Finally Fall Book Tag

Last night, all of my body parts were warm at the same time.

I have been freezing my ass off at the office for the last two years. Now I’m working from home and feel, dare I say, comfortable?

Riddhi @ Whispering Stories tagged me in the Finally Fall Book Tag. I love fall, so HERE WE ARE.

Man, this “being warm” thing is really freaking me out.

In fall, the air is crisp and clear.

Name a book with a vivid setting

I read the Rairarubia books in sixth grade and assumed they went out of print because I could never find them using Google.

I finally switched up my spelling and found the books I’ve been searching for for OVER A DECADE.

In the first book, a girl and her father start making up stories about a kingdom called Rairarubia, known for its rare air and rubies.

Somehow their stories bring the world to life.

It’s awesome.

There are book worlds I’ve wanted to live in, but Rairarubia made me feel like I was already there.

Nature is beautiful…but also dying.

Name a book that is beautifully written, but also deals with a heavy topic like loss or grief

How about two books for the price of one?

“Atmospheric” is the best word I have for Ghost Wood Song.

I’ll be honest, I don’t think of Florida as a woodsy place, so reading a novel about ghostly woods in Florida has been a trip.

For all my problems with Burn Our Bodies Down, I thought the writing was gorgeous.

There’s a strong undercurrent of emotional abuse in the book that is pretty painful to read at times. Serves me right for expecting a simple spooky story, I guess.

Fall is back-to-school season.

Share a non-fiction book that taught you something new

Surprise: racial identity development is fascinating.

The official title for Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? is absurdly long and the text itself is dense – it took me months to finish.

I will say it was worth it. I learned a lot about history, culture, and multiracial identity.

In order to keep warm, it’s good to spend some time with the people we love.

Name a fictional family/household/friend group that you’d like to be a part of

Oh COVID-19, you hateful shit.

I don’t mean that fondly. Isolation sucks.

I loved the friend group in When We Were Magic.

The teens were so aware of each others’ baggage and flaws and loved each other anyway.

I was awed by the amount of support and acceptance they gave each other.

Listen, the book opens with a murder and that fact has a negligible effect on the group’s friendship.

THAT’S LOVE.

The colorful leaves are piling upon the ground.

Show us a pile of fall-colored spines

I had to work a stupid amount of overtime not too long ago. I finally gave in and ordered the new Lunar Chronicles box as motivation.

It’s here and it’s so beautiful.

These books look more wintry than anything, but we are going to GO WITH IT.

Fall is the perfect time for some storytelling by the fireside.

Share a book wherein someone is telling a story

The framing device for If We Were Villains involves a newly-released prisoner telling the “real story” of his crime to the detective assigned to his case.

It’s not a quick story.

I feel a bit silly for loving this book so much.

It hit me in a really deep place and I’m not totally sure why.

I cried MUCH.

If I don’t think about the ending, it can’t hurt me.

The nights are getting darker.

Share a dark, creepy read

What if instead I shared THREE dark, creepy reads because I have NO SELF-CONTROL?

I’m reading Mexican Gothic currently and it is LIVING UP TO ITS PROMISED CREEPINESS.

I am FULLY CREEPED.

Ninth House is a popular creepy read with some very grim story elements.

Even though I have a ton of books on my proverbial plate right now, I’d like to reread this one.

I just finished Bunny by Mona Awad and OH WOW.

I don’t normally scream while reading new books.

I SCREAMED A LOT OF TIMES WHILE READING BUNNY.

It reminded me of a more horrifying version of Sourdough by Robin Sloan.

Bunny leaned more on creative writing class tropes than Silicon Valley stereotypes, for which I was very grateful.

Anyway, I will NOT be attending grad school now or in the future.

The days are getting colder.

Name a short, heartwarming read that could warm up somebody’s cold and rainy day

Like most Nina LaCour books, Watch Over Me broke me.

The topics in this book are fairly heavy, so don’t go in expecting a frothy fun time.

I was really moved by the themes of found family and healing in this book.

Watch Over Me is understated and a little spooky. It’ll revive your tired heart when you least expect it.

Fall returns every year.

Name an old favorite that you’d like to return to soon

My list of rereads is out of control.

Scorpio season is upon us; thus, it is time to reread The Scorpio Races.

I’m still salivating over The Starless Sea.

If I can locate my copy, a reread will be imminent.

As I mentioned before, I have the Lunar Chronicles box set now. I just finished Cinder, so Scarlet is next on the list.

(Scarlet is my favorite book in the series, so I am EXTRA EXCITED TO REREAD IT.)

Fall is the perfect time for cozy reading nights.

Share your favorite cozy reading “accessories”

I just spent a good minute agonizing over the spelling of both “cozy” and “accessories.” WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME??

Lately, I’ve been snuggling up with wool socks, comfy sweatshirts, and the Pendleton wool blanket my aunt bought me for Christmas.

More about this blanket: I don’t understand how it’s so thin and yet so warm? It’s miraculous.

I also like a cup of tea with my books when I’m not guzzling water.

Lastly, my brother sent me a wooden book page holder that he purchased in Georgia (the country, not the state.) It allows me to read one-handed and makes me look like a scholar.

The warmth is wearing off a bit, so I’m off to round up some socks and a cardigan.

Happy fall/Halloween/what have you!

Stay warm, all of you!