As part of my 2023 new year’s resolution, I resolved to publish at least one book tag per month. I nearly missed my book tag for February. And what fitting tag for the month than the February Book Tag which I first came across through Zezee at Zezee with Books. The February Book Tag was created by Lynn at Lynn’s Book Blog.

Without more ado, here is my version of the February Book Tag.

The Shortest Month Of The Year: A Short Story Or Novella That You Would Like Everyone To Know About

The Pearl by John Steinbeck

Recency is the one that is applied here. I really haven’t read that many short stories or novellas. However, the first title that came to mind was John Steinbeck’s The Pearl; I just published a Top Five Tuesday listing my five shortest books, and The Pearl was one of them. I read the book in 2015 (I think) and was my first foray into the works of the Nobel Laureate in Literature. The book was insightful and provided me the first glimpses into Steinbeck’s body of art. I think it is often overshadowed by Steinbeck’s more popular works like Of Mice and Men, The Grapes of Wrath, and even East of Eden.

Valentine’s Day: Your Favourite Romance Novel

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Another challenging question. The first name that came to mind was actually Nicholas Sparks but I am deviating from this train of thought by listing Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights instead. I did love this book even though it was rather dark; the romance story was rather tragic. On the other hand, Heathcliff was such a memorable character.

Leap Year — ‘One Ring To Rule Them All’ — The Year For Proposing: A Book With Your Favourite Couple

Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara from Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Again, another deviation from the typical I guess. Rhett and Scarlett left a deep impression on me. When I was reading the beloved literary classic, I knew there was something about them that made me root for them. Theirs was not a typical love story as it had an unusual start. They both had strong personalities which clash sometimes. It was their strong personalities that made me root for them.

Romeo: Could Be A Book Boyfriend, Could Be Your Favourite Male Character

Heathcliff

Another unusual choice. But Heathcliff was such a memorable character that I often think about him even after reading Wuthering Heights. I get it, he is a character most love to have and hate to love but there was something about his imperfections that make him an interesting character study.

Juliet: Could Be A Book Girlfriend, Could Be Your Favourite Female Character

Hermoine Granger

This is a no-brainer for me. Ever since I watched Emma Watson portraying Hermoine Granger, I was already taken. I loved the character and Emma as well.

Love Triangle: Love It Or Hate It

Not really a fan of love triangles, especially if the love triangle is the only fixation of the book. However, when executed properly, I think a good love triangle can make the story engaging as it provides contrasts and textures.

Enemies to Lovers

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Like love triangles, I find the enemies-to-lovers trope a little trite. Occasionally, however, there are stories that just stand out. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is one of those that easily stand out. There is a reason why the novel transcends time.

Sweet Like Chocolate: A Book That Is Positively Delicious

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

As a work of literature, Kevin Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asians pales in comparison to the books in this book tag. However, the book soars for its humorous and witty outlook on the lives of Asia’s high society. The book’s entertainment value makes up for its literary demerits.

A Rose By Any Other Name: A Book With A Romance That You Didn’t Expect

After racking up my brain, I really can’t think of a book with romantic overtones involving two characters whose love story caught me off-guard. It doesn’t help that I rarely read works of romance recently.

A Book That Broke Your Heart

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

For sure, any of Khaled Hosseini’s three novels are heartbreaking. He breaks the reader’s heart on two levels. The first one deals with his evocative image of his homeland. Afghanistan. It is heartbreaking to read about how it was before its landscape has been shattered by the attrition between the Taliban and the United States. The second level grapples with the personal. On both accounts, Hosseini leaves me in awe. Heartbroken but in awe. I hope he writes more novels in the future.

That concludes my February Book Tag. I hope you enjoyed it. As always, I am not going to tag anyone specifically but if this tag piqued your interest and you would want to do your own, please feel to do so. However, don’t forget to tag me so that I can go over your answers as well.

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