Hi everyone!
We’ve made it to the end of yet another week, and thank heavens for that, because I, for one, am utterly exhausted 😅 You know how I thought I’d have more free time once my exams were over?
*Insert pitiful laughter here*
Yeah, I suppose I sorely underestimated what can happen when you suddenly have to catch up on two weeks of classes that you neglected because you were studying for exams… And it doesn’t exactly help that I somehow ended up in the most difficult lecture I’ve ever taken in my life. I thought I was at least halfway decent at math, but Mori theory is doing its best to prove me wrong. Seriously, I understand NOTHING. I could be copying cuneiform markings off the blackboard and get pretty the same results in terms of knowledge gained 🙈
But, on a lighter note: I also started working on my master’s thesis this week, and I’m actually really enjoying that! Not that I understand too much yet, either, but at least I have a vague idea of what I’m supposed to be doing, as opposed to nothing? 😅 Also, my professor mentioned that he’d try to get me an office, so that I can have a place to work where I wouldn’t have to wear a mask all the time and can access the department’s super-fast computer. Doesn’t that sound kinda cool? You know you’ve made it when you have your own office in the math department 🤣🥳
But enough with my daily student struggles – let’s get back to books! Today, I’m here with another tag 😊 I know I’ve done quite a few of them recently, but I couldn’t exactly push this one back any longer. After all, I’m pretty sure you’re supposed to do the Fall Time, Cozy Time Tag in fall, and we’re kind of nearing the end of that…
Anyway, thank you so much to Sam @ Sam’s Nonsense for coming up with these amazing questions, and to Riddhi @ Whispering Stories for tagging me! If you haven’t done it already, definitely go check out her blog. Riddhi is super enthusiastic, and she’s way better at posting regularly than I am 😁
But now, without further ado, let’s get into the questions!
CRUNCHING LEAVES: The world is full of color! Choose a book with red/orange/yellow on the cover.
I can do one better and even include the leaves 🍂 Considering how well it fits this prompt, it’d be almost a crime not to go with Robin Benway’s Far from the Tree… But this book has way more than just a pretty cover. The story, which follows three biological siblings who were separately adopted/put into foster care when they were young, is also superb, and it’s definitely going to give you the feels! Honestly, parts of this had sniffling into my tissues, so I’d highly recommend it to people looking for a good hard-hitting YA contemporary. This was one of my 2017 favorites, and I’m definitely due for a reread soon myself! 😊
Trigger warnings: adoption, foster care, teenage pregnancy, divorce, alcoholism, slut shaming, violence
COZY SWEATER: It’s finally cool enough for warm cozy clothing! What book gives you the warm fuzzies?
Sven Nordqvist’s Findus and the Christmas Tomte is a book I reread before every single Christmas. Like all of Sven Nordqvist’s books, it’s kind of weird, but it captures that absolutely magical, cozy feeling of Christmas in ways few other books do 😊🎄 I highly recommend you go check it out, regardless of what your age is – this one is for children and adults alike! (Though, for the sake of full transparency: I’ve only ever read the German translation, so I can’t vouch for how good the English one is. So if you’ve read this in any other language, let me know what you thought!)
FALL STORM: The wind is howling, and the rain is pounding. Choose a book that you like to read on a stormy day.
I absolutely love to read during storms, so give me any book, and I’ll be happy 😁 However, since the question asked for something specific, I guess I’ll pick Midnight for Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo. Storms certainly play a pretty big role in this middle-grade series, which follows children with magical powers at this slightly sinister Welsh boarding school called Bloor’s Academy. And something about the entire atmosphere of these books also reminds me of the mysterious tension you find in the air whenever a storm is brewing…
COOL CRISP AIR makes you breathe freely. Who’s the coolest character you’d want to trade places with?
I can’t pick! There are so many characters with amazing lives and opportunities, but then again, most of them have also had to face some pretty terrible things and ended up losing a ton of family members and/or friends in the process, so I’m not sure I’d really want to trade with any them 😅
However, if I had to pick someone, I’d probably go with Anne from Anne of Green Gables – because I’d get to keep my dreams of becoming an author and, more importantly, Gilbert! 😍😍😍 – or Ginny Weasley. Ginny is by far one of my favorite characters in the entire Harry Potter series (which makes me even more furious about the great injustice those movies did to her 😠), and I’d love to have her confidence, sports skills, humor, friends and, obviously, her ability to do magic!
