The Get to Know Me Tag (Writer's Edition)

In the year that my blog has been around, I've done four tags. Today seems like a good day for a fifth. Christine tagged me about a month ago, and it looks like a really fun one! I'm excited to do it, so let's not wait a moment more. (And I'm not all that great at intros, either.)

As with all tags, there is protocol to follow. I must:

• Link back to the person who created the tag (Savannah).
• Thank the person who tagged you. Thanks, Christine, for sharing this with me!
• Share the tag graphic (which is optional, but I did it anyway because why not?).
• Tag eleven bloggers.

Now for the fun stuff!

Vital Stats and Appearance

Name: Billy Bob Jimmy Joe the Hillbilly Hobo (c'mon, don't tell me you guys thought that Josiah Dyck was my actual name)

Nicknames: Joe is a common one for me. People also call me Josh on a regular basis, even though I've never been one. They probably don't catch the ia there. When I was younger, Chloe called me Siah because she couldn't say my name properly. When I worked as a pump attendant, a number of my coworkers took to calling me Josie. One of the cashiers (probably the sweetest of the bunch) gave me the nickname J-dog. (Unless she meant dawg . . . I never asked for a specification.) Then I've got my various online aliases: Brickman, Fuzzy Boy, SwiftScarabAvenger, Dreadwisp, Morbus, Papyrus . . . you get the idea. (Feel free to call me virtually any of these, if you feel so led.)

Birthday: "December 16th, 1991." Gotta love the Civil War reference, am I right? Especially since my birthday is actually December 1st. The year shall remain a secret for now.

Hair Color and Length: My hair is dirty blonde, as disgusting as that may sound. It's darkened over time, according to my mom. And the length is . . . short, but not like a buzzcut. It's long enough to be cool and stylish, but short enough that it's generally not a hassle.

Eye Color: Gray-blue--which, in my mind, is a cool shade. Maybe I'm biased.

Braces/Piercings/Tattoos: My teeth are straight, so there's no need for braces. And I'm not the kind of guy who wants either piercings or tattoos, so this category is a big, fat "no" all-around.

Righty or Lefty: I'm right-handed, because that's only right.

Ethnicity: Not really sure, to be honest. I asked my parents about this one, and they guessed we have some ancestors who came from Holland, but other than that, I really have no idea. Maybe my family line came from outer space.

Firsts

First Novel Written: That would be the unnamed first installment in The Portal Chronicles trilogy. You know, the one I mock once a month? As I'm sure you all know, it's pretty awful. One might even venture to say it was absolutely terrible. I certainly wouldn't disagree. But considering that it was over 150 pages, and about 20-odd chapters . . . that's really not a bad start. You also have to factor in that I used to hate most writing prior to this. Seeing Tracey write inspired me, and this was what came out of that inspiration. Looking back, I've come a long way. But I will never say writing that novel was a waste of time. It was my humble beginning.

First Novel Completed: The award for that goes to The Attack on Gotham, a Marvel/DC crossover that was slightly better than the above story. I wrote it on the LEGO Message Boards, back when it was around. I'd only been on the MBs for about a month when I decided to, out of the blue, start writing something. I got a few readers and continued the story. It ended up being 50 (short) chapters over the span of 69 pages (33k words). Technically, this would be a novella, not a novel, but it felt like a novel to me back when I wrote it. I'd hoped to make it a trilogy, with me starting to work on the sequel, The Metropolis Siege. I eventually lost interest and never continued.

Award for Writing: I've gotten two of these. The first was when I won second place in a local Christmas story writing contest for the newspaper. I wrote about soldiers in WWII, and it was both the first and last time I entered the contest. I think I won $75 dollars for it or something.

The second was the Write Like a Ninja contest that was held by LEGO and Scholastic. There would be two grand prize winners and eight runners-up; the top two would be published in a book along with an official Ninjago story. The limit was 4,000 characters, which was very small. You could enter as many times as you wanted, so I wrote four stories. Out of close to a thousand entries, one of mine was chosen to be a runner-up. I was interviewed on the MBs and won a prize worth about $67 USD. It was one copy of the book, another book, and a Ninjago set (Ronin R.E.X., for anyone who's interested). In my mind, this was not only the better contest, but the better prize.

source

First Publication: When I won the Christmas story contest, my entry was published in the newspaper. That's basically the only time I've been published.

Conference: Well, I'd been hoping to go to Realm Makers this year, but due to my car loan, it was financially wiser to stay home. So no, I haven't been to one. Maybe next year? *crosses fingers*

Query/Pitch: Nope. Haven't done that yet. But something funny to do would be to take a baseball glove and throw your story at an agent. That way, you're literally pitching it.

