Book Tags

Twelve Days of Christmas Book Tag

December 15, 2021 bookspirationbysarah

Hello, bookish friends! We are now officially less than 12 days away from Christmas Day, and I can’t even begin to express how much I love the holiday season. It truly is the most magical time of the year. Around here, we typically eat delicious food (and have leftovers for days!), engage in family traditions, and spend much needed time with the ones we love creating memories we will remember forever! I love this time of year so much that I couldn’t imagine not doing a fun bookish tag as we count down to Christmas day. I originally saw this tag over on Confessions of a Serial Reader, so definitely head over and check out Elnade’s version once you are done here. Let’s jump right into all this Christmas fun, shall we?

The partridge stood alone in the pear tree. What is your favorite standalone?

Not only is Lovely War my favorite standalone, but it is also one of my favorite books of all time! If you love World War I/II retellings, Greek mythology, and are a helpless romantic at heart, Lovely War is totally the book for you!

Love is in the air! Who is your one true pairing?

Amazon.com: The Red Scrolls of Magic (1) (The Eldest Curses): 9781481495080: Clare, Cassandra, Chu, Wesley: Books — This question is so hard because I have so many favorites, but Alec and Magnus are definitely one of my favorite fictional couples! ❤

In the spirit of threes, what is the best trilogy you have read?

I finally read the Caraval series this year, and I am still kicking myself for sleeping on this trilogy for so long. It truly was like no other, and I highly recommend the Caraval series to ALL readers, especially those looking to dip their toes into the fantasy genre.

Since series usually consist of four or more books, what is your favorite series?

The truth is that both ACOTAR and TOG are my favorite series, but I went with TOG just because Kingdom of Ash was simply magnificent and a magical (while also being heartbreaking) ending to the series!

One ring to rule them all! Who is your favorite villian/antagonist?

No spoilers but if you know, you know!!!

Creation is a beautiful thing. What is your favorite world/world-building?

I am completely in love with Adrienne Young’s vision of the Narrows and Bastian. As cutthroat as it is, I would LOVE to be able to spend the day in one (or both!) of these locations!

Who needs seven swans when all it takes is one good animal sidekick? Who’s your favorite animal sidekick?

Roane’s dog, Shadow, was literally the most loyal companion ever and the goodest boy!

Milk is so 18th century. Which book or series takes beverages/food to a whole new level?

Reading about all the amazing food coming out of Sea & Vine made my mouth water. And the chapter with the cannoli has got to be one of my favorite scenes ever!

Dancing is just one skill of a lady! Who is your favorite kickass female lead?

Even though the Blood and Ash series by JLA isn’t my favorite of hers, I thought Poppy was an amazingly written characters. I’ve never seen a female lead as stabby as hers, that is for sure, and her development from the first book to the third is astounding!

How about your favorite leading lad?

The Six of Crows Duology Boxed Set by Leigh Bardugo — Kaz Brekker has been my favorite male lead since I read the SoC duology YEARS ago! So mysterious…. so morally grey…. swoon!

WWhat is your favorite book or bookish thing with musical influence? It can be about music, reference music a lot, etc.

I don’t want to spoil anyone, so I am just going to say that there’s a moment when one of the characters is so moved by music that it gets me all teary eyed in ACOSF!

Drum roll please… What is your favorite read of this year?

This question is such a hard one because it has been a year of amazing reads, but KOTC kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end! I can’t wati for Kingdom of the Feared to released in Fall 2022 🙂

Thank you guys so much for tuning into this super cute Christmas book tag! Wishing all of you the merriest of Christmases, and I’ll see you back here next time!

<3,

Sarah

Bonus Content, Book Tags

The Finally Fall Book Tag

September 24, 2021September 24, 2021 bookspirationbysarah

Hello, bookish friends, and welcome back to the blog! Wednesday marked the first day of fall, and I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate the changing leaves and cool breeze than with the Finally Fall Book Tag! I first saw this tag over on Lauren’s Bookself, so thank you Lauren for the inspiration for today’s post. Let’s fall right into this thing, shall we? 😉

In fall, the air is crisp and clear: Name a book with a vivid setting!

Adrienne Young did such an amazing job describing all of the locations the characters traveled to in such vivid detail!

Nature is beautiful… but also dying: Name a book that is beautifully written, but also deals with a heavy topic like loss or grief.

Amazon.com: The Rest of the Story: 9780062933621: Dessen, Sarah: Books — Though this book loosely discusses grief due to the MC not remembering her mother, I think that the premise of Bailey going to stay at the lake with family to learn more about her late mother totally counts for this one!

Fall is back to school season: Share a non-fiction book that taught you something new.

Hill Women: Finding Family and a Way Forward in the Appalachian Mountains: Chambers, Cassie: 9781984818911: Amazon.com: Books — This book taught me so much about poverty in Appalachia and the tenacity and resourcefulness of the people who live in this region.

