The Bell Jar – We Are Just Stories

When Taylor Swift announced her surprise album a few weeks ago I was so excited! The album is so beautiful and probably my favourite from Taylor. I wasn’t tagged for this but I saw Orangutan Librarians post and really wanted to do it, I’m also glad I found a fellow Swifite!

THE RULES

Link to the original creator: Ilsa @ A Whisper Of Ink
Tag at least 3 people.
Declare the rules and list of prompts in your post
Thank whoever who tagged you and link to their post

“I hit the ground running each night, I hit the Sunday matinee.”

Such a great opener to the album, it’s uplifting but feels nostalgic at the same time.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

I read this book in June and I was so invested in it but because it’s a prequel I thought I knew roughly how it would end but I was still stunned and sad. The book also has a lot of folk songs in it and music is an important part of Lucy Gray’s life and her part in the Hunger Games.

“When I felt like I was an old cardigan under someone’s bed. You put me on and said I was your favourite.”

This is probably my favourite, it’s beautiful and poetic and it was the first song on the album that I listened to repeatedly. So many of my favourite lyrics come from this song.

The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton

This books is so beautiful, it’s set in different time periods but in the same house. It’s partly narrated by a ghost who stays at the house and watches over the residents. We see glimpses into her life too and how she died. But it made me happy to know that she cared for the people that lived in the house and that she had found peace there but sad because her life ended so tragically.

“There goes the maddest woman this town has ever seen. She had a marvelous time ruining everything.”

I love the story this song paints, a woman causing chaos in a rich town for fun.

Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky

This is such an incredible read, it’s set on a planet that scientists tried to terraform for humans to eventually live on it, but things went wrong and instead of monkeys evolving at an accelerated pace, spiders rule this planet. It’s not scary in any way, just very clever.

“I think I’ve seen this film before, so I’m leaving out the side door.”

Good duets are my jam! The harmonies and lyrics are so gorgeous.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Honestly, I have denied the existence of this terrible story since I read it. It’s not canon to me and I think most HP fans feels that way. It’s a screenplay but the characters that we know and love are not accurate, the plot is terrible, it might be better as a play but I found it almost insulting to read.

“And if I’m on fire, you’ll be made of ashes too.”

The underlying rage in this song speaks to me!

A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin

Most of ASOIAF makes me cry but this book is probably the most emotional. Two words: Red Wedding.

“I’ve never been a natural, all I do is try, try, try. I’m still on that trapeze, I’m still trying everything to keep you looking at me.”

Another of my favourites, it’s so soft almost like a lullaby and again the imagery is perfect.

The Boleyn King by Laura Andersen

This is a historical AU where Anne Boelyn gives Henry VIII a son so he doesn’t have her killed. William grows up with Elizabeth and Anne lives to old age and at the start of the book Henry dies so it’s the perfect book for me!! I love all the new characters in it as well.

“Just like a folk song, our love will be passed on.”

The lyrics are so cute in this one, it’s also very relaxing.

The Famous Five series by Enid Blyton

Me and my sisters used to love these books, some of the copies we have were my Mum’s so they’re even more precious. I miss the Famous Five and their adventures, I think my favourites were when they went to explore the small island near their home, they had the whole place to themselves.

“But I can see us lost in the memory, August slipped away into a moment in time, ’cause it was never mine.”

So chill and gorgeous, it makes me want to sway along.

Atonement by Ian McEwan

This book is set mostly during the summer, on a hot summer’s day in 1935 the Tallis’ are having a dinner party but the evening takes a dark turn. I’m actually re-reading it at the moment!

“And my words shoot to kill when I’m mad, I have a lot of regrets about that.”

This is probably the most ‘me’ of all the songs, I feel very connected to it and it makes me quite emotional.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

This book is a tough read but it captures perfectly the isolation and loneliness you feel when depression takes over.

“You showed me colours you know I can’t see with anyone else.”

This song has beautiful melodies but I don’t connect as much to the story.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by JK Rowling

I remember when I first read this staying up late to finish it and being heartbroken by the ending so then I couldn’t really sleep. It definitely affected me for days, especially knowing that the next book would be completely different because Harry wasn’t going back to Hogwarts.

“And isn’t it just so pretty to think all along there was some, invisible string, tying you to me.”

This is a pretty song, I’m not sure I believe in fate but this song could convince me!

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

This book! I was struggling with anxiety and wasn’t feeling motivated at all even reading wasn’t as fun but then this book came into my life, it is phenomenal and one of my favourites ever.

“You’ll poke that bear ’til her claws come out and you find something to wrap your noose around.”

This reminds me of I Did Something Bad with the lyrics about witches, but it’s slightly less angry. I absolutely love it.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Katniss is a fierce and brilliant but also blunt and stand-offish. She’s Panem’s hero but she doesn’t want to be, the power and responsibility that comes with troubles her. The trauma Katniss suffers is awful but she steps up anyway to try to save everyone.

“Only twenty minutes to sleep, but you dream of some epiphany. Just one single glimpse of relief, to make some sense of what you’ve seen.”

This song is so beautiful and it makes me cry almost everytime I hear it.

