1. A fictional family you would like to spend Christmas dinner with? The obvious answer of course is the Weasleys from the Harry Potter series, and I’d be lying if I said they wouldn’t be my first choice. That being said, I feel like I have to pick a more original answer, so I’ll go with my favourite family of 2019: the Dunbar family from Bridge of Clay. Although they might not be the most obvious choice to spend such a cosy holiday with, what I loved about them was how their love for each other shone through the pages in every action, even though none of them were able to verbalize that to each other. I would love to spend time with a family with that strong a connection, even if it isn’t in the traditional way.
2. A bookish item you would like to receive as a gift? In all honesty, my most received gift (whether it be for Christmas, birthday or other) is probably a gift certificate for books. People sometimes feel bad for their “lack of originality”, but it’s probably my favourite thing to get as a gift no matter what. I can pick something out for myself, that I know I’ll love and get much enjoyment from. If we’re talking actual items on my wishlist: I’ve been wanting either a bookish inspired scarf or throw blanket for a while. Although Redbubble has some available, they are fairly pricey and I can’t justify buying or asking for one as a gift at this moment. You can also always make me happy with a scented (bookish) candle. I especially like the ones by MidnightFlameCo or Ash And Quill on Etsy. They feel like little gifts, even if I’ve purchased them for myself.
3. A fictional character you think would make a perfect Christmas elf? Ursa from Where The Forest Meets the Stars. As they are technically not a family, I couldn’t mention Joanna, Gabriel and her as a family I wanted to spend Christmas with, but boy do I think that would be wholesome. Not only do I think Ursa would love to pretend to be a Christmas Elf, I’d probably wish some beautiful Christmas memories on these characters, more than on any other I’ve read about this year.
4. Match a book to it’s perfect Christmas song. One of the most beautiful, underrated Christmas songs is “Home for Christmas” by Maria Mena. It brings me such a feeling of nostalgia mixed with homesickness in a way. The book that matches perfectly with that is the His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman. I feel so much nostalgia for that series and have so many (complicated) memories of reading it, that upon every reread it brings a mix of warmth with a hint of sadness to my heart, just like that song. The same could go for the Harry Potter series, as I carry a similar nostalgia for that series, albeit mixed with a little less sadness.
5. Bah Humbug. A book or fictional character you’ve been disappointed in and should be put on the naughty list? Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James. I’ve talked about it before, and probably will again within my yearly wrap up, as it was the most disappointing book of 2019 by far. You can read my full thoughts in my review. In addition to being a huge disappointment, this book also deserves a place on the naughty list for some of its content… Seriously: trigger warnings for anything you can think of in this one.
6. A book or a fictional character you think deserves more love and appreciation and deserve to be put on the nice list? There are quite a few, and I have a “most underrated books of 2019” list coming up soon. For now, I’ll talk about a book I haven’t mentioned in a long time but absolutely adored. That being The Book of M by Peng Shepherd. This beautiful and highly suspenseful postapocalyptic novel covers the aftermath of an epidemic of memory loss, through the eyes of multiple individuals living through it. It reminded me a bit of Station Eleven (one of my all time favourite novels), just a little bit more action-packed.
7. Red, Gold and Green. A book cover that has a wonderfully christmasy feel to it. The only book currently on my shelves that matches all those colours is Inkheart by Cornelia Funke. Although it is what I’d consider a cosy read, the cover doesn’t give my Christmas vibes at all. One that does is A Shiver of Snow and Sky by Lisa Lueddecke, a book I particularly saved to read in December for that exact reason. It might not match the colours exactly, but it nails it when it comes to the tone.
8. A book or series you love so much, you want everyone to find under their Christmas tree this year so they can read it and love it too? I always struggle with prompts like this one, because books are such personal things, and when it comes to taste their truly is no “one book to please all”. Any of my favourite books might not be for someone else at all, which always makes me hesitant to give a recommendation of “everybody”. Narrowing it down: I do have two that I’ve put under multiple Christmas trees of my family and friends this year. As many of you know, I’m a medical student, and many of my friends work in the same field to. Therefore I’ve given multiple copies of The House of God by Samuel Shem and This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay out already. Both (for very different reasons) are books that I feel like anybody in the medical field can benefit from and should read at some point in their lives.
This tag was created by Kate from Girl Reading
Comentarios