Thanksgiving Book Tag: 2024 Edition

I was reminded that this tag existed after seeing Chris’s post the other day so here I am doing the same! I don’t celebrate Thanksgiving but this is a yearly meme I do enjoy so why not keep doing it with the books I’ve read over the year? I thought I did one last year but it seems the last time I did this was in 2022 so now is the time to rectify this error and get straight to it.

This is an original book tag by Anna’s Book Nook.

The Rules

  • Thank the person who nominated you
  • Give credit to the author (Annasbooknook)
  • Answer the prompts
  • Tag others if you desire!

1) Friends and Family: A book with characters that feel like family

A Rival Most Vial

The found family aspect in A Rival Most Vial was one of my favourite parts of the book. The shopkeepers of Rosemond Street who make up this wonderful crew quickly stole my heart and they felt very much like family by the end of the story! 💜

[my review]

2) Fallen Leaves: A book that fell flat (didn’t meet your expectations)

House of Frank

There have been a surprising number of books that could’ve fit this category this year. But House of Frank sounded like it could’ve been a 5-star read for me (and I predicted it would be) but I couldn’t have been more wrong. I was so disappointed… 🥺

3) Thanksgiving Dinner: A book you want to read every year during this season

Starling House

I can’t think of a more perfect read for this season! Whether it’s one that I’ll re-read every year remains to be seen cos I don’t re-read as much as I’d like, but this would be a contender!

[my review]

4) Turkey: A book with a bird in it

Black Sun

This had many birds and it was amazing. Gruesome and slightly terrifying at times, but I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this if you love non-Western mythology in your fantasy!

[my review]

5) Ham: A book that made your eyes glaze over (boring)

Dragon Pearl

This MG SFF had been on my TBR for years and I was so excited to read it. Unfortunately, disappointing would be an understatement. I didn’t get reeled in the way I expected and found myself bored despite all the action!

6) Dinner Rolls: A book that melted your heart and made you feel warm

The Exception to the Rule

This might be a short story but the magic CLo weaves into it is *chef’s kiss!* perfection! 😍 Had me melting with all the feels!!!

7) Mashed Potatoes: A book with a white cover

The Places I’ve Cried in Public

I love this cover so much even though this was one of the emotionally tougher books I’ve read this year.

[my review]

8) Gravy: A book you’re not totally sure why you love, but you do

Tentacles & Triathlons

I can’t really think of a book that would fit this prompt this week but I’ll go with this monster romance series. It’s not something I typically read but gosh, it was fun, emotional, sexy, and sweet!

9) Pumpkin Pie: A dessert book that you love

Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies

It’s pie perfect! You might not want to eat all of these pies (because you know, they’re deadly) but they sure sound amazing! 🤤

[my review]

Bonus: Black Friday – Top 5 books on your “I want to buy them” list

Instead of choosing a Top 5 (because that would be impossible) I’m sharing the last 5 books I added to my TBR wishlist!

And that’s all from me, folks! I won’t tag anyone but if you want to do the tag, feel free to grab it and link back so I can see your answers! 😃

The Bookish Questions Book Tag

Hello, friends! It’s time for another round of Tag Thursday. I’ve been keeping today’s tag for the right mood and now the day has finally come! 😂

I found this tag on Budget Tales Book Blog who found it on A Little But Alot. I tried scouring the Google for who was the creator of this tag but there are so many Bookish Questions Book Tag variations that I can’t find the one for this specific tag. If you do find them or know who it is, please leave a comment so I can properly link them up! 💜

On that note, let’s get straight to this tag!

Genre I stay away from

As The Ultimate Chicken™️, horror in general is a genre that I stay away from. More specifically, paranormal horror is something that I try as much as possible to not touch. This goes for books, movies, shows, etc. I’ve dipped my toes in a time or two and I wouldn’t say that I didn’t enjoy it at all but my overactive imagination went into overdrive and I couldn’t sleep for… a while. 👀 It’s just really not my jam!

