Cake Book Tag & Addictive Blog Award

   The only thing that might possibly be better than books is cake. Thanks again to the lovely Alyssa for tagging me; I haven’t blogged about books in a while, so the timing is perfect.

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Cake Book Tag:

Flour: A book that started slowly but turned out amazing

It took me quite a while to get past the first page, but once I did I couldn’t stop reading.

Butter: A book that had a thick, rich plot 

Immigration to a foreign country, a manuscript smuggled away in a viola, and not one but two unexpected romances. What more could you ask for?

Eggs: A book you thought would be bad but turned out great

I didn’t think it would be horrible, but I had only average expectations for The Year Money Grew on Trees. And then I actually read it. It makes owning and maintaining an orchard sound like fun, and how can you not love a story where the kids get to drive their own tractor into town? Plus, it ends on a surprising but satisfyingly bittersweet note.

Sugar: A sugary, sweet book

Pumpkin Moonshine by Tasha Tudor. A simple, old-fashioned story wrapped up in beautiful illustrations.

Icing: A book that covered every single element that you enjoy in a book

I had a tough time picking this one…I’m far from picky when it comes to choosing favorite books, but they’re not many that cover every base. The King of Attolia has fantastically believable world building, sword fights, political intrigue, snarky characters, kind characters, snarky and kind characters, and one of the most twisted yet wonderful romances I have ever read. I also love how transparent the writing is—you almost forget you’re reading and just begin to live the story.

Sprinkles: A book that always cheers you up

This is a bit of a weird example, seeing as the story itself isn’t all that cheerful, but rereading The Outsiders always puts me in a good mood. I read it for the first time three or four years ago, and since then it’s been my book version of comfort food.

The Cherry on Top: The best book of the year so far

I’m going to have to go with Fool’s Assassin. I don’t read much high fantasy, and this one’s a doorstopper. It’s not the most suspenseful read, but I loved the concept and characters and finished it in record time, considering. But be warned: it ends with a horrible cliffhanger.

Cupcakes: An awesome short with the epicness of a book

A boy with god-like powers cuts off his hometown from the rest of the world on the day he’s born. It goes about as well as you’d expect. It’s a Good Life is one of the creepiest stories I’ve ever read (they made three Twilight Zone episodes out of it), what with “snapping” people’s minds and “wishing things to the cornfield”. But the thing is, the boy, Anthony, isn’t evil. At least not exactly. Most of the story takes place when he’s three years old, so he really can’t be expected to act any better—especially since everyone is scared to death of him. Anyway, it’s a great story with a concept that I would love to see in a book.

Addictive Blog Award:

Rules:

1. Thank the person awarding you.
2. Share a little about why you blog and how the journey started.
3. Paste the blog award on your page.
4. Nominate 10 other bloggers you feel deserve the award.

Why I blog:

   Because it’s fun and I’m semi-good at it. I’m never 100% satisfied with any of my posts, but I love sharing my opinions and connecting with other bloggers. And I love getting ideas for shiny new posts. That’s it, really.

How I started:

   Third Star to the Right was my fourth(?) blog and the first where I decided to buckle down and stick with it. I blogged about the things that interested me—writing, books, a bit of art—and eventually people started reading (hey, guys!) It’s only been a few months, and I’m still figuring things out, but I’m happy with how it’s coming along.

I’m tagging:

   If you’d like to answer these questions, consider yourself tagged. If you post them, be sure to leave me a link in the comments—I’d love to check it out!