The Inside and Out Book Tag

Happy Tuesday lovelies! ☀️

Today, I have chosen to do a fun activity! 😀 It’s been a while and I found this great tag on The Strawberry Post, please go and check out her blog, it is incredible to read. The writer, (Kitty) Cat, posts lots of engaging book reviews as well as her own poetry.

Sadly, I couldn’t find the creator of this tag, if anyone knows who started it, let me know so I can add credit to the writer.

Ready? Let’s go!

1. Inside flap/back of book summaries: Too much info? Or not enough?

I prefer summaries that do not reveal too much of the story, just enough to get a sense of the premise and tone. I am not a huge fan of chunky summaries, admittedly, it puts me off of the book as it gives an indication that the reader needs to know a lot before turning the front page.

Example (taken from Before I Go To Sleep by S J Watson):

Memories define us.

So what if you lost yours every time you went to sleep? Your name, your identity, your past, even the people you love – all forgotten overnight. And the one person you trust may only be telling you half the story.

Welcome to Christine’s life.

This shares enough to pique my interest in five sentences, it presents the genre of thriller and mystery. It is the perfect balance of enough information to make you intrigued and want to read on.

2. New book: What form do you want it in? Be honest: Audiobook, eBook, Paperback or Hardback?

I don’t know what it is, but having a physical paperback book in my hand makes me feel content and more focused when reading. I love the feel and smell of the paper when turning the pages and its sturdy weight.

With that said, Hardback books are visually more attractive and stay intact for longer due to the extra protection.

eBooks are very convenient especially when travelling as you can download a book (or several) straight onto your phone and have it on your person at all times.

Audiobooks are not for me as I easily zone out when something is playing in the background and I’m doing some kind of other activity. Therefore, I will spend a lot of time rewinding the audiotape.

3. Scribble while you read? Do you like it in your books; take notes, make comments, or do you keep your books clean, clean, clean?

I’ve only ever scribbled inside books when studying English Literature and Language. The sides were covered in notes and sentences and keywords were highlighted in the brightest of colours. And truth be told, I liked it and didn’t think about doing it again till now…and I’m tempted to do it to the next book I read.

4. Does it matter to you whether the author is male or female when you’re deciding on a book? What if you’re unsure of the author’s gender?

I don’t think gender should be a considering factor period. Focus on the story and talent rather than the sex of the author. I enjoy reading and getting lost in worlds created by both men and women.

5. Ever read ahead? Or have you ever read the last page way before you got there?

Absolutely!

It is shameful…admittedly at times, I have jumped to the end of a chapter because I couldn’t wait to find out what was happening or I felt like I wasn’t reading fast enough, and then continued where I left off.

However, I have not jumped to the last page of a book yet. Hopefully, I can continue to maintain some cool and not spoil it entirely for myself.

6. Organised bookshelves or outrageous bookshelves?

Outrageous. There’s no other alternative. I can keep certain parts of my room and life organised, but certainly not my bookshelf haha.

To find out what I have on my bookshelf, feel free to have a read of my What’s on My Bookshelf Tag.

7. Have you ever bought a book based on the cover (alone)?

Cannot say that I have…however, the cover of a book has attracted me to read the synopsis and the first few pages. A beautifully illustrated front cover is an added bonus 😀

Undoubtedly though, there’s no better hook than the blurb. To me, that’s the make or break.

8. Take it outside to read, or stay in?

This one required quite a bit of thinking…hmmm…

Both, I guess.

I enjoy the environment and atmosphere of cafes and have spent some days reading with a slice of cake and a cup of hot chocolate. Most notably during university as there was a coffee shop on my way home where I used to stop for a few hours to go through my reading material i.e. books, plays, essays. Trains were another place where I would read as I had an hour and a half commute each way.

But there’s no better feeling of officially starting a book indoors with a cosy and warm blanket on your lap, which is how I mainly crack open a book.

