Taylor Swift’s Lover is the perfect album for Valentine’s Day, so it makes for the perfect book tag for Blogentine’s Day! This book tag was created by Nish and Ngoc.
- I Forgot That You Existed: A book that you want to forget you ever read
I don’t necessarily wish that I could forget this book, but a recent book which I didn’t like was Ice Breaker by Hannah Grace. I initially was interested in this book because of the cover and a lot of positive reviews which I saw on TikTok. However, for me, the plot of the book felt very disjointed with unmemorable characters. I also found that the synopsis of this book didn’t necessarily match the contents inside. Overall, it was a very disappointing and unenjoyable read for me.
- Cruel Summer: A book that you turn to when things get tough
If I’m ever in a reading slump, I usually pick up one of the books from the A Court of Thorns and Roses series. I really love the characters in that series, so it is definitely one of my comfort reads!
- The Man: Favorite female protagonist
A female protagonist who I enjoyed recently was Maria from Ship Wrecked by Olivia Dade. While I wasn’t extremely impressed with the book itself, I really liked Maria as a main character. Maria was outgoing, positive, and always stood up for herself. Throughout the book, Maria dealt with awful producers who attempted to shame her for her body and tried to make her change her body, but Maria always stood her ground.
- The Archer: A book with good mental health representation
As I mentioned earlier, Ice Breaker wasn’t one of my favorite reads, but there was one aspect which I did appreciate in the book. In Ice Breaker, the female main character is constantly criticized for her weight. While the text doesn’t explicitly state that she has an eating disorder, she does have a very unhealthy relationship with food. I think this book brought up a huge issue in women’s sports where women who excel at their sport are often criticized for their appearance, despite needing to eat healthily and maintain muscle in order to perform well in their sport.
- I Think He Knows: Favorite fictional crush
One love interest who stood out to me this past year was Daniel from Part of Your World by Abby Jiminez. Daniel was a patient and kind love interest who supported the female lead in becoming more independent. This was one of my favorite books of 2022 and the healthy relationship featured in this book was a huge factor in that decision.
- Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince: Favorite angsty romance
One angsty romance which I read recently was Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood. The miscommunication trope plays a large role in novels by Ali Hazelwood which causes a lot of angst to appear throughout her novels.
- Paper Rings: A book with an ugly cover that you absolutely adored
I’m actually not a huge fan of this series, but one series which I think needs an update for covers is the Off-Campus series. This series was published several years ago and it looks like it is still stuck there. Since this series has gained a lot of popularity in recent years due to TikTok, I think it would be a good idea to update the covers.
- Cornelia Street: A book or series you never want(ed) to end
One book that I never wanted to end was A Very Merry Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams. This was an unexpected five star read for me. I was a huge fan of the romance in this book and I loved the main couple featured. The Bromance Book Club books aren’t usually my favorite, but this book makes me want to read whatever Lyssa Kay Adams writes next!
- Death by A Thousand Cuts: A book or series that deserved a better ending
This is an oldie, but it is one that has stuck with me for years after reading. The Divergent series definitely went downhill for me after the first book and the ending of Allegiant just destroyed everything else that I liked about this book. While I appreciate Veronica Roth tried to write an ending that would stand out in a sea of YA dystopian at the same time, I dislike when an end of a series makes the rest of the series seem pointless. Unfortunately, that is how I felt at the end of the Divergent series after I finished reading it.
- London Boy: Your favorite British male protagonist
Although the Bridgerton books often have insufferable male love interests, I do enjoy how they change their characters to be less toxic in the show. Jonathan Bailey played an excellent Anthony Bridgerton in the show and it made me interested in watching other television shows and movies where he appears because he was such a strong actor for the role.
- Soon You’ll Get Better: A book that your heart will never recover from
I don’t typically read books that make me sad, but I wasn’t expecting Love & Other Words to be as emotional as it turned out to be. However, that was one aspect of Love & Other Words which I thought made it stand out for me.
- You Need to Calm Down: A book with a powerful message
Recently, I have been rereading the Lore Olympus series through the published book versions. One aspect of Lore Olympus which I really appreciate is how it tackles difficult subject matter in a thoughtful way. Additionally, I have always appreciated that Rachel Smythe gives warnings to this content at the beginning of the book in order to be mindful of readers who pick up her book.
- Afterglow: A book you want to give a second chance
It’s not that I want to give this book a second chance, but I do want to give this duology a chance for redemption after the first book. Recently, I read The Stolen Heir by Holly Black which is a duology taking place several years after The Cruel Prince series that follows Oak, Jude’s brother, and Lady Soren from The Court of Teeth. I had high expectations going into The Stolen Heir because I loved The Cruel Prince series so much. While The Stolen Heir wasn’t the worst book that I’ve ever read, it didn’t have the same magic as the original trilogy for me. That being said, I do plan to read the next book in the duology and I hope it is a little stronger than the first book.
- Me!: Best character development
One of my favorite character developments in a book is Manon from Throne of Glass. Due to her upbringing, Manon suppresses her emotions and doesn’t believe that she could ever love another person. A lot of pressure is placed on Manon to follow very rigid rules and orders, as there is a swift and brutal consequence for disobedience, so she will typically follows the rules set by her grandmother as opposed to her own heart. However, throughout the series, Manon slowly opens up to other people and begins to make her own choices, often due to her love for other people.
- It’s Nice to Have a Friend: Fave friends-to-lovers story
This isn’t necessarily my favorite friends-to-lovers romance, but I was impressed with how Love & Other Words was able to build such a successful friends-to-lovers romance through flashbacks. Typically, I am not a huge fan of dual timeline books. While I did have some other aspects of this book which I didn’t enjoy, I did think the scenes that readers get to see of the development of the relationship in book really reinforces that the main characters are soulmates, which is what I like to see in a romance book.
- Daylight: If you could read one book or series again and again, what would it be
If I could read one series again and again it would have to be A Court of Thorns and Roses. Like I mentioned earlier, I love the world and the character inside, so I could read it again and again without being bored.
Beauty and the Bean Boots 