Bookcase Scavenger Hunt

 

It's been a while since we did a 'tag' style post, September 2020 to be exact. Check out that last one here, The Guilty Reader Book Tag. This post is something that's been in our drafts for a long time, then it was partially done and left in the drafts for even longer. Finally, I'm getting around to completing it and it's shown that these so-called 'quick little tag' filler posts do actually take more time than you think. 
This is a Scavenger Hunt of our Bookcase(s)!

A Book...

...with deckled edges  - Tales from the Haunted Mansion by Amicus Arcane

...with sprayed edged - The Toy Makers by Robert Dinsdale

...with 3 or more people on the cover  - The Woodbegoods by E. Nesbit

...with a title 10 letters long - Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

...with a title that starts and ends with the same letter - Sherlock Holmes: Selected Stories by Arthur Conan Doyle 

...written by an author using a pen name - A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

...with a characters name in the title  - The Gospel of Loki by Joanne M. Harris

...with 2 maps in it - The Lord of the Rings by J R R Tolkien

...turned into a TV show - Northern Lights by Philip Pullman 

...written by someone who is originally famous for something else - Nightmares! by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller

...with a clock on the cover - The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley 

...of poetry - The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy by Tim Burton
...of short stories - Tales of the Peculiar by Ransom Riggs
...with an award stamp on it - The Invention of  Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
...that is signed - Rumaysa: A Fairytale by by Radiya Hafiza



...written by an author with the same initials as you - A Middle Earth Traveller by John Howe (JH = Mr Hallow, none with my initials DH!)
...written by more than 2 people - Nightmares! : The Lost Lullaby by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller
...that is between 500-510 pages long - The Desolations of Devil's Acre by Ransom Riggs
...turned into a movie - Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
...box set - Chronicles of Oz by L. Frank Baum

Some categories were much easier than others, some were difficult to decide between because we had multiple options and some we either didn't have any or had to slightly double up on authors we'd already used previously. I think despite the vast array of categories, this definitely gives a great insight into our tastes and what is houses over our five bookcases. 

The Guilty Reader Book Tag

 

Sooo. It's been a crazy, hectic, take-each-day-as-it-comes type of year so far for most of us and despite me being determined to get ahead of myself with the blogs and have everything pre-written a couple of weeks in advance (like I used to) I've gotten to Sunday and realized I'd forgotten about Tuesday's book blog post! That means the original post for today has been bumped for a while and a quick, fun little tag has replaced it! Stayed tuned for next week where we have a pretty cool post seeing as this month's marks the 1 year anniversary of us starting Pages of the Hallows!

Have you ever re-gifted a book you've been given?

Mrs: Nope. I've given them to charity shops etc though.

Mr: No, I only give gifts to Mrs H and I only get them from her so why would I re-gift them back to her.

Have you ever said you've read a book when you haven't?

Mrs: I have not, no. I don't see the point in doing that because if you are asked anything about it, you can't answer and then you'll look extra stupid.

Mr: Maybe in school if we'd been assigned one to read.

Have you ever borrowed a book and not returned it?

Mrs: I don't think I have actually ever lent a book from anyone other than a library.

Mr: Probably from the library when I was a child.

Have you ever read a series out of order?

Mrs: Technically I read The Chronicles of Narnia 'out of order'. I read them in chronological order, whereas a lot of people like to read them in publication order.

Mr: In my opinion no I have not, but according to Mr H a lot of people think I read Narnia wrong

Have you ever spoiled a book for someone?

Mrs: If you wouldn't like it done to you, don't do it to someone else. I remember in high school when Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was published and a lot of us got it at the midnight release, someone ruined it for us. I didn't read mine overnight like many others, it took me a day or two, but there were people who didn't necessarily understand why it was a big deal to others and purposely went around telling people about a certain important death in the book...they thought it was hilarious. 

Mr: No I haven't but then again the only other person I know who reads is Mrs H and I wouldn't do that.

Have you ever dog-eared a book?

Mrs: Maybe as a child, but I would never do that now!

Mr: Yes but not for a long time, funny fact though I'm still reading the last book I Dog-Eared maybe I will finish it one day.

Have you ever told someone you don't own a book when you do?

Mrs: I see a running trend with my answers. No! I am not embarrassed by any of the books I own so wouldn't need to lie.

Mr: No why would I lie about having a book?

Have you ever told someone you haven't read a book when you have?

Mrs: See above haha. I don't read according to trends or really care what people think of my reading tastes.

Mr: No I have not.

Have you ever skipped a chapter or a section of a book?

Mrs: I actually don't think I have to be honest. Even as a child. Why bother, you could miss something important to the storyline or ruin the ending for yourself.

Mr: No why would anyone do that? It's just cheating yourself out of part of the book.

Have you ever bad-mouthed a book you actually liked?

Mrs: Once again, a final no! For all the reasons listed above. I have bad-mouthed popular books that most people like and I don't, but never a book I actually liked. Surely you would praise it to share it to other people?

