t a g s – The Bibliophile Thoughts

Book Buying Habits Tag!

I have been on the hunt for another fun tag and saw this over at Zezee with Books blog and thought it would be perfect for someone like me. 🤣 Actually I am proud of myself (for now) cause I haven’t been buying any books for the past months so this will be interesting to answer.

~This was originally created by Megan Olivier on youtube but I wasn’t able to find the original video for it.~

So without further ado, let’s get on with the questions shall we?

Where do you buy your books?

Majority (if not all) of my books I got from Fully Booked, which is one of the most famous bookstore here. This is where I go to get brand new releases and/or books by famous authors and so on. On the other hand, for my historical romance books I get them on booksale and/or FB marketplace. This are the stores that sell secondhand books for a very cheap price BUT still in good condition.

do you ever preorder books and if so, do you do this in store or online?

I have never tried to preorder any books actually. I feel like when I do I’ll be more impatient on getting them knowing that I have already paid for it and all. 😂 I am very impatient when it comes to books.

on average, how many books do you buy in a month?

If you have asked me this before I might have answered 4 to 5 books but now that I am trying my best not to just buy books spontaneously maybe about 1-2. This still depends if I do have anticipated books arriving in that month if not, I don’t buy any.

do you use your local library?

I would love to but I never got the chance to. And it is a bit far from where I live.

IF SO – HOW MANY BOOKS CAN YOU/DO YOU BORROW AT A TIME?

If I do have the chance I think 1 would be enough for now cause I don’t think I’ll be able to get to a lot of books cause of work and stuff. 😅

WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ON LIBRARY BOOKS?

I did enjoy visiting my college library back in the day and they do keep the books in very good condition which I am happy about.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT CHARITY SHOPS/SECOND-HAND BOOKS?

I LOVE them! Biblio and Booksale are the top Second-hand bookstores I visit a TON of times before the pandemic. I love looking around and discovering hidden gems on the shelves. I get all of my historical romance there and even though they are second hand books they are still in very good condition some even looks brand new.

DO YOU KEEP YOUR READ AND TBR PILE TOGETHER/ON THE SAME BOOKSHELF OR NOT?

I do. If I don’t, a few of my series would be separated from each other and that will bother me a bit so might aswell keep them all together.

DO YOU PLAN TO READ ALL THE BOOKS YOU OWN?

Absolutely. I have given away books that I don’t plan on reading or rereading and the only once left in my collection are the books I am 100% sure am going to read… which is still a lot.

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH BOOKS YOU OWN THAT YOU FEEL YOU’LL NEVER READ/FELT YOU DIDN’T ENJOY?

Sell them or give them away. When I declutter books from my shelf I always have the thought that it’ll be better to give them to someone who WOULD enjoy them rather than it being stuck on my shelf collecting dust.

HAVE YOU EVER DONATED BOOKS?

Ummm.. I haven’t actually. I think i’ll try that next time. But first, I need to know where to donate. 😅

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ON A BOOK-BUYING BAN?

YES! SO MANY TIMES! Some have worked and some… not really.

DO YOU FEEL THAT YOU BUY TOO MANY BOOKS?

Nowadays not really. I always have a long talk with myself before deciding to buy a book. A lot of questions arises in this conversation like if I really want it or is it just the hype or how long would it be stuck in my shelf and so on. But I do try to read 1-2 books from my shelf before getting 1 book. This has worked for me before and fingers crossed it’ll work again.

And that is the end of this tag. If you are someone who loves and enjoys buying books this is the tag for you so feel free to do this! Until next time. 💜

The Currently Reading Tag!

I have been in a roll of posting here on my blog since I got my new computer and hopefully this continues. 🤞

So today I have a book tag and I saw this while searching for a bunch of blog ideas to do and I don’t really remember where but this was created by Charly Ray over at YouTube so don’t forget to check her video here.

Without further ado let’s get on to the questions! 🙌

1. how many books do you usually read at once?

