Are there good and bad books? || Book-shaming || A Book talk

 

Hello everyone,

I'm back with a discussion topic that is as old as time, yet new for this blog. 

Reading is one of the most beneficial activities that an individual can pick. It's one of the activities that always has something to offer more than just pure entertainment, whether that is learning fresh vocabulary and new/different ways to express yourself, learning facts and skills, acquiring knowledge, or developing new ideas and views for the world, gaining empathy, understanding for others and perspective in life! The reading experience is enriching and becomes even more so the more you exercise it.

Naturally, the argument that would follow would be that not all books can offer you the same and that some books may be beneficial as if you've not read anything at all. Or that certain types of books don't really count because they are too short, too childish, too funny or you haven't physically read them, so they're not as much of an experience. This could not be further from the truth! The truth is that reading all kinds of books in whichever way or form they may be, is still consuming books, you still invest your time and attention, you still take in all its contents, you still have the ability to understand and process it in your mind, you can still think about it, overanalyze it, talk about it with others, and make it the center of conversations, you have still taken everything in. And the truth is that fully and successfully consuming whichever book in whichever form can very rarely be not beneficial, not informative, not enlightening, not entertaining, and not helpful in any way.

There is much prejudice when it comes to reading choices. Some genres are considered to be inherently lesser than others, and it has recently come to my attention that this bias extends to not just genres, but also forms of books (e-Books, audiobooks, etc.). If you've been a reader for a while then you are no stranger to ideas like: "only classics are serious books", "listening to audiobooks doesn't count as reading", "comic books are stupid and have nothing to offer", "non-fiction books are boring", etc. We all like to lie to ourselves about such prejudice and pretend that we are above it, that we do not care, and that we are free spirits. But the truth is that at one point or the other anyone might be guilty of it whether willingly or not and most readers have at some point been subjected to it. We're surrounded by it so it's not always easy to avoid it.

Reading tastes and preferences are strictly personal and they shouldn't be criticized and/or laughed at. Yet, we continue to see that reading preferences are often not only criticized, compared (with other, theoretically better choices), and looked down upon, but are also being immediately associated with the reader. In many people's minds, the types of books someone chooses to read define their personality and character. Please, don't get me wrong it is true that what we choose to read does correlate to some extent to our lives, personalities, interests, and experiences and we certainly do tend to pick things that we can relate to. But, this is definitely not a one-way road, and to take it to the extreme where every single book you may pick is immediately connected do your whole identity is irrelevant and absurd. 

For one thing, human beings are not one-sided, they are not defined by one single quality or trait. Nor are all people the same, fitting into defined little boxes. Human beings are multi-dimensional, they have many sides, various depths, and layers and they are usually more complex than what could be narrowed down to a few words or a couple of choices. Sure, this one book may be saying something about you, maybe you relate to this theme or character, but that cannot possibly be all you really are. We are more than just our favorite color, piece of clothing, food, more than just smart, or just athletic, or just sensitive, more than just our appearance and sexuality. All these are just some of our traits and the total of them that we carry comprises our identity. They are just small individual parts of a large and complex puzzle and just like a puzzle could not be comprised by one single piece, humans cannot possibly be just what you assume with a single glance.

For another, nobody is obligated to like and enjoy only one thing! Just because you love dark chocolate doesn't mean you won't occasionally enjoy white, just because you love action movies doesn't mean you won't occasionally enjoy a good romance and, similarly, because you love this genre of book doesn't mean you won't enjoy or want to explore other genres, authors and styles! As a matter of fact, I find it that if you are a big lover of a particular hobby, it will be nearly impossible for you to limit your choices down to only a couple of variables. We are free to enjoy many different genres and styles of works and we can definitely choose to have them in different phases of our lives, in order to express different aspects of our characters. I can't imagine how boring it would be if someone had to decide to follow one single thing (book, movie, food, style of clothing, etc) for your entire life and exclude all other different options. 

