We are celebrating Mashujaa (Heroes) Day today. Isn’t Saturday a bloody useless day for a public holiday to fall? It is the same as a typical Saturday, except some shops and places like banks are closed. Boo! So to cheer myself up, I have decided to do my first book tag as I listen to Rick Dees.
One thing you will quickly learn about me is I am a proud Swiftie. So obviously the first book tag I am doing, which is also the first tag I ever saw anyone do, is a Taylor Swift book tag. I was browsing through Emily May’s YouTube page when I came across her Taylor Swift tag. You will see from the video there are already specific prompts set out for this tag, but I decided to make my own. I am a creative writer after all 🙂
In honour of Tay’s favourite number, here are 13 prompts from books I own. This was fun to write, I hope it inspires you to pick up a book or two.
1) Mine. A book you love but do not own, so now you have to buy it
This is a no brainer.
This is the first adult book I remember reading back when I was in primary school. I remember being so captivated by the storyline and so scandalized by the sex scenes. I devoured this book in no time and till now I can never pass up a Sidney Sheldon story. He is easily one of my favourite authors.
So of course when I joined Goodreads in 2015 I had to add it to my Read shelf, making this one of my first reviews.
The cover of the book I bought is not the one I have put up. Different ISBNs and what not. I opted for the cover of the book I first read because it is how I will always remember Nothing Lasts Forever.
2) Love Story. Favourite one
This is not easy. Romance is my favourite genre after all. Asking the hopeless romantic that I am to pick just one is impossible. But one that comes to mind is:
It is a wonderful love story and was such a pleasure to read. I watched the movie before I read the book so the performances by Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon and Christoph Waltz may have played a part in why I enjoyed the book so much.
3) You Belong With Me. A book you really searched for as you just had to own it
There are quite a few, but the one that stands out is:
Because it really did not work out.
I’mma let you finish but SATC is the best show of all time. I have watched all six seasons twice and I am overdue for a re-run. I will continue to watch the movies if they make them, no matter how bad they are. So the book really let me down. It was fucking terrible. Even see from my Goodreads review I was really really disappointed.
4) We Are Never Ever Ever Getting Back Together. A series/author you will never pick up again
I really enjoyed Fifty Shades of Grey. I think it deserves the hype. The second book was meh and the last one was some hardcore one-star shit. How annoying is Anastasia Steele? She is (IMO) the worst literary character of all time.
Goodreads’ most popular review (with 19,397 likes as at the time of this post) is Katrina Passic Lumsden’s take on Fifty Shades of Grey. It is quite the long read, so I will not post it here. But I promise it is worth every second of your time. Goodreads has millions of reviews on its site, and it is with good reason that Katrina’s review is the most popular. If that does not inspire you to read her review here, then her mic drop below just might do the trick.
I liked Fifty Shades of Grey enough to be curious about Grey, so I read it as part of my 2015 Reading Challenge. Yaani Ms. James managed to make me dislike Mr. Grey, who I liked throughout all three Fifty Shades books.
Oh, and catch me dead watching any of the movies.
5) Delicate. A protagonist that is anything but
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is probably my favourite series. I remember reading Mockingjay during the 2013 presidential debate breaks. The race to the conclusion was exhilarating and I simply could not put it down. I also really enjoyed the movie adaptations that introduced me to fellow Leo Jennifer Lawrence. Apart from the first one I have watched all movies on the big screen.
Deciding on Katniss Everdeen was a bit tough as there is my other favourite: Arya Stark. As in, who would mind being as badass as Arya Stark. But I cannot really mention Arya without referencing the other phenomenal women of GOT. The book and/or show (depending on what you consume) has some bad bitches, so that will be a separate post.
6) Style. A book you feel is timeless
Duh!
Hands down The Harry Potter series. For some reason when I was growing up I was so against it. I do not know how else to explain why other than I am a fucking idiot. I did not read one book, see one movie. For absolutely nothing I was adamant against starting the series. Such a weirdo.
