The Coffee Book Tag

It’s time for my first tag of 2020 2023 and this time it’s all about coffee. Firstly thank you so much to Sahi @ My World Of Books for tagging me in this. All of you should definitely go and check out their answers, along with the rest of their wonderful page. Secondly I’m so incredibly sorry for how ridiculously late my response to this is. I’ve honestly had this typed up since sometime in early 2020 (hence the original introduction) then somehow never got around to posting it. And thirdly I have a confession to make: I’m not a fan of coffee.

Yeah so that last bit is no longer true! When I was freezing cold one day I caved and tried a coffee to warm up and loved it. I will say that it has to have milk in it and some kind of sweetener but there are times when coffee definitely hits the spot. And tbh I pretty much always adore the flavoured varieties now. Cinnamon bun coffees – which I believe were limited edition only – were absolutely divine. So please, please bring them back one day!

Black Coffee:
A series that’s tough to get into but has hardcore fans

There were two answers that immediately came to mind in regards to this question but, as I haven’t attempted reading the other before ^{_{(what the hell was it?!?)}}, I’m going with The Lord Of The Rings. To be fair I only attempted to read this once, years and years ago, and gave up without really giving it much of a chance. It definitely strikes me as a series that could be harder to get into though and yet it’s certainly also one with a lot of major fans. One day I do plan to try and read this series again. Maybe next year; maybe much later… basically it depends on how my reading goes.

Peppermint Mocha:
A book that gets more popular during winter or a festive time of year

This is one series that I definitely plan to finally get read this year. It’s also certainly a series that seemed to get a lot more popular as winter started approaching. I’ve seen the Winternight Trilogy mentioned on a lot of different book lists lately. It sounds absolutely spectacular and I honestly can’t wait to finally discover this magical world for myself.

Hot Chocolate:
Your favorite children’s book

I had a lot of favourite series when I was growing up but the one that I couldn’t help but instantly think of was the My Naughty Little Sister books. I remember loving both the stories and illustrations in these stories and know that I picked up the book on many an occasion. I can still remember certain scenes from it now so I really must have read this series a lot!

Double Shot Of Espresso:
A book that kept you on the edge of your seat from start to finish

The Wicked King certainly kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish; how could it not with all that action, intrigue, betrayal and plot twists? There was literally always something happening in this book and I constantly had to keep turning pages to discover what would happen next.

Starbucks:
Name a book you see everywhere

Once again there were two books that popped into my head in regards to this question straight away. (And I hopelessly need to read both of them still but they’re definitely both books that I plan to get to during 2020). _{((What was the second one?? The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo maybe?))} I’ve gone with Red, White & Royal Blue this time though as I mentioned the other of these in my last book tag. I can’t wait to finally get my hands on a copy of this book to find out why it’s so popular. Although there’s definitely pressure there too because what if I don’t like it? I guess I’ll just have to wait and see how I find this book for myself.

And it will surprise no one to hear that this book is still on my TBR.

The Hipster Coffee Shop:
Give a book by an indie author a shout-out

Sorry if Darkness Falls isn’t by an indie author but I think it is? It came up when I searched for ‘books by indie authors’ anyway so fingers crossed. I ended up going for this one as I actually own a copy of it. It’s still sat unread on my Kindle but I do plan to read it eventually!

Oops! I Accidentally Ordered Decaf:
Name a book that you expected more from

I’m sorry to say this but for me this has to be Slayer. It was still an alright book (and I gave it an additional star for capturing the ‘feel’ of Buffy The Vampire Slayer so well although on reflection I wish I’d just gone with half a star for this) but something was missing for me. I think it needed a bit more grit and additional darkness. It honestly breaks my heart to say this though as I had such, such high hopes for this book.

The Perfect Blend:
Name a book or series that was both bitter and sweet, but ultimately satisfying

With a category heading of ‘The Perfect Blend’ I feel like I have to pick the Harry Potter Series for this one. To me these are the perfect books and I don’t think I’ll ever stop loving them. They’re also bitter, sweet and satisfying too though as there are so many moments of warmth and wonderful, darkness and despair and everything comes together in such a magnificent manner. So these books are both bitter and sweet; and I loved every single minute of them!

Chai Tea:
Name a book or series that makes you dream of far off places

Oh wow, why is this question so hard? I have a lot of books on my TBR that I think would fit this tag but I can’t think of any that I’ve read yet. I feel like The Kingdom Of Copper would be the perfect answer to this but I haven’t read it so I don’t know for sure. Okay I’m just going to go with Diary Of A Crush: French Kiss as that was the book that first made me desperate to go to Paris. That isn’t that far off from me but it definitely ignited a deep dream to visit the capital of France. So it counts. Besides which all of the fantasy novels that tend to come to mind are set in wildly dangerous places…

Earl Grey:
Name your favorite classic

Can I skip this one? I don’t have a favourite classic. I’ve only read one so far and I don’t feel right about calling it my favourite by default as my feelings about it were rather mixed. I found it – much to my surprise – to be fine at first but I can only read one book at a time and it started seeming to take forever; I wanted to get back to my regular books and I got fed up. (The book was Great Expectations by the way). Anyway I am hoping, once I get my TBR under control, to try and get a couple of classics read.

Ooh wait I finally have an answer that isn’t entirely by default. Emphasis on the entirely as it’s now the only classic that I’ve picked up by choice but I did actually enjoy it more than I expected to. Knowing that part of Dracula was set in Whitby I decided to finally read my copy when I spent some time there last year and was pleasantly surprised by it. The atmosphere that the novel created was wonderful and it was certainly intriguing to read one of the early vampire novels. Honestly if it weren’t for Van Helsings tendency to ramble I may have gone so far as to say I loved it.

Second update – I HATE Earl Grey. I was under this impression already but I accidentally made myself one the other week (heaven only knows how I got the peppermint and earl grey tea bags mixed up) and it was vile. Initially I thought it was tolerable but a few sips later I felt like I was going to be sick. Honestly I felt kind of ill for several hours afterwards. Why on earth would anyone pick earl grey over any other tea?

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I Tag:

Sophie @ Me & Ink
Kaya @ A Fictional Bookworm
Naemi & A Book Owl’s Corner
& anyone else who wants to do this.

Naturally there’s no pressure for anyone to do this but I really wanted to tag some people as this is my first tag of the year and I do look forward to seeing your answers if you decide to join in. I also cannot believe that this tag has been sitting completely filled out in my drafts since early 2020. Sorry again for how late this is coming to you all. Although, bright side, at least I got to update this post to say that I now adore coffee!

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I Should Read That Book Tag

It’s time for another tag and I honestly do feel that the timing for this one is perfect. What better time is there to think about the books that you need to read than at the end of one year and the start of another? So, like Caitlin, I’m definitely going to try and get the seven books that I mention here read next year. I also seriously want to start reading more, like I used to, in 2020 and hopefully keep at least kind of on top of new releases. So fingers crossed that it goes well.

