The Wine Book Tag

Thank you to the lovely Jasmine for tagging me in the Wine Book Tag. Please go and check out her awesome blog!  I’m a little late in answering the questions but as the old saying goes, better late than never, right? 🙂

Box Wine – a book people will judge you for liking but you like it anyway!

Some of you might remember my rant from a few days ago. I was ranting about the negative backlash I seem to receive whenever I mention the term ‘paranormal romance’ so consequently, my answer to this question is ‘any paranormal romance book’. Outside of the blogging community, I find I’m met with sneers and taunts of ‘What, like Twilight?’ whenever I mention either my blog and its theme or a book that I’m reading. But you know what? Their opinions don’t bother me and setting up this blog was a way of demonstrating that.

For the haters

Organic Wine – a book that doesn’t have any added crap in it and is just written perfectly.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy. This makes for an interesting read for a number of reasons. Firstly, we never actually discover what exactly has happened to reduce the world to the post-apocalyptic state in which the protagonists battle for survival. Secondly, said protagonists remain nameless throughout the entire novel. This lack of information seems strange. Usually the characters’ names are the first things we find out and while it is indeed strange, it’s also extremely effective. These people aren’t somebodies. They’re anybodies. The lack of a title, the lack of a label, very much conveys the idea that they could be anybody. They could be me and you. They could be my neighbor and his wife. I like this notion. The idea that any of us could find ourselves in this situation makes the danger feel closer to home and as a result, it makes it all the more thrilling and exhilarating to read.

Gluehwein – a really spicy, Wintry read.

The Shining by Stephen King. A strange choice perhaps, but I love snuggling up with a good horror in the midst of winter. I like closing the curtains, shutting out the dark and any monsters my imagination evokes, and burying myself in a book. The Shining was the first horror book I ever read (at the tender age of 12) and 12 years down the line, it still sends shivers racing down my spine. I find winter the perfect time to read it. The warmth of an over-sized sweater chases away the goose pimples clothing my flesh as I read a particularly unsettling scene or sentence.

Sauvignon Blanc  – a really sharp and aggressive read that you couldn’t put down.

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion. I read this in one night for two reasons. One, it was more a novella in length and two, it was so intense! I finished it in the wee hours and simply sat there, the open book still in my hand while I stared blankly into space, trying to comprehend the events encased within its 240 pages.

 

Pinot Noir – a book you didn’t expect much from but ended up getting blown away.

The Rapture by Liz Jensen. This is a novel that fits quite nicely into the ‘Christian rapture/end of days’ category and I picked it up completely by chance while living in Japan. It was my commuting book and I didn’t expect grand things from it as it’s not the usual genre I tend to favor. However, by the end I was gripped. The dramatic final scene had me stepping off my train in a daze, wondering how the people around me could be getting on with their day-to-day lives while I’d just had my heart torn out by a paperback. A must read!

Chardonnay – a good summer read that was super zesty.

I literally cannot think of any book I’ve read that could be described as zesty. I’m sorry, forgive me! *bows Japanese-style*

 

Rose – a book that has a little bit of everything in it.

Nalini Singh’s Guildhunter series. Okay, cheating a bit here by naming an entire series (what’s new? I always cheat on these posts) but each book is a a wonderful concoction of drama, politics, romance, heartache and humor. Read it and you’ll see what I mean…and you’ll understand why I rave about it 😛

Shiraz – a full-bodied book that is dark and juicy.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. This novel is one of my all-time favorite classics. It’s just so damn scandoulous, especially when you consider the era in which it was written. It’s got dark themes – child abuse, bigamy and mental illness to name but a few – and any scene involving the dark, surly and brooding Mr Rochester (my first fictional boyfriend) is literally oozing with raw passion.

There are hundreds upon hundreds of editions of Jane Eyre and in my search for a semi decent cover, I happened upon this hilarious blog post.

Merlot – a smooth, easy read with a soft finish.

Conversations with God (Book One) by Neil Donald Walsch. I devoured this book over the course of a couple nights while I was a college student. I was having such a horrendous time. I’d just been put on antidepressants and, to be blunt, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be alive anymore. While this book didn’t cure me, it made me feel loved and needed. There were moments when I was just lying there, sobbing with joy because it was so beautifully written.

Champagne – your favorite book.

…that’s like asking me to choose my favorite child! My most recent favorite book is Mallory Crowe’s Stealing Fire. It’s sexy, cute, funny, dramatic…it’s everything I need in a book basically.

 

I nominate *points aggressively* you! Yes, you reading this right now! Be sure to share your answers either in the comments below or in a post of your own 🙂