Mr: No I usually like most of the books I read, and if I don't like it I says so Mrs H  doesn't waste her time reading it too.

Our Blog in Books Tag

When you're used to blogging about a huge variety of things, switching to a super niche blog means ideas can come to a halt quickly. That means Google, YouTube and other blogs are a lifeline when planning new posts...including my old blog. This type of post seems quite retro now, though I guess actual blogging in general is old school itself.
Anyway, as simple and 'retro' as this might be I thought it really fun to complete! This is a book from our collection for every letter of our blog name!

Pirates and Privateers by Tom Bowling

Artemis Fowl  by Eoin Colfer

Grimm's Fairy Tales

Eragon by Christopher Paolini 

Sepulchre by Kate Mosse

Ozma of Oz by L Frank Baum

(The) Fellowship of the Ring by J R R Tolkien

(The) Twisted Tree by Rachel Burge

Half Bad by Sally Green

Eldest by Christopher Paolini 

(The) Hobbit by J R R Tolkien

Alice in Wonderland

(The) Last Battle by C S Lewis

Left Hand of God by Paul Hoffman

Once Upon A Dream by Liz Braswell 

(A) Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

💀 Mr & Mrs Hallow 💀

The Harry Potter Tag

Tag time! It's Monday and we get married on Thursday...whaaatt?! Unrelated but needed to be mentioned haha. Anyway, as of now we have every other Monday scheduled to be tag post days and as you might of realized we are in the 8 out of 10 humans who like Harry Potter. Ta-da! Harry Potter Tag.

1. What is your favourite book?

Mrs: I used to always say Prisoner of Azkaban, but it seems the obvious choice and I haven't re-read them for a couple years. So I dunno.

Mr: I've never actually read them all. Its currently one of the many series I'm reading!

2. What is your favourite film?

Mrs: Maybe the Deathly Hallows? I like them as they become darker.

Mr: Mr: Ermmm I would have to say the Goblet of Fire, I like how they portray the tri-wizard competition and the quidditch world cup.

3. What is your least favourite book?

Mrs: Again, I haven't read them for a couple years so I can't pin point anything specific that would make me be able to definitely rank the books.

Mr: Please refer to answer of question 1!

4. What is your least favourite film?

Mrs: ...Goblet of Fire? "DID YA PUT YA NAME IN DA GOBLEDDAH FIYAH"

Mr: Deathly Hallows Part 1. The start of the film is great, with the wedding and death eater attack, but it soon seems to become a movie to stretch the story out to an extra movie while they hunt for the horcruxes.

5. Parts of the books/ films that make you cry.

Mrs: How long do we have? Animal/creature deaths obviously, heart-warming moments like things with Hagrid, Dumbledore's death, lots more.

Mr: I don't cry at books or movies, but I don't like when Dobbie dies. Also when Dumbledore dies.

6. Who is your favourite character?

Mrs: I love most of the creatures/animals, Luna (Like most people), Molly Weasley.

Mr: I think I would have to say Snape. I would love a potions lesson with him and I feel he's underrated as a wizard, he is far better/stronger/smarter than people give him credit for.

7. Who is your least favourite character?

Mrs: Although he's the title character Harry isn't my fave, though obviously I dislike Umbridge and Lockhart but Cedric is my most disliked I think.

Mr: Professor Umbridge! I mean come on who doesn't want to punch her.

8. What is your favourite line?

Mrs: ''We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are.''

Mr: I don't think I can answer before I finish reading the series.

9. What would your Patronus be?

Mrs: It's apparently a Dapple Gray Mare according to Pottermore.

Mr: I think it would be a cat, I assume that's no surprise? You have seen Eos and Aurora in our pictures!

10. If you could have the Resurrection Stone, Invisibility Cloak or Elder Wand, which would it be?

Mrs: Anyone who doesn't chose the cloak obviously didn't read The Tale of the Three Brothers.

Mr: Invisibility cloak obviously, come on you have seen the movies/maybe read Tales of Beedle the Bard.

11. Which house would you be in?

Mrs: 'Would'? I am a Hufflepuff. (See my tattoo above...)

Mr: Hufflepuff of course!!!

12. If you could meet any member of the cast, who would it be?

Mrs: The animal actors.

Mr: Any of the animal actors!! But if that answer doesn't count then I guess Hagrid (in character).

13. If you were on the quidditch team, which position would you play?

Mrs: I wouldn't be. I'd be in the library or the woods avoiding all the noise and commotion.

Mr: Ermm I don't do sports really, I guess beater? You get a bat!

14. Were you happy with the ending?

Mrs: At first no, just like most people. But like everything that comes to an end you have to trust the author because it's their world really and that's how they wanted to end it. I was fitting I think. Though don't ask me about Cursed Child.

Mr: Yes I think so. Like I say I haven't read all the books so I didn't have any expectations or clue how the story went.

