#And they ended on my favorite song tok and I did nearly cry when I heard everyone sing along and i do not have a voice anymore

[froggyrights]

If this was the concert that gave me lasting hearing damage it would've still been worth it

[greensleevesredlipstick]

my first howard/cleves fic in awhile because i lost my one and only brain cell after finals ended and wasn't able to find it. in this one anne came out as bi, and katherine and cleves are both lesbian. hopefully i start writing again lol but well see cause im lazy~~ hope u guys enjoy!!

kat yawned. she lazily shuffled out of bed, thinking about what to do on her day off. she rolled her eyes as she passed boleyn pounding on the bathroom door on her way downstairs. anne, evidently giving up on taking a shower with hot water, followed her to the kitchen. “watcha up to, kitty?” she asked. “got any fun plans for today?” kat shrugged. “i was actually gonna ask the group, i cant think of anything fun. what did you do last week?”. boleyn grinned mischievously. “well if you’re really looking for some fun...i did happen to find this gay bar that was honestly the most fun i’ve had since i’ve been back. it even beats out the ball i held when aragon finally moved out of the castle. cleves and i went and i don’t even remember all of it, but i know it was a good time” she winked. Kat said shyly “well... i would like to meet someone...” she played with her pink hair. she’d never gone to a bar alone, but she would definitely feel safer knowing that the men there wouldn’t be interested in her. anne, sending the younger girl’s hesitation said “what if cleves and i met you there after the show?”. kat replied “no i know how tiring they are, i wouldn’t want you to have to come out because of me”.  “c’mon” laughed Anne “you know that cleves and I are always down for a night out”. Grabbing her cousin’s hand, Kat said “okay, ill give it a shot!”. the pair skipped down the stairs and devoured the pancakes that Jane had prepared. the six of them chattered about the upcoming singalong. Jane was a little nervous about singing her heart-wrenching song alongside 400 people, but the queens reassured her that all would go well. 

After the arduous process of cleaning up, they retired to their rooms to get ready for the upcoming show. Cleves popped her head into Katherine’s room. “so...i hear you're going to Flame tonight. should be a good time” she said awkwardly. Kat replied “yea! i hope i actually, you know, see a cute girl tonight” she swallowed. “its been awhile”. Cleves didn’t know what to say. had Kat not noticed her flirting for the past several weeks? she didn’t want kat to go out tonight, but she couldn’t exactly stop her. “well, don’t have too much fun before anne and i get there” cleves said, shutting the door before kat could see the disappointment etched on her face. as they bustled about doing makeup and hair, no one seemed to notice that anna was a little extra quiet that day.

once the other girls had left, Kat nervously started getting ready for the club. She chose her favorite pink skater skirt, one she knew made her look good but wasn’t so short that she would attract unwanted attention. combining it with a black top (stolen from anne’s closet), she pacing in front of her mirror. She thought about a new hairstyle, but decided to go with her classic high ponytail. she went downstairs and was about to call a cab when she got an alarming text on her phone. it was in their group chat with the six queens, three alternates, and their stage manager. their manager said “VICKI-anne just threw up offstage.  GET DOWN HERE NOW!!!”. as if mirroring her cousin’s illness, kat too felt sick to her stomach. how could she go out knowing anne was ill? she quickly sent anne a text saying that she hoped she felt better, and that she would be waiting at home with some soup and tea. when she didn’t get a reply, she called the manager. the instant the phone was answered kat shouted “how is she?? can i talk to her? will she be okay??” the manager chuckled. “don’t worry katherine, it’s just a bit of food poisoning. she needs a day or two of rest, and she’ll be fine.” from the background, she heard “IS THAT MY COUSIN?? BRING THE PHONE OVER HERE”. the manager put the phone on speaker and set it on the bathroom sink. “annie, are you okay?” Kat asked, the concern obvious in her voice. “yea babe, must have bene the leftover sushi i had. please promise me you’ll still go out tonight!!!” Kat sighed. she had been looking forward to it, but she wanted to make sure anne was okay. “c’mon, for me?” the brunette urged. “i really want you to go. Cleves will still go meet you”. Kat replied “well.. if you insist...”. Anne squeaked “yipee!!” then quickly hung up the phone as another wave of nausea hit. Kat hesitantly went outside and hailed the nearest taxi, still feeling guilty about abandoning her cousin.

