Tag: Book Tag

#BookTag – The Ultimate Book Tag

The Biblioshelf2 Comments

Aloha Bibliofriends,

It’s still technically the holidays for one last week! I am dreading the return to work so so much! Anyway, the perfect distraction from those thoughts was completing this mammoth ‘Ultimate Book Tag’!

I first saw this over at Witty and Sarcastic Book Club and knew that I had to add it to my Tags list. It’s a long one so grab the popcorn (or any other bookish snack!).

Do you get sick while reading in the car? 

Weirdly, this completely depends on how I’m feeling. Sometimes I get sick if I’m reading an e-book, sometimes I get sick reading a physical book and other times I’m absolutely fine with either… I take ‘mood reader’ to the next level with that answer! 😂

Which author’s writing style is completely unique to you and why? 

Carlos Ruiz Zafón – he just has such a way with words and descriptions. Thing seem so lyrical, haunting and beautiful all at the same time.

Harry Potter or Twilight? Give Three Reasons Why?

Harry Potter – All. The. Way.

  1. I am the age range that grew up alongside Harry Potter and remember the agonizing wait for the next book to be released – it is such a huge part of my life whereas Twilight didn’t have that same impact on me.
  2. The Wizarding World is such a diverse place that you can find different things there each time you visit depending on what you’re looking for: comfort, humour, acceptance, family, villains, nifflers, the Room of Requirement… etc.
  3. In my own very small and humble opinion – There’s only one kick-ass vampire world that reigns supreme and that is Buffy! There’s no way Twilight’s topping that for me!

Do you carry a book bag? If so, what’s in it? 

I always carry a physical book in my bag if I’m carrying one – and if not, then there’s always my NetGalley shelf app and iBooks on my phone!

Do you smell your books?

I’m officially enrolled at Book Sniffers Anonymous but sshhh… don’t tell! 🤐

Books with or without illustrations?

Tricky one… I’d probably say either way! The only difficulty comes when the illustration doesn’t match the picture I’ve built in my head, then I’d wish they weren’t there! 

What book did you love while reading, but discovered later didn’t have quality writing? 

The Given Duology by Mindy McGinnis – I think the story and world was incredibly interesting but the writing style was strange to get my head around. There were so many different perspectives and some would be first person whereas other would be third person. It wasn’t enough to stop me enjoying the series though.

Do you have any funny stories from your childhood involving books? 

It isn’t really funny (ha ha!) but my grandparents had a bookshelf in this tiny little room outside their bathroom – I used to hide in there reading all the books and I was obsessed with one called Cyril Fletcher’s Odd Odes (from 1974) – I can’t tell you anything about the book but I can still see every part of that book cover in my mind. Looking back on it now, it seems like the strangest place to put a bookshelf!

What is the thinnest book on your shelf? 

I have countless skinny children’s books and picture books – one of my thinnest and smallest amongst them is Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman.

What is the thickest book you own?

The Norton Anthology of Poetry at 2182 pages – I purchased it for a university module and can’t bear to part with it. It’s great for dipping in and out of to get my poetry fix.

Do you write as well as read? Do you see yourself becoming an author in the future?

I don’t write other than reviewing and blogging. One of my dreams is to have a book of my own – perhaps a book of short stories or novellas; I’ve got quite a few ideas swirling up there in my head.

When did you first get into reading? 

I wouldn’t be surprised if I was born with a book in my hand! My Dad would always read me a bedtime story every night. My Granddad would always buy me books at car boot sales and one of my earliest school photographs is me sat in the book corner reading Thomas the Tank Engine. 

What is your favorite classic book? 

Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy. I had to read it for school so it was kind of a ‘forced read’ but it’s one of the first classics I remember really enjoying. Failing that, absolutely any fairy tales (they’re the classics of classics right?!).

If you were given a book as a present that you’ve already read and hated, what would you do? 

Smile gracefully then do one of those “leaving books in places as gifts for strangers” type things.

What is a lesser known book you know of that is similar to the Harry Potter series and the Hunger Games series? 

Harry Potter – Chloe Shipton and The Quill of LeFay by Lynn Veevers. Lynn approached me back in 2018 to read this. She wrote it for her daughter who loved Harry Potter and wanted another ‘magical school’ type story to read.

The Hunger Games – I don’t think I’ve read anything quite like The Hunger Games but the Divergent series sometimes reminds me of it. I know that’s not quite lesser known but still…

What is a bad writing habit you have? 

I use ‘really’ an awful lot and then have to take it out when I read my writing back to myself.