Worst habit as a reader?

Oh, I’ve got a few bad habits when it comes to books but I think one of them is my inability to DNF. I’m actively trying to improve on this but it’s so hard, friends! My brain always goes “but what if it gets better?” and it very rarely does, yet my brain still convinces me that maybe this time it will. 😂 Let’s just say that I’m a work in progress!

Do I read the synopsis?

I always do… But that doesn’t mean I will remember it. 🤭 Most of the time I simply remember what the gist of the book is about but often times, I forgot details I read in the synopsis. It’s both good and bad (especially if I’m taken completely by surprise in a not good way, lol)!

Do I read used books?

I love used books! When I first started actively reading again post-uni, the books that got me started were secondhand Nora Roberts books I found in one of the only indie bookstores that sold English books in Cambodia! 😂 Sadly, where I live now doesn’t really do “used” books at least not of English books.

Favourite book from last year?

Uhm, ask me to choose one favourite and it’s impossible. I can never choose whenever I make my Yearly wrap-up posts and well, I still can’t choose. So here the Top 5 I listed in my 2023 End of Year Book Survey:

Favourite Classic?

I’m not trying to be difficult but again, it’s a tie between my queen Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion.

Book I always recommend?

Hmm, not an easy question to answer since there’s so much to consider when recommending anything! However, a book I realise that I’ve recommended a lot over the past couple of years is Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree. It’s the perfect slice-of-life cosy fantasy with new beginnings, warm friendships, wonderful characters, and a sweet sapphic romance. It’s so good! 🥰

Current read?

Well, I’m currently “reading” five books but this morning I decided to start yet another one so I’m actually reading Hitched to the Gunslinger by Michelle McLean. It’s a genuinely funny historical romance and I’ve laughed so much at their antics and banter. Julie added it to my TBR three years ago! 🤭

Books I’m looking forward to reading?

There are literally so many that I can’t name them all! Here are five that are a mix of new and old releases.

Books I’m ashamed of not reading yet?

Oh, there are truly so many but the ones I’m really most ashamed of not reading yet are the backlist ARCs on my NetGalley shelf. 🥺 I’m gonna further call myself out here and share a few of the titles that are on the list and some of them are backlist backlist ARCs. (Cue: That Game of Thrones shame GIF!)

That’s it for today’s tag! I won’t be tagging anyone this time but if you do it, feel free to link back so I can read your answers! 😃

✨ Creatures of the Night Book Tag ✨

Hello, friends! 🎃 HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! 🎃 What better time than now to post the Creatures of the Night Book Tag? I was recently tagged by Caro @Bookcheshirecat (go visit/follow her if you haven’t done so already!) and I wasn’t sure that I would have enough read books to fill all of these prompts but surprise—I do! 😂 You might notice that there’s a bit of a theme going with most of these books (it’s romance, what did you expect?)! Without any further waffling on, let’s get to it.

This tag was originally created by Kat from Katytastic over on Booktube.

🦇 Vampire🦇

Interview with the Vampire

I read this ages ago and fell in love with Rice’s writing. I meant to continue the series but never got around to it after leaving my copy of the second book on a plane, lol.

📖 ABOUT THE BOOK

This is the story of Louis, as told in his own words, of his journey through mortal and immortal life. Louis recounts how he became a vampire at the hands of the radiant and sinister Lestat and how he became indoctrinated, unwillingly, into the vampire way of life. His story ebbs and flows through the streets of New Orleans, defining crucial moments such as his discovery of the exquisite lost young child Claudia, wanting not to hurt but to comfort her with the last breaths of humanity he has inside. Yet, he makes Claudia a vampire, trapping her womanly passion, will, and intelligence inside the body of a small child. Louis and Claudia form a seemingly unbreakable alliance and even “settle down” for a while in the opulent French Quarter. Louis remembers Claudia’s struggle to understand herself and the hatred they both have for Lestat that sends them halfway across the world to seek others of their kind. Louis and Claudia are desperate to find somewhere they belong, to find others who understand, and someone who knows what and why they are.

