Better late than never, I guess. I have been wanting to do this book tag for so long and I am buzzing with excitement to finally answer all the questions and talk about my favourite Taylor Swift album, Folklore, on her 31st birthday! I have always loved Taylor and her music but was never a big Swiftie, you know? However, that all changed because I am completely obsessed with this new era and I just cannot get enough of it.
She surprisingly released another album a few days ago and I am just as in love with this one. All these amazing new songs of hers helped me get through 2020 and for that, I am immensely grateful.
My honest opinion? I think Folklore and Evermore are Taylor’s best albums (they are my favourite). I love the vibes, style, aesthetic, etc. When I saw the title and album cover of Folklore, I just knew deep down that it was my style and that I would love it with all my heart.
Thank you so much Mònica from Nighting Fae for tagging me! You always tag me in the most fun book tags and I appreciate it so much.
Quick notes: 1) I will not be tagging anyone. If anyone wants to take part, feel free to say I tagged you. 2) The lovely graphics used for each question/prompt are all made by Tiffany from The Bookish Fantasy! Please make sure to check out her stunning blog if you have not already. x
A few of my favourite books may appear more than one time for different questions because I just cannot stop thinking about them and I think they fit the prompts so well.
RULES
—Link to the original creator: Ilsa @ A Whisper Of Ink
—Tag at least 3 people.
—Declare the rules and list of prompts in your post
—Thank whoever who tagged you and link to their post.
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
G O O D R E A D S | S Y N O P S I S
The year is 1926, and Shanghai hums to the tune of debauchery.
A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. At the heart of it all is eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai, a former flapper who has returned to assume her role as the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang—a network of criminals far above the law. Their only rivals in power are the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. And behind every move is their heir, Roma Montagov, Juliette’s first love…and first betrayal.
But when gangsters on both sides show signs of instability culminating in clawing their own throats out, the people start to whisper. Of a contagion, a madness. Of a monster in the shadows. As the deaths stack up, Juliette and Roma must set their guns—and grudges—aside and work together, for if they can’t stop this mayhem, then there will be no city left for either to rule.
Perfect for fans of The Last Magician and Descendant of the Crane, this heart-stopping debut is an imaginative Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai, with rival gangs and a monster in the depths of the Huangpu River.
It baffles me that the author left us with that cliffhanger. I sat for hours after finishing it, trying to process it all. I really do not know how I am going to have to wait until this time next year for the second book…
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
G O O D R E A D S | S Y N O P S I S
A Life No One Will Remember. A Story You Will Never Forget.
France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.
Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.
But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.
I felt so many emotions whilst reading this book and it is one I will always think back to.
Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
G O O D R E A D S | S Y N O P S I S
Welcome to the world of the Grisha.
Kaz Brekker and his crew of deadly outcasts have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn’t think they’d survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they’re right back to fighting for their lives.
Double-crossed and badly weakened, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz’s cunning and test the team’s fragile loyalties.
A war will be waged on the city’s dark and twisting streets – a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of the Grisha world.
I loved this duology and could not get enough. I was completely immersed and find myself thinking about the characters from time to time again.
Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris
G O O D R E A D S | S Y N O P S I S
Everyone knows a couple like Jack and Grace. He has looks and wealth, she has charm and elegance. You might not want to like them, but you do.
You’d like to get to know Grace better.
But it’s difficult, because you realise Jack and Grace are never apart.
Some might call this true love. Others might ask why Grace never answers the phone. Or how she can never meet for coffee, even though she doesn’t work. How she can cook such elaborate meals but remain so slim. And why there are bars on one of the bedroom windows.
Sometimes, the perfect marriage is the perfect lie.
I spoke about this one many times in the past but it contains an unnecessary scene about animal cruelty and I felt ill after reading it.
House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
G O O D R E A D S | S Y N O P S I S
Bound by blood.
Tempted by desire.
Unleashed by destiny.
Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life—working hard all day and partying all night—until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She’ll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths.
Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose—to assassinate his boss’s enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he’s offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach.
As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City’s underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear, and they find, in each other, a blazing passion—one that could set them both free, if they’d only let it.
With unforgettable characters, sizzling romance, and page-turning suspense, this richly inventive new fantasy series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas delves into the heartache of loss, the price of freedom—and the power of love.
I am not kidding when I say I was sobbing. I finished this one in the early hours of the morning and had to keep myself from waking up my entire family. SJM always has a way to make me cry.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
G O O D R E A D S | S Y N O P S I S
A Life No One Will Remember. A Story You Will Never Forget.
France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.
Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.
But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.
This book spoke to my heart and soul and I felt so seen whilst reading it. I have never read a book I could relate to as much as this one.
I honestly cannot remember one book from my childhood but I do remember many different little stories. If I have to choose a book, I will say the HP books (middle grade). Even though I only read them almost two years ago, they always make me feel nostalgic.
When Dimple Met RIshi by Sandhya Menon
G O O D R E A D S | S Y N O P S I S
Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family—and from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right?
Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi wants to be arranged, believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself.
The Shahs and Patels didn’t mean to start turning the wheels on this “suggested arrangement” so early in their children’s lives, but when they noticed them both gravitating toward the same summer program, they figured, Why not?
Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.
I read this book a few summers back and whenever the weather gets warmer, I think about it. It is just such a light and sweet book and overall, is just the perfect summer read.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
G O O D R E A D S | S Y N O P S I S
A Life No One Will Remember. A Story You Will Never Forget.
France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.
Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.
But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.
This book helped me understand my emotions better and I will always think back to it whenever I feel alone, confused and overwhelmed.
House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
G O O D R E A D S | S Y N O P S I S
Bound by blood.
Tempted by desire.
Unleashed by destiny.
Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life—working hard all day and partying all night—until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She’ll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths.
Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose—to assassinate his boss’s enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he’s offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach.
As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City’s underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear, and they find, in each other, a blazing passion—one that could set them both free, if they’d only let it.
With unforgettable characters, sizzling romance, and page-turning suspense, this richly inventive new fantasy series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas delves into the heartache of loss, the price of freedom—and the power of love.
If I remember correctly, I read this book until three in the morning. I have been reading it for hours on end and just could not put it down.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
G O O D R E A D S | S Y N O P S I S
A Life No One Will Remember. A Story You Will Never Forget.
France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.
Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.
But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.
I needed this book so much. With all my goals being put on hold this year, and with me starting university next year, I appreciated the words in this book more than I would have had any other year.
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
G O O D R E A D S | S Y N O P S I S
The day after they moved in, Coraline went exploring….
In Coraline’s family’s new flat are twenty-one windows and fourteen doors. Thirteen of the doors open and close.
The fourteenth is locked, and on the other side is only a brick wall, until the day Coraline unlocks the door to find a passage to another flat in another house just like her own.
Only it’s different.
At first, things seem marvelous in the other flat. The food is better. The toy box is filled with wind-up angels that flutter around the bedroom, books whose pictures writhe and crawl and shimmer, little dinosaur skulls that chatter their teeth. But there’s another mother, and another father, and they want Coraline to stay with them and be their little girl. They want to change her and never let her go.
Other children are trapped there as well, lost souls behind the mirrors. Coraline is their only hope of rescue. She will have to fight with all her wits and all the tools she can find if she is to save the lost children, her ordinary life, and herself.
Critically acclaimed and award-winning author Neil Gaiman will delight readers with his first novel for all ages.
Coraline is such a strong and brave character. She walks though her darkest nightmares with her eyes wide open and teaches the reader that being brave means that you are scared of something, but you do it anyway. That is something I will always carry with me.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
G O O D R E A D S | S Y N O P S I S
In April 1942, Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew, is forcibly transported to the concentration camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau. When his captors discover that he speaks several languages, he is put to work as a Tätowierer (the German word for tattooist), tasked with permanently marking his fellow prisoners.
