The Evermore Book Tag // Taylor Swift Made My 2020 (Again)

It’s been almost three weeks now, but I still can’t wrap my brain around the release of evermore.

I haven’t fully recovered from the surprise release of folklore months ago, and now we have evermore too? Not only do I feel as if we’re undeserving of this incredible music, I’m surprised my heart survived listening to 15 new Taylor Swift songs. I’m completely in love with the new album and will be talking about how much I adore every song for the next decade or so- meaning, when I got tagged for the evermore book tag, participating in it was absolutely mandatory.

It warmed my heart so much to be tagged by Rhi, Aria, and Lauren for this tag, because I’ve loved talking about Taylor with all of them and it especially meant a lot that they still thought of me even though I haven’t posted on my blog in upwards of four months. Thank you so much you wonderful humans- please go read their posts and visit their lovely blogs. <33

In other news, I’m back (!!) after the longest accidental hiatus I have ever taken, and I’m using the release of evermore as my excuse to return because I couldn’t let this opportunity to talk about Taylor Swift and books in the same post pass me by. I also redesigned my blog, leaving me feeling a lot more inspired and hopefully on track to begin posting again, if not consistently, then at least semi-consistently. I’ve missed this blog and the people in the community SO much the past few months- so I’m feeling pretty emo about this return. :’)

Rules For the Tag~

• Link back to the original creator and her post: Rhi @ marshmallow harmonies
• Tag at least three people
• Declare the rules and list of prompts in your post
• Thank whoever tagged you and link to their post
• Pingback to original post so they’re all in one place to read

As another side note, I will be using the very beautiful graphics that Rhi created, so all credit goes to her for that as well. I’m also going to include my favorite lyrics from each song, just because I think this is Taylor’s best album lyrically and any chance to show off her skills is one that I will be taking (I say that as if I know her, but you know, I do feel like a proud mom).

Not to be a broken record, but I stand by the fact that The Raven Cycle is one of the most romantic series I’ve ever read. The slowburn relationships throughout the series have my entire heart, as do the many quotes from it that essentially are why I believe in love. (I could go into more detail, but I don’t want any spoilers, so maybe in another post?) To say that I was rooting for Blue and Gansey and Adam and Ronan would be an understatement, so I have to put The Raven King for this one.

the more that you say, the less I know

wherever you stray I follow

I’m begging for you to take my hand, wreck my plans

that’s my man

I don’t know if saying I hated the relationship between Charlie and Sam in The Perks of Being a Wallflower is accurate, but their relationship certainly confused me. I wanted them to be best friends and have a sweet platonic relationship, but it eventually got too complicated and then I was sad because they were just such good friends and I didn’t want it to turn messy. So, while this movie is one of my comfort movies and literally made me cry because of how good it was, I’m not a fan of the book.

your mom’s ring in your pocket

her picture in your wallet

your heart was glass I dropped it

champagne problems

As if I wasn’t already intrigued by the magical world created in Strange the Dreamer, I become utterly captivated by Muse of Nightmares. I don’t usually like sequels more than the first book, but I genuinely cannot express my love for this book. I couldn’t put it down, I couldn’t get enough of Lazlo and Sarai, I couldn’t stop myself from being thrust into this world head over heels. I also just feel like this goes along so nicely with the song gold rush because it’s so shiny and beautiful. :,)

what must it be like

to grow up that beautiful

with your hair falling into place like dominoes

my mind turns your life into folklore

This book isn’t exactly fake dating, but it’s about a girl going on different blind dates set up for her by her family- AND it’s set at Christmastime, so I feel like it fits this song very well. I love 10 Blind Dates immeasurably and probably mention it a little too much, but what else am I to do when such a sweet, funny, heartwarming book exists? I seriously think this song could become the soundtrack for this book, and if there ever is a Netflix adaptation of this novel (which there should be), tis the damn season would most definitely be playing during a montage of her dates.

we could call it even, you could call me babe for the weekend

tis the damn season, write this down

I’m staying at my parent’s house

and the road not taken looks real good now

Maybe this book has gotten the hype it deserves and I just haven’t been there to see it, but I fully believe The House in the Cerulean Sea should be mentioned a lot more. This book was a magical, whimsical adventure from start to finish. Reading it felt like returning to my childhood in the best way possible. There is nothing I enjoy more than gangs of talented children, kind adults who listen to the children, and magic, and I was left very satisfied by this heartwarming tale.

I made you my temple, my mural, my sky

now I’m begging for footnotes in the story of your life

It’s only fitting that I use a murder mystery for this one, so The Cheerleaders it is. I was completely intrigued throughout the duration of this novel, and definitely fell for the red herrings in it. I ended up being satisfied with the ending, further convincing me that something just hits different at the end of a mystery novel. It escapes me how someone can write such a intricate mystery with so many facets, but I’m grateful Kara Thomas can, because it makes for a fascinating read.

and his mistress moved in

sleeps in Este’s bed and everything

no, there ain’t no doubt

somebody’s gotta catch him out

I can’t put my finger on a character that I heavily relate to, or whose experiences mirror mine exactly, but I do find a kindred spirit in Claudia from Foolish Hearts. We aren’t eerily alike (I don’t have Gideon, for one), but I see similarities between us for sure: we both are introverted, we take what others think of us directly to heart, and we find ourselves putting others and their opinions of us first a lot of the time. We also both enjoy boy bands and obsessing over music and have close bonds with our siblings. :’)

