I am not super familiar with this whole tagging thing, but apparently it is similar to the game in that people “tag” you and you are “it” and nothing like it in every other way (which is awesome because I’ve made a life rule that I do not run).
Anyhoo, I have been tagged twice now (by Ashlea of Disquietus Reads and Gillian of Writer of Wrongs) and as far as I can tell that either means I am winning or I am the slow person the zombies/raptors/bears will zero in on while the rest of you make your escape. YOU’RE WELCOME.
Because I am frightfully lazy (this may contribute to the slow thing), I am combining both sets of questions into one post. They will be labeled 1A, 1G, 2A, 2G, etc (you can figure out who asked what, I believe in you).
So without further ado, here is a bunch of mostly book-related information about me. You asked for this. Remember that.
1A. What is one book or series that you would make everyone read if you could?
The Newsflesh Trilogy by Mira Grant.
These books are incredible. The characters and character dynamics are flawless, the world building is incredibly intricate and well-researched, the story is brilliant and the social commentary is on fucking point. I don’t know if people write these off because the whole zombie thing (fair enough, zombies aren’t for everyone and while they aren’t super gory, they can get pretty intense) they are honestly some of the best books I’ve ever reading and I would make them required reading in schools if I could.
1G. Which book do you own the most copies of or authors do you own the most books from?
I own more Terry Pratchett than any other author. That’s kind of cheating because the Discworld series is a billion books long and I don’t even own all of it but I probably own over 20? I don’t feel like getting up and counting, sorry.
As far as book I own the most copies of, though I only have one set in house, I am on something like my 12th edition of the aforementioned Newsflesh trilogy. I have the tendency it get people really excited about it, lend it to them and then buy another set so I can never be separated from it/tell the lendee to keep it to sort of guilt them into actually reading it.
2A. Who is your favorite book boyfriend/girlfriend?
Um. Favorite meaning one? I…I don’t do one. Let me see, off the top of my head: Mycroft from Every Breath, Levi from Fangirl, Cricket from Lola and the Boy Next Door, Froi from the Lumatere Chronicles, Jonah Griggs from Jellicoe Road, Shaun Mason from Newsflesh, honestly the list goes on forever.
2G. What book(s) do you think deserves more hype?
Newsflesh, anything by Melina Marchetta, everything by Rachel Aaron/Rachel Bach (same author), all my favs, books written by someone other than John Green/Veronica Roth/Kiera Cass/Cassandra Clare
3A. What are your favorite book covers?
The Jessica Hische cover version of Pride and Prejudice, the Penguin Dropcaps Classics (designed by Jessica Hische) (Jessica Hische is my favorite designer ever, btw). I’m a sucker for gorgeous typography-focused anything.
3G. *whistles innocently* Seen any good TV lately?
HAVE I MENTIONED THIS LITTLE SHOW CALLED THE 100 THAT I GOT ENTIRELY OBSESSED WITH?
4A. Name 3 fictional places you would move to in a heartbeat.
Hogwarts (duh), Diagonal Alley, Hogsmede (Harry Potter if you are somehow not catching the drift)
4G. Do you have any secret talents or quirks?
I think it would actually be easier to ask if I have any normal behavior patterns but okay, let’s go with the quirks. Let’s see. When I’m really focused on something I kind of mutter to myself and narrate what I’m doing out loud in this weird made up accent. I hold complicated, five person point of view arguments with myself in my head that I occasionally transcribe for the amusement of others. I am deeply soothed by folding candy wrappers and other assorted bits of garbage into tiny, intricate folded envelope ball things, the smaller and more tightly folded I can make them, the more points I award myself. There’s more stuff but I’m going to stop myself there.
5A. What books are you looking forward to most in 2015?
THE LAST RAVEN CYCLE. THE RAVEN CYCLE IS ENDING IN 2015 AND I AM FREAKING THE FUCK OUT. Invasion of the Tearling (greetings from the lonely camp I Loved Queen of the Tearling Haters To The Left, population 5), A Darker Shade of Magic by Victoria Schwab, The Vanishing Throne by Elizabeth May
5G. What was your favorite book of the last month?
