book tag, musings

Never Have I Ever Book Tag

Hello lovelies! I thought it would be a good time to do another book tag and introduce different sides of ourselves that donโ€™t always come through our other blog posts.

I have seen this one floating around and wanted to give it a try for fun. Let me know if you agree with any of these or are supremely flabbergasted in the comments below!


The Rules:

  • Link back to original creator: Madame Writer.
  • Link back to the person who tagged you or the blog where you first saw this tag.
  • Answer all prompts.
  • Add one more prompt of your own.
  • Tag at least 5 people.
  • Donโ€™t lie.
  • Have fun!

Never have I ever … read a later book in a series before reading the first book

Andge: the…the…later book? Of course not (but mostly because I have no idea what the heck is happening in book 2 or later when book 1 normally sets the foundation of the world/setting).

*After a moment of intense thinking*

Oh wait, now I remember I did when I was super SUPER young. Does everyone remember Meg Cabot? Oh, for The Princess Diaries you say?

Well, Iโ€™m talking about one of her OTHER series. Does anyone recall The Mediator? Yeah I was a young preteen child and couldnโ€™t get my hands on book 1 yet so I started in book 2 and then jumped to book 4? What the heck were you thinking, oh little one?

I ended up buying all of them but only so I could re-read everything in order so all those tidbits I ruined for myself now made sense

Fives: I have never done it – on purpose at least! Some books feel very sneaky about whether they’re in a series or not though! If I think about it really hard, I believe that I actually did pick up a random book off the shelf in the library and start reading it. I thiiink it was called the Children of the Red King (Charlie Bones…anyone?). I can no longer remember which book I picked up, but I can safely say it was unlikely to have been book #1!

In my defense, it wasn’t clear! It wasn’t like “SERIES BOOK #4”, as far as my young, young mind could tell hahaha. So I guess my answer is yes I have read a book out of order in a series….but unintentionally, promise. For the record, that series didn’t even really need to be read in order for the main plot, just the background plots.

Never have I ever … burned a book

Andge: who burns books?! Can I get their name and number so I can legitimately ask why you would do this?

(I have been guilty of throwing a book across the room, but thatโ€™s not as serious of a crime. Right?)

Fives: I’m with Andge on this one. You’re kidding me right?! I’ve thought about burning my thesis papers….(LOL), but never a book that someone else authored! It doesn’t seem right to destroy someone else’s work. My own homework or writing though….I’ve been tempted.

Never have I ever … read a book I knew I would hate

Andge: Not intentionally I donโ€™t think. Like, it wasnโ€™t with 100% certainty I would hate it. Though if you ask me for an example right now, Iโ€™m not sure I can think of a book at the top of my head.

Fives: I judge books by their cover pretty hard (don’t judge me too hard though!), so I don’t think I would ever intentionally read a book I knew I would hate …. but mostly because I figure I won’t even finish if I hate it that much. I usually look at the cover, but of course, also read the brief synopsis to get a feel for whether I’d enjoy the premise – these two are the main things I base my judgments on (before anyone thinks I actually only judge a book by its cover art haha).

Never have I ever … wrote a fan fiction about my favourite books

Andge: Err…does writing a fan fiction about the TV series adaptation of the book series I loved as a child count as a yes? I mean, the TV series was quite different from the source material…

But if anyone has to know, the book series stars a certain redhead whom I admired as a young child. Also, that source material was mighty long reading for a seven-year-old.

(If anyoneโ€™s interested, I will be posting that story at some point in time for public consumption.)

Fives: As much as I want to be the next great writer, I really haven’t found myself motivated to put in the due diligence for writing, let alone a fan fiction. That being said, I do often enjoy reading fan fictions, as it is like an extension of a world you want to exist outside of just their own book canons!

Never have I ever … loved a book when I was young and hated it when I got older

Andge: This has been a big fear of mine but I have yet to find my childhood loves have gotten worse with time. I definitely was pickier with the word โ€œloveโ€ for books when I was a child so maybe that really solidified those that I found worthy for such a descriptor.

Fives: Hmm, contrary to Andge here I’d say I was never afraid of that, but I always expected to enjoy the books the same when I am older as when I was young. That being said, books that I had massively enjoyed as a child often paled in comparison to my expectation of the emotional pay off when I re-read it as an adult (Deltora Quest, anyone?).

I’d say that two things contribute to my feelings changing: firstly, I enjoy different genres now – obviously thrillers and mysteries are my main jam as opposed to young adult fantasy (how’s that for the loss of innocence archetype?), and secondly, the style of writing geared towards young readers no longer appeals as much to me as an adult. That being said, if you ask me if I still love series such as Deltora Quest and Harry Potter, I would happily tell you that I still love them.

Never have I ever … dressed up as one of my favourite literary characters

Andge: Funny that this is one of the prompts.

