Play Book Tag discussion
April 2024: Fantasy-Romance
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Announcing the Tag for April
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MelanieJoy wrote: "Ironically, I told myself I wanted a break from fantasy a couple weeks ago! But this is plunging me right back in! I would love to buddy read
The Time Traveler’s Wife and [book:..."
If you are just reading for the monthly tag, the book does not have to have any specific tags - it just has to fit in your opinion with the tag. Just mention why you think it fits in your review.
This is a tag that has a lot of books that fit but are not necessarily tagged fantasy romance. I certainly have read quite a few. Newer publications just don't have the tagging, or there are so many ways a book can be tagged - plus tagging is completely arbitrary and idiosyncratic.
You only have to worry about matching the tag for year long challenges.
Happyt to see your enthusiasm! Looking forward to seeing what you read.
Looks like three of the Trailblazers are reading Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young. Please feel free to join us for the buddy read. I will open the thread on April 1st.
Booknblues wrote: "LibraryCin wrote: "I may have been the only one who wanted Tudor to win (Amy did at first, but switched!). So, not what I wanted, but it is what I expected."I would have been quite happy with Tud..."
I don’t read fantasy but I did read Addie LaRue and liked it so I hope you will too.
Kim wrote: "Booknblues wrote: "LibraryCin wrote: "I may have been the only one who wanted Tudor to win (Amy did at first, but switched!). So, not what I wanted, but it is what I expected."I would have been q..."
IMHO categorizing The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue as fantasy requires Faust by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and even Dr. Faustus by Thomas Mann to be categorized as fantasy. Need to look past labels. I found Addie LaRue quite literary.
Theresa wrote: "Kim wrote: "Booknblues wrote: "LibraryCin wrote: "I may have been the only one who wanted Tudor to win (Amy did at first, but switched!). So, not what I wanted, but it is what I expected."I would..."
They all have plenty of fantasy tags. Faustus and Dr Faustus are in the first column page 1. Not fantasy romance tho.
Theresa wrote: "Time and Again - IMHO this marvelous HF/Time travel classic fits fantasy romance perfectly. Doesn't mean it is tagged though. One of my favorite all time books, one I've re-read though..."Yes! I really enjoyed this one, too! Someone here suggested it for me the very first time we did Birth of a Reader here, and I was glad I chose it. It ended up being one of my favorites that year.
LibraryCin wrote: "I may have been the only one who wanted Tudor to win (Amy did at first, but switched!). So, not what I wanted, but it is what I expected."I’d have been all over Tudor! Alas, life has been nuts, and I missed the vote. Trying to think if anyone has written fantasy romance set during the Tudor era. 🤔
One series I haven’t seen mentioned is Kristen Callihan’s Darkest London. The first book is Firelight. The audiobook is superb. Heads-up, there isn’t a gratuitous amount of sex in the books, but what there is gets spicy. I listened to the whole series and really enjoyed them. They are genre bending; packed with interesting characters; take you through twisty, post-Waterloo plots; and, in the case of the first book, gave me a lovely case of the feels.An oldie but goodie I didn’t see mentioned would be The Once and Future King. Who doesn’t need a little Camelot?
Several already mentioned books that I enthusiastically second are The Night Circus (marvelous audiobook!!), Time and Again (very light on romance, lots of history), and Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries. What I liked most about this last title was its broad appeal. The main character is a socially awkward academic who, while researching in an out-of-the-way corner of the country, discovers who she is and comes into her own in the process. It’s a delightful, whimsical book. My ten-week hold on the audio for the second book seems far too long.
My thanks to everyone who reminded me that I still have The Time Traveler’s Wife gathering dust on my shelf.
For those of you who would like to listen to The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue but your library’s waitlist is — like mine — endless: if you have a good listening grasp of German or French, Hoopla has the unabridged audiobook in those languages, but, sadly, not in English. I bought the English version (Julia Whelan narrates— love her) on Audible and plan to switch back and forth with the German as part of my quest to be able to communicate with my Tante by my November trip back home. I’ve not heard of this book, but it looks wonderful. Here’s hoping so, as I’ll be listening to it twice! 😂
April is William Shakespeare’s birthday month (26 April 1564), so I read one of his plays each April. One of his funniest fits this tag: A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
NancyJ wrote: "Theresa wrote: "Kim wrote: "Booknblues wrote: "LibraryCin wrote: "I may have been the only one who wanted Tudor to win (Amy did at first, but switched!). So, not what I wanted, but it is what I exp..."That's a very contemporary designation. I'm thinking about all the decades and century or more before.
