The month is going by fast, hurtling us toward the end– finally– of what has felt like a trash fire of a year. As I write this, Toronto is under lockdown (again) as COVID cases all over continue to spike. Gatherings of all kinds are on hiatus, probably until well into next year. Even with the vaccine (thankfully now starting to be distributed), life isn’t going to resemble anything like normal anytime soon (special shout-out to all the people who could have done something to slow, or even stop, the spread of this disease and instead chose– and continue to choose– to do absolutely nothing).
Deep (masked) breaths.
Let’s take our minds off less-pleasant things with a book tag, shall we? Because when an entire year is cancelled, there’s still books…
(“This or That” tag nabbed from Bookmark Your Thoughts. Stop by to give her a like and follow.)
Read on the bed or couch?
On the couch. It’s easier to get comfy, and handier for drinks and snacks.
Read at night or in the morning?
Right now I’m reading mostly at night because I’m working on my language lessons in the morning. If I could, though, I’d read all the time.
Male main character or female main character?
I love me a good character, no matter what gender. (Same goes for real people, now that you mention it.) I have found that some authors are better at bringing out the humanity in their characters than others, though, particularly when it comes to female characters.
First person POV or third person POV
First person can work really well with the right character, but it can also be intolerable with the wrong one, so generally speaking, third person POV is the better bet. Third person is also less limiting, allowing readers to connect with other characters besides the main one.
Trilogies or quartets
Some stories can be told in just one book, some need ten (or more) to fully cover everything. Much as I’d like endless books in a really enjoyable series, I’ll settle for whatever number it takes to tell the tale right. (That being said, breaking stories into three parts has a long history and has a more natural flow than four parts, so I’d choose a trilogy over a quartet.)
Libraries or bookstores
Bookstores are great for browsing, but nothing beats the peaceful atmosphere of a library. I think libraries have a slight edge over stores (although Bookmark Your Thoughts made the excellent point that bookstores let you buy all the books so you can make your own library at home…)
Books that make you laugh or cry
Cry. I surprised even myself with this choice, but it’s a rare occurrence and a great catharsis when it does happen.
Character Driven or Plot Driven
Character driven! I can’t think of a plot that’s ever been so compelling that it makes up for poorly written characters. As a reader the best way to connect to a story is through the characters.
Black book covers or white book covers
Black covers. For some reason they really speak to me 😉 …
Love Lies Bleeding: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books
FREE Blood Magic: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books
FREE Tooth & Claw: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books
If you prefer a good paperback to an ebook, use this link to order Love Lies Bleeding from Bookshop – a portion of each sale goes directly to independent bookstores, as well as to myself. Thank you for supporting indie! ♥
What do you think– character driven or plot driven? Libraries or bookstores? And what kind of covers do you like? Share in the comments (and don’t forget to leave a link if you end up posting this tag on your blog)…
Cheers,
Aspasía S. Bissas
