Happy Thursday, book friends! Today I’m doing another book tag, because sometimes I just can’t resist. I saw the “Never Have I Ever” book tag on Biblio Nerd Reflections, then again on the Wicked Witch’s Blog. It looks like a ton of fun, so I decided to join in!

The Rules

• Link back to the original creator: Madame Writer
• Link back to the person who tagged you (I kind of tagged myself, but linked to the places where I saw the tag above)
• Answer all prompts.
• Add one more prompt of your own.
• Tag at least five people.
• Don’t lie!
• Have fun.

The Questions

NEVER HAVE I EVER: Read a later book in a series before the first

Once upon a time, our school library had a ton of Animorphs books and it was impossible to predict which ones would be available at any given time. I think this is the only series I ever read out of order, and it was hopelessly confusing. Do not recommend.

NEVER HAVE I EVER: Burned a book

Yeah, definitely not. I did once burn my math homework (not a book, just loose papers) to celebrate the end of the school year, and it got payback in the form of an ash landing on my hand. I still have the scar.

NEVER HAVE I EVER: Gone into a shop to buy one book and come out with many more…

Haha, I mean… isn’t this what just naturally happens any time a book lover goes into a bookstore?

NEVER HAVE I EVER: Loved a book when I was younger and hated it when I was older

Hate is a strong word, but I was a big Twilight fan as a teenager. Like, mildly obsessed, fan-theory, poster-above-my-bed level fan. As I’ve gotten older, I feel a lot more critical about the central relationship dynamic and its problematic elements, so I don’t know that I’d ever reread it.

NEVER HAVE I EVER: Read a book I knew I’d hate

Nah. There are books and authors I avoid because I’m relatively confident I wouldn’t like them, even if they have a lot of hype (*cough* rhymes with Mover *cough*).

NEVER HAVE I EVER: Wrote a fanfiction about my favorite book

Somewhere out there in the internet, there’s a fanfiction retelling the events of the first book in a series about a certain Boy Wizard from the perspective of another character I invented and stuck into the universe. So, um, yeah, I’ve done this.

NEVER HAVE I EVER: Dressed up as my favorite literary characters

I’m “midnight release parties for the Boy Wizard books” years old, so yeah, I’ve dressed as Hermione, Luna Lovegood, and Lavender Brown.

NEVER HAVE I EVER: Hated a book by an author I love

Again, hate is a bit strong. I have certainly been a bit disappointed to not love books by my favorite authors as much as I want to, but I don’t think I’ve ever hated them.

NEVER HAVE I EVER: Skim read a book

I was a literature major in college, so I have to presume I did this to prep for class at least a few times.

NEVER HAVE I EVER: Pretended to read a book when I haven’t

No, I don’t think I’ve ever done this. Plenty of my classmates did in school, and I always wondered why you’d major in literature if you didn’t plan to actually read the literature. I’m sure I wasn’t quite caught up to what was required for class a time or two, but generally speaking I did read everything that was assigned.

NEVER HAVE I EVER: Read a book without a dust cover

I take these off all the time. Some of them don’t fit snugly and I get annoyed when they slip and slide around.

NEVER HAVE I EVER: Had a book boyfriend/girlfriend

Listen, I was a very romance-obsessed teenager. I don’t know that I ever read a book without falling at least a little bit in love with one of the guys in it.

NEVER HAVE I EVER: Picked up a book based on the cover alone

Book covers are often what initially draw me to books. I don’t know that I ever use that as the sole basis for my decision, though.

NEVER HAVE I EVER: Read the end of a book before the beginning

No judgement, but I geuinely don’t understand why anyone does this. Why ruin the ending before you even start?

NEVER HAVE I EVER: Read a history or anthropology book for fun

It’s been a while since I’ve done this, but I definitely used to pick up books about the Salem Witch Trials because I found them deeply fascinating.

NEVER HAVE I EVER: Participated in a readathon

This feels kind of embarassing to admit, but readathons overwhelm me. There are plenty that sound interesting, but whenever I start to read about them there are so many components and rules and points that I give up trying to understhand them. I enjoy watching other people participate, though.

NEVER HAVE I EVER: Bought multiple books in a series before starting it

Nope, not for myself. When I severely broke my wrist in third grade, I believe I was gifted multiple Boy Wizard books at once before I’d read the first one, but that’s because I was basically on bed rest with the arm elevated and I’m a fast reader so Mom knew she would have to have a stack to keep me occupied.

NEVER HAVE I EVER: Filled up an entire bookshelf and had to have stacks of books balanced precariously throughout various rooms

I mean… there’s a reason I wound up buying a TBR cart when I saw them on Bookstagram, is all I’m saying.

NEVER HAVE I EVER: Hurt a book (e.g. accidentally spilled ice cream or coffee on it, dog-eared a book, etc.) 

So, I’d never intentionally damage a book, but I am a clumsy and forgetful person, so there have certainly been incidents over the years.

NEVER HAVE I EVER: Loved the movie/tv series more than the book??

Hmm. I don’t think so. I am one of those people who will watch a movie/TV show based on a book before reading the book, though. If I like the show/movie, I might wind up picking up the book. But generally I do like the book better. Or in the case of The Princess Diaries, I love both but see them as sort of vaguely related pieces of art that are in fact quite different.

NEVER HAVE I EVER: Re-read a book I didn’t enjoy hoping that the “second time’s a charm”

My immediate reaction was “why would I do this to myself?” but then I remembered my fascination with The Great Gatsby. I have never understood why people are so obsessed with this book, which I found to be overrated on my first read. I read it again to see what I might’ve missed. My opinion didn’t change.

NEVER HAVE I EVER: Sold an ARC

This is explicitly forbidden on the ARC itself and I’m a rulesy kind of girl, so no, definitely not.

MY PROMPT–NEVER HAVE I EVER: Read a book in a language other than my native one

Once upon a time, I thought I was going to minor in Spanish and learn to read books in my second language. Then I disliked one of my professors so much I decided to give up on the Spanish minor altogether. I’ve got a few books written in Spanish, but have never been fluent enough to read them.

I’m Tagging…

Anyone reading this who wants to join in! Consider yourself tagged, and I hope you’ll let me know if you take part so I can read your answers!