back at the arts theater, the queens quickly hurried offstage as soon as the mega six was over. they wanted to make sure that anne was okay-she had nearly fainted after her number and barely made it offstage before throwing up. they took the stairs two at a time-anna style-but were stopped at the entrance to their shared dressing room. the manager informed them that anne was feeling much better, but that they had sent her home with an assistant so she could get some sleep. the manager pulled cleves aside and said “im not really sure what anne was talking about, but she said that you had to go tonight or kittys gonna be all alone”. anna sighed. the evenings excitement had tired her out, but there was no way that she would leave kitty there-with dozens of single girls-by herself. she didn’t even bother to take off her stage makeup, simply adjusted, threw on a black jumpsuit, and was off. the only times the thoughts of getting to Kat were interrupted was by concern for anne but Jane reassured her that the brunette would be well taken care of.

when she got to the club she anxiously scanned the crowd to find Katherine. her worst fears were confirmed; she spotted a pink ponytail flirtatiously dancing with a group of women, looking particularly cozy with a blonde. spotting her friend, kat gidily ran up to her and tried to pull her onto the dance floor. Anna could tell she was a little more than tipsy. “C’mon” she slurred “don’t be a downer. have some drinks with my new friends and I!!”. Anna grabbed her friends hands “Katherine, you don’t normally like to drink like this. or dance with too many people”. Kat replied “well, I used to. I used to go out and have fun all the time, before, well, they happened. that's why I wanted to come out tonight, because I thought I would feel safer, and I did. Now CMON” she said insistently. Cleves followed. She wasn't just worried about Kat, she was a little jealous. Still, she allowed herself to be pulled onto the dance floor. Kat picked up where she had left off, flirting with the blonde and drawing attention from girls around the club. Anne quickly downed two drinks, but they did nothing to make her feel better-if anything worse. She muttered “bathroom” into Kat’s ear and tok off before the queen would notice something was wrong. what in the world had gotten into her?? she was always down to have some fun, why couldn’t she pull it together for Kat’s sake? she put a damp towel to her eyes, trying to conceal the puffiness that signaled the start of tears. she took a deep breath. she would go out there and tell her she had come down with whatever Anne had, and take off. Kat was doing more than fine on her own. Just then, the younger girl burst into the bathroom. “Anna?” she shouted, a little too loud for the small bathroom they were in. Catching sight of her fried, she stumbled over to the sink and wrapped anna in a hug. Cleves tried to disentangle herself, saying “go back out there babe, I’m just not feeling-” “anna I can tell somethings wrong”. Even in her drunken state, she was paying attention. “please tell me I just want to help” she said sloppily. The tears began to flow. Anna cursed; she didn’t want to ruin Kat’s night and crying in front of her crush was not exactly considered a “cool move”. she finally decided to go for it. nothing could be more embarrassing than this, so she figured she had little to lose. Anna stuttered “well i just-I don’t like seeing you dancing with those other girls.” she paused. Kat was confused. “I thought you wanted me to get back out there” she said. Anne laughed again then shakily replied “well I wanted you to be happy, always. I just hoped that maybe...it could be with me.” a wave of understanding hit Katherine, even in her impaired state. she paused for a beat, and cleves feared the worst. she imagined herself moving out of their flat because of the awkwardness, having to explain to the other queens that she had been rejected by her best friend. she was interrupted by Kat’s lips pressing against her own. her mind went blank. Katherine pulled back, but Anna leaned in again. she wanted this moment to last as long as possible. Katherine giggled into their kiss. she said shyly “you seemed so much older and cooler. I thought you saw my like an annoying little sister”. Cleves buried her face in katherine’s shoulder, overcome with emotion. the girl of her dreams had just kissed her. she tightly squeezed the smaller girl. “I’ve always seen you for just what you are. Adorable, funny, sweet, and kind. always the pretties girl in the room, too”. They kissed again, they dirty bathroom melting around them. Anna said “lets go love” Kat blushed “lets get you home”. they walked out, arms wrapped around each other, in a state of shock at how the night had turned out. they felt safe in each others arms. 