HOT APPLE CIDER: Warm autumn drink. What underhyped book do you want to see become the next biggest, hottest thing?
Hmm, this is hard. I’m sure that the minute I post this, I’ll come up with something even more amazing and less well-known 😅 But I do think that Sue Burke’s Semiosis is a pretty good pick! Honestly, I was so engrossed while reading this, and it still had me thinking about it months after I’d put it down. Who would have thought that a story centering around an alien bamboo plant would be so enticing? But this is now one of my favorite science fiction novels out there, and I think it’d be really cool if more people gave it a try so we could gush about it together!
COAT, SCARVES, & MITTENS: The weather has turned cold, and it’s time to cover up! What’s a book cover you don’t like?
I mean – I couldn’t not show you these 🤣🤣🤣 The Finnish Harry Potter covers are really … something. They’re so bad that they’re almost good again. I couldn’t stop laughing the first time I saw them. Although I feel seriously bad for all those Finnish kids who grew up with these… Wouldn’t they completely skew the way you imagine the characters?
However, one of the worst covers I actually own is probably this one:
I still don’t know why someone thought it was a good idea to put naked chests in the background of these 🙈
PUMPKIN SPICE: Time for some Starbucks! What’s your favorite fall comfort food?
DO NOT MAKE ME PICK A FOOD! I LOVE ALL THE FOODS!! 😍😍😍 Though I guess maybe samosas? They’re great year-round, but since I’m really craving some at the moment, I guess we’re gonna go with that.
WARM, COZY BONFIRE: Spread the cozy warmth! Who do you tag?
Since I already panicked to get this tag ready while it was still fall and don’t want to force that feeling on other people, I won’t be tagging anyone specifically. But if you want to give it a go – consider yourself tagged! And please do leave a pingback, so I can go check out your answers 😊
But yeah – that was it for today! After that absolutely monstrous post last week, I figured a normally-lengthy one would do today 😉
Still, I’d love to know what you thought of my answers! Have you read any of these books? Did you like them? Which books would you have suggested for these questions? I’d love to know!
A Book Owl's Corner 
Aw.. Naemi it is really bad that you are still getting so much work after exams!
As for your answers, I loved them! And the Finnish Harry Potter covers are bad. Like really bad.
And I think anne and Ginny are pretty cool too!
Thanks for doing the tag!
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Well – I guess you can never escape being a university student for too long 😅😂 But things should definitely get better in the next few weeks, since I’m almost caught up with all the work I put aside earlier now 😉
And yeah – I honestly have no clue what the Finnish cover designer was thinking 🙈😂😂😂 But aren’t they hilarious? 😂😂
And of course! Thanks again for tagging me, I had so much fun with these questions! 😊
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Ah I see
And you are welcome!
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Ahh, loved your answers, Naemi!
Also, yes I agree, Far From The Tree was truly a beautiful book, it made you cry and laugh at the same time!
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Ah, I’m so happy you also loved “Far from the Tree”!!! 🤗 That book definitely deserves more hype, in my opinion 😁 I absolutely love how it managed to be both sad and funny at the same time: You’re right, it’s perfect for making you cry and laugh 😊
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Ooh I would love to trade places with Anne!
And those Harry Potter covers are hideous haha, would love to own one though!
(www.evelynreads.com)
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Hahaha, I guess you’re not wrong 😂 I also wouldn’t mind owning one of these – they’d be a great conversation starter for sure 😁 That and I’m a sucker for anything Harry Potter related, no matter how ugly it is 😊
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Ginny is by far one of the best characters of the series! The movies absolutely destroyed her 😕 And those Harry Potter covers are something else 😂😂
Super fun to read as always Naemi!! ☺️
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Yes!! Honestly, the portrayal of Ginny might actually be my biggest issue with these movies 😭 Every time I rewatch them, thinking it can’t possibly have been as bad as I remember, I am horrified all over again 😥
And I know, right? 😂😂 I couldn’t not pick those covers for that question; it’s like they were specifically created for this purpose 😂😂
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My favourite fall food seems to be sushi. As is my summer, winter and spring food. I’m not a food imaginative person.
