I saw this on a blog (sorry, I forgot to write down which blog it was…) a few months ago and I love tags like this! Plus, anyone who knows me knows that I’m OBSESSED with T Swift. So, what better way to ANNOUNCE THAT MY HIATUS IS OVER than with a fun Taylor Swift Book Tag?! I am fully back into reviewing again and though it may still be a few months before I can accept any new requests, you can expect to see book reviews coming back at their normal schedule now! But today, we’re going to do something fun and tag a book that best matches a Taylor Swift song!
1. “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”: a book/series you thought you’d love but ended up disliking
The Maze Runner series by James Dashner. Now, I loved the first book! But the following two books just really disappointed and fell flat in my opinion. I thought they strayed away from the first book too much and the ending seemed like it just grasped for straws. So, yeah, we are never ever ever getting back together 😉
2. “Red”: a book with a red cover
Courage by Lauren H. Salisbury. A great science fiction retelling of Moses with a *gorgeous* red cover.
3. “The Best Day”: a book that makes you feel nostalgic
Elsie Dinsmore by Martha Finley. I devoured this series when I was probably 10-15 years old (over and over and over) and any time I see these books on my shelf, I remember how much I loved them and how much they meant to me as a young girl.
4. “Love Story”: a book with forbidden love
The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cambron. A violinist, daughter of a high-ranking official of the Third Reich during the Holocaust and her forbidden love of the Jews. I will never recover all the tears that I lost during this book and it will forever be a favorite–just like this song.
5. “I Knew You Were Trouble”: a bad character you can’t help but love
Moriarty from Sherlock Holmes. He’s just that character that is so similar to Sherlock himself, just evil, and I love the dynamic. And, you know everyone is in trouble when he walks in.
6. “Innocent”: a book/series someone ruined for you
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. In high school, someone had told me a very wrong plotline of apparently what they thought the books were about (clearly they didn’t read it…) and because of that I never picked the series up until about 2 years ago and I really enjoyed the first book! So yeah, time lost on a good series.
7. “Everything Has Changed”: a character who goes through extensive character development
Specter by Savannah Jezowski. Victor is the first character that came to mind because I remember sitting back after finishing this book and thinking wow, he grew up so much. Another big one that comes to mind is Dorian Gray (The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde), only his character development is quite negative….
8. “You Belong With Me”: your most-anticipated book release
The sequel to Into the Wildbarrens by Christian Sterling. Seriously, if you haven’t read that book yet, GO READ IT! I’ve read it twice now (and I don’t re-read books…) and it. is. so. good. The sequel doesn’t even have a release date yet, but I’m waiting!
9. “Forever and Always”: your favorite book couple
Eleanor and Park (Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell) and Mason and Ciddah (The Safe Lands series by Jill Williamson). Just, sigh.
10. “Come Back . . . Be Here”: the book you would be least likely to lend out
Any of my early 1800s editions in my collection….. There are quite a few. Please don’t even ask to borrow them.
11. “Teardrops On My Guitar”: a book that made you cry
Chronicles of the Spanish Civil War by Tricia Goyer. Really…what book have I NOT cried in…but this one is the one I remember most vividly because the ending caught me so off guard that I was a puddle for the rest of the day. Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls is another one.
12. “Shake It Off”: a book you love that other people hate
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. I know several people who truly hate this book *let me pull the knife out of my chest* and even if they don’t hate it, they still only tolerate it. But it is quite frankly my favorite book of Twain’s and I prefer it even to Tom Sawyer.
13. “Stay Stay Stay”: a book you wished could go on forever
The Colonel and the Bee by Patrick Canning. This adventure in a hot air balloon filled many of my hours and I truly could have gone on reading forever. Magnificent.
14. “All Too Well”: a series you wished could go on forever
Hank the Cowdog by John R Erickson. Because really, who gets tired of reading about Hank and his adventures? I absolutely love them!
15. “Ronan”: a book with a tragic character death/death of an innocent
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitgerald. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. Imaginary Boy by Mark Eldrich. Thief of Glory by Sigmund Brouwer. There are so many. Let us have a moment of silence for my heart.
16. “Out of the Woods”: a book that had you worried about the characters up to the very end
Tin Crickets by Joseph Wise. It’s a high stakes book with a LOT of thrill and with the author being new to me, at the time, I had no idea who would get killed and when. So I was pretty tense throughout this book.
17. “Getaway Car”: a book with a tempestuous romance
The Safe Lands by Jill Williamson. And I’m speaking specifically of Omar and Shaylinn. I really like the both of them (I prefer Shaylinn of course) throughout this whole series, but in the end, these two really are one of my favorite literary couples.
18. “Clean”: a book that taught you something profound
Words We Don’t Say by K.J. Reilly. I wouldn’t say that this book necessarily taught me anything, as it actually just made me aware of a lot of things in a new and memorable way. Veterans struggling with PTSD. Homeless shelters. Suicide awareness. Bullying. Kids dealing with death of friends at a young age. It was just a very eye-opening and touching book that really encouraged me to take action about these things.
19. “Long Live”: a book that transports you every time
The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis. Really the whole Narnia series, but The Silver Chair specifically. It’s my favorite and I always, always find myself deep in the realm of the serpent as Eustace and Jill rescue Prince Rillian.
And this tag was created before her newest album came out, so I’m adding two of my favorite songs to the tag from her album Lover:
20. “Lover” : a character you will always be “in love” with
Huck Finn. No contest, he’s the best.
21. “Cornelia Street” : a book that carries a special memory or meaning to you.
The Gems of Elsana: Into the Wildbarrens by Christian Sterling. I mentioned this one in my answer earlier, but this book will forever be special to me because it’s the first book my husband and I read aloud together, and we had so much fun with it that I doubt I’ll ever be able read it again without association to our time together <3