The Cake Flavoured Book Tag

So clearly I am relatively new in the book blogging world, but in such a lovely community I have already been hit up for my first tag! Thanks Chiara for tagging me in #thecakeflavouredbooktag I had a lot of fun thinking back over the books I have read to match them up to the yummy flavours! You can find Chiara’s cake flavoured books here!

So here goes! All books are listed below and I have included their blurbs from Goodreads and a link for each should you be interested in reading the book yourself.

Chocolate – A dark book that you loved.

I love a dark book but one of the first ones I enjoyed and that really stuck with me was The Shining by Stephen King. Because of this book I now am trying to read all of his other works (its taking a while!). The reason I enjoyed this book so much I guess was because for me it totally lived up to its hype. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, having not watched the film as (not so)secretly I am a total wimp, I had no idea what was coming. I honestly found myself jumping at small noises around me after I had completely immersed myself in the story! So for me this one was a no brainer for dark book I loved!

'Jack Torrance's new job at the Overlook Hotel is the perfect chance for a fresh start. As the off-season caretaker at the atmospheric old hotel, he'll have plenty of time to spend reconnecting with his family and working on his writing. But as the harsh winter weather sets in, the idyllic location feels ever more remote...and more sinister. And the only one to notice the strange and terrible forces gathering around the Overlook is Danny Torrance, a uniquely gifted five-year-old.’

Vanilla – Favourite light read.

Much like Chiara mentions in her post I tend to sway away from the light/holiday reads. I prefer a bit of grit to my stories. However I remember a book my boyfriends mum lent me which I simply loved, thank you Anne! The Note by Zoë Folbigg is the perfect holiday read. Nothing too dark, there are no political lines or overly dramatic and scarring plots, it’s a simple boy meets girl tale and the paths they take and cross etc. A really lovely read that I would recommend to anyone.

‘One very ordinary day, Maya Flowers sees a new commuter board her train to London, and suddenly the day isn't ordinary at all. Maya knows immediately and irrevocably that he is The One.

Every day they go through the same routine; he with his head in a book and her dreaming of their happily-ever-after. But eventually, Maya plucks up the courage to give Train Man a note asking him out for a drink.’

Red Velvet – A book that gave you mixed emotions

For this I just HAD to talk about my favourite all time ever book Only Ever Yours by Louise O’Neill. This woman is pure genius. An Irish feminist author she can do no wrong in my eyes. Although this is potentially not her most known book this is by far my favourite. Set in a school for girls but with a twist. This is a mix of emotions purely because of the subject matter, but Louise manages to bring in whole other levels throughout that had me hooked. I was worried, devastated, angry, hopeful and downright shocked to the core! And its parallels with the world we live in are shockingly accurate.

'In a world in which baby girls are no longer born naturally, women are bred in schools, trained in the arts of pleasing men until they are ready for the outside world. At graduation, the most highly rated girls become “companions”, permitted to live with their husbands and breed sons until they are no longer useful.

For the girls left behind, the future – as a concubine or a teacher – is grim.

Best friends Freida and Isabel are sure they’ll be chosen as companions – they are among the most highly rated girls in their year.

But as the intensity of final year takes hold, Isabel does the unthinkable and starts to put on weight. ..

And then, into this sealed female environment, the boys arrive, eager to choose a bride.

Freida must fight for her future – even if it means betraying the only friend, the only love, she has ever known. . .’

Cheesecake – A book that you would recommend to everyone.

For me this has to be A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. This has to be one of the most simply beautiful books I have read, and I have absolutely recommended it to so many people, especially people who maybe do not read so much. Its such a nice intro to reading for anyone who isn’t sure what to read, it has some emotional topics, but it’s also a heart-warming, laugh out loud book and could offend no one so I really do think any reader can enjoy it or at least appreciate the beauty of this story.

‘Meet Ove. He's a curmudgeon, the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him the bitter neighbour from hell, but must Ove be bitter just because he doesn't walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?

Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove's mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents' association to their very foundations.’

Coffee – A book that you started but never finished.

This is a no brainer for me. In my life I have finished every single book I have started, except one. I finally had the last straw with the third of the 50 Shades trilogy – 50 Shades Freed by E. L. James. I, like so many others, jumped on the bandwagon to see what all the fuss was about. I mean apart from some shocking lines that really threw me off balance(!) I really did not enjoy these books. I understand why they were so popular, especially for people who usually never pick up a book as it was an easy way to get through some pages, and if it starts people reading more books then great! But for me personally I have read so many better books with actual storylines and some outstanding writing that this really did not cut the mustard for me. I was tired of hearing the same descriptive words for everything and for there to be some extreme sexual activity to break up the monotony. I gave it to book three but enough was enough.

‘

When unworldly student Anastasia Steele first encountered the driven and dazzling young entrepreneur Christian Grey it sparked a sensual affair that changed both of their lives irrevocably. Shocked, intrigued, and, ultimately, repelled by Christian’s singular erotic tastes, Ana demands a deeper commitment. Determined to keep her, Christian agrees.

Now, Ana and Christian have it all—love, passion, intimacy, wealth, and a world of possibilities for their future. But Ana knows that loving her Fifty Shades will not be easy, and that being together will pose challenges that neither of them would anticipate. Ana must somehow learn to share Christian’s opulent lifestyle without sacrificing her own identity. And Christian must overcome his compulsion to control as he wrestles with the demons of a tormented past.

Just when it seems that their strength together will eclipse any obstacle, misfortune, malice, and fate conspire to make Ana’s deepest fears turn to reality.’

Carrot - A book with great writing.

I was lucky enough this year to have forced myself to pick up the mammoth book that is A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. After putting it off for so long I was so pleased to have enjoyed this book as much as I did. So much so that it was my first review for Hayley’s Reads and you can find it here. The size of the book is understandable once you read it, every word is needed. The descriptions were on point, the characters were described in such depth I felt I knew them and the emotional attachment that you have with every single person is beyond anything I have read before. It was just a stunning piece of writing and I urge everyone to not procrastinate as I did but pick it up and enjoy!

‘When four classmates from a small Massachusetts college move to New York to make their way, they're broke, adrift, and buoyed only by their friendship and ambition. There is kind, handsome Willem, an aspiring actor; JB, a quick-witted, sometimes cruel Brooklyn-born painter seeking entry to the art world; Malcolm, a frustrated architect at a prominent firm; and withdrawn, brilliant, enigmatic Jude, who serves as their centre of gravity.

Over the decades, their relationships deepen and darken, tinged by addiction, success, and pride. Yet their greatest challenge, each comes to realize, is Jude himself, by midlife a terrifyingly talented litigator yet an increasingly broken man, his mind and body scarred by an unspeakable childhood, and haunted by what he fears is a degree of trauma that he’ll not only be unable to overcome—but that will define his life forever.’

So here you have it, my choices for #thecakeflavouredbooktag

Thank you again Chiara for the tag, I now nominate Fueltheblog, Lizofwords, and Alicesbookshelf. Of course you don't HAVE to do this, but I thought it fun and hoped you might too! If anyone else wants to join in then create one yourself and let me know so I can check it out!

Also for anyone interested the cakes in the profile picture are made by my friend, see her Instagram page here.

Thanks all and have a great weekend 😜