APRIL RECAP // i am in my british comedy era, finally read a jane austen & sinking down the academic research rabbit hole aka life is great

Currently, my brain capacity is at 0.1 but that is not necessarily a bad thing. It just means I have a lot to say and no way to articulate it so this recap should be fun.

If there’s one thing Ruby Rae Reads will always deliver, it is chaos and you can at least count on that.

Let’s try and remember what happened this month before May is over *insert happy dance*

Don’t You Forget About Me by Mhairi McFarlane {★★★★½}: Don’t remember what finally gave me the push to read this author, maybe fate because I just KNEW I would love her and Ms McFarlane and I are now best friends. She doesn’t know that yet but it’s the truth. Maybe you’ll get a full review soon because I have a lot to say, but this was like watching a British comedy in book form and no-one does comedy like the British. The writing was whip-smart, the characters loveable and it’s just everything I want in an adult contemporary technically women’s fiction, but agh that term sucks. It was absolutely brilliant READ IT RIGHT NOW!!!!!! GR review here

Mad About You by Mhairi McFarlane {★★★★★}: I couldn’t tell you why I knocked off half the star on the last one because I love these two pretty much equally. I don’t know what my explanation is. This one is a bit more of a rom-com, but in the perfect British style and I really thought I was watching a movie. I absolutely adored how crazy this book was but it worked on absolutely every level and I am literally obsessed. Screw it, you’ll see reviews from me soon so I won’t say much more except I haven’t found a book this good in a while. Click here for my thoughts whilst you wait *wink wink*

Persuasion by Jane Austen {★★★★★}: Thank my English professor for finally getting me to read an Austen novel and lowkey I’m eternally grateful even though this class is barely an English class but a history one though that’s a story for another day. Anyways, I KNEW that Ms Jane Austen was who she is for a reason. I didn’t understand why and now I do and I’m happy to announce that I am indeed an Austen girlie and will speed up the process of reading all of them. This book invented angst and second-chance romance. Anne’s family is awful and I hate them with the fire of a thousand suns. Crazy how much I really connected to the prose and Anne as a character, which I never expected from a classic so far removed from my own life. It was amazing and you really should read Austen if you haven’t. Though who am I to recommend, SHE’S JANE AUSTEN???? *hides*,,, thoughts here

Big thank you to Wordsworth Books for sending me these for review:

• When Gracie Met The Grump by Mariana Zapata
• Something Wilder by Christina Lauren

Tysm to Pan MacMillan for sending me a copy of:

• Do I Know You? By Emily Wibberly and Austin Siegmund-Broka

Bought myself:

• Juniper and Thorn by Ava Reid
• The Eternal Shadow by Shameez Patel Papathanasiou
• Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley
• The Perfect Find by Tia Williams
• Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Barely know what even happened because,,, unpacking. Haha. But I did go to a few fun events. At least I think they’re fun.

My friend invited me to a special screening of Beau Is Afraid, which was more comedy than horror and suited me just fine.

I watched a few adaptations, for research purposes. Obviously. Definitely not using that as an excuse. Anyways, yes I saw the 2007 version of Persuasion which was very faithful but by no means the most amazing film. Started the Netflix one and promptly gave up!

I haven’t read this one but I definitely want to add Thomas Hardy to the short list of classical books by men to my TBR. But I finally watched Far From The Madding Crowd which is my new favourite thing ever and it was beautiful and everything you need from a feminist period drama with some romance sprinkles AHHHHHH

Otherwise, I finished my thousandth Hunger Games rewatch with my friends and it was a lot. As expected, I shan’t recover.

And finally, I had to watch the latest Peter Pan and Wendy for my dissertation and I,,, my thoughts are TBD

Hmmm what did I get up to? I guess it is worth mentioning here that I attended the book launch for The Eternal Shadow by Shameez Patel Papathanasiou, which was absolutely lovely and I am obsessed with Shameez. Eyes open for some fun things!!!

Otherwise not a lot else. I went to the movies with friends a couple of times with some special friends (one was in prestige which was cool).

And other than that literally nothing except uni ha

K I shall leave now

HOW WAS YOUR MONTH? WHAT DID YOU GET UP TO? DID YOU READ ANY GOOD BOOKS? WHICH WAS YOUR FAVOURITE? DID YOU WATCH ANY GOOD MOVIES? LET ME KNOW!