In order to keep warm, it’s good to spend some time with the people we love: Name a fictional family/household/friend group that you’d like to be a part of.

I can’t even tell you guys how much I would love to be an honorary member of the Brown sisters crew!

The colorful leaves are piling up on the ground: Show us a pile of fall-colored spines!

Love all the deep reds, oranges, browns, and golds of fall!

Fall is the perfect time for some storytelling by the fireside: Share a book wherein somebody is telling a story.

The Arabian Nights (Paperback) | Tattered Cover Book Store — Had to throw in a classic for this one – love a good frame story!!!

The nights are getting darker: Share a dark, creepy read.

The Cellar (paperback) By Natasha Preston : Target — Fun fact: I read this book when I was pretty young and thinking about it today still gives me the heebie jeebies!

The days are getting colder: Name a short, heartwarming read that could warm up somebody’s cold and rainy day.

Much Ado About You - Kindle edition by Young, Samantha. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. — I don’t know one person who can read this book without cracking at least a million smiles!

Fall returns every year: Name an old favorite that you’d like to return to soon.

You know it’s time for a re-read when you can’t remember why you loved a book or series so much! Hope to get back to these beauties before the end of the year.

Fall is the perfect time for cozy reading nights: Share your favorite cozy reading accessories!

All I need is a mug for a yummy drink and a fuzzy blanket and I am set to read!

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Thank you all so much for tuning into the Finally Fall Book Tag! I hope you all have a wonderfully cool weekend filled with all things pumpkin spice (if you’re into all that!) and that you can spend the next couple of days curled up under a fuzzy blanket with a good read!

<3,

Sarah

Bonus Content, Book Tags

The Birthday Party Book Tag

August 27, 2021September 3, 2021 bookspirationbysarah

Hiya, bookish friends, and welcome back to the blog! My birthday was on the 24th, and I really wanted to put a special post out to celebrate my 22 whole years of life. I saw this super fun Birthday Party Book Tag that was created by Kit at Metaphors and Moonlight and knew I just had to try it out myself. Here are the rules:

I will choose five different books to use to answer the questions
For each question, I will flip to a random page in the designated book
I’ll share at the end how I feel about how my birthday party turned out!

Step One: My Five Books

The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzie Lee
A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
Fable by Adrienne Young
Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert
The Lovely War by Julie Berry

Step Two: Q&A Time!

Open Book 1 – The first character name on the page is the one who plans the surprise party.

AHHH MONTY MONTAGUE! I seriously can’t think of a more perfect person to plan the party, though I do think he would create some very…. unique party favors and games, knowing him!

Open Book 2 – The first character name on the page is the one who ruins the surprise early (either by accidentally mentioning it or by telling you on purpose because they can’t keep a secret).

The winner is…. Gwyn Berdara! I think her fiery yet humorous personality is definitely one that would make it so she couldn’t contain her excitement about a little get together, especially if she was around Nesta and Emilia. But I think she would totally just drop clues about a party being had rather than be super obvious about it!

Open Book 3 – Wherever the current scene takes place will be the location of the party (as specific as possible, e.g. a person’s house, a grocery store, the middle of a forest, etc.).

The party would take place at a tavern in Ceros! Okay…. so like this location is a tad bit grungy since like people come from all over the place to drink their sorrows away after being at sea for a hella long time, but honestly, the more the merrier for a party, right? Hopefully it’ll be good company, as soon as Zola leaves, anyway… BLAHH!

Open Book 4 – The first character name on the page is the one who bakes the cake.

Awhhh, yayy! Fatima from Take a Hint is one of my favorite side characters, and she is so creative that I have no doubt she would bake an awesome cake for my birthday!

Open Book 5 – The first character name on the page is the one who sticks their finger in the icing when no one is looking.

James Alderidge is the culprit! I feel like he would only do this if Hazel was around and wanted to make her laugh though because he is pretty serious most of the time, but you never know!

Open Book 1 – The first character name on the page is the one who buys trick candles (those kinds that never go out).

I definitely don’t think Johanna, the most prim, proper, and ladylike of all the characters in A Lady’s Guide would be the one to buy trick candles! But, I think any other character in this book would do it. She’s just a wee bit of a buzz kill on all things fun, if you ask me!

Open Book 2 – The first noun on the page that is a tangible object is the first gift you open.

Okay well this is different. Evidently, some kind soul bought me a ramp for my birthday this year – hurrah! That would certainly be helpful when it comes to easily taking laundry upstairs, I suppose. Thanks for thinking of me, whoever you are!

Open Book 3 – The first character name on the page is the one who puts on the dorky party hat.

This one made me CACKLE: West! I love the guy, but he’s a bit of a stick in the mud and I highly doubt he’d be quick to trade his sailor garb in for party hat. I’d pay good money to see it, though!

Open Book 4 – The first noun or adjective (whatever works) on the page is what the party theme will be.

