Category: Discussion Posts

Biblioshelf Musings – The Tortured Poets Department – Part One

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Hola Bibliofriends,

This series of posts if for all of my fellow Swifties out there! You’ve most likely heard of a recent album release called The Tortured Poets Department by Taylor Swift, well there is just so much to unpack from this album that I felt like I needed a place to correlate and collect all of my thoughts together, so here’s my track by track musings and theories.

This will be Part One of several to cover the entire TTPD anthology, (because writing a thought-post about 31 songs is going to make it longer than War and Peace…)… In this block, I’m going to focus on the first eight tracks of the TTPD Anthology album because by the time I got to the end of Florida!!! I realised how long this first bit was! 😂 So many thoughts…!!!!!

I remember setting my alarm for 4.54am the morning TTPD dropped! As I’m not on any streaming services, I initially wasn’t going to purchase the digital album as I knew Taylor normally drops a second version with an added few songs and seeing as I’d already forked out for all 4 vinyl variants and collectors cds, I really didn’t want to screw myself over. However, in all the 4.54am feelings of buzzing excitement and non-awakedness, I ended up downloading it anyway! My first run through was so chaotic and confusing – the thoughts were basically incoherent, I think there was definitely a few tear drops and lots of shocked gasps. Then, the confusion really hit home that the context of the album was way off what I had actually been anticipating!

Fortnight ft. Post Malone – The way this song kicks off the whole album… what a statement! From the final line of the Midnights album, ‘Have they come to take me away?’ to ‘I was supposed to be sent away, but they forgot to come and get me…’ – that is really setting up the state of mind for these next 30 tracks and I am here for it. Not to mention her voice sounds so incredibly smoky and ethereal. It almost has a dirge-like quality which complements the black and white vibes from the music video. There’s some kind of bittersweet paradox about telling someone that you love them, yet they’re ruining your life. I think Post Malone’s voice harmonises really well with Taylor’s and I get totally swept up in the catchiness of it all. I’m not terribly sure what to think of the three Posts theory, whether I quite buy into that analogy but I did love the little features from former Dead Poets Society members Ethan Hawke and Josh Charles, that sneaky black dog, the Story of Us and the Style references.
Favourite Lines:
I love you, it’s ruining my life
Your wife waters flowers, I wanna kill her
I took the miracle move on drug, the effects were temporary

The Tortured Poets Department – I can’t deny that I’m a little in love with the 80s vibe of this intro. Upon first listening I was so prepared for a J track to link to The Tortured Man Club, but then the second verse made me swiftly shift my theories – and it was at this part that my brain began getting totally confused in the odyssey of who’s who during this anthology. Nevertheless, TTPD is another track that I can’t help but sing out loud. I love the Patti Smith and Dylan Thomas references too, as well as branding themselves ‘modern idiots’ – I feel like I can see Taylor actually saying it! The bridge at the end with the ring imagery… – oh my, my heart was also exploding at this part, but definitely not for the same reasons as in the song!
Favourite Lines:
You left your typewriter at my apartment, straight from the Tortured Poets Department

My Boy Only Breaks His Favourite Toys – The ‘oh, oh’ and elongated ‘oys’ in this are insane! This track immediately grabbed me. The analogy of being a discarded toy is so sad and is written in such an exquisite detail throughout this whole song, I’m a little gutted that it wasn’t actually on the Barbie soundtrack. There’s a real sense of acceptance and determination to get her guy back, especially with the edginess at the start of the second verse and the ‘litany of reasons why’. I can’t help but think back to cardigan from folklore when she feels like ‘an old cardigan under someone’s bed’ and now here she is, being the toy that got left behind. The fact she thinks fixing herself is going to make him miss her is devastating. When Pixar wrote this title over a picture of Sid from Toy Story… absolute class!
Favourite Lines:
There was a litany of reasons why we could’ve playеd for keeps this time, I know I’m just repeating mysеlf
+ the entire outro

Down Bad – This is one of those songs that everyone was immediately buzzing about and admittedly, I wasn’t all that fussed by it on my first few run throughs of the album. As a bit of a potty-mouth, I was totally here for all of the F-bombs, but I think I was in my confused stage of realisation that she clearly had way deeper emotions for someone than those of us on the outside ever really saw or knew about. Now I’ve sat with the song for countless replays, it has massively grown on me and has become such a mood! It’s like a tragic pit of black despair in musical form with a side of passive stubbornness – what’s the point of it all?! The way she cannot bring herself to say the word ‘over’ and the way that she sings ‘Cause f*ck it I was in love’ at the end of the bridge make my heart bleed. I have to train myself not to play this too late into my car journey to school so it gets stuck in my head. It really wouldn’t go down too well with the parents if I kept singing ‘f*ck it if I can’t have him’ around the classroom with the kids…
Favourite Lines:
For a moment I knew cosmic love, now I’m down bad crying at the gym
How dare you say that it’s—-

