We’re back with another Sundays in Bed With… meme! This meme dares to ask you what book has been in your bed this morning and is hosted by Midnight Book Girl. Come share what book you’ve spent your time reading in bed or wish you had time to read today!
I’m spending my Sunday in bed with Song of the Six Realms. I’m reading this for my tour stop next week. I’m only about four chapters in but I’m enjoying it so far and curious to see where the story goes! I enjoyed Lin’s debut so I’m hoping to feel the same way about this one.
What book are you spending your Sunday in bed with?
So… It’s been a very low-key week. Unsurprising! As I’m sure many of you who are regularly online will have seen, Taylor Swift released her latest album The Tortured Poets Department on Friday, and surprise to all of us: it was a double album drop! She gave us 31 new songs! Shaken and stirred, friends. 😂 I have to admit that I’m still focusing on part 1 and haven’t properly listened to the second half. I was a bit… on the fence with my feelings about TTPD 1 but over these two days I’ve let myself soak in the lyrics and a new obsession is being born! I can’t give you a Top 3 or even a Top 5 but I can say that all of the songs except for Fresh Out the Slammer have grown on me immensely. I don’t hate that song but it’s just OK to me. That said, it’s still a no-skip album! Do you have a Top 3 or 5 from the first half?
I think I’ll dive into TTPD 2 next week but I’m really going to take my sweet time with this one. 31 songs are a lot to savour and knowing Taylor’s pen game, there’s always so much to take in!
One thing I will say is that I’m getting pretty sick of all the negativity surrounding this album drop and as always, Taylor Swift’s existence. People keep taking lyrics out of context, keep bashing her as an artist, and now they’re also bashing everyone else who enjoys listening to her. People need to touch grass and let others enjoy things, especially if it doesn’t affect them. You’re allowed to not like her and her music but if that’s the case, don’t listen to her, don’t pay attention to posts about her, and just simply don’t engage instead of bashing others. I think I’ve spent too much time on that bird-app hell-site this weekend, haha! 😂
ICYMI here’s what I posted this week:
- Book Review: The Wolf and the Wildflower by Stacy Reid
- Let’s Talk Bookish: Earth Day Book Recs
- ARC Review: To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods by Molly X. Chang
- #WWWWednesday: 17 April 2024
- #TopTenTuesday: Fictional Places I Want to Visit!
- Reading First: 2024 Edition Book Tag
my boy only breaks his favourite toys – taylor swift
I really hope you’re all doing okay and treating yourself with care. Let’s have a great week ahead! 💜
dinipandareads 
I will be honest, I only know Taylor Swift from what I see in media. I am am familiar with very few of her songs, but she’s laughing all the way to the bank. She has a rabid fanbase, sells so many units, took back her own music, and simply works hard. Unfortunately, like many famous people, her life plays out in the public to a level that is unfair (in my opinion).
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I do agree it’s unfair. Whether she does something or doesn’t do something or says something or doesn’t say something people are basically going to find something wrong with her because they don’t like her. And they’re allowed to not like her but please leave those who like her alone. 😂 That’s what I don’t get at all! But you’re right—she’s laughing all the way to the bank and deservedly so.
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I never used to be a huge Taylor Swift fan, but I loved Evermore and Folklore. This album gives off similar vibes, and I have been loving it! I am curious to see what you think of the second part of the album, because I enjoyed it more than the first part on my first listen. Since then, I have mainly focused on the first part of the album, and I think The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived and Down Bad are my two favorites so far!
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I’ve heard a lot of people saying that they’ve enjoyed the second half more than the first (people mentioned it’s cos of Desner’s production which is amazing!). But I also love the familiar comfort of Antonoff’s production with Taylor and the first half has grown on me SO much (and it continues to do so now). I’ve given a cursory listen to the second half and I can already pick out certain tunes that I know will be my faves from but I need to sit with the lyrics. I’ve found that aside from the melodies, what really gets me into a TS song are the lyrics and once those hit me in the feels, I’m a goner for the song! 😂 So I’m keen to take my time with learning about the second half. I can’t wait! Also, those two songs are INCREDIBLE! I love them and Down Bad is probably going to end up in my top tracks this year. It’s just too catchy, lol.
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I wouldn’t consider myself a Swiftie but I do love a lot of her music. I’ve listened to all 31 songs all the way through a few times at this point and I can’t get enough. Like you said it’s a no skip album which rarely happened for me but I do have my favorites. My top 5 are I Can Do It With a Broken Heart, Down Bad, imgonnagetyouback, Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me? and The Alchemy.
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There are just some albums that hit and this is shaping up to be one of them. I still haven’t properly listened to the second half but I’ve heard a few and they are catchy as heck! I just want to sit with the lyrics and really absorb them this weekend. But the first set of songs are incredible and I haven’t been able to stop listening to them. I definitely know who’s going to be my #1 played artist in my Spotify Wrapped now 😂 Haha! All those songs you mentioned are amazing. I *love* The Alchemy (doesn’t get enough love, imho) and Down Bad is SO SO GOOD!
