Monthly Recaps

JANUARY & FEBRUARY RECAP // end of holidays, starting uni and some reading

Yes hi hello. I AM BACK.

Wow, people I know I said I would try to not just disappear off the face of the earth and, of course, I don’t keep my promises WHOOPS. I literally just realised it had been a mont Again WHOOPS. I’m so bad at warning people I know.

Anyways, the university has been A LOT. Which is why I haven’t been active. Like anywhere. I occasionally post on Instagram. True emphasis on occasionally. So… yeah. We’ll get more into that later.

Let’s just get into the small number of books I’ve read so far this year!

 

Aristotle & Dante Discover The Secrets of The Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz {½}: I think it’s now become my thing to start the year off with a gay book? We’re living a good life up in here. Anyways I just decided it was about time that I read this book and boy oh boy was it a delight. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a full five star but it was almost there. The characters man!! They’re just such smol beans who require hugs. Lots of hugs. They’re also chaotic drama queens who make no sense at all but it’s fine. I loved the setting and dialogue. It was just WOW such a brilliant book and um I find it very rude that there is no sequel. Like, EXCUSE ME, SIR. Seriously I need that next book ahhhh!! Link to GR review here xx

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin {½}: omg I’m like very proud of myself because this book is quite chunky and I read it like 3 days… go me?? Anyways, this book was also A TIME. It was in no ways perfect but I had THE BEST time reading it. It was just SO. MUCH. FUN. The romance was just amazing to eat up, obviously not the healthiest, but we all know I can’t help myself. I am who I am. But also the magic system is super interesting, as was the setting. My rating is purely based on enjoyment because this story is quite trashy. But it’s still a great time. Click here for my full blog post review!!

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins {}: folks I ACTUALLY DID IT!! I reread this series, as you can tell, and omg my heart actually didn’t make it. To be completely honest, this first instalment, I’d say is the weakest of the trilogy. Like it’s not brilliantly written or anything, and if I’d read it for the first time NOW I would probably have only given it 4 stars. But it’s the characters and the plot that just blow your freaking mind. Which is why it’s so good and why it was so fantastic when it first came out. And I’ll always love them. So yeah that’s that on that.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins {}: but omg THIS BOOK OMG WOWWOWOW!! Like truly are any books better than this?? I think this was the best book ever written, in my own ~ subjective ~ opinion. We can with certainty say that Catching Fire LIVES UP. How is it that amazing??? Somebody explain it to me. It’s just the STAKES. It just steps up a whole other level and I,,, am speechless. Also, the character interactions and just *insert keyboard smash* everything IS. SO. GOOD!! We have no words because I am indeed speechless. Suzanne Collins just blew it out of the park and made this book 1000000x better than the first agahskdnsbsha

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins {}: and then, of course, I did THIS to myself. This is where my February reads come in (I know humiliating since I only read like 100 pages of this book last month oh well). Anyways, this book WOW. I truly don’t understand why you people don’t like this book? Could you please explain HOW it was disappointing? Like I literally can’t imagine the series ending in any other way? And I can FIGHT you. I just,,, this series destroyed me! And I’m so glad that I reread it and ahhhh I’m so excited for this prequel (again don’t understand why everyone is mad but it’s fine). CAN I HAVE IT NOW?!?!? Also yes I’d gladly live in a house with my parents Katniss and Peeta. And I will go down with this ship. And argue with you why I dislike Gale but that’s a story for another day.

So Long A Letter by Mariama Bâ {½}: I had to read this one for my English class and decided ‘why the heck not’ include them in wrap-ups so I can beat that Goodreads challenge hehe. Anyways, I at first had no idea what the book was about but can you believe that about halfway through that I couldn’t put it down? Because same, neither can I. It’s a very short book but wow it was actually really good. I didn’t adore it or anything but it was super powerful and I really loved studying it. Very new for me I know.

Yeah so since this post is late I have already read one book (your guess as to what it is *wink wink*) and I don’t have much time for reading at the moment but I mean of course we’ll try to read books HA.

