Baby It’s Cold Outside Book Tag

I was tagged by Bookish Luna who was tagged by this tag’s creator, Reading on a Star. This tag is inspired by Christmas carols and the mid-winter season.

Rules:
* Thank the person who tagged you and link to their post.
* Display the banner
* Link to the original creator: Erin @ Reading On A Star!
* Answer the questions!
* Tag however many people as you want!

1. Snow Day – What’s your “comfort” book?

The Night Circus 
by Erin Morgenstern

Published 13 September 2011
by Doubleday

Genre: Literary Fiction, Magical Realism
Page Count: 391
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!

Grab a copy on Amazon! US | CA | UK

The Night Circus is my absolute favourite stand-alone novel (and I’m still bitterly disappointed that I wasn’t able to honestly rate Morgenstern’s second book, The Startless Sea, at a full 5 stars.) I adore magical realism as a genre because it brings all the best elements of low fantasy into contemporary and historical fiction works that don’t feel like a true fantasy novel. That’s not to say I don’t love fantasy, I do, I consider myself an SFF fan first and foremost, but sometimes it’s nice to stray into the general/literary fiction world and still have the familiar elements and charm that magic brings. The Night Circus is the story of two feuding magicians who have played a deadly game for decades, but by proxy. Each trains an apprentice, then when both are ready, the game starts. The apprentices never meet before the game. They don’t know when it has started, they don’t know who their opponent is, and they haven’t been told that the game will only end when one of them is dead.

This time the venue is Le cirque des rêves (The Circus of Dreams), a travelling black and white tent circus that arrives, operates, and disappears only at night. Ceclia is the headline-drawing illusionist in the circus. Marco is the long-distance mastermind managing the circus from London. As the take turns adding to and modifying the circus their contributions to the venue slowly become a conversation of metaphorical love letters.

I’ve read this book at least half a dozen times now, and between ebook and physical copies I have purchased this book three times. I keep saying I need to read it yet again so that I can finally write a proper review with the full book fresh in my mind, and I recently placed a Libby hold on the audiobook, so perhaps that’ll actually happen in early 2021!

2. Snow Angels – What’s a book that you love so much you would want to be buried with it (a little morid, but…)? 

Can I repeat myself and say The Night Circus again? No? Hm…

Oh!

Defenders of the Dead
Star Wars: Jedi Apprentice Book Five
by Jude Watson

Published 1 December 1999
by Scholastic Inc.

Genre: MG/YA Science Fiction
Page Count: 140
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!

This is the series that got me started reading science fiction, the reason Qui-Gon Jin is my favourite Star Wars character despite dying in Episode 1, and ended up being my stepping stone to the adult length Star Wars & Star Trek novels my Mom had laying around. Defenders of the Dead is my favourite of the series, and the conclusion to a two-book story arc on the planet Malida-Daan. Padawan Obi-Wan has temporarily left the Jedi order to help the underground youth who are trying to end the civil war their parents are still fighting, even though no one alive remembers what they’re fighting for.

Amazon US | Amazon CA | Amazon UK

3. Warm Socks – What’s a book that makes you feel warm inside? (The fluffiest, cutest romance you’ve ever read?) 

I’m not a romance genre reader, so let’s go with…

Number the Stars
by Lois Lowry

Published September 1990
by Yearling

Genre: Middle Grade Historical Fiction
Page Count: 137
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Grab a copy on Amazon! US | CA | UK

This is the story of a Jewish girl in Denmark during WWII and her journey to escape the Nazis. She gets separated from her family, and her close friend’s family takes her in and helps her hide and eventually escape. I distinctly remember how hard this girl finds it to remove and hide her star of David necklace, and I remember that the family is able to hide her in plain sight by claiming that she’s their third daughter (actually their oldest daughter who has moved out) because the oldest daugther’s baby pictures have darker hair like this girl, rather than the blond of the rest of the family.

4. Hot Cocoa – What winter-themed novels have you previously read? 

…I don’t know? I definitely don’t seek out “holiday” novels, but one set in winter…

Home from the Sea
Elemental Masters Book Seven
by Mercedes Lackey

Published 1 January 2012
by DAW

Genre: Historical Fantasy
Page Count: 311
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!

Grab a copy on Amazon! US | CA | UK

I could be wrong, but I believe this is the one that sends Sarah and Nan off to Wales over the Christmas holidays, putting them in the right place at the right time to help this round’s unsuspecting newly awakened elemental magic user who happens to be half selch. The reason this one came to mind is because there’s a scene dedicated to the tradition of mummering, which is actually still alive and well here in Newfoundland over the Christmas holidays.

5. Sledding – What’s a book with the best plot twists? Who’s an author that always keeps you on your toes? 

Quantum Night 
by Robert J. Sawyer

Published 1 March 2016
by ACE

Genre: Science Fiction Thriller
Page Count: 368
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!

Grab a copy on Amazon! US | CA | UK

I already talked about this one in the Coffee Book Tag, but in summary, this is the story of scientists who are trying to change the whole world’s states of consciousness all at once to achieve the greatest good; to have the most fully aware and moral humans and the fewest psychopaths.

I don’t want to spoil the ending by talking about what blew me away, so let’s just say that not all of the characters we come across are who or what they appear to be, and this book threw curve balls I didn’t see coming right to the very end.

Robert J. Sawyer is my favourite author and although he’s first and foremost a science fiction author most of his books contain plot twists you don’t see coming.

6. Ugly Sweaters – What’s a book with the ugliest cover?

I’m going to limit this to books I’ve read, because there are tons I’ve seen, so…

I hate the art style, I hate the colour scheme, I hated the book, I hated the movie. Shia LeBoeff was not an improvement on this book. My husband loves the book (rare, he’s not a reader) and the movie, so roughly twice a year I’m forced to watch it. Did I mention I hate it?

7. Movie Marathon – What’s the last book you binge read?

A Peculiar Royal
by Alonna Williams

Published 18 November 2020
by Blue Gingham Publishing

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Page Count: 360
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!

The time has come for King Dorian Lockridge to find an heir for the country of Odsia; after the murder of his son, daughter-in-law and grandson fifteen years ago, he knew that sooner or later he’d need to find someone worthy to take the throne…

Spending fifteen years on the streets, doing whatever it took to make sure he and his friends survived from day to day, hasn’t been easy for Tristan.

Having never found remains of his grandson, doubt of his demise lingers in Dorian’s heart; until one day, he finally makes a proclamation, searching for the orphaned Prince of Odsia.  

When Tristan discovers the truth about himself, his whole world changes. How will he adjust to royal living after such a difficult upbringing?  And who was behind the murder of his parents so long ago?

Amazon US | Amazon CA | Amazon UK

Here’s my recent tour stop post for this one with a 4 star review.

8. Letter to Santa – What’s a book that’s on your wishlist this year? 

Blazewrath Games
by Amparo Ortiz

Tag, you’re it!

Let’s tag the first 8 distinct WordPress users I find if I look in my bloggers unread emails folder… (WordPress so I can ping them)

• Chocoviv’s Lifestyle Blog
• This Hannah Reads
• Spells and Spaceships
• { places + peonies
• alltimechelsea
• The Reading Addict
• dinipandareads
• I’m All Booked Up

If I didn’t tag you but you still want to do this one by all means, do it! Let me know if you do (comment, pingback, tag me on Twitter, whatever) so I can read your answers.

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