Plan With Me Book Tag

The Plan With Me Book Tag was created by What's My Page Again on YouTube

1. Pay Day - a book you would buy right now, cost doesn't matter!

I haven't even read this yet but I am still so salty that I'll forever have to live without the UK hardcover of Uprooted. If I had the means, I'd buy a copy right now, but people are NUTS if they think I'm paying those outrageous prices for a used copy.

 2. Pay a Bill - a book you'd get rid of right now

I have an ongoing stack of books to unhaul at basically all times. Right now, that stack consists of the Throne of Glass series.

3. Dr Appointment - a book that makes you feel better when you're down

So this is not the most lighthearted book in the world, but it's just so good. And sometimes it feel so, so good to read a well-written, well-crafted book. Especially during a rough week like this one, it's great to read something written so well that you just ease into it. So that's what I'm doing. Rereading for like the fifth time.

4. Meeting - a book you felt obligating to read because of the hype

  By hype I mostly mean "my friends screaming at me inceassantly" but that counts, right? I knew I couldn't put it off much longer so I read it earlier this year and it was amazing. I'm really glad I finally got to it and that it lived up to all the hype built up around it.

5. Lunch Date - a book or series you fell in love with after a friend recommended it to you

Well I guess I could just say Code Name Verity again, but I won't. How about The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang? This is honestly probably my favorite graphic novel of all time and I wouldn't have read it without Gaby and Gillian screaming at me about it.

6. Work Week - a book that was hard to get through

This was so astoundingly bad it's actually hard to believe. I thought it would be bad, but it was a thousand times worse than I ever imagined. It was painful to read, all the way from the writing to the world-building. 0/10 do not recommend.

7. Gym Day - a book that got your heart pumping because it was such an exciting page-turner

So I didn't LOVE this or anything but I could not put it down. I remember thinking about it even when I wasn't reading. There are a ton of heart-pumping and heart-stopping scenes in here too. Also, we need more YA horror and this is great for scares. 

8. Date Night - a book with your favorite romantic couple

I'm just going to make a really quick list. I can't just pick one.

Cruel Beauty - Nyx and Ignifex
Dark Triumph - Sybella and Beast
Legendary - Tella and Jacks
The Demon King - Raisa and Han
Gemina - Hanna and Nik

9. Vacation - a series you'd want to binge if you had all the time in the world

A Song of Ice and Fire for sure. I've had A Game of Thrones on my TBR multiple times but I just never get to it purely because of its size. There's nothing really stopping me from setting aside the time to just do it, but there's a mental block there for some reason that I am just unable to get over right now.

10. To Do List - a book you've been meaning to get to

This was one of my most-anticipated of the year. I mean, it's the finale. And I just haven't made myself sit down and read it. I am honestly terrified of what's going to happen in here and I know I need to just buckle down and do it. I will. Soon. I swear.

   

Finally Fall Book Tag

I saw this tag on BookTube as usual, but this time can't seem to track down the original. I wasn't tagged, of course, but as it's the first day of my favorite season and this is a tag all about that season, I just had to.

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1. In fall the air is crisp and clear: name a book with a vivid setting!

Even though the characters go to a bunch of different places in this book, the one that sticks out the most to me was Confection. A whole entire world made of candies and cakes and other, well, confections. I've never read anything quite like it.

2. Nature is beautiful… but also dying: name a book that is beautifully written, but also deals with a heavy topic like loss or grief.

This is written in verse, so I know it's not for everyone, but I thought it was breathtaking. It tells the story of conjoined twins, Grace and Tippi, and their daily life and their struggle with whether or not to undergo the surgery to separate. 

3. Fall is back to school season: share a non-fiction book that taught you something new. 

 I don't read a ton of nonfiction, so I had to dig back a few years to find this one. I learned a lot about the process of death in our society and in other cultures as well. And it made me think a lot about what I want after I pass, which is morbid, but there you go.

4. In order to keep warm, it’s good to spend some time with the people we love: name a fictional family/household/friend-group that you’d like to be a part of. 

 Who wouldn't want to be a knight/best friends with Alanna? Or a street urchin/thief with George?

5. The colorful leaves are piling up on the ground: show us a pile of fall-colored spines! 

This was a Struggle! I haven't actually read a single one of these, oops.

6. Fall is the perfect time for some storytelling by the fireside: share a book wherein somebody is telling a story.

 This is the first book that popped into my head and honestly, I couldn't find a better one if I tried. This is a story within a story within a story. If you want intricate layers and mind-blowing reveals, plus the friendships of an absolute lifetime, read this book!

7. The nights are getting darker: share a dark, creepy read.

 I don't read a ton of graphic novels but this one sticks out as dark and creepy! Especially the scene where the main character has to explore the hospital. The second installment came out recently and I can't wait to see wtf is going on.

 
8. The days are getting colder: name a short, heartwarming read that could warm up somebody’s cold and rainy day.

 Okay, I swear I don't read many graphic novels even though I just shared a good handful. But this is the ultimate heartwarming read. It is just lovely and adorable and made me cry happy, happy tears at the end.

9. Fall (luckily, it’s my favorite season) returns every year: name an old favorite that you’d like to return to soon.

It's been sooo long since I was in the world of The Lunar Chronicles and that needs to change! I can't believe I still haven't read Winter, Stars Above, or the graphic novels. I love this series so much so it's time to act like an actual fan.

