Tag: bookish

#BookTag – The Fellowship of the Ring Book Tag

The Biblioshelf3 Comments

Happy Tuesday Bibliofriends!

In my quest for more Book Tags, I’m pretty sure I stumbled across this Fellowship of the Rings book tag over at Wyrd & Wonder who posted it as part of their month-long celebration of all things fantasy – bot now I can’t seem to find their original post… You should visit them anyway as they have tons of brilliant fantasy recs!
I absolutely love Lord of the Rings; Middle Earth would definitely have to be on my Bookish Travels Bucket List, I think Tolkien created a really classic and remarkable world. This book tag was originally created by Nandini of Unputdownable Books.

Gandalf – A book that taught you something

Atomic Habits by James Clear
It gave me some form of organization back in my life – I’m an expert at putting things off until tomorrow so it was a really helpful guide at developing some good habits and make me a little more motivated and efficient. I wrote a review about it here.

Frodo – A book that left a mark on you

Remember This When You’re Sad by Maggy Van Eijk
Reading this book gave me a kind of lightbulb moment or wake-up call and kind of symbolizes a bit of a turning point for me on a personal level.

Legolas – A book you finished in one sitting

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
When I went to visit my friend out in Lanzarote, she gave me her copy of this and told me to read it. I became so engrossed in it that I literally sat on the beach and devoured it before the day had ended.

Gimli – A book that features an unlikely friendship

Mirage by Somaiya Daud
I guess there are a couple of unlikely friendships in this depending on how you view Amani’s relationship with Maram compared to her relationship with Idris. I’m looking forward to reading the sequel to find out what happens to this trio!

Merry – A book that pleasantly surprised you

A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer
I was quite reluctant to continue with this series after the mega-twist at the end of the first book and the fact that this sequel introduced a brand-new character; but overall, I was very glad I continued reading and now I cannot wait to read A Vow So Bold and Deadly – it’s one of my most anticipated reads for 2021!

Pippin – A book that made you laugh

Spectacles by Sue Perkins
I managed to see her on tour whilst she was promoting this book. There’s a particularly funny episode to do with a car park which, when she was signing my book, I asked her to draw the example in the front of it. Never fails to make me laugh whenever I open it and see that title page!

Boromir – A book/series that you think ended too soon

Breaking the rules and having two standalones for this one:
To Kill A Kingdom by Alexandra Christo – this was so beautifully written that I could have read another 100/200 pages worth of plot and world-building before getting bored.
Descendant of the Crane by Joan He – the hurtling, rollercoaster speed of that ending, plus the strange cliffhangery, twisty ending scene – this is definitely one standalone my brain isn’t ready to leave behind. It appears I’m not alone and Joan He has actually clarified whether any sequels/standalones are in the works (you can read her brief statement here). Let’s just leave it with, ‘if it gets written, I want to read it!’

Sam – A book with memorable side characters who stole the show

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Nina, Jesper, Wylan, Matthias… 💙 Kaz who?! 😂

Aragorn – A good book with a bad/average cover
(side note: I think Aragorn actually has a lovely cover 😉)

Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix by Julie C. Dao
When Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao was released it had such an intricate, vibrant cover… then when the sequel appeared… 🤔 they didn’t match at all and after loving the first cover so much I felt that the ambiguity of the sequel’s cover didn’t match up to what a brilliant series this was.

Gollum – A book that had great potential but disappointed you in the end

Evermore by Sara Holland
When Everless came out, I was blown away by the intriguing concept of blood and time as a currency. Coupled with a folklore-style story of a Sorcereress and an Alchemist, the silent megaphones in my head were screeching ‘omg, omg, omg’ when I finished reading that last sentence. When the sequel came out – it felt as if all the sparkle and dazzle of the first book had vanished and it was like reading a sequel to a completely different story.

TAG – you’re it!! Thanks for reading and feel free to have a go yourself and link back to my post if you’re a Lord of the Rings fan! 🙂

Enjoy your week Bibliofriends,

T xx

#Friday56 – Given to the Earth

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Happy FriYAY Bibliofriends!

This week’s Friday 56 comes from Given to the Earth – the sequel to Given to the Sea in the Given Duet by Mindy McGinnis. A Given is the name for the girls who are born to be ‘given’ to the sea each generation to save the kingdom of Stille from being demolished by a giant wave.

