Posted in Book Discussions, Bookish Stuff

Discussion Post: Drawbacks of Reading Multiple Books at the Same Time

Hey Pals!! Today, I am going to be talking about the drawbacks that I come across as someone who reads multiple books the same time.

Number 1: You eventually fall down 😞

Some people feel bad for reading only one book at once, others feel bad for not reading only one book at once. Some people consider reading multiple books at the same time an art. Me- I think it’s not an art or talent, just something you do because you want to. And though, I mostly read more than one book at once, because I have commitment issues when it comes to books, I have come across some things in this “art” 😜 that actually trouble me. Here they are:


1: It makes me appreciate each book I am reading less

When I read multiple books at the same time there are usually those two books that are just F.A.B.U.L.O.U.S. So naturally, my main focus is on those two books. And though I do read the other books too, I feel like they aren’t that good, which is true, but the thought comes from comparing those books. So when I finish that less good book, I don’t know what was bad about it but I still find it hard to give it a good rating. One month later, I realize that it was actually a pretty good book 😑.


2: It makes me DNF perfectly good books

This is something that doesn’t happen if I read only one or two books at the same time. But when I read five to six books at once, I usually don’t like every one of them and that is the major reason for me to DNF them. DNFing books is, in my opinion, pretty good. But if it happens because I am not interested in a book just because I am reading better books than that one, then it makes me feel bad for doing it.


3: It delays the amount of time I would’ve taken to finish a book if I had read it as my main focus

Since I am not focusing on that particular okay-okay kind of book, it takes me a longer amount of time to finish it than it would’ve taken me had I not been reading it along with my instant all time favorites. And it’s really frustrating when I take a lot of time to finish a book. Sometimes, it’s taken me moooonths to finish a book due to this reason 😐.


4: It makes me easily forget what happened in the last few chapters of a book

I would stop reading that particular meh kind of a book for a week and when I would eventually return to it, I wouldn’t be able to remember what happened in the last few chapters. This makes the comprehension of a story hard because I forgot why a particular character just acted a certain way. Now, I don’t forget everything but I forget those little details that would add so much more to a story had I just remembered them. This is the by far the worst disadvantage especially in audiobooks because sometimes Google doesn’t have chapter summaries of the less known books so I can’t even Google what just happened.

😭The Struggle is Real😭

That’s it guys!! These were all the disadvantages that I could think of. Despite all this, I know I will still read multiple books at once 😁. Yeah…it’s a bad habit I have and can’t get rid of. But hey, it helps my reading slumps!!

What about you? How many books do you read at once? What are your thoughts on reading more than one book at the same time? Let me know in the comments.

That’s all. Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed it. Stay safe. Ciao!!

Posted in Stories and Poems

Cruelty of authors

They pen down a great story
But then they end it!

They invent lovable characters
But in the end they kill them!

They make the saddest hearts laugh
But then they break them!

They create fantastic worlds
But we cannot visit them!

They talk about supernatural powers
But we can’t have them!

They make us love their characters
But we know we’ll never meet them!

They create doors to amazing worlds
But we never find them!

~Nehal


Posted in Book Tags, Book Tags and Challenges, Bookish Stuff

The Selena Gomez Book Tag |Original|✨

Guess what! I came up with my Own. Freaking. Book. Tag!!

This only partly conveys the happiness I’m feeling right now

If Taylor can have a bunch of tags, why not Selena, huh 😁!? Selenators and Bookdragons unite!


Hey Pals 😁!! Today 😁, I Nehal 😁, am here 😁 to introduce 😁 a new book tag 😁- The Selena Gomez Book Tag. I created this tag myself, hope I did a fine job 😌. Let me know and don’t forget to participate 😃. Here is how it works: 

Note: In most of the cases, the questions are related to the lyrics of the songs. Except in Wolves, whose question is based on the fact that this song was released after Selena’s 2 year break from releasing songs (correct me if I am wrong here).


