Blog Tags – Dear Bookshelves

Choose Your Fellowship Book Tag

I had a totally different blog post planned for today but as I was catching up on some Youtube videos, I noticed the TolkienAlong was taking place this year and lines up with my original plan to finish the Lord of the Rings trilogy in November and December of this year. I re-read The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring earlier this year and then got distracted by Percy Jackson but I’ve always planned to go back and read the final two books in the LOTR before the year ends.

All of that being said, there’s a tag associated with the read along so I decided to post that today instead of my original plan. You can find the tag here if you’d like to participate!

Frodo “I will take the ring to Mordor.” – A book you’re not actually sure if you like or not

A book that immediately comes to mind for this question is These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling. I enjoyed the basic plot but I had issues with some of the characters and that really made me feel confused about whether I enjoyed the book or not and whether I should continue with the series.

Sam “I can’t carry it, but I can carry you.” – A book you’ll always be loyal to

Easy. Atonement by Ian McEwan. That book (and film) is just so sad and powerful and tells a different kind of WWII story than a lot of the others I’ve read in the past. I also appreciate the twist that makes your feelings even more confused than they already were. Plus, a REALLY interesting narrative structure which is something McEwan does in many of his books.

Pippin “What about second breakfast?” – A book you’d like to reread

So many! I love rereading favorites. Turning around to look at my shelves, I think I’ll go with Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. I read this a few years ago and I picked it up off and on over the course of a few months and while I really enjoyed it, I think it would be a different experience if I read it straight through without reading a bunch of other books in between.

Merry “We’re going with you, Frodo.” – A book about friendship

I think I’ll pick a manga for this question and choose One Piece. I am super new to the One Piece world which is a questionable and intimidating choice since the anime has over 900 episodes and there are over 90 issues of the manga BUT one of the things I really enjoy about this series is that Luffy is able to befriend anyone he brings into his group of pirates. It’s just such a fun time and I know I’ll probably never catch up but I’m enjoying where I am with the series.

Aragorn “For Frodo!” – A book with a hero or heroine to swoon over

Can I count Red from Get a Life, Chloe Brown? He’s got a tough exterior and seems gruff and unapproachable at first but really, he’s so kind and caring and I love that about him.

Legolas “That still only counts as one!” – The biggest book on your TBR

That’s easily The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon. I have books unread on my shelves that are maybe a bit longer but this is the one that I’m most eager to get to. I want to read it before the end of the year and it might just end up being my entire December TBR alongside The Return of the King. I’ve just heard so many good things about Priory and really want to read it relatively soon but I don’t want to drag it out like I initially did with Anna Karenina.

Gimli “Shall I get you a box?” – A short, but fun read

For this, I’m going to choose Coraline by Neil Gaiman. I read this after seeing the movie and I was surprised by how much more creepy it was but I also had a lot of fun reading it. I liked how immersive this world is and meeting all of Coraline’s odd neighbors. A fun time all around.

Boromir “They’ve taken the little ones!” – A series you still haven’t got past the first book in

This one is a little difficult because I’m in the middle of a few series or either finished with them but I can answer based on a technicality. If you group Little Women and Good Wives together, then I haven’t got past the first book to read the Little Men/Jo’s Boys book(s). I want to reread the first book(s) and continue with the series at the beginning of next year.

Gandalf “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” – A book that makes you question your life

I could choose a number of books here but I think I’ll go with Hunger by Roxane Gay. It made me really think about my own relationship with hunger, both literal and figurative.

So that’s the last question for this tag. I have links at the beginning of this post both for the tag and the announcement about the TolkienAlong itself. Like I said, I’m not officially joining in until the last two books but I am very excited to have a community to read them with so hopefully you’ll join if you’re interested.

Stay safe!

-Sam

The TBR Tag

I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump this month due to constant anxiety and stress so I wasn’t quite sure what to post today. Scheduling confusion and preparing to teach classes during a global pandemic has been so chaotic and largely out of my control so it’s just not been a good time over here. I considered skipping my Friday post this week but I really enjoy writing blog posts and talking to everyone so I settled on an older tag – the TBR tag.

I saw someone post about this on IG and after some quick internet searching, I think the original creator isn’t active anymore. If I’m wrong and you know, please let me know!

How do you keep track of your TBR pile?

