End-of-Year Book Freakout Tag 2018! (fave characters and other bookish madness)

I’m stealing this from the ever-fabulous Sarah @ Dreams and Dragons, and I’m tweaking some of the questions from “in the second half of the year” to just the year in general, given that I didn’t do one of these for the first half. XD

(Also, I was going to link to the books, but given how many of them I reference in this post, that sounds exhausting. So I will point you in the direction of this list of things I read in 2018, where you can find most of the books. And if I do links to books in the post, it will be to reviews I wrote. :))

1. Best book you’ve read in 2018

I will be doing a top 15 reads of 2018 post soon! (Once I put together my reading lists and make difficult life decisions like what I loved most. Being a bookworm is haaard.)

But off the top of my head I’m going to say . . . Echo North (which I JUST finished!) and The Electrical Menagerie and Lady Moon. ALL SO GOOD. ❤ ❤ ❤ There will be others in my upcoming post!

2. Best sequel you’ve read in 2018

Minstrel’s Call, Sage, and Song of Leira. I HAVE SO MANY FEELS. I LOVE THEM ALL. They were all actually CONCLUSIONS to series and absoluly blew me away and just… my heart! ❤

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

So many! But I think I’ll go with the first Green Princess book which I STILL haven’t read. And Rothana (because Halayda was amazing) and I’m sooo excited to get my copy in the mail sometime. 😀 *curls up on mailbox in the form of a small dragon and waits*

4. Most anticipated release for next year

I have a few, but Flight of the Raven is up there on the list!

Also The Mountain Baron because I beta-read it and it’s awesome!

5. Biggest disappointment

Maybe Fawkes? It just wasn’t my favorite and now I feel bad and have no idea how to review it but it’s a review book and this is all really awkward… (Or should I say fawkward?)

6. Biggest surprise

Hmm. I don’t know if there were any huge surprises? I guess I’ll just go with how surprised I was at how much I adored the first Ranger’s Apprentice, which I talked all about here.

7. Favorite new-to-you author

So many, but I’ll pick three: W.R. Gingell, Mollie E. Reeder, and Joanna Ruth Meyer! I’m going to read all of their things. ❤ (People, go add Masque, The Electrical Menagerie, and Echo North to your TBR right now.)

8. Newest fictional crush/ship

Let’s go with ships, shall we? *cough*

SO MANY. In no particular order:

• Malcolm and Melody (The Return of Beaumont and Beasley)
• SPOILERS from Sage
• Kate and Patrick from the Kate’s Case Files books (I read Kate’s Dilemma and Kate’s Conundrum this year)
• Gan and Chouko (Blood in the Snow)
• Tomas and Celine (Lady Moon)
• Damien and Selena (Mark of the Raven)
• Isabella and Lord Pecus (Masque)
• Hal and Echo (Echo North)

9. Newest favorite character(s)

DO YOU WANT TO BE HERE ALL DAY? *cough* For a start:

• Jayden and Dana (various short stories by Arthur Daigle! I NEED these to be a novel so I can share about them to EVERYONE. BECAUSE THEY’RE MY FAVORITE THING.)
• Halt (Ranger’s Apprentice)
• Tomas (Lady Moon)
• The Horse Lords (Masque)
• Todd Crane (Horseman)
• Carthage and Huxley and Dominic (The Electrical Menagerie)
• Damien (Mark of the Raven)
• Chayse (Falling Snow)
• and last but far from least, Hal (Echo North)

And characters who aren’t exactly NEW, since I’ve met them before, but I want to include anyway:

• Kiernan Kane and Brant (Minstrel’s Call)
• Jet and Zekk (Sage)
• Cade (Song of Leira)
• Blaze (Lightporter)
• Nick and Crispin and Malcolm (The Return of Beaumont and Beasley)
• Mairelon (Mairelon the Magician)
• Burndee (A Royal Masquerade)
• Mitt and Navis and ALL THE PEOPLE (The Crown of Dalemark)

I HAVE A LOT OF FAVORITE CHARACTERS, OKAY. ❤

10. A book that made you cry

Song of Leira! You KNOW what part it was if you’ve read it. My feeeeels.

