Coffee Book Tag

I tried book tags once and I can’t quit.

I found this tag and loved the concept, especially since the first question is so negative. NICE. I love coffee and books and coffee-themed books and questions about books related to coffee!

I may have made my afternoon tea a tad too strong…

Black Coffee: A series that’s tough to get into but has hardcore fans

Oh, that’s easy: The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan and finished by Brandon Sanderson.

I don’t have time for 800-page fantasy novels with small print. Friends tried to get me into this series around the time the last books were coming out.

Per Wikipedia, the series stretched into 14 novels, not including several prequels and/or spinoffs. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? At no point in my college career did that sound like a reasonable commitment.

Not to mention I hated the fans.

A girl named Melinda T. obliterated any interest I had in this series.

My other friend Kelsey tried to sell me on it with sincere arguments.

Melinda would neg what I was reading and compare it to The Wheel of Time. I heard such delightful persuasion as, “UGH, Voldemort is such a horribly-written villain…not like in The Wheel of Time!” or, “Fruits Basket is shallow and pointless…not like The Wheel of Time!”

Have fun at Fantasy-Con or whatever, friends…I will not be joining you.

 

Peppermint Mocha: A book that gets more popular during the winter or a festive time of year

Yikes. I just complained about my lack of interest in seasonal reads.

I’ll go with The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater for the months of October and November.

Race training happens during October and the titular race takes place on the 1st of November. This book is perfect for fall weather and has a spooky vibe, what with the MURDER horses that live in the SEA. That makes it a Halloween book.

The Raven Cycle, now that I think of it, probably jumps in popularity around Halloween as well.

Stiefvater is just a fall author, I guess.

 

Hot Chocolate: Your favorite children’s book

Tough. Call. I have a couple.

All three represent goofy, madcap not-quite fantasy. I actually ordered them from least to most fantastical – good job, me!

I JUST THOUGHT OF FOUR OTHER GOOD ONES but I’ll stop myself.

The children’s books I love most are tongue-in-cheek and feature big, goofy families and a ton of dialogue.

I forget sometimes reading can be fun.

 

Double Espresso: A book that kept you on the edge of your seat from start to finish

Um…believe it or not…

THIS. BOOK. IS. STRESSFUL.

There’s a child-snatching villain and fractured families and a CAKE-BAKING COMPETITION. I worried the whole way through. Would Cady be okay? Would she make it in time for the competition? Who would win? WHAT KIND OF CAKES WOULD THEY BAKE?

I am honestly hyperventilating just thinking about it.

 

Starbucks: A book you see everywhere

I’m sure you already know what it is.

I want to read this but I’m so afraid I won’t like it. Everyone else I know loves it and recommends it all the time and it’s just TOO MUCH PRESSURE.

What if this turns out to be another pumpkin spice latte?

 

Hipster Coffeeshop: A book by an indie author

I haven’t read anything from an indie press in years.

Glaciers by Alexis M. Smith did come to mind, though.

I don’t fully understand what this book is trying to say, but I love its magical, melancholy prose. Smith adds little details I still remember: the party, the vintage dress, Isabel’s trip to the glaciers.

Not perfect, but interesting. I’m glad I kept my copy.

 

Accidental Decaf: A book you were expecting more from

I have two books in mind with similar plots: The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth and Boy Erased by Garrard Conley.

I expected these books to wreck me. I expected them to eviscerate. I thought both authors would do more to condemn ex-gay ministries.

I wanted to feel more than I did after finishing these. I kept sipping, hoping for a bite that wasn’t there.

 

Perfect Blend: A book or series that was both bitter and sweet but ultimately satisfying

I loved The Romantics by Leah Konen.

I got my friend Staci to read it and she ALSO loved it.

I did not expect, in a book narrated by Love, a breakdown of the many types of love that exist in different people.

I didn’t WANT to cry, but I DID.

Even as Konen pulled out all the rom-com tropes, I cheered along.

For a short while, my motto became, “NO, GAEL, CAN’T YOU SEE SHE’S WRONG FOR YOU!?”

What a fun ride.