I use Goodreads to track books I want to read that I don’t currently own. I also add stuff like manga that I know I want to own directly to my wishlist and skip adding them to Goodreads. As far as the books I physically own, I have a spreadsheet. It is divided into two pages – read and unread. It includes information such as title, author, publication year, the year I acquired the book, and the average Goodreads rating so I have some options for how I want to sort the books. I like being able to access it from my phone so I can look up audiobooks while I’m out and have time to listen to something.

Is your TBR pile mostly print or ebooks?

Right now, it’s definitely mostly print books. I have found myself buying more ebooks (apart from manga) lately though so it will be interesting to see how that changes over time.

How do you determine which books from your TBR to read next?

I’m currently trying to prioritize my physical TBR so I know what I want to keep and what I want to get rid of. I’ll usually have an idea of two or three that Iknow I want to read – continuing a series, a new purchase – but after that, I’ll usually use a random number generator and my spreadsheet to pick a few more books. Lastly, if I’m looking for an audiobook, I’ll often go through my spreadsheet and see what’s immediately available through my library or scribd.

What book has been on your TBR the longest?

I have no idea. I know in 2016, just as I was finishing my BA, I started buying a lot of books at yard sales and thrift stores. Looking at my shelves, I know I’ve had Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie and The Essential Steinbeck on my shelves for a while now.

What book did you recently add to your TBR?

I have been visiting local comic shops lately so I’ve been picking up a lot of manga. Most recently I picked up a bink-up of One Piece 7, 8, and 9. Before that, I got Frankenstein by Junji Ito and the collector’s edition of Pokemon Adventures. This includes issues 1, 2, and 3.

What book is in your TBR strictly because of its beautiful cover?

I don’t usually pick up books based on the cover alone but I think the only that comes closest it Big Breasts & Wide Hips by Mo Yan. It was totally an impulse buy and I didn’t read much of the synopsis before deciding to get it.

What book on your TBR do you never plan to read?

I plan to at least *try* to read everything I own physically. There are some that I know I probably won’t keep – I just want to see what they’re like but probably will never want to reread them. I do definitely plan to pick up and try to read everything here, though.

What are your answers to some of these questions? If you want to do this tag, consider yourself tagged!

Hope you have a great day or night ❤

Sunshine Blogger Award

Last week I was nominated by the wonderful Naemi at A Book Owl’s Corner for the Sunshine Blogger Award. I am so thankful and really urge you to check out their blog if you haven’t already. They are so supportive and kind!

What is the Sunshine Blogger Award?

The Sunshine Blogger Award is given to those who are creative, positive and inspiring while spreading sunshine to the blogging community.

How does it work?

Thank the blogger(s) who nominated you in a blog post and link back to their blog.
Answer the 11 questions sent by the person who nominated you.
Nominate 11 new blogs to receive the award and write them 11 new questions.
List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post and/or on your blog.

What is an interesting non-bookish fact about you that most people don’t know?

Most people in my real life know that I used to be an art major but I don’t think I’ve talked about it here. I started undergrad as a photography major and then switched to visual communication. I was incredibly depressed and broke so after two years, I dropped out of school. When I went back, I decided to major in English.

Has your opinion on a book ever changed as you got older? For example: Is there a book you used to dislike that you now love, or a book you adored but fell out of love with?

I used to like the first three Twilight books when I was younger. I read about half of Breaking Dawn and threw it in the trunk of my car for six months because I thought the plot was ridiculous. I don’t think I could get through and of them now because I am able to recognize all of the issues with this book and would probably cringe so much.

Which fictional food would you love to try someday?

Lembas. I love a good bread.

You get to resurrect a fictional character of your choice, but in order to gain the energy necessary to restore their life, you have to kill a different character. Who would you save and who would you sacrifice?

SKIP IF YOU DON’T WANT SPOILERS FOR ATONEMENT

My favorite book of all time is Atonement by Ian McEwan. It’s very sad and I love sad books. My answer will spoil this book (and film) so skip this question if you don’t want to be spoiled. I would revive Robbie Turner and kill Paul Marshall. Though, I guess the book wouldn’t be as sad that way…

Do you ever feel second-hand embarrassment when reading? If yes, name a scene that really made you cringe!

I don’t usually get second-hand embarrassment from reading but I DO get it from movies sometimes. One movie that stands out is The Guilt Trip with Seth Rogan and Barbara Streisand. I watched this with my grandma and Seth Rogan was so awkward I was embarrassed for him. I think about that a lot.

