Here are some interesting tags about books that I filled out in my spare time. They appealed immensely to the bookworm in me, and I'm sure that, as most of you like to read, you'll like them as well. Feel free to grab any or all that interest you.
Number One
Instructions - Grab the nearest book and flip to page 123 and type up the first four lines (sentences). It has to be the nearest book; you can't pick one randomly. The only exception is textbooks. They don't count as options in this case.
Riona, Linda Windsor -
"Could I borrow your sling and a few stones?"
Surprise widened the lad's eyes. "My sling? What will you do with my sling?"
Ignoring the slap of the child's incredulity, Riona replied, "I should like some semblance of protection out in the wood alone. Your sling will do nicely."
"An' pity the luckless soul that crosses it," Kieran murmured.
Number Two
Top 3 authors:
1. J. R. R. Tolkien
2. N. D. Wilson
3. C. S. Lewis and Jane Austen tie for third
Top 3 male characters:
That's impossible! I have more than ten favorite male characters in The Lord of the Rings alone!
Okay, I narrowed it from impossible to twenty-nine, then from twenty-nine to ten, and from ten to what you see here.
1. Faramir
(The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien)
2. Walter Foley
(Dragons in Our Midst, Oracles of Fire - Bryan Davis)
3. Monmouth
(100 Cupboards trilogy - N. D. Wilson) and Mr. Charlie, aka Merrick,
(The Berinfell Prophecies - Wayne Thomas Batson & Christopher Hopper) tie for third
Top 3 female characters:
Just three?! I narrowed it down as much as possible. You'll have to take four.
1. Éowyn
(The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien)
2. Ashley Stalworth
(Dragons in Our Midst, Oracles of Fire - Bryan Davis)
3. Millicent Fairweather Clark
(Whirlwind - Cathy Marie Hake) and Elizabeth Bennet Darcy
(Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen) tie for third
Top 30 fiction books in no particular order:
1. The Lord of the Rings trilogy
(J. R. R. Tolkien)
2. 100 Cupboards trilogy
(N. D. Wilson)
3. The Hobbit
(J. R. R. Tolkien)
4. Leepike Ridge
(N. D. Wilson)
5. Whirlwind
(Cathy Marie Hake)
6. The Silmarillion
(J. R. R. Tolkien)
7. Jackaroo
(Cynthia Voigt)
8. Persuasion
(Jane Austen)
9. Airman
(Eoin Colfer)
10. The Eagle of the Ninth
(Rosemary Sutcliff)
11. The Silver Branch
(Rosemary Sutcliff)
12. Blood Feud
(Rosemary Sutcliff)
13. Pride and Prejudice
(Jane Austen)
14. Mark of the Lion trilogy
(Francine Rivers)
15. The Bachelor's Bargain
(Catherine Palmer)
16. Dragon's in Our Midst series
(Bryan Davis)
17. Mara, Daughter of the Nile
(Eloise Jarvis McGraw)
18. The Chronicles of Narnia
(C. S. Lewis)
19. Tahn
(L. A. Kelly)
20. The Viking Quest series
(Lois Walfrid Johnson)
21. Castaways of the Flying Dutchman trilogy
(Brian Jacques)
22. The White Lion Chronicles
(Christopher Hopper)
23. In Freedom's Cause: a story of Wallace and Bruce
(G. A. Henty)
24. The Door Within trilogy
(Wayne Thomas Batson)
25. The Curse of the Spider King
(Wayne Thomas Batson & Christopher Hopper)
26. Isle of Swords & Isle of Fire duo
(Wayne Thomas Batson)
27. The Lost Baron
(Allen French)
28. The Red Keep
(Allen French)
29. Artemis Fowl series
(Eoin Colfer)
30. Enoch's Ghost
(Bryan Davis)
Top 3 books most recently read:
1. Nick of Time
(Ted Bell)
2. Whirlwind
(Cathy Marie Hake)
3. The Supernaturalist
(Eoin Colfer)
Worst 3 books ever read:
I read so many books that I really don't remember which books were bad. If I read a book that I dislike, I try to forget about it, because it's not worth expending the energy to remember.
Top 5 scenes from any book:
Any book, or any one book? I’ll pick Dandelion Fire, by N. D. Wilson.
1. In the prison in the faerie mound, when Monmouth and Henry talk in their dreams, and then Henry goes exploring in his dream and leaves the mark of dandelions on the wall.
