This week’s book tag was found over at Trouble Reads! Let’s get started!

1. Greed: What are your most expensive and inexpensive books?

I imagine that the 3-in-1 1221 page copy of Lord of the Rings was pretty expensive when I got it, but I didn’t buy it myself so I don’t know that for sure. The quality of the paper is amazing though so it probably was.
As for inexpensive, I think the 2 pence copy of Richard Hammond’s On The Edge that I picked up in a charity shop on Queensway in London is probably the cheapest book I ever bought, and what a gem!

2. Wrath: What author do you have a love/hate relationship with?

I don’t get frustrated with authors or books easily, because if I do, I’ll probably just stop reading the book and that’ll be it. But maybe Scott Westerfeld, because Uglies has such a good plot idea, but I somehow felt like it didn’t deliver. It’s been a year since I read it, and I’m still debating whether or not to read the rest of the series.

3. Gluttony: What book have you deliciously devoured over and over with no shame whatsoever?

The Harry Potter series. Surprise surprise. I actually just bought the last two books that were missing, now I have them all in both Swedish and English, and I’m looking forward to re-reading them soon. Whenever I get some spare time, that is!

4. Sloth: What book have you neglected to read due to laziness?

I have biographies on both Adolf Hitler and Heinrich Himmler that I’m longing to read, but they’re both huge books, so I really haven’t gotten around to it. This makes me sad!

5. Pride: What book do you most talk about in order to sound like a very intellectual reader?

I don’t really aim to sound intellectual, mainly because I don’t have that many people to talk to about books. However I’ve found that mentioning Sherlock Holmes, anything Arthurian, or The Alchemist makes people think I’m a lot more educated than I really am :P

6. Lust: What attributes do you find most attractive in male or female characters?

Determination. That’s an attractive treat in general, people who know what they want and go for it, although preferrably without being an asshole while doing it.

7. Envy: What books would you most like to receive as a gift?

Ready Player One is pretty high on my list of books I want, so if anyone wants to buy me that one, my arms are open wide ;)

That’s all for this week guys! If you have a book blog, or know of any good ones, feel free to link them below, I’m looking for new people to be inspired by!

I do apologise for my lack of Tea Time last Friday, as you’ve probably gathered I was out travelling, and my plans were set kind of last minute so I honestly didn’t have time to prepare a post. I feel a bit bad now. Anyway, here’s a tag I found over at Kasia’s youtube channel, and since I don’t have time or space to film anything right now (I’ll tell you about that later), I thought I’d do it here instead.

The questions are as follows;
D: Do you read more in the morning or at night?
A: Are there any books that changed the way you thought about things?
Y: YA or Not?

A: Are there characters that you honestly believe are real?
N: Nobody touches my books or I don’t mind loaning my books out?
D: Do you ever smell your books?

N: Not everyone loves books…is this a positive or a negative?
I: I keep my books in the best condition or maybe not? Which are you?
G: Gosh I have too many books! True or False?
H: Have you ever spilled or stained your books before with something, and if so how?
T: Toned or untoned while reading? ..or in other words…Do you read and workout at the same time?

Do you read more in the morning or at night?
Both, but I think I get more reading done in the morning. I usually allow myself an hour in the morning and one in the night to read, because I’m so busy right now. Sadly, being busy has also led to me being very tired in the evening, so usually I will be close to falling asleep before having read more than 30 minutes or so. In the morning, I’m very much more awake. :)

Are there any books that changed the way you thought about things?
A lot of them, actually, I guess that’s part of the reason to why I read. Because the books influence me and I get a new way of looking at things, appreciating things, and new ways to live my life in a better way. That all sounds really pretentious but yeah.

YA or Not?
I’ve never really read much YA; I started reading my mother’s adult fiction (and non-fiction, for that matter) at the age of 11-12. I think I read Deborah Spungen’s And I Don’t Want to Live this Life when I was 12, so I never went back from there to read YA. In the past few years I’ve read a couple of YA novels, only the ones that have been getting the best reviews, and even then I feel like they’re just not giving me enough. Also, nowadays, YA seems to be equal to “girl falls in love with boy who has a secret/is an animal/other creature”, and I’m just not much for that type of books to begin with.

Are there characters that you honestly believe are real?
No, I’m not naive, that doesn’t mean I have, at least when I was younger, wished that some characters or places were real.

Nobody touches my books or I don’t mind loaning my books out?
I don’t know, I don’t really have friends who read, I don’t think anyone has borrowed a book from me since I was a kid and my brother used to read some of my books. I wouldn’t have a problem lending someone a book, but if they bring it back in shit condition I will have them buy me a new one.