If you had asked me this question before I would definitely answer you with this… 1. 😅 But as time went by I could handle 2 books at once. (Honestly can’t understand how other people read 4-5 books at once! Still not on that level and not sure when I would be.)

2. If you’re reading more than one book at a time, how do you decide when to switch to reading the other book (do you read a certain amount of pages in each?)

What I usually do is read one book at work (on break of course) and the other when I get home. I don’t usually set a certain amount of pages to read in each but I read more at home since I have a lot of time before going to bed (until midnight specifically).

3. Do you ever switch bookmarks while you’re part way through a book?

Nope. It takes me awhile to choose a bookmark when starting a book so I feel like it will be a hassle for me since I have to choose another one that would feel right for my current read.

4. Where do you keep the book you’re currently reading?

Either on my desk or on my bed under the pillow or blanket cause my cat loves to chew on the side of the covers.

5. What time of day do you spend the most time reading?

At night until midnight… or until 4 in the morning.

6. How long do you typically read for in one go?

When at work during my break I usually read about half an hour since my break only lasts for an hour. At home if in one go… an hour and a half to two hours.

7. Do you read hard covers with the dust jacket on or off?

Off! I feel like when I leave it on somehow I would rip it or worse my cat gets to it and THAT would definitely be a nightmare cause hardcovers aren’t cheap people.

8. Which position do you mainly use to read?

9. Do you take the book you’re currently reading with you everywhere you go?

Yes and no. I will definitely bring it on vacation, overnights or a coffee shop but when I go to work or hang out with friends I usually just bring my kindle cause it’s smaller compared to a physical book.

10. How often do you update your progress in the book you’re currently reading on goodreads?

When I remember to. 🤣 But I really want to make this a habit and update it everytime I am done reading for the day/night.

11. Who would you like to tag?

Angele Reads Books

Misty’s Book Space

Bookish Luna

and anyone else who wants to do this tag!

Goodreads Was Wrong Book Tag

I have been tagged by my good friend Angele over at Angele Reads Books to do this tag so thank you so much friend!

I have been trying to finish this since last week and well.. procrastination hits and I wasn’t able to do it. (But I was able to start Way of Kings so don’t get mad at me Angele). 😂

Goodreads has been my go to tracker since I started reading. This was also where I have posted my very first review before creating my own blog so when I want to post past reviews here I can go and check there (I might have to tweak some stuff before posting though). 😂 But I have actually removed a TON of titles on my Goodreads so we’ll see how this one goes.

This tag is originally created by GabsAboutBooks, so make sure to check it out and without further ado let’s get into the tag!

1. what is the highest rated book that you gave a low rating? (sort your books in goodreads based on average ratings and find the highest rated book you gave a low rating)

Heartstopper: Volume 3 by Alice Oseman

Heartstopper is actually becoming one of my all time favorite graphic novel with 4.65 ratings and a Goodreads Choice Winner last year. I gave this a 3 star and I really did enjoy it but I think I set my expectations to high after reading the 2nd volume (which was my favorite). Still highly recommended though.

2. what is the lowest rated book that you gave a high rating? (sort your books in goodreads based on average ratings, in reverse order, and find the lowest rated book you gave a high rating)

The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson

This was actually a shock for me cause I LOVED this book and is one of the top books I have read last year (review here). It has a 3.82 rating on Goodreads but I gave it 4 stars.

3. what is the most popular book you disagree with the average rating? (sort your books in goodreads based on number of ratings, and find the first book you disagree with the average rating)

The Giver by Lois Lowry

I know this was a classic with over 1,896,232 ratings and a 4.13 rating but I gave it a 2.5 star. This was actually a book I read way back because of the hype it was receiving and the movie coming out. This was also the very first review I made on my past blog but honestly speaking, now that I’m thinking about it.. I don’t remember what really happened in the book.

4. what is the least popular book you disagree with the average rating? (sort your books in goodreads based on number of ratings, in reverse order, and find the first book you disagree with the average rating)

What a Difference a Duke Makes by Lenora Bell

I have been on a historical romance kick since the year started and this was one I did enjoy and gave 4 stars (I think I’m starting to like Duke-Governess romance). But on Goodreads it only has 2,074 ratings and an average of 3.80 rating.