Thank you so much to Caitlin for tagging me to do this. You should all definitely check out her answers along with the rest of her wonderful page; I can guarantee that you’ll find plenty to interest you.

The Rules:

• Thank the person who tagged you and link back to their post.
• Link to the creator’s blog in your 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

There isn’t just one particular person who keeps telling me to read The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo, it’s more like every blogger whose page that I look at is screaming at others to read it. So I definitely feel that I should hurry up and do so as soon as possible. Everybody seems to adore Taylor Jenkins Reid‘s books so I seriously need to find out what all the fuss is about. Hopefully I’ll pick this one up fairly early in the new year.

A Book That’s Been On Your TBR Forever And Yet You Still Haven’t Read It

Not only is Peter Pan And Wendy on my TBR I also own a copy of it and I think it’s probably the unread book that I’ve had for the longest? I actually can’t remember when I got it but when I was going through my books the other day I decided to read the first few paragraphs and was kind of curious. I don’t think it would take long to read either so 2020 will definitely be the year that I get this one read!

A Book In A Series You’ve Started, But Haven’t Gotten Around To Finishing

Sadly there are several series that I could pick for this question. There are five that immediately come to mind without me even having to take the time to think. So ideally I’d like to get all of them read in their entirety and finished next year. I loved the start of them all so I don’t really know why I never finished them. For this question I’m going to pick The Dark Days Pact though. It’s definitely one that I want to finish and also a series that I haven’t really seen mentioned since I started blogging. Plus I’m kind of in the mood for a regency era story with a supernatural twist!

A Classic You’ve Always Liked The Sound Of, But Have Never Actually Read

Lately I actually keep saying that I want to try and get some classics read. If I actually manage to get reading, and have a chance to get some of the books that I’m desperate to read, read, then I am hoping to read either one a month or every other month. Hopefully anyway. One major one that I always hear fantastic things about – and have somehow never even seen an adaptation of – is Pride And Prejudice. So that’s definitely one of the first that I hope to pick up.

A Popular Book That It Seems Everyone But You Has Read

For this one I definitely have to go with A Court Of Thorns And Roses. I don’t even know how I haven’t read this series yet. It’s by Sarah J. Maas (and I’ve loved what I’ve read by her so far) and it’s about the fae (which I also adore). So how have I not read this yet? Seriously how? 2020 I 100% will get this series read! And hopefully fall in love with it too.

Side Note: Throne Of Glass is another of those series that I have to finish and I’m highly anticipating Sarah J Maas’ next book and have her other on my TBR so basically in 2020 I want to read everything that this author has written. Fingers crossed.

A Book That Inspired A Film/TV Adaptation That You Really Love, But Just Haven’t Picked Up Yet

You is what immediately came to mind and, once again, I can’t believe I haven’t read this book yet. I really wanted to read both books before the new series came out and now… now I don’t know what to do. Do I read the books first and wait for the show or watch the show immediately because I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!! Decisions, decisions… Either way I’m reading the books in 2020 though.

A Book You See All Over Instagram But Haven’t Picked Up Yet

I haven’t been on my Instagram for a while – I’m hoping to start it up again in the new year – but I definitely remember seeing Stalking Jack The Ripper on it a fair few times and I’m desperate to read that series. I’m seriously hoping that I love it to be honest as, after being ill, I gave into the temptation to buy the whole series. So this is probably the first of these books that I’ll get to but I’m desperate to read them all. Ideally I’ll even get them read in the first half of 2020 but, knowing me, I doubt it. But yes the Stalking Jack The Ripper books are one of the next few that I’m reading for certain.

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I Tag:

Emma @ A Few Chapters Til Love
Sophie @ Me And Ink
MP @ Miscellany Pages
& anyone else who wants to do this.

I definitely think it’s a wonderful end/start of year tag. I’m probably going to re-do it next year at this time, in fact.

Naturally there’s no pressure for anyone to do this but if you do I look forward to seeing your answers.

The Sunshine Blogger Award – Take Two

I’ve got to say that I was absolutely over the moon to get nominated for this award not once but twice. It honestly means the world to me and I just want to say thank you so, so much to MP @ Miscellany Pages for tagging me. I love your questions and can’t wait to get started on answering them. Please do check out their answers to this tag along with the rest of their wonderful page; there really is some fantastic content to find there!

Who is the most under-rated author you have read? Shout about them here so we can go check them out!

I kind of wanted to say Melissa Marr as I really do feel like her Wicked Lovely series is majorly underappreciated but – as I mention that rather a lot – instead I’m going to go with Cat Clarke. I don’t think I’ve seen her mentioned yet since I’ve started blogging but she really does have some fantastic books which tend to be both compulsively readable and utterly heartbreaking. I’ve only read four books by her so far but I’ve enjoyed them all and can’t wait to check out some of her other books. Next up will probably be A Kiss In The Dark.

If you were transported into a book, what genre would it be?

Ah tough question! Based on my reading choices I guess it would end up being fantasy or at least something vaguely supernatural. My life seems much too average to imagine being transported into a fantastical world though. Regardless I have to stick with fantasy as there would be so much to see and do; so many fascinating mystical beings to meet and sights to see. Fingers crossed that it would be a fantasy world within a fairly safe time though!

Tell us your favourite book quote.

I’m hopeless at remembering quotes; if I look them up I love them, if asked about them on the spot my mind goes blank. So I’m going to pick one from a book that I haven’t read yet but which instantly left me wanting to read it. Why am I picking that one? Because it constantly sticks in my mind somehow, I guess maybe because it made me laugh?

“Some people are like Slinkies. They aren’t really good for anything, but they still bring a smile to my face when I push them down a flight of stairs.”

Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs

Name a book outside of your comfort zone that surprised you or changed your perspective.

I always say that I want to read more historical fiction but I never seem to get around to it. That being said I have read a few and, in this case, I definitely expected for The Good Doctor Of Warsaw to be a difficult read so, in that sense, I wasn’t surprised. It gave me more insight into historic events that I didn’t know all that much about though. Naturally I knew some information about World War II but what I was taught in school never included mention of Warsaw or Dr Janusz Korczak. This book definitely inspired me to try and pick up others like it, to learn more about events that I lack much knowledge of. It also broke my heart to be honest. But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t read it; you absolutely, 100% should.

What is your favourite book that you had to study in school or college?

For me this has to be The Kite Runner. It’s another devastating book that really opens your eyes to different events. There weren’t actually over many books that I had to study that I enjoyed, to be honest, but that doesn’t lessen the fact that this was fantastic.

What is your number one book to film/TV adaptation?

