The 2020 Superlatives Tag

Happy Friday, everyone!

I hope you’ve all had a wonderful week! 💕 Seriously, my own was such a disaster that it’d be nice to know that there are people out there who are having a much better start to 2021.

One of our cats died on Monday, and to say I’m not dealing well with it is an understatement. I guess one advantage of having online classes is that I can easily hide my tear-stained face and puffy eyes by not turning the camera on…

This is actually one of the few pictures I have of Lorra in a relatively normal position, because for some weird reason, she always loved sleeping with her head lower than the rest of her body. And when she was awake, she was usually too interested in inspecting the camera for you to be able to take a proper picture...

Losing pets is always hard, but I think what is making Lorra’s death particularly horrible is that my gut instinct is telling me that we should have just let her die naturally rather than having the vet put her down. Yes, she hadn’t really been well since November and was suffering horribly, rasping for every breath, but she was fighting until the very last minute, snuggling up to us, and licking the only food she could still eat from our fingers. And the look she gave me when the vet poked her with that needle… I really felt like she desparately wanted to live those last moments of her life on her terms, even if they were awful.

And we took that choice away from her. Which feels like just another instance of human arrogance. Who are we to make decisions about who lives and who dies, especially when we can’t ask the animals in question what they would have wanted? Shouldn’t we listen to signs that point to that they were still trying? Would we want someone to murder us, just so we could escape the pain of dying? And is death really better than staying alive and suffering? Obviously, I don’t have any answers either, but the guilt has just added to all the torturous thoughts already keeping me up at night.

So yeah, overall, I’m really not in the best place at the moment… Which is why I put the more creative post I originally wanted to write this week on hold for a while and decided to go with something that would require less brain power, keep me distracted, and make me think (mostly) about books that made me happy!

And at exactly the right time, Pilar at The Bookworm Shelf tagged me for the 2020 Superlatives tag 🤗 Thank you so much, Pilar, you have no idea how much I needed a fun post like this! This tag was created by Alex over at The Scribe Owl, and it’s such a wonderful way to reflect on some of my 2020 favorites all over again. So yeah, even though I also have a ton of older tags to get to, we’re doing this now! Besides, I think I kind owe you something cheerful after dumping all of this awfulness on you… 😅

The Rules

  • Fill out each of the prompts with your answer. Each character/book you choose has to be one you read in 2020.
  • Tag as many or few people as you want, but preferably somewhere around 10.
  • Have fun and happy new year!!

😈 Best Villain 😈

Coriolanus Snow, hands down. I mean, now that I’ve actually seen firsthand how his mind works, I hate him even more than I already did. Talk about a twisted, lying, manipulative, self-centered creep… Why couldn’t Sejanus have become president of Panem instead?

😍 Best Main Character 😍

Emma 😍 She’s so wonderfully stubborn and obnoxious, and I had a great time watching her make an absolute mess of things. She’s such a realistic character who shows amazing development! If you ask me, this story is even better than Pride and Prejudice… Though before you kill me for saying that, I do also love Lizzie and Mr Darcy!!

(Also Vasya from The Winternight Trilogy, but it felt like cheating to use that book for more than one question. But of course, I’m cheating anyway by sneaking her in this way 😁)

👯 Best Side Character 👯

Solovey from The Winternight Trilogy. I mean, he’s a horse. And generally amazing 😍 There is honestly no competition. Unless maybe Morozko… 🤔🌨 Let’s just say all the characters in this series are pretty awesome, so you should most definitely read it if you haven’t yet!

😬 Tough Luck 😬

A character that you’re glad you aren’t

Mary B. Addison from Allegedly. Having been locked up in prison since childhood and being physically, sexually and emotionally abused are things I wouldn’t even wish on my worst enemy. I mean, not that I actually have worst enemies, but if I did, I certainly hope I wouldn’t want them to experience this kind of stuff! So I definitely don’t feel as if I’m missing out on anything when I say I don’t want to be Mary. Plus, she’s genuinely creepy! After all, there’s got to be a reason why people think she was a nine-year-old baby-murdering psychopath, right?