If you could have one item of clothing from a book, what would you pick? Be aware that any magical properties won’t transfer to our world.

I’m certain the hobbit ladies had some style and I’d love to embody that in my life. I’d probably wear shoes, though!

Do you speak any other languages? If so, what is one unique thing about them? If not – are there any languages you would like to learn?

I work off and on learning Spanish but I’d love to be better at it.

What is your biggest bookish pet peeve?

I think people are sometimes caught up in policing other people’s bookish habits. People like to say thing such as “audiobooks aren’t reading” or “counting ‘X’ to your Goodreads goal is cheating” (at what?). Let people live!

What would you like to see more of in books?

I’d simply like to see more horror written by women. Leave me some recs if you have any!

What is the first book you ever read by yourself?

I have no idea! My grandmother used to check out a ton of books from the library and read to me until I could read myself. If I had to take a guess, it was probably one of the Arthur books by Marc Brown or this weird book about a red car.

Recommend a book that you think doesn’t get enough love!

I already talked about Atonement but I’ll talk about it again. It’s about a child named Briony who falsely accuses someone of a crime when she sees things she doesn’t understand. We follow her effort to make up for what she did for the rest of her life. It’s beautiful and sad and I love it so much!

That’s the last question! I’ll leave my nominations below. If you’ve already been nominated, I apologize and no pressure to participate. I just really enjoy everyone listed here 🙂

Here are my questions:

If you could only read one genre forever, what would you choose?
What genre do you tend to avoid?
What is one of your hobbies outside of reading?
How do you track your reading?
Do you often reread books?
Why did you start blogging?
What post are you most proud of and why?
What is your favorite and least favorite trope?
What is the last piece of music you listened to?
If you were to get a pet right now, what would it be (it doesn’t have to be real or practical) and what would you name it?
If you could get everyone to read one book, what would it be?

That’s it for now! Come chat with me about any of these questions in the comments!

Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag

I am incredibly late in making this post, so I hope you guys are still interested enough to give this a look. I was debating whether or not to do this tag because I’ve only really been tracking my reading for the past few months, but ultimately, I decided it would be fun to try and answer these questions with the books I have read either for fun or for school before July.

Best book you’ve read so far this year

This might just be because it’s a recent read and because I JUST talked about Fun Home last time, but I’m going to say that my favorite book this year is Home Before Dark by Riley Sager. I’ve never had so much fun reading a thriller, and I’ve also never been so scared! Talk about the definition of a page-turner; I sat on the floor for hours completely entranced by this story. I never needed to know the end of a book so badly in my life. As someone who primarily comes to books to be sad or scared, these haunted house vibes really did it for me.

Best sequel you’ve read so far this year

I haven’t really read many sequels this year, but I did re-read The Hunger Games trilogy, so I’m going to go with Catching Fire. Remember how I said I like to be sad when I’m reading? Well, this one gets me every time. I also just enjoyed meeting all of the contestants in this set of games. Each character really had something to offer, and they didn’t feel like they were just thrown in without any thought. Plus, I think most people agree that Catching Fire is the highlight of the series.

New release you haven’t read yet but want to

For this question, I’m going with Mexican Gothic. I just got this in the mail last week, and I am so excited to be creeped out again this year. I also just have a feeling this book will be really atmospheric, and that’s something I genuinely enjoy. The historical element is also incredibly appealing to me. Fingers crossed, I can read this before the end of July!

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year

I recently added Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell to my list, and since we have a thriller/horror/general creepy theme going on, I’ll say that one. I don’t know a ton about it apart from a woman goes missing, and everyone thinks it’s a guy who lives near the place where she went missing. I also know GabbyReads included it in a reading vlog recently, and we tend to have similar taste in thrillers, so I definitely want to check it out.

Biggest disappointment so far this year

Since I’m not going with books I read in July, it’s a little more difficult to choose my biggest disappointment this year. I guess I’ll go with The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer. This book had the potential to really give some new ideas about feminism, and instead, it was just a bunch of rich white people not doing much. I don’t really have anything else to say apart from the fact that it was so long and didn’t offer anything new.

Biggest surprise so far this year

Easy. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. I was a little older than the target audience when this book came out, but my younger brother LOVED it. We usually don’t agree on books, so it was a LONG time before I picked it up. I’m so mad I didn’t read this book sooner. It’s such a good story that pulls from mythology and history while still being a ton of fun. And talk about magical! I haven’t finished the series yet, but I’m just going to say who needs Harry Potter when we have Percy Jackson?

