23 Bookish Facts

This post is brought to you by Cait @ Paper Fury. She gave me permission to thieve her question list away [which you should read]. SO I THIEVED IT! Her orginal post had 30 questions, but uh, I'm lazy.

[Don't tell me it's not thieving if I've gotten permission. I'm a polite dragon, okay? I thieve with courtesy.]

1) Currently Reading?

The Death Cure! Do you know how long I've been putting off waiting to read this? I actually own the book. But I heard spoilers and I don't want them to be true and, and-- I don't want it all to end.

Besides I always procrastinate the books I know I'll like, because . . . logic.

2) Book That Impacted You?

That's not a difficult decision.

Okay, I'll pick one. The Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley. The POV was not perfect. I think it started out omniscient, but after Beauty went to the Beast's castle, it switched to deep POV? Which is. . . not normal.

BUT here's the thing. The deep POV part was very, very deep. Beauty outright asked questions via internal monologue. She would mentally address questions to the Beast, and--

There were no italics.

Guys, this is monumental!

Do you know how happy that made me? That's how I write my internal monologue. Some people are like, "I love this. Italicized internal monologue is so unnecessary. Keep it up!" But most people are like, "You need italics. What is wrong with you? Why can't you be normal?" And while I know that, no, I don't need italics, it's nice to see another author pull it off. Sure, Imma still gonna do my thang, but the extra affirmation is refreshing.

3) Hyped vs Backlisted titles?

 I tend to procrastinate hyped books, soooo the hyped books end up at the back of my list. Yeah?

 

"Ashley, you're not funny."

Well, I have to try.

4) Current Series Crush?

Oh. Okay. Uuuuum. I want to say Red Rising, but I've only read the first book. Does that count?

Oh, and The Lunar Chronicles! That is a must read! *shifty eyes at all you TLC slackers*


 

5) How Strong is Your Shelf-Control Around Books?

Are you asking if I flail and run around like a lunatic at the sight of one?

Because I *might* internalize that. . .


 

At the bookstore, I'm very picky. I only want to buy books I know I'll like. But at the library I will borrow ten books and DNF six or eight.

6) Plot vs Character?

Character all the way!

Characters can drive Plot [because Plot is a vehicle that takes you places].

But can Plot drive Characters?

Some may argue that Plot can drive Characters, but you usually end up with a poorly written story and bad character development. Aka: bad plot and bad characters. So no. Plot does not drive Characters, well. 

7) Would You Marry Your Bookshelf?

I'm in the middle of a move, so my books and I are unattached at the moment. But when I find one up to standards, I'll consider committing.

8) Do You Ever Get Sick of Reading?

There are those rare times, yes. It happens. [I here you gasping. Stop that.] So I do other stuff and then I miss my books. What do they say? Absence makes the heart grow fonder, or some such sentimental rot.

9) Random Bookish Memory?

The homeschool moms used to laugh at me on Park Days because I would read and swing simultaneously.


 

10) Character You Relate to?

So I relate to characters here and there, but I rarely relate to a character fully. Besides, I can only think of one right now.

This is going to sound bad. But here it is any way.

Saba from Blood Red Road. She's a loyal misanthrope. She doesn't let people get close to her often, but when she does, she cares about them with everything that's in her. But I also really related to her "I got this," "leave me alone" attitude. She wanted to do everything alone, but people kept following her around and being clingy. In the first book that was a good thing. But in the second book the crowd following her only brought more trouble [especially at the end; Jaaaack!]. I really don't like/understand clingy people. Which is rare. Even if I can't personally relate to someone, I can usually at least see where their coming from. But clingy people? They are another species whom I avidly avoid.

11) Controversial Opinion?

I normally get sick of the 'hot topics,' like Diversity, SFC, or Mental Illnesses. I'm not saying these aren't important topics. THEY ARE IMPORTANT. But they shouldn't be the sole purpose of a story. Why don't people bash me over the head with a book already? Oh wait, they are.

It's even more irksome when someone suggests you change your male character to a female character. Why? Because your male character is a swordsmaster, and you know that the suggestioner has SFC on the brain.


 

I'm just saying. It's fine to drive your bandwagon, but don't run people over with it. Pedestrians have right of way, okay? [aka: Story trumps all.]