This absolutely has to be The Hunger Games! The adaptations of these were just fantastic. I love every aspect of them to be honest; every member of the cast perfectly suited their characters and played them so, so well. And Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss; incredible. Truly they could not have found a better person to play that part. Now I want to go and rewatch those fabulous films.

If you gave one piece of wisdom to your younger self, what would it be?

Not to let myself get so cut off from people; to find some sort of club to join if nothing else. That may sound a bit odd but I have really bad social anxiety and ended up accidentally isolating myself over time so yeah, I’d definitely have to advice myself against that as it’s very hard to meet new people now.

What is your favourite hobby outside of reading?

I love making jigsaw puzzles, especially when I can find fantasy art style ones; they’re absolutely gorgeous! I’ve loved making puzzles for as long as I can remember to be honest. And then there’s dance too. I do get self conscious doing it thanks to my anxiety but it’s also good fun. I do Ballroom & Latin once a week (:

Show us your favourite photo on your phone.

I love a lot of the pictures on my phone but ultimately I had to choose this one. It’s of my last two dogs, Alfie and Penny, who I miss so much. As you can see they’re both absolutely gorgeous and just adorable! They both had such wonderful personalities too and I miss them every day.

What is your biggest worry or insecurity about your blog? We all have them, so let us reassure you!

Probably that I’m not good enough at writing posts; that they aren’t interesting, engaging or well written enough. I panic a lot about whether the content that I share is good enough. I also worry that I don’t read enough but I’m hoping that that’ll change soon.I definitely want to throw myself back into reading once I’ve finished off a couple of blog posts that I have planned for January.

Free question: what do you wish people asked in tags, but they never do? Now’s your chance to answer it!

I really struggled with this one at first but then I remembered something that I’d thought of before that gave me a question and an answer:

What’s one thing that you think should be taught in schools?

Definitely some kind of basic First Aid along with some details about certain diseases and conditions. The main thing that I’ve never understood is why they don’t teach you what to do if somebody is choking. That’s definitely something that could potentially be life saving. Then there’s things like the recovery position and what to do if you find someone whose unconscious; I know you’d call for help but it would be good if they taught people what else to do too. And then health wise I think that schools should teach people the warning signs of certain medial conditions and diseases. You get the adverts on TV concerning strokes, for instance, but I was never told about them in school. I just feel that some basic first aid teachings and background information on these things could truly be useful to people.

I Nominate:

Kaya @ A Fictional Bookworm
Madison @ Madison’s Inkwell
Sophie @ Sophie’s Corner
Marie @ Drizzle & Hurricane
Aditi @ One In A Million
Kristin @ Kristin Kraves Books
Evelyn @ Evelyn Reads
Lais @ The Bookish Skies
El @ Elated Books
Sara @ The Bibliophagist
Jade @ The Elder Books

Obviously there’s no pressure for any of you to do this but I wanted to nominate as many people as it said to as it’s an awards tag and I think it’s a wonderful way to show other bloggers that you appreciate their posts.

1. What book, if any, would you most love to see a prequel of?
2. What were/are your favourite and least favourite subjects at school?
3. What’s your favourite film that was released in 2019?
4. What fairytale character would you be willing to trade places with?
5. What inspired you to start blogging?
6. What’s one piece of advice that you think all new bloggers should know?
7. If you could meet anyone, past or present, who would it be and why?
8. What’s your favourite lesser known, or talked about, book?
9. Which fictional character do you most admire?
10. What generally beloved character gets under your skin?
11. What are you goals for 2020?

Spicy Pumpkin Latte Book Tag

Yes it’s time for another tag, this time all about the vast array of drinks that come out in the fall. I loved answering all of these questions… although I also now really want to go and try out a few of these delicious sounding drinks. Admittedly I’m not the biggest fan of coffee – I find it too bitter in general – but I have quite liked the odd latte in the past so as long as the flavouring, and not the coffee, takes center stage I think I could see myself quite liking some of these drinks.

Also sorry if I still need to read your recent posts or answer your comments. I’m trying to balance getting everything posted on time, preparing for Christmas and catching up on everybody else’s blogs too but I am getting there.

Thank you so much to Rukky @ Eternity Books  and Kaya @ A Fictional Bookworm for tagging me. Please do check out both of their pages, they’re really wonderful and have some absolutely fantastic content.

Rules:

• Link back to the original post (hint, it’s this one!)
• Thank the person who tagged you
• Do the prompts below
• Tag some friends
• Most importantly – have fun!

Pumpkin Spice Latte:
A book you didn’t think you’d love

Obviously I thought I’d enjoy The Man Who Didn’t Call, otherwise I wouldn’t have picked it up, but I was surprised by how much I ended up loving it. The plot was a lot more twisty than I’d anticipated and it definitely went to show me that I need to take a few more chances when it comes to picking up different books.

Hot Apple Cider:
A book that got you a bit hot under the collar

I loved getting to see Dimitri in Blood Promise and it was pretty hard not to get caught up in Rose’s lusty haze. So really what better choice for this question is there?

Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate:
A book that felt like a warm hug

Why do I always struggle on questions like this? Why do I not read ‘warm hug’ books? I have them on my TBR… I just never get around to picking them up. Okay I’m really stuck so I’m going to have to go with Harry Potter again, this time The Philosopher’s Stone. It’s definitely a warm hug kind of book as it’s the one that started off this beloved series in the first place. It introduces the wonderful world of magic and I just love it so, so much. Next year I will definitely make an effort to read more warm, upbeat books :L

Maple Pecan Latte:
A book you enjoyed that was hard to get into

I’m not sure why but I struggled to get into The Ruby In The Smoke several times before I finally picked it up, read the whole book and actually thoroughly enjoyed it by the end. So why’d I struggle? I have absolutely no idea. I will say that if you also struggled with the first book though give it another chance or else try one of the later ones; once I hit book three I literally couldn’t put these down.

London Fog:
A vanilla character

Once again I’m struggling; I can think of characters that I didn’t like but not anyone that I’d particularly consider to be ‘vanilla’. Possibly because they’re so average that I’ve forgotten about them? So I’m just going to go with the closest answer that I can think of and that’s the killer from The Pact. I’m not going to name, names because spoilers and they weren’t 100% vanilla but when you try to look at them as a killer? Yeah…much too vanilla and unlikely.

Hot Buttered Rum:
A book that was velvety smooth to read

As far as I’m concerned Stepsister was absolutely velvety smooth to read with it’s beautiful writing and glorious morals. I’d happily pick it up again this instant to be honest.

Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew:
A character whose temperament is icy cold

Beira from Wicked Lovely immediately came to mind when it comes to this question. Firstly she’s definitely icy cold in terms of temperament but she’s also the Winter Queen which surely gets her bonus icy points?

