Hi hi hi! I’ve been trying to catch up on some NetGalley ARCs and I REALLY enjoyed 2nd & Charles having Penny-A-Page on Saturday (I’ll share my book haul soon too). But in the meantime, here’s a cute little Springtime Book Tag that I figured I’d do. @bookables on YouTube just posted this, and with all the flowers starting to bloom, I’m definitely in a Spring mood. Without further ado…

Flowers: All the flowers we remember are blooming again. Pick a book that’s a fresh take on a retelling.

A fresh take…hmmm…A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer came to mind first, even though it’s been out for a few years. It’s based on Beauty and the Beast. However, I think I actually like Cinder by Marissa Meyer even more – the sci-fi, cyborg Cinderella retelling is really fun (though there are a few draggy parts in the middle). But the nod to the pumpkin and the crystal shoe and everything else in a sci-fi, political arena is fun. I also saw the cover of The Bloody Brick Road by Maude Royer that looked super intriguing, but the reviews are mixed. Might add it to my never ending TBR…

Cadbury Mini Eggs: Obviously the superior springtime candy of choice. Pick a book that you consider to be a sweet treat.

I mean, anything Emily Henry is a sweet treat because her books are just so good. I still need to read Great Big Beautiful Life, but Beach Read and Book Lovers are just *chef’s kiss*. I also like YA romances as a little sweet treat. Like a taste of lemon sorbet to clean the palette. My Mechanical Romance is what I’ll pick for this – it’s about two really smart, nerdy teens on a robotics club. It’s got diversity, it’s got sweet romance, it’s got brains, it’s just fun. This is a book I wish had existed when I was in high school.

Allergies: Seasonal allergies often make your eyes water. Pick a book that made you cry.

The most recent book I read that made me tear up was All the Tomorrows After by Joanne Yi. I love that this book has very short chapters, but there’s a lot of grief and sadness in this book. Our main character loses her grandma, reconnects with her estranged father, and examines her relationship with her mother. Definitely had some tears shed on this one.

Spring Cleaning: Out with the old and in with the new. Pick a book to unhaul.

I currently have A Good Animal by Sara Maurer on my pango bookshop right now. I gave this book 3 stars because it was unique and different, but man, it’s a lot of sheep for just under 300 pages. I’m hoping this one finds a good home soon, or I may take it to 2nd & Charles to unhaul there.

Spring Break: It’s the perfect time for an adventure. Pick a book involving a road trip.

I loved P.S. I Hate You by Lauren Connolly, too (like @bookables). However, As Many Nows As I Can Get by Shana Youngdahl is amazing. I cried at this one. I also loved the nonlinear timeline, and how everything just came together so poignantly at the end. Definitely a journey, includes a roadtrip, and is one of my favorite books of all time.

Mating Season: It’s that time of year in the animal kingdom to make some babies. Pick a book with some smutty delights.

I feel like so many books in romance are including very smutty scenes. Anything Ali Hazelwood will work here, but her first book The Love Hypothesis I just ate up. And it definitely has some spicy scenes. Also The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang definitely has some hot scenes. I remember reading this on an airplane hoping the people next to me weren’t trying to read over my shoulder.

Rainbows: I just feel like Spring is made of freaking rainbows. Pick a book featuring an LGBTQ+ character(s).

Dean Atta is an author who writes books in verse. Both I Can’t Even Think Straight and The Black Flamingo feature LGBTQIA+ characters and both are fast and easy reads given the verse nature. I’ve started really enjoying books written in verse and would highly recommend either of these.

Spring Awakening: This is one of my all-time favorite musicals even though it’s filled with completely dysfunctional characters. Pick a book that’s also filled with completely dysfunctional characters.

Play Nice by Rachel Harrison. Drunk mother. Haunted House. Unreliable and messy narrator. Sisters who like to blame each other and might also be slightly Narcissistic. I don’t usually like horror as a genre, but this book was so good. 5 stars.

In like a lion, out like a lamb: Pick a book series that got better as it progressed.

Oh gosh, I honestly don’t know because I feel like I don’t read a ton of series apparently. I always say His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman is one of my favorites of all time, and I do think this got continually better as it progressed. I still need to read the follow-on trilogy (The Book of Dust). The first book was so unique with Lyra and Pan and the world building, And then as things progress with Will, the multiple worlds, the different religious commentary, I just loved this through and through and feel it gets more “adult” with each book.