We’re going to go with a moon theme for the party! I think that would actually be pretty cool – dark room, those little stars on the ceiling, maybe a galaxy-esque cake? I like it!

Open Book 5 – The first noun on the page that is a tangible object is what the pinata will be filled with.

A cup of hot chocolate – eeepppp! That could get messy but I also love that stuff so I guess my pinata will be more like a hot chocolate fountain!

Step Three: How Did the Party Turn Out?

I honestly think this would be the most entertaining yet bizarre party ever! When I picked these books out, I thought I would choose a mix of both contemporary and fantasy novels and see how the characters from these books would get along, and I actually am totally diggin’ the vibes I’m getting from this guest list. Sign me up, y’all!

That’s a wrap on the Birthday Party Book Tag! Thank you all so much for checking this tag out and for celebrating my brithday with me by doing so. If I could actually make this party happen, would you attend? Lemme know in the comments, and tell me what characters you’d like to add to the guest list 🙂

Bonus Content, Book Tags

Reader Problems Book Tag

August 20, 2021 bookspirationbysarah

Hiya, bookish friends, and welcome back to the blog! As fellow bookish nerds, I think there are many things we can all relate to, especially when it comes to the reading-related struggles we all face at one point or another. When I spotted a tag dedicated to talking about how we handle our bookish predicaments, I couldn’t help but jump on the bandwagon myself! Enough small talk from me – let’s jump right into this thing!

1) You have 20,000 books on your TBR. How in the world do you decide what to read next?

I would totally consider myself a mood reader, which helps me narrow my field substantially when trying to decide what the read next. From here, it’s pretty normal for me to read the synopsis on the back of a few books, and then pick my next read from that small pool. I have also noticed that if I read something long/dark/violent/required a whole lotta brain power (like a fantasy novel!), I run straight to a contemporary or romance novel so that I can give my brain a break to reset itself before diving into another hardcore read.

2) You’re halfway through a book and you’re just not loving it. Do you quit or are you committed?

The answer to this question definitely varies from book to book. Typically, if I am not loving a book that is in a series that I have really enjoyed so far and/or is written by one of my auto-buy authors, I’ll keep reading it until the end. Any other book I read until the halfway mark, and if I’m still not invested whatsoever, I’ll quit. It is very rare that I will give up on a book, though! I can count on one hand how many times I’ve resorted to this.

3) The end of the year is coming and you’re so close, but so far away on your Goodreads reading challenge. Do you try to catch up and how?

This really wasn’t something that affected me until I started college and working three on-campus jobs, and in 2020, this was a SERIOUS struggle for me. Here’s the thing, though: I simply cannot force myself to sit down and cram in a bunch of reading. If I’m not enjoying it, then there’s literally no point in taking the time to read, so there’s no rushing to the finish line at the end for me. I’m one of those people that values quality over quantity. If I don’t make my reading goal (which has only happened maybe once or twice!), I’m sad about it, but when I reflect on all the great books I do get to read each year, I don’t beat myself up about not hitting my goal.

4) The covers of a series you love do. not. match. How do you cope?

In short? Myself and my bank account (if I can buy covers that do match) literally cannot.

5) Everyone and their mother loves a book you really don’t like. Who do you bond with over shared feelings?

Often times, I talk to my same bookish friends from college and/or those on my book-y social media accounts about all my feels, even if they loved the book I’m (lightly) smack-talking. Since everyone has their own opinions, expectations, and feelings about every book they read, I usually take everyone’s thoughts with a grain of salt and don’t go out of my way to talk to people who I think have the same opinions as me on the books I read. So far, this method has worked out pretty well!

6) You’re reading a book and you are about to start crying in public. How do you deal?

In order to stop the tears from flowing, I typically just have to stop reading before I get too emotionally invested. It pains me to do sometimes especially when the book is so good, but to save myself the embarrassment of people realizing I don’t have a completely black, emotionless heart (GASP!), I have to just lay the book aside and redirect my brain to another task.

7) A sequel of a book you loved just came out, but you’ve forgotten a lot from the prior novel. Will you re-read the book? Skip the sequel? Try to find a synopsis on Goodreads? Cry in frustration?!?!?!?

My answer to this question is very dependent on the book. I don’t normally re-read books because I find that the details start coming back to me within the first two to five chapters or so, but if I REALLY loved the book the first time (basically any JLA or Sarah J. Maas book, for example), I’d totally re-read the first in the series so that when I get to the second book, I have all the deets I need in order to enjoy it to the max. Most of the time, though, I would say that I rely on reading a couple of spoiler-y reviews and/or synopses to help jog my memory of the first book before moving onto the next book in a series.

8) You do not want anyone. ANYONE. borrowing your books. How do you politely tell people nope when they ask?