I sound very optimistic I know

  • The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare and others
  • Ghosts of the Shadow Market by Cassandra Clare and others
  • Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare
  • The Red Scrolls of Magic by Cassandra Clare and Wesley Chu
  • The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary
  • Frankly In Love by David Yoon

I literally only hauled TWO books in January and it was a surprise gift (Renegades book #1 by Marissa Meyer) from Pan Macmillan, whom I LOVE. And now I have a matching set of the Renegades series i.e. very satisfying.

peep my insta story and also the bookshelves

And then omg I’m SO excited to read this one so huge thanks to Jonathan Ball Publishers for sending With The Fire On High by Elizabeth Acevedo! Like cover goals or what?!?!

You can tell I wrote this over a month ago and never posted because I have in fact hauled WAY more books in February. YAY!!

A big thanks to Penguin Random House SA for The Book of Dust: The Secret Commonwealth by Phillip Pullman as well as One of Us Is Next by Karen M. Mcmanus and A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder by Holly Jackson. My amazing friends Meredith and Amy, omg they’re amazing, gifted me The Color of Time by Dan Jones and Marina Amaral for my birthday. Which hmm if you didn’t know what it was, well basically they took all these old iconic photos and put colour into them. I know I was also ~ internally screaming ~ inside. They also have a really detailed explanation about the photo and omg it’s just so cool and interesting. You can tell I did History in high school.

Also HUGE THANKS to Lotus for sending me this set of The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins because I LOVE the US covers. Guys, I also can FINALLY hold Tweet Cute by Emma Lord in my hands because I did a ~ thing ~ and treated myself to a pretty hardcover. I was invited to the yearly Pan Macmillan SA presentation and they sent me home with some books hehe. So big thanks for an ARC copy of The Highland Falcon Thief by M.G. Leonard and Sam Sedgeman (and three others not in this photo whoops) which sounds like such an adorable middle grade which I’m SO excited about.

And then the BEST ever saved till last (also from my Pan Mac) and the book that is literally going to destroy me and every emotion I may ever have aka CHAIN OF GOLD by Cassandra Clare. Because YES lots of screaming!!!!

lowkey super proud of this shot btw

 

Huh not many because I didn’t post for like two weeks welp.

 


This month, as in February, I’ve been watching stuff. But in January, that was non-existent. That was probably because of all the reading because I did a lot of that in the first three weeks hehe.

Anyways, I finally watched Maleficent: Mistress of Evil which I’ve been keen to do ever since I found out it was a thing. I rewatched the first movie, after having not remembered anything and thoroughly liked it.  And then coincidentally they announced the sequel. Ha, I must be a psychic. And it was REALLY good. I don’t think as good as the first one but it almost made it. I had a great time.

In terms of music, I actually found some artists that I got SUPER into. I LOVED listening to Butterfly Boucher and also Beirut. Ahhh my gawsh THEY’RE SO GOOD!!! Highly recommend checking them out.

Guys omg I To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You came out and ahhh I LOVED IT. I know a lot of people didn’t, and I don’t think it was better than the first one but it was still amazing and had me SCREAMING. Truly SCREAMING. Like a maniac. My heart melted into puddles probably over 786 times.

I also sort of returned to my roots of watching Gilmore Girls all day and/or rom coms. Because I’m a very predictable person. You can punch me in the face later.

Speaking of, I’ve started using Letterboxd and you should definitely go and follow me on there because I’ve found it’s a super useful platform. And also I do not have the patience to go and add every single movie I’ve ever watched so I won’t be doing that, but I try. Click here to shoot on over to my profile!!

Also, omg FRIENDS is getting a reunion??? Boy did I not see that coming ahhh!!! Are you also dying?!?!?

Yeah, so university. It was,,, a lot. I didn’t expect the sheer amount of work it would be, and as I write this I haven’t even started with the assignments and school work yet (ha that also changed past Ruby). No, I mean moving to the city and adapting to everything. I stay in a dorm away from my family and it’s been really HARD. I’m sorta getting the hang of it now but aghah *insert keyboard smash*

I just thought I should let you know since I literally disappeared off the internet for a whole month because I just didn’t want to be online. I was super anxious and didn’t know what to do with myself. And I guess hadn’t prepared myself for what was to come.

And then assignments started coming and I didn’t have the time. And there was a family emergency. All in all just not the best start to the year.

But doing quite better now so hopefully, I can be active on here.

faq:

Oh, also I’m majoring in English Literature, Film & Television Studies and Media & Writing. Plus I’m taking Linguistics and Sociology this semester as my electives. Just in case you wanted to know.


