Book Tag: Life’s a Beach ☀️

Posted August 9, 2022 by Kate

hello, loves! 

Life can be a bitch, and life can be a beach. And it’s frequently both ✨ I found this tag on Erin @ A Book Loving Nut’s blog, and I had to participate! Thanks to the creator of the tag, Lefty @ The Left-Handed Book Lover for being so creative.

I’m nearly done with my Knitting in the City by Penny Reid series reread, so I’ve been reading like crazy and just had to do a book tag :) Everyone is tagged, so feel free to also participate if you see this!

 

The Sand

A book that stuck with you long after you finished reading

A Thousand Boy Kisses by Tillie Cole on Cover to Cover Book and Blogging Blog by Kat Snarkf Top Nine Friends to Lovers RomancesA Thousand Boy Kisses by Tillie Cole is *chefs kiss* one of the most emotionally impactful books I’ve read. It’s such a tear-jerker, but it’s also one of the best examples of childhood romances (omg I’m tearing up just thinking about how cute it was!), friends-to-lovers romances, and also a bit of hate-to-love, all in high school! My gorgeous, precious Poppy was dealing with some shit, okay. Jesus Christ. She handled it with grace and poise, and was a heart-warming (or heart-wrenching, depending on the scene) character throughout the book. Honestly, honey. Just thinking about this wonderful book ??? I’ll say nothing more, I don’t want to spoil, but I implore you to pick this one up. Oh man, such mastery ✨ (Goodreads | Amazon)

 

🩱 The Bathing Suit 🩱

A book with a pretty, summer-y cover

I mean… this cover screams summer, and rightly so! It’s stunning :) And such a fun read, too!

 

☀️ The Sun ☀️

A book that burned you

I wanted to like this one so much. I love the concept, it’s so unique and holds so much promise. But… ugh I was just terribly let down by this story and lack of concrete answers. For people who literally spend six+ months of the year training to murder each other, they were rather terrible/weak badasses. I really enjoyed the beginning, but as the story continued, I found more and more plot holes and inconsistencies with the characters and was done with the over-contrived “twists” and blasé attitude they had towards things that should matter. Not to mention, I

never got a concrete answer to the central question of this book: What does it look like if flesh and blood embodied the concept of a season? It’s such an exciting concept!! And yet. [ Check out my full review ]

A Brush with Love is an academic rom-com between two dental students that had me so excited! Instead, I got a book with a promising start, but ultimately problematic trope that I despise and a list of things I didn’t like at all (2-star review)

 

🌊 The Waves 🌊

A book that calms you down after a long day

Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews Hidden Legacy on Cover to Cover Book and Blogging Blog by Kat SnarkBurn for Me was the ultimate comfort-book for a long time. I’ve read this book nearly 20 times now, and it was *the* book I picked up during when I could not fall asleep, it was *the* book I chose amidst anxiety spirals or anytime emotions were running really high and I needed a guaranteed escape. I had to purposefully move on from this book because of how often I was picking it up, and I didn’t want to burn myself out (pardon the pun) on such a fabulous story and series. Also by Ilona Andrews, Clean Sweep is another innately comfort read. Is there anything more cozy than a slow burn romance set in a cozy paranormal B&B with a badass female innkeeper and her courtship with a werewolf, featuring inter-dimensional travel and a sentient Inn?

All Rhodes Lead Here by Mariana Zapata (really, any of her books) are also a go-to. Not just because they’re incredibly long or featuring an impressive slow burn romance, but because they often feature (dislike-to-) friends-to-lovers situations, where they’re so affectionate and fond of the other. “Favorite people” romances hit especially hard for me, where the characters are literally besties but also genuinely the other’s favorite person in the world. It’s always a painfully slow burn to get there, but it’s a decadent simmer that lights me up. Plus, I relate so strongly to the heroine and really see myself in her, and especially who I hope and aim to be. This one is a fave, but so many Mariana Zapata books are equally as amazing to me 💛

 

🦜 The Birds 🦜

A book that is everywhere

         

I see all four of these books all the time, and they all sound like my perfect read! And yet I haven’t read them. Story of the life of a reader, I guess ☺️ Which one should I prioritize first?

 

🚶 The Company 🚶

A book with wonderful characters

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater on Cover to Cover Book and Blogging Blog by Kat Snarkf Top Nine Friends to Lovers Romances           

The Raven Boys is one of my all-time favorite series ever! Every single character is so nuanced, complex, developed and unique from others that I’ve read. Blue, Gansey, Noah, Ronan and Adam (and so many other incredible side characters) live deep in my heart 💛 I adore them so much :)

 

🍹 The Ice-Cold Drinks 🍹

A book you absolutely gulped down

Ten Trends to Seduce your Bestfriend took me by absolute surprise. It’s been awhile since I dived and fell so deeply into a new story, and I shouldn’t have been surprised that Penny Reid was able to deliver so strongly. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to inhale a new Reid Romance, and I cherished the experience.

If you enjoy Mariana Zapata, you’ll love this. It was an epic slow burn with extraordinary characters, and the whole dynamic and representation was gorgeous. 

Reread of all her books pending…

 

🥳 The Fun Memories 🥳

A book you can’t wait to return to

     

From Lukov, With Love: Look, I knooooowww it’s summer… but I’m still craving this ice skating romance!! Each time an ice skating video pops up on TikTok or on Instagram, I immediately want this book in my hands. But I’m really just needing a Mariana Zapata book constantly.

The Lightning ThiefI’m sooo looking forward to reread my favorite Rick Riordan books. With the Lightning Thief TV show currently filming, I’m nostalgic for the characters that got me into reading in the first place.

Beard in MindI discussed above how obsessed I was with Penny Reid’s newest release: Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriendand now I’m partway through my Penny Reid readalong as I go back and reread all the Knitting in the City and Winston Brother’s books :)

 

Other posts you may enjoy…

     

 

💛 Thanks for stopping by! 💛

What are you looking to pick up next? Let me know in the comments down below, I’d love to hear from you!


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