#sjm my birthdays in December ;)

[shallyne]

When did you pick up your first sjm book?

And what made you join the sjm fandom?

Hi anon! That's such a good question and coming right on time bc I just told Jenn I'm bored

I picked up my first sjm book, acotar, on december 1, 2021, because a few months before that, in august, I've read my first book in english (House of Salt and Sorrow) and I loved it. So in November my mom told me to pick out books for my birthday and I chose acotar

About the fandom, I originally just made accounts to inhale the memes. I'm a big meme lover and could look at them for hours but the more I scrolled I realized something is missing, for me personally, so I started posting and sharing my love for these characters (or hate if we look at my blog a few months prior) and fill my blog with what I want to have in the fandom. If I can't have it I'll create it myself

[moprocrastinates]

Look, authors don’t write what they don’t mean. SJM *wanted* you to feel a certain way about Az, Gwyn, Lucien, and Elain. It has been EDITED by her and her editor(s) to get you to think a certain way that will inevitably lead you to buy her future ACOTAR books. She is not lying to you or tricking you. She’s telling you exactly what she thinks in the exact way she can without spoiling it for future readers. And for the couple that won’t be named, she shot it down. I’m sorry, but she did. What she wrote on the page is the truth, as far as we know. That is all we can interpret. Anything else did or did not happen, but we’ll never know unless she writes about it in a future book. 

Az does not end up in a good light. He doesn’t. He only wants to have sex with Elain. There weren’t any verbal/mental expressions of romance in that chapter, other than the necklace, and that gift, which is *romantic itself* (necklaces always are in relationships), is passed to Gwyn, who we’ve all grown to love. This is where SJM wants you to start with him, especially in the next book. She’s saying he’s got a lot of work to do, and if you’ve ever been someone’s second choice, or found out you were being played for the fool, or only had someone be attracted to you bc they wanted to fuck you, you know how that feels. You can’t defend Az here. Trauma is an explanation, not an excuse for his behavior. Elain, Gwyn, and Az are all going to be hurt by this. Gwyn, after all she’s been through, does not deserve to be someone’s second choice. And she will refuse to be. Same with Elain, who has also been through so much. Elain will not settle for being someone’s second choice, and neither of them will not be used to hurt another. You cannot tell me her perception of Az won’t be ruined not only when she finds out he gave it to another, but that he would use another girl to get to her like that. That won’t fly, especially as Gwyn is Nesta’s sister-in-arms. Elain loves her sisters. After all Nesta’s been through, and after Gwyn and Emerie helped her through it, I highly doubt Elain would screw over Gwyn like that. If you really think how many people will end up hurt because of the Couple That Won’t Be Named happening, you will realize it’s not going to happen. SJM likes HEAs. The Couple That Won’t Be Named does not bring everyone a HEA.

And also, because I’ve seen this argument as of late: SJM promised her friend Steph that Az’s love interest will have Steph’s birthday, which is in January. We found out in ACOSF that a Fae’s gestation period is 10 months. People have been saying it can’t be Gwyn, who was born during Calanmai, so ten months from that will roughly be March. First of all, SJM said at her US tour that she sent ACOSF off to the printers (”the very last date because I was still editing and writing”) in early fall 2020. Steph and SJM had the Instagram live in Nov/December. She’s just going to retcon and make Gwyn’s birthday in January, having moved Calanmai that year to a different date bc of Amarantha’s reign or something. Nesta’s birthday is in the spring, and she and Elain are a year apart or just a little more. March is when spring technically begins, so... Elain’s birthday is in spring, summer, or fall, not January.

Once I feel up to writing my Elucien meta, I will. 

[kayliemusing]

42: top 3s

1: Top 3 ice cream flavors - classic vanilla, birthday cake/birthday batter, bubblegum

2: Top 3 Disney Movies - Mulan, Onward, Soul (but this changes frequently lol)

3: Top 3 vacation destinations - I've never been outside of my home country so I'll say my top 3 DREAM destinations: NYC, Hawaii, a random countryside in either France or the UK

4: Top 3 places to shop - Dynamite, Sephora, Winners/Homesense

5: Top 3 subjects of study/classes to take - English/anything creative writing related, Interior Decorating/Design, Communications?