Favorites

Novel (that you wrote): Let me ask you something. Would you ask a parent which child was their favorite? No, you wouldn't, because they can't properly answer that. Likewise, I don't have a favorite novel that I've written. I haven't even written that many novels. Most of the my stories are either incomplete or are too short to be considered novels. I love each and every one of my brainchildren in different ways, so I have no real answer for this.

Genre: Probably fantasy, or stories with fantastical elements. I mean, the first two series and the one standalone book I want to publish first are all fantasy. Well, the standalone is a pirate story, but it's got stuff that makes it kinda fantasy-ish. Seeing as it's my favorite genre to read, it makes sense.

Author: One does simply choose one favorite author. I have many, like Bryan Davis, Andrew Klavan, Anne Elisabeth Stengl, John Flanagan, and Eoin Colfer. I'd probably even add some of my friends to that list, such as Preston, Megan, John, Tracey, Christine . . . Yeah, I'd better stop now.

Writing Music: This isn't even a question. Anyone who knows me knows I love soundtracks more than any kind other type of music. Doesn't matter if it's for a movie, game, or TV show; heck, it could even just be an indie album! For example, I love a lot of Hans Zimmer's work, especially for Pirates of the Caribbean and The Dark Knight trilogy. Kirby games always have stellar music, especially the newer installments. Almost every Zelda game has phenomenal music; the same goes for the Mario & Luigi series (in case you didn't know, Yoko Shimomura, who composed the music for all the Kingdom Hearts games, created the score for every M&L title). Blake Neely has excelled at his Arrowverse soundtracks. Again, I have to stop before I get too carried away.

Time to Write: Hard to say. I haven't done it in so long . . . *coughs in embarrassment* I remember saying at one point that the evening was my favorite time to write. I don't really know if I have a favorite now. Just give me my soundtrack and a walk outside to contemplate my stories/daydream, and I can probably write at any time. I've also found that cool, cloudy, or rainy/snowy weather really gets me in the writing mood.

Writing Snack/Drink: A cup of ice-cold water is really all I need. Maybe a candy every now and then for brain food. Other than that, I'm good most of the time.

Movie: Again, I don't know how anyone can have one favorite movie. That's just not possible for me. I love the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Pirates of the Caribbean, Lord of the Rings, all three LEGO movies, The Flash TV show (I watch it on DVD, so I'm counting it as a movie), the Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu show, the Maze Runner trilogy, almost every Pixar film, etc. You ain't gonna make me pick one.

Writing Memory: You're kidding, right? I've been writing for about eight years now, and I'm supposed to pick one? Aw, heck, no! Some of my favorite memories are being one of the runners-up for the Write Like a Ninja contest; sharing my stories on the MBs and getting instant feedback on them; reading my fairy tale retellings out loud on a voice chat with Preston and Megan; and just that feeling when you're filled with determination inspiration and a strong desire to write for hours.

One of my most distinct memories that instantly comes to mind is when I was taking a walk on a cool, overcast day a few years ago. I was brainstorming Darkened Slumber, my Sleeping Beauty retelling, and I suddenly had the idea that a certain character should be killed by another certain character. I knew it would be one of the most emotional scenes in the story, and I wasn't wrong. But I kept it, because it's fun to toy with readers like that sometimes. I had other reasons too, of course. I'm not crazy, what're you talking about?

Childhood Book: There were a few, and I know I've mentioned this elsewhere, but I think one of my top favorites was I'd Choose You by John Trent. Spoke to me then, speaks to me now. I sometimes struggle with feeling valuable and important, and the whole message of the book was that there's always someone who would choose you.

Currently

Reading: Slaves of Socorro by John Flanagan, which is taking me far longer to read than it should. I usually fly through his books.

Writing: I'm currently working on my Ninjago fanfiction called The Tournament of Elements. I'm rereading it so I refresh my memory--while also making corrections along the way--and then I'll finish it. As a fun side project that's basically just for when I'm out and about, I'm writing a novelization of Undertale, which I'm calling Beneath the Surface, on my phone.

Listening To: I've got my entire soundtrack library on shuffle right now, but the current song is "Back in Venice" from the Assassin's Creed II soundtrack by Jesper Kyd. I love this album's use of acoustic guitars!

Watching: Just watched an episode of The Flash and Masters of Spinjitzu today. I'm about halfway through S1 of The Flash, which is definitely picking up the pace in the plot and reminding me why I love the show so much. As for Ninjago, I've got two episodes left in the Possession season; then it's on to Skybound, which I've only watched once, and it was a long time ago.

Learning: If I actually want to be an author, I need to take my writing seriously. That means putting more time and effort into it every week. It may be hard at first, especially when I'm juggling everything that I both want and have to do. Scratch that--it's going to be hard a lot of the time, no doubt. But some of the best things in life take work, and I'd rather fail having tried then to have never made an attempt.