5. Choose two books that have an average rating of 3/5 stars but you gave a higher rating?

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta Goodreads 3.87. The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson Goodreads 3.79. Gave both of this books 4 stars. HIGHLY recommended!

6. Choose two books that have an average rating of 3/5 stars but you gave a lower rating?

An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson Goodreads 3.66. This Scot of Mine by Sophie Jordan Goodreads 3.67. Gave both of this 2 stars.

7. Choose two books that have an average rating of 4/5 stars but you gave a lower rating?

Fire by Kristin Cashore Goodreads 4.09. Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn Goodreads 4.07. Gave both of this 3 stars.

And that is the last question for this tag. Doing this made me realize a few things. I have been using Goodreads for 7 years now (joined on 2014) and back then I have made decisions based on the ratings they show here. Good thing I stopped doing that cause I found out that me and Goodreads do not agree as much as I though. How bout you guys? Do you agree with the average ratings of the book you’ve read so far? Anyone feeling the same way as I do?

Feel free to do this tag if you want to!

Spring Cleaning Book Tag 🌸

I was catching up on blog post earlier this week and saw this and thought “Why not?”

I wasn’t tag for this or anything but I was interested to do it after reading Kat’s post over at her blog Life and Other Disasters.

This tag was originally created by Jen over at Book Syrup on youtube (sorry the link isn’t working anymore).

1. the struggle of getting started: a book/book series that you have struggled to begin because of its size?

Hands down The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon! I mean did you guys see how HUGE this book is? It has about 830 pages! But I did really like it buuuuut… I haven’t finished it yet. 😅 I think I have about 200-300 pages left but I haven’t picked it up yet (I should really do that).

2. cleaning out the closet: a book and/or book series you want to unhaul?

I have been debating on unhauling my Warcross Duology by Marie Lu for quite some time now. I did really enjoy the 1st book but the 2nd book just didn’t do it for me. My expectation was so high for this since this was the first book I’ve read and liked that contains the element of a game in the story. But every time I think of letting them go… I just can’t. 😅

3. opening windows and letting fresh air in: a book that was refreshing.

Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend is still the most refreshing and magical book I have read so far. This was the book that made me start reading middle grade and it was also one of the books that got me off of my reading slump. Highly recommend it if you are looking into trying middle grade books. 🥰

4. washing out sheet stains: a book you wish you could rewrite a certain scene in?

I was stuck in this for awhile and I was looking at the books on my shelf and then realize… Escaping from Houdini by Kerri Maniscalco. If you have read this book I think you know what scene I mean. I don’t want to say anything else cause I don’t want to spoil it but OH MY GOSH… it still irritates me when I remember it.

5. throwing out unecessary knick knacks: a book in a series that you didn’t feel was necessary?

Restore Me by Tahereh Mafi. (Actually the following 3 books.) Don’t get me wrong I LOVED the first 3 books in this series and I was so excited when I first got Restore me but I have heard mixed things about the following books and I just didn’t want to ruin the love I had for this series. I am still debating on reading this and I feel like every time I look at my shelf it stares at me cause I haven’t really opened it since I got it.

(And it’s a bit unsettling since it has an eye in the cover. 👀)

6. polishing the door knobs: a book that had a clean finish?

The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi. I recently finished this book and for a standalone fantasy I felt very satisfied with the ending. We all know that fantasy books usually has 3 or more books in it cause of all the world building, plots, characters and so on but I really loved and enjoyed reading this. I didn’t feel that it was lacking at the end of it cause I felt like it tied up everything nicely.

7. reaching to dust the fan: a book that tried too hard to relay a certain message?

For this I can’t really think of anything. 😅

8. the tiring yet satisfying finish of spring cleaning: a book series that was tiring yet satisfying to get through?