Salted Caramel Mocha:
A book that you’re salty about

I’m going to take an entirely different angle on this question and pick a book that I haven’t read yet but I feel gets a lot of unfair hate. Why haven’t I read it? Because it’s not even out yet. The book I’m talking about is Chain Of Gold and I know that it also gets a lot of love but I personally don’t understand the hate. Is it yet another Shadowhunter book? Yes. But if you don’t like the series or number of books then just don’t read it. Why complain about it without even giving it a chance? Yes Cassandra Clare has numerous series within the Shadowhunter world but she’s still written less books than there are in some other series. Plus some are in different periods of time which I think is amazing. So yes I’m salty about this book but not because of the book itself, it’s much more about some of the negativity that I see towards it. Basically if you don’t like it, don’t read it.

Honey Bee Latte:
A character who is sweet

It’s been a while since I’ve read the books so maybe I’m completely mis-remembering but I think that Bonnie from The Vampire Diaries was pretty sweet? The book version of her anyway. Don’t get me wrong I loved her in the show as well but she was much more fierce and powerful in that. Whereas in the books I think she was kind of baby-bird like and protected by others. But like I’ve said I could be wrong.

Gingerbread Latte:
A character you’d take home for Christmas

I answered this question on a Christmas tag, that I’m not sure if I’ll get around to posting or not as I’m so behind right now, but I picked Newt Scamander and even though I haven’t read the Fantastic Beasts books I have to pick him. He’s just perfect to take home for Christmas. He’s just…Newt; come on, wouldn’t you want him home for Christmas too? He hasn’t got a bad bone in his body, he loves animals, he’d definitely bring some fascinating magical creatures with him, he’s adorable and it would mean that magic was real! So 100% Newt.

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I’m not going to tag anyone as it’s such a busy time of year – and I have another award tag coming up that I want to mention some people in – but if you want to do this tag then definitely feel free to do so. It’s such a wonderful tag to do and I had so much fun with it.

The Sunshine Blogger Award

Firstly thank you so, so much to Emma for nominating me for this award. It honestly means the world to me and I’m not surprised that you were nominated for this one four times; you’re such a wonderful person and you’ve made me feel so welcome in the blogging world. Please do check out all of her answers here but also follow her on her new wordpress page here.

Rules:

• Thank the blogger who nominated you and link back to their page so others can see how amazing they are, too!
• List the rules in the post and the badge somewhere on your website
• Answer the 11 questions you got asked
• Nominate 11 new bloggers for this award and let them know
• Ask the nominees 11 new questions!

What is your favourite fairy tale that you will read any retelling of?

Ooh hard question! I love fairy tale retellings but I’m really not sure which my favourite tale would be. I personally really love The Wicked Queen from Snow White and am always on the lookout for good versions of her (so far my favourite is the TV version of her in Once Upon A Time) but as for an actual whole story I’m not so sure. I’ve never especially decided that Beauty & The Beast is my favourite but I think it possibly might be? I have A LOT of retellings of it on my TBR anyway. Plus it involves enemies to lovers which is kind of a weakness of mine. I also love the idea of Peter Pan retellings too though. Basically I need to really start reading some of these retellings!!

Have you ever found a movie to be better than a book?

As a reader I feel like I should say no to this question but the truth is that yes I have, although it isn’t very often. The main example that springs to mind for me is The Lovely Bones. I know a lot of people love that book but for me it just didn’t work at all. Possibly because I’d already seen the film? I also tried reading Practical Magic earlier on this year and although I was enjoying it I wasn’t as into it as I’d hoped (then I fell into a slump and stopped). So possibly that movie too but if that’s the case then it’s most likely due to the fact that I’ve seen the movie about a dozen times before picking up the book. And, hopefully, I’ll at least fall in love with the sequel.

How did / do you feel about required reading at school? (Did you enjoy it?)

Truthfully I wasn’t a fan. I think there were a few books that we were assigned that I didn’t mind reading but for the most part I wasn’t interested in them. I also hate having to go through and analyze every aspect of a book; I like reading for enjoyment, not to pick a story apart line by line. Also, for some horrible reason, when we were assigned books to read during registration I got given a dictionary -_- I mean really? What’s wrong with some fiction?

What is a book you wish would be turned into a movie or series?

Definitely the Wicked Lovely series; I’ve literally been waiting for someone to turn that into a movie for years! Maybe then the series would get some more attention. Plus it’s fae and I just love Melissa Marr’s take on them. Of course it would have to be done well as it’d break my heart if it wasn’t.

What is your favourite quote from a book?

I’m terrible at remembering quotes and even worse at picking favourites – as soon as I start looking them up I find hundreds that I love. So I’m going to share one from a book that I read this year which had some truly beautiful, and meaningful, writing within it.

‘Mamam wielded shame like an assassin wields a dagger, driving it straight into her victim’s heart. She would win; she always won. Isabelle knew that. How many times had she cut away parts of herself at her mother’s demand? The part that laughed too loudly. That rode too fast and jumped too high. The part that wished for a second helping, more gravy, a bigger slice of cake.
If I marry the prince, I will be a princess, Isabelle thought. And one day, a queen. And no one will dare call me ugly ever again.’

Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly.

Is there a book you can never finish, no matter how many times you try?

As of yet no. Although I seriously need to try and read some classics sometime. I’ve also struggled in the past with some books but, so far, whenever I’ve picked them up again I’ve managed to finish them. Some I even really enjoyed the second time around.

What is your most anticipated release of the year? (It could have already been released this year)

Oh there are loads but if I had to pick just one from the year so far which I still need to read then it would have to be Queen Of Nothing; I seriously can’t wait to get on with it! When it comes to books that I’m still waiting to come out then it’s Blood Countess 100% although that seems a bit unfair as there are only a few weeks left in the year :L

Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate?

Generally tea. That’s the one that I drink most often anyway. Although, as I drink so much of it at home, if I’m out I tend to order hot chocolate. And sometimes it’s just lovely to curl up with a nice cup of that anyway.

Who is your favourite fictional villain?

Is it really bad if I pick someone fairly obvious and say Tom Riddle? Although I want to stress that this is back when he still is Tom Riddle rather than Lord Voldemort. Okay I think his character is well written and fascinating in either instance but I do find it really interesting when you get to see glimpses of his younger self in several of the books. I want more of his backstory, more of him charming people and twisting them around his finger. I want to know what he did and how he gained followers. I just think that, back before everybody knew him as Lord Voldemort, that he’d be incredibly interesting to learn about. I love seeing charismatic villains that draw people in despite their actions and, in his youth, Tom Riddle was just that. So it may be a fairly obvious answer but I’m sticking with it.

Have you ever had someone damage a book you lent them? What did you say to them?

Thankfully no. At least not that I can remember. Although I did let one of my aunts borrow a couple of my books once and they took months to return them… is it bad that I believe I was getting panicky about their condition? Or whether I’d ever actually get them back.

