Books and Bakes Book Tag

WELCOME BACK TO THE OPTIMISM BLOG.

I HAVE RETURNED TO WORK.

Also, I was able to pick up salted malted cookie dough ice cream from Salt & Straw and it is THE BEST.

I now have the energy to talk about baked goods and books.

I found this tag (created by Life is a Page Turner) on Sahi’s blog (where you can find fun tags AND excellent reviews!)

Here. We. Go.

Cupcakes

Name a collection of short stories, poems, or anthologies where you couldn’t read just one section and had to go back for another

I read Comics for Choice straight through.

The book hit me with so many meaningful stories and facts at once. I wanted to absorb them all right away.

 

Lemon Pound Cake

Name a book that has 400 pages or more that you considered a comfort read and a classic

As much as I’ve complained about Forever Princess in the past, it was one of the only Princess Diaries books I brought with me to Seattle and one of the first books I reread while settling in.

The happy ending and tight friendships brighten my day.

 

Red Velvet cake

Name a book that you thought was one thing, but ended up being something completely different

I pitched We Were Magic to my mom as The Craft meets I Know What You Did Last Summer.

It was…not that.

The accidental murder takes a backseat to the girls’ friendships.

Oddly, even though I’m a plot person, I really appreciated this choice.

 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Name a book or a book series that you can read over and over again even though you know that it’s bad for you

Even though I have complex feelings about The Raven King and feel uneasy about where The Dreamer Trilogy is headed (I DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT), I still make time every year to reread The Raven Cycle.

I love these characters (except for Henry) too much to let them go.

 

Apple Pie a la Mode

Name a book that was really good but could have been better with a little bit of ice cream

Women of the Galaxy needed a firmer structure.

It tried to be a book of trivia, essays, and art and ended up a very pretty mess.

I don’t see why this couldn’t have been more of an encyclopedia with gorgeous artwork.

It reads a lot like a book I had called Women of the Bible.

 

Gingerbread Cookies

Do you like your gingerbread cookies crunchy or soft?

1. If you like your cookies soft, name a book that was squishy in the middle, but the beginning and the end were really good.

2. If you like your cookies crunchy or more like ginger snaps, name a book that you finished but that you wanted to throw at a wall, or snap

My dad made gingerbread with honey instead of molasses once, so I can’t think about gingerbread without thinking about that unfortunate flavor profile.

If forced to eat it, I prefer soft gingerbread.

In terms of books with mushy middles, I didn’t love I Wish You All the Best.

This book had me in the beginning and lost me around the 1/3 mark.

The big emotional release I expected never came.

I’m glad other people love this book. It didn’t work for me.

 

Brownies

Are you a corner piece or a middle piece?

1. If you’re a corner piece, name a book that starts off strong and then all comes apart.

2. If you’re a middle piece, name a book that kept you in the feels the entire time.

I DON’T UNDERSTAND CORNER PIECE FANS.

MIDDLE BROWNIES FOR LIFE.

How much did I love Felix Ever After?

I might love it more than You Know Me Well.

YEAH. I KNOW.

PLEASE do yourself a favor and read this book.

 

Birthday Cake

Name a book series or an author that you feel like keeps coming out with a book, short story, novella every year

I found The Wedding Date at my library the same year I saw The Proposal at an airport bookstore.

Immediately after seeing ads for The Wedding Party, Barnes and Noble started displaying Royal Holiday.

HOW DOES JASMINE GUILLORY DO IT?

 

Carrot Cake

Name a book that sounded healthy for you but ended up being unhealthy, either with content or by putting you in a reading slump.

I can’t seem to make it past page 40 of Belle Revolte.

I really thought I would love it.

Something about it, though, isn’t holding my attention.

 

Tag some friends you would love to share some baked goods with

The people I’m tagging live far from me.

MAYBE ONE DAY WE CAN EAT MIDDLE BROWNIES TOGETHER.

Emer | Jenna | Meghan | Ngoc

WE COULD EVEN HAVE A BAKE OFF!

Oh man, now I’m excited.

IT’S MONDAY, I’M ALREADY OFF WORK, AND I DIDN’T HAVE TO CALL THE UNEMPLOYMENT OFFICE TODAY!

WAHOO!

I told you: this is genuine optimism, which is rare in Laurens.

Things in Washington state seem to be looking up; Governor Inslee released a phased reopening plan at the beginning of the month.

Here’s hoping things continue to improve.