Future

Want to be Published: Yes, yes, yes! I cannot say yes enough times. I've got stories to share with the world, and I truly believe it's what God wants me to do. So getting published is on the agenda.

Indie or Traditional: Most likely traditional. Maybe when I have enough followers, finances, and resources (which includes knowing the right people), I could try published independently. Until then, I think I'll need some help in the writing world.

Wildest Goal: I want to publish many books, go on world tours, meet a lot of people, get to see movies and games made from my novels, and so forth. It sounds crazy, I know. but God says He "can do so many awe-inspiring, immeasurable things, things greater than we ever could ask or imagine through the power at work in us . . ." (Ephesians 3:20, The Voice). So I'll keep dreaming big.

And now it's time to tag other people! Which I'm always horrible at, because I don't want to tag someone who has already done this. So I shall tag . . .

Brianna Stacyn @ No End of Books
Plus ten other bloggers who want to do this

Did you have as much fun reading this as I did writing this? Did you learn stuff about me, or even stuff about yourself through me (which would be pretty darn awesome)? Any tips you could give on how to stay dedicated to writing?

The Versatile Blogger Award

As you all know, my blog has been around for nearly a year, and I've only done two tags. *dramatic gasp* It's a shame. But luckily, I have been tagged for the Versatile Blogger Award. I can now say that I did three tags for the year I've been in the blogosphere. Such an achievement.

The rules are simple and straight to the point. First, thank the blogger who tagged you. Second, give seven random facts about yourself. Third, tag ten other bloggers of your choice. Easy, right? Yeah, I thought so too. I mean, this post will probably be shorter, but I'll try to make it as entertaining as possible.

So I would like to bestow my thanks upon Blue, who so kindly tagged me. Without you, I wouldn't be standing here today, proud of the fact that I've completed three whole tags in the span of 365 days. To that, I owe you hugely. In fact, you get the credit for any entertainment my audience receives today. *gives everyone a significant look* Got that? Don't thank me; thank the one who tagged me.

All right, let's begin!

#1.

The other day, my sisters and I were biking to go get some ice cream, since it was such a beautiful, hot day. As we're heading to our destination, I got the weirdest, most random idea: I wanted to attempt to take a selfie while riding my bicycle. I don't know why. It was just something I could say I did.

Needless to say, I didn't quite think everything through. We were on a quiet street yes, but what if I had to suddenly brake for a car? That wouldn't have ended well. But when you're in the moment, you don't necessarily think about all these details.

Thankfully, nothing bad happened. I did struggle to put my phone back into my pocket. And the result was better than one might expect. Actually, it's probably one of the best selfies I've taken, despite me intentionally making a strange expression

#2.

Over the past while, I've discovered that I seem to have a lower sweet tolerance than other people. For example, there are some desserts--particularly straight-up chocolate ones--that I find hard to eat. I just don't like eating really sweet desserts. I'd rather have something "milder," if you will, or fruity.

Does this mean I don't like chocolate desserts, or that I can't stand really sweet delicacies? No, that's not the case. It's just not my preference.

#3.

If I counted correctly, at this point in time, I own . . . a lot of soundtracks.

119 of them, to be precise.

I'm, uh, a little surprised by the number. And to think that there's still more I want to get. Yikes . . . I think we can all be in agreement that I'll eventually need a whole room dedicated to my soundtrack collection.

As a side note to this fact, my very first soundtrack I bought was The Dark Knight Rises back in May of 2012 (if I'm not mistaken); my most recent was the extended version of the Infinity War soundtrack just a couple days ago.

#4.

I don't often go to the theater to watch movies, so I believe I can list most, if not all, of the films I did see on the big screen. (The list will not be completely accurate as to the order in which I saw these movies.)

• Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie
• Kung Fu Panda
• Up
• Despicable Me 2 (in 3D)
• The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie
• The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
• The LEGO Movie
• Beauty and the Beast (2017)
• Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
• Avengers: Age of Ultron
• Captain America: Civil War
• Star Wars: The Force Awakens
• The LEGO Batman Movie
• The LEGO Ninjago Movie
• Justice League
• The Death Cure
• Black Panther
• Avengers: Infinity War

I'm pretty sure I got all of them. If I forgot any, they must've not been that great or memorable. I would gladly watch any of these again in the cinema, save for Justice League and maybe Despicable Me 2.

Another side note, because it'd be a very short fact on its own: the first movie that I remember crying while watching was The Grace Card. And now look where I am, crying at the drop of a hat! Not exactly, but you get the idea.

#5.