What is your favorite word? 

I have so many – I’m such a logophile!

Meadow, effervescence, mystic, ethereal and ever bookishly: vellichor

Are you a nerd, dork, or dweeb? 

I can’t say that I actually know the difference between them so I’d probably say nerd and then get told that I’m one of the other two!

Vampires or faeries? Why? 

Vampires on TV, Faeries in books – I struggle to like bookish vampires and I’m not a fan of TV faeries.

Shapeshifters or angels? Why? 

Angels for guidance; shapeshifters for their cool abilities. I can’t pick! I’m so bad at either/or questions!

Spirits or werewolves? 

Spirits – I can’t think of a werewolf I actually liked.

Zombies or vampires? Why?

Vampires – at least they have characterisations whereas zombies always seem to just be the literal walking dead.

Love triangles or forbidden love? 

Forbidden love – I’m a sucker for a bit of angst! Love triangles always seem to end up with one person being hurt and I just can’t deal with constantly routing for one person then flipping to the other or even both together! They’re just too complicated for me whereas forbidden love brings a much more satisfying kind of dramatic tension.

Full-on romance books or action-filled books with a little romance?

It has to be action-filled with a little romance. I think Fifty Shades ruined ‘romance’ for me for life! I know I sound like Goldilocks but I find romance to be either too chick-lit, too smutty or too predictable or a whole range of too ‘insert-adjective-here’ for me to actually immerse myself in it.

Blimey what a long tag! I feel like I’ve waffled my way through all of it but I guess they don’t call it the ‘ultimate’ for no good reason!

Thanks for reading if you got this far! Consider yourself tagged and give me a pingback to your post! I can’t wait to read your answers! 

Have a good week everyone!

T xx

#BookTag – Mango Book Tag

The Biblioshelf1 Comment

Hey Bibliofriends,

How are you all doing this Tuesday?
In the search for some fresh and funky new book tags I stumbled across this amazing Mango Book Tag over at ZeeZee With Books (thanks for doing it!!). Mangoes are one of my favourite fruits to eat, so much so that I bought the book A Case of Exploding Mangoes by Mohammed Hanif purely based on the fact that the word ‘mango’ was in the title – talk about “clickbait”! 😂

From reading ZeeZee’s post, I had no idea there were so many types! I don’t even know what varieties we get imported to supermarkets here in the UK but I can guarantee I’ve never seen a hairy one or a spotted one here – it’s making me want to go on an ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ style adventure seeking out the world’s best mangoes!

The tag was created by Nandini at Novels and Nebulas who was inspired by The Tiger in Moonlight series by Swati Teerdhala as the main character shares the same love of mangoes that Nandini does. The prompts come from South Indian mango varieties and mango dishes. From reading her original post and the reasons behind her prompt selections, you can tell how much this fruit personally means to her and her culture so I’m glad and thankful that she created it and put it out into the book blogosphere for us all to have our own fun with! 

Raw Mango: Your most anticipated release

Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline – Ready Player One is on my ‘God Tier’ of favourite books of all time, so since hearing that Ready Player Two had a release date for November 24th 2020, every other anticipated release has been wiped from my memory and this is the only thing I can rave about or focus on! I practically check NetGalley and Edelweiss every week just on the slightest chance that it’s been listed for review requests.

Banganapalli: Longest book on your TBR

Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J Maas at a whopping 803 pages is definitely the longest on my physical TBR pile of owned books – I’m trying to clear the TBR somewhat first before settling down to attempt reading it.

Alphonso: A hyped book you love

Another Maas but The Throne of Glass Series – it got me back into reading again after my Potter shaped book hangover and is probably one of the bigger reasons why I’m so into YA Fantasy.

Totapuri: A book with a green or yellow cover

A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer – I was initially very sceptical about this when hearing that the main narration was moving away from Rhen and Harper, and that there was a new character introduced that we hadn’t met yet. After reading it though, I think I actually prefer this one to A Heart So Dark and Lonely. Come to think of it, I am also highly anticipating Cursebreakers 3 as well! Haha!

Neelam: A rainy day book recommendation

From Notting Hill with Love… Actually by Ali McNamara – Rainy days in the UK are often gloomy, grey and very wet. Inspired by some of the greatest Richard Curtis films, this would be my perfect rainy day read if you’re looking for something lighthearted, warm and snuggly.