Favorite new to you or debut author

I haven’t read a ton from the same author this year, but my experience reading Daisy Jones & the Six made me want to read everything Taylor Jenkins Reid writes. I flew through Daisy Jones in two days, and not long after, I ordered The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I am so excited to jump into more of Reid’s work.

Newest fictional crush

I don’t really crush on book characters at all, so I’m going to pass on this one!

Newest favorite character

I really admired Starr Carter’s ambition, and vulnerability in The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. I also re-read The Fellowship of the Ring this year, and I have such a soft spot for Samwise Gamgee. What a great example of a friend!

A book that made you cry

I don’t ever actually cry at books this often, but the saddest book I read this year is probably Fun Home by Alison Bechdel (I had to talk about it, okay!). I read this for a class, and we were asked to listen to some songs from the musical as well, and that combination really hit hard. This graphic novel is funny and sad and insightful and made me feel so many things.

A book that made you happy

I read volume one of One Piece this year, and Luffy just makes me so happy. There’s something about high seas adventure mixed with a bit of comedy that makes me smile the whole time I’m reading. Also, unpopular opinion, but Usopp makes me laugh a lot.

The most beautiful book you’ve bought or received this year

I treated myself to Gyo, Uzumaki, and Tomie by Junji Ito this year because I was really sad about finished grad school during COVID. Not only are the covers beautiful in such a creepy way, but the artwork inside is also fantastic!

What books do you need to read before the end of the year

I definitely want to finish the Percy Jackson series this year, but apart from that, my main goal is to just work through my tremendous backlog of physical books so that I can start parting with some of them. I usually randomly pick books from a spreadsheet and work through them that way, so we will see what happens for the rest of the year!

The Anonymous Bookaholics Tag

Hey guys! I hope you’ve had a good weekend and are ready for another week. I’m attempting to get myself back into some sort of routine with blogging, bookstagram, and exercise so I figured I’d start my Monday by writing something.

I was tagged by the lovely Ivana over at Books and Prejudice to participate in the anonymous bookaholics tag ❤ I can’t seem to track down the original creator but if you know, please tell me in the comments so I can give proper credit.

Let’s get to the questions!

1. What do you like about buying new books?

I’m the type of person who goes through everything I own a couple times a year and gets rid of A LOT. I don’t like having a ton of things cluttering my space. Books seem to always miss my semi-annual life editing because I love having them around and knowing that I’ll always have something I can pick up and read fresh. I’ve gotten better about letting go of books I know I’ll never reread but overall, having books is just something I enjoy and having new books to be excited about is just fun.

2. How often do you buy new books?

I used to buy books all the time. I still do love a $2.99 ebook but when I moved for grad school, I really stopped buying books. I realized I didn’t have enough room for them in my apartment and I didn’t have time to read for fun. Since graduating, I have started buying a little more but it’s primarily ebooks that are on sale. I’d say maybe once a month I’ll get a new physical book.

3. Bookshops or online book shopping: which do you prefer?

I really enjoy going to the store and looking at everything and then selecting a couple of books I really want to own. I almost always pull out my phone and check either my Goodreads or wishlist and go down the list and see what I can find. It becomes a sort of scavenger hunt that shopping online doesn’t offer. For #BlackoutBestsellerList I recently pulled up my Amazon wishlist and hunted the store for books I was interested in buying. I came away with The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and Black Enough by Ibi Zoboi. It was fun locating different books in the store and then narrowing it down to the couple I could buy at that time. Plus it was the first time I’d been in a bookstore in months!

4. Do you have a favourite bookshop?

Not really. I usually find myself at Barnes & Noble out of convenience and since I haven’t really bought books that much since I moved, I haven’t explored local bookstores. That’s a goal of mine once I feel safe getting out more.

5. Do you pre-order books?

I don’t think I’ve pre-ordered a book since 2007 when The Deathly Hallows came out. I usually think on my book purchases a while before I commit to actually buying them because I’m scared of spending money on a brand new book and then not really enjoying it.

6. Do you have a monthly buying limit?

Nah. But if I go into a store, I usually have a number in my head of how much I want to spend and that all depends on what else I have going on that month and how I feel about spending money that day.

7. How big is your wish list?

I just started keeping a wishlist on Amazon so there’s not too much on it. I also use my Goodreads “Want to Read” shelf as a place to track books I don’t yet own. That has about 80-90 books on it now. There’s a lot I want to read but I use Scribd or Libby to get access to many of those so I don’t actually buy them.