When I was in high school, I was literally the worst about saying no to book-borrowing requests because I felt like a jerk. Like SUPER bad. My old approach would be to just pretend like I forgot they asked/ignore the request, and if they insisted, I’d only let them have it for a two to three days before I told them I needed it back because I was so worried it was going to get damaged outside my tender-loving care. Then I went to college and realized that as an adult, I could politely turn someone down and they (probably) wouldn’t hate me forever, so now I just straight-up say no when asked. Sorry y’all, but my books are my babies!!!

9) Reading ADD. You’ve picked up and put down 5 books in the last month. How do you get over your reading slump?

I’m a firm believer that if you’re in a reading slump, your brain is trying to send you a message to take a break. While you may want to ignore that little voice in your head, I’ve found doing so just makes the slump worse. My main hack for moving past a reading slump is to take the few days after you feel one coming on away from your TBR pile to refocus your energy elsewhere. Then, when you come back to choose your next read, you may be more inclined to settle in a move past the slump. Granted, this may take a few tries to work, but in my experience, if you’re patient enough, you’ll be able to get back to your normal, booknerdigan self in no time flat! If you’re interested in more tips on fending off reading slumps, check out my list of tips here!

10) There are so many new books coming out that you’re dying to read! How many do you actually buy?

I usually buy all of them, since my list of “dying to reads” each year is pretty small!

11) After you’ve bought the new books you can’t wait to get to, how long do they sit on your shelf before you get to them?

While I wish I could get to most books within a week or so of buying them, adulting often gets in the way. Though it’s a long time, some books sit on my shelf for months before I get to read them. My goal each year is to read all the books I purchase that year by its end, though, so hopefully long before they even have the chance to collect dust!

That is it for the Reader Problems Book Tag! Agree and/or disagree with some of my answers? Comment below and let’s talk about all of our bookish dilemmas together!

Until next week! May your bookish problems be limited until we meet again 😊

Bonus Content, Book Tags

Mid-Year Freak Out Book Tag: 2021 Edition

July 23, 2021July 23, 2021 bookspirationbysarah

Welcome back to the blog, bookish friends! I can’t believe it is already the middle of July. It kind of feels like this year just started, but we are already over halfway to 2022. I did the Mid-Year Freak Out Book Tag last year, and I had such an awesome time reflecting on my progress that I decided to do it again this year! Without further ado, let’s dive right into all this fun:

1) Best book you’ve read so far in 2021

Amazon.com: Hill Women: Finding Family and a Way Forward in the Appalachian Mountains (9781984818935): Chambers, Cassie: Books

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2) Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2021

Amazon.com: Namesake: A Novel (Fable, 2) (9781250254399): Young, Adrienne: Books

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3) New release you haven’t read yet but want to

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4) Most anticipated release for the second half of the year

The Nobleman's Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks (Montague Siblings, #3) — Fun Fact: This was the answer to last year’s most anticipated release question, but the publication date keeps getting pushed back. 2021 is the YEAR, baby! 🙂

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5) Biggest disappointment

Amazon.com: The Chaos of Standing Still (9781481499194): Brody, Jessica: Books

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6) Biggest surprise

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7) Favorite new author (debut or new to you)

Amazon.com: Romanov (9780785217244): Brandes, Nadine: Books

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8) Newest fictional crush

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9) Newest favorite character

A Court of Silver Flames (A Court of Thorns and Roses, 5): Maas, Sarah J.: 9781681196282: Amazon.com: Books — Gwyn and Amelia give me LIFE so they are both my newest favorite characters!

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10) A book that made you cry

Amazon.com: Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption (9780812984965): Stevenson, Bryan: Books

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11) A book that made you happy

Amazon.com: Get a Life, Chloe Brown: A Novel (The Brown Sisters Book 1) eBook: Hibbert, Talia: Kindle Store

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12) The most beautiful book you’ve bought or received so far this year

The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood And Ash Series): Armentrout, Jennifer L.: 9781952457258: Amazon.com: Books

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13) A book/books you need to read by the end of the year

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BONUS: I am exactly halfway to my reading goal for the year – YAYY!

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Thank you all so much for tuning in for this super fun book tag! As the saying goes, there are so many books and so little time, but I’m super happy with the progress I have made this year in terms of number (and quality!) of books read. If you haven’t done this tag, I am officially tagging YOU!

Until next time 🙂

Sarah

Bonus Content, Book Tags

The Folklore Book Tag!

March 12, 2021 bookspirationbysarah

Hello, bookish friends! I hope you have all had a fabulous week thus far. I’m a tad bit late to the game on this tag, but once I saw Erin’s @ Rin’s Reads’ version, my old-school Swiftie heart couldn’t resist the temptation of doing it myself! I mean, come on. Can anyone think of a better combination than TSwift and books? Yeah… I thought not 😉 I know you all must be anxiously awaiting to check out what I have goin’ on in this tag, so without further ado, let’s get this thing rollin’!

The Rules:

Tag the original creator: Ilsa @ A Whisper of Ink
Tag at least three people: If you haven’t done this tag yet and are as obsessed with this album as I am, I am officially tagging YOU!
Declare the rules and list of prompts in your post
Thank whoever tagged you and link to their post: thanks so much for the inspiration, Erin!