6: Top 3 make up products - YSL Touche Eclat Foundation, literally any Mac Lipstick but it has to be matte, & Fenty Beauty contour stick

7: Top 3 music artists - Taylor Swift - Of Monsters and Men - The Lumineers

8: Top 3 spices/herbs - Cinnamon - Nutmeg (literally tastes like autumn) - Paprika

9: Top 3 drinks - Diet Coke - Hot Chocolate - Vanilla Bean Frappe

10: Top 3 apps to use - Instagram - Pinterest -iBooks

11: Top 3 months of the year - May, October, December

12: Top 3 clothing items - My black/white turtle neck, high waisted jeans, plaid blazer

13: Top 3 binge perfect tv shows - Bones, Supernatural, Brooklyn Nine Nine

14: Top 3 romantic dates - (I've never been on a date but if I had, it would be this) Evening walk, late night drive, late night coffee date (tbh anything at night feels romantic)

15: Top 3 kinds of flower - Water lilies, cherry blossoms, roses

16: Top 3 christmas movies - A Christmas Carol (2009), Home Alone, The Polar Express

17: Top 3 OTPs - Nesta and Cassian from ACOTAR series by SJM, Manon and Dorian from Throne of Glass series by SJM, Casteel and Poppy from From Blood and Ash series by JLM.

18: Top 3 quotes to describe your life - "I write not to find, but to leave" by Scherezade Siobhan - "I want to be myself again. I want to be six. I want to stop knowing everything I know" by Catherynne M. Valente - "The truth is, I pretend to be a cynic, but I am really a dreamer who is terrified of wanting something she may never get" by Joanna Hoffman.

19: Top 3 characteristics you love about yourself - my kindness bc it's not surface level kindness, but actually something deeply rooted within me - my resilience even tho sometimes it doesn't feel like resilience - my loyalty bc it is a hard as steel kind of loyalty

20: Top 3 kinds of candy - Maltesers, Kit kats, smarties

21: Top 3 ways to exercise/ be active - Walking, dancing, mowing the lawn/shoveling the sidewalk

22: Top 3 spirit animals - wolf, hummingbird, tiger (i googled it bc i didn't know and i was scared it was a joke but)

23: Top 3 petnames - I like 'lovebug', 'love', 'sweetheart'

24: Top 3 books read outside of school - The Hating Game by Sally Thorne, A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas but viewers discretion is advised, Crush by Richard Siken

25: Top 3 most used websites - Youtube, Tumblr, Pinterest

26: Top 3 people you last texted - my mom, my bestie megan, and my sister bc they're the only people i text...

27: Top 3 hashtags you use - the only time i use hashtags is if i'm trying to promote some of my writing so I'll usually use writingcommunity, writersonig, poetryonig lol

28: Top 3 instagram accounts you follow - Trista Mateer, Griefmother, obviously taylor swift

29: Top 3 guilty pleasures - buzzfeed quizzes, early 2000s music, romance novels

30: Top 3 summer activities - Going to the zoo, long evening walks, campfires and s'mores

31: Top 3 things to draw/doodle - hearts, flowers, random swirls bc it's the only thing i can doodle...