The Rules:

  • Thank the person who tagged you and leave a link to their blog.
  • Mention the creator of the tag: Nehal @ Books and Words
  • Answer the prompts.
  • Tag at least 5 people.
  • Just have fun! 😃

Here are the prompts and my picks for them:

Love You Like A Love Song: A romance novel that is cliché but you still love it

Maybe This Time by Kasie West. I could’ve gone for To All The Boys, but I have stronger feelings for this book as I read it pretty recently. This is the same old love romance that was obvious from the very first chapter. But it was just…so…


Rare: A book with a female protagonist unlike any other

Coraline by Neil Gaiman. This character seems a bit weird but she is kind of cool that way. I don’t like her that much but she dealt with all the mysterious stuff in her life really well. She felt a bit unrealistic at times but in a sense that added to the creepiness of the story. She said a few lines in this book that I actually really adore. So I guess she is a fabulous main character.


Look at her now: A character who suffered a lot (physically/mentally) but eventually recovered and is now at the better end of life

Nico from the Percy Jackson universe. Without spoiling anything, I can only say that Nico went through a lot and being the son of that particular god, he had to go though it all alone. He is a brave character and he suffered a lot but he at least got the person he deserved.


Wolves: A book that got you out of a reading slump

I’ll be honest. Most of my reading slumps are ones where I can’t read either because of school or because of the fact that books aren’t available to when I need them. So usually, after my tests are over, I read whatever book I feel like reading. But Wimpy Kid books are always helpful here.


It ain’t me: A character you used to like but not anymore

Clary Fray from The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare. In the first book, I really liked reading about her but in the next two books, she became one of the most frustrating characters I had ever read. She took insanely stupid decisions, acted selfishly and the love triangle was just…ugh!


Feel Me: A character you can’t bear to see with anyone else but you

Leo Valdez from the Heroes of Olympus. I love this guy a little too much and I can’t help but wish to meet him at least once. I really think we would make great friends, if not more. Love you, Leo 💖.


Same Old Love: A book with an unoriginal and unrealistic romance

An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson. I found this book really boring and the plot wasn’t anything new. It felt like every other fantasy novel out there. Many people love it but it just wasn’t for me. The romance was so unenthusiastic that I had to DNF this book.


The heart wants what it wants: A book you regret finishing because you miss reading it a lot

The Magnus Chase trilogy by Rick Riordan. This series is based on Norse Mythology and I have recently delved into the Norse world (or should I say worlds 😉) and I love reading about these myths. They are super captivating and feel so real. This series made me laugh a lot and I recently finished it and I already miss reading it.


Back to you: A book you read again and again even though you have other books on your TBR pile

The Harry Potter books keep on calling to me again and again even when I am reading other books. The Wizarding World is just so fun to read about that I hardly ever get bored of revisiting these books.


Hit the Lights: A book that just made you forget everything else

For this one, I will choose The Girl With Seven Names by Hyeonseo Lee. This is the true story of a girl who escaped North Korea. It shows her difficult journey in other countries  and I love it, this book is fantastic. When I read this book I just got so engrossed in the story that I forgot everything else. It was hard to believe that this book had a real story as it was so amazing that it felt fictional.


Tell me something I don’t know: A book people keep recommending you which you already have it in your TBR pile

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Many people say that it’s a great book and I should read it but some also say that its a bit complicated. So, it is in my TBR but I am just not reading it in the near future.


I can’t get enough: A book series/world you just want more and more of

Like I said before, give me as much as you can of the Norse Worlds. Give me tales of the cunning Loki and the mighty Thor, of the death of Balder and the birth of Kvasir. Give me everything from the beginning of the world to Surt’s fires at Ragnarok. I just need more of these fabulous tales so if you have some cool recommendations, do leave them in the comments for me to check out.


