If you didn’t know, I’m a pretty big Taylor Swift fan. If you’ve been around this blog long enough you might’ve seen me gushing about her music a time or two (or more, cough). But there’s just something about her songs that resonates so much with me. Maybe it’s my hopeless romantic melancholy baby energy but so many of her songs hit and they hit hard! For many years running she has been my #1 artist on Spotify Wrapped and I don’t know if that’ll change anytime soon, lol.
Now with that intro out of the way, I got so excited when Leslie @Books Are the New Black tagged me to do the Reputation Book Tag! This isn’t my #1 era but I still hope that Taylor will bless our ears soon with her version so I can finally listen to these songs again (no, I’m not streaming to give money to that 🛴 man). Before I digress any further, let’s just slide straight to it!
Hello, friends! It’s been a minute since I found a book tag that I felt like doing so I was pretty excited when Leslie @Books are the New Black tagged me to do the Reading Firsts: 2024 Edition Book Tag! If you haven’t yet discovered her blog, go check it out because it’s great and she is a wonderful human being. 🌻 I’m excited to dive into this one cos it’s not one I’ve done or seen before so let’s get to it!
Back in 2021, I was tagged by the wonderful Kerri @Kerri McBookNerd to do The Greek Gods Book Tag. Now, three years later, I’m finally getting around to doing it! How quickly time flies because I honestly thought this was a tag from last year… Oops! 🤭
Hello friends, it’s been a hot minute since I did a Birthstone Book Covers post but today I finally mustered up some energy to take a picture of some books off my physical shelves! Now without further ado, let’s get to it!
The Rules
Mention the creator (Leslie @ Books Are The New Black ) and link back to me so I can see your post!
Pick 5+ book covers that match the current month’s Birthstone.
Happy Monday, friends! I thought I would ease into the week with a book tag. I haven’t done one in a very long time and as I was browsing my saved tags, I came across the Characters of the Year Book Tag! I first saw this on Kerri’s blog and thought it looked fun and as it’s still January I thought it’d still be okay to do this post reflecting on characters from 2023. So let’s get to it!
After a bit of searching, I found out this tag was originally created by Amanda @ A Brighter Shade of Hope (although her blog doesn’t seem to be active anymore).
This guy. THIS GUY! I just… I don’t want to say too much because of spoilers but ach, everything that unfolded was just WILD. I loved and hated him and it was just a lot but in the best way? Yeah. Nezha!!!
I read so many amazing female characters this year but I fell head over foot for Kate Daniels. She has this wild chaotic magic slayer energy and she is such a freaking baddie! I loved seeing all her layers as the series progressed.
Again, there were so many relatable characters last year but I’m going to have to pick Maggie because she’s this grumpy, socially anxious introvert gamer who might not have her life sorted all the time but is getting by the best she can. I related to her so hard!
If you’ve been following my blog, this will not surprise you. I adoreLizzie & Rake so much! They remain one of my favourite one-night-to-oops-pregnancy romances to date.
This award goes to one of my all-time favourite morally grey villains. I liked Holland a lot on first read several years ago but over the years, I’ve come to really appreciate his fantastic character arc!
I already didn’t like him from the beginning but I very passionately disliked Tyrell in this book. I… I can’t see the “good” side of him or empathise with his character. Nope, not happening. I need him out of the picture, please!
I loved Princesses Beatriz, Sophronia and Daphne. They were so vastly different in personalities but they had such fierce determination and strength and I admired them so much! I can’t wait to finish this series in 2024 🙂
Okay, so I know Bambleby’snot really a sidekick or non-main character so I’m kinda cheating with this. But he does support Emily in this book and I loved the role he ends up playing in the story! 😍
I actually didn’t read a whole lot of books with siblings in 2023 but I did love Dorsey & Gigi in this modern retelling of Pride & Prejudice. I loved their interaction, love and support for each other and I wanted so much more of their interactions!
And that’s a wrap on 2023 characters! Did you read any of these books & feel the same way about the characters? Who were some of your favourite/least favourite characters in 2023?
Hey friends, I hope the week is treating you right. We’re two sleeps away from a new year (at least on this side of the world anyway) and I was reminded by Jennifer @ My Book Joy about this fun book tag! ✨ I totally forgot that the Spotify Wrapped Book Tag existed but I think I did a pretty decent job at matching songs to books in 2022, so I thought I’d give it another go for 2023. I think my 2023 songs were a bit more challenging but I still had fun matching and think I did an okay job, lol. On that note, let’s get to it!
Since it’s Christmas, many of us will be away from our computer screens but I thought there was no better time to do the Christmas Songs Book Tag! My family doesn’t celebrate Christmas but I love the festive atmosphere and I admit to being a sucker for the tunes. Unsurprisingly, I’ve been listening to Christmas hits for the whole month and that’s not stopping today! 😍
Caro tagged me to do this one and if you haven’t yet, do check out her blog cos it’s wonderful. 💜 On that note, let’s just get to it. I plan to choose my answers from my 2023 reads as much as I possibly can!
I didn’t think it’d be so hard to choose but I think Lizzie and Rake take this title. They were just SO PERFECT and their romance was *chef’s kiss*. I love them! 🥹
“I’ll Be Home for Christmas”: A book where a character is away from home (school, vacation, etc.)
