The Folklore Book Tag

Taylor Swift released a surprise album folklore and it is BEAUTIFUL.

The album released at 9:30am for me and you can bet that I started listening to it ASAP. I’ve also been listening to only this album since it has released because it is too good. Reading? Play folklore in the background. Blogging? Play folklore. Drinking tea and staring off into space? folklore.

I think this is my favourite Taylor Swift album. I love all the songs.

If you haven’t heard it yet, I highly suggest doing so while you read this post in order to complete the vibe. I’m listening to it as I type this.

Also, can I just say that I’m loving how my twitter feed is filled with folklore appreciation? I’m following the right people. On the day the album released, we were all freaking out over it together with the same feelings ❤

RULES

• Link to the original creator: Ilsa @ A Whisper Of Ink
• Tag at least 3 people. 
• Declare the rules and list of prompts in your post
• Thank whoever who tagged you and link to their post. (Ilsa tagged me at my request!)

The album starts on a really good note with this song and the lyrics “I’m doing good, I’m on some new shit. Been saying yes instead of no.” I absolutely love this song.

For the prompt, Heads You Win by Jeffrey Archer had an ending that shocked me, confused me, and also frustrated me. It is a very addicting book and the ending was what I looked forward to throughout. But it didn’t answer questions!! And it was actually more confusing. Reading it again didn’t help either. I explain everything in my review.

The album’s aesthetic is beautiful. And Cardigan’s music video was well in-line. It gave me enchanted forest vibes. Lots of green and gold—magic and fairy dust.

This prompt is a hard one. I’ll choose Where Rainbows End by Cecelia Ahern for this. This book is a long time favourite of mine. Written in letters, postcards, and any other kind of written communication, the book follows two characters who are meant to be together through about 50 years but the timing is never right for them.

This song switches up the beats a little compared to the last two. It brings us out of magical dreams into a song which you sway to. The storytelling is really strong in this one.

For the prompt, The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani. This is a middle grade book that I had been wanting to read since I was in 9th grade (8 years back!) but only read it recently as it was available with my audiobook subscription. It’s world is fascinating, adventurous, and the story is simply too good. It’s intricate but also simple enough for younger readers. Here’s my review on it.

This is one of my favourites of this album (don’t have a #1 yet). Taylor and Bon Iver harmonizing is everything.

Too Late by Colleen Hoover is a book that I wish I didn’t read. It was actually not bad. I liked the story well enough. It dealt with abuse and shows the main character recovering from it. But, I don’t know why, the author thought it would be a good idea to add MULTIPLE epilogues. And the last one RUINED THE ENTIRE BOOK. I’m angry about it till today. I even wrote a rant review on it.

This song starts off with angels singing. my tears ricochet takes you down and down into the song and it’s feelings. If you close your eyes to this song, you’re lost.

It’s been quite a while since a book made me cry, let alone uncontrollably. Might have to pick an old book for this. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is one that I read about 6 years back and it BROKE ME. Thankfully I was alone when I finished the book because I could cry without worrying about my mum finding me in that state. It’s a very good book.

On my first listen, this song stood out to me. It’s more cheerful than the songs so far, and closer to Taylor’s older music. While you can draw comparisons between old songs and this one, mirror ball still fits into this album especially when the chorus hits.

The aesthetic I imagine for this song is: barefoot dancing in early winter mornings, probably with dim lights switched in the living room, maybe during Christmas. The person(s) simply enjoying their time at home with some dancing and good music.

Ilsa why do you have such hard prompts!!!

I’ll choose Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren which is a best-friends-to-lovers adult romance book. It honestly has everything that I love. Opposites attract, best friends to lovers, drawn out relationship growth, and softness. It’s my perfect romance book. Here’s my review on it.

Compared to the previous track, this song is quite different in tone and beats. My imaginary aesthetic for this: 7am cold winter mornings where you still want to be in bed but you’re up with a mug of coffee to help with energy, looking out the window at trees, gray-scale colours (like the album cover).

As for a nostalgic book, Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine! I read this book first in 7th grade because it was available in my library and since then I’ve read this book multiple times. The movie starring Anne Hathaway is good but I will always prefer the book because it has so much more to say and show. I absolutely loved it and it makes me nostalgic for those days when I’d visit the library every two days.

This is a song that I really enjoy listening to! It’s slow and soothing but I also want to dance to it? The lyrics are somehow warm. The song feels like a cuddle.

100 Days of Summer by Abbie Emmons is a book that reminds me of summer. “Summer” is literally in the title haha. But the book really does feel like summer. If I had to describe the book’s aesthetic I would say sunshine coming in through the window, hopefulness, daffodils, yellow, short dresses, afternoons with family, and waffles. Here’s my review on it.