My first exposure to the Zelda series was Spirit Tracks. My dad works at a car dealership, and he found the game lying around in a trade-in vehicle. He gave it to me, and I hesitantly started playing. I say hesitantly because this was a few years ago, when I was more sensitive about content in games. (Oh boy, does that sound bad?) I'd read the PluggedIn reviews for other Zelda titles, and I was concerned about the spiritual side of things--which was probably very wise of me at the time.

But when I started playing, I was immediately engrossed with the game and fell in love with it. People hate on the Toon Link games, but honestly, I don't know why. Spirit Tracks is not only a great addition to the series, but also one of my favorite DS games. Now I wanna replay it on my 2DS for the good ol' nostalgia.

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#6.

Back in 2015 or so (it could've been 2014), my sisters and I filmed our own movie. It was a medieval adventure of two sister princesses, one of whom was captured by a dastardly mercenary (me!). The other set off with her royal guard to free her sister, but troubles besieged them at every corner.

Looking back at it now, it was an awful movie. It was only about 14 minutes, and we had the same amount of time dedicated to special features. But the whole experience was a lot of fun--for the most part--and drew us closer together. We wrote, filmed, and edited it, then showed it to our parents as an anniversary gift.

If I ever got the chance to do something like this, I'd jump on board so fast. With my media experience from college, I feel like I'd be a lot more capable of making a decent film. And c'mon, who doesn't want to star in a movie, albeit a homemade one?

#7.

The reason I even started to enjoy writing and pursue it was because Tracey wrote her own novel way back when. I saw her and decided to imitate her. I thought it'd be fun to write my own project instead of just school ones. Even though I mock that project to this day, it put me on the path of an author.

My writing journey has been an interesting one. The LEGO Message Boards invited me to stay on that writer's road, so the loss of it affected me in more ways than one. I've had seasons of staleness, where nothing was written for months. I'm not proud of those periods, and I'm striving to become a consistent writer.

That's where my blog name comes in. That's what I want to be: a steadfast pen God uses to give the world imaginative stories that they can enjoy and learn from. So every time I see my blog's title, I can say to myself, "That is who I am." It is constantly reminding to keep believing that God has amazing plans for this mortal quill.

This is the part I'm not too good at, because now I have to tag ten other people. My problem is that, because I don't participate much in the blogosphere, I don't know who has all done this tag already. So I'm tagging those of you who don't know what you should post next, you who haven't done it yet, and you who feel like doing it again because you've got more random facts to share.

What're your thoughts on this third tag of mine? Were the facts interesting? Was I entertaining? Don't forget, if you have questions for the anniversary vlog, ask them in the comments! I said I was accepting questions the whole month, but the cutoff date might get bumped up, so ask while you can.

The Writer's Book Tag

Yes, you read the title right! No, you do not need glasses . . . or a new prescription, if you wear a pair. I am doing a third tag! Can I get some hype from y'all?

*gets no hype because I just used the word "y'all," which really isn't a word and more like Southern slang*

Ahem. That was uncomfortable. ANYWAY. As you can see (or at least, as I hope you can see), this is the Writer's Book Tag. It's pretty similar to the Bibliophile Sweater Tag I did a while back, only with bookish terms, but I don't mind!

The rules are straightforward:

1. Give a shoutout to the person who tagged you.
2. Tag 3 people.
3. Use the graphic.

See? It's all very basic. So shall we quit wasting our precious time and jump into things? But first! Thank you, Brianna, for tagging me, and for also being a faithful follower/commenter on this blog. It's much appreciated. You can find her over at her blog, No End of Books.

First Draft (a book or series you have NEVER read before)

Well, I'm glad this narrows things down, because it's not like there's a brick-ton of books out there that I haven't read yet. (Hey, she wanted me to be sarcastic, so I won't refuse.) All joking aside, I have one on my stack of books to read that looks super interesting: The Gauntlet by Eoin Colfer. I've mentioned this at least a few times already, but his Artemis Fowl series is one of my personal favorites. The fact that he wrote an Iron Man story is just super cool! And I also love the cover version I picked, because it's really unique.

source; I apologize for the fuzziness, as this is the only pic I could find of this particular cover.

Second Draft (a book or series you didn't like as much the second time you read it)

One of the first series that comes to mind is the Berinfell Prophecies by Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper. The first time I read them, I didn't catch all the mistakes and whatnot. When I reread them, I had a more critical mindset, probably because I had edited my own stories for a while and was more prone to catch errors. That's not to say these books were awful; I still enjoy them! It's just that I wish a little more excellence had been put into the end product.

source; Oh, wow! I found a pic from Tracey's blog on Google Images!

Third Draft (a book or series you've liked for a really long time)

That's a little vague for me. What falls under the category of "a really long time"? Several months? A year? A few years? MAH WHOLE LIFE?! I need to find the creator of this tag and ask them to verify . . .

