Book Tag: Taylor Swift [From the Vault]

Happy Valentine’s Day!

I was trying to come up with a fun Valentines Day Post and it was easier said than done. Since I’ve been binge listening to Taylor Swift for the past year, I decided I wanted to do something to match her songs with books. I’ve done tags over the years for some of her albums but hadn’t done one specifically for Vault tracks. When I looked for a book tag specific to just the Vault tracks and couldn’t find one, I decided to create one. I tried to do my best and get as many of these tracks in, but I didn’t get all of them. So. Here we go! 

Taylor Swift [From the Vault] Book Tag 

*Feel free to do this book tag and link back to this post. 

1. Now That We Don’t Talk (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault]
“Remind myself the more I gave, you’d want me less
I cannot be your friend, so I pay the price of what I lost
And what it cost
Now that we don’t talk”


Mac and Eva were best friends with benefits until Eva decided it needed to end. Mac misses their friendship, even though he’s moving on with someone else.
2. Slut! (Taylor’s Version)[From the Vault]
“The sticks and stones they throw froze mid-air
Everyone wants him, that was my crime”


The lyrics of this song are ones I can see Sam identifying with when it comes to her relationship with Mason and how the girls at FCH treat her.
3. Hits Different
“Movin’ on was always easy for me to do
It hits different
It hits different ’cause it’s you”


I feel like the lyrics of this song could be for both Cassia and Holden at the beginning of this book. They’re working through a maybe break up and are having a hard time moving on from each other, which they shouldn’t anyways.
4. You’re Losing Me (From the Vault)
You say, “I don’t understand,” and I say, “I know you don’t””
Every mornin’, I glared at you with storms in my eyes
How can you say that you love someone you can’t tell is dyin’?”

The lyrics to this song fit Myla perfectly. She could have said the first line straight to Rylot and I would have thought MQ wrote it.
5. Message in a Bottle (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault]
How is it in London?
Where are you while I’m wondering
If I’ll ever see you again?



The vibe of this song is so hopeful, youthful, and even mentions London. I can imagine Alex singing this song while thinking of Henry.
6. All of the Girls You Loved Before
Every woman that you knew brought you here
I wanna teach you how forever feels like


This song makes me think of many romances, but this one came to mind first. Zander was a major player on and off the ice before he met Stevie. She made him a one-woman man.
7. If This Was A Movie (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault]
“Come back, come back, come back to me like
You would, you would if this was a movie”


This song is basically a second chance love story prompt. I immediately thought of After the Storm when I read the lyrics.
8. That’s When (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault]
“You said, “I know” when I said
“I need some time, need some space
To think about all of this”
And you watched me go”


This is another good song for a relationship about to crumble. It made me think of Jack and how he made the conscious decision to ask what he could do to make things work.
9. I Can See You (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault]
“And we kept everything professional
But something’s changed, it’s somethin’ I, I like
They keep watchful eyes on us”


The lyrics talk about keeping things professional and hiding a relationship. It made me think about workplace romances and I can imagine Rachel singing it to herself in Pucking Around.
10. Suburban Legends (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault]
“I didn’t come here to make friends
We were born to be suburban legends
When you hold me, it holds me together
And you kiss me in a way that’s gonna screw me up forever”


AND

11. Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault]

“”Come here,” I whispered in your ear in your dream as you passed out
Baby, was it over then
And is it over now?”


This book is a love story about an older woman and a famous rock star’s affair. Their relationship goes viral, and I can imagine Hayes singing a version of Is It Over Now?.
12. You All Over Me (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault]
I lived, and I learned, had you, got burned
Held out and held on, God knows, too long
And wasted time, lost tears, swore that I’d get out of here
But no amount of freedom gets you clean
I’ve still got you all over me


I love this song, but when I read the lyrics it had me thinking of books with toxic relationships. Tessa and Hardin were the first couple to come to mind.
13. We Were Happy (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault]
We used to watch the sun go down
On the boats in the water
That’s sorta how I feel right now
And goodbye’s so much harder
‘Cause we were happy


This song is kind of sad and that verse made me think of Kate and Kellar.
14. Bye Bye Baby (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault]
“There’s so much that I can’t touch
You’re all I want, but it’s not enough this time
And all the pages are just slipping through my hands
And I’m so scared of how this ends”


This lyric makes me think of Kate when it comes to Asher in this love story.
15. Run (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault]
“And run, like you’d run from the law
Darling, let’s run
Run from it all
We can go where our eyes can take us
Go where no one else is, run”


If you have read this series, then you know this song is perfect.

And that’s it! How do you think I did?