Louis and Claudia travel Europe, eventually coming to Paris and the ragingly successful Theatre des Vampires–a theatre of vampires pretending to be mortals pretending to be vampires. Here they meet the magnetic and ethereal Armand, who brings them into a whole society of vampires. But Louis and Claudia find that finding others like themselves provides no easy answers and in fact presents dangers they scarcely imagined.

Originally begun as a short story, the book took off as Anne wrote it, spinning the tragic and triumphant life experiences of a soul. As well as the struggles of its characters, Interview captures the political and social changes of two continents. The novel also introduces Lestat, Anne’s most enduring character, a heady mixture of attraction and revulsion. The book, full of lush description, centers on the themes of immortality, change, loss, sexuality, and power.

🐺 Werewolf 🐺

Witches Get Stitches

Even though the name says witches, the love interest in this book is a werewolf! This was one of my favourites in the Stay A Spell series and I would highly recommend checking it out! 😍

📖 ABOUT THE BOOK

Violet Savoie has a plan. A dream, rather. To open her own tattoo shop, which caters to supernaturals in need of permanent charms. As a powerful Seer, she has the potent magic to cast every kind of spell. Except the kind to give werewolves control over their beastly side. And her business partner Nico needs help in the worst kind of way.

Nico Cruz has a secret. A motive, rather. To subtly stalk and seduce Violet until she finally recognizes they are fated to be together. Ever since their heated encounter in Austin on New Year’s Eve two years earlier, he’s been dying to get his hands—and his tongue—back on her body. He knows a woman like Violet can’t be courted in the usual way. Luckily, Nico has no scruples about misbehaving to get what he wants.

But when his former pack roams into town, and an old friend is far too interested in Violet, his focus shifts to the threat venturing into his territory. Nico may come across as the quiet, broody one, but the intruders are about to regret stepping foot in New Orleans. And when Violet goes missing, no charm or spell can keep Nico’s wolf at bay.

🧟 Zombie 🧟

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy

Aah, one of my favourite paranormal romances of all time. No joke, I adore this book and want to live in this world (where I guarantee I’d die in the first 5 mins) but I’m obsessed with these characters (HART!!! 🥺) and I’d so love to spend time with them. 💜

📖 ABOUT THE BOOK

Hart is a marshal, tasked with patrolling the strange and magical wilds of Tanria. It’s an unforgiving job, and Hart’s got nothing but time to ponder his loneliness.

Mercy never has a moment to herself. She’s been single-handedly keeping Birdsall & Son Undertakers afloat in defiance of sullen jerks like Hart, who seems to have a gift for showing up right when her patience is thinnest.

After yet another exasperating run-in with Mercy, Hart finds himself penning a letter addressed simply to “A Friend”. Much to his surprise, an anonymous letter comes back in return, and a tentative friendship is born.

If only Hart knew he’s been baring his soul to the person who infuriates him most—Mercy. As the dangers from Tanria grow closer, so do the unlikely correspondents. But can their blossoming romance survive the fated discovery that their pen pals are their worst nightmares—each other?

Set in a world full of magic and demigods, donuts and small-town drama, this enchantingly quirky, utterly unique fantasy is perfect for readers of The House in the Cerulean Sea and The Invisible Library.

👻 Ghost 👻

Under the Whispering Door

Klune has a knack for writing cosy fantasies that feel like a warm hug but can also casually and simultaneously emotionally destroy you. 🤭

📖 ABOUT THE BOOK

Welcome to Charon’s Crossing.
The tea is hot, the scones are fresh, and the dead are just passing through.

When a reaper comes to collect Wallace from his own funeral, Wallace begins to suspect he might be dead.

And when Hugo, the owner of a peculiar tea shop, promises to help him cross over, Wallace decides he’s definitely dead.

