I assume that means I'm free to take part? I hope so...because that's exactly what I'm about to do. It's a Harry Potter book tag, which basically means I need to do this, stat.
Ready? Here we go:
FLAGRATE - A book with an interesting premise but you'd like to rewrite it
That's easy - Stephenie Meyer's Twilight. Don't get me wrong, it had potential, but there's a reason why it's either love it or hate it. At some point, B.R. Myers put up a list of her top 5 movies Jennifer Lawrence should have been in, and Twilight was first on the list: "JL's Bella would have been burping and snorting her whole way through the script, endearing us to Bella in a way the book never could." This is the Twilight I would love to write myself, given half a chance - a darkly funny paranormal romance with tons of blood and guts. (What can I say? I need to get gloriously gory sometimes.)
ALOHOMORA - The first book in a series that got you hooked
Oh, there's so many tons of books I could place here...but I gotta go with one that's got a forthcoming movie adaptation from one of my favorite directors ever. I sometimes like to visit a Goodreads thread about "worst book you have ever read that's popular," and I'm frankly befuddled to see Ransom Riggs' Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children frequently appearing in the comments. That book is pretty much tailor-made for me, with its history-bending and time travel and fantastic paranormal powers...and of course the blood and guts. I'm certain Tim Burton has another masterpiece on his hands with the movie that comes out this September. #StayPeculiar, my friends.
ACCIO - A book you wish you could have right now
Zac Brewer's The Blood Between Us. More blood for the list, although in this case, it's more about family ties and how they can get seriously twisted - or so I understand from the blurbs. (Although I wouldn't be surprised if Uncle Zac wrote in scenes of actual blood, knowing him.) This Minion is first in line at the library for it, and eagerly awaiting its book birthday next month!
AVADA KEDAVRA - A killer book
Veronica Roth's Divergent. Like Miss Peregrine above, this book (and especially its sequels) are constantly showing up in the "worst popular book" thread, and I can sort of see why, given how polarizing the Divergent series is. But I was so enamored with the book when I blindly requested it as an 18th birthday present way back in 2011 that I simply can't see myself having never read and/or enjoyed the whole trilogy (plus the Four story collection). And hey, I successfully got my reluctant-reader sister to read and like the whole series too (it should be noted that she loathed Mockingjay for its ending.)
CONFUNDO - A book you found really confusing
EXPECTO PATRONUM - Your spirit book
Victoria Schwab's The Archived. I first discovered this book and its sequel, The Unbound, in early 2014 when I first started writing Red Rain, and I fell in love with its unique vision of the afterlife, one even more unique than my own. In fact, the library-like setting of these books contributed to me putting a library into the Second Universe afterlife of the Red Rain series. And when I later visited the Colma memorial park where my grandfather's ashes are kept, seeing a large section of the place designed to look like a library (with book-shaped urns) all but validated my Schwab-influenced vision.
SECTUMSEMPRA - A dark and twisted book
My other spirit book - Michelle Hodkin's The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. Despite being largely set in South Florida, this trilogy, like Dexter, existed in a state of more-or-less permanent shadow for me because of its creepy subject matter. All the kudos to Hodkin, though, for keeping the dark supernatural undercurrents bubbling under the surface throughout most of the first book, only to eventually plunge the reader headfirst into an urban-Gothic pool of Dark Eco, if you'll excuse my Jak and Daxter reference. Also, the three most important characters in this series (Mara, Noah, and Jamie) would totally make best friends with my very own Alex, Gabe, and Fionna, of that I'm sure.
APARECIUM - A book that surprised you in a great way
My first temptation was to put my recent re-read of The Raven Boys here, but I also remember another super-popular book I was quite reluctant to read at first - you can blame the shirtless dude on the cover, because how would people have reacted to seeing me carrying that around? (I was quite a sad and confused seventeen-year-old.) My high school librarian did eventually convince me, though, to read Cassandra Clare's City of Bones. I've never looked back, except to say that while I still love every one of her Shadowhunters novels, she only gets better and better as she goes on. Each book is longer, more complicated, and more laden with excellent relationships, romantic, platonic, parabatai, or otherwise. There has to be a peak somewhere, right? I can't imagine when Cassie Clare's will come, though.
And with that, I've got my Harry Potter book tags for you to enjoy. I don't know all that many people in the blogosphere (and most of these aren't on Blogger), but I'll tag them anyway just 'cause. And if you read this and don't see your name on this list, go ahead and do what I did - make your tag anyway!
B.R. Myers
Alex @ The Daily Life of a Teenage Aspie
Brett Michael Orr
Briana Mae Morgan
Tia @ Read It Write Now!
Megan and Cat @ Books of Fascination
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