🏔 Best Place to Raise a Family 🏔

A setting (preferably not in our world) that you wouldn’t mind settling down in

*Desparately tries not to mention The Winternight Trilogy again by saying Baba Yaga’s or Morozko’s house*

So I guess maybe the underground library from The Starless Sea? That place is pretty amazing 😍 Though I’m not sure if it’d be a good place to raise a family. I’m pretty sure I’d lose my kids in all its sprawling rooms and corridors pretty much the minute they were born… And, of course, I’d want to live there before any of the weird stuff at the end of The Starless Sea starts happening 🙄

🌋 Uninhabitable 🌋

A setting you would never want to live in

The Ward from Marie Rutkoski’s The Midnight Lie. Honestly, the place is so awful that it’s important enough to deserve a mention in the book’s synopsis:

Where Nirrim lives, crime abounds, a harsh tribunal rules, and society’s pleasures are reserved for the High Kith. Life in the Ward is grim and punishing. People of her low status are forbidden from sampling sweets or wearing colors. You either follow the rules, or pay a tithe and suffer the consequences.

Yeah, I kind of don’t want to live there… Especially since said “tithe” involves lots of blood and sometimes severed appendages 😅 And do you know how addicted I am to chocolate? No sweets would be an absolute nightmare! So no thank you!

😎 Most Likely to Succeed 😎

An indie or underhyped book that everyone would like it they just tried it

Hmm, this is hard. Poems for the End of the World, maybe? I’m a little biased since I’ve beta-read several of Katie’s novels and genuinely love working with her [You should totally check out her YouTube channel to see what a precious human she is!], but I didn’t read this poetry collection before it was published, so I think I’m at least semi-objective on this one 😉 Many of these poems about being in your twenties really resonated with me, and I’ve gone back to read them several times over. Which is saying a lot, because modern poetry is not something I pick up very often…

🥳 Life of the Party 🥳

A book that kept you laughing and having a good time

Serpent & Dove, for sure. This book has received a ton of backlash for being too trashy, but guys: It is trashy in the best kind of way possible!!! The hate-to-love romance? The witches? The France-inspired setting? The smut? Sign me up! I definitely need to get to the sequel soon 🤗

🤯 Most Unforgettable 🤯

A book you couldn’t forget if you tried

I’m just gonna go ahead and copy Pilar’s answer here, but it is just so true… There’s just something about Twilight that has made me return to it again and again, and reading the same story from Edward’s point of view in Midnight Sun was, if possible, even better 😂 Edward’s dark, overthinking mind is one of the most hilarious places I’ve ever been in. And oh my, I got so many precious details I didn’t know I needed! Such as Edward oiling Bella’s bedroom window so he could stalk her more easily 😂😂😂 Seriously, I was dying of laughter the entire time, and buddy reading this with a friend was one of the best reading experiences ever 😊

💎 Most Unique 💎

A book unlike anything you’ve read before

There’s really only one book this could go to, and that is John Ford’s ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore. This 17th-century play completely destroyed any notions I ever had about society being made up of prude Christians back then. This has some pretty graphic incest. Lots of scheming. And then we have incesty-brother stab incesty-sister’s heart onto a dagger and run around with it like a maniac. It was certainly … something else. And weirdly enough, I actually did like it? I predicted pretty much nothing that would happen – I mean, with that plot, who would? – and the play also got across some pretty poignant social commentary about the status of women. It was actually quite forward-thinking! But yes, also really vulgar 😀

Anyway, those were all of the questions! So finally, to spread the bloggosphere love, I’m gonna tag the following people:

Remember, you are in no way obligated to do this! I completely understand if tags are not your thing, or if you just have a lot going on right now. [Or if you’ve already done this and I somehow missed it 😅]. And you’re also free to take months to finally get to this, since I’m no better with my own tags. Who says you can’t do a 2020 tag in the middle of 2021? After all, the two years are already starting to blend together in my head… But anyway, I just thought people should check out all of your wonderful blogs!! 😉

And that’s it for today! As always, do let me know if you’ve read any of the books I mentioned and what you thought of them, or just share something positive that happened to you recently! Good news and cheerful thoughts are always more than welcome! ☺

51 thoughts on “The 2020 Superlatives Tag”

  3. Georgia @ Lost in Neverland says:
    Reply

    I’m so sorry for your loss, I remember when I lost my guinea pigs and it was heartbreaking andI wouldn’t stop crying. But I know it’s unhelpful to hear at the moment,but it does get easier!

    Thanks so much for the tag! This has made me want to read Serpent & Dove even more!