Do you think digital and audiobooks will ever fully replace physical books?

Probably not. I know a lot of people love them and they definitely have their positives – particularly that you can take numerous books with you without weighing yourself down – but I feel like there will always be a place for books. A lot of people just seem to love physical ones more and I must admit that it is lovely to actually hold a copy of a book that you love – especially if it’s got a gorgeously designed cover too. Plus, even if they did stop producing books for some reason, then the old ones are always going to have a place in the world I think. People collect those, after all.

I Nominate:

Sophie @ Me And Ink
Caitlin @ Caitlin Althea
Mandy & Sha @ Book Princess Reviews
Sofi @ A Book A Thought
Jasmine @ These Paper Words
Rukky @ Eternity Books
Chelsie @ My Reading Escape
Mogsy @ The Bibliosanctum
Rain @ The Withering Blog
Leelynn @ Sometimes Leelynn Reads
Emer @ A Little Haze Book Blog

Obviously there’s no pressure for any of you to do this but I wanted to nominate as many people as it said to as it’s an awards tag and I think it’s a wonderful way to show other bloggers that you appreciate their posts.

My Questions:

1. Are there any 2020 releases that you’re already excited for? If so which ones?
2. What’s your favourite book to TV adaptation?
3. If you could step into the world of any book which one would it be?
4. What author would you love to see more books from?
5. Do you prefer enemies to lovers or friends to lovers romances in books?
6. If you could pick any book to be turned into a musical, which would it be?
7. What supernatural creature do you think we need to see more of in fiction?
8. What’s your favourite time of day?
9. What two authors do you think would write an amazing book together?
10. What are your hobbies outside of reading and blogging?
11. If you could get everybody to read one book what would it be and why?

The Pancake Book Tag

It’s time for another tag and this time it’s all about pancakes! I’d actually love to go and have some, or a waffle, sometime as a Christmas treat but I guess I’ll have to wait and see what happens.

Anyway thank you so much to the lovely Sophie @ Sophie’s Corner for tagging me to do this (: I really look forward to answering these questions and taking part in this tag that I’ve seen around so much since I started blogging. Please do make sure to check out Sophie’s answers to this tag and the rest of her wonderful page too!!

Rules:

• Link back to the original creator in your post— who is Becky from Blogs of a Bookaholic once I’ve finished scheduling my posts for tomorrow I’m 100% checking out her page myself (:
• Thank the person who tagged you– As I said above I was tagged by the lovely Sophie!!
• Feel free to use any of my pancake graphics in your post, or create your own! (I have used Becky’s lovely graphics— look how wonderful they are!!)
• Tag 5 other people at the end of your post, and let them know you’ve tagged them.

Last time that I had to look up quotes for a tag I was left a bit awestruck by some of the beautiful ones in To Kill A Kingdom. I know that I loved the book when reading it but how on earth did I not pick up on how quoteable and breathtaking the writing was at the time?

I honestly can’t think of anyone better suited for this question than Jude from The Cruel Prince. Not only is she pretty sharp in the way that she can look after herself but she’s also one hell of a planner. She’s always thinking, scheming and struggling to keep her place in the world of the fae.

Once again I still need to pick up and read more stereotypical comfort reads! But I do plan to get to some soon. For now though it has to be Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban. There’s something so wonderful about slipping back into my favourite fictional world and what better way to do so than with my favourite book of the series? Although, in all honesty, if I pick one of these books up to read, I’ll probably end up re-reading the whole set.

Hmm… I’m not sure if I get book hangovers? At least not lately; instead I just randomly fall into slumps for no reason. But I’m working on it! I feel like Lord Of Shadows is definitely a book worthy of causing such a thing though. I mean, that ending?!? How on earth do you just simply pick up another book and move on after that?

The Wicked King definitely felt indulgent to me as I literally could not put it down. It had action, intrigue, twists and turns; a vast array of characters and enemies to lovers. Basically it had everything and each aspect was spectacular. What makes a more indulgent read than that?

I’m going to go for a more recent read for this answer and go with Dawes from Ninth House. Initially she seems cold and uncaring but I found myself surprisingly fond of her by the end of book one!

I need to read 13 Minutes again sometime but I think it should fit in with this question. There were definitely a lot of twists and turns involved in this book. Plus at least one major ‘OMG’ moment that I remember.

I think as I read the The Hunger Games books before seeing the movie I always wanted Katniss to end up with Gale. Then that ship was ruined for me (if you’re familiar with the book or movie you’ll know why) and at first I felt like she’d settled for Peeta. But now I really like them together. They went through such impossible, horrific events together and helped each other survive. Peeta’s love was crystal clear and so adorable. Katniss loved him, she was just oblivious to her feelings and I was too I think. But they really are perfect together.

Okay firstly I do like peanut butter :L Just to make that clear but anyway… what character could ever make me recoil as much as Count Olaf from A Series Of Unfortunate Events? Okay there are probably a few but he is pretty atrocious. Seriously he’s a terrible human being. And I’m pretty sure the physical descriptions of him were pretty unpleasant too.

I feel like Lady Midnight had almost everything that you could ask for in it when it comes to characters. There were people from different backgrounds and cultures, LGBT representation included and even a character with autism who was just tremendously well written! I adored them so, so much.

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I Tag:

Kaya @ A Fictional Bookwork
Sahi @ My World Of Books
Lauren @ Twenty-Seven Letters

I’m honestly not sure who has and hasn’t done this tag already as I’ve seen it around rather a lot? So if you haven’t already done it, and want to do so, consider yourself tagged too! And obviously there’s no pressure to the people who I have mentioned to do this.

Fall Is In The Air – Book Tag

It’s time for another fall book tag, featuring another set of wonderful questions. Thank you so much Chelsie @ My Reading Escape for tagging me to do this tag. I had a wonderful time answering these questions. If you haven’t already done so you should also definitely check out Chelsie’s page, there are some really fantastic posts over there.

This tag was created by The Book Angel over on Booktube.

Autumn:
A Book With Fall Colors (Orange, Yellow, Red)

I was going to try and find an upcoming release to put here – just so I’d have an excuse to mention one of the many books that I’m looking forward to – then I saw the cover for Grave Mercy and realized how perfectly that fit in with this prompt. Both versions of the cover that I’m familiar with fit in to the colour scheme in question. Plus it’s a series that I really want to get on and read ASAP so it’s still a fantastic sounding book to mention. Also, maybe it’s just me, but the blurb feels as if it could find its home on an autumn book list?

Pumpkin Picking:
Favorite Fictional Food

I’m not sure if I have a favourite fictional food but as this is a fall tag and Halloween is a part of fall I’m going to go with Sweetly for this question. From what I remember it had some mouth-wateringly delicious sounding confectionary within it – one of the main characters owned a sweet shop I believe – and who doesn’t want some sort of candy or chocolate at this time of year? Plus a Hansel & Gretel retelling also somehow feels fitting for a Fall Tag.