The All Souls Trilogy (minus the 3rd book) by Deborah Harkness. First off I haven’t read the last book yet AND I didn’t choose this cause they were bad or anything. I actually really really LOVE this and it has become one of my all time favorite series! It’s just that… they were super long (700+ pages) and very intimidating. I felt like I was back in college while reading this cause of all the scientific stuff it has in it that made my brain malfunction a bit at times. But the historical aspect… enjoyed every bit of it.

Also I really need to watch the series ASAP!

That is it for today’s tag! What do you guys think? Have you read the books I have mentioned? Agree or Disagree? Let’s talk in the comments down below! 😊

Feel free to do this tag if you want to! 🌸

Bookshelf Time Capsule Tag

I was thinking earlier on what to post for today and saw Regan’s video at PeruseProject do this tag and immediately thought of doing it myself.

This tag was originally created by Jesse over at JessetheReader on youtube.

1. Give us an overview of your shelves and tell us where they are from?

2. Which shelf on your bookshelf is your favorite?

Definitely my Brandon Sanderson and Rick Riordan shelf. Two of my favorite authors in the world. I think I spent the longest time arranging this part cause I wanted it to be the highlight of my main shelf. I do plan on collecting all of their books and I feel like one shelf wouldn’t be enough for all of them. 😅

3. Do you keep every book you read or do you ditch the ones you don’t end up loving?

As much as I want to keep ALL of the books I buy I do need to be practical. If you asked me before if I ever plan on giving away my books my answer would be a definite “NO” but now I can proudly say that the remaining books in my collection are favorites and books I haven’t been able to read yet. Books I didn’t like or feel like I won’t be rereading at all I either sell or giveaway.

4. What do you do when your bookshelf’s fill up?

5. do you have an organization method or is there an organization method that you’ve been wanting to try?

As of now I organize my shelf by genre/alphabetical. Rainbow shelf is one I would really want to try out but when I did it before it didn’t quite turn out the way I wanted to cause I had limited colors for the rainbow.

6. How often do you reorganize your shelves and how do you approach it?

Since moving I haven’t reorganized my shelf yet but before I guess I try to change it up once or twice a month. Depends on my mood really. What I usually do is remove every book on my shelf and go from there.

7. is there a shelf in your bookshelf that bothers you no matter what?

Definitely this shelf. It’s just too tall to fit normal size books so it looks quiet awkward and weird. 😅

8. Which book color dominates your shelf?

Black 🖤

9. What’s the most damage book on your shelf and give us a story time as to how it got that way?

I usually keep all my books in good condition but this fell of recently from my shelf while I was packing up all my books for the move. It bothered me for awhile but I didn’t think it would be practical to get a new copy.

10. Do you have any books on your shelf that have major printing errors?

None that I know of.

11. WHAT’S THE UGLIEST SPINE ON YOUR BOOKSHELF THAT STICKS UP LIKE A SORE THUMB?

THIS SERIES! I don’t know what the deal is with changing covers EVERY. SINGLE. RELEASE! I mean… WHY?!

12. IF YOU DON’T ALREADY HAVE YOUR DREAM BOOKSHELF, WHAT DOES YOUR DREAM BOOKSHELF LOOK LIKE?

I had this photo on my phone for so long cause I am planning to have this exact same one made for when I move into my own place.

13. What’s the tallest book on your bookshelf?

14. what’s the smallest book on your bookshelf?

I have a ton of mass market book and I think those are the smallest books I own.

15.What book is your most prized prossession?

This is my BABY! Rhythm of War SIGNED edition by the one and only Brandon Sanderson. Need I say more?

16. what’s a book that make you slip back in time to a past memory once you see it on your bookshelf?

This is actually the first EVER book I bought with my own money back when I was in college. Bought this at our local booksale with my college friend and from there my collection started to grow.

And that is it for todays post & tag. I actually really enjoyed this tag and I feel like I will be coming back here in the future (when I have my own library 😉) and just reminisce and see how much more my collection grew.

Feel free to do this tag if you want to! 🌻