Mango Pickle: A book that makes you feel nostalgic

Care of Henry by Anne Fine – the children’s library I used to visit as a kid was so welcoming and inviting. It had brighly coloured animals and murals painted all over the walls with lots of soft squashy cushions. I loved spending time in there whilst my mum was working and Care of Henry was one of my favourite children’s books to sit and read.

Mango Kulfi: A feel-good book recommendation

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion – Don Tillman is such a strangely charming character (in a way, he’s a bit of an advocate for mental health even though this isn’t the main driver of the book). His quest to find true love, against all the odds (and many of his own making) brings laughter, tears and by the end I was championing him all the way! It’s a great read! 

Peeled, diced and eaten… that’s a mango wrap! Mango-lovers amongst you, or even those of you that aren’t consider yourself tagged!
Please do try and stop by the original post by Nandini at Novels and Nebulas if you’re interested in finding out all about the mangoes and dishes here, and also why they mean so much to Nandini!

Have a great Tuesday everyone!
T xx

#BookTag – My Life in Books

The BiblioshelfLeave a comment

Happy TuesTAG Bibliofriends,

This week’s Tag was so much fun to do! I found it over on One Book More’s blog and thought it was worth a go considering I seem to be running out of tags to do (feel free to tag me in anything!).

Find A Book For Each Letter in Your Name

This is such a fun prompt and I love things like this! I did a book character for each letter of my name back on Twitter when I first joined so it’s good to do a different variation here. I always get nerdy and wish my name had more letters so I’ve done both my name name and also my blog name! 🤓😂

T – To Kill A Kingdom by Alexandra Christo
I – Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
L – Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
L – Lethal White by Robert Galbraith
Y – You Had Me At Hello by Mhairi McFarlane

B – The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter
I – Inferno by Dante
B – Beyond a Darkened Shore by Jessica Leake
L – The Labyrinth of the Spirits by Carlos Ruiz Zafón 
I – Ignite the Sun by Hanna C. Howard
O – Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
S – Stardust by Neil Gaiman
H – The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
E – Even the Darkest Stars by Heather Fawcett
L – The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo
F – Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao

Count Your Age Along Your Bookshelf – What Book Is It?

As I’m away from home for summer (and I also have more than one bookshelf…) I used my Goodreads all books shelf and counted along from the date I added them. The 31st book along was Divergent by Veronica Roth!

Pick A Book Set in Your City/Country

Agatha Raisin: The Quiche of Death by M.C. Beaton – the author lives in a few villages away from me and most of the series is set in the Cotswolds (England) where I live now.

Pick A Book That Represents A Destination That You Would Love To Travel To

So this year I had plucked up the courage to book on one of those solo travel trips to Peru to trek to Machu Picchu, climb Rainbow Mountain and go on a boat trip through the Amazon… until Corona hit and everything was cancelled! I haven’t read any books set in Peru but I can’t think about the country and not think about the delightful Paddington Bear from Deepest Darkest Peru by Michael Bond. Such wonderful childhood stories.

Pick A Book That Has Your Favourite Colour On It

I don’t tend to have a definite favourite colour – it changes all the time between various shades of pink, blue, green and purple. One of my favourite recent covers has to be the FairyLoot Exclusive Edition of Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust.

Which Book Do You Have The Fondest Memory Of?

I know there’s a lot of s**t out there about it recently but I have to say Harry Potter. I grew up with that series and my Nan would preorder all of the books for so I would have them as soon as they came out. I’m not supporting an author’s political/personal views whatsoever but as a writer that person gave me a literary home and community for life – I’m trying my best to separate the art and the artist on this one. 

Which Book Did You Have The Most Difficulty Reading?

Moby Dick by Herman Melville. There’s just something about the way classics are written that I struggle with. It’s like I have to focus on every single individual world just to make sense of the sentence. This book also felt tediously long but I was determined to read it and tick it off my list.

Which Book On Your TBR Will You Give You The Biggest Sense of Accomplishment When You Finish It?

Probably The Earthsea Quartet by Ursula Le Guin – I read The Wizard of Earthsea and found it quite tough so I think I need to go back and try again. I know it is one of the classics of fantasy so I think finishing it will be a real achievement for me.

That is My Life in Books right there! 😂 Have you done this tag yet? Feel free to leave me your links or consider yourself tagged and have a go at your own! As always, drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

#BookTag – Taylor Swift Folklore Tag

The Biblioshelf3 Comments

It’s TuesTAG time,

This album…!!! 😍 By far my favourite music to have come out of this crazy pandemic. To me, this is Swift at her musical best; don’t get me wrong I enjoy the more poppy upbeat songs but I feel like Folklore lets her songwriting and musical genius really shine.

