Happy weekend Bibliofriends!

I found this amazing book tag over at Stephen Writes and as a huge History fan I was immediately tagging myself to have a go! At University I did a Joint Honours degree in English Literature and History so this tag really does combine two of my biggest academic loves!

I think the origins of this tag came from Books Michelle’s channel over on BookTube so big thanks to her for creating it – go check it out!

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The Stone Age: one of the first books you remember reading.

Reading was such a huge part of my childhood. I was so lucky to have parents who read to me every night and a Grandfather who would always buy me books from our weekly car boot sales. It’s so hard to pick just ‘one first book’ but some of my earliest reading memories involve Roald Dahl, Wizziwig by Geraldine McCaughrean and Care of Henry by Anne Fine.

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Ancient Greece: your favourite myth-inspired book (doesn’t have to be Greek mythology), or retelling.

I’ve always been fascinated by myths and legends, they are the most historical stories of all time. As a child I used to think they were about real beings and creatures and I loved trying to find the balance in them between fantasy and reality. For me, Lore by Alexandra Bracken absolutely embodies this – I really liked the contemporary spin and clash between old meeting new.

The Roman Empire: a book featuring an impressive empire or kingdom.  

Lord Of The Rings is my favourite fictional empire in the whole book universe. I live in part of the world Tolkien was living and inspired by so I love seeing elements of the Middle Earth landscape every time I leave my house.

The Middle Ages, (or the Dark Ages): a book that is an absolute bummer.

This maybe a slight #unpopularopinion alert but I never really understood the hype surrounding Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin. I don’t think Lou and Reed’s characters grabbed me enough to get swept away by their story.

The Renaissance: a book that you’ve learned a lot from, or that made you think.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas definitely made a mark on me and made me think. Starr’s narrative and circumstances are so important at raising awareness of racial issues and how important it is that we come together rather than carry on tolerating hurtful segregation.

The Industrial Revolution: a book featuring an invention or concept that you would love to have in your own life.

Ready Player One is one of my all-time favourite novels ever so I have to pick the OASIS for this one. It’s so vast that possibilities are endless. I could definitely imagine spending countless hours inside this virtual world if it were a real concept.

World War I & II: your favourite historical fiction book about the World Wars (or if you don’t have one, your favourite historical fiction book in general).

I don’t tend to read too much World War Fiction as I much prefer Tudor England or Renaissance history. When I was studying War literature for my A-Levels I remember loving Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks. It was such a sentimental and lyrical read.

Present Day: a book everybody should read in present day according to you.

I found this prompt so difficult because I’m well aware that my tastes in fiction are completely different to everyone else’s so I chose a non-fiction book instead. A Life on our Planet by Sir David Attenborough really brought my attention to current environmental issues. Some of the facts and figures were quite shocking and devastating. I think it’s an informative book which seeks to give some different solutions and ways that the whole world can make changes to help each other look after planet earth.

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That’s a wrap! Please feel free to tag yourself if you want to take part. Don’t forget to link it back to the original tag creator Books Michelle.

Do you like History? What are your favourite historical periods? Have you got a favourite historical read? As always, drop me a comment below to chat!

T xx