    Liked by 1 person

    • abookowlscorner says:
      Reply

      Thank you, Georgia ❤ That really means a lot to me, and I’m really sorry about your guinea pigs! Lorra also isn’t the first pet I’ve lost – my cat Nessie died in 2015 and we’ve also had several rabbits, hamsters and mice over the years. But somehow the deaths still always hit me just as hard as the first time. But I do know what you mean about it getting easier with passing time!

      On a happier note, I’m very glad I’ve made Serpent & Dove sound even more appealing 😁 I’d love to hear your thoughts on it! Especially since it seems to be a pretty polarizing book. And you’re welcome for the tag! I’d love to know your answers to these questions 😉

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Abby @ Beyond the Read says:
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    I’m so sorry for your loss Naemi. I’ve never had a pet myself, but I imagine that losing such an important part of the family would be inexpressibly difficult. I’m here for you if you want to talk about anything! ❤️

    And I love your answers to the tag!! 🥰

    Liked by 1 person

    • abookowlscorner says:
      Reply

      Thank you, Abby! That really means a lot! It’s always great to see how supportive our bookish community is ❤

      And I’m so happy you liked my answers! I feel like most people are probably getting tired of me rambling on and on about the same books over and over again by now 😂 But some of them were just so awesome that I have to keep mentioning them!

      Liked by 1 person

  6. Nicole @ Nicole's Book Thoughts says:
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    I’m so sorry about your cat. Trying to decide what’s best for them is always an impossible choice. My mom always said the last look isn’t because they don’t want to not be alive it’s because they want to have one last good look at you so they can bring that with them. If you ever need anything in here ❤️ (also i love the tag your answers were great)

    Liked by 1 person

    • abookowlscorner says:
      Reply

      Thanks, Nicole! I’ll definitely try to take your mom’s wise words to heart ❤ You’re right, these kind of choices are nearly always impossible to make, and if we had decided differently, I’d probably be beating myself up over it, too… So I guess I’ll just have to try and remind myself of that 😅

      Anyway, thanks for your kind words and stopping by! I’m glad you liked the tag – and if you want to do it, feel free: I think Alex said everyone should consider themselves tagged anyway 😁

      Liked by 1 person

  7. Strawberrys Corner says:
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    I am so sorry for your loss, we also had a sick cat and had to put her down in 2019, she was the youngest of our three (now two). She was sick for months then we decided to take her to the vet as you did. I’m so sorry.

    About the rest of the post, the questions are awesome, will be doing this…Most of what I read last year was Amelia Fang series so we’ll see how many times I have to use those books haha you had awesome answers, was surprised you didn’t use Baba Yaga’s house. I haven’t read the book but you mention it a lot so I thought it would be your natural answer haha

    Liked by 1 person

    • abookowlscorner says:
      Reply

      Thanks, Meena! I’m so sorry your family also had to go through this, but it’s also comforting to know that we’re not alone in the decision we made. Losing pets is just always horrible!

      On a happier note, I’m glad you enjoyed the tag, and I’m very much looking forward to your own answers 🤗 Bring on the Amelia Fang appreciation! After all, since I’ve apparently gushed so much about the Winternight trilogy that you already started predicting my answers, it’s only fair that you get to do the same thing with Amelia Fang 😂

      Liked by 1 person

  8. Line says:
    Reply

    I’m so very sorry to hear about your cat 😢 I wish I had some good news to share, but my 2021 hasn’t been great so far either. Although there is a Lost in Translation post coming next week where I’m desperately trying not to offend Germans again 😉

    And I loved reading about you trying not to pick Winternight for every question 😂 But Solovey deserve all the recognition!
    And The Starless Sea library is also the perfect place to settle down in, although you have a point about raising a family there. Your children would love it! You? Maybe not so much 😉

    Liked by 1 person

    • abookowlscorner says:
      Reply

      Thank you, Line ❤ It’s nice to know that the bookish community always has my back, even when things aren’t going great. Though I’m sorry to hear your 2021 has also sucked. I really hope the coming weeks will be better! But with a new Lost in Translation post on the way, I’m sure they will be 🤗 Feel free to insult us as much as you want – I’m always here for some German-bashing; we’re way too arrogant as it is 😂

      And yes, the Winternight stress was real! I wanted to put those books everywhere! I guess it’s a good thing I forgot to include them last week, or people might get so annoyed with me for pushing the trilogy continuously that they no longer want to read it 😅 Which would be a disaster, obviously!