But even in death he’s not ready to abandon the life he barely lived, so when Wallace is given one week to cross over, he sets about living a lifetime in seven days.

Hilarious, haunting, and kind, Under the Whispering Door is an uplifting story about a life spent at the office and a death spent building a home.

🪄 Witch/Warlock/Spellcaster 🪄

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

This is a wonderfully cosy witchy feel-good read. It’s got found family, a spot of hate-to-love moments, meddling old hens, precious young witches. All things I love! ❤️

📖 ABOUT THE BOOK

She found magic in the most unlikely of places.

Mika Moon follows three rules: hide your magic, keep your head down, and stay away from other witches. Mika is good at being alone, and she doesn’t mind it . . . mostly.

But when an unexpected invitation arrives to teach three young witches at the mysterious Nowhere House, Mika jumps at the chance for a different life. As she comes to care for its quirky inhabitants – and Jamie, the handsome but prickly librarian – finally belonging somewhere feels like a real possibility. But magic isn’t the only danger in the world – is it worth risking everything to protect the found family Mika didn’t know she was looking for? A warm and uplifting novel about an isolated witch whose opportunity to embrace a new family – and a new love – changes the course of her life.

🧚🏻‍♀️ Fairy/Fae 🧚🏻‍♀️

Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands

I fell completely in love with this series and the characters in this second book. I can’t wait for more adventures with this crew! 😍

📖 ABOUT THE BOOK

When mysterious faeries from other realms appear at her university, curmudgeonly professor Emily Wilde must uncover their secrets before it’s too late, in this heartwarming, enchanting second installment of the Emily Wilde series.

Emily Wilde is a genius scholar of faerie folklore who just wrote the world’s first comprehensive encyclopaedia of faeries. She’s learned many of the secrets of the Hidden Ones on her adventures . . . and also from her fellow scholar and former rival Wendell Bambleby.

Because Bambleby is more than infuriatingly charming. He’s an exiled faerie king on the run from his murderous mother and in search of a door back to his realm. And despite Emily’s feelings for Bambleby, she’s not ready to accept his proposal of marriage: Loving one of the Fair Folk comes with secrets and dangers.

She also has a new project to focus on: a map of the realms of faerie. While she is preparing her research, Bambleby lands her in trouble yet again, when assassins sent by his mother invade Cambridge. Now Bambleby and Emily are on another adventure, this time to the picturesque Austrian Alps, where Emily believes they may find the door to Bambleby’s realm and the key to freeing him from his family’s dark plans.

But with new relationships for the prickly Emily to navigate and dangerous Folk lurking in every forest and hollow, Emily must unravel the mysterious workings of faerie doors and of her own heart.

😈 Demon 😈

That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon

The first in a delightful paranormal rom-com series. Lemming’s humour gets me every time. This whole series is fun, sexy, and cheekily good!

📖 ABOUT THE BOOK

All I wanted to do was live my life in peace. Maybe get a cat, expand my spice farm. Really anything that doesn’t involve going on a quest where an orc might rip my face off. But they say the Goddess has favourites. If so, I’m clearly not one of them.

After saving the demon Fallon in a wine-drunk stupor, all he wanted to do was kill an evil witch enslaving his people.

I mean, I get it, don’t get me wrong. But he’s dragging me along for the ride, and I’m kind of peeved about it. On the bright side, he keeps burning off his shirt.

👽 Alien 👽

Choosing Theo

I legit can’t remember what this was about or what I enjoyed about it but I gave it 4.5 stars on Goodreads so maybe it’s due for a re-read. I wasn’t sure if I had alien books to share but here you go! 😂

📖 ABOUT THE BOOK

Being kidnapped by aliens is only the start of Jade’s problems. Thankfully, her rescuers, an alien race known as the Clecanians, are willing to protect her, but she has to stay on their planet for one year and respect the rules of their culture–including choosing a husband. Jade refuses at first but decides to play along until she can find a way back to Earth.

