Happy Lunar New Year Bibliofriends,
Whilst I was trawling the internet for a new Book Tag to sink my teeth into – this fantastic Lunar New Year Book Tag popped up! This tag was originally created way back in 2017 by Tiff @ Mostly YA Lit and Josh @ Thoughts and Afterthoughts. Both of their blogs seem to have been dormant for some time so I’m not terribly sure if there’s an updated version of this somewhere in the ether, however I’m using the original 2017 prompts and graphics from Tiff’s post.
Back in 2017, we were celebrating the Year of the Rooster which had the prompt of ‘Most Anticipated 2017’ release; obviously in 2024, we’re celebrating the year of the Dragon, but I decided not to swap any of the prompts around as they seemed to fit so well with the personalities of the animals. Therefore, the Rooster prompt will read as most anticipated read of 2024.
You may have already heard me rabbit on about this book before, so it should come as no surprise that my Royalty book prompt is the American Royals series by Katharine McGee! I love the drama, it’s like a bookish reality show!
No pun intended, but The Once and Future Witches had me absolutely spellbound from the very first page. There was something so magnetic about the spooky atmosphere that Alix E. Harrow created, that I just couldn’t help but be drawn into the world of James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna.
My own Zodiac animal, the snake! Hand on my heart swear, that when I was choosing the book for this prompt, I didn’t intentionally match up The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes with the snake, purely for all of the snakenesssss… I genuinely saw this cover on my Goodreads list and thought, yes – this book is filled with manipulating characters from every corner! Is there even a character in here who doesn’t manipulate someone at some point?!
I am an absolute sucker for an eye-catching cover! As you can see, animals tend to be a running theme on these selections, however anything that is pattern-based, popping with colour and with a minutiae of intricate detailing is a winner with me!
Xander Hawthorne from The Inheritance Games is winning this prompt for me. He can always be relied upon to sneak up on a character, just at the precise moment to call them out or offer some witty one-liners and backchat.
This is my edited prompt to read ‘Most Anticipated 2024 Release’. With Crescent City 3 – House of Shadow and Flame already out in the world, it feels a little like cheating to mention that… Another read that I am desperate to get my hands on this year is The Grandest Game which is the fifth instalment in The Inheritance Games series! Out in August 2024! You can read my review for the previous book in the series The Brothers Hawthorne here.
The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue. Always. This book occupies a really special place in my bookish heart. Addie’s character captivated me in a way like no other and the bittersweet elements of the plot keep me coming back to this read over and over and over again.
When I first read Midnight in Everwood, I was astounded at the level of detail M.A. Kuzniar had put into researching her main character Marietta Stelle. In this Nutcracker retelling, the author not only created an in-depth world filled with all of the fantastical elements of this wonderful, well-loved ballet, but she also took a deeper look into the actual ballet dancers who shaped the role and used this to inspire her main character. It’s a fantastic piece of craftsmanship which I definitely feel needs a little more love. You can read my review for it here.
Erm… my book subscriptions themselves! Does that count?! I thought it wasn’t too bad to start with as I only get Illumicrate and the Fairyloot YA and Adult Combo each month, but then I started having to get the matching sequel editions to match… then came the gorgeous collector editions of books I already owned… it’s definitely a sickness. I’m in desperate need of a bookaholics anonymous society!
I could have gone with a multitude of characters for this. It seems like strong morals and ideals are an unofficial prerequisite for fantasy heroes on a crusade to save the kingdom. However, as my mind wandered, there was one character in particular who was exactly kind-hearted and resolute, even in the face of the darkest dark – step on up Samwise Gamgee! 💜
Babel, Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution – whilst I found the academic writing style a little tricky to get my head around, the powerful and poignant messages leaping from every corner of this book had me writing this down as my prompt pick almost immediately. Even R.F. Kuang’s brutally honest author note really put it out there. I wanted to high five for her reiteration that yes, although this book is set in a very real Oxford, the fictional liberties taken with dates and architecture were for the actual storytelling and not intended to be verbatim fact.
I mean, how can I not pick Divine Rivals for this…? For starters, that enchanted typewriter! 😱 Without sounding like Veruca Salt, “give it me now!” The way and Iris and Roman are drawn together, every element of their journey is so tender that is totally encapsulates the ‘sweet romance’ part of this prompt. I can’t wait to read the sequel Ruthless Vows!
That’s a wrap! Twelve Zodiac animals, twelve bookish prompts, twelve book selections! What do you think of them? Are you celebrating the Lunar New Year and do you know your own Zodiac animal?
As always, drop me a comment below to chat!
T xx
thebiblioshelf.com 