RULES
1. LINK BACK TO NERISIREN’S POST.
2. THANK THE PERSON WHO TAGGED YOU AND LINK BACK TO THEIR POST.
3. DO THE PROMPTS.
4. TAG/SHOUT-OUT TO A FEW PEOPLE, IF YOU LIKE.
5. HAVE A HOLLY JOLLY GOOD TIME!
BONUS #1: REMOVE ONE OF THE PROMPTS AND REPLACE IT WITH YOUR OWN FAVORITE WINTER DRINK PROMPT!
BONUS #2: USE YOUR OWN SELFIE AS A HEADER (NON-OPTIONAL. P.S. PLZ DON’T USE MINE).
Thank Yous & Tags: A special shout out goes to both NeriSiren (who created this winter book tag) & Sarah Maree! They both tagged me. If you click on their names you can find their original posts. If this sounds like a fun post, consider yourself tagged!
Disclaimer: I’m not very creative when it comes to the things I drink and I’m also not very aware of a lot of Christmas cheer in the books I typically read. With that being said, some of these titles MAY stretch the limits of Christmas or winter or the described drink.
The Prompts:
Hot Chocolate: The Quintessential Christmas / Winter Book
The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
I don’t really read a lot of books that focus on Christmas. And if I’m being honest, aside from the Harry Potter books and a random YA novel, I don’t really remember too many of the books I’ve read TALKING about Christmas. So you get The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe because there’s a lot of snow in it :)
Horchata: A Book that’s Sweet & Spicy
The Inn at Ocean’s Edge by Colleen Coble
This is a sweet romance with scandalously spicy mystery. Claire joins her father on a business trip and is instantly overwhelmed with flashbacks and panic attacks that she cannot explain. Why would a place she's never been to feel so familiar?
Eggnog / Pumpkin Spiced Drinks: You Either Love It or You Hate It
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
This was one of my guilty pleasure reads in highschool. I’m not sure I could re-read it as an adult. But boy oh boy do I still enjoy memes, gifs, and fanfiction revolving around this world created by Stephanie Meyer. And I think her world definitely has some influence in the worlds I create as well. I’m a 30 year old who’s still way too obsessed with vampires and werewolves...
Hot Caramel Apple Cider: A Seasonal Twist OR Cultural Fusion
Dragon Pear by Yoon Ha Lee
This book feels like a magical space western / Korean Mythology cross over and I LOVE IT. Min is a gumiho, or a shapeshifting, charm bearing fox creature that has the ability to take on a human form. As a child she has always been taught to never reveal her true form because the humans are frightened of fox spirits. The old stories claim that fox spirits would lure humans to drain away their life forces. Dragons, Goblins, and Tigers, while still looked down upon by most humans for being supernaturals are at least allowed to use their magic freely. When a strange investigator shows up at Min's house calling her older brother Jun a deserter, all bets are off in Min's mind as she takes off on a daring space adventure to find her brother, clear his name, and bring him home safely to their mother.
Monster Energy Zero Ultra: A Book Character That Gets You Fired Up for Much Needed Change
Okay, this one was a HARD decision and I think it comes down to a tie. In The Grace Year, Tierney is a clever, resourceful girl that lives outside the demanding rules of her society. When every girl turns 15 she comes into her magic, magic that is used to seduce and manipulate men. The only way to purge their bodies of the magic is for the girls to be locked in a secure camp for a whole year. At the end of the day, Tierney is the only one who can see their society for what it is, and also knows the first steps toward making everything better.
Peppermint Hot Chocolate: A Jazzed Up/ Twisted Classic that Should’ve Been Left Alone OR a Book that Still Makes you Salty
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
I’m going to say it, and I know this isn’t going to surprise ANYONE who follows me regularly but, The Cursed Child STILL makes me salty. IT IS NOT CANON--IT’S A POORLY WRITTEN FANFICTION. End rant.
Alcoholic Strawberry Daiquiri: A Book That’s Trying To Do Too Many Things (OR That One Element that Bugs you About an Otherwise Good Story)
This is a sequel to an absolutely FABULOUS book. This one is not so much. The characters feel like they’re completely destroyed and the entire novel is 400+ pages of the main characters arguing about going to war / attacking each other and failing to make any headway.
Caramel Frappuccino: The Series You Drop Everything Else For
Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger
This is one of my all-time favorite books series. It features elves, dwarves, goblins, gnomes, humans, trolls, alicorns & more. To mere humans, it looks like magic, but really, it’s all super advanced science and I love it. While the books do get dark, the world itself (has a LOT of its own problems) is so vibrant and wonderful.
Hot Chocolate with ALL da Marshmallows: A Delightfully Frosty Character
Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Della (short for Delicious, but she NEVER lets anybody call her that because it’s weird AND the last time a teacher tried to use her full name a boy LICKED her to see if her name was a good fit) is fierce, strong, loyal, clever, and she doesn’t take snow from anybody. ♥
Chai Latte: A Book That’s Cozier Than Your Favorite Fuzzy Pink Unicorn Socks
The Book Charmer by Karen Hawkins
This is a wonderful, hint-of-magic, small town cozy read about a librarian that can really read a book and the people of her town. It’s also about a woman who lost her sister, gained a teenager, and has also found herself tasked with taking care of her elderly foster mother.
Iced Sun Tea: A Book That’s Totally Out-of-Season But You Don’t Give a Flying Reindeer
Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker
This one is totally more of a Halloween read since it involves witches and werewolves, BUT it’s actually great anytime of year, no matter what anybody else says!
Cinnamon Dolce Latte: Your Favorite Seasonal Themed Momement in a Book
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
The moment when Harry realizes that there are Christmas presents waiting for him under the tree--it’s the most Christmas-y memory I have from reading xD
Well done on the challenge! There are some awesome books here and great descriptions! It's always fun seeing what other writers read, particularly when I haven't heard of or read the books before.
ReplyDeleteThank you!! I had a lot of fun with this challenge.
DeleteI seriously love how well you guys have personalized this tag! Your selfie is adorable, Larkynn, and you've added two books to my TBR (Fighting Words and Book Charmed), and bumped three books higher (Mooncakes, On the Come Up, and Children of Blood and Bone). That a**hole in Della's class immediately reminds me of the villain in Sherlock season 3, and the Colleen Coble book reminds me of Dreadful Sorry, by Kathryn Reiss. It's also about a girl who has weird flashbacks that seem completely disconnected from anything she's actually experienced. In her case, the memories happen anytime she's near water, but especially when she visits a small town in Maine for the first time.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I LOVE your added prompts -- especially the character who fires you up for change! Very well done!!! :-D
💜💜💜💜 Thank you! I probably should mention that Fighting Words can be VERY triggering. It covers very HARD topics, but it's so important and Della is AWESOME. I fell in love with her right away. Let me know if you want more in depth spoiler/ explanation of spoilers before reading :)
ReplyDeleteI've heard great things about Katheryn Reiss books! I need to start her series!
** if you want spoilers/ an explanation of TRIGGERS. Not enough coffee:)
DeleteI was so livid when I saw The Cursed Child on here and then I read what you wrote LOL. That was a close one! I 100% agree on that one. Thanks for the rest of the list!!!
ReplyDeleteBahahaha. I'm so glad you didn't stop reading! When I was reading Neri's original post THIS was the ONLY book I knew I was going to use 100%. xD Thanks for reading!!
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