I have wanted to do this tag for a while now, and since the newest season started this week, I figured this would be the perfect time to do it! I discovered The Great British Bake Off a couple of years ago and binged watched the first four seasons in about week! I do live in the US, so it can be hard to keep up with the show, but it is one of my favorites of all time and I’m so excited about this new season!
This tag was originally created by Jack from Reading With Jack, and I discovered it through Sam from Sam’s Nonsense.
CAKE: The cake has sunk in the middle. Pick a book that didn’t rise to your expectations.
The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone by Adele Griffin
This novel was pitched as being sort of like the “found footage” of literature (made clear from the start that it is fictional). On top of that, it was interspersed with artwork and photography, as the biography was about an artist. That sounded absolutely awesome, so naturally, I had very high hopes for it. Oh boy, what a letdown it was. The art aspect was fantastic, but the actual text of the novel was like reading transcripts of interviews rather than an actual biography. Very boring, very paperwork-esque, and so disappointing.
Click here to check out my full review!
BISCUITS: Once you’ve eaten one, you’re hungry for more and each time you eat another, they get more and more delicious. Pick a book series or trilogy that got progressively better.
The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
Throughout my life so far, I’ve mostly read standalones, so this was sort of hard to come up with an answer for. I’m not actually finished with The Lunar Chronicles series yet, but it’s the only series I can think of to fit this question. I enjoyed Cinder, and Scarlet—which is the only other book I’ve read so far—was even better. Most people say this continues to be the case through the rest of the series, so I’m excited to continue!
BREAD: Kneading dough requires hard work and determination. Pick a book that you put off reading for ages and needed a lot of determination to pick up.
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
Even though I already knew I loved the television series, I put off picking up this novel for ages because of its (and all the other books in the series’) size. However, I finally got up the courage this summer and started it while I was traveling. I’ve been reading it in very short bursts lately because I have a lot of review copies to catch up on, but I (unsurprisingly) love it so far. I’m looking forward to getting through the rest of it and continuing on with the series when I can.
DESSERTS: Foreign deserts such as crème brûlée and Spanische Windtorte are on the menu. Pick a book set in a foreign country.
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
I’ve read a lot of books set in foreign countries, but this novel is by far one of my favorites of all time. It is such an important and meaningful read with absolutely beautiful writing to boot. If you have not read this yet, I very highly recommend it.
ALTERNATIVE INGREDIENTS: Not usually used, but surprisingly good. Pick a book from a genre you wouldn’t normally read but ended up loving.
Wolf by Kelly Oliver
This is primarily a crime novel, so that’s not an unusual genre for me, but this also falls into the category of feminist literature, which is not something I would typically go for. Don’t get me wrong, I’m clearly a feminist, so I don’t avoid it due to disagreeing with the perspective—rather, I find that it can get a bit over-the-top sometimes. I prefer when a heroine is a bit subtler in their strength and it’s not all constantly in your face girl power (if that makes any sense). Show rather than tell! However, Kelly Oliver did a solid job with it in this novel. There were a few exaggerated moments, but nothing I couldn’t get past, and I ended up really enjoying the story. Review to come soon!
PASTRY: Shortcrust pastry can crumble easily. Pick a character who you initially liked, but as you read more and more, your relationship with them crumbled apart.
Mare Barrow from Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
I’m not sure if this one technically counts because I didn’t really like Mare at any point in the novel—but this is the closest I could get. I definitely liked her more at the start of the novel than at the end. She very quickly got on my nerves—which is unfortunate seeing as she is the narrator—and things continued to go downhill for us…
Click here to check out my full review!
VICTORIAN/OLD-FASHIONED BAKES: Recipes from the past that still taste delicious today. Pick your favorite classic novel.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
I was trying to think up an unpredictable answer for this one, but…here we are again. This really is my favorite classic, and it definitely “still tastes delicious” every time I devour it! 🙂
PATISSERIE: You’re eating a chocolate éclair but there’s barely any filling inside. Pick a book that lacked substance and fell flat.
A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall
I think most of you know by now that, though I am totally a hopeless romantic, romance is not my preferred genre to read. However, I have occasionally found some hidden gems. This was not one. It had an interesting and unique premise—boasting fourteen different viewpoints—but it ended up falling flat for me. This main selling point turned out to be the novel’s biggest weakness as it failed to allow the author to create any sort of depth in the characters or plot, instead causing a very disjointed feeling.
Click here to check out my full review!
CHOCOLATE: Chocolate is a comfort food for many people. Pick a book you could read again and again and still find comforting.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
Obviously I have to choose my go-to cozy read! These mysteries never fail to give me the book nerd warm fuzzies. ❤
Click here to check out my full review!
THE GRAND FINAL: Everyone is out to impress with extravagant show-stoppers! Pick your favorite book of the year so far that really impressed you.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
I’ve had incredibly good luck reading-wise so far, and have read a number of truly amazing books. But I don’t think anything quite tops The Book Thief for me yet. It took me years to get to, but I finally did and I’m so glad—it was everything I hoped it would be and so much more.
I Tag:
Everyone! I’m not sure who is a fan of this show, so I’m not going to tag anyone specific. But if you like GBBO (or this tag!), then consider yourself officially tagged! 😀
The Quirky Book Nerd 