My answer is the Dreamhouse Kings by Robert Liparulo. They've got epic covers, timey-wimey stuff, dastardly villains, a devoted family . . . I really need to reread this series! Check it out if you haven't yet. I don't think you'll regret it.

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Killing Off Your Characters (a book or series that made you cry)

As I mentioned in my most recent Monthly HapPENings post, I rarely cry while reading books, or even come close to tears. When it comes to other media, I can be a very emotional person, but books are a different story--and yes, that pun was intentional. (They always are.) The only book I can recall that has succeeded in bringing me very close to tears is Moonblood by Anne Elisabeth Stengl. Such a powerful story, and a very relatable theme!

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Plot Holes (a book or series that disappointed you)

I'm taking a different approach to this question and saying that the Knightley Academy series--technically a duology--by Violet Haberdasher disappointed me. Why?

BECAUSE THERE WAS NO THIRD BOOK WHEN IT CLEARLY NEEDED ONE MORE.

I don't know why she never finished the series, but lemme just say: the second book ended off with way more questions than answers, and was very dissatisfying. I still would heartily recommend the series to others, because they have such great humor and characters and suspense. I just wanted one more installment to tie everything up.

Writer's Block (a book or series you haven't finished)

Andrew Klavan's MindWar trilogy is one of the first that comes to mind. I also have the final book on my stack; I just haven't gotten to it yet. I love all of Klavan's YA series, and while the MindWar stories have been very different from his usual stuff, they're very unique! I am looking forward to seeing how it all goes down in the finale.

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Feedback (a book or series that you would recommend to anyone)

Brandon Mull's Beyonders trilogy is absolutely FAN-BRICKING-TASTIC! Seriously, it is one of my favorite fantasy series that I've ever read, not to mention one of the most creative. Even if you don't necessarily care for fantasy, at least try these books . . . for me. They're just too good to pass up. With everything from a strong cast of characters, to delightful humor, to an abundantly imaginative world, to unexpected twists and turns, this is just a perfect series. Put it on your to-read list, like, RIGHT NOW.

source; did I mention they have extremely amazing covers? Because they do!

To finish off, I shall tag . . .

• Whoever wants to do this tag
• Whoever wants to do this tag
• Whoever wants to do this tag

Thanks again, Brianna! I hope you all enjoyed my answers. This post makes me wanna do a whole bunch of book reviews. What do you guys think? Do you want more book reviews from yours truly? I also apologize for the shorter post! I can't help if the tag only had seven questions.

The Bibliophile Sweater Tag /// The Who-Did-The-What-Now Tag?

Quick: what's a blogger's favorite game to play?

Tag!

BA-DUM CHING!

I know, I know, it's a dad joke. But ever since I went to college last September (as in, the one from 2016), it's become my speciality. It's how I charm the ladies. That, and with my good looks.

But you guys didn't come here for my dating advice (although I'm sure that would make for a fabulous and popular post). I'm here because Tracey, that Internet infamous sister of mine, tagged me. The tag was created by the legendary Mary Horton, and she tagged Tracey. So I'm part of the third generation of the tagged.

Seeing as my first tag I did, The Sunshine Blogger Award, ended up being my third most popular post, I figured it wouldn't hurt to do another. But before we get to the rules and such, what on earth is a bibliophile? *looks it up on the Merriam-Webster dictionary* Oh! Someone who loves books! I guess I count, then.

Rules:

1. Give the person who tagged you a never-ending supply of cookies (or just thank them - either works). *searches my pockets* Uh, I only have a few Kleenexes (#NotSponsored) on me . . . So a thanks will have to do this time. Ahem. Thank you, Tracey. *sits back down and sees everyone staring at me* What? Is that not good enough? Fine, I'll put a little more effort into it. Ahem. THANK YOU, O MAGNIFICENT SISTER OF MINE, FOR TAGGING ME ON THIS MOST AUSPICIOUS DAY THAT SHALL FOREVER GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS THE DAY I WAS TAGGED BY MY ELDEST SIBLING! Better?
2. Answer all the questions and use the blog graphic for this tag somewhere in your post. That shouldn't be a problem . . . hopefully. What happens if I don't follow this rule? Do I get blog detention or something? I'd really like to know the consequences of disobedience. I mean, who's going to enforce these? *shrugs* Just asking what everyone is clearly thinking.
3. Pass along this tag to at least five other people. I shall contribute to the fourth generation! Let it never be said that I don't care about the children of the future.
4. Wear a sweater (okay, this is optional . . . but why wouldn't you want to??) Since when was an optional rule a thing? As for wearing a sweater, I'm wearing a sweater/long-sleeved shirt/thing, so I suppose that counts. But what if I was living in Hawaii or the Sahara Desert or something? Then I'd be forced to wear a sweater when it would cause me bodily discomfort! How rude to demand such a thing.