What do you think? Does any of my answers match yours or do they differ incredibly? I would like to tag everyone who reads this, if you have already completed this tag or will be doing it, please leave a comment with your link so I can read it too 🙂

21 thoughts on “The Inside and Out Book Tag

  1. Great answers to this tag! 🙂 I agree long blurbs can give away too much and aren’t so intriguing and although I’ve started to enjoy audiobooks I do zone out a lot too, and have to rewind, lol.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Thank you for visiting this tag – it was inspired by your post! 😊 Happy to hear that you agree with some of my answers. I think audiobooks are a really great idea, maybe one day I’ll have a better attention span 😂 If you have any recommendations, please feel free to let me know ❤

      Liked by 1 person

      • The only audiobook I listened to recently is a ya thriller called The Island by C L Taylor. It depends on whether you like ya thrillers of course, but the narrators did a good job of voicing different character while narrating and I even gasped while listening, lol 😀

        Liked by 1 person

      • Awesome! Thank you so much for the recommendation! 😊 I wonder what happens on the island…very mysterious! I love YA thrillers and will make it the first novel I listen to when start using audiobooks ❤ Sounds like they picked the right narrator and did a brilliant job if it evoked that reaction from you 😆 hahaha

        Liked by 1 person

      • It’s definitely worth listening to, it actually had three narrators in total which I think made it easier to listen to 😀

        Liked by 1 person

  2. What a great and fun post! I agree with you about blurbs and not giving too much of the story away. Though I have a lot of ebooks, I find it much more satisfying to actually hold a book in my hands. It’s more aesthetically pleasing turning actual pages than tapping a screen. My bookshelf is an absolute mess!😂 It’s also too small for all my books, so I have several boxes full, making it very difficult to find something when needed.

    I also agree that the author’s gender makes no difference. I love good writing, period. Whoever has a compelling story, or something worthwhile to say, they have my attention, no matter who they are.

    I’m very guilty of reading the last lines of a book beforehand.🤦‍♂️😂 It’s a habit I’ve had since grade school, and never fully recovered.

    I love your answers! Again, great post! You’re doing an awesome job!👏👏

    Like

    • Thank you for reading and your comment, Jesse 💗 I’m glad you enjoyed this post. I’d really recommend doing it, it’s so fun 😀

      Having ebooks certainly keeps your home more organised and it is easier to carry when travelling 😋 My bookshelf is a complete mess too…though I kind of like it, there’s some sense to the madness, I swear! The majority of my books have also been placed in boxes as well as a suitcase in the attic which makes it a great pain when wanting to read a particular book. Hopefully, can get a bigger bookshelf in the future or find some spaces around the home to creatively store books.

      The writer’s gender should certainly make no difference – focus on their writing, support one another and be kind 💕

      Don’t worry, I do see the temptation with reading the last lines of a book 😂 it can also create some interest for the characters and see how they end up or a glimpse of their next adventure!

      Thank you so much for your support and encouragement. Your words never fail to make my day. I’m looking forward to more of your writing – it’s always a pleasure to read and so thought-provoking 👏 Keep them coming!

      Like

  3. I enjoy reading your responses here. I share a number of your preferences. I haven’t read ahead, though I have found that difficult. I’ve given in and looked at the bottom of the page. I prefer to hold a book while I read and like hardback books with readably-sized type. Not large print–that’s too much. But my proclivity for poetry and young-adult fiction is probably in part because they are easy for my eyes. Apologies to the contents of the genres.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Thank you for reading my post 💕 Your comment brought a smile to my face!
      You have a lot of restraint to not read ahead and I commend you for that ￼￼😂 and a little sneak at the bottom of the page doesn’t hurt anybody 😉 I enjoy the weight of a readable-sized book as well, but nothing too large because the sight can be quite overwhelming. I have taken a liking to poetry in recent years but lean more towards young adult fiction for your same reasons as they are visually appealing 💗 No apologies necessary, they are fun genres to read and interest a vast amount of people 😋
      Thank you for your continuous support, it means a lot. Hope you are staying well x

      Like

  4. Your post made me giggle – I love the thought of books being everywhere in your room, hapazardly stacked in different places I don’t know why it cracks me up. I loved your answers big hugs you’re amazing

    Liked by 1 person

    • Thank you for reading this post! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed so 😊 This was a really fun tag to do. To be honest, your imagination is not so far from the truth 😂 there are too many to count and books that I have not yet properly stored away are just stacked randomly inside my room. I try to not clutter or leave them around the house.
      Big hugs back to you, hun 💗 You are incredible, and looking forward to reading more of your writing!

      Liked by 1 person

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