Happy Friday bookish people! Today I am bringing you an Easter themed book tag that I found on My Reading Escape.wordpress.com
I hope you will all have a wonderful Easter weekend with however you will be spending it, I will probably be spending mine eating a lot of chocolate and using my new coffee maker.
1. Easter Egg: Book that feels like a hidden gem
I have to choose The Lady in the Tower by Marie Louise Jenson for this one because it is a wonderful book that I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone else talk about
2. Bloom: Debut Novel You Loved:
I chose The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant for this book because I received it in an Illumicrate box and I read it in one sitting. It is a retelling of Les Miserables set in a beautifully described France.
3. Chocolate Bunny: Book so good you didn’t want it to end
I chose Caraval because it is one of my favourite books and as the prompt says, I didn’t want it put it down! This series is so magical I wanted to keep reading it for as long as I could.
4. Cheap, Cheap, Cheap: Book you bought for super cheap:
I actually was given this book for free by a really lovely bookseller, I was given a few of the little world book day books and this was one of them, I have already read it.
5. Jelly bean: Book you thought was sweet:
This book has a lot of lovely, sweet themes so Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell was the first book I thought of for this prompt.
6. Easter Basket: Filled with many surprises:
For this one I am choosing the entire A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J Maas because although I have only read the first book, I have heard that there are many surprises throughout this series and I am excited to read them.
7. Rabbits: Books you wish would multiply (have a sequel):
I chose House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A Craig because ever since finishing it I really wished there had been a sequel, I just felt there were questions left unanswered.
8. Hunt: Book that was hard to get hold of:
I had to look everywhere for this book, there was only one bookshop that had it and the drive was over an hour, then when we got there I forgot to look for this book (I know, I couldn’t believe I did this either) and so I had to order it.
So that’s the end of this Easter book tag! I hope you all enjoyed it!
Happy Friday bookish people! It is my birthday! I am 23, which feels very strange – sometimes I still feel like I’m 20 but I think that may just be because of the Pandemic. So, I thought it would be a good idea today to do a fun bookish tag so I found the Birthday book tag. I found it on pagesplots.com but on their tag it says they found it on Always Books.
For this I went with Get A Life Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
I felt like I had read this plot a few different times but there were some new aspects to it in this book and I still really enjoyed this book.
Party Guests – Your most anticipated book release for this year
I think there are two for me, which are Only A Monster by Vanessa Len and Crescent City House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J Maas and I now already own both! I have read neither but I am very excited to.
Birthday Presents – A book that surprised you with how much you loved it
For this one I am choosing Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz
I knew I would like this book because it has an intriguing mystery but I ended up surprising myself with how much I loved it.
Happy Birthday Song – A book that certainly deserves all the hype it got
The Caraval series by Stephanie Garber, definitely!
Happy Music – A book with some very beautiful and truly memorable quotes
I have to choose the Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern, it’s just so magical and fantastical. The quotes are beautiful.
Getting Older – A book that you read a long time ago but you think you would appreciate more if you read it as a more mature reader
This is a really tough one, I am not sure what I can answer this with. I am thinking probably any book by Philippa Gregory because I read them all a few years ago but I think they would mean more to me if I read them now.
Sweet Birthday Memories – A book that kept you incredibly happy during a sad or demanding period of your life
I have to choose the lady in the Tower by Marie Louise Jenson, all her books kept me going throughout my high school period, there was a lot of things going on that I was struggling with and reading was the only thing that made me feel better.
That’s it for this book tag, I hope you all enjoyed it!
Happy Friday bookish people! Next weekend is Mother’s Day and so I thought why not have a look and see if there are any Mother’s Day themed book tags around and I found one on YouTube by blissful and bookish so that is what I will be doing for you today.
Best Friend: Pick characters in a book whose friendship you admire the most:
For this one I went with Irene and Kai in The Invisible Library series by Genevieve Cogman. To begin with they don’t really get along and it was great seeing the friendship start to develop and what I like most about it is that they have seen the worst of each other and still they are there when the other needs them.
Comfort: what’s a book that always puts you in a better mood:
For this one I chose Lady in the Tower by Marie Louise Jenson because it is one of my favourite books and no matter what mood I am in or what has happened it always makes me feel calmer when I read it.
Doesn’t Give Up: What’s a book that you were tempted to DNF but instead finished:
I chose The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater because I didn’t love the book and I found it took me a long time to read it but I don’t like to DNF books so I pushed on and I did end up giving it three stars and I will read the rest of the series.