Of course, everyone is entitled to their own opinion and if you want to think that one work is lesser than the other for whatever random reason then it's fine, you do you. But nobody has the right to shame, criticize or berate others, or make quick assumptions about them based off of this! Because everyone has just as much of a right to enjoy whatever they like and whatever are they want in whichever way they prefer just as much you have a right to your opinion. All people have the right to enjoy what they like better freely without being bothered. Nobody should be discouraged to read whatever they like because nobody should be discouraged from such a nice hobby, such an interesting pastime, and such an active, engaging, and enlightening activity as this of reading. On the contrary, people should be encouraged to enjoy whatever book they want without being ashamed of their choices. Readers should always feel that the reading community is a safe space and they are always welcome to it no matter what. Because even if there were such a thing as good and bad reading choices, discouraging someone from reading in general, will only lead them away from it. But if you encourage them to keep reading, they will definitely find their way back to it and they may even eventually find their way to want you to consider to be better and even if this does not happen they will surely find what's better for them.

And besides, criticizing somebody else's choices and tastes never made anyone better at anything or superior to others, quite the contrary, it shows that you are below. However, being unashamed and keeping doing what you love and specifically reading can only make you better more interesting, and raise you up to higher standards every day. Bottom line; do whatever makes you happy and don't care about what anyone else says and try not to make others feel bad for their own preferences. And while there are books that have stronger story, prose, or character than others I don't think there are universally good or bad books, only books that are good for specific readers and not so good for others. Even if there was such a concept I don't think I'd want to view the matter like this, I think I'd much rather go with the concept that there's the right book for each person. And when you find it, you will inevitably fall in love with reading!

I would love to read your opinions and experiences on this matter, so feel free to share! In the meantime, thank you for reading for one more time! 

"Blood Wedding" by Federico Garcia Lorca || Book Review

I don't usually read plays and, to be honest, I kind of avoided them for quite some time thinking that they wouldn't be my thing. This was one of the first plays I've read in general and definitely the first one I read of my own free will, and not because I had to do read it for some lesson. I'm not yet convinced whether it is something I love or not, but now I'm a lot more willing to step out of my comfort zone and give plays a try in the future. I read this a couple of years back and I thought it was fine, though not outstanding, so I never bothered writing a review about it, but recently it has been popping up in my head and this is what prompted me to write this post.

The selection of this book was completely random, it just fell in my hand at a moment when I really needed something to read and had nothing else around. I had heard of it, and it did intrigue me, but I knew nothing else about it so I went in with no expectations but with a lot of curiosity about what was coming.

It was a very fast and easy read - I read it in two sittings - mainly because it is a play and it goes by really fast, but the pacing and the rhythm of the story are excellent as well, they work and they compliment the story, since, on the one hand, the subject is quite heavy, but the plot quite simple and straight forward. So, it couldn't have been any longer and it shouldn't feel any longer either.

The first time I read it, it felt like something was missing and maybe that was just me, or maybe it's because of the form since plays are meant to be played and seen, not merely read. But I recently found myself remembering it and thinking about it. I was suddenly filled with an urge to re-read some parts of it and so I went on and read some parts that I remembered to have enjoyed. I realized that reading these small parts for the second time felt like an entirely different experience. This time around I could hear the voices distinctly, I could see the story unfolding before my eyes, almost as if actually "seeing" it, so I think that this time around I got it right.

The story itself is very intense and tragic, it tackles the conflict of love and duty, the tragedy of unfulfilled love and expectations, and the tragedy of death in the name of love and passion. Lorca uses very strong imagery that is not just about the visual enjoyment, but also very strongly symbolic, relevant, and enhancing to the theme he tries to convey each time. His writing is generally very poetic, rich in symbolism and metaphors but without it getting too heavy to read. On the contrary, even though it is a work that belongs to a different time, it reads as easily as if it was modern. It's a strange combination, but it works.