10. Fall is the perfect time for cozy reading nights: share your favorite cozy reading “accessories”!

So I'm pretty much a creature of habit and my reading routines don't change depending on the seasons. Instead, my bookshelf does! I absolutely love decorating for the holidays and we are working on a collection of garlands for every one. So far we just have fall/Halloween, Christmas, and a gold one that works for New Year's. For fall we also put up our glitter skull, glitter pumpkin, and twinkling black and orange candles. These bookshelves take an entire wall and are definitely the focal point of our living room.

Cake-Flavored Books Tag

This tag was created by Paper Fury like a year ago, but I don't think I did it then. I recently saw it on A Great Read and thought it would be the perfect light post to do over the weekend. Who doesn't love cake?

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Chocolate Cake: a Dark Book You Loved

I don't know if you know this, but dark books are kind of my thing, from gritty fantasy to sad contemporary. My favorites include Drowning Instinct by Ilsa J. Bick, the His Fair Assassin series by Robin LaFevers, and the Scarlet series by A.C. Gaughen.

Vanilla Cake: A Favorite Light Read

I don't read a ton of light and fluffy books but one that always comes to mind for me is Poison by Bridget Zinn. Such a cute, funny fantasy. Like Georgia Nicolson but with poisons and magic.

Red Velvet Cake: a Book That Gave You Mixed Feelings

The first thing that comes to my mind is Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh. I liked a lot of it, especially how messy and real the characters felt. That said, the ship was so weird to me and I wasn't really sure what the message was supposed to be. Still will read the sequel!

Cheesecake: a Book You Recommend to Everyone

This is a recent read for me, but I have to say Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein. It's smart, funny, clever, relatable, tragic; it seriously has everything.

Coffee Cake: a Book You Started But Never Finished

Oh, so many. I am not afraid to DNF a book if I don't like it, even on the first page! A recent DNF for me was Copycat by Hannah Jayne. I got to about 20% and I just didn't like the characters at all.

Carrot Cake: a Book With Great Writing

Oh, this is easy! Anything by Nova Ren Suma. I especially recommend The Walls Around Us. It's beautiful and gorgeous, both on the inside and the outside.

Tiramisu: a Book That Left You Wanting More

The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James. The bad guy needed way better motivation. But more than that, this book needed an epilogue! The main character's life had been leading up to this one single event and we didn't even get to see it!

Cupcakes: a Series with Four or More Books

I don't LOVE super-long series. Sometimes I feel like they get too drawn-out and don't end well. Like Sookie Stackhouse. But one four-book series that I absolutely love is the Seven Realms by Cinda Williams Chima. 

Fruitcake: a Book That Wasn't What You Expected

I had to dig deep for this one because I think it's an inherently negative question and I wanted to put a positive spin on it. So my answer is Mind Games by Kiersten White, which I expected to be absolutely awful but is actually fantastic and led me to being a huge fan of White in general.

                 

Halloween in July Book Tag

I found this tag on Hardback Hoarder on BookTube. I don't know if you guys know this, but Halloween is my favorite holiday. When I was a kid, we went ALL OUT on the costumes, the makeup, the trick-or-treating. I had a bunch of cousins and we all went out as a group together. I love it so much I already have Rosie's costume put together for a holiday that doesn't happen for like four more months now. I love the atmosphere, the cool weather, the early sunset, the scary movies, the creepy crawlies. I love everything about Halloween. So when this tag came into my feed, I knew I had to do it immediately. 

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1. What book gave you the creeps?

So, I love horror. I consume horror on the regular. I mean, I've watched three horror movies in the last three days and I have another queued up and ready to go as soon as Rosie goes to bed. So I know my stuff. And when I say that this book scared the unholy crap out of me, I mean it. It is to this day the scariest shit I've ever read.

2. What book gives you the best Halloween vibes?

 

Considering this book is set over the course of October, features a Halloween party, costumes, spooky accidents, and a creepy, mysterious costume shop, this is THE book for Halloween vibes. I wish it had a spookier cover to go along with the perfect Halloween atmosphere.

3. What is your favorite vampire book?

 

Is anyone surprised, really? I freaking LOVE this series. I love Rose and Dimitri. I love the lore, I love the world, I love Lissa, I love everything. Except Adrain lmao.

4. What book scared you so much you had to sleep with the lights on?

 

Oh my god. When I finished this book I immediately hid it from myself. It scared the crap out of me for days and I was so glad to be rid of it when I returned it to the library. One of the scariest and most surprising endings ever.

5. What is your favorite book about witches/goblins/ghosts/demons?

I love this series so much! It was one of the first YA series I ever became straight up addicted to, way back when I was actually a teen. There is so much in here to enjoy, and the books are short and FAST. I love the friendships and the shipships and the magic most of all. Plus all the tie-ins of Irish mythology. I just love it so much. Also the family dynamics! 

6. What book do you wish was scarier than it was?

I don't know if you guys remember back to the stone ages when this came out (2011) but the marketing was real. There was so much emphasis on how scary and creepy it was, especially with all the spooky pictures. So when I read it I was excited. Except that it ended up being such a letdown. Instead of the creepy spooky story I was expecting, it was like time-loop X-men with a gross ship. Not scary at all except for the very first scene. 

7. What is your favorite book that takes place in October?

I literally couldn't think of anything for this except to repeat a previous answer, The Accident Season. Other than that, I can only come up with Harry Potter, which is totally cheating. Also I am looking forward to reading the Hocus Pocus sequel which, you know, SHOULD take place on Halloween haha.

 

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Tell me about all your favorite spooky reads! I am so tired of summer and am already kicking into Autumn mode!