12/26/2021 0 Comments Let's talk: book tags!Let’s catch up and talk about my reading habits this year!
I love a good book tag but I don’t watch as many as I used to, so I decided to do a short one of my own! I found some questions from a few different sites (there a TON of book tag sites lemme tell you) so I chose five questions that will hopefully have some fun answers about my reading habits! I can’t wait to get into it and be sure to answer these questions for yourself or with your friends. I love to talk about books with friends. 🥰 Least Favorite Book This Year and Why? Unfortunately, I did not like “Grip” by Kennedy Ryan. This is my second time reading one of her books and don’t get me wrong, her writing is phenomenal, and “Flow” was so freaking beautiful. But oh my gosh, I loathed the main character. I think it’s important to read about understanding the nuances that come with being in an interracial relationship. But we never actually get to see Bristol put in any of the work or make active efforts to change her way of doing or acting or thinking about things within their relationship. Reading about how a white woman who has to learn how to adapt to being with a Black man is fine, except it was always left up to Grip to educate her on his experience and his culture. I didn’t like that the book upheld her lack of accountability when it came to racial politics. In real life, it works when partners are comfortable discussing these things with each other, but for this book, I think it falls into a bad trope of having minorities always having to explain their experiences just so everyone can validate their feelings and experiences. It rubbed me the wrong way. I may or may not continue with the third book in the trilogy for that reason but you can read my Goodreads review on this here. A Book You’ve Read More Than Once I love this question because I rarely get to talk about the books I read in my childhood. I rarely, if ever reread books, especially now, but in highschool I reread Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter (ugh, Ali and Cole were so freaking cute. I love a good bad boy, troubled girl). And I reread The Selection series by Kierra Cass at least once. Come on! It has got to be the best love triangle ever and the politics? Please. Maxon knew America was his girl from the beginning. So what if he had to ~die~ to realize it? Hehe. A Book That Surprised You This Year Honestly, I read a lot of books out of my comfort zone that I'm really proud of, so I’ll list my top two. First, Solo Viola: A Post-Exotic Novel by Antonie Volodine was amazing. It’s a translated fiction that I read for my literary publishing class (which was so fun). It’s about five characters who are somehow connected and end up finding each other at the end of the story by unlikely circumstances. The backstory behind the genre and the writer/writer’s is so freaking cool. There are only going to be 8 more books in the genre “series” so I definitely think I’d pick up another book like this. If you want something that’s slightly trippy, very Italian, based on fictionalized government organization, politics and revolution with a touch of “digestible” trauma…this one's for you. I loved it. And the second book that surprised me was (gasp) a non-fiction called “The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter—And How to Make the Most of Them Now” by Meg Jay. I picked it up on a whim because Carley talked about it in her video and I love a good 20’s existential crisis, so I thought it might be interesting. It’s basically a book that tells you how to grab life by the balls in very practical ways and make the most of your 20s when we often feel so lost. I went in with no expectations and I honestly loved it. I loved the tone of voice, I loved the very practical advice based on real stories and clients. I did dislike the chapter talking about preferring “white, middle to upper class patients because their problems are simpler” though. (That felt very elitist to me) but everything about career was very helpful and enlightening to me. So, hey, here’s to self help books and non fiction this year, am I right? Did You Read Any Series’? I did! I surprisingly read two and loved both of them! I want to talk more in depth about them in my favorite books of the year post BUT spoiler alert, both of these book series made the top of the list. The first one was the Saga series by Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples. It’s a series of sci-fi graphic novels (I know, who am I reading all these different genres?) of 9 books (so far). It's about this alien space couple from two different, warring planets that get together, fall in love and have a baby. It’s about politics and government and love and family. Ugh. I bought the first two books, borrowed the rest from the library and shoutout to Kat from paperbackdreams for putting me on to this series last year because I ate that shit up. Love love LOVED! So. Read that, thank you. And the second series I read was the Mindfuck Series by S.T. Abby (yes, it does spell stabby) which is about a serial killer and her FBI agent boyfriend trying to solve her own murders? It was so freaking awesome and entertaining. I laughed out loud, I grieved with her, I fell in love with the characters as they followed her case and best of all, it was a romantic suspense! It was so great. The only thing I didn’t like was how the ending tied up a little bit too nice and neat but it wasn’t too bad. Given the circumstances, we love a HEA. Unfortunately, the author passed away this year, so I really hope I can get more people to support her work. Especially because this series was so freaking phenomenal. And it's short! 90-150 page novella’s were perfect for my school ridden brain. Favorite Book Inspired Show/Movie I know the girlies are going crazy over the new Hating Game movie starring Lucy Hale and I read the book. I thought it was boring. So I don't really have high hopes for the movie (aka I'm scared to watch it and also be bored). With that said, everyone always says the books are better than the movies/shows. (Shadowhunters anyone? ~cringe~ Mortal Instruments on the other hand…I didn’t think was too bad). I guess it depends on preference but for me, I love the Hunger Game movies. In my defense, I’m cheating because I never actually read the books and just saw the movies but I think those movies are freaking amazing. Peeta and Katniss? Please. I also thought the Fault in Our Stars by John Green was freaking amazing. (That, I did read the book for). I watched the movie four times when I first got it on DVD and sobbed ¾ times. And I’m not a crier. So dare I say, I thought the movie was better than the book?? In my defense, I was like 12 reading all this medical talk and I did not care. But mister Augustus Waters at the gas station really did me in man. The eulogy? My emotions were opening the floodgates for tsunami season. Other honorable mentions that weren’t too bad: Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card and The Giver by Lois Lowry. They weren’t bad, they weren’t amazing, but I liked seeing those books as live actions since they’re so message and word heavy. I also loved those books so it was vibes. ~End~ And that’s it! Thank you so much for reading. Here’s to higher reading goals, 4 and 5 star reads and more fun book tags! I actually really loved this. So, Until Next Time! With love, Arianna
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AuthorI'm an 21 year old girl who lives in NY. I love to read and write and fashion is my life. Follow me to find out more! Archives
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