I was tagged to do this Lover book tag back in August by Mari @ Musings of a Book Girl. She’s also the one who created this awesome book tag! Even eight months later, I’m still obsessed with this album, so let’s dive into this book tag.
Rules
- Know somebody who loves Taylor? Tag them! If you don’t know of anybody though, that’s okay too, you should still do the tag!
- There is a prompt for each song but don’t feel pressured to do them all!
- Link back to this post so Mari will get a notification that you did it and can come see your answers! Also because crediting creators is nice.
- Feel free to use any of the graphics or make your own if you want!
The Black Witch by Laurie Forest
Let’s start off with a bang, shall we? No, I haven’t read The Black Witch. No, I never will read this book. Heck, I don’t even want to go download the cover to add to this post. There was such a HUGE amount of justified discourse over this book that it still surprises me when I see people posting pictures of their copy of it on Bookstagram or adding it to their TBRs on Goodreads. Like, I don’t want to judge these people, because maybe they’re new here. Maybe they don’t know. But, oh my GOSH, what I wouldn’t give to never see a mention or picture or anything about this racist book ever again.
We Set The Dark On Fire // We Unleash The Merciless Storm by Tehlor Kay Mejia
Holy heck, Carmen and Dani go through so much in this duology. The entire story takes place in way more than just the summer, so really, it’s a cruel year for them. WSTDOF and WUTMS are just full of one thing after another. (No suppliers, but I mean, they’re part of a revolution so you get the gist if you haven’t read it.) But hey, they get through it together.
Nova and Tam from Mooncakes by Wendy Xu and Suzanne Walker
I’m not big about shipping characters in that I’ll hope whatever characters get together and have their Happily Ever After while I’m reading the book, but I don’t really care outside of that. So this prompt was actually really hard! I’m not sure how well this specific song fits with Nova and Tam, but I really liked reading about their relationship.
Tigers, Not Daughter by Samantha Mabry
This book hit me like a train. It was so much more than I signed up for but in a good way. As for feminist themes, the story follows three sisters who are trying to uncover the mystery of what seems to be their oldest, deceased sister coming back to tell them something. Tigers, Not Daughters deals with grief, family trauma, abusive parents, abusive boyfriends, sisterly love and so much more. I highly recommend it if you’re looking for a meaningful book with super well-written, deep characterization.
You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson
I just finished this book a couple weeks ago and it’s so good. If it’s not on your TBR, you really need to remedy that. You Should See Me in a Crown is a story about race, class, and ultimately Black joy. It also has queer rep and fantastic anxiety rep! I could really see myself in Liz through her struggles with anxiety. The descriptions and characterization of it all felt so real and I truly love to see it! Please read this book!
On The Fence by Kasie West
Honestly, I should have just skipped this prompt. There are 17 others anyway. But! It was bothering me so much that I couldn’t think of a single book with this trope. Besides, it wouldn’t really be the Lover Book Tag without I Think He Knows. So I asked my main circle of bookish friends and thank you to Chloe @ The Elven Warrior for giving me a book. Even though I know nothing about On The Fence, I have an answer for this prompt!
Tarnished Are The Stars by Rosiee Thor
Define undertones. Tarnished Are The Stars has some pretty strong political commentary in its pages. I guess the “under” part of it is that it takes place in a fictional world several hundred years in the future but the political themes still fit today. Oh, the timelessness of ableism, classism, and queerphobia. Anna is from a village that has been entirely disabled and tossed to the side by the capital and all the people on Earth-adjacent with political power. The story is told from three perspectives: 1) Anna, 2) Eliza, who is a spy sent by the queen to learn the Commissioner’s secrets, and 3) Nathaniel, the Commissioner’s son who has been sheltered and decided he wants to finally be useful to his father. Overall, it’s a story about fighting injustice.
Mia and Grace from On A Sunbeam by Tillie Walden
I have so much love for this graphic novel. The characters are amazing. The art is gorgeous. This world that they live in is amazing and so well created. And, of course, there’s Mia and Grace’s story. Much of the book/web series is told with Grace’s character only showing up in flashbacks, but you can tell from the start how much Mia cares about her. They’re destined to be together because they work so hard to be together. They’re writing their own destiny.