Theo, a scarred mercenary who prefers a life of solitude, is stunned when Jade selects him as her husband. After years of being passed over, he never imagined he would be chosen and neither did anyone else. Only one explanation makes sense…the curvy enticing female must be a spy, and Theo’s determined to break her cover using any means necessary.

As Jade and Theo are forced to spend time together, their chemistry becomes undeniable. But neither can afford to bring love into the equation, especially since Jade seems determined to go home. After all, she can’t possibly stay here, right?

✨ Superpowered Human ✨

Vicious

Schwab is one of my all-time favourites and so is this book. The complexity of the relationships, the superpowers, the emotions… I grew surprisingly attached to these characters. I loved this and them!

📖 ABOUT THE BOOK

A masterful tale of ambition, jealousy, desire, and superpowers.

Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.

Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end?

In Vicious, V. E. Schwab brings to life a gritty comic-book-style world in vivid prose: a world where gaining superpowers doesn’t automatically lead to heroism, and a time when allegiances are called into question.

I’m tagging:

Becky | Leslie | Tasya | Chris | You!

That’s it for the Creatures of the Night Book Tag! If you’re not tagged but want to do it, feel free to link back as I’d love more recs! 😍

The All Hallows Book Tag

We’re back with another Tag Thursday post and today I’m answering a tag that I was just tagged in earlier this week. I think this might be the fastest I’ve answered a tag but there’s no better time to do The All Hallows Book Tag! Thanks to Ashlee @Books Are 42 for tagging me and if you haven’t already, go check out and support her blog!

This tag was originally created by QuirinusReads (Twitter/Instagram).

Even though I’m a total wimp and don’t touch traditionally spooky genres—whether it be books, movies or anything else—I’m still hoping that I’ll have answers for all these prompts! Let’s kick it off with the This or That portion:

Now it’s on to the questions:

What are your favourite spooky season genres?

While I might not be a spooky book girlie, I enjoy my share of books set during the spooky season, especially if it’s a paranormal romance! I love a romance with a witchy twist or with other paranormal creatures, monster romance… You get the gist! Other than that, I’ve enjoyed reading mysteries in the spooky season and have even stepped further outside my comfort zone to read a spooky horror/paranormal. I ended up enjoying them too despite worrying someone would snatch me feet-first the whole time! 😂

Which titles do you recommend for Halloween reading?

There are so many but here are a few off the top of my head that I’ve loved or enjoyed a lot. Most are, unsurprisingly, paranormal romances! 😉

What are your most anticipated reads this month?

Even though October is almost halfway over I’m still feeling overly optimistic and have these books on my possibility pile to fit the mood of the spooky season. To be fair, I’ll probably consider the end of November the end of my “spooky season”! 😂

Have you had a paranormal experience or spooky coincidence?

I don’t know if this is common knowledge but (Southeast) Asians are a superstitious lot and the paranormal is a big part of our society. That feels like a sweeping generalisation, right? But many Southeast Asian countries I know and have been to generally have a healthy fear of and respect for the paranormal. I admit that I’ve had my share of paranormal experiences growing up and after the worst of them, was even taken to a Cambodian Buddhist monastery to be bathed in holy water (a circle of monks literally dumped many buckets of holy water over my head, lol). That’s a story for another time but I guess whether I believe it or not—although it’s admittedly hard to say I don’t believe it with the things I’ve experienced—what I can say is that I have respect for spirits and the spiritual world and all those who believe in it. 😅

What are your spooky season film and TV favourites?

As I’ve already mentioned, the spooky stuff just isn’t my jam and even if I get a sniff that something is spooky, I tend to immediately turn away from it. If I have to think about it though, there are two movies that I enjoy immensely and that fit the spooky season vibe: Corpse Bride and The Nightmare Before Christmas (but I also watch this during the holiday season at least twice every year, lol)! Tim Burton gets me. 😆

How do you celebrate Halloween?

