Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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I'm Mike - this is Riff Raff's Reading Renaissance. Welcome!
Today I’m taking part in The Train Tag, created by ‪‪@AlansReads‬ and part of March on The Rails Readathon. I was tagged by ‪@MargaretPinard
The Train Book Tag is about trains and each of the 8 prompt is the title of a book, play or short story featuring trains. Please match another book to the prompt (doesn't have to be train related but bonus points if you can manage that as well!)
Hosts are: Alan, Greg ‪@GhostReadersintheSky‬ Andreea at ‪@InfiniteText‬ Debs at ‪@RaynorReadsStuff‬ and Cliff at ‪@CliffsDarkGems‬
The Prompts:
1. The Great Railway Bazaar - A book featuring an epic journey
2. Brief Encounter (Still Life) - A brief or short book you could read while waiting for a train
3. Bradshaws Guide - A guidebook to a favourite place or thing
4. Breakheart Pass - A romance novel or western (bonus points for a romantic western)
5. Thomas the Tank Engine - A beloved Children’s Book
6. The Signalman - A ghost story or horror novel
7. Strangers on a Train - A new book that you hope to read this year (doesn’t have to be published this year)
8. The Mystery of the Blue Train - A book with a colour in the title or on the cover.
9. Tag others

Inspired by fellow BookTubers, I explore 8 prompts featuring train-themed and travel-inspired books—from epic journeys to classic mysteries.

Timestamps / Chapters
00:00 Intro & Train Book Tag Overview 🚆
00:51 Prompt 1: The Great Railway Bazaar (Epic Journey)
02:17 Prompt 2: Brief Encounter (Short Read)
03:39 Prompt 3: Bradshaw’s Guide (Travel / Guide Book)
05:39 Prompt 4: Break Heart Pass (Romance / Western)
06:54 Prompt 5: Thomas the Tank Engine (Children’s Book)
09:06 Prompt 6: The Signalman (Ghost / Horror Story)
10:42 Prompt 7: Strangers on a Train (TBR for This Year)
12:43 Prompt 8: Mystery of the Blue Train (Colour in Title/Cover)
15:39 Tagging Others & Outro

📖 Books mentioned include:

Dark Star Safari by Paul Theroux
Stamboul Train by Graham Greene
Full Circle by Michael Palin
The Train Robbers by Piers Paul Read
Thomas the Tank Engine by Rev. W. Awdry
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
The Paris Express by Emma Donoghue
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

What’s your favourite train book? Tell me in the comments.

Booktubers mentioned
@Shellyish
@MargaretPinard
​@CliffsDarkGems
@AlansReads

If you enjoy BookTube tags, travel writing, classic literature, and reading challenges—this one’s for you!

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🚆 Feel free to do the tag yourself!

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