The female characters were my favorite ones, especially the mother, I just loved her lines (even though my single favorite line belongs to Leonardo*). Most of the characters don't even have a name and I have to admit this was strange for me, but again, it works. We don't really know them, but we know them. We get to know only what is important and we need to know and nothing more and there's nothing missing from them. They too symbolize something...

Overall, it was a nice first try at reading plays for me and it made me eager to try and read some more. I really liked it, but it didn't blow my mind, so I rated it with 3*.

Thanks for reading!

*"To keep quiet and burn is the greatest punishment we can heap upon ourselves. What use was pride to me and not seeing you and leaving you awake night after night? No use! It only brought the fire down on top of me! You think that time heals and walls conceal, and it’s not true, not true! When the roots of things go deep, no one can pull them up!"*

"Avatar The Last Airbender - The Rift" || Comic Book Review

Hello friends,

so if you've read my blog even once before it should come as no surprise that I'm a big ATLA fan and since I'm currently reading the comics and exploring the whole world, it seems like I have to share my thoughts and opinions about them with you! If you'd like to see what I thought about the previous story in the series ("The Search") you can check out my full review here. 

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you choose to purchase the following products I may receive a small commission without any additional cost to you. Please read my Disclaimer for more information.

Today we're talking about the next addition to the series, "The Rift"! Comparing "The rift" to "The search" and "The promise", it is not nearly as powerful and capturing. It is a nice story overall but not as good as the previous ones. Neither the premise nor the writing lives up to you the high expectations set by the previous two comic books in the series. Still, it is a nice read a very okay addition to the whole, and helps you pass your time very pleasantly.

My first thought about this trilogy is that the first book really cannot stand up to the other two as it was very slow and boring. Books two and three were more interesting and engaging. Book 2 starts to pick up slowly and the tension builds very slowly at first and then gradually faster and by the third book it rises skyward really fast and becomes interesting. A few spirits, quite a bit of action, great character dynamics and development, nice themes and messages sprinkled into them and yes Books 2 and 3 really remind the ATLA we know and love. Book three was my favorite of the three and book two was a good connection between the 1st and 3rd books. 

One of the elements I liked was the connection between Toph and Satoru; it was so cute and sweet and I think they are nice for each other. They really seem to have something going on there and I would be interested to see a bit more of it in the future they really seem to have some connection and chemistry and they seem nice for each other.

I really missed uncle Iroh and I was really happy to see him again after all this time! He was funny and his character was a fun addition.

There is one thing I really dislike about the comic books in general even the previous ones which I really loved and this is the portrayal of Sokka. They've really done our boy dirty, making him just a comic relief when we know he is more than that! He is intelligent, creative and resourceful! You don't really get to see anything of him anymore in the comics and it's irritating.

I liked the conflict between Toph and Aang and the philosophical dilemma it showed of tradition versus fresh ideas, past versus future, preserving versus creating. ATLA has a unique way of handling various serious subjects and making them a part of the world convincingly as well as passing numerous messages. And I love how the solution always lies in the balance one way or the other which after all is what the Avatar is all about.

To sum it up, "The Rift" was a nice and I had fun reading it, but I wasn't thrilled with it. I rated the 1st part 3* as it was the weakest of the three. Parts 2 and 3 I rated 4*, but none of them quite reached the 5* in my opinion. Nevertheless, very nice and enjoyable.

Thank you for reading once more! 