During the 2016 Reading Challenge I Instagrammed I am FINALLY starting the series and two people told me they were envious of me. And after finishing the series, I get it. I too, am envious of anyone who is yet to start. When I feel I am forgetting the storylines, I will watch the movies.
My fave book was the final one. Oh it broke and mended my heart on the same page so often. This was legit me.
The infamous battle of Hogwarts. See my review here of whose death affected me the most. It might just be (IMO) the worst literary death of all time. Ms. Rowling was cold for that one. In fact, book six and seven I had more or less the same review.
I look forward to re-reading these with my future twin girls. Just speaking it into existence. That is all *Miranda Priestly voice*.
7) Mean. What an asshole
Bolanle’s co-wives.
8) Bad Blood. Best face-off
George R.R. Martin wrote such fucking epic scenes it is no surprise they translated so well to the small screen. I cannot wait for the final season of Game of Thrones to win everything at the 2019/2020 Emmys (depending on when the show airs next year). So, in no particular order, here are some of my favourite face-offs from A Song of Ice and Fire.
- The Viper and The Mountain
- The Red Wedding
- The Purple Wedding
- The killing of Ned Stark! I was introduced to A Song of Ice and Fire via GOT. Ned Stark’s execution in the penultimate episode of season one was when I knew that nobody in the show is safe.
- The Wildlings vs. the Night’s Watch
- The Battle of the Blackwater
- The Battle of the Bastards
9) I Knew You Were Trouble. The bad-boy book-boyfriend
There are many. My inability to resist a love story, fictional or otherwise, is why romance is my favourite genre. But one book boyfriend that comes to mind is Jonah Griggs from:
Jonah is my favourite type of guy – a bad boy with soul. This review by Emily May is what inspired me to want to read the book.
I had to order it from outside the country because I could not find it in any of the bookstores in Nairobi.
Here is my equally eloquent review.
Lol.
Also,
- These reviews are over six years apart. Late bloomer (w.r.t. Goodreads) much?
- I clearly do not need the Emily May Review tag. I mean just compare her 2011 review with my 2017 one. Lol. No one will ever confuse my reviews with hers. Which is why in my Emily May post I said Emily’s writing skills are on another level. Like, I-am-the-roots-and-she-is-the-top-of-Jack’s-beanstalk kind of other level. I will keep the tag just in case though
10) … Ready For It? A reveal you did not see coming
The reveal was so insane this Dean Winchester GIF was all I could manage in my review.
Emily of course did a much better job with hers.
I am excited to watch the HBO adaptation. Amy Adams’ take on Camille is bound to be interesting.
11) Shake It Off. A storyline that really affected you and was hard to let go
For you, a thousand times over.
As you can see from my review, this one hit hard. Mild spoilers ahead.
12) Fifteen. Favourite young adult novel
YA is my second favourite genre so it was not easy to pick just one. But, when it comes down it, I have to go with the OG Sweet Valley High series.
I absolutely loved everything about Sweet Valley. I re-read this SVH book as recently as my 2015 Reading Challenge.
Growing up I read Kids and Twins as well, but High and University were my faves. I had so many of these books, but I lent them out and never got them back. If I can get hooked up with someone who has the entire series, even if they are eBooks, I will be grateful.
Right now the series can be considered trashy and highly unrealistic, but to me they were, and still are, a very fun read. I can go so far as to say they were crucial to my formative years and till now inform my reading choices. I believe first and foremost reading should be fun. I have no problem picking up a book from the list of 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die, but a number of those books are heavy and require a lot of concentration. As soon as I am through I will always choose something lighter with a great story that I will enjoy.
13) I Don’t Wanna Live Forever. Favourite immortal being
Including this duet with the delectable Zayn gives me a chance to explore one of my favourite things. Vampires!!! The Twilight series. The Vampire Diaries. The Originals. Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I just fucking love vamps. I have the first nine books of The Southern Vampire series (the books True Blood is based on) but I am yet to start reading them.
Edward Cullen is my OG vamp though. It is because of Edward that I love all things vamp. I have read Twilight twice and am not ashamed to say I own the entire series.
Fun fact, 50 Shades of Grey is Twilight fan fiction.
Lwile the Leo 