32: Top 3 aesthetics - cityscape aesthetic, autumn aesthetic, rustic aesthetic

33: Top 3 things you'd buy if you gained three million dollars - a new car, a condo, another cat

34: Top 3 ways to treat yourself - facial, a large bag of maltesers, buying the makeup i really want but have been putting off

35: Top 3 celebrity crushes - Evan Peters, Matthew Daddario, henry cavill

36: Top 3 books from your childhood - Love You Forever by Robert Munsch, The Big Friendly Giant by Roald Dahl, and Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmens

37: Top 3 accents to hear - Australian, super poshy british accent, new zealand accent

38: Top 3 scents - Fresh rain, vanilla, sweet cinnamon pumpkin from bath and body works

39: Top 3 "Friends" quotes - "WE WERE ON A BREAK" -Ross, "Guess things were just going too well for me" -also ross, and "it's so exhausting waiting for death" - phoebe

40: Top 3 cupcake flavors - tbh I haven't tried that many cupcakes so your typical vanilla, chocolate, and Pink Lady Cupcake from Babycakes Cupcakery

41: Top 3 fruits - Pomegranates, Strawberries, Raspberries

42: Top 3 places you've had amazing pizza from - Pizzahut, Dominos, Pizza73

43: Top 3 sports teams to watch - i don't

44: Top 3 crayola colors - uh, i guess red, purple, and pink??

45: Top 3 things you hope to accomplish in college - Certificates/Degrees in Copyediting and Creative Writing, and I think simply just deeper critical thinking skills when it comes to writing and books

46: Top 3 fanfictions you've read - I read more books than fanfics, I've read a couple on tumblr but don't remember the names sorry :/

47: Top 3 people you miss right now - my dad, my best friend bc she's in vancouver, taylor swift bc she's not on tumblr anymore rip

48: Top 3 fears - Failure, Loss, not achieving anything in life/not reaching my full potential

49: Top 3 favorite literary devices - Foreshadowing is always god tier, cliffhangers although evil i love those too, symbolism

50: Top 3 pet peeves - People dragging their shoes on the floor when they walk, when you tell someone your fav hobby/music artist/interest and they immediately go 'oh I hate X!', and people who go 'you're so quiet!!!' but in a way that draws in more attention and/or makes me feel more uncomfortable like i would literally rather die

51: Top 3 physical things you find attractive - Hands, nice hair, defined jawlines

52: Top 3 bad habits - Nailbiting, picking at my blemishes oops, lip biting

53: Top 3 pets you've had/wish to have - Cats bc they complete me, I've always wanted a Samoyed, and I've always wanted a turtle

54: Top 3 types of foreign food - Chicken Chow Mein, deep fried shrimp, japanese chicken wings

55: Top 3 things you want to say to someone in your lifetime - 'I quit', 'I love you', 'you changed my life'

56: Top 3 dog breeds - Samoyed, german shepherds, collies

57: Top 3 cheesy romance movies - You've Got Mail, How To Lose a Guy In 10 Days, 10 Things I Hate About You

58: Top 3 languages you speak/wish to speak - French, Sign, and maybe Japanese?

59: Top 3 series (book, movie, television) - The Cruel Prince series by Holly Black, A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas (but literally only for Cassian and Nesta), From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L Armentrout

60: Top 3 pizza toppings - Mushrooms, alfredo sauce, pineapple

61: Top 3 youtubers you're subscribed to - Game Grumps, Charlotte Dobre, Megan Batoon

62: Top 3 tattoo / piercing ideas - I want to get a tattoo on my wrist of the last thing my dad ever wrote me, a hummingbird tattoo right next to it, and then a cross on my index finger

63: Top 3 awards you want to win - National Book Awards, Nobel Prize, and maybe even Goodreads Choice Awards lol

64: Top 3 emojis - Laugh/Crying emoji, the please sir emoji that kinda gives off those puss n boots eyes, and the stars emoji

65: Top 3 cars you dream of owning - 1970s Chev Impala, tbh a cute little Hyundai Venue, and maaaaybe the 1964 ferarri 250 gt luso (idk if that name was totally right but i had to do tons of googling to find it. i don't know a lot about cars and i don't really have a top 3 lol)

66: Top 3 authors - Right now I'm really into Sarah J Maas, Sally Thorne, and Holly Black maybe?

