The Blog Tag

From Pooja on her post The Blog Tag. I haven’t done a Tag post in quite some time (a year and a half in fact!) and this felt like a good one to do.

The Blog Tag

How did you come up with your blog name?

I was on Devilreads from 2009-2013. During that time I used my real name and a real photograph of myself. During that time I also had enough run ins and threats from crazy writers and rabid fans that I swore never again. So when Devilreads began their campaign to censor reviews under the guise of “guidelines’ and silence people, I left for Booklikes.

I chose Bookstooge because I read so many books (you’d be surprised how many people on a site dedicated to reading think 100+ books a year is some impressive number, sigh) and stooge because I was willing to do a lot to make sure that books (and the attendant reviews) had a very high place in my life. There is no “wrong” way to review, whatever Devilreads and the idiots who inhabit that stygian darkness may claim.

On the avatar side of things, I started using one with this review:
Gorgon

Since then I have gone through several facelifts until I am where I currently am now.

If your blog was a person (fiction or real), who would it be?

Hands down, it would be Shrek. Mrs B told me that and she’s 110% correct!

What helps you create new content if you feel like you need some inspiration?

Rockstar, baby! The power of caffeine running through my veins powers everything I do.

Is there anyone you would like to collaborate with?

I do consider myself to be collaborating with Miss Ross, as she does the art for the artwork posts and I do the words side of things. But the reality is that I would not willingly choose to share the writing aspect of blogging with anybody. I chronicled that decision here:
A Loner But Not Alone

The words here at Bookstooge.blog are mine and mine alone. I take the glory and the responsibility. Words are important to me.

Is there anything more you wish you had or would like to learn as a blogger?

I think every blogger wants more, something. Finding out what that is is part of the fun of being a blogger. For me, it is interaction, specifically, comments. I want more of those suckers, I really do.

As for learning, I wish I knew how to be a better craftsman when it comes to the words I write. I want to look at my posts and see exactly which word is needed at “that” point to make the whole thing flow like a stream.

Do you have a specific style of blogging?

My blog is mainly book reviews. I do try to leaven things out with various non-review posts, which can run the gamut from Tag posts like this to personal posts where I bare my soul and cry like a baby for you all to see (yeah, ok, maybe NOT quite that personal) to Art related posts. I would say it is 50-60% book reviews and the rest is whatever I feel like.

As for “style”, I am not sure. Intelligently Ironic? Punchyouintheface-fu? Studiously Ignorant? Pugnaciously Pink? Whatever style, it’s me and don’t you forget it!

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And there we go, the Tag is finished. I like short tags like that.

• All of My “Tag” Posts

The Dungeons & Dragons Book Tag

Originally created by the Witty & Sarcastic Bookclub

Barbarian: In a simplified nutshell, barbarians are fighters whose anger can give them a berserker state of mind: think an overdose of adrenalin allowing someone to do the nigh impossible.

Name a character with a temper:

Jerome, from Way-farer. It’s what leads him to kill one of the fabled “Grandfathers” and find out they are nothing more than a deception of the Mushin keeping humanity shackled as cattle.

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Bard: Bards use music and song to either help or hinder. Music is massively important to them, and can give them power.

Name a book/character for which music is important:

Porcelain by the musician Moby. Music was kind of his life

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Cleric: “A priestly champion who wields divine magic in service of a higher power” (D&D Player’s Handbook)

Name a book/character for which religion plays a large role:

Gavin Guile from The Burning White. The author has a whole chapter with Gavin talking to the Creator on some pretty serious subjects. It’s not your usual Hollywood religion-lite crap.

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Druid: Druids are representative of nature. They get their power- healing, magical spells, etc.- from either the land itself or from a nature deity. 

Name a Book where nature plays an important role:

Sentenced to Prism. The 2 main characters find out that life on Prism is integrally linked together and they themselves become part of that link by the end of the book.

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Fighter: A fighter relies on physical skill. They are often good with a weapon and can function as a pretty good meat shield.

Name a book with great fight scenes:

Dune.. The scene between Paul Maud’dib and his cousin Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen. While not a chapter long fight, it conveys exactly what the author wants. That is important.

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Magic Users: Dungeons and Dragons features Warlocks, Wizards, and Sorcerers. Each is different, but I’m lumping them together for the purposes of this tag. The name is self-explanatory: a user of magic.