Uuuuggghhhhhhh here’s that one favorite thing again. IT’S TOO HARD *cries*
Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater and Endsinger by Jay Kristoff
6A. Name your favorite and least favorite books of 2014.
(See complaint above and repeat)
Fav: the two from 5G, Every Breath by Ellie Marney, The Girl With All The Gifts by M. R. Carey, other stuff I’m not thinking of right now
Least fav: 50 Shades of Grey by E. L. James (obvs this did not come out in 2014 but I tried to read it a few months ago and it is worth noting as it is the first book to disgust me to the point I was actually nauseous and had to quit)
6G. How did you start reading YA?
Well I originally read it when I actually was a YA and I read everything I could get my hands on. I got back into when I randomly came across Divergent on sale in the iBooks store and I snagged it because it sounded fun. The next thing I knew I’d discovered goodreads and book bloggers and book twitter and the rest was history.
7A. Who is your most owned author?
See 1G
7G. What food are you craving right this minute?
Cheese. There’s a block of cheddar in the fridge and it’s getting to be night cheese time.
8A. When and why did you start blogging?
I started blogging a little over a year ago. I was kind of lurking on the fringes of the book blogging community and I wanted to participate but I also knew there was no way in hell I could deal with starting and maintaining my own blog. One day my favorite book blog mentioned they were looking for contributors. I sent them the most embarrassingly and possibly scarily enthusiastic email I’ve ever written in my life more or less begging for a shot. Long story short, Steph and Kat emailed back and now I am here, spewing words at you like you guys asked for it.
8G. What’s your Hogwarts House and why?
Hagrid’s Hut. No, seriously, hear me out. I am way too lazy for Gryffindor, way too mean for Hufflepuff, probably not mean enough for Slytherin and if I were put in Ravenclaw the first time that damn riddle door asked me a question on a bad day when I didn’t feel like answering, I would light that shit on fire and get thrown out and hopefully made Groundskeeper’s Apprentice anyway.
9A. What is your favorite thing about blogging?
Freaking out about books with other people who are just as into them as I am. This community is the fucking best and I love you guys so much.
9G.If you could make any fictional animal your pet, who would it be?
Toothless from How To Train Your Dragon
10A. What hobbies do you have besides reading?
I like making things. This ranges from crafting to designing fun stuff to drawing (though not so much the last one lately), watching TV, finding weird and funny things on the internet, sitting on my ass. Every now and then I get a burst of active (aka my husband drags me out of the house) and go camping (super weird considering how much I deeply love sitting on my ass, but if you think about it camping is really just sitting on my ass outside).
10G. What’s your superpower? (Not which one do you want, but which one do you have?)
I can do all kinds of complicated braid things and speed read. Also, I am a ninja.
Due to the whole not running thing, I’m not going to tag anyone. Instead I’m going to sit here and watch The 100 (again) and invite you guys to totally join me (Weds at 9 on The CW, you should check it out and watch it live because people keep throwing around scary worlds like ‘might be cancelled’ and I am not emotionally equipped to handle that) because it is awesome and who needs exercise anyway?
Bieke @ Istyria book blog
Toothless!! 😀 I want him as a pet too. 🙁
Meg Morley
He’s so cuuuuute! Totally reminds me of my cat, too.
Angie
Your answer to 8G is already my favorite thing of today/answer to any question on this survey ever. Nothing is going to top that.
(and shhhhhh OMG don’t even mention that The 100 might be cancelled that is an impossible thing that can never happen ever)
Meg Morley
Hahahahaha, well I was thinking it through awhile back and realized that I didn’t really feel like I belonged in any of the houses and that I really liked Hagrid’s Hut and would be totally cool living there and voila!
(I AM SO AFRAID ANGIE. TELL EVERYONE TO WATCH IT/PROMOTE IT/HASHTAG/LET NETWORKS KNOW IT HAS AN AUDIENCE)
Amanda
Can I please join you in the Tearling love tent? I swear I’m stalking edelweiss nearly daily for book two.
