Free For All Friday: The Folklore Book Tag

 

Free For All  Friday: The Folklore Book Tag

Intro

Hello lovelies! I'll admit, I'm not a huge Swiftie at this point. That's my sister. I liked her when she did country, but after that, I kept less track of her. In honor of my sister's love and how much I like this challenge's prompt, here is my take. 

If you are a Swiftie, how are my picks?

The Rules

• Link to the original creator: you can check her out here (she is no longer an active blogger, though)
• Tag at least 3 people.... well, the first three people to see this and want to do it... consider yourself tagged
• Declare the rules and list of prompts in your post
• Thank whoever tagged you and link to their post. I was "tagged" by Leslie at Books are the New Black, which you can check out here

The Songs and Their Prompts

• The 1: a book with an ending that left you speechless
• Cardigan: a book that makes you feel happy and sad all at once
• The Last Great American Dynasty: a book with a fascinating and extremely well-told story
• Exile: a book you wish you hadn't read
• My Tears Ricochet: a book that made you cry uncontrollably
• Mirror Ball: a book that feels like it was written just for you
• Seven: a childhood book that makes you feel nostalgic
• August: a book that reminds you of summer
• This is Me Trying: a book that deals with loneliness and sadness
• Illicit Affairs: a book that gave you a book hangover
• Invisible String: a book that came in your life at exactly the right time
• Mad Woman: a book with a female character you adore
• Epiphany: a book that is haunting
• Betty: a book couple that fills you with yearning
• Peace: a book character you'd die for because you love them so much
• Hoax: a book you thought you were going to love but didn't

My Picks and Explanations

The 1

Heartbreak Beach by Bailey Thomas

The ending of this one certainly left me speechless... but not in a good way. It took possibly the dumbest twist I've ever read. I won't say more to avoid spoilers, but just know... I hated this book and do not recommend it. 

Cardigan

A Mark on My Soul by Jordon Greene

This one was a very endearing story initially. It then definitely made me cry by the end. I won't be explaining why (again to avoid spoilers). If you are looking for a queer story that will make you cry, I highly recommend. 

The Last Great American Dynasty

Such a Bad Influence by Olivia Muenter

The way this book covers the impacts of social media in a thriller setting was truly fantastic. I loved how it flowed from thrilling to calmer moments. Seeing the current-day setting truly shape the book was incredibly fascinating.

Exile

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

This one was such a miss for me. I felt like the annoyingness and stupidity of the MC took away from the important message Kuang was trying to make. I ended up just annoyed by the end. I was better off sticking to just knowing this book from the reviews. (I know this one is super popular, but I am welcome to my opinion, as are all of you).

My Tears Ricochet

Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I became wildly emotionally invested in this one and absolutely loved it. I absolutely bawled at the heartbreak and triumph at the end of it. (You guessed it, no elaborating to avoid spoilers). 

Mirror Ball

The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Absolutely everything about this book (and the series as a whole) is perfect to me. When I first read it as a freshman in high school, I was super hooked. The way it blended psychology with a cast of interesting YA characters was peak for me. Unlike most people, who are the opposite, this book got me into Criminal Minds. 

Seven

Magic Treehouse #16: Hour of the Olympics by Mary Pope Osbourne

This one was a true childhood favorite of mine in a series I collected and read as many as I could. I would find them at library book sales and see how large I could build my collection. I picked this one in the series in particular because it also plays into a special interest of mine: the Olympics. I've always been obsessed with it. (Yes, I know the ways it is problematic, it's part of my fascination).

August

Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune

Honestly, all of her books feel like the perfect embodiment of summer to me. I love all of them, but this one was my favorite. As a kid who would spend summer at a lake, it was the life experience I wish I had.

This is Me Trying

The Manicuist's Daughter by Susan Lieu

This book conveys familial and racial pressure quite well. She discusses how she always felt alone amongst her own people. 

Illicit Affairs

Destructively Mine by Krista and Becca Ritchie

I just finished this one, and honestly, all other books feel dull compared to it. As such, I am struggling to get through them. I highly recommend this series as I am truly obsessed with these characters. I will be UNWELL when this series ends. 

