The Baseball Book Tag (Original)

The Top Ten Tuesday and Top Five Wednesday topics this week didn't really catch my eye (or, I'm too tired from work to really put thought into them). Instead, I wanted to do a tag; however, I'm too lazy to go out in search of a tag to do. As a result, I created my own tag that goes along with the theme of this blog: baseball and books.

I tag: literally anyone! If you enjoy baseball and books (or if you just want to do a new tag), you are more than welcome to try this one out.


1. Batting Practice Do you have any reading rituals or certain things that you do before you start reading a book?

• Not really. I always start off by marking a book as "currently reading" on Goodreads and by entering the number (for example, I'm currently on book 97 on the year), title, author, and date started on my 2015 Reading spreadsheet.

2. 7th Inning Stretch What books have required you to get up and stretch while reading them (either because they were boring and putting you to sleep or because you just couldn't put them down)?

• I would say that the book I am currently reading, A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara, requires me to get up and stretch - not because it is boring or because I'm not enjoying it, but because it is really, really chunky (over 700 pages) and kind of slow. I can only read so much before I need to do something else and regain my focus.

3. Walk Off Win What book was on-the-fence when it came to the rating until the very end?

• I wouldn't say that the end of a book will completely dictate a rating, but it helps me when it comes to giving half-stars or bumping a 1- or 2-star rating up a little. In recent memory, the last book I finished (The Queen of the Tearling) was pretty much a 3.5-star book until the last section. On the flip side, endings that feel rushed or don't thoroughly flesh out or tie up loose ends will cause the book to lose some points, such as the conclusion of Those Girls by Chevy Stevens.

4. Extra Innings What book or series do you wish had gone on longer?

• My answer to questions about series needing more books is usually always the same: the Grisha trilogy and the Lunar Chronicles. Both of these are technically coming true in the near future: Six of Crows takes place in the Grishaverse and is released this month and Winter comes out in November; however, I will always and forever say I want more.

5. Losing Streak How do you deal with a reading slump?

• I had my first real reading slump (that I can remember since I started blogging and really tracking my reading) last month. I am still feeling the after effects but I think I am past the worst part of it. To break this slump I did several things. First, I allowed myself to put down books without finishing them. This was really hard but it worked! I also turned to graphic novels and quick books that I wouldn't have too high of expectations for.

6. Rookie of the Year Which debut author's book have you been the most impressed with this year?

• I have two. The first actually came out this year and it is The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh. The second came out last year (the second book in the series came out this year) but I read it this year and that is The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon. Both of these books transported me to a unique and well drawn world, while also keeping me intrigued with the plot and presenting characters that I could root for.

7. World Series Champions What is your favorite book of all time?

• Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

8. Caught Stealing What book was the easiest one for you to put down before finishing?

• I only recently started allowing myself to DNF books. The easiest one was the most recent - The Girl Without a Name by Sandra Block. I only made it to page 20 in this one and it was not pulling me in in any way, shape, or form. I didn't want to risk my reading slump reemerging so, voilà, DNF.