How to get out of a reading slump || My tips

A reading slump is one of us bookworms' worst nightmares. Suddenly, you cannot read more than a couple of pages without getting tired, bored, or distracted. Up until recently, you could devour a whole book in one sitting and now you're struggling to get through 1 book in a year. I have been there and I have been through the struggle and I know how horrible it is and how much you hate it. I was in a reading slump that lasted about 2 years. In these two years, I must have read only a handful of books and even those with difficulty. I finally managed to get out of this slump 3 years ago and to get back on my reading track, with fewer books at first and more as time passes. Not only did I get back closer to my original reading rhythm - though not to its fullest, I'm not at my zenith, but at a very good point nevertheless - but the enjoyment also came back to me. My love for books never quite left, but I did lose some of the interest and enjoyment for the procedure, but since I got back to it, I have been enjoying it more every single day, maybe even more than before! So, my friends, I'm here to share with you my small tips to help you get out of this unpleasant situation you're facing... Let's go!

• Make reading a habit. Try to read a little bit every day even if it's just a couple of pages it's still good and you're still making progress! This is my number one tip because it has helped me a great deal a few times. I start by requiring myself to read 2 pages every day. It is a small and easy task and it doesn't feel like a stressful burden and soon I find myself reading 3-4 pages without realizing and soon even more.
• Try different places and ways to read. Go to your bedroom or to the sitting room, maybe you can try reading outside at a park or a Cafe. You can try reading with music while drinking a beverage or maybe you can read while on the bus or a train to try to make your usual daily trips to work or uni less boring. The options are endless! Try something new and shake things up from what you usually do.
• Try different kinds of books to get you out of your comfort zone or on the other hand you can reread one of the books that made you fall in love with reading in the first place! Either of the two could rekindle your love for reading depending on your preference and mood.
• Try to set daily or weekly goals for yourself and see if it works for you. Tracking your progress however small could encourage you to get back on track. I find that once I've made some progress and see it written down into numbers, this makes me feel proud of myself and keeps me going.
• On the other hand, if you have been setting reading goals in the past but now you find yourself stuck, you should probably refrain from it for a while and just read without stressing yourself out about your count.  So, maybe you don't work well under pressure, maybe constantly setting goals stresses you out and is counterproductive. Reading is a wonderful pastime and more than anything else it's supposed to be fun, so relax and just enjoy it, without stressing too much about goals and word counts. (I've been in both places in the past and I found that both of these tips worked depending on my overall mood and situation in life.)
• Try to find people to talk about books! It could be your friends, it could be a book club, it could be people from social media, whatever it is give it a try see if it works!
• Finally, if nothing else seems to help, just take a break from it, do other things that you like. Just enjoy yourself and don't feel guilty for not reading! There's nothing wrong with getting a break and enjoying other activities as well. When your brain will have had its rest, I believe it will just automatically want to get back and do some reading again.

Whatever you do in the end, and however you decide to tackle this situation, it's up to you and you don't need to get frustrated. If you have any other ideas to add, new tips to suggest, feel free to comment below, I would love to read your own opinions and experiences!

Thank you for reading! Until the next time!

"Brida" by Paolo Coelho || Book Review

Going into this book I suspected I probably wouldn't like it, since it's not my usual type of book, but I still read it. Finally it's over! Now, why did I keep reading even though I disliked it from the first paragraphs? I honestly have no idea, maybe it's because I wanted to torture myself, maybe I felt guilty of DNFing a book, whatever it was I just felt I had to go through with it once I started.

And the conclusion is... I didn't like it! It gave me a hard time, I didn't enjoy it and I had to speed-read it at multiple occasions, because I desperately needed it to be over. It was mind-numbingly boring, repetitive, predictable and generally disappointing. But thankfully it's finally over and I can move on... Before I move on however, here are some of my thoughts on it...

First of all, the book is too big for its story! It needed far fewer pages to make sense, about half of it was generic and pointless rumbling that should have been cut out and leave the actual important parts do their work.

This book is the proof that a collection of beautiful and meaningful quotes - which is the only nice thing I thought this book had and that I actually enjoyed - are not enough to make a book good. The meaning of any book cannot get through to the reader simply by inspirational quotes, the story and characters have to carry it forward as well. I understand that this is not supposed to be your typical novel, but it still needs some basic elements of storytelling to work. 

