I was tagged by the lovely Bella @ Bella Blogs Because Books for the This or That Tag, if you don’t already follow Bella go check out her awesome blog right now. Are you back? OK, let’s get started with the questions…
Reading on the couch or in bed?
Definitely in bed, but propped up on loads of cushions because nobody likes getting hit in the face by an 800 page tome when it slips through your fingers.
Male MC or Female MC?
As a girl, I find it easier to relate to female MCs, but I love reading from the boy’s perspective because it’s like an insight into the mind of a guy. I read more books from a female POV, but that’s not necessarily intentional, I get the impression more YA books are written from a female POV, so I definitely need to hunt down more male perspective YA books. I’ve been loving getting into Jorg’s head in the Prince of Thorns series, and I know there are some amazing YA contemporaries from a guy’s perspective, like Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz, and everything by Adam Silvera, which are all on my TBR.
Sweet or salty snacks?
Ooh I like a bit of both, salt and vinegar crisps and chocolate, preferably Maltesers or some kind of Galaxy bar. And ice cream. With coke. Or wine. Or tea. Now I’m hungry. And thirsty.
Trilogies or quartets?
I love a really, really long series, like The Mortal Instruments or Throne of Glass, so I’m going to vote for quartets, as I find that trilogies often drag out plot lines that could have been wrapped up more effectively in a duology. At the end of the day, if a story is still compelling and well written, I’m still reading, but if it loses its thread and just seems to drag on for no real reason other than book sales, I stop reading.
First or third person POV?
I honestly don’t have a preference on POV, I’ve read plenty of both and it’s never occurred to me that one feels more natural than the other. However, I do much prefer past tense than present. “I opened the door” just feels smoother to me than “I open the door”. I can get past it, it doesn’t stop me enjoying a really great book (The Hunger Games was written in first person present and is still one of my favourite series), but it takes longer for me to become absorbed in the story.
Reading at night or in the morning?
I tend to read more at night, because mornings are busy times in my daily life, plus I love a lie in if possible, but on holiday I prefer reading in the morning. Waking up and picking up my current read to dive back into the story while my husband is still asleep is such a pleasure. I love long lazy mornings when we’re on holiday, we almost never make it to breakfast!
Libraries or bookstores?
Libraries, all the way! If libraries sold coffee and cake my life would be perfect. It’s not necessarily that bookstores expect you to pay for the books whereas libraries don’t, it’s more that bookstores are designed for you to pop in and out, whilst libraries are laid out so you can spend a few hours browsing, reading, using the computers, etc. They encourage you to stay, whereas I feel like shops want you to come, pay and leave so they can move onto the next customer. I also love that libraries allow those who can’t necessarily afford to buy lots of books to still enjoy reading, and if we all request the newest releases then our favourite authors are still getting paid. Win, win!
Books that make you laugh or cry?
Both, please. Preferably simultaneously, or at least alternately. Books should make you feel something, whether that’s happiness, sadness, anger, frustration, joy, amusement or hope. If a book doesn’t make you feel, or think, then is it even a book?
Black or white book covers?
Being that I’m a huge fantasy fan, my book shelves are full of books with predominantly black covers, and I need to continue in that vein or they won’t coordinate pleasingly. So, black book covers for that reason, but I actually love books in a rainbow of colours, especially pastels (I need to read more contemporaries!). The only books with white covers I can think of are Throne of Glass, and I only own the audiobooks, so…
Character or plot driven?
I prefer character driven books, I can excuse a predictable or slightly cliche plot if I fall head over heels in love with the characters, but a great plot can rarely save a bunch of 2D, unlikable or boring characters. Witty dialogue trumps thrilling action scenes in my book!
I tag…
- Breeny @ Breeny’s Books
- Sarah @ Between the Pages
- Tanya & Shanya @ Twin Bookmarks
- Anyone else who hasn’t done this tag and wants to!
I have so much to tell you all, I’m going to have to do a writing update soon to let you in on what’s been going on in my writing life! I’m off to FRIENDSfest this weekend, which is where the film sets from FRIENDS travel around the world and you can take photos, buy merchandise, and sit on the Central Perk sofa, so I’ll take hundreds of photos and post them here on Sunday so you can all enjoy!
Lyndsey
x
Lyndsey Hall | Author 
I love this tag and I agree with pretty much everything you’ve said! Great post😊
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Thanks! 😀
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YASSS SJMAAS AND CASSIE CLARE❤❤ … can you already see that most of our answers may be *similar* !!!🤓👌🏻
Thanks for the tag and we’d be sure to do this once we finished all the other tags and that’d be *after* we get back from our trip..😊
But to not worry for we shall do this tag!!😆😆 It just may take some time (…a long time😅😅 – but we’ll try 😊❤)
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Ooh trip where??? Gimme some deets 😃
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Ooh where are you off to? 😀
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Oh our trip is in Asia (Bangladesh to be precise) and we have already arrived!😊
Sorry for the late reply – we did see your message it’s just replying is a problem probably ‘cuz the WiFi was being funny and so was WordPress!!