2. The ending, with the party in Zeke’s backyard and then baseball in Hylfing.
3. When Henry meets his family, they have the christening, his naming ceremony, and Mordecai comes home.
4. On the boat when Monmouth frees Henry and Franklin Fat Faerie and they kick the three bad wizards into the sea.
5. When Henry meets Ron and Nella in their house above Byzanthamum.
The book(s) that made me cry the most:
Well, I rarely cry, especially over books or movies. I can't recall a book that I cried over. I did get sad a lot in the Lord of the Rings, but I don’t think I shed any tears.
The book(s) that made me laugh the most:
1. Louly
(Carol Ryrie Brink)
2. Just Patty
(Jean Webster)
3. Dragons in Our Midst series
(Bryan Davis)
4. The Melendy series: The Saturdays, The Four-Story Mistake, Then There Were Five, Spiderweb for Two
(Elizabeth Enright)
5. Isle of Swords
(Wayne Thomas Batson)
6. Curse of the Spider King
(Wayne Thomas Batson & Christopher Hopper)
7. Owls in the Family
(Farley Mowat)
The book(s) that made me feel the best at the end:
1. The Lord of the Rings
(J. R. R. Tolkien)
2. 100 Cupboards trilogy
(N. D. Wilson)
3. Persuasion
(Jane Austen)
4. Leepike Ridge
(N. D. Wilson)
5. Whirlwind
(Cathy Marie Hake)
6. The Eagle of the Ninth
(Rosemary Sutcliff)
7. Mara, Daughter of the Nile
(Eloise Jarvis McGraw)
8. The Chronicles of Narnia
(C. S. Lewis)
Contemporary or historical?
Historical, generally.
Science fiction, fantasy, or horror?
Fantasy, though sci-fi fantasy is awesome, too.
Hardback, trade paperback, or mass-market paperback?
Trade paperback. Hardbacks are hard to hold for extended periods, and mass-markets are too thick to read comfortably.
Barnes & Noble or Amazon?
Most of the books I have are gifts. If I'm buying a book, then I normally will buy it from Lifeway or Family Christian Stores, because they have the type of books I like. If B&N has the book I want, and I get a coupon, I'll buy it from B&N. I've only bought one thing from Amazon, to be honest.
Bookmark or dog-ear?
Dog-ear?! 0.0 That's sacrilege! If I want to save my place, bookmark. However, I only use a bookmark half the time...
Alphabetize by author, alphabetize by title, or organize not at all?
I organize by genre. Fantasy, sci-fi, historical fic, classics, nonfic etc. Then I sub-organize by series, or by how much I like the book.
Keep, throw away, or sell?
Keep. If I get duplicates (like as a gift), I exchange it for a different book or I give it away. I NEVER throw away a book.
Keep dust jacket or toss it?
I take it off and stow it somewhere.
Read with dust jacket or remove it?
Remove it. I can't stand dust jackets. >.<
Little Women or
Anne of Green Gables?
Um... how about
Jo's Boys? To answer the question, I don't like either of those that much, but
Little Women trumps
Anne. I like Alcott's other books better than
Little Women, believe it or not.
Short story or novel?
Novel. Short stories are too... short. By the time you get to know the character, the story is over.
Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks?
I don't have much time to read. When I do have time, half the time I have to stop when I'm right in the middle of something. Other than that, I generally stop at chapter breaks, or I'll fall asleep reading...
“It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time”?
Well, I don't like clichés, but I guess 'stormy night'. It's more gripping. Not that it really
is gripping; it's just more gripping than 'once upon a time'.
Tearjerker or belly laugh?
Belly laugh. Tearjerkers are sad. =P And since I don't end up crying, I just feel depressed.
Buy or borrow?
I normally try to check it out of the library first, and if I like the book, then I ask for it for my birthday or Christmas.
Buying choice: book reviews, recommendation, or browse?
Well, if a friend likes a book, I'll investigate it and see if I want to read it. I also like to browse home school catalogues and Christian book catalogues. If something piques my interest, I find out more about it before I buy it.
Collection (short stories by the same author) or anthology (short stories by different authors)?
I'm not sure. Collection, I think.
Standalone or series?
Series, generally.
Tidy ending or cliffhanger?
Tidy ending. Cliffhangers are fun to write, but torture to read.
Morning reading, afternoon reading, or nighttime reading?