11. A book that made you happy

Oh, so many! But since I’ve already mentioned some in my “favorites” I’ll avoid repeating myself, and I’ll say Common. It just . . . made me happy. ^_^

12. Favorite book to film adaptation you’ve seen this year

I suddenly can’t remember the movies I watched this year. XD I did just see Mortal Engines at the theater and thought it was LOADS OF FUN (go see it) but I haven’t read the book . . . *shame*

I was just watching some episodes of The Return of Sherlock Holmes featuring Jeremy Brett, who I hadn’t watched before, and a couple of those were good adaptions.

We’ll go with those two because they were this month and who even remembers the rest of the year? 😛 (Hint: Not me.)

13. Favorite post(s) you’ve done this year

These are just a few, for this blog… I haven’t checked my other blog for favorites yet. XD

• A Ramble on Ranger’s Apprentice
• The 15 Most Glorious Book Gems I Read In 2017
• March Magics 2018: Wrapup
• I’m Back! + Realm Makers Bookhaul + Bookish News! {August 2018}
• Believing Fairytales by Arthur Daigle: Mini Review (+ Featuring Me Squawking About Jayden Because #Excuses)
• Five Poisoned Apples: Falling Snow by Skye Hoffert (Review!)

14. Most beautiful book you’ve bought/received this year

Oh, man. I feel like there have been so many gorgeous ones! For now I think I’ll go with two I got for Christmas: Blood in the Snow and The Fall of Gondolin (with epic illustrations!!).

15. Any other books you want to babble about for any other reason?

Ohhh, yes. *rubs hands gleefully together* How about a random collection of books that I enjoyed for various reasons (some of which are different than my usual genres so might not make it to my top-books post but we’ll see). And some re-reads and beta-reads.

• Scoundrels was a super-fun sci-fi heist featuring Han Solo (set between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back), and it’s by Timothy Zahn so I knew I’d like it, but it was just totally awesome! (They should have made it a movie instead of Solo. XD)
• Dear Mr. Knightley is a contemporary and I had no idea I’d like it as much as I did because it’s totally not my thing, but I loved it.
• Trial by Song was a modern scary-fairy Jack and the Beanstalk retelling with a smidge of Snow White set in winter and was SO INTENSE. O_O
• Healers and Warriors was an awesome continuation of a modern fantasy series that makes me happy, and I loved the twists and characters and… I gotta say, the villain was so creepy and well-written!
• The False Prince and The Stealthmaster’s Shadow had really snarky main characters who told the stories, which gave me life!
• Lightporter and RotoVegas are both really fun YA superhero novels, and just… can we talk about how it’s cool that this is a thing?

I also re-read all the Beaumont and Beasley books that came out last year (because I’m now the Editor of the Afterverse), which was LOADS of fun. (The Return of Beaumont and Beasle and Horseman came out this year, so those were new reads.)

I re-read the Dalemark Quartet by Diana Wynne Jones, which was a highlight because I’ve been meaning to do that for ages, and The Crown of Dalemark is still one of my top fave DWJ books.

I beta-read three INCREDIBLE books which have yet to be published:

• The Road to Bremen by Kelsey Bryant (releasing in January! I can’t wait to see the cover and illustrations!)
• The Brightest Thread by Tracey Dyck (which I hope will be published someday sooon because it was a stellar Sleeping Beauty novel featuring dreams and Prince Hadrian who is My Fave)
• The Mountain Baron by C. M. Banschbach (releasing summer 2019 and featuring Rhys, my smol floof of anger management issues, and lots of clannishness and outlaws and feels).

I just had to give a shout-out about these!

Okay! I will stop babbling before I end up talking about every book I read this year. XD

What’s your favorite book you read in 2018? Did you have a good reading year? (Mine was fabulous!) And do you have any bookish resolutions for 2019?

Thanks for reading!

Stay tuned for more bookish posts in the new year. 🙂

Happy New Year, my pagelings!

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“Totally Should’ve…” Book Tag

The lovely Madeline @ Short & Snappy tagged me ages ago for the “Totally Should’ve…” book tag! Yay! Thanks ever so muchly, Madeline! It looks like fun. ^_^ (And be sure to check out Madeline’s blog as well, because it’s a delight! <3)

So I will now answer the question with books that totally should’ve . . .