I hope she’ll be a beautiful fool

who takes my spot next to you

no, I didn’t mean that, sorry I can’t see facts

through all of my fury

I was absolutely astounded by how much I feel in love with the friend group in The Unlikelies. Friendships formed due to the characters being do-gooders? What could be more wholesome. I already know that I need to reread this to properly re-experience the love between this friend group, but I remember there being an exorbitant amount of banter, positivity, and found family energy. Just give me all the fluffy contemporaries with sweet friendships and I will be happy.

and damn dorothea, they all wanna be ya

but are you still the same soul I met under the bleachers?

My mind instantly went to House of Salt and Sorrows– a book that I still cannot get over, even months after I originally read it. I don’t think I can recover from the prose in this book because it was so atmospheric, descriptive, and magical. I’m not sure how to describe it other than that reading this book was like being enveloped by fog while you stand on the cliff of a mystical island. I could nearly feel the world being created around me as I read. How utterly eerie and magical this novel was….okay, I’ve convinced myself to read it again.

and when I got into the accident

the sight that flashed before me was your face

but when I walked up to the podium

I think that I forgot to say your name

I very recently read Today Tonight Tomorrow, and I think it was full of small yet difficult choices. The story follows the valedictorian and salutatorian on the last day of their senior year, chronicling the end of their constant competition. Not only are they literally solving a scavenger hunt, but I think the characters develop a lot in a short period of time due to the choices they must make. I found myself admiring and despising some of the choices Rowan and Neil made as they decided how much to trust each other and how much to trust themselves. (Side note, this book caused me some stress and sadness over graduating soon, so maybe don’t read it as a high school senior.)

oh, goddamn

my pain fits in the palm of your freezing hand

taking mine, but it’s been promised to another

What I wouldn’t give to live in Anne of Green Gables‘s Avonlea…oh, to grow up on Prince Edward Island and be the best of friends with Anne Shirley. (I’m sorry, Diana, but I would become you in an instant in order to be close to Anne.) I genuinely cannot think of a more idyllic childhood than running through flower fields with Anne and naming the nature we encounter- in summary, I’m sad Avonlea isn’t real and that I was not born there, but I’m mostly mourning the fact that Anne Shirley is not in fact someone who can be a kindred spirit with me.

oh, I thought

this is going to be one of those things

now I know

I’m never gonna love again

I have quite a few middle grade series that I continuously turn back to, but one that I feel like I’ve barely ever mentioned here is The Mother-Daughter Book Club. The author of this series is the reason why I even blog (her blog was the first one I ever read and how I found other book blogs), but I also just adore this series with everything in me. I know the characters like the back of my hand and every time I’m sick or even if I just don’t have a book to read at the moment, I get one of these off my bookshelf and fall back in love with it.

long story short, it was a bad time

long story short, I survived

I did not love this book as much as I wanted to, but I do think that The Astonishing Color of After has a truly beautiful depiction of grief. The main character, Leigh, is dealing with the death of her mother and her mother has shown up to her in the form of a bird. The family messages and culture infused into this novel were my favorite part of it and even though it got tediously long at parts, I do think the grief and death was dealt with very well.

I should’ve asked you questions

I should’ve asked you how to be

asked you to write it down for me

It’s no secret that I have unequivocally loved every book I have read by Emma Mills. I couldn’t think of anyone else to put here other than her because I have never been disappointed by any of her novels and they just keep getting better and better. I feel like she tends to release a new novel every yearish, so hopefully 2021 will bring a new Emma Mills book? I know I’ll be eagerly anticipating anything else she writes. (Featured is her newest novel, which I loved so, so much.)

don’t treat me like

some situation that needs to be handled

Will be stealing Aria’s answer for this one because I can’t think of anything that fits this prompt more perfectly than Crooked Kingdom. If you know, then you know, and if you don’t know, I’m slightly envious of you. (But mostly not, because I have no regrets about reading this breathtakingly beautiful duology.) Either way, I did not go into this novel expecting to love it so much and I also did not expect to be quite so broken by it. The pain of this novel will, indeed, be evermore.

can’t remember

what I used to fight for

I rewind the tape, but all it does is pause

on the very moment all was lost

I tag anyone who is reading this and wants to participate, but a few people that I have talked about Taylor Swift in the past with who might like to participate are~

Ruby // Kay // Ash // Marie

There we have it, my overwhelming love for Taylor Swift and books combined into one post! I can’t explain how good it felt to write on here again, especially about two topics I’m so passionate about. I promise that I will have more content coming soon, and that I haven’t forgotten about ideas that started to take form before I took my hiatus, like the Blogger Origins series or my Q&A. :))

I can’t thank you all enough for continuing to support me and be the kindest people ever even when I disappear for so long. <33 I hope you’re all staying safe and healthy and that you are having a lovely holiday season, whatever you may celebrate. I’ll see you all again very soon!

What do you think of evermore? Favorite songs? How did you react to it? Have you read any of these books? Please scream about all of it with me in the comments.

Photo by Cory Winston on Unsplash