12) NOTP?

I'm just going to say Phantom of the Opera [yes, it's a book]. I don't ship Christine with anyone. Eric is a murderous psychopath and I wouldn't ship him with my worst enemy. Rauol is a limp, whiny noodle and I would ship with my worst enemy. Christine doesn't need either of them.





I'd say she ought to run off on her own and sing somewhere else, but unfortunately she lived in a time wherein a girl traveling alone was scandalous. That's the last thing she needs in her messed up life. Sorry, Chrissy. There's just no hope for your love life. Thank Gaston Leurox.

13) Why Didn't I Love This?!

I really, really wanted to like Splintered by A G Howard. I mean, the world building? ON POINT! Wonderland was just enough creepy and just enough charm. It was fantastical and alluring! Also, the stories behind some of the Wonderland characters like was interesting.

But the main character. . . meh.

The love interests? What is wrong with the MC? Why are these her choices, hm?

The romance? Way over the top. I'm sorry. I tried.

But I can't.

14) Hardcover vs Paperback?

I love the approach-ability that paperbacks have, but I hate it when the cover curls upward. Hardcovers are hardcore and durable, plus they look amazing without their jacket. [Don't look at me like that.] But they tend to be clunky and large; which makes me feel more noticeable when carrying them in public.

The pros and cons of each balance out. So I choose option C. Both.

15) Do You Ever Like Villains?

Who? Me?

16) Cringeable Reads?

You mean, the ones I DNF?

[No mercy in this dragon heart]

17) Where Do You Get Your Books From?

The books I own? I used to receive one book on my birthday or during Christmas. But I realized that when my family asks what I want and I only give them book titles, guess it! I receive more books because nobody has a clue what to get me besides.

 I love to wander bookstores, especially secondhand ones. I just love to be AROUND books. But there aren't many book stories here. So recently, I succumbed to purchasing a few books online.

One of them was Every Breath, of which I haven't been able to find a physical copy anywhere. So I'm super excited!

18) Haunting Read?

I know I've mentioned Cait two times in this post already. But The Dead Boy and the Paper Cut that she posted on Wattpad was super good. I read it as she was posting it, so I only got to read a chapter a week. [At times I made myself suffer through two weeks so I could read two chapters at once, again, logic at its finest.] And when I couldn't read it, I was thinking about it. It's really rare when a book evades all my life. My brain has been on a compartmentalizing kick. So when I say I thought about it while washing dishes, before bed, at work, and so forth, I mean it.


 

[BBC Lestrade is so underrated.]

19) Annoying Character Qualities?

1) Needy, whiny characters.

2) Clingy, I'm-gonna-follow-you-the-rest-of-your-life characters.

3) Manipulative characters who think they own everybody's soul.

4) Characters who are mean because they enjoy humiliating people, and feel bigger when they bring others lower. I want to shove them out a window.

20) Least Favorite Genre?

Romance.

Historical Fiction I can read if it's not heavy on the history. OR if it's set in the Dark Ages and makes me feel like I'm reading a fantasy [but there are no dragons *cries*].

Contemporary. I have a long DNF relationship with contemporary. We hates each other.

21) Best Tropes?

Lost royalty. I can see it from a mile away and I still adore it. Something's wrong with me.

Guy-girl friendships that stay friendships. [Oh, wait this isn't popular enough to be a trope. WHY NOT?]

Realistic sibling relationships.


 

Heights. I love heights. It's official; something's wrong with me. So anything with flying or especially climbing.

Anything hilarious. I am in.

 Clever plans. Give me all the brilliance!

Dragons. You didn't see that coming. Such majestic beasts.

Revenge.

Ships. The kind that sail the seas, people. Not your OTP. 

Snarky characters. Lemme have the book!

Fairytale retellings.

Open/Bittersweet Endings. They're realistic.

Oh, and the squishy, socially clueless characters. Yeah.

22) Have you abused a book?

I've let the wrong people read my books and abuse them. Apparently, I'm a bad book parent. 

23) Bad Bookdragon Side Effects?

The hoard grows faster than I read.

So tell me: what are your favorite tropes?  Is there a book that you really wanted to like, but it didn't work out? And be honest now, do you go into a flailing at the sight of a book?