I saw a post for this tag about two months ago and found it quite interesting. From what I understood, this is the original video, but you can easily find the questions on tumblr accounts or on youtube. True to its name, the Opposite Books Tag means that you’ll have to revisit your bookshelves and see what you can find. Have fun and tell me a little something about your books!
1. First book in your collection/ Last book you bought
The book I consider to be the first in my collection is Mary Poppins and the House Next Door by PL Travers. It is a prize from when I was very young and it is special to me, especially because it has a dedication from my teacher. I love it! And the last book I bought is Tim Burton (Michelle Le Blanc and Colin Odell). I’m very excited about this one and, hopefully, I won’t be disappointed. After Burton’s poems, now I want to learn more of his films.
2. A cheap book/ An expensive book
I’ll go with one of the cheapest books I own, Histoire des Vampires (Claude Lecouteux). I have the Romanian version. It’s not the best book for this subject, but it works well as a starting point. As for an expensive book, I chose a dictionary of symbols I bought about five years ago: Dicționar de simboluri, Jean Chevalier. I recommend it, it’s quite useful.
3. A book with a male protagonist/ One with a female protagonist
The Reader (Bernhard Schlink). Read the book, watch the film… you won’t regret it. For female protagonist, I’ll go with Alice Walker’s The Color Purple; I didn’t really know what to expect when I was given this book, but I needed to read something like it back then. Oh, and I also want to add The Eyre Affair, even though I haven’t got a copy.
4. A book you read fast/ One that took you long to read
Last year, while studying for an exam, I decided one morning to pick up Stephen King’s The Shining. I had no intention of reading more than a couple of pages. Now, I don’t usually finish a novel in one sitting, either because I don’t want to or because I don’t have the time. But this one refused to let me go, so it was read from cover to cover in a few shorts hours. It took me about a week to read Wuthering Heights. I don’t know why, it’s one of my favourite novels; but I kept putting it down, even though I couldn’t wait to see how everything would unfold.
5. Pretty cover/ Ugly cover
A gorgeous cover came to my mind: the one for Ochii jupâniței, Rodica Ojog-Brașoveanu. I tend to avoid books with ugly covers, but I do have one that’s a terrible choice for that particular novel: Villette, Charlotte Brontë. I don’t even want to show it here. Suffice to say, I prefer my books with plain covers than with something that looks like a Photoshop accident (before Photoshop was actually invented).
6. A national book/ An international book
I’ll be a bit selfish for the national part and go with The First Stage (I’m willing to say that I know every little aspect of that novel… and I’m still waiting for part two!) and Și la sfârșit a mai rămas coșmarul (it’s not my book, to be honest, but it’s still with me and I intend to re-read it soon). As for an international book… you know, I’ll pick a book I haven’t read yet. And if I don’t find the time, I’ll let Tom Hiddleston read it to me… that’s why I (sometimes) love audiobooks: Sally Gardner’s The Red Necklace.
7. A thin book/ A thick book
This one’s easy: Agnes Grey and Les Miserables. I realize now that the situation hasn’t changed since January’s tag. Hm… another pair could be Breakfast at Tiffany’s (Romanian version) and Căderea Constantinopolelui.
8. Fiction book/ Non-fiction book
Most of my books are fiction. Pope Joan (Donna Woolfolk Cross) for fiction and Dracula sau triumful modern al vampirului (Iulian Rodica)
for non-fiction.
9. A romantic book/ Action book
The books written by Nicholas Sparks have romantic written all over them. I’m not interested in them, but his name is the first one that came to my mind. Today’s winner for action/adventure book category is The Count of Monte Cristo.
10. A book that made you happy/ One that made you sad
Micul Prinț (The Little Prince) made me happy. Yes, I was sad when I turned the final page, but the fact that I finally managed to read and re-read the story, to see that every detail in it was presented with such tenderness, that made me happy. While reading Les Miserables I felt like crying more times than I can count. Also, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas will leave you heartbroken.
by Elena Atudosiei
Wow! You did a marvelous work here, I really don’t know what to answer to these questions, because I have a lot of books, both printed and ebooks, and i would find it very hard to decide which book has the prettiest cover or wich of them made me happy or sad. Some of them had both effects on me, depending on the scenes I read or what latent feeling or memories they brought back to life.
It’s really not as difficult as it seems, trust me. Once you start writing, everything comes to you easily. 🙂
That’s interesting, I certainly haven’t seen that book game before. 🙂
I look forward to reading your answers, if you wish to join the game!
The thing is that I don’t have a bookshelf… all that moving and migrating and living in other people’s homes. I mostly rely on eBooks now. But I might give it a try, it’s fun. 🙂