Selfless: What’s a book that you had to sacrifice for:
I went with the Queen of Nothing because I sacrificed having a complete set of paperbacks because I couldn’t wait to read the final book in the series so I bought it in hardback as soon as it came out.
Love: What’s your favourite love story:
I had to go with Caraval, the characters of Scarlett and Julian, by Stephanie Garber. Definitely my favourite love story even though it isn’t a romance book.
Homemaker: If you could live with a fictional family whose home would you go to:
I would go and live with the Brown Sisters in Talia Hibbert’s novels because they seem very supportive and fun and I don’t know anyone quite like them in real life.
Forgiving: name a character you hate but would eventually have to forgive:
I had to go for Eli Ever from Vicious by V E Schwaab, although don’t actually have a reason for it, I just think I would end up forgiving him.
Teacher: name a book that has taught you thins that will stay with you forever
I chose Stalking Jack the Ripper because it taught me that you don’t have to fit yourself into society’s expectations.
Dedication: what’s a book that you would like to dedicate to your mum and why:
I struggled with this one, I was looking for a title that would resemble this question but I couldn’t find one so I went with a book series that I think my mum would enjoy reading which is the Clockwork Angel (Infernal Devices) series by Cassandra Clare.
That’s it for this book tag, I hope you all enjoyed it!
Happy Monday bookish people! And Happy Valentine’s day! Today I wanted to bring you some of my opinions on the couples – or characters that are often shipped together in some cases- in some of the books that I have previously read.
There may be spoilers in this post so read at your own risk.
Dangerous Remedy by Kat Dunn – Camille and Ada
Camille and Ada are already dating when the book begins and there is a lot of tension growing between them throughout the book and I enjoyed the relationship because they seemed to be struggling through real problems that readers can relate to even though it is a fantasy book.
The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh – Celine and Sebastian
These two have an enemies to lovers thing going on which I really enjoyed. They are both very strong and feisty characters that bounce off each other. I think their relationship fits well within the plot and doesn’t take over. I am looking forward to seeing how these two characters develop in the rest of the series.
Optimists Die First by Susin Nielsen – Petula and Jacob
This was one of the first books I read that fit properly within the contemporary romance genre. It has a simple enough story but it is full of heartache and delving into characters with mental health issues that are also trying to navigate a relationship. I liked the build up to Petula and Jacob getting together but their relationship throughout the rest of the book was difficult to read about because I didn’t completely understand the struggles they were experiencing.
The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton – Ned and Cecelia
Again these two characters start off as enemies which I love in books, also the reason they meet was one of my favourites in the books that I read last year. Their personalities lend to some very sassy dialogue and I enjoyed their pairing. The only thing is that both of them love their freedom and don’t seem the type to be in committed long relationships.
To Kill A Kingdom by Alexandra Christo – Lira and Elian
To be honest this book didn’t get much emotion from me, it was an average rating from me and so I didn’t feel that much for either of these characters or their relationship. I feel that the two characters were thrown together to make it into a Little Mermaid retelling but actually neither of them fit together well in my opinion.
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern – Zachary and Dorian
I don’t feel like I saw enough of this couple. The Starless Sea is my favourite book ever and I would enjoy any couple that was written into it. It was great to see LGBTQ representation in this book and the only way to describe the way this couple was portrayed is enchanting.
Not Here To Be Liked by Michelle Quach – Eliza and Len
This is another book that I struggled to get any enjoyment from. I felt that the whole romance was forgotten generally or just used to forward the author’s views on feminism and the place it has in relationships. I really like Len as a character but I didn’t feel that Eliza was fleshed out more than a 2D character.
The Upside of Unrequieted by Becky Albertalli – Molly and Reid
I love this pairing. Reid was one of my favourite male characters until I properly started reading fantasy and he’s nerdy and sweet and exactly the type of man I like in books, and in reality actually. Molly is a very interesting character and I enjoyed being taken along with her as she discovered so much about herself and what she wanted.
Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco – Thomas Cresswell and Audrey Rose Wadsworth
One of my all time favourite couples. Thomas Cresswell is charming and intelligent and completely annoying but I love him. Audrey Rose is also incredibly intelligent and full of fire and personality, she lets nobody stand in her way and that sets them up for very interesting moments.
Caraval by Stephanie Garber – Julian and Scarlett/ Tella and Legend
Okay so there are two main couples in the Caraval series of books. The first is Julian and Scarlett, which I think are probably my favourite book couple ever. They start as enemies – do you see the trend starting here?- and develop feelings later but I love that Scarlett struggles to trust him, it fits perfectly with the plots and if there was a lot of tricks happening I would have trouble trusting him too.