Oh, and I wrote this post BEFORE Swift’s BIG Grammy announcement. How many of you are as excited as I am for TS11? Are you thinking what I’m thinking: breakup album???

End of the Year Survey – 2023 Edition

The Perpetual Page-Turner created/hosted the Annual End of Year Survey for years. I tried to find a 2023 version on her website but didn’t see one, so I decided to copy from 2020’s survey and give you my 2023 answers.  I feel like I need to mention that these are not all my favorites, etc. Just ones I selected for the prompts.

Here we go!

**2022 READING STATS**

NUMBER OF BOOKS YOU READ:
NUMBER OF RE-READS:8
GENRE YOU READ THE MOST FROM:Contemporary Romance

1. Best Most Memorable Book You Read In 2023?

(If you have to cheat — you can break it down by genre if you want or 2023 release vs. backlist)

There was something about Sylvia Day’s So Close and its sequel Too Far that got under my skin. I’m still thinking about it, and I can move on pretty quickly and forget books.

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going to Love More but Didn’t?

The backwards timeline in A Year to the Day by Robyn Benway didn’t work for me the way I wanted it to. I love this author and was expecting to be impacted more than I was by it.

3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?

I picked Royally in Trouble by Meghan Quinn because I didn’t think I wanted or needed a sequel to Royally Not Ready. Evidently, I did, because I loved what Quinn did here.

4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People to Read (And They Did)?

After I read an ARC of Woke Up by Amy Lea, I couldn’t tell enough people to read it. It’s a YA contemporary with a 13 Going On 30 feel. It was so fun!

5. Best series you started in 2023? Best Sequel? Best Series Ender of 2023?

This is really hard for me. I read so many great books and series this year. I know I’m forgetting a ton…

BEST SERIES I STARTED:
BEST SEQUEL:
BEST SERIES ENDER:

 6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2023?

Erin Hawkins
It was hard to choose, but I’ll spotlight more favorite at the end of January.

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

The Six Deaths of the Saint (Into the Shadow, #3) by Alix E. Harrow may only have been 30 pages long, but it packed a big punch. This fantasy/horror/historical fiction was fascinating.

 8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

I had a lot of books I couldn’t put down this year, but Sylvia Day’s So Close had me turning pages like mad to get to the end, trying to figure out what was going on, only to be surprised with a cliffhanger.

 9. Book You Read In 2023 That You Would Be MOST Likely to Re-Read Next Year?

I don’t re-read all that much, but if I was going to it would probably be Right Man Right Time by Meghan Quinn because her books make me happy and make me laugh.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2023?

I have to swoon over Meghan Quinn’s 10th publishing anniversary bodice ripper cover collection. They are my favorite thing I’ve seen this year.

11. Most memorable character of 2023?

Banks Carmichael is something else. He’s a goofball prankster who drives his family up the wall but has the best intentions. His antics cracked me up.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2023?

Kate Canterbary’s writing in Shucked was magical. I don’t know how else to explain it.

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2023?

It might be because I recently listened to it, but The Midnight Library by Matt Haig made me think a lot about the choices we make in life and happiness.

 14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2023 to finally read? 

Tied by Carian Cole was released in 2017. I can’t believe I hadn’t even heard of it until 2023 thanks to blogger Tanya. It was so good!

 15. Favorite Passage/Quote from a Book You Read In 2023?

“She’s nice, but she’ll eat you up, Hall & Oates style. You know?”
-Max Monroe, Best Frenemies
I love this quote because we’re fans of Hall & Oates music in our house. Plus, it’s just fun.

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2023?

Shortest:30 pages
Longest:756 pages

17. Book That Shocked You the Most

I’m going with Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros simply because I didn’t see THAT cliffhanger coming. I had to re-listen to the last chapter a couple times to make sure I understood.

18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)

Kyle & Piper from King of Country by C.W. Farnsworth. Honestly, I could have picked a lot of couples. I loved so many this year.

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship of the Year

I loved Tova and Marcellus the Octopus’s relationship in Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt.

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2023 From an Author You’ve Read Previously

I picked Tilly in Technicolor by Mazey Eddings because it is my new favorite book by this author.

21. Best Book You Read In 2023 That You Read Based SOLELY on a Recommendation from Somebody Else/Peer Pressure/Bookstagram, Etc.

The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young isn’t a book I would have picked up without having read many great blogger reviews. I really enjoyed listening to it.

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2023?

I don’t do fictional crushes. I’ve chosen favorite characters for this in the past, but I’m going to skip it completely this year.

23. Best 2023 debut you read?

Seven Percent of Ro Devereux by Ellen O’Clover was my favorite debut I read this year.

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

I don’t really read much fantasy, so this was an easy pick for me. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. Dragons. A special school for fighters. Need I say more?

