folklore book tag

Hi everyone ! The past few days my braincells have been focussed on one thing and one thing only, and that is Taylor Swift’s new album, ‘folklore’. I’ve been a dedicated and passionate Swiftie since I was about 13, and if you follow my twitter you know I talk about her … a lot a lot. So I was THRILLED, SHOCKED, BAMBOOZLED when she announced out of nowhere she was dropping an album that day. What a twist I did not have on my 2020 bingo card !!

I am in love with this album, and after seeing people do this tag I thought I better do the same, because what better way to combine two things I love.

Before I start, let me just say: the top three songs are ‘august’, ‘cardigan’ and ‘invisible string’ ARGUE WITH THE WALL. Okay, now let’s get into the tag

• Link to the original creator: Ilsa @ A Whisper Of Ink
• Tag at least 3 people. 
• Declare the rules and list of prompts in your post
• Thank whoever who tagged you and link to their post.

The 1 definitely is one of my favourite songs of the album. It is so beautifully written and sung, makes me feel nostalgic, and is a perfect intro to this album.

For this prompt, I had to choose The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell which was the first book that came to mind. The ending of this blew my MIND, so much happens so quickly and when I finished it I literally just put it down and started at the ceiling because there was much to think about. This is such such an underrated historical fantasy I love it so much.

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This song is SO SO amazing I genuinely get chills every time I listen to it. the way she sings ‘but I knew everything when I was young’, plus the ‘I knew you’d miss me once the thrill expired / And you’d be standin’ in my front porch light / and you’d come back to me’ makes me WILD with emotion I love it so much. It reminds of me This Love and basically makes me lose my mind each time I hear it.

Some people might think this is a bit of a strange choice but .. okay, this song gives me the exact same feeling that listening to ‘Ribs’ by Lorde does. It’s a very particular mix of happy memories, sad nostalgia and I feel both happy and sad reading it. I feel like i had such a different response to this book then most people, but it really got me for it’s mix of fluff and fun and … hard hitting nostalgia. The quotes about love, friendship and change as you grow up, those hit hard !!

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I love story telling songs so I really like this one. The cheeky way says Fifty years is a long time / Holiday House sat quietly on that beach / Free of women with madness, their men and bad habits / And then it was bought by me. it’s so funny, I love Taylor Swift owning her reputation

For this prompt, I’m going to go with throwback to one of my favourite fictions of last year. Maybe You Should Talk to Someone is a memoir by a therapist, talking in part by her own therapy after she gets broken up with, and in part about her own patients she was treating and their stories. It’s about how therapy works and helps people. I found this so so fascinating, both the authors story and the stories of her patients, as well as the discussion around therapy methodology and how it helps. It’s also extremely well written and will get you super invested.

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Exile is one of my mid-tier songs from this album but I really do love the sound of the duet between Bon Iver and Taylor Swift and the end when the drums hit.

For this prompt I chose the biggest flop of the year, All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. I honestly just didn’t gain a single thing out of this book, like there was books I disliked just as much but at least they had original concepts. This was just boring, it’s honestly EVERY trope and story about world war two you’ve read about before. I wish I had just dnf’ed this or unhauled it instead of wasting my time reading it and finishing it waiting for it to get good.

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THIS SONG IS ABOUT THE REPUTATION ERA CHANGE MY MIND. Which actually makes me sad because reputation is my favourite Taylor Swift album.

I rarely cry in books, I don’t know why I just don’t get affected that way. But one book which actually made me SOB was The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I was listening to this on a bus trip and I had to stare out the window and put my hoodie up and hope no one noticed that I was BALLING. I love this book so much purely for giving me that reaction because I don’t have it too often.

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For this prompt I definitely think Radio Silence by Alice Oseman. I identify with Francis, the main character, so much and the entire themes, vibe and ideas in this book just match so well with my life. Everything about this book just feels like it was written for me like it’s my ideal story type, character dynamics (platonic best friends!!), it’s got a dark vibe, it’s about making art and friendship. Like every specific thing I am always looking for in YA contemporary.

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I feel like I don’t need to explain why, by far, the most nostalgic book/series for me Harry Potter. I know a lot of people feel the same. I’m trying not to talk about Harry Potter much on my public socials for many reasons but, I cannot really answer this question with anything else it IS my childhood nostalgia book

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BEST SONG ON THE ALBUM !!! BEST SONG ON THE ALBUM!! an instant classic. the bridge!!!! gets me every single damn time

This is a hard prompt for me because I don’t really associate books with seasons or read certain books in certain seasons like some people do. In the end I chose an Australian books because, I think Australia just had the best summer. I kinda went with the ultimate Aussie book in Cloudstreet by Tim Winton. This book is set in Western Australia, and deals a lot with the water and beach and the Australian summer, so I definitely associate it a lot with summer in Australia. Tim Winton is a very popular Australian novelist but this is honestly the only book of his I’ve read that I liked.

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The first book that came to mind was Clap When You Land which definitely fits, but I decided I would go for We Are Okay instead because that book deals with those themes in such an intense way. We Are Okay is about a girl staying in her dorm over the holiday break and her ex-girlfriend coming to visit, and it’s just about …. loneliness, sadness and grief. It’s such a beautifully written, emotional book and I love it so much.

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Sometimes books that are bad are also the best book you’ve ever read in terms of like, entertaining attention-grabbing content and thats The Foxhole Court for me. I read this entire trilogy in less than 48 hours and then could literally not do or think about anything else for weeks later. It was incredible. Even though I would tell people to approach this series with a healthy amount of scepticism, the book hangover it gave me was legendary.

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This song is an absolutely underrated classic. It’s SO CUTE, very classic Taylor Swift song writing and makes me smile every time I hear it.

For this I am definitely going to have to go with Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda. I think I’ve talked about this before but, this is a book I read right when I was considering coming out as bisexual and it really helped me at the time. I remember sitting in my bed crying my eyes out at the scene where Simon comes out to Abby in his car. Although this is a book I don’t love as much now, it definitely is one that held a lot of importance to me at the time.

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Another iconic smackdown song by Taylor Swift, I love the lyrics and all the subtle little story moments from her past she included in this.

Of course there’s soo many I could do for this one, I even have a twitter thread of some of my favourite female characters. But owing to the ‘mad woman’ title I decided to go with Adelina Amouteru from The Young Elites. Years since I read this book and I still stan her and her villain arc SO MUCH. Honestly, her ‘well everyone treated me badly maybe I’ll treat them badly back’ energy really fits with this song.

