Reindeer Book Tag

It’s December, so let the Christmas book tags begin! 😀

For this iteration of Book Tag Thursday, I’m doing the Reindeer Book Recommendations Tag (or the Reindeer Book Tag), which was created by booktuber Hailey in Bookland.

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Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: An underdog or an inspiring book/character

Behind the Canvas by Alexander Vance

It’s a middle-grade fantasy novel about a girl whose able to explore the world behind painted canvases. Basically, she’s able to enter paintings to explore the world there, which I think is a superb idea. Just imagine being able to enter the scenes depicted in paintings to explore them! Well, I chose this book for this category because the protagonist didn’t seem amazed by this awesome ability. She expressed no wonder at the odd things happening, so they didn’t seem wondrous to me either. I was so bored by the book that I almost DNF’d it.

Dasher: A book you read quickly or a fashionable character

Evie O’Neill from the Diviners series by Libba Bray

I decided to go with a fashionable character and chose Evie, a character from the Diviners series, a YA historical paranormal/horror series set in the late 1920s about a group of diverse teenagers who all have special abilities and are trying to find out how they got them. The story is intriguing and gripping and such a good read. We read from several POVs, but Evie is the protagonist. She’s a fun-loving young woman who can read objects and see their histories.

Dancer: An artistically inspiring book or a character who loves to party

Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen

Oh man! My previous two answers were both perfect for this category. I decided to go with Springsteen’s autobiography Born to Run because it’s such an inspiring read and one I’d recommend to all artists and other creatives, whether or not they are into music or a fan of Springsteen. I had no idea who the dude was prior to reading this book. I’d heard his name before but didn’t know he was a singer and didn’t realize I’d heard his songs before.

Prancer: A light-hearted book or a conceited character

Book Love by Debbie Tung (illus.)

What’s more light-hearted than a book about love of books? Book Love is a graphic novel featuring various panels illustrating the things us book lovers all do that others may think are super weird, lol! It’s a quick read that you can complete in one sitting.

Vixen: A trickster character or a deceptively easy/hard read

Wrapped Up in You by Talia Hibbert

I chose this for the deceptively hard read category. It’s not that it’s difficult to read, it’s that this is a Christmas romance novel that one would expect to be light, fluffy, and a quick read, but instead it was a heavy read that dragged for me. I didn’t like it, and the audiobook didn’t work for me at all.

Comet: A book that is out of this world or a children’s book

How the Stars Came to Be by Poonam Mistry (illus.)

Of course, I’m going to take the chance to recommend a children’s picture book when I can. This one is about a girl working with the sun to create stars so her fisherman father can find his way home at night. The store has a folkloric tone to it, and the patterned illustrations are stunning.

Cupid: A couple you really want to be together or a hyped book that you like

Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky

This hyped sci-fi novella is one of my favorite reads of the year. It’s about a lonely scientist on a planet, the last of his kind there, who’s considered wizardly to the locals, who helps an unpopular princess of the local people defeat the entity terrorizing people. It’s a great read.

Donner: A book you constantly shout about, or an opinionated character, or a character who lacks tact

Ling Chan from the Diviners series by Libba Bray

The Diviners is still on my mind. Ling Chan is one of the main characters with special abilities — she can dream walk and enter people’s dreams. She is practical, loves science, and sometimes lacks tact.

Blitzen: A powerful book or a quick read

Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie

I read this about a week or so ago and enjoyed it despite the obvious racist and xenophobic tones throughout it. It’s a mystery about several murders that take place while notable detective Hercule Poirot is seriously trying to have a vacation in Egypt. It was a quick read.

Olive: A self-effacing character

Jennifer Sylvester from Beard Science by Penny Reid

Definitely Jennifer, a character from the third Winston Brothers novel. These are contemporary romance novels and the third one focuses on the third-eldest brother, Cletus. It was a fun read that I really enjoyed. Jennifer is known as the Banana Cake Queen because she’s the best at baking such cakes. She’s always been a good girl and often put her parents’ wants ahead of her own needs.

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Well, if you plan to do Christmas book tags this month, then I tag you!