Tabitha at Behind the Pages tagged me in this book tag well over a month ago. Only now am I getting around to it, sheepishly. The Life’s a Beach book tag was created by Lefty on on Left Hand Book Lover, but I saw it on Tabitha’s blog. Check out Tabitha’s answers here. Make sure to mention that Lefty is the creator, and tag who tagged you, if you choose to participate!
I tag Mint at Mint Loves Books, Emma at Bookmarked Dreamscapes, and whoever else finds this fun!
The Sand
A book that stuck with you long after you finished reading
I mean, if you saw any of my posts during the Christmas 2021 season, then you can probably predict my answer. A Court of Mist and Fury stuck with me for a long time after I read it. Ultimately, this book pushed me to start a book review blog so I’d have others to chat to about books. I really want to reread it, but that will probably have to wait until the mid-year.
The Sun
A book that burned you
I think this means one I had hopes for, but then in the end didn’t pan out for me? If so, then that would be Immortal Souls. The cover drew me in on NetGalley, but ultimately the pacing was way too fast and nearly all of the characters were flat. Plus I felt like I was inadvertently “tricked” into reading a Christian fantasy novel (not my personal cup of tea), which wasn’t indicated in the official synopsis.
The Waves
A book that calms you down after a long day
I know this author no longer has a great reputation, but I can’t erase the fact that Harry Potter brought me a lot of joy in my high school years. It still brings me joy, I can’t lie about that. When I’m in a lull sometimes I go back and read where I left off in my very, very slow reread of the series. I think right now I’m somewhere in the middle of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
The Bathing Suit
A book with a pretty, summer-y cover
I haven’t read this yet, but I did a spotlight for a BBNYA 2021 blog tour, hosted by The Write Reads. Beneath Cruel Fathoms has waves on its book cover, which is quintessential beach/summer in my mind. This is probably my perception, but I feel like most books with summer-y covers are contemporary fiction, which I don’t read much of. So at this point in time I don’t have many options from which to choose.
The Birds
A book that is everywhere
I choose A Court of Thorns and Roses. This is probably due to the algorithm’s knowledge of my love of fantasy books. Or, rather, fantasy romance books. But I see it pop up everywhere, particularly on Instagram since those are the hashtags and/or accounts I interact with.
The Company
A book with wonderful characters
I had a hard time choosing between The Bone Shard Daughter or The Bone Ships, but ultimately chose the former. Mephi in The Bone Shard Daughter won me over and is my favorite character in the book. He’s not the main character, but he’s pretty darn cute.
The Ice-Cold Drinks
A book you absolutely gulped down
An Enchantment of Ravens is a book I gulped down. Though it has one of my least favorite tropes (instalove), I otherwise enjoyed it. It was a nice escape from the demands of post house move.
The Fun Memories
A book you can’t wait to return to
Definitely the whole A Court of Thorns and Roses series, but also Half Sick of Shadows. I borrowed this from the library and ended up loving it so much I bought myself a used copy. There’s so much beautiful imagery and writing in this book. I can’t wait to read and savor it again.
Currently Reading: I’m currently reading The League of Gentlewomen Witches by India Holton. It’s technically an ARC from NetGalley. I’m only about 15% in, but I’m really enjoying it so far. It’s witty and well-written. It’s sort of haughty in a period English sort of way, but the story doesn’t take itself too seriously. I have no idea what to expect out of this story, but I’m excited for the ride.
Recently Finished: Late last week I finally finished The Cicada Tree by Robert Gwaltney. I’m not quite sure how to describe it. It’s sort of like a psychological thriller, but less thriller and more manipulation? It’s not a genre I usually read, but I decided to incorporate it into my 
Reading Next: I meant to start The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna next, but decided I didn’t want to travel with a thick hardback copy. So I’ll star this next after I get home from vacation.
Currently Reading: I’m still working my way through Culture Warlords by Talia Lavin. It’s a heavy read and I can only get through one chapter at a time before needing to switch to something lighter. I’m also reading Blood of the Lost Kingdom by Kristin Ward as part of a Write Reads blog tour. It’s the next book after 
Recently Finished: I recently finished reading A Dance With the Fae Prince by Elise Kova. It’s a stand-alone novel that’s part of the Married to Magic collection, which is based in the world of Midscape. I wrote my review for it a few days ago. I’m not sure when I’ll post it since I still need to post my review of the first book, A Deal With the Elf King. Yes, I am a little behind on posting reviews, but that’s honestly how I prefer it. It means I have a handful of reviews to pull from and post if I find myself overly-committed one week.