I actually don’t celebrate Halloween anymore only because, as a solitary homebody, I don’t do much of anything these days, lol. 😆 I introduced seasonally themed jewellery into my daily-wear collection last year and bought an adorable pumpkin spice latte pumpkin-shaped mug set and a set of a ghost wearing a purple flower crown. It’s too cute and I’ve been eagerly anticipating getting to wear them again ever since the season ended last year!

That’s it for The All Hallows Book Tag! I won’t be tagging anyone today but I’d love to see your answers if you decide to do this one!

Book Blogger Insider Tag

Hello, friends! Tag Thursday is a thing, right? I haven’t done a fun tag in a while because I’ve been so picky with the ones I do (I want easy and fun since I’m too lazy and tired to do more recently) but the Book Blogger Insider Tag didn’t look too difficult so I’m glad I remembered to bookmark it after discovering it on Ashlee’s blog Books Are 42 …last year. 😂 So let’s get straight to it!

Rules:

Where Do You Typically Write Your Blog Posts?

As with most things I do at home, at my desk. It’s where I feel most comfortable and I love using my keyboard to type (the sound keeps me going!) so that’s where I always end up doing the most. And yes, I’ll use this as an opportunity to share my most recent desk set-up—it’s only missing my latest Panda keyboard though!

How Long Does It Generally Take You To Write A Book Review?

Um… Ages? I always tell myself to just throw out a quick and dirty review but I can’t do it (which is why my mini-reviews are rare and also not always very mini, lol). It’s not that I tend to go back and forth gathering my thoughts, writing and deleting, rinse and repeat. It’s more that I also do a million things at once while writing and continuously take breaks to come back more refreshed to continue writing.

When Did You Start Your Book Blog?

I published my first blog post in March 2019 but I remember starting to set this blog up in January 2019. I was really nervous about starting it and wasn’t sure what to write! It took me two additional months to gain the courage to finally post something! It’ll be 6 years of this blog in 2025 and in all that time I don’t think I’ve celebrated once because I keep missing the anniversary date (so sad)! 😂

What Is The Worst Thing About Having A Book Blog In Your Opinion?

Probably the time that it takes to properly keep the blog going (often it’s just time that I don’t have anymore)! Writing, engaging, and blog hopping all take up a considerable amount of time. It’s also time that you need to dedicate if you’re serious about growing your blog. As work and general fatigue take over my life, I know I don’t do half as much as I used to and it often doesn’t feel like enough. Running a blog takes a lot!

What Is The Best Thing About Having A Book Blog In Your Opinion?

You folks, of course! *cheesy but true* 🤭

Seriously, the community is the best thing about having a book blog. Borders aren’t a thing and getting to connect with so many readers from around the world has been such an amazing experience. I hope one day I get to attend a book bloggers meet-up or something cos that would be amazing (I think, lol)! 😍

What Blog Post Have You Had The Most Fun Writing So Far?

Is it a cop-out to say that I can’t think of any off the top of my head? 😅 I honestly can’t say that there’s just one. Here are a few from my Bookish Thoughts category that I really enjoyed writing:

What Is Your Favourite Type Of Blog Post To Write?

As much as I love writing reviews and discussion posts, my favourite type of post to write (and also read!) are the weekly/monthly memes: IMWAYR, Top Ten Tuesday, #WWWWednesday, Weekly Wrap-Ups, Monthly Wrap-Ups—I love them all! 😍

When Do You Typically Write?

As a PR of Procrastination nation, I generally don’t schedule posts in advance. This means that I write most of my posts at night after work (like right now it’s 9:30PM, lol). The main exception is the weekend when I write my Sunday posts in the late afternoon after spending the day relaxing!

Do You Review Every Book You Read?

