Bookish Boxes and Buzzwords Tag

Hello and welcome (back) to my little reading blog. I’ve been tagged by the super jenjenreviews to do this tag today and I hope it will give you an insight into my reading habits and preferences. If you haven’t checked out her blog yet, definitely do so. And, while you’re at it, take a look at the fabulous Trope-ical Readthon than she hosts. Next round is March 2022 and I’ve already created my TBR!

And now on to the book tag…

Your go-to genre or favourite type of book:

I tend to gravitate towards books with some kind of moral or ethical dilemma. I read a lot of crime fiction but I also enjoy literary fiction and books which help me explore other cultures and different points of view. That’s the beauty of reading for me! Some of my favourites include:

Retellings you are drawn to:

I don’t tend to get drawn to books marketed as retellings to be honest, but I do enjoy ones that take a story and put a 21st century slant on it. For example, one of my favourite books of all time is Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie which is a retelling of Antigone. I do not know the story of Antigone at all, but this did not distract from how brilliant this book was.

Lifestyles or careers of the book characters:

Well, this is a tough one as it isn’t a category I base my book choices on. As I like crime fiction, detectives are definitely characters I am drawn to. I do enjoy a bit of non-fiction too, especially memoirs of people working in the legal system of the NHS. Some fabulous books with these characters are:

Places or settings that you are drawn to:

I enjoy reading books set in modern Britain but with characters from different cultural backgrounds as I think they offer a brilliant social commentary on this country at the moment. A small town novel with a dark secret does tend to hit the spot as well! Some books which did this really well for me were:

Relationships you enjoy reading about:

I love reading about parent-child relationships as the psychology in this relationships is really interesting to me. I also like it when the two people in a romantic or platonic relationship are nuanced and the flaws of each character are centre stage. I’m not a big romance fan in general though. Here’s some books with some relationships I’ve loved:

Buzzwords in the title of a book

This is a hard one! Psychological thrillers with Girl in the title were popular for sometime and some of those I’ve read have been really good. I also quite like books with fire related words in the title and they’re often full of impact and drama. Here’s a selection of one’s I’ve read and enjoyed.

Things on book covers that draw you in

I really like natural elements on book covers, like water, landscapes, flora and fauna. I prefer illustrated covers without lots of people as I think they look like they will take me to another world. Here are some of my favourites.

Non-fiction areas I’m drawn to:

As I mentioned before, I enjoy memoirs of people who work in the public sector, particularly the NHS, as well as books about anxiety and mental health in general. I’m also interested in the diversity of life in modern Britain, and I’m particularly interested in learning more about Islam. Until a few years ago, I did read any non-fiction; now, it represents about 20-25% of all my reads! Some of my favourite non-fiction books are:

Medical conditions of characters:

I don’t seek out books with characters who have a specific medial condition. Although, I do enjoy a book where I can see myself reflect in them, particularly if they have anxiety of low self-esteem. I do hope though, when I read a book with a character with a medical condition, it has been well-researched.

Time of year/history that you’re drawn to:

Like I said, I like contemporary novels but I also enjoy near-future dystopia. I don’t avoid any time period at all really, just depends on my mood!

I tag:

Kira

Meeghan

Georgia