The prompt really gets this song right. It’s about trying, it comes from sadness but also has some hope about moving forward.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. This is not a new book. You’ve probably heard of this a lot, and maybe have even read it. It’s a wonderful book that I absolutely loved and it did make me tear just a liiiitle bit. Click here to read my review.

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare. This was the first book by her that I bought immediately after its release. In fact, I think I pre-ordered it. I waited until a Sunday so that I could spend the entire day reading it. When Sunday came, I pushed my bed next to the window and settled down for the entire day, only briefly leaving for meals. When it finished, I had a massive book hangover.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. The trilogy was gifted to me by my cousin when he came to visit me once and it was the exact right time for it. I had been reading books consistently for about two years then. This book came right when I was old enough to recognize deeper themes but also early enough that it shaped some of my views (for the better). I read about racism, slavery, and revolution at the exact right time. While I didn’t fully grasp all the themes in the books (like PTSD), I had internalized it enough to have empathy and understand things that I might not have otherwise.

There will always be an invisible string tying this series to me 🙂

I. LOVE. THIS. SONG. It’s meaning, its story, the tune, the feeling in Taylor’s voice when she sings—perfection.

For the prompt, Neanderthal Seeks Human by Penny Reid. Janie, the main character, is neuro-atypical although she is not labelled with anything in the book. I loved her personality, her brain full of trivia facts (she literally knows something about EVERYTHING), and she is also a genius in her field. I am HERE for women killing it in their careers. I adored her throughout the book.

epiphany (also the name of my #1 BTS song by my BTS bias Jin!) is one of my top songs of the album. Taylor’s singing in this song is like that of an angel.

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The Shadow of the Wind is the one book that I tell everyone to read even after all these years. It's a MASTERPIECE, okay? From the first time I read it in 7th grade until today, this has stayed in my most favourite books list. And I don't see it going anywhere. Most recently, I recommended it to @worlds.within.words and she LOVED it. If you haven't yet, you should read it too. What's one book that you will love and probably reread forever? ____________________________________________ #bookblogger #bujoinspo #readersofinstagram #readersofig #booksofinstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagramindia #bibliophile #bookish #picturesofbooks #bookreview

A post shared by Sumedha | Bookstagram (@thewordyhabitat) on Apr 7, 2020 at 7:03am PDT

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (who passed away recently, RIP) is one of my all-time favourite books that I recommend to EVERYONE. It’s been in my life since 7th grade and reading it is always magical and intriguing for me. If you haven’t considered reading this book yet, take my word for it and try it.

The book centers around a Cemetery of Forgotten Books, and the whole story is also eerie and mysterious so it fits perfectly with the prompt and the song.

I agree with everyone on twitter that this song gives out heavy saphhic energy and if Taylor ever says that this is in the POV of a guy, I will reject that idea. I won’t be sorry. This will remain to symbolize sapphic yearning to me.

I have so many choices for the prompt. But for the sake of a short answer, I’ll go with From Lukov, With Love by Mariana Zapata. I read this book for the first time long back and have reread it multiple times since then. But I still remember how I felt the first time I read it. Other than the great romance, this book has figure skating, a determined and passionate main character, and character! growth! I rave about it in my review.

This song’s title is so apt for the song I swear.

Samaiah Brooks from The Boyfriend Project has my whole heart. She is ambitious, smart, clever, and takes no shit from anyone. First of all, she’s a badass in the STEM field and she knows it. She also has a dream to start her own app with an innovative new idea. And close to her heart is the goal to help other marginalized girls to come up on the same track which was hard for her. We stan.

I feel like this song was purposefully kept at the last because it makes you want more once its done, and you can’t help but replay the whole album.

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi. I was so sure that I’d love it, you know? I even bought a paperback copy (I usually only buy when I’m really sure I want to hold the book when reading and hence would spend extra for it). But I got annoyed by the book pretty quickly. Even though I planned on selling it back, I broke and started annotating with pencil. I kept a sticky note in the back with the page numbers where I annotated so I can erase before selling it back. But the point is that I was so annoyed, I NEEDED to annotate my frustration. Oof. You can find out more of my thoughts in my review.

I tag:

Cotton Candy Book Witch | Bookishly Rebecca | The Miss Charley | Ruby Rae Reads | Howling Libraries | A Book Wanderer

P. S. I’ve come across two other versions of this tag (originals as well) by per_fictionist and Star is All Booked Up which you can check out too.

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Have you listened to folklore yet? Are you loving it too?