[maddgarbagemonkey]

I Just Saw the Wicked 2019 Touring Cast and Boy Howdy, am I excited to Rant! (All Good things!)

There's a lot so buckle up your seatbealts!

So, first off, this was my first time seeing the show *cough cough* legally *cough* and I was amazed.

I instantly fell in love with the big metal dragon and nearly screamed when it moved and started blowing smoke out of its nose, as my Grandpa lied and told me, even though he's seen it 4 times, that the dragon was just decoration.

I love that the first solid 5 minutes of the show are just winged monkeys running around on the stage and looking concerned at one another before the opening number starts.

Glinda, played by Erin Mackey, was my WIFE.

During her first speaking part of "No one Mourns the Wicked," she got stuck on her big metal bubble and the ensemble had to crowd around her to help her get off, which, because coming off of the bubble was her cue to continue, led to a really long silence. But it kinda fit and showed that she hesitated to celebrate Elphaba's death so yeah! I just thought it was adorable and I admire how she was able to turn it into a cool window into her character!

When Elphaba, played by Mariand Torres, entered we all screamed for a solid 3 minutes and, after seeing her performance, she deserved a solid 8 more. I loved her so much!

I loved her early performance of Elphaba at Shiz because she played her as an angry little bean that snapped at everyone and everything instead of just shy and quiet and it worked so well, especially with how overprotective she was of Nyssa.

A girl literally faints upon seeing Elphaba and I can relate cause she was SO PRETTY!

Mariand's "Wizard and I" was so powerful and emotional at the same time I just wanted to pick her up and keep her! <3

THE 👏 GLINDA 👏 AND 👏 ELPHABA👏 HEIGHT👏 DIFFERENCE!

Usually you see Elphaba portrayed as tall while Glinda is shorter but, because Mariand was a tiny angel and Erin was a tall goddess who literally towered over Fierro without heels, it was quite the opposite and I l o v e d every second of "What is this Feeling" because of it.

I would die for tiny little ball of angry Elphaba and Tall, regal, princess Glinda holding her back from fighting everyone who dares look at them funny and you can pry them out of my cold dead hands.

Mariand did the thing where she mimicked Glinda for the "Your Voice" line and made it extra squeaky and I died.

She also, whenever Glinda had her back turned, copied her with a stupid little kicking dance and tossed her hair way too frantically and I fell in love.

For the "boo", Elphaba had to look directly up and jump at Glinda because she was so short and I squealed

Oh my God. C U R T. H A N S E N. This man was in Big Time Rush and I can not picture Fierro's entrance without the theme song ever again. (Bruh, Chill)

His choreo also had some "not-so-subtle" scarecrow like poses and taps.

Dude, he played him as such a snotty little twink and I loved it! He almost knocked down the statue in the center like eight times during "Dancing Through Life!"

His mic also made him sound like he was under water for a total of one (1) line and I snorted.

Nyssa, (sorry Mili Diaz, you were incredible and I love you,) Please exit my server.

Glinda made at least 16 Tik Tok references and I know, it's not towards the app because duh, but I'm still very conflicted.

Elphaba was S O mad at the scene with Dr. Dillamond I was so proud and in love!

E L P H A B A ' S D A N C E!

It was so good and pure and when Glinda joined she made it look so graceful!