I found this little tag whilst browsing on iheartlandx’s bookloversblog and knew that I just had to do it!
Here are the rules for 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.

Taylor Swift
Folklore
Book Tag

The 1: a book with an ending that left you speechless

The Wicked King by Holly Black – that cliffhanger had me desperate for the final book and I had really had to discuss it with someone but none of my friends had read it – ergo… speechless!

cardigan: a book that makes you feel happy and sad all at once

Turtles All The Way Down by John Green – I can’t really explain why. It just gives me both happy and sad vibes but I can’t pinpoint exactly which part about it makes me feel that way. I listened to it on audiobook and thought the narrator sounded automated, that may have had something to do with it…

the last great american dynasty: a book with a fascinating and well told story

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline – I was gripped from start to finish. I’d happily live inside that book! It’s not like anything I’ve ever read before or since to be honest.

exile: a book you wish you hadn’t read

Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis – I had quite high expectations as I had heard lots of good things about the author but reading this felt like I had literally wasted hours of my life. It is definitely not a book for me!

my tears ricochet: a book that made you cry uncontrollably

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes – surely this needs no explanation?!

mirrorball: a book that feels like it was written for you

I always say this about my horoscopes… they are scarily accurate! I honestly haven’t come across a book that feels like it was actually written for me yet. 

seven: a childhood book that makes you feel nostalgic

The BFG and Matilda by Roald Dahl – my Grandpa bought me the books from a car boot sale and Dahl fast became my favourite storyteller after that.

august: a book that reminds you of summer

Summer at the Lake by Erica James – I found it on a bookshelf at our hotel in Cape Verde and read it out there on the beach. Part of it is based in Italy where I spent another amazing summer so it gives me all the holiday vibes!

this is me trying: a book that deals with loneliness and sadness

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman – the character is just crafted with such a vulnerability. It was a really moving book.

illicit affairs: a book that gave you a book hangover

The Harry Potter series – finishing that final page and knowing that I could never ‘unknow’ how it all ended… it put me into the biggest book hangover or reading slump of my life!

invisible string: a book that came into your life at the exact right time

Remember This When You’re Sad by Maggie Van Eijk – it was the wake-up call I needed.

mad woman: a book with a female character you adore

Romanov by Nadine Brandes – her portrayal of Anastasia was so divine, she wrote a brilliant character. I cried so much at the ending and wished that this story could have been Anastasia’s actual ending as opposed to the harsh reality.

epiphany: a book that is haunting

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck or Room by Emma Donoghue – they both leave me with the chills for different reasons. Room because it’s horrifying to think of what Jack and his Ma went through. Then Of Mice and Men because, Lennie! It’s a sad reality of our world that people like Lennie still get treated differently today because of misconceptions surrounding their disabilities. In a way that’s more haunting to me than ghost stories.

betty: a book couple that fills you with yearning

Do I have to say Rhys and Feyre again – it seems I pick them for everything couple related?!
OK Rhys and Feyre for all of the feels or Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy for the good old fashioned romance!

peace: a book character you’d die for because you love them so much

Aragorn from Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien – I’d be his Arwen and toodle on over to Middle Earth any day!

hoax: a book you thought you were going to love but didn’t

Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin – this had so much hype about it and was touted as the witchy story we’d all been waiting for, but I really didn’t feel it – the cinnamon buns sounded delicious though!

That’s the Folklore book tag! Thanks so much to Ilsa for creating it! If you’re a big Folklore fan then consider yourself tagged and have a go yourself!

Have you listened to Folklore yet? What are your favourite songs? Is Betty really the name of Blake Lively and Ryan Gosling’s third daughter… Will we ever know? 😂 As always, drop me a comment to chat or leave your links to your own tags and I’ll be sure to check them out!

T xx

#BookTag – Taylor Swift Lover Book Tag

The Biblioshelf6 Comments

Hey Bibliofriends,

Not gonna lie, Taylor Swift’s new album Folklore has been playing on repeat ever since it’s extremely welcome release so I thought it would be a brilliant time to tackle the Taylor Swift ‘Lover’ Book Tag which I found over on Chocolate’n’Waffles blog here.

You can find the original post here on Nish & Ngoc’s Book Nook.