I also alternately Newsflesh/Lumatere on every potential reader possible. I’m currently harassing my sister into finishing Deadline. I’m obsessed.
Meg Morley
WELCOME TO CAMP TEARLING WE NEED ALL THE RECRUITS WE CAN GET!
I see you have excellent taste all around. High five!
Amanda
Fantastic! I can’t wait to see Kelsea kick some ass. And get some explanations.
Christina (A Reader of Fictions)
I am trying to so hard to figure out why it’s numbered 1a, 1g and failing utterly. Are you doing this to break my brain, Meg? HUH HUH HUH?
Ummm, also, you word awesomely and I also often talk to myself while doing things, but in varying accents. What do you mean that is a quirk? That’s obviously a normal thing that everybody does.
Meg Morley
Ashlea/Gillian. That might be clearer if you know that each person that tags you gives you their own set of 10 questions and I mashed mine up. Idk, I was half drunk when I started writing these.
YES THE ACCENT THING! I’m only calling it weird because whenever people hear me doing it in the office they go all wtf? Personally, I think it helps me concentrate but what do I know?
Eileen
I’d totally pick Toothless too! I totally love how you chose Hagrid’s Hut lol.
Meg Morley
Toothless is the absolute best! Hagrid’s Hut is cool, okay? Also the actual houses feel like too much pressure.
Morgan @ Gone with the Words
Hagrid’s Hut!! Hahah I love your reasoning, respect.
I also really like the format you answered the questions in! I got tagged 3 times (WHOA) so I think I’ll do something similar. Gorgeous book covers and excellent 2015 picks 😀
Angela @ Angela's Library
I agree with you about the Raven Cycle…once that series ends I am going to be reduced to a whimpering, quivering puddle of “Now-what-am-I-going-to-do-with-my-life?”-ness.
Natalie Monroe
Toothless would make an awesome pet. I’d ride him all day long and people would call me Khalessi.
Megz
I HAVE A TOOTHLESS TEDDY FROM BUILDABEAR! I WIN! Mwahahaha.
Just sayin’. 🙂
Ellis
1A. I AM SORRY. Another friendship crime.
1G. SHOCKED SURPRISED FLABBERGASTED. (Decided not to go with APPALLED this time because why would I be APPALLED that you have so many Pratchett/Newsflesh books? Indeed I am NOT.)
2A. Always go for polyamory. Because Jonah and Froi wouldn’t punch out the other’s teeth if that other came for their girl/most favourite person in the entire world AT ALL.
2G. non check – check – non check – sort of check? Clearly I need to put some extra effort in CONTINUING THE MISSION. Though you also need to read Looking For Alibrandi. Hey Meg hey. Read Alibrandi.
3A. Jessica Hische is a cool name. It’s a famous person name (like Rae Carson, for example, a name that SCREAMS to be given to a talented person that should get hella famous). (Laini Taylor is also one.) Also, you need to tell me what a dropcap is because I feel like I want to know what that means and right now I have no clue. I know. YOU ARE SHOCKED. I know I can google but I want you to explain it to me in designer-y terms. I also don’t know this Jessica Hische person – YOU ARE SHOCKED /AGAIN/ – but she sure has a cool name.
3G. Today truly is THE WORST WEDNESDAY.
4A. EXCUSE YOU WHAT ABOUT MONMOUTH FACTORY AND OUR DREAM TO RULE HENRIETTA. I hope you catch what I did there.
4B. You forgot to mention you transcribe your five-POV-thoughts for the education of others as well but they are indeed VAIR AMUSING. I also do the thing with the candy wrappers because YES IT IS SO SOOTHING. (I realise all-capping that might be perceived as counterproductive but also we don’t do normal behaviour patterns soooooo.)
5A. APPARENTLY THE VANISHING THRONE’S PUB DATE GOT MOVED TO NOVEMBER. AND I’M TALKING UK RELEASE BC THERE ISN’T EVEN ANY INFO ABOUT WHETHER IT’S EVEN GOING TO HAVE A US RELEASE. So, you know, I can hook you up if TBD decides to get pesky again with regions and stuff.
