the folklore book tag (original)

So if you follow me on twitter then you’ll know that I am having a breakdown over Taylor’s new surprise album, Folklore. 

Did i get up at 5am to listen to it as soon as it was released? Yes.
Have I been reading lyrics and listening to the album on repeat ever since? Yes.
Do I have a mental breakdown just thinking about cardigan? YES.

I’ve only heard cardigan twice just because it makes me WAY too emotional and its a lot for me to handle. I could rant forever about how much I love this album! The cottage core vibes! The production! The lyrics! The dark atmospheric feels! The cardigan music video! The aesthetics! 

So I decided to make a tag for Taylor’s new surprise album and here it is!

RULES

• Link to the original creator: Ilsa @ A Whisper Of Ink
• Tag at least 3 people. 
• Declare the rules and list of prompts in your post
• Thank whoever tagged you and link to their post.

The 1 is one of my favourite songs on folklore and it is essentially about a love that got away, and Taylor reminisces on how things could’ve been if she hadn’t messed up the relationship. It is an achingly sad song, filled with regret and longing, while also being beautifully written. 

For the prompt, choose a book that had an ending that shocked or frustrated you. You could love or hate the ending but it either way you think about it a lot.

For this, I have to go with If We Were Villains…IT WAS SUCH A CRUEL OPEN ENDING and completely left up for interpretation and now i am eternally heartbroken and read it fix-it fanfiction to deal with the pain. M.L Rio is truly so evil for making me care so intensely about James and Oliver,,, I love them so much. 

[chants] favourite song favourite song favourite song favourite song. I can’t even begin to describe how much i love this song but god, its SO GOOD. and the music video. And the lyrics. And just EVERYTHING. 

I could’ve come up with many prompts with it but I went on one that felt a little personal. Cardigan fills me with a whirlwind of emotions and so pick a book that also makes you feel that way!

100% going with The Art of Feeling for this. This book made me FEEL ALL THE THINGS. One minute, I was sobbing my eyes out and the next I was smiling like an idiot because it was so cute! I haven’t talked about this much on my blog but ITS SUCH AN UNDERRATED BOOK AND I LOVE IT WHOLLY. Who knew a YA contemporary would have such a hold on me?

this is one of my lesser favourite songs but its still really good! I was struggling a bit for a prompt but i think the narrative in the lyrics are fricking AMAZING and i am in awe of the genius. So choose a book that made your mind just GO WOW at the amazing story telling.

All the bad apples was so perfectly told, the twists were artfully done and the way it was written just made me…so ANGRY for the characters and the injustices they faced. This was told in alternating perspectives between present day and past day and it was so MASTERFULLY done!! I am always in awe of this author’s work and will read anything she writes tbh. 

I feel like I’ve talked about this book so much but I genuinely didn’t undertand the point of this book and I WAS SO BORED THROUGHOUT.

Again, another favourite off the album. I love how this sounds. This prompt is more based on the title rather than the actual lyrics or message of the song.

Peter Pan is the most recent one. I have been crying at a lot of books lately but this one left me A SOBBING MESS. I was doing well throughout the whole book but the ending was so meaningful and bittersweet and I sat there at 1am not knowing what to do with myself. 

i’m fearful i’m repeating myself but this song is just so gorgeously written and sung i am in love with it. i feel like there are different interpretations for the song, but for me its about loving someone despite all the bad things in life and not caring what other people think. the lyric “But I’m still on my tallest tip-toes, Spinning in my highest heels, love, Shining just for you” gave me the idea for this prompt. What’s a book that you read and that just kinda stuck to your soul because it was everything you’ve ever wanted?

Honestly, JANDY NELSON BOOKS. Her writing just SPEAKS to my soul and is so beautiful. Like unfairly so? And HER CHARACTERS ARE MESSY AND STUPID but you love them anyways! For this I’ll go with The Sun is Also A Star which i need to re-read desperately. 