So Long, London – As soon as the track titles were released and we saw this was the Track 5 – I think we all knew then, that this one was going to cut deep. The intro sounds like the choral music that you expect to hear at Westminster Abbey, which is one of London’s most famous landmarks. It’s probably my favourite intro of the whole album and was naturally likened to wedding bells… Even though this song has been added to the ‘I Can Do It With A Broken Heart’ Playlist on Apple Music to signify ‘acceptance’, for me this song really reflects the entirety of the whole five stages of grief that have been associated with this album even prior to its release. There’s the denial of seeing the ‘fairy lights in the mist’ and carrying ‘the weight of the rift’, then comes the anger at being pissed off about wasted youth and being left at the house by (Hampstead) Heath. The bridge brings about bargaining as she has to explain why she ‘abandoned the ship’ and found it hard to breathe. Depression comes from the third verse where she painfully declares that she ‘died on the altar waitin’ for the proof’ and is ‘mad as hell’ because she loved the life that she’d built there. Finally we get that shattering ending of acceptance when she signs off by realising she’s not the one, it won’t out and ‘(he)’ll find someone’. I mean – what a farewell message! This song has so much to unpack and I feel like Taylor is almost saying farewell to the entirety of the past 7-8 years of her life and the link she has to London. Melancholia to the core!
Favourite Lines:
You swore that you loved me, but where were the clues? I died on the altar waitin’ for the proof, You sacrificed us to the gods of your bluest days, And I’m just getting color back into my face, I’m just mad as hell ’cause I loved this place

But Daddy I Love Him – OMG my love for this song is unreal!!! This is my carpool karaoke track! On first listen, I thought is was so random and couldn’t pinpoint a context for the song at all. Fastforward to the almost 24/7 listenathon this album is having in my ears and this song… It ate! I heard every single word. I dance around my kitchen to this song with a glass of wine in hand. It’s a little prairie town scandal and I am living for the drama! The way she shuts down all those ‘judgemental creeps’ who dare to think they’re allowed to impose an opinion on who she decides to fall in love with… I mean yes, come April 2023 – we all had thoughts, but there’s a difference to spilling the tea with your swiftie friends away from the public world of the internet, to writing an open letter to someone’s mother and preaching over social media… 🤯 She explained this so magnificently that I belt out the post-chorus and the bridge with beaming pride. When I finally get around to putting all the tracks off this Anthology in favourite order, expect this one to be right up there at the top!
Favourite Lines: All the lines. Every. Damn. One. 🙏

Fresh Out the Slammer – This one is definitely a grower on me. That little line, ‘fresh out the slammer, oh’ – occasionally I will sing that line randomly in other songs across the anthology, it’s too catchy! The imagery of being trapped in a dead relationship that you compare it to a prison is haunting, but then so is the forswearing of being ‘at the starting line’ (another MH link?), running to someone new and vowing not to lose them again. With each new listen of this track, I seem to pick up parallels to other songs from midnights and folklore and I love a track can give me so many layers.
Favourite Lines:
Years of labor, locks and ceilings, In the shade of how he was feelin’
All those nights you kept me going, swirled you into all of my poems

Florida!!! ft. Florence + the Machine – For the purpose of transparency, Florence and Taylor are my two GOATs. I have been clowning for this collab ever since I saw Florence Welch post a story on her insta back in 2020 saying that she loved the key change at 2:12 of exile from folklore. Then there was that sneaky post of her in the background of the pic of Taylor and Denise Welch… then she was spotted coming out of the studio in May from a Taylor event which many had rumoured to be a listening party for the Speak Now TV release. From this point, I was manifesting so hard for the collab that when Florida!!! was announced I bounced around the room like Tigger on acid. The song itself I love! Florence’s verse about the hurricane with her name that actually links to the real Hurricane Florence that hit the US in 2018… being haunted and drunk with her ghosts in the bathroom! This is the Florence that I know and ADORE. I am convinced that Emily Jean Stone and her ‘oddities’ come in the form of her singing the part of the song where “Love left me like this and I don’t want to exist, So take me to Florida” is sung… If it isn’t that, then it must be some kind of storyline contribution. What else could those damn oddities be? I’m so intrigued!
Favourite Lines:
Well, me and my ghosts, wе had a hell of a time, Yes, I’m hauntеd, but I’m feeling just fine
So I did my best to lay to rest, All of the bodies that have ever been on my body, And in my mind, they sink into the swamp, Is that a bad thing to say in a song?
At least the dolls are beautiful, fuck me up, Florida
What a crash, what a rush, fuck me up, Florida

And I’m done… for now! Stay tuned for Part 2 where we start with Guilty as Sin? 👀 👀 👀

Have you listened to TTPD yet, what thoughts do you have on the first 8 tracks? Have you got an album favourite yet? As always, drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

🤍 [Author’s note: I am a huge Taylor fan and cannot wait to be singing loudly (not screaming) along to all 3 and a half hours of songs at Wembley in August with other swifties. However, I’m well aware that Taylor is also a person just like the rest of us. Songwriting is her own way of communicating her version of events and experiences, therefore we only have the side of the story she wants us to know about. I don’t believe in hating on people over the internet and to be honest her dating life is not really anybody’s business but hers. I’ve tried to keep my personal feelings about certain individuals out of this and just stick to my thoughts of where these songs may have come from. As a former English Literature and History student, breaking down literature, language and symbolism is almost what I’ve been raised to do. Analysing lyrics to try and identify deeper meaning, especially coming from an artist who likes to leave us hidden easter eggs everywhere is seemingly natural. Yes all of these songs are about Taylor first and foremost rather than some guy, but they’re also the message that Taylor wants us to hear and know about, therefore we are going to theorise about almost every line and parallel we can draw from this mastermind’s discography – and boy what a gift we have been given in TTPD! And as we know all too well, theories are all that we can have – they regularly fall into the categories of ‘clowning‘ and ‘delulu‘ so none of this swiftie’s random musings here should be taken as anything other than just that!] 🤍

Happy Scrabble Day!

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Hey Bibliofriends,

Writing this blog has introduced me to a whole range of new knowledge and information including the fact that today, April 13th, is National Scrabble Day! The popular word game Scrabble was invented by Alfred Mosher Butts in 1938. Alfred was born on April 13th 1899, hence why we celebrate Scrabble on this day.

