Nostalgic Book Review Tag + Bedtime Book Tag

Well, I've been neglecting my tags for far too long, so today we're tackling two more. WITH GIFS.

First, cw @ read think ponder has tagged me for the Nostalgic Book Review! We're to review a book we read more than three years ago, without looking it up. HELP.

Yep, I'm doing A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. I reread all the time, but for some reason I haven't touched ASOUE much recently. So let's get on with it!

1. A Summary of Unfortunate Events

(in which I write a synopsis from memory)

There are three Baudelaire orphans. The eldest, Violet, is an inventor; the middle child, Klaus, is a bookworm; and the youngest, baby Sunny, bites and cooks stuff. When their parents die in a fire "accident" and leave a fortune for them in a trust fund, they must escape the clutches of distant relative Count Olaf, who wants their fortune.

To approach the kids under other guardians, Olaf puts himself and his henchmen in disguises that the children always see through. Eventually they discover Olaf may have started the fire that killed their parents and there's an organisation called VFD that's trying to restore morality and there's that gigantic question mark and the issue of Beatrice—

Gah, I give up.

2. My Thoughts of Unfortunate Events

(in which I review the books from memory)

The first five books were such fun romps. We had deliciously over-the-top villains and Mr Poe, the incompetent banker in charge of the trust fund, and the Baudelaires defeated Olaf with the power of their combined geniuses. Since Klaus almost always used books to defeat evil, that was fab. Also, Violet = STEM lady!

And 10-year-old me couldn't appreciate the rest of the series, even though I laughed all the time because the writing style is just that fab. But the darker side of VFD and everything about that one deadly mushroom and especially Kit Snicket's lover flew over my head.

Now I desperately want to reread to bathe in the ASOUE genius again. Help me.

3. The Epilogue of Unfortunate Events

(in which I Google things and yell at my memory)

The deadly mushroom is called the Medusoid Mycelium, which sounds appropriately scientific and morbid. Three important characters I forgot: the triplets Isadora and Duncan and the supposedly late Quigley, who revealed the murky world of VFD to the Baudelaires.

Some of the deliciously over-the-top villains included Carmelita, who was at various times a "tap-dancing ballerina fairy princess veterinarian" or a "ball-playing cowboy superhero soldier pirate", or "Esmé Gigi Geniveve Squalor, the "city's sixth most important financial advisor". Although at this point, I'd like to question whether ASOUE has sufficient three-dimensional lady villains — even Olaf shows a different side in The End, but most of the lady protagonists are straight-out evil. Hmmm.

(Go on reading for the people I'm tagging, since I'm tagging the same people for both tags!)

Next, Cait @ Paper Fury tagged me for the Bedtime Book Tag. Unlike Cait, I sleep so much. If I don't get 9 hours of sleep, I'm dead on my feet the next day. 10-12 hours are needed if I'm to serve quality takeout. Which is why I auto-fail item 1:

1. A book that kept you up all night.

I go to bed like clockwork. I don't care how many messages you send me, I will not respond to my ringing phone. That said, I stayed up to 2 AM reading The Winner's Curse — I only meant to read one chapter, but the gripping plot decided otherwise.

2. A book that made you scared to sleep.

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie was very creepy. Even though Christie's most famous for her mysteries, this horror is my absolute favourite work of hers. One island, ten people, ten deaths, one murderer. HOW. HELP. *hides under covers*

3. A book that made you go to sleep.

I could just list all my textbooks here.

I will say, however, that A Court of Thorns and Roses unfolded far too slowly for me. I was expecting fairy battles and politics, not picnics and romance. I did manage to finish it in the end, but it was slow going.

4. A book that left you tossing and turning all night in anticipation of its release.

The Winds of Winter. I'm praying that this will be released before I go to university. Please? Even the show has overtaken the books.

5. A book that has your dream ship

Let's be honest, I do not quite ship. But Lord Asriel/Marisa Coulter from His Dark Materials is a ship I obsessed over when I first read the series, and now that I look at it, one couple from Matryoshka does have parallels with them. (Guess which in the comments!)

And if you genuinely can't figure it out, I'll reveal which Matryoshka couple I'm talking about, Join my takeout army and I'll let you know on my next monthly letter!

6. A book that would be your worst nightmare to live in.

I'm wishing that I didn't use A Song of Ice and Fire already above. But White London of A Darker Shade of Magic is such a cutthroat place — Internet me might survive, but offline bookish me stands no chance at all.

7. A book that reminds you of nighttime.

Whenever I read (or reread) World War Z, I get this image of a journalist typing away at night, chronicling the zombie kind-of apocalypse. Or someone listening at the radio after dark.

8. A book that had a nightmarish cliffhanger.

The Wrath and the Dawn had such a cliffhanger. I actually intensely hate cliffhangers, because I demand that every story is wrapped up in itself even if there are many threads to be resolved in sequels. It's why I can't adore TWATD, to be honest.

9. A book you actually dreamt about.

Erm. I actually don't remember any of my dreams. Not one. But I can say that Vicious had me fantasising about my university life, which says a lot about the kind of university student I want to be.

10. A book monster you wouldn't want to find under your bed.

See, I don't know where you come from, but hereabouts rent is expensive. Most beds have cupboards underneath them stuffed with all manner of things, with no space whatsoever for monsters to hide.

But I'd be creeped out to find the Dementors of Harry Potter fame under my bed. Fortunately, I have a store of chocolate for this very purpose.

I tag the following people for both the Nostalgic Book Review and the Bedtime Book Tag (only if you wish to, of course!):

What childhood books remain close to your heart? Which Matryoshka couple is startlingly similar to the Asriel/Marisa ship? Comment away, blookunity*!

*in case you missed the memo, this is my new term for "book blogger community". I'm not stopping until you answer to it, I swear.

POST FROM THE DEVIL ORDERS TAKEOUT