Moving on, what was all this rumbling about God, why all the prayers, all the talking about Adam and Eve and what on earth where they doing in a story about witches, rituals, magical visions, reincarnation and pagan rituals??? Do they believe in a deity and which one? Does it have anything to do with their "Gifts"? Is this supposed to be the writer's attempt to say that there is only one universal higher power for everyone despite how each culture interprets it depending on their civilization and traditions? Maybe.... I cannot really tell... It tries to discuss certain philosophical matters, but I don't think it does it successfully. On the contrary, it kind of leaves you with several wtf's hanging over you...

I found myself wondering would this book even be published if it wasn't Coelho's? I doubt it. It's weak and pointless. I feel I didn't gain anything out of it and I wouldn't have missed anything if I had never read it. If anything I felt relief to finally be over with it. For all the reasons I mentioned I cannot give this book more than 1* and if I want to be honest even that feels a bit much - I would give it half a star if that was possible. 

Thanks for reading!

"Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" || Book Review & Book to Movie Comparison

The "Prisoner of Azkaban" hooked me and the "Goblet of Fire" grabbed me tight and took me for a wild ride!

If you'd  like to read what I thought of the "Prisoner of Azkaban", before reading my review of "The Goblet of Fire" you can find my full review here.

I've finally read the fourth book in the series and I have to admit that it feels like a little bit of an accomplishment to finally be able to finish such a big book again. This was the largest book I have read in a while and it feels nice to finally be back and it makes me feel happy and proud of myself! Getting into this series I did not fully realize how much of a commitment it is to get into a big series like this and how much time it would take, but I realize it every day more and more. However, I have also discovered how much of an enjoyable and entertaining process it is to merge into this magical world and be able to experience it for a long time. The story itself is more engaging than I imagined and it improves with time. It is a great journey a fascinating world and I really want to get on with it.

So, anyway, to the book itself now... You've heard this phrase from me about the previous books as well, but I'm going to say it once more because it's true; this book is my favorite one from the series so far. I absolutely loved it and I'm having a tough time thinking of details and little things I didn't like about it or I did not enjoy as much. It was a great read and I liked it more than the previous books. 

Having seen the movies I already knew what this book was about and I knew that it has one of my favorite premises in the series and definitely my favorite premise so far compared to the previous books. Reading it I discovered that I indeed loved the story as much as I expected, but I also discovered that the book does a great work unraveling the story and it handles it perfectly. The pacing is perfect the rhythm of the story is great it never stops, it never gets boring, it never ties you, it keeps you turning the pages not wanting to stop. The writing is superb great as it always has been and even better.

***POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD***

First of all, this book has the best beginning! The opening scenes were all funny and crazy and generally so very much fun to read. I loved reading about Dudley's diet, about the Weasleys coming to get Harry, about the twins' pranks, and about the time they all spent together and their interactions with each other. I kept laughing and it made me eager to get into the book and read it with even more appetite! At the same time, as much as these moments were funny they were also sweet and wholesome.

Still, even though the majority of the beginning of the book was funny, playful, and keeps a generally more positive and happy tone, the actual opening scene, the very first scene is one of great suspense and mystery! The book immediately sets the tone for the whole story perfectly! You know that this is going to be a mysterious, suspenseful, and dark story. Then the lighter chapters are in their turn followed by others that are darker and this continuous alternation of scenes not only manages to change the mood accordingly but it also enhances the whole experience. 

My favorite new character in this book most definitely has to be Moody - even though it was not really him, it's actually Barty Crouch, so in the end, I'm not really sure which one of them I actually like - either way it was I still really enjoyed his existence in the story and every moment he appeared into! His lessons seemed intimidating but also epic, like I really wanted to attend them, I loved reading about his lessons, his eccentric style, and overall impressive skills but also about his general agenda and whole perspective on the other characters in the story and his overall morals. As a matter of fact, him not being Moody made him better and more interesting, if anything because it added so much depth and layer. I did feel bad though about the real Moody in the end.

