The Life's A #Beach #Book Tag - #AmReading

I actually had a different tag scheduled for today.  But Cat over at The Strawberry Post did this one at the start of last week (you can see her post here, if you want to check it out - which you totally should) and I wanted to post it before it got too late in the year to be mentioning the beach.  After all, even though there are some people - like me - who will gladly, perhaps even more so than in the Summer, go to the beach in the off-season (when it's not so hot, and far less crowded) most people consider beach trips to be Summer activities, and we're already in Autumn as it is.

 

Anyway, as I'm sure you guessed from the title and above paragraph, this is a beach themed book tag.  As usual, if you want to play along, feel free to do so either in the comments section of this post, or on your own blog.  If you do the latter, please let me know so I can check out your post.  After all, as I always point out, I'd love to read your answers too.  Either way, here are the questions, along with my answers to them.

  

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1. THE SAND: A book that stuck with you long after you finished reading 

 

 "Dark Matter" by Michelle Paver.  Yes, I've mentioned this one about a million times, but it really scared me, and stuck with me enough to have me scared for days afterwards.  I know it's likely weird to be glad a book scared me enough that I was scared for days, but it is what it is.  Took me ages to get it out of my head afterwards, and it has the same effect on me whenever I re-read it.

 

2. THE SUN: A book that burned you

 
"The Hate You Give" by Angie Thomas.  I'm not saying it was a bad book - it wasn't; it was a great book in many ways.  But racism isn't OK, regardless of who's being racist, and I really felt like this book was making it sound like it's fine for white people to be the victims of racism, because coloured people have it worse.  Yes, non-whites are more likely to be the victims of racism.  But that doesn't make it OK when they return the favour.  I'm sure that wasn't the message the author was trying to get across, but that's how it felt to me, and I had - and still have - an issue with that.
 

3. THE WAVES: A book that calms you down after a long day

 

Reading in general usually calms me down.  Doesn't matter the genre, age range, or whatever.  I find reading relaxing.  It's taking a bit more work for it to start helping with all that's been going on this year, but still.

 
4. THE BATHING SUIT: A book with a pretty, summery cover
 

I have no idea.  My default with questions like this one is to look it up, but I'm just getting results about book blurbs when I do that, so... Yeah... Guess I'm skipping this one

 

5. THE BIRDS: A book that is everywhere

 

J K Rowling's "Harry Potter" books.  Now, come on, you knew they had to get a mention somewhere.  Besides, you have to admit you can't go far without seeing some kind of mention of them.

 

6. THE COMPANY: A book with wonderful characters

 

I could pick several, but I'm going with "Artemis Fowl" - and the rest of the series by the same name - by Eoin Colfer.  Artemis is an evil genius, but a great character, and the fairy folk are fantastic - and often amusing - characters.  Butler is a wonderful character in that series too, though both he and Artemis are characters you don't want to be on the wrong side of, if for totally different reasons.
 

7. THE ICE-COLD DRINKS: A book you absolutely gulped down
 

Considering how fast I usually get through books, most of the books I read could probably count for this.  However, The "Outlander" series by Diana Gabaldon springs to mind... Even with the length of those books, I still managed to average around one a week of those, because I listened to them every chance I got, and couldn't get enough of them.

 

8 . THE FUN MEMORIES: A book you can’t wait to return to

  

"The Tale Of Peter Rabbit" by Beatrix Potter.  In fact, any of her books.  I have fond memories of those books.  Memories I've especially been thinking of lately with losing my Nan, because it was her who introduced me to those books.  She used to read them to me and my brothers when we went to her house for tea (as in afternoon tea - sandwiches, cakes, etc - not just a cup of tea) some Sundays.  I've read them myself in multiple formats since, but always think of Nan when I do, and likely will do so even more now she's gone.