviewing audiobooks as well as physical/eBooks.

41. A 2021 release you’ve already read and recommended to everyone (if applicable)?

I haven’t been requesting ARCs so I haven’t read any.

What is your favourite book of 2020?

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Tags Book, Book Blog, Book Blogger, Bookish, Books, End of Year Book Survey

🎄 Blogmas 🎅🏼 Tags

The Anti TBR Book Tag 🎄 Blogmas Day 14

Post author By Eliza Eames
Post date December 14, 2020
1 Comment on The Anti TBR Book Tag 🎄 Blogmas Day 14

Today I will be doing the Anti TBR Book Tag which was originally created by Nicole & Her Books over on YouTube. Let’s jump in!

1. A popular book EVERYONE loves that you have no interest in reading?

I have never had even the remotest interest in picking up The Cruel Prince. It’s compared to ACOTAR, which I didn’t like. It’s romance, which I don’t like. It’s been rated poorly by people with similar tastes to me. I just really don’t care to read it.

2. A classic book (or author) you don’t have an interest in reading?

Can I just answer with every classic because I basically have no interest in classics. I tried a couple and just really couldn’t get into the writing style of any of them. Also there isn’t any I’ve found where I’m like ‘hell yeah that sounds awesome!’ I feel like most of the ‘classics’ that are talked about most are contemporaries and majority are romance and I’m just not interested.

3. An author whose books you have no interest in reading?

Cassandra Clare easy. I could also say Holly Black but I’ve already used The Cruel Prince as an answer, so giving someone else a go. I have read 2 books by Cassandra Clare (City of Bones & City of Ashes) and I didn’t care for either of them at all. I know people say that the newer series are better and to just push through The Mortal Instruments but I am not forcing myself through 6 possibly mediocre books just in the hopes that the next series is better. Waste of time!

3.2 A problematic author whose books you have no interest in reading?

Sasha Alsberg. Do I need to say more? Also Zenith was not good at all, so not interested for that reason also.

4. An author you have read a couple of books from & have decided their books are not for you?

Neil Gaiman easily. I have read The Graveyard Book, The Ocean at the End of the Lane & Coraline and all were 3 stars which for me is just average. I didn’t hate them but I wasn’t exactly excited, so I don’t think I’ll bother with anymore by Neil Gaiman.

5. A genre you have no interest in OR a genre you tried to get into & couldn’t?

Romance is a pretty obvious one for me. Westerns is another that I’ve just never been interested in.

6. A book you have bought but will never read? (this can be a book you have unhauled/returned to the library unread)

I bought this one years back when everyone was hyping it after the movie came out & I’d just joined the blogging community. Let’s be real though I never had a chance of reading this… So I unhauled

7. A series you have no interest in reading OR a series you started & have dnf’d?

I read and enjoyed Strange the Dreamer but I wasn’t a fan of the romance so I basically ignored it. When I attempted to read Muse of Nightmares it was just full on romance from the very beginning. Just couldn’t keep going, so I DNFd and will never finish the series!

8. A new release you have no interest in reading?

Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli & Aisha Saeed

This is nothing against Aisha Saeed but I have had no interest in reading anything by Becky Albertalli since reading Leah on the Offbeat which I found very harmful & problematic towards the Bisexual community. Like I’m cool with problematic characters but at least have some representation that they are wrong/harmful. We don’t need to emphasise that it’s okay to try and force people to come out before they are ready or that it’s okay to lead people on or that it’s okay to tell someone that what they have labelled themselves doesn’t exist. THIS IS REALLY NOT OKAY and I can’t support an author that puts that message out.

What super popular book/author are you not interested in picking up?

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Tags Blogmas, Book, Book Blog, Book Blogger, Book Tag, Bookish, Bookish Tag, Books, Tag, The Anti TBR Book Tag

Blogtober 2020 Tags

Bookshelf Scavenger Hunt 📚 Blogtober #30

Post author By Eliza Eames
Post date October 30, 2020

I have done a book shelf scavenger hunt on my YouTube before but it had different prompts. So I thought I would give this one a go!