Gotten a sequel:

Illusionarium by Heather Dixon. You knew this one was coming. 😉

Had a spin-off series:

How about the Heist Society series? I want a spin-off all about Hale! 🙂

(An author who totally should) Write more books:

Gillian Bronte Adams! I’ve loved what I’ve read so far and want more. ^_^

(A character who totally should’ve) Ended up with someone else:

Is it weird I can’t think of anyone for this one?

Ended differently:

Let me count the ways . . . Ahem. I could probably be here all day but off the top of my head from books I read this year, I’ll say The Thief Lord and The Last Dragonslayer.

Had a movie:

I’m going to be lame and say Illusionarium again. XD Seriously though…

Had a movie franchise:

The Star Wars Heir to the Empire trilogy by Timothy Zahn… >.>

Had a TV show:

The Rising Shadows trilogy by Ashley Townsend (Rising Shadows, Chasing Shadows, Defying Shadows). Maybe a mini-series? But Defying Shadows especially would be FANTASTIC on-screen. 😀 And since they’re a series and kind of long and somewhat episodic (plus I wouldn’t want ANYTHING to be cut out so it would have to be long) a TV show would be fabulous. It would be gorgeous and epic and sweet and medieval and modern and time-travel-y and just yes. Somebody make this happen.

Had only one point of view:

I can’t think of one for this either! I love multiple POVs. It gives the book more scope.

Have a cover change:

How about several Diana Wynne Jones books…? There are a few very nice covers for her books, but it does seem like she got more than her fair share of bizarre, kind of icky covers… o.o

Kept the original covers:

I think I liked the original cover of The Seahorse Legacy better than the remade one… I like them both but the original was just kinda perfect to me. ^_^

(original left; new version right)

Stopped at book one:

Not at book one, but I would have been happier, I think, if The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede had been just the first two books (Dealing with Dragons and Searching for Dragons). I enjoyed the other two but they weren’t the same. (Of course, I hear that the first three were written as prequels because the fourth one was published first, so I guess this wouldn’t have worked out! XD)

I’m tagging anyone reading this who wants to do it. 🙂 What do you think? Any books that “totally should’ve…” something?

Thanks for reading!

Dream away in those Pages . . .

~ The Page Dreamer

The Birthstone Book Tag

Grace @ Fictionally tagged me once upon a time for The Birthstone Book Tag — thanks so much, Grace! 🙂 These look fun, and also difficult…

Here we go!

1: January Garnet: Name a character that you think is evil/dark.

Rupert de la Mare from Plenilune by Jennifer Freitag. He’s my go-to villain for questions like this.

2: February Amethyst: Name a book you think of as regal.

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, because it’s the best. ❤

3: March Aquamarine: Name a character you think of as weak, or as more of a follower.

Catherine Morland from Northanger Abbey is more of a follower, methinks.

4: April Diamond: Name a book that you love, but isn’t very well known.

Broken Glass by Emma Clifton in the Five Glass Slippers anthology. It’s perfection and I love it SO MUCH and everyone should read it. And while I’m at it, I’m going to also add Corroded Thorns by Emma Clifton, because it’s the sequel and I consider them one story and it’s also a top favorite of mine. Steampunk fantasy retellings of Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast, they’re just perfect. ❤

5: May Emerald: Name two characters who balance each other out.

Jonathan and Lockwood from Illusionarium by Heather Dixon. Jonathan’s all smart and cautious (usually) and Lockwood’s daring and reckless. Plus they just make an excellent pair.

6: June Pearl: Name a character that is loyal.

Ky from Orphan’s Song and Songkeeper by Gillian Bronte Adams. ❤ HE IS SO INCREDIBLY LOYAL. It’s the best.

7: July Ruby: Name a book that aggravates you/makes your blood boil.

The End by Lemony Snicket, final book in A Series of Unfortunate Events. Just… NO.

8: August Peridot: Name a supporting character you preferred to the main character.

Blaze and Anvil from Twinepathy by C.B. Cook! They’re epic. ❤

9: September Sapphire: Name a book that you found to be calming.

The Railway Children by E. Nesbit. Love that one!

10: October Opal: Name a book with a pretty cover.

Entwined by Heather Dixon. I believe it speaks for itself…

11: November Topaz: Name a book with a resilient protagonist.

