Rapid Fire Book Tag

I found a pretty fun book tag, and I decided to complete it. It's a good way to get me to finally write those book reviews/recommendations that I wanted to for so long. I'm still sitting on my Raven Cycle review, I feel like partly because I love it so much that I'm afraid not being able to do it justice in my review.

E-Book or Physical Book?

Physical! I love the feel of books, although I read a ton on my phone. There's probably 30 books on it.

Paperback or Hardback?

Paperback, because I'm poor. I'd love to have a huge library beautifully stacked with hardcover, but alas, not yet.

Online or In-Store Book Shopping?

Online - much larger English selection, usually cheaper. I do love roaming shops, especially antique stores. (Love me some first edition sci-fi.)

Trilogies or Series?

Probably series. Unless there's serious structure and motive behind a trilogy, I feel like three is just an arbitrary number. Oftentimes it's authors themselves who plan for a trilogy (is it because that's what's conventional?) but there's nothing that explicitly warrants that, which shows when the plot slips or they're unable to let go and it becomes 4-part, a double trilogy, 8-part and a spin-off series...

Heroes or Villains?

Anti-heroes is where it's at! To me, a conflicted or morally ambiguous hero is the most interesting protagonist, although this is a very wide spectrum. It's important to note that this moral greyness cannot be represented as entirely moral just because it's the protagonist; it needs to be addressed in the narrative, otherwise it misses the point. Where it comes to romantic interests, the brooding bad boy trope needs to die a fiery death.

A book you want everyone to read?

His Master's Voice by Stanisław Lem.

Recommend an underrated book!

The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater. I mean, it is widely recognised in the US and has been a New York Times Bestseller, but it is the best modern YA series I've read, yet it doesn't have the same widespread recognition as others, most of which I think are of far lesser quality. (e.g. anything ever by Cassandra Clare, not that they aren't okay, but they really aren't that great.)

The last book you finished?

The Secret History by Donna Tartt.

The last book you bought?

The Best Science Fiction of Isaac Asimov by (surprisingly) Isaac Asimov.

Weirdest thing you've used as a bookmark?

Hm, maybe a receipt with lipstick swatches or used school notes.

Used Books: Yes or No?

Yes, yes, yes. How else would I buy first editions?

Top Three Favourite Genres?

Science fiction, YA fantasy and literary fiction.

Borrow or Buy?

Buy, I have a dream of one day having a real library with thousands of books (haha, hahaha), but I definitely borrow a lot from friends as well. I'm sitting on about 3 borrowed books right now as well.

Characters or Plot?

Characters, but I do think that characters don't work without a plot. People's lives are not empty, and if they are, I'm not interested reading about them. Unless it's sci-fi, because then it's usually neither - it's the underlying concept or ideas that matter.

Long or Short Books?

Long books. I'm a fast reader, so that helps.

Long or Short Chapters?

Short chapters, I like well-crafted novels and I often feel like too-long chapters are just a mistake in editing.

Name the first three books you can think of...

Seveneves by Neal Stephenson - I've been meaning to borrow it from my bother for a while now. Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan - I read some of it, but too much school interfered. It's not too bad, although I think I grew out of this. but I dislike not finishing. The Karamazov Brothers by Dostoyevsky - again, should have finished this months ago, but alas.

Books that make you laugh or cry?

Laughing doesn't happen often, but crying, well, that does. Often. Last one was The Raven King.

Our World or Fictional Worlds?

Fictional Worlds. I'm still waiting for my Hogwarts letter, you know.

Audiobooks: Yes or No?

No. I don't see the appeal at all, moreover, I find them maddeningly slow.

Do you ever judge a book by its cover?

Yes! I was very tempted to buy a newly issued edition of the Foundation just because I liked the cover. Also, I judge the hell out of all those non-imaginative YA romance fantasy whatever covers. Girl in dress? Really?

Books to Movie or Book to TV Adaptation?

With the rise of quality TV, I think this is a no-brainer. Films are simply too short for most books. (and Game of Thrones has the budget of a Hollywood film, so really, what's the question?).

A movie or TV show that you preferred to its book?

The 100 (although I stopped watching after Lexa, you know). The The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (the book is terrible and in-your-face, but I liked how the film turned out).

Series or Standalones?

This is, I think, a fairly stupid question. It entirely depends on the genre and the story it's trying to tell. Would you write a sequel to The Secret History? No, you wouldn't. Would you condense Harry Potter into a standalone? No, you wouldn't.