Saorse wrote: "LibraryCin wrote: "I may have been the only one who wanted Tudor to win (Amy did at first, but switched!). So, not what I wanted, but it is what I expected."I’d have been all over Tudor! Alas, li..."
I think Shadow of Night Deborah Harkness is tagged a whole lot fantasy romance. And that's exactly what it is - the characters have gone back in time to Tudor era and are 'playing house' as I called it in my review.
Saorse wrote: "One series I haven’t seen mentioned is Kristen Callihan’s Darkest London. The first book is Firelight. The audiobook is superb. Heads-up, there isn’t a gratuitous amount of sex in t..."The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is really wonderful - the first non-YA book by the author and clearly a work from her heart, soul and took a while to write. One of my top all time reads - I could design a syllabus around this book, or write a dissertation or at least a college thesis. For me it's not just a retelling of Faust but also of the Myth of Persephone and Pluto.
I am actually now voting for the Seven Year Slip! Completely reversing myself from before. I got totally taken with it after all.
I absolutely loved The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and agree with Theresa it's more literary than what we often think of as fantasy. And the romance aspect really crept up in the story and (I thought) was completely unexpected.Saorse - If you liked Emily Wilde, the sequel is available and is also tagged Fantasy Romance: Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands.
And I would add my recommendation for The Night Circus. One of my all time favorite books.
Theresa wrote: "I think Shadow of Night Deborah Harkness is tagged a whole lot fantasy romance. And that's exactly what it is - the characters have gone back in time to Tudor era ..."LOL! I did not expect there actually would have been one!
Sue wrote: "I absolutely loved The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and agree with Theresa it's more literary than what we often think of as fantasy. And the romance aspect really crept up in the ..."I echo the recommendation of The Night Circus. Another book on my lifetime favorites list. It definitely has fantasy elements but it's so much more literary than genre.
LibraryCin wrote: "Theresa wrote: "I think Shadow of Night Deborah Harkness is tagged a whole lot fantasy romance. And that's exactly what it is - the characters have gone back in time to Tudor era ..."LOL! I did n..."
There's probably more out there - but Harkness' series is heavily tagged fantasy and just happens to have her 2nd set in the Tudor Era.
I loved the audio of The Night Circus, read by Jim Dale.
Actually, l do know of a wonderful Tudor series that is historical fantasy. It starts with the Boleyn King and it is simply amazing.
Amy wrote: "Actually, l do know of a wonderful Tudor series that is historical fantasy. It starts with the Boleyn King and it is simply amazing."I'm not surprised--there are many types of fantasy books set in many eras. I see that it's also tagged romance so would fit, but for those playing the game, if it's tagged fantasy-romance it's not enough times. That said, the author's name starts with an A so it matches for a letter.
Right. I had checked that too. It’s just that I had loved the series so much, so for Tudor fans….
I just read Cinder and loved it. The whole series fits the tag and the next book fits the BWF letters too. Is anyone else reading them?
NancyJ wrote: "I just read Cinder and loved it. The whole series fits the tag and the next book fits the BWF letters too. Is anyone else reading them?"I read books 2-4 last month for Coming of Age. I think I would have enjoyed spreading them out more. Hope you enjoy!!
Play Book Tag
Books mentioned in this topic
Cinder (other topics)Cinder (other topics)
The Night Circus (other topics)
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (other topics)
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Deborah Harkness (other topics)Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (other topics)
Thomas Mann (other topics)
I would love to buddy read
The Time Traveler’s Wife and Spells for Forgetting
I definitely have more recommendations as I have read this genre a lot.
Do books that are tagged separately as both fantasy and romance several times count?
It may not count for BWF but the Caraval series definitely had me intrigued.
I also love magical realism with great prose. Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance is one of my all time favorites, so if anyone has any suggestions of similar books but with romance in them, I'm all ears.