67: Top 3 historical figures - Jesus, Anne Frank, Vincent Van Gogh

68: Top 3 baby names - Ryder, Leila, Gracie

69: Top 3 DIYs - Candles, refurnishing old furniture (i.e. my mom and i painted our wooden garbage can), and really just any type of autumn diy

70: Top 3 smoothie combos/flavors - Strawberry/Banana, Mango, Strawberry-Mango

71: Top 3 songs of this month - Happier Than Ever by Billie Eilish, Biblical by Calum Scott, and Visiting Hours by Ed Sheeran

72: Top 3 questions of this post you want to be asked - I did them all bc I made it a survey instead of an ask meme ;)

73: Top 3 villains - Regina/The Evil Queen from Once Upon a Time, Cruella De Vil, and Moriarty from Sherlock

74: Top 3 Cities you want to see - Montreal, NYC, Vancouver (honorable mention: LA)

75: Top 3 recipes you want to try - different kind of salad and/or burger bowls, Stuffed bell peppers, and homemade lemon loaf

76: Top 3 dream jobs - Bestselling author, the person who runs a companies social media accounts, youtuber/blogger

77: Top 3 lucky items - tbh don't have one

78: Top 3 traditions you have - Christmas Eve Service and if I don't go to that at least incorporating reading the christmas story on christmas day or eve, idk if this counts as tradition but going to the corn maze every fall, and whenever it's easter/christmas/thanksgiving we always have a big meal w/ family

79: Top 3 things you miss about being a kid - reckless abandon, dreaming about growing up with hopefulness and no dashed hopes, experiencing holidays like halloween and christmas as a kid

80: Top 3 harry potter characters - I've never read or watched Harry Potter rip (ok well i saw the first and second (and maybe third?) movie in the sixth grade I think) but I think I really liked Hermoine, Harry obviously and Dobby

81: Top 3 lies you were told - i don't have 3, but this one has a story but basically when my sister and i were in elementary school my sister got hit by a car and so the insurance thing was that she would recieve 10k when she was 18 and as a child i thought that was unfair so my dad told me that my sister had to split it with me when we were 18 lmao obviously that didn't happen (i think i realized that wasn't true in middle school)

82: Top 3 pictures in your camera roll right now - Pictures of my cat, one of my sister in a hilarious filter, and a picture of my rocking my TS merch

83: Top 3 turn ons - Kindness, defined jawline, easy going

84: Top 3 turn offs - arrogance, unkempt, super loud and obnoxious

85: Top 3 magazines/news papers/ journals to read - I don't read much of those so I'll tell you some sites I love for writing purpose's: there's Wellstoried, justwriterlythings, springhole.net (which is filled with generators if you're stuck and also tons of infomation and advice)

86: Top 3 things you wish you had known earlier - that toad in Mario Party was wearing a mushroom hat and that it is actually not his head, that immaculate means 'clean' before i misused that word like several times over the years, and that the one turn i always take on my way to work where i thought everyone didn't know how to drive was actually bc i didn't have the right of way rip me

87: Top 3 spongebob episodes - the one episode where spongebob and patrick find a ghost ship, that one episode where they form a bikini bottom band and perform it at a football game in a little fish tank, and the one episode where squidward has his first snowball fight

88: Top 3 places to be in the world - I'd love to be in NYC, Montreal, or Hawaii

89: Top 3 things you'd do differently - I would not have applied for RDC, similarly I should have just paid the 500 dollars to the one certificate program I wanted to do instead of overthinking it, and I wish I wouldn't have ended a friendship the way I did

90: Top 3 TV shows from your childhood - Spongebob Squarepants, That's So Raven, and Hannah Montana

91: Top 3 meals you love - Turkey Burgers, Chilli, and Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

92: Top 3 kinds of tea - i don't drink tea

93: Top 3 embarrassing moments - one time in sixth grade I tripped and fell right on my face in front of my crush, this other time like a couple years ago i opened the door to my car and only realized much too late while i was staring at this random family that it was not my car, and when i went to the gas station to get gas and couldn't get my gas lid on my car opened and this guy had to help me which was already embarrassing enough but then the gas pump wouldn't work so i had to go inside to pay just to realize i forgot my wallet and had to shamefully walk back to my car and then run back inside the convenience store and then pay and then walk back to my car and finally fill my tank.

