Dark Academia Book Tag

I saw this tag going around and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to do it too, especially for this season. I consider myself tagged by Madame Writer because I saw the tag there first. It was created by booktubers *emmie* and CarolynMarieReads.

What is your favorite “academia” or “dark” book + movie?

I don’t know why, but my mind went blank when I read this question. I guess it’s because I haven’t read many “academia” novels, but I’ve certainly read a few “dark” ones. For my favorite book, I choose The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey because it’s a bit dark and it fits the dark academia aesthetic.

It’s a YA historical fiction, paranormal novel set in the late 1800s in Boston (I think). The protagonist is a 12-year-old boy who’s serving as an apprentice to a monstrumologist, a scientist who studies monsters. It’s one of my favorite books. The pace is slow, but it’s strongly character-focused so I didn’t care. It’s also very well written and atmospheric as well. Such a great read.

I couldn’t think of a TV show I love enough to choose for this.

What dead poet would you like to have a drink with?

I’m not one for poetry. My high school AP classes spoiled me on that. There is only one poet I truly admire and that’s Maya Angelou. It would have been nice to meet her. Her poem “Phenomenal Woman” is my favorite poem.

What is your favorite painting and/or sculpture?

“Hand with Reflecting Sphere” by M.C. Escher

Well, I’m horrible with the names/titles of things that aren’t books, so I’m lucky to remember any of these art works. I love Pablo Picasso’s mural “Guernica” and just about anything by him but mostly his cubist works. I like Diego Rivera’s paintings especially his “Detroit Industry,” which is also a mural. And although his works aren’t paintings, I love EVERYTHING by M.C. Escher, who is my absolute favorite artist of all time. His work really inspired me to pursue my interest in art.

What is your favorite architectural marvel?

There are many but, as with the paintings, it’s hard for me to recall the names of them. I LOVE architecture and was sorely tempted to switch my major to it in college. Anyway, here are a few that quickly came to mind:

Casa Batllo by Antoni Gaudí = Love. It. And I have to visit it whenever I make it to Spain and see Gaudí’s lamp posts.

Leaning Tower of Pisa = Because it leans, lol! I’d love to see this for myself.

St. Basil’s Cathedral = It’s so beautiful and the domes make me think of ice cream, so I’ll have to get ice cream today.

Great Mosque of Cordoba = I love the arches. I have a thing for arches and these are at the top of my favorites list that I don’t keep. Obviously, I need to visit Spain to look at all the buildings there. Google results for the arches.

What Shakespeare play would you like to be the lead in?

None of them, which is probably an unpopular opinion, but I’m not so familiar with the dude’s plays. I guess it’s because I’ve only read a few of them so far (maybe two… not a fan of reading plays) and have probably seen only one or two performances (maybe none, I can’t remember).

How many languages do you speak and which language would you most like to learn?

I speak one language — English — and an English patois. I know some Spanish and can often understand it when I read it. I’d love to perfect my Spanish and learn Italian and Latin.

What is your favorite quote (from poetry, prose, plays, etc.)?

“He who fights with monsters should be careful lest he thereby become a monster. And if thou gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will also gaze into thee.”

– from Friedrich Nietzsche’s Beyond Good and Evil, which I have not read, lol, but I love that quote.

What fictional character’s death is your ideal way to go?

There are two from a TV show and a movie that I don’t think fit this dark academia stuff, but I just like how they were acted out. Anyway, the first is from the Shannara TV show — which I’m going to spoil because you’ve either seen it or you don’t plan to — and it’s when Queen Tamlin of Leah jumped off the dam (more like stepped off) instead of being forced off (so took her own life). I believe she was usurped or something. Anyway, I just liked her attitude about the situation. She maintained her dignity.

The second is from the 300 movie in the last battle scene. It’s when Captain Artemis (I think that’s his name) stabs a dude, threw his shield into another dude knocking him out or killing him, and is then speared through the gut and, at the same time, is stabbed twice in the gut yet still has enough battle fire in him to slash the two dudes who knifed him, pull the spear in further into himself, give a bitter battle cry probably mourning his dead son and in defiance of his opponents, and kill the dude who dared spear him like a fish. So, yeah, if I were in a Spartan battle of something, that’s how I’d like to go.

What university/college would you most like to attend?

I attended that university for my bachelor’s. It was the only university I wanted to attend. But when I consider getting an advanced degree, I dream of going to New York University.

What is your murder weapon or murder method of choice?

I’ve never considered this, but whenever I daydream myself into a fantasy story, I always have several daggers and a sword.

What mythology would you most like to be a part of?

None, lol! None of the ones I’ve read about so far are great to women, so I’m good.

If you had a PhD what would you choose to do it on?

Art history or children’s literature or mythologies (I think there’s a term for such programs, but I’m blanking on it) and folklore or comparative literature or maybe even philosophy and religion

Which fictional character would you die for?

None.

Rapid-fire: Pick One!!

Leather bound or cloth bound books

Cloth-bound books. I own a few that are very beautifully designed.

Dog-earing pages or highlighting pages

Highlighting pages. I abhor dogearing pages, but I always highlight mine. If I love the writing in a book, it will bleed yellow because of all the highlights.

Sculptures or paintings

“L Train” (2009) by Richard Estes

Paintings. They affect me more than sculptures do. (I love Estes’s work. He does hyper-realistic paintings.)

Piano or violin

Violin. Always the violin. Love it!

Films or theatre

Films. I love the whole experience of going to the movies. But I do like the theatre.

Poetry or prose

Prose. Hate poetry. Grr!!

Museums or bookshops

This is the toughest question in this tag. I’ll go with bookshops. I can’t go a month without visiting one, but I’ve gone several months without visiting a museum.

The smell of books or the smell of coffee/tea

Love the smell of coffee (hate the taste of it) and love the smell of certain teas. I have a strong sense of smell. Not all books, especially old ones, smell great.

Fountain pen or typewriter

Fountain pen, but I’d like a typewriter for aesthetic reasons when decorating my apartment.

New or used books

New books. I like to think I’m the first person to get it and I love certain new-book scents.

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And that’s it for this entry in my book tag week series leading up to Halloween!

Consider yourself tagged if you want to do it too.