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I definitely have to go with the book that has HAUNTED ME ALL YEAR and choose On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong. So many things about this are haunting. The themes deal with feeling haunted by the past, the narration stuck with me, as did the story, and the writing itself, like the literal Lexical Choices are also haunting, they are worth reading and staring at. I love this book so much.

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the way this song through me in a full ‘is taylor swift coming out’ loop because I missed the “””its from a males POV””” anyway I’m just saying taylor swifts tendency to be like ‘girls are so pretty and amazing I was in love with one and wished I had kissed her’ (he said) is interesting

For this prompt, I am choosing Laila and Severin from The Gilded Wolves. You may think it’s a strange couple because they aren’t even together but… I LOVE FRIENDS TO LOVERS. AND I LOVE ‘WE GOT TOGETHER ONCE IT WAS A MISTAKE EXCEPT WE BOTH SECRETLY THINK IT WASN’T’. The yearning is intense, off the damn page, and I love them so much.

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So many so many but I have to go with Emma Carstairs from Lady Midnight I love her so much like she deserved the entire world and I don’t even care that the fandom dislikes her she IS that bitch. She’s funny, badass, but has a lot of emotional depth and complexity, and I love her relationships in this series. A queen and a legend.

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I definitely have to go with Wolfsong by T.J Klune for this one. I put this book on my five star TBR predictions list and thought I would love it because everyone does and it was… soo meh. I really hated the romance and the writing style, and overall just found this so boring. I really don’t get how people loved it so much and rated it five stars.

I loved this tag so much, and I love this album so much. Thank you to Ilsa for putting it together. If you’ve listened to this album, then I’m tagging you! I would love to see what everyone else comes up with for these prompts.

until next time

END OF YEAR | BOOK TAG

Hi all !  We are just days away from entering November and I cannot believe it! The year has gone by so fast. Because we’re getting near the end of the year, I’ve seen a lot of people start doing end of year book tags. So I decided I was going to do one too! I have a lot of bookish things to wrap up and I think this will be a great way to collect my thoughts as we enter the final few months of 2019. I’m hoping November and December will be big reading months for me, so it’ll be good to have perspective on what I’m planning on reading in those two months.

Are there any books you started this year that you need to finish?

I do have a few for this. Obviously my current reads, especially The Life and Times which is a fanfiction I’ve been ‘currently reading’ for a few months now.

Besides those books that are on my current reads – I do have some books I’ve started and put down and would like to finish. The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyon’s is one I’ve started twice and would like to either finish or officially DNF. I also started The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen a while back and need to finish that. I think those two are the only major ones.

 

Do you have an autumnal book to transition into the end of the year?

Not at all. First off, it’s spring in Australia, not autumn. But that aside, I don’t really do seasonal reads. I’ve never been someone who’s into that. I just read whatever whenever.

 

Is there a new release you’re still waiting for?

A few! I’m definitely looking forward to Queen of Nothing by Holly Black which is coming out in November, I believe. Camryn Garrett’s debut Full Disclosure is also coming out really soon. The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern is also a highly anticipated release coming soon. There are probably a lot more than this but these three come to mind.

 

What are three books you want to read before the end of the year?

SO MANY picking just three is hard. Tash Hearts Tolstoy is high on the list because I own the audiobook and just haven’t got to it yet. Kings Rising by C.S Pacat because it’s the last book in the series and I’d like to finish the series this year. Also, if I finish that my owned TBR will be down to 15. And maybe How Long ‘Til Black Future Month? by N.K Jemisin because I’ve been really wanting to read that but hadn’t had the time, so it’d be nice to find time for it.

 

Is there a book you think could still shock you and become your favourite book of the year?

Honestly, I don’t think so because I have loved a few books pretty solidly. That said, Tash Hearts Tolstoy is right up my alley and is on my five-star predictions list so maybe I could REALLY REALLY love it. Queen of Nothing might also end up being more of a winner than I think (I enjoy but don’t love that series like some people do). If something did crop up though and take the top spot, that would obviously be great.

 

Have you already started making reading plans for 2020?

OF COURSE! I do this all year round. I love planning and brainstorming and thinking about the future. How this blog will look in 2020 is currently a bit all up in the year because my life is a little bit topsy-turvy and I’m not sure what I’ll be up to exactly. But I’m excited to blog and write and review as always, so we will see what happens!

In terms of reading though, I definitely have more plans to investigate genres and authors further. I really want to start exploring the genres I am starting to get interested in, like non-fiction, classics, literary fiction and historical fantasy with more depth in 2020.

I won’t be tagging anyone specific in this just because I feel a lot of people have already done this or have plans to do this regardless of the tag. But if you read this and want to consider yourself tagged from me, go ahead! Let me know what answers you would have given for these questions.

until next time!

 

Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag

Hi all !  I can’t believe the time to do the Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag has already rolled around again. I love this tag because it’s such a good, but easy, way to reflect on the year so far. I was tagged by Ash to do this tag, so thankyou Ash!

The best book of the year so far:

I read a few books I could have used for this but I think Red, White & Royal Blue just beat them out by a shade. I LOVED this book so much and it just made me feel really happy while reading it. I also think it was literally perfectly written with amazing characters which is what seals the deal for me in terms of loving books. I have a full review up here.

Honourable mentions: The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell, The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi, If We Were Villains by M.L Rio

 

 

 

The best sequel of the year so far:

The Vanishing Stair definitely has to take this out for me. I gave it a 4.5 star and really, really enjoyed it. This is the sequel to Truly Devious which is a book I liked a lot, but this solidified my LOVE for the series.  This had everything I was expecting and so much more. It really developed the mystery and the characters and left us with a huge, and exciting, set up for the final book.

I have a full review of this book up here

 

 

 

A new release you haven’t read yet but want to:

TOO MANY IT IS UNREAL. But I chose Her Royal Highness for this one though because I’ve been anticipating it for so long and I finally got it in my hands and I’m going to READ IT SOON. This is a boarding school f/f romance that sounds so cute.

Honourable mentions: Brave Face by Shaun David Hutchinson, Jack of Hearts (And Other Parts) by L.C Rosen, King of Fools by Amanda Foody, Ruse by Cindy Pon.

 

 

 

 

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year:

This is definitely Ninth House for me. I love Leigh Bardugo and this really sounds right up my alley with the setting being Yale and it following secret societies. I also just feel like we’ve been waiting so long for this and it’s time to FINALLY READ IT. Also, interested to see some non-ya, non-Grisha writing from Leigh.