And Elphaba looked very doubtful at first but then she looked around at everyone doing her dance and back at Glinda and she had the biggest smile on her face and tears in her eyes because she was accepted for something and it was beautiful!

Only Boc's mic was really working at this part so the "Let's DAAAANCE" reverberated deeply into my soul and stayed there for a really long time.

Popular was superb and I literally cried.

Literally.

When Erin got out of breath, she fell on the floor and just layed there for 16 counts breathing really heavily into the mic. Pure Poetry

Glinda suffocated Elphaba with hugs to her throat and swung her around like a rag doll while she just glared angry and helpless.

During "Don't Make me laugh" Glinda pushed her hand into Elphaba's face and gently and slowly set her back on her bed and if that ain't the biggest mood.

So many kicks and giggles I LOVE ERIN MACKEY!

When Glinda fell into Elphaba's arms crying after Fierro ran away at the train scene she took up half of her body and I just needed to write that out.

The egg-like Emerald City suits without arms that extended their necks and twirled them like lassos. Need I say more?

Elphaba's teary smile at "Finally, no one's looking or staring at me!" And then Glinda takes off her glasses and grabs her hand saying that she looked as beautiful as an emerald and... A C K

Upon meeting the scary robo wizard, Glinda got scared and tried to hide her 5'9 body behind little 5'1 Elphie and she looked so protective and ready to throw down I loved it!

Monkeys. Monkeys. Monkeys.

"Let her go! It's not her that you want! Its ME!" She sounded so powerful and angry I would die for her.

The part where Elphaba's begging Glinda to go with her but she's too focused on the fact that she's shaking and ties that spooky cape around her shoulders.

Mariand's "Defying Gravity" was so strong and beautiful with all of her God-tier belts and riffs I could not stop smiling and when she finally flies I yelped because you always hear about how cool it is and looks but then you really S E E it and it's beyond words! I had to do nothing and breathe for a second afterwards to find my bearings!

I loved Erin's "Thank Goodness" a lot. She poured a lot of emotion and beautiful vocals into it and just... god, she's gorgeous!

At the part where Elphaba appeared in the closet in Nyssa's office and the mirror became see through I heard a kid behind me exclaim "Zoo Wee Mama" and I won't be the same.

I don't remember Nyssa being so horrible but... *shrug* She gets it from her Dad I guess.

I love that Boc's reaction to finding out Nyssa can walk is just, "oh, good! Now you can work on this whole walking thing and get tf away from me! This worked out perfectly!" Same, boi.

I loved! LOVED! Nyssa Rose's song with a passion and the way her words get all twisted and angry literally talking about how she's going to rip Boc's heart out for leaving her and it gave me a good amount of spooks.

"Don't say I'm beautiful. You don't need to lie to me." B A B Y

"My Family has a Castle! No one lives there or will see us besides the guards!" "Where do you live, now?" "... The other castle." Oh sweetie.

Glinda, you deserve so much more than scarecrow boy and I would die for you!

Elphaba's voice drops at least 8 octaves during her line in "As long as Your Mine" The "For the first time I feel...

Wicked

I have never been more physically and emotionally attracted to a green lady Other than Princess Fiona

Also, there was so much smoke during that song that I could hear some Orchestra members cough.

During that scene with Elphaba's and Glinda's argument at Nyssa's "Funeral", while preparing to fight Glinda twirls her wand and strikes at Elphie like she came out of the Karate Kid.

Elphaba's witch laugh after Glinda slaps her followed by the most serious "Feel Better?"

Both Fierro and Glinda yell at Elphaba to leave before she gets hurt and I feel things because of that.

While Fierro is fake/real threatening Glinda with a gun, she just tearfully shakes her head in a silent plea and he INSTANTLY drops his gun. I love 'em

The way Glinda's "Fierro" melts into Elphaba's "FIERRROOO!" Love.

