Well, it’s 21st December, I finish work for the year today, and it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas… *cue song*
And even though I still have presents to wrap (and undoubtedly some final bits and pieces for presents to purchase), and Christmas films to watch, I also felt like some holiday cheer needed to be brought onto this blog. Handily, as if on cue, I scrolled my feed this morning and discovered that Stephanie at Adventures of a Bibliophile had supplied the goods with an appropriately festive book tag! It would be remiss of me to not join in with the Christmasy joy through this blog, considering how much I love the holiday season so I bring you The Joy of Christmas Book Tag!
Anticipation – The Christmas excitement is real, what book release(s) are you most anticipating.
Next year brings a few new releases that I’m really excited for, especially Samantha Shannon’s The Song Rising, V.E. Schwab’s A Conjuring of Light, and Alison Goodman’s The Dark Days Pact, all of which are part of series that I’m heavily invested in. I’m especially excited/tense for A Conjuring of Light as it will be the third and final novel in the Shades of Magic trilogy and Schwab has a tendency to give her characters hell… in the best way possible, of course!
Christmas Songs & Carols – What book or author can you not help but sing its praises.
One of my favourite books is Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier and I always try to get people to read it if they express even the slightest inclination towards maybe reading it someday. I adore the book and, hey, if you, yes you reading this, have not read it then maybe consider giving it a go in 2017? Yes? Good!
For a less serious read, Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. Word of warning – it’s very… particular in its sense of humour so if you don’t find yourself snorting in amusement at Pratchett or Gaiman’s writing then maybe give it a miss. Otherwise, if you think you’ll find a sideways look at the Apocalypse funny then definitely give it a read, I love it, and I hope other people (will) do too!
Gingerbread Houses – What book or series has wonderful world building.
As I read a lot of fantasy, this question is quite tricky to pick just one book/series! For the sake of not being repetitive, I’ll neglect to mention the Shades of Magic series or The Bone Season books and instead mention Jim Butcher’s The Aeronaut’s Windlass – the world building in that one has stayed with me months later and I’m sure it will continue to be built upon in the subsequent books in the series. Similarly, Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows duology took the existing world building of the Grishaverse from The Grisha trilogy and blew it absolutely out of the water, I was very impressed.
A Christmas Carol – Favourite classic or one that you want to read.
I’m quite partial to a bit of Shakespeare (have you noticed?) and my favourite plays are The Tempest, Richard II, and Henry IV Part 1. Straying back to novels, though, I suppose my favourite is a toss up between Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion. Pride and Prejudice because, come on, it’s Pride and Prejudice, it’s longevity is for good reason, and Persuasion because it’s a much more self-contained, slower, maturer novel in many ways, and I really appreciated that about it. Plus Captain Wentworth’s letter stomps all over Darcy’s which then seems paltry in comparison – trust me.
As for classics I want to read, there are too many to list. See my Project Books list for specific detail but briefly speaking… I’d like to get to Les Misérables (in its entirety this time!), Moby Dick, Anna Karenina, and War and Peace soon. Whether or not I understand them is another matter but…
Christmas Sweets – What book would you love to receive for Christmas.
Funnily enough, I recently did a Top Ten Tuesday post on this exact topic! Of those ten I listed I think the one I’d be most excited to receive would be the Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Illustrated Edition because the first book was beautiful and I have no doubt that the second will be equally (if not more) stunning.
Candles in the Window – What book gives you that warm fuzzy feeling.
*delves into the pile of “chick lit” she hides behind other books* Ok, fine, I’ll admit it – Anna and the French Kiss, despite its faults, gives me the warm fuzzies, ok?! There’s something comforting and satisfying about a book that you know exactly how its going to end and the steps/tropes that will probably be taken to get there. It’s like watching a romantic comedy and knowing that the couple are definitely going to get together – there can be something quite satisfying about watching that foregone conclusion happen.
Also, any time I pick up a Harry Potter book – that right there is a mainline right into childhood nostalgia and the warm fuzzies definitely hit immediately because of that.
Christmas Trees & Decorations – What are some of your favourite book covers.
Right now I have a pile of simply stunning hardbacks balanced somewhat precariously on my desk, and I can’t help but peek at them every time I sit there on a morning. Mainly Sorcerer to the Crown, The Muse, and The Essex Serpent, they’re so pretty and shiny!
Christmas Joy – What are some of your favourite things about Christmas.
Lorelai Gilmore says it best.
No, but seriously now, I’m a big fan of the winter season meaning its cold and dark – which sounds like an odd thing to say but hear me out! I love that I now have an excuse to curl up under a blanket on an evening with a good book, or in front of a film, and do nothing more than spend time inside with friends/family. I love that entire feel of Christmas – the fact it “makes” you spend time with the people who really count, I love that, because otherwise I think it’s very easy to forget and let life pass on day after day month after month. It makes me acutely aware of how lucky I am to have the opportunity/time to spend Christmas with people around me, and if that results in a fairly low-key Christmas complete with staying inside and drinking/eating a lot, well then, all the better!
So that was The Joy of Christmas Book Tag – I, for one, am feeling mightily festive after that.
Have you done the tag? Please share below! Or, do you want to do the tag? If so, consider yourself tagged by yours truly!
The Terror of Knowing 
One response to “Tag | The Joy of Christmas Book Tag”
[…] you might have seen from the last time I did a Currently Reading sort of post back on 10th/11th December, I was reading J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Anthony […]
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