I read whenever I can find the time. Most of the time that’s when I'm supposed to be sleeping...
Favorite genre series?
My favorite series in my favorite genre? Either Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, or N. D. Wilson's 100 Cupboards series. Probably LotR, though.
New or used?
New!
Favorite book of which nobody else has heard?
Heehee. Many of the books I read, no one has ever heard. Hmm. I think I'll pick
Jackaroo, by Cynthia Voigt. It's like Robin Hood, Zorro, and the Scarlet Pimpernel whirled into one. ^.^
Number Three
(From Noah over at
Noah's Reads)
Which eight books would you love to live in?
1. Dandelion Fire
(N. D. Wilson)
2. Persuasion
(Jane Austen)
3. Pride and Prejudice
(Jane Austen)
4. The Silver Branch
(Rosemary Sutcliff)
5. Mara, Daughter of the Nile
(Eloise Jarvis McGraw)
6. The Red Keep
(Allen French)
7. The Eagle of the Ninth
(Rosemary Sutcliff)
8. The Hobbit
(J. R. R. Tolkien)
Number Four
Name 12 characters and then answer the questions:
1. Peregrin 'Pippin' Took
(Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien)
2. Ashley Stalworth
(Dragons in Our Midst, Oracles of Fire - Bryan Davis)
3. Kyo Sohma
(Fruits Basket - Natsuki Takaya)
4. Éomer
(Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien)
5. Captain Frederick Wentworth, R. N.
(Persuasion - Jane Austen)
6. Louisa 'Louly' Tucker
(Louly - Carol Ryrie Brink)
7. Anne Ross
(Isle of Swords, Isle of Fire - Wayne Thomas Batson)
8. Conor Broekhart
(Airman - Eoin Colfer)
9. Anastasia Willis
(100 Cupboards series - N. D. Wilson)
10. Oliver Melendy
(The Melendy series - Elizabeth Enright)
11. Jimmy Gresham
(The Berinfell Prophecies - Wayne Thomas Batson)
12. Catherine Moreland Tilney
(Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen)
1) Who would make a better collage professor, 6 or 11?
Ooh, hard. They'd both make good professors. Louly likes to boss people around, but Jimmy is smart.
2) Do you think 2 is nice?
Yes, and Ashley’s also sweet and funny.
3) 12 sends 8 out on a mission. What is it? Does it succeed?
Catherine sends Conor to find some novels similar to the ones she likes (from the early 1800s). Conor flies his aeroplane to the nearest bookstore and picks up a set of the
Complete Works of Jane Austen. He takes them back to Catherine, who devours them. When she reaches
Northanger Abbey, she is shocked to find that she actually
is a heroine in a novel!
4) What is or what would be 9's favorite book?
If such a book exists, I'm sure it would be Anastasia’s favorite:
1,001 Ways to Annoy Your Siblings
5) Would it make more sense for 2 to swear fealty to 6, or the other way around?
Ashley to swear fealty to Louly, or Louly to swear fealty to Ashley. Hmm! I think I'd have to go with Louly (6) swearing fealty to Ashley (2).
6) For some reason, 5 is looking for a roommate. Should (s)he room with 9 or 10?
Captain Frederick Wentworth, R. N., is looking for a roommate and his choices are Anastasia or Oliver? Oliver, indubitably! Not only is he a boy, but he also talks a smidgen less than Anastasia.
7) 3, 7 and 12 are going out to dinner. Where do they go and what do they discuss?
Kyo Sohma, Anne Ross, and Catherine Moreland are going out to dinner? Hmm. Anne would take charge and ask where the others would like to go. Kyo would shrug and mumble something about 'anywhere, as long as I don't have to eat leeks'. Catherine would ponder the question and then defer to Anne's superior knowledge. Anne would decide to take them to O'Lordan's near London's waterfront. Anne would order meat pies, Kyo would stare out the window, and Catherine would start chattering about the novel she's reading. She'd mention something about the ship that carried off the abducted princess, and Anne would quiz her about what kind of ship it was. Kyo would ignore the whole thing, fingering his bracelet.
8) 3 challenges 10 to a duel, who wins?
Kyo challenges Oliver to a duel, and Kyo wins. Not only is Kyo about eight years older, but he's extremely more athletic. Oliver's a bit on the chubby side.
9) If 1 stole 8's most precious possession, how would (s)he get it back?
