It’s spring cleaning time ya’ll, and there’s a book tag for everything. I found this on another blogger’s site that I cannot refind for the life of me, but thanks for the suggestion, stranger! I’m going to try and do more of these tags that allow me to talk about books and how I felt about them outside of typical reviews, so if you have any good ones, send them my way!

Questions:

1. The struggle of getting started: a book/book series that you have struggled to begin because of its size.

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

I know it’s going to be great, and I’m really fascinated by it, but it is HUGE and that is such a big time commitment. It’s 771 pages for crying out loud. And the audiobook is 32 and a half hours.That’s a day and a quarter of another day!

2. Cleaning out the closet: a book and/or book series you want to unhaul.

Dead Letters by Caite Dolan-Leach

I got this book in my March 2017 Book of the Month Club box, read it sometime in 2017, and yet it is still on my bookshelf a year later. I liked the concept of the book, but I ultimately didn’t love it, so why haven’t I gotten rid of it yet? Maybe because I don’t want to make someone else read it. Whoops.

3. Opening windows and letting fresh air in: a book that was refreshing.

On the Fence by Kasie West

I read a lot of suspense novels and dystopias, and sometimes a nice high school romance is just what I need. Maybe it’s because I miss my high school boyfriend. Maybe it’s because the end of college is looming and I’m scared. But I can always count on Kasie West’s books to be a breath of fresh air for me in the most literal sense.

4. Washing out sheet stains: a book you wish you could rewrite a certain scene in.

Wonder by RJ Palacio

Spoilers ahead: I loved this book, and the movie, but I definitely think Jack Will should have gotten the award at the end. Sure, Auggie is great, but so was Jack Will and he really took one for Auggie while Auggie just did what Auggie does. I was actually mad in the movie theater (I saw the movie first) when this scene played out. Also when the dog died. I wouldn’t have that happen. It made me ugly cry.

5. Throwing out unnecessary knick-knacks: a book in a series that you didn’t feel was necessary.

The Wide Window by Lemony Snicket

This book series was weird, we all know that, but this book was by far my least favorite and the one I felt like impacted the overall series the least. Sure, she was played by Meryl Streep in a notoriously bad movie, but did she really matter after she died? Nope. For the record, the Austere Academy was my favorite. I love boarding schools. Even crazy ones.

6. Polishing the doorknobs: a book that had a clean finish.

The Woman in the Window by AJ Finn

I can’t stop raving about this book, and it was such a great domestic suspense novel. The way everything came together at the end was great (lots of loose ends tied up quickly) and yet I was still shocked! Page 396 guys, it’ll get you.

7. Reaching to dust the fan: a book that tried too hard to relay a certain message.

Exit, Pursued by a Bear by EK Johnston

Ugh, I hated this book. It was supposed to be about this girl surviving a traumatic rape that resulted in a pregnancy but she was so flippant about everything (including an abortion) and then gets physically sick when finding out her best friend is a lesbian. I’m not even sorry I spoiled it because no one should read this book. It tried to be about overcoming adversity and not being a statistic, but it just did not work.

8. The tiring yet satisfying finish of spring cleaning: a book series that was tiring yet satisfying to get through.

A Court of Thorn and Roses by Sarah J Maas

I don’t even really like fantasy novels, but I read this series because I felt it was a right of passage. Suffering through numerous unrealistic sex scenes that overused the verb “sheathed” to describe male genitalia was EXHAUSTING. And kind of demoralizing, honestly. But when I finish the third book, I had conquered almost 1500 pages and could now have actual discussions about the book with other bookworms and properly mock Maas’ repetitive style. It gave me joy to be a part of something.