1. Find a book that starts with an “N”

2. Find a book cover that’s mostly brown

3. Find a book that’s based on a true story

4. Find a multiple perspective book

5. Find a book you read last year

6. Find the most recent book that you bought

Well this is the most recent one I got in the mail anyway. My most recent purchases online have not arrived yet!

7. Find a book cover you don’t like

8. Find a retelling

9. Find a book that is also a movie

I am still yet to watch it but it is a movie!

10. Find a book written this year

Well maybe not written this year but it was published this year!

11. Find a non-fiction book

12. Find a book you have told others to read

13. Find a book with a tree on the cover

14. Find a book where the author’s name is the same as yours (first, middle or last)

Yeah, I don’t own one. I don’t even know of any books by someone with the first name Eliza or last name Eames. So instead I chose a book that has a character called Eliza. She isn’t a main character but she is in there!

15. Find a book you have read more than once.

16. Find a book you didn’t finish

Don’t have one for this. I don’t keep books I have DNFd…

17. Find a book with a king in it

The king may not have been a major character and also not in the book for long but he was there, so it counts!

18. Find a book that’s purple with its dust jacket off

This is the OwlCrate edition of All the Stars and Teeth. The original cover has a blue naked hardcover.

19. Find a book you will read by the end of the year

Have you done a bookshelf scavenger hunt before?! Because if you haven’t you should give it a go! Give yourself a time frame if you want to make it a challenge!

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Tags Blogtober, Book, Book Blog, Book Blogger, Book Tag, Bookish, Bookish Tag, Books, Bookshelf Scavenger Hunt, Tag, Tag Sunday

Blogtober 2020 Tags

My Life in Books Tag 📚 Blogtober #24

Post author By Eliza Eames
Post date October 24, 2020

Today I am doing the My Life in Books Tag! So let’s jump in!

1. Find a book for each of your initials

Well I don’t have a middle name, so this is easy!
E: Escpaing from Houdini by Kerri Maniscalco
E: Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Librarby by Chris Grabenstein

2. Count your age along your bookshelf: What book is it?

3. Pick a book set in your city/country

Tomorrow When the War Began by John Marsden

4. Pick a book that represents a destination you’d love to travel to

Does this have to be real life location because screw that! I’m going to Medora!

5. Pick a book that’s your favourite colour

This light bluey purple colour it just stunning! My exact favourite colour is a kind of turquoise/aqua/teal kinda colour but I don’t have a book that is exactly that colour. I do have a candle that is this exact colour I love though! You can find it HERE!

6. Which book do you have the fondest memories of?

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

This is an obvious one. Harry Potter will always have a special place in my heart even if the author is a questionable human being.

7. Which book did you have the most difficulty reading?

Salt to the Sea is a WWII book that is written beautifully and is definitely a difficult one to stomach as it’s just so heartbreaking!

8. Which book in your TBR pile will give you the biggest accomplishment when you finish it?

Gothic Fantasy: Detective Mystery Short Stories

This is a massive short story collection that has ALOT of stories in it! I’d love to read it but it’s just huge & will be a big commitment.

What book on your TBR will be a massive accomplishment for you?

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Blogtober 2020 Tags

How I Read Book Tag 📚 Blogtober #10

Post author By Eliza Eames
Post date October 10, 2020
6 Comments on How I Read Book Tag 📚 Blogtober #10

I haven’t done any tags in ages so I thought I would throw some in during BlogTober! This one was apparently created by EnyasCorner on YouTube but it no longer has any content on the account so I can’t be sure. The post I saw this on was from 6 years ago! But I like the questions, so let’s jump in!

1. How do you find out about new books to read?

At the moment Booktube & Instagram mostly. Also Facebook Groups are a good place to find recommendations as well! I haven’t really been reading blog posts lately as I just haven’t been in the mood but I usually get reccs from there too.