This is something I’ve tried to do ever since I started seriously book blogging. There were pros and cons about doing this—pros being that I keep track of all my thoughts of the books I read; cons being that I didn’t pick up a new book until I finished writing my review because that’d risk me forgetting details in the book I just read. I’ve become more lax about it in the last two years since life has been stressful enough without me adding more for myself. I still try to review as many books as I can, if not on the blog then at least on my Goodreads!

How Do You Write Your Book Reviews? With A Cup Of Coffee Or Tea? With Netflix? Cuddled With Your Fur Baby?

If I’m writing a review in the morning then I usually have a cup of coffee on hand. Most of the time though it’s just me and my phone either in bed (especially if I finish late at night/in the morning and need to immediate thoughts down before sleeping, lol) or on the way to work. If I’m writing my review at my desk I need zero distractions so that means no music, Netflix, YouTube, etc. Just plain silence as I get started!

When Do You Write Your Book Reviews? Right After Finishing The Book? Two Weeks After Finishing The Book?

I’ve learned over the years that immediately or 1-2 days after finishing a book is the best time for me to write my review. I can still easily and clearly capture the thoughts and emotions I experienced while reading but I’ve had time to process everything that happened too. I feel like when I wait too long it becomes obvious since the review becomes less detailed and is generally more restrained (at least, I think so)!

Ngl, it’s mostly to do with the memory thing though cos I tend to forget important things very quickly (even with books I love, lol)! *shakes fist* Damn you, memory!

How Often Do You Post?

I used to post once or sometimes even twice a day (at my most ambitious and free). Now, I still try to post daily but I end up missing 1-2 days every week. I’m teaching myself to not feel guilty about it and I’m slowly learning to be kinder to myself and not self-pressure to do more than I can.

And that’s it for the Book Blogger Insider Tag! I’ll tag Leslie, Anna and Yolanda but even if you’re not tagged, feel free to do it anyway and link back cos I’d love to see your answers!

The TBR Book Tag

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve done a tag and the TBR Book Tag looked fun and easy enough to whip up answers to quickly! 😂 I was tagged by the awesome @24hryabookblog. If you haven’t already I’d highly recommend checking out her blog because it’s full of awesome bookish content, especially of the YA variety (if the name didn’t already give that away)! 😉 Now, enough waffling from me—let’s get on with the book tag!

It took a bit of searching but I managed to track down the original creator: A Perfection Called Books. However, their blog is accessible by invite only but I still thought I’d link up to it anyway!

How do you keep track of your TBR pile?

Despite trying various methods over the years, the one tried and true tracker that never fails me is Goodreads. I have a tendency to add every book that strikes my fancy at a given moment to my ‘to-read’ list there, but over the past few years, I’ve created a yearly releases list to help me keep track of new books that I want to get my grubby hands on.

Is your TBR mostly print or e-books?

Over the years, my e-book collection has far surpassed my print. It’s so much easier and cheaper for me to get ebooks these days, especially if I want to read indie or older releases. It’s not even particularly easy for me to get print copies of many new trad pub books unless they’re “big name” authors (Henry, Maas, Clare) or TikTok famous books whose stock dominates the shelves at my local bookstore.

How do you determine which book from your TBR to read next?

As a mood reader, the choice is mainly determined by what I feel like reaching for next. This is probably why my TBR always expands so quickly, as I’m always looking out for the next book that’ll pique my mood’s interest if none of the thousands on my shelves catch my eye. 😮‍💨 It can never just be easy, can it? Lol.

A book that’s been on your TBR the longest

According to Goodreads, Beloved has been on my TBR the longest. I added it back in 2012!

A book that you recently added to your TBR

I added Bright Young Women to my TBR recently after seeing the ebook go on sale for 99p a couple of weeks ago. I’d seen it circulating everywhere on bookstagram a few months ago and it had piqued my interest then too!

A book on your TBR you strictly bought because of the beautiful cover

The Familiars has been on my TBR for several years now but I initially bought it before even knowing what it was about after seeing this gorgeous cover (all the details 😍)!

