Happy Sunday!! I saw this tag on Golden Books Girl, which is a great book blog if you haven’t checked it out. The tag was originally created by Alyce, and it sounded like a lot of fun, so I thought I’d give it a try. Some of these were tough, especially the last one! Let’s check them out!
1. First Book in a Series
I ordered Thorn by Intisar Khanani last week and am waiting for it to come in the mail. Hopefully I’ll have it sometime next week. I’ve heard so many good things about the series, and I’m excited to read it! Plus, that cover is gorgeous!
About the Book: A princess with two futures. A destiny all her own
Between her cruel family and the contempt she faces at court, Princess Alyrra has always longed to escape the confines of her royal life. But when she’s betrothed to the powerful prince Kestrin, Alyrra embarks on a journey to his land with little hope for a better future.
When a mysterious and terrifying sorceress robs Alyrra of both her identity and her role as princess, Alyrra seizes the opportunity to start a new life for herself as a goose girl.
But Alyrra soon finds that Kestrin is not what she expected. The more Alyrra learns of this new kingdom, the pain and suffering its people endure, as well as the danger facing Kestrin from the sorceress herself, the more she knows she can’t remain the goose girl forever.
With the fate of the kingdom at stake, Alyrra is caught between two worlds and ultimately must decide who she is, and what she stands for.
2. Two or More Copies of the Same Book
I own duplicates of several books! lol The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Les Miserables by Vitor Hugo, ACOTAR series by Sarah J. Maas, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez, and several Shakespearean plays like Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and Much Ado About Nothing.
3. Three Colors on the Cover
The cover of Tracy Wolff’s Crave has black, white, and red. I didn’t love this book, but the cover is pretty cool.
About the Book: My whole world changed when I stepped inside the academy. Nothing is right about this place or the other students in it. Here I am, a mere mortal among gods…or monsters. I still can’t decide which of these warring factions I belong to, if I belong at all. I only know the one thing that unites them is their hatred of me.
Then there’s Jaxon Vega. A vampire with deadly secrets who hasn’t felt anything for a hundred years. But there’s something about him that calls to me, something broken in him that somehow fits with what’s broken in me.
Which could spell death for us all.
Because Jaxon walled himself off for a reason. And now someone wants to wake a sleeping monster, and I’m wondering if I was brought here intentionally—as the bait.
4. Four or More Perspectives
Gilded Serpent is told from four different perspectives: Terianna, Marcus, Lydia, and Killian. I just read this and absolutely loved it!! It’s the third book in the Dark Shores series, and it’s fantastic!
About the Book: THEIR BATTLES ENDED IN VICTORY
Lydia returns to Mudaire to enter training at the healing temple. But instead of fighting to save lives, she’s convinced she is doing more harm than good. She delves into the history of the gods only to discover a truth that will change her life forever.
His birthright as commander of the Royal Army is finally in his grasp, but Killian feels anything but victorious. Burdened by his past, he embraces the darker side of his mark—and in doing so, risks starting a war.
BUT THE WAR HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN
Having defeated the tyrant Urcon, Marcus struggles to form a lasting alliance with the Arinoquians. But he is plagued by the knowledge that there is a traitor among his friends, and it could cost him everything that he’s fought for.
Torn between her growing allegiance to the Thirty-Seventh legion and her need to liberate her people, Teriana finds herself mired in a web of secrets. She embarks upon a path that will either save everyone she loves—or put them all in their graves.
5. A Five Star Read
If I could give The Song of Achilles more than five stars, I would. This is one of my favorite all-time books, and I never tire of praising it!
About the Book: Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the court of King Peleus and his perfect son Achilles. By all rights their paths should never cross, but Achilles takes the shamed prince as his friend, and as they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine their bond blossoms into something deeper – despite the displeasure of Achilles’ mother Thetis, a cruel sea goddess.
But then word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped. Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus journeys with Achilles to Troy, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they hold dear.
Profoundly moving and breathtakingly original, this rendering of the epic Trojan War is a dazzling feat of the imagination, a devastating love story, and an almighty battle between gods and kings, peace and glory, immortal fame and the human heart.
