This is a book tag I found on Zezee with Books. In this tag, you share three things from each category and I thought it was a great idea. If you see this post, you’re tagged! If you do your own version let me know in the comments! I would love to see everyone’s top threes!
3 READ ONCE AND LOVED AUTHORS
Sometimes, it’s love at first read!
Sally Thorne: I recently read her debut novel The Hating Game and fell instantly in love. Her writing is hilarious! She wrote the perfect stand-alone romance with a fun storyline and wonderfully developed characters. Plus, the enemies-to-lovers dynamic she creates gave me all the feels! Contemporary romance is a newer genre for me and I felt Thorne delivered the chemistry I crave. Plus our love interest Joshua Templeton gives all the morally gray vibes I usually only get from fantasy romance or kindle unlimited mafia romance. Sally Thorne is amazing and I am ready to read more of her work. If you want my full review of The Hating Game, check it out here
Casey McQuiston: I was drawn to Red, White, and Royal Blue in a way I have never been drawn to a book. When this book was released in 2019, I was a strictly YA fantasy reader, you could have considered me a purist. While frolicking through Barnes and Noble (as us bookworms do) I saw the beautiful pink cover sitting on the New In Fiction table. I flipped it over and read the synopsis on the back about the first son of the United States dating a Prince from the UK. The idea was something I had never seen before and I was so interested I had to add it to the 500 other books I was buying (R.I.P. my bank account). It was the first one I went for when I got home and I finished it in 2 days, I would have taken less time if I didn’t have to work. The writing is funny and the chemistry is magical. I was never drawn to the found family trope before I read this and this changed my mind. McQuiston fully developed her side characters and brought them to life for me. After reading this book I dove headfirst into the world of adult romance and contemporary novels and I’m so glad I took the leap. I picked up her newest novel One Last Stop the DAY it came out and I’m so excited to read it.
Shelby Mahurin: Have you ever bought a book and let it sit on your shelf for what seems like forever? I was in love with the cover and picked it up instantly around when it came out. Then it sat on my shelf for at least two months. I kept staring at it but for some reason, I didn’t pick it up. When I finally did in late December I couldn’t believe I waited so long! This book gave me EVERYTHING. The magical elements were well thought out and the twists and turns the plot took gave me goosebumps. I could not put this book down and I’ve re-read it like 4 times since. I have never been to France but Mahurin gave me the full experience and made me smell the cinnamon buns. It was one of those books you just wish you could erase from your memory so you can read it for the first time again. I have a signed copy of Blood and Honey which is the best thing I own! My mom has my copy of Gods and Monsters captive and I can’t wait to get it back!
3 TITLES I’VE WATCHED BUT HAVEN’T READ
This is one of those things as a book lover I feel SHAME for admitting, but we all do it.
Dune: This is not my kind of book or movie for that matter. I enjoy world-building but when the entire first half of a book is exposition, I can’t. Some people can just read books and don’t mind the exposition or enjoy that level of world-building. It has never been for me and I felt the same way watching the movie. I was coerced into watching it with my boyfriend who loves the sci-fi world-building and complex storylines. I didn’t think I would get through the first half. Like the book, the beginning is all exposition and it was BORING. I am not a movie critic and I would consider myself pretty uncultured when it comes to movies, but the beginning almost bored me to sleep. The second half was much more interesting so if you can get through the beginning and enjoy the sci-fi experience, this gives it to you.
The Princess Bride: I LOVE THIS MOVIE. I have been watching this with my mom since I was a child and fell in love. I didn’t know this was a book until I was doing research for this post (Inconceivable!) but this movie is one of my all-time favorites, and now the book has a top spot on my TBR.
Hidden Figures: I watched this movie as a bonding activity with my pledge class. I love the actors in this movie and they really brought it to life. A lot of them overlapped with another one of my favorites, The Help. I love seeing stories like this represented and even though this book isn’t in my normal range, I can’t wait to read it.