If Pippin stole Conor's most precious possession? Hmm. That would be either Conor's aeroplane, Conor's brother, or Conor's fiancée, Queen Isabella. It would probably be Isabella. Although I don't know how a hobbit could abduct a twenty-something female human who is a wonderful fencer, we are speaking hypothetically, are we not? Conor would fly to Pippin's lair, or wherever he was keeping Isabella, and rescue her.
10) Suggest a story title in which 7 and 12 both attain what they desire.
Anne and Catherine? Hmm. Anne wants to marry Cat, and Catherine wants to marry Henry. Therefore, the title might be
A Double Wedding. Cheesy, I know.
11) What kind of plot device would you have to use if you wanted 1 and 4 to work together?
If I wanted Pippin and Éomer to work together? Heehee. They already do! They save Helm's Deep! Pippin gets Treebeard to go to Isengard, and so indirectly sends the trees to Helm's Deep to devour the orcs. Éomer rides back to Rohan with his éored and chases the orcs into the trees. Teamwork!
12) If 7 visited you for the weekend, how would it go?
We would have ever so much fun! Anne Ross is awesome. Not to mention she's a hero. Among other things, I'd have her teach me how to sail. ^.^
13) If you could command 3 to perform any service or task for you, what would it be?
o.0 That's hard. I don't know, quite honestly. I doubt I'd be able to command Kyo, anyhow.
14) Does 11 like to write or draw?
I can imagine Jimmy dabbling in writing, or doodling in the margins.
15) If 2 had to choose sides between 4 and 5, what side would (s)he choose?
If Ashley had to choose sides between Éomer and Captain Wentworth, I think she'd go with Éomer.
16) What might 10 shout out while charging into battle?
Haha! That's a funny one! Oliver Melendy, charging into battle! *rolls on floor laughing* He'd probably cobble together a bunch of phrases, like "The British are coming, the British are coming! Dash away, dash away, dash away all!"
17) If you had to choose a song to best describe 8, what would it be?
A song that best describes Conor – that would be either Switchfoot’s ‘Meant to Live’ or Skillet’s ‘Hero’.
18) What would be a good pickup line for 2 to say to 10?
For Ashley to say to Oliver? "Too much information can make your brain choke." It's Ashley's pickup line anyway, and it works with Oliver, who loves asking questions.
19) What would 5 most likely be arrested for?
Captain Frederick Wentworth, arrested?! He's a most honorable gentleman!
20) If 11 and 9 were racing to a destination, who would get there first?
If Jimmy Gresham raced Anastasia Willis, I think they'd tie. Jimmy's fast, but Anastasia's relentless.
21) What is the lowest point of 1's story?
The lowest point in Pippin's story? He has a bunch of low points (not as many as Frodo, but still a lot). Perhaps when he was eaten by a willow in the Old Forest, or captured by a Barrow-wight, or when he threw the stone down the well in Moria, or captured by orcs of the White Hand, or when he looked in the palantír, or crushed by a hill-troll. I'm not sure which is the lowest, so take your pick.
22) 1 and 9 reluctantly team up to save the world from the threat posed by 4's sinister secret organization. 11 volunteers to help them, but it is later discovered that s/he is actually a spy for 4. Meanwhile, 4 has kidnapped 12 in an attempt to force their surrender. Following the wise advice of 5, they seek out 3, who gives them what they need to complete their quest. What title would you give this fic?
Let me get this straight - Peregrin Took and Anastasia Willis reluctantly teamed up to save the world from Éomer's secret sinister organization. Jimmy Gresham volunteered to help Pippin and Anastasia, but then they discovered that he was actually a spy for Éomer. Meanwhile, Éomer kidnapped Catherine Moreland in an attempt to force Pippin and Anastasia to surrender. Following the wise advice of Captain Wentworth, Pippin and Anastasia sought out Kyo Sohma, who gave them what they needed to save the world, rescue Catherine, and defeat Éomer.
I need to name this? Perhaps
The Revenge of the Horse Lord. Or
Rohan's Revenge. Maybe
Took and Willis, World Savers. What about
Operation: Golden Hall? Or perhaps
Fall of the Golden Hall – it rhymes. Or maybe
A Kaleidoscope of Characters. Of course, you could go with the obvious
Éomer's Attempt at World Domination. Perhaps
A Jaunt through the Mind of a Fantasy Addict with Too Much Time on Their Hands.
