I saw this “Thank You, Next” book tag from A Geek Girl’s Guide and I knew I needed to do this tag. I thought this was such a creative book tag and I’m on track to have a great reading year in 2019. Here are my answers to this tag:

1. Name a book you said “thank u, next” to (a book you did not finish)

Abraham Lincoln Vampire Slayer by Seth Grahame Smith. This book is a biography of Abraham Lincoln’s life, but with added elements of his personal vendetta against vampires. I thought I would enjoy this, but I found the book to be slow paced and boring.  I will say my favorite moment in that book was when Abraham Lincoln met Edgar Allen Poe. Other than that, thank you next.

2. Name a book that taught you love (a book you loved)

The Lying Woods by Ashley Elston. I was introduced to Ashley Elston from Super Space Chick’s Youtube book channel. I enjoyed every single book Ashley has published as her books are more contemporary intertwined with a mystery. The Lying Woods takes place in Louisiana where Owen is pulled from his prestigious private school after it’s found out that his father embezzled his employee’s retirement accounts and has fled from their town. There’s a terrible injustice occurring, but everything is not what it seems.  The Lying Woods was great, but I still prefer her other book This is Our Story. 

3. Name a book that taught you patience

This is technically a comic, but I’m going to use Honor and Curse #1 written by Mark London and illustrated by NicolÁs Salamanca. The reason why I picked this comic was because it sat on my shelf unread for the longest time. I wasn’t sure if I would like this story, however I was patient with myself and finally got to reading the first issue.

Honor and Curse takes place in Feudal Japan where Genshi Sakagura is adopted by the Iga clan after his parents are murdered by thieves. After an altercation with his Master, he’s haunted by an evil spirit named Tengu who can consume him to the point where Genshi doesn’t remember his actions. This series details Genshi’s fate and how Tengu manipulates his reality.

I was blown away! The story was engaging, the characters were interesting and the scenery was gorgeous. I wish I would have read it earlier.

4. Name a book that taught you pain

Prodigy by Marie Lu. The way the book ended left a cliff hanger on the outcome of one of the characters. There’s the potential that one of my favorite characters will never heal from their injuries which left the series on a somber note. There’s still one book left in the trilogy, but I’m almost dreading to read it.

5. Name a book that you loved at the time of reading, but in hindsight, you don’t like as much, though you still learned something from it.

Dietland by Sarai Walker. I rated it two stars when I originally read it because the plot felt out of place. It seemed there were multiple story lines occurring at once, but they didn’t seem to come together. However, I believe the book is still important to read because it shows how fatphobic our society is and the hurtful stereotypes placed on fat bodies every day. It highlights how we can’t judge someone’s health status based on weight which is something we need to keep repeating. It’s an important book with the themes it expresses, but the story falls short.

6. Name a book you are currently talking to

Finder’s Keepers by Stephen King. This is book #2 in the Mr. Mercedes trilogy with retired Detective Bill Hodges. It’s funny because I thought Mr. Mercedes was okay, but Finder’s Keepers was SO GOOD. This latest series by Stephen King revolves around Bill Hodges and his most famous case being unsolved during his employment. It was the case surrounding the Mr. Mercedes killer who plowed into a crowd of job seekers during the 2009 recession. The first book solves the case, but in book #2, there’s another killer who is deadly and just a shitty person in general. Bill reunites with Jerome and Holly to save a young boy and his sister from this awful person.

After I finished this book at work, I talked to myself in my car ride home about how much I liked this book. I gave this book five stars on Goodreads while I gave Mr. Mercedes three stars. It has given me renewed interest in the series and I’m heading to the library either today or tomorrow to see if they have the third book available to check out.

7. Name a book that’s going to last (the book that helped you love yourself a little bit more)

Re-reading the Harry Potter books will always provide self love. I owe so much to the Harry Potter series as far as my love of reading, but also with being a geek. I’m on the Half Blood Prince now and I know I will feel a sense of loss when I’m done reading the series.

Feel free to do this tag if you feel so inclined. Make sure you credit Michelle @ A Geek Girl’s Guide at the link above.