How I Choose My Books Tag

I was kindly tagged by Rachel to do the How I Choose My Books tag. It looks like fun, so let’s just jump right in. Oh, and if you aren’t already following Rachel’s blog, I advise you to remedy that.

1. Find a book on your shelves with a blue pink cover. What made you pick up the book in the first place?

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A Kiss Before Dying

I read Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin last year and loved it! I wanted to pick up another of his novels, and this was the one I went for. I loved it too, and have since read another of his books – The Stepford Wives – which was also very good. He’s definitely up there amongst my favourites now.

2. Think of a book you didn’t expect to enjoy but did. Why did you read it in the first place?

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A Midsummer Night’s Dream

I doubt I’d pick something up that I expected not to like at all, but I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I liked A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I studied a few Shakespeare plays throughout my time in education, of course, but in that environment, much of the joy can be sucked out of his work through months of ardent over-analysis. This was the first time I’d picked up one of his plays purely for pleasure, and I thought it was playful, lyrical, and enchanting.

3. Stand in front of your bookshelf with your eyes closed and pick up a book at random. How did you discover this book?

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The Growing Season

I picked The Growing Season by Helen Sedgwick. The honest truth is that I can’t remember how I first discovered it, but I wanted to pick it up because I loved the sound of its concept and themes (it explores scientific morality and gender roles, via the idea of artificial wombs, which eliminate the natural risks of pregnancy, and grant male, queer, single, and infertile people with equal opportunities to carry a child). I was also grabbed by its gorgeous cover. It was a very thought-provoking read.

4. Pick a book that someone personally recommended to you. What did you think of it?

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The Snow Child

My brother’s fiancé lent me her copy of The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey due to my love of fairy tale influences, and immersive, atmospheric settings. Whilst I didn’t love the book, it was very charming and I did certainly enjoy it. Plus, those elements were indeed its greatest strengths.

5. Pick a book you discovered through book blogs. Did it live up to the hype?

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Binti

I don’t read a huge amount of space sci-fi, but Binti by Nnedi Okorafor was getting so much buzz that I had to give it a go. Thankfully, for me, this was one that did live up to the hype, and I’m looking forward to continuing with the series, which I hope will delve a little deeper into the interesting themes and ideas the first book touched on.

6. Find a book on your shelves with a one-word title. What drew you to this book?

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Lullaby

Lullaby by Leїla Slimani was the first one I found. I was drawn to this book by its deliciously morbid and fascinating blurb, and because it too was getting a lot of buzz online a while back. I found this one sadly underwhelming, however.

7. What book did you discover through a film/TV adaptation?

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Annihilation

I was already vaguely aware of the book’s existence, but I picked up Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer purely because I wanted to see the film adaptation, and always try wherever possible to read the book before I see the film. There are parts of the book that I loved, and parts I found frustrating, meaning it became a rare example of actually liking the film version more, interestingly.

8. Think of your all-time favourite books. When did you read these and why did you pick them up in the first place?

Obvious disclaimer: choosing favourite books is stressful, so I just went with the first few that came to mind.

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Rebecca, Frankenstein & Harry Potter – what a dinner party that would be, huh?

I read Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier early last year and it became an instant favourite as it’s the epitome of everything I love; gothic, immersive, lyrical, dark, and compelling. I picked it up simply because I’d heard lots of good things from people whose taste is often aligned with my own.

I first read Frankenstein by Mary Shelley when I was about 15. I could appreciate that it was good Literature, which is probably why I had wanted to try it, but most of it went way over my head. I had a strong urge to finally reread it last year, convinced I would now be able to appreciate it on a whole new level, and boy did I.

The Harry Potter series is a no-brainer. I was part of the perfect generation to grow up with the books, and I read them because, well, who wasn’t reading them? They’re now the epitome of childhood magic, nostalgia, and escapism for me – and many others, of course.

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I’ve lost track of who has and hasn’t been tagged yet, so I’m going to be lazy and leave it open to anyone who would like to take part. Pingback to me if you do it so I can see your answers!