The ‘How I Choose My Books’ Tag

Nine times out of ten I pick up books because the cover has caught my eye, and the blurb sounds like something I’d love. Occasionally though there’s a recommendation I can’t ignore or hype I can’t resist. I was tagged by Dani at Perspective of a Writer, and Anatomy of a Book Thief. Thanks both so much for the tag, I had a lot of fun with this one so I hope you enjoy reading my answers just as much.

The How I Choose My Books Tag

Find a book on your shelves with a blue cover. What made you pick up the book in the first place?

It was harder than I thought finding a blue book on my shelves that wasn’t a sequel, and the reason I picked up those should be obvious.

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

I saw a review for this book on WordPress. I can’t remember who posted it but it was a glowing, five-star review and I read it at a time I was looking for new books/series to pick up so I figured I’d give it a go. Luckily I did because it’s one of my favourite series now.

TTT The Bone Season


Think of a book you didn’t expect to enjoy but did. Why did you read it in the first place?

I don’t actually read books that I don’t expect to enjoy (does anyone?) so I picked a book I didn’t have any expectations for but ended up loving.

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows

This was one of the books I got in the Owl Crate box when I was still subscribed. I put it on my to-read list, thinking I’d get around to it one day, but then I kept seeing positive review after positive review on WordPress so I moved it up my to-read list.

My Lady Jane


Stand in front of your bookshelf with your eyes closed and pick up a book at random. How did you discover this book?

The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas

I saw this book on my Goodreads feed. One of my friends had marked it as ‘Read’ and rated it really highly, the cover intrigued me so I decided to check out the blurb and The Burning Sky sounded like something I’d really enjoy so I added it to my to-read list. I ended up really enjoying it.

The Elemental Trilogy


Pick a book that someone personally recommended to you. What did you think of it?

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

My friend doesn’t normally recommend books, so when she told me to read Red Rising I knew it was going to be incredible. At first it was so slow, and I was tempted to DNF it (the only reason I didn’t is because I don’t do well with confrontation and I didn’t want to tell my friend I’d given up on this book she loved so much), but then the plot kicked into high gear and I was addicted.

Red Rising


Pick a book you discovered through book blogs. Did it live up to the hype?

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

Everyone who’s read this book has loved it. I’ve yet to see a negative review for it and I was half convinced even before I read it that I loved it too. It definitely lived up to the hype, and thank god for that because my expectations were high.

The Bear and the Nightingale


Find a book on your shelves with a one word title. What drew you to this book?

Warcross by Marie Lu

It was by Marie Lu, simple as that. I really enjoyed her The Young Elites series and loved her Legend trilogy, but so far Warcross is my favourite of all her books. I can’t wait for the second in the series to be released, after that cliffhanger I need to know what happens next.

Warcross


What book did you discover through a film/TV adaptation?

Quite a few, but most notable is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

I’d always see this book whenever I went into Waterstones, and I was always a little intrigued by the cover, but I never went as far as actually checking out the blurb. Then I saw a film was being released and before I could see it I needed to have read the book, so I finally got around to picking it up.

The Book Thief


Think of your all-time favourite books. When did you read these and why did you pick them up in the first place?

One of my all-time favourite books is Cinder by Marissa Meyer. I first read this around the time it was released so I can’t remember the exact reason but this is a fairytale retelling, which I am weak for, so it was probably that that led to me picking this book up.

Cinder


I’m not going to tag anyone in the ‘How I Choose My Books’ Tag, but if there’s anyone out there who wants to take part consider yourself tagged.

Have there been any books that you’ve expected not to enjoy but been pleasantly surprised by, or are you like me and you don’t pick up books you don’t think you’ll like? What was the last book you read that lived up to the hype, and why did you pick up your all-time favourite book? Let me know.

13 thoughts on “The ‘How I Choose My Books’ Tag

  1. Really glad you loved my lady jane 🙂 So glad you ended up addicted to red rising!! 😀 So so glad bear and the nightingale lived upto the hype as well! Oh I really like Lu’s other books- so that makes me excited to hear warcross is your favourite! Awesome answers! 🙂 ❤

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    1. It took me a little while to get onto Red Rising but once I did I was hooked (and I’m so excited for the next book on the series!)
      Definitely, which means I can’t wait to get around to The Girl in the Tower. Oh, I hope you enjoy Warcross then. 🙂
      Thanks so much. 🙂 ❤️

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  2. Hello Beth 😀
    I am with you, in that I would never read a book that I wouldn’t expect to enjoy haha. A book that I recently read that I felt lived up to the hype was Children of Blood and Bone 🙂 I am so excited for the second book in the series! I also have never read a bad review for The Bear and the Nightingale, so that is a book that I really need to read!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Oh I’m glad you really loved that one, see Children of Blood and Bone didn’t really live up to the hype for me but I still can’t wait for the sequel, especially after that ending.
      Yeah The Bear and the Nightingale is a book I can’t recommend enough, it really lives up to the hype and it’s not just me that thinks that either. 😀 ❤

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  3. This is a fun tag, I loved your answers! 🙂 I had the same experience with My Lady Jane, I picked it up because everyone was talking about it everywhere and I was too curious not too, haha 🙂 ❤

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  4. I love reading your answers! And I also love how positive they are since you ended up enjoying all of them 🙂 I have The Bone Season on my TBR for a while, I’ve always save it for gloomier time and I guess I should read it soon as the weather started to get darker now! 🙂

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    1. Thanks so much. 🙂 ❤️ Yeah, it’s rare I read books I don’t enjoy, I guess I’ve just got a good sense as to what I’ll like and what I won’t. The Bone Season is a perfect winter read in my mind, then again I could say that about any fantasy book on my shelves. There’s something about the darker days and colder weather that always makes me want magic in the books I pick up. 🙂

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  5. I haven’t read The Bone Season yet but I’m reeeeally looking forward to Shannon’s new series. It sounds amazing and I mean, it’s got dragons! What could go wrong there?
    I really love the covers for Sherry Thomas’s series, too. They look absolutely amazing *_* I’d definitely add them to my TBR in a heartbeat 😛
    Your experience with Red Rising is why I hesitate so much to DNF books – what if they actually end up being amazing in the end?? I would have missed out! (Books give me so many trust issues…)
    There have been quite a few books that surprised me, and I only ever read books I don’t think I’ll enjoy IF they’re a rec by someone I care about or because I’m challenging myself (for instance, when I decide I want to try different genres). It doesn’t always work out, but I sure love when it does!
    I have a whole post on books that lived up to the hype (IMO) so I won’t be getting too much into it here in order not to bore you to death xD
    Anyway, this was a fantastic tag with fantastic answers, Beth! Loved how you included Cinder too ❤

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    1. Ohh, The Priory of the Orange Tree is at the top of my TBR list for next year. Also yep it has dragons so I am there! 😀
      The books are really good too, when I first picked up the trilogy it ended up being a favourite of mine so I want to re-read them again soon.
      I am exactly the same. I’ve read some terrible books that looking back I could have DNF-ed but I keep thinking ‘what if they get better?’. I don’t want to miss out on something I’ll love just because it has a rough beginning.
      Yeah I get what you mean. I’m shy about branching out into new genres but when I have I’ve loved the books I’ve read. Guess I just need to get through more of them. I have plenty that didn’t live up to the hype for me so I feel your pain, and thanks so much Sophie. Cinder is a favourite so any excuse to feature it really! 😀 ❤️

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