Do you ever smell your books?
Mmmm yes. Especially new ones, I think the last one I smelled was my copy of The Hobbit.

Not everyone loves books…is this a positive or a negative?
Negative, all the way. Firstly, there would be more book stores around if more people actually read books. Mainly though, I consider reading to be an adventure, a way of travelling without leaving home. It’s cheap, it’s easy, anyone can enjoy any sort of trip. What’s not to love? The fact that not everyone gets to experience that makes me a bit sad. Also I think fewer people would butcher languages if they started reading and appreciating words.

I keep my books in the best condition or maybe not? Which are you?
This depends. If I buy new books, I always try to keep them as good as possible. No bent corner, no damages, nothing. I don’t really mind breaking spines on paperbacks, something I know makes a lot of book lovers cringe, but I don’t want the books to be damaged. However, I buy a lot of used books, they will already have scratched covers, maybe dog-eared pages and just have that general used look. With those books, I’m not as careful, because I simply don’t have to be. It doesn’t have to do with the price of the book, just the fact that it already looks used.

Gosh I have too many books! True or False?
Oh, that depends on who you ask! My boyfriend would definitely tell you that I have too many books, while I would say that there is no such thing as enough books. To me, it’s like saying that I have taken enough photos or have cuddled enough with my cat. Just no.

Have you ever spilled or stained your books before with something, and if so how?
I don’t think so, no… I believe I would remember if I ruined a book because I’d feel inclined to buy a new one.

Toned or untoned while reading? ..or in other words…Do you read and workout at the same time?
How is that supposed to work?
No, I actually can’t really do anything at all while I’m reading, not even listen to music, because it distracts me. I did try listening to an audio book on a recent train trip, but it made me tired and so I stopped understanding what I was listening to after a while. Nah, I think I’m a sit-down-in-silence-to-read kind of person.

So, that’s all for today!

If you feel like it, I’d love to know how you would answer these questions :)

It’s Friday, and I haven’t forgotten that Friday means Tea Time! This is a tag from YouTube user shoutame (who you should btw check out because she’s awesome), link to her video here. This tag is a little bit different, but I thought the questions were pretty interesting so on with it!

Basically, if your life was a story, what would it be like? The questions are;

1. Where is your life set? What world are you in?
2. What kind of character are you? Good guy/bad guy? Or an actual character from your world?
3. Best friend? Closest companion?
4. The ‘Mother Hen’ character? The person who takes care of everyone :)
5. Your sworn enemy? The bad guy?
6. Your love interest?
7. Your chosen pet/animal friend?
8. One Object from another book that you would want to bring over into your life?
9. Elderly man/guidance character?
10. How would your like/story come to a close?

Where is your life set? What world are you in?
I will have to go with Middle-Earth, to be honest. Lord of the Rings was one of the first book series I fell in love with, and the world Tolkien created is so vivid, and despite Mordor, it generally is such a peaceful and beautiful place. Also there’s no technology and such, which I would honestly love.
(You know that scene, I think it’s from the The Two Towers movie, where they’re using the beacon fires to send for help? It basically makes me cry and smile at the same time, because I get emotional about communication without technology, or something. Ok, back to the questions now!)

What kind of character are you? Good guy/bad guy? Or an actual character from your world?
I’m probably too nice to be a bad guy, but I’m thinking I’d be the Slytherin type person. You know, I’m totally nice and all, but at the same time I will demand my rights, no matter what the cost.

Best friend? Closest companion?
Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games trilogy, because she’s badass and I feel like I would learn a lot of awesome stuff from her. Also she could protect me ;)

The ‘Mother Hen’ character? The person who takes care of everyone :)
Molly Weasley from Harry Potter, hands down. I don’t even think I have to explain this one.

Your sworn enemy? The bad guy?
Effie Trinket from Hunger Games, because her absolute lack of empathy and messed up priorities is the epitome of my worst nightmares and fears about how humanity is evolving.

Your love interest?
Mmm. I’ve just finished I Capture The Castle, and I fell a little bit in love with Neil Cotton, so maybe him! Or Legolas, but I think that’s because I loved him in the movies when I was young ;)

Your chosen pet/animal friend?
Can I have a hippogriff, thanks?

One Object from another book that you would want to bring over into your life?
An invisibility cloak from whatever book you can think of (I only know it exists in Harry Potter and I WANT ONE!)

Elderly man/guidance character?
Gandalf! Without doubt (okay no, with some doubt, but yes).

How would your like/story come to a close?
Well, am I to answer what I would like or what I think? I’ll go for what I’d like. I want to go with the elves to Valinor. A peaceful place for rest. Sounds perfect to me :)

What would your story be like? Tell me your answers in the comments of make a blog post of your own, I’m curious!

