The Book ♥ Tag

Hey Guys! So today, I have another book tag for you! I'm doing the Book ♥ Tag, which was created by YouTubers booksandquills and Jean Bookishthoughts. You can check out their original tag video here. Before we start, one thing you should know about me is that romance isn't a genre I read specifically from. I do enjoy some romance in my books though and that's what I'll be basing my answers on.

1. Who is your favorite literary couple?

For this one,I have to pick Alana and Marko from the Saga graphic novel series. Not only are they ready to face the wrath of the entire universe just to be together, but they also bring out the best out of each other. What I also really love about them is that they have full confidence in each other's strengths. Marko for example would die for Alana but he still lets her fight her battles because that's the best way he can show his love for her. They are portrayed very realistically and show that love doesn't have to be sugar-coated to still resonate strongly with readers.  

2. Your Top 3 fictional boyfriends (or girlfriends!)

Jem Carstairs

The first one just has to be Jem Castairs from the Infernal Devices Trilogy by Cassandra Clare. I know a lot of you actually prefer Will Herondale from that series but I'm on team Jem forever. He's kind, loyal, just the right amount of tragic and... he plays the violin! I mean, come on! 

Number two would be Mr. Rochester from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. Mr Rochester is the very definition of dark and brooding and while not big on physical demonstrations of affection, in the end he makes his actions count. And did I mention dark and brooding? 

Number three would be Gabriel Oak from Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy. He stays true to his love throughout the book, even choosing to let her go when it seems to be the best for her. Discover more about Gabriel and this story from my full review of this book here.

3. What's a romantic trope you wish people would stop using?

Ugh. It has to be that thing when the guy will pretend he no longer loves the girl because he's trying to make their separation less hard on her because for some reason being with him would be dangerous to her or something like that. New Moon anyone? Come on, how many of you actually bought it when Edward 'dumped' Bella? Frustratingly enough, this trope shows up in one of my favorites series as well (no, NOT Twilight). In the Mortal Instruments, again by Clare, something similar happens between Clary and Jace just when things seem to start going well for them. Frustrating much?!

4. Which literary couple are terrible for each other?

Tess and Angel from Tess of the d'Ubervilles by Thomas Hardy. The love Tess has for Angel is so obssessive it would make Bella's reaction to Edward's departure actually look sane. Without getting too much into the plot, Tess initially learns trust and love through Angel but eventually, her feelings for him end up taking over her life entirely, ultimately sealing her particularly tragic fate. Theirs was quite the cursed romance but the book is actually very good so I would totally recommend it. 

5. Best romance book to movie adaptation?

Like I said, I don't really read romance books so for this one, I'm going to pick a romantic relationship that translated well from the book to the screen. I'm going to pick Snape's love for Lily from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (part 2 for the movie). In the short screen time devoted to their relationship, I think the movie really managed to deliver all the feels you would expect from the book.

6. What is the best book to read to your boyfriend/girlfriend?

It would have to be something entertaining without being cluttered with too many action or violence. I would pick anything from Haruki Murakami. There's something really soothing with his writing which I think would be awesome for a book being read aloud. If I had to settle for one of his books, I would go with 1Q84. It's also a little bit weird, which would make for a great discussion afterwards.

7. Which book would you say is your favorite on a first date?

It would have to be a book that would have a bit of the things we both love. So it would have to be a book with is rather flexible in terms of its genre. I think Harry Potter would be the perfect choice. Plus it's fast paced and would be fun to buddy read as well. 

8. Best book to read after a break up?

I would pick Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson. This book shows how Amy slowly comes in terms with loss and grief while going on an unexpected road trip with family friend Roger. This book was really fun and beautiful and have all the elements to cheer someone up. To find more suggestions of books to read when you're in need of a cheer up, check out my post on 'Books for when you're feeling kind of meh'. 

9. What is your favourite same sex or queer couple in literature?

Magnus and Alec from the Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare. While Alec isn't quite my favorite character, Magnus is an awesome character, if not my favorite of the entire series. Plus, they have such a beautifully written relationship. 

I love how realistic their relationship is, even if their world is full of magic and demons. Like, they fight, struggle to understand each other and even hurt each other unintentionally but they also try very hard to stay true to each other and to their love. Their romance might actually even be more interesting than that of the main characters. 

10. Which book would you give to someone as a symbol of your affection? 

To show someone my affection, rather than give them one book I would give them my collection of Christopher Pike books. Many of you wouldn't recognize this author but he was among the pioneers of YA back in the 80s and remains my favorite author ever. Most of his books are today out of print and it was by pure luck that I found this Canadian girl who was selling her Pike books on eBay. I bought the whole lot of them and had to wait for three months to be able to hold them in my hands. Today, these books are the most precious elements to my book collection. To give them to someone would be my most symbolic way of showing my affection to that person.

So that's it for this tag. If you enjoyed it, feel free to do it on your blog as well. Just don't forget to link it back to my post :)

Also, as you can tell if you're a follower, my blog has recently gone through a little make-over. I'd genuinely love to hear your thoughts on my blog's new look. Do you like it? Do you hate it? What do you think of my post font? Share your thoughts in the comments or send me an email by clicking on the big envelope icon in the top right of the page. I'd really love to get your honest feedback :)

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