I’m going to go with Ginger from Paper Crowns by Mirriam Neal. She’s fabulous. ^_^

12: December Blue Zicron: Name a fictional friendship you would love to be a part of.

Howl, Sophie, Calcifer, Michael — that would be a group I would just love being a part of. ❤ *spontaneously teleports to Wales in the hopes of finding a portal into Ingary*

So what think ye? Do you have picks for any of these? Agree with any of mine? Feel free to steal the tag if it looks fun! 🙂

Thanks for reading!

Dream away in those pages . . .

~ The Page Dreamer

How I Read Tag

Another tag! (Incidentally, this is my 50th post here on the Page Dreamer!!! *confetti*)

I was tagged once upon a time by Abi @ Rambling Writer for the How I Read Tag — thanks so much Abi! 🙂

These questions look FASCINATING and like they’re going to be great fun to answer. So I shall get to it!

(P.S., you are tagged, page-dreaming readers of mine, if you want to answer them — or just answer in the comments! ^_^)

1. HOW DO YOU FIND NEW BOOKS TO READ?

LET ME COUNT THE WAYS. Mostly through Goodreads. So many books on there. Sometimes I’ll find random interesting books at library sales and bring them home. Sometimes I’ll be perusing shelves at a library and need to try some out. And the amount of times I’ll read a friend’s blog post or review and decide I need to read said book is beyond count. XD

2. HOW DID YOU GET INTO READING?

I was homeschooled, so reading was very much encouraged. I learned to read at a very young age and was very quickly addicted, believe me. 😉 I haven’t looked back since. BOOKS ARE LIFE.

3. HOW HAS YOUR TASTE IN BOOKS CHANGED AS YOU’VE GOTTEN OLDER?

This is a fascinating question. Well, when I was younger I read a lot more books for children… I also read a lot of older books, and more historical fiction. These days I’ve gone very into fantasy, I’ve even branched out into a couple other things like (gasp) contemporary etc., and I mostly read YA, though I do read the occasional Adult as well. I also now read newer releases a lot, which is interesting, but occasionally I do miss the days when the newest books I read were like 50 years old. 😛 When I look back at how my taste has changed… I half like it and half am creeped out. XD I sometimes read darker stuff now, which kind of bothers me, but at the same time I’m just not real interested anymore in some of the kinds of books I read when I was younger… which is half sad, half exciting since I have found exciting fantasy etc. I don’t know. It’s very mixed.

4. HOW OFTEN DO YOU BUY BOOKS?

Not very often, actually… I usually go to a few library sales in the year, and I usually get some for my birthday and Christmas, but other than that my book-buying tendencies are limited due to limited funds and all that. (The classic broke bookworm. ;)) Unless, of course, you count ebooks, in which case I’m steadily amassing more free kindle books than I have any business acquiring, given how little I actually READ ebooks… and if I happen to have an Amazon giftcard around, sometimes I’ll buy the occasional ebook.

5. HOW DID YOU GET INTO BOOK REVIEWING?

Accidentally. XD

A couple of author friends asked if I’d like to be a reviewer for their books. I had never done this sort of thing before but decided to try it. So I reviewed those. Then I happened to see two different authors on their blogs give a call for reviewers for books that I was really excited to read, and I signed up for those. After that, I was addicted. XD

That’s as far as “professional” reviewing. Casual reviewing, like I ususally do on this blog, is just… whenever I feel like it. *shrug*

6. HOW DO YOU REACT IF YOU DON’T LIKE THE ENDING OF THE BOOK?

That really depends. If the book itself was good enough and outweighs the bad ending enough, then I’ll feel empty for a day or two and then eventually let the good slowly push the bad away and I’ll still love the book. But mostly if I don’t like the ending, I get depressed/sad/angry and tend to give said book a very low rating. *cough* If I read a book whose ending I don’t like, I tend to go around under a gloomy cloud all day, if not longer, so it’s very bad if I don’t like a book. 😉

7. HOW OFTEN DO YOU TAKE A SNEAK PEEK AT THE ENDING TO SEE IF THERE’S A HAPPY ENDING?

Very rarely. I try not to spoil books for myself on purpose… but I WILL admit there have been a couple of times that I did take a look to see, if I was really worried. 😉 It also accounts for the two books of ever that I’ve DNF-d (Did Not Finish, for those unfamiliar with the term), because I didn’t like the endings and wasn’t willing to slog through the rest if it was going end like THAT. I can’t think of other specific examples but I may have. *shrug*

***

And there you have it!