This award has to go to A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout. No spoilers here, folks, but that ending was WILDDDD. Thank goodness April is only a few months away so I can get my hands on the next book in the series!

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One of my more recent reads totally fits the bill: Words on Bathroom Walls by Julia Walton. Our protagonist, Adam, suffers from schizophrenia, and while his narration is absolutely hilarious due to his matter-of-fact attitude, the moments where his fears of remaining in control of his hallucinations shined through were really sad (but eye-opening) to witness. The rollercoaster of emotions the audience goes on as they read the novel is one of the many ways in which this tale stands out from the crowd!

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I could pick any number of books for this one because there are just so many out there, but I’d have to hand this one to Romanov by Nadine Brandes. I found the mysterious history of the real Romanov family so interesting to read about along with the magical elements Brandes included to provide explanations for why Alexei and Nastya’s bodies were found in a separate location than those of the other members of the family. The story was put together in such a clever way and Brandes’ writing was so beautiful to read that I can’t help but rave about Romanov every chance I get!

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Hands down The Cellar by Natasha Preston. There was nothing inherently wrong with the book, but I read it when I was around 14 or 15 years old and now, at 21, I still have flashbacks of how creepy it was every time I see the cover. Needless to say, I rehomed the copy I bought a long time ago as to avoid any further stress to my psyche!

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Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas totally takes the cake for this one. I don’t typically cry for very long even if something that happens is super sad, but since I’ve followed the Throne of Glass series for so long and this book was the finale, it just hit me different. There were SO MANY moments in this almost 1,000-page beauty I got misty-eyed at, and for that reason, it’s gotta be the winner.

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The overall message of Jenn Bennett’s Starry Eyes was without a doubt meant for people like me, who plan their lives away and leave little to chance. I could totally understand Zorie’s struggles with this and saw a lot of myself in her — both the good and the not-so-good. While both of us are sure to still plan some things out, I think both of our adventures have taught us that going with the flow won’t kill us and sometimes, the plans we don’t make turn out way better than those we could have possibly laid out for ourselves!

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I recently made a whole post just on some of my favorite childhood reads, but the one that stands out the most to me is The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. I just love the “give and give freely” message it sends to readers of all ages, and I think it’s a lesson that’s so important for all of us to remember as we go through life!

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I am 100% addicted to summery contemporary reads, so this is a super hard one for me to answer. The first book that came to mind was The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen, so we’ll go with that one! I loved the summery lake setting and the hilariously relatable characters that, as high schoolers, just wanted to live it up (even to their own detriment sometimes!). Whenever I pick up a summery contemporary, I expect it to bring a smile to my face, and The Rest of the Story kept me smiling from ear to ear throughout the entire novel!

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Watching Camryn’s journey to work through her grief and find herself again in J. A. Redmerski’s The Edge of Never was one I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget. Being in your early to mid twenties sure does make life feel like a super tricky maze, but sometimes trying to navigate through it is part of the fun, even if you find it in the unlikeliest of places. Ughh… just writing about this book makes me want to do ANOTHER re-read!

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Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo — ’nuff said. I honestly don’t think I’ve been able to work through this one yet, and I read this book going on three years ago now! I’ve heard that there are plans in the works to have one more in the series that takes place quite a few years down the road from the other two, and I really hope this is the case because I MUST know what the Ketterdam gang is up (and if a certain two characters did end up sparking up a little romance after all!).

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As I was thinking up an answer to this question, I realized how many amazing female characters there are in YA and it made my heart so happy! One of my favorites is Katherine from Virginia Boecker’s An Assassin’s Guide to Love and Treason. She is just such a dynamic character — on one hand, she’s content enjoying her role in Shakespeare’s upcoming play, but on the other, she’s secretly having to come up with a plan to murder the queen. Seeing both sides to Katherine’s character and watching her true, witty and hilarious personality shine through from time to time was just a blast to watch play out. I so wish there was a sequel!

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I hardly ever read books that I would consider “haunting,” but I do remember reading Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick many years ago and Britt’s story has remained ingrained in my brain ever since. Getting stuck in a snowstorm, being taken hostage, attempting to escape alive… yeah, I’d say that qualifies as haunting, just in a non-ghostly way!

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Mackenzi Lee’s The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy totally fits the bill for this one! Well, the entire Montague Siblings series does, basically, but that’s because these books are so much fun to read! I absolutely adore Lee’s writing style, the quirkiness of the characters, and how any time I open one of these books, I’m completely captivated and feel an overwhelming sense of adventure. Since the release date for the final book keeps getting pushed back, I am yearning hardcore right now for more of these fantastic characters!

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I’ve always said that animals are so much better than humans, and I guess this holds true for fictional animals as well because I would totally lay my life down for Bambi the snake from Jennifer L. Armentrout’s Dark Elements series. Not only is she totally dope, but it’s clear that he people love her very much and after a certain EVENT happened in one of the books, I can’t deal with Bambi not getting the chance to live a long, happy life.