"No Good Deed" will always be my favorite song. ITS SO GOOD! Mariand's voice was incredible and her riffs and belts added so much!

During Elphaba's little "let all of OZ be agreed I'm wicked through and through," she makes her voice all scary and raspy, but it melts back into her own voice and beautiful despair at "since I can not succeed, Fierro saving you!"

NO GOOD DEED! 10/10 LOTSA SMOKE

March of the Witch hunters always has and will give me chills. Nothing more to say. Just one good bop.

This is the part where I cry too much.

"For Good" was gorgeous and I cried. A lot. A lot.

Elphaba kisses Glinda's hands and wipes her tears away.

Glinda runs her hands across and straightens Elphaba's hat and OH MY GOD!

It hurts how frantically Elphaba hides Glinda to protect her! Side note, I would also die for Chistery.

At their final moments together, Elphaba blows Glinda a kiss and then proceeds to get "murdered" in a really cool way by Dorthy.

Glinda's "Elphie!?" Is so tragic and panicked I was struggling to make it through, and then she grabbed her hat and cried into it and I was long gone.

Fierro adopts spooky Scarecrow movements at the end which I think is really cool and he also mimics Elphaba's "Don't lie to me!" Line.

Before Elphaba leaves, she becomes entranced by Glinda's beautiful singing, like she's thinking of telling her she's okay, but then she turns around and walks through the door with Fierro.

The last thing we see of Elphaba is her wearing her signature hat and walking into dust with Fierro. The last thing we see of Glinda is her sobbing into Elphaba's book in her bubble.

In conclusion, IM NOT OKAY!

Nah, Fam! But seriously! Mariand and Erin's vocals and performances were to die for! It succeeded my wildest expectations! I had so much fun and would 100% recommend seeing the show if you haven't seen it or want to see it a 19th time. Both are just as valid. :)

[930club]

VOTD: Kesha - “Praying” - Good for Her, Good for Us, Good for Music

On July 6, Kesha released her first solo original song since her 2012 album, Warrior. The new song, “Praying,” is a powerful, emotional catharsis piece in response to years of alleged psychological and physical abuse from her Kemosabe Records producer and mentor, Dr. Luke.

Kesha pressed charges against Dr. Luke in 2014 for a swath of alleged exploitations. In a nearly two-year court battle against him, and eventually Sony, she asked to be released from her record contract, which was initially signed with Kasz Money and then licensed to Sony subsidiaries RCA/Jive and Kemosabe Records, professionally binding her to Dr. Luke, who she says was, in addition to everything else, stifling her creativity with overly controlling artistic counsel. Sony claimed that it was “legally unable to terminate a contract to which it was not a party,” so she did not release any music the entire time of the proceedings. Ultimately, the court dismissed her lawsuit.

This is her first solo release without the direct involvement of Dr. Luke, but it was still released on Kemosabe Records (of which Dr. Luke is no longer CEO). After going through some seemingly profound traumatic mental, physical, and legal turmoil, Kesha is resurrecting herself—resurfacing from that dark time into a new, triumphant, more adult young woman and artist.

In that sense, this song is a triumph—for her, for us, and for music. She seems to finally be free from her contractual, artistic, and mental captivity, and moving past what she describes as “hands down the hardest time of [her] entire life.” She is empowering herself in the face of what was, at the very least, an oppressive artistic environment and a painful, multi-year, unsuccessful legal battle. She is taking the creative reins of her own artistic career and moving above and beyond her alleged abuse and exploitation to something seemingly bigger, brighter, clearer, and more honest. She is putting art, emotional honesty, and spiritual healing first, and it makes this song powerful. Lines like “the best is yet to come,” “when I’m finished they won’t even know your name,” and the powerfully succinct “I’m proud of who I am” have me fist bumping in teary-eyed, emboldened excitement whenever I hear them. The chorus refrain, “I hope you’re somewhere praying, praying, I hope your soul is changing, changing, I hope you find your peace falling on your knees, praying,” speaks a truth of acceptance and clarity in the face of pain—forgiveness in the face of a bitter injustice. And that high F at the end has me squirming in empathetic awe every time, even though I know it’s coming.