I didn’t think I could find something holiday-themed for this answer but Ves was away from “home” for the holidays when he found himself in Piney Peaks!
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”: Your favourite “little” book (children’s book, short story, novella, etc.)
I was tempted to go with a novella but I decided to shine a spotlight on a middle-grade fantasy graphic novel instead. This was super cute and had a lovely message too!
“Santa Claus is Coming to Town”: What book(s) do you hope Santa brings you this year?
As I said in a recent post, I’m my own Santa and here are a few titles I’m thinking of treating myself to:
Technically Yours by Denise Williams, The Fake Boyfriend Fiasco by Talia Hibbert, Band Sinister by KJ Charles, Stardust in Their Veins by Laura Sebastian, Witchlings by Claribel A. Ortega
“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”: Which book turned your nose red (made you cry)?
I’m an emotional reader so it doesn’t take much to make me cry but this book in particular had me ugly-crying in a big way! Woof, the emotions! 😭 Actually, no lie, this whole series had me crying rivers, lol.
“The Most Wonderful Time of the Year”: Your favourite book/kind of book to read during the holidays
I live in the tropics but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy my share of holiday romances! 😍
Merry Inkmas by Talia Hibbert, The Mistletoe Bet by Maren Moore, Main Street Dealmaker by Brighton Walsh, In A Holidaze by Christina Lauren, Walking in a Witchy Wonderland by Juliette Cross
“We Three Kings”: Your favourite trilogy
I did read a trilogy this year but only the one so that would be cheating. So I have to share my all-time favourite trilogy and that’s without question The Green Bone Sagaby Fonda Lee.
“Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow”: A character you would love to be snowed in with
Okay, I admit I’m cheating a bit with this one because I’m not picking one character I’m picking four. The four septuagenarians who are part of the Thursday Murder Club. There would be endless drinking and undoubtedly all the stories!
“Last Christmas”: A book that seriously let you down
This was one of my most anticipated releases for 2023. I’d been looking forward to it since I binged all five books in the series at the end of 2022. I wept with disappointment and blocked its existence from my mind, lol.
“White Christmas”: An upcoming release you’re dreaming about
I’ve got a very short 2024-releases list started on Goodreads now but from that list, Tia Williams’ next book is the one that I’m most desperately looking forward to. Also, can we just take a moment to appreciate the magnificence that is this cover, pls? 😍😭
That’s it for the Christmas Songs Book Tag! Do you like Christmas songs or are you over it all? 😂 If you want to do this tag and link back, I’d love to know your answers! Hope everyone has a good, relaxed day and a nice break!
I forgot that this tag existed but I’m glad I was reminded of it because otherwise, I would’ve missed out on doing an annual favourite. It’s time for the Bookish Naughty or Nice Tag, friends! Have I been Naughty or Nice this year? I’m tempted to say naughty but I think I’ve actually been pretty good in 2023, lol. Let’s see if I’m right! 😂
It’s that time of the year when we start wrapping things up again and to kick things off this year I’ll be doing the End of Year Book Tag! I’ve been seeing more people do it lately which reminded me of its existence and since I’ve loved doing it in previous years, I thought why not? It’s been a minute since I did a tag, too. If you’re curious to see how my previous years went check out my 2019, 2020, and 2022 editions.
This tag was originally created by booktuber Ariel Bissett.
Are there any books you started this year that you need to finish?
There are a couple of books I started this year and still want to finish. At the top of that list are Rival Radio by Kathryn Nolan and Heartbreaker by Sarah MacLean.
Do you have an autumnal book to transition into the end of the year?
I’m not much of a seasonal reader so I don’t have a “go-to” book that I read to transition into the end of the year. I read a couple of fun ones this year though including:
Spell Bound, The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, Wrapped with A Beau, The Mistletoe Bet
Is there a new release that you’re still waiting for?
I actually have paid so little attention to releases this year because I just didn’t have the headspace. 😭 But these are a few of the December 2023 releases that came out last week that I’m looking forward to reading!
Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura, Technically Yours by Denise Williams, The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson
What are three books you want to read before the year ends?
Is there a book that you think could still shock you and become your favourite of the year?
It’s been a tough reading year for me with a handful of books that have stood out but only one or two that really made it onto my new all-time faves list. I think A River Enchanted and Before I Let Go have the potential to be new favourites… Whether they become the favourite of the year? Well, we’ll see! 😂
Have you already started to make reading plans for 2024?
I was lucky to get my hands on a couple of ARCs for 2024 releases by BIPOC authors and I’m so looking forward to reading all of them! I’m also obsessed with all of these covers. Like, can we just sit here and appreciate them? 😍
I’m not tagging anyone this time but if you feel like doing it, feel free to link back so I can check out your answers! How was your reading in 2023? Discover any new all-time faves? Have you read any of these or are they also on your TBR?
I’ve been looking for a spooky season-themed and easy book tag to do for a while now and I finally found it when I saw Ashlee @Books Are 42 post the 👻 Trick or Treat Round the Block Book Tag! 🎃 Now, you know I don’t read much of the spooky stuff and the last time I went trick-or-treating was back in high school way too many years ago…! 😂 But this still looked like too much fun to pass up so here we go with it.
dinipandareads 