Hosted by Freda’s Voice, the Friday 56 is a weekly bookish prompt. It’s quite easy to do and could cover no end of different books and genres so seems great if you’re looking for a quick snippet to discover something new!

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader (If you have to improvise, that’s ok.)
*Find any sentence, (or few, just don’t spoil it)
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post here in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url.
*It’s that simple.

Faja is gone, Famoor as well. In a tree I spot what remains of his bridle, slashed to uselessness. I swear in Indira and kick at the ashes of the fire.

The Indiri race, Tangata cats and Hadundun trees were what really made this series for me. They bought something quite unique to a seemingly ordinary fantasy world. You can check out my full review here.

Amazon |

Drop me a comment below or connect with me here:

Twitter | Goodreads | Book Sloth: @thebiblioshelf |Email: thebiblioshelf@gmail.com

#BookTag – Sunshine Blogger Award

The Biblioshelf5 Comments

Good morning Bibliofriends,

Last week I received my first ever Sunshine Blogger Award Nomination from Alex over at Mybookworld24! I have seen this going round so many times on people’s blogs that I’m so excited to finally get a chance at doing my own!

Rules
(1) Thank the person who nominated you and provide a link back to their blog.
(2) Answer the 11 questions asked by the person who nominated you.
(3) Nominate 11 people and ask them new 11 questions.
(4) Notify the nominees by commenting on one of their posts.
(5) List the rules and display the sunshine blogger award in your post.

Alex’s Questions:

One life lesson you want to share?
To not waste time on toxic relationships – you spend more time living their life when you could be living your own. 

The next book/movie you want to read/watch?
There are so so many, I always seem to be looking forward to something! Next book: Ready Player Two is one of my most anticipated books for later this year. Excited is not a strong enough word for my feelings on this sequel!
Next movie: James Bond No Time To Die – I am so ready for this now and I keep trying to avoid the trailers so I’m not spoiled too much!!!

What’s your wish for the world?
That humanity doesn’t destroy planet Earth.
We haven’t been around on this planet all that long but we seem to be destroying things quicker than we can rebuild them. It worries me that future generations may not get to see some of nature’s beauties and wildlife because humans never gave them a chance to live and survive here. Robbie Arnott wrote about this in his wonder eco-fable The Rain Heron. You can read my review for that here.

What’s your dream job?
To travel the world in a little book truck selling books and inspiring people to read.

What’s the animal you can connect with the most?
Horses – I’m involved with some racehorses and often spend time down at the stable yard hanging out with them and feeding them carrots. It definitely helps blow the cobwebs away, those early mornings on the gallops.

Ever been on holiday and if yes, where?
I am such an adventurer and love going on holiday! This year I was supposed to be going to Peru to trek Machu Picchu, climb Rainbow Mountain and drink Pisco Sours in Cusco – but then it got cancelled, there’s a global pandemic apparently!
My last abroad trip was Disneyworld Florida and it was incredible! I can’t wait to visit America again!

The most thing you use?
Other than the standard: phone, MacBook etc…
Probably my notebooks and stationery – I’m always jotting things down and making lists, I find it very therapeutic; plus, I’m a stationery addict so I’m always trying out different colour pens and things!

Something you want to do before the end of 2020?
To be honest, I think I’m already done with 2020! I worked through the pandemic but because of lockdown all of the social events/activities just stopped – it really felt like all work and no play…
Although we have planned to celebrate New Year with my extended family in Cornwall so hopefully that can still happen as I’m sure it’ll be a fun and special time.

Your go-to drink?
Gin, Prosecco, Cider, Cherry Pepsi, Tea, Coffee – I’m not picky but I like lots of things depending on the mood I’m in!

Favourite childhood cartoon?
So many noteworthy classics: The Animaniacs, Rugrats, Recess, Mona the Vampire, Cow and Chicken, The Powerpuff Girls, The Flintstones, Arthur… but I think my all-time favourite would have to be Scooby Dooby Doo!

What’s one thing you do to uplift yourself?
Crazy dance-out to Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and The Waves or playing music full-blast through my Skullcandy headphones (they really amplify the sound private disco style!).

