BBAW: Your Personality in 5 Books

February 15, 2016 Book Blogger Appreciation Week 54

Howdy Bookworms!

It’s Book Blogger Appreciation Week. What does that even mean? Well… I’m not entirely sure yet, as this is my first one, but I’m pretty sure it’s a giant love-fest in which I gush about my Internet friends. Book bloggers know how to party, especially Andi at Estella’s Revenge, Heather at Capricious Reader, Ana at Things Mean a Lot, and Jenny at Reading the End. And by party, I mean resurrect a dead internet event. That’s talent, people!

bbaw

The party kicks off with the participants introducing themselves… Creatively. That’s right, my favorite weirdos wouldn’t be satisfied with a “Hi, I’m Katie.” Oh no. We are listing 5 books that describe our personality. To be completely honest, I’ve thought way way way too much about this prompt. I was all “should I pick books that are all up in the REAL Katie or should I stick to Internet Persona Katie?” And then I was like “wait, are they that different?” And then I was like “what am I even doing with my liiiiiife?” And then I was like “OMG Katie, turn off your brain and pick some dang books!” I’m getting on with things, I swear.

  1. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (review)- Ah, the formative years. I went through what I like to call my “grunge phase” from the ages of 12-19. As you may guess, I listened to a lot of grunge and 90s alternative while wearing extremely baggy pants. One of my similarly disaffected friends gave me a copy of this novel for Christmas one year and it just hit all the right notes. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is full of sex, drugs, and teen angst, only one of which was applicable to my own teenage years, but I’ll always feel a special kinship with Charlie and his band of pals.
  2. Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding- Oh, Bridget! I read this book for the first time in high school and MAN could I relate. No, I didn’t drink, smoke, or have ill-advised romantic entanglements at that age, but the idea that deep down we’re all awkward hot messes? And if we’re lucky, we have a loyal crew of pals to help us pick up the pieces our mortifying experiences? Yes. Yes, yes, and yes. Also, I can SERIOUSLY relate to the blue soup incident. Because, although I am improving, cooking will never be something that comes naturally to me. And let’s face it- there have been some disasters.
  3. Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar by Cheryl Strayed (review)- I am infinitely better at giving advice than taking it… I think that’s true of most people. So why is this book part of me? Well. It’s full of broken people who are willing to ask for help. And it’s full of Cheryl Strayed ripping her guts open to let you know that you’re not the only one who feels like they have no idea what they’re doing. Also, I really like terms of endearment (at least when they’re coming from other women. I might punch a dude who leeringly called me “honeybun.” Double standards. I have them.)
  4. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris- I think it’s important to understand a person’s sense of humor in order to “get” them, you know? This book made me laugh really, really hard. It’s not really the sort of thing that appeals to everyone, though, so adding this to my list lets the world know that I find rather disturbing true life essays highly entertaining.
  5. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll- I’m adding this to the list for pure WHIMSY. That’s right. I love me some whimsy. We’re all mad here, it’s time we admit it, don’t you think?

What about you, Bookworms?! What are some books that describe YOUR personality?

*If you make a purchase through a link on this site, I will receive a small commission.*

 

54 Responses to “BBAW: Your Personality in 5 Books”

  2. Care

    Yep, you’re right. BBAW is really pretty much a big book blogger love fest. And, must tell you about my Perks of Being a Wallflower reading experience not that it is really all the fascinating but my fingers want to type: I read it while traveling and it was a rainy day stuck in a hotel room. I read this book nearly in one sitting and then IMMEDIATELY watched the film on the hotel’s pay-per-view. A joyful cryfest experience I treasure. Thank you for allowing me to relive this memory.

    Reply

  5. Jeanne

    Me Talk Pretty One Day is a good Sedaris, but I think Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim is even better, especially the essay “Six to Eight Black Men,” which we still read with our (now grown) children every Christmas Eve.

    Reply

    • Words For Worms

      I’ve read all of Sedaris, and while I love bits and pieces of all his work, Me Talk Pretty One Day was the first book of his I read. It’s just one of those things, it’ll always be my favorite because of that.

      Reply

  8. AprilG

    Alice is on my list too! I’ll have to add Me Talk Pretty and Tiny Beautiful Things to my TBR. I can’t committ to Bridget Jones, though.

    Reply

    • Words For Worms

      The part that killed me the most was the essay about his French class and how children in France get their Easter candy from bells that ring in Rome rather than the Easter Bunny. I may have snorted a beverage through my nose.

      Reply

  11. Kelly

    Fantastic list! You’d get on well with my friend Julie, when we first met and she found out I hadn’t read Wallflower, she harangued me to no end until I read it. It’s her fave of all time and I can see why. Awesome formative-years, finding-yourself, coming-of-age stuff right there.

