New York Times By The Book Tag


This tag was created by Marie Berg from Youtube and it is basically based on The New York Times By the Book book, which again is based on a column in the Times. In this column any author being interviewed is asked these questions and they are great fun to answer, so why not spread it around? I’ve seen a number of people on Booktube doing the tag, and it seemed like fun, so here are my answers: 

What book is on your nightstand now?

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I’ve slowly been re-reading the entire Harry Potter series this year. 

What was the last truly great book you’ve read? 

This probably has to be Winter, the last book of the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. It was just such a blast, and a great ending to a great series. The plot twisted and turned every which way and kept you guessing right until the end. 

If you could meet any writer - dead or alive - who would it be? And what wold you want to know?

Maybe J.K. Rowling to ask how the H*** you plan out such an epic story with so many twists and little details that turn out to be major later on. I am constantly impressed by that. 

What books might we be surprised to find on your shelves?

I don’t really think there is any book that would surprise anyone. I read pretty diversely, if I do say so myself. There is YA, classics, adult fiction, fantasy, a few middle grades etc. 

How do you organize your personal library?

It’s very random, essentially. I’ll have series together of course, and then I will put my favorites together, so I’ll just have to go to one or two shelves, when I am looking for something I know is good! My TBR books also have a shelf for themselves. But other than that I just really put the books where there is room. I would like to organize by color. I think a rainbow of books looks great. But I don’t really have that many books, actually, and what do you do with series and TBR books? In the end, I just don’t think that would work for me. Not until I get many more books, that is!

What book have you always meant to read and haven’t gotten around to yet?

I think I’m pretty good at getting things crossed off my list or deciding to give them up if I just don’t get around to them. That being said books do tend to hang around on my TBR for a while, sometimes, and I have to say that Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff is probably one of the ones that has been waiting the longest. But it is on my shelf and I fully intend to read it. Soon. Ish. 

Disappointing, overrated, just not good: what book did you feel you are supposed to like but didn’t?

There are so many books I could pick for this one. Probably mostly Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Mass. I was so excited, as everyone raved about this fantasy series with a kick-ass female protagonist, but I just did not like it at all! 

What kind of stories are you drawn to? Any you steal clear of?

I’m pretty much drawn to almost everything! Haha! But seriously, I will give almost anything a go, but recently I have come to learn that “my kind of story” is definitely plot driven. That being said I need developed and interesting characters I can relate to, otherwise the story just doesn’t interest me at all. I definitely stear clear of magical realism. That genre just isn’t for me. And I feel like I have given it a decent go, reading some of the greats of magical realism, like Haruki Murakami and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. 

If you could require the president to read one book, what would it be?

I assume they are talking about the American president, but I will recommend a book for the Danish Prime Minister. And that book would be one about refugees, so he can understand where they are coming from, literally and figuratively. I haven’t actually read that many “refugee” books myself, but In the Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddey Ratner is really good. 

What do you plan to read next?

I’ve just started Les Misérables by Victor Hugo, which is a huge undertaking with almost 1200 pages with tiny print. I hope to be able to finish it, before I get sick of it, but so far (about 30 pages in) I can say that it is well written at least, which is always nice! 



Those were my answers to a fun tag! What are yours? 

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