The Raven Cycle is never ending. That’s why it’s called A CYCLE. (My brain did a thing that led to a Raven Cycle menopause line of thinking and I think it’s best if I’m not going to elaborate on this one. VOUS ÊTES WELCOME.)
5G. I approve of this choice.
6A. SHOCKED APPALLED FLABBERGASTED
(It did work in this case.)
6G. I always go with Delirium for this question because it’s much less embarrassing than the actual answer.
….
….
….
….
….
(Fallen)
NO JUDGING
7A. See 1G
7G. HA. Do you still want cheese after yesterday or is it always night cheese time. (See, this is why it would work in your advantage to switch to European time too (or like half-switch) (when it’s convenient) because then 2/3 of your day is actually night, though lbr it is always time for night cheese. (If Luke ever asks, I am not an enabler.) (He might break our pact otherwise.)
8A. I DID ASK FOR IT EVEN BEFORE I KNEW I WAS ASKING FOR IT. It’s always a pleasure to read your word-spew, Megara. Also I will forever carry the pride of stalking you first. (Don’t fight me on this. I remember allll the details.) (About how we bonded over Allegiant (even though I’ve still not read that shhhh) and and the TERRIBLE TREATMENT of Bonnie Bennett (even though I’m no longer watching that though exams are coming up in a few months so who knows shhhh). Oh and also I remember because I followed you first after this GI comment you left and when I read it I was like DID SHE PEAK INTO MY BRAIN (because, you know, you kind of do that sometimes) and then I decided we had to be friends. I do think you already followed me at that point but we hadn’t talked yet. SO A N Y W A Y I remember following you first because when you followed me back my brain yelled WAIT WHAT DID I DO NO MEG NO YOU’RE GOING TO REGRET THIS but here we are 1.5 years later. (How are you not regretting this.) (Also we’re kind of old?)
8G. You know, I honestly don’t know what my house would be and I spend way less time thinking about it than I feel I should? I think I gravitate towards Slytherin and I saw a thing on Tumblr once about Slytherins that was mean as hell and also I think I could rock a green scarf and cape or whatever the hell they wear. Obviously I’d come visit you in Haggie’s hut ALL THE DAMN TIME and then we could sneak out and go look for unicorns in that forest.
9A. Liar. You’re totally in it for the free books, you greedy blogger bitch.
9G. ABRAXOSSSSSSS (obvious connection. Speaking of, I saw someone on GR say that from HoF onwards they wanted Manon/Abraxos to become the main story line (sort of cool with this if what she actually means is 50/50 Manon/Celaena and nothing for Chaol byeeeeee but idt she does) and that Manon becomes Queen of Adarlan (into it) and for ABRAXOS TO BE HER CONSORT…..??????? (this is why I don’t think she wants a 50/50 story line because clearly this girl has issues).) (There’s the squished boob again.) Moving on.
10A. You and I have a very different definition of camping though I can see how you can make it an almost exclusively stationary activity if you camp right. I MEAN WRONG. Eh, it depends on my mood. But you are very good at the designing stuff. So good even that I almost didn’t RSVP because it meant having to part with the beauteous RSVP card/invitation/idk the term because I’m YOUNG AND FRESH AND SINGLE. Also you should update your post and add: becoming Tumblr famous by conflating Spuffy and Bellarke and RUINING EVERYONE FOREVER EVEN THOSE WHO HAVEN’T REACHED THAT POINT IN THEIR BUFFY WATCH YET. We’re close, though. I think next ep is the one where Spike makes his first ever original appearance (got a bit carried away there but I think the message made it across.) and I am PUMPED.
10G. WHO THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD IDEA TO GO WITH THE BORING HAVE INSTEAD OF THE MUCH BETTER WANT. I’M COMING FOR YOU, GILLER.
Ellis
So turns out I left two math cages and meant *me as hell instead of mean as hell though lbr both are applicable to me. Oh, and you peeked into my brain. It would be better for everyone involved if you didn’t peak in it. Dear lord I was on a trip this morning.