My Questions
  1. What inspired you to start your blogging journey?
  2. What is your favourite quote? (It can be a well-known saying/proverb, bookish quote, music lyrics etc.)
  3. If you had to live in any fictional world where would it be and why?
  4. What would the title of your memoir be?
  5. If you had Aladdin’s three wishes, what would you wish for?
  6. Favourite book to film/TV adaptation?
  7. What’s your zodiac sign and do you follow it?
  8. If you were gifted a copy of any book in the world which would you hope for?
  9. Who is your biggest inspiration?
  10. Would you rather go to an all-day beach party in Mykonos or spend the night watching the Northern Lights from an igloo?
  11. What has been the greatest experience of your life so far?
My Nominees

I’m rubbish at nominating people for things so no pressure guys!

Just Reading Jess

Journey Through the Chapters

Bookworms Anonymous

Vee_Bookish

Reading Girl Reviews

Life in the Book Lane

Jake is Reading

Tina Reeds

Toastie Books

The Crafty Reader

And YOU! If you feel like having a go at my questions for the Sunshine Blogger Award then consider yourself tagged! 😉

Happy Tuesday people!

T xx

#FaeFriday – Longest/Largest Book

The Biblioshelf2 Comments

Happy Friday Bibliofriends,

Starting the new school academic year always feels a little like New Year. The fresh start gives me all kind of resolution and new habit vibes so for September I thought I’d jump into the Fae Friday trend!

Fae Friday is a weekly blog prompt hosted by the wonderful Kristy at Caffeinated Fae. It seems like the perfect way to spread a little more magic across the blogosphere every week.

Here are the rules:

  • Link back to this page on Caffeinated Fae.
  • If the prompt idea is from another blog, link to that blog as well.
  • Use #FaeFriday when posting to social media so we can all find each other! 
  • Participate when you can & have fun with the prompt!

September 4th prompt:
Faeries are known to have exceptionally long lives, and in certain lore, they’re immortal. The prompt this week is inspired by longevity. This week this curious wannabe fae wants to know:
What is the longest/largest book you have read?

The longest book I have ever read was the 50th Anniversary One-Volume Edition of Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. I’m not very good at reading multiple books at the same time so I read the whole thing cover to cover. It took me about a month to get through all 1031 pages but it’s one of my favourite stories of all time so was totally worth it!

What’s the longest book you’ve ever read? Feel free to leave me links to your own Fae Friday and I’ll check them out!

Enjoy your weekend Bibliofriends!

T xx

#Friday56 – Unlikely Angel: The Songs of Dolly Parton

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Happy FriYAY Bibliofriends!

This week’s Friday 56 comes from Unlikely Angel: The Songs of Dolly Parton. This book in a series about Women Composers explores some of the meanings and influences in the songwriting behind some of Dolly’s most well known songs. Huge thanks to Netgalley, the University of Illinois Press and Professor Lydia R. Hamessley for giving me the opportunity to read a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Hosted by Freda’s Voice, the Friday 56 is a weekly bookish prompt. It’s quite easy to do and could cover no end of different books and genres so seems great if you’re looking for a quick snippet to discover something new!

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader (If you have to improvise, that’s ok.)
*Find any sentence, (or few, just don’t spoil it)
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post here in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url.
*It’s that simple.

But Dolly’s song has a chorus and verses for different musical effects, narrative details and commentary. The energy of the song, with its pounding percussion heartbeat, builds relentlessly to its chilling, suicidal end.

Lydia R. Hamessley on “The Bridge” Just Because I’m a Woman 1968

This brilliant book is an absolute must-read for any fans of Dolly’s music, anyone interested in the history of country music or those curious to know how song writers go about honing their craft and skills. You can check out my full review here.

Amazon | University of Illinois Press | Waterstones | Lydia Harmlessly on Twitter | NetGalley

Drop me a comment below or connect with me here:

Twitter | Goodreads | Book Sloth: @thebiblioshelf |Email: thebiblioshelf@gmail.com

#BookTag – The NetGalley Book Tag

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Ahoy there Bibliofriends,

As all of my reads seem to be coming from my NetGalley shelf at the minute, what better way to mark Tag Tuesday then with the NetGalley Book Tag. I found this over on Andie’s blog It’s A Read Thing. The tag was originally created by Kourtni @Kourtni Reads.

1. Auto-Approved: Who’s one author whose books you automatically want to read, regardless of what they’re about?

Neil Gaiman. He has that wonderfully mystical way of telling a story that’s always a little off the wall. I’ve enjoyed reading all of his books even if I didn’t always understand them on the first read through.

2. Request: What makes you want to request a book that you see on NetGalley?

The blurb/description is the ultimate decider. It has to be in a genre that I like reading and be intriguing enough for me to go ‘ooohhh’ in my head before I click request. Saying that, I’m a sucker for a good or eye-catching cover so to be honest that’s probably what pulls me in first!

