Thursday, August 18, 2016

The Olympic Book Tag


This awesome tag was created by Shannon at It Starts At Midnight. The graphics in this post are all stolen from her. I'm not a big sports fan, but I'll give the book Olympics my best shot.











Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick. I’m pretty sure this book was made specifically for me. Odd structure, remote setting, lots of death, and beautiful writing? What's not to love?  







All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. It’s slow, but it’s so good. If you like descriptive writing, this is a must-read. So far, it's my favorite book I’ve read in 2016. 







A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. A book has never made me cry, but this one is pretty devastating. Cancer, monsters, and gorgeous illustrations.







The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough. Love and Death have been friends and rivals for centuries. Ethan and Henry also have a strong friendship. If you like books with witty banter between friends, check this one out.







A Long Way from Chicago: A Novel in Stories by Richard Peck. Every summer, Joey spends a week in rural Illinois with his eccentric grandmother. Potentially deadly events ensue. 







Unwind by Neal Shusterman. This whole dystopian series is pretty twisted. Brilliant and twisted . . .







Say You’re One of Them by Uwem Akpan. Oprah told me to read it, but the dialect made it unreadable. I guess Oprah and I have very different tastes in literature.







Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. There’s all sorts of death going on in this sci-fi novel. The book even has a body-counter. I can’t wait to read the sequel.







Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. Do I need to explain this? Harry is everybody’s favorite.







Dracula by Bram Stoker. Who knew vampire hunting was so tedious? The characters spend most of the book giving speeches and writing in their diaries. I just wanted to see someone kill a vampire.







Saving Wonder by Mary Knight. There are good love triangles? I wouldn’t call any love triangle “good,” but the one in this book is cute. It’s middlegrade, so it’s all very innocent. 







Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech will always be my favorite road trip book. I first read it when I was a kid and have reread it many, many times sense. While Sal’s grandparents take her to see her mother, she tells them the story of her neighbor and a lunatic.







Make Something Up: Stories You Can’t Unread by Chuck Palahniuk. This short story collection features a surprising variety of animals, including a horse with . . . um . . . unusual talents. This horse will never make it to the Olympics.







I Am The Cheese by Robert Cormier. I don’t read sports books, but the kid in this story spends a lot of time on a bike as he tries to uncover what happened in his past. After peddling all those miles, he’d probably be ready for the Olympics.




Have you been watching the Olympics? There are so many things I didn't know were sports . . .











14 comments:

  1. I agree there are so many events that I have never heard of or thought were sports. You had me laugh at "Oprah told me to read it, but the dialect made it unreadable. I guess Oprah and I have very different tastes in literature." I actually need to read an Oprah pick for one of my challenges and I will be sure to avoid that one!

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    1. YES! If you’re going to read an Oprah book, avoid that one. It was unbelievably frustrating.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  2. Dude, so true! There are so many things that like, you would NEVER think are sports- and then they took some sports away! I didn't know that baseball wasn't in the Olympics anymore! What even? Also, good call on Unwind! I don't use that one nearly enough, considering it's a favorite! And I love how everyone gets salty about the "good love triangle" bwhahah 😂 I had to make a few of these challenging, right? I really need to read All the Light We Cannot See and The Game of Love and Death, because I have heard so many good things about both. Also, great calls with A Monster Calls and Illuminae, too! So glad you decided to do this!! ♥

    OH and I have been watching the Olympics... or well, HAD been, I guess. I get kind of bored after swimming and gymnastics end ;)

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    1. Thanks for making this tag. I had a lot of fun with it. I watched a few Olympic sports, and swimming was one of the more interesting ones. Some of them were boring (probably because I had no idea what was going on) . . .

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  3. I don't know how many Oprah picks I've ever read...probably just the ones that actually sound good to me because I don't read them otherwise. I don't feel like we have similar tastes either. LOL I do really love this tag though - it's fun! I've been watching some of the Olympics but mostly just gymnastics and swimming. I have to admit that handball was quite intriguing!! YAY for I Am the Cheese. I love that book.

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.blogspot.com

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    1. I think I’ve read 4 or 5 Oprah books in my life. It feels like her book club has been around forever, but most of her picks don’t appeal to me.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  4. I've been watching the Olympics, but mainly just swimming! I'd like to watch more, but my schedule doesn't allow me to, unfortunately.
    I know what you mean about A Monster Calls. It was absolutely heartbreaking. I'm not a reader who cries easily, but that book was definitely the closest I've ever gotten. Plus the movie is coming out soon...I have no idea if I'll be able to watch it without breaking down!
    Erika @ Books and Stars

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    1. The movie version of A Monster Calls is going to be intense. I’m not sure I want to see it . . .

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  5. What a cool tag! When are the Olympics over, btw? I feel like they've been going on for everrrr.

    I'm really interested in a Monster Calls after reading a few reviews. The illustrations that I saw are amazing!
    So, I got curious about the Oprah Book Club book (hadn't heard of it), and it seems a lot of people feel the same way. It also looks like a very dark and depressing book. :(

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    1. I have no idea when the Olympics are over. Probably soon? They feel like they’ve been on forever. The bits of the Oprah book I read were pretty depressing, but I didn’t make it very far because the dialect was too annoying to read.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  6. I'd gotten my sister hooked on the Chaos Walking series, so when I got to meet Patrick Ness at NCTE, I asked him to sign a copy of A Monster Calls for her. She finally read it last week and texted me, "My sleeve is soggy." (Personally, I think I wept more for Manchee.)
    I should do this tag--I'm not very sporty either, but the categories are fun!

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    1. I hope you do this tag. I’d love to see your picks. I’ve thought about reading the Chaos Walking books, but it probably won’t happen for a long time.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  7. Midwinterblood and Illuminae are absolutely amazing, aren't they? ♥ So glad that you enjoyed them as much as I did. And A Monster Calls was heartbreaking, wasn't it? Thanks for sharing and, as always, fabulous choices!

    ~ Zoe @ Stories on Stage

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    1. Thanks! I love Midwinterblood. It’s one of my favorite YA books.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

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