25. Book That Put a Smile on Your Face/Was the Most FUN to Read?

Pick a Meghan Quinn book, any Meghan Quinn book this year. I guess I’ll choose her most recent release, He’s Not My Type.

26. Book That Made You Cry or Nearly Cry in 2023?

The prologue of Shattered Sea by Catherine Cowles was so sad it had me tearing up.

27. Hidden Gem of the Year?

I know Farnsworth has gotten more popular, but I don’t remember seeing a lot of mutuals reading King of Country. I LOVED this book.

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

I knew The Tragedy of Felix and Jake by J. Daniels was going to be an emotional read just by the title, but man did Felix and Jake have to go through a lot of soul crushing stuff to make it out the other side.

29. Most Unique Book You Read in 2023?

I can’t even begin to describe how The Six Deaths of the Saint by Alix E. Harrow was written, but it was unique. So short and yet it sticks with you, making you want more.

30. Book That Made You the Maddest (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is expiration-dates-644x987.jpgI can’t tell you why because Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle was a 2024 ARC I read ahead of schedule, but come back to my review in 2024 or after you have read it and we’ll talk.

1. New favorite book blog/Bookstagram/Youtube channel you discovered in 2023?I wasn’t new to it, but I have started reviewing more on Bookbub.
2. Favorite post you wrote in 2023?I’ve loved writing If You Liked That, Try This post.
3. Favorite bookish related photo you took in 2023?
4. Best bookish event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, etc.)?I got to help promote Meghan Quinn’s 10th anniversary of publishing where she released limited edition hardback bodice ripping covers.
5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2023?Quotes from my reviews were featured in 3 author emails. That was awesome.
6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?Not getting slumpy.
7. Most Popular Post This Year on Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)? The Way I Used to Be (Amber Smith)
Which is weird because I posted this review in April of 2016.
8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?All of them!
9. Best bookish discover (book related sites, bookstores, etc.)?I went to Powell’s City of Books again this year, but I also got to check out another location of the store and that was cool.
10.  Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?Surpassed my Goodreads goal, as always. Tried 10 new authors that I set a goal for myself in a TTT post of reading.

1. One Book You Didn’t Get to in 2023 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2024?
2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2024 (non-debut)?
3. 2024 Debut You Are Most Anticipating? Thriller debut:
4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2024?
5. One Thing You Hope to Accomplish or Do in Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2024?Be able to keep blogging. I have some life changes coming up when my kid becomes a licensed driver early next year. I am probably going to not be blogging/commenting as often.
6. A 2024 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend to Everyone (if applicable):

And that’s a wrap for 2023!

Book Tag: 2023 Christmas Songs

merry christmas to those who celebrate!

In the spirit of the holiday, today I have a book tag for you. I saw Dedra @ A Book Wanderer do The Christmas Songs Book Tag for a TTT post a few weeks ago and thought what better way to celebrate today on my blog. This tag was created by Jana @ Artsy Reader Girl. 

All of my answers will be from books I read in 2023.

1. “All I Want for Christmas Is You”:
Favorite bookish couple.
Halsey and Blakely from He’s Not My Type.
2. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”:
Name a book where a character is away from home (school, vacation, etc.).
Katherine and Tom are on the road trip from h-e-double hockey sticks.
3. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”:
Name your favorite “little” book (children’s book, short story, novella, etc.).
Betting on You was one of my favorite YA books this year.
4. “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”:
What book(s) do you hope Santa brings you this year?
Does the TIME Person of the Year collector’s magazine count? (Photograph by Inez and Vinoodh for TIME)
5. “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”:
Which book turned your nose red (made you cry)?
Shattered Sea had a prologue that made me cry.
6. “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year”:
Your favorite book/kind of book to read during the holidays.
Fun, funny, and swoony just like Merry Pucking Christmas.
7. “We Three Kings”:
Your favorite trilogy.
The Unexpectedly in Love series won’t be a trilogy in 2024, but I’ll count it for this year.
8. “Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow”:
A character you would love to be snowed in with.
I’m picking Banks from Flaunt because I think his antics would make my family laugh a lot.
9. “Last Christmas”:
A book that seriously let you down.
I have to say I didn’t hate this book. The execution of it didn’t work out for me. It was still a good story.
10. “White Christmas”:
An upcoming release you’re dreaming about.
Kate Clayborn’s last release was my favorite she’s written so far, so I am super excited for The Other Side of Disappearing.

Which books would you pick for the prompts?

Book Tag: The Romance Reader

Dini tagged me for The Romance Reader Book Tag. This tag is right up my alley, so I’m super excited to do it and share it with you. This tag was originally created by Romance Queen of Booktube and The Bookish Knitter. 

