Bookish Playlist Roundup
Hello everyone! I'm back with another bookish playlist roundup for you. I've been reading my fair share of hyped book recently so you've probably heard of most of the books included in this post. I've definitely found some gems among the rubble such as We Hunt The Flame by Hafsah Faizal which I'll be talking about along with Red, White & Royal Blue and The Shadows Between Us.
I've been listening to more music than ever with Taylor Swift's newest album drop, though I promise I've selected more than her discography for these playlists. All of them have such a distinct style and I loved creating playlists for each one.
With that, let's get into it.
Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Rating: 5/5 ★★★★★
Description: First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz is the closest thing to a prince this side of the Atlantic. With his intrepid sister and the Veep’s genius granddaughter, they’re the White House Trio, a beautiful millennial marketing strategy for his mother, President Ellen Claremont. International socialite duties do have downsides—namely, when photos of a confrontation with his longtime nemesis Prince Henry at a royal wedding leak to the tabloids and threaten American/British relations.
The plan for damage control: staging a fake friendship between the First Son and the Prince. Alex is busy enough handling his mother’s bloodthirsty opponents and his own political ambitions without an uptight royal slowing him down. But beneath Henry’s Prince Charming veneer, there’s a soft-hearted eccentric with a dry sense of humor and more than one ghost haunting him.
As President Claremont kicks off her reelection bid, Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret relationship with Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations. And Henry throws everything into question for Alex, an impulsive, charming guy who thought he knew everything: What is worth the sacrifice? How do you do all the good you can do? And, most importantly, how will history remember you?
About The Playlist: Red, White, and Royal Blue is fun and simultaneously significant in its portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters. I wanted this playlist to reflect that balance of what I believe makes this story great. There's a lot of young fumbling in this book and so I chose songs that reminded me of that carefree vibe. This included a lot of cute, super gay songs that I found really suited the primary relationship between Henry and Alex.
Favorite Songs: Same by Josie Dunne, Undrunk by FLETCHER, Crush by Tessa Violet
The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller
Rating: 3/5 ★★★
Description: Alessandra is tired of being overlooked, but she has a plan to gain power:
1) Woo the Shadow King.
2) Marry him.
3) Kill him and take his kingdom for herself.
No one knows the extent of the freshly crowned Shadow King’s power. Some say he can command the shadows that swirl around him to do his bidding. Others say they speak to him, whispering the thoughts of his enemies. Regardless, Alessandra knows what she deserves, and she’s going to do everything within her power to get it.
But Alessandra’s not the only one trying to kill the king. As attempts on his life are made, she finds herself trying to keep him alive long enough for him to make her his queen—all while struggling not to lose her heart. After all, who better for a Shadow King than a cunning, villainous queen?
About The Playlist: When I was creating the playlist for The Shadows Between Us, I wanted to choose modern, slightly bitter music - meaning it had that potent sting of emotion. The book itself is a darker tale of moral ambiguity and the love that blossoms from it. The Shadow King and Alessandra are both characters who display enchantingly cruel traits that clash together at times and I wanted music that embodied their relationship.
Favorite Songs: You Broke Me First by Tate McRae, Champion by Elina, Hypnotic by Zella Day
We Hunt The Flame by Hafsah Faizal
Rating: 5/5 ★★★★★
Description: People lived because she killed.
People died because he lived.
Zafira is the Hunter, disguising herself as a man when she braves the cursed forest of the Arz to feed her people. Nasir is the Prince of Death, assassinating those foolish enough to defy his autocratic father, the king. If Zafira was exposed as a girl, all of her achievements would be rejected; if Nasir displayed his compassion, his father would punish him in the most brutal of ways.
Both are legends in the kingdom of Arawiya—but neither wants to be.
War is brewing, and the Arz sweeps closer with each passing day, engulfing the land in shadow. When Zafira embarks on a quest to uncover a lost artifact that can restore magic to her suffering world and stop the Arz, Nasir is sent by the king on a similar mission: retrieve the artifact and kill the Hunter. But an ancient evil stirs as their journey unfolds—and the prize they seek may pose a threat greater than either can imagine.
Set in a richly detailed world inspired by ancient Arabia,We Hunt the Flameis a gripping debut of discovery, conquering fear, and taking identity into your own hands.
About The Playlist: I read We Hunt The Flame by Hafsah Faizal in August and fell in love with it. The book follows Zafira, the hunter, and Nasir, the prince of death, as they go on a quest to restore magic to the land of Arawiya. I chose music reflecting the sentimental vulnerability of the characters and their pasts along with songs that showed the journey of finding your "compass".
Favorite Songs: Atlas by Shannon Saunders, Silhouette by Aquilo, Light A Fire by Rachel Taylor
If you're interested in buying some new books be sure to check out Book Depository and Books A Million .
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