Callum McLaughlin's Blog, page 65

Inside Out | Book Tag

Inside Out

Time for another fun tag! This time I was invited by the awesome Lia over at BookLand to do the Inside Out Book Tag. Based on the new movie, it has us pair books with certain emotions – both of which are things I feel regularly (… That got weird). Let’s just get to the questions.

A book that brings you joy

[Insert generic Harry Potter answer here]. Seriously though, will I ever manage to do a tag without mentioning good ol’ HP? I doubt it but I’m okay with that.

A book that makes you angry

I’m going to go with Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys – but this made me a ‘good’ kind of angry, if that makes sense. It’s historical fiction set during the genocide of Baltic people under Stalinist rule, so it’s incredibly harrowing but a strong reminder of the cruelty that humans are capable of.

A book that makes you sad

For this I could choose A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, for reasons obvious to anyone who’s read it but as with HP I seem to choose Ness books in every tag, so instead I’m going to pick Alice and the Fly by James Rice. There is quite a lot of sadness throughout this book but I think this is another important read as it highlights the need to accept and address mental health issues, both within ourselves and in others.

A book that disgusts you

Along the same vein as to why I chose Between Shades of Gray, for this I’m going to choose The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. Any reminder as to the atrocities committed during Nazi terror are enough to make your blood boil but every time I think about this book, I’m hit with the horrible bitter-sweetness that Anne’s biggest dream was to be a writer and though she is undoubtedly one of the most famous writers that has ever lived, the deserved honour of knowing she achieved this was robbed from her, as were the dreams of so many like her.

A book that brings you fear

I recently read Through the Woods, a graphic novel that’s a collection of short stories by Emily Carroll. Mainly due to the colour palette and art style, it does a great job of establishing a creepy, unsettling atmosphere. While I won’t necessarily remember the plot of any of the stories themselves, I will remember the ambience they created.

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Thanks again to Lia for tagging me. I’ve done a few tags recently, so I’m just going to make this one an open invitation to anyone who wants to take part. Have fun!

The Bigger Picture

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This mighty planet

lost within the tapestry

of reality.

Good Morning

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These petals unfold

To welcome the rising sun –

A new day begins

Summertime Madness | Book Tag

I was kindly tagged by Lia at BookLand to do the Summertime Madness Book Tag. I love talking about all things bookish so let’s just get right to the questions.

Show a book with a summery cover.

This One Summer

I’ve gone with This One Summer by Jillian Tamaki. In fairness, I haven’t read this graphic novel yet but I’ve heard great things and I feel both the title and cover art are pretty apt for this tag :)

Pick one fictional place that would be the perfect destination for a summer vacation!

A trip to Wonderland from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland would make for a pretty memorable summer, that’s for sure.

You’re about to go on a flight to your summer vacation. But you want to read a book that lasts for the whole flight, what novella do you choose?

Maybe Stardust by Neil Gaiman. I’ve been hoping to read more of Gaiman’s work soon and Stardust is pretty short so should be a good length for a flight.

You have a case of summertime sadness what happy book do you pick up to shine a smile on your face?

This question made me realise that I don’t really read a lot of happy books… Take from that what you will ;) I’ll choose Harry Potter because the pure nostalgia would make me happy and also because no tag would be complete without mentioning it somewhere.

You’re sitting at the beach all alone…which fictional character would be your beach babe?

All I can think of is Pat from Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick. Not so much for the character but because he’s played by Bradley Cooper in the movie adaptation. ‘Nuff said.

To match your ice cream you want an icy cool sidekick! Which fictional side kick do you pick?

Manchee from The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. Yes, he’s a dog. No, I don’t want to change my answer.

Share the Summertime Happiness! Who do you TAG?

Thanks again to Lia for tagging me. I’ll tag The Bookie Monsters, driftinglexi & Melissa Barker-Simpson (if any of you fancy it and have the time that is – no pressure) and also anyone else who wants to do it!

Grandfather

Lately I’ve been searching

for your face within the stars,

your voice within the breeze

or the rustle of the trees.

Lately I’ve been feeling

that our past is made of smoke,

deserting me in dreams,

escaping from the seams.