Invisible String

The Hunting Wives by May Cobb

It was when I read this book that made it a 5-star for me, and a book I will never forget. I absolutely pictured one of the main characters as my neighbor, and my brain absolutely latched on to the concept. I was in the perfect mood for a thriller like it, and I'm so thankful I picked it up when I did. 

Mad Woman

Bunny Season by Bindi Kennedy

Lotte (the FMC) is so sweet, and I could totally see myself being best friends with her. She had really human flaws that made me love her even more. 

Epiphany

Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn

I don't read almost any "haunting" books, so I had to pull a childhood favorite. It has a ghost who haunts, so I think it counts. It was a book my mom introduced to me, which means it has a special place in my heart. 

Betty

Streams and Schemes by Rebecca Kinkade

The couple in this one is oh so hot! I love them and their banter so much. I just find them so dynamic that they have me hooked. 

Peace

Will from Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams

I'll admit, I don't really feel like I'd die for any book character, so I just picked one I like and would love to know in real life. Will takes time to come out of his shell, and that is always endearing to me. 

Hoax

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez

It turns out I didn't even actually rate it. I felt so meh about the book, I couldn't even form enough of an opinion to give it a star rating. Everyone raves about Jimenez's writing, but it is mediocre to me. 

Conclusion

Woo boy, I have a feeling some of the picks I have here are gonna ruffle some feathers. As a friendly reminder, everyone is allowed to have their own book tastes and discuss what did and did not work for them. I had a lot of fun with this challenge, and it reminded me about a lot of books I haven't thought about in a hot minute. 

Friday Free For All: Rory Gilmore's Reading List

 

 Friday Free For All: Rory Gilmore's Reading List

How Many I've Read and My Thoughts

Hello lovelies! Fancy seeing you here for another week. I recently started watching Gilmore Girls for the first time, and needless to say, I am OBSESSED! Rory and her reading habits have totally stolen my heart. Dedicated fans have kept track of every book she's read throughout the show. In this blog, I'll get into the ones I've read, my thoughts on the list, and general thoughts on reading lists like this one. 

I'm sure we are all shocked to know I haven't read all that many books from the list. I was a newborn when the show started, and her reading taste is mainly before that. This is a judgment-free zone. If you want to check out the list and see how we compare, you can check it out here. 

I shall list out the ones I've read and some very brief thoughts

• 1984 by George Orwell (a must-read for everyone, especially in the current world situation)
• Candide by Voltaire (I was desperately waiting for this one to be over. Candide (the character) pissed me off at various moments)
• Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (another must-read, given the censorship currently occurring)
• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (I actually enjoyed this one; we had to write poems inspired by the story for my English class in high school)
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (my absolute favorite classic. What can I say, I like reading about rich people making poor decisions)
• The Jungle by Upton Sinclair (this one was so graphic but also so important for its time)
• Lord of the Flies by William Golding (I don't think I could've hated this book more. It grossed me out. The movie is worse)
• Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse (I actually read this one at the request of my partner, while not my vibe, it was inspiring)
• A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams (we acted this one out in English class, I enjoyed it, but I had way too many parts to focus on any parts of the story that weren't mine)
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (another favorite classic of mine, it has truly stuck with me)
• Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (you'll be shocked to know I've read this one. It totally didn't inspire the name for my bookish persona at all...)
• Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White (an iconic book that made my childhood. The movie is also adorable. 
• Eloise at the Plaza by Kay Thompson (Eloise is an icon that I aspire to be)
• Encyclopedia Brown: Boy Detective by Donald J. Sobol (my stepdad loved this series and passed on the excitement to me. While not my favorite children's mystery series, it is nice)
• Goldilocks and the Three Bears by Jan Brett (I have to question who hasn't read this story, and the million adaptations of it)
• Horton Hears A Who! by Dr. Seuss (I feel like I recall enjoying the movie for this one. I read every Seuss book I had access to a million times as a kid. Unfortunately, the author isn't a great person)
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss (a Christmas classic my family reads (and watches) almost every December)
• Nancy Drew and the Witch Tree Symbol by Carolyn Keene (this was the mystery series my mother loved a lot. I read a lot of them as she had the whole collection)
• Stuart Little by E.B. White (the only children's story on her list I didn't love. I think I thought it was lame as a kid)
• Night by Elie Wiesel (I cannot convey enough how much this one made me sob. It's real and horrifying, and while set in the past, is starting to look like our future)
• Beowulf (I read this, but don't remember it at all)
• Hamlet by William Shakespeare (one of many of his plays I read)
• Macbeth by William Shakespeare (a classic for a reason)
• The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare (it was absolute chaos trying to read this aloud in class)
• A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare (my favorite of his plays)
• Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare (we all know it, only some love it)

