Calendar Book Tag

Hello everyone! Once again I'm doing a book tag that I found on BookTube. This time it's from BooksAndOtherNerdyThings. While I was not tagged, I kinda liked this one and decided to join in!


January: New Years: A new book coming out that you are greatly anticipating.

I don't actually know that it will be released this year, but TwoKinds author, Tom Fischbach, recently had preview copies of his book The Art and Evolution of TwoKinds available at Comic Con (someday I'll get to go to Comic Con!) While I haven't been a fan of his since the beginning, I have reread the comic several times and have an appreciation for how his art has developed over the years. 

February: Leap Year: A book or series that you would like to skip, and refuse to read.

I know I love high fantasy. I know I love books about dragons, but I will not be reading the Game of Thrones Series. Possibly ever. What's the point when all the good characters get killed off? When, even when I don't know the characters, I want to smack so many of them. Plus, I don't have a good history with really long books. I had to force myself to read the Lord of the Rings trilogy. So, I will not be reading any of these books. 

March: St Patricks Day: Favorite book set in the countryside or a rural area?

I gotta give this one to a childhood favorite of mine: Little House on the Prairie. It was one of the first books that made me interested in an entire series. Plus, it doesn't get much more rural. 

April: April Fool’s: A book that had a story that tricked you into thinking it was going one way, but ended up going somewhere else.

I'll admit, there have been a handful of books that had major surprises for me or kept me guessing, but I'll give this one to Cinder because I thought it was just going to be a boring, lovey-dovey fairy tale remake. It ended up being an incredibly interesting story about cyborg rights, plagues, and aliens!

May: Mothers Day: A book that's always there for you. You love it and it lightens the mood when you're feeling down.

I don't generally re-read my books. I have far too many for such luxuries. But, over the course of my lifetime, I have continuously re-read Foxtrot books by Bill Amend. They have a touch of nostalgia for me and remind me of some good times. I almost always have one of the books within reach, especially when I'm feeling a little low.

June: Summer Solstice: A book that felt like it took forever to read.

I could default to LotR, but I feel like I've said it often enough. So I'm going to go with More Than This by Patrick Ness. I struggled to keep my interest in that book because so many people said that the ending was so beautiful and perfect. I got to the end and said "THAT'S IT?!" 

July: Independence Day: A strong, independent character that inspired you.

Definitely Onyesonwu from Who Fears Death. That book had my soul burning and ready to take on the world. I highly recommend you read it.

August: No holidays - If you could create a holiday that was about books, what would it be?

I actually consider the Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon to be my biannual book holiday. I cook food in preparation of the event. I request time off to recover from it. I get to interact with all sorts of friends and strangers about books. And, most importantly, I get to READ!!!! If you haven't participated before, feel free to join in April and October. I'm so happy I've finally reached the point in my life that I can donate prizes and host my own challenges!

September: 911 Remembrance Day: A book that had a huge impact on you, one that you will always remember?

This may sound strange, but I have to give this one to The American Girls: Addy series. I first read her books when I was in 3rd grade. By 4th grade I had exhausted my school library of its books on the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement. While I don't read many books on these topics today, that book was my introduction to a different part of American history that, previously, I either didn't know about or didn't comprehend enough.

October: Halloween: What is your favorite mystery or horror book?

I'm not ashamed to admit that World War Z scared the sleep out of me. I couldn't rest easy while reading that book. If you've only watched the movie, you won't understand. The horrible things people went through and the even worse things they did to each other kept me wide awake at nights.

November: Thanksgiving: What series are you most thankful exists?

Honestly, I give full credit to the Dragonriders of Pern series for getting me into science fiction and fantasy. If those books hadn't existed I don't know what I'd be reading today. While I haven't continued the series since The Dolphins of Pern I am still very glad that it exists. It is a gateway series to so many others.

December: Christmas: If you could recommend one book as a gift, what would you recommend? 

I never feel comfortable answering this question. So many people have such varied tastes, myself included, that it feels impossible to recommend just one book.That being said, you can never go wrong with Calvin and Hobbes. Any of their books is almost guaranteed to bring anyone a smile. Which reminds me, I need to buy some more of them. I lost several in my many moves since college.

So, those are my choices for each month. Do you agree? Disagree? Have some other ideas? Let me know! And, as always, keep reading!