      And I think without children, The Starless Sea library would be perfect! I wouldn’t mind getting lost in there 😍 But you’re right – as soon as I started losing other people in it, my anxiety would go on overdrive, so living there with a family would probably be a horrible idea!

      Liked by 1 person

      • Line says:
        Reply

        I’m glad you’re taking me insulting Germans so well 😂 But I promise it’s not as bad as last time.

        I knew you forgot about Winternight last week on purpose 😉 All a part of your great masterplan to make everyone read it!

        Liked by 1 person

        • abookowlscorner says:
          Reply

          Well, now I’m insanely curious as to what the insulting part is 😁 I mean, there is that one German snippet when Voldemort goes to that lady’s house to look for Grindelwald, but other than that, I can’t think of any German-related things in Deathly Hallows. So I really need to know whether I missed what you’re referring to or whether the Danish translator did something weird again 😂

          And yes, of course. It was all a grand masterplan 😂😂😂

          Liked by 1 person

          • Line says:
            Reply

            I think I’ve managed to not make it insulting 😉 And I actually wondered how that German in Deathly Hallows is translated in the German version when I read it! I wouldn’t even know how to go about that.

            Liked by 1 person

  9. volatilemuse says:
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    My best wishes, and condolences. I agree with Nicole above, I don’t think you should be beating yourself up about the decision you made. If you had left it, you might have now been worrying that you should have done something earlier. Animals understand much that we don’t. I’m sure your little cat was just saying goodbye.

    Liked by 1 person

  10. Nehal Jain says:
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    I’m so sorry to hear about your cat. Hope you’ll be better soon.

    And aaaah, this is such a fun tag 🤩. I loved your answers. Yess, snow was an amazing villain. His mind shocked me so much.
    I still haven’t read winter night trilogy 😭.
    And thanks for doing it. Indeed, why CAN’T we do a 2020 tag in 2021, it’s a free country, we can do anything 😎😂😑.
    Thanks once again 😀. I’ll notify you once I do the post

    Liked by 1 person

  11. Noelle says:
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    I’m so sorry for your loss. ❤ You’re a very caring person and I’m sure Lorra knew how much you loved her.

    As for the tag, I agree with you wholeheartedly on Sejanus. He would have been a better president, what with him being one of the few people with a conscience and knowledge of what people were experiencing on all sides.

    Liked by 1 person

    • abookowlscorner says:
      Reply

      Thanks, Noelle ❤ Those words mean so much to me right now, and I really hope you’re right.

      And yes! I don’t know how the people of Panem let sociopaths like Snow and Dr. Gaul get away with all their evil, twisted deads… Couldn’t they have just rallied around Sejanus? 😭 They would have spared their country so much trouble! But then again, that’s what I think about quite a few political decisions, even in the real world, so I guess it’s only realistic that the Capitol fell for Snow’s egoistical ambitions…

      Liked by 1 person

  13. Louise says:
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    I only just found your blog and what a terribly sad first post for me to see. I am so sorry about your cat but I am glad that a book tag was able to raise your spirits a little. Take care xxx

    Liked by 1 person

    • abookowlscorner says:
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      Thank you so much, Louise! That’s really kind of you, and thank you so much for taking the time to comment even though your first impression of me must have been utterly depressing 😅 Hopefully, the rest of 2021 will look a lot better than this week did, so that you will also get so see some more cheerful content from me in the future!

      Liked by 1 person

  14. ahaana @ Windows to Worlds says:
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    naemi, i’m so sorry for your loss 🥺❤️ we also had 2 fish once a while ago, and it was really sad when we lost them, because my brother was like 3, and i was 7, so we wanted to have a funeral, but my mum just flushed them 😭 but you seem like such a compassionate person, and your cat was going through a lot of pain so i’m sure everything’s going to be okay 💖

    this is also such a fun tag!! ahahah serpent & dove was such a fun read, and even though it was quite ridiculous, i loved it too!! everybody hates it for being trashy; but i adore its trashiness lmao. blood & honey has even more backlash though, so i’m kinda scared to start the sequel!! everybody’s saying it acts as a sort of “filler” between the 1st and 3rd!! thank you for tagging me!! i can’t wait to do this! ❤️

    Liked by 1 person

    • abookowlscorner says:
      Reply

      Thanks, Ahaana ❤ Also, I can’t believe your mom just flushed your fish! 😱 I would have been so furious! I’m really sorry you didn’t get a proper goodbye.