Since typing these answers up on Word whilst I had no internet access I’ve realized that I picked Sweetly in a previous tag too. I’m going to stick with it this time – as being a Hansel & Gretel retelling it feels perfect for a fall book tag – but next time that I’m asked for fictional food I shall hopefully have another answer on hand.

Lost In a Corn Maze:
A Book You Got Lost In (A Really Good Book)

Hundreds probably and I’d love to be creative and use a less obvious answer but my heart is telling me to go with Harry Potter for this one. It’s set within the wizarding world which is just such a fantastic setting to lose yourself within. The world feels incredibly real, well thought out and fantastic. I could read the book a hundred times and still lose myself within its pages. So really how could I pick anything else?

Birds Fly South:
What Bad Book Made You Want to Fly South

I really struggled to finish The Bad Daughter and most likely would have given up on it if I hadn’t received it in exchange for an honest review. I think it had a promising start but then it fell apart. I read it a few years ago – and have no desire to pick it up again to refresh my memory – but I believe at one point it used the word ‘said’ so many times on a single page that I nearly threw it aside. Plus the ending should have been fantastic but it was so poorly written and unbelievable and just… yeah, getting through this book irritated me to say the least.

Sweaters:
A Book That Makes You Happy

Oh so many. One of my more recent favourite series – as I’m sure some of you already know – is The Folk Of The Air. The Cruel Prince was one of my 2018 most anticipated releases and when I read it and it actually lived up to my expectations I was thrilled. I love the fae and Holly Black’s take on them in this series. Plus this book made me extra happy as it was the first review book I won a copy of from Readers First. Yay! A pretty fantastic book to start off my book reviewing journey tbh.

Ghost Story:
A Scary/Spooky Book

Wish Me Dead hasn’t gotten a particularly good rating on Goodreads but I actually rather enjoyed it. I’m not sure if my copy was different from the finished book – it was a proof copy that I picked up in a charity shop – but I found the story quite chilling at least. It’s one of those novels that keeps you guessing as to whether the events within them are magical or natural. The crime scenes were rather vividly, and disturbingly, painted. And I definitely remember being a bit scared to turn the page at one point… maybe I’m just a wimp though.

Black Cat:
Favorite Fictional Pet

He’d definitely take offence at being referred to as a ‘pet’ but Reichis from Spellslinger is definitely one of my favourite fictional creatures. I believe the term he likes to go by is ‘business partner’ (although it’s been a while so I’m not 100% sure) and I just love his personality. He’s vicious and violent and yet makes me laugh the majority of times that I see him. Plus, as far as I’ve read in the series, he’s pretty loyal to Kellen too.

Demons:
Favorite Evil/Villainous Character

I love reading about villains so this is such a hard question for me! One that I’d love to learn more about – especially thanks to the glimpses of his past in the sixth Harry Potter book – is Lord Voldemort but I’ve already mentioned that series within this post once. Another evil character who I tend to love – and need to read more versions of – is the Evil Queen from Snow White but I don’t have a particular book version of her to mention here. At the moment my favourite portrayal of her is in Once Upon A Time, the televisions series.

Anyway I think, book wise, I’m going to go with Valentine Morgenstern from The Mortal Instruments for this question. I wouldn’t say he’s my favourite villain ever – I don’t think I could ever pick just one – but he’s one that I thoroughly enjoyed and would love to one day see more of. He’s charismatic, did some truly deplorable things and gathered a following. He’s the sort of villain that intrigues me I’d honestly love to learn more about The Circle’s origins.

Grim Reaper:
A Character You Want Dead

Ooh harsh. It would have to be someone who’s done some truly atrocious things and that I’d still consider to be a danger to others. So maybe Neferet from the House Of Night series? Some of her actions were horrific, she consorted with darkness and could still one day be a threat as far as I’m concerned (or possibly even is as I haven’t had a chance to read the new series yet). So she’s the person who immediately comes to mind for this question.

Halloween Party:
What Book Character Would You Dress Up As?

I love the idea of dressing up but I’m incredibly self conscious and would probably feel too uncomfortable if I did so. If I did dress up I’d probably go for something witchy but I can’t think of anyone specific right now. So perhaps, instead Lady Helen from The Dark Days Club? It’d be pretty cool to dress up in a regency era dress of some sort.

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Thanks again for tagging me to do this. Once again I’m going to skip tagging people this time around as I know several people are busy with NaNoWriMo right now and are also probably planning for Blogmas. However if you want to do this tag though then consider yourself tagged and please do link back to me so that I can check out your answers (:

Fall Book Tag

It’s time for another tag, this time celebrating everything Autumn. There are certain aspects of fall that I truly love; the beautiful colours that leaves turn as they change, snuggling up inside to stay warm, the scent of cinnamon and the excuse to wear scarves. It would just be nice if it didn’t insist on raining so much where I am… that’s truly one part of autumn that I could do without.

Thank you so much to Sahi @ My World Of Books for tagging me to do this. Please check out their wonderful page if you haven’t already done so. I also have a second fall tag coming up later this week (:

Rules:

• Please link back to Bionic Book Worm, the creator of this tag!
• Use the graphics – if you want
• Have fun!

Okay so it’s been years since I read this book – although I definitely plan to re-read it soon, especially in light of the upcoming prequel novel – but Wicked Lovely definitely felt fresh and new to me when I first picked it up. Not only was it the first book about the fae that really stuck with me I also believe that it was probably the first dark romance novel that I read too. I quickly fell in love with the series and it certainly made me fall for the fae.

If you’ve read Shadow Kiss then surely you agree that it has one hell of an ending? That last line! I’d share it here but it’s much too spoilery for that. It’s definitely an ending that’s stuck with me though; as well as one that left me itching to pick up the fourth book in the series.

Why do I always struggle with this sort of question? Obviously I need to pick up more warm, fuzzy, delightful novels. I think that Save The Date and Once And For All (both of which I plan to pick up soon) will give me exactly these feelings but as I haven’t read them yet I’d guess using them as my answer would be cheating…

Right I’m going with Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone. It’s not the kind of book that immediately springs to mind when it comes to a ‘warm and fuzzy’ prompt but it is a favourite of mine that I could happily curl up under the covers and read time and time again. It has heart-warming moments within it, scenes that make me smile and a world that I love to get lost in. So it does make me feel warm and fuzzy really, in a very nostalgic kind of way.

Mockingjay is the first book that sprang to mind for this question and honestly? I think it’s the perfect answer for this prompt. The reds and oranges on my version of the book practically scream fall and just go so beautifully together.