The answer is of course! Would anyone not expect me to have cosplayed as Alice in Wonderland before?

Not sure I would want to be posting that particular outfit online for everyone though. Will need a lot of encouragement.

Fives: I have some Harry Potter-like robes…but costumes have never really been my thing.

Never have I ever … hated a book by an author I love

Andge: Unfortunately, yes. I love Julie Kagawa and Iโ€™ve read almost every series she has put out. Except for the one with the vampires in it whose name slips my memory most of the time. I adored her debut book, The Iron King, even reached out to her when it first came out, but I just couldnโ€™t stand that first book in her newer series.

Also, stay tuned for an ARC review for her upcoming book revisiting the world of the Iron Fey in The Iron Raven.

Fives: Hated is such a strong word! I feel like I have a decent amount of brand (author) loyalty. I would say I have never hated any book by an author I loved, but of course, certain pieces do fall short of my expectations – can I really blame the author for my high expectations though? I’d like to think that everyone can have their high point and less good points – something that is kind of noticeable in my recent reviews of Ruth Ware thrillers, I’m sure. That being said, I will still continue to be excited to read all the books she pumps out!

Never have I ever … gone into a bookstore to buy one book and come out with many more

Andge: This is a funny prompt. I worked at a bookstore for a period of time, and that definitely meant being surrounded by books all the time brought more books into my home than I initially wanted to. Though this also happened when I didnโ€™t work at a bookstore so I guess itโ€™s also in my nature.

Fives: You mean this isn’t normal behaviour? Hahahaha. Honestly I rarely go into a bookstore to buy one book anyway, but I can assure you I can leave with as many as my arms (or wallet) will allow, at any one time. I can’t help it. Are we not all bookworms here?

Never have I ever … read the end of a book before reading the beginning

Andge: Is this a big faux pas โ€˜cause it seems a lot of people do it? Iโ€™m glad because Iโ€™m definitely in this club, though maybe not for mysteries since I donโ€™t want to ruin the surprise for myself. Definitely for rom-coms.

Need. To. Know. What. Happened. To. My. Ships.

Fives: Actually, I never do this with books, not that I judge people that do. To be honest, it wouldn’t really matter even if I did, since I often forget what I have read during the reading process anyway. Or even if I accidentally glanced at a spoiler, I will have fun seeing how the book can lead up to that point. To answer the prompt though, I have never intentionally read the ending of the book before the beginning.

Never have I ever … read a book without the dust jacket cover

Andge: Yep, though not often because I do like the cover designs and feel I wreck books more when the dust jacket is off (ie. I put my mug of something hot on top of my books when Iโ€™m not reading because thereโ€™s no room…sometimes the bottom of the mug isnโ€™t super dry?)

Fives: I heard you’re supposed to read with it off…? Is this true? (Someone please let me know, I get conflicting answers). I generally read with it off, if I can, because it tends to get annoying when I open the spine of the hardcover and it just kinda flops about. I’ve done both, reading with it, or without it. That being said, for ease of transportation and reading, I actually prefer paperbacks (is this a blasphemous sentiment?!), so dust jackets aren’t often a thing anyway.

Never have I ever … skim read nearly half a book

Andge: Ohhh, yeah younger Andge would be affronted by this but I have definitely done this too. With rom-coms as well (what is with me and ruining rom-coms?). But sometimes Iโ€™m just wayyyy too impatient for the author to just get to the point with things.

Fives: I guess most people wouldn’t know this (though Andge does!), but I’m on average a very quick reader. I think I still manage to absorb all of the information present in the book though! So I’m not sure I would call it skimming. I generally don’t do it though, because if me reading at my normal pace isn’t even interesting me enough, I would never make it to half the book anyway!

Never have I ever … spoiled a book for someone

Andge: Oh no! This is a big bad one for me. Canโ€™t let the joy be ruined for someone else. Even if itโ€™s a book I hated, maybe itโ€™s something someone else will like so why spoil things?

Fives: Only if they ask for it. I myself don’t mind spoilers, because sometimes that helps me determine whether I want to read it or not (am I just weird?). That being said, I assume the normal protocol is not to spoil a book! I only ever spoil a book when the individual asks me to (and mostly when they aren’t going to be reading it anyway).


And thatโ€™s it from us! ๐Ÿ™‚ Agree? Disagree? Or were there surprising tidbits in there?

I will be tagging no one in here, but if you see this and want to try it, I look forward to seeing your answers for the above!

book tag

Birthday Book Tag

Todayโ€™s my birthday and to celebrate my return to the blog, I found this wonderful birthday book tag that seems fun to try out.

Thanks to Antonia @ Always Books who seems to be the original creator of this tag, and also Soph @ Sophโ€™s Book World where I saw this cute tag โค

Birthday Cake – a book with a plot that seems cliche but you adore it anyway

I love the romance trope that has the love interest literally right in front of you while you go off chasing some other person for a good portion of the book. That is, until it hits you how dumb you are that he/she has been standing there all this time. Thatโ€™s Hot British Boyfriend and I cannot wait until you all get your hands on it. I will be posting a review on this one soon so stay tuned!