Honourable mentions: Girls of Storm and Shadow by Natasha Ngan, The Black Veins by Ashia Monet, The Dragon Republic by R.F Kuang, Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett

 

 

Your biggest disappointment of the year so far:

This is The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein for me. This is a retelling of Frankenstein I had an arc for and I honestly was so close to dnf’ing it and kinda wish I had to save time. For me, this didn’t really add anything interesting to the story and I felt White did the most predictable adaptation/retelling of this. It was also super boring for me. I loved Kiersten White’s And I Darken series so to dislike this so strongly was really disappointing for me, especially since I had the ARC.

 

 

 

Your biggest surprise of the year so far:

I picked up this book on a whim because I needed a book for a prompt and I heard it is similar to The Diviners and I LOVED IT SO MUCH. It’s got so many things I loved in it – like secret societies, magic, and a 1920s setting. I loved the characters and the romance and sped through the entire thing, it was so much fun. I didn’t know anything about this book really and had no expectations so I was stoked it became a favourite.

Read my full review here

 

 

Your new favourite author:

Definitely Casey McQuinston. They wrote Red, White and Royal Blue and thus ensured I would read anything else they ever wrote ever. But also, I follow their twitter and Casey honestly posts the most hilarious stuff. I also think they post nice writing snippets and advice, and all in all I just find them to be a great person and someone who’s writing I would love to emulate myself!

 

 

 

 

Your newest favourite character:

Okay, I could have gone with Alex Claremont-Diaz my ultimate son but since I’ve mentioned RW&RB a lot lets go with SEVERIN FROM THE GILDED WOLVES. Who, is the first son I adopted this year. I loved all the characters in The Gilded Wolves but maybe Severin just a touch more? I thought his character was really compelling and I liked that he felt realistic in that he was pretty flawed and had his issues. But thats my boy and I’m rooting for him in the sequel.

 

 

 

 

Your newest fictional crush:

I don’t exactly do “book crushes” in the way some people do but okay, Leigh Bardugo writes hot characters. I know their not new but Listen .. Zoya? Nina? Nikolai? ALL HOT. Zoya especially is That Bitch and like .. while I don’t necessarily have the ~fictional crushes~ thing about characters really, like, they’re all my loves and their collective hot bi energy is off the charts.

 

 

 

 

A book that has made you cry:

Yes, this made me cry last year. And when I read it again, I cried again. AND WHAT ABOUT IT? Evelyn Hugo is a classic and I can’t help but sob when I hit several key points most notably *that* Harry Cameron scene which literally hurt me so deeply I can’t even talk about it.

Anyway, books usually can’t make me cry even once but Evelyn is powerful and that is why she made me do it twice.

 

 

 

A book that has made you happy:

I could definitely have put RW&RB for this one too but to mix it up, another book that made me really happy this year was Nice Try, Jane Sinner. It was just such a cute read with such a unique concept and gave me that same feeling of being invested in drama but living for it that a good reality TV show gives.

Read my full review

 

 

 

The most beautiful book of the year so far

I MEAN I WILL LET THESE COVERS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. They’re all fantasy which I’m loving, I feel 2018 was a rough patch for fantasy but she came back stronger then ever in 2019.

 

Some books you need to read before the end of the year

 

Her Royal Highness: This is one of my most anticipated releases of the year and I cannot wait to start it. An f/f romance about college roommates. It just sounds like it’s gonna be fluffy and pure and I’m so ready for it.

Station Eleven: This has been on my TBR for a ridiculously long time and it’s time I got to it. I really like the concept of this book (Shakespeare troupe in the apocalypse) and I feel bad it has sat on my TBR. It is the third oldest book on there.

Maurice: I wanted to read 12 classics this year (that I chose myself) and this was one of them. I actually am getting pretty excited to read this and might start it soon. It’s about a man in college who has feelings for another man, and it based on E.M Forsters own life.

Brave Face: This is Shaun David Hutchinson’s memoir and I really want to read it. I love Shaun David Hutchinson and have been interested in learning more about his personal story. I’ve heard really amazing things about this already.

Good Omens: I want to read this with all the recent hype so I can watch the show! This is Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s iconic team up about an angel and a demon trying to stop the apocalypse because the realised they like Earth after all and the show looks so good, but I want to read the book first.

Thanks again to Ash for tagging me. I’ll be tagging Destiny, Joshua, Elise and Melanie. Let me know what books you would have answered these questions with.

until next time!

A to Z of Queer Lit!

Hi all !  Today I’ve decided to finally do the A to Z of Queer Lit challenge. This is a tag I’ve seen everywhere lately with it being Pride Month, and I’ve always wanted to do it, so it’s finally time. that I really have wanted to do ever since I saw it.

This is basically a list of A to Z queer lit, where from A-Z each letter corresponds with the title of the book or the author of the book. This was created by George Lester on Youtube.

A-E

A: Peter Darling by Austin Chant ➤
Peter Darling is an ownvoices retelling of Peter Pan. In this, Peter is a trans boy who returns to Neverland as an adult to find everything has changed. It follows Peter as he tries to finish the Pirate/Lost Boy war that has erupted in his absence. It is also about Peter being trans, and how Neverland offers a place for people to be themselves. There is also an m/m relationship between Peter and Captain Hook which I didn’t know how much I needed until it happened. 

B: Cloaked in Shadow by Ben Alderson ➤
Another ownvoices fantasy story featuring elves and a warring kingdom. This follows Zacriah, who gets taken to the Capital of the city to join the Kings personal army of magical elves. There is an m/m romance and lots of political intrigue. 

C: Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuinston ➤
I just finished this and I loved it so much! This book is super hyped, so most people probably know about it. It follows the First Son of the United States who has to pretend to be best friends with the Prince of Wales for a publicity stunt but ends up falling for him and the two start a secret romance. This was SO funny and I loved the romance. 

D: Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody ➤
This is a YA fantasy with some parallels to The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. It follows a bisexual main character with the ability to make illusions that look and act like people. When someone starts murdering them – which Sorina didn’t even think was possible, she needs to find the killer. There is also a demiromantic asexual side character who I LOVE. 

E: The Abyss Surrounds Us by Emily Skrutskie ➤
One of my all time favourite queer series. This is set in a futiristic sci-fi world where scientists train giant sea monsters called Reckoners to protect ships from Pirates when crossing the ocean. When Cass, Reckoner trainer, is kidnapped by pirates in order to train a stolen Reckoner, she becomes embroiled in a government conspiracy. This has true enemies to lovers romance I LOVE

 

F-J

F: Far From You by Tess Sharpe ➤
This is such an underrated sapphic read! It’s a YA mystery/thriller which I don’t see heaps of queer characters in. It follows a girl who wants to prove her girlfriend didn’t die in a drug deal gone wrong but was actually murdered. This isn’t exactly a happy f/f romance since one of the girls is dead, but it is still a really good book with a bi main character!