Name a book or character with cool magic:

The Swords from Fred Saberhagen’s Book of Swords. 12 Magical swords created by the gods that end up being powerful enough to kill the gods.

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Paladin: A holy warrior.

Name a character with strong convictions:

Anakin Skywalker in the novelization of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. While it led him down to the dark side, he was convinced every step of the way that he was doing the correct thing. He became known as the Dark Lord for it. An Unholy Paladin if you will.

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Ranger: Hunters, wilderness survivors, and protectors, rangers are often what stand between civilization and the monsters that live in the wild.

Name a character that is in tune with the wild.

Nonnus, a mage shaman hermit from the Lord of the Isles series. While he dies, he teaches Sharina everything he knows about surviving in hostile lands.

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Rogue: Rogues use stealth and cunning to defeat their foes or prevail in a situation. 

Name a book or character with cunning:

The Rogues series in the Forgotten Realms immediately sprang to mind.

• All of My “Tag” Posts

The Die Hard Book Tag

I’d like to thank Zezee for bringing this to my attention and to Pete for creating such an awesome tag.

John McClain – A book in which someone has a really bad time

Way-Farer. Jerome, the Main Character, an idealistic young man, has asked the Old Man on the Mountain to train him in the Way of the Sword. The Old Man does this by attacking Jerome every chance he gets, to force Jerome to develop his sixth sense for danger. One day Jerome senses danger as he is about to enter the cottage they share but instead of waiting, he decides to try to pay back the Old Man, with the result that the Old Man almost kills him with just a stone pot lid. Thankfully, things to get better for Jerome after that!

Holly Gennaro – A book with a superb leader

Erevis Cale. Probably my favorite Forgotten Realms character. He leads from the front and doesn’t shy away from doing what needs to be done. Like stabbing someone in the back 😉

Sergeant Al Powell – A book with a sidekick with a great backstory

Smikes, from Nicholas Nickleby. He’s not a “traditional” sidekick, like Robin is to Batman, but man, Smikes gets rescued by Nicholas and is his faithful servant until the end where he dies. If that’s a spoiler to you, well, you’re about 180 years behind schedule. So get with the beat, Baggy! And read yourself some Dickens. But I’ll save spoilering his backstory. There, you’re welcome.

Johnson & Johnson – A book with a pair of real dicks

The Lady and Soul Catcher from Glen Cook’s The Black Company. Each of these extremely powerful sorceresses encapsulate the idea of power corrupting to the uttermost.

Karl – A book with a revenge plot that needn’t have happened

Gankutsuou. A manga based on the anime of the same name, which in turn is based on the classic Count of Monte Cristo. The anime is amazing and I am glad I own it. But if even one of the people who turned Edmond into the authorities had actually told the truth, Edmond never would have been imprisoned and the whole Count of Monte Cristo would have never have happened.

Mr Takagi – A book with an interesting side character killed too early

Edwin Drood. While supposedly the “titular character”, getting bumped off right near the beginning of the book makes it too early for me. Thankfully, while the original story was never completed by Dickens due to the ungrateful sod dying first, David Madden stepped up to the plate and finished up the game for us.

Harry Ellis – A book with a character really out of their depth

Liath, from Kate Elliott’s Crown of Stars series. Unlike Ellis however, Liath know’s she’s out of her depth and does something about it during the series. She’s not a loser who dies like Ellis. But I gotta say, it was satisfying to see him die.

Richard Thornburg – A book with an infinitely punchable character

Yossarian from Catch-22. Ohhhh, I hated him so much!

Hans Gruber – A book with a fantastic villain

They just don’t make villains like ol’ Hans’y any more. And not many actors like Rickman either (sadly). But the closest character I could think of was Light Yagami from the manga series Death Note. An arrogant psychopathic genius who is eventually outwitted. Oh, it’s a good series! Just avoid the various movies, tv shows and especially the netflix movie adaptation. Go with the manga.

• All of my “Tag” posts

‘This Is Your Story’ Book Tag

‘THIS IS YOUR STORY’ BOOK TAG

Was tagged by the Orangutan Librarian

THE RULES

The Bookstooge doesn’t need no stinkin’ rules! YOU follow the rules….

QUESTIONS

AUTHOR – WHO’S WRITING YOUR STORY?

I used to think it was myself. But since I get to choose for this tag, I’m going with Charles Dickens. That way I KNOW I am either getting a happy ending or a heroic and romantic ending. I can deal with either of those two outcomes.