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I’m so sad to even be typing this, but The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert. It’s one of only a handful of books I wasn’t able to finish, and I was so upset because the synopsis was right up my alley. I may try to give it another shot in the future, but that possibility looks grim as of the moment.

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That’s it for the Folklore Book Tag! I absolutely love putting together these types of tags because 1) I love music and 2) they make me think super hard about all the books I’ve read so I pick the best ones I can for each question! Agree/disagree with some of my picks, or maybe you’ve done this tag yourself? Leave me a comment below and let’s chat! Drop me links to your versions, as well – I always loving seeing your answers! Until next week, bookish buddies!

May your weekend be full of fun reading with TSwizzle providing a relaxing ambiance in the background 🙂

Bonus Content, Book Tags

The Valentine’s Day Book Tag

February 12, 2021March 1, 2021 bookspirationbysarah

Hello, bookish loves, and welcome back to the blog! Since Valentine’s Day is just two short days away, I thought we could celebrate this holiday of love by talking about my very first love: books! This is one of those posts that requires little introduction, so let’s just jump right into this, shall we?

1) Stand alone book you love

Romanov was one of my first reads of 2021, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it/recommending it to anyone who loves strong family dynamics and tales of history blended with a little magic.

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2) Dystopian book you love

I honestly can’t remember the last time I read a true dystopian novel, but Legend is one of the few that feels like I just read it yesterday. It was published in 2011, but if you haven’t given Legend a read yet and are itching for a good dystopian read, I highly recommend giving this beaut a try!

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3) A book that you love but no one else talks about

It absolutely flabbergasts me that people STILL aren’t talking about this book! It literally had everything I was expecting and more. I laughed out loud on numerous occasions, fell in love with the Shakespearian tie-ins, and was wishing for more of this tale by its end. Just read it so we can chat about it together, you guys!

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4) Favorite book couple

This question always gives me legit anxiety to answer because there are SO MANY amazing book couples to choose from! In honor of this being a Valentine’s Day post, I think I’m digging Lara Jean and Peter from Jenny Han’s To All the Boys series. They’re just one of the sweetest fictional couples out there, plus I’ve been dying to give this series a re-read!

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5) A book that other people love but you haven’t read yet

Some of you may be having a mini heart attack reading this, but Harry Potter has just never been a good fit for what I’ve always enjoyed reading. No other comments from me on this one other than I am v sorry to disappoint all of you Potterheads. I swear I am a real booknerdigan like the rest of you, but I just don’t think this book/series will end up on my TBR anytime soon.

6) A book with red on the cover

In addition to this cover being the most beautiful shade of red, I am obsessed with this series and can’t believe this is the final book in this world!

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7) A book with pink on the cover

This beautiful pink book has been on my TBR for so long, and I really hope 2021 is the year I finally dive into this read!

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8) You were given a box of chocolates. What fictional boyfriend would have given them to you?

Daniel from Jenn Bennett’s Serious Moonlight would 100 percent be the guy to go the traditional route (albeit so sweet and delicious!) for a Valentine’s Day gift. And as much as he loves pie, there’s no doubt he has as much of a sweet tooth as I do!

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9) You are single on Valentine’s Day. What book would you read? What TV show would you watch? What movie would you watch?

Ha, this is funny because I’ve been single most of the Valentine’s Days I’ve been alive and never thought about any of these questions until right now. I’d probably re-read one of my favorite Jennifer L. Armentrout books, watch some kind of Valentine’s Day-themed Food Network show on TV, and any Hallmark movie because those are always so adorable and romantic.

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10) You are in the bookstore. All of the sudden you get shot with an arrow by Cupid. What new release will you love?

Though I haven’t read it yet (just a few days away from its release date, hallelujah!), A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas takes the cake, for sure! I’m wrapping up my re-read of the ACOTAR series as we speak and I cannot contain my excitement without the help of Cupid’s arrow. I think I would be losing my mind if I had actually been shot with one because this read is one of my most anticipated forthe year!

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That’s a wrap on the Valentine’s Day Book Tag! Thank you all so much for reading, and I hope you get to spend this beautiful holiday with those you love! What are some books that put you in the Valentine’s Day spirit? Drop me your recommendations below and let’s chat about them!

Until next week, bookish friends! May your weekend be filled with sweet reads and lots of love! ❤

Bonus Content, Book Tags

The Bookshelf Scavenger Hunt Tag!

September 25, 2020December 9, 2020 bookspirationbysarah

Happy Friday, bookish friends! After seeing this awesome idea over on Words About Words’ blog, I decided I’d give it a go myself using the books I have on my bookshelf… err, shelves because I’m kind of a book hoarder (sorry not sorry ’bout it, y’all). Let’s dive right in, shall we?

