The Ultimate Book Tag

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Leona from Oh! Leona kindly tagged me to do this tag (you can read her answers HERE) and I was rather keen to give it a go as a bit of a bookworm and I do love a good tag post.
Also, I tag Miriam and Emma to do this post and anyone else who would like to give it a go.
So, I'll get started as I am predicting that this will end up being a long post as it is but I hope you enjoy it and I would love to read your answers if you give this a go.

1. Do you get sick while reading in the car?
Yes, unfortunately. I get a headache if I look down at anything whilst travelling - even a phone or anything - so it does make long journeys rather tiresome. Holla, Lauren's bringing the fun.

2. Which author's writing style is completely unique to you and why?

I find Toni Morrison's writing style really interesting as is quite colloquial but really fits the contents of her writing. Another one, as I am a cheat and couldn't pick just one, is Angela Carter as her language is so rich and never has the expression 'painting with words' been more applicable than to her writing.

3. Harry Potter series or the Twilight Saga? Give 3 points to defend your answer.

I have a confession: I am a bad person and have not read either series. But I have seen the films of each and that is what I am going to base this on as I kinda know the storylines so I'll work with that. Purists - I know it is not the same but please forgive me; I am but mortal.

Anyway, I think Harry Potter is better because...

1. It has strong female characters. Admittedly, I don't know much about Twilight but Hermione seems like the stronger female protagonist. Hermione don't need no man (I know that's a double negative but I am trying to be sassy) because she is intelligent, brave, strong, and a very good female role model.

2. Harry Potter is more unique. Twilight relies upon worn out constructs of monstrosity (although does challenge the readers preconceptions of these constructs) whereas Harry Potter is fresh and new.

3. Friendship is prized over romance in Harry Potter. I know that in Twilight family is important but Harry Potter doesn't revolve around romance and thus shows the importance of other things such as friendship.
Please don't hate me if you like Twilight. Both are great in their own ways.

4. Do you carry a book bag? If so, what is it in (besides books...)?

Nope, I already carry enough in the form of a handbag. Usually I just pop a book into my handbag just in case.

5. Do you smell your books?
Admittedly, yes. New ones especially and really old, antique ones. Not, like, ones from 2008 as that would be slightly odd.

6. Books with or without little illustrations?

I'm not adverse to an illustration or two but I do tend to read more books without illustrations than with. Mostly because I read stuff like Orwell and no one needs to see Room 101 illustrated.

7. What book did you love while reading but discovered later it wasn't quality writing? 

Hm, I guess almost everything I read from about the age of 12 to the age of 15. Although I did read a couple of classics like Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights at about 13, I mostly read those kinda typical rom-com novels about a group of young women running off to New York and dating guys in bands or similar generic stuff.

8. Do you have any funny stories involving books from your childhood? Please share!

I used to obsessed with Ingo by Helen Dunmore and was pretty sure that I secretly had mermaid powers as a kid. That's not particularly funny but that's all I've got.

9. What is the thinnest book on your shelf?

The thinnest book I own is a copy of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge which is an extended poem. I really didn't love reading this, in all honesty.

10. What is the thickest book on your shelf?

Other than the massive Norton anthologies that I had to buy for my English Lit course, it is a close call between Malory's Le Morte Darthur and Middlemarch by George Elliot.

11. Do you write as well as read? Do you see yourself in the future as being an author?

I would love to be an author but I am not sure I really have the creative stamina. I have been writing stories since I was about 5 so it is definitely something I would like to try to continue with.

12. When did you get into reading? 

I have always been into reading, really. My parents made a big effort to read to me every day when I was young and, once I could read independently, I would devour books. I have books at home which I read over and over as I had got through every book in the house. I would read Jacqueline Wilson books as a kid and preteen - as well as a few classics like A Little Princess by Frances Hogdson Burnett - then I got into 'easy read', generic rom-com stuff in my teens. After that I started reading more classics and here I am now drowning in classic books as I power through my English Literature degree.

 

13. What is your favourite classic book? 

This is a tricky one for me as I read a lot of classics. I would say Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is my favourite - although I also really love Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Another hugely influential classic in my life is Orwell's 1984 - it seriously changes how you view the world around you. I have also read The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald about 15 times and I love it rather a lot.

14. In school was your best subject Language Arts/English?

It was always English. I did enjoy Art, Media Studies, and History too but English was always on top for me. I especially enjoyed English Literature GCSE as I wasn't so keen on the technical bits of English Language.

15. If you were given a book as a present that you had read before and hated... what would you do?
Just thank them and put it on the shelf. They're not gonna buy you it again so it's not too much of an issue. Or am I just deceitful?

16. What is a lesser known series that you know of that is similar to Harry Potter or the Hunger Games? 

I have a few in mind that I read as a kid but I can't remember the names of any of them. I guess an example of a good fantasy novel is Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman but that's not very similar.

17. What is a bad habit you always do (besides rambling) while filming?
I don't film as I am the most awkward person to have ever existed and I have a hard time enough trying to pretend to be normal in real life let alone having to conduct myself in a pleasing manner in a video.

18. What is your favourite word?

In all honesty, I like the word 'ladle'. It just sounds nice and is a bit Ned Flanders-esque.

19. Are you a nerd, dork, or dweeb? Or all of the above?

I'm not sure...I would say leave your opinion of which I am in the comments but I think that could end badly.

20. Finally, full on romance or action-packed with a few love scenes thrown in?

I don't really care as long as it has something I can analyse, to be honest. I don't like to read stuff which doesn't have a deeper meaning. So, neither bare-faced action nor full-on romance would satisfy me unless it explored existential questions, made a social or political comment or just had something greater that the reader could take away from it.