3 CHARACTERS YOU LOVE
If it’s not morally gray, I don’t want it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Cardan – The Cruel Prince by Holly Black: Cardan is the anti-hero of my morally gray dreams! The Cruel Prince by Holly Black was my quarantine binge read and the wild characters in this story won my heart. Cardan is the youngest prince in a very long line who wants nothing to do with the crown. He has an unhealthy obsession with our main character and his childish attitude makes him one of the most compelling characters I’ve come across.
Alessandra – The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller: There is only one way to describe Alessandra – a BAD BITCH! Alessandra murdered the first man who broke her heart, broke almost every societal rule in the kingdom, and plans on taking over the crown. She is a prime example of an unreliable narrator. She is privileged and sees the world in a very skewed way. It’s like reading from the perspective of the villain who thinks she’s the hero. This standalone keeps you on the edge of your seat and Alessandra really takes you for a ride.
Lou – Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin: Louis De Blanc is the misfit of misfits. She ran away from her coven, doesn’t fit in with the other criminals, and is hunted by Chasseurs, witch hunters. Now she’s married to one, and she needs to hide her true identity. Her character arc is amazing and she is kind of relatable. Underneath all the peril, she’s just a girl with an attitude and a love for cinnamon buns. I am obsessed with this girl and I’m sure you’ll be too!
3 SERIES BINGED
Book binging is like show binging, only more addictive!
A Court of Thornes and Roses by Sarah J.Maas: Everyone and their mother knows about this series. Sarah J. Maas kills it every time. I read this book in high school and it really hit me deep. A Court of Mist and Fury is one of my favorite books and everyone needs to read this book. The first book is considered a Beauty and the Beast spin-off and I see that. After that, it takes a whole new turn and you never know what to expect. From character development to world-building to spice, this book gives everything.
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black: As I stated before, this was my first quarantine binge read. I finished the entire series in three days and separating the events of each book is almost impossible. Holly Black gives an interesting storyline and characters that have chemistry and complex relationships. The faerie world she creates along the folds of reality took me to a new world when I needed it most.
The Selection Series by Kiera Cass: I mention this series because I feel I have to. I did binge this series in high school, but honestly, it was more out of necessity. So many of my friends loved this book and told me I had to read it. When I picked it up I really liked it. It gave me royalty, class struggle, and the bachelor all wrapped in one book. After I got through the first one I was like eh, this is fine. At this time, I had never read a book I hadn’t liked. I didn’t know you could read a book you didn’t like. That may sound crazy, but I was new to reading for fun and it seemed like I hadn’t read enough to know what was good and what wasn’t. I now know once you read enough, you know what isn’t good. I persevered through the other two books and got so mad by the end. The rebellion storyline wasn’t developed at all and America is not a believable character. I finished because I wanted to know who he choose and how it ended so I finished it but it felt like a real effort to finish. This was the first book I remember not liking and thinking back I wish I knew you could drop a series.
3 UNPOPULAR BOOKISH OPINIONS
Let’s start a riot
Friends to lovers is a boring trope: Enemies to lovers is so much better and friends to lovers tend to lean on the misunderstanding trope too much and this is my all-time least favorite.
If a story has no romance, I’m bored: I just really need it. Without the chemistry romance brings to the story, I tend to drop it.
13 Reasons Why is not it: I read this book for a class and I was not the only one who felt this way. Hannah is an unbelievable character and has a manipulative personality. She is a hard person to root for and sends a terrible message.
3 CURRENT FAVORITE BOOK COVERS
They say don’t judge a book by its cover, but how can you not ❤
3 BOOKISH GOALS FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR
Write at least one blog post a week
Write 3 more short stories: find my latest one here
Get through Half of my owned TBR
I hope you guys enjoyed this post! If you did, please like and comment any of your top threes and tag me if you do this tag! Stay gray bookish babes!
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