Le questions, if you’d like to do this tag:

1. HOW DO YOU FIND NEW BOOKS TO READ?
2. HOW DID YOU GET INTO READING?
3. HOW HAS YOUR TASTE IN BOOKS CHANGED AS YOU’VE GOTTEN OLDER?
4. HOW OFTEN DO YOU BUY BOOKS?
5. HOW DID YOU GET INTO BOOK REVIEWING?
6. HOW DO YOU REACT IF YOU DON’T LIKE THE ENDING OF THE BOOK?
7. HOW OFTEN DO YOU TAKE A SNEAK PEEK AT THE ENDING TO SEE IF THERE’S A HAPPY ENDING?

How about you? How has your taste in books changed, and do you think it’s a good or bad thing? How do you react to unliked endings? Do you want to do this tag?

Thanks for reading! 🙂

Dream away in those pages . . .

~ The Page Dreamer

30 Bookish Questions Tag

Cait @ Paper Fury had a wonderful getting-to-know-me post with 30 great bookish questions awhile back, and it looked so fun I simply had to turn it into a tag and steal it. 😉 (Don’t worry, she encouraged us to steal it. XD)

1) Currently reading?

Too busy to reeeeead right now . . . ! *flailing* Soon, though… *eyes enormous TBR shelf*

2) Should’ve read, like, yesterday?

SO MANY. Like all of them. Let’s just go with that. 😉 But also the rest of the Tales of Goldstone Wood and a dozen or so Lawhead books. I must read them aaall!

3) Book that impacted you?

The Lord of the Rings and Howl’s Moving Castle. (I know, I know: you’re SO shocked at this revelation.)

4) Hyped vs backlist titles?

I usually read older books that nobody has ever heard of, OR brand-new books which I get for review. It’s sometimes fun to be up on the currently being-published books, so that I can talk with others about them, but at the same time there are a LOT of awesome slightly older books.

I also tend to steer away from books that have been seriously hyped… (Though occasionally I’ll get curious enough to try one if it sounds interesting enough.) There are a couple series that are big in my circles that I’ve just heard about SO. MUCH. that they are now over-hyped and just have no interest for me anymore. I’m probably a weird person on that point. >.>

5) Current series crush?

The Bright Empires series by Stephen R. Lawhead is a fabulous series I’m somewhat addicted to just now…

6) How strong is your self-control around books?

Buying books, it depends. I’m a somewhat broke bookworm (surprise; I wonder if there’s any other kind?) so I’m rather careful in that regard in general. If it’s a library sale and the books are really cheap and they look interesting, then I do tend to get a lot.

If they’re new books at a store like Barnes & Noble or I have to order them online, then I have a lot of self-control because I’ll think harder about it because they’re more expensive. It’s actually really rare for me to buy new books. I tend to put them on birthday/Christmas wishlists instead. *nods*

If it’s a free ebook, my self-control is non-existent, which is why I have ten gadrillion unread ebooks on my Kindle app which I will probably never read. -_- #readerfail

At libraries, I have pretty good self-control because I don’t want to bring home more than like 3 books if I can help it, just because I know it will bug me if I don’t finish the book before sending it back. (Of course, my self-control is horrible when I’m there but shouldn’t get any books at ALL because I’m too busy, and then do anyway — like the time I checked out Six of Crows during NaNo last year. *cough*)

ARC requests, my self-control is directly proportionate to how much I want the book, usually. So it depends.

7) Plot vs characters?

Both, please and thank you.

8) Would you write under a pseudonym?

Sure thing, if I had a good one.

9) Would you marry your bookshelf?

Ummmm. …Iiiif it magically turned into a guy who had all the good traits/beliefs of the books on said shelf… then maybe. XD

10) Do you ever get sick of reading?

Sometimes; especially if I’ve been reading only books I was “supposed to” (a.k.a. review books, beta books, etc.). Or if I’ve read some not-so-good books and get in a reading slump. But usually there’s no such thing as “sick of reading” — like, what even is that??

11) Random bookish memory?