Hmm I probably should have found another book for the previous question and placed the first Hunger Games book here. But I think Throne Of Glass is pretty action packed too. I can’t remember each individual book well enough (although I hope to re-read and finish off the series soon) to pick a specific book within this series but there’s definitely a lot of action involved. How could there not be with Celaena as the central character?

I honestly don’t see how I can put anything here other than Queen of Nothing. I need that book now! Seriously. I can not wait to see how the trilogy ends although… am I ready for it? I’m kind of terrified to find out what happens.

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Thanks once again for tagging me to do this, I really enjoyed answering this set of questions (: I’m going to skip tagging people this time around as I’m not sure who has and hasn’t already done this tag, plus I know several people are busy with NaNoWriMo right now and are also probably planning for Blogmas. However if you want to do this tag though then consider yourself tagged and please do link back to me so that I can check out your answers (:

The 20 Questions Book Tag

It’s time for another tag and firstly I’m sorry that this is so late. I’m trying to go through them all in order and hopefully catch up this month. Fingers crossed that I can do it. Anyway I really enjoyed answering these 20 questions so thank you so much to Emma @ AFCTL for tagging me in this. Please check out her new page here and follow her on WordPress as well as checking out her answers over on her old page. She’s a truly lovely person and posts some absolutely amazing content.

How many books is too many in a series?

I honestly don’t feel that there is a set number of books that could be considered ‘too many’ in a series. It all depends on the author and series in question; the amount of ideas they have and how well they can carry them off without getting too repetitive. Some series I feel as if I could follow forever, others not so much. So basically it changes from series to series.

How do you feel about cliffhangers?

Is it possible to simultaneously love and hate something? I think that they’re a fantastic way to finish a book… but they drive me crazy if I have to wait for the next one. The anticipation and need to know factor definitely leave me desperate to continue the series though.

Hardback or paperback?

Both? I love hardbacks because they’re beautiful (aren’t all books?) and there’s something so special about holding one. Some have hidden covers, which I only learnt about through Bookstagram, and they can last really well. But they’re too expensive to buy all of the books that I want in that form plus, in some ways, paperbacks are easier. Mainly because A) they’re easier to carry and B) if I fall asleep reading a particularly big one I don’t have to worry about concussing myself with the cover :L So I guess overall I’d have to pick paperbacks if forced to choose due to the cost but I do adore hardbacks.

Favourite book?

Is it even possible to pick just one favourite book? There are so many series that I love including Wicked Lovely, The Hunger Games, Vampire Academy, Twilight (because even if it is unpopular I can’t fall out of love with that series unless my feelings have changed when I finally get around to re-reading it), The Folk Of The Air, Throne Of Glass (which I still need to finish!) and probably about a dozen others. There are also books that I’m hoping to pick up soon that I hope will make the cut too as they seriously have the potential to be amazing!

If I absolutely had to pick just one book I think it would probably have to be Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban though, closely followed by Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince. I’ve loved that series for so long and have so many fond memories of it. But as stated above picking just one book is incredibly hard. Once I’ve caught up a little bit with some of the books I’m most desperate to read on my TBR I’m planning to add a favourites page to my blog somewhere.

Least favourite book?

What immediately comes to mind is The Lovely Bones so I guess I’m going to go with that. Maybe it’s my fault for watching the film (which I thoroughly enjoyed) before picking up the book but I just couldn’t get into it. The story felt a bit wish-washy to me (and downright bizarre in one place) without the suspense that the movie had. Plus I found some of the central family quite unlikable in the book /:

Love triangle . . . Yes or no?

Yes (: Okay at times they can be a bit predictable or cliche but on the whole I quite enjoy love triangles. Sometimes the drama of a main character being torn between two individuals is addictive. And, occasionally, I myself feel torn over who to root for.

The most recent book you couldn’t finish?

I really hate saying this, as it’s one of my most anticipated books of the year, but at the moment the last book that I didn’t finish was Enchantée. That doesn’t mean that it’s a bad book though or that I was bored or anything like that. I kept falling in and out of slumps, couldn’t get into it at the time, and came to the conclusion to pick it up again once I was focusing better on my reading. So hopefully I’ll get a chance to pick it up again – and love it as much as I want to – by the end of the year or early next year at the latest.

A book you’re currently reading?

I’ve just finished The Pact and hopefully, as I’m scheduling this to post before going to pick up a book, I’m now reading Into The Crooked Place which I’m super excited to get on with.

The last book you recommended someone?

Rewind I guess? I can’t remember what I last recommended to someone in person but a review, if positive, is basically a recommendation. I also recently told Sophie about Haven’t They Grown as I loved the sound of the blurb but does that count as a recommendation when I haven’t read it yet?

Oldest book (pub. Date) that you’ve read?

Technically I’d guess the answer to this question would be one of the Shakespeare books that I had to read for school. Any of those were all read in class, as a group, however and I can’t remember if I read the whole stories or just sections of them. So I don’t really feel as if that counts. Instead I’m going to say Great Expectations. It’s another book that I had to study but this one I know that I read in it’s entirety by myself at home. And I found it okay overall I’d guess? I was quite enjoying it at first but eventually, as I can only read one book at a time, I got frustrated and wanted to move on to my own books. I’d still give this another try in the future though I think.

Newest book you’ve read (pub. Date)?

I was going to say Ninth House but then I realized that technically it’s The Pact as that hasn’t yet released.

Favourite author?

Again how on earth do you pick just one author to be your favourite? At the moment I think I’d probably say Richelle Mead as I’ve loved several of her series and have the rest on my TBR to hopefully pick up soon. Other authors have the potential to be favourites of mine too but I’ve read less series by them so far.

Buying books or borrowing them?

Buying them. I love buying books too much tbh. I don’t just buy new copies however, some books I get secondhand and I’ve found some absolutely fantastic copies whilst doing so. That being said I do want to start borrowing more books from the library too. I can’t buy everything on my TBR and I believe libraries are fantastic resources.

A book you dislike but everyone else likes?

Part of me feels like I should have saved The Lovely Bones for this question but oh well. I actually have another answer for this anyway and it’s… Coraline. My one experience with Neil Gaiman so far and I did not like it /: That being said I do have other books of his on my TBR and feel that possibly part of the issue was seeing the movie first again?

Bookmarks or dog ears?

Bookmarks every single time. How on earth could I dog ear a gorgeous book? Plus I love pretty bookmarks; I really should get some more.

A book you can reread over and over?

The Harry Potter series 100%. There are probably quite a few books that I could constantly re-read but this is the series that immediately sprang to mind, as well as the one that I’ve re-read the most. I could quite happily go pick it up again right now tbh.

Can you read while listening to music?

Sadly definitely not. I used to be able to read whatever my surroundings were like – such as being on holiday in a small caravan with the TV blazing in the next room – now though I seem to notice every little sound and it’s so frustrating. I think I may try to start listening to music, quietly, in the background whilst reading to see if it helps. Maybe…

Multiple pov’s or one pov?