The Rules:

  • Link back to the original creator of the book tag (Nish & Ngoc).
  • Thank the person that tagged you and link to their post (above).
  • 3. TAG AS MANY SWIFTIES AS YOU WANT! (Or non-Swifties, maybe inspire them to listen to our Queen)

I Forgot That You Existed – A book that you want to forget you ever read

I can’t actually think of a book that I hated so much that I want to forget I ever read it so perhaps I wish I could forget ever reading Harry Potter or the Throne of Glass series just so that I can experience them again with fresh eyes.

2. Cruel Summer – A book you turn to when the going gets rough

To be honest, I have so many books on my shelves that I rarely get chance to reread many novels but whenever I head into a little bit of a slump I tend to pick up something either something by Erica James as I love her stories or a chick-lit style romance set in Italy – it’s my favourite city and always makes me feel happy to reminisce about my trip there. 

3. Lover – Your book OTP

I come back to Rhysand and Feyre every…single…damn…time! 

4. The Man – Your fave kick-ass female protagonist

This one is so tough – I think Kady Grant and Hannah Donnelly from the Illuminae series really lay their gauntlets down. Failing that, I wouldn’t mess with Manon from Throne of Glass either!

5. The Archer – A book with good mental health representation

I’m struggling to find any fiction novel that I have read that could fit this brief… Maybe the Six of Crows duology as the characters have to each overcome their various burdens and the way they all pull together as a team shows how important good friendships are in overcoming your demons and accepting people for who they are.

Non-fiction-wise: Remember This When You’re Sad by Maggie Van Eijk really helped me out during a dark time. 

6. I Think He Knows – Your fave fictional crush

Dare I admit this but… Snape?! Of course, Alan Rickman playing him in the movies helped me to see and hear him in my head when reading the later HP books. There’s just something about that voice! 😂🙈

7. Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince – Fave angsty romance

Alessandra and the Shadow King in The Shadows Between Us – just get it together already!!

8. Paper Rings – Book with an ugly cover that you absolutely adored

The Fairy Tales of Charles Perrault by Angela Carter – to be in-keeping with Carter’s retellings of the stories inside the cover features a really grubby foot inside a stiletto slingback. Feet are a big no-no for me, but Angela Carter is one of my all-time favourite storytellers and I wrote my dissertation about fairytales so it’s just the cover on this one putting me off!

9. Cornelia Street– A book or series you never want(ed) to end

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline – that book skyrocketed to God tier on my favourites shelf that I could have lived in it forever – it was recently announced that the sequel is being released later this year and I am SUPER excited!

10. Death By A Thousand Cuts– A book or series that deserved a better ending

Evermore by Sara Holland – the first novel blew me away but I didn’t feel that the sequel lived up to its predecessor which was gutting.

11. London Boy– Your fave British male protagonist

So without drifting back into HP territory I’d probably have to say Cormoran Strike or James Bond – keeping my head up in the fantasy crowds I don’t tend to read many stories with solidly British characters anymore. 

12. Soon You’ll Get Better– A book that your heart will never recover from

I’m such a baby and always seem to cry sad stories or at ‘ends of things’ – be it a book series, tv show, people saying goodbye – even the end of term sometimes gets me (I have no idea why?!).
In that respect I could easily pick any of the following:

One Day by David Nicholls
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas
Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J Maas

13. False God– A character you would leap into the burning pits of hell to save

Snape again… he needs a proper redemption in my head! 

14. You Need To Calm Down– A book with a powerful message

Lord of the Rings by Tolkien for its fellowship and finding inner strength to overcome barriers for the greater good.

The Rain Heron by Robbie Arnott for its message about the importance of looking after our natural world and not taking excessively from it or destroying it for personal greed/power.

15. Afterglow – A book you want to give a second chance

Thorn by Intisar Khanani – it’s been sat on my ‘currently reading pile’ since about March?!

16. ME! – Best character development

Don Tilman in The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion – such a brilliantly written character.

17. It’s Nice To Have A Friend – Fave friends-to-lovers story

One Day by David Nicholls or The Flat Share by Beth O’Leary

18. Daylight – If you could only read one book or series again and again, what would it be?

I’m the person whose holiday carry on weight is mostly books so I couldn’t possibly pick just one.

A few faves:

The Cemetery of Forgotten Books by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas

I had forgotten just how many tracks Swift puts on her albums! 😂 This seemed fairly long. Apologies if the formatting is slightly out, it’s my first time trying to get my head around this block editor and it’s frying my brain slightly!

Feel free to tag yourself if you are a fellow Swifty fan and fancy like giving this a go. Have you listened to Folklore yet? As always, drop me a comment to chat!