Imprisoned for more than two and a half years, Lale witnesses horrific atrocities and barbarism—but also incredible acts of bravery and compassion. Risking his own life, he uses his privileged position to exchange jewels and money from murdered Jews for food to keep his fellow prisoners alive.
One day in July 1942, Lale, prisoner 32407, comforts a trembling young woman waiting in line to have the number 34902 tattooed onto her arm. Her name is Gita, and in that first encounter, Lale vows to somehow survive the camp and marry her.
A vivid, harrowing, and ultimately hopeful re-creation of Lale Sokolov’s experiences as the man who tattooed the arms of thousands of prisoners with what would become one of the most potent symbols of the Holocaust, The Tattooist of Auschwitz is also a testament to the endurance of love and humanity under the darkest possible conditions.
This book had my heart breaking into a million pieces. What everyone had to endure has my heart aching whenever I think about it. I will never forget the characters and everything this book taught me.
Feysand (Rhysand and Feyre) from the ACOTAR series by Sarah J. Maas.
They are a couple I fell in love with when I first read the books and I still think about them to this day. I am absolute SJM trash, what can I say…
Azriel from the ACOTAR series by Sarah J. Maas.
He is just the best and I feel so sorry for what he had to endure during his childhood. I hope Sarah J. Maas writes a book about him soon because he deserves so much happiness.
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
G O O D R E A D S | S Y N O P S I S
“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”
It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.
Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.
His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.
But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.
For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.
From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the Shiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before.
I was really looking forward to binge this series but after the first book, which I did not love as much as I thought I would, I decided to come back to the rest of the series later.
That is it for this book tag! I loved listening to the album while answering the questions. It was so, so much fun and one of my favourites I have ever done. A very big thank you to the creator for this tag!
Which song from the album is your favourite? Mine is “seven” as it has pretty much been on repeat this entire time.
Also, if anyone will be participating in an Evermore book tag (I am sure one will be created by one of the amazing book bloggers out there), please feel free to tag me in it as I would love to participate in another Taylor Swift book tag!
Keep reading and never stop telling stories.
White Rose Stories 
Nice answers! Did you create those prompt images? Cause they are beautiful!
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Thank you! No, a blogger named Tiffany (from The Bookish Fantasy) made them 🤍✨
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Oh, okay. Thanks!
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🤍x
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ahhh, rose!! i loved reading your answers for the folklore tag!! i totally agree – i loved the cover of folklore, and i knew i was going to love the vibe!! ahaha, i JUST made an evermore book tag (yesterday) in honour of taylor’s birthday, so if you want, you can do that!! lovely post ❤
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Thank you so much, love! Your comments always make my day! I saw, and I’m so excited to answer your amazing book tag! Thank you for tagging me and letting me know 🥺🤍
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Love this!! I am def going to pretend you tagged me haha ♥
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Thank you! Haha you do that! So excited to read your post! 🤍
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Lovely post!! So sad you didn’t love The Raven Boys, but it can’t be for everyone! I personally ADORE that book and I can’t think about anything else, I’m obsessed. Also, I’m currently reading These violent delights and I’m a biiiit scared for that cliffhanger, help! Love your blog!!
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Thank you! Me too but I’m hoping to give it another shot soon to see how the rest of the series goes. So glad you love it that much! Haha yes, it’s quite a cliffhanger! Thank you so much, that means a lot to me! 🤍✨
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Ah I’m sorry it’s taken this long to read this post, I’ve been meaning to FOR AGES. And omg I ADORE your answers so so much. Love TVD right up front, and yes that ending DID destroy us. I’m super excited to get to Addie asap too. Ah no so sad you didn’t love TRB, book two is better if that helps but also completely understand if it’s not your cup of tea xoxo
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Aw no problem, Ruby! Thank you so much for reading and for your lovely words, I appreciate it all so much! 🥺 Haha yes, it completely did! So excited for you to read it! I am planning on picking up the series again soon, so fingers crossed I’ll get into it more ✨ xx
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