To keep the pages turning, I Tag:

  1. Riddhi @ Whispering Stories
  2. Aanya @ Soaring Firebolt
  3. Ashmita @ The Fictional Journal
  4. Lucy @ Bookworm Blogger 
  5. Rachel @ A Bookworm’s Paradise
  6. Fajar @ The Write Path
  7. Claudia @ Claudia Reads Books
  8. Ahaana @ Windows to Worlds
  9. Angela @ The Cat With A Book
  10. Cherry @ Cherry Blossom Books
  11. Cherelle @ A Bolt Out of the Book
  12. Naemi @ A Book Owl’s Corner
  13. Jheel @ Krisha’s Cozy Corner
  14. Alicia @ A Colorful Bibliophile
  15. Sam @ Literary Delirium
  16. Amodini @ Amodini’s Musings
  17. Abby @ Beyond The Read
  18. Prutha @ Confessions of A Music and Book Addict
  19. Julie @ One Book More
  20. Madeline @ The Bookish Mutant
  21. Tess @ Unbound Library
  22. Chana and Malka @ Paper Procrastinators
  23. Becky and Kayla @ A Couple of B’s
  24. You 😍!! Please please pleaaaaase do not hesitate to do this tag if you want to, I’ll be more than glad 😃.

That’s all. Hope you enjoyed the tag 😀. Thanks for reading. Stay safe. Ciao!!

Ps: Alicia @ A Colorful Bibliophile came up with an awesome way to reduce the books in your never-ending TBR pile. Check it out here.

Posted in Ramblings

I need your help 😅!

Hey Pals!! I need your help! As if I didn’t already say that *face palms herself*.

Okay, that was short notice, but this is a really short post, and by far, one of the most important ones for me.

I’m in serious need of some site name suggestions so please let me know down in the comments if you have any cool ideas.

Help your friend pals

“Books and Words” sounds reaaaaally dull and boring. Me and Tiction have been racking our brains foreverrrrrr and we do have some good ideas now. But I still wanna know more suggestions as I don’t wanna put a name that I’ll have to change later so I want to be REALLY SURE.

I am in need of something that conveys what my blog is about (i.e. bookish stuff and stories and poems) but I want to avoid some obvious names like “The Reader”, or “The Bibliophile”.

If you have any suggestions, pleaaaaase let me know 😍. I’ll be really really grateful.


So, that’s it. Thanks for reading. Help me out please😘. Stay safe. Adiós!!

Posted in Awards

The Beautiful Blogger Award

Hey Pals!! I’m so delighted to announce that I’ve been nominated for the Beautiful Blogger Award!! I was nominated by Shivi @ Shivictionary. She has an all-in-one kind of a blog, from memes to riddles, she misses nothing. So go check her out. As for the award, let’s begin!


The Rules:

  • Link to the blogger who has nominated you.
  • List 7 random facts about you.
  • Nominate 7 creative, beautiful bloggers and let them know about the nominations

7 Random Facts About Me:

This might be hard considering y’all know pretty much everything about me already 😂. But I’ll try:

  • My birthday is on 20th March.
  • I live in India, that seemed obvious 😜 (and that’s it, the formal facts end here).
  • One of my favorite and least favorite emojis is “🙂” this.
  • I love Shinchan.
  • I also love Spongebob memes though I am guilty of never having watched the show 🤫.
  • I prefer audiobooks over all other book formats, not because they are better (which they aren’t) but because of how much they have helped me.
  • I don’t like cooking.

I Tag:

This is an open nomination. It seems really unfair to me to tag just 7 bloggers when my belief is that every human is beautiful! So I tag Everyone. I would love it if y’all decide to participate. Don’t hesitate to accept it. I tag YOU 😃!


That’s all. Thanks for reading. Let me know if you have ever watched Shinchan 😁. And do participate in the award if you like. Stay safe. Ciao!!

Posted in Book Reviews, Book Tags and Challenges, Bookish Stuff

I Flunked My First Readathon|Taylor Swift Album Challenge ✨|*ft. Mini Reviews of Books I Should’ve Read Long Ago*

If you are wondering about the randomness of the title, I totally have NO idea why I named it in such a way😂.

So basically, *sighs* I took part in the Taylor Swift Playlist-a-thon (for more details, click here). I chose 8 books to read, I read only 5, and that’s how I flunked it, end of story!