WORLD – WHAT LITERARY WORLD IS YOUR STORY PART OF?

Monster Hunter International. The Bookstooge is Agent Franks nightmare and I’m what really keeps him in line for the MCB.

ROMANCE – WHO WILL BE YOUR LOVE-INTEREST?

Mrs B has graciously consented to take this role. She said she wanted to be an artistic language student who is also a vet. Now is that talented or what? AND she puts up with me every day. For those of you who have followed me on this blog for any length of time, you know what a heroic effort that is

APPEARANCE – WHAT WILL YOUR CHARACTER LOOK LIKE?

Nobody sees my face, not even fictionally.

SIDEKICK – WHAT CHARACTER/CREATURE WOULD YOU HAVE BY YOUR SIDE?

I’m going to need someone that won’t out-cool me but will emphasize everything that is great about me and also mitigate my one or two teensy weensy weak points. Superman should do nicely.

GOOD, EVIL, OR GRAY – WHERE DOES YOUR CHARACTER STAND?

Totally Good. I am going to be so Good that Gandalf will look like Evil Incarnate in comparison.

DESIGNATION – WHAT WILL YOU BE? (HUMAN, FAIRY, PIRATE, PRINCESS, ETC..)

I will Identify as Saint Bookstooge, The First Bear Pope

OPPOSITION – WHO WILL BE YOUR NEMESIS?

Kermit, under the mind control of Disney+, turns evil and goes on a murderous rampage. Only I am tough enough and smart enough to outmaneuver him at every turn.

THE ENDING – HOW DOES YOUR STORY END? SPOILER ALERT!

It was a double bluff by Kermit and Me all along. Mickey had gone Evil soon after Walt died and created the Evil Empire. Only someone on the inside could get the info that was needed. Superman tried to get the info by brute force but Evil Mickey killed him. It was very sad. Jim Henson also died, but he was able to bring the data to Kermit, who in turn got it to me. Kermit, in his undercover role of Jigsaw, trapped Evil Mickey in an electric chair. Unfortunately, that had no effect on Evil Mickey, so I had to gather up every single Disney movie and tv show ever made or even financed and destroy them. The sympathetic connections between the films and Evil Mickey meant the destruction of one was the destruction of the other.

Good triumphed over evil and the World was Free at last! Hurray.

• All of My “Tags”

The 80's Movie Book Tag

Found this on Flora’s Musing. Seemed like a good tag to do mid-summer when blockbusters used to be the dominant force in America for the plebe masses.

A Nightmare on Elm Street

A book that kept you up all night

Monster Hunter Bloodlines was, as I described in my review, balls to the walls action. That’ll keep you up reading all night!

The Princess Bride

A WONDERFULLY quotable book

For me, that would be The Lord of the Rings. I’m not a big “remember quotes” kind of guy, but “you shall not pass” has always stuck in my head.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

A character who loves breaking the rules

Saul from Neal Asher’s Owner trilogy. He’s not all adorable and funny like Bueller, but Saul will break the rules with the best of them, forging his own as necessary.

When Harry Met Sally

A couple that took eternity to get together

Montrose and Raina from the Count to the Eschaton Sequence by Wright. 18-19 billion years seems like eternity to me!

Back to the Future

A book involving time travel

The Aunt Paradox by Chris Dolley. Reeves and Worcester have to combat a Legion of Time Traveling Aunts to help the multiverse!

Pretty in Pink

A character with a unique style

Luffy from the One Piece manga. That kid’s got Style, what with his straw hat and all.

The Karate Kid

Favourite book involving the training/mentoring trope

Way-farer by Dennis Schmidt. Jerome and the Old Man on the Mountain are absolutely perfect examples of this.

Die Hard

A book with a trip that doesn’t go as planned

The Color of Magic. Nothing on Discworld ever goes planned! 😀

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

A book with the central character’s name in the title

Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians. Great stuff!

Dirty Dancing

A female character who comes out of her shell

Anne Elliot from Jane Austen’s Persuasion. Best Austen story ever.

Top Gun

A death that took you by surprise

The drug addicted woman who is rescued by the main character and ends up being killed, thus propelling the entire story of Without Remorse by Tom Clancy.

E.T. The Extra Terrestrial

An ending that left you both happy and sad

The Crippled God, the final book in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series. I was happy it was over and was sad I had been forced to read t he whole thing to get an ending.