Happy birthday song – a book that certainly deserves all the hype it got

I finally read this book in 2020 and I had such HIGH expectations coming in although I told myself not to. Yet, I still loved it. The genius in Leigh Bardugoโ€™s writing surpasses even the storytelling she did in the Shadow and Bone series. With the TV adaptation coming soon, Iโ€™m finally caught up enough to watch it all with only gleeful anticipation.

Happy music – a book with some very beautiful and truly meaningful quotes

Whenever I think of quotable books, my mind always deviates to poetry. I had the pleasure of reading this one a while back and it still sticks out to me as a book that understood my heart, particularly the feelings I hadnโ€™t let go from when I was younger in the throes of first love. If you want to read more of my thoughts about the collection of heart wrenching poems, you can view my review here.

Getting older – a book that you read a long time ago but you think you would appreciate more if you read it as a more mature reader

This was my first high fantasy book in my earlier teen years that really got me into the YA fantasy genre. While I own a copy, I havenโ€™t had the time to really dive into it again with fresh eyes now that Iโ€™m no longer the child I was when I first met its characters. Itโ€™s still a hit today among new readers and Iโ€™m looking forward to its next companion novel, Winterkeep.

Party guests – your most anticipated book release for this year

I was going to put โ€œthe second book in the Alex Stern series by Leigh Bardugoโ€, but given that it doesnโ€™t even have a cover or description on GoodReads (I know, itโ€™s so sad!), I will be the basic girl who puts anything Cassandra Clare. But it is true because I honestly canโ€™t wait until Chain of Iron comes out. Sheโ€™s on my auto-buy and pre-order list for a reason.

Sweet birthday memories – a book that kept you incredibly happy during a sad or demanding period of your life

I loved many of Kasie Westโ€™s contemporaries over the years, but during my initial struggles with anxiety, her book and protagonist who faced anxiety really helped me come to terms with what I now had for the rest of my life. I knew I wasnโ€™t alone, and it felt good to see someone like me in the pages of my book so I can wrestle with it in a way that feels more distant but also face it instead of running away.

You can read my blog post on anxiety and the YA world here.

Birthday presents – a book that surprised you with how much you loved it

Last, but not least, I had to put Jenny Hanโ€™s To All the Boys Iโ€™ve Loved Before. I have always attributed this book that kickstarted this blog. I loved it so much, surprisingly since I had no expectations going in when I first picked it up in 2015, I had to write a review on it. My very first, in fact. And it spurred this dream to create such book content for myself and for those who may also enjoy what I have to say.

So, thank you, Jenny Han. This place would not be here without you or this book.


Itโ€™s now almost the end of my birthday and I feel so grateful for the blessings it is to have a loving family and community I belong in. I hope whatever you face this year, whether your birthday is still under pandemic lockdowns, that you can find one thing to be grateful for. If this last year hasnโ€™t taught us anything, I hope at least the one thing to remember is that life is fragile so cherish each moment to the best of your ability and live it with love and grace.

book tag

Waiting on Wednesday: Lady Smoke by Laura Sebastian

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, originally hosted by Breaking the Spine, where we’ll be posting about an upcoming book that we’re extremely excited for!


lady smoke -laura sebastianSUMMARY

The sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller that was “made for fans of Victoria Aveyard and Sabaa Tahir” ( Bustle ), Lady Smoke is an epic new fantasy about a throne cruelly stolen and a girl who must fight to take it back for her people.

The Kaiser murdered Theodosia’s mother, the Fire Queen, when Theo was only six. He took Theo’s country and kept her prisoner, crowning her Ash Princess–a pet to toy with and humiliate for ten long years. That era has ended. The Kaiser thought his prisoner weak and defenseless. He didn’t realize that a sharp mind is the deadliest weapon.

Theo no longer wears a crown of ashes. She has taken back her rightful title, and a hostage–Prinz Soren. But her people remain enslaved under the Kaiser’s rule, and now she is thousands of miles away from them and her throne.

To get them back, she will need an army. Only, securing an army means she must trust her aunt, the dreaded pirate Dragonsbane. And according to Dragonsbane, an army can only be produced if Theo takes a husband. Something an Astrean Queen has never done.

Theo knows that freedom comes at a price, but she is determined to find a way to save her country without losing herself.

AUTHOR: Laura Sebastian

SERIES: Ash Princess Trilogy #2

PUBLICATION DATE: February 5, 2019


The best thing about books that we’re excited for is when it is pretty much the day of its release! Are you as happy as I am right now that it’s finally here? And give a shout out if you think that cover is just absolutely brilliant!