2. How did you get into reading?

I have always been kinda interested in reading and I used to read books when I was in primary school but then I didn’t read for most of High School until I received a copy of Switched by Amanda Hocking in a Dolly Magazine and read it and loved it and then read the other books in the series as well as other books by the author. I then read Vampire Academy & the companion series Bloodlines and then took another long break. It wasn’t until I discovered The YA Chronicles subscription box (No longer available) & the Book Blogging community that I fully dived into read again and I haven’t stopped since.

3. How has your taste in books changed as you’ve gotten older?

Fantasy has definitely always been my favourite genre with Sci-Fi, Mystery & Historical Fiction being my second favourites and I have never been interested in romances. However now I am kinda discovering that my taste is changing from Fantasy being my favourite genre to Mystery/Thriller/Horror being my thing. I love a fantasy with a mystery as well but I am gravitating more to Mystery/Thriller/Horror now than I am to any other genre.

4. How often do you buy books?

Often! I generally buy books in batches of 4 or 5 because then I can get free shipping through Angus & Robertson which is my go to store. I usually place an order anywhere from 1 to 4 times a month depending on cash at the time but I do tend to pre-order a lot too so those orders come in over a couple months.

5. How did you get into BookTube/Book Blogging?

I’m answering this for both as I have both. For Blogging I really don’t remember who I read or what made me think ‘hey I can do that’ but I love designing websites and I used to spend hours messing with my Tumblr accounts so I took some time and set up a blog through WordPress and my first post was a review of Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton which is still an all time fave!
As for BookTube I’m also not sure what specifically made be do it but I discovered BookTube and at the time I was filming a lot on Instagram Stories for my Bookstagram account so I thought fuck it, why not do YouTube too.

6. How do you react when you don’t like the end of a book?

I honestly don’t know how to respond to this? I finish the book and review it like usual? Depending on whether I liked the book overall I may continue if it’s a series. But that’s about it.

7. How often have you taken a sneaky look at the back page of a book to see if it’s a happy ending?

I have never actually done this. Or even ever been tempted really.

Has your taste in books changed over the years?! Or am I the only one that did a full 360 on what genre I enjoy most!

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Tags Book, Book Blog, Book Blogger, Book Tag, Bookish, Bookish Tag, Books, How I Read Book Tag, Tag

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Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag 💫 2020

Post author By Eliza Eames
Post date July 9, 2020
4 Comments on Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag 💫 2020

It’s that time of year again so let’s jump straight in!!

1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2020?

You can find my spoiler free review HERE!

2. Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2020?

Aurora Burning by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

I couldn’t choose between these! They were both just amazing. I’m yet to review Aurora Burning but that should be up soon. You can find my Nyxia Unleashed spoiler free review HERE!

3. New release you haven’t read yet but want to?

These are all 2020 releases that I own but haven’t had a chance to get to just yet! It will be definitely be happening soon thought!

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year?

There are many I’m looking forward to but these are the ones that came to mind! All of these books are by authors whose books I have loved before so I can’t wait to see their newest works!

5. Biggest Disappointment?

These are both books I DNFd because I wasn’t enjoying or just couldn’t get into them. I did expect to enjoy both so they were both disappointing!

6. Biggest Surprise

The Strange Case of the Alchemists Daughter by Theodora Goss

Both of these I picked up on a whim and knew NOTHING about them! I loved both of them a tonne! So these were definitely a surprise.

7. Favourite new author?

Fawkes was the second Nadine Brandes book I read and while I enjoyed Romanov by her I loved Fawkes and it pushed her up to an auto buy author.
The Girl in Red was the first of Christina Henry’s books that I read this year and enjoyed book! Will definitely be grabbing her other books.
The Strange Case of the Alchemists Daughter is the first book in a trilogy I read this year that I absolutely loved!