Have a good week everyone,
T xx

#BookTag – I Should Have Read That

The BiblioshelfLeave a comment

Happy Tuesday Bibliofriends,

I’ve hit a kind of Book Tag slump recently and have been trying to find some different ones which interested me and motivated me enough to fill them out. When I saw the I Should Have Read That tag on One Book More I knew that it would be perfect for me as there are tons of books out there and on my shelves that I should have read.

 Rules

  • Thank the person who tagged you and link back to their post
  • Answer the questions below
  • Tag 10 others to take part in the tag
  • Enjoy the tag!

A book that a certain friend is always telling you to read

My friend Hannah is always recommending the Rivers of London series to me by Ben Aaronovitch. I know that I will probably end up loving it as we share similar tastes in books but for some reason I just never get around to purchasing it!

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A book that’s been on your TBR forever and yet you still haven’t read it

Erm.. my entire bookshelf?!

Nevernight or The Bone Season have both been sat on my shelves for well over 3 (or more likely 5!) years and I still haven’t picked them up and got past the first page yet.

A book in a series you’ve started, but haven’t gotten around to finishing

Surely we all know I have a bit of a problem with sequels by now? So much so that I think there should be a name for a scientific/medical name for not finishing a series – answers on a postcard please!

If I had to pick just one it would probably be Rage by Cora Carmack – I absolutely loved Roar and now I finally have Rage sat in my TBR pile I’m desperate to read it and find out what happens before buying Reign when it comes out later in August this year.

A classic you’ve always liked the sound of, but have never actually read

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky – purely for the fact that I love the sound of his name. It’s one of those aesthetically pleasing sounds. I have no idea what the book is actually about even though it’s sitting on my bookshelf – but that’s just me and my book-buying addiction habits!

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A popular book that it seems everyone but you has read

Anything by V.E. Schwab – it’s almost like I’m ashamed to admit that I haven’t read any of her work yet. Lots of people discuss what an amazing writer she is so I really want to get around to reading the Darker Shades of Magic series in the near future.

A book that inspired a film/TV adaptation that you really love, but just haven’t picked up yet

Normally I’m a really stickler for making sure that I’ve read the book before the films come out. That being said I desperately want to read Dune before the movie comes out later this year. TV series-wise, I love, love, love Killing Eve. The first series was by far the best and I don’t really think series 2 and 3 have lived up to the ‘epicness’ of it yet but I’d like to take a punt on exploring the books.

A book you see all over Instagram but haven’t picked up yet

With all of the reading, working, adulting, blogging, Twittering, watching reruns of Hannah Montana on Disney +etc… my Instagramming has taken a bit of a backseat and I don’t really go on it anymore to know what it popular. Two books I keep hearing hyped-up elsewhere that I’d like to read is A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A Brown and Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston.

Et voilà! I get all worried that by tagging people in posts they’ll get all eye-rolly and pissed off so feel free to tag yourself and have a go if you want to!

T xx

#BookTag – Coffee Book Tag

The BiblioshelfLeave a comment

Hi everyone,

It’s Tag Tuesday time again. This week I’m hitting up the caffeine shots and doing the Coffee Book Tag which I found on Nen and Jen’s Book Blog so huge thanks to them for posting it! I’m not sure on the original tag creator but thank you to whoever you are! 🙂

Coffee is the absolute fuel for my working life – I definitely wouldn’t get through my teaching day without it. When I’m out and about in the summer my favourite thing to order is the Java-Chip Frappuccino from Starbucks (I’ve really been missing those during Lockdown!) otherwise it’s definitely a toffee/caramel latte for me!

LONG BLACK

Name a series that’s tough to get into, but has hardcore fans.

Game of Thrones – the sheer size of these books and the number of different perspectives always puts me off but I’m determined to get through them.

PEPPERMINT MOCHA

Name a book that gets more popular during the winter or festive time of the year.

A Christmas Carol, that’s definitely festive right?! Or anything by Charles Dickens really.

HOT CHOCOLATE

Name your favourite children’s book.

There’s a series by Geraldine McCaughrean about a witch called Wizziwig which I loved as a child. Other than that, anything by Roald Dahl – he’s one of my childhood staples!

DOUBLE SHOT ESPRESSO

Name a book that kept you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. 

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn – the way the book is written just kept me flipping page after page dying to find out what was going on.

STARBUCKS

Name a book you see everywhere.

Recently, Percy Jackson – I really have to read this series… and then watch the movies… and then hopefully the new Disney + series will be out!

THE HIPSTER COFFEE SHOP

Give a book by an indie author a shout-out.

