The Bookworm Tag

I feel like I'm kind of on a roll in terms of catching up on tags, so we're going to keep up the trend for this month! The Grim Writer has kindly tagged me (um, months ago) for The Bookworm Tag, which, as you may gather, I'm going to fill out today. Finally. XD

Apparently there are no rules, except for the vague guidelines of:
-answer the questions
-make up new ones
-tag people

which is okay by me, because tags with overly strict rules (*cough* looking at you, Sunshine Blogger Award with your "tag eleven people" thing *cough cough*) can sometimes be a bit...restrictive. 

On to the questions!

What are some of your unpopular literary opinions?
-Enemies to lovers is a horrible excuse for a romance trope (I don't know if it's an unpopular opinion anymore, but I had to say it)
-Mark Twain is boring
-Most modern 'Christian fiction' is actually awful
I think those are my worst ones? I'm not a super controversial reader...I don't think. 

What’s a great book you’ve read that you’ve never seen anybody else talk about?
Most of the books I've read that I love I've heard someone talk about at some point. But one that I actually have given the title of "my favorite MG book of all time" that I literally NEVER see ANYONE talk about is Greenglass House by Kate Milford. 

I mean, it has a really aesthetic inn, with stained glass and creaky floors and mysterious attics! It's set in winter and is the perfect Christmas read! There's an alternate version of DnD that the MCs use to create characters to pretend to be in real life! There are whole bunch of interesting and eclectic people who aren't what they seem! The inn sits above a smuggling town that cannot be mapped! What is not to love? So why doesn't it get more love?

Around how many books do you read in a year?
About 200-300, depending on how motivated I am, how many challenging books I tackle, and how many classes I'm taking during the school year. (That number is from the last few years...as a kid, my average was definitely higher, maybe even double that.)

Yes, it's a lot of books. Yes, I'm a speedy reader, and maybe technically a speed reader. Apparently, my reading speed (for easy nonfiction) is around 700 WPM, with very high comprehension. (Though I think I read a tad more slowly most of the time.) That's what a childhood mostly spent reading will do for you, I guess. 

This tree is an excellent reading tree.

Describe your ideal setting to read a book in.
Hmm. I have many ideal settings to read books in, and it depends on the book and the season and what mood I'm in. But you can never go wrong with a good tree-top perch (if the book is small enough to tuck into your pocket) during the summer. And in the fall and winter, either outside somewhere you can see all the leaves, or on a couch with a blanket and a sweater and cup of tea are both good settings.

Who’s your favorite folklore character and why?
I don't know if I have a favorite folklore character? I don't know if I even know the definition of 'folklore' to figure out if I have a favorite folklore character. Bing says "the traditional beliefs, customs, and stories of a community, passed through the generations by word of mouth", but which community?? America? England? Ancient Rome? My family? Can I just pick whatever I want? Is folklore the same as mythology?

HELP!

Umm, I don't think I even have a favorite mythological character that I can list here, because I'm boring like that. XD If I can take a character from the folk music I know already, though, I think I'd say the narrator from "White Squall" by Stan Rogers. 

Thoughts on horror and psychological thrillers?
I don't usually like them. They freak me out. There are a very few exceptions (like the ones I mentioned in my January Wrap-Up), but I mostly only tolerate those for other aspects of the story. The thing is, I have a very vivid imagination, and it doesn't take much for me to imagine the horror aspects of those stories in every dark corner, and that makes it very hard to function (and sleep) for the next couple of weeks. No thank you.

Favorite literary villain and why?
Isn't the point of villains that you don't like them? *skeptical face*

So, is this supposed to be the villain that you secretly love, or your least favorite villain, because that means they've done their job the best? 

I literally cannot think of a single villain right now. XD But I do always love when the villain is the dystopian situation, the anti-Catholic government, &c. The antagonist being the situation, the world, or The Government just seems to me to work better (a lot of the time) than a cape-swirling darkness-loving villain.

Image not mine

Favorite death scene in a book?
Oh gosh. Do people have favorite death scenes? 

Suddenly, I cannot think of a single dead character. Dangit, why do tags do this to me?? 

(I just asked Eomer what his favorite death scene was, and he responded, "what do you mean?" and I said "well, I'm doing a tag", and he asked, "oh, in a book??" like he'd ever witnessed any other kind of death scene...)

OH I REMEMBER. The one in Code Name Verity. That one broke me. I hate it and love it for different reasons in relatively equal measures, and it made me cry. 

Does that mean it's my favorite? 

Do you read poetry, and if so, favorite poem?
I do read poetry (I try to read it on my own, but in practice, it's mostly when I'm forced by circumstances to do so) and I like poetry very much, in general, and I actually have a post about this in my drafts! Said post has fourteen poems in it, all of which I love, and picking a favorite is nearly impossible. That said, if we can limit it to long-form narrative poetry (like Divine Comedy, Idylls of the King, &c), the kind that comes in book form, my favorite is The Ballad of the White Horse by G. K. Chesterton. It's epic and British and has some of my favorite quotes about Catholicism that I've ever read in my entire life.

Favorite child character in a book?
Off the top of my head, it's a toss-up between Milo and Meddy from Greenglass House. (This may only be because I just finished reading the sequel to GH to my younger siblings, but we're going to roll with it.) They both feel like real kids, with all of the emotions, curiosity, disdain for grownup affairs, &c that go along with that. But they also have the most fantastic adventures together, and grow up through the course of the book, and I dunno. I just like them a lot. 

My Questions
1. Hardback or paperback?
2. Did you have a favorite comic book or graphic novel as a kid, and if so, what was it?
3. What is your favorite devotional or inspirational book, and why? 
4. Would you rather have to read only one book for the rest of your life, or never get to reread a book?
5. Least favorite literary villain?
6. What is your favorite romance trope? 
7. If you could spend a day with your favorite author, what would you do with them?
8. What is the longest book you've ever read, and did you like it?
9. Do you have a favorite poet, and if so, who is it? When did you learn about them?
10. Have you ever cried over a fictional death scene, and if so, which one(s)?

I Tag:
I'm going to be super boring and say...whoever wants to take these questions is most welcome! I feel like I'm going to wear out my welcome in terms of tagging people, so instead of doing that, I'm just copping out. XD

So! Do you always forget Every [Blank] You've Ever Read when you're trying to fill out a tag? What's your definition of folklore? Do you like horror? Tell me all the things!