The folklore Book Tag

Another book tag! This time featuring Taylor Swift’s most unexpected, artsy, and unapologetically ~a e s t h e t i c~ album, complete with (grammatically incorrectttt) lowercase titles and a subdued color scheme.

I am still working through my tags and posting them very out of order, so… bear with me.

Thank you to Introverted Thoughts for tagging me. Go check out both of her sites!

Rules:

1.Link to the original creator: Ilsa @ A Whisper Of Ink
2.Tag at least 3 people.
3.Declare the rules and list of prompts in your post.
4.Thank whoever tagged you and link to their post.

Books:

the 1- a book with an ending that left you speechless

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein. I was devastated by the ending, which I didn’t see coming AT ALL.

(ft. one of my old and less extensive book reviews)

cardigan- a book that made you feel happy and sad all at once

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson; this book is really emotionally ambivalent… it was simultaneously funny, depressing, sad, and empowering, all at once.

the last great american dynasty- a book with a fascinating and extremely well-told story

This is my favorite song on the album!!!

For this category, definitely Harry Potter. I’ve never been so ridiculously obsessed with a book series before. In 4th-5th grade, back when I still read fantasy, Harry Potter was my LIFE.

I dressed up as Hermione for Halloween in 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th, 9th, AND 10th grade. The first few times it was because I was completely obsessed; the last few times it was because I didn’t feel like getting a new costume, and I actually do look and kind of act like Hermione. I’m even a Gryffindor, according to Pottermore.

I need to re-read the series (for the 11th time) soon.

exile- a book you wish you hadn’t read

There’s a small list of these, but today I’ll feature Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. I’m sorry if you like this book, but I could not suspend my disbelief enough to like the story and I thought the “everyone can be popular! Be friends with everyone!” message was way too saccharine.

Before you can say that I’m too much of a conformist- no, my main criticism of this book doesn’t stem from Stargirl’s eccentricity (though I thought it was very overdone); it stems from the fact that… that’s not how high school works.

Maybe I should try reading this when I’m in a better mood.

my tears ricochet- a book that made you cry uncontrollably

As a general rule, books never make me cry uncontrollably… the most you’ll get is a few tears. But one of the saddest books I’ve ever read is A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Edit: When I first wrote this post, I hadn’t yet finished reading Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys. That’s another contender. I am obsessed with that book!

mirror ball- a book that feels like it was written just for you

Okay… please bear with me even though this is probably the 10th time I’ve mentioned this book on my blog…. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. Overachiever MC? Witty humor? Mysterious plot? Interviews with shady people? Clues to figure out? Secrets? Unpredictable plot twists? SHOCKING ending?

I tried to criticize this book in my review, like I do for all books, but I legitimately couldn’t find anything I didn’t love about it. You could not write a book any more up my alley.

Edit: it just occurred to me that “up my alley” is a pretty weird phrase

seven- a childhood book that makes you feel nostalgic

The Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. This was probably my favorite series in 1st-2nd grade. I even dressed up as Laura for Halloween in 2nd grade, and I did my biography report on her life.

My family also used to watch the TV series all the time. The entire franchise is a throwback for me.

august- a book that reminds you of summer

The To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before series by Jenny Han… if you’re going to read them at all, summer is the best time to read fluffy YA contemporaries. I did not at all expect to like this series, but to my utter surprise, it was, in a word, cute.

I did NOT cringe at the romance (which is an exceedingly rare occurrence), and I really liked all the characters. Lara Jean was irritating at the beginning, but she grew on me. And I loved Peter and… what’s the other guy’s name… oh yeah, John Ambrose McClaren.

Maybe I should read Jenny Han’s other series, The Summer I Turned Pretty. That title makes it sound like the stupidest thing ever, but maybe I’ll be surprised again. I like Jenny Han.

this is me trying- a book that deals with loneliness and sadness

What a fitting category! I’ve been feeling very lonely and sad recently- maybe because I have spent the entire day on the Internet every single day for the past six months. My nomination for this category is The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. Everyone in my English class hated this book, but I loved it! I thought Holden was relatable.

It’s a book I can always turn to when I’m in a particularly angsty mood and feel like lamenting about how no one understands me and I have no friends.

Which is fairly often, because all the people I know are phonies. They really are. It just makes me so depressed.

invisible string- a book that came into your life at exactly the right time

This was such a tough category for me to answer! After scrolling through my Goodreads list for a while, I’ve decided to feature The Mysterious Benedict Society series by Trenton Lee Stewart.

I don’t even remember when exactly I discovered this series, but it was sometime in 2016; I had a lot of anxiety back then and I had been having a hard time finding good books to read. I finally found this series and really enjoyed it. It’s a creative, light and very fun middle-grade read.

mad woman- a book with a female character you adore

I’m going to have to copy Paper Hearts with this one and choose The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins. Another series I name drop a lot. But the adored female character in question, is, obviously, Katniss. She is just amazing. I mean, to be unflinchingly honest, I do not think I would have the guts to volunteer for my sister in the Hunger Games.

A lot of people hate Katniss. I don’t agree with those people.

epiphany- a book that is haunting

1984 by George Orwell. When I first read this for school back in February (wow, does that seem like someone else’s life), I could not sleep after reading the ending because I was just so creeped out. But what’s even creepier than Room 101 is all the parallels to today’s society I’ve been able to draw months after finishing the book. I’m scared…

betty- a book couple that fills you with yearning

That fills me with yearning? That seems a little extreme for me, but I’m going to have to go with Lizzie Bennet and Mr. Darcy from Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen. I love Mr. Darcy, and Lizzie is just savage.

peace- a book character you’d die for because you love them so much

I’m answering this in the figurative sense because… I don’t think I’d actually DIE for any book character. Nah. But now I can’t choose… there are so many characters I love.

The most recent character whom I really cared about, though, would be Emilia from Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys.

hoax- a book you thought you were going to love but didn’t

With Malice by Eileen Cook– this was the first book that popped into my mind for this category because I read it this month. If you read my review, you probably witnessed my uncontrolled rant about how much I was loving this book until Eileen Cook threw away the whole plot with that ENDING. Ugh.

I Tag:

Chasing the Maximum Life

Blue Mood Cafe

The Reading Addict

Sweaters and Raindrops

Julie Anna’s Books

Don’t worry if I didn’t tag you because I try to pick different people each time; I always choose people whose blogs I enjoy reading and/or people who have recently commented on my posts! If you’re reading this right now, feel free to do the tag. I informally nominate you.

That’s it for today. Thanks for visiting my blog and happy Saturday!