Bringing this one back a third time, because I still think it’s great — who will be your biggest cheerleader if not yourself? As always, please feel free to consider yourself tagged if you want to be; just don’t forget to link back to the original post (or this one is fine too) so I can find and read all your answers!

auld lang syne: a childhood favorite that you want to reread

Honestly last year was a bit slump-y so I did a lot of rereading, but I haven’t yet gotten to The Will of the Empress by Tamora Pierce and I really want to. While I’ve been in the mood to revisit the Circle of Magic, I don’t know if I want to commit to rereading a full quartet — let alone all eleven books — but I remember this one standing alone decently well. Plus, the theme of reforging/ maintaining adult friendships is pretty relevant to my post-college life.

★

in with the new: the most recent addition to your TBR

I was pleasantly surprised to be hooked by All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody & Christine Lynn Herman, so of course my TBR has seen the addition of the forthcoming as yet untitled second book. More of the Tournament that reminds me of The Hunger Games crossed with The Night Circus, but with unique applications? Yes, please.

★

countdown: an upcoming release you’re excited about

Babel, or The Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution by R.F. Kuang hits so many elements that I love: dark academia, language, translation, (anti) colonialism. Plus, I really liked Kuang’s series The Poppy War, which also has a non-Eurocentric historical basis, so I’m unbelievably excited to see what this new book will have in store.

Also, a bonus answer because I just found out about this one: Family of Liars by E. Lockhart! It’s a prequel to We Were Liars, one of my all-time favorites and a milestone read that has held up to reread upon reread over the years. Admittedly I’m a little nervous since it’s been so long since the first book (2014) and I was not quite as impressed by Lockhart’s other books, but a girl can hope.

★

champagne: a bubbly, light read

This prompt always trips me up because it’s not my usual reading vibe. But when I’m in this kind of mood, I tend to go for manga, and Last Game by Shinobu Amano in particular is one I keep coming back to. Slow burn childhood-rivals-to-friends-to-lovers, with lots of pining and protectiveness — these are a few of my favorite things.

★

sparklers: a literary couple with bright, hot chemistry

How about Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy … specifically the versions from a certain modern adaptation? In addition to rewatching The Lizzie Bennet Diaries on Youtube (possibly more than once; it makes for really comforting background noise, okay), this year I finally read the accompanying book, The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet by LBD writers Bernie Su and Kate Rorick, which has only made me love them more.

★

noisemaker: an attention-catching cover design

As befits a book with inspiration from Phantom of the Opera, Moulin Rouge, and The Night Circus, the dazzling cover of Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles is a captivating spectacle in and of itself, featuring delightful homages and hints about the show that awaits readers. (It also pairs beautifully with the cover of the sequel and duology finale, When Night Breaks!)

★

hangover: a trope that you can’t seem to avoid

Maybe this is more about the books I’ve been going for than the current literary market, but time f*ckery is one that seems to be coming up often and somewhat unexpectedly: magical specialties in The Atlas Six, faster-than-light space travel in Project Hail Mary, [spoiler redacted] in Once Broken Faith, and a foundational element of Middlegame … just to name a few. Of course, some books do it better than others, but the concept in general just tends to make my head hurt if I think about it for too long.

★

first: a book you love but none of your friends have read (yet)

I swear this list just grows and grows as the years go by. Treating the prompt as hyperbolic because a very few of my friends actually have read it, Sourdough by Robin Sloan is another book I want to reread soon. Particularly since my lockdown starter is still going strong (though I don’t feed it daily or play it music like Lois does with her non-lockdown starter) and I’m still living in the SF Bay Area.

★

resolutions: your bookish goals for the new year

• Goodreads Challenge: 150 books
• Books and Tea Challenge: 24 prompts
• Cross-Country Reading Challenge: 19/51 remaining (from last year)
• finish (or officially DNF) as many previously-started book series as possible
• catch up on backlogged reviews

Like last year, I’m confident I can finish — well, at least the first three — based on my previous reading year, and I have an upcoming 2022 reading challenges post with more details. 

Again, please feel free to consider yourself tagged if you want, and don’t forget to link back to the original post (or this one) so I can find and read all your answers!

📚

The New Year Book Tag – Prompts

• Auld Lang Syne: A Childhood Favorite You Want to Reread
• In With the New: The Most Recent Addition to Your TBR
• Countdown: An Upcoming Release You’re Excited About
• Champagne: A Bubbly, Light Read
• Sparklers: A Literary Couple With Bright, Hot Chemistry
• Noisemaker: An Attention-Catching Cover Design
• Hangover: A Trope You Can’t Seem to Avoid
• First: A Book You Love But None of Your Friends Have Read (Yet)
• Resolutions: Your Bookish Goals for the New Year