G: Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan ➤
This is one I read when it came out and I still LOVE IT. The sequel is coming out soon I can’t wait. This is a Malaysian inspired fantasy following a girl called Lei who is chosen to be one of the Kings concubines – a Paper Girl. She falls in love with Wren, another concubine, and the two have to navigate a dangerous court and situation if they want any hope of freedom. This book has a lot of dark content but it’s really good and explores its themes so well. 

H: History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera ➤
I could have included all of Adam Silvera’s books since I like them all but History is my favourite. This is about grief, specifically, a boy mourning the death of his ex-boyfriend who he thought he would eventually get back together with. I love this books exploration of messy relationships and the unreliable narrator. This is another sad book but I love it and it’s obviously #OwnVoices. 

I: If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo ➤
This is a pretty well-known book but I think it’s gone off the radar lately and I’m bringing it back. This is a contemporary following a trans girl called Amanda who falls for the popular boy at her new school but is unsure how to navigate being trans and having feelings for him. I loved this book because it explored tran issues in such an authentic way but also kept so many YA contemporary romance tropes. 

J: Running With Lions by Julian Winters ➤
A TRUE ROMCOM! This book is so adorable. It follows a soccer team on school camp. The captain, Sebastian, is confronted with his old best friend turned enemy who’s joined the team and he has to coach him before the season starts. This is such a joyous and fun book that explores being a young bi teen and body positivity in men and I thought it was so cute!

K-O

K: The Gallery of Unfinished Girls by Lauren Karcz ➤
This is a pretty quiet sapphic read both in terms of content and popularity. It is about a girl who has lost her artistic motivation and sense of self. Through fabulism, it explores the power of art and identity, and how people can come to find themselves. The main character is bisexual. 

L: Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert ➤
This is a book I have seen criticised for the bi rep, but I really liked it. It follows the relationship between two half-siblings, Little & Lion, after Little comes back from college. It also is about exploring your sexuality and trying to figure things out. I thought this was a really honest book with a great flawed main character and some messy dynamics that worked out well in the end. 

M: Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant ➤
This is a recent read for me but I LOVED IT. This is genuinely one of the scariest books I’ve ever read – it follows a crew of scientists and film experts trying to capture of rumoured killer mermaids in the Marianna Trench. There is a lot of queer characters and an f/f relationship and its SO scary, but so good!

N: We Are Okay by Nina LaCour ➤
Another recent fave, that I have been talking about a lot! This is about a bisexual main character called Marin who leaves her hometown to move to uni with nothing but her phone, wallet, and a picture of her mother. It is about what made Marin’s life, and her relationship with her ex-girlfriend Mabel, fall apart and I LOVE IT. 

O: Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst ➤
Back to YA fantasies – this got a little bit of hype for a while but with queer royalty stories back on the radar, it’s time to bring it back. This is about a princess betrothed to a prince, who falls for the prince’s sister instead. It has magic, and political intrigue, and girlfriends, and it’s so pure. 

P-T

P: The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon ➤
This was a fairly hyped fantasy release this year but did you know it has an f/f main couple? Because I didn’t until I read it and I was SO PLEASANTLY SURPRISED. This is a high fantasy featuring dragons and a lot of religious/mythology and hidden histories. I enjoyed this so much and the main f/f couple was so cute. 

Q: Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde ➤
Queens of Geek is a much older for me but an all-time favourite. This is about three Australian teens who go to comic-con and what happens. One of the girls, a popular vlogger called Charlie, a Chinese-Australian bisexual girl. She has a romance in this that is SO ADORABLE.  

R: Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh ➤
One of my all-time favourite queer fantasies that I talk about so freakin much. Basically, bisexual necromancers, who have to constantly raise the king from the dead so the monarchy never changes. It has an f/f romance and is ownvoices for the bi rep, and I love it so much!

S: We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson ➤
Sort of like Silvera, Hutchinson is one of my favourite authors and I could have included any of his books but chose this because it’s my favourite. This is about a boy who gets abducted by aliens who give him the choice to press a red button to stop the world ending, but Henry isn’t sure if the world ending would be so bad. This is ownvoices gay rep and has a pan love interest and it’s one of my favourite books of all time. 

T: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid ➤
EVERYONE knows about this book by this point but I couldn’t not include it, because I love it. If you don’t know about this book somehow, it follows a retired movie star called Evelyn Hugo recounting the details of her life including the truth behind her seven marriages. It is AMAZING and I love it so much. 

U-Z

U: Under the Lights by Dahlia Adler ➤
I don’t talk about this book as much as I should! It has two stories both about movie stars – the more relevant one follows a Korean-American actress who falls for another girl and has to work through her sexuality to realise she is a lesbian. It is written so well and is criminally underrated. 

V: Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli ➤
I didn’t exactly what to include this because Everyone knows it at this point but it’s all I had for V. This is a well known high school romance that was adapted in Love, Simon, a movie I also adore. 

W: I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver ➤
This is my current read – it is sadder than I expected but great. It follows Ben after they come out to their parents as non-binary and get kicked out of home, leading them to move in with their estranged sister. Ben also falls into a romance with a boy at school called Nathan. It is ownvoices for the non-binary and gay rep. 

X: A Lake of Feathers and Moonbeams by Dax Murray ➤
Maybe a stretch but Dax has an X in it so we’re going with it. This is an extremely queer retelling of Swan Lake featuring an f/f/nb polyam romance. Katya is an enchantress living in the middle of a forest – when she helps her partner Ivan trap a princess as a swan, she gets thrown in the middle of a historic war between two kingdoms. 

Y: You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour and David Levithan ➤
This isn’t a book I hear a heap about even though it is by two well loved queer YA authors. This is about two characters, a boy and a girl, who sit near eachother and class but don’t know eachother are gay and lesbian. It is set over Pride Month and has both an f/f and m/m romance and I love it so much. 

Z: Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova ➤
Last but not least! I need to mention Labyrinth Lost, which is a brilliant YA urban fantasy featuring Brujas. This reminds me of City of Bones but like, as in the good stuff of it? This follows Alex, who accidentally uses a spell to make her entire family disappear on her death day. Now, she needs to find them in the underworld. 

until next time!

 

30 Interesting Questions Tag

I was tagged to do this by Laura to do this tag so thankyou so much!! This is such a fun tag I’m so happy to be doing it today. Lets get into it!

1. What are your nicknames? What do you prefer to be called?

Most people call me Jami, which is why this blog is named after my nickname and not my whole name (Jamieson). I also get called Jamie a little bit now, mostly by uni friends and teachers, which is kind of weird for me but I don’t hate it. I also get Jam from my closest friends and my sisters but I don’t tell people to call me that.

