I was tagged over two (!!) years ago by Para @ To Other Worlds; it’s been cycled on and off my post schedule since then, but today it’s finally getting posted.

Author you’ve read the most books from

Not counting manga volumes (just because there are too many of them and too much variation regarding how to count them), this one goes to Rick Riordan at a whopping 29 books, with runner-up Tamora Pierce at 26 books. Whew. No, I definitely didn’t go through all my Goodreads Read books to find this out, why do you ask.

★

Best sequel ever

There is a special place in my heart for The Will of the Empress by Tamora Pierce, which is one of the last books in the Emelan cycle: The Circle of Magic + The Circle Opens + The Circle Reforged. It’s just so emotionally satisfying to see one of my favorite found families reunited, after spending 8 books getting attached to them.

★

Currently Reading

By the time this goes up the answer may have changed, but at the time of writing:

• Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
• Everything All at Once by Katrina Leno
• The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives in Your Home by Joseph Fink & Jeffrey Cranor

★

Drink of choice while reading

In theory I like a rich hot chocolate or a tea latte or a nice cold milkshake depending on the weather, but in reality water tends to work the best since it doesn’t come to room temperature sitting forgotten as I read.

★

Ereader or physical book

While I absolutely do not deny the joys of a physical book, I am almost exclusively an ebook reader for the convenience: portability, quick dictionary and Wikipedia lookup, library access without even moving from my reading spot, notes and highlights …

★

Fictional character you probably would have actually dated in high school

This one’s hard to say, since I didn’t date in high school so I don’t really know (or remember) what kind of person I would’ve dated then. Plus, I knew I was demibisexual but I wasn’t really ready to be out to anyone outside my immediate family and closest friends. Maybe an Alex Claremont-Diaz type? Not sure that Alex himself would’ve dated me, but I probably would have actually dated someone like him.

★

Glad you gave this book a chance

Despite having heard great things about The Epic Crush of Genie Lo by F.C. Yee (most notably from Soph), I’d been burned by other books where I got overexcited about ownvoices Asian-American rep. But thankfully, Clo surprised me with a copy for my birthday and it turned out to exceed my very cautious expectations. 

★

Hidden gem book

I stand by Small Town Hearts by Lillie Vale as my underrated favorite.

★

Important moment in your reading life

Hm. I don’t know that this was important in the sense that it was super pivotal or anything, but I have a vivid memory of getting first dibs on the brand-new classroom copy of Inkdeath by Cornelia Funke because I had established a reputation as a) an avid reader and b) an avid fan of the Inkworld trilogy in particular.

Related: Did you know there’s going to be a fourth book???

★

Just finished

Again, this may have changed by the time this post goes up, but the time-of-writing answer is It Devours! by Joseph Fink & Jeffrey Cranor.

★

Kinds of books I won’t read

There aren’t a lot of literary dealbreakers for me — especially since I will unapologetically and unremorsefully DNF if I’m not into a book — though I will most likely pass on authors writing stories that aren’t theirs to tell. Not that authors have to be out, of course, but it’s often really obvious that they don’t belong to the marginalized community they’re writing about, plus given the white-allocishet-ness of the publishing industry they’re quite possibly taking an opportunity from an ownvoices writer.

(I’ll get off my soapbox now. Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.)

★

Longest book you’ve read

According to Goodreads, it’s Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality by Eliezer Yudkowsky (2,184 pages). If you’re one of those people who think fanfiction doesn’t count, then to you I answer 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami (1,318 pages).

★

Number of bookcases you own

Just the one. (Most of my collection is ebooks, and I actually recently unhauled, like, half my physical collection.)

★

One book you have read multiple times

I’ve mentioned in previous posts that I like to start the year by rereading a favorite; this year it was Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell.

★

Preferred place to read

Anywhere and everywhere is fine, I’m really not picky. The bigger issue is finding a position that doesn’t become uncomfortable after a couple of hours. 

★

Quote that inspires you/ gives you all the feels from a book you have read

There are so many to choose from, but I often go back to

“You’re not destined or chosen, I wish I could tell you that you were if that would make it easier, but it’s not true. You’re in the right place at the right time, and you care enough to do what needs to be done. Sometimes that’s enough.”

— Erin Morgenstern, The Night Circus

★

Reading regret

Any time I let myself spite-read a book to the end for the sole purpose of writing a scathing 1-star review.

★

Series you started and need to finish

Hahahahaha a whole Goodreads shelf’s worth.

If I had to pick just one, I have been actively working my way through all the Discworld books.

★

Three of your all-time favorite books

• The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
• In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan
• Middlegame by Seanan McGuire

★

Unapologetic fangirl for

Since I majored in Linguistics, I am always delighted when a book features linguistics and gets it right. (It’s not about being multilingual or pedantic about word definitions, it’s about how language works as a whole … but don’t get me started.) Oh, and I also really like when books include fandom culture!

★

Very excited for this release more than all the others

Lately Babel, or The Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution by R.F. Kuang has been at the top of the list, but the order rotates frequently.

★

Worst bookish habit

I like to think I have more good reading habits than bad; I don’t know if this is necessarily my absolute worst habit, but I do have a tendency to get swept up in the hype surrounding an upcoming release — and therefore I am almost always inevitably yet avoidably underwhelmed and disappointed when I do finally get to read it.

★

X marks the spot:
start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book

Turns out I don’t even have 27 books on my physical shelf, but the 27th book on my owned TBR shelf from the top is Love, Hate and Other Filters by Samira Ahmed.

★

Your latest book purchase

Okay, so my most recently acquired book purchase is Mister Impossible by Maggie Stiefvater (which I preordered), but technically the last book I paid for was Call Down the Hawk — when it went on sale in advance of Mister Impossible being released.

★

zzz-snatcher book
(last book that kept you up way too late)

It was probably The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson; the mystery was super engaging, of course, but mostly I was just having so much fun hanging out with Stevie & Friends.

I tag:
Soph • Kal • Sam • Ruby • Lori
and, as always, anyone else who wants to participate!