The “How Well Do I Know my Books?” Tag

Yes, this is another tag that I was not tagged for. I’m known to do that. A lot. But this one looked like way too much fun for me to not do it. This tag took me a long time to do, which is why I didn’t get a post out on Friday. But I was able to finish it yesterday. I found out about this from Amber @ The Literary Phoenix, who did it recently. It was originally created by Jesse the Reader.

This tag is a bit complicated to explain, but I’ll try my best. There are 28 questions and each one has to be answered with a different book. The questions are about the book, like genre, characters, cover design, etc. To make it as random as possible, I’m using a random number generator to pick two numbers: one for the shelf and one for the book on that shelf. If the number is bigger than the number of books on that shelf, I’ll loop around again until I reach it.

If that explanation didn’t make sense, watch Jesse’s video. It might help if you see if visually.

Without looking at the description, tell us what the book is about!

All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir

I read this recently, so maybe I have a shot at this. All My Rage is about Sal and Noor who used to be best friends but had a falling out before the book takes place. Sal’s mother is sick and he has to run the motel his family owns by himself. Noor is having trouble with getting into college because her uncle doesn’t want her to leave. Basically it’s about Sal and Noor being on their own for a while before eventually finding their way back to each other.

Lahore, Pakistan. Then.
Misbah is a dreamer and storyteller, newly married to Toufiq in an arranged match. After their young life is shaken by tragedy, they come to the United States and open the Cloud’s Rest Inn Motel, hoping for a new start.

Juniper, California. Now.
Salahudin and Noor are more than best friends; they are family. Growing up as outcasts in the small desert town of Juniper, California, they understand each other the way no one else does. Until The Fight, which destroys their bond with the swift fury of a star exploding.

Now, Sal scrambles to run the family motel as his mother Misbah’s health fails and his grieving father loses himself to alcoholism. Noor, meanwhile, walks a harrowing tightrope: working at her wrathful uncle’s liquor store while hiding the fact that she’s applying to college so she can escape him—and Juniper—forever.

When Sal’s attempts to save the motel spiral out of control, he and Noor must ask themselves what friendship is worth—and what it takes to defeat the monsters in their pasts and the ones in their midst.

Okay, I forgot the part about how Sal’s mom has some perspectives too. But I got the main point, right?

Score: 1/1

Without looking it up, what is the genre of this book?

Looking for Alaska by John Green

Ooh, okay. I read this book in middle school, I think, so it’s definitely been a while. I’m going to say contemporary because literally all of John Green’s books are contemporary. And I don’t remember there being anything not real in the story.

Looking it up, I am correct! Goodreads technically has ‘fiction’ labeled as its genre, so if I wanted to be picky, I could say it was incorrect. But contemporary makes it specific, so I’m going to say it counts.

Score: 2/2

Without looking at the book, tell us what is on the cover!

We Were Liars (We Were Liars #1) by E. Lockhart

Trust me on this when I say I wrote this part before uploading the book cover image. I’ve had We Were Liars for a long time, so I do know this. It’s teenagers standing in the ocean with the sunlight on them so they’re not really distinct. The title is big and in the center of the cover, with the letters on the right side kind of fading away.

Yay, I was correct! The title isn’t really in the center but it is big and I got the lettering design right.

Score: 3/3

Without looking it up, what is the main character’s name?

Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova

I’m 99% sure I know this. I got this as a birthday present from my older brother when I was younger. It’s a graphic novel, one of the few that I own. I believe the main character’s name is Penelope but she goes by Pepe.

Well, okay. Her name is Penelope, but she goes by Peppi, not Pepe. I don’t know where I got that from. I feel like I should get half a point for that. I don’t she ever goes by Penelope, only her nickname, which I got wrong.

Score: 3.5/4

Without looking, name a side character!

Front Desk (Front Desk #1) by Kelly Yang

One of my favorite middle grade books! And series! The Front Desk series is a lot of fun and there’s a fourth book coming out in September! I’ll say Lupe for the side character, the main character’s best friend.

Yes, Lupe is indeed a side character!

Score: 4.5/5

Guess how many pages the book has without looking! (If you guess 25 below or 25 above the number, you can count it as a win!)

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (AGGGTM #1) by Holly Jackson

Oh no, I don’t know this. I know it’s on the shorter side of YA books, but it still has a lot packed into it. AGGGTM is my favorite mystery series at the moment. Judging by the size of the book, I’m going to say 300 pages.

Darn it, I was so off. It has 387 pages.

Score: 4.5/6

Without looking it up, what rating did you give this book? If you land on a book you haven’t read, pick a new set of numbers.

The Ghosts We Keep by Mason Deaver

I read this a few months ago and loved it. It was such a real look on grief and the aftermath after a loved one passes away. I believe I rated it 5 stars.