For almost all of these being notably older than me and not being a big classics fan, I feel I did quite well. 26 out of... well... many... I'm proud of myself. I also saw a few on my TBR, such as A Picture of Dorian Grey, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and Middlesex. I don't think I'll be making a challenge of reading the whole list, but I hope to use it as inspiration.

Obviously, my main "issue" with the list is that there are none of the modern books I've read and loved. That is due to the show ending in 2007. I'd be very curious to see what books were on here if Rory were reading in 2025. I have to admire that the list is shockingly varied. Every genre is represented, and many of the books that are notable to the zeitgeist at the time are on the list. 

Most of the books on this list (apart from the children's books) were read as part of my school education. I'm actually pretty pleased by this because it shows that my education was making us read important books. A lot of these stories gave me perspectives about the world I wouldn't have gotten otherwise. While there were some I didn't love, they were still worth reading to expand my horizons. 

Lists like this are a blessing and a curse. They can introduce you to new stories and remind you of old favorites. That said, they can also literally shame, or feel like shame, people for not reading the books on the list. This list has 399 books on it. I've read 6% of that. I've barely scratched the surface. While I don't necessarily feel this in this case, there are a lot of lists that feel like they are mocking you for not having the elite reading from reading every book on the list (looking at you, Goodreads). So it really depends on the list on whether I feel animosity for it. Overall, this was a fun list, and I hope to check back in with it in a few years to see if I've read anything else on it. 

Friday Free For All: Magical Readathon Spring 2025

 Friday Free For All: Magical Readathon Spring 2025

How This Readathon Went for Me

Hello lovelies! Welcome to my first Friday Free For All. I made this series as basically a chance to ramble more about books and all things bookish that don't necessarily align with the content I am already doing. In this week's case, I wanna talk about the Magical Readathon created by G aka Book Roast. This is a fantasy-themed DND style readathon where you create a character and take "classes" that are completed by reading books that align with the prompts for the readathon. 

This year, G created an additional incentive for people to log the books they've read for the readathon, which seems to be working quite well. As "students" at Orillium Academy (the fake school for the readathon. As the participants reach more pages read milestones, dragons are unlocked! These dragons are all very unique, and your characters get to keep one at the end of the readathon. As of now, all of the milestones have been reached, but we are waiting on the final dragon reveal!

I completed all of my reading prompts for my calling (major) a week in advance of the end of the readathon. I am a Mind Mender. The classes I had to take are as follows: 

• Alchemy (all capitals in a book title)
• Spells and Incantiations (word from your last book title)
• Psionics and Divinations (book with witches or the occult)
• Restoration (book with a 4+ star average rating)
• Demonology (book with a missing person)

For alchemy, I chose All Signs Point to Malibu by Jennifer Snow. Turns out this book was a miss for me, and I ended up giving it 2.5 stars.

For spells and incantations, I chose How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang, which I liked a lot better, and I gave it 4.5 stars. 

For psionics and divination, I choose Three Tainted Teas by Lynn Cahoon. Witchy books will never be my thing, so I gave it 3 stars. 

For restoration, I chose Punt in the Dark by Ariana St. Claire. It was a nice, quick read I gave 4.25 stars. 

Lastly, for demonology, I chose Such a Bad Influence by Olivia Muenter. I was able to read this one entirely during the kick-off reading spirits and had a fantastic time. I gave it 4.5 stars. 

Overall, my actual ratings were a mixed bag, and that's okay. Readathons like this one get me out of my comfort zone, which is a good thing! I plan to do more readathons to keep up the fun and inspiration to branch out. In fact, keep your eyes peeled for an announcement about a readathon I want to create for June! I always go big for Pride, and this year is no exception. 

See you next Friday for more surprise ramblings!