As a lover of board games and etymology, it’s no surprise that Scrabble is one of my favourite board games. We haven’t played in a long time, namely because the last time my mother seemed to think she could take up to 30 minutes to decide what her next word was going to be…! 🤨

Nevertheless, in honour of National Scrabble Day, here are 10 of my favourite weird and wonderful words to spell with Scrabble tiles!

1) bedazzles = 30 points
Any kind of references to dazzling and sparkly things is going to make me happy. Bedazzles will score you a minimum of 30 points due to its double z but could net you a whopping score if combined with a triple letter or word tile.

2) mozzarella = 30 points
Following the zz theme, the cheese lover in me is always seeking ways to try and create this word!

3) queue = 14 points
We were always on the lookout for the ‘qu’ combination and the word queue was a popular choice to get rid of it!

4) jiffy = 21 points
“In a jiffy!” was always something that my Nan says when my Grandad is constantly pestering her for things! It seems to be a very British phrase and I love the sound of the word!

5) meadow = 12 points
Not necessarily a highscoring word, however meadow is one of my all time favourite words and I find it a useful way of using an ‘m’ and a ‘w’ tile together.

6) gherkins = 16 points
I used to hate gherkins as a child and would pick them out of any burger that they came in! Now my adult tastebuds have developed, I kind of love their pickly goodness!

7) jellyfish = 25 points
So the likelihood of acquiring all of these tiles is pretty slim but it’s still quite a cool challenge to try and lay it down.

8) quizzify = 41 points
Anything to do with quizzes, riddles and puzzles and I am there!!

9) bookish = 16 points
Come on, there had to be a little bookish word love in here too!

10) confuddle = 16 points
Hopefully you’ll get to confuddle your opponents with this whacky word!

Ten totally random Scrabble words that I love trying to create when playing! Happy Scrabble Day to those who celebrate! What words do you play? Have fun creating those words! As always, drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

Happy Pi Day! STEM Representations in Books!

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Happy Pi Day Bibliofriends,

March 14th is Pi Day (3.14) – a day to celebrate all things Mathematics! At the school I teach at, we are celebrating by merging Mathematics and Literacy together by holding our inaugural Pi Poetry Competition. This merging together of two fairly opposing subjects got me thinking about the importance of Maths and STEM representations in books. This week is also British Science Week across the UK so I thought this was the perfect time to share some of my favourite books which have STEM representations! [Book synopses taken from Goodreads]

To Best the Boys by Mary Weber

From the patriarchy to the science representations and medicinal references, this was a YA fantasy which really made me champion Rhen’s character!

The Bone Shard Emperor by Andrea Stewart

I loved how Andrea Stewart created such a motivated and intelligent protagonist in Lin. The bone shard magic interwoven in the pages of this story was so brilliantly crafted and explained that it gave me a real buzz whilst reading. You can read my review of The Bone Shard Emperor here.

This Golden Flame by Emily Victoria

Ancient Greece meets Artificial Intelligence in This Golden Flame. I loved Alix’s character and although I’m not a huge fan of a.i. related things, I really grew to love his character and the way his sense of conscience was portrayed throughout the story. Check out my review for it here!

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

I have so much love for this series! I found it really interesting how Michael Crichton blended coding and genetics with dinosaurs and an eccentric man who thought it would be a brilliant idea to bring them back to life! Crichton breaks down the technical aspects behind the science and translates it in a way which is easy for a wide range of readers to enjoy!

When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill

This book ventures into the physiology of women actually turning into dragons and I absolutely fell in love with it when I first listened to the audiobook last year! We hear snippets and extracts from a Professor who is studying the morphology of women into dragons with adds a slightly educational feel to this brilliant work of fiction.

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Where the Crawdads Sing was one of those books that I picked up purely for the hype, but ended up loving with every bit of my bookish soul. The descriptions of the marsh and references to the habits and survival instincts of the creatures that dwell within really showcased the legacy and work of Delia Owens. It’s a must read for any nature lover!

Do you have any STEM based book recommendations? Will you be celebrating Pi Day with your favourite book and pie combo? As always, drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

Books to Film / TV adaptations I’m anticipating!

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Hey Bibliofriends,

With the release of Dune Part 2 making headlines in the cinema world, I thought now would be a great time to think about some of the other Film and TV book adaptations that I’m highly anticipating. There will be a combination of confirmed projects which are coming out this year and also a some dream projects that I would love to be made into a reality.

Confirmed Releases

Dune: Part 2

Each week, my friends and I run a film club in our local town. This Friday’s night’s movie is Dune Part 2, in all of its IMAX glory. I read Dune for the first time a couple of years ago and although I can appreciate the vast, sweeping landscapes of Arrakis and complexities of the characters and plot – it was a real struggle to actually make it through the whole book. Unpopular opinion alert: I wasn’t completely bowled over the movie either… Our entire film group loved it and it became one of the club’s top ten films of that year, but I think there’s just something about the story that didn’t grip me. I’ll be rewatching Dune Part One before this Friday, but I’m really hoping that something in Part 2 awakens a little more love in me for this epic, Sci-fi classic.

The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3

I was totally swept away by The Summer I Turned Pretty, whilst I haven’t actually read the books yet – every single episode of this programme hit me in the feels. I’m not normally a fan of love triangles but I genuinely didn’t know whether I was Team Connor or Team Jeremiah – I still don’t! The finale of season 2 had me in floods and I desperately need to know what happens in the final instalment. Even though the third season was greenlit due to the increasing success of the show, writers’ strikes in America slowed down the production timeline. An article from February in People Magazine believes that filming make take place in Spring 2024 with a possible 2025 release date. I wonder if I can wait that long or if I cave in and read the books first!

