Through a book blogger, BongbongBooks, I first encountered Book Tag challenges. The first book tag challenge I did was the New York Times By the Book Tag. I really enjoyed doing it so I was looking forward to doing more. By chance, from the same blogger, I came across the Rapid Fire Book Tag. As I really like reading, I suited up for the challenge.
Let’s do the Rapid Fire Book Tag!
1. E-Book or Physical Book?
– No questions asked, I prefer physical books over e-books. I relish reading a physical book while holding it. It somehow induces a different sense of intimacy between the book and I. Moreover, my eyes easily get tired staring into screens for extended period of hours.
2. Paperback or Hardback?
– Paperbacks are more convenient and portable but I still prefer hardback books because they would look great in my (envisioned) library. 😀 Moreover, hardbacks are physically more solid than the paperbacks.
3. Online or In-Store Book Shopping?
– Whenever I go to the mall, the place I spend the most time is the bookstore. I get a different sense of euphoria whenever I am surrounded by books. Moreover, I deem it always better purchasing books on the spot especially if I like the book. Although I purchase online, I really dislike the feeling of suspense waiting for the books. It’s like I want the books to be delivered immediately.
4. Trilogies or Series?
– I am impartial to either choice because most of the time I like standalone books. But if I were to choose between the two, I’ll go for a series.
5. Heroes or Villains?
– I like understanding what makes the characters tick. The more colorful the character, the better it is for me. Given the choices, I’ll go with villains because most of the time they have the better backstory.
6. A book you want everyone to read?
-This is a really tough one because there’s a lot of books I want everyone to read. I will have to settle for Pat Conroy’s Beach Music. This is quite an unusual choice but I really liked how Conroy was able to weave such a work that makes one experience all emotions at the same time.
7. Recommend an underrated book?
-I would have to go with The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks. I consider it underrated because it is eclipsed in terms of fame by Sparks’ other works like The Notebook, A Walk To Remember and The Last Song, which were all made into movies.
8. The last book you finished?
– The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon. Here’s my book review. It’s a book I’ve always wanted to purchase and read because of the recommendations I’ve read from various book blogs. It’s also the first book for which I made a book review.
9. The Last Book You Bought?
– The young adult fiction The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon and the graphic novel My Neighbor Totoro. I bought the latter out of whim, considering that I haven’t even watched the movie yet.
10. Weirdest Thing You’ve Used as a Bookmark?
– A three-in-one coffee pack because coffee is my early morning ritual.
11. Used Books: Yes or No?
– Definitely a yes! I love searching for books in second-hand bookstores especially if they have a great collection. Moreover, most of the classic works that I want to read can only be found in second hand bookshops.
12. Top Three Favourite Genres?
In my years of reading, I have read books from a wide array of genres. The ones below are my top three choices:
1. Mystery
2. Romance
3. Literary fictions
But in light of my aim of reading the top and most recommended books, I am slowly shifting to the classics.
13. Borrow or Buy?
– I prefer buying books over borrowing them. I like establishing ownership over books because I want to put up my own private collection someday. 🙂
14. Characters or Plot?
– An easy one – Plot. There’s no point in having great characters when the plot is bland.
15. Long or Short Books?
– The books I’ve read over the years is a perfect mix of both long and short books. However, I have to admit that I enjoy reading longer books than I do shorter books. Longer books give me ample time to grasp the entire story. Nonetheless, I indulge in short books every once in a while.
16. Long or Short Chapters?
– Longer chapters of course in the same manner that I like longer books.
17. Name The First Three Books You Think Of…
1. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
2. Murder in the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
3. The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks
18. Books That Makes You Laugh or Cry?
– I am a sentimentalist so I prefer books that make me cry. Call it idiosyncrasy but I like getting lost in the swirl of emotions.
19. Our World or Fictional Worlds?
– I like fantasy (although not all), but I still prefer relatable places, scenes and characters so I pick our world.
20. Audiobooks: Yes or No?
– For the same reason I dislike e-books, I also don’t like audiobooks.
21. Do You Ever Judge a Book by its Cover?
– Affirmative, especially when I was young. I tend to look for books with the “New York Times Bestseller” tag on its front page. Right now, it maybe capricious of me but I look for award-winning books, those with Pulitzer Prize, the Man Booker Prize, and the Newberry Prize seals on them. However, I override this whim when I’ve heard or read good commendations about a particular book.
22. Book to Movie or Book to TV Adaptations?
– I am impartial as I deem staring at a screen a total waste of time. But if I were to pick one, I’ll go with movie adaptations because at least I don’t have to bear waiting for the next episode.
23. A Movie or TV-Show You Preferred to its Book?
– I’ll have to pick The Great Gatsby where Leonardo di Caprio starred. Admittedly, I wasn’t able to fully grasp the book but it is one of those that I want to reread.
24. Series or Standalone’s?
– Although I am impartial to either choice, I’ll pick standalone books.
There, that’s my version of the Rapid Fire Book tag. I hope you liked mine. I’m looking forward to your own version. 😉 Do tag me so that we can compare notes.
The Pine-Scented Chronicles 