    Reply

    • Words For Worms

      Oh yes, Julie and I would certainly get along wonderfully. I’m pleased she talked you into the book, it’s so awkward and teenagery. Like… The literary equivalent of Freaks and Geeks. MUCH more my high school experience than your average teen soap.

      Reply

  12. Athira

    You know what? I tried one of David Sedaris’ books and was aghast to find it very funny when much of what he did in the book is mock himself and do several rounds of self-deprecating humor. Oh boy – I think his book actually traumatized me but I am glad to see that you find his books funny.

    Reply

  13. Rory

    I know what you mean! There are books I would include that represent me well, but if I picked them they would represent too close to the real me (like White Oleander) and that’s…uncomfortable.

    I had a pretty hardcore grunge phase too (JNCO jeans and Doc Martens…shudder).

    Reply

    • Words For Worms

      YEEEEEEEEEEEEES. I’ve had people tell me I’m a ray of sunshine online, when in real life I mostly feel like Daria. Hence my existential crisis. I’m glad to hear about your JNCOs. I had Pipes, a cheaper version, but every bit as ridiculous. I bought a pair of Docs too small (because sale) so I ended up mostly wearing Vans and Airwalks. Heavens. Do you remember Airwalks?!

      Reply

  14. shanayatales

    I loved your list! 😀 Me Talk Pretty One Day – is on my TBR. Hoping to get to it soon. 🙂

    Reply

  15. Kristen M.

    I almost put Alice on my list too! And there is nothing wrong with a grunge phase. It helped me fit in when I eventually moved to Seattle. 😉 Scarily, you can still turn on one of the local rock stations and there is a good chance Nirvana will be playing.

    Reply

    • Words For Worms

      I tend to turn up Nirvana and Pearl Jam when they come on in the car and sing along, of course. However, I was always terrible at deciphering Eddie Vedder’s lyrics so my singalongs usually devolve into gravely jibberish.

      Reply

  16. Literary Feline

    I love your list–and your sense of humor. Although I confess I couldn’t get through Me Talk Pretty One Day. I have yet to read Bridget Jones’s Diary, which I want to correct at some point this year. I admit I wasn’t always interested in doing so, but the past couple of years I’ve been really wanting to. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is another one I haven’t yet read. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply

    • Words For Worms

      I think Bridget gets a bum rep because of the movie versions (not that I didn’t enjoy those, but you know how movie adaptations are.) I hope you get a chance to read it!

      Reply

  17. Jenny @ Reading the End

    I laughed so hard reading my friend’s copy of Me Talk Pretty One Day in my high school drama class that it got confiscated. Much panic ensued until I managed to get it back through piteous eyes and a flawless conduct record up to that point. It was the story about finding a huge poop in the toilet at someone else’s party that did it to me. I simply could not recover from that.

    Reply

    • Words For Worms

      The French lessons did me in. Man. Inappropriate laughter during class was the worst. I typically didn’t even have a book with me at the time, but I’d think about something in it and be struggling to keep it together while a teacher lectured about subjects that were wildly unfunny.

      Reply

  18. Trish

    I almost included Bridget Jones because she’s my literary BFF, but since I went with titles, it didn’t quite fit. And Tiny Beautiful Things = <3

    Reply

  20. Christy

    I listened to Bridget Jones’ Diary on audio CD and loved it – especially all the friends bits! Isn’t there a whole part where one friend goes missing for a spell, and Bridget is concerned but also feels important as she leads the charge? I just liked the warts-and-all approach. And of course the humor!

    Reply

  21. Roof Beam Reader

    Perks made it on my list, too. My goodness. Too much to say about that book. And I adore Alice… I think that could’ve easily made it for me (I almost added Huckleberry Finn, too). I haven’t read Bridget Jones, but I love the movies!

    Reply

  23. Deepika Ramesh

    Hi Katie, I just discovered your blog, but I think you and I are going to be great book-friends. 🙂 Because both of us have written about the awesomeness of Cheryl Strayed, and her ‘Tiny Beautiful Things’ in our first blog. Oh, I love her terms of endearment too, Sweet Pea. 😉 Looking forward to reading more posts here. Have fun. 🙂

    Reply

  25. Citizen Reader

    I have just been LOVING these five books you love BBAW posts–although now my TBR list is officially, endlessly, hopelessly out of control.
    Will you be going to see the new Bridget Jones movie? I thought the very first one actually did a creditable job of following the book and being a good movie on its own–very rare. And most things I hear from British people indicate they actually think Renee Zellweger did a pretty good job with the accent.

    Reply

Talk to me, Bookworms!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.