Raeleen created a book tag about a year ago, and I’m late and boring, also I don’t really do the whole video thing (maybe I will one day. I don’t know. I’m just not very comfortable with putting my face on camera), but I figure I can do tags anyway.
Also I’ve put Goodreads links to all the books I’ve mentioned under each category, however if I’ve mentioned the book several times I’ve only linked it once. These cover thumbnails will be more common now, I’ll probably put them in all the book related posts :)
Here we go!

QUESTIONS:
1. Top 3 favorite books?
2. Top 3 least favorite books?
3. Top 3 favorite characters?
4. Top 3 least favorite characters?
5. Biggest let-down?
6. Books that you liked that other people hated?
7. Characters that people love but you hated?
8. Characters that people hate but you loved?
9. Best Quotes?
10. Worst Quotes?
11. Books you didn’t finish?
12. What book have you read the most times?
13. Series where the first book was amazing but went downhill from there?

Top 3 favorite books?

• Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

I always always mention this book when people ask about my favourites so of course I had to say this one. It’s just a great book and it stirred emotions in me that books usually don’t and it was great, I recommend it to everyone.

• The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham

I see a pattern with dystopian novels here. I really loved this one too and was horribly disappointed by the movie adaptation because wow it’s not good at all. That didn’t take away from the fact that the book is great!

• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

I had a hard time picking the third book because wow, 3 favourites only how can I do that? But yeah, I really liked this book, I read it quite recently and I really enjoyed it.

Top 3 least favorite books?

• Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James

See further down in this post for a bit further explaining. The short version is that this is badly written, repetitive use of language, horrible characters, and the book tries to be something it’s not. The fact that the author very well knew that this book would mainly by read by teenage girls, and yet she let this be published without not even the least explanation or disclaimer that this is not a good representation of neither a BDSM relationship nor a healthy relationship at all, scares me. E.L. James wanted to make money off her fanfiction, but this one should come with a “Don’t try this at home” note.

• The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

I didn’t hate this book as much as felt like it wanted to stuff several different religions and ideas down my throat at the same time. The author alternated between preaching and telling me that if I want something enough, the Universe will make it happen. It felt like a really long and tedious “inspiring” Tumblr meme.

• Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

Yeah, I’ve read the entire series, and I didn’t even hate it to begin with. Somewhere along the way it just got too much, and by the time I read Breaking Dawn I was just so tired.

Top 3 favorite characters?

• Hermione Granger (Harry Potter)

Because she taught me, and everyone like me, that reading and being smart is okay.

• Guy Montag (Fahrenheit 451)

Because he’s curious although he’s not allowed to be.

• Jane Eyre (Jane Eyre)

Because she’s such a strong woman, not only for her time, but in general. We all have a thing or two to learn from her.

Top 3 least favorite characters?

• Christian Grey (Fifty Shades of Grey)
• Bella Swan (Twilight)
• Dolores Umbrigde (Harry Potter)

The first one is the creepiest bastard I’ve ever had the misfortune to read about. He’s abusive and controlling, and I know from experience that if you’re ever considering getting into a relationship with someone like that, you are going to regret it big time. That he’s made out to be this wonderful guy who is in fact just a bit hurt or whatever irks me to no end. Disgusting! Number two is just pathetic and annoying, and made me wonder if there actually are girls like that. The third one actually made me furious while reading.

Biggest let-down?
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green.
I really like John Green, and I like the only other book by him that I’ve read, but I just couldn’t really get into this one. I’m thinking I’m going to re-read it at some point and see if I change my mind. John’s books just have this huge hype about them, so I guess you’re just set up for disappointment, especially if you’re not that much into YA to begin with.

Books that you liked that other people hated?
This one I simply can’t answer. I went through my Goodreads list of read books to see if there were any obvious ones, but in fact, most of the time the rating I’ve given the book is somewhere around the general rating the book has gotten from other readers. That doesn’t surprise me that much though, because I tend to pick books up based on what people say about them, so my decision to read a book is usually based upon the general opinion of it, thus I really never read books that everyone dislikes.

Characters that people love but you hated?
I’m not really in tune with what people love or don’t love because I don’t have that many friends who read and are willing to discuss books with me, so I only have a few books to choose from really. I have to say Ron Weasley, again, from the Harry Potter series. And man does it feel good to say it! It’s not that I hate him, I just don’t care for him whatsoever and everyone seems to think he’s so loveable and I’ve never understood it.

Characters that people hate but you loved?
Merlin, in general. I’m reading The Merlin Trilogy by Mary Stewart and upon talking to people online, I find that a lot of them just don’t care for Merlin at all. A surprising amount of people. I don’t get that, of course I have very little reference because I simply haven’t read enough about him yet, but I find him and his actions to be very interesting and I’m eager to get to know him better.