A book on your TBR you never actually plan on reading

I don’t think it would be accurate to really say that I never actually plan on reading A Tale of Two Cities but it is one that I’m saving for… A time in the future? I tried picking it up last year after buying it and woo, the writing just flew over my head! 😂

An unpublished book on your TBR that you’re excited for

I’m quite excited to read House of Frank! It sounds like it’ll wreck me emotionally and I’m an absolute sucker for books like that! 😂

📖 SYNOPSIS

A warm and hopeful story of a lonely witch consumed by grief who discovers a whimsical cast of characters in a magical arboretum—and the healing power of found family.

Powerless witch Saika is ready to enact her sister’s final to plant her remains at the famed Ash Gardens. When Saika arrives at the always-stormy sanctuary, she is welcomed by its owner, an enormous, knit-cardiganed mythical beast named Frank, who offers her a role as one of the estate’s caretakers.

Overcome with grief, Saika accepts, desperate to put off her final farewell to her sister. But the work requires a witch with intrinsic power, and Saika’s been disconnected from her magic since her sister’s death two years prior. Saika gets by at the sanctuary using a fragment of a fallen star to cast enchantments—while hiding the embarrassing truth about herself.

As Saika works harder in avoidance of her pain, she learns more about Frank, the decaying house at Ash Gardens, and the lives of the motley staff, including bickering twin cherubs, a mute ghost, a cantankerous elf, and an irritating half witch, among others. Over time, she rediscovers what it means to love and be wholly loved and how to allow her joy and grief to coexist. Warm and inventive, House of Frank is a stirring portrait of the ache of loss and the healing embrace of love.

A book on your TBR that basically everyone has read except you

Honestly, this could apply to all of Emily Henry’s books because they’re so popular and well-loved. People We Meet on Vacation might be the one that I hear most people talking about though (I think?)! 😂

A book on your TBR that everyone recommends

This was a tough pick because there are tons on my list that many people recommend but A Man Called Ove is recommended by everyone and their mum! 😂

A book on your TBR that you’re just dying to read

Another tough one to pick from… I can’t pick one so I’m listing five… But there are so many that I’m dying to read ASAP! 😂

The number of books on your Goodreads shelf

Since this prompt doesn’t mention my TBR shelf specifically, I assume that it means my Goodreads shelf in general including all the books I’ve read, right? 🤭 That’s how I’m going to take it (because how rude if it’s asking me to divulge my dirty little TBR number! 🤣) In total, I have 2,707 books on Goodreads!

And that’s it for the TBR Book Tag! I’m not tagging anyone specifically but if you’d love to do it, feel free to link back! I’d love to know what books are sitting around on your TBR and how many books you have on your Goodreads! 😄

The 2024 Mid-Year Check-In Tag

Somehow we have already made it to the mid-year mark of 2024. Where have the months gone? I feel like I say it ever year now but the past six months have felt too long and somehow not long enough. How quickly are the next six months going to pass before it’s time again to usher in a new year? But I digress…

Making it to June means it’s time to bring out one of my favourite annual tags: The Mid-Year Check-In!

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The Quarter Year Crisis Book Tag: May 2024

Let’s disregard the fact that it’s already May and that we’re almost at the halfway mark of 2024, okay? The Quarter Year Crisis Book Tag is one that I’ve done for the past two years and I always look forward to it, so I’m not going to let my lack of organization stop me from doing this now—sorry, not sorry. 😂

I’ve just remembered that Caro @BookCheshireCat tagged me to do this back in April but I only recalled it today as I was looking for a nice and easy tag to kick my week off.

This tag was originally created by Roisin @Roisin’s Reading and you can view it on BookTube.

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Reputation Book Tag!

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!

This tag was originally created by Mollie @Mollie the Reader.

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2024 Reading Firsts Book Tag

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!

This tag was created by Tanya Patrice @Girlxoxo.

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