HOW WAS YOUR JANUARY? WHAT BOOKS DID YOU READ? WHICH WAS YOUR FAVOURITE? DID YOU DO ANY OTHER FUN THINGS? I’M DYING TO KNOW!

xo

8 Comments

  • May @ Forever and Everly

    i’m so glad you enjoyed ari and dante!! i just reread it for the third time last week and i love it so much :’) i’m sorry to hear university got so busy for you — and that there was a family emergency! i hope things calm down for you soon, though i’m sure this whole virus situation is stressful as well. happy march!! <3

  • Sophie @ Me and Ink

    I’m so glad you enjoyed Ari and Dante, I loved that book so much!! The characters and the dialogue were amazing!! I need more details on the sequel ASAP!!! It sounds like you have read lots of great books, I’m glad you enjoyed Serpent and Dove as I’ve heard lots of good things about this one!!

    I’m glad you liked Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, I actually haven’t heard much about it but I liked the first movie so I would like to check out the second one!!
    AHH… yes the friends reunion, I can’t believe it and I’m not entirely sure what it is going to be but I’m waiting and excited!!! <3

    I hope you are well and I wish you all the best!!

    • Ruby Rae Reads

      I FREAKING NEED THE SEQUEL OMG

      also ahh please S&D, I’d LOVE to hear what you think about it!!

      The second Maleficent is quite good, so def recommend since you enjoyed the first one.

      We don’t know much about the FRIENDS reunion and I’m lowkey dying

      Thank you ❤️

  • Caitlin @ Caitlin Althea

    Ruby!! I’m so glad that you’re back ❤ I hope you’re having fun in uni despite the workload! Also, you get so much bookmail every month I’m jealous??? I also recently made a letterboxd account 🥺 I just post shitty one/two-line reviews on there HAHAHA
    hope you’re safe, and that you’re having a great March!!

    • Ruby Rae Reads

      Caitlinnnn!!! Omg I’ve missed you ❤️ also dude omg I didn’t realise how many books I’d gotten, it’s all thanks to publishers hehe.

      Also AHHH I’M GOING TO FOLLOW YOU THERE!!!

      Hope you enjoy the rest of your March too xoxo

  • Lais @ The Bookish Skies

    starting off the year with ari & dante makes me feel like 2020 will be an AMAZING year for you, ruby! this is my favorite book of all times, and i’m so glad you enjoyed it so much. i always gush whenever people are talking about it, because it truly was a life-changing book for me, so i’m always thrilled to see others reading & talking about it & hopefully loving it too!
    i’m glad you enjoyed your re-read of the hunger games so much! unfortunately, this is a series that i don’t feel like i would like as much now as i did the first time, but i’m happy that you still had a really positive experience.
    i see there’s A LOT of cassandra clare in your TBR, which i feel like is the consensus for a lot of people in the bookish community, ever since chain of gold was released, right? hahah. i’ll be looking forward to hear your thoughts!
    i had never heard of the color of time, but wow that sounds SO awesome! i am so curious to see how they’d color V-J Day in Times Square. it’s one of my favorite photographs of all times, even though there’s so much controversy around it, hahah. i’m glad we can both geek out together about stuff like this, because as someone who also loved history in high school, this book sounds like a dream!
    and your feelings about p.s i still love you: SAME! i don’t think it was as good as the first one, but omg i died 32 times while watching it. i can not even predict what always & forever will do to me.
    i’m sending you as many positive vibes as i can. i know how overwhelming it can be to start university, and i didn’t even move out when i did, and yet it took months to settle into a routine i felt comfortable with. hopefully, everything will work out soon!

    • Ruby Rae Reads

      omg Lais this comment has made my day so much better 💕

      I really loved Ari & Dante and truly can’t wait for more sequel news. Hmm idk, my Hunger Games reread was obviously positive. I swear the second book is just as amazing and maybe you’d actually appreciate it more now hehe. Also haha yeah I’m supes behind on Cassie books and I need to catch up to read Chain of Gold bc ahhh IM SO EXCITED *insert heart eyes*

      Omg The Color of Time book is literally one of the coolest books E-V-E-R!!! I also love that photo, can’t remember if its in the book but I’ll def look it up.

      Yay I’m glad someone agrees with me on TATB2, bc its getting so many negative reviews and aghhh can’t relate tbh

      Thank you so much for your kind words, really appreciate it ❤️

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