94: Top 3 holidays to celebrate - Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving

95: Top 3 things to do in the rain - have an existential crisis, pretend you're in a music video, walk through puddles like you're six again

96: Top 3 things to do in the snow - Sledding, Build a snowman, shovel it even tho you don't want to

97: Top 3 items you can't leave the house w/o - phone, keys, wallet

98: Top 3 movies you'd like to see - Jurassic World 3, Hotel Transylvania: Transformania bc i'm a child, and the animation of the addams family

99: Top 3 art mediums - Writing fiction/poetry, painting, music

100: Top 3 museums you've been to - Royal Tyrell Museum, Canadian History one in edmonton lol, and heritage park in calgary

101: Top 3 school memories - Middle school dances when the popular kids would grind to the song "Low" which was always an interesting experience, in the twelfth grade at winter formal when we all shouted "SHUT UP AND DANCE!" at the same time when they played Shut Up and Dance, and the day i left

102: Top 3 things you don't/Won't miss - School, my sisters ex, 2016 bc she was a rough year yikes

103: Top 3 pick up lines - "My name is Will. God's Will.", "I'd like to take you to the movies but they don't like you bring your own snacks", "are you from tennessee bc you're the only 10 i see"

104: Top 3 sports to watch - none of them

105: Top 3 taylor swift songs - all too well - exile - coney island

[somniatcr]

about me,

NAME:  nic MUN FC:  i don’t even use icons for my muses, so... none GENDER:  female HEIGHT:  5’3 HAIR COLOR:  brown EYE COLOR:  green RELATIONSHIP STATUS:  single pringle BIRTHDAY:  december 20 ZODIAC SIGN:  sagittarius sun, aquarius moon NATIONALITY:  american TIMEZONE:  eastern HOBBIES / LIKES:  writing, reading, gaming, spewing endless headcanons onto the dash, tattoos, cuddling with my pets!, sleeping # OF SIBLINGS:  two sisters # OF PETS:  one cat CURRENTLY HAVE A JOB:  shift supervisor at a pharmacy FAVORITE COLOR:  blue, green, purple FAVORITE SINGER/BAND:  muse, panic! at the disco, fall out boy, bastille. just to name a few, my tastes jump all over the place tbh LAST SONG LISTENED TO:  the wombats - greek tragedy CURRENTLY LISTENING TO:  nothing LAST MOVIE WATCHED:  men in black FAVORITE BOOK:  i literally can’t decide LAST BOOK READ:  circe, madeline miller CURRENTLY READING:  kingdom of ash, sjm BEST SCHOOL SUBJECT:  literature, english MAC OR PC?  pc DAY OR NIGHT?:  night SUMMER OR WINTER?: autumn MOST-VISITED WEBSITE?  twitter, tumblr, youtube, google

tagged By:  stole it! tagging:  whoever wants to do it!

[solaceinprose]

Last book tag

I saw this while browsing the “booklr” tag, and figured I’d give it a go since I haven’t posted in awhile. 

🛍 Bought: The Nevernight Trilogy by Jay Kristoff in Italian for my bestest @coffeebooksorme

📚 Borrowed: The Little Thieves by Margaret Owen.

💐 Was gifted: It was last year for my birthday, and it was quite a few books.

💌 Gave to someone else: I haven’t given a book to anyone ever.

🏃‍♀️ Started: The last book I started was Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff.

✅ Finished: Her Big City Neighbor by Jackie Lau. It was...not that great. 

✨ Gave 5 stars: The last book I gave 5 stars to Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall and that was back in December. I’m pretty certain that 5 stars was based on the fact that the book made me laugh, and I needed that after reading two books that crushed me emotionally back to back.

🤷‍♀️ Gave 2 stars: Her Big City Neighbor.