Lost Among the Living by Simone St James

It’s set in 1921, Jo’s husband disappeared in WWI and she is still mourning his loss but she currently works for his aunt, travelling through Europe with her acquiring art work. When they return to England Jo sees her husband’s childhood home for the first time. She is also haunted by his cousin’s ghost. It’s a chilling tale, the whole atmosphere makes you feel cold and on edge.

“I’m only seventeen, I don’t know anything, but I know I miss you.”

The country feels of this song make me happy!

Brienne of Tarth and Jaime Lannister from ASOIAF

These two give me life, when they’re separated in AFFC but still keep thinking about each other, it’s adorable because they don’t realise how in love they are.

“But I’m a fire and I’ll keep your brittle heart warm.”

This gives me chill vibes and the lyrics are once again beautiful.

Tyrion Lannister from ASOIAF

Tyrion breaks my heart, he has been bullied and treated like rubbish his whole life by strangers and his family. I would definitely protect him with my life, Tyrion is incredibly clever and funny, Westeros needs more people like him!

“You knew it still hurts underneath my scars from where they pulled me apart.”

This song is gorgeous, I love the melody and it’s definitely one of my favourites.

Versions of Us by Laura Barnett

This is about those ‘what if’ moments and how three characters lives could have turned out if they had chosen different paths. It sounds right up my street, I love the idea of parallel versions of ourselves but it was quite difficult to follow and I had to keep reminding myself what was going on.

Rating the songs:

This is quite difficult because I love so many of them, I’ve gone from favourite to least, here you go:

cardigan

this is me trying

mad woman

mirror ball

epiphany

hoax

exile

betty

the 1

the last great american dynasty

my tears ricochet

august

seven

peace

invisible string

illicit affairs

I’m tagging anyone that wants to do this, I had so much fun making this post and listening to the album endlessly!

It is so strange to think we are at the end of the 2010s, it’s been a pretty dodgy decade in many respects but I have read some fantastic books! Most of the books weren’t published in the last 10 years but it’s when I discovered them.

1. A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin

The fullness and complexity of these books and the characters has kept me coming back to it, I’ve read the first three books a few times already. The more you read it the more in depth you see the story. I am so happy I’ve found ASOIAF, even if it does make me cry a lot!

2. Dominion by C.J Sansom

The book is set in the 1950s in Britain except the Nazis have taken over, we never fought them. It is one of the most terrifying and genius books I’ve ever read. It felt so real, I was so distressed! Our main character works for the government and is unhappy with the changes taking place so he joins the freedom movement lead by Winston Churchill. He feeds them important files but then he gets involved with protecting a Jewish scientist who has been locked in an asylum. If the Nazis find out where he is, the world is doomed. I strongly recommend this book, it’s incredible.

3. The Millennium series by Stieg Larsson and David Lagercrantz

This series is so brilliant and dark, it’s terrifying at moments but it always comes back to the characters and how genius they are. Lisbeth who has had to fight her whole life against truly evil people who are still out to get her and Mikael who thrives on exposing conspiracies, which has got him into trouble a few times.

4. The Book Thief by Markus Zukos

Just genius, narrated by Death as he tells us about his run-ins with Liesel as she discovers her love of reading. Her foster father teaches her to read, soon she is stealing books from Nazi book burnings. Liesel lives in Germany during WWII and her world is made more dangerous when her foster family hide a Jewish man in their cellar. This is one of the best books I’ve ever read, I’d never read a book that centred around the innocent German people during WWII before and this was written superbly.

5. The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins

These books have so many important themes about corruption and controlling governments and its such a chilling premise, children fighting to the death for the entertainment of the elite. As a reader it made me have a good look at our own media and how toxic it can be. Aside from that the characters are real and flawed and I love them.

6. Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

This book is one of my favourites ever! It’s like my dream book with past lives/WWII but it’s better than anything I could have imagined. We follow Ursula through her life from birth to her many different deaths. In each life different choices are made. It’s such a magical book and so different from everything I had read from Kate Atkinson before, I’m so glad I found it!

7. The Long Earth series by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter

Sci-fi heaven, one day on Earth, hundreds of children disappeared at once, they moved to a parallel world with a devise that had gone viral on the internet. Soon adults realised what was happening and humanity was changed forever. Humanity spread out into the connected worlds where we made new homes for ourselves. In my favourite book of the series, scientists found a way to reach Mars and found its own string of parallels.

8. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

This book is about Esther Greenwood’s struggle with mental health, Esther has moved to New York to try and be a journalist but soon finds herself breaking down. It is so powerful and such an important book, I’m very glad I read it.

9. The Power by Naomi Alderman

Just epic! Through some strange evolution young girls suddenly gain the power to channel electricity through their hands. They can shock others, hurt them and kill them. They can also release the gift in older women. A shift is happening, no longer are men more powerful. The book follows different young women and one young man on their journeys through this fascinating time. But is life better under woman’s rule or are all humans inherently corrupt?

10. The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton

I love this book so much! I read it this summer and fell in love with it. It’s a story about time and how precious stories are. How houses can hold memories forever but not always in a bad way, Birchwood Manor is a place of safety and comfort.

There we are, bring on the 2020s and all the books they will bring!

Tag: The Bell Jar

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