bibliollama: (Book Love)
One of the most unexpected perks (and occasional hazards!) of social media is just how easily it can influence your TBR pile. A five-minute scroll can turn into a full-blown book haul, and suddenly you’re rethinking your entire reading schedule because someone on Instagram or TikTok described a book as “an emotional rollercoaster you won’t recover from.” How could I possibly resist that kind of promise?

This week’s Weekly Wednesday Blogging Challenge prompt is all about the books I’ve discovered thanks to social media — the ones that kept popping up in posts, reels, and tweets until I finally gave in.

Here are a few standout titles I owe entirely to the online book community:

📚 The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
This book was everywhere — from #BookTok to Instagram feeds. The vintage Hollywood glamour, the compelling, layered storytelling, and Evelyn herself (flawed, sharp, and unforgettable) made this an instant favourite. It absolutely lived up to the hype and then some. Social media introduced me to Taylor Jenkins Reid, and I haven’t looked back since!

📚 Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Another one I couldn’t escape on Instagram, especially among rom-com fans. I picked it up after seeing endless posts praising Emily Henry’s witty dialogue and emotionally sharp characters. I loved how it played with tropes while still delivering a heartfelt, deeply satisfying story. Sometimes social media recommendations really do hit the spot.

📚 Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
This was one of those sweet surprises that started with a single post and snowballed from there. The moment I saw the phrase “an orc opens a coffee shop” attached to it, I knew I had to read it — and it turned out to be exactly the cozy, low-stakes fantasy I didn’t know I needed.

📚 A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
I’m not usually a fantasy reader — it’s really not my go-to genre — but this series was absolutely impossible to avoid on BookTok and Instagram. Curiosity got the better of me, and I ended up loving the first book way more than I expected! That said, for me, the series did lose its spark as it went on, but I can completely see why so many people are hooked on this world.

📚 The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
Another social media sensation that seemed to pop up on every “romance must-read” list. I was hooked by the fake-dating trope, STEM setting, and sweet slow-burn dynamic. It’s a light, fun read that absolutely delivered on the charm BookTok promised.

📚 I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
This memoir made waves all over Instagram and TikTok, and after reading it, I can see why. It’s raw, deeply personal, and at times heartbreaking — but also sharply written and incredibly honest. Definitely not an easy read, but one that lingers long after you finish.

It still amazes me how much social media has changed the way I find new books. I used to rely on wandering through bookshops and library shelves, but now one viral post can send a book soaring to the top of my list. Sure, the hype doesn’t always live up to expectations, but sometimes you stumble across absolute gems you might never have noticed otherwise.

What about you? Have you added any books to your shelves thanks to Instagram, TikTok, or Twitter recommendations? I’d love to know which ones!
bibliollama: (Book Love)
What are you currently reading?

Alix E. Harrow - The Ten Thousand Doors of January I'm 35% through and while I do not love it quite as much as Once and Future Witches or Starling House it's still an intriguing storyline and I am enjoying it.
Sarah J Maas - A Court of Wings and Ruin 83% through and pretty sure I'll finish it in the next couple of days. My least favourite of the series so far. I'm not enjoying the war storyline or the battle scenes and I'm struggling to tell the characters apart.
Neil MacGregor - A History of the World in 100 Objects I'm 77% through and determined to finish it this week. It's interesting enough but so dryly written that I can't read much at a time.
Anne Rice - The Vampire Lestat I've lost count of how many times I've read this book, and can quote the opening paragraph by memory. Li and I started talking about the books and so I just picked it up and started reading (I re-read Interview recently). I'm at 23% through - Lestat has just been turned and Magnus went into the fire

What did you recently finish reading?

Ronald Hutton - The Stations of the Sun: A History of the Ritual Year in Britain 4/5 stars. Completely jampacked with information and utterly fascinating. I love his writing style too - he sounds the same in print as he does when lecturing or being interviewed and it's very comfortable to read.
Thomas Halliday - Otherlands 3.75/5 stars. I've been interested in pre-history and paleobiology this year, we've watched a lot of dinosaur/geology/evolution-type documentaries and this had been on my list to read for a while. Beautifully descriptive, I learned a huge amount and it didn't matter that I didn't follow every technical/scientific term, it didn't detract from the book.
Matthew Reilly - Scarecrow (Shane Schofield #3) 4.25/stars. My love for these books, let me show you it. They're just one big ridiculous OTT action sequence, and I am here for that! Although, if he could stop killing everyone that isn't Scarecrow, that would be great!
Joanne Fluke - Strawberry Shortcake Murder (Hannah Swensen #2) 4/5 stars and I am thoroughly enjoying this series, all the characters and all the recipes. I've got #3 out of the library already!

What do you think you’ll read next?

Sharon Blackie - If Women Rose Rooted
Joanne Fluke - Blueberry Muffin Murder (Hannah Swensen #3)
Ruth Goodman - How To Be A Victorian
Matthew Reilly - Hell Island (Shane Scofield #3.5)
Matthew Reilly - The Secret Runners of New York
(We covered my love for his books, yes? LOL)
bibliollama: (Book Kitten)
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish and is now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Each week a new theme is suggested for bloggers to participate in. Create your own Top Ten list that fits that topic – putting your unique spin on it if you want. Everyone is welcome to join but please link back to The Artsy Reader Girl in your own Top Ten Tuesday post.

This week's topic is Books on My Summer 2024 To-Read List and this is a mixture of books I'm currently reading that I'm hoping to finish over the coming weeks, and books at the very top of my TBR

Firstly, books I'm determined to finish this summer:

Heather Fawcett - Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries
Emily Henry - Book Lovers
Ronald Hutton - The Stations of the Sun: A History of the Ritual Year in Britain
Sarah J. Maas - A Court of Wings and Ruin
Matthew Reilly - Scarecrow

And for the books I'm looking to start reading this summer:

Ben Aaronovitch - False Value
K.C. Davis - How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organising
Evie Meg - My Nonidentical Twin
Rick Riordan - Percy Jackson & The Last Olympian
Erin Sterling - The Kiss Curse

Will I actually get to any of these? who knows!

What's on your summer TBR?

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Cassie

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