The Chocolate Book Tag

In honour of both Easter and Passover this weekend, I decided to go for a tag that ties into one of the common, non-religious elements of both holidays: chocolate! I am a huge sucker for chocolate of pretty much any kind, so this was a tag that caught my attention right away when I saw it last year. I actually have done this tag once before on Goodreads, but I decided to try it again to take into account some of the books that I’ve read more recently. Here it is:

1) Dark Chocolate – A book with a dark theme/content

When I originally did this tag, I picked We Need to Talk About Kevin but since I’ve already mentioned that in a few different posts, I will go with You by Caroline Kepnes. This book is told from the perspective of Joe Goldberg, a man who becomes obsessed with Beck, a woman he has a chance encounter with, and begins to stalk her. The book was a very creepy read, especially seeing how Joe gathered so much information about Beck through social media. The story is told in a very chaotic, almost rambling style that gives a pretty good look into Joe’s mindset. I liked that it was told from such a unique perspective.

2) White Chocolate – A light-hearted/humourous read

I definitely have to go with The Hating Game by Sally Thorne for this one. I read this book very recently, and it was hilarious! This book is about the rivalry between Lucy and Joshua, who both working for the same publishing agency after their companies merged, and are up for the same promotion. The book is essentially a typical romantic comedy movie, but in the form of a book. It is on the predictable side, but a thoroughly entertaining read! I loved how the author built the tension between Lucy and Josh, and especially how their love/hate relationship was handled. It was such a fun book!

3) Milk Chocolate – A book with a lot of hype that you are dying to read

I would have to say The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. As I’m sure I’ve mentioned before, I often avoid reading books that have so much hype around them for a while, at least until some of the hype dies down. However, I’ve heard so many positive reviews about this, especially from Goodreads and Youtube reviewers that have similar tastes to mine. I was a little concerned at first that much of the hype around the book had to do with the topic itself, regardless of how good the book actually was. Now that I’ve seen so many in-depth reviews though, it seems that the book really does live up to all the hype and I can’t wait to read it!

4) Chocolate With a Caramel Centre –  A book that makes you feel gooey on the inside

I feel like I’ve mentioned this book a lot lately, but I would have to pick Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon. This book was such a cute story about a girl who grew up highly sheltered because of a rare condition that gives her unpredictable and very severe allergic reactions, and the boy who moves in next door. I really loved this book when I read it last year, and it is still one of the most memorable books I’ve read in the past few months. It makes me feel “gooey” because the interactions between the two main characters were just so sweet.

5) A Wafer-Free KitKat – A book that surprised you lately

First, I just have to ask — are wafer-free KitKats really a thing? I’ve never heard of them and considering the wafer is a key part of a KitKat, I’m not really sure how that would work…Anyway, a book that surprised me lately was The Way I Used To Be by Amber Smith. I wasn’t surprised that I liked the book, since it was a Goodreads Choice Awards nominee last year, however I was surprised by how strongly it affected me. The opening pages had an especially strong impact on me, to the point where I actually had to walk away from the book for a few minutes before continuing. I definitely wasn’t expecting that.

 6) Snickers – A book you are going nuts about

This was another book that I read last year, but it is one that really blew me away. My choice for this is The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. Although it was a book I had on my list from the beginning of the year last year, I’d procrastinated on actually picking it up until the end of October. As soon as I picked it up, I fell in love with the writing style and the story itself. The book is about a young woman who is hired to help write the autobiography of a mysterious prolific author. The book was such a mesmerizing story and I was drawn into immediately. I have no idea why I waited so long to pick it up!

7) Hot Chocolate with Whipped Cream and Marshmallows – A comfort read that you turn to again and again

I have quite a few of these, but I will have to stick with the book I picked the last time I did this tag — Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. This has always been one of my favourite classics, and I’ve read versions of it for most of my life. When I was younger, I related so strongly to Jo because I also wanted to be an author (although I didn’t have her talent). This is one of a few classics that I keep coming back to, and that I enjoy just as much every time I read it. I would love to try the sequels again at some point. I read one of them when I was younger, but wasn’t very impressed with it. I’ll have to give them another try.

8) Box of Chocolates – A series that has something for everyone

Like all of my posts, I have to have the obligatory Harry Potter reference. However, in this case, I genuinely believe that this is the strongest example of a series that has something for everyone. There is a strong story and excellent character development. There is adventure and humour. There’s a good balance between action, dialogue, mystery, etc. I think even readers who are not a huge fan of fantasy might find something to enjoy with this one.