Tag: The Bollywood Book Tag

So, forever and a day ago, Sahi tagged me in this one. I’m slowly making my way through my backlog of tags and I’m finally doing this one! Thank you, as always, for the tag! ❤

I don’t know much of anything about Bollywood, but I’m going to do my best!


RAJA BABU | name a classic that has held the test of time

A classic that, for me, has stood the test of time is The Catcher in the Rye. It might have been written more than 60 years ago, but it still feels completely relevant.


SHAH RUKH KHAN & KAJOL | name a fictional couple who have chemistry (doesn’t have to be romantic)

I was just looking back through the books I’ve read in 2018 and wow, I haven’t read a book with good chemistry since AUGUST. I need to fix that ASAP! The last book I read where the chemistry really jumped out at me was Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating.


PADMAAVAT | pick your favorite controversial or problematic read

If we’re talking controversial as in “having a lot of mixed reviews,” my favorite is probably Emergency Contact. I loved this book so much, but it seems like most people either love it or hate it. I get that Penny is a lot to handle, but I feel like most teenagers are. She felt really realistic to me and I loved her friendship (and then relationship) with Sam.


THE THREE KHANS (SHAH RUKH, AAMIR & SALMAN) | name your favorite trio

I really struggled with this prompt because the obvious answer is Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and I didn’t want to go with the obvious answer! So I decided to go with Lo, Ryke, and Connor from Krista & Becca Ritchie’s Addicted/Calloway Sisters series! They have the best friendship and the best banter.


FAWAD KHAN | name a fictional character you would die for

I would literally die for Ghüs from Saga. LITERALLY DIE. He is so cute and he’s my favorite and if anything happens to him I have no idea what I’ll do.


KABHI KHUSHI KABHI GHAM | name a book with complicated family dynamics… because it’s all about loving your parents

As soon as I read “complicated family dynamics,” I thought of Little Fires Everywhere.


HRITHIK ROSHAN | name a fictional character whose name you struggle to pronounce correctly

Anybody from the Throne of Glass series, honestly.


KHOOBSURAT | name a book with a beautiful cover (that you wouldn’t feel guilty about taking a selfie with)

I would actually frame this cover and hang it up in my house because I love it so much. I haven’t gone so far as to take a selfie with it, but I haven’t fully ruled it out as an option.


ARJUN KAPOOR & RANVEER SINGH | name your bookish bromance to end all bromances

Oh my goodness, the friendship between all of the Raven Boys! I love them so much!!


DEV PATEL | name an author you need more from

I always need more from Jenn Bennett! She’s my favorite contemporary YA author and her books always make me so, so happy.


BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM | name a book that made you extremely happy

Love Scene, Take Two was so cute. It checked all of my boxes and felt like it was written just for me.


AISHWARYA RAI BACHCHAN | pick two books with beautiful covers, one that did live up to your expectations and one that did not

love the cover for Darius the Great is Not Okay, and I loved the book.

I also love the cover for The Wedding Date, but I was so, so disappointed by this book.


RAAZI | name a book that more or less broke your very soul

The ending of Saga, Vol. 7 definitely, absolutely, completely broke my soul. I’m not sure how I’m supposed to function, honestly.


ANUSHKA SHARMA | name a female character you admire

For all she’s been through and everything she overcomes throughout the series, I really admire Lily from Krista and Becca Ritchie’s Addicted series. (Side note: this series has the worst covers.)


SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE | name a book with an underdog that you rooted for from the first page you met them

img_1373

I have to steal Sahi’s answer here and go with Nicholas from Fence! He’s such an underdog and I loved him from the first page.


VICKY KAUSHAL | name a precious fictional character

I don’t have a picture for this one, but I love Abraxos from the Throne of Glass series!


DOSTANA | name a book you think could have been done better

Lucas started off well enough, but then it tried to tackle way too many topics and got lost along the way. I think it would have been much better as a cute friends-to-lovers romance without all of the tough topics it tried to address.


SHAHID KAPOOR & ISHAAN KHATTAR | name a book with some fantastic fictional siblings

I could not possibly go with a family other than the Grants from Save the Date! They have their problems, for sure, but they love each other so much and they’re always there for each other.


DEEPIKA PADUKONE | name a book with positive mental health representation

I think that Turtles All the Way Down has what’s probably the best depiction I’ve ever seen of anxiety. I’ve never seen a book represent thought spirals quite so accurately and it kind of hurt to read it, but it was also so nice to feel like someone understands.


MANIKARNIKA: THE QUEEN OF JHANSI | name some of your most anticipated releases of 2019

Okay, so I could write an entire dissertation on books that I’m excited for, but here are the first three that I thought of when I read this prompt.