Now that we got the obligatory stuff done--wait, not quite yet! Hang on just a sec . . .

I must admit, this is a really sick graphic! Kudos to you, Miss Horton!

Perfect! Now we're finished with all the obligatory stuff. Let's get on with the bookish pictures!

Fuzzy Sweater (a book that is the epitome of comfort)

I'm copying Tracey a bit here because I'm also choosing a book that includes a whole series. I love Andrew Klavan's novels. They're quick reads with snappy action sequences, witty dialogue, and loads of suspense. If you haven't read any of his books before, WHAT'RE YOU WAITING FOR?! This was the first series of his that I read, and it still holds a special place in my heart. Now I want to sit down and reread this book. If I decided to spend more time reading, I'd probably finish this within a few days.

Striped Sweater (a book which you devoured every line of)

The copy of this book that I read had a different cover, but I like this one more.

Tim Downs is an author with only about nine books to his name, but they are all really good books! His Bug Man series is absolutely phenomenal and hilarious. This book, though, was a really suspenseful book--so suspenseful that I read the majority of it in one afternoon. Yeah, I know, it's pretty crazy. When I think of books that I blazed through, this one always comes to mind first. Although, to be honest, I don't remember much about the book. *adds to my mental "read again" list*

Ugly Christmas Sweater (a book with a weird cover)

Okay, it's not ugly, per se. It just looks like a video game that hasn't been quite perfected. Don't let that fool you, though. I actually picked this book up because, at the time, I thought it looked really cool. And I guess I kinda still do, but maybe that's because I know the great story the cover hides. I actually remember more from this series than I do for most. I had flipped through this book two or three years ago, and while I noticed more mistakes than I had during my first time reading it, it still appeals to me immensely. (And yes, the covers, while still looking like video games, do get better. In my opinion, anyway.)

Cashmere Sweater (the most expensive book you've bought)

Like Tracey, I don't remember the most expensive book I bought. But, like Tracey, one of my most expensive books is this one, costing $25 in Canada. It was only available in hardcover. John Flanagan is one of those authors whose books are worth dropping a bit more money on. I can't really comment on this book, since I've only read the first three books in this series so far. But the Brotherband Chronicles is just as entertaining as Ranger's Apprentice was!

Hoodie (your favorite classic book)

I'll be completely honest here: I don't read a whole lot of "classic" novels. However, when I do, Jules Verne is one of my favorite authors. I had to once read 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea for school, and I decided to voluntarily read this book beforehand. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a fun romp with action, adventure, wit, and memorable characters. This is probably one of the best classics I've ever read! (Right up there with The Lord of the Rings, of course.)

Cardigan (a book that you bought on impulse)

When I was on a trip with my college class earlier this year, I found this book and immediately picked it up. Why? Because it's Jennifer A. Nielsen, of course. No other reason necessary. I've read her Ascendance Trilogy and loved it to pieces (well, I should specify I've read the first two books, but still). So upon seeing another book written by her and reading the back, I knew I had no choice but to buy it! If you haven't read any of her books, you haven't fully lived life yet.

Turtleneck Sweater (a book from your childhood)

Of all the books my parents read to me as a child, this is the one I remember the best. It's a story about how an elephant was never chosen for anything at school one day. He tells his mom about his horrible day, and she always says that she'd choose him. It's an adorable story, one that was brought to my remembrance after watching an episode of The Flash called "The Runaway Dinosaur."

Homemade Knitted Sweater (a book that is Indie-published)

Erm . . . uh . . . I actually can't answer this question. I'm 95.307% sure that I haven't read any indie books, and if I have, they were completely unmemorable. But I never wear homemade knitted sweaters either, so I guess it all works out in the end.

V-neck Sweater (a book that did not meet your expectations)

Since when were V-neck sweaters a thing? And even if they were, would they still be immodest? Don't most people wear shirts underneath their sweaters? Why wear a sweater without a shirt? That's like eating a burger without a bun. It just doesn't work. Mary! We need to have a discussion about your bibliophile sweater logic! . . . Unless I'm just a totally clueless dude who doesn't know that V-neck sweaters exist and that people don't wear--you know what, I'll just stop now and get to the point of this category.

I really wish it wasn't Eoin Colfer who was going into this slot, but he's going to have to. I absolutely love the Artemis Fowl series. It's one of my favorite series of all time. So I went into this book expecting that same awesomeness . . . and was disappointed. It did not feel like it was written by the same author who penned the world of Artemis. I won't give my full thoughts here, as I'm planning on doing a review of it at some point. Suffice it to say my expectations were not met.

