birthday booktag

Hi everyone!

It’s my birthday tomorrow!! I was wondering what I should post for this, but I saw andi @ ohonobooks do this booktag for their birthday, which I thought was a wonderful idea.

birthday cake – a book with a plot that seems cliche but you adore anyway

★ Hani & Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating ★

Fake dating and reluctant allies to lovers are tropes that I love, and I think Hani & Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating portray these tropes perfectly. The plot does sound a little cliche at first, two people fake dating for their mutual benefit, but I think the novel also talks about such important topics like biphobia and peer pressure and racism. Overall it’s such a fantastic novel.

sweet anticipation – your most anticipated book release this year

★ The Atlas Paradox ★

Well, the year is almost at an end so I’m not sure to include my most anticipated novel that has already been released, or the anticipated release that is still not yet out. For the former – it’s definitely The Atlas Paradox. I had been so excited since I read TA6 and was so happy to finally get my hands on this. I adored it so much, and really met all my expectations for it – and I am so excited for the next (last?) book in the series.

party guests – if you could spend your birthday with any fictional character, who would it be and why?

★ Libby Rhodes – The Atlas Six ★

I’ve still got The Atlas Paradox on my mind, especially my favourite character Libby Rhodes. She’s sweet but so headstrong and, dare I say it, a little impulsive sometimes. I think we’re both pretty similar in temperament and both introverted, so, as someone who doesn’t like big parties or going all out, I think she’d be a great person to spend a quiet birthday with.

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

★ The Final Revival of Opal and Nev ★

I was blown away by how much I adored The Final Revival of Opal and Nev. I would see this book every time I went into my local library and one day I thought okay, let me give this a go. I flew through the book, in part because interview format books are easy to read, and because I was so invested in the story.

Historical fiction is a genre I’m learning to love, and reading about the 1970s music scene, and about how racism and misogyny are so prevalent and effected Opal, made for such an amazing story.

the happy birthday song – a book that certainly deserved all the hype it got

★ Heartstopper ★

Listen. these are some of the cutest graphic novels I have ever read. I could say so many books for tis prompt, but my first thought was Heartstopper because it was just as cute as everyone hyped it up to be. Heartstopper deserves all the hype it gets because these graphic novels are so sweet and heartwarming.

birthday bling – find a book that is the color of your birthstone

★ the priory of the orange tree ★

November’s birthstone is not the prettiest, in my opinion. I mean, topaz?? The colour of Edward’s eyes in Twilight??

We’re lucky we have two birthstones, because the orange-gold colour of citrine is quite pretty. It was hard to think of a book for this, until I remembered The Priory of the Orange Tree. This is a behemoth of a book, full of a diverse range of characters and wonderful storytelling, and with such a vivid and stunning cover to boot.

happy music – a book with some beautiful and truly memorable quotes

★ this is how you lose the time war ★

Andi chose this for this prompt on their post, and I can’t help but agree. This is how you lose the time war is a short book but has so many beautiful quotes, and I always find a new favourite whenever I reread.

My copy of it has so many highlights and annotations – some of my favourites are: “I love you, on battlefields, in shadows, in fading ink, on cold ice splashed with the blood of seals […]” and “you are a blade against my back. I love the danger of it.”

birthday candles – count your birthday along your bookshelf, and then subtract your birth month

★ the language of fire ★

so….. the 3rd book on my bookshelf? That’s The Language of Fire. I’ve yet to actually finish this book, but I read the first 25~ pages and really enjoyed it. This is a retelling of Joan of Arc told through verse, and so far it seems wonderfully written, and it seems to span her whole life. I’m curious to read more and see how it goes – also I think the cover of it is just so pretty!

getting older – a book that you read a long time ago, but you think you would appreciate more as a mature reader

★ jane eyre ★

this is a good question. Admittedly, I’m very stubborn in my initial ratings and opinions of books, so it’s a struggle to think of one which I think I might view differently now. However, I can’t help but remember how much I struggled to enjoy Jane Eyre.

I read this about 8-9 years ago for English class, and I just remember hating it. I was not the biggest fan of that English teacher, which coloured my opinion of the book. I think that it is possible that if I were to read this now, especially not for class and just for leisure, I would enjoy it more.

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

★ if the shoe fits ★

July/August of 2021 was a tough time for me. I had a lot going on in life, but I remember finding If The Shoe Fits so fun and it filling me with joy. Contemporary romance isn’t the genre I go for, but I’ve enjoyed Julie Murphy books in the past and thought if anyone could cheer me up, its her.

I thought If the Shoe Fits was such a cute and fun retelling of Cinderella – I adored the modern take of it being set during the filming of the Bachelor, and how Cindy was a fan of shoes – it all tied together really well and had such a sweet ending.

Thank you for reading!
have you read any of the books I mentioned? did you enjoy them?

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