The Jingle Bell Book Tag

Well we’ve not seen a book tag around these parts for awhile have we? But I’m going to be honest with you, I wanted some more festivity on this lil blog of mine and so it was perfect timing for Richard to tag me in his Jingle Bell Book Tag! This is a tag he made a couple of years ago using a combination of christmas songs and movies, so y’know, we’ve got music, we’ve got films, and we’ve got books. We’re in for a good time amiright?

“All I Want For Christmas Is You…” | What book do you want to see under the Christmas Tree?

I actually feel bad answering this because it’s on a wishlist I gave to somebody and I don’t want them to feel bad if they haven’t gotten it 😆 But the book I specifically added to my wishlist was Emily Wilson’s translation of The Odyssey. The Odyssey is one of my favourite books, and Emily Wilson is the first woman to translate it. She attempted to break some of the gendered terms in language and sets it out as a poem as it originally was, whereas the version I read was translated into prose. I’m always reluctant to buy another edition of a book I already have, but this will be an entirely different reading experience despite being the same story thanks to translation, so I’d really love to compare my thoughts to my first read of The Odyssey! But never fear, if it doesn’t end up under my Christmas Tree, I’m already planning to treat myself to some books in the New Year so it’ll for sure be added to that 🙂

“Simply Having A Wonderful Christmas Time…” | What book that you have read this year have you enjoyed the most?

Probably The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty. I read this at the beginning of the year and it made me realise that I’d missed reading good YA Fantasy books. For a long time I was mostly reading my university reads and was starting to feel a bit slumpy coming to the end of the academic year, but this book honestly revived me. I remember being sucked in and eagerly waiting to get back to the book every time I was away from it. I can’t wait for the second one!

“It’s Beginning to look a lot like Christmas…” | Which book has the most festive look to it?

For this one I’ll have to go for the same answer as Richard, but that would be Northern Lights by Phillip Pullman. I read this for the first time recently and absolutely adored it, and it was the perfect read for the run up to christmas without being strictly a christmas book. 

Elf | What book unleashes your inner child?

Probably the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan. I remember being so invested in that series and desperately wanting to be a demigod in Camp Half-Blood, and I bet that would all come around again if I reread the series!

The Grinch | Your favourite villain…

I don’t think anyone will be surprised that I’m going for Eli from Vicious by V.E. Schwab. This entire book is morally grey and the binary between hero and villain is very much blurred, but Eli’s type of villainy is my favourite because it’s perfectly plausible. The way he justifies himself and presents his beliefs in a convincing way to entice others is 100% something people do, and it just made this book all the more intense.

The Holiday | Name your favourite TWO couples…

This is HARD because I’ve not read anything recently that involved me shipping people? And by recent I mean I haven’t really shipped people hardcore in years. Sure I like reading about some couples, but I can take it or leave it. Still, out of default I’ll go for the main couple in The Night Circus (not saying who in case spoilers) – but that’s more from my adoration of almost ALL the characters in that book. And also Percy and Annabeth from the Percy Jackson series, just because they were THE original OTP of my early teens and I wanted to be Annabeth just as much as I did Hermione Granger.

What book would you like to give as a present to your followers?

The Night Circus because it’s stunning and YOU ALL NEED TO READ IT. 

So that’s it! I’m tagging:

Kate @ Reading Through Infinity

Vicky @ What Vicky Read

Bex @ Books With Bex

Cora @ Tea Party Princess

Jemima @ Be Aware Of Books

Jess @ Read By Jess

Until next time,