I was right! I couldn’t find something about this book that I didn’t like. The characters were real and relatable and there was also a bit of exploration into toxic relationships.

Score: 5.5/7

Without looking, where does this book take place?

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell

I haven’t read this since elementary school for some reading group. All I can say is that this takes place on an island. If the island has a name, I don’t know what it is.

My brain clearly didn’t realize that the island is literally just called the Island of the Blue Dolphins. It was close enough, though.

Score: 6.5/8

Without looking, what are the parent’s names?

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

I have no idea. I’m pretty sure there’s only one parent and then a boyfriend. But I don’t remember either of their names.

I looked it up. I didn’t find the mom’s name but the boyfriend’s name is Richard. I would never have guessed that. Actually, I probably would’ve because Richard is a fairly common name.

Score: 6.5/9

Without looking at the hardback, what color is the book under the dust jacket?

Forging Silver into Stars (Forging Silver into Stars #1) by Brigid Kemmerer

Ooh, I just read this, I should know. I think it’s similar to the color of the cover, so I’m going to say the green that’s on the background of the cover.

I was wrong. It’s black. Turns out the other two Brigid Kemmerer books also have black books under the dust jacket.

Score: 6.5/10

Without looking, is there anything on the hardback? Like an imprint or an image of some sort?

The Cost of Knowing by Brittney Morris

I don’t think I’ve ever taken the dust jacket off this book, so I have no idea. But I’m going to say no, it doesn’t have anything on the hardback, besides the title. That’s probably on it.

Well, I was wrong. There is an imprint on the cover but I can’t exactly tell what it is. It looks like an odd city skyline, but it takes up about half the cover and there’s teardrop shaped etchings. Here’s a picture of it:

Score: 6.5/11

Without taking the dust jacket off, what is the color of the font on the hardback?

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

I read this book so long ago, probably in middle school. I don’t remember much about it. The only specific moment I remember is the main character fainting because of something.

I’ve never taken the dust jacket off so I don’t know. I think it corresponds with the colors of the cover, since it makes the most sense. I’m going to say silver or gold.

It’s black. The book itself is gray, so it makes sense that the imprinted title is in a darker color. I thought the book was black, like the cover, but I guess not.

Score: 6.5/12

Without looking do the chapters have titles or are they just numbered?

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

This one I know! I have reread Wonder many times. The chapters are titled, they don’t have numbers at all. And there’s a lot of them. The chapters are really short, usually only a few pages.

Score: 7.5/13

Without looking at the book cover, does it have an award on it?

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

One of the few classics I have on my shelf. I had to read this for school freshman year. It wasn’t the greatest book I’ve read; back then, I just thought it was depressing.

I don’t think my copy has an award on it. I remember being able to see everything on the cover without any stickers.

Nailed it.

Score: 8.5/14

Without looking, does this book have any author blurbs on the front cover?

For Magnus Chase: Hotel Valhalla, Guide to the Norse Worlds by Rick Riordan

Ah, one of the informative books I have on Rick Riordan’s worlds. I have four of them; the other three are for Percy Jackson. This one is for Magnus Chase. Because this isn’t a novel, I’m going to say that this doesn’t have any author blurbs.

Yes, I was right!

Score: 9.5/15

Without looking, does the book have a description on the back?

Ender’s Game (Ender’s Saga #1) by Orson Scott Card

Ender’s Game was one of the first science fiction books I read. It kind of sparked my interest in that genre. I never finished the series, and I don’t really have an interest in doing so. I read the first two books, but that was all.

The copy I have is paperback so I know it has a description on the back. Paperbacks usually have them on the back while hardcovers have them on the inside flap of the dust jacket.

I am finally on a roll again. The description is indeed on the back.

Score: 10.5/16

Without looking, does this book have an author photo?

These Violent Delights (These Violent Delights #1) by Chloe Gong

One of my favorite books! I love both books in this duology. They’re some of the taller books on my bookshelf, sticking up above the ones next to them and making them stand out. I love that they match, cover design wise. I have some series where the cover designs don’t match and it’s slightly bugging me. Anyways, yes, Chloe Gong does have a photo on the dust jacket where her bio is.

Right! And it’s in a cool silver gilded frame. I didn’t know that part, but it looks very cool.

Score: 11.5/17

Without looking it up, is this author using a pen name?

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Harry Potter #8) by J.K. Rowling

I honestly forgot I owned this. I liked it well enough. It wasn’t great and I didn’t like the fact that it was in script format but I didn’t think it was bad.

No, J.K. Rowling is not using a pen name. Well, I guess it could be because she technically wasn’t born with a middle name, she just added Kathleen to do J.K. I’m not really sure what to think on this one. It could be considered a pen name, but it also could be considered her real name. I’m going to say no.