And thank goodness for all that. I was scared when I saw her July 5 video announcement on Twitter regarding her upcoming release. It seemed… sexual in presentation, which struck me as patently dissonant with the nature of the announcement and the subject matter of the song. To put it bluntly, I was afraid she was going to commoditize her own alleged abuse, which would have been a defeat for her, for us, and for music. My opinion of Kesha’s music pre-2015 was dominated by frustration—less with her and more with the world as well as with my millennial peers for consuming it and turning it into anthems of apathy, addiction, vacuous connection, and, once the drug-induced denial fades, loneliness. Her older music epitomizes some of the more upsetting aspects of modern popular music and the sentiments it sells to my generation. Most of her top songs (“Tik Tok,” “Die Young,” “We R Who We R,” “Take It Off,” “Blow,” “C’Mon,” “Supernatural,” “Crazy Kids”) and even “Your Love is My Drug,” which I considered excluding from this list for the potential interpretation of her lyrics as rooted in a genuine excitement about emotional intimacy, convey the exact same regurgitated themes of a drug-induced, cynical, sexual apathy and recklessness, and perhaps above all else, of addiction—to drugs, to sex, to status, to the self, and to its destruction. “Your Love is My Drug” may actually champion themes of addiction most directly with lines like, “The rush is worth the price I pay, I get so high when you're with me, But crash and crave you when you leave,” and nonchalantly promotes self-obsessed status preoccupations with lines like, “My steeze [status/swag] is gonna be affected if I keep it up like a love sick crackhead,” which shamelessly equates emotional detachedness with coolness. After one thorough listen to the song, it’s clear that the love she speaks of is some combination of sexual excitement and infatuated dependence.

Her music is sold, I think, as some kind of rebellion against… something… maybe responsibility for mental health… maybe the patriarchy and similarly sexualized and emotionally detached lyrics from her male counterparts… but it of course conforms with ham-fisted vulgarity to the performed sexual expectations of that same patriarchy. So, who knows? To me as a high schooler, it was boring, stupid, and so sad that that’s what sells—status-driven hedonism, sex and apathy, and apathetic sex. So, yeah, to a high school me, Kesha’s music was cringe-worthy and depressing. Then, a friend sent me her cover of Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright,” which is also sad, but for all the right reasons. It made me cry and introduced me to her struggles with Dr. Luke. I began wondering how much control she previously had over the aesthetic she was portraying and if she’d have preferred something different. According to her MTV show, My Crazy Beautiful Life, she had miniscule creative control over Warrior. Allegedly, most of the 70-something songs she wrote for that album, including her favorite "Machine Gun Love," were excluded against her wishes.

All of which is to say: maybe what we’re seeing now is the real Kesha—or, rather, something real from a Kesha that’s been trapped in certain performance paradigms for her entire early career. The beginning of the video for “Praying” reignited the fears I initially had as she talked in a theatrically despondent voice about her desire to just give up, asking God, “Why?” When the song came in, though, my concern was immediately quelled and I saw the beginning monologue of despair and surrender as the other option… the regretful path of pain she could have taken, but that she is superseding—and I appreciated it for what it was. What I hear in the new song feels honest—a strong base to the acidity of the social media-themed songs she released when I was a kid. As she indicates in rainbow letters at the end the music video for “Praying,” this is The Beginning. I hope she’s telling the truth because that would be a rare good in popular music—and for everyone.