🛑 Didn’t finish: Crown of Midnight by SJM. Honestly, I find her works to be overrated as shit, and I don’t get the hype. There are better fantasy writers out there with better written characters. And that’s my unpopular opinion.

[sapphoesie]

11 Questions Tag - Part I

Thank you to the lovely people who tagged me: @illyriangoddess @runesandfaes @justbooklover @aelin-and-feyre ​! I’ll try and squish all the answers in one post and if any questions are repeated I’ll skip them just so this doesn’t take up half your dash! 

1. Author you’d unconditionally buy anything from? Cassandra Clare probably. I haven’t read her Magisterium series but I’m going to pretend that doesn’t really count cause it’s co-written. Maybe SJ Maas too. 2. Favourite Flower? Peonies (and hydrangeas) 3. What kind of Music do you like? I have a really eclectic music taste. I like a lot of stuff 😂 4. Hogwarts House (obviously)? Ravenclaw  5. Star Sign? Leo 6. Cats or Dogs? Both!  7. Favourite Classic Novel? Just one? The Great Gatsby. The Catcher in the Rye. Pride and Prejudice. A Tale of Two Cities. The Bell Jar. Little Women. The Secret Garden. Wuthering Heights. (how can I choose?) 8. Favourite Contemporary Novel? The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo. 9. Favourite Fantasy/Sci-Fi Novel? Just one (part 2)? ACOMAF/ACOWAR, Lord of Shadows, Empire of Storms. Six of Crows. City of Heavenly Fire.  10. Do you have a (celebrity) crush atm? Just one (part 3)? Gal Galdot is an utter babe. Matthew Dadario is a hottie. Josephine Skriver. Always. I drool over her every photo on insta. Chris Hemsworth (this one doesn’t need any explanation). And I’ve just seen Rogue One and Diego Luna is pretty cute and has an adorable accent. 11. If you could change something in the world what would it be? More tolerance and empathy. Also chocolate that grows on trees would be pretty fab.

1. When is your birthday? 12th of August 2. Favorite season? Spring or Autumn 3. Favorite villain?  The Darkling from The Grisha trilogy, Sebastian/Jonathan from The Mortal Instruments series or Amy Dunne from Gone Girl 4. Stars or the Moon? Stars.  6. An unpopular opinion? Flip phones are cool and need to make a comeback. 7. If you could be any mythological/magical creature, what would you be? Mermaid or siren or any variation of that.  8. Which book character can you see yourself in the most (Personality/Character traits-wise)? Ugh, this is so hard! I have no idea...? I see bits of myself in loads of characters but idk who I’m most like overall. 9. Which book character, in your opinion, do you think would be the best partner for you? I think it’s weird because my favourite characters aren’t necessarily people I think I’d be compatible with but I think I’d get along just fine with Dorian Havilliard or Cassian or Julian Blackthorn ... 10. If you could control any one of the 4 elements, which would you choose? I’d be a water bender 😎 11. Your OTP? Me + my bed. The best love story there ever was (I’m tired)

1. Cold or hot weather? I’m bad with both but hot I guess 2. Favourite sweet food? cookie dough ice cream 3. Favourite movie/s? Inception or Shutter Island 5. What do you like to do in your free time? Read, write, waste my time on Tumblr...  6. Have you ever wanted to smack someone’s face against a wall? Yep 7. Do you smile often? I think so but when I don’t I look like a pissed off bitch so I think it balances out 8. Pineapple on pizza? DEAR GOD NO! 10. Single, taken or waiting for a special fictional character? Single as a pringle 11. Sweet or salty popcorn? Why not both😁?