2. How often do you doodle? What do your doodles look like?

I am not really a big doodler but I kinda wish I was because I would like to have more artistic talent. In highschool if I was bored I would doodle plants usually, like trees and flowers, and sometimes would do mandala type things in the corners.

3. What do you do if you can’t sleep at night? Do you count sheep? Toss and turn? Try to get up and do something productive?

Oh for this one I have a REALLY weird one. I can’t exactly remember when or why I started, but at some point when I was quite young and wasn’t sleeping much I used to sing songs in my head to myself. For some reason, I would always sing the alphabet song, and now if I can’t sleep I just sing it in my head and will probably be asleep before I finish it. I always associate it with being tired and sleeping now, I think I literally Pavlov’s dog trained myself to sleep when I hear the alphabet song.

4. Do people consider you to be talkative or quiet?

Definitely talkative. People always tell me I talk so much, and loudly, in like every social circle I’m in.

5. What makes you cry?

I do cry in books and movies sometimes but I’m more likely to cry just when I’m feeling emotional. I cry when I’m stressed or frustrated, just because I feel it gets the feelings out and then I can refocus.

6. What is your biggest pet peeve?

People who aren’t considerate. This sounds weird, but people who only care about themselves piss me the fuck off. This is people who don’t put their indicator on when they’re merging lanes in the car, or four people who walk in a line really slowly in front of you. Things like that really annoy me. Also the other day a coworker was eating her dinner and made all these gross chewing noises that made me sick — I even had my headphones in and was listening to an audiobook and I could still hear her! Anyway, all of my pet peeves involve other people. Clearly, I’m an introvert.

7. How many times a day do you look at yourself in the mirror?

I honestly have no idea, probably depends on the day and what I’m doing.

8. What is the strangest thing you believed as a child?

That there were gorillas who could swim in the sea. I think it’s because I once heard someone talking about sea-monkeys and I thought like, there was a species of gorilla that lived underwater.

9. What is the guilty pleasure you enjoy too much to give up?

Eating raw milo straight out the tin OOP. (If you don’t know what Milo is, it’s basically like a chocolate drink powder we drink in Australia)

10. Who performs the most random acts of kindness out of everyone you know?

I think one of my friends definitely does. She always is getting people surprise gifts or shouting coffees and things like that.

11. How often do you read the newspaper? Which sections?

I read the paper quite a lot, probably a few times a week. Partly because it’s something to do at work, partly because I like to see how the paper is framing current events. I usually read the current events sections and the sports section if it’s about Australian Rules Football since I follow that.

12. Which animal scares you the most?

I HATE, HATE, HATE SPIDERS. I haven’t even had a particularly bad experience with them, they just really freak and gross me out.

13. Are you more likely to avoid conflict or engage with it?

Definitely avoid. I don’t really like conflict and because I don’t get into many fights with friends anyway I haven’t had to engage with conflict much which makes it difficult for me sometimes.

14. What is the most recent compliment you’ve received?

My uni friend Jemma said she thought my outfit was really cute today.

15. What question are you tired of hearing?

“what are you going to do with your degree” FOR SURE. and “when are you getting a real job”.

16. What is the strangest thing you have eaten?

Hmm I don’t know. I guess Kangaroo since most people outside Australia wouldn’t have eaten that, but eating Kangaroo isn’t uncommon in Australia. Maybe Raven? I ate that in Japan but I think it’s common to eat raven in Asia.

17. Do you have a whole lot of acquaintances or just a few very close friends?

I feel like both? I have a few very close friends who have been my friends for many many years, but I also enjoy having a lot of acquaintances and I have friends from so many different areas of my life.

18. Do you have a catchphrase?

I don’t think so? There are definitely phrases I say a lot but I wouldn’t say they’re my catchphrase.

19. What’s your all-time favourite town or city? Why?

I haven’t been a whole tonne of places so I don’t know really! Though I have just been to Melbourne like 3 times in a year and I do love Melbourne a lot. It’s got such a fun city with so much going on and a really cool vibe. It also has so much stuff Perth doesn’t (LIKE SNOW!!), which I love. So maybe that’s my favourite at the moment.

20. If you had to change your first name, what would you change it to?

Oh I would 100% go for something classical and pretentious like Cordelia or Orphelia because I think that would be funny.

21. When was the last time you lied?

Today when I told the guy who jumpstarted my car I was getting my car serviced soon so I didn’t need a new battery so he wouldn’t pressure me into buying one of the expensive RAC batteries.

22. What’s something that amazes you?

I know this one is typical but space! The universe is so vast and fascinating. It’s wild to think of all the stuff out there we just don’t know about.

23. Would you rather be the first person to explore a planet or be the inventor of a drug that cures a deadly disease?

I guess I should say inventor of a cure because it benefits more people, but I would really love to go to space, so I honestly don’t know.

24. What is your favourite amateur activity?

I LOVE snowboarding but I can’t do it much because there’s no uh, snow in Perth. That is why I’ve been to Melbourne so much recently. I also obviously am an amateur blogger, and I play social netball which is I love!

25. What was your first thought when you got up this morning?

I have no clue probably something about how it’s too cold to get out of bed.

26. What is your favourite song (at least at the moment)?

I’ve been getting back into some songs from the last few years I loved but didn’t listen to for a while. I’m listening to Starlight by SAFIA a lot, Further Than the Planes Fly by Eves Karydas, and a few Taylor Swift songs like I Know Places, Love Story and You Belong With Me.

27. List someone you know and describe them in five words.

My sister:

• Funny
• Talented
• Confident
• Knowledgable
• Creative

28. You can select one person from history and have them truthfully answer one question. Who would you select and what would the question be?

Shakespeare, because I feel there are so many unanswered questions about his life. I would definitely ask about his intentions behind some of his plays and what we were supposed to think about some of the “friendships”/romances and characters.

29. Which celebrity or artist do you resemble the most?

I’ve been told I resemble Lily Collins which I don’t’ see but she’s gorgeous so I’ll take it.

 

30. What do you want me to know?

You know what, I have been tweeting about the AFL (Australian Rules Football) all night and no one understands because no one is Australian so I want you know it’s the best sport ever! And also what the rules are so here you go watch this video called What is the AFL? (I feel like me forcing AFL things on my book mutuals is my brand this year but I don’t care I love it)

 

That is the entire tag! Thankyou again to Laura for tagging me and thanks for reading everyone. Let me know whar your answers to these questions would be

I always tag the first people to appear in my reader on these, to share it around – so today I’m tagging: Holly,  Sakhile, Sarah, Stephanie and Sahi !

until next time!