What age did you start reading romance novels?

If you count Sweet Valley Twins, as a kid. After that, I read Sweet Valley High in junior high or high school. But I really got into romance when my mom gave me my first Nora Roberts’s book after high school.

If you could pick one hero to meet from your favorite romance novels, who would it be and why?
Thatch from Banking the Billionaire came to my mind first. Probably because he makes me laugh. It would be fun to have him in my friend group to see the chaos in person.
Who are your favorite romance authors and why?

I HAVE SO MANY! HOW DO I CHOOSE??? Here are 5 that instantly came to mind. 

Sarina Bowen
Her books are consistently good. I fall in love with her characters and always want the side characters to get their own books.
Meghan Quinn
Same as for Bowen, but also the humor! Quinn constantly cracks me up.
Sarah Adams
Her romances are so sweet!
Kate Canterbary
Her books are bingeworthy. I love how her series and books are connected to each other in little ways. And her grumpy/sunshine romances are the best.
Lauren Layne
LL has always been a favorite of mine. She knows how to do romance right.
What is your favorite romance novel to re-read?
The Fallen Crest High series is my favorite re-read. I actually like to listen to it at least once a year.
What book would you recommend to a non-romance reader?

I HAVE SO MANY IDEAS! I can’t choose one, so you get 5.

I chose When in Rome by Sarah Adams because her romances are cute, sweet, and closed door. I think they are great romances for new to romance readers.
Only When It’s Us by Chloe Liese introduces new readers to a great series and family. I think both those things would help it appeal to new romance readers.
The Deal by Elle Kennedy has been around for a long time and has had a couple of different covers now. It’s a popular college sports romance that a lot of people have fallen in love with, so it would be a good place to start because it is addictive.
Sarina Bowen’s Brooklyn Bruisers series is so addictive and fun. I think it would be a good series to try out if you’re interested in romance. Plus, she has a huge backlist to read.
Lovelight Farms is a newer series that is a lot of fun. I can see it appealing to new romance readers with its holiday feel.
Which is your favorite: contemporary, suspense, or historical and why?

Contemporary romance all the way, baby! I can’t even explain why. I just love them. 

Romance readers, you’re all tagged to do this one!

Book Tag: The Firsts of 2023

Today, I’m doing a fun little tag I saw on dinipandareads. This book tag was originally created by Tanya @ girlxoxo.

First book read this year:
A Long Time Coming by Meghan Quinn was my first read of 2023. No surprise, I loved it!
First book reviewed:
Exes & O’s by Amy Lea was the first blog review I posted in 2023. I read it in 2022, though.
First book by a debut author:
Lana Ferguson’s The Nanny was the first debut I read this year. I loved it!
First book by a new-to-me author:
A Facebook ad had me picking up Dirty Devil by Melissa Ivers. It was a fun read.
First book that slayed me:
The Tragedy of Felix and Jake by J. Daniels hit me in the feels.
First book that I wished I could get back the time I spent reading it:
Movie Star by Jessica Simpson wasn’t enlightening or entertaining. It felt like bragging. Her memoir was better.

It was really fun to look back on my firsts. What were yours?

Book Tag: Mid-Year Freak Out 2023

It seems crazy that we’re already here in the middle of 2023. Since it’s that time of year, today I’m sharing with you the Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag instead of WWW Wednesday. This tag was created by booktubers Read Like Wildfire and Earl Grey Books.

1. Best Book You’ve Read So Far in 2023?I am giving So Close “best” because I’m still thinking about it months after reading it.
2. Best Sequel You’ve Read So Far in 2023?I’ve read a ton of great new series additions, but the best true sequel I’ve read this year was one I didn’t know I needed, Royally in Trouble.
3. New Release You Haven’t Read Yet, But Want To?I was hoping to get an ARC of The House on Prytania, but that didn’t happen so I’m patiently waiting for a library copy.
4. Most Anticipated Release for Second Half of 2023?Since I’m still thinking about So Close, its sequel Too Far can’t get here soon enough.
5. Biggest Disappointment?I picked up this series based on Kayla’s review of the first book. The first two were great, but by the time it got to Kate I was 1-starring it.
6. Biggest Surprise?I had given up on Abbi Glines after Game Changer, but Kayla made me give this one a chance. It was surprisingly gritty and addictive.
7. Favorite New Author?This is so hard! I almost chose Catherine Cowles, but I had more fun reading Melissa Ivers’s books. I binged both authors, so maybe it’s a tie.
8. Newest Fictional Crush Favorite Couple?I don’t do fictional crushes, so it’s favorite couple. Ollie & Silas get the nod. There was something about their dynamic that was fun and hilarious to me.
9. Newest Favorite Character?Marcellus the Octopus. IYKYK. His POV was special.
10. Book That Made You Cry?This is probably one of my least favorite books by this author, BUT the whole car accident scene in the beginning was rough and made me bawl my eyes out.
11. Book That Made You Happy?A lot of books and authors have made me happy so far this year. I’m choosing Love, Theoretically because it was even better than The Love Hypothesis and that’s a hard one to beat.
12. Favorite Book to Movie Adaptation You Saw This Year?Can we all just agree this was Daisy Jones and The Six and Taylor Jenkins Reid’s year? I mean, what an adaptation! I didn’t love all the changes from the book, but they worked.
13. Favorite Review You’ve Written This Year?So Close by Sylvia Day
I couldn’t come up with one off the top of my head, so I went with my review for my “best” book choice.
14. Most Beautiful Book You Bought So Far This Year?Catherine Cowles has such stunning covers. They are what made me want to read her books (Well, besides Tanya’s reviews.) This is one of my favorite covers of hers.
15. What Books Do You Need to Read by the End of The Year?
?

