Out of all the wonderful things that fall brings, pumpkins are my absolute favorite. They are colorful, plump, and quite frankly, adorable. They should really be called “plumpkins,” am I right? So when I was searching for a tag to complete today for Blogtober, I was thrilled to come across the Pumpkin Book Tag on the Book Tag Directory from Zee Zee With Books. What better way to celebrate pumpkins and books than with The Pumpkin Book Tag.
You can cook pumpkin into 100s of dishes. From sweet to savory, pumpkin is a very versatile squash vegetable. I am currently writing this post while my pumpkin oatmeal cookies are cooking in the oven. Pumpkins make fantastic foods, especially this time of year.
You can also turn pumpkins into all sorts of crafts. You can carve them, decorate with them, and so much more. What can I say, there are endless possibilities to the fun you can have with pumpkins.
The Pumpkin Book Tag celebrates all of these different ways you can celebrate fall with pumpkins. I absolutely adore these prompts, I find them so fun and Autumnal!
You can find the original creator of this tag by clicking here, on Literary Gladiators.
PUMPKIN: A WRITER YOU ALWAYS MAKE A POINT TO READ IN OCTOBER
I have only been reading Riley Sager for two years now, but I will absolutely be making a point to read their works for years to come during the fall season. Spooky books are my favorite and Riley Sager writes these really well. I appreciate their characterization and attention to detail when building these stories. They are some of the most entertaining books I have ever read.
PUMPKIN SPICE: A WORK YOU WOULD READ TO IMPRESS A MILLENNIAL
As a “zillenial” I had no idea how to answer this question. I was born right in the middle of the two generations. I grew up with a millennial, but I identify a lot with Gen Z. But anyway, my thought process when it comes to this question might be impacted by the huge amount of reader shaming I have been seeing in this community in regards to people reading Dune because of the upcoming movie. But I would say anything that isn’t young adult fantasy? And don’t get me wrong, that is my favorite genre, I am answering this purely off of what those old folk millennials would be saying, and Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado definitely breaks that mold.
BUT NEVER SHAME ANYONE FOR WHAT THEY READ! And don’t read to impress anyone, just read for yourself. Life’s too short for anything else.
PUMPKIN PIE: A WORK THAT MAKES YOU THINK OF AUTUMN
I’ll be honest, I don’t actually know what time of year The Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo is set in, but it definitely makes me think of Autumn. I have said this multiple times before, but the dark academia genre is fall to me. Something about college campuses always brings me back to the Autumn season, with bustling winds and cozy jackets.
PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE: A WORK THAT WAS CHALLENGING TO READ BUT WAS A REWARDING EXPERIENCE
This prompt was tough to answer. If a book is difficult to read, I am probably not going to think it was a rewarding experience because I read for pleasure, not to learn. So, as a result, my answer is Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. This book took my like 3 years to read and the only benefit I got from it was that I can say, “yeah, I’ve read Anna Karenina.” Is that considered a reward?
PUMPKIN BREAD: AN UNDERRATED WORK FROM A WELL-KNOWN WRITER
For this prompt, I have to talk about a book I have never read before because I could not think of anything to fulfill this prompt. But, Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins is definitely the underrated of this author’s two series. I actually plan on reading this series at one point because Suzanne Collins is one of my favorite writers, and they haven’t been putting a lot of content out over the years. I have to read what’s available to me.
PUMPKIN SOUP: A WORK THAT YOU FIRST ENJOYED, BUT THEN LOST INTEREST
You know what’s funny. I actually ate some pumpkin soup the other day, enjoyed the first half, and then quickly lost interest. So this is a very accurate prompt lol! Anyway, I absolutely loved how Horrid by Katrina Leno began. It started out super atmospheric and perfect for fall. But as I continued with the story, it became a little repetitive, and not spooky enough for my tastes. And the ending was pretty predictable. I didn’t hate this book, but I didn’t love it either.
You can read my full review of this book here.
PUMPKIN DOUGHNUT: A LIGHT, FIVE-STAR READ
You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson is such a light, fluffy, and fun contemporary romance. The only drama you get is highschool drama, if I remember correctly. This book put a huge smile on my face the entire time, I loved the characters so much and the sticky situations they were put in were so entertaining.
PUMPKIN PICKING: WITHIN THE LAST YEAR, IN WHICH GENRE DID YOU PURCHASE THE MOST BOOKS
I feel like this is my answer every year to any question like this, but definitely fantasy. I buy most of my books from thrift stores, and there is something so attractive about the fantasy novels in these stores. It is the section I go towards most, and most of my favorite reads come from that section. It is also the genre most recognizable to me, which is what I mainly go off of in second-hand shops.
Here are a couple fantasy books I bought this year.
PUMPKIN CARVING: A WORK THAT COULD HAVE BEEN TRIMMED DOWN
For such a long book, not a lot happens in The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo. I really wanted to like this book, but it dragged a lot, and I found myself never wanting to pick it up.
PUMPKIN PAINTING: A BOOK WITH MAGNIFICENT ILLUSTRATIONS
I will never not scream about the beautiful illustrations in The Tea Dragon Society by Kay O’Neill. There is something so lovely and comforting about how these characters are drawn. And the colors and cuteness are absolutely perfect. I wouldn’t change a single thing.
PUMPKIN ICE CREAM: THE MOST RANDOM WORK YOU WOULD RECOMMEND
I would say that The Professor and the Housekeeper by Yoko Ogawa is a random recommendation for me because it is so far out of the fantasy novels I am usually reading. But this book was so beautiful in a subtle way. The relationship between the housekeeper and the professor was endearing, this book definitely touched my heart.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WAY TO ENJOY PUMPKIN/WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DISH WHERE PUMPKIN IS THE MAIN INGREDIENT?
Oh this is a tough question, because I love and try everything and anything that has to do with pumpkins. But my all time favorite, and I know it is basic, is a good old, classic pumpkin spiced latté.
But, if we are talking foods, I am all for the baked goods. I just made some chocolate chunk oatmeal pumpkin cookies, as I mentioned, and they are amazing. I also love a good loaf of pumpkin bread.
PUMPKIN PATCH: WHO DO YOU TAG?
Everyone! I never know who to tag in posts, so I tag all the pumpkin lovers out there! Share your love of pumpkins and books with me!
Pumpkins are iconic to the fall season, and I love how The Pumpkin Book Tag allowed me to celebrate them in my very own, bookish way.
It feels like the best month of the year, October, is going by way too fast. I always feel this way. Like I haven’t watched enough Halloween movies and I haven’t read enough spooky books. But I need to remember to stop and smell the roses… pumpkins! I need to stay in the present moment and enjoy everything this season has to offer.
Thanks for reading about my obsession with pumpkins!