It Ends With Us

There has been so much hype surrounding this book series. Admittedly I haven’t read it, and as it’s not my typical genre, I’m not actually sure I’m going to be adding it to my TBR anytime soon. So why am I hyped about the film you might ask…? Two words: Blake. Lively.
I adore Blake and her acting so much. From Gossip Girl to A Simple Favour, she manages to command an entire screen whether she’s actually got any dialogue or not. It will be intriguing to see whether the film makes me want to read the book after I’ve seen it and it will be interesting to hear the verdict of people who have both seen the film and read the book to hear their comparisons of the two. With Sony Pictures at the helm and Justin Baldoni of Jane the Virgin fame as director, this promises to be a blockbuster release. Due to the strikes, the film’s release date of February 2024 had to be pushed back and the film is now expected for a June/July 2024 launch depending on your territory.

Damsel

This Friday sees the launch of the Damsel film on Netflix! It’ll definitely be on my weekend watch-list. Originally written as a screenplay for Netflix, The Hollywood Reporter stated that Netflix had been working with Random House and Evelyn Skye into a novelisation to be released ahead of the film. Initially the film was scheduled for a 2023 release, with the book being published in March 2023, however the project was delayed until 2024. Again, whilst I haven’t read the book yet, I really love the worlds that Evelyn Skye creates so to hear of her involvement in the novel part of the project, makes me keen to see what this film holds.
Netflix blurb: A young woman’s marriage to a charming prince turns into a fierce fight for survival when she’s offered up as a sacrifice to a fire-breathing dragon.
With a stellar cast involving Millie Bobby-Brown, Ray Winstone, Robin Wright and Angel Bassett to name just a few, I’m incredibly excited for this – bring on the dragons!

Rumoured / In-Production Projects

It’s no secret that I love the Maasverse and anything written by Sarah J Maas. Long has the rumour-mill been swirling about adaptations of the ACOTAR and Throne of Glass series. And with that picture circulating the internet, getting all kinds of tongues wagging – I may be delusional, but if Margot Robbie and SJM are collaborating on a film project (rather than just having a friendly cup of coffee), the squeals of joy may not be contained! Whilst Hulu are claiming that things are still in development with the ACOTAR project, there has been no news about the rumoured TOG TV adaptation. With the hype surrounding this author’s work, someone somewhere has to bring this to the big screen right?!?!?

The Inheritance Games

Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures snapped up to the rights to this series for a potential TV series adaptation way back in 2020 although news has since stalled. The show is still marked as in-production and I am majorly hoping for some news about this soon now that the series is going from strength to strength!

Ready Player Two

I adore Ernest Cline’s duology and whilst the film version can never match up to my love for this book series, I think Spielberg and co. did a tremendously, fabulous job on bringing it to the silver screen – now I just need the sequel! I remember in the additional bonus content at the time of the DVD release, some of the actors hinted that their contracts practically bound them to doing a sequel should it be commissioned. Back in 2020, author Ernest Cline told readers that Ready Player 2 was in-development, but we are yet to hear any further news.

Fourth Wing

Unsurprisingly, with the hype surrounding Rebecca Yarros’ novel, acquisition rights to the development of Fourth Wing into a TV series were snapped up by Amazon MGM Studios and Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society. There’s no further news about this series yet but you can read a little more behind the deal at (weirdly…) Town and Country’s magazine article here.

Books to Film/TV Adaptations I’m Craving!

There are some books on my Read shelf that I’m just dreaming/craving to be made into a film or TV adaptation, and whilst there may be some small hints about these possibilities out there in the corners of the internet, I haven’t heard about them yet…

  • The American Royals series by Katharine McGee – if you’ve been following my blog for a while, you’ll know how much I adore this series. I would love to see it brought to life on the screen in all it’s glitzy goodness!
  • Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross – This Letters of Enchantment series would make such a brilliant historical fantasy series. I’m already picking Matthew Goode as my perfect Roman to Katherine Waterston as Iris!
  • Geekerella by Ashley Poston – I feel like we need a new contemporary YA series to get obsessed over and the sci-fi / fairytale retelling links that Geekerella can offer is just that! It has enough content to create several seasons and the costume department’s efforts for those Starfield and comic-con scenes and would be heavenly!
  • The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen – I’m really not sure why, but the cosiness of this novel seems to me like it would make a brilliant film. You could have so much fun creating the different sets of this world – from Tanria’s monster creatures to Birdsall and Sons Undertakers, there would be so many cool things to bring to life on screen.

That’s a wrap! All of my film and tv adaptations of books that I’m anticipating or dreaming of! What books to movies are you highly anticipating this year? Which novel is high on your list of projects that you wish someone would bring to the big (or little) screen? As always, drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

Auto-Buy Authors

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Happy Monday Bibliofriends!

This week is the half term holiday and I am so happy to be able to sink into a little book cocoon for the week and catch up with some reading!

Whilst I was looking through various blogging things on the internet, I came across Jo Lindsell’s website. Jo discusses a range of different topics on her blog from fashion and lifestyle to travel and books. She had a really interesting post about a variety of book blogging topics for the whole of February and ‘auto-buy authors’ was one of the prompts!

I had a fair bit of fun thinking about this! When I first sat down to write my post, I began writing a list of author names in my journal, but the more I sat and pondered over how to compile these together, I started to really consider why I had chosen these particular authors above all of the others I have read.

What makes an author an ‘auto-buy’?