Do you have any plans for the summer? Any travelling? 😆
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Omg that sounds amazing, do you have family over there or just holidaying? My family are all off to Singapore and Thailand in September and I’m so excited!!! We’re going to the formula one for my stepdad ‘s birthday but also on a cruise round Malaysia 😃😃😃
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We have family here 😊. And we just came back from a resort and plan to watch Spider-Man: Homecoming!!! So excited 😆😆😆
Ooooh we want to go there!!! For the food😂😂😉 oh and for the attractions of course 😉.
Wow that is a busy summer how do you keep posting we get soo distracted but our not willing to let go of this awesome thing that we created and now LOVE (we are addicted)!!
Hope you fun with your family and make beautiful memories that’ll last for years!!😊😊
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OMG I just realised I asked you where you were going twice, I had completely forgotten I’d already replied! Sorry for looking like a total obsessive stalker :’-) I’m so excited to see Spiderman! The Singapore grand prix and cruise are all within ten days in Sept, but I’m trying to edit my first novel in time for Pitch Wars next month so it’s been a challenge to keep posting regularly, I went over a week without a post but luckily I’ve been tagged a couple of times and there’s always Beautiful People (so sad Top Ten Tuesday is on summer break!). Thanks, and hope your trip is amazing too!!! 😀
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Haha lol that’s alright!😂 sorry for replying late – we just came back from our trip (which was fabulous)!
Looks like your holiday plan is all booked up! Hope you are able to finish all the things you have planned! We have been tagged too many times we feel we are soon going to have to decline them or put them on hold as we also want to post other stuff! But this is also hard – where is the time!?
We wish you luck for your novel!😉
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A library that sells coffee and cake is genius. That needs to exist. It would also be smart to open a coffee shop next to a library. That would be a good investment. Anyway, great post and thanks for the shout out!
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Yes! Why has no one where I live thought of opening a coffee shop next door? It would be so popular! To be fair, I just moved house last week to an even smaller and more rural village and I hear the library here is actually inside the pharmacy… I might have to drive to my old village to borrow books, at least there they were connected to all libraries in the county and I could request any from other sites 👍 I’m gonna go and check it out though just to see how terrible it really is 😂
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Oh wow, I’ve never heard of a library in a pharmacy before. I’m interested to see what you think of it.
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Ooh thanks for tagging me Lyndsey! Fun tag! *gasps* SAME HERE WITH THE PAST TENSE THING. I thought my brain is just weird but past tense seems way more natural then present. Especially when I write, it’s first instinct to write everything in past tense. When I plan on doing it in present, I always have to go back and fix everything after regardless lol. AGH I WISH LIBRARIES HAD LITTLE CAFES IN THEM SO BADLY. THAT WOULD SERIOUSLY BE SO AWESOME. I mean my library has complementary coffee in it sometimes, but to be honest I’ve never bothered to see if it’s any good since I hang around in the YA section usually hahaha. I really just love the smell of barnes and noble (non-readers think I’m weird but YOU GET ME RIGHT?) with all the new books and coffee and also I love the QUIETNESS. 😫😫
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COMPLIMENTARY COFFEE??!! Where is this magical place?? I’m moving to your home town bcos free coffee and also physical real local book friend 😊 The scent of books combined with coffee is paradise and anyone who doesn’t recognise that is clearly not on our wavelength. I’m so glad someone else finds past tense more natural, I honestly can’t get on board with present, I’m like “do you? Really? And what else do you usually do??” it’s just not normal!! 😰
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Hahahaha 😂😂
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Great tag loved reading your answers. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secretes of the Universe is a great book and I hope you enjoy it.
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Thanks, I’m really looking forward to it! Hoping to get to it later this summer 🙂
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Your welcome 😀
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This sounds like a fun tag, I think I’ll give it a go at some point 🙂
I enjoyed reading your answers. My local library has a cafe, which sells coffee and cake. It’s perfect!
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That’s it I’m moving down there, you’re on the coast AND your library sells coffee and cake??? You clearly live in heaven 😃
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You’d love it 🙂 On sunny days, you can sit and read on the beach, and replace coffee and cake with chips and ice cream!
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You might have been nominated already – but I nominated you for the Liebster Award! You can click here for the details: http://andyouwrite.blogspot.com/2017/07/liebster-nomination.html
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Ooh fun, thanks Vanessa! It’s always different questions so I’ll happily do this tag again 🙂
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I love Ari and Dante! The Hunger Games is also my favorite reads. Love reading your answers and I see we like to read similar books 🙂
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