Mark Newman’s Short Stories Anthology: My Fence is Electric: and Other Stories – breathtaking!
Rebecca Crunden: Outlands Pentalogy – gripping, dystopian-edge sci-fi
Amy Kuivalainen: The Immortal City – historical Italian fantasy

OOPS! ACCIDENTALLY GOT DECAF

Name a book you were expecting more from.

The Shadow and Bone trilogy by Leigh Bardugo – especially considering how much the series was hyped and how amazing both Six of Crows and Language of Thorns were.

THE PERFECT BLEND

Name a book or series that’s bitter sweet yet satisfying.

One Day by David Nicholls – for me this is such a good way to write a novel with an unhappy ending, I hated it but loved it at the same time!

Have a go if you feel like tagging yourself for some coffee bookish love!

What’s your favourite brew? Have you done the Coffee Book Tag yet? Leave you links below and I’ll be sure to check your posts out! ☕️🤗

T xx

#BookTag – Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag!

The BiblioshelfLeave a comment

Hey Bibliofriends,

It’s Tuesday tag time again! I was tagged by Books are 42 to do this highly relevant ‘Mid-Year Book Freak Out’ Book Tag! Links will take you to some of my reviews.

How Much Have You Read?

So far, I’ve read 29 books of my target of 45 and it’s looking likely that I’ll manage to achieve my goal this year for the first time in about two years! Being in lockdown for April and May definitely helped me to get a huge chunk of reading done and I like it when Goodreads tells me that I’m 7 books ahead of schedule rather than 7 books behind…

What Have You Been Reading?

Most of my reads consist of YA/Fantasy or Sci-fi books although I have read some literary fiction, historical mysteries and thrillers, short stories, non-fiction as well as some poetry.

Best Book You’ve Read so far in 2020

There are definitely a few highly recommended ones such as The Rain Heron by Robbie Arnott or My Fence is Electirc: and Other Stories by Mark Newman but I think my standout book so far this year has to be Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel – it’s definitely not for everyone but it was right up my history-geek street!

Best Sequel You’ve Read so far in 2020

I’ve only read 4 sequels so far this year but my favourite would have to be A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer. You can read my review here!

New Release You Haven’t Read Yet But Want To

My mission this year has been trying to finish off some ‘already started series’ so I could get around to beginning some new ones but two new releases that I haven’t got around to yet are Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J Maas and The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant.

Most Anticipated Release for the Second Part of the Year

Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco – this book has me at ‘19thcentury Italian backdrop’!

Biggest Disappointment

Dare I say it… Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin – to be fair, I think the hype ruined this for me. I was expecting a sweeping new epic that I’d be throwing out the stars and rave reviews for but it left me feeling a little like an average YA fantasy, except the cinnamon buns – they sounded delicious.

Biggest Surprise

Romanov by Nadine Brandes – how that book hit the delicately fine balance between historical fact and magical fantasy was really well done. I loved it!

New Favourite Author (Debut or New To You)

I recently read The Rain Heron by Robbie Arnott (review here!) and think he is such a talented writer. I’ve purchased his first book Flames and cannot wait to read it at some point later this year.

Underrated Gems You’ve Discovered Recently

Woven in Moonlight by Isabel Ibanez – I need the sequel, like yesterday! I loved the Bolivian cultural references and the woven animals. A delightful read!
A Touch of Death by Rebecca Crunden – this first book was a thrilling read and I’m reliably informed that the series gets better and better so I can’t wait to read the next book.

Rereads This Year

None so far but I am planning on rereading Even the Darkest Stars by Heather Fawcett, Roar by Cora Carmack and Given to the Sea by Mindee McGinnis before reading the sequels.

I’m also planning on rereading all of the books by Carlos Ruiz Zafon as he is one of my all-time favourite authors in the universe and I was so saddened to hear of his death last month.

Newest Fictional Crush

I don’t even know if I have a ‘newest’ one?! I suppose I am seeing Grey from the Cursebreakers series in a new light and I adore his relationship with Lia Mara but I wouldn’t call it a crush…(there’ll only ever be one Rhysand or Aragorn anyway)!

Newest Favourite Character

Hesina (Descendant of the Crane), Ximena (Woven in Moonlight) or Alessandra (The Shadows Between Us).

Book That Made You Cry

Romanov by Nadine Brandes – Nastya is such a wonderful narrator and the author’s phrases are highly emotive at times.

Book That Made You Happy

The Flat Share by Beth O’Leary – it’s an enjoyably light and funny read.