I loved how they try wizard tournament was described everything was so much better in the book than in the movies and everything made more sense. The only thing I liked better in the movie was that Neville gave Harry the gillyweed, while in the book it was Dody. In my opinion, Neville giving it to Harry made more sense, since he had the book that Moody gave him and he would easily and very willingly help him. This detail also gave a little more detail to a character who later on becomes much more interesting and vital to the plot. It was a nice change in the movie. 

The part that had to do with the Yule ball I loved much more in the book than in the movie, it included more scenes, and all these scenes that lead to the actual bowl were very interesting what with all the teenage angst and love interests! I loved them and the actual bowl was also very good and very well described and I preferred the book version. It was funny, sweet, and exasperating all at the same time.

This book was the first one in the series to make me cry. Sure there were touching moments in the previous books as well, but I can't remember myself actually tearing up like I did in this one on multiple occasions. One of the scenes that shook me more than I expected was Cedric's death, it was a heart-wrenching scene and it was written perfectly. I found myself in need to pause reading because I just couldn't go on after it. Even though I knew what was coming, I was still overcome with feelings when it actually happened and in the way that it happened. It was a very powerful scene! There were many more moments that touched me both positively and negatively as well. I also cried afterward when Mrs. Weasley tried to comfort Harry, I thought it was so touching... I cried when Dumbledore spoke to Harry telling him he is brave and all that... I cried again when Dumbledore spoke in front of the school about Cedric... Starting to learn more about Neville's life was sad too... Generally, there were many scenes full of emotions that touched me in different ways, and the book as a whole had more of a sentimental impact on me than the other three before it.

I really enjoyed the scene of Voldemort coming back to life! It was creepy, scary, mysterious and it was described so vividly that it made my hair stand on edge. It was a very powerful and suspenseful scene. I also found that it was very precisely and carefully in the movie. It had to be one of my favorite scenes both in the book and the movie!

My least favorite parts of the book were Hermione with the S.P.E.W. thing; I had zero interest in it but, thankfully, overall it didn't take much time or space in the story so I could get over it and it didn't bother me really it was still one of my least favorite parts and I'm happy it wasn't included in the movie as it was unnecessary and boring. I also didn't like the character of Winky as she really annoyed me the whole time and again I was glad she wasn't included in the movie. Rita Skeeter was so much nastier in the book! In the movie, she is just there being annoying, but in the book, she is straight-up horrible! I have to admit I like seeing less of her in the movie, even though I have to admit her book version makes more sense plot-wise.

*** END OF SPOILER SECTION***

The "Goblet of Fire" is my favorite book in the series so far and I liked it even better than the third one that I already liked quite a lot. I am certain that this book deserves 5* and I'm going to give it this rating, but because I feel that the previous were not as good as this one, even if they were good individually, I will have to go back and change my rating of the previous books. I'll give the third book 4* and then the first and second books 3*, because even though I feel that they all deserve between 4* and 5* ratings I still want to rate them in correlation to each other as well as individually because this makes sense for me. When rating I want to take into account each book, but also the story as a whole, since this is a series.

So, these are my thoughts... I hope you liked my huge review!

Thanks for reading!

  

Reader Problems Book Tag

Hello friends! It's been a while since I last posted on the blog and all this time I've been reading a lot, but unfortunately I didn't really have the time for the blog. So I was looking for a fun and different post idea and I found this book tag over at ZEEZEE WITH BOOKS BLOG and decided to do it.

So here we go!

YOU HAVE 20,000 BOOKS ON YOUR TBR. HOW IN THE WORLD DO YOU DECIDE WHAT TO READ NEXT?

I usually decide what to read based on my mood. Do I feel like reading something light and fun or something heavy and serious? Do I feel like I can devote much time for a bigger series or do I feel like I'll be unable to commit? That's all there is about me really. Sometimes I try to at least read the ones that have been sitting on my tbr for a longer time, but I can't always do it. I also like to alternate between my reads for example if I read a heavier book now with a darker theme then I will definitely pick something lighter for my next read, etc.

