The Christmas Bookshelf Scavenger Hunt | Book Tag

I can’t believe we are halfway through the month! Even though the holidays will look much, much different for my family this year, I’m trying to find some holiday cheer by having fun decorating my house and watching Christmas movies on the nights I’m not working.

I found this tag on Bookshelf Your Thoughts blog and thought it looked too fun to pass up! I had a fun time perusing my shelves to find titles that matched the prompts!


🎄 A BOOK SET DURING CHRISTMAS 🎄

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren. This is the perfect holiday read! After reading this, I wanted nothing more than to be in a cabin in the snowy woods cozying up with a good book and enjoying the company of my friends and family.


❄️ FIVE COLD WORDS ❄️

  1. Shiver
  2. Winter
  3. Winter, White and Wicked
  4. Wintersong
  5. Winterwood

🎁 A RED AND GREEN BOOK COVER 🎁

Your One & Only by Adrianne Finlay. This was such a unique and interesting YA Dystopian that I really loved reading!


🎄 CHARACTER WITH A FESTIVE NAME 🎄

On the Corner of Love and Hate by Nina Bocci. The main character’s name in this book is Emmanuelle, a name which really reminds me of Christmas.


❄️ A FESTIVE OBJECT ❄️

Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe by Melissa de la Cruz. The cover evokes all kind of holiday cheer with all the mistletoes and poinsettias.


🎁 A BOOK WITH BAKING IN IT 🎁

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han. Lara Jean does so much baking in this book and it was the very fist story I thought of when I read the prompt!


🎄 A BOOK COVER WITH A WINTERY SCENE 🎄

The cover for The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden gives such winter vibes! I love the cabin in the woods as the snow is falling all around.


❄️ A BOOK COVER WITH SILVER AND GOLD ❄️

10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston. This is a super cute YA contemporary story set around Christmas!


🎁 A BOOK THAT WAS A GIFT 🎁

For the past few years, my mom has bought me the illustrated Harry Potter books! Those books are so beautiful and I can’t wait to have the full collection.


🎄 A TITLE THAT DESCRIBES HOW CHRISTMAS SHOPPING FEELS 🎄

To Love and to Loathe by Martha Waters. I actually really love shopping for gifts for other people, I just hate how much money it costs!


🎅🏻 SPELL ‘SANTA CLAUS’ USING BOOK TITLES: 🎅🏻

S Star Daughter – Shveta Thakrar
A Among the Beasts & Briars – Ashley Poston
N Ninth House – Leigh Bardugo
T These Violent Delights – Chloe Gong
A Always Never Yours – Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka

C Crazy, Stupid Bromance – Lyssa Kay Adams
L Lore – Alexandra Bracken
A Aurora Blazing – Jessie Mihalik
U Uprooted – Naomi Novik
S Small Great Things – Jodi Picoult


Behind the Blogger Book Tag

Hello everyone! I saw this over at Elaine Howlin‘s blog and since I haven’t done a book tag in while, I thought this would be perfect! It’s been a few years from the last time I did a post similar to this was and I’ve gained so many new friends and followers since then so this is the perfect tag for me to do!


WHY DID YOU START BLOGGING? WHY HAVE YOU KEPT BLOGGING?

I started blogging because I wanted a place to share my book reviews and talk about all things bookish. I’ve kept blogging because I still love it! I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get drained or burned out sometimes, but reading has always been a huge part of my life and I love being a part of the book blogging community!


WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TYPE OF BLOG POST TO WRITE?

I really love writing discussion posts and lists! It took me a while to gain the confidence to starting writing discussion posts but now they’re one of my favorite kinds of posts and I love engaging with other bloggers.


WHAT ARE YOU TOP THREE FAVORITE BLOG POST?

1. #SixforSunday: Questions to Ask George R. R. Martin

2. Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Fanart & Part II

3. #SixforSunday: Favorite Characters from a Series


WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE THINGS TO DO TO RELAX?

The obvious answer is reading! I love unwinding with a good book. I also find cleaning to be really relaxing. I think it’s because I’m an anxious, Type A person so I love making sure everything is in its place and organized.


WHAT ARE THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE THINGS?

How do I even go about answering this question?! I have no idea how I would decide my three favorite things, so I’ll just list three of my recent favorite items from book boxes!

1. Booklight

2. Wooden Block Calendar

3. Blanket


WHAT ARE YOUR PROUDEST BLOGGING MOMENTS?

I was so excited the first time I reached 1K views a month! I know it’s not a lot compared to other people but I was so happy to see the growth. I also reached 900 followers a few months ago which was a big accomplishment, and I’m so close to 1,000 followers!


WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES OUTSIDE OF BLOGGING?

This is the saddest question, because it made me realize I have no hobbies outside of blogging 😭 Blogging and reading are my hobbies. They’re what I like to do to destress from work. I used to be into fitness and working out but I haven’t done that since I started my new job; I’m hoping to get back into a routine though!


DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY IN THREE WORDS.

1. Ambivert
2. Idealistic
3. Dreamer


WHAT ARE YOUR TOP THREE PET PEEVES?

1. Bad driving
2. Intolerance
3. Passive aggressiveness


WHAT’S SOMETHING YOUR FOLLOWERS DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU?

I studied abroad in Sydney, Australia for five months when I was in college and it remains the best experience of my life!

The Ultimate Game of Thrones Book Tag

Wow, it has been a long time since I’ve done a book tag. Thank you so much to Alexandra @ Whimsy Pages for tagging me! As I’m sure most of you have figured out, I’m a huge fan of Game of Thrones. And while there were a few things I really enjoyed about the season finale (and final season in general), I was mostly left feeling disappointed and lost. I have a lot of unanswered questions and I’m hoping the ending GRRM has is a little more fleshed out and fully explained (or totally different, let’s be honest here). Anyway, since I love all things GoT, I’m super excited to be doing this book tag!

This tag was created by orang-utan librarian!


PART I

“WE DO NOT SOW” – A BOOK YOU WOULD NOT BE WILLING TO INVEST IN

Crescent City by Sarah J. Maas. But really any upcoming book written by her. I have a lot of issues with her writing and the recurring themes she uses in all of her stories.

house greyjoy


“FAMILY. DUTY. HONOUR.” – A BOOK ABOUT STRONG FAMILY TIES

I recently finished Finale (Caraval #3) and I absolutely adore the loving relationship between sisters, Tella and Scarlett.

house tully


“WINTER IS COMING” – YOUR FAVORITE WINTER READ

Echo North by Joanna Ruth Meyers and The Bear and the Nightingale series by Katherine Arden. Both have snowy settings, atmospheric writing, are inspired by fairytales, and have a dreamy quality to them when reading!

house stark


“OURS IS THE FURY” – A BOOK THAT MADE YOU FURIOUS.

Hmm, there are a few different books throughout the years that have truly angered me. I’ll never forget accidently ripping a page out of Reached (Matched #3) by Allie Condie as I turned the page furiously. Also, The Crown (The Selection #5) by Kiera Cass and Dawn of Legends (Blood of Gods and Royals #4) by Eleanor Herman were both t e r r i b l e conclusions to their respective series and had so many moments of WTF that I end up quitting both of them midway through.

house baratheon


“FIRE AND BLOOD” – A BOOK THAT PRODUCED STRONG EMOTIONS IN YOU.

I’ve come to the conclusion that I am an emotional reader. However, I will never get over the feelings I felt after reading The Bird and the Blade by Megan Bannen. I even knew going into the book what to expect and was still wrecked by the ending. I’m getting emotional just thinking about it. You can read a review of this amazing book here.

house targaryen


“A LANNISTER ALWAYS PAYS HIS DEBTS” – A BOOK YOU FEEL INDEBTED TO.

There are a lot of books from my youth that helped me become the reader I am today, but The Magic Treehouse series by Mary Pope Osborne have a particular spot in my heart and really cemented my love of adventure/fantasy and nurtured my imagination. 

house lannister


PART II

WOULD YOU WIN OR DIE?

I’ll be the optimist and say I’d win. 


WHAT HOUSE ARE YOU IN?

House Stark 🐺

I’m not even going to take the quiz because there’s literally no other house I would ever feel like I belonged to. 


TAGGING: Nikki | Flavia | Tasya | & anyone else who wants to join!

Halloween Creatures Tag

It’s been a while since I’ve done a book tag, and since it’s October I wanted to do a fun Halloween themed one! 

Rules:

  • Answer all prompts.
  • Answer honestly.
  • Tag 1-13 people.
  • Link back to this post. 
  • Remember to credit the creator. (Anthony @ Keep Reading Forward)
  • Have fun!

Witch: A Magical Character or Book.

As completely unoriginal as this answer is going to be, I have to say Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. I don’t think there’s another series out there with quite as much magic and witches/wizards!


Werewolf: The Perfect Book to Read at Night.

I do a lot of my reading at night before bed, so I don’t have a particular book in mind.  


Frankenstein: A Book that Truly Shocked You.

I’m gonna say A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin, because I truly, honestly did not think I was going to enjoy reading it, and went into the book not even expecting to finish it. 


The Devil: A Dark, Evil Character.

Dolores Umbridge from the Harry Potter series is the absolute worst.


Grim Reaper: A Character that Should Never Have Died.

There’s a reason I could never quite bring myself to finish Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo, and that reason has everything to do with a certain favorite character’s death. 


Zombie: A Book that Made You “Hungry” for More.

When I had finished Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor I immediately wanted the sequel. There was so many things I wanted to learn and needed to know – such as Azareen and Eril-Fane’s backstory (which Laini blessed me us with in Muse of Nightmares.)


Gargoyle: A Character that You Would Protect at All Cost.