8. Which three books from your wish list do you wish to own right now?

I just got The Hate U Give because when I added it to my holds on Libby, it said there was a six month + wait time. It still said that in June so I just went ahead and bought it. Apart from that, three that I’d really like to have are:

Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall
Tomie by Junji Ito
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

Well, that’s all the questions for this tag! I’ll tag a few people below but if you want to participate, consider yourself tagged ❤ Also, if you’ve already done this tag and I’ve tagged you, I apologize! I’m so behind on reading blog posts.

Stuck at Home Book Tag

Many of us have been at home for a few months and some people are going back to work (or have been working the whole time) but I’m going to be home for the foreseeable future since I won’t be teaching until August (knock on wood). I’m a bit late to the game but I’m going to do the Stay at Home Book tag!

I’ve seen a few other bloggers do this tag but it was originally created by Ellyn and you can see the original post here. I wasn’t specifically nominated but I most recently saw Tiffany over at My Bookish Fantasy do this and I wanted to give it a try. Hope you enjoy!

What are you currently reading?

I am currently listening to The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins. I keep putting this book down and picking it back up; it’s been an interesting reading experience to say the least. I also just finished Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld. It’s a modern Pride and Prejudice retelling and I thought it was pretty good. That being said, I’m about to pick up another book to read physically and I randomized by TBR so it looks like I’m picking up The Happy Prince and Other Stories by Oscar Wilde.

What’s your favorite “can’t-leave-the-house” activity?

Of course, I’ve been playing a ton of Animal Crossing. My island isn’t the cutest yet but I’m slowly working on it. I made a little park and my next project is to make a boardwalk.

I have also been watching more shows than I normally would. I am currently watching Avatar: The Last Airbender, Bob’s Burgers, and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia again. I might also start using this time to watch some more anime – One Piece and Blue Exorcist are both some favorites.

A book you’ve been meaning to read forever:

I have been meaning to get into Shirley Jackson in general for quite a while. I have a few of her books so I am going to try to work them into my TBRs over the summer if I can. I am also trying to get into Junji Ito’s work for a bit. Clearly, I am in the mood for all things spooky.

An intimidating book on your TBR:

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. She’s giant, she’s old, she goes on tangents at length. I am interested in the plot but everytime I look at the book, I am unsure of how I’ll ever be able to tackle it. I fear the day that I randomize my TBR and that book comes up.

Top three priority books on your TBR:

I am really looking forward to reading Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo with some friends in June. I don’t read a ton of fantasy and definitely haven’t read anything by Bardugo so I’m excited to give it a try. I mentioned Junji Ito before but I am really prioritizing Gyo because the synopsis is super intriguing to me. Lastly, I am looking to start the Percy Jackson series for the first time really soon. I’m picking up the books tonight so I want to put those high on my list.

Recommend a short book:

I keep talking about this book but I read it for a class this past semester and LOVED it. It’s a graphic novel called Fun Home by Alison Bechdel. It’s described as a tragicomic and talks about the author’s life and relationship with her father. She is coming to terms with her own sexuality and her family dynamic. I highly recommend it.

Recommend a long book:

I don’t exactly read a ton of really long books but I did really enjoy The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne. This book follows one man throughout his entire life. He is on a journey to learn about himself and who he is after he learns that he is adopted. I really enjoyed following him on this lifelong journey of self-discovery.

Something you’d love to do while stuck at home:

Since starting this blog and my bookstagram account, I have been playing with the idea of starting a YouTube channel. I have plans to film this week but I’m not yet sure if the footage will ever see the light of day. I am just really nervous and self-conscious about trying a new medium where people can see and hear me. But who knows?

What do you plan on reading next?

I am picking up The Happy Prince and Other Stories by Oscar Wilde. After that, I might have time to read one more book before I start Ninth House and my June readathon books and I think that will be the first book in the Percy Jackson series.

If you’ve made it this far, I tag you in the Stuck at Home Book Tag! I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this and learning a little more about books I’ve read and enjoyed or books I’m planning to read. ❤

Book Blog Newbie Tag

Hey guys,

I just wanted to make a post to really introduce myself and, you guessed it, I’m going to adapt the Booktube Newbie Tag for a blogging format! I am certainly not the first to do this. Recently, I read Kayppuccino’s newbie tag post on her blog. Also, through some not so in-depth investigation, I found Brenda C’s Booktube Newbie tag, and it seems like she’s the one who started it (If I’m wrong, you can kindly let me know. I want to make sure I’m giving credit where I can).