KARAN JOHAR | name an iconic author

I wanted to go with an iconic author that I’ve read something from fairly recently, so I went with Philip Pullman. I loved His Dark Materials and read La Belle Sauvage earlier this year.


(BONUS) Select your favourite Bollywood film & or performer (or even song) and create a question

I’m sorry, but I do not know nearly enough about Bollywood to have an answer for this one. 😦


I’m not tagging anyone in particular for this one, but if you want to do it, please go ahead and link back to me so I can see your answers!

Top Ten Tuesday: Blog-related things I’m thankful for

Happy Top Ten Tuesday! Today’s theme is a freebie as long as it’s Thanksgiving- or thankfulness-related, so I decided to go with top ten blog-related things I’m thankful for. I’ve said before that one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life was moving my blog from Tumblr to WordPress. Yes, interaction is better and my follower count has skyrocketed, but in general, I’m just so much happier with what my blog has become.

So, without further rambles, here are ten things that I’m thankful for that have happened on my blog, related to my blog, or because of my blog. (In no particular order, except I saved the best for last.)


BOOKISH CONVERSATIONS

I had a book blog for almost five whole years before I decided to move to WordPress and in that time, I maybe got like two people talking to me about books? I moved my blog here and within a week, there were people commenting on my reviews. I was shocked then (and I’m honestly still a little shocked now) that so many people want to talk about books with me, but I love it and I’m so thankful for it!

MORE CONTACT WITH AUTHORS

I have had such nice conversations with authors this year! And not just authors asking for reviews, but genuinely nice conversations with genuinely nice people. This is so new to me and it stresses me out a little bit (I feel like I’m talking to a celebrity every time) but it also makes me so happy!

CONNECTIONS WITH PUBLISHERS

If you would have told me at this time last year that I’d have publishers emailing me and asking me if I want to review an ARC or join a blog tour or be added to a mailing list, I would not have believed you. But those are things that are happening and it’s so great!

SO MANY ARCS!

Have I ever in my life had as many ARCs as I’ve had this year? I don’t think so. I’ve been lucky to be approved for ARCs on both Netgalley and Edelweiss, as well as Penguin First to Read. I got ARCs at BookCon and I’ve been given ARCs directly from publishers, authors, and PR companies. I’ve even gotten ARCs from some of my favorite authors this year! (And a woman at a bookstore gave me an ARC once too!) I am so thankful for so many ARCs!

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

So, my favorite thing is when someone is reading a book and actually thinks, “Hey, I bet Sara would like this.” AND THEN ACTUALLY LETS ME KNOW. I write down every book recommendation and I will get to all of them eventually!

PEOPLE ACTUALLY THINKING I’M FUNNY

The people in my real life never really think that I’m funny. (I feel like, 99% of the time, they just don’t get my sense of humor.) So it makes me really, really happy when I get a comment that I made someone laugh or that I made someone smile… or even if someone just comments a 😂 emoji.

MORE SELF-CONFIDENCE

This kind of goes along with a few of my previous things, but knowing that people actually want to talk to me, want to read my reviews, and think that I’m funny has made me so much more confident in my real life. I’ve taken more control of my life this year, both personally and professionally, and I don’t think that would have happened without this blog.

PUSHING ME OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE

A few things that have happened since I started this blog:

  1. I’ve picked up books from new genres and read a lot more nonfiction than ever before!
  2. I’ve reviewed new formats, including a ton of audiobooks and, more recently, a lot of graphic novels!
  3. I did some beta reading? I never thought I would (1) get the chance to do that, and (2) actually enjoy it, but I did!

I’m sure that there are so many more things that have happened, but these are the three that I can think of right now!

NEW FRIENDS! 💖

I did a whole Top Ten Tuesday post about my favorite bloggers, but I wanted to mention, once again, how much I love the book blogging community and how happy I am to have made actual friends through this website. There are people all over the world that I talk to on a regular (or at least semi-regular) basis and I love it.

AND ONE FRIEND IN PARTICULAR

Are you sick of hearing me talk about my favorite blogger, Daniel? Hmm, too bad. Daniel and I started talking a little over six months ago when he sent me an email about my blog and we just haven’t stopped. We met up in person a little over a month ago (you can see my post about it here) and it was the best. I never would have met Daniel if not for this blog, and meeting him is the #1 thing I am most thankful for this year.


Did you do your own Top Ten Tuesday post today? Feel free to leave your link and I’ll check out your post! What are you thankful for this year? Let’s talk in the comments!