6. Six (or more) Short Stories
Ken Liu’s The Paper Menagerie is a phenomenal short story, but be prepared with tissues. Oh my word, I cried so hard reading that story!! I loved this story so much that I bought the book so I could read other writing by Ken Liu. Ken Liu is an amazing storyteller, and The Paper Menagerie became on of my favorite short stories!
About the Book: With his debut novel, The Grace of Kings, taking the literary world by storm, Ken Liu now shares his finest short fiction in The Paper Menagerie. This mesmerizing collection features all of Ken’s award-winning and award-finalist stories, including: “The Man Who Ended History: A Documentary” (Finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, and Theodore Sturgeon Awards), “Mono No Aware” (Hugo Award winner), “The Waves” (Nebula Award finalist), “The Bookmaking Habits of Select Species” (Nebula and Sturgeon award finalists), “All the Flavors” (Nebula award finalist), “The Litigation Master and the Monkey King” (Nebula Award finalist), and the most awarded story in the genre’s history, “The Paper Menagerie” (The only story to win the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards).
A must-have for every science fiction and fantasy fan, this beautiful book is an anthology to savor.
7. A Seven on the Cover or Spine
How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days is the first book in Kerrelyn Sparks series The Embraced. This is a great series for readers who like swoon-tastic paranormal romances!
About the Book: Luciana grew up on the Isle of Moon, hidden away because of her magical powers. But when her father arrives, he offers her a choice: remain on the island or return with him and marry the Beast of Benwick in order to save their legacy—and her father’s life.
Lord Leofric, the Beast of Benwick, has not been touched since he was a child. Born with the power to harness lightning, he is a danger to everyone he touches. When he meets his betrothed, he expects a loveless, lonely marriage…until he discovers she’s vastly more powerful than he realized. But is she strong enough to withstand his touch?
If they can survive, their love will alter the future of the kingdom. But will their extraordinary powers cost them everything?
8. Eight Letters in the Title
Twice Shy sounds like such a charming rom-com, and I requested it as soon as I saw it on NetGalley. I haven’t been approved yet, but I haven’t been declined either. So, fingers crossed!!
About the Book: Can you find real love when you’ve always got your head in the clouds?
Maybell Parish has always been a dreamer and a hopeless romantic. But living in her own world has long been preferable to dealing with the disappointments of real life. So when Maybell inherits a charming house in the Smokies from her Great-Aunt Violet, she seizes the opportunity to make a fresh start.
Yet when she arrives, it seems her troubles have only just begun. Not only is the house falling apart around her, but she isn’t the only inheritor: she has to share everything with Wesley Koehler, the groundskeeper who’s as grouchy as he is gorgeous—and it turns out he has very different vision for the property’s future.
Convincing the taciturn Wesley to stop avoiding her and compromise is a task more formidable than the other dying wishes Great-Aunt Violet left behind. But when Maybell uncovers something unexpectedly sweet beneath Wesley’s scowls, and as the two slowly begin to let their guard down, they might learn that sometimes the smallest steps outside one’s comfort zone can lead to the greatest rewards.
9. Book Ends on a Page Ending in a Nine
Okay, this took some time!! I went through over twenty books on my bookshelves before I came upon a book that ended in a nine. Low and behold, A Discovery of Witches is 579 pages!
About the Book: Deep in the stacks of Oxford’s Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.
Debut novelist Deborah Harkness has crafted a mesmerizing and addictive read, equal parts history and magic, romance and suspense. Diana is a bold heroine who meets her equal in vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont, and gradually warms up to him as their alliance deepens into an intimacy that violates age-old taboos. This smart, sophisticated story harks back to the novels of Anne Rice, but it is as contemporary and sensual as the Twilight series-with an extra serving of historical realism.
10. Ten Books in the Series
I cannot think of one series that has 10 books. The Elements of Kamdaria by Kay L. Moody has 12. That’s as close as I can get. Help me out! Can you think of any 10-book series?
About the Book: Talise has a gift that could save her life.
