Never Have I Ever Book Tag

This book tag came up in a discussion with some of my other blogging friends, and I decided to jump on it for the fun of it despite not being tagged in it. Sometimes, you’ve just got to jump. I’m taking my copy of it from Becky’s Book Blog, even though she posted it a while ago, and I’m sure there’s many other versions swirling around the internet now. But like I say – you just gotta jump.

Rules

1. Link back to the original creator (Madame Writer)
2. Link back to the person who tagged you or the blog where you first saw this tag.
3. Answer all prompts.
4. Add one more prompt of your own.
5. Tag at least five people.
6. Don’t lie.
7. Have fun!

Never Have Ever… read a later book in the a series before reading the first book.
I have done this but by accident. It was when I was travelling home from Australia, and, being very anxious about flying, I used the last of my dollars to buy a book at the airport that grabbed my attention. I still enjoyed the book, and it certainly kept me entertained during the flight, trying to solve the murder.

Never Have I Ever… burned a book.
I burned my old diaries. It was very therapeutic. I’ve never burned an actual book though!

Never have I Ever… read a book I knew I would hate.
Nope – life is too short to read books you won’t enjoy!

Never Have I ever… wrote a fanfiction about my favourite books.
Oh Gods. Okay, so yes, I did. Constantly. For several years. On the Warner Brothers old Harry Potter forum. Thank every single god ever known that that site is long gone. At one point I was writing seven different fan fics at once. My most popular one was when I set Harry’s parents in the First World War. Just don’t ask. Nevertheless, it was great practice for my creative writing.

Never Have I Ever… loved a book when I was young, yet hated it when I got older.
Maybe the Enid Blyton books. I think learning about more of her as a person, and the way she treated her own children, really put me off her, and thus her writing. It didn’t stop me from encouraging my son to read the books though, and he loved them. I also tried to reread To Kill A Mockingbird a couple of years ago, having loved it as a teenager, and just couldn’t get into it the same way I had before.

Never Have I Ever… dressed up as one of my favourite literary characters.
World Book Day was a big thing when I was growing up, and I had great fun dressing up. One of my favourite memories is making my Charlotte’s Web costume with my mum and my Nan. My Nan was disabled following a massive stroke before I was born and only had use of one arm, but she created the extra four legs I needed by stuffing old tights with newspaper, while mum and I used glitter glue to write on the inside of a black umbrella. I’m smiling just thinking about it.

Never Have I Ever… hated a book by an author I love.
Hate might not be the right word, but I’ve tried several times to get into Throne of Glass after loving A Court of Thorns and Roses and Crescent City, yet I just can’t. I’ve tried it in book format and as audio, but it still hasn’t grabbed me.

Never Have I Ever… gone into a bookstore to buy one book and come out with many more.
I’m not going to even pretend this has never happened.

Never Have I Ever… read the ending of a book before reading the beginning.
Only by accident! I dropped open the last Harry Potter book and read the last page. I nearly screamed in frustration. I’d never do it deliberately.

Never Have I Ever… read a book without the dust cover.
I take them off all the time to keep them in good condition.

Never Have I Ever… skim read nearly half a book.
I have done this with one book and one book only: Enduring Love. I had to read it for college and I bloody hated it.

Never Have I Ever… pretended to have read a book that I haven’t.
No. I’m quite well read, and well rounded with what I’ve read, so I’ll always be honest when it comes to books. If I haven’t read it, I’m happy to hear about it, and possibly make a note of it to add to my TBR if it grabs my attention.

Never Have I Ever… saw the movie before the book.
The only time I can think of is with Me Before You. I kept hearing about the film and watched it one day (and proceeded to sob so hard my husband came running down the stairs, worried about me), and read the whole trilogy after. Normally I’m strictly a ‘book before film’ kinda gal.

Never Have I Ever… had a book boyfriend.
Book boyfriends and girlfriends are what make the world go round.

Never Have I Ever… read a history book or anthropology book for fun.
I read a lot of history and anthropology, especially ancient Egypt and forensic anthropology books. I’ve also been lucky enough to be involved with the Wolfson History Prize the last two years, and here you can find my reviews of The Five (2020) and Reckonings (winner, 2019).

Never Have I Ever… picked up a book based on the cover alone.
Psh, I do this all the time. Beautiful covers often make for beautiful books. And if not… well, they’re still beautiful!

New Prompt: Never Have I Ever… binge read a book / book series.
I binge read all the time. Some of my favourite books have been ones that I’ve devoured in single days. Sometimes, that’s the real fun of it, even when it comes to rereading.

Tagging:
Ellie – Read To Ramble
Kate – The Quick and The Read
Gina – Gina Rae Mitchell
Bonnie – Shelves of Starlight
Ashlee – Books are 42