We Are Okay by Nina Lacour
This is one of the emotionally heaviest books I’ve ever read. I don’t regret it at all, because it’s truly a great book. Still, it also helped me realized that I like an emotional balance in the books I read. I’m not good with stories where the main character is going through a deep depression, which is what Marin deals with after a few traumatic events and trying to physically run away from them. It was a lot to read. (If you can handle that sort of thing, I do really recommend it!)
Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender
This is actually a recent read, so a part of me is saying, “You only think this because it’s fresh in your mind.” But Felix Ever After is such a painfully relatable story in so many ways. It’s not painful because it’s a sad story; no, while it’s has its natural ups and downs, it’s ultimately a story about the messy growth that happens as we go through life. This story gave me so much to reflect on about romantic love, relationships, friendships, family, gender, queerness, school, life, everything. It’s truly a life-changing read.
Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins
Granted, Her Royal Highness starts out in the US, but only for a couple of chapters. Most of the book takes place in the UK. Millie transfers to a high school in Scotland and I think they go to England a time or two in the book? I’m not well versed in the geography over there and I don’t quite remember so… don’t quote me. I’m trying my best. I just know it’s not the US!
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
So, I haven’t gotten to read this yet, but I know from the synopsis, this book definitely fits the bill. In Clap When You Land, Yahaira and Camino Rios are half-sisters that have no idea the other exists. One lives in New York City and the other in the Dominican Republic. They’re finally brought together when their father dies in a plane crash. While it’s a story about the huge, painful loss of their father and the grief that comes with it, I’m sure it’s also a story of gaining since they find each other. But I have to read it still…
Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen! by Sarah Kapit
I know Middle-Grade fiction isn’t technically a separate genre from Young Adult fiction, but I’m counting it because I don’t read many Middle-Grade books. I fell in love with Vivy Cohen’s story at the beginning of the year, and I still think about how much I loved this book often. It’s difficult to put everything I love about this book in a short blurb for a book tag. So I’m just going to say that a full review is coming soon. Look out for that!
The Disasters by M.K. England
Okay, so, this book is debatably part of “my brand” as a book blogger. The Disasters was a super late submission to my “Favorite Books of 2018” list, but boy did it blow the rest out of the water. I won’t tell you all the things I love about it here (because there are a lot of things I love about it). You can check out my review for that, if you’re interested. But I will say that I’m always disappointed about not seeing everybody talk about this book. Yes, I know. Everyone has different tastes and whatnot. But also, this book is great! Please read it! (Also for queer rep, the main character, Nax is bi. Rion is gay, I think? I don’t remember if he actually labels his sexual orientation. And one of the girls in the group, Zee, is trans.)
Diz from Spellhacker by M.K. England
I had a much harder time than I expected trying to relate to Dix when I read Spellhacker. It’s not because she isn’t well-written but because she just makes so many decisions that I never would in a million years throughout the book. As we learn about her backstory and her thought process, I began to understand why she chooses to push her friends away and to disappear at one point. I just… it was frustrating to read, especially as she’s the main character. But since I understand her reasoning, I still love her.
Don’t repeat answers, Ben. Don’t repeat answers, Ben. Don’t rep—
Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender
I’m absolutely obsessed with this book, sorry not sorry!
Percy, Annabeth, and Grover from the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series
Of course, I have to shout out one of the best trios in fiction: Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, and Grover Underwood. I probably don’t have to explain this one. I mean, even if you haven’t read the books, I’m sure you’ve already heard a million things about these characters. They’ve literally been to hell and back together, and they’re such a great team. Number one trio right there. They’ll always be in my heart.
Other Words For Home by Jasmine Warga
There are so many new beginnings in this book. When Jude moves to the United States from Syria with her mother, she has to start over at a new school, in a new city, in a new country, speaking a new language. It’s a huge culture shock. She meets her uncle, aunt, and cousin for the first time and they slowly begin to actually feel like family as she gets to know them. Plus, she works to make friends at school and learn how she fits into everything. I know I’m being vague but I can’t decide which details would count as spoilers, so better safe than sorry. It’s such a beautiful, multi-faceted story, and I highly recommend it!
I tag everyone who likes Taylor Swift’s music to do the Lover Book Tag
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