The Terror of Knowing

Welcome one, welcome all, to another round of Tag Thursday. This week’s tag was found over at Thrice Read (will I ever not start a tag post with that phrase?), and it is called the Spring Cleaning Book Tag. This tag couldn’t have come at a more apropos moment in my life because I desperately need to do some proper spring cleaning of my wardrobe and (more importantly) my books. I’ve been itching to unhaul some books that I just will not get around to reading, despite how optimistic I’ve been about them in the past. But, to procrastinate doing that terrible task of letting books go… I’ve done this tag instead – enjoy!

1. The struggle of getting started: a book/book series that you have struggled to begin because of its size.

Once upon a time I would have instantly answered with The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss or Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin but, alas, I have started both of these series… the drive to continue them, knowing how long the books are, however…

Likewise, I instantly make excuses for finally getting round to reading any of my longer “project books” (they’re project books for a reason, guys!), mainly Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, The Luminaries, War and Peace, and The Count of Monte Cristo. 

2. Cleaning out the closet: a book and/or book series you want to unhaul.

When I look at my shelves, there are books that I instantly relegate to the back stack of my double-stacked shelves – I kind of feel like, if I don’t want/need it within easy reach, then there’s probably a reason why. Books of this sort include The Lonely Bones by Alice Sebold, The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer, The Help by Kathryn Stockett, We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler. The first two I’ve read and found somewhat ‘shrug’, the second two, I’m not entirely sure why I even acquired them. I have a lot of stray books like that.

3. Opening windows and letting fresh air in: a book that was refreshing.

You know what, I was very pleasantly surprised by E.M. Forster’s A Room with a View (cough if you’d be kind enough to check out my review cough)- it proved to be a lot more enjoyable than I thought it would be and, after a long stretch of reading lengthy fantasy novels, it was good to kick back with a shorter modern classic that didn’t take me very long to read.

4. Washing out sheet stains: a book you wish you could rewrite a certain scene in.

Can I rewrite the ending of The Fate of the Tearling? In fact, I’d like to re-write a lot of the second and third books of the Tearling series but I know that is my fantasy-loving self’s fault for eye rolling about dystopias. Even so, if I could rewrite that final scene, I would, I was not a fan, to say the least.

5. Throwing out unnecessary knick-knacks: a book in a series that you didn’t feel was necessary.

I feel like I’m not going out on a limb here by saying that we can unanimously agree that most (if not all) of Breaking Dawn was just plain extra and unnecessary. The vampire birth, could have done without; Jacob imprinting on a child, could have done without; oh the honeymoon entirely, could have done without… amongst many other things. I could go into more detail but, if you’ve read it, I’m sure you know exactly what I’m referring to.

6. Polishing the doorknobs: a book that had a clean finish.

When all is said and done (and ignoring the unnecessary character deaths) the Harry Potter series wrapped up pretty damn well. (Yes, I’m choosing to pretend The Cursed Child does not exist as part of the Harry Potter canon.)

7. Reaching to dust the fan: a book that tried too hard to relay a certain message.

I have one word for you, my friends, Crash. Crash by J.G. Ballard is a novel that, essentially, says that technology is the new sex, to the point of which technology (such as cars) has become eroticised in the place of, you know, human bodies and sex. Also one of the characters gets off to the idea of car crashes. Once that message is painted once, I don’t need repetitive car crash scenes to get the message – it has already been hammered home, no need to keep doing it.

8. The tiring yet satisfying finish of spring cleaning: a book series that was tiring yet satisfying to get through.

It took me months, maybe years (I can’t remember), but I’d say you feel a certain sense of accomplishment when you finish The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien. I’m overdue a re-read but just the thought of picking up the trilogy tires me out enough to procrastinate doing it so, yeah, I think this fits the bill for this question.

That’s all folks, that was the Spring Cleaning Book Tag – if you would like to do the tag, please consider yourself tagged by me and do link to your tag post below because I’d love to check it out and see your answers!

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