The Racing to Read Book Tag | 2020 Reading Rush

Hello, my fellow Spirals!

I know this book tag was originally created and done in 2020 for a readathon but I love the creators so much and this tag as well so I thought let’s do it. This tag was originally created by Ariel Bissett and Raeleen Lamay. You can also find them on their podcast: Books Unbound.

Now let’s get into it!

Warm Up: A book that stretches your mind

Recursion by Blake Crouch

The moment I heard this prompt I knew exactly which book I was going to pick. This has been really high on my favorites list ever since I read it in 2021. It literally stretches your mind, circuit fries it, and leaves you not knowing what is up and down. I would HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone looking for a book that will leave you gasping, at the edge of your seat and mind-boggled.

This science fiction book initially starts with the city being affected by an epidemic called False Memory Syndrome where people suddenly have two completely different sets of memories in their brain causing them to go mad. As Barry Sutton, an NYC cop, tries to uncover the truth, he finds something much more terrifying than just the so-called syndrome that threatens the very nature of reality as we know it. Meanwhile, Helena Smith dedicates her life to creating a technology that will let us preserve our most precious memories and re-experience it whenever we want. Will they both work together and stand a chance at fixing the world before everything crumbles? (Goodreads)

Start Line: What’s a book that you started but never finished?

And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

I have ADORED Hosseini’s other books (The Kite Runner & A Thousand Splendid Suns) and I have always wanted to read this book. But I have DNF-ed it thrice for god knows what reason. The book has an interesting start but I genuinely cannot tell you what happens in between that makes me stop each time.

Sprint: A book you read really quickly

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman

I finished this book in one sitting within 4 hours. While this book does seem like a lot of pages, it was a breeze to get through. Plus this book was so strong and made me feel so seen that I could hardly put it down.

This coming-of-age story revolves around Frances, a study machine with one goal. But in her spare time, she loves to do artwork for her favorite podcast. When the creator contacts her for collaboration and they meet face to face, her world completely changes. It takes her on a path trying to discover who she is and what she wants in life before going to college. (Goodreads)

Marathon: What’s your favorite long book?

Big Bang by Simon Singh

Having read this book in 2020, I can still say that I think about this book constantly. This book left me in awe and taught me so much about the universe that I had no idea about. I will be raving about this book for several years to come.

Like the name implies, this is a non-fiction book about how the Big Bang model came into being. It starts with how the universe and the solar system was perceived centuries ago, what research and studies were done to reach the current conclusion and slight background information about the scientists involved. (Goodreads)

Hurdles: What’s a book that had ups and downs?

The Institute by Stephen King

I really thought I would like this book because King does Horror quite well so I had high hopes. Of course I had no idea going in that this book involved kids and had supernatural aspects to it. Nevertheless, at several parts it was quite spooky and eerie. While the first half of the back was a upward slow, thinks started going downhill from the second half. It was unnecessarily long without covering the points that needed to be covered. You can check my full review here.

In the middle of the night, in a house on a quiet street in suburban Minneapolis, intruders silently murder Luke Ellis’s parents and load him into a black SUV. When Luke wakes up at The Institute, he’s in a room that looks just like his own, except there’s no window. And outside his door are other doors, behind which are other kids with special talents—telekinesis and telepathy—who got to this place the same way Luke did. In the Institute, the staffs are ruthless to extract and develop these kids’ gifts. As each new victim disappears to Back Half, Luke becomes more and more desperate to get out and get help. But no one has ever escaped from the Institute. (Goodreads)

Finish Line: A book you were proud to finish

Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari

I had kept picking this book up and then stopping several times in between because I just wasn’t in the mood. This book, while being interesting, was quite stretched and dull at several parts. But overall, I learnt a ton and that’s what really matters from non-fiction books like these.

Gold Medal: Best book you’ve read during a readathon

Unfortunately I have never actually been a part of any readathon so I can’t answer this question 🥺 But I’d LOVE to participate in one sometime soon!

Participation Ribbon: An underrated book you wish got more attention

Miracle Creek by Angie Kim

I don’t think I have talked about this book at all on my blog. But here’s the thing: this book was so brilliant and thought provoking to me that it’s still so vivid in my head. It has all the mysterious aspect to it as to committed the crime and the reasons behind each of their actions while being emotional.

The story is basically a court drama. Basically a family runs a special Oxygen treatment center, a hyperbaric chamber that may cure a range of conditions from infertility to autism. But suddenly, the chamber explodes and two people die, as it soon becomes clear that the explosion wasn’t an accident. As the story unfolds, each character has secrets that could incriminate them in some way or another. Could it be the careless mother of a patient, the owners hoping to cash in on a big insurance payment and send their daughter to college or the protesters trying to prove the treatment isn’t safe? (Goodreads)

And that’s a wrap! I don’t know why but book tags are so fun to do.

I know this book tag is really old so I’m not sure if anyone would wanna do it. Nevertheless I’ll still tag a few: