A few months ago, on one of Sarah’s Bookshelves Live Patreon episodes, she and one of her guest hosts played the game Smooch, Marry, Kill (or as it’s more commonly known, fuck, marry, kill, but we’ll use the more PG version) with a bookish theme. I loved the idea and jotted down some of their categories while I listened. And today, we’re going to play the same game! I used some of their categories and added a few of my own. Here’s how I’m thinking about this:
- Marry – something I cannot live without
- Smooch – something I could give up if I had a Nerf gun to my head
- Kill – something I don’t particularly care as much about and could give up more easily than the others
Let’s play!
SMK: e-books, print books, audiobooks
- Smooch: print books
- Marry: e-books
- Kill: audiobooks
If I had to only read in one format for the rest of my life, I’d choose e-books. Even though buying books and displaying them in my home is one of my greatest joys, I wouldn’t want to give up my Kindle. And though I love listening to audiobooks, I’d choose print/e-books over them in this exercise.
SMK: contemporary fiction, historical fiction, literary fiction
- Smooch: Historical fiction
- Marry: Contemporary fiction
- Kill: Literary fiction
Literary fiction can go. Give me sweet, sweet contemporary fiction any day of the week. Throw in a few historical novels and I’m a happy camper.
SMK: morning reading, afternoon reading, evening reading
- Smooch: Morning reading
- Marry: Evening reading
- Kill: Afternoon reading
I fall asleep every time I try to read in the afternoon. Come to think of it, though, maybe that was due to my sleep apnea. Perhaps I can bring back afternoon reading to my life!
SMK: like a book, love a book, or hate a book
- Smooch: Like a book
- Marry: Love a book
- Kill: Hate a book
Sometimes it’s fun to hate-read a book and read all the other reviews of people who also hated the book, but honestly, I’d much rather sit down with a book I like or love than one I’m struggling to get through.
SMK: contemporary romance, historical romance, erotic romance
- Smooch: Historical romance
- Marry: Contemporary romance
- Kill: Erotic romance
I can handle a spicy romance, but erotica is a little too much for me. It’s just… a lot of sex? All the time? It gets boring to read about over and over again.
SMK: enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, fake dating
- Smooch: Enemies to lovers
- Marry: Friends to lovers
- Kill: Fake dating
Friends-to-lovers is my absolute favorite romance trope (when I was writing a romance novel, it was friends-to-lovers because I love it so much), although enemies-to-lovers is definitely a close second. I like a good fake dating trope, but it’s further down the list for me.
SMK: bookstores, libraries, Amazon
- Smooch: Bookstores
- Marry: Libraries
- Kill: Amazon
I mean, technically some libraries have bookstores so I could still get my bookstore fill if I needed to. But I have to marry libraries for all the resources they provide!
SMK: reading in bed, reading on the couch, reading on the porch
- Smooch: Reading on the couch
- Marry: Reading in bed
- Kill: Reading on the porch
I wish reading on the porch was more pleasant, but it’s always way too hot and since my porch isn’t screened-in, I always have to watch out for bees, which isn’t fun.
SMK: someone hates a book you recommended, you hate a book someone recommended to you, someone loves a book you recommended
- Smooch: Someone hates a book I recommended to them
- Marry: Someone loves a book I recommended
- Kill: I hate a book someone recommended to me
What is there even to say when someone recommends a book to me and I don’t like it at all? I’m a non-confrontational enneagram 9!
SMK: paperbacks, hardcovers, special editions
- Smooch: Hardcovers
- Marry: Paperbacks
- Kill: Special editions
I don’t have super strong feelings about special editions of books (like a movie tie-in version), but I still would rather have the original cover than a special one.
SMK: print books, e-books, audiobooks! Would you rather hate a book someone recommended or have someone hate a book you recommended?
Oh I’ll have to go back and find that episode. I just signed up for her Patreon and I love the bonus episodes.
I agree with your answers, though I have to sit out the questions about genres. Can I confess that I don’t know what literary fiction is? Also I don’t read enough romance to be able to answer those questions. All I know is give me my kindle, the Libby app, and my bed and I’m a happy camper.
I think it’s tucked away in one of her Book Preview Extras episodes – hopefully you can find it!
Honestly, I don’t really know what literary fiction is either. I just figure it’s a little more character-driven and high-brow than contemporary fiction. IDK… it’s also a hard genre for me to know, too!
I can’t think of this as smooching! I’m going the non-PG version, Stephany!!!
I have a very strong feeling about reading in bed – I don’t do it! I guess I’d kill it. I’d marry reading on the couch and I would FUCK reading on the porch! Because I love that but when it’s winter, I’m back on the couch.
I don’t know if I have a particular FMK when it comes to book recommendations. I often don’t love books that are recommended to me, but depending on the person I don’t feel too bad if they hate a book I recommend. But generally I don’t recommend unless I REALLY know someone’s taste. I know my faves aren’t for everyone.
Oh yes – I forgot: The bed is for sleeping and sex for you! That makes sense. I do love a good read on the couch and I would read on the porch all the time if I lived where you do – all that beautiful land to look out on and a more temperate climate. So nice!
Okay I had to come back and add more comments, yesterday I was in a rush. I thought I’d give you a few of my thoughts that are different from your FMK (I’m going to use F, Stephany!!!)
I’d also kill audio books but I’d marry print books.
Literary fiction is my favourite! So I’d marry it and kill historical fiction, which I don’t love.
I’d kill morning reading!
The rest, I don’t have strong opinions. This was fun! I don’t listen to that podcast, but maybe I’ll give it a try.
I think you would like Sarah’s Bookshelves Live – it’s probably my favorite book podcast out there.
Ooh, yes, we differ in our reading tastes. That just means more literary fiction for you!
“Smooch, Marry, Kill” is new to me and I like it. I am married to print books, I’d smooch an e version book, and I’d kill audio books. As for your question: Would you rather hate a book someone recommended or have someone hate a book you recommended? I’d rather hate a book someone recommended to me rather than find out I’d been way off on my recommendation. It’s easier to forgive someone else than it is to forgive myself.
Yes, that’s how I feel as well! I’d much rather be the one hating a rec than having a rec be hated!
Ha, yes kill reading on the porch (in Florida? No thanks.) The bookstore/library/amazon one is a tough one for me- I use all three. If I HAD to kill one, it would be amazon, because if I really want to own a book and it’s not in the bookstore, I could order it from Barnes and Noble. I would marry print books, reading in the evening, and reading in bed!
I think most bookstores will also order books for you if you ask them, so LOOPHOLE! 😉
Sounds like we are very aligned here!
I actually never knew it was FMK! I heard of SMK on the popcast I think! I would smooch physical books, marry ebooks and kill audiobooks. I never listen to audiobooks so could do without them completely!
I think I would rather hate a book someone recommended than have someone hate a book I rec’d… I get nervous recommending books in case they don’t like it as I don’t want to waste anyone’s precious reading time. Chances are if I wasn’t liking a book, I would abandon it rather than read it and hate it!
I almost exclusively read in bed. I would marry nighttime reading, smooch afternoon reading (it also makes me fall asleep but I like it as I can have a have time napping otherwise. I would kill morning reading because I never read in the morning. Maybe I will when I don’t have young kids??
I rarely read in the morning, but I do love when I can make it happen! It’s definitely less likely for parents, for sure.
Recommending books is such a tricky thing!
You come up with the best post ideas or spin off from things you listen to. I started reading and thought I am going to do this but I agree with the majority so not much fun to read the same.
However sadly I had to admit I would kill the book store. I read mainly ebooks and get them from Amazon and I us the library for audiobooks. However since I would kill audiobooks maybe I need to rethink.
That’s such a kind compliment. Thank you, Tobia! I have to admit I steal a lot of my ideas from podcasts, ha!
It’s hard figuring out what to kill! I do love listening to audiobooks but I can’t choose it over print books or e-books!
This was so fun to read! I am with you on erotica/similar – there is just not much going on! I’d smooch audio, marry kindle, and kill print. I’d rather hate a book someone recommended.
Ugh, I just get so bored by all the sex talk after a while – ha!
I really enjoyed this format – thanks for sharing this (I don’t know if I knew that game before your post).
I’d also marry ebooks, smooch prints and kill audiobooks. And I think I’d be more disappointed if someone didn’t like a book I recommended (although I know that book taste is SO very subjective).