Perusing the shelves of an enormous, wonderful Half-Price Books store in another state when my uncle kindly offered to get me some books there. It was like Christmas. (Er… it actually was for Christmas, so that could be why…)

12) Character you relate to?

I don’t usually relate to characters very often… and if I do, I tend not to like them. I’m weird like that. >.> *cough* However I do remember relating to Julia Redfern from A Room Made of Windows by Eleanor Cameron back when I read it at a quite young age.

13) Do you own bookish merchandise?

Do bookmarks count? I do have a map of LOTR on my wall, and a lovely necklace that goes with the Merlin Spiral trilogy by Robert Treskillard, which he made. It’s amazing and love it. ❤ (In general though, I tend to get books instead of bookish merchandise. BECAUSE BOOKS.)

14) Controversial opinion?

I’m not into “all the feels”/killing characters/flawed characters/”realistic” stories/depressing endings. I’m well aware I’m an odd duck, but there it is. Make of it what ye will.

15) NOTP? (In case you don’t know what this bizarre conglomeration of letters means: it’s a bookish pairing you don’t ship.)

Offhand, I can’t think of anyone. Is that weird? I guess I tend to get on board with the romantic pairings the author chooses, in general. *shrugs* (Watch, once I post this I’ll think of one…)

16) Why didn’t I love this?

The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde. I… dunno why I didn’t love it. The ending annoyed me I guess and I couldn’t really figure out why; the beginning was a lot of fun though. I just… I wanted to love it! 😦

17) Hardcover vs paperback?

HARDCOVERRRR. ❤ Especially since they’re a dying breed between ebooks and self-publishing… because self-publishing doesn’t have hardcovers. *sobs* What is the world coming to. (I will admit that I love me a good paperback too, as long as it’s not a mass-paperback because those are too tiny for me to want to read because they’re exhausting.)

18) Do you ever like villains?

I try not to. XD Sometimes, but very rarely. It’s . . . complicated… See this post.

19) Cringeable reads?

I don’t really like thinking about things I don’t like so… I can’t think of one right now. 😛

20) Where do you get your books from?

Mostly libraries and library sales; also for Christmas and birthdays; a few ARCs; occasionally Amazon or a bookstore.

21) Haunting read?

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman. Haunting is the exactly appropriate word for it…

22) Highly anticipated upcoming release?

An Earthly King by Hazel B. West!

23) Annoying character qualities?

Whiners, disloyal stab-in-the-back characters who pretend to be friends but aren’t, and the particular kind of “tough” heroine who is really just an excuse to be a jerk who thinks she’s better than guys. 😛

24) Least favourite genre?

Dystopian. (I know, you’re soooo surprised, again. XD)

25) Best tropes?

Lost princes/princesses and memory loss, for a couple. I’m sure there’s others I love too…

26) Rereading?

I love rereading! It’s so fun. I mean, if it’s a fabulous book I loved, of course. 😉 I don’t do it very often though because I have sooo many books I haven’t read that I want to read… so sometimes I feel like I’m not making progress if I reread. But sometimes I can’t resist! Also, rereading a book aloud is a great excuse to do this, I’ve found. *nods*

27) Have you abused a book?

I try so hard to treat books carefully… but I will admit that if I’m reading a nonfiction book, sometimes I will… *gasp* …mark passages I want to remember, with a pencil. *dives behind nearest tapestry and hides there* *muffled voice:* I knowww, I’m atrocious!

28) Series you quit on?

Jill Williamson’s Safe Lands trilogy. I feel kinda bad about this one since I LOVE her writing, but I read the first one and while it was well-written etc. and I loved one of the characters, overall I just don’t like dystopian, and I can’t see myself getting through the rest of the series and actually enjoying it, so for my own sanity I decided not to. I know others enjoy it, though! 🙂

(source)

29) Wish it wasn’t a standalone?

OH SO MANY. I’m going to pick one off the top of my head and say Illusionarium. I want a sequel about Jonathan and Lockwood so bad. ❤

30) Bad bookworm side-effects?

Having a never-ending, ever-growing TBR pile (though honestly I will never complain too hard about this one). Lack of sleep from staying up reading — and yet I can’t seem to stop! 😉 Reading a book you don’t like and going around with a black cloud over your head… A character you love being killed off and getting your heart shredded… Having a bookshelf fall on you and/or getting papercuts or turning into a bookish dragon creature of ink and paper and blowing away… (Being a bookworm is super dangerous. *nods seriously*) Not living in Middle-earth or Ingary… Y’know, the usual.