This song,,, is like my second favourite song off the album. It perfectly captures the innocence and beauty of childhood whilst also exploring the darker sides of being young and loving. (honestly i could’ve gone with a prompt relating to the best friends to lovers trope but i refrained haha) anyways this prompt is pretty self explanatory – choose a book that reminds you of your childhood!

Love, aubrey is a novel i read countless times as a kid and it also kinda gives me folklore vibe now that i think about it? This was actually the first book to make me cry!! And also how this song is about friendship and so is this book? YEAH.

Another favourite off the album, it’s so catchy but also sad and the lyrics are PERFECT. August for me, is a song about escaping into a summer where time doesn’t feel real with a person you love. At the time, it is magical and wonderful – but then it’s over and that summer feels like a cruel nightmare. 

For this prompt, you can choose a book that you read in summer, or a book that gives you all the summer feels. Bonus if its a summer book but also SAD.

Shatter me. I know this might not be what most people would pick for this and seems kinda random but the first time i read this series was in august on extremely hot days with all my curtains closed with a mug of water beside me. I remember just absolutely bingeing tis series over like, 3 days and it was the BEST experience and i will forever hold this reading experience in my heart.

This is me trying is a deeply sad song but also hopeful in many ways too. “And it’s hard to be at a party when I feel like an open wound” and “ I’ve been having a hard time adjusting, I had the shiniest wheels, now they’re rusting” are lyrics that inspired this prompt.

We are okay deals with depression in such a realistic way that I was honestly left speechless.  I know many people found this novel “boring” but i personally thought this was such a beautiful exploration of sadness and grief and friendships. I was genuinely in tears by the end of the book so,,, that’s saying something.

Do you listen to the bridge of illicit affairs to feel something or are you normal? I admit, i struggled a bit with a prompt for this but the lyrics “You showed me colors you know I can’t see with anyone else” and “You taught me a secret language I can’t speak with anyone else” reminded me of that feeling when you finish a great book and you try to read new books but you feel so unsatisfied because they just aren’t as good as your recent read. 

Am i going to give any other answer but You Deserve Each Other…*scratches face*…NO. I recently re-read this book and LET ME TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES I TEARED UP. if you haven’t heard me wail about this before have you been living under a rock? ANYWAYS I LOVE NAOMI AND NICHOLAS.

Invisible string is not my favourite but it’s so gentle and soft! This prompt is very self explanatory haha. 

I could’ve answered Aristotle and Dante for SO many of these prompts but I saved it especially for this one. I still haven’t explained why this book means so much to me in full, and don’t think I ever will, but I think if I read it when I was younger I wouldn’t have loved it as much. I think I read this at literally the most perfect time!! Also, very excited for the sequel.

mad woman is such a bad-ass song!! That doesn’t mean the character you choose has to be super bad-ass and is amazing with a sword, you choose any female character you really love!

THIS IS A JUDE DUARTE SONG. Honestly, I think Jude is my favourite character EVER she’s just so fierce and cunning but also so deeply insecure about herself and her relationships and man,,, jude duarte hand in marriage please. 

Epiphany is a slow, beautiful, haunting song. For this, you can choose a book that gave you chills, that left you with a deep sense of unease after finishing. 

For this, I’m going with The Diviners because when I finished that audiobook…let’s just say after finishing, I did not have a good rest. This was superbly written (and narrated as well!) and I love this series so much.

you know, this was originally “a book with a sapphic romance that you loved” because even though I KNOW this is from a “male pov”, in my head james is taylor i won’t be convinced otherwise. also this song has grown on me SO MUCH I love the bridge! anyways this prompt is an opportunity to talk about your OTP!!

June and Sydney from The Truth About Keeping Secrets…this song is literally THEIR song. And they are the best couple. And sapphic rights!! The amount of yearning in this novel…intense, is all i’ll say.

Peace is such a BEAUTIFUL song (i say this about every song, i’m sorry) but I LOVE IT. it’s such a mellow song and for me, it is about doing anything to be with the person you love even though it might not be enough. There’s so much desperation and longing in this song…and I love it. 