I don’t know… All of them? I just want to keep up on ARCs and new releases by my favorite authors.

So that’s it. Hope you enjoyed reading this tag. I’ll be back with WWW Wednesday next week.

Book Tag: The Literary Book Party

I saw this tag at The Literary Book Party 2022 – Reading Ladies and I thought it was so fun I had to do it. After clicking through some posts, I think it might have originated at Not-So-Modern Girl, but the post has since been removed so I’m not entirely sure. Anway. I’m excited to share this one.

The Literary Book Party

a character who cooks/likes to cook

The Opposite of You by Rachel Higginson actually has two characters who cook. Killian is a renowned chef and Vera is opening a food truck near his restaurant.

a character who has money to fund the party

Kane Black from Sylvia Day’s So Close has the money to fund the party many times over and arrange for someone to plan the thing.

a character who might cause a scene

Annaliese from Fallen Crest High by Tijan would be the first person to cause a scene at any party. It’s what she excels at.

a character who is funny / amusing

Jason Owens from Meghan Quinn’s The Lineup is a baseball player who is HILARIOUS.

a character who is super social / popular

The first person I thought of who the life of any party would be is Logan Kade from the Fallen Crest High series.

a villian

Fig from Bad Mommy / I Can Be A Better You by Tarryn Fisher would be crazy to have a party because she would be trying to impress or emulate everyone.

one couple (doesn’t have to be romantic)

Jack and Hallie from The Love Wager by Lynn Painter would be a fun couple to have at a party. And she’s a bartender, so added fun.

a hero / heroine

I think Hart from Megan Bannen’s The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy would be a great hero to have a party. Imagine all of the stories he could tell. Plus, he would bring Mercy and she’s cool.

an underappreciated character

Frank Sanger from This Adventure Ends was the life of the party, but just a supporting character. I always wanted to him to have his own book and would invite him to a party.

one character of your choosing

I would love to invite Embry from Winning Mr. Wrong by C.W. Farnsworth because I loved her no nonsense vibe.

The next two were added by Carol from Reading Ladies.

a troubled soul

How about a true troubled soul, Benji from The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston.

a young adult character

Charlie from Girl at Heart by Kelly Oram is one of my favorite YA characters, so I would invite her.

who would you invite to your literary party?

Book Tag: Spotify Wrapped Challenge

Sorry, no WWW Wednesday this week. When I read Dini’s post of this tag last week, I couldn’t help but do it myself. After clicking through some other tag posts, I think I found this tag was created by Lace and Dagger Books.

The challenge is simple – put your top songs playlist on shuffle and for the first five songs you get, I want you to list a book that you read this year that the song reminds you of. Pretty simple, right? If you really can’t think of anything then you can skip the song but the idea is to at least try to think of something.

Oh, boy. Guess I should warn you that I basically have one giant playlist I add to no matter the genre. I like it, I add it. I listen to songs on repeat a lot. Most of it is pop, rock and a little country. I also listened to Taylor Swift’s Midnights on repeat, so you can guess how my Top 25 looked. Here’s what happened when I played it on shuffle.

Dancing On My Own – Robyn (My #1)
paired with…
The Love Wager by Lynn Painter

“So far away, but still so near
The lights go on, the music dies
But you don’t see me standing here
I just came to say goodbye
I’m in the corner, watching you kiss her, ohh
I’m giving it my all, but I’m not the girl you’re taking home

-Robyn

Okay…so I am thinking about how Jack feels when Hallie’s dating for this one — even though they’re just besties who happened to get to know each other after having a one-night stand.