Today, I’ll be doing quick reviews of those 5 books I read. Well yeah, this post is tough to write, considering it makes me feel like a disgrace 😂. But anyways…


1: I Forgot that You Existed: Read a book you already started once but never finished- Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Synopsis: This book takes place in New York during Christmas time where a girl named Lily leaves a red notebook named “Do You Dare” in a section of her favorite library, The Strand. The book has clues and dares in it. It’s found by a guy named Dash and he’s instantly all set to follow the dares and as the story progresses,  Dash and Lily form a deep bond through this Red Notebook.

My Thoughts: I freaking loved this book. Well not exactly, but looking back on it and having watched the incredible show, it’s absolutely heartwarming. Though I must say the ending could’ve been a bit better and several Lily’s parts of the story were quite slow, it was still a super fun read.

4/5 stars

2: Our Song: Listen to an audiobook– Maybe This Time by Kasie West

Synopsis: This book is kind of an Enemies to Lovers (more like Roasters to Lovers as Andrew and Sophie keep roasting each other). Sophie is a girl who aspires to be a fashion designer in New York and she’s currently working as a florist, when she meets a guy named Andrew who is the son of a popular man (I forgot what he’s popular for, sorry about that 😐) and well, things get complicated.

My Thoughts: I luuuuurved this book 😍. It actually kind of helped my slump. It was so cozy, so cute and ah, I just loved it. People may argue it wasn’t great, which I know it wasn’t, it was cliché but I still enjoyed it a lot. Usually in romance novels, I don’t always enjoy the other subplots of the books, but in this one, I loved every single thing about it. I can’t wait to read more books by this author.

5/5 stars

3: Dear John: Read a book by someone named John- Paper Towns by John Green

I originally hadn’t meant to read this book for the readathon but temptation!

Synopsis: This book follows a guy named Quentin whose dreams seem to be coming true when his crush, Margo- the most popular girl of their school climbs into his window on a night which is going to be the most adventurous of his life. The next day Margo disappears and Quentin and his friends try to find her by the clues she has left behind.

My Thoughts: This was my first John Green book and I am honestly not sure how I feel about it. The ending was probably super boring and flat. I did not like the way that we were looking for answers and it was all resolved in the most cliché way possible. It was a humorous read though but it was a little slow at times.

3.5/5 stars

4: invisible string: Read a fluffy contemporary– Geekerella by Ashely Poston

Synopsis: A Cinderella retelling set in the modern world where the main character, Elle, is obsessed with a SciFi show name Starfield. The second character is Darien who has been selected to play the role of Prince Carmindor in that very show. As expected, the two fall in love.

My Thoughts: I had a lot of fun reading this book, the narration was also really awesome. It gave such a good insight upon the life of actors that I was speechless at times and can’t say I’ll ever look at actors in the same way 😂. It was kind of a forgettable story though as I loved it when I read it but after finishing it, I did not have any strong feelings towards it.

3.5/5 stars

5: …Ready for It?: Read a new release– Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Deep End by Jeff Kinney

Synopsis: Greg and his family are tired of being stuck at up at home and decide to go on a road trip in their caravan (was it a caravan? I don’t know for sure). But things get…well, complicated.

My Thoughts: I had high expectations for this book, but it was kind of disappointing. Like it was fun, and funny, but it wasn’t “hilarious”. I still really enjoyed it though.


Taylor Swift Album Challenge

As you might know, today is the Happy Walla Birdday of Taylor Shwift  😁. And in honor of that, I decided to do a tag today, The Taylor Swift Album Challenge Tag. I was tagged for this by Riddhi @ Whispering Stories. This tag was created by Rhonda @ Rhonda With A Book.

1: Taylor Swift: an author’s debut book

The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab. I’m currently reading this book (at the pace of a tortoise). It’s actually pretty boring.


2: Fearless: a book that scared you

I am a big scaredy cat so I stay away from scary books. The few “spooky” ones that I’ve read weren’t that scary so I don’t have an answer. Though I do remember having dnfed my first Goosebumps book just because I was scared that I might be scared of it if I continued reading it 😂.


3: Speak Now: a book with great dialogue

Let me just google what great dialogue means …😆. ….. Okay, so I googled it, it apparently means great writing style? Then the answer will have to be The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.