1. How did you get into SJM? I randomly read the first two back in 2014 when only Tog and Crown of Midnight were out because they were popular on bookstagram and then I forgot about the series until last December when I binge read all of them + ACOTAT & MAF 2. What would you do with a million dollars? Pay off my student loans, give some to my parents, buy myself a house somewhere in the world, find other hardworking students/ prospective students who can’t afford university and pay off their tuition and lastly donate to charity and buy small gifts for people with the rest 3. Do you consider yourself a morning or night person? I’m a night person who tries to be a morning person. I go to bed late and always insist on waking up early and I’m perpetually tired 4. What tv series are you into right now? I haven’t watched any TV shows in so long 😭 6. If you had to pick one fictional character to spend the rest of your life with, who would it be? Nesta Archeron. We’d just chill and talk about books. If she brings Cass along, even better. 7. If you were stranded on a deserted island and there was one naturally growing thing there for you to eat, what would you want it to be? POMEGRANATES. My favourite thing ever. 8. How many followers do you have atm? a bit over 2.1k 9. What would you say is your favorite thing in the world? words 10. Would you go back inside a burning house to save your pet(s)? I don’t have any pets atm but I’d go back to save other people’s pets 11. Have you seen/did you like Spiderman: Homecoming? I haven’t seen it yet

I tag: @nessiansmut @cassiancalore @dr-woodsprite @modernbookfae @paperbacktrash @highladyofnorta @highladyofdreamcourt @rowan-buzzard-whitethorn

1. What is a book you have that has sentimental value to you? 2. Is there a scent that reminds you of something nice? 3. Who would you choose to be stuck in a lift with for 24h (real life person or fictional character)? 4. Do you have a lucky item? 5. What would you order if you went to a restaurant right now? 6. What’s the most beautiful book you own? 7. Walk on the beach or hike in the mountains? 8. What’s next on your TBR? 9. Favourite poem? 10. Who are 5 people you’d invite to dinner (real people, either dead or alive)? 11. Who’s your favourite person who shares your name?

[lovelyparanormalbooks]

Tower of Dawn Soundtrack Explanation

*contains potential Tower of Dawn plot and relationship spoilers, read on with care* Hi everyone! As you may know, I posted a soundtrack with my review of Tower of Dawn by Sarah J Maas. I took particular care with this soundtrack, making sure each song was in the chronological order which made sense by my calculations. But for this post, I'm including the soundtrack (again) at the bottom of the post, but firstly my explanation for why I chose these songs, and what they mean.

Lonely Together - Avicii ft. Rita Ora At the start of the book, Chaol and Nesryn are stuck together. While both may be fine with this idea, I believe this song describes quite well how they feel.

Wings - Birdy Upon Sartaq's entrance into the book, Nesryn is intrigued by him. It's clear that he is fascinated by her, and while he doesn't get a perspective, Wings fits his thoughts at this point especially as he has Kadara, who can fly.

Small Doses - Bebe Rexha While this song is about love, I think the basic ideals of it still fit how Yrene feels about Chaol at the start of this book. Why? Because Adarlan is the place of her nightmares, and she sees all her childhood horrors in Chaol. "I can only take you in small doses" because too long in his company will pain her.

Take Your Time - Sam Hunt Chaol is immediately intrigued by Yrene, but expects nothing of her. As she returns after their initial meeting, I believe he wants to get to know her more than anything even as she pushes for him to reveal what he feels inside.

Scared To Be Lonely - Martin Garrix ft. Dua Lipa

This song reminds me of the moment where Chaol and Nesryn talk until they fall asleep. Nesryn knows that he is talking to her out of guilt, having promised her an adventure, but the lyrics of the song describe them well. Back To December - Taylor Swift Listening to Taylor Swift reminds me of the old her, but also maybe Nesryn. Perhaps not "back to December" but back to when Chaol and Nesryn were good together, before they started the "adventure".

I'll Be Good - Jaymes Young

I really think that this song is perfect for Chaol. With all his self loathing, this would be a moment where he is reflecting on his life and promising to do better. Am I Wrong - Nico & Vinz Yrene thinking about whether or not she's wrong about everyone in Adarlan based on her past experiences. It would fit for the moment when she first starts to fall in love with Chaol but is conflicted.