P.S. This is one of my favorite songs EVER if you can’t tell by the #1 status.

Midnight Rain – Taylor Swift (My #2)
paired with…
Between Hello & Goodbye by Emma Scott

“He was sunshine, I was midnight rain
He wanted it comfortable
I wanted that pain
He wanted a bride
I was making my own name
Chasing that fame
He stayed the same
All of me changed like midnight”
-Taylor Swift

This to me was the perfect book to pair Midnight Rain with because Faith is all about her career and she’s determined to make it her life. Then she meets Asher and has to make some tough decisions.

Stay A Little Longer – Brothers Osborne (My #10)
paired with…
Shenanigans by Sarina Bowen

“One more drink leads to another
You slide up close to me
Tear our t-shirts off each other
Your hands all over me
I tell myself I’m not in love
But one more time is not enough
One last kiss and then you’re a goner
While I’m here wishing you could stay a little longer

-Brothers Osborne

I paired Stay a Little Longer with Shenanigans because friends Charli and Neil take drinking in Vegas a little far and end up married…and maybe wishing their unexpected marriage could be real.

ex i never had – LANY (My #7)
paired with…
Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

“You came to my place a couple of times…
and you slept over
Just a few days, just a few nights…
If you wanted somethin’ more, then you should’ve asked
Would you please stop actin’ like the ex I never had?

…We were cool, at least I thought so
Seein’ all this and hearin’ all that
We were good, but I guess we’re not, though
It was never real enough for you to be mad
So why you out there actin’ like the ex I never had?
-LANY

There were some parts of ex i never had that made me think of Ugly Love and the way Tate and Miles’ relationship was no strings attached until it wasn’t. I included those parts of the song. Also, I cheated kind of with this one because I didn’t read it this year.

Now or Never – Halsey (My #11)
paired with…
Untying the Knot by Meghan Quinn

“I’m turnin’ off the light right now
I’m callin’ it a night now
Wishin’ you were ’round with me
But you’re in a different town than me
We’ve been through it all
But you could never spit it out for me
Tryna talk to a wall
But you could never tear it down for me, yeah

-Halsey

This entire song gives me Ryot and Myla vibes. One being done with the relationship/situation, the other needing and wanting to save it.

And that’s a (Spotify) Wrap! 

What did you think of my choices? I hate to admit it, but I’m getting to that age where I find myself reverting to the music of my youth and not as into new stuff. 🙁

I would LOVE to see all of you do this tag. I’m curious about your choices!

Book Tag: Smash or Pass

This book tag was created by the lovely Becky @ Becky’s Book Blog! I was tagged by the lovely Leslie. This tag was fun to do, so I hope you enjoy reading it. Becky says there are no rules – just tag her and whoever tagged you!

Bookish Tropes

SMASH! I love books tropes. Sure, there are some I don’t like but overall, it’s a big YES.

Alternating POV

SMASH! I love a dual point of view or even multiple points of view. Alternating POV are pretty much a necessity in my romance reads.

Ambiguous Endings

SMASH but also PASS. It depends on the book. In a romance an HEA is a must. In a thriller or mystery or even some general fiction it depends on how the author plays it off.

Non/Fiction

SMASH! Honestly, I only read celebrity memoirs. Other than that, it would probably be a PASS for me with this category.

Historical Setting

SMASH! Historical settings are a go for me in fiction. I don’t reach a lot for historical romances, but I do enjoy them when I read them.

Morally Grey Characters

SMASH! They are some of my favorites, especially in psychological thrillers or romantic suspense.

First Person POV

SMASH! It’s a must. At least in romance novels. In other genres, it’s not such a big deal to me. But in a romance novel, third person can kill a book for me.

Audiobooks

SMASH! They are so much fun with the right narrator(s). Even my friend who swore she could never do them has converted. Upping the narration speed helps.

Re-reading

PASS but also SMASH! I don’t normally re-read but when I do it’s back to the last topic: audiobooks. I have a couple series I love to re-listen to like once a year and sometimes I just want to experience a book all over again. I don’t necessarily want to take the time to read it physically, though.

Classic Novels

PASS. No hate to classic novels. The last one I did was the A Wrinkle in Time series because I was reading them to my daughter out loud. Otherwise, I’m just not into them.

Annotating

PASS. Very rarely I highlight a quote on my Kindle, but normally I just enjoy the experience of reading the story.

Cracking Book Spines

PASS. I rarely read physical books, so I don’t do this at all. Well, does my Kindle cover count? Because the spine on that has definitely been folded.

Smut

SMASH. I don’t mind on page sex scenes. A book can be good or bad with or without them.

