What Cats Do Book Tag

I needed a new book tag to honor the latest crop of books I’ve finished.

While I don’t own a cat, I still wanted to talk about What Cats Do (according to Kate @ MeltingPotsandOtherCalamities.)

Zezee @ Zezee with Books packed her answers with great fantasy recs and talked about her unexpected kitty roommates. Go read her post!

Purr

Cats do this when they’re happy or relaxed. What book makes you happy and relaxed?

The Girl From the Sea relaxes me, probably because of all the 2-dimensional water.

I find the setting very soothing

Sleep

What book put you to sleep or was just boring?

I tried to hit the 20% mark before I bailed on For the Wolf.

That didn’t work out so well for me.

Nothing about this book kept my interest, so I stopped reading it.

Twitch while dreaming

Have you ever dreamt of a book you read?

I don’t know that I dream about books.

I definitely dream about movies.

In sixth grade, I had a three-night run of dreams about adventuring with my beloved Legolas.

Was this my sexual awakening? Other people talk about theirs with such clarity.

I just remember thinking Legolas would make a handsome adventuring partner.

Seems to play nice…until the claws are out

Which book had the biggest plot twist(s)?

I had a full-on meltdown when I got to The Big Twist in The Ones We’re Meant to Find.

I stopped reading, stared at the wall, and screamed for awhile.

I don’t think I’m overhyping this. The twist in TOWMTF, while shocking, made a lot of sense.

It was, at least for me, incredibly satisfying.

I want everyone to read this book now.

Cuddles

Which book character would you give a hug to?

I pledge my undying loyalty to Bárány Gáspár.

(Of course I fall for the tortured, cloak-wearing, unexpectedly tender character with religious baggage.)

I am COMPLETELY IN LOVE WITH HIM.

Catnip

Which book gave you warm and fuzzy feels?

One Last Stop felt so cozy to me.

The ragtag bunch of misfits living in August’s apartment really felt like a family.

This book made me grateful for what I have and also made me yearn for a partner like Jane Su.

She’s a badass radical with tons of charisma who STILL GETS NERVOUS AROUND GIRLS SHE LIKES.

I’m intoxicated by the possibility that someone could feel that way about me.

Cat Breeds

What are your favorite books?

Can I first talk about my favorite cat breeds?

Cats were one of my special interests in elementary school. I know A LOT about cat breeds.

My favorite breeds are Bombay, Burmese, and Siamese.

Burmese cats are probably my ultimate favorite.

As for books, I can list a few, sure.

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I love In the Dream House, Nimona, Someday Someday Maybe, and Everything Leads to You.

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I also love One Last Stop, Winter’s Orbit, The Wolf and the Woodsman, and Winterkeep.

Yes, 75% of these are queer. That is not a coincidence.

Getting the Cat

How did you find your favorite book(s)?

I found out about many of my favorites on book blogs and/or from friends on Book Twitter.

I’d also read previous works by some of the authors, so I knew what I was getting into.

I try to buy my books from Bookshop.org or from indie bookstores.

My local bookstore has received a LOT of my business.

Vet’s Office

Your least favorite book

(CW: cancer)

I have a running internal monologue about my utter hatred for The Art of Racing in the Rain.

I read this book a year and a half ago and I’m still mad about it.

I imagine that if Denny had had cancer instead of Eve, Enzo still would have found a way to blame Eve for it.

That actually sounds like a more interesting book.

Being in places they shouldn’t

Least favorite cliche

I encountered a LOT of exposition in The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, most of which was delivered through dialogue.

The mom character delivered many As You Know speeches to her relatives, clunkily relating concepts and rituals they already understood.

I can’t stand expository dialogue in non-serialized fiction.

I hated it so much I DNFed the book.

I’m supposed to talk about it at book club in a week. That should go well.

Good old cardboard box

Most underrated book series

I love the hell out of the Graceling Realm books.

This series impacted how I read and what I expect from fantasy. With Winterkeep, I got to see my favorite characters grow and change after a ten-year publication gap.

These books feel like home to me.

I also like Morgan Matson’s summer books, specifically Since You Been Gone and The Unexpected Everything.

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I know when I bought them I didn’t expect very much.

Since You’ve Been Gone made me cry in a coffee shop and The Unexpected Everything made me sob in my room.

THAT’S IT. THAT’S WHAT CATS DO.

I hope you learned a lot.

This was a fun tag, so definitely participate if you feel so moved!

I especially want to know about all of your least favorite books.