Burn, Reread, Rewrite Tag

Hi all !   I decided to do something a bit fun today and do the Burn, Reread and Rewrite tag/challenge. I have seen a lot of people do this, mostly on YouTube but in blogs too and I’ve decided to finally do it myself.

I got people on twitter to give me some random numbers, then found those numbers on my Goodreads read shelf. That is where all the books I’m talking about came from today.

Round 1:
The Bane Chronicles VS Sapiens VS Life of Pi

Reread: I would reread Life of Pi for this one. I’ve seen this movie a few times and really love the story, and it’s one where I pull new things out of it every time I read it.

Rewrite: I would rewrite The Bane Chronicles. I actually dislike this book a lot but I feel I could rewrite it and really like it a lot more.

Burn: That means I’m burning Sapiens. I lovee Sapiens so much, but I wouldn’t reread it because it’s so long and I wouldn’t know what to rewrite about it, so it must be burnt.

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Round 2:
The Kiss of Deception VS Will Grayson, Will Grayson VS Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?

This one is SO hard. I feel like all these books are kinda eh forgettable books for me.

Reread: I would reread Will Grayson, Will Grayson. This was hard but I feel it’s the one I remember least so it might be cool to reread it and remember what it’s actually about.

Rewrite: I would rewrite Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals are and make it longer, to be honest. I’d also include more examples and go more into the science of animal cognition.

Burn: That means I’m burning The Kiss of Deception. This isn’t a bad book but I didn’t love it either. I feel like I wouldn’t miss it at all if it were gone.

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Round 3:
The Gallery of Unfinished Girls VS Red Queen VS The Well of Ascension

Reread: I would easily reread The Well of Ascension. I love this book so much, it’s such an epic fantasy series and I think I could pull even more out of it on a second read.

Rewrite: I would rewrite The Gallery of Unfinished Girls. This is a cute book but I would rewrite it as a straight contemporary with fewer fabulism elements.

Burn: RED QUEEN. EASILY. One of my most hated books I would not miss her at all.

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Round 4:
Passing VS Turtles All the Way Down VS The Invention of Hugo Cabret 

Reread: HUGO CABRET. This is one of my favourite stories ever I love it so much. It’s such a beautiful book as well with all the moving images and illustrations. Also, the movie makes me cry.

Rewrite: I would rewrite Passing! This is a Harlem Renaissance queer classic, but I would rewrite it to have less subtext because while classics authors nail subtext, sometimes you want Want the Content.

Burn: Turtles All the Way Down. Which I actually feel bad about, because I enjoyed the book. But not as much as the others.

 

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Round 5:
Shatter Me VS The Chamber of Secrets VS The Rose Society

Reread: The Rose Society! One of my all time favourite books and the best in the entire Young Elites trilogy, in my opinion. Dark!Adelina in this book is iconic and we stan her.

Rewrite: I thought this should be reread since I do reread Harry Potter a lot BUT, I do think I would rewrite this and make the beginning shorter. I hate the whole build-up to being at Hogwarts in this book it takes forever.

Burn: Shatter Me has to go. I thought the book was okay but it doesn’t stack up against these two which are both ultimate faves.

That is all for today! I thought this was fun and might do a part two with different sets of books for the rounds another time. Would you have made the same choices as me?

until next time!

I AM DROWNING IN MY TBR PILE – Book Tag

I was tagged to do this tag by Becca  MANY MANY MOONS AGO. I just found it in my drafts (surely I’m not the only one with like 50 unposted wordpress drafts and its a mess) and I thought heck! This is a cool fun tag and I SHOULD DO IT. So here we are.

I’ve been slowly slowly working through my TBR, and actually in 2018 I did shrink by the tiniest bit. But of course it always seems to be getting bigger not smaller, so this tag is literally perfect for me. Lets get into it.

How do you keep track of you TBR pile?

Most of my tbr is on my goodreads because it’s the place I’m always at and the easiest site to record my whoe tbr. Plus everything is there and I don’t want to move it all now. But I also have an app called Library Thing where I record the books I own that I still need to read, just so I can keep track of the books I still need to get to on my physical shelves.

Is your TBR mostly print or eBook?

Most of my tbr is physical, I rarely read ebooks I don’t like them much. I’m more likely to finish audiobooks then ebooks. But pretty much every book on my tbr I plan on reading in physical form with some set aside for audiobook listening.

How do you determine which book from your TBR to read next?

Honestly it pretty much entirely depends on mood. If I feel like fantasy, I’ll read a fantasy and thats that. But I also try to follow my monthly TBR and I have a Goodreads Shelf called “Top 2019 TBR’s” that I try and read from. Usually though, I just get into the mood to read something – maybe because of a review or because of feeling that genre – and just go read it. But honestly I don’t even know how it happens my brain just does whatever and I’m only along for the ride.

A book that’s been on your TBR longest?

 

 

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle   ➵   This has been on my TBR since TWENTY FOURTEEN. I actually have read some of the stories from this but not all of them so it’s still marked as TBR. I do want to finish these, I think I might try them on audiobook because I love Stephen Fry as a narrator and he did these.

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel  ➵  I have had this on my TBR since 2016 and always intended to read it but it kept going in and out of my priority list. But this year I REALLY want to read it and it’s happening.

The Martian by Andy Weir  ➵  I have had this on my TBR since 2016 as well. I saw the movie and liked it so I thought I should read the book but it keeps getting pushed to the backburner. But maybe one of these days I will get to it.

 

A book that you recently added to your TBR?

 

I most recently added The Birdmans Wife to my TBR. This is a historical fiction about Elizabeth Gourd, who used to draw the images of species her husband discovered on his travels. I don’t know why I added this exactly but I saw it in the shops and the cover and synopsis just kind of stuck with me. It also has really beautiful illustrations throughout it.

 

 

 

 

 

A book on your TBR strictly because of its beautiful cover?

 

I don’t think there is any books on my TBR just because of their cover but I did add Wide Sargasso Sea after seeing the cover. Basically I saw an image of the cover, read the synopsis and realised I wanted to read the book but I only noticed it because of the cover WHICH IS MY FAVOURITE COVER EVER.

 

 

 

 

A book on your TBR that you never plan on actually reading?

I don’t really have … any of these? If it is on my TBR I intend to read it at some point for real. But maybe one that is on my TBR I don’t intend on reading *yet* is Dracul by Dacre Stoker. This is a prequel to Dracula and it’s on my TBR even though I cannot read it because I need to read Dracula first (also on my TBR)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An unpublished book on your TBR that you’re excited for

 

 

 

King of Fools by Amanda Foody   ➵   I loved book one, Ace of Shades, and I just have this feeling book two is going to be even better. Foody has promised to introduce us to new characters, which is so exciting, but also I cannot wait to see the old characters again.