Lately I’ve been watching

as those left behind lose hope,

a melancholy life,

your slowly fading wife.

So lately I’ve been gathering

the remnants of a man,

to save them in my heart

so we’ll never be apart.

This way I needn’t fear

when your laughter seems so lost,

for in my veins it thrives,

your memory survives.

Bookish Scenarios Tag

books, books, books!

I haven’t been tagged in this but I love a good tag and this one seemed fun so let’s just jump right into it.

You have to get rid of all your books and you can only keep one from each of these genres – contemporary, fantasy, non-fiction and one other genre of your choosing. What books do you keep?

The real question here is what kind of evil monster is making me get rid of them and what can I do to overthrow their reign of terror and save my beloved books?

You’re at the bookstore and you hear a teenager telling their mom they don’t like to read, but their mom insists they pick something. You walk over and recommend a book you think is great for people who aren’t big on reading – what book is it?

Well, first of all if I’m willingly talking to humans I don’t know then something is obviously wrong with me and help should be found immediately, but that aside, if they are in their teens and not a big reader I’d recommend something fast paced and easy to follow, like The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. That way, if they enjoy it, not only are there two sequels for them to read but the genre of teen dystopian in general is huge so they shouldn’t struggle too much in hunting out other books they might like.

You’re not feeling yourself and need a pick me up. Which book do you read to put yourself in a great mood?

Well at least that explains why I was talking to strangers. I’d go with Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. By this point the story and characters are so familiar it’s like a warm hug.

You go back in time for a day to your teenage years. What book would you most likely have caught yourself reading?

Harry Potter… Always. (lol, Snape reference).

Your friend surprises you with a 4 day trip and you have 1 hour to pack. Which book do you bring to read on the way?

One of the books in the Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin. I feel like the only person in the world who hasn’t read the books or watched the TV show (I know, put down your pitchforks). The bandwagons for both left without me and became so mammoth in size and popularity that I felt daunted but I’ve now read the first book, A Game of Thrones, and loved it. Plus, each book is enormous so it should keep me going throughout the trip.

Your house has been robbed! Don’t worry – everyone is safe, but your bookshelf has been raided. What’s the book you really hope is safe?

I don’t ask you who your favourite child is so please don’t ask me this ;)

Your friend borrows a book and returns it in awful condition. Do you a) Just pretend you haven’t noticed b) Ask them to repurchase it or c) Secretly do the same to something of theirs.

Secret answer d) As long as they were genuinely apologetic I would just swallow my immense pain and replace it myself. I would only be lending books to a good friend so I’d trust it was an accident. If I found out otherwise then option C here I come.

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There we have it. If you want to do this tag, please do!

A Mother’s Love

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Fiercest warrior –

It’s the fool that comes between

A mother and child.

The Halcyons

I hear the beat of my volcanic heart

drowning my ears with songs of unchecked needs,

blisters on my hands from holding it back

as white hot retinas burn from inside out.

The fiery flood of lava in my veins

races to the seams of self-stitched wounds,

a threatened overflow lights up my skin

illuminating each and every scar.

But hark at halcyons high within the skies

settling tides on stormy seas,

they whisper of reprieve to soothe my soul,

“it gets better”.

July in Books

books, books, books!

July was a really fantastic month in regards to reading. I managed to get through 11 books in total (7 novels, a double novella anthology, a poetry collection and 2 graphic novels). I’m not quite sure how that happened but I’m very happy that it did.

There were some great reads in there but the real highlight of the month for me was The Gracekeepers by Kirsty Logan, a fantasy meets fairy tale with gorgeous writing, a lovable ragtag group of characters and a wonderfully unique setting that I found enchanting.

My total number of books read this year currently stands at 65 and I’m excited to see what August holds for me in terms of reading.

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Did you read any great books in July? How are you getting on with your reading goals for the year?

Progress

Confined to ignorance

by your warped triangles;

man, woman, child.

Antithesis of truest love;

strong, free, wild.

Walls of hatred crumble

and winds of change they blow;

gentle, patient, true.

The future sparkling like an ocean;

big, bright, blue.