Kate at Reading Through Infinity created the Christmas Stocking tag, which I found on What Vicky Read and decided to fill out- it looked charming and fun. Tis the season!

Rules

• Link to the person who tagged you
• Link to Kate so she can read your answers
• Answer all 10 questions, choosing books for each theme
• Tag five people to do this

You get up on Christmas morning and your stocking is full! You take it down and start to unwrap the treats inside. The first thing you see is…

An orange! Which book is refreshing and vibrant, both inside and out?

Foolish Hearts by Emma Mills. Her friend groups always feel like a revelation, familiar and special all at once. This is a particularly good mix of characters and I loved the addition of Iris and Claudia bonding over their favorite band. Her books and characters shine.

The next thing you see is a bag of chocolate coins. (Yum) Which book have you recently bought that was expensive, but totally worth the high price?

Probably Daughters of the Storm by Kim Wilkins. It wasn’t terribly expensive but it’s still an adult fantasy so more than I usually pay. And it was definitely worth it because I enjoyed the book a lot and it was something I had been wanting to read for years. For awhile it was only published in Australia so I was very glad it pubbed in the US this year!

You also pull out a bath bomb. Tell us about a book that had explosive action scenes.

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi, both literally and figuratively haha. It was super action packed and a page turner, and also filled with actual explosions.

Next is a pack of playing cards. Which series won you over?

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson, book 1 in the Remnant Chronicles. When I first started reading, I thought it was going to be kind of cookie cutter but the characters really won me over and the tropes were executed well! I’m excited to continue the series.

You also get a candle. Which character is a symbol of hope in their story?

Mehr in Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri- she’s powerful in mind and spirit and she’s resisting against the very people oppressing her mother’s people, so I would absolutely consider her a symbol of hope.

There are socks inside too. Is there a book that you think really encompasses all the distinctive tropes of its genre?

P.S. I Like You by Kasie West is one of my favorite YA contemporary romances and one of the best with You’ve Got Mail aka anonymous penpal tropes! It’s really well done and super satisfying especially on a reread when you know how all the pieces fit together. Plus it hits all the buttons I love in a “hate to love” romance as well.

There’s also a notebook. Which author’s writing process do you find most interesting/inspiring?

Kate Morton. I’ve been lucky to meet her twice in person and it’s so interesting to hear her talk about her writing process. I took notes at the last book signing of hers I attended! I love that she collects small ideas and looks for the threads between them, and that she doesn’t start a story until she has 3 or 4 of those threads and time periods to connect.

To go with the notebook, there’s a fancy pen. Is there a book or a series that you’d change if you’d written it yourself?

Even though Kate Morton is my favorite author, I didn’t love one of the literary devices she used in her latest book The Clockmaker’s Daughter. I love her reliance on multiple POVS but I would have preferred one of them to be a more traditional and less supernatural POV.

There’s also a small bedside clock. Which book took you a long time to pick up but was worth it in the end?

It didn’t take me a long time to pick up but it took me longer than usual to read: Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik. It was one of those books that needed savoring with lots of tangents and plot threads to tie up. I’m glad I took my time because it made the journey and the pay off much more satisfying.

Your pile is getting really big. You reach in to pull out the last gift and it’s… a lump of coal? You’re a little disappointed. But you look closer and realise there’s a seam running through the coal. You crack it open and sitting inside is a tiny golden snitch. Tell us about a book that surprised you in some way.

American Panda by Gloria Chao. I originally expected it to be a bubbly YA contemporary romance but it was very different from the cover portrays the story. I ended up loving the book- while there is romance, it’s much more focused on family, cultural expectations, and college freshman growing pains. It’s emotional and sometimes painful but ultimately a lovely little book.

Tagging:

Laura @ Scribbles & Wanderlust
Lindsey @ Bring My Books
Alicia @ A Kernel of Nonsense
Christina @ A Reader of Fictions
Anne @ Books, Baking, and Blogging

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I also tag anyone who’d like to participate! Do you hang Christmas stockings each year? What have you been reading lately? Let me know! Hope everyone has a very happy holiday/winter season!