4: Red: a book with red on the cover or in the title

I could go for soooooo many books for this one

5: 1989: a book published in the year you were born

You’re kidding me!! I just looked up on Google and apparently The Sea of Monsters was published in 2006. Like what 😆!!!!! I’m dead.


6: Reputation: a book that lived up to its hype

Yup, Harry Potter it is 😁!

7: Lover: a favorite romance or book with a romantic subplot

P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han. Ah, this book was so heartwarming 😍.


8: Folklore: a fairy tale, folktale or myth retelling

I haven’t read many retellings yet so Geekerella by Ashley Poston it is.


I Tag: Every Swiftie and Bookworm out there on WordPress. If you want to do this tag, I tag YOU 😀!!


That’s all. Thanks for reading. Let me know in the comments your thoughts on these books. Stay safe. Adiós!!

Posted in GIF-y Love

GIF-y Love |We Have A Weird, um… I mean Important Announcement|

Hey Pals!! So um…😅 I don’t know how to break this to y’all 😬. So basically, you all might know of our weekly tag “GIF-y Love”. (“Our” as in started by Tiction and me). So we are…*dramatic gulping* turing it from a weekly tag to just a, well a– tag.

Yup, you read right 🤪. Due to various reasons that make sense to only weirdos, which means the two of us, we decided that we should turn it into a tag, you know like a one-time tag. We would love it if y’all participate in it 😍. So please make sure you do.


The Rules:

  1. Thank the person who tagged you and leave a link to their blog.
  2. Mention the creators (Tiction and Nehal).
  3. Make a post, do list the rules.
  4. Use the tag #gif-y-love and choose a GIF you love for each of the provided prompts.
  5. Tag at least 5 people.
  6. That’s it! Make sure you laugh a lot in the process too.

So here are the prompts for y’all (All you need to do is share your favorite GIF related to these prompts):

  1. I’m Bored 😪
  2. Current Mood 😶
  3. Reading 📚
  4. Sarcastic 🙂
  5. Spongebob 😁
  6. Angry 😤
  7. Scared 😲
  8. Laughing 🤣

My Take on the Prompts:

1: I’m Bored 😪:

2: Current Mood

Yeah well, I’m sleepy, my eyes seem to stuck 😒

3: Reading 📚

Did I ever tell you that my sister calls me chooza 😂

4: Sarcastic 🙂

I use it a lot 😁

5: Spongebob 😁

Makes for a perfect insult 🤭

6: Angry 😤

Yes, do NOT disturb me when I’m reading

7: Scared 😲

8: Laughing 🤣

This one is so cute 😍😂

Now to keep the pages turning, we are also tagging some people (no pressure):

  1. Poorwa @ Poorwa’s Blog
  2. Akriti @ A Recipe of Life
  3. Asmi @ A Potterhead’s World
  4. Shivi @ Shivictionary
  5. Tess @ Unbound Library
  6. Silver Stone @ The Bored Side of the Phone
  7. Eryn @ Love_Your_Shelf
  8. Ashmita @ The Fictional Journal 
  9. Rachel @ A Bookworm’s Paradise
  10. Sam @ Literary Delirium
  11. Cherelle @ A Bolt Out of The Book
  12. Ahaana @ Windows to Worlds
  13. Aaliya @ Aaliya’s Nook
  14. Naemi @ A Book Owl’s Corner
  15. Aanya @ Soaring Firebolt
  16. Riddhi @ Whispering Stories
  17. You!! Please please pleaseee don’t hesitate to participate if you want, we would love to see your interest in our little tag 😀.

To all those lovely friends of ours here on WordPress who have participated in GIF-y Love through our journey so far, thank you very much for making it such a success. We are so happy and so grateful to you all. Keep supporting pals 🤗.

Why do I suddenly feel so emotional 😂!?


That’s all. Thanks for reading. We await your weird GIFs participation in our tag. Stay safe. Ciao!!

Posted in Book Tags, Book Tags and Challenges, Bookish Stuff

The Finally Fall Book Tag (*whispers*- But it’s freaking winter now!)

