Olympics Book Tag

I’m following up my last post with this fun one because I need something to lift my spirit. I’ve been in and out of the doldrums lately so I need something light.

The Olympic Book Tag was created by Shannon at It Starts at Midnight. So since the Olympics is underway, why not do this tag? By the way, I do believe I am the only Jamaican not watching the Olympics right now. I keep forgetting to because I don’t watch much TV anymore (since Suits sucks now 😦 ) but that’s why Facebook exists. I get my updates there and so far it seems we’re doing great! 😀

Soledad by Angie Cruz. I knew I would like it after reading the first sentence and because of that I stopped reading. I’d borrowed the book from a coworker and that first sentence made me realize that I would highlight a lot of passages. I had to check with my coworker to see if that was okay. I’d still like to get my own copy though.

By the way, I highly recommend the book. The story has some problems but it’s well worth the read. It focuses on Soledad and her family, immigrants from Dominica Republic who live in New York. Soledad’s mom is sick and her family blames her moving away as its cause but Soledad is sure that the cause is something more serious than mere superstition and believes her mom needs professional help. Meanwhile, Soledad is also trying to understand who she is and where she fits since she is a mixture of cultures and does not know her father.

Umm… I don’t think I’ve read a book that fits this category. If you know of any books involving a road trip, please let me know. In the meantime, I’ll go with

Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel Savit, a wonderful young-adult historical fiction novel about a young girl growing up during World War II with a mysterious man as her companion and protector. I highly recommend this one as well. The story is wonderful and the writing is great.

Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch. It’s a young-adult fantasy novel, of course, and I chose it because I didn’t mind the love triangle too much. Actually, I don’t think the love triangle is a strong one because it seems obvious who the protagonist really likes. I guess that’s why I wasn’t as annoyed.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare. Actually, I didn’t know what to put here so I went with something I read in high school because me understanding what I read for class then was pretty hit or miss and this one was a miss.

The Summer That Melted Everything by Tiffany McDaniel. It’s a literary novel about a town that receives a visit from a boy claiming to be the devil. The town has a serious heatwave when the boy arrives. It’s so hot that air conditioners and fans don’t help. I chose this book because the weather in it matches what I’m suffering from now. I read it outside yesterday and I swear it made me feel hotter than I was. I had to treat myself to ice cream afterwards.

Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening by Marjorie Liu, illus. by Sana Takeda, a fantasy comic set in a world that’s trying to recover from a war between humans and the fey folk. Yea, I was going to choose one of George R.R. Martin’s books but I thought I should shake things up. There is a lot of badassery in the first volume of this comic. Lots of fighting and bloodshed. The story is great and the artwork is beautiful so I highly recommend it.

Velvet comics by Ed Brubaker, illus. by Steve Epting. This is an action/adventure comic about a framed female spy. Lots of stuff happens. I’d say more but I don’t want to give anything away; plus, my review will be posted later this week. Just know that it’s awesome and the artwork is great and you should read it.

I hardly cry when I read but sometimes a little tear would roll down my cheek. Apart from Anna and the Swallow Man, another book that made me tear up a little was

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi, a memoir about a surgeon suffering from cancer. And it was the epilogue, written by his wife, Lucy, that made me tear up.

The Life of Elves by Muriel Barbery, a literary fantasy novel. It’s pretty slow though the book is quite short at just 253 or so pages. However, the writing is so beautiful that I don’t mind the slow pace. I spend the time admiring sentences and descriptions.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, a middle-grade fantasy novel. To be specific, the edition above is my favorite because that was the cover of the copy I read when I picked up the book for the first time.

Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb, the first in a trilogy of fantasy novels. Fitz’s connection to animals is taboo but it comes in handy in dangerous situations.

The classic Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. I liked the story and it was pretty easy to read, but after a while the length started to wear on me.

Actually, all of The Chronicles of Prydain books by Lloyd Alexander. They are middle-grade fantasy novels about friendship, loyalty, kindness, and honesty. All that good stuff.

Umm… I’m gonna cheat with this one and go with

The Song of the Lioness series by Tamora Pierce. It’s a young-adult fantasy novel about a girl who wants to be a knight. I chose Alanna for this because she has done the majority of the Olympic sports at some time during her adventures.

And that’s it!

I tag YOU especially if YOU are watching the Olympics.

Yes, YOU!!!

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