For me to add an author to my auto-buy list, I have to be completely, irrevocably swept away by the world they have created in my mind. I am one of those people that sees images in my head when I’m reading (I only recently learned that some people don’t do this, which is another intriguing topic in its own right). The crafting of a world, especially in SFF can sometimes be one of the most integral parts of investing into a story. The ability to do this well, fills us with hope that an author’s follow-up novels might be just as fleshed out and vividly appealing as their predecessors. If I can picture that world, as clearly as if it were a real-life place, then I can guarantee that will go a long way to making me fall in love with an author’s work and buy more of it.

Writing style is a hugely important factor. As a self-confessed logophile, the ability to balance elaborate and intriguing words in a way that doesn’t distract from the action of the plot is going to be a winner in my eyes. I teach English to 9 year olds and you can tell when they’ve regurgitated half the thesaurus into their writing just to try and make it sound more fancy – especially when half of the words are then out of context!

Appropriate word choices also go a long way in contributing to pace. Sometimes, all we’re in the mood for is fast-paced action which gets the characters from beginning to end in a way that doesn’t involve investing over half of our brain-power to it. Other times, the metaphors, imagery and language are actually what links us to the characters on the page and the emotions they’re going through. A heartbreaking scene can either be intensely heightened or left to fizzle out based on the vocabulary used to describe it.

Other times, all it takes is a series starter whose characters, plot, world-building, pace and narrative voice mix together in a wonderful cocktail of perfection, that we just can’t help ourselves going back for the next book, and the next book, and the next book… hoping they’ll be just as good as that first read. Then the author might branch out with a new series, or even a different genre altogether and we’re still picking up those works in the hope that we get to chase that flawless story which kicked off our passion in the first place.

So without further ado, here are some of my auto-buy authors and a few of the reasons why I’ll blindly follow their writing into the dark.

Carlos Ruiz Zafôn

Despite the fact that we sadly lost Zafôn in 2020, he was one of my first ever auto-buy authors and deserves his spot on this list as I own every single one of his books. My Nan had given me a copy of The Shadow of the Wind for my birthday and I had never heard of it before. Initially, I actually gave up reading it as I found it so hard to get into. However for some random reason, that book found its way back to me again, and when I dived in this time, I just couldn’t put it down! Zafôn’s beautifully lyrical writing style had me spellbound. He was an absolute artist with words and knew how to bend the magical realism genre in such an ethereal way. I’m so glad I gave his writing that second chance!

Sarah J Maas

Maas is the author I had in mind when I mentioned that perfect cocktail of perfection. Each of her books feel like they have imprinted themselves into my brain. Throne of Glass, ACOTAR and Crescent City are some of the most beloved books on my shelves. When my reading habits were cast slightly adrift after the ending of Harry Potter, these series gave me everything I was pining after and dragged me out of my mega reading slump. They gave me back my passion for reading and created this weird kind of soul-bond with their characters and worlds. Apart from the increasingly graphic smut scenes (ahem…), there is nowhere S J Maas can take her books that I wouldn’t follow. She could probably write a cookbook and I’d still have to buy it!

V.E. Schwab

Addie La Rue is emphatically one of my GOAT characters. She introduced me to the universe of Schwab’s writing and I haven’t looked back since. The thing I love about Schwab is that she is very upfront in telling her readers that her books have completely different vibes. The things I loved in Addie La Rue will not be the same things that I loved in the Shades of Magic trilogy or in Gallant. Schwab manages to create such multi-faceted characters and worlds which constantly surprise and intrigue me. It’s for this reason that she is on my auto-buy list and I’m gradually making my way through her catalogue.

Emily Henry

Romance isn’t my usual genre at all – however, Emily Henry does such a brilliant job at making you fall in love with her characters. So much so, that you want to put yourself in the book to try and ascertain that character their happy ending. To me, Emily’s books are the perfect balance of comedy, tragedy and those heartwarming feel-good moments. Her characters are usually book-lovers, or are written in a way which mixes their inner complexities with a relatable persona. Her author’s voice feels way beyond just generic chick-lit that I appreciate every single chapter, and they always leave me wanting just that little bit more!

Notable mentions…

I wanted to include some other authors who I’m ~95% likely to buy their new books, but it might be for a particular series or because I’m still making my way through the rest of their works.

  • Leigh Bardugo – I’m yet to read the Hell Bent series, but I already have The Familiar on pre-order because it sounds right up my street! I enjoyed the Six of Crows duology way more than the Shadow and Bone series. The ending of Crooked Kingdom still breaks my heart and I would adamantly campaign for justice for one particular character!
  • Ernest Cline – Ready Player One and Ready Player Two are probably in my Top Ten Books of All Time! I’m hoping to read Armada at some point this year but if it’s just as good as RP1 then I can see myself automatically buying whatever Ernest Cline writes next! Fingers crossed there’s something soon!
  • Jennifer Lynn Barnes – any of Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ books in the Inheritance Games series is on my auto-buy list. I’m not too sure that her Debutantes or the Raised by Wolves series will be appealing to me but the Naturals series may also be worth me taking a punt on.
  • J.K. Rowling / Robert Galbraith – any new Cormoran Strike novel is always in my shopping basket, although I usually wait until it comes out as a paperback. I’m too invested in this crime series to stop now!
  • Stephanie Garber – I feel like I buy Stephanie Garber’s books for the hype surrounding them – I don’t want to get FOMO when nearly my entire bookish feed is filled with them! I initially got both Caraval and Once Upon a Broken Heart as part of my Fairyloot subscriptions and bought the sequels just to keep reading on. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy her books and the whimsical characters she creates, but I’m not sure I would have bought them as an ‘auto-buy’ if I hadn’t received them through book boxes first.