It doesn’t seem to be any specific actions that have made people dislike him though so I don’t think I’ll get any wiser on this one. Obviously I know that a lot of people like him too, I just..haven’t found any.

Best Quotes?
“The universe takes care of all its birds”

This quote comes from R.J. Palacio’s Wonder. The book in itself made me feel good, but this quote in particular gave me hope and made me feel..happy somehow. I liked it. Obviously there are tons of great quotes in books, but this was the first one I came to think of.

Worst Quotes?
“My inner goddess is jumping up and down, clapping her hands like a five year old.”

This is from Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James, and it’s just an example of one of the times when Ana feels the need to tell us about her “inner goddess”. Set aside the fact that this book is rather horribe, repetitive BDSM wannabe porn, what annoyed me most was these ridiculous mentions of Ana’s “inner goddess”, and let me tell you, the book is full of them.

Books you didn’t finish?
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson.

These are the only two books I’ve ever quit reading without any intention of ever picking them up again. The Great Gatsby is just plain boring, I have no idea how it’s become so famous. Maybe I’ll give it another chance some day. The other one I read in Swedish (the language it’s written in) and I just found it to be so forced and so…you noticed exactly how hard the author was trying to be funny by writing senseless things. I think he’s read too much of Douglas Adams’ works, tried to copy it, and failed completely.

What book have you read the most times?
Yeah, this would have to be one of the Harry Potter books. By looking at the covers, I’d say The Goblet of Fire, although I’m not entirely sure because I know my brother read it too so the abuse of the book might be his fault ;)

Other than that, Jewels by Danielle Steel. I read and re-read and re-re-read that book countless times when I was a kid, I absolutely loved it. I don’t think I’ve read it since I was maybe 12 or 13, so one day I’ll give it a go. I have two copies of it.

Series where the first book was amazing but went downhill from there?
The Hunger Games. I’m sorry! This should just not have been a trilogy to begin with, it should’ve stopped after the first book. Because see, I loved the first one, it’s even on my Favourites list on Goodreads. But then it just turned weird. And repetitive. And I just lost interest.

Phew, all done! And that concludes this Friday’s Tea Time!

Do you agree/disagree with me on any of these? If you make a post about this of your own, feel free to give me the link, I would love to read your opinions!

I recently found out that Kayley Hyde has a book channel, I don’t know why I haven’t known about it before because I’ve been following her main YouTube channel for years, but anyway. I’m now catching up on her book videos, and since I’m not posting any reviews at the moment (which is not because I’m not reading, but more because I haven’t got time to read as much as I would like and also several of the books I’m reading at the moment are quite thick ones), I thought this challenge would be fun.
It’s called Desert Island, and you basically have to choose which books you would bring to..you guessed it, a desert island. You get to pick one for each of the following categories;

1) A book you have read & would like to re-read.
2) A book you have never read & would like to read.
3) A childhood book.
4) A series.
5) Random choice!

A book you have read & would like to re-read
The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien. It comes as a combined book with all three of them, so it counts as one book okay. I recently realised that I’ve actually only read the Swedish version of it because I was rather young when I got it (I remember it being a Christmas gift and I was super excited, I also remember finding the book extremely heavy and thus I must’ve been rather young at the time). I desperately want to read it in English, and as soon as I’ve worked through a bit of my to-read list, I’m going to buy them and get to it.

A book you have never read & would like to read
Le Morte D’Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory. I’ve been fighting for this book for so long because I wanted the right version of it (I’ve finally got it in my hands!), and it’s a book I couldn’t live without having read. Also, stories about noble knights would surely be good reading while stuck on an island with no distractions.

A childhood book
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. See, I would go for The Deathly Hallows, but I’m not entirely sure it counts as childhood, seeing as I was 19 when it was published. Either way, Harry Potter was a huge part of my childhood, and in a lot of ways, the reason to why I am who I am today.

A series
I would go for Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series. I have the first book, The Colour of Magic, on hold as one of the next books I’ll pick up. My boyfriend bought it for me when he visited Edinburgh (it came complete with the Waterstones plastic bag, he knows how I love that place!). Anyway, it’s a series I’m very excited to read, and it has so many books which seems appropriate considering I don’t know how long I’d be stuck on this island.

A random choice
The Merlin Trilogy by Mary Stewart. I’m only half-way through at the moment, but it’s a beautiful book, I really like Merlin’s character in it, it’s a long one so it would take some time to read.. yeah, I’m definitely going for this one.

Tell me, which would be your choices?

Goodreads links to all the books mentioned;