Favourite Book to Film Adaption

Sticking with the classics, Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit – the New Zealand Hobbiton tour is now on my travel bucket list.

Most Beautiful Cover You’ve Bought This Year (or Received)

Probably the May FairyLoot book Girl, Serpent, Thorn or the April FairyLoot book Incendiary – I can’t wait to read either of them, they’re so beautiful!

What Books Do You Need to Read by the End of the Year?

How long is a piece of string…? I need to read Esme’s Wish by Elizabeth Foster, Ignite the Sun by Hanna Howard and Twelve: Poems Inspired by the Brothers Grimm Fairy Tale by Andrea Blythe as they’re all review requests. I’d like to read the sequel to A Touch of Death by Rebecca Crunden and then the rereads I mentioned earlier. #nopressurethen

Favourite Post You Have Done This Year

Probably the Books as First Dates Book Tag – I really enjoy reviewing books but the tags are so much fun, although I do have to try and vary my answers otherwise everything becomes Harry Potter or Sarah J Maas related.

Favourite Book Community Member

I honestly couldn’t single out just one person as everyone here has been so wonderful, helpful and supportive – thank you Bibliofriends! I don’t tend to tag people as I don’t know who has already done the tags or even wants to take part but if you feel like having a go yourself then “tag, you’re it!”

Have you done the Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag yet? Do you feel like having a go yourself? What’s been the best thing you’ve read so far this year and what are you looking forward to reading in the next half of the year? As always, drop your tag links below or post me a comment to chat!

T xx

#BookTag – Celebrity Book Tag

The BiblioshelfLeave a comment

Hi Bibliofriends,

I’m getting much more into the Book Tagging game more recently and this Celebrity Book Tag was a great little one I found over at Kira Jeanette’s Blog. She found the tag on Gigisreads but I’m not sure of the original tag creator so thank you whoever you are!

Emma Watson- A book with a hot kick butt female character

It sounds so typical and boring of me but I literally can’t think of anyone other than Aelin from the Throne of Glass series.

Ryan Gosling- A book with the hottest male character

It has to be Rhysand from A Court of Mist and Fury doesn’t it?!

Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt- A book with your favorite fictional book couple

Aragorn and Arwen from Lord of the Rings – I absolutely love them! * heart eyes *

Shailene Woodley- Author you’ve recently discovered and loved

Robbie Arnott, Isabel Ibañez, Mark Newman, Nadine Brandes

Josh Hutcherson- Favorite short story or novella

My Fence is Electric by Mark Newman (Butterfly Farm)
The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter

Dwayne Johnson AKA The Rock – Favorite Big Book (over 500 pages)

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón – 520 pages

Leonardo DiCaprio- A series with the most upsetting death (no spoilers, don’t worry!)

Crooked Kingdom 🤐

Kristen Stewart- A book you found boring

All The Birds In The Sky by Charlie Jane Anders.

Ian Somerhalder and his cat- Cutest book on your shelf

Wicked Like A Wildfire by Lana Popovic – the cover is beautiful
Or
Queen of Nothing by Holly Black (same reason – my FairyLoot exclusive edition is gorgeous!)

Jennifer Lawrence- Perfect book or series

Series: Harry Potter / Lord of the Rings / Cemetery of Forgotten Books / Illuminae Files
Book: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Which books would make it into your celebrity book tag? Tag yourself if you want to have a go! Feel free to include your links below so I can visit! As always, drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

#BookTag – Disney Parks Tag!

The Biblioshelf4 Comments

It’s Tag Tuesday Bibliofriends!

Welcome to the Disney Parks Book Tag! I’m absolutely in love with all things Disney so as soon as I came across this Tag on dinipandareads I knew that I had to have a go myself!

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I visited Walt Disney World in Florida for the first time back in 2018 and now truly understand why they call it the most magical place on earth! The California parks is the next one on my travel bucket list having already visited Paris.

The Rules

☆Mention the creator and link back to original post [Alexandra @ Reading by Starlight]
☆Thank the blogger who tagged you
☆Answer the 10 questions below using any genre
☆Tag 5+ friends
☆Feel free to copy the heading graphics

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pirates-of-the-caribbean

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thunder-mountain-railroad

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splash-mountain

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Thanks so much to Alexandra for creating this Disneytastic Book Tag! Have you ever been to Disney? What’s your favourite ride/attraction? Are any of the theme parks on your travel bucket? As always, tag yourselves and feel free to keep spreading the Disney joy, otherwise drop me a comment to chat!

T xx