Right, let’s get this year’s tag count up, shall we?
I found this tag over at Zeezee’s and she got it from Kristin Kraves Books. I’ve mentioned before that Zeezee is my go-to-gal for tags and she has an awesome Long List of Book Tags here that you can view either as a straight list, or organised by theme, which is just perfect. Thank you, Zeezee, for being so very, very fabulous!
So without further ado, let’s talk about bookish things. In threes.
3 Read-Once-and-Loved Authors
Octavia E Butler. Wow. Maryam the Curious SFF Reader and I recently did a buddy-read of Kindred together (our posts will appear in due course) and I’m not sure I have the words to describe how powerfully I was struck by this book. Butler has me in her grip and I am chomping-at-the-bit keen to read more of her work.
Similarly, Aliette de Bodard’s The Citadel of Weeping Pearls grabbed me by the hair (my thoughts to be posted next weekend) and I want all of the Xuya Universe stories in my eyes right now. Since this month’s book allowance has been used up however, I’m planning to start her Dominion of the Fallen series for Wyrd and Wonder next month, which has been on my shelf since imyril’s enthusiasm put it there.
And P Djèlí Clark’s The Haunting of Tram Car 015 captivated me. I’ve got both Ring Shout and The Black God’s Drums on the shelf ready to read, and I’m eagerly anticipating A Master of Djinn next month. I love writers who can create for me an immersive sense of place and Clark did so beautifully in Tram Car 015 and in the short story “A Dead Djinn in Cairo”. Both Butler and de Bodard equally so, which I guess is why all three of these authors have grasped my imagination so completely, so quickly.
3 Titles I’ve Watched but Haven’t Read
Ha! I’m even worse at catching up with TV series and movies than I am with books! Also, I tend to prefer to read before watching, where possible. Saying that,
I watched Howl’s Moving Castle before I read the book. (And I love them both equally).
And I love the film Battle Royale and truly meant to read the novel by Koushun Takami, but … well, I still haven’t. Yet.
I have watched a host of movies based on Philip K Dick books and stories, but never yet read a book of his in its entirety.
3 Characters I Love
I’ve mentioned it before. No doubt I’ll mention it again. Granny Weatherwax is who I want to be when I grow up.
Gertrude from I Hate Fairyland by Skottie Young – which I’ll be posting about in a couple of weeks’ time – is one of my newer, younger personal heroines. Her attitude to life, indomitable spirit and inventive expletives are all fabulous!
Last, but never least, Lady Vincenza ‘Vintage’ de Grazon from Jen Williams’ Winnowing Flame trilogy holds a very special place in my heart.
3 Series Binged
I’ll answer this in past-present-future fashion.
Past: One of the first series I ever binged was David Eddings’ The Belgariad. I started with the second book (because that’s what was available at our little local library at the time), read through to the end, then finally got hold of Pawn of Prophecy and read that last, after it was all over. I then found the whole set at a secondhand books market stall, bought them and read them all over again. It’s now been almost twenty-five years since then and I feel these books are due a reread, but am nervous about finding myself disappointed.
Present: The Diviners series by Libba Bray is my current binge, although I stalled briefly for the All Systems Read weekend. I can’t put my finger on why this series has grabbed me like it has, but I’m having a blast.
Future: In my very near future I need to read more of de Bodard’s Xuya Universe stories. I’m experiencing withdrawal as we speak.
3 Unpopular Bookish Opinions
Argh. I’m never very good at this. Ermm …
One. Harry Potter can suck it, Mildred Hubble was being awesome before he was even born.
Two. I don’t care if George R R Martin never finishes A Song of Ice and Fire. It’s been quite a long time since I caught up with the books and there’s no way I’m reading them all over again in readiness for book number whatever. I didn’t care for the tv series either, was annoyed by all the hype, and I think there are so many more awesome books out there waiting for us all.
Three. I don’t really get the signed-by-the-author thing. I have one, possible two, books that are signed, but I didn’t get them because they were signed, they were just the copies that came into my hands. I’m confused that the author’s signature has any value. This is not a dis, I just … don’t get it.
3 Current Favourite Book Covers
Only three?! *grumbles under breath* Fine. Let’s pick three from my TBR pile:
Both the cover by Jim Kay and the gorgeous endpapers for The Quick by Lauren Owen have me curious about this book. It looks like it’s going to be a slice of historical, gothic intrigue, but I’ve heard some interesting things that suggest it goes in another direction entirely …
The Man with Compound Eyes by Wu Ming-Yi is on my TBR for it’s beautiful cover art by Joe Wilson. Not that it doesn’t sound interesting too, but if you put a whale on the cover of a book, I will read it. Whales are all kinds of cool.
And Victor Mosquera’s cover art for Too Like the Lightning by Ada Palmer has got such a vibe to it that I keep picking it up and gazing at it lovingly, or stroking the slightly raised patterning down the front. Not that I’m weird or anything …
3 Bookish Goals for the Year
They’re a bit boring, really:
- Read more books from my own shelves, not just for the 21 TBR in 2021 Challenge, but also because we’re running out of space and, seriously, some of the books I have I’ve had for years.
- Crack on with the Great Series Read Project. I swear I add two new series for every series I finish.
- I recently joined the FanFiAddict team in an attempt to stretch myself a bit more (you can find my first post for them here, so my biggest goal is to not let them down, whilst also keeping this blog going too.
So what would your answers be for these prompts? Join in with the taggy fun if you’d like to!
Those Belgariad covers are really nice looking! What publishing company are they from?