I could go with Jude Duarte again…but I will instead go with Nina from Six of Crows because SHE. I love her!! I love her love for waffles. I love how unapologetic she is. I love how strong she is despite the pain she has been through. I love how loyal she is, through and through. I would die for her happily. 

 

I can’t believe we’re at the end of this! (Actually I can, this tag has taken me forever) the hoax is a wonderful song and so, choose a book that deceived you and ended up being a really disappointing book. I love ending this tag on such a sad note hahaha.

Wow…so many books. But I’ll go with Darius The Great Is Not Okay because from what I’d heard I thought it would be a new favourite but I rated it one star…so it clearly wasn’t. I found the narration frustrating and the story boring and unnecessary. 😦

you can use the graphics by copying and pasting them! however, if you just want to use the questions plan and simple here they are.

1. the 1 // a book with an ending that left you speechless
2. cardigan // a book that makes you feel happy and sad all at once
3. the last great american dynasty // a book with a fascinating and well-told story
4. exile // a book you wish you hadn’t read
5. my tears ricochet // a book that made you cry uncontrollably 
6. mirrorball // a book that feels like it was written just for you
7. seven // a childhood book that makes you feel nostalgic.
8. august // a book that reminds you of summer
9. this is me trying // a book that deals with loneliness & sadness 
10. Illicit affairs // a book that gave you a book hangover
11. invisible string // a book that came into your life at the exact right time
12. mad woman // a book with a female character you adore.
13. epiphany// a book that was haunting
14. betty // a book couple that fills you with yearning
15. peace // a book character you’d die for because you love them so much!
16. hoax // a book that you thought you were going to love but didn’t.

click here to see who i tagged!

Starry Sky Books
The Wordy Habitat 
Lala’s Book Reviews
Marshmallow Pudding
Endless Pages
Blossoms and Bullet Journals
Inside My Library Mind
Rosy Musings
The Book Mermaid
Bethany & Books
Ruby Rae Reads
Allonsythornraxx
Incessant Bookworm
Time of Our Lives
Struck by Stories
The Wordy Habitat
Ink & Myths
Book Lovers Blog
Life of A Literary Nerd
A Literary Latte
Hoard of Books
Moon Child Don’t Cry
Word Haven 
Paper Procastinators
Nerd Narration
With Love, Saoudia
El’s Book Reviews
Purely Olivia
Words With Wings

these are all the people who interacted with me about wanting to do this tag! But please if you want to do this tag, you are welcome to do it!! I’m excited to see all your responses.

Also, this is stolen from May, but I also thought it would be nice to keep a record of everyone who does this tag! So, if you do this tag please comment on this post/pingback to me and I’ll add it here!!

1. Marshmallow Harmonies
2. With Love Saoudia
3. The Wordy Habitat
4. Word Haven
5. Life of A Literary Nerd
6. Rins Reads
7. Purely Olivia
8. BOOK LOVER’S BLOG
9. Notes From A Paper Plane Nomad
10. Pages of Achilles
11. Nighting Fae
12. Clemi’s Bookish World
13. The Miss Charley
14. The Book Worms Shelf 
15. The Biblioshelf
16. Comfort Reads
17. The Infinite Book Case
18. Bethany and Books
19. The Orangutan Library
20. YA on my mind 
21. Bookishly Rebecca
22. Ruby Rae Reads
23. Lala’s Book Reviews
24. Books and Lillies
25. Morr Books
26. A Bookworm Reads
27. Fangirl Flax
28. A Book Wanderer
29. Jessica C Writes
30. Potterhead Aanya
31. Tanya Screams
32. Your Paper Hearts
33. Book and Broadway
34. JamiShelves
35. ReviewerPj
36. A Simple Slice of Kate
37. The Book Corps

This genuinely took me hours so please appreciate all my hard work!! Have you listened to folklore? What are your favourite tracks? Let’s discuss!!