I like both but I feel like it’s cheating to try and use that as my answer. If forced to pick I guess I’d go with multiple POVs. They can show you events that you wouldn’t otherwise see, give you more emotional depth as you get inside of more character’s heads and hearts and also add an element of uncertainty when different character’s accounts don’t add up.

Do you read a book in one sitting or over multiple days on average?

On average it’s definitely over multiple days. I have no idea how some people can read a book in one sitting. Maybe I’m just too distracted, maybe things are too hectic around me or… IDK but anyway multiple days, how many depending on the book in question.

Who do you want to tag?

Sophie @ Me And Ink
Mandy & Sha @ Book Princess Reviews and
Chelsie @ My Reading Escape

As always please, please don’t feel any pressure to do these tags; it’s entirely up to you.

Book Blogging Firsts Tag

Hey (: yes it’s another tag, this time all about my blogging firsts. Thank you so much to Lauren @ Twenty Seven Letters for tagging me to do this tag. Make sure you check out her answers, along with the rest of her wonderful page.

I haven’t been blogging very long at all – only for a couple of months now– so in some ways I guess you could argue that it’s too soon to be doing a tag like this. As it’s all about blogging firsts my answers aren’t exactly going to change though and, even after this short time, I’m quite looking forward to looking back at my blogging experiences.

First blog name and design?

My names stayed the same so it is, and always has been, Bewitching Books, Ravenous Reads. I guess in some ways the name was one of the hardest parts to start with because how on earth do you come up with a blog name? Or a book name for that matter; I have no idea how authors come up with those! I started off by trying to think of what it should be about which was simple enough: books and reading. Then I started trying to think of alliteration involving both of those because, when in doubt, turn to alliteration :L I really liked the sound of both bewitching books and ravenous reads but wasn’t sure which to pick. I toyed with the idea of adding a few more words in with either but then ultimately decided that I was happiest with them together because for me books are bewitching and what’s better than a read that makes you dive into it’s pages ravenously?

As for my design… well it hasn’t had a chance to change yet either. I use the ‘Button’ theme on WordPress and got my background from Toptal Subtle Patterns . I’ve tried to use a couple of vectors as page breaks too and would love to edit some as blog post headers some time but I have to say that they’re a total nightmare to edit for me. The recommended program causes my computer to freeze and they don’t open correctly in my version of Photoshop so yes, it’s challenging. Plus my editing skills are abysmal.

First blog post?

My first blog post was my book review for The Cruel Prince which I’ll mention in slightly more detail in the next question since that’s focused on reviews.

My first non-review post was Quarterly Catch Up: First Edition which is a bit of a monster of a post length wise. It starts with my top ten books which I wanted to read last year but still need to hurry up and get on with! It’s then got the release posts for the first three months of the year which basically explains the length. Then it finishes with a few of the slightly older books that I most want to read and the series that I’m desperate to re-read or finish. So basically it’s a lot of book lists rolled into one.

I feel like technically my first post was Most Anticipated Reads 2019 though. That’s the post that made me want to start blogging and the page that I worked on first. I made the mistake of posting it as a page rather than a post though.

First book review?

As I said above my first blog post was actually a review but I thought I’d save the details for this question. I saw Readers First mentioned in a book that I was reading and was very tempted to try it out but continually put it off, I guess because the idea of writing a review seemed daunting? Then, when I checked one day, I saw that The Cruel Prince was coming up as a potential book to receive a copy of and that changed everything. It was one of my most anticipated books of the year so I absolutely had to try and get a copy. Then when I found out I was going to receive one I was literally jumping for joy. So The Cruel Prince ended up being the first book that I ever reviewed and is the reason that I joined Goodreads, rather than just browsing it without having an actual account. It’s also the first that I posted on here because I started the year off with The Folk Of The Air series as The Wicked King had just came out.

You can read my review for it here.

First meme participated in?

Although I’ve seen some pretty amazing ones I haven’t actually participated in one yet. There are definitely some that I’m tempted to try out – I just can’t seem to decide which one to go for tbh. One day, hopefully, I’ll take part in one. I love seeing other people’s posts about the ones they’re involved in after all. Eventually I think I will try out the ABC Book Challenge but I think that’s classified as more of a challenge/tag? The Friday Face off is another that I’m tempted to take part in though; I love comparing all of the different covers of the same book that are out there.

First discussion post?

My first discussion post is: Is It Unusual To Prefer Reading Reviews Of Books That You’ve Read?. I feel like the title is pretty self explanatory as to what it’s about. I wrote it partially as a discussion but also partially as an explanation since I always feel a little guilty if I don’t read every review that I see. Sometime I have reasons not to do so though which are explained in that post. So yes the explanation part of it was a big reason for posting that particular post but I wanted it for it’s discussion elements too as I was genuinely curious as to whether anyone else felt the same as me?

First book blog I followed?

So I was going to say that I wasn’t 100% sure as I was looking at several people’s blogs at roughly the same time when I first started out. I think that the blogs that I’m following are listed in order though so I’m fairly confident that the first book blog that I followed is Spines That Shine. I loved reading the reviews that I found on there and I’ve also got to say that their Bookstagram photographs are gorgeous! There are some absolutely fabulous book reviews over on that blog so you should definitely check it out if you haven’t done so already.

First follower?

Does this mean overall or follower who is a book blogger as the last question wanted one of those? My first two followers seemed to happen pretty much together. The first was Lucid Being – Ash who’s page is full of absolutely stunning pictures, followed very closely by Ailish Sinclair who has a couple of fascinating sounding books coming out so you should definitely check their pages out to learn more. The first book blogger to follow me is the same as I mentioned in the previous question Spines That Shine.

First book I read because of other bloggers?

Is it bad to say that I haven’t got any books that fit this question yet? I’ve added plenty of books to my TBR since starting because of other bloggers but so far haven’t had a chance to read any of them yet. So, as I don’t have a true example, I’m going to make a guess at what my first book based on a blogger will be. And that is either Red, White & Royal Blue or The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo. Since starting out I’ve seen so much hype about those two books that I’m definitely going to have to check them out. I just haven’t done so yet as I’ve been struggling a little with reading plus there are so many other books that I’m already desperate to read too.

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So those are my blogging firsts; hopefully I’ll get the two that I haven’t truly done yet sorted out soon as well.

Once again thank you so much to Lauren for tagging me in this post, I really appreciate it and I loved reading your answers. I especially enjoyed the background story to your blog name!

I Tag:
Emma @ AFCTL
Madison @ Madison’s Inkwell
& Marie @ Drizzle & Hurricane Books

Obviously, as always, there is absolutely no pressure to do this tag; I’m just rather curious about your blogging background stories. If anyone else wants to do this tag then go ahead. Or share some of your own answers in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you.