Beauty and the Beast Book Tag

I came across this book tag on The Orang-utan Librarian, and being a child of the ’90s myself, I simply couldn’t resist having a go at it.

Rules

Thank the person who tagged you, which, *ahem*, was myself. Thanks, Raincity Librarian!

Mention the creator: Kirsty at Kirsty and the Cat Read.

Match a book to each of the songs/characters below.

Tag as many people as you like.

“TALE AS OLD AS TIME” – A POPULAR THEME, TROPE OR SETTING YOU WILL NEVER GET BORED OF READING

I just can’t help falling for the odd-couple trope again and again. Take two diametrically-opposed characters, throw them together and watch as they slowly, sometimes painfully, and often humorously develop into the strongest and most devoted of friends. Whether it’s Elephant and Piggie, Sasuke and Naruto, Gray and Natsu, Mugen and Jin (pictured above) or Gimli and Legolas, these stories remind us that people can be very different and still be friends, and that lasting friendship can be found even in the unlikeliest of places.

BELLE – A BOOK YOU BROUGHT FOR ITS BEAUTIFUL COVER THAT’S JUST AS BEAUTIFUL INSIDE TOO.

I don’t buy a lot of books, so this one doesn’t really apply to me, I’m afraid!

BEAST – A BOOK YOU DIDN’T EXPECT MUCH FROM BUT WHICH PLEASANTLY SURPRISED YOU

I first read Warm Bodies as part of a university class on Young Adult / New Adult literature, and being not much of a fan of either genre, nor particularly keen on zombies for that matter, I honestly wasn’t anticipating much. But I was pleasantly surprised – Warm Bodies is in fact a smart, sweet, highly enjoyable zombie love story that’s far more entertaining and nuanced than the film adaptation, which was definitely made for a younger audience, might have you believe.

GASTON – A BOOK EVERYONE LOVES THAT YOU DON’T

Unlikable, uninteresting characters, multiple points of view that read so similarly as to be almost indistinguishable and a convoluted plot that still managed to be boring definitely had me wondering what everyone else saw in this tepid murder mystery.

LEFOU – A LOYAL SIDEKICK YOU CAN’T HELP BUT LOVE MORE THAN THEIR COUNTERPART

 

Sure, the manga Naruto was focused on the exploits and adventures of the titular Uzomaki Naruto, but I was always much more fascinated by Naruto’s mentor Kakashi, the Copy Ninja, who was as talented as he was cool, and had his own complex and complicated backstory worthy of its own manga.

MRS POTTS, CHIP, LUMIÈRE & COGSWORTH – A BOOK THAT HELPED YOU THROUGH A DIFFICULT TIME OR THAT TAUGHT YOU SOMETHING VALUABLE

As an angsty, anxious, spotty teenager struggling with debilitating shyness and major body image issues, I found solace in reading, particular in stories that would take me far, far away from my current surroundings. Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide series absolutely blew me away – I’d never read anything quite like these zany, madcap science fiction romps, and they made me laugh out loud even when nothing else could. They reminded me that there was still so much joy to be found in the world, even when life seemed pretty darn dreary and not particularly fun. No matter how crummy I felt about life, there was always a reason to laugh, if you were willing to look for it. I’ve read the entire series several times, and each time is as hilarious and delightful as the first.

“SOMETHING THERE” – A BOOK OR A SERIES THAT YOU WEREN’T INTO AT FIRST BUT PICKED UP TOWARDS THE END

The Lord of the Rings – I’ll admit it, I really didn’t enjoy The Fellowship of the Ring. It felt like it just dragged on. There was so much much walking and talking, talking and walking, on and on and on. But as the series progressed I found myself becoming more and more attached to the characters, and drawn into their world. The action intensified, the stakes were raised, and the pace picked up, creating an exciting and engaging reading experience. My word of advice to anyone considering reading LOTR for the first time would be to stick with it – it might not start off with a bang, but it certainly picks up speed as it goes along!

“BE OUR GUEST” – A FICTIONAL CHARACTER YOU’D LOVE TO HAVE OVER FOR DINNER

Fuu, the young woman searching for the mysterious samurai who smells of flowers in the manga series Samurai Champloo would make for a wonderful dinner companion because she absolutely adores food and isn’t afraid to eat to her heart’s content! Being a fellow food lover myself, I’m sure we’d have a delightful time devouring bowl after bowl of ramen together.

And there you have it! I hereby tag anyone who cares to take a stab at this short and sweet book tag. Enjoy!