That’s pretty much the core of my auto-buy authors! Which writers would make it onto your list and why? Let me know in the comments, I’m intrigued to see what you come up with!

T xx

The TIME 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time

The Biblioshelf6 Comments

Aloha Bibliofriends,

Several months ago (back last year!) I was scrolling through my news feed and the Time 100 Greatest Fantasy Novels of all time popped up! I couldn’t resist clicking on it and I knew back then in October that I wanted to do a post on it. If you love your fantasy fiction and you haven’t seen the list yet, you should definitely check it out here! Each cover takes you to a link giving more information about each novel that made the cut – very helpful for the ones you may not have heard of!

I wanted to see how many of them I had read altogether so split the 100 up into 3 different parts:
Books I’ve already read = 📖
Books currently purchased and on my physical TBR = 📚
Books I’m wishing to buy and read in the future = ✨

The run down – in chronological order:

The Arabian Nights ✨

Le Morte D’Arthur by Thomas Malory

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll 📖

Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll 📖

Five Children and It by E. Nesbit ✨

Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum

Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers 📚

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis 📚

The Palm-Wine Drinkard by Amos Tutuola

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis 📖

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien 📖

My Life in the Bush of Ghosts by Amos Tutuola

The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien 📖

The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien 📖

A Hero Born by Jin Yong

The Once and Future King by T.H. White ✨

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl 📖

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

The Wandering Unicorn by Manuel Mujica Lainez ✨

Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin 📖

The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart ✨

The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin 📚

Watership Down by Richard Adams 📚

The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper

The Princess Bride by William Goldman 📚

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L’Engle

The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter 📖

The BFG by Roald Dahl 📖

Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce ✨

Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Redwall by Brain Jacques

Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner

The Lives of Christopher Chant by Diana Whynn Jones

The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman 📖

Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie 📚

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Tigana by Guy Gabriel Kay ✨

The Golden Compass (Northern Lights) by Philip Pullman 📖

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman 📖

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

The Subtle Knife by Phillip Pullman 📚

Brown Girl in the Ring by Nalo Hopkinson

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling 📖

Spindle’s End by Robin McKinley ✨

A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin 📖

American Gods by Neil Gaiman 📖

The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling 📖

Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson ✨

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss ✨

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare 📖

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin ✨

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin ✨

Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor

Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor ✨

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern ✨

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller ✨

Angelfall by Susan Ee

A Stranger in Olondria by Sofia Samatar

The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell 📚

The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro 📚

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir 📚

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin ✨

Get in Trouble by Kelly Link

The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu

Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo 📖

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh ✨

All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders 📖

A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir 📚

The Wall of Storms by Ken Liu

Beasts Made of Night by Tochi Onyebuchi

The Black Tides of Heaven by Neon Yang

The Changeling by Victor Lavalle

Jade City by Fonda Lee ✨

The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin

Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi 📚

Blanca and Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore ✨

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi 📚

Circe by Madeline Miller 📖

Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang 📚

Song of Blood and Stone by L. Penelope

Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse

Witchmark by C.L. Polk

Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James ✨

Children on Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi ✨

The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang 📚

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia ✨

Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

Queen of the Conquered by Kacen Callender

The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter

We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal 📚

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger

Woven in Moonlight by Isabel Ibanez 📖

Books I’ve already read: 22/100
Books purchased and on my TBR: 16/100
Books I want to buy/read in the future: 22/100

Total: 60/100

Normally I’m quite bad with lists so I don’t feel that this isn’t too bad for me although it could be way better – hopefully 2021 will have me ticking lots more of these off my list as part of my reading goals! Obviously one of my all time favourites Tolkien was on the list (yay!) – not gonna lie, I’m happy my favourite Harry Potter book Half-Blood Prince was on there too! I was amazed to see one of my favourite reads of 2020, Woven in Moonlight, made it onto this list as well – I’m so excited for the sequel to come out later this month! I also can’t wait to start reading The Poppy War Series which is one of the ones I definitely will be reading in 2021 – I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about it.

How did you score? How many of the 100 Best Fantasy Books of all time have you read? Were there any surprises on the list for you or novels which you feel have been tragically missed off? Which ones are on your TBR? As always, drop me a comment to chat! ☺️

T xx

If Lord of the Rings characters had modern day occupations – Part 4

The Biblioshelf5 Comments

Aloha Bibliofriends,

Today is the final part of ‘If Lord of the Rings Characters Had Modern Day Occupations’! If you’ve been reading and keeping up with all of the series so far – THANK YOU! ☺️ As I said in Part 1, this is the first time I’ve written posts quite like this so it was a bit of an anxious leap into the unknown!
If you’ve missed any the previous instalments in this mini-series you can catch them here:
Part 1 – Gandalf, Frodo, Samwise
Part 2 – Elrond, Eowyn, Faramir
Part 3 – Legolas, Gimli, Aragorn & Arwen

Galadriel: Fashion Queen

Initially starting small, Galadriel developed her own jewellery line of delicate rings and necklaces featuring some of the rarest and precious gemstones and metals from around the globe. Her brand sky-rocketed when a middle-eastern princess commissioned Galadriel to design her wedding tiara when she married one of the world’s most eligible billionaires. A rapid shoot-to-fame and being so in-demand nearly collapsed her entire company however, after taking some time out at Elrond’s exclusive Dellriven retreat, Galadriel returned to the fashion world completely overhauling her brand’s identity and ethos. With their new signature ‘Mallorn tree’ logo, Galadriel’s company Nenya, set upon their mission to be the first and only sustainable, ethical haute couture fashion house around the globe. The company has outfitted many stars for high-profile events including the Met Gala and Oscars, as well as appearing on some of the world’s most renowned fashion runways and the pages of the glossiest magazines. Galadriel’s creative flair and waspish prowess has enabled her to rise to the very top of the world’s fashion royalty and now Nenya is one of the only brands today’s A-Listers want to be seen in.