Character Driven Books

SMASH… If it’s done right and it’s the right genre for it.

Past/Present Split Timeline

PASS and SMASH. I don’t mind a timeline spilt in most genres. In romance, it’s a pass because I’m not big on flashbacks unless they’re done well and that rarely happens. I’d rather have a prologue.

Heavy World Building

PASS. I have a hard time reading fantasy novels because of this. I like fast paced reads and heavy world building does not lead to that.

And there you have it. The Smash or Pass Book Tag. I’m not tagging anyone specifically, so feel free to do this tag and link back to me if you would like. 

End of the Year Survey – 2022 Edition

The Perpetual Page-Turner created/hosted the Annual End of Year Survey for years. I tried to find a 2022 version on her website but didn’t see one, so I decided to copy from 2020’s survey and give you my 2022 answers.  I feel like I need to mention that these are not all my favorites, etc. Just ones I selected for the prompts.

Here we go!

**2022 READING STATS**

NUMBER OF BOOKS YOU READ:More than most people.
NUMBER OF RE-READS:4 (2 of them listens)
GENRE YOU READ THE MOST FROM:Contemporary Romance

1. Best Most Memorable Book You Read In 2022?

(If you have to cheat — you can break it down by genre if you want or 2022 release vs. backlist)

I always have a hard time with this category. I have so many books I love. This year I decided to go with the book most memorable to me. It’s Taylor Jenkin Reid’s Carrie Soto is Back. There were several things that made this book memorable. I already had a preconceived dislike of Carrie Soto from Malibu Rising. I didn’t like her at first, but she grew on me. Her dedication to her sport, the way she tried to repair relationships, the tennis I never thought I would care to read about, the format of the book, and so on. I loved the experience of it and it’s a book I remember vividly, which is rare when I read so many books. 

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

I love Mariana Zapata’s books, so I was excited when she dropped When Gracie Met the Grump unexpectantly. I had high hopes I was going to love it, but I ended up not finishing it (yet). It was so slow for me and I made it almost half way before I gave up. I’m sad, but maybe someday I’ll read the rest.

3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?

I was looking back at the books I have read this year and when I saw this one, I knew I had to use it for this. There was a surprise I didn’t see coming. It blew my mind. I know some people didn’t like it, but it surprised me so much that I did. I can’t tell you what it was.

 4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?

To be honest, I don’t know which book I pushed the most that people actually read. But I do know that I’ve been constantly telling people this year that they need to read The G.D. Taylors series by Willow Aster and Laura Pavlov. So good and funny! True rom-coms.

5. Best series you started in 2022? Best Sequel? Best Series Ender of 2022?

This is really hard for me. I read so many great books and series this year. I know I’m forgetting a ton…

BEST SERIES I STARTED:Honey Mountain by Laura Pavlov, The Devils by Elizabeth O’Roark, and Chestnut Springs by Elsie Silver to name a few.
BEST SEQUEL:Marriage and Murder by Penny Reid, all of the books in the best series I started above.
BEST SERIES ENDER:Only Mine by Laura Pavlov, A False Start by Elsie Silver, and I’ll throw in The Darkest Half by J.A. Redmerski just because I’m glad we finally got that 8th book!

 6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2022?

 Abby Jimenez, Christina Hovland, Lynn Painter, Mia Sosa, Elsie Silver, Ashley Poston, C.W. Farnsworth, Lilian T. James, B.K. Borison, Julia Whelan, and Megan Bannen

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

Everyone (and I mean every blogger) was hying The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen so much I just had to listen to it. This fantasy/paranormal romance was so good!

 8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

This series always keeps me on my toes with anxiety waiting to find out what’s going to happen to my favorite characters. It wasn’t nearly as long as I wanted it to be and I’ll always want more, but it’s nice to finally have some answers.

 9. Book You Read In 2022 That You Would Be MOST Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

Sarina Bowen’s books are one of my happy places when it comes to reading and I really loved Shenanigans. I don’t re-read a ton, but I would probably re-read this one.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2022?

This cover is simply gorgeous with the lighting. I love the way it hits the flowers in her hair and how there’s water in the background.

11. Most memorable character of 2022?

I’m back to tennis phenom Carrie Soto. She’s one of the best female athletes I’ve read in a book yet.

 12. Most beautifully written book read in 2022?

There were so many beautifully written books this year, but the first one that came to mind was Reason to Believe by Rebecca Yarros.

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2022?

I feel like this one is going to be hard to explain. It’s a book about a marriage in trouble. It wasn’t really life changing for me, but it did make me think about the dynamics of marriage and being present in a relationship.

 14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2022 to finally read? 

I’m embarrassed by how long One Day Soon by A. Meredith Walters sat on my Kindle. It was a hard, emotional read but so worth it.

