Book Tag: Fall Time, Cozy Time

I was tagged in this cute tag by The Travelling Reader! I am not sure who created this tag, so if you know let me know in the comments! I wanted to squeeze this in before December though, so let’s jump right into this!

CRUNCHING LEAVES: The world is full of colour! Choose a book with red/orange/yellow on the cover.

So, I have just discovered that I have pretty much no orange or yellow books. This is the closest one I could find, and I definitely feel like it fits the theme, even though there is some blue! Also, this is a spectacular book, so be sure to check it out!

COZY SWEATER: It’s finally cool enough for warm cozy clothing! What book gives you the warm fuzzies?

I know this book has made quite a few appearances on my blog, but for a good reason! Lovely War is such a lovely book, and although it has its sad moments, overall it will give you a warm happy feeling inside!

FALL STORM: The wind is howling & the rain is pounding. Choose a book that you like to read on a stormy day.

I feel like any thick fantasy would fit perfectly for this prompt, because I love reading fantasies when it is gloomy outside. The one that first came to mind for me was Serpent & Dove, because I think I read this during a rainy weekend! It definitely fits the vibes for this prompt.

COOL CRISP AIR: makes you breathe freely~ Who’s the coolest character you’d want to trade places with?

When I thought of a cool character, the first person I thought of was Alex from Red, White, and Royal Blue! And then I started thinking about how Henry is also super cool, so they are both going to be my answers for this prompt! They are sweet, funny, and I just want to be best friends with both of them!

HOT APPLE CIDER: warm autumn drink. What underhyped book do you want to see become the next biggest, hottest thing?

I recently made a whole post about books I think are underhyped (I’ll link it here!) Parachutes is definitely a book that deserves all the love in the world, and I haven’t heard anyone talk about it! This without a doubt will definitely make its way onto my best books of 2020 list. It is such an important story that needs to be told, and you will fall in love with the two main characters. Please, please read this!

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COAT, SCARVES, & MITTENS: the weather has turned cold & it’s time to cover up! What’s a book cover you don’t like?

I have never and will never read this book because I didn’t like Twilight, but this cover is just horrendous. Like, I don’t even know who thought this would be a good idea.

PUMPKIN SPICE: time for some Starbucks! What’s your favourite fall comfort food?

I hate to be that girl, but I am a sucker for anything pumpkin, especially pumpkin pie with whipped cream!

WARM, COZY BONFIRE: spread the cozy warmth! Who do you tag?

So, I’m not going to tag anyone because fall is almost over! But if you want to do this tag feel free to use this post as reference!

Happy reading!

6 Books That Are Worth The Hype- Part 1

If you’re at all like me, you may be skeptical of hyped books. Some of my most disappointing reads this year have been books that were so hyped up, that I was sure I would love them. So when I didn’t, I was quite let down. So, I have acquired a list of books that did live up to the hype for me!

Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin

I read this book just last month, and I put it off so long because I didn’t think there was any way I would like this as much as everyone else does. However, this book very much exceeded my expectations! The atmosphere was so dark and I loved the dual perspectives that this book follows! I would definitely recommend this book if you are skeptical about picking it up! You can read my full review here.

Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

This book took the entire Internet by storm when it first came out, and so I was hesitant to pick it up because there was no way I would like it as much as everyone else. But guys- this was the cutest thing I’ve ever read! This royal romance has everything you could ever want in it, and will leave you swooning. It has definitely been my favorite contemporary of 2020 so far! You can read my full review here.

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

As soon as I started reading this book, I knew it was going to be a 5 star read. Sabaa Tahir is a master story teller, weaving in an intricate world with characters you would die for. This is a book set in a world inspired by Ancient Rome, and follows a female slave and male soldier in dual POV. This is definitely another favorite of mine for 2020, and I can’t wait to read book 2 soon! You can read my full review here.

You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson

This is another book I’m sure you have seen around, and rightfully so because it was so cute! This is a small town f/f romance that follows Liz as she campaigns to be prom queen so she can move out of rural Indiana. Growing up in a small town I definitely resonated a lot in this story, and watching Liz grow as a character was so much fun. You can read my full review here.