Eomer: Bloodstock Agent – Godolphin

Having access to some of the most affluent connections in the horse-racing industry through sister Eowyn, Eomer also found himself with a role working for one of the largest owners in the business. With an analytical mind and a great deal of integrity, Eomer was soon snapped up by Godolphin to head their team of bloodstock agents. With a keen-eye for evaluating horses and an almost photographic memory of equine bloodlines, Eomer carved out a shrewd reputation for himself in the industry catapulting the Godolphin team to huge successes with horses such as: Barney Roy, Dubawi, Dawn Approach and Kayf Tara.

Saruman: Arboretum Janitor

After a seemingly endless stint in Sabaneta Prison, Venezuela – Saruman resolved to put all matters and mis-deeds of his former life as “Sauron’s bitch” behind him. Having had extensive therapy for his onset dendrophobia (fear of trees), Saruman was forced to live out the rest of his sentence doing community service work at Westonbirt Arboretum in the leafy Cotswolds of England. His previous convictions, criminal record and lack of skills meant that he could only be employed to work as a janitor with responsibilities such as collecting rubbish and refuse from around the forest. Sometimes, when he is alone wandering through the trees, he swears he can hear them whispering…

That’s a wrap!!! I’ve had so much fun writing these posts and researching all of the little details to finish them off! I think Eowyn, Galadriel and Gandalf were some of my favourite ones to write. Which was your favourite? Are there any characters I’ve missed who you have a good idea for? Let me know your thoughts by dropping me a comment below!

Thanks for reading,
T xx

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters – these posts are purely from my wild, at times crazy, imagination and sometimes use vague reflections of real-world truths. They are purely meant for entertainment purposes only and are not designed to cause offense or upset in any way.

If Lord of the Rings characters had modern day occupations – Part 3

The Biblioshelf4 Comments

It’s Saturday Bibliofriends,

That means it’s time for Part 3 of ‘If Lord of the Rings Characters Had Modern Day Occupations’!
If you missed the previous instalments you can catch them here:
Part 1 – Gandalf, Frodo, Samwise
Part 2 – Elrond, Eowyn, Faramir

Legolas: Fashion Model / Actor / Boat Designer

In his early career, Legolas spent some time as a fashion model and B-Movie actor being picked out for his lustrous long locks and willow-like figure. Touted as a gay icon, his life was plagued by paparazzi who constantly hounded him about his love-life until he was forced to come out of the closet and admit his sexuality. Tired of the exhaustive, partying lifestyle of LA, Legolas packed up and went backpacking with his close friend Gimli in the forests of Scandinavia. It was there where he met his current life-partner Kristoffsven and the pair now live in a humble treehouse where they make wooden sailboats which they ship all across Europe and naturally, to the Grey Havens.

Gimli: Retired

Coming into a massive inheritance from a distant-cousin-thrice-removed, Gimli retired early and now lives a relatively easy life. He spends a majority of the year travelling around the earth to spend time with his friends. He recently purchased a treehouse right next door to Legolas and Kristoffven and spends a lot of time at his Scandinavian retreat; however, he avoids the months when illegal dwarf-tossing competitions take place… just in case! As a part-time hobby, Gimli enjoys participating in medieval re-enactments and often loans his extensive private collections of historic weaponry and armoury to various museums and exhibitions.

Aragorn and Arwen: Philanthropists / ‘Royal Celebrities’

Having reclaimed the throne of Gondor and successfully restoring the bloodline of Kings, Aragorn and Arwen found themselves a little stifled by a life of royal oppression. Tired of living in the goldfish bowl at court, not being able to speak their own minds about political matters or causes of global injustice, Aragorn and Arwen deserted their realm in a quest for a more financially independent, private family life. The couple needed an escape pronto and were relieved when their long-time confidante Gandalf offered them the use of his private jet and an unlimited free lease on his stunning waterfront mansion in Watch Hill, Rhode Island. Massive fences were erected around the property to try and prevent paparazzi drones from flying in. Having seemingly dropped off the radar, the only people with any current access to the couple are two freelance journalists believed to be writing a biography of the former royals – even though a spokesperson for the couple stated that Aragorn and Arwen would not actually be contributing to the book themselves. An early tabloid-leak (thought to be from a hacked mobile phone), revealed details of an interview with James Corden which seems to support the rumours that Arwen has set her sights on becoming the future Secretary-General of the United Nations whilst Aragorn will be creating his own global TV production company. So much for the quiet life! 😉

Would you go and visit Legolas and Kristoffsven? Perhaps you’ve seen Gimli in one of his medieval reenactments or you’re just itching to get your hands on Aragorn and Arwen’s new bio:

Thanks to Jens Hansen! Rad Lain in Sindarin (ish…!)

Let me know your thoughts by dropping me a comment below about the different jobs you would have given these characters.

Next week in the final part, your featured LOTR beloveds are: Galadriel, Eomer and Saruman!

Thanks for reading,
T xx

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters – these posts are purely from my wild, at times crazy, imagination and sometimes use vague reflections of real-world truths. They are purely meant for entertainment purposes only and are not designed to cause offense or upset in any way.