In an empire divided into three rings, seventeen-year-old Talise is from the outer ring. This dangerous and crime-laden land has one constant… death.
Her only chance for escape is to become Master Shaper—an honored position in the palace court and military. Each year, the emperor chooses one student to receive the title.
After ten years of training at an elite academy, Talise clearly has a gift for manipulating the elements of water, air, earth, and fire. But Aaden, a handsome student from the privileged inner ring, is poised to steal the title away from her.
When they come before the emperor, he is impressed with the great skill both Talise and Aaden possess. He presents them with a set of trials, and she knows this is the chance she needs to prove herself. As long as Aaden doesn’t ruin everything.
But secrets hide in every corner of the palace, masking a conflict far more dangerous than her previous home in the outer ring. Now, she must play along with the emperor’s lies and games, or else she will lose her life to an enemy she never expected.
This was a lot of fun! I’m not tagging anyone today, but I’d love to see your answers if you decide to give this one a try!
Ooh I gave Song of Achilles 5 stars too 😁 I loved that book so much, it made me cry at the end 😅😭 I also have more copies of Shakespearean plays than I will ever need haha 😄
It’s such a great read, and Miller’s writing is so beautiful!! Definitely a tear-jerker! And do I really need four different copies of Romeo and Juliet? Probably not, but I still keep them! lol I blame the former teacher in me. I just can’t resist a pretty classic. 🙂
This looks like such a fun tag, I’ll have to do this sometime! Great post! 🙂
Thanks so much! 🙂
OMG, this tag is so much fun, loved reading your answers and definitely going to put this one on bookmarks if I want to do a fun tag again~
Yay! I hope you get a chance to do it!
Oh this is such a fun tag.
Will definitely be attempting this one 😁 There’s a couple of these I’ve never heard of but look great. I really need to read the song of Achilles too.
Oh, I love this tag! I might have to do it 🙈
And I see some new books I need to add to my TBR 👀
You should totally do it! I would love to see your answers!
I had a Book Tag planned for this week, but I hadn’t decided which one to do yet…I think the decision has been made!
Yay!
Okay, this started with me thinking it was fun and not that hard and ended with me thinking “Whew! Good for her for finishing. That was tough!” Still a lot of fun either way.
It was a lot of fun, but way more work than I expected, especially finding a book that ended with 9. lol And I still can’t think of a series that has exactly 10 books.
Ooh, this is SUCH a fun tag 😱 I think I’d definitely struggle with the nine and ten prompts but I’m so keen to do this one. Will definitely give it a go! The Song of Achilles is such a beautiful book 😍 I haven’t read the Crave series books because I have a feeling they’re really not my jam but I also agree the covers are really pretty. Great answers!
Oh, I hope you do it! I’d LOVE to see your answers! Nine and ten were so hard and I still don’t have an answer for 10. lol I adore The Song of Achilles too. 🙂 I like the premise of Crave, but I just couldn’t get into it. I wanted to so bad! I mean, a school for supernatural teens is my kind of book, but sadly it wasn’t for me.
I love this tag! There are quite a few books on my TBR, I reslly want to read A Discovery of Witches as I’ve seen the tv show and love it!
I want to see the show so much! It looks great and I love Matthew Goode!!
Yes, it’s so good!! I found out he went to my university recently and I got way too excited about that fact!
I would too! lol
A page ending in 9?!? LOL! I bet that did take a bit. This looks like such a fun tag, though!
Super fun, except for #9. lol That one was tough!!
This looks like a fun tag, but it is a thinking one for me. I have not read Song of Achilles, so I think I need to add this to my TBR. I loved your answers.
Thanks, Carla! It’s definitely a bit of work but a fun tag!! And I adored The Song of Achilles! Beautiful writing and story. I’m a fan of Greek mythology and taught The Odyssey for years, so it was fascinating to see some of the characters from a different perspective. I hope you enjoy it!
I used to read a lot of mythology, so will probably enjoy this one.
This looks like a fun tag to do! I’ve bookmarked it for later. Did the House of Night series make it to 10? I feel like that one went on forever!
That one might – it either has 10 or 12. I can’t remember either. lol