Thank you to Haley @ The Caffeinated Reader and Clo @ Cuppa Clo for adding to my tag hoard! Honestly, I save them exactly for moments like this, when my life is in shambles but I refuse to abandon my blog. Because #priorities.

Name/Blog Name

Hi, my name is Isabelle and I blog here at Nine Tale Vixen.

(More about me and the blog here, if you’re curious.)

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Age

I turned 21 recently, but sometimes I still think I’m like 18. Maybe 19. What even is time?

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Favorite Genre

Although I seem to pick up more contemporary and fantasy (usually YA, some NA) than any other genre, it’s not really a hard-and-fast preference. I also enjoy a good sci-fi or nonfiction read; manga and graphic novels are great pick-me-ups; sometimes I feel especially adventurous and I’ll choose a book completely at random.

That said, I do generally seem to rate the contemporary and fantasy books higher. Make of that what you will.

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Favorite Male Author

Rick Riordan, all around. I really enjoy his writing style, his vivid characters and exciting plots, and I love the way he uses his platform to boost diverse books and voices. (See: Rick Riordan Presents.)

Though Hank Green is pretty awesome too. I adored An Absolutely Remarkable Thing and I’m super excited for A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor, plus I’m a huge fan of all the work he does, including but certainly not limited to YouTube (vlogbrothers, Complexly), DFTBA.com, Project for Awesome, et cetera, et cetera. 

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Favorite Female Author

If you’ve read any of my previous tags, you’ve probably seen that I am always ready to shout my love for Maggie Stiefvater from the rooftops. I adore every book that she’s written — or at least the ones I’ve read, but that Venn diagram is basically a circle — and her social media presence is on point. I aspire to be half as cool as her when I grow up.

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Forever Favorite(s)

• The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
• Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
• This Is How You Survive by Lana Rafaela Cindric
• The Epic Crush of Genie Lo by F.C. Yee
• In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan

(And much more, of course, but this is my current Top 5.)

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What was your first book of 2019? How did you like it?

I’m a little bit superstitious about starting the year off strong by rereading a favorite, so my first book of 2019 was The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. It was just as magical as I remember, a perfect choice for this purpose.

My first new book of 2019 was The Wicker King by K. Ancrum, a group read with Dragons & Tea Book Club. I know a lot of people love this book, but I honestly found it infuriating. I gave it 1 star.

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What was your last book of 2019? How did you like it?

My last book of 2019 was an eARC of Warriors, Witches, Women: Mythology’s Fiercest Females by Kate Hodges. The art and storytelling are solid, but the perspective is very Western — despite the inclusion of figures from various cultures — and I had a few critiques about the overall execution. I gave it 3.5 stars.

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What do you look for in a book? / What makes it really stand out for you?

I’m a pretty picky reader, as is reflected in my rating system/rubric. But in a nutshell: I want nuanced characters and relationships (not just romance, but friendships and family bonds), engaging plots (tropes are fine if the execution is good), thoughtful wordbuilding (even in a realistic setting), and writing that’s either lyrical without being too lush or just straightforward.

If I had to boil it down to just one element, I guess you could say atmosphere — the way the story feels overall. I read in large part for escapism, so I’m really looking for that immersive experience.

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Do you collect any particular sets/editions of books?

Not really, no. I like matching series covers, but the only ones I own were gifted to me; hardcovers are pretty but I prefer paperbacks and ebooks for actual reading. Mostly I collect the books that I think I’ll want to reread at some point, or the presents that I haven’t gotten around to yet.

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Favorite Place to Read

Honestly, I don’t really have one. Any place/position gets uncomfortable after a while, so as long as there’s enough space for me to shift around periodically, we’re probably good.

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Do you keep books you didn’t like, or just get rid of them?

Generally the latter, though the specifics depend on the type of book.

I usually donate print books — or, if they’re ARCs, pass them on to other readers, by way of Flapping Pages … which reminds me I have another stack that I should mail at some point. For ebooks, of course, I just delete them.

Though it must be said that I’m a chronic procrastinator, so I’m still (metaphorically) sitting on some books that I didn’t like. But I don’t intend to keep them, for what that’s worth.

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Which literary character best defines you/do you best relate to?

With my anxiety at an all-time high lately, my instinctive answer is Cath Avery (Fangirl). I’m not great with people but I do care deeply about them; at the same time, I don’t want to live my life by others’ standards. And I’ve started to get back into writing as another form of escapism — nothing good enough to share yet, but it’s a start. 

On good days I believe that I’m Blue Sargent: “a fanciful but sensible thing, like a platypus, or one of those sandwiches that had been cut into circles for a fancy tea party” (The Dream Thieves). Or at least I try to be.

I tag: Soph • Keira • Ren Strange • Meeghan • Kristina
and, as always, anyone else who wants to participate!