Before I start answering the questions, I want to just say a bit about who I am. My name is Sam. I’m 28, and at the time of writing this, I am two tasks away from finishing my MA in English and will be teaching college English in the fall semester. Of course, I love reading, but I also love playing Nintendo, journaling, and walking outside. My partner and I have been together for over ten years and enjoy living relatively close to the beach.

So now for the tag questions.

Why did you start this blog?

I’ve been consuming more bookish content online as I approach the end of my graduate program. I really just needed a way to get back into reading for fun since so much of my time was spent reading for classes and having slight anxiety attached. I NEEDED to mark my text and be prepared to either write or talk about it in a week. That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy the reading for my program; there was just a lot of pressure involved.

Now that I’m done with school for the foreseeable future, I feel like I have the time to start getting more involved in this bookish community in a few different ways. I want to talk about books and create content, so I’ve started a bookstagram and started being more active on Twitter. Of course, starting this blog is part of this new desire to talk about books and be more involved with reading in a low-pressure way.

What are some fun and unique things you can bring to book blogging?

I own a ton of unread books. Most of them are here in my apartment, and I’m slowly bringing more from my mom’s house each time I get to visit. I’m talking an embarrassing number – like 200+. I acquired many of them either during my last two years of undergrad or during grad school when I didn’t really have time to read them. It might be fun to watch me try to REALLY chip away at that number in some creative ways (fun for me at least).

I also missed the fantasy phase of my reading career, and I feel like I’m missing out. I’d like to try out some YA fantasy favorites and record that process. I basically know nothing about that world, but my interest is growing.

What are you most excited for about this blog?

Making connections with other people! I’m honestly pretty shy when it comes to talking about things I like with people I don’t know really well, and so this might be a good step. I want to hear other people’s thoughts and opinions about books, get and give book recommendations, and even if no one wants to read what I have to say, I’ll enjoy having a place to record my reading journey.

Why do you love reading?

I love reading because it gives me a glimpse of an endless variety of experiences. Will I ever live in a house with ghosts? Nope. Will I ever be on a journey to be king of the pirates? Nah. Will I ever have a fancy wedding where someone gets murdered? I surely hope not.

But I can read about it. It’s not that I feel like I’m being transported to another world, but I do get to see how that situation might play out, and that’s really fun!

What series got you into reading?

I enjoyed learning to read a variety of Golden Books when I was growing up. Still, if we’re talking about an actual series, I’m going to have to be cliche and say Harry Potter, The Chronicles of Narnia, and A Series of Unfortunate Events. It’s funny because two of those are fantasy and I don’t really read fantasy now *shrug.* At my elementary school, many teachers would read a chapter of something after lunch each day. I was introduced to Narnia, ASOUE, and The Hobbit in this way.

What questions would you ask your favorite authors?

Mostly, I just want to ask Ian McEwan why he went *that* route in his Hamlet retelling, Nutshell.

What challenges do you think starting a blog will be the hardest to overcome?

Hello, my name is Sam and I’m insecure about everything!

But really, I just think like with any creative pursuit, not finding an audience is a big fear. A lot of this is for me, but I don’t think I’ll be motivated to keep this up as much if people aren’t reading/interacting with my work.

Consistency is another big thing for me. I’m better now at holding myself accountable for getting things done, but when I start teaching again or just get busy with other things, it will be more difficult for me to find time for things I enjoy, such as reading and blogging.

When did you start reading?

I literally don’t remember when I didn’t have books in my life. My family read A LOT to me, and then once I learned, I was always reading. There were times when I was reading less because of college or depression or whatever, but I’ve always come back to reading eventually.

Where do you read?

I mostly read on my couch these days, but sometimes, if I don’t feel well, I’ll read in bed. Ideally, I’d be outside somewhere in the sun reading, but my apartment’s deck is infested with wasps, so that’s not an option.

What kind of books do you like to read?

I read a reasonably wide variety of genres, but I have been reading a ton of thrillers and historical fiction recently. I’ve also had more interest in manga and graphic novels lately.

Anyway, that’s the last question. Thanks if you’ve read this far! You can check out links to my other socials on my “Contact” page and follow me here if you’re interested!