If you’ve read my Tips & Tricks post and/or we’re friends on the site both of which are things you should get on if you haven’t already, you’ll know that I’m a pretty avid Goodreads user. While there are definitely aspects that can be improved, Goodreads is a great tool to keep track of what you’ve read and to engage with other readers — and it’s been a huge part of my bookish experience!

All this to say, today’s tag (which I swiped from Lindsay @ Singer of Stories, whose awesome blog you should definitely check out) is right up my alley. 

---

What is the last book you marked as read?

I’m pretty good at keeping up with logging books as I read them, so my last marked-as-read book is also the book I last finished, and it is Battlecry by Emerald Dodge.

.

What is the last book you marked as “TBR”?

It was actually 西遊記 (aka Journey to the West) which I’ve wanted to read for years, but just remembered about while I was writing my Alternate Editions discussion post. I’ve grown up hearing bits and pieces of the story from my parents and Chinese School teachers since it’s one of the four Classic Novels, though I may need to work my way up to the original since my written Chinese is a little rusty.

.

What book do you plan to read next?

Although I’ve made a pretty solid dent in Mount TBR these past few months with Beat the Backlist and dedicating March to finishing off review copies, I’m still focusing on those two categories of books. (If you’re curious for more details, keep an eye out for my State of the ARC and monthly wrap-up posts … which will be posted really soon, because we’re somehow already almost at the end of the month!)

Next on the list is probably Smoke and Key by Kelsey Sutton since release date and the blog tour are coming up. With any luck I’ll be able to finish it and the rest of my #ReviewPit books on my flight back to school this weekend, but we’ll see. 

.

Do you use the star rating system?

I don’t love it, but I do use it. Ideally I’d use something more qualitative, like CAWPILE or the Edelweiss criteria, or even just a Highly Recommended / Tentatively Recommended / Not Recommended system like CW @ The Quiet Pond does, but I haven’t really had time to sit down and think about it yet. For now, it works as a quick reminder of how I felt about the book and whether it’s worth a reread down the line.

.

Are you doing the 2019 reading challenge?

Absolutely! I’m tentatively aiming for 150 books this year, and you can peek at my progress here or on my 2019 Reading Challenges post.

.

Do you have a wishlist?

I do have a wishlist shelf exclusively for books I’ve read and loved and want to own, as well as an Amazon list for authors I want to support + hyped books I’m interested in + highly-recommended reference books for writing / sewing / drawing / cooking / etc. But in terms of a list to look at while bookstore browsing (or if family/friends wanted to get me books as a gift … in which case I’d nudge them towards gift cards or cash instead 😜), not really, no.

.

Which book do you plan on buying next?

I actually don’t usually buy books, since I’m lucky enough to have a pretty extensive catalog of library ebooks to borrow from, as well as Inter-Library Loan with my local library branch and my university library. And at the same time, I’m currently a college student on a budget with very limited living space.

.

Do you have any favorite quotes? Share a few!

As an aside, I love that Goodreads will link Kindle notes and highlights to each book that I’ve bought or even borrowed from my library! It’s definitely a lot easier and more reliable than jotting them down in a notebook like I used to do. Anyway, here’s a totally random selection from the 281 books that Goodreads has stored my highlights for.

Talking to them is more exhausting than keeping a blog.

Becky Albertalli, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

No one ever told me I had beautiful brown eyes, except Mom, which didn’t count because (a) I had inherited them from her, and (b) she was my mom, so she had to say that kind of thing.

Adib Khorram, Darius the Great Is Not Okay

The chemistry between us was so strong I could practically see the forces — ionic, covalent, even van der Waals.

Gloria Chao, American Panda

My mind was an old cassette tape that kept being recorded over. Only wavering ghost notes from the old music came through. I wondered, sometimes, what the original recording would sound like — what the source code of me might look like.

Melissa Albert, The Hazel Wood

Where her books were, she was. Get the books right and the rest will follow.

Maureen Johnson, Truly Devious

.

Who are your favorite authors? Share a few!

Did you know Goodreads has a Favorite Authors category that displays on your profile? According to the last time I updated mine whenever that was, my top 5 are

1. Maggie Stiefvater
2. Roald Dahl
3. Lemony Snicket
4. Tamora Pierce
5. Catherynne M. Valente

.

Have you joined any groups?

I have a bad habit of jumping into every group that looks interesting, necessitating occasional un-joining. And to be honest, recently I haven’t been very active in the remaining ones:

• Goodreads Librarians Group
• YA Buddy Readers’ Corner ♥
• Beat the Backlist Reading Challenge
• Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge
• Devour Your TBR
• Books & Boba
• Our Shared Shelf
• Unexpected Readathon Time

I’ve also been part of NetGalley Readers and Edelweiss Reviewers, which really helped me figure out how to use those sites; they’re still great resources, I just start feeling a little weird if I’m lurking in too many groups at once.

---

Tagging: Soph • Sam • Clo • Kal • Haley • Kristina • Ruby • Jayati • Anisa • and anyone else who wants to do it!