Rapid Fire Book Tag

Hello, I'm back! It's been a while as a few things have happened in my life that have kept me busy lately (including getting married!!). So it's been a while since I did a tag and I've been looking for a good one to do for a while now. I saw another blogger do this tag and it looked really interesting so I've decided to do the Rapid Fire Book Tag (original tag by GirlReading).

1. Ebook or physical book?

I definitely prefer a physical book to an ebook. There's just something about seeing the books on your shelves and physically seeing how far you are through the book while reading that I really love. I don't mind ebooks and my kobo is useful for when I'm travelling and can't carry books with me, but I'll still always prefer my physical books!

2. Paperback or hardback?

Easily paperback. While hardbacks look quite nice on a shelf (and are mostly the same height!), they're just too bulky to read and carry around. My favourite paperback is a floppy paperback but they hardly ever sell these in the UK which makes me very sad.

3. Online or in-store book shopping?

Okay, this is a slightly tougher one. I do much prefer being in a physical bookshop and looking at all the wonderful books, but they're just so expensive. I probably do buy most of my books either from Charity shops or Waterstones, but occasionally Amazon is needed for when I want to buy a book box set that is too expensive/not available in stores. I think I will probably always enjoy wandering around a bookshop for several hours even if I can't afford anything!

4. Trilogies or series?

I'm struggling with my feelings for this one. While I prefer trilogies because long series often take years to be released, trilogies often suffer from second book syndrome and are either rushed or drawn out unnecessarily. I think overall I prefer series because they explore so much more of the world than trilogies.

5. Heroes or villains?

I often find that villains are so much more interesting than heroes. A good villain is usually more complex and fascinating than a good hero. Obviously I prefer rooting for a hero, but I feel like villains (and anti-heroes) are more interesting to get perspectives and backstory for.

6. A book you want everyone to read?

God, this is a hard question. I can think of tons of books I want people to read. I think I'll say We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver, because it's just such a powerful book and sadly very relevant to this day and age.

7. Recommend an underrated book.

There are so many books I want to recommend that no-one ever talks about but I think I'll limit this to two:

Dr Franklin's Island by Ann Halam - This is a book I read in Secondary School when I was about 13. It's a YA book about three teenagers who end up in a plane crash and are the only survivors on a seemingly deserted island. Semi, Miranda, and Arnie stumble into the hands of Dr. Franklin, a mad scientist who’s been waiting for them, eager to use them as specimens for his experiments in genetic engineering.

In Order to Live by Yeonmi Park - A true story of a young girl and her experiences living in and escaping from North Korea. Trigger warnings for rape and assault throughout this book.

8. The last book you finished?

A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas (I imagine everyone already knows this books so I won't go into detail as it's the fourth (3.5) book in the series).

9. The last book you bought?

The Extinction Trials by S.M. Wilson

10. Weirdest thing you've used as a bookmark?

To be honest, I nearly always use a bookmark because I literally have about a hundred of them. Other than that, the weirdest thing I've probably used is just an envelope or piece of paper.

11. Used books: Yes or No?

YES. I would't have most of my books if it weren't for used bookshops/charity shop books. So long as the book can still be read I don't know why people wouldn't like them!

12. Top three favourite genres?

Fantasy, Psychological Thrillers, and Science Fiction (including both Adult and YA in these genres)

13. Borrow or buy?

Buy if I can afford it! Good libraries are wonderful though.

14. Characters or plot?

Characters because, for me, a good plot can be ruined by boring characters.

15. Long or short books?

Long book! You can stay with the world for so much longer which I love.

16. Long or short chapters?

Short chapters. I feel like I sometimes struggle through long chapters and feel like I'm not getting anywhere with the book if one chapter is 40 pages long. I don't know why, I just prefer the short chapters.

17. Names the first three books you think of...

The Doomspell Trilogy by Cliff Mcnish

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins

18. Books that make you laugh or cry?

Weirdly, I prefer books that make me cry. Whether it's sad or happy crying it usually means it's had more of an emotional impact on me than a book that makes me laugh.

19. Our world or fictional worlds?

Fictional worlds. So much more can be explored with a fictional world (although I do love a good urban fantasy!).

20. Audiobooks: Yes or No?

YES. Perfect to listen to when you're doing something like cleaning and can't physically read.

21. Do you ever judge a book by its' cover?

Probably every book I see, but I do also read the blurb and look up reviews before I make a final decision on if I want to read it. A beautiful cover can really draw me in.

22. Book to movie or book to TV adaptations?

I think I generally prefer book to TV adaptations because less ends up getting missed out, but they're not always great.

23. A movie or TV show you preferred to its book?

I've got a few for this surprisingly(!): Matilda by Roald Dahl, Stand By Me (The Body) by Stephen King, and Stardust by Neil Gaiman.

24. Series or standalone?

I love a standalone if it's done well, but I prefer a series because you get so much more of the world and the characters.

And that's the Rapid Fire Book Tag! Let me know what you think and leave a link below if you do this tag! :D Glad to be back on here!