15. How much does Harry Potter mean to you?

Mrs: There is something Potter in pretty much every room of our house, I have a Hufflepuff tattoo and constantly refer back to the books for quotes etc. I'm not going to be one of those people who say 'It saved my life!' and all that jazz but the world definitely gave me somewhere to escape in some extremely dark times when I was in school.

Mr: Harry Potter means lot to me, it's a great story and the whole wizarding world/universe is huge which gives it even more depth. I love finding out back stories and things about the wizarding world not related to the movies.

As I edited this post together it was funny to see how similar some of our answers were! (Mr Hallow completed his answers on his commute.)  If you enjoyed this keep an eye out next month for a Harry Potter/Wizarding World book collection post...!!


💀 Mr & Mrs Hallow 💀

20 Questions Book Tag

As this is a new blog we thought we would take the opportunity to stick in a tag post. They are fun, quick and share more information about our reading styles in an easy going format. Plus that way we don't use the all of our good content at once! This first tag we decided to do is 20 question book tag we found randomly on YouTube and we would love to hear what you think or leave a link to your similar posts in the comments.

How many books are too many for a series?

Mr: The more the merrier!

Mrs: I think you have to cut it off at 10 max, though it also depends on the lengths of the books too. For the record, the best series' have 7...

How do you feel about cliff-hangers?

Mr: I like them. It makes me excited for the next book.

Mrs: Annoyed.

Hardcover or Paperback?

Mr: Hardback.

Mrs: Hardback for the collection, paperback to actually read.

Favourite book?

Mr: The Lord of the Rings.

Mrs: That is impossible to answer. I really love The Horse and his boy from the Chronicles of Narnia, The Invention of Hugo Cabaret and The Complete Sherlock Holmes collection to name a few.

Least favourite book?

Mr: That's a hard question...probably The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Mrs: According to my Goodreads some of my lowest rated reads are Phantastes by George MacDonald, Great Expectations and The Beast Within by Serena Valentino.

Love triangles: yes or no?

Mr: No.

Mrs: I don't really read things with love/relationships/soppy stuff anyway.

The most recent book you couldn't finish?

Mr: Probably The Silmarillion, even though I have read it in the past, I couldn't get through it last time.

Mrs: Fun fact, I don't DNF anything! I force myself to read things even if I hate them, just like with movies. I have really struggled to get through Wyrd Sisters by Terry Prachett though! The no chapter, run on layout made it really difficult for me.

A book you're currently reading?

Mr: The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss.

Mrs: A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle.

Last book you recommended to someone?

Mr: The Wheel of Time.

Mrs: I'm forever recommending all of the Narnia and Oz series to people who have only read 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' and 'The Wizard of Oz' but other than those The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce.

Oldest book you've read, by publication date?

Mr: Probably The Hobbit, I think.

Mrs: Either something by Edgar Allen Poe or the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales both or which will be late 1820s early 1830s...I think!

Newest book you've read by publication date?

Mr: The 15:17 to Paris by Alek Skarlatos published 23th August 2016.

Mrs: Memento Mori (Tales from the Haunted Mansion #4) by Amicus Arcane published 16th July 2019.

Favourite author?

Mr: J. R. R. Tolkien

Mrs: Probably Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, yay!

Buying books or borrowing books?

Mr: Buying.

Mrs: Buying. Especially preloved books.

A book you dislike that everyone seems to love?

Mr: Hunger Games/Divergent.

Mrs: Most Shakespeare, Dickens and some other classics. I think they're overrated and people only like them because of the names and fame tied to them. I don't mind Macbeth but other than that...meh.

Bookmarks or dogears?

Mr: Bookmarks.

Mrs: Bookmarks!! Do not fold pages or break spines please!

A book you can always re-read?

Mr: The Hobbit.

Mrs: Cliche, Harry Potter. I've read the series at least 5 times fully, maybe up to 10. It's helped me get out of reading slumps when I've had readers block and all.

Can you read while listening to music?

Mr: No, I like to read in the quiet.

Mrs: I can't do anything while reading except reading.

One POV or multiple?

Mr: Either - I enjoy both!

Mrs: As long as there aren't a silly amount and they are separated well, I have no preference really.

Do you read a book in one sitting or over multiple days?

Mr: Multiple days.

Mrs: Hahaha next joke! In one sitting?! I think the last time I did that was when the Deathly Hallows came out. I was 16.

An author, book or series you have pre-judged/have no interest in?

Mr: Well I would have said Stephen King...but as you can see from Our October TBR post I'm going to read The Gun Slinger so that may change my opinion I guess!

Mrs: Without even reading it I know I dislike the typical Twilight, Hunger Games, Vampire Diaries stuff. I can't even get past the blurbs. I'm not interested in the plots and as petty as it sounds I don't like the covers either.

💀 Mr & Mrs Hallow 💀