8. Newest Fictional Crush

Yeah fictional crushes is not something I feel. Favourite characters, sure but not crushes.

9. Favourite New Character

Catherine is hands down my new favourite character! She is sassy and hilarious and I just loved her in The Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club trilogy!

10. A book that made you cry?

Besides by rereads I don’t actually think a new buy has made be cry so far this year.

11. A book that made you happy?

12. Favourite book to movie adaptation you saw this year?

I haven’t actually watched any yet this year.

13. Favourite review you’ve written this year?

Can’t decided between these 3 all of which are 4.5 or 5 star reads!

Fawkes by Nadine Brandes

The Hand on the Wall by Maureen Johnston

Nyxia Unleashed by Scott Reintgen

14. Most beautiful books you’ve bought so far this year?

15. What books do you need to read before the end of the year?

I have a list of 20 books to read in 2020! So the answer is basically all the ones I haven’t read yet, which is 17 of them!

How’s has your first half of 2020 done for your reading?

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Tags Book, Book Blog, Book Blogger, Book Tag, Bookish, Books, Mid Year Book Freakout Tag

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Tag Sunday: The Reader Problems Book Tag

Post author By Eliza Eames
Post date August 4, 2019
5 Comments on Tag Sunday: The Reader Problems Book Tag

I wasn’t specifically tagged in this one but I have been trying to get back into blogging more, so I thought bringing back Tag Sunday. I saw Destiny from Howling Libraries do this one, so decided to give it a go as well! You should also go and check her out!

1. You have 20,000 books on your TBR. How do you decide what to read next?

Probably find a ReadAThon with specific challenges and join that and let the challenges choose what I read!

2. You’re halfway through a book, and you’re just not loving it. Do you put it down or are you committed?

DNF for sure! I DNF fairly regularly as I can usually feel pretty early if I’m going to find a book boring. No point wasting time on average books when you could be reading awesome ones!

3. The end of the year is coming, and you’re behind on your reading challenge. do you try to catch up? And if so, how?

Try and catch up! Probably join a ReadAThon which will push me to read more & also find some audiobooks & graphic novels on Scribd that I can get through quickly!

4. The covers of a series you love do not match. How do you cope?

If its a series that I could buy matching editions of (that are pretty) but just don’t have the cash for it ATM, then I’m not too worried as I know I’ll buy the good matching covers at some point. However, if the publisher’s change the covers part way through a series or something along those lines and I can’t get matching covers, then that frustrates the hell out of me. If its a series I love though I’ll get over it eventually even if it pisses me off.

5. Everyone and their mother love a book that you do not. Who do you bond with over your shared feelings?

I don’t really know. Even the people who I have very similar tastes as there is still the odd couple of popular books that I’m not a fan of. So don’t really have a specific person.

6. You’re reading a book in public, and you’re about to start crying. How do you deal?

Sorry, can’t relate. I barely ever read in public except the very odd occasion at the Drs. And also I barely ever cry in books. So I’ve never had this issue, so I have no idea.

7. The sequel to a book you loved just came out, but you’ve forgotten a lot of what happens. Are you going to reread it?

It depends on the book really. Sometimes I will reread but usually I’ll just jump into it. On the odd occasion I will google a book overview for the book I can’t remember.

8. You do not want anyone to borrow your books. How do you politely say no when someone asks?

Yeah, if you know me then you will know that I don’t do most thinks politely. So I would likely just say ‘Nope, don’t lend my books!’… I also don’t even have a real life person that would want to borrow any books as basically none of my mates read or if they do it’s only very small amounts.

9. You have picked up and put down five books in the last month. How do you get over this reading slump?

Reread Harry Potter series and/or jump on the audiobook bandwagon. Sometimes rerad Harry Potter via audiobook. Also Agatha Christie Audiobooks are great!