1) Find an author name or title with a Z in it

2) Find a classic

3) Find a book with a key on it

4) Find something on your bookshelf that is not a book

5) Find the oldest book on your shelf

6) Find a book with a woman on it

7) Find a book that has an animal on it

8) Find a book with a male protagonist

9) Find a book with only words on the cover

10) Find a book with illustrations in it

11) Find a book with gold lettering

12) Find a diary, true or fictional

13) Find a book written by an author with a common surname (like Smith)

14) Find a favorite childhood book

15) Find a book on your shelf that takes place in the earliest time period

16) Find a hardback book without a jacket

17) Find a teal/turquoise-colored book

18) Find a book with stars on it

19) Find a non-YA book

20) Find a book with a beautiful cover

I was shocked at how challenging it was to find some of these on my shelf, but somehow I managed to find a book that fit each category, thank goodness! Have you guys given this tag a try? If not, I nominate YOU to give it shot — it may be harder than you think, but so much fun! 😉

Until next week, bookish buddies! I hope your weekend is full of exciting reads 🙂

Bonus Content, Book Tags

The Liebster Award

September 18, 2020December 9, 2020 bookspirationbysarah

Hello, fellow readers! Welcome back to another Bonus Content Friday! I’m so excited to share that this week’s post is a book tag I was nominated to do by a fellow blogger, Riddhi Bhargava over at Whispering Stories. Thank you so much for the nomination, Riddhi! Please go give her blog some love when you get finished over here — she has some fabulous content up on her site!

The Rules:

Thank the blogger who nominated you and provide a link to their blog
Answer the 11 questions given to you
Nominate 11 other bloggers
Ask your nominees 11 questions

Riddhi’s Questions for Me:

1) What is your favorite book series?

This question is such a hard one because there are so many series that are near and dear to my heart. If I had to pick just one, it would have to be the Dark Elements series by Jennifer L. Armentrout. The characters are just so lovable (and some hateable lol!), the plot is perfectly paced and action-packed, and the plot twists blow my mind every time I read it. It was also one of the first series that got me into reading!

2) What is your favorite song?

Hamilton - Broadway | Tickets | Broadway | Broadway.com

My favorite song changes almost weekly (so many good tunes out there now, y’all!), but this week’s would have to be Blow Us All Away from the musical, Hamilton. I don’t know what it is about this song that’s so addictive (the whistling because I can’t for the life of me whistle, maybe?), but I swear I could listen to it for an hour straight and not get bored of it!

3) Favorite movie?

Divergent (Includes Digital Copy) (dvd_video) : Target

I’m not a big movie-watcher, but I guess I would have to pick Divergent for this one since I always feel so kick butt after watching it (even though I sure as heck would not have been a Dauntless!). And, it just so happens to be a book-to-movie adaptation, so perfect choice to put on my book blog, I think!

4) What are your hobbies?

I made this cake for my stepsister’s wedding this past year, along with matching cupcakes! Both tiers are white, but the lighting makes the bottom tier look cream, for some reason.

When I’m not reading or blogging, I absolutely love to cook and bake! I also have the most precious two-year-old sheltie pup named Rowan (yes, named after the fictional character from Throne of Glass!) that I have so much fun hanging out with in my free time.

5) Dogs or cats?

I know I’m supposed to just pick one but I literally cannot for this one — BOTH!!! Huge animal lover here if you can’t tell!

6) Favorite genre?

My favorite genre definitely fluctuates from time to time, but I think with the current goings on of the world, I have been reading a lot more contemporary romances than I used to and LOVING them because they never fail to bring a smile to my face!

7) One genre you have never read?

Horror fiction — and I don’t plan to read it ever, if I can help it! I’m not a huge fan of doing/reading things that intentionally scare me, though I do know a lot of people who enjoy this genre of reading!

8) Favorite month of the year?

You’re killing me with these tough questions, Riddhi (LOL!). Though I don’t love the cold weather, my favorite month would have to be December because I love the family time I get to soak up around the holidays. The long break from school is also a huge plus since I have so much extra time to dedicate to other, more exciting things (like blogging and reading!).

9) One thing that people love about you?

8,000+ Free Creativity & Creative Illustrations - Pixabay

Other than my endless book recommendations (HA!), I think people appreciate the fact that I’m willing to help them brainstorm and implement creative solutions to relatively common problems they are having to contend with. This especially comes in handy and has appeared to be helpful to others when we have had to work together on college group projects.

10) One character you would die for?

Oh, man. Hmmm…. This one has to be the toughest question on the list because most of the characters I would want to save are perfectly capable of saving their own lives even in the most extreme of circumstances. I guess I would have to go with Percy and Monty from A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue because they’re kind of hot messes and could use all the help they could get if put in a life or death situation!

11) Which habit of yours do you want to change?