May I direct you attention, please, to this post. Honestly, I’m not even going to pick just one because all three – Sansa Stark, Chaol Westfall, and Malyen Oretsev – are all equally hated upon by their respective fandoms for no good reason and therefore deserve my equal support. 


Vampire: A Book that Sucked the Life Out of You.

Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James. I will never understand this book’s appeal or popularity. It drained the life (and brain cells) out of my body and I ended up basically skimming the thing. 


Ghost: A Book that Still Haunts You.

Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaardner. I had to read this my sophomore year of high school and hated it with the burning passion of a thousand suns. It was a very unpopular choice of reading amongst my classmates. To this day, I still have no idea what the f**k is even happening in that book.


Demon: A Book that Really Scared You.

I read a lot of thrillers, but I don’t think I’ve ever read one that’s really scared me. And I tend to avoid horror books: they’re not my thing.


Skeleton: A Character You Have a Bone to Pick With.

Recently, I had a bone to pick with Audrey Rose as I was reading Escaping From Houdini by Kerri Maniscalco. Girlfriend. What are you doing?!


Mummy: A Book You Would Preserve Throughout Time.

I have quite a few favorite books, but The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is such a treasure. 


Creepy Doll: A Cover too Scary to Look At.

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff. I remember buying this book on a whim years ago but then never actually reading it. That cover is extremely eerie.


The Monster Mash: It’s Fun to Be with Friends on Halloween!

This was really fun and I hope you all enjoyed my answers! Since I wasn’t actually tagged to do this, I’m not going to tag anyone specifically and invite you all to do it! 

Secret Life of a Book Blogger

I’m back with another book tag! These are so much fun. I’ve been seeing this one around a lot and I’m so thankful Flavia tagged me to do it! 


HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN BLOGGING?

I’ve had this blog since May of 2016, but I started consistently blogging in November/ December of 2017. 


AT WHAT POINT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL STOP BLOGGING?

I guess I would stop when I don’t find it to be fun or rewarding anymore. So I don’t see myself stopping anytime soon! 


WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT BLOGGING?

The community! I don’t have know many people in real life that read, so I love talk to everyone in the bookish community and the friends I’ve made. I also love all the books I hear about through other bloggers. I’m continuously adding new books to my TBR!


WHAT IS THE WORST THING? WHAT DO YOU DO TO MAKE IT OKAY?

The worst thing is comparing yourself to other bloggers (or bookstagrammers). Sometimes I get down on myself when I see how popular and how many followers other blogs have. I also get really frustrated with my Instagram account because I feel like it’s impossible for me to grow any followers, especially with the algorithm. I just remember that I’m not doing this for anyone else; I’m doing it for myself because I love it.


HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE YOU TO MAKE/FIND PICTURES TO USE?

When I take pictures for Instagram, it usually takes about 15-20 minutes to set everything up, take a bunch of different shots, and then go through them to make sure there are a few I like before cleaning up. 


WHO IS YOUR BOOK CRUSH?

Oh man, what a question 😂 Off the top of my head:

Cardan from The Cruel Prince, Carswell Throne from The Lunar Chronicles, Chaol Westfall from Throne of Glass, Elias Veturius from An Ember in the Ashes, Jon Snow from A Song of Ice and Fire, Josh Mitchell from I’ll Meet You There, Julian Blackthorne from The Dark Artifices, Luka Lowe from Wolf by Wolf, Malyen Oretsev from The Grisha Trilogy, Matthias Helvar from Six of Crows, Morozko from The Bear and the Nightingale, Peter Kavinksy from To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Vikram from A Crown of Wishes, and Will Herondale from The Infernal Devices

I mean, just to name a few 😉 I’m sure there’s many more that I can’t think of right now haha.


WHAT AUTHOR WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE AS A GUEST ON YOUR BLOG?

There are so many authors I would love to have as a guest. I would be ecstatic for an opportunity to have Leigh Bardugo, Roshani Chokshi, Kate Quinn, Tessa Dare, or Laini Taylor!


WHAT DO YOU WEAR WHEN YOU WRITE YOUR BLOG POSTS?

Whatever I have on haha. Unless I’m in nicer clothes, then I’ll change into something more comfortable.


HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE YOU TO PREPARE?

It depends on the post. If it’s a review, it can take a couple hours – even with the notes I have – to put everything together and make sure it sounds coherent. If it’s another bookish post, like a weekly meme, it takes a lot less time because I already have the template and I just need to add to it. 


HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE BOOK BLOGGING COMMUNITY? 

I love the book blogging community! Everyone is always so friendly and I love interacting with other bloggers and gushing about books!


WHAT DO YOU THINK ONE SHOULD DO TO GET A SUCCESSFUL BLOG?

I think two of the biggest things to gain follows would be to interact with other book bloggers and to be consistent with posting. I always reply back to comments I receive and visit other blogs to like/comment on their posts as well. I also try to consistently post 2-3 times a week, and I’ll occasionally look for new and unique blog post ideas!