Argyle Sweater (a book with a unique format)

This book has got to be one of the most unique I've ever read! Because the book deals with a world in a comic book, scattered throughout it are several pages of comic panels. (I noticed some of were scenes that were easier to tell with drawings rather than words.) It also makes use of different fonts occasionally, like when the villain Tall Jake talks. Again, this is another book that I'd like to do a review on if you guys are interested, so I won't spill all my thoughts here.

Polka Dot Sweater (a book with well-rounded characters)

When I think of well-rounded characters, this book comes to mind pretty quickly. I actually don't remember a ton from this book, but I do know that it's one of my favorite books, if not my favorite book, by Bryan Davis. There are a lot of great characters not only in this book, but in the whole series. One of the characters I remember most is Leo, who's like a dark Starlighter or something with epic powers. You need to read both this series and its companion YA series. They're fantastic books, in more ways than one!

And just because I found a missed opportunity in this tag, I'm adding one category . . .

Itchy Sweater (a book that looked good at first, but betrayed you later on)

This book could've gone under either the Cardigan or V-neck category, but I had other ideas for those, so I needed to make my own. This book cover captured my interest when I picked it up, so I decided to purchase it. I didn't fully enjoy it when I read it, though. The writing was lacking that spark, that extra oomph. You know what I mean? It just wasn't spectacular. And the note at the beginning . . . *shakes my head, tempted to laugh* It said that Satan's name wasn't capitalized because they felt like it would be empowering him. (I kinda see where they're coming from, but he's a defeated enemy, so capitalizing his name is just good English.) Looking at the publishing company's page, I cringe, and I think I may be seeing even more clearly why I didn't care for this book.

Well, it's time to pass on this bibliophile sweater to the next generation. But who am I to limit this gift to five people? I care about all the children! So I say whoever wishes to do this tag, you may do so, and feel free to add my category. (Because I'm not lazy and I clearly know who has all been tagged already.)

And that's the end of it! I hope you enjoyed this splendid tag as much as I did. In all seriousness, my heartfelt thanks to both Tracey and Mary. You guys saved me from having to come up with a post this week.

What did you guys think of my phenomenal post? (Yes, humility is my middle name.) Have you read any of these books? Do you agree with the categories they were put under? Oh, and by the way . . . tag, you're it! Get it? Because this is a tag? Ah, never mind.

The Sunshine Blogger Award /// My First Evah Tag!

It happened on a dark and stormy night. I was debating what to do for my next post, as it was still a bit too soon to write a follow-up to "A Misdiagnosis." As I sat there wondering, the voice spoke. It told me it was my destiny to do a tag. I was soon told by one of my followers that I had been tagged, and so that's what I decided to do. The end of that story, which was only 50% true.

(That has got to be my weirdest and most random intro yet. Don't mind me; I'm in a peculiar mood.)

Anyway, let's get on the real reason for the post. The rules for the Sunshine Blogger Award are simple. First, you need to answer the 11 questions you've been given. Once you've done that, you need to come up with 11 new questions and tag 11 bloggers to do said tag. Capiche?

But before I begin, I'd like to thank Lisa for tagging me in the first place! I wasn't sure what to do for today's post, so this was really helpful. Let's all give her a big round of applause for saving my bacon!

Mmm . . . bacon. Uh, I'd better move on before I get too distracted.

1. Do you have favorite fictional families/siblings, and who are they?

Oh, boy. Lemme think for a moment . . . I'd have to say Barry's families in The Flash. If you're a bit confused at this point, allow me to explain. Barry Allen (aka the Flash) has no siblings, but he's got some really great parents. They obviously all love each other deeply, and it's really cool to see.

However, at the very beginning of the show, Barry's mom is murdered, and his dad is framed for the whole thing. A friend of Barry's dad, a cop by the name of Joe West, takes the young boy in. He has a daughter, and their love is also very strong and evident. They quickly make Barry feel like part of the family.

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I highly suggest you watch this show if you haven't yet. You'll see why I love the families here; the relationships in the show are all really well-done. I can't do them justice with my words.

2. If you could reform one villain (book or movie), who would it be?

Another tough question. But I think I would love to see Loki reformed. Yes, he makes for a fantastic and dastardly villain. Wouldn't it be epic, though, if he teamed up with the heroes to take on Thanos in the future Avengers movies? Maybe it's just me, but I think he'd make a great addition to the team. So long as he kept up the kind of remarks he made in Thor: The Dark World when he and Thor were escaping Asgard.

3. If you could work with/be the apprentice of/learn from one historical figure (hero or not), who would it be?

'Tis a very unique question, indeed. To make it a bit tougher on myself, I'm going to remove the option of choosing Jesus, since He's kinda the obvious figure to pick here.