10. There are so many books coming out that you are dying to read. How many do you end up buying?

That depends on what I can afford. I work seasonally, so from April to September it’s usually a bit tight, so I usually utilise AfterPay and get a couple books at a time with breaks inbetween. Thank goodness for AfterPay 😂

11. After you purchase all of these books that you’re dying to read, how long do they sit on your shelf before you read them?

Firstly, uhm, Rude! That really depends. Sometimes I read them within the month but also sometimes I leave them for months of years. There isn’t really a good answer for that one!

I Tag!

Anyone who feels like doing the tag!
I’ve been super inactive on here for months. So I really need to get back into that and make some friends again. 😂

What are your thoughts on DNFing? Are you like me and just scrap a book if you’re not loving it?

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Tags Book, Book Tag, Bookish, Books, Tag, Tag Sunday

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Totally Should’ve Book Tag

Post author By Eliza Eames
Post date July 27, 2018
11 Comments on Totally Should’ve Book Tag

I haven’t done a tag in forever! So I decided I would do one now! All I did was go into the WordPress Reader and scrolled until I found a tag! So the first tag I found was the Totally Should’ve Book Tag and The Book Dutchesses is who posted it.

Let’s jump in!

1. Totally should’ve…..gotten a sequel

I do love that this was a standalone as YA Fantasy standalone’s are rare, but also this book was amazing and I wanted more.

2. Totally should’ve…… had a spin-off series

Do I really need to explain myself?

3. Totally should’ve……who totally should write more books

This is Alwyn Hamilton’s debut and it was bloody amazing!! So I need something else from her!

4. Totally should’ve……ended differently

There is one specific thing that should have been different at the end of this book! But I don’t want to spoil anyway, sooo….

5. Totally should’ve……had a movie franchise

I am not going to answer this but knowing how a lot of book to movie adaptations go, they ruin it. So no.
But a book that would make a cool movie would be Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel

6. Totally should’ve……had a TV series

Same as for the movie. I don’t want it ruined but a book that would make an awesome TV show if done correctly would be The Menagerie Series by Tui T Sutherland & Kari Sutherland

7. Totally should’ve……had one point of view

I wouldn’t necessarily say this should have had only 1 POV, but less than it did might have been nice to connect with the characters more. I do love multi POV books though.

8. Totally should’ve……had a cover change

These covers are just no!! I honestly prefer the 10th year anniversary & movie covers (below) to these. But none of them are great. Out of all of them, the movie cover is the best-looking one and that is saying something! This series is amazing can we please do something about these shitty covers though!

9. Totally should’ve……kept the original covers

I have a couple.

First off, I don’t hate the cover change itself as the new UK covers are awesome too. But it pisses me off that they changed it mid way through a series! If you’re going to do that, still come out with the next books as a matching cover. and the new covers. Like Alwyn Hamilton did with Rebel of the Sands!

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Next, I know both are still available but the first covers are gorgeous!!

10. Totally should’ve……stopped at one book

Okay, so for this one it should have stopped after the second book.

I really enjoyed Firstlife & Lifeblood but Everlife, my god! It read like a fucking Adult romance 80% of the time! And it’s meant to be a YA fantasy. It was just bad.

I Tag

I usually don’t tag specific people, but I thought fuck it. Why not, so I tag:

Kathy @ Books and Munches

Maya @ Fire-Breathing Book Dragon

Destiny @ Howling Libraries

Arwa @ One’s Peculiar

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Aussie? Want quick shipping? Awesome prices? Want to be able to use AfterPay? Maybe try Booktopia or even Angus & Robertson!

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Tags Book, Book Blog, Book Blogger, Bookish, Bookish Tag, Books, Tag, Totally Should've Book tag

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Unpopular Opinions Book Tag

Post author By Eliza Eames
Post date May 28, 2018

So here is my unpopular opinions book tag! This Tag was created by The Book Archer on YouTube! Obviously this is just a link to my YouTube video, but I didn’t see the point in typing out the whole thing when you guys can just watch the video! Hope you enjoy and subscribe!