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They were published by Corgi in the 1980s, and this is the set I read in the library and then bought. They’re my favourite covers. 😊
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This was a fun read and an attractive meme, though I’m unsure I will get round to it in a post as I’ve so many other plans in the near future. Philip K Dick? Never an easy read, I think, and I’ve read a few of his titles (possibly more than the film adaptations); the one I’d look forward to rereading is probably the alternative history The Man in the High Castle rather than Flow My Tears the Policeman Said which sailed over my head the first time round.
Hope you’re progressing on track with the #21TBRbooksin2021 meme! Excluding rereads I see I’ve completed 16 new-to-me titles so far this year, most of which are heading to friends or the charity shop.
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You’re doing so well! I’ve managed 8 so far, which I’m pleased with as they’re all now ready to be moved on, as are yours.
The Man in the High Castle is one of the few Dick books I am actually interested in reading. So it’s good to read your comment. 😊
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If it helps you decide, here are some of my PKD reviews: https://calmgrove.wordpress.com/tag/philip-k-dick/
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Ooo, this will help. Thank you! 😘
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Oh wow I didn’t know you’d joined the FanFiAddict team! This is so exciting!
So glad you’ve started reading the Xuya books too, they’re so fab. I’ve been thinking I might do like a Xuya week or something one day where I review all the Xuya books and potents even ask Aliette for an interview (eep). I’ve only read The Tea Master and the Detective and On A Red Station, Drifting so far but I might even just read them again when I come to review them woooo!
Wholeheartedly disagree about the Song of Ice and Fire books though haha. I’m actually re-reading them all at the mo and I love them so much. Actually some of my all time fave fantasy books. I get the sense they’re probs not really your thing anyway, but did you not like them all that much even when you read them first time round?
I also don’t understand the ‘signed by the author’ thing. ‘Hero worship’ is too strong a term but I’m struggling to think of a better one. You get my meaning anyway, but I’ve never really felt that awe about celebrities of any kind and having an author scribble their name in a book does nothing for me. It makes me laugh sometimes at events when you go up to the author table to buy a book and they just assume you want it signed and ask who to make it out to and I’m just like “Ummm…” Went to a small local book event a few years back in South Shields and there was an author who’d written a book about the folk tales of County Durham (my wonderful lil hometown). His talk was v interesting and the book sounded great but I’d never even heard of the guy but now I have his autograph in the copy of the book lolz. Most of my books are ebooks now too, I’m actively trying to get rid of most of the physical ones on my shelves. I guess people like to collect stuff but I’m going the opposite route. Particularly boggles my mind when people read and ebook or listen to an audiobook but then buy the physical one just for it to sit on the shelf unopened. People are odd haha.
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Ha! “People are odd” is my mantra! 🤣
Ooo, a Xuya week sounds like an awesome idea! And a de Bodard interview would be awesome too!
I actually enjoyed ASoIaF as I was reading the series. I loved all the killing off main characters haha! I think I started losing interest when the show took over and EVERYONE IN THE WORLD was talking about it all of the time. It became an over-saturation problem for me.
But hey, never say never … 😂
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I perhaps avoided the over saturation problem cos I only ever watched the first two series. Not because I didn’t enjoy it, I actually loved it, but cos at the time I was in my early 20s and had to go back to my parent’s house to watch it when they recorded it on Sky haha. Eventually it just got to the point where I got too far behind and just decided to read the books instead, but obv in the intervening period I was actively avoiding any GoT talk for fear of spoilers. So never reached the dreaded saturation point.
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Aww thanks! 🙂
And I enjoyed reading your answers here.
I seriously think I’m the only person who doesn’t like Kindred. I read it for class years ago, so I’d like to try it again to see if my unpopular opinion about it still holds true.
“Granny Weatherwax is who I want to be when I grow up.” << lol love this! And all the best on that goal. 🙂
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I can see why you might not like Kindred – it’d be interesting to see if you change your mind on a reread.
But it’d also be boring if we all agreed on everything! 😃
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What an intriguing tag! (and the list of bookish tags you posted is a treasure trove, so thanks for sharing!)
I found myself nodding in agreement when you say that you stopped waiting and caring for the next ASOIAF novel: I was captivated by this series in 2002 and suffered through the long wait between books after reading the first three volumes, so that time and the dwindling prospects for the next one have all but cooled my enthusiasm for it. I admit it with some sorrow, but on the other hand there is a LOT of good books around, so the loss is not so painful after all….
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You’re absolutely right – so many great books out there to keep us occupied! ❤
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[…] Book Forager […]
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I love your read once and loved picks, I feel the same about those three. I might start Dominion of the Fallen next month too, I’m planning on The House of Shattered Wings for r/fantasy bingo this year.
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Awesome! I look forward to reading your thoughts on THoSW – I’m excited to read it too. 😊
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What a fabulous tag! I shall of course be slightly nervous about how you get on with Dominion given it’s all my fault.
…and if you’d like a buddy to read Too Like The Lightning with, tap me up. I’ve had this on my shelf for AGES, and it strikes me as a book that will benefit from much chat as its read!
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YASSS! I Want to buddy read it with you!! (Too keen?) 🤣
And I’ve a feeling I’m going to love Dominion… so not much to worry about there!
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YAY! Equal keen, all good 😂 Just let me know when (erm, any time after June should be good for me!)
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After June sounds perfect! Will DM you. (Squee!)
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I absolutely love the cover of Too Like the Lightning! 😀 Have you read it ? The series is one of my favorites!
As for our Kindred discussion, let me know when you want to post it! 🙂
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Hey you! *waves* ❤
I haven’t read it yet, but imyril said she’d be up for a buddy read of it later this year so it’s on the immediate list. 😊
Didn’t want to pester about our Kindred posts as I know you’ve been busy. Does beginning of June suit you? X
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It would be a great book to discuss and the final book in the quartet is going to be released in a few months so it’s a great time to start it! 😀
Yes, June is perfect for me! ^^
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Yay! ❤
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