      And I know, I’ve heard a lot of mixed things about Blood & Honey, too, which might also he part of the reason why I still haven’t read it. I just want the same ridiculous trashiness as Serpent & Dove, so please don’t let that be too much to ask for!! 😅 Hopefully, we’ll both end up liking it once we get over our fear of actually picking it up 😂

      And you’re welcome for the tag! I’m looking forward to reading your answers! 🤗

      Liked by 1 person

  15. Nefeli says:
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    I’m so sorry about your cat ❤❤ May you always remember her fondly❤❤

    As for your answers, I haven’t read The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes yet, but I already hate Snow with every fibre of my being since the Hunger Games. I can’t wait for that hate to grow when I eventually read this book.

    Emma, our dear Emma, is such a wonderful character with her wit, her stubbornness (how is this word real? look at that spelling) and her inability to keep her nose out of other people’s businesses. She’s a delight to read!

    I haven’t read The Winternight Trilogy, so when I read Solovey my mind jumped to Ukraine’s ESC 2020 entry (which I loved), but this horse sounds cool too.

    Honestly, all these books sound great I’ll have to keep them in mind when I go book-shopping next time! And I would kill to watch this last play you mentioned staged (ok maybe not actually kill, but you get the idea). It sounds so bizarrely intriguing!

    I hope this week goes better for you! ❤

    Liked by 1 person

    • abookowlscorner says:
      Reply

      Thank you, Nefeli ❤ That really means a lot, and thanks again for cheering me up last week with all those wonderful memes you picked out! I really needed that!

      Oh, and trust me – your hatred of Snow is certainly going to increase once you’ve read The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes 😂😂 That’s probably the one thing that even all those people who disliked the book agree with me on. And at the same time, you can’t help but sympathize with him a little! It was definitely a weird, but also absolutely fascinating reading experience 😊

      And now that you’ve said it, “stubbornness” does look really strange! 😂 All those double letters! But it suits Emma to a T, and I’m so glad you love her, too! I really have to check out the “new” (Well, maybe not anymore, but for me it still is! 😅) adaptation soon, since most people who’ve read the books seem to love it, too 🤗

      Also, I love how your mind immediately found a Eurovision connection to the Winternight trilogy 😂😂😂 Not being as obsessed with the contest as you and Line are, I actually hadn’t heard Solovey before, but I just went at listened to it and am in love!! It just got added to my current Spotify playlist 😁

      Also, I totally want to watch that play, too 😂 Though I might start laughing hysterically at the stupidity of that murder scene, which might make people question my sanity and put me on some sort of watchlist for potentially dangerous lunatics… So maybe seeing it on stage also isn’t the best idea 😅

      Liked by 1 person

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    • abookowlscorner says:
      Reply

      Thanks, Chelsey! Though I’m really sorry you also had to go through this… Saying goodbye to pets is always the worst. But I guess we just have to cherish the memories we have of them, and remind ourselves of how much sadder it would be if they’d never been in our lives in the first place!

      Liked by 1 person

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  20. Pilar says:
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    I’m so sorry about Lorra 😭😭 I’ve never lost a pet, but just thinking about it makes me want to sob, so I can’t imagine how you must be feeling. I hope you’re doing better and remember fondly all the beautiful memories you had with her ♥️ I’m glad that the tag helped you escape even if it was for a little while! I loved reading your answers and now I want to read most of these 😅 That last one you mentioned (the play) really spiked my interest, as bizarre as it sounds 😬

    Liked by 1 person

    • abookowlscorner says:
      Reply

      Thank you, Pilar, that really means a lot ❤ I am doing a lot better now, but to say I’ve completely come to terms with Lorra’s death would be an understatement. Though, quite honestly, I doubt you ever really can get over a death of a pet. I lost my first cat in 2015 and still really miss her, though I do know it gets better. So I hope I’ll get to that point eventually.

      But anyway, thanks again for tagging me! I had so much fun with it, and it was nice to reminisce over some of my favorite 2020 reads again 😊 And yes, that play was absolutely bizarre 😂😂😂 I would actually really recommend reading it, it was quite the experience! 😁

      Liked by 1 person

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