So there you have it. You now know aaall the bookish facts about me, likely more than you ever wished to learn. 😉 Do you share any in common with me? Steal the tag if you wish it! 🙂

Thanks for reading!

Dream away in those pages . . .

~ The Page Dreamer

By the Book Tag

I was tagged by the lovely Shantelle @ A Writer’s Heart for the By The Book Tag! Thanks Shantelle! ^_^ I’m not tagging anyone specific, but if the questions look fun, feel free to snag ’em and let me know if you do it so I can see your answers! 😀

1. What book is on your nightstand now?

Ashburn by Julia Erickson. It’s fun so far! I don’t usually read contemporaries or thriller/suspense books, but I’m enjoying it. 🙂

2. What was the last truly great book you read?

I just reread Archer’s Goon by Diana Wynne Jones, which was BRILLIANT. I love it to smithereens. ❤

3. If you could meet any writer – dead or alive – who would it be? And what would you want to know?

Off the top of my head… J.R.R. Tolkien, Diana Wynne Jones, Lloyd Alexander, Stephen R. Lawhead, and Mirriam Neal. And so so SO many writer friends I know online, because that would be INCREDIBLE. Time would fail me to list them all here. ❤ And I’d want to know everything. XD And/or just chat. Because that would be fantastic.

4. What books might we be surprised to find on your shelves?

Um… nonfiction books? XD *surprise!* I don’t really know, though. I have a weird collection of books because my taste is odd and varied. 🙂 Lots of people would probably be surprised at different books I own but it would depend on the person, probably. *shrug*

5. How do you organize your personal library?

The books I’ve read are (usually) organized alphabetically by author. But that changes if I feel like rearranging them by genre. My unread books are usually organized by which I want to read next and by genre.

6. What book have you always meant to read and haven’t gotten around yet?

OH SO MANY. So, so many. *points to ginormous TBR list*

A few off the top of my head: The Healer’s Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson, The Moorchild by Eloise Jarvis McGraw, and The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen.

7. Anything you feel embarrassed never to have read?

Hum. Not… really? Mostly I don’t feel like I HAVE to read books, or if I do, I’m not really embarrassed that I haven’t, because it just means I haven’t gotten around to them or don’t want to read them? I guess it’s a little sad that I haven’t read Emma by Jane Austen yet, Inkheart by Cornelia Funke, or The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle.

8. Disappointing, overrated, just not good: what book did you feel you are supposed to like but didn’t?

Off the top of my head… The Little Prince, some of Hans Christian Anderson’s stories, and some of the stories in Five Enchanted Roses.

9. Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing?

Ummm. I hardly ever don’t finish books. I can only remember like… 2. So I guess the last one was A Mighty Fortress by Faith Blum. It just wasn’t for me. *shrug*

10. What kind of stories are you drawn to? Any you stay clear of?

SO MANY! But mostly fantasy books, fairytale retellings, and I’m increasingly drawn to odder things like steampunk or heist books, just because they’re fun. Really though, I’m drawn to any kind of book that sounds interesting. 🙂 IF IT’S GOOD, I’LL READ IT. (I know that’s vague. Shush. Don’t judge me. XD)

Stay clear of… Well, I try to avoid dystopians. They are not enjoyed by me… I also don’t like icky content in my books either, so I prefer clean books. I also don’t like really creepy stories, so thus far I mainly steer clear of paranormal or horror books, and I don’t do zombies in any form. XD

11. If you could require the president to read one book, what would it be?

Hmm. Previous answers were the Bible, which is a good choice. I’d say the American Constitution would be a good start too. 😉

12. What do you plan to read next?

The Rose and the Balloon by Kirstin Fichter (a.k.a. KiriLiz), which is a steampunk Beauty and the Beast retelling novella, coming out August 1st! I’m very excited. 😀 I’d share the cover but it’s not out yet… however I hear that there may be a cover reveal next week, so I can’t wait for that! ^_^ Here’s a collage the author made from pinterest pictures instead:

How about you? What would your answers be to any of these questions?

Thanks for reading! 🙂

Dream away in those pages . . .

~ The Page Dreamer