Hey Pals!! Today, *dramatic cough* to keep up with the prevailing spirit of the season when the leaves make a pleasing crunch under our feet and we do NOT yet need to get out our rajaiyan thick blankets out and we do NOT need to wear itchy sweaters because it is sooo NOT cold, I am doing The Finally Fall Book Tag 🙃.

Jokes aside, I was tagged for this by the wonderful Rachel @ A Bookworm’s Paradise. She has a really lovely site, just perfect for the eyeballs of a bookworm, so you should have a look at it. As for that tag, it’s pretty cool (no pun intended 🙂). So I decided to do it. Here we go then:


1: In fall, the air is crisp and clear: name a book with a vivid setting!

This question had me thinking a lot. But eventually, An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir felt like the perfect answer as I remember reading it and being absolutely mesmerized by the whole story and I was easily able to visualize exactly what was happening right in front of my eyes.


2: Nature is beautiful… but also dying: name a book that is beautifully written, but also deals with a heavy topic like loss or grief.

Whichwood by Taherah Mafi. If I’m being honest, which I am, I’ll admit that I really don’t like this author’s writing style, it’s too beautiful for me. But as the question said, it is, in fact, beautiful. This book is what reminds me of dark beauty. Our main character, Laylee, is a mordeshoor (one who prepares the spirits of the dead for the Otherworld or something like that) in a land where people do not respect or care for her. Throughout the story, we get to see her learning to make friends and the whole concept of loneliness and friendship is beautifully conveyed by the author.


3: Fall is back to school season: share a non-fiction book that taught you something new

For I Pity Them by our own Aanya @ Potterhead Aanya. This was like my third non-fiction novel if I’m not wrong. But this book provides a completely different outlook on the human emotion termed as “pity”. I highly recommend checking it out, it’s a really lovely book.


4: In order to keep warm, it’s good to spend some time with the people we love: name a fictional family/household/friend-group that you’d like to be a part of

Weasleys all the way!!


5: The colourful leaves are piling up on the ground: show us a pile of fall-colored spines!

Honestly, these looked so cool when I clicked the picture, not so much when I look at them now though 😂.


6: Fall is the perfect time for some storytelling by the fireside: share a book wherein somebody is telling a story

A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. In this series, a guy named Lemony Snicket is narrating the unfortunate tale of the three Baudelaires. But also, there is some significance to him that we see later in the books (that was as far as I could reveal without spoiling).


7: The nights are getting darker: share a dark, creepy read

I’m a really big scaredy cat if you didn’t know so I tend to keep a considerable amount of distance between the “dark, creepy” stuff and myself 😂. Among the few books that I have read that were at all dark and creepy, I’d say The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, which is also like one of my favorite books.


8: The days are getting colder: name a short, heartwarming read that could warm up somebody’s cold and rainy day

The BFG by Roald Dahl. As someone who discovered this author late and did not enjoy majority of his books, I can assure you that this was just remarkable. I loved the entire story, and I loved the friendship bond between Sophie and The BFG. It’s a great story, a must-read.


9: Fall returns every year: name an old favourite that you’d like to return to soon

An obvious answer: Harry Potter 😛.


10: Fall is the perfect time for cozy reading nights: share your favourite cozy reading “accessories”

Um…none 😂. Just give me a book and leave me alone and that’s enough for me.


11: Spread the autumn appreciation and tag some people

In my country, fall has passed and it’s winter now. So, I’m not gonna be tagging anyone specific, maybe if I’d done it before, I might’ve. But if you are reading this and would like to do the tag, go for it, consider yourself tagged by me 😀.


That’s all for The Finally Fall Book Tag. Thanks for reading. Let me a book that gives you fall vibes down in the comments. Stay safe. Ciao!!

Posted in Six Word Stories

Six Word Story #7

Life: “Nothing is permanent!”
Death: laughs


That’s all. Hope you enjoyed my little story. Stay safe. Ciao!!

Ps: My site name is “Books and Words” only and I’m not changing it to “Apple It Up” as it can be a bit misleading about my blog. Very sorry for the inconvenience 😅.