Book Tag – The Fave Festive Family Films Booktag
Merry Christmas everyone! Even if you don’t celebrate, or if you are having a markedly different Christmas this year, I hope you manage to have a lovely day.
I was tagged by Kayla at Kraken To A Good Book for this booktag, and I thought it was a fun one for Christmas Day, I hope you enjoy! Kayla also created this tag, and her video can be watched on YouTube. Thanks for tagging me!
Elf (the best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear): what’s a book that makes you smile?
The Heartstopper graphic novels by Alice Oseman are probably the most heartwarming books in the world. Nick and Charlie are just wonderful. They never fail to make me smile. Review here.
The Muppet Christmas Carol (A blue furry Charles Dickens who hangs out with a rat? Charles Dickens was a 19th Century novelist!): what’s one of your favorite adaptations or retellings of a story? (This could be a book to movie adaptation, a fairytale retelling, etc)
I love a good retelling! A recent one that comes to mind is Thorn by Intisar Khanani. As you may have noticed in my review, I really loved this retelling of the goose girl. I also liked that it’s a new story for me – I’ve not seen any other retellings, though I’m sure that they exist.
The Grinch (you’re a three-decker sauerkraut and toadstool sandwich…with arsenic sauce): who is one of your favourite book villains?
I struggled with this one – I’m not a fall in love with the villain type, and a lot of the books I read don’t have a “villain” that’s as simple as all that. There are always complexities! In the end, I have chosen the villains in Anna James’ Pages & Co series. They are really fun to read, and to watch Tilly and her family fight against.
Spongebob Christmas Special (this Christmas feels like the very first Christmas to me!): what was one of the first books you read in one of your favorite genres?
Ooh probably Storm Front, the first in the Dresden Files series, by Jim Butcher. My friend Leanne introduced me to the books way back in the early 2000s by saying “this is the other wizard called Harry” and I haven’t really looked back since. I’ve been blessed with two releases for the series this year 😀
A Christmas Story (a Major Award): name a book you love that has won an award (ex: Hugo Awards, Locus Awards, Pulitzer Prize, etc)
The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers. The book has been shortlisted for both the Arthur C. Clarke award and the Bailey’s Women’s Prize for Fiction 2016, and the series won the Hugo award for Best Series. If all of that doesn’t convince you, this is honestly one of my favourite EVER books. It’s so inclusive, wonderfully queer and just plain awesome. Read my review to find out more!
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (jelly of the month club): what’s a book you were excited to read that turned out to be a disappointment?
Shadow and Flame by Mindee Arnett. I really enjoyed Onyx and Ivory, but the sequel felt like such a letdown, comparatively. Just a bit samey and two dimensional.
Bad Santa (Should I fix you some sandwiches?): name a character who’s optimistic or wants to help others
Mark Watney from The Martian by Andy Weir. Despite low moments, I feel Mark is the epitome of optimism. He never gives up and he’s always trying new solutions to his problems. Even when they quite literally blow up in his face.
The Santa Clause (Seeing isn’t believing. Believing is seeing.): what is something from a book that you wish were real?
Magic. Or teleportation. I would love either! Teleportation would be great for seeing my family and no more commuting. And magic would just be, well, magical!
The Nightmare Before Christmas (There’s frost on every window/Oh, I can’t believe my eyes/And in my bones I feel the warmth/That’s coming from inside): what’s a book that’s perfect to read in winter?
So it turns out I am rubbish at reading winder reads actually in winter! I struggled to find one for this 😀 But I ended up with two:
The Polar Bear Explorer’s Club by Alex Bell and Even the Darkest Stars by Heather Fawcett. The first is a super wintery and cute middle grade read, and the second is a young adult fantasy set in snowy surrounds. I enjoyed both!
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (Didn’t I ever tell you about Bumbles? Bumbles bounce!): what’s one of your favorite creatures from a book?
Reichis from the Spellslinger series by Sebastien De Castell. He’s SO violent and wonderful. My review raves about him too 😀 Basically, he’s a talking squirrel cat and he is my favourite character.
Bonus questions:
What’s your favourite Christmas/holiday movie?
Die Hard! 😀 Best action comedy combo ever, with bonus Bruce Willis. for “proper” Christmas movies, I have to pick the remake of Miracle on 34th St. I love it so much, it’s so pure and wonderful. And I nearly always rewatch the Lord of the Rings trilogy around this time of year too.
Do you have a favourite (or just recommended) book to read around Christmas/the holidays?
Not really, though I’m planning to re-read The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden this year, and I’d like that to become a yearly tradition!
I’m tagging Moon Kestrel and Lauren and Becky at Northern Plunder
All links to books mentioned in this post are affiliate links. If you purchase something using one of these links, I’ll get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks!