YOU’RE HALFWAY THROUGH A BOOK AND YOU’RE JUST NOT LOVING IT. DO YOU QUIT OR ARE YOU COMMITTED?

I quit! I don't have time to spend on things I do not enjoy! I'll go to the next and spend my time on something I actually like rather than pressure myself into something I find unpleasant.

THE END OF THE YEAR IS COMING AND YOU’RE SO CLOSE, BUT SO FAR AWAY, ON YOUR GOODREADS READING CHALLENGE. DO YOU TRY TO CATCH UP AND HOW?

I try to catch up by reading comic books or audio books which take significantly less time and are still just as enjoyable. However, if even then I don't make it, I don't really mind. It's nice to catch up on my reading challenge, but I don't beat myself too much over it.

THE COVERS OF A SERIES YOU LOVE DO. NOT. MATCH. HOW DO YOU COPE?

As much as I hate this I would probably just let them be. 

EVERY ONE AND THEIR MOTHER LOVES A BOOK YOU REALLY DON’T LIKE. WHO DO YOU BOND WITH OVER SHARED FEELINGS?

Probably just random people in the reading community on social media. I have plenty of pages and groups that I follow, YouTube channels and all that jazz that are followed by fellow Book Lovers and generally people from the same fandoms or similar tastes as me, so this is probably where I would feel more comfortable talking about my thoughts and discussing whatever came to mind. I would also probably rant about it on my blog.

YOU’RE READING A BOOK AND YOU ARE ABOUT TO START CRYING IN PUBLIC. HOW DO YOU DEAL?

If there is a place or a room close by that I can go for a moment and just sit alone I will do this but if I cannot do that I will probably try to not tear up or wipe the tears immediately and hide it. Or maybe I would just pause reading just before it got too heavy and continue reading when I get home.

A SEQUEL OF A BOOK YOU LOVED JUST CAME OUT, BUT YOU’VE FORGOTTEN A LOT FROM THE PRIOR NOVEL. WILL YOU RE-READ THE BOOK?

Definitely. No way I am getting into a sequel if I cannot remember what happened before.

YOU DO NOT WANT ANYONE. ANYONE. BORROWING YOUR BOOKS. HOW DO YOU POLITELY TELL PEOPLE NOPE WHEN THEY ASK?

I try to avoid it most of the times. I sometimes use excuses or little lies which I don't feel entirely great about but still... But if it is a friend of mine or someone that I really trust I won't be able to tell them no so just give it to them.

READING ADD. YOU’VE PICKED UP AND PUT DOWN 5 BOOKS IN THE LAST MONTH. HOW DO YOU GET OVER YOUR READING SLUMP?

I try to do something else something other than reading. I probably watch some of my favorite movies or a new series on Netflix. I listen to some music and just give myself time. I know I will eventually get back to it.

THERE ARE SO MANY NEW BOOKS COMING OUT THAT YOU’RE DYING TO READ! HOW MANY DO YOU ACTUALLY BUY?

I never bought many books to begin with but the last years I tend to buy even fewer. I usually prefer to borrow, buy second-hand, or download. Nowadays I just buy only a handful of books per year.

AFTER YOU’VE BOUGHT THE NEW BOOKS YOU CAN’T WAIT TO GET TO, HOW LONG DO THEY SIT ON YOUR SHELF BEFORE YOU GET TO THEM?

Again it depends on my mood just like I said before. There are books that I will read straight away because I was just in the right moment feeling the right way and then there are books that I will keep until I feel is the right time for me to read them. 

***

I hope you enjoyed this tag as much as I did feel free to do it as well if you like it I would love to see all your answers and thoughts if you want to share them with me.

Until the next time... 😉