Then there is Tella and Legend. Currently, I haven’t read the third book yet, I don’t love them as much. I think they would make a good pairing, he offers her the enchantment and the mystery that she craves but they don’t have as much of a spark in my opinion.
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell – Cath and Levi
I don’t usually like romance books but this one I ended up loving. Cath reminds me of myself in a lot of ways, particularly her shyness and then Levi is cheeky and cute and I would honestly love to find a Levi in real life to be with, you just know that no matter what he would be there for her.
Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco – Wrath and Emilia
Emilia is a headstrong witch who, when her sister is murdered, decides to investigate for herself and summons a demon, Wrath. Wrath is so morally grey that I never know if he’s on the good side or the bad and this just draws me to him, the same as it does for Emilia and I think they challenge each other both physically and mentally which is great to see in book characters.
The Lady in the Tower by Marie Louise Jenson – Eleanor and Phillip Stanton
Another pairing that starts off as enemies, I really can’t help but have a type. I love the historical nature of the relationship, the bending of the boundaries. He is so charming and charismatic that I can’t help but like him even when the main character doesn’t. I liked the way this was a slow burn and you saw the moment when it all changed for Eleanor and she realised her feelings.
I am going to leave this post here as I have included a lot of great pairings but if everyone enjoys this I have plenty more couples to make a part 2 or part 3!
It is Friday! And that only means one thing – Today I’m doing a Book Tag! (Friday’s won’t always be for Book Tags but I do love doing them). The Book Tag I am doing I found on @LousBookStuff and it is ‘The Last Ten Books Tag’! It was a really fun tag to do because it made me think about my answers – and how many books I’m buying because there’s a lot of them (I’m not sorry!) So.. here it is!
The Last Book I Gave Up On: Now this would be Lies Like Poison by Chelsea Pitcher. I very rarely give up on books – I have to finish them or I’ll be noticing them on my shelves all the time, they’d be looking at me like YOU! How dare you not finish reading me! And I just can’t handle that. So I read This Lie Will Kill You by Chelsea Pitcher first and I enjoyed it but it scared me so much that I didn’t sleep that night … so I did what any book obsessed person would do – I picked up Lies Like Poison. I put it down after two chapters and the week after I gave it away to my friend who loved it so there’s a happy ending in there somewhere.
2. The Last Book I Reread: The Lady In The Tower by Marie Louise Jenson. This is one of my favourite books ever. I’ve read it so many times that the book looks a bit, well… battered but I never get tired of this story. And Lord Phillip Stanton, yep, definitely won’t get tired of his character.
3. The Last Book I Bought: Do Pre-orders count? I’ve just pre-ordered Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo, Gods and Monsters by Shelby Mahurin and Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard. If they don’t count (they should) the last book I bought was the Wolf Hall boxset – and they are beautiful!
Rule Of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo
4. The Last Book That I Said I Read But Actually Didn’t: I don’t do this… I mean if I’ve said I’ve read a book then I’ve read it and I could easily summarise it for anyone who asks.
5. The Last Book I Wrote Into The Margins Of: I didn’t write into the actual book but I did write on bright pink sticky notes and put them into the margins… I’m going to say that counts. Oh, and the book was Howdunnit: A Masterclass In Crime Writing.
6. The Last Book I Had Signed: That would probably be my February Illumicrate book – A Dark And Hollow Star by Ashley Shuttleworth. I cannot wait to read this book! The cover is gorgeous and the story sounds so good!
7. The Last Book I Lost: I don’t lose books – or at least I haven’t so far in my 21 years of life. I hope I haven’t just jinxed that…
8. The Last Book I Had To Replace: This would by my copy of The Hunger Games. I lent it to a friend when I was in Secondary School and she left it in her bag and she left her bag outside, it rained, and I was left with a very badly water damaged version of it. So I bought a new copy.
9. The Last Book I Argued over: I don’t think I’ve ever done this – not that I can remember at least.
10. The Last Book I Couldn’t Find: Hmm.. I know where all my books are. There is a strict organizational system in place with my books (there kind of needs to be when you’re Visually Impaired).
So that’s it for today! I’ll be putting up a VERY exciting blog post later today so watch out for that and next Friday I’ll be doing something a little different which will hopefully go to plan. I hope you enjoyed my Book Tag. As for tagging other people I’d say anyone who wants to do it consider yourself tagged!