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

You know, we can honestly just put all of Elizabeth Acevedo’s books on this list, but Clap When You Land is my favorite so far! I’m sure you know, but this book is written in verse and follows two sisters who discover one another after their father is killed in a tragic plane crash. This book will pull at your heart strings. I am still not okay and I read this in June!

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Even though I read this last year, it still definitely has a place in my heart as one of my favorite books of all time. This follows a band called The Six in the 70s as they make begin their rise in fame and their eventual downfall. This book is told in an interview style format and it really felt like I was reading about a real band. I didn’t even know it was fictional until about halfway through! I would highly recommend the audiobook as well, because it has an amazing full cast of characters.

I definitely plan on doing a part 2 of this, so let me know what you think about these books! Were they worth the hype for you?

Review: Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

“Thinking about history makes me wonder how I’ll fit into it one day, I guess. And you too. I kinda wish people still wrote like that. History, huh? Bet we could make some.”

Casey McQuiston, Red, White & Royal Blue

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Publication Year: 2019
Page count: 421
Format: Audiobook
Rating: 5 stars

Blurb from Goodreads:

First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz is the closest thing to a prince this side of the Atlantic. With his intrepid sister and the Veep’s genius granddaughter, they’re the White House Trio, a beautiful millennial marketing strategy for his mother, President Ellen Claremont. International socialite duties do have downsides—namely, when photos of a confrontation with his longtime nemesis Prince Henry at a royal wedding leak to the tabloids and threaten American/British relations.

The plan for damage control: staging a fake friendship between the First Son and the Prince. Alex is busy enough handling his mother’s bloodthirsty opponents and his own political ambitions without an uptight royal slowing him down. But beneath Henry’s Prince Charming veneer, there’s a soft-hearted eccentric with a dry sense of humor and more than one ghost haunting him.

As President Claremont kicks off her reelection bid, Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret relationship with Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations. And Henry throws everything into question for Alex, an impulsive, charming guy who thought he knew everything: What is worth the sacrifice? How do you do all the good you can do? And, most importantly, how will history remember you?

Oh my word, I am so, so excited to gush about this book for this entire blog post!

I didn’t read this book when it first came out because it was extremely hyped, and I find hyped books tend to disappoint me. Furthermore, while I enjoy romances, they don’t usually tend to leave me absolutely mind blown and speechless. I figured I would read this romance and it would have the same effect on me as most romances do and I would be let down.

But wow, was I wrong!

This is hands down one of my favorite books for the year so far.

Let’s start with the characters. This story is told from Alex’s perspective. Alex is the first son of the first woman president and is half Mexican. He wants to go into politics after he graduates from Georgetown University and become a U.S. Senator by the age of 30. Alex’s perspective was such a fun one to read from. Not only was he funny, he just felt so authentic. It was so heart warming to watch Alex on a journey to discovering himself and his sexuality. He felt so real and by the end of the story it felt like we were listening to the story from a friend’s perspective, not a fictional character.

Henry was equally as dreamy. I haven’t read a romance from a single perspective in awhile, so I was surprised when the book continued without Henry’s point of view. Despite this, I still felt just as connected with Henry as I did with Alex. On the outside, Henry appears as the golden boy of England, but as Alex and the reader soon figure out, he is so much more. He is sweet, charming, and terrified of the future.

The other part of this story that made the book were the side characters! Alex’s best friend and sister, Nora and June, were both so much fun to read about. Watching the three of them being around each other and having fun made all the characters feel even more authentic. I oftentimes forgot I was reading about the first family and felt like I was reading about a normal group of friends, trying to figure out life and love together. Henry’s sister, Beatrice, was also such a fun character. I loved that the families were brought into this story. It added a whole new layer we don’t usually see in romances.

Not only was the romance adorable, it was also so interesting to watch as Alex’s mother ran her reelection campaign. Their family receives so much hate because not only is the president, Ellen, a female and divorced, but her children are half Mexican. However, the family does not let this get them down. Even though Ellen is always busy with her presidential duties, she makes time for Alex and supports him through his journey. The campaign definitely made this book feel even more high stakes than it already is, and this makes Alex and Henry’s relationship even more at risk than it is.

I could go on and on about how much I loved this book. It will make you so happy. Read it!