I’ve never actually done a book tag before – though I’ve been aware of them for years. The Book Snob book tag, created by Tia and all the Books (a BookTube account), is the first one that really tempted me into giving this a go.

Here’s hoping that this tag ends up being as much fun as I hope! (for you and me!).

ADAPTATION SNOB: Do you always read the book before watching the film/TV show?

That depends. I used to obsessively read the books before the adaptation came out. Assuming that I hadn’t already read the book, that is. Or was aware that it was an adaptation – I feel like I’m always getting surprised there.

These days, I’m trying a new method, which has resulted in a more positive experience overall. As a rule, I’ve been trying to avoid reading the material for a new adaptation coming out (the exception being novels/comics that I’ve already read, for obvious reasons).

This lets me sit down and enjoy the show/movie without making any direct comparisons. It also kept me from getting frustrated by all of the changes, which was a nice twist. From there, I go and read the original source material.

In essence, this allowed me to double my enjoyment and removed much of the negative experiences and emotions I dealt with. I know that this system won’t work for everyone – in fact, it very well may drive most people nuts – but it works for me.

I do have one exception to this rule: I allow myself to reread material before an adaption since the damage has already been done.

FORMAT SNOB: You can only choose one format in which to read books for the rest of your life. Which one do you choose: physical books, ebooks, or audiobooks?

Oh no. This is such a tough one for me. I’m one of those readers that gleefully takes advantage of all formats. I have joint and pain issues, so the variety helps protect my hands/wrists from overuse.

Somedays, an e-reader is the best thing for me. Other days a nice hardcover that stays open on my lap is what the doctor called for. And, of course, audiobooks are always there to save the day when things get really bad.

Having to choose only one would be a disaster for me. But for the sake of this blog, I will do so. I suppose I would have to go with ebooks, but for a few practical reasons. One: I can alternate between my phone and my collection of e-readers (I may have a problem). Two: most of the arcs and review requests I get come in through a digital format, and I just can’t picture myself cutting those from my life.

Then again, I’m sincerely hoping that this theoretical rule wouldn’t prevent me from collecting pretty hardcovers. Otherwise, I’d have a serious problem.

SHIP SNOB: Would you date or marry a non-reader?

I did! My husband does not read books. Well, he occasionally does. However, we get along just fine. On nights when I want to read, he tucks in and plays a game next to me. We then take turns explaining the plot (book for me, game for him) to each other.

Now and then, I’ll come across a book that I absolutely feel like he has to read (and vice versa: he’s pushed many a game my way!), and I’ll end up adding it to his list. I don’t pressure him to sit down and read, though, as I feel like that would have a negative effect on the experience.

GENRE SNOB: You have to ditch one genre – never to be read again for the rest of your life. Which one do you ditch?

Ugh. I love being able to jump genres, especially when I’m in a reading slump. The idea of cutting one out does rather hurt. I suppose, push come to shove, I could rule out nonfiction. I tend to overwhelmingly read fiction novels, so I’d have plenty of books to keep me busy.

The problem here is that there is always an exception to the rule. Yes, I mostly read fiction. But I do love picking up an art history novel every now and then – what can I say? I love art and learning about those behind it!

UBER GENRE SNOB: You can only choose to read from one genre for the rest of your life. Which genre do you choose?

Fantasy. No hesitation. Fantasy is my bread and butter when it comes to reading. It is by far the largest part of my collection – the most overwhelming count for my TBR stack. I could live in a world of fantasy and never run out of books.

It helps that there are so many subgenres in fantasy. I’d have plenty of room to switch between those options – something I imagine I’d have to get very good at if fantasy was my only option going forward. On the bright side, I’d finally get through that TBR list a little faster.

I find it ironic that I struggled so much to choose a genre to rule out, but when it comes to ruling them all out minus one, I had zero problems or qualms. I guess it just shows that sometimes it is really easy to know what one finds the most appealing.

COMMUNITY SNOB: Which genre do you think receives the most snobbery from the bookish community?

Honestly, this is a tough one to answer. I think that there’s a lot of potential for snobbery within the bookish community. Any community has room for snobbery. Communities are open to both the best and the worst of people. As with any community, snobs will come in and find a way to try and ‘regulate’ the community/fandom, making it less fun for everyone else.

The debate over formats is proof enough if you ask me. I’m in a dozen or so book communities online, and at least once a week, I see explosive fights happening because somebody felt the need to tell everyone else that ‘only [insert book format] counts as reading’ or something equally silly.

All of that being said, I do think that one genre gets stepped on more than the rest. At least, from what I’ve seen. I’m willing to acknowledge that everyone’s experiences are different, and thus somebody else has almost certainly witnessed the opposite.

Romance. Over the years, I’ve seen romance readers and writers constantly come up against a wall of criticism. People questioning the legitimacy of the genre, mocking readers for enjoying it, or digging at writers and their talent.

It stinks. I’ve never understood the mentality of stepping on a genre that you personally don’t enjoy. Us readers got to stick together, right?

And that’s a wrap! I hope you enjoy this first episode of book tags as much as I did! Since tagging reviewers is common, I’m going to pay it forward and tag: Way Too Fantasy and My World of Books.