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Oooh, I LOVE sushi, too! 😍 I even have my own sushi mats at home, so I can make it without having to spend insane amounts of money every time I’m craving it… 😉 (Also – I can’t see who wrote this 🙈 I mean, if you want to stay anonymous, that’s totally fine, but since it might be WordPress acting up again, I thought I’d mention it 😅😂)
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omg samosa’s 🥰 love those
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I know! They’re the best, aren’t they? 😍😊
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yes exactly ❤️
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Wow, imagine trading places with Anne or Ginny, that would be amazing. Those Harry Potter covers are ridiculous, but the City of Bones one is pretty bad too 😂
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I’m glad you agree! I mean – their lives definitely haven’t been easy, but Anne and Ginny are just so cool that I might still want to trade? 😊
And yeah – sometimes, when I see certain covers, it really makes me wonder why I didn’t become a cover designer… I mean, I have no artistic skills whatsoever, but surely I’d be able to come up with something better than that! 😅😂😂
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I LOVE Ginny! She’s the best and yes, the way she was treated in the movies was a complete catastrophe! I’d still love to get to know the incantation for the Bat Bogey Hex.
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I’m glad you agree! 😊 And yes, I’d love to know that incantation, too! I still think Ginny had the most valid reason for getting into the Slug Club out of all its members 😁😂😂
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Oh, those Finnish covers. I saw the covers before I read the question and instantly knew what the question was 😂😂 I’ll never forget it was you who introduced them to me.
I also own that City of Bones book and had actually never thought of it as a bad cover… but now that you mention it, it’s actually quite horrible. I feel like the next books in the series are a little bit better because at least the people are clothed. But yeah, the naked part seems weird but maybe very 2007.
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I suppose first encounters with these Finnish covers can be quite traumatic 😂😂😂 I’m sorry for exposing you to them yet again, but obviously, I just had to choose them for this question 😉
And I was actually quite aware of the hideousness of the Mortal Instruments covers early on, because I used to be mortally embarrassed to be seen reading them in public in the most literal sense of the word 😅😂 I have since gotten past that, but I still think they’re horribly ugly! Though yes, I do agree that the first cover is probably the worst one…
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Oh I can imagine that. You just can’t read books with naked people on the cover in public 😂 Why is it that publishers don’t understand that?
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I love Semiosis too! Your post made me remember that there was supposed to be a sequel. It’s been out since last October and I completely forgot about it (how could I???). I’m going to read it soon and hope it’s as good as the first part.
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I haven’t read the sequel yet, either! It’s on my Christmas wish list, though, so I’m also hoping to get to it soon 😊 But I’m really glad to hear you also loved the first book – I know barely anyone else who has heard of it!
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I love your answers, and I totally agree with your answer to worst covers! Especially with City of Bones, if you’re going to include a naked chest, at least make the rest of the scene look nice to compensate haha.
I also agree that samosas taste really good!! You’re making me crave them so bad.
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I know, right? I really don’t understand how any cover designer could have thought these looked good… I actually get quite jealous whenever I go to bookstores and see the German Mortal Instruments covers, because those are absolutely gorgeous!
And gosh – now that you’ve commented on that, I am craving samosas again so badly 😂 I really need to make some sometime soon!
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Also, gurl the city of bones part cracked me up 😂😂.
Nice post 😎👍🏻
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And omg, this is the first time I saw these Finnish covers 😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣. These are so bad 😂😂. Look at those long noses 😆😆.
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I know! I didn’t know whether to be horrified or burst into laughter when I first saw them! 😂😂😂😂
And I’m glad we agree on samosas – they’re just sooo yummy! 😍
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Wonderful post! The Finnish HP covers are indeed atrocious, but somehow I detest the French ones even more. At least in these Finnish covers, we see some imagination and the splash of unusual creativity, but the French ones are so banal and tacky as to reduce kids to tears.
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Thank you! I’m really happy you liked it! 😊
And yeah – the French covers aren’t among my favorites, either 😅😂😂 Or the Italian ones, that somehow include scenes that I don’t remember having encountered despite the hundreds of times I must have reread these books by now 🤔 But I still find the Finnish ones more disturbing, somehow… Like, what are those noses? And what is Harry wearing on that Order of the Phoenix cover – an octopus? Though yeah, “unusual creativity” describes them really well 😂😂
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