 15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2022?

“Well, Doctor Love, what’s the prognosis?” A femine hand comes down on my shoulder, and I look up to see Eden smiling at me. “Are the shot through the heart and you’re to blame? Do you, in fact, give love a bad name?”
Doctor Love, Leisa Rayven

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2022?

(How I did this: Went to my read books on Goodreads and sorted by page number and just looked for what I knew I read this year that was the shortest and longest.)

Shortest:The Weekend Deal novella by Jaqueline Snowe was 56 pages long.
Longest:Hunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton was a whopping 671 pages long.

17. Book That Shocked You The Most

I know I’m not alone when I say I was not the only one shocked by what went down and what happened to beloved characters in The Darkest Half by J.A. Redmerski.

18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)

Can I say ALL of them??? No? Well, I’m giving you at least two then.

Tali and Hayes
Sebastian and Stella

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

Beckett and his cats…and the other animals he accumulated.

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2022 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

I adore most of Kate Canterbary’s books, but In a Jam felt like a special one. It would be hard to beat The Worst Guy‘s release this year, but this book was just as good.

21. Best Book You Read In 2022 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure/Bookstagram, Etc.:

I’ve picked up a bunch of books hyped by bloggers this year, but I chose Lovelight Farms for this one because it was specifically recommended to me by Ari when I was in a slump to help get me out of it. It worked!

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2022?

I don’t do fictional crushes. I’ve chosen favorite characters for this in the past, but I’m going to skip it completely this year.

23. Best 2022 debut you read?

I don’t think I read many 2022 debuts this year. One that was memorable to me was A Brush with Love by Mazey Eddings. I hadn’t read a book centered in around dental school before.

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

I picked Running Wild because of how K.A. Tucker brought the Alaskan setting to life, especially the Iditarod race.

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

I could have put SO MANY books on this list. I stuck with 4. 

This entire series made me laugh and I was happy the final book was just as funny as the rest of the series. I miss the characters.
Chloe Liese’s grumpy/sunshine soccer romance has some great banter. Plus, Ollie’s sunshine makes it hard to not smile.
I could choose any Meghan Quinn book released this year for this prompt. I love her humor. She never fails to make me laugh and smile.
I had no idea Erin Hahn’s venture into adult romance would be so fun! Her YA can be a little angsty, but this was rom-com magic.

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2022?

This marriage in trouble romance had me tearing up several times.

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

I was not aware of Elsie Silver’s books until this year when I picked up her newest release, Heartless. Maybe the rest of you knew about her books, but this one had me reading her entire backlist in a binge.

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

I can’t even think about this book without tearing up. There’s a homelessness theme here along with substance abuse that’s heartbreaking.

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2022?

I could have used this for the tears or book that crushed my soul prompts, but I decided to list it as the most unique. I’ve read/listened to a ton of celebrity memoirs. I don’t know if any of them had been as forthcoming as this one.

30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?

This book made me so mad! I waited years for this book, and it was such a disappointment. It’s supposed to be a romance, but it wasn’t. There wasn’t an HEA or an ending at all, really.

1. New favorite book blog/Bookstagram/Youtube channel you discovered in 2021?I know it’s been around awhile, but I just started using Storygraph this year. I’m seeing how it compares to Goodreads.
2. Favorite post you wrote in 2021?I have no idea! Maybe my TTT posts with Like This, Try That.
3. Favorite bookish related photo you took in 2021?I don’t have one. Sorry.
4. Best bookish event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events,  etc.)?I didn’t get to go to any bookish events, but I did get to visit Powell’s City of Books in Portland, OR. That’s always fun.
5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2021?Nothing really sticks out other than getting to talk books with other bloggers and readers. I love that.
6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?Slumps! So many just okay reads left me feeling slumpy this year. I’ve caught up on so many favorite author backlists that I don’t have familiar standbys to reach for.
7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?My most popular post was my December 2020 review for Layla by Colleen Hoover. My most viewed post that I wrote this year (it was second to Layla) was my review for Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood.
8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?All and any of them!
9. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?Ooo! I learned this year that you can get an e-library card from Broward County Florida and also the Las Vegas library system without having to live in those areas. It’s given me even more libraries to borrow from!
10.  Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?I would say yes. I read the books I already owned on my Kindle, limited the number of ARCs I requested, read a ton of backlist books by authors I love, and surpassed my Goodreads goal.  

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2022 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2023?
2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2023 (non-debut)?
3. 2023 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?
4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2023?
5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2023?Finishing listening to Jay Crownover’s Getaway series.
6. A 2023 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone (if applicable):

And that’s a wrap for 2022!