Too Good At Goodbyes - Sam Smith Chaol on Yrene as a healer, when he refuses to let her in. Or, refuses to allow himself to think about loving her.

Gone - Bebe Rexha

Nesryn as she contemplates Chaol's guilt that last night before she leaves. What About Us - P!nk When Chaol is really distant from Yrene due to Nesryn's note.

Tell Me You Love Me - Demi Lovato

Sartaq, as he lies there in front of Nesryn, dying. While I don't particularly like the feel of this song, I reckon the lyrics fit quite well. This is one of my favourite moments of the book. Hard To Love - Calvin Harris ft. Jessie Reyez Hasar, tricked by Yrene, hosting Yrene's birthday party. When she says "I know I am not easy to love" and Yrene almost feels guilty for her manipulation.

The One I Love - R.E.M.

Nesryn to Sartaq when he recovers. They really are my favourites! 2U - David Guetta ft. Justin Bieber

Sartaq and Nesryn (I mean, I feel bad because most of this playlist has been Chaol and Yrene, Chaol and Nesryn. But I love Sartaq and Nesryn more?) Dusk Till Dawn - ZAYN ft. Sia Yrene and Chaol (when they FINALLY admit they like each other and just get over it)

Slow Hands - Niall Horan Well, after that moment described above, a lot happens, does it not? So this song is dedicated to how Chaol feels about Yrene.

This Is What It Takes - Shawn Mendes When Chaol is injured again... Totally support SJM's move with this one, but this song for when Yrene brings him back.

Friends - Justin Bieber ft. BloodPop®

You know that scene where Kashin is happy for Yrene? Sad, but he says he misses their friendship. This song to describe it, hands down. Just A Little Bit Of Your Heart - Ariana Grande Everyone, everything at the end of the book! So I hope you enjoyed my explanations! These have been sitting at the back of my mind so I had to write it out in full. Stay tuned, because there will certainly be more Tower of Dawn inspired posts coming up!

[shallyne]

what was the exact moment you decided to read acotar or any other sjm series? like what scene/fanart did u read or see online or what did someone tell you that made u go, "yeah i'm reading this"

or did u just randomly see the books at different stores over and over and noticed how popular they were so u gave in?? i know some ppl who got into sjm that way. how did it happen for u?

Okay so, in August 2021 I saw a book on booktok that was recommended as "Barbie in the 12 dancing princesses in dark" with an Aesthetic and I was like oh my god I need it. It was also my first English book I've ever read because it was cheaper than the german version. It's called House of Salt and Sorrows, I recommend, and I loved it so much that I was like "I need more!" and I stayed on booktok and the same books were recommended over and over again, ACOTAR, from blood and ash and anything Colleen Hoover at this point. Then it was my birthday in November and my mom was like "Choose something for 40€, it's fine" and after thinking and thinking, I got the acotar boxset and November 9 (I got a toothache after finishing November 9, the universe told me to keep my fingers from Colleen Hoover) and end of November I finally started my acotar journey (November 29 or 30) and I was done with acofas by December 12 and just then did I realize that acosf was a part of that series. So I got the hardcover, (it just came out the February that year so the paperback wasn't out yet) and got that December 13 and was finished with the whole series by December 17.

Then it was Christmas and I wished for House of Earth and Blood. I wanted it because I wanted to stay with the same author (because I LOVED acotar) and it was the only series with only one book and it was the cheapest. So I got that and devoured it. I think I already started December 23 and was done by December 27. Then by January I slowly got into the fandom I got wind that House of Sky and Breath was about to come out February 15th and I asked my father of I could get it AND I COULD! So I think it arrived at my house around February 24 or 26 and I know I was done before March.

I could not afford throne of glass at that point because I don't want to just get one book, I need the full set. So I waited and manifested and for easter my grandma gave me the money for the tog box set and I finally got it and read it. I think I started around April but I don't know when I finished it. May or June, it took me longer because I slid into a reading slump at that point

And this is my SJM journey