I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver  ➵  I am DYING to read this. It has literally been on my TBR since Mason was just writing it, and to see this book get agented and published and everything has been so exciting. I just know this is going to be adorable and I’m so excited to finally read #EnbyLoveStory.

The Dragon Republic by R.F Kuang  ➵  The Poppy War was one of my favourite books of 2018 and a favourite fantasy ever. I am DYING to have the sequel in my hands! I literally have no clue what could happen next but I’m so excited to find out.

 

 

 

A book on your TBR that basically everyone has read except you?

 

I’m pretty sure every single person in the world has read this book except me. It’s so popular and I’ve seen read bits of it online already via instagram pics/captions and Facebook posts but I feel like I should read it myself too! It’s so short and my sister owns it so I could borrow it whenever but I just haven’t read it yet.

 

 

 

 

 

A book on your TBR that everyone recommends to you

 

EVERYONE loves If We Were Villains by M.L Rio. And everytime I mention I haven’t read it everyone tells me I need to do that ASAP. I already KNOW I’m going to love this book and I think this has surely got to be the year I finally finally read it.

 

 

 

 

 

A book on your TBR that you’re just dying to read

 

A CROWN OF WISHES. I read and loved The Star Touched Queen a few years ago and meant to read this since, but didn’t get to it. But since reading The Gilded Wolves, my interest in reading this has been renewed by like a million times and I am SO EXCITED to finally get to it.

 

 

 

 

 

The number of books on your Goodreads TBR shelf

I currently have 387 books on my TBR all up. That is including EVERYTHING on my TBR. That is obviously still a lot but it’s also not too bad – I mean in theory it’s only four years worth of reading?? Haha yeah right, I’ll never finish it but I do like this number, it’s not too overwhelming.

That is all for this tag. I’m tagging whoever would like to do this, as it’s such an old tag so I’m not sure who has or hasn’t done it yet.

until next time!

BOOK TAG (ORIGINAL): Books I WANT to read, but don’t want to READ

Hi all! I’m here today to do an ORIGINAL book tag! I mentioned this idea on twitter and people seemed really keen, which made me so excited. If you’ve been around here for a while you may remember I did a post called Books I WANT to read, but don’t want to READ. Basically, the idea is, all those books where you really like the idea of reading the book / you do WANT to read the book, but the actual process of reading it seems daunting or unappealing!

I thought this tag could be in a similar vein to that – essentially, we’re talking books where you want to have finished reading them, but you kind of don’t want to go through the process of actually reading them. So for all the questions, you need to answer with a book you DO want to read, but you’re NOT SURE ABOUT GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF READING IT. (Hope that makes sense!)

Rules;

• Link back to the original tag (this post, and me!)
• Complete the questions with books you want to have read but don’t want to read
• Tag some people at the end to do the tag next

 

1: A book that you feel you need to read because everyone talks about it
↳ A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

 

I have literally NO DESIRE to really ever read this series, but I kinda wish I had read it already because I would love to participate in the discourse. People talk (and argue) about this series a lot and there is a lot of passion on both sides of the argument so I feel like I am missing out even though I don’t want to actually sit down and read this series like … ever

 

 

 

2: A book thats really long

↳ The Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch

 

I really love this series and have read books one and two already. This is the longest books of the ones out, at 722 pages. That is not SUPER SUPER long but still long enough to put me off reading it a bit! I cannot stop thinking about how long this book is going to take me to read, especially because this series is kinda hefty. But that said, I do love the series and want to know what happens next!! So I want to read this book, quite a lot !!

 

 

 

 

3: A book you’ve owned / had on your TBR for too long

↳ The Lake House by Kate Morton

 

I think this is the book I have owned the longest and still haven’t read yet. It is a mystery I believe, which is one of the genres I rarely reach for. But the premise sounds genuinely interesting which makes me still want to read it. It is quite long though, at 592 pages, and because of that and that I don’t read mystery much it keeps getting put on the back burner. BUT I DO WANT TO READ IT REALLY BAD. It just keeps ….. not happening.

 

 

 

 

 

4: A book that is ‘required’ reading
(eg, school text, really popular classic – something you feel obligated to read!)

↳ Hard Times by Charles Dickens

 

Some of my actual required reading for this semester. I need to read this for class but it was on my TBR anyway because I wanted to read some more of Dickens works. But this book is SO unappealing in terms of actually … reading it. It’s long, its Victorian, which I love, but can be hard to read, and also I have literally no idea what is it about so I don’t have an idea of the plot to guide me when reading it. But, I AM actually excited to have read it.

 

 

 

 

5: A book that intimidates you

↳ 2666 by Roberto Bolaño

 

Amulet by Roberto Bolaño is one of my favourite literary novels and I’ve read it .. three times. So I really want to read 2666 which is his most praised work, but listen .. it’s over 1000 pages long. Do I want to read this book? Yes. Do I want to read this book over a possible whole month?? NOT AS MUCH. Like I do .. but .. my attention span is so short. BUT I STILL WANT TO READ IT ?? Help.

 

 

 

 

6: A book that you think might be slow

↳ 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

Urgh, 1Q84. I want to read this for so many reasons – first of all because its one of “those” super popular/praised literary books and I like to read those to feel accomplished. Second, because I have enjoyed this authors work before. Third, it sounds actually interesting. BUT, I am so unsure about actually … going through the process of reading it. It is so long, I worry I’ll be confused or bored the whole time, because I have heard so many people say they were.  It also is supposed to be quite slow/meandering.

 

 

 

 

7: A book you need to be in the right mood for

↳ Leonardo Da Vinci by Walter Isaacson

This is a 600 page non-fiction book about Leonardo Da Vinci which is on my TBR and … yeah I want to read it but I don’t want to read it until I’m really ready to sit down and read a 600 page non fiction book. I am starting to read more non-fic and find it easier to do so which means I can see me reading this getting closer but still … I need to wait for the right time. But I do really want to read this because everyone loves it and assures me it’s worth reading even if you don’t know much about Da Vinci.

 

 

 

 

8: A book you’re unsure if you will like

↳ A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

 

I own this book so I want to read it, but I have heard A LOT of mixed things. I know gay people who love it and some who hate it, and most of the reviewers I trust are split right down the middle on it. I feel it is something I need to read for myself to decide, which I do want to do. But it is SO LONG so I not so keen to actually sit down and read it, especially since it’s supposed to be so freaking sad. But I still want to read it for some reason ???

