Fall Activities Book Tag

Don’t worry, I am working my way through my queue of tags and awards I still need to complete. However, as this is a Fall activities book tag it made sense to post it now rather than in Spring/Summer after I’ve gotten through all the tags before it in my queue. I’ve been seeing this one around WordPress a fair bit at the moment, so obviously I was thrilled to be able to take part.

Although it does seem to me this is more of an American tag than English one. I’ve never been apple picking or to a corn maze, and we’re not big over here on carving pumpkins. Still it was great fun to be able to take part in this. I was tagged by Lauren at Lauren’s Page Turners. Thank you so much for the tag Lauren; everyone else should definitely check out her original post and while you’re there her blog as well.

Apple Picking:
A book on your TBR that looks so great, you can’t wait to get into it.

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Ever since I heard about this book it has been at the top of all my lists; my to-read list, my most-anticipated list, etc. I was lucky enough to get an ARC of Caraval from NetGalley and I cannot wait to jump into it. The pre-release reviews have all been amazing and there is so much hype surrounding it as well so I have very high hopes, but I am more than sure Caraval will exceed them.

Welcome to Caraval, where nothing is quite what it seems. 

Scarlett has never left the tiny isle of Trisda, pining from afar for the wonder of Caraval, a once-a-year week-long performance where the audience participates in the show.

Caraval is Magic. Mystery. Adventure. And for Scarlett and her beloved sister Tella it represents freedom and an escape from their ruthless, abusive father.

When the sisters’ long-awaited invitations to Caraval finally arrive, it seems their dreams have come true. But no sooner have they arrived than Tella vanishes, kidnapped by the show’s mastermind organiser, Legend. 

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But nonetheless she quickly becomes enmeshed in a dangerous game of love, magic and heartbreak. And real or not, she must find Tella before the game is over, and her sister disappears forever.

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Corn Maze:
A book to get lost in.

The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi

This was another book that was at the top of all my lists before it was released, and once I read it it ended up at the top of my list of favourite books as well. The Star-Touched Queen is a beautiful story, lyrically written with a magical world you can help but want to know more about, and once you start reading it it becomes so easy to get lost in the pages of this book.

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Haunted Houses:
A book that scared you.

Slasher Girls and Monster Boys by April Genevieve Tucholke

I don’t read many horror stories, mainly because I am a massive wimp when it comes to anything remotely scary, but Slasher Girls and Monster Boys was an anthology that, after seeing an amazing review, I knew I just had to pick up. So many of my favourite authors wrote stories for this book – Kendare Blake, Jay Kristoff, Laugh Bardugo, A.G. Howard – and it turned out to be an un-put-down-able read for me, though still very scary in places.

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Pumpkin Patch:
The latest book you picked up/purchased.

Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova

I ordered this book from Amazon after seeing so many amazing reviews for it. I knew I had to get a copy and see what all the fuss was about. It took a week and a half to be dispatched and delivered to me but Labyrinth Lost was well worth the wait. Everything everyone loved about this book I did as well, and every bit of praise Labyrinth Lost and Zoraida Córdova have received is well deserved.

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Scenic Drive:
A book that is lyrically beautiful.

When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore

When it comes to magical realism books I’ve yet to read one which hasn’t been beautifully and lyrically written. When the Moon Was Ours was no exception and it is tied for first as my favourite book from the genre. The story was amazing, the characters diverse and wonderfully developed, and the writing made it seem like magic was real; something that could be found hiding around every corner.

“Moon had become his name to this town because of her. Because of her, this town had christened him. Without her, he had been nameless. He had not been Samir or Sam. He had been no one. They knew his name no more than they knew who this girl had been before she was water.”

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Pumpkin Carving:
A book you didn’t like and wouldn’t mind cutting up.

Reign of Shadows by Sophie Jordan

My hopes for this book were high. It was a fairytale retelling, which normally I love, of Rapunzel, a story which doesn’t seem to be retold much at all. However when I got around to reading this book I was so disappointed. The story didn’t seem to go anywhere, the characters were flat and I’d say in the case of Luna she actually un-developed as the story went on, and the world building was pretty much non-existent. This is one of the only books I nearly DNF and one which I will not be continuing when the second book is released.

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Drinking Apple Cider:
A sweet book to curl up with.

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

Any book by Sarah Dessen, or any YA contemporary for that matter, would be a perfect answer for this question, but Just Listen is a favourite of mine. As the first Sarah Dessen book I picked up Just Listen holds a special place in my heart. The romance between Annabel and Owen is really sweet, and reading as both characters developed was such a huge part of why I enjoyed this book so much.

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Jumping in a Leaf Pile:
A book that reminds you of your childhood.

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

I feel like this has become a clichéd answer, anytime I’m asked a question like this Harry Potter is my answer, but it’s cliché because it’s true. Harry Potter is one of the first books I can remember reading, it’s a book I have so many fond memories attached to, and it’s a book I still love as much today as I did when I first started The Philosopher’s Stone so long ago.

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Scary Movie Night:
Your favourite spooky read.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

I wouldn’t say this was a spooky read per say but it is a beautiful and moving story, and I feel the monster Conor dreams of and the monster who visits him every night make this book that little bit creepy. The stories Conor is told and the lessons he learns from them are not easy ones, nothing in these stories is what it seems, but the monster has a message for Conor and he won’t leave until it has been received.

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Costume Party:
A book with an eclectic cast of characters.

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

I just finished this book recently and it’s the perfect answer for this question. Every Heart a Doorway has the most diverse array of characters I’ve read and every single one of them is incredibly developed as well, which is a real feat considering the book is under 200 pages. All of the wayward children at Eleanor West’s school have travelled through a doorway, and found a place they can finally belong, only to be thrown back into the real world again, broken in the process.

“You want to go back, and so you hold on to the habits you learned while you were travelling, because it’s better than admitting the journey’s over.”

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I’m not going to tag anyone in this because I’m not sure now who has and hasn’t done it, plus Autumn is pretty much over and we’re heading into Winter (and Christmas). However if anyone else wants to complete this tag then go for it, just send me a link to your post in the comments so I can see what your answers are.