Hey everyone, I hope you had a good week!
I’ve been playing a lot of Animal Crossing, and since I’m a little bit obsessed… okay maybe more than a little 🤷♂️
Anyways, I wanted to see if there was a fun book tag I could do related to it, and I found one! After some Google searching, I found a tag on Reading Through Infinity’s blog related to Animal Crossing: New Horizons. This tag was originally created by Bec and Angharad @TwoBookThieves, so definitely check out their post!
Now, let’s get into the tag!
Past Villager – Who is a character you found when you were younger that still has a place in your heart?
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle
Since I started reading at a young age, one of the series I fell in love with as a kid was the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle book series. I loved the methods Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle used to teach the children their lessons about manners and being a better person, and it taught me a thing or two as well! Her relationship with the children made me wish Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle was my neighbor when I was a kid.
Blather’s Blatherings – Recommend a historical fiction book that you think everybody should read
Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel
This question made me realize how little historical fiction I read, as I really needed to look through my bookshelves to find something 😂 I know this series was popular in the 80’s when it first came out (my parents were the ones who recommended it to me in the first place), but for those of you who are maybe my age or younger and haven’t heard of it, I recommend checking it out! Jean M. Auel did so much research to accurately depict the time period and it reflects in her writing, as well as the maps included at the beginning of the books. I am only about half way through the third book (there are six books in the series), but I thoroughly enjoyed the first two books!
Celeste’s Wish – What is a future book release you wish you could read now?
Smash It
I love Francina Simone’s Youtube channel, and the premise of Smash It sounds like it will be a fun YA story of self-love and learning how to live life to the fullest, even when you make mistakes. I could use a fun story right about now, so why can’t it be September already??
Timmy & Tommy – What is your favorite sibling relationship in a book?
This is How it Always is by Laurie Frankel
As Penn and Rosie’s family is large, I loved seeing the different dynamics between all five siblings, especially since all the siblings, except Poppy, were boys. It also showed the lengths to which the family would go to protect Poppy, and also how that affected each of them differently.
The Easter Bunny – A popular book character that you’re not a big fan of
Lila
This is probably an unpopular opinion, but I am not a fan of Lila at all. She reminds me of the “I’m not like other girls” kind of people, and I found her annoying overall, especially as the series progressed.
I have so much more I could say, so if you want to hear me rant about The Shades of Magic series (and more specifically, the last book), you can check out my video here (It is almost a 20 minute long video… now you’ve been warned).
Nook’s Loans – An author you’d give all your money to
Kristin Hannah
I love her writing style, and no matter if it’s my favorite book by her or not, I always have a good experience when picking up a Kristin Hannah book. My favorite book is Winter Garden, which if you’re into reading stories revolving around the Soviet Union and the Cold War, I definitely recommend reading it!
The Nightingale and The Great Alone are her most recently published books that have been popular, so if you loved these books, you should definitely check out her other stuff!
The Sisters Able – What is your favorite fictional family (found or otherwise)?
The de La Cruz family– House of Broken Angels
I have talked about The House of Broken Angels before on here, but I still love how realistically the de La Cruz family is depicted. We see the messiness and family drama, but we also witness the love and the strength of their family bond, despite whatever may have happened in the past. Although they may not be the “perfect” family, there is no denying the love between the different members, even if it takes some of the family members longer to show it.
I also wanted to read this book because it’s set in San Diego, and as someone who’s from there, I like seeing how authors portray the area 😂
It’s a C+ – What is a book trope you don’t like that keeps popping up?
I already brought this up when talking about Lila from The Shades of Magic series, but I am not a fan of the “I’m not like other girls” trope. Luckily, I haven’t encountered it too much in what I’ve been reading this year, but there was a while there where it seemed to be in everything I read or watched, and it annoyed me so much😂
I’ll start off by saying, I don’t have a problem when women aren’t interested in what society deems as “feminine” interests. However, there are times when it goes from just not enjoying something, to actively hating on those who do. I don’t think authors always do this intentionally (doesn’t mean there aren’t who are), yet that means there was probably clumsy character development or writing involved in those situations (hence, making it not as enjoyable for me to read).
There are ways to celebrate yourself and your passions without tearing down or being condescending towards others. I’m glad this trope seems to be dying (Or I’ve been doing a better job avoiding it).
The Wandering Camel – What is your favourite book set in a land far away from yours?
The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta
I’m going to take this question to mean somewhere in our world that’s far far away from me… And I just recently read The Black Flamingo and loved it! I appreciate how the story is told in verse, as it added even more depth throughout Michael’s journey figuring out his identity as someone who is mixed race and gay.
What Would Dodos Do? – A fictional land you wish you could fly away to at any moment?
The Shire
I think it’s pretty obvious why I would want to move to the Shire, as all everyone does is eat and smoke (granted I don’t smoke, but I’m always down for some good food!) The overall life style seems to be keeping it simple, and just enjoy yourself, which I’m all for. Plus, the scenery throughout the Shire is beautiful, and I love the Hobbit holes built into the sides of the hills. Overall, it just seems like a peaceful place to live!
-Erin 🙂
While you’re already here, why not check these links out? 😉
https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/
Medium: https://medium.com/@erin.nord87
Twitter: @ENordhof
Prose: https://theprose.com/ennord
Eclectic Erin 