The Terror of Knowing

Today I ignore the post that I really ought to be writing to instead bring you a tag. I’ve decided (if only in my own head until now) that Thursdays will be the day when I post tags – and I’ll keep that up (hopefully) as long as the tags hold up.

Stephanie over at Adventures of a Bibliophile did the Pastry Book Tag aaages ago and it looked like a lot of fun so I considered myself tagged and have only just gotten around to posting this (story of my life).

I love pastries – I scoffed one for breakfast this morning (a pain au chocolat to be precise) and its twin is sat some three feet away from me saying ‘eat me, you know you want to’. I must resist – and continue writing this tag instead! Let’s go…

Croissant: Name a popular book or book series that everyone (including you) loves.
I feel like everyone ever on earth likes the Harry Potter series. And if they don’t, they just haven’t read it yet. And if they still don’t, well then they’re wrong.

Macaroon: Name book that was difficult to get through but worth it on the end.
I feel like Les Misérables is an extremely daunting book to get through. Before you’ve even picked it up, you have to decide which translation to read (if you can read it in French, I’m so jealous, except I’m also not because that thing is huge). Then which edition. Then you open the book and realise just how many parts and chapters there are actually are. Then you get stuck into it, you think you know what’s going on and the plot and then Hugo meanders into a 30-page description of the Parisian sewer system or whatever. It’s fascinating but it also meanders a lot. So, it’s difficult, but I’d say it’s worth it – I mean, hey, I wrote a dissertation on it so I must think it’s at least vaguely okay!

Vol-Au-Vent: Name a book that you thought was going to be amazing but fell flat.
I really don’t get the fuss with Jeffrey Eugenides’ The Virgin Suicides. People told me it was amazing and I understand some people like its strangely ethereal and dreamy tone but I hate it. I really hated the writing style – I laughed out loud at some parts I definitely wasn’t meant to laugh out loud at because they were meant to be “profound” but I just found them, well, “pretentious”, if I’m being honest. Sorry.

Pain-Au-Chocolat: Name a book that you thought was going to be something but turned into something else.
I don’t know where I expected Viper Wine by Hermione Eyre to go… but it wasn’t there. It turned into a really prescient and relevant book, as much to present day as to the early modern society it depicts. Anyway, I’ve gushed about this wonderful book quite enough in the past so let’s move on…

Profiterole: A book or series that doesn’t get enough attention.
I feel like Starter for Ten by David Nicholls just isn’t as well-known as it really should be. Chances are if you’ve heard of David Nicholls, as of late, it’s because of One Day, which I actually like too but most people consider it a kind of terrible book. Anyway, the point is – don’t base all your opinions on Nicholls on One Day because Starter for Ten is amazing and in such a vastly different league. It’s a book framed around University Challenge, in every sense of the word – it charts a new university student’s rise and (or, mostly) fall whilst appearing on the high-brow quiz show. You’d almost feel sorry for him, except he’s a bit of a knob so… it’s entertaining to see it unfold. I cringed a lot at this book, in the best possible way. Bonus: the film is also very, very good, and has James McAvoy and Benedict Cumberbatch so, I mean, why wouldn’t you watch it? Its minor characters also feature people who are pretty big deals nowadays including James Corden, Dominic Cooper, and Charles Dance.

Croquembouche: A book or series which is extremely complex.
By the end of it all, Brandon Sanderon’s Mistborn trilogy gave me a headache. I wonder how much of that is because I didn’t quite retain enough of the development from the second book in the gap between reading that and the final book in the trilogy, so I was very confused. That might just be me – but, either way, it’s extremely complicated by the time you get to The Hero of Ages.

Napoleon: Name a movie or TV series that you liked better than the book.
I loved The Night Manager TV miniseries… I’m sorry, there are no prizes available for guessing why I liked it more than the book. That being said, I did really enjoy the book too – I just think the modernisation really truthfully captured a mood within international espionage and arms dealing for the modern age. Also, that being said again, if you’ve seen the adaptation and now wish to read the book but are finding it a tad difficult to get through – just imagine the actors (cough Hiddleston cough) reading it aloud.

Empanda: Name a book that was bittersweet.
After some deliberation, I have to say that a lot of the Infernal Devices was bittersweet, particularly Clockwork Princess. I can’t exactly say why it’s bittersweet because it ruins a massive part of the plot but let me just say it involves Jem Carstairs.

Kolompeh: Name a book that takes place in a country other than your home country.
I feel like since I’m a fantasy reader, I had way too many books I could have answered for this. So I decided to be creative – read: smartarsed – and reply thus: the A Song of Ice and Fire series certainly takes place in a fantasy country… or does it? ;) Allegedly inspired by historical events (specifically the Wars of the Roses), it’s unsurprising that Martin’s fantasy epic sometimes feels a little like the battle for the English throne, just with more dragons.

Pate A Choux: Name a food from a book or series you would like to try.
I think I’d like to try lembas bread from The Lord of the Rings trilogy. If only so I can see whose right about whether or not “one small bite is enough to fill the stomach of a grown man”.

That was the Pastry Book Tag – if anyone likes pastries and/or likes books and wants to give it a go, then please consider yourself tagged by me! Link your responses or comment below with them as I’d love to give them a read.

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