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Tags Book, Books, Reading, Tag, Unpopular Opinions Book Tag

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No Disclaimer Book Tag

So I haven’t been tagged in this, but I haven’t done a tag in ages as I always forget when I get tagged. I have seen this one around a fair bit, along with the Unpopular opinions Book Tag and want to do both. So let’s get straight into the questions.

1. Which trope (or tropes) in books, annoy you the most?

I have done a discussion on this topic actually but the one that annoys me the most is the missing/dead/unkown parents trope or just crappy parents. Why can’t our main characters have a nice family?!?! Like I know in real life this isn’t a trope, it is a reality for a lot of people. However, I feel like it is the case in 90 YA books out of 100 which is a little out of hand. I will do the same as I did in my discussion post on this subject. I will look at the last 10 books I read, in order, and say whether this was a present trope. I won’t say titles of the books though because I don’t want to spoil anything.

Father present, mother I think is dead (can’t remember as it’s been a while since reading the first book)
Dead parents
Dead mother & unknown father
Parent’s only paid attention to the child fully after the events of the book, beforehand, they didn’t really care as the MC wasn’t the smart or athletic one like his brothers.
Dead parents
Dead parents
Dead parents
Parents killed early in the book
Parents alive but don’t understand their daughter and are more worried about other things most of the time
Dead parents

Do you see what I mean?!!?!?!?!?!

2. Which writer/writers do you feel are overrated/overhyped?

Hands down, Cassandra Clare. I couldn’t seven finish the first series and I have no interest in continuing to the other books. I might consider it if she ever solo writes a book that isn’t in the TMI world. Because at this point everyone loves the other 2 series, but you have to read TMI to continue and I couldn’t be fucked reading 4 more boring books just to get to the better series. I’m not doing it.
I do however enjoy the Magisterium series by her & Holly Black, but it’s middle grade and because of the co-author situation it has a whole other feel to it compared to TMI.

Another one that is overhyped is Neil Gaiman. I just haven’t been able to get into any of his books. I have read 3 Neil Gaiman books now and have not enjoyed any in the slightest.

3. What are your least favourite books you’ve read, since joining BookTube?
(Yes this is a BookTube started tag, but I’m just doing it on my blog!)

Out of the books I fully read, not DNFd the books with the lowest ratings on my Goodreads are:

Zenith by Lindsay Cummings & Sasha Alsberg
The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by Jack Thorne
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
This is Where the World Ends by Amy Zhang
End of the World: The Beginning by Nesly Clerge

These were all under 2 star reads for me.

4. A terrible ending, that ruined an otherwise quality book?

I can’t think of a book that really fits this. For most of the books that I think about with crappy endings, there was something else throughout the book that I didn’t like either, so it wasn’t necessarily just the shitty ending the ruined it.
So instead, I’m going with a series that had a crappy ending and I’m choosing the Everlife series by Gena Showalter. I really enjoyed the first two books in this series and then the last book ruined it for me. It was obsessively romantic whenever we were reading from Killian’s POV, which was completely unnecessary in a YA fantasy book. It was actually kinda bordering on creepy as fuck at some points, just the way that character talked about the love interest. It completely put me off this series. If you want to see some quotes of what I am talking about and other reasons why this book felt like an over the top cringe-worthy romance more than a YA fantasy, then check out my review HERE.

5. Which fictional character(s) do you wish were not killed off?

**** Highlight the blank spaces to see the spoilers! ****

Okay, so spoilers for Harry Potter first off.
There is a tonne in Harry Potter that I wish weren’t killed off. Dobby, Fred, Lupin, Tonks, Colin Creevey, Lavender Brown and probably more that I can’t think of right now.

Next, spoiler for The Bronze Key, the 3rd book in the Magisterium series.
This one is fresh in my mind as I only just finished listening to the audiobook of this today, but Aaron! Why did they have to kill him? Like I have a weird feeling that somehow he will come back in the next book as weirder shit has happened in this series, but why?