Score: 12.5/18

Without peaking, what POV is this book written in? 1st or 3rd?

I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys

I love the dramatic cover for this book. The story itself, not as much. I still enjoyed it, but it didn’t give me that emotional punch that I thought it would have. I believe it’s narrated in first person.

Got it!

Score: 13.5/19

Without looking are there any pictures or graphics in this book?

The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu

This is one of my favorite covers that I have on my bookshelf. I love the detail in it and how it looks as if it’s glowing. The only graphics in the book are the cover. The chapters are just titled and there’s not other pictures.

Wow, I sounded so confident. And I was wrong. There’s a map of the kingdom and a map of the places the Mozart Family travels to. There’s some swirly graphic above the chapter titles and a star-shaped flower to separate scene breaks.

Score: 13.5/20

Without looking, does it have an epilogue?

The Cupcake Queen by Heather Hepler

I haven’t looked at this book in forever. I have no idea where I got it. I don’t think this has an epilogue in it. I don’t actually remember how the book ends, but I think it’s just with a regular chapter.

It is just a chapter!

Score: 14.5/21

Without looking, does this book have a prologue?

One of Us is Next (One of Us is Lying #2) by Karen M. McManus

For some reason, I feel inclined to say that this does have a prologue. I think I remember there being some sort of prologue. It might not have been labeled as a prologue, it might not have been labeled, but there was some short passage before the start of the book.

Okay, so there’s this part right after the ’Part One’ page that’s set in the future. It’s not labeled or anything and chapter one begins after it. So I’m going to that as a prologue and say I’m right.

Score: 15.5/22

Without looking, is this book signed?

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart

I have very few signed books. I know this isn’t one of them. I read this entire series at the end of eighth grade. I love the drawings that go with the chapter titles, they’re always so creative.

Score: 16.5/23

Without looking, do the page numbers have a design above or below them or none at all?

The Awakening Storm (City of Dragons #1) by Jaimal Yogis & Vivian Truong

Hard to say. This is a graphic novel, so there might be, but I think the page numbers are normal. They might be in a different font than what is typical for a chapter book, but I think that’s it.

Yep, just normal page numbers!

Score: 17.5/24

Without looking, do the chapter headers have designs on them?

The Ship of the Dead (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #3) by Rick Riordan

I find it surprising that out of the twelve books by Rick Riordan that I own, only two got picked for this tag. Literally half of my fourth shelf is the first Percy Jackson series, two books from The Trials of Apollo, the third book from Magnus Chase, and four of the short story/informative books.

I don’t think the chapter headings have any design with them. They’re just humorous.

And I was wrong. There is a small outline of an animal of sort sort above the chapter number.

Score: 17.5/25

Without looking, are the acknowledgements in the front or the back of the book?

The Thing About Leftovers by C.C. Payne

I got this book in elementary school. I went to a Montessori school, so things worked differently. At the end of fifth grade, I think, my teachers gave everyone in the classroom a book and this is the one I got. I enjoyed it and the title has a double meaning. The main character loves cooking, but it’s also talking about how the MC feels about herself. Her parents got divorced and she feels like she’s the ”leftovers” from the marriage.

This book is fiction, so it’s a pretty safe assumption that the acknowledgments are in the back of the book. Not many books I’ve read have them in the front. I feel like that happens more often in nonfiction.

Good assumption!

Score: 18.5/26

Without looking, what year was this book published?

The Weight of the Stars by K. Ancrum

Ahh, one of my favorite books! This was an emotional punch to the gut. And that’s why I love it so much. I have no idea when this was published. It seems not too recent, but definitely in the last few years or so. I’m going to say 2018.

Darn, it was 2019.

Score: 18.5/27

Without looking, what year did you read this book?

Pie in the Sky by Remy Lai

I love that this book is a cross between a chapter book and a graphic novel. I’d say it’s an illustrated chapter book. There are drawings on almost every page and the only colors used are black, white, gray, and varying shades of blue.

I have no idea when I read this. And I also don’t have any way to check because I read this before I started keeping track of my reading. But I’m going to make a guess and say 2019 or 2020. I don’t remember if I read this in middle school or when it was peak COVID time during my first year of high school.

Since I don’t know, I’m not going to give myself a point for this one.

Final Score: 18.5/28

---

My final score was 18.5/28 which is a 66% and an F in the US grading system 😬 Looks like I need to freshen up on my bookshelf knowledge. This tag was a lot of fun to do, albeit a bit time-consuming. It also makes for a really long post. I just passed 3.1k words.

---

How we do you know the books you own? Are there some I missed that you know?