Free Nail Biter Cliparts, Download Free Clip Art, Free Clip Art on Clipart Library

So I actually just recently just started working on this, but I am a habitual fingernail-chewer when I get stressed out. Luckily this habit is almost broken now, but I’d totally be lying if I said I wasn’t guilty of falling back into this bad habit!

My Nominees:

Questions for My Nominees:

Least favorite genre you’ve read?
Favorite animal?
What’s something many people don’t know about you?
Favorite book you’ve read this month?
Who is your favorite author?
How many books do you own (physical, ebooks, and audiobooks included)?
Favorite midnight snack?
What post on your blog are you most proud of and why?
Paperbacks or hardcovers?
Favorite season?
Fruits or vegetables?

Even if I didn’t tag you, I still highly encourage all of you to do this tag. Not only was it a ton of fun, but it will also help your readers find some fabulous new book blogs to check out — what a great way to support others in the bookish community, right? 🙂

Until next week, bookish friends! May your weekend be filled with all the books 🙂

Bonus Content, Book Tags

The Birthday Book Tag!

August 28, 2020December 9, 2020 bookspirationbysarah

birthday#cake#birthdaycake#happy#happybirthday#candels#c#light ...

Hello, bookish friends! I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate my 21st birthday than with you all, talking about books, so I did some digging and found the Birthday Book Tag — YAYY! The creator of this tag is Antonia over at Always Books. Big shout out to her and her awesome creativity! Y’all ready to talk all things books and birthdays? Me too, so let’s get to it!

Girl and boy live next door to each other, are basically complete opposites, and fall in love in the summertime? Yeah, the overall concept of this book is totally cliche, but I can’t help but love it anyway! The characters are oh so lovable, the writing is absolutely beautiful, and this book perfectly describes the ups, downs, and awkwardness of first love. Every time I pick it up (even if I just pick it up to clean off my bookshelf), I can’t help but smile because My Life Next Door is just that sweet!

Amazon.com: The Nobleman's Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks ...

If you’ve been hanging around my blog for awhile, you already know that my love for the Montague Siblings series by Mackenzi Lee knows no bounds, so when I saw that there was ANOTHER book, I could hardly contain my excitement! I’ve been longing for Lee’s hilariously relatable characters and quirky writing style since I finished the last book in the series. Not to wish my life away or anything, but can it be December already so I can go buy The Nobleman’s Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks, please?

When I picked up this book, I was a little bit unsure as to how I would feel about it, as usually Sarah Dessen books are either a hit or a miss for me. The fact that this book will go down in history as one of my favorite contemporaries I’ve read in my life shocks me to say, but it’s true, folks! I loved that even though there were some very light romantic undertones, the main focus remained on Saylor getting to know her mother’s side of the family and filling in the blanks surrounding her mother’s past, which ended up helping Saylor find a new part of herself she didn’t realize was there before. The Rest of the Story was funny, heartwarming, emotional, and just so much fun to read from beginning to end.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely (Cursebreakers, #1)

I’m totally not going to lie to you guys: Whenever I hear a whole lot about an upcoming release months before it actually hits shelves, I do sort of avoid said very hyped book for at least a few months to see what readers really think about it. With A Curse So Dark and Lonely, I waited a few months per my usual system, but when I finally finished reading it, I wanted to kick myself for waiting so long! I absolutely loved the characters, the world-building, and all the fairytale tie-ins. Don’t let the hype scare you like it did me — this book is totally deserving of all the attention it got!

House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City, #1)

You guys already know that I love this book for so many reasons: it’s action-packed, the characters are total smart alecks but have so many layers, and the world-building is seriously incredible. Something you all may not know is that there were numerous points in this book that I literally got teary-eyed at because the writing was just that beautiful. There were quotes from character that made me laugh so dang hard that I cried as well, so this book definitely has a good balance of emotional and humorous elements. I don’t think I will be forgetting this read for a long time. If you haven’t read House of Earth and Blood yet, just do it! You won’t be disappointed!

The Edge of Never (The Edge of Never, #1)

Don’t get me wrong: I LOVED this book when I read it the first (and second) time! However, I think I was just enjoying the story and beautiful writing and not actually taking in the true meaning the author was trying to convey through the main characters. If I were to pick this up and read it now that I have some true life experience under my belt, I think I would be able to relate more to Camryn and her journey. Guess that means it’s time for a re-read to see if my theory holds true, huh?

This is kind of a crazy choice because this fantasy is about as dark as it can get, but hear me out! I read this duology a couple of months before I started my first year of college. As someone who wasn’t a huge fan of change at the time, I found the transition to this new phase of life a little overwhelming (I’m sure some of you can relate to this!). I loved this series because I was so invested in these characters and the super dope plot that it gave my brain something to do other than stress about what was coming next for me. And dang did it keep me on my toes because THOSE PLOT TWISTS, MAN!

What a perfect way to round out my birthday week — right here with you guys talking about some great reads! I encourage all of you to do this tag when it gets close to your birthdays, and if you’ve already done it, drop links below so I can check out your answers!