 

 

That is my tag for today! Thanks for reading all ❤

If you would like to participate PLEASE DO BECAUSE I DON’T WANT TO BE A FLOP. And link back to me so I can see your answers!

I am tagging: Natasha, Destiny, Lacy, Laura, Elise, Melanie, Chaima and Hollie

until next time!

 

 

 

Bookish Naughty or Nice Tag!

I was tagged by Melanie from meltotheany to do this tag! Thankyou so much angel! This tag was created by Jenniely’s blog, and I thought since it’s CHRISTMAS EVE (what the fuck!) this is the perfect time to do this little tag. Lets get into it!

➽ 1. Received an ARC and not reviewed it
Uhhh …. yes. And I feel VERY guilty about it and I WILL work on it in 2019. Sometimes the date for release just passes and I haven’t read it yet and then I get super overwhelmed and don’t do it … it’s so bad and I’m so ashamed. Luckily, I haven’t done this in a while.

➽ 2. Have less than 60% feedback rating on Netgalley
Nope! Mine is currently at 75%. I don’t use Netgalley much though.

➽ 3. Rated a book on Goodreads and promised a full review was to come on your blog (and never did)
YES SO MANY TIMES IT’S RIDICULOUS. I really don’t like writing reviews unless I’m in the mood for it so sometimes it just doesn’t happen

➽ 4. Folded down the page of a book
Yeah I dog ear my uni books because I need to save the pages to pull quotes and things for the exam.

➽ 5. Accidentally spilled something on a book
I don’t … think so? I feel I would remember. I don’t eat/drink when reading. If I have done this probably only water.

➽ 6. DNF a book this year
YES. I used to not do this but this year I decided to just dnf books I’m not liking and it’s great. The last book I dnf’ed was The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock

➽ 7. Bought a book purely because it was pretty with no intention of reading it
Ahh … no. I don’t really have much money for books so if I’m getting one I’m reading it for sure. And most the time I buy books I’ve already read.

➽ 8. Read whilst you were meant to be doing something else (like homework)
Oh so many times. Especially with audiobooks because I tell myself I can do two things at once.

➽ 9. Skim read a book
Yes! I do this all the time if I get into a characters chapter I don’t like

➽ 10. Completely missed your Goodreads goal
I haven’t ever done this before, but I think I’m going to miss this years which will be the first.

➽ 11. Borrowed a book and not returned it
Yes. Once I borrowed a friends book for ages and only returned it years later …. and I have also lost a library book once (EEK)

➽ 12. Broke a book buying ban
I don’t do these so no

➽ 13. Started a review, left it for ages then forgot what the book was about
SO MANY TIMES. The review of Little & Lion in particular haunts me because of this. I think I need to reread so I can review it.

➽ 14. Wrote in a book you were reading
I’ve written in uni books with pencil and that is my LIMIT. My writing is so messy I’m too scared to annotate my books even though I like the concept of it.

➽ 15. Finished a book and not added it to your Goodreads
Fanfic? yes because it’s never on Goodreads. But actual books? Heck no I need the reading challenge numbers.

➽ 16. Borrowed a book and not returned it to a friend
Yeah, same story as above. It was The Death Cure whoops

➽ 17. Dodged someone asking if they can borrow a book
YES BECAUSE I DON’T TRUST PEOPLE. Last time I lent a book (Leah on the Offbeat) it came back with a creased dust jacket and I’m still mad

➽ 18. Broke the spine of someone else’s book
No way I’m not a monster

➽ 19. Took the jacket off a book to protect it and ended up making it more damaged
Nah I don’t own many hardbacks anyways and if I do have one I protect that jacket with my LIFE.

➽ 20. Sat on a book accidentally
I feel this is definitely a yes. I always have random books lying around so seems likely.

That is the entire tag for today! This was so short and sweet I love it. I feel I may definitely be on the naughty side but I’m trying to be good!

If you’d like to do this tag, feel free to consider yourself tagged. I’d love to see your responses to these questions.

I’m also tagging: Amber, Stephanie, Taryn, Anne, Ellyn, and Louise!

until next time!

THE GREEK GODS BOOK TAG

Hey all!  I was tagged to do this by Melanie and decided I might do this today rather than Top 5 Wednesday. I wasn’t feeling this weeks TFW yesterday but I’m definitely feeling this tag. So we’re going with this instead. It was created by Zuky! I love Greek mythology so this is perfect.

THE RULES:

• Pingback to Zuky here so she can read all your posts!
• You can use her graphics if you like, but you don’t have to if you don’t want to.
• Tag as many people as you want, but please share the love.

 

It’s too hard to choose just one! So I’ll just go with something easy and say Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows since it’s the book I’ve read the most times. But honestly I don’t really know what my FAVOURITE book ever is?

 

Emma from The Dark Artifices. I love her SO MUCH. She’s super powerful as a warrior, but I love that the book takes time to point out her skill comes from years of rigorous training rather than her being just naturally gifted. She’s also just a really great character in terms of personality and her brashness and bluntness is super refreshing.

 

I really loved The Poppy War! It was such a great fantasy and I am so excited for the next book. This felt so polished, and I loved the characters and world so much. It was definitely a really strong debut that already makes me want to read everything Kuang writes.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas is also a really strong debut. This book took the entire world by storm and I loved it so much. Starr is such a badass main character and I loved the focus on friendship and family in this book. This is another book where just reading it has made me want to support Angie Thomas for the rest of her career.

This has got to be the interesting books I’ve ever read. The entire time reading this I was so absorbed by all the facts and I liked the narration style too. There was so much information I just didn’t know about, especially about early human civilisation and I really need to work on Yuval Noah Harari’s other works.

My entire life is literally dedicated to trying to convince people to read this book. All my friends and family are so tired and sick of me.

I LITERALLY LOATHE THIS BOOK. It should not exist it’s a pure MESS. Everything about it from the plot to the characterisation makes me so angry oh my god.

More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera is one of my favourite queer reads and I think it’s both beautiful and groundbreaking. It was one of the first queer books I heard of getting more popular attention and it also has a Puerto-Rican main character which are pretty rare in popular YA. This book has so many beautiful messages even though it’s painful to read at times.

I think this is my favourite cover of all time it is literally SO BEAUTIFUL.

I think I mentioned this not too long ago on my blog but I read this book in one sitting which is super rare for me, because my attention span is literally 5 minutes long. It was such an emotional roller coaster and I love it so much, even though The Kings Men is my favourite in the series this one definitely had the most tension and gave me so much drive to just read read read read read.

IM TAGGING

elise / em / hollie / may / taryn

that is everything for today! If I didn’t tag you but you would like to do the tag then ALSO consider yourself tagged from me

until next time