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I haven’t been able to stop listening to it either. I always listen to my likes list on Spotify and keep starting new her on the list just so I can listen to the TS songs.
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I’m enjoying the album, too! Down Bad, Florida!!!, and But Daddy I Love Him are three that I’ve been jamming to the most. I like all of them, though. It’s a very raw and emotional album, and I appreciate how much the songs make the listener feel.
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Down Bad is SUCH a vibe. And I adore Florence in Florida!!! Their voices are divine together! I’ve been *mildly* (cough) obsessed with so long, london, loml and guilty as sin? too! Ugh, this album is such a grower. So hard to pick faves! And I agree—it’s so raw and vulnerable. I think it’s probably her most vulnerable album to date! There’s just so much emotion to her lyrics!
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Best of luck with Song of the Six Realms, Dini! I had a tough time with this one and it took me ages to finish (the info-dumps were A LOT for me), but if you’re liking what you’re reading so far, I think you’re good to go with the rest of the book. 😉 It’s a pretty magical read, and even if I had a hard time with it, I’m curious about what else this author has to offer. 💕
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I’m sorry to hear you struggled with it! I ended up just letting myself vibe with the slow pace and the world-building (even if dumpy at times) but I ended up enjoying it a lot 🙂 The characters could’ve been fleshed out more and the ending could’ve been less hectic but overall, it wasn’t a bad read for me! I hope whatever you decide to read next is much more enjoyable for you 🙂
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I am loving TTPD. BUT I am having an issue of moving on from the first set of tracks. But only because I’m loving Fort Night, Down Bad, Florida!!!, loml and really all of them. But then I also LOVE imgonnagetyouback. It’s hard to pick favorites. I agree with your comments on the albums, too. I think people need to start thinking of them as “Taylor” albums rather than whatever guy they are trying to put to it.
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I’m with you re. moving on from the first set of tracks! These songs have been such growers and I know that if I give the time and mental energy to the second set of tracks I’ll probably end up feeling the same. But this first set has my whole 💜! And yeah, it’s defo a hard album to pick favourites from cos there are just SO MANY SONGS! And I also agree about thinking of them as Taylor albums and not about the guys that were or are in her life. A very good point!
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I’ve branched out a bit into the second and I’m loving them. It’s just hard to not listen to favorites over and over again.
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I am listening to a podcast where they were talking about the new album (as fans not naysayers). They mentioned that the haters are exerting so much energy in their hate that surely that energy to be used for something productive and positive. I don’t understand that kind of craziness.
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I know, neither do I. Definitely a good reminder to stay off socials when a favourite releases new music cos someone is always gonna have lots of negative things to say and I feel like with Taylor that gets magnified a million fold. I need to redirect my energy to more positive things now rather than thinking about why people are such haters cos I’ll never understand, lol.
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I love Song of the Six Realms so I hope you’ll ended up loving it too! Yeah I am also only on part 1 of TTPD and it took me 2 listens (with the 2nd time split the album into 2- all these kpops EPs have spoiled me 🤯) to get to it. My favorite so far is Fortnight (can’t stop humming the reff!), My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys, and Guilty as Sin.
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Yay, I’m so glad to hear you loved it! There were some sticking points for me but I ended up enjoying it a lot 🙂 The album took me at least 3 full listens to really sink in and then I became obsessed, which is where I am now, haha 😂 It’s just too good and I can’t get enough of it! I don’t know why but I feel like Guilty as Sin? is SUCH an underrated track but it’s hands down one of my faves off the first set. It’s SO GOOD, AAH!
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I am very nonplussed about music drama. I just listen to things I like the sound of, and half the time I don’t know who it’s by! I haven’t just listened to an album from start to finish in years.
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I never used to listen to albums from start to finish in my “younger years” (lol) but now I do with my faves and I enjoy the works so much more. I still listen to singles a lot too though! I think it’s always such a bummer when you enjoy an artist and their music and just cos so many people don’t like said artist or their music, they feel the need to 💩 on others for it! Just let people enjoy what they want to enjoy. End of. Lol, sorry clearly it still annoys me 😂
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Songs of the six realms looks so pretty, i feel like fantasy covers have really stepped up over the last few years. Great wrap up!
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I love Lin’s covers. Honestly, they’re always SO stunning and I’m lucky that I ended up enjoying the story inside too 🙂 I do feel the same about fantasy covers, especially ones written by BIPOC! We’re blessed 😍
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Yay for all of you Swifties getting some new music!
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We are so blessed, lol
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I’m not a big music fan at all, and know a few Taylor Swift songs only. Having said that, she is one hell of a human being. The way she treats her fans, those who work for her and her friends is something everyone can learn from. Some people only feel good about themselves when they are tearing someone else down and that’s on them. I’m happy for all the Swifties that got what they were waiting for. I hope you had a great week, Dini, as I am reading this a week late.
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