3. Feedback Ratio: Do you review every book you read? If not, how do you decide what books to review?

I’m quite a newbie to being accepted for books on NetGalley so at the minute I’m reviewing everything I can, even the ‘read now’ books that I download.

4. Badges: If you could create your own badge to display on your blog, what would it be for?

😂 I haven’t even worked out how to display the real badges on my blog… Linking to the question above I’d probably have to go for an ‘approve me – I always write a review’ badge as I’m still building up my profile and review count!

5. Wish for It: What’s one book that you are absolutely dying to read?

I keep checking NetGalley every few days to see if Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline has been listed for review copies. I know it’s probably a massive pipe dream but it is my most anticipated read for the rest of this year!

6. 2020 NetGalley Challenge: What was the last book that you received as an ARC that you reviewed? If you’ve never received an ARC, what’s the last book you reviewed?

The last ARC review I wrote on NetGalley was for Unlikely Angel: The Songs of Dolly Parton. I love her music so it was brilliant to get the opportunity to read this. My review is up on the blog tomorrow!
I’m currently reading an ARC of The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow which is going to be just perfect for the upcoming Halloween season!

One of my blogging goals this year was definitely to start reading and requesting more through NetGalley and although I’m only up to 10 reviews so far with another 3 ARCs to go, it’s something I’ve definitely made progress on this year! Feel free to tag yourself if you’re a NetGalley fan ad feel like having a go!

Enjoy the rest of your week everyone!

T xx

#Friday56 – The Mist Keeper’s Apprentice

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Happy FriYAY Bibliofriends!

This week’s Friday 56 comes from The Mist Keeper’s Apprentice. This debut novel by E.S. Barrison is the first novel in The Life and Death Cycle series. Big thanks to the author for approaching me and providing me with a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Hosted by Freda’s Voice, the Friday 56 is a weekly bookish prompt. It’s quite easy to do and could cover no end of different books and genres so seems great if you’re looking for a quick snippet to discover something new!

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader (If you have to improvise, that’s ok.)
*Find any sentence, (or few, just don’t spoil it)
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post here in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url.
*It’s that simple.

Of all the people who had to enter her hideaway, of all the people it could have been, why did it have to be Brent Harley? His silver eyes, marked with stress and fear, left a shadow around her. His words weighed heavier.
A woman in black… Rho exhaled. But it’s only ever been me.

The Mist Keeper’s Apprentice features a beautifully crafted world with labyrinthine tunnels, a soul enshrouding mist-demon and a main character who strives to stand up for his own destiny. You can check out my full review here.

Amazon | Follow on Twitter |Author’s Website

Drop me a comment below or connect with me here:

Twitter | Goodreads | Book Sloth: @thebiblioshelf |Email: thebiblioshelf@gmail.com

#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

#Friday56 – Twelve: Poems Inspired by the Brothers Grimm Fairy Tale

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Happy FriYAY Bibliofriends!

This week’s Friday 56 comes from Twelve: Poems Inspired by the Brothers Grimm Fairy Tale by Andrea Blythe which I received as an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Andrea Blythe and Interstellar Flight Press for the copy. It was a bewitching, fresh retelling of a classical Brother Grimm story of the Twelve Princesses.

Hosted by Freda’s Voice, the Friday 56 is a weekly bookish prompt. It’s quite easy to do and could cover no end of different books and genres so seems great if you’re looking for a quick snippet to discover something new!

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader (If you have to improvise, that’s ok.)
*Find any sentence, (or few, just don’t spoil it)
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post here in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url.
*It’s that simple.

The Black Fox could steal anything – jewels hidden inside castle keeps, entire towers full of gold or the tower itself, kisses and secrets and lives.

This is such a wonderfully short and sweet read. If you’re a fan of fairytales and modern retellings which give the protagonists their own identity and voice then there’s sure to be a lit for you to like in Twelve. If you want to find out more about Twelve: Poems Inspired by the Brothers Grimm Fairytale then you can check out my full review here.

Amazon | Interstellar Flight Press| Author’s Website | Twitter | NetGalley

Are you a fairytale fanatic? What’s your favourite fairy tale retelling? As always, drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

Connect with me here:

Twitter | Goodreads | Book Sloth: @thebiblioshelf |Email: thebiblioshelf@gmail.com

#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