I think I'd probably pick Abraham Lincoln. I mean, the guy went through so many setbacks and failures. Most people would've given up, but he kept pushing through, defeat after defeat, year after year. In the end, it paid off, as he became the president at the right time, when America needed him most. I'd love to work with him and learn all that I could.

4. Have you ever dreamed (when you were asleep, of course) that you were in a book or movie? If so, which ones?

I feel like this has actually happened to me. Thing is, I don't remember very many of my dreams, or I'll only remember for a little while. So while my mind tells me I've experienced this kind of dream before, I can't recall any specific books or movies. If one suddenly comes to mind, I'll be sure to mention it at some point.

5. What are your favorite kind of book titles (e.g. one word, a reference, symbolism, with a certain word in them . . .)?

I'd have to say they have to pop out and catch my attention in some way. For example, Vigilante is a great title because I love superheroes; when I noticed the book, it piqued me interest. Another good book title is Hunter Brown and the Secret of the Shadow. Upon seeing it, I was curious as to what the Shadow was, along with what secrets it was hiding. A third example is Mister Monday, because alliteration is one of my favorite things in book titles. In fact, the series this book is in, the Keys to the Kingdom series, features similar titles for the other six books. So there really isn't just one thing that gets me intrigued in a book. It just has to hook me in some fashion.

6. If you could be the "sidekick" of one fictional character, who would it be?

I'd choose to be a sidekick for Will from the Ranger's Apprentice series. I'd get him to teach me how to use a bow, track people, and do other epic things that Rangers do. I think it would be a lot of fun! Well, it wouldn't be all fun and games, but that'd be okay, because where there's a Will, there's a way. See what I did there?  . . . Yes, I know it's a horrible pun!

7. If you were a superhero, what would your power be?

Teleportation! It'd come so handy. Why travel to other countries by plane when you can just teleport yourself there? I would probably also include the ability to teleport other people with me if I'm holding onto them, or vice versa. And if I couldn't pick teleportation, I'd choose super speed. (In case you can't tell, I love The Flash show.)

8. If you entered a fictional world, what is the worst thing that could happen to you?

I'd die. End of story.

Seriously, what's worse than dying? If you're looking for a more serious answer, I guess it might be getting trapped on that world and not being able to come back to Earth. That'd be pretty scary and/or traumatic for me. I'd eventually be able to start a new life, but I don't think I would ever fully get over the fact that I'd never see any people I love ever again.

9. What kind of book covers do you not like?

You know the old adage, "Don't judge a book by its cover"? I do it all the time. If a book is unappealing to me, it'll be harder for me to pick it up. In fact, there are two book series that I started because of some of their covers. Weird, huh?

So I suppose I don't like covers that are done poorly, or look old, or whatever. Again, there's not one certain thing that I don't like when it comes to a book cover. It's just that if a book doesn't have a cover I find awesome in some way or another, I'll be less inclined to read it.

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10. What fictional character would you want as your sidekick?

I'd want Prince Hadrian from Tracey's The Brightest Thread to be my sidekick. He's loyal, heroic, determined, passionate, just, and an all-around cool dude. I'd feel very confident if he was my companion on some kind of quest. We'd probably hit it off really well, and we could be really epic together!

11. What fictional character would you want as your arch-nemesis?

Thanos!

No, not really, because then I really would die. Uh . . . my choice would be . . . I don't know if I should pick someone who'd be easy to fight or someone who could beat me to a pulp. I'll just choose Ganondorf from The Legend of Zelda series, because, although he'd be tough, defeating him would definitely make me feel like an epic hero.

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Now that I've answered the questions, here are mine!

1. You are stranded on an island, and it's guaranteed you won't be rescued for a whole year. You have only one book and one CD (along with the means to listen to it). Which book and CD would you have, and why?
2. What's your opinion on ghostwriting?
3. Have you ever had an experience that deeply influenced your art?
4. If you had to perform in a play, which one would it be?
5. Which book have you read recently that resonated with you long after you finished reading?
6. Would you volunteer to join a space mission in which you would attempt to create a Mars colony? Why or why not?
7. If you could choose any book to be made into a movie, which book would you pick?
8. What would you do if video games were the only creative outlet in the world?
9. You get a package in the mail with enough money to travel anywhere and vacation for a month. Where would you go?
10. In your opinion (educated or otherwise), what do you think would happen if a world government was established?
11. You're about to get a song stuck in your head for a whole week. Which song is it, and why?

As for the people to tag, I really don't know who has or hasn't done this tag, so I'm cheating a little. If you enjoyed the questions I came up with, feel free to pick up the tag on your own blog!

Well, I think that's it for me today. Until next time, ciao!