Next, just everyone amazing character that dies in the Rebel of the Sands series. There is so many and that last book fucking killed me. Why did you have to kill off the best characters?
Okay, spoilers! Why did you have to kill SAM???????

6. What are some of your bookish pet peeves?

Soft touch covers. They look nice, they feel nice but they leave FINGERPRINTS FUCKING EVERYWHERE!!!! And the covers just don’t last as they don’t have that protective plastic coating over the top! All the silver detail just rubbed of my ACOTAR books because there was no top coating.

And just books in general that have that cheap plastic coating on top that just peels up. I have had Harry Potter books that are first edition paperbacks and read multiple times that the cover is still in perfect condition, yet I read some brand new books once and the plastic starts peeling off and taking half the cover image with it! Bitch, I probably paid near $20 for you!! Stay in one piece, at least for the first damn read!

7. What are some books you feel should have more recognition?

Hands down, The Medoran Chronicles by Lynette Noni! If someone asks for a YA fantasy recommendation I straight away recommend this series! It is so damn good! Has a bloody awesome world and magic system. Has the best friend group I have ever read in a YA fantasy. Basically no romance until the 4th book. It has dragons!! That can bond with humans and communicate telepathically! Come on?! What’s not to love about this series?!?!!?
Yes I know, people overseas can’t get the physical copy as it’s an Australian publisher, but you should be able to get the eBook. Or maybe even check QBD for international shipping. It is so worth it. Her new book is available in US & Canada, but it is with a different publisher! Hopefully, eventually, The Medoran Chronicles will be available too!

8. What are your thoughts on censorship, and banning books?

Okay, I don’t think a lot of the books that are banned in schools should be. Like Harry Potter, that decision was just stupidity, not that there was actual content in the book that could be harming. However, I do think that library books should have trigger warnings displayed. Actually, scrap that, I think all books should have trigger warnings easily identified on the cover.

If a teen wants to read a book with topics such as mental health then that should be allowed because most of the time, during high school, is when a lot of people struggle with mental health, I was one of them. There should be books available that they can read about similar topics to possibly help them deal with that. Like The Perks of Being a Wallflower being a prime example that I know has been challenged and banned in the past and maybe still is. I don’t know. I can’t find an actual list of challenged and banned books in Aus. I have found a list for the US, but I can’t find any Aussie based lists and I have been searching for half an hour..
Also, books that feature LGBT content was often banned. However it is actually legal now in a lot of places, why should that be banned now?!

I do however agree that books with certain sexual content don’t need to be in a school library. Not necessarily banned, but does the school librarian really think that books like 50 Shades of Grey need to be on their shelves were an 11 year old can go and grab it?
But that is just common sense.

Side note, I was just reading some of the reasons certain books were challenged in the US and some of this shit is hilarious.
Wanna know one reason 50 Shades of Grey was challenged?? “Poorly written”.
What about Harry Potter? “Setting bad examples”
‘Be right back, just going to hiss at a tap and see if the sink disappears into the floor so I can hide from class?’ Yes, Harry Potter is definitely setting realistic bad examples for muggle children.
How about The Lord of the Rings? “Supernatural themes”, no fucking shit sherlock! That is the point of fantasy!
What about a book called ‘Sex Education’?? “Sexual content”. Fucking really?! What year do kids do sex ed in the US that a book about Sex Ed is banned? Look out! Scary pictures!!!!
Where’s Waldo! Where’s Waldo was challenged?! Are you shitting me right now? We have Where’s Wally here in Aus and I’m fairly certain my primary school had those books and we used to get in trouble for hiding in the corner doing Where’s Wally instead of reading a book! Wanna know the reason why it was banned though? “Nudity”! Okay, maybe Where’s Waldo is a lot more different to Where’s Wally than I thought, but I don’t remember hunting for a set of binoculars and finding a set of tits instead. Just saying.