The Goodreads Book Tag

I recently came across The Goodreads Book Tag on a few different blogs, and since I'm an avid reader and haven't done a tag post in ages, I thought it would be fun to give it a go.

I've had a Goodreads account for several years, but I mostly just use it to record the books I've read, and keep track of my TBR pile and wish list. Until a couple of months ago, I hadn't even bothered to follow anyone. (I wasn't being rude and ignoring anyone; I didn't have any followers, either. Haha)! I'm beginning to use it more and more now that I'm reading books like there's no tomorrow again, and it's quickly becoming one of my favourite websites. I still have a lot to explore and discover, but I'm having fun finding new ways to use it to enhance my reading experiences. It really is the perfect social media site for any book lover.

Anyway, I'll stop rambling on now. Let's move on to what you're here for: The Goodreads Book Tag:

What was the last book you marked as 'read'?

A psychological thriller called You Were Gone by Tim Weaver. It begins with a woman wandering in to a police station looking for her husband. The problem is, she's been dead for eight years. When  the husband arrives at the station, he's disconcerted by the woman's resemblance to his late wife but is adamant it's not her. The Police know one of them is lying, but who? With the Police doubting his story, the main character has to work to uncover the truth and prove his innocence, while strange things begin to happen that make him question his mental stability and memory. It had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish and was one of those books I had to devour as quickly as I could. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.

I didn't actually realise this book was part of a series until I'd finished- it's the 9th in the David Raker series- but it works well as a stand-alone, too. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the collection, and have already picked up the first book which I'm going to start as soon as I've finished what I'm reading now.

What are you currently reading?

I'm currently reading Under the Water by Paul Pen. I've been looking forward to this book all year (it's just been released) after falling in love with his first two books, The Light of the Fireflies and Desert Flowers, and so far I've not been disappointed.

What was the last book you marked as TBR?

Chasing the Dead by Tim Weaver.

What book do you plan to read next?

I'm planning to read Chasing the Dead by Tim Weaver, but I'm also dying to get my hands on The Testaments by Margaret Atwood, and Cilka's Journey by Heather Morris (the sequel to The Tattooist of Auschwitz).

Do you use the star rating system?

Of course. I do wish it would allow you to rate in half stars, though.

Are you doing a 2019 reading challenge?

I am. It's the first year I've set myself a reading challenge, and I smashed my original goal of reading twenty-five books this year in August! I decided to increase it to forty books to keep myself on my toes til the end of the year, and I actually reached my goal last week with two months to go! It's probably sad to admit this, but I'm really proud of myself for it. I haven't read so many books in a year since I was little (mostly thanks to the distractions of the Internet), and it's more than double what I read last year, so it feels like a real achievement. I've been lapping up books like there's no tomorrow, and really enjoying sinking my teeth in to so many good books, so I'm hoping to keep up the pace. I'm now on my 42nd book of the year! I'm considering increasing the challenge to take me to the end of the year, but I can't decide by how many books. I thought about attempting 52, one for every week of the year, but with Christmas coming and so much to do, I'm not sure if I'll realistically be able to make it.

Do you have a wish list?

Yes, of course, I have a wish list! What kind of question is that?! I have a list of books I want to read on Goodreads, and also make a note of books I want to read by saving them in my Amazon saved list, pinning them to a Pinterest board, or taking photos of books I've seen but can't afford right now on my phone. At the top of my wish list right now are the 'David Raker Missing Persons' series by Tim Weaver, The Testaments by Margaret Atwood, Cilka's Journey by Heather Morris, Postscript by Cecelia Ahern, Deeplight by Frances Hardinge, and The Donor by Clare Mackintosh.

Do you have any favourite quotes? Share a few.

I love a good bookish quote, but I'm terrible at keeping track of them. I sometimes highlight quotes when I have a pen to hand or actually remember to, but not always, and I don't keep all my favourites in one place. I really should start jotting them down in a notebook. I can't remember all of my favourites, but here are a handful that came to mind...

“Time is priceless, but it’s Free. You can't own it, you can use it. You can spend it. But you can't keep it. Once you've lost it you can never get it back.” -The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.

“Don't you think it's better to be extremely happy for a short while, even if you lose it, than to be just okay for your whole life?”  -The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.

“I have a sort of Christmas-morning sense of the library as a big box full of beautiful books.” -The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.

“There’s no creature more amazing than one that can make its own light.” -The Light of the Fireflies by Paul Pen.

“A door loses its meaning if you don’t ever go through it. It becomes a wall.” -The Light of the Fireflies by Paul Pen.

“It's been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will.” -Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery.

“I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.” -Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.

Who are your favourite authors?

At the moment, I'm loving anything by John Marrs, Clare Mackintosh, Paul Pen, and Frances Hardinge, while Chuck Palahniuk and Stephen King have been two favourites since my teens. I also love Audrey Niffenegger's writing style (who wrote one of my favourite books, The Time Traveller's Wife), but she hasn't released many novels and I've only read two, so I'm not sure I can really include her in my list of favourites.

Have you joined any groups?

No, I wouldn't even know where to begin. Even though I've had a Goodreads account for years, I haven't really used Goodreads for more than tracking the books I've read and my TBR list, but I want to start exploring its other features a bit more, so maybe I'll have to look in to one or two.

And that's the Goodreads Book Tag. Feel free to snag the tag and have a go at it yourself. Just make sure to leave me a link to your post in the comments if you do so I can read it! I'd love to see your answers.

If you'd like to follow me on Goodreads and keep up with what I'm reading, you can find me on Goodreads here.

Do you use Goodreads? What do you use it for?

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