Book Crush #1: Fairytales, Paris and the Middle Ages

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a bookworm in possession of a huge TBR must be in want of more books. Our poor, ignored TBR’s can side-eyes us all they want, we have absolutely zero shame in lusting after shiny new pretties. If you’re a mood reader you probably know the feeling of having 99 books and nothing to read, cause you’re only interested in a slow-burn f/f romance set in space right now. As a big mood reader I get these super intense and specific urges a lot. I call them book crushes and these are the books I’m crushing on right now.

Middle Grade Fairytale-Retellings 

I love fairytales and fairytale retellings, but I’m not the biggest middle-grade reader. I have nothing against the genre and I often love the ones I do pick up. They’re just not my go-to. They always have the most beautifully illustrated covers though, so I crush on them a lot. Right now I’m crushing hard on Snow & Rose by Emily Winfield Martin, a beautifully illustrated Snow White and Rose Red retelling and Wild Swans by Xanthe Gresham Knight, a short but stunning retelling of The Six Swans. I’m pretty sure I have Blanca & Roja to blame for this: Snow White, Rose Red, siblings and a bevy of swans…

Books set in the Middle Ages

Another genre I don’t often reach for is historical fiction. So imagine my surprise when I suddenly felt compelled to pick up some Medieval  literature. I must be missing Reign? The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, a story about a great cathedral being built, seems to be the biggest must-read of the genre. But I’m personally more drawn to The Last Hours by Minette Walters. I really like that it’s female lead and the fact that one of the protagonist’s been described as “terribly unlikable” makes me think I’ll love her.

Paris

I’ve also been adding a few books set in Paris to my TBR lately, but this isn’t unusual. I’ve always been drawn to books set in Paris, mostly because I love French movies so much. In Paris: 20 Women on Life in the City profiles 20 Parisian women: “artists, activists, booksellers, and filmmakers, aged fourteen to seventy, living in tiny attic studios, grand apartments, or houseboats”
I’ve also added two books by Clémentine Beauvais: In Paris With You, a second chance romance set in Paris and Piglettes, a YA book about three girls forming a friendship and riding their bikes to (you guessed it) Paris after being voted their school’s ugliest.

Have you read any of these books? Or any similar ones I should check out? Are you a mood reader too? If so, what kind of books are you in the mood for right now? Are there any you’re crushing on hard?