If Lord of the Rings characters had modern day occupations – Part 2

The Biblioshelf4 Comments

Happy Weekend Bibliofriends,

Back for Part 2 of my nerdy little series reimagining the lives of my favourite Lord of the Rings characters if they lived in today’s world. If you missed last week’s episode, you can find Part 1 here.

Elrond: Yogi / Spiritual Guru

Still wanting to offer counsel and refuge, Elrond now runs his very own spiritual mountain retreat for wayward souls. ‘Dellriven’ offers a comprehensive yet flexible programme for those seeking to find some inner purpose and get their life’s journey back on track. Blessed with the gift of foresight, Elrond can also be booked for special one-on-one consultations and tarot readings providing advice from a plethora of subjects including business, relationships and even ‘12 types of cakes to satisfy your sweet tooth’.

Eowyn: Horse-Racing Presenter and Activist

Showing an affinity for horses, Eowyn was working at a popular racing yard when she was talent-spotted by Sky Sports after stepping up to present the Grand National when the main presenter was knocked out by one of the declared runners whilst on set. Showcasing her astute knowledge of horses and her passion for the sport, Eowyn is now a regular face at all of the key fixtures across the racing calendar and has even been flown to the Middle East, Australia and America to host some of the world’s most famous horse races. Being a female in an industry which is still heavily dominated by the patriarchy, Eowyn is an active feminist, has recently become a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador and is about to produce her own podcast rumoured to be titled, “I Am No Man”.

Faramir: PTSD Trauma Commander and Trustee of Invictus Games

Faramir, having known the horrors of war and being of an empathic nature, set about to rehabilitate and revitalise soldiers retuning from conflicts with PTSD. His gentle nature and natural leadership qualities made him the perfect person to set up the initiative. With many successes and case stories to his name, Faramir and his team embarked upon a journey to set up other training and rehabilitation centres around the world. Most recently, Faramir has joined the Governance Committee of the Invictus Games as a trustee in the hope of shining a light on life after service for thousands of former service recruits worldwide.
P.S. He’s still madly in love with Eowyn!

There had to be a horse-racing one in there at some point didn’t there?! 😂Let me know your thoughts by dropping me a comment below about the different jobs you would have given these characters.

Next week in part 3, your featured Middle Earthers are: Legolas, Gimli and Aragorn & Arwen!

Thanks for reading,
T xx

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters – these posts are purely from my wild, at times crazy, imagination and sometimes use vague reflections of real-world truths. They are purely meant for entertainment purposes only and are not designed to cause offense or upset in any way.

If Lord of the Rings characters had modern day occupations – Part 1

The Biblioshelf9 Comments

Happy Saturday Bibliofriends,

I’m back with a brand-new series of discussion posts throughout the whole of October! This month, I’m thinking about Lord of the Rings characters and what types of jobs or occupations they would have if they lived in our world today. From Frodo to Faramir, Samwise to Saruman – this discussion post in four weekly parts is me doing something slightly different and creative to my normal list-based / review posts. I hope you enjoy it!

Gandalf: CEO and Owner of Olórin’s Dens

Gandalf is the owner of a chain of highly lucrative, very elite private members clubs in the most luxurious cities across the world. The Olórin’s Dens are sumptuously decadent establishments where the highest profiles in our society go to unwind and relax (The Obamas, Princess Beatrice and Lin Chi-Ling have all been spotted there on occasion); think dark-wood panelling, velvet smoking jackets and champagne only available to purchase by the magnum (at a minimum). Be sure not to accidentally wander into the speakeasy bars of the club though, you may find yourself mingling with curiously strange folk who go by the names of wizard, elf or even eat… As a side venture (and a way to fund all of his Dens), Gandalf runs the world’s most renowned fireworks company which supplies the likes of New Year’s Eve displays in London, Sydney and Singapore – it’s even rumoured he also contributed to Taylor Swift’s infamous 4th of July weekends.

Frodo Baggins: Part-Time Author / Full-Time Recluse

Since relocating to his own private Scottish highland island, Frodo has been busy writing folklore anthologies and publishing his own range of Gothic quest myths for the YA audience (under a pseudonym of course!). When he is not writing, Frodo enjoys beachcombing to look for sea glass that washes up on his misty shores. Having had his fill of adventure to last several Ages, Frodo is often so reclusive that it takes his publisher around 8-14 months just to receive any correspondence from him.

Samwise and Rosie Gamgee: Founders of the Gamgee Juice Distillery

Samwise and his wife Rosie are just about to hit the London market with their range of organic, vegan juice drinks. Having purchased their extensive Somerset farm over a decade ago, the couple have spent time lovingly nurturing their crops from seed to sapling. Expanding into the botanical trend, the pair have cultivated their very own range of micro-herbs and rare berry specimens including Jostaberries, Lingenberries and Redcurrants. A firm favourite at farmers’ markets across their local county, the Gamgees range of juices, presses and smoothies have garnered many awards and are highly acclaimed to cure mild maladies such as relief for joint aches, stomach conditions and problems with skin complexion. Samwise and Rosie are also in talks with a large London Publishing House to write a collaboration with Jamie Oliver on how best to taste-match your juices with clean, fresh recipes. 

What do you think? Can you imagine any of these characters actually doing these types of things in our modern day world? What occupations would you give them?

Next week, we’re thinking about Elrond, Eowyn and Faramir so get your ideas in for what types of jobs/lives these guys could be having in the 21st Century!

Thanks for reading,
T xx

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters – these posts are purely from my wild, at times crazy, imagination and sometimes use vague reflections of real-world truths. They are purely meant for entertainment purposes only and are not designed to cause offense or upset in any way.