-Ryan Savage

[haleyfury]

Out of all the things, books and film included, that haven’t been able to happen in 2020, the last thing that I expected this year was a new Taylor Swift album! folklore is not my absolute favoriteeee Taylor Swift album… but that doesn’t mean I haven’t listened to it at every opportunity possible! I really do love its indie vibe, and I find that it makes for the perfect background music while I’m doing school work or blogging. Like every TSwift album, my top 3 favorite songs are always changing but my current three faves are “betty,” “illicit affairs,” and “august” (with “exile” and “invisible string” as a very close #4 & #5). I’m also going to be providing my thoughts on each song in the corresponding prompts!

This album has also caused me to fall into Taylor Swift Tik Toks – I especially love the ones focusing on the bridge of “betty” transitioning into the “All Too Well” bridge and the ones comparing life when Lover came out last August vs. pandemic life with folklore. I definitely relate to this last category so much, considering that when I did the Lover book tag last fall, I was starting my senior year of college, commuting to the city every week, and living with my best friends…. but at least we have folklore now to compliment all of our feels! I also admit that I came to close to hitting ‘submit order’ for the merch cardigan from the “cardigan” music video, but I’ve determined to find a lookalike! 

The folklore book tag was created by Ilsa of A Whisper of Ink, and I was tagged by Rebecca of bookishlyrebecca. I also want to shout out Erin from rin’s reads, where I first saw the tag and I love her graphics for each question! I also really loved Cristina from Girl in the Pages’ folklore-inspired post, where she paired books on her TBR with songs on the album!

the one: a book with an ending that left you speechless

I’m going to go with a recent read of mine, Verity by Colleen Hoover. It’s been a while that I’ve read a book with an ending that still has me thinking about it and rethinking the book’s ending weeks later! 

song review: I think “the 1” is a strong first song, and it sort’ve reminds me of the vibes of Lover’s first song, “I Forgot That You Existed.”

cardigan: a book that makes you feel happy & sad at once

You’d Be Mine is so well-written and has such excellent relationship development, but both main characters have experienced a toss of loss and hardship. 

song review: “cardigan” has really grown on me as I listen more & more to folklore. I really enjoyed the music video! 

the last great american dynasty: a book with a fascinating & well-told story 

Sarah Hogle’s You Deserve Each Other is one of the most interesting and well-written contemporary romances I’ve read. It takes sarcasm and wit to a whole new level, and introduces an enemies-to-lovers trope I’ve never seen in romance: fiancés. 

song review: “the last great american dynasty” is so catchy, and I think it could make for an interesting story in a music video. 

exile: a book you wish you hadn’t read 

This is another recent of mine, but I sort’ve wish I hadn’t been tempted by the hype train for Loveboat, Taipei. So many of my friends & fellow bloggers had enjoyed this one when it first came out in early 2020. I was so excited to read it because let’s be honest, I love any books following the glamorous lives of rich teens as this book takes place at a summer boarding program in Taiwan. However, the writing style made the main character and story feel immature, and I did not like the plot. 

song review: I really love almost all of Taylor Swift’s duets or collaborations, with “exile” as no exception. Like nearly every song on this album, such great lyrics and such a well-written story. 

my tears ricochet: a book that made you cry uncontrollably 

I feel like this book is my go-to answer for any question about a book that made me sob, but the last book that made me seriously need to grab tissues was Morgan Matson’s Second Chance Summer. The last book that did make tears come to my eyes was my reread of The Royal We because I had forgotten about a certain sad event (no spoilers). 

song review: I don’t have any necessarily strong feelings towards, “my tears ricochet,” but I do enjoy it! 

mirrorball: a book that feels like it was written for you

Marissa Kanter’s What I Like About You is such a love letter to any book blogger or bookworm. Her debut is seriously the most relatable YA book I’ve read all year. Through Halle, Marissa Kanter so perfectly captured many readers’ feels about books and the balance between reading, blogging, and life for many of us. 

song review: I didn’t love “mirrorball” when I first listened to it, but I admit it’s grown on me. 

seven: a childhood book that makes you nostalgic

I’ve talked a lot about Ann M. Martin’s Baby-Sitters Club series, but I also loved another series of hers, Main Street. I think I read this series in third and fourth grade after having devoured most of The Baby-Sitters Club. I’m pretty sure I did a book report on of the books! 

song review: “seven” is probably one of my most least-listened-to songs on the album. I enjoy it, but for some reason, I’m not super drawn to it and it sort’ve blends into the other songs. 

august: a book that reminds me of summer

Everyone knows I read & love many summer contemporaries. Most of the books I associate with summer take place in the summer, while a few others I associate with the season because I read them during the season or on the beach. I’m going to go with every’s beach obsession this summer, Beach Read by Emily Henry (which I’ve just realized features a character with the same name as this song’s title!!). 

song review: I got more into “august” when august (the month) started and so many people had posted this song on their Instagram stories during the first weekend of the month. I think it’s the perfect song to put on while driving to the beach or around on a summer night. 

this is me trying: a book that deals with loneliness & sadness

I didn’t realize how many recent reads of mine I’d be sharing today, but All Adults Here by Emma Straub really examines one family’s reaction and life after a loss in their family ,and how they’ve individually dealt with it and their lives, together and apart. 

song review: I do like “this is me trying” a lot, and I think it’s very relatable for people who are struggling or who have struggled with relationships or break-ups. 

illicit affairs: a book that gave you a hangover

I don’t often get book hangovers, but a recent read that made me question what to read next was Robinne Lee’s The Idea of You. I think another romance read would’ve been my go-to, but this one was just so unique. 

song review: I only just realized this week that “illict affairs” had become on my favorite songs on the album. I love the lyrics!

invisible string:  a book that came into your life at the right time

I feel like I should have a ‘deeper’ answer for this question, but I’m going with one of my early quarantine reads, The Selection by Kiera Cass – mostly for its great timing because I picked it up right when the Netflix adaptation was announced and I needed a light & fluffy series to read during stressful times. 

song review: “invisivble string” is probably the song I find myself unconsciously singing the most – I think the chorus is so catchy. 

mad woman: a book with a female character you adore

I’m fortunate enough to read a lot of books with a lot of amazing female characters, but a recent favorite of mine is Bea from The Royal We & The Heir Affair – I’d seriously read a spin-off novella or book about her because she has such an air of mystery.  

song review: I think “mad woman” is folklore’s version of “The Man.” It’s another cleverly written song. 

epiphany: a book that was haunting

The Tenth Girl by Sara Faring could be considered a haunting read just because it’s a gothic thriller, but its ending is especially haunting in the sense that it’s left me thinking about it even a year later!

song review: I could so see “epiphany” working it’s way into my top 5 or 3 songs in the next few weeks. I love the way it sounds – can you tell I don’t know how to talk music?? – and again, love the lyrics. 

betty: a book couple that fills you with yearning

Again, it’s recent read central here, but I can’t stop thinking about Anna K and the Count from Anna K. 

song review: “betty” has been my #1 song from folklore since the album came out! I just love everything about it. 

peace: a book character you’d die for 

Chaol Westfall (Throne of Glass), we stan forever. 

song review: “peace” is another favorite of mine that I could again see making it’s way to my all-time favorite songs on the album.

hoax: a book you thought you were going to love but didn’t 

I was SO ready to fall in love with Neal Schusterman’s The Toll, the final book in the Arc of a Scythe trilogy. While I did enjoy it, thinking back on it now, it really wasn’t the ending I wanted or the way I would’ve thought this series would’ve wrapped up. 

song review: I admit that “hoax” is one of my least favorite songs on the album – again, I don’t think there’s any particular reason but it doesn’t really grab me. 

Have you listened to folklore? What’s your favorite song? Did you do the folklore book tag? Have you read any of the books I mentioned? Share in the comments! 

Folklore Book Tag  Out of all the things, books and film included, that haven’t been able to happen in 2020, the last thing that I expected this year was a new Taylor Swift album!