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MARCH RECAP // back home, getting my mojo back and to a better April
Hello, there my friends, how are we all holding up? Boy is the entire freaking world glad that MARCH IS OVER!! Thank the high heavens. Anyways, I’m attempting to get my recap up early so that I can share my APRIL TBR on time. But without further ado, let’s get into it. One of Us Is Next by Karen M. McManus {★★★★½}: it is a true sadness that I only read ONE book last month, and that it only took me half a day to do so. But it’s fine. I really loved this book, which is a huge shock and also a pleasant surprise. But yeah, I had SO MUCH fun with it and thought that it was really well done. I was super invested in the mystery and really liked the main characters. I thought the plot was well done and the writing was easy to read. It was a tad slow at the beginning but otherwise, there aren’t any complaints. I actually already a whole review of this one up if you’d like to check it out – click here. Thanks to Penguin Random House SA for sending a copy my way!! My list here is quite…
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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…
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DECEMBER RECAP // new year and new fave book, reaching 50 books & work-life update
Whoops sorry for disappearing off the planet for like a week, I swear there’s a reason. I’m not abandoning you again. I’m sure I’m not the only person who had a rough December. Like seriously wth?? I don’t even know. How did we SURVIVE?!?! Anyways, I’ve been crazy busy lately, working non-stop. Which we shall get to in a second BUT I don’t want to fall back into old habits and post this recap relatively on time. So here goes. Heartstopper Volume 2 by Alice Oseman {★★★★½}: It had taken me wayyyy too long to read this second volume but I finally bought it. And this story never ceases to make me smile. It gets ALL THE HEART EYES. Truly. I just really love these characters. And I love the art style. I love Alice as a writer, I think she’s really good at what she does and is truly inspiring. And obviously, by my rating, I LOVED THIS BOOK. But my rating of the first volume, I felt, was half a star too high (I’d rate it the same as volume 2), as my only vice with this graphic novel series is that I sometimes can’t behind some of the…
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NOVEMBER RECAP // i turned 18, new anticipated releases, audiobooks, blog redesign & finishing high school
For a change, this post is actually going up on time? I don’t know how am I either tbh. I didn’t read many books in November, which I’ll get into later. But I did get some awesome books. I mentioned that I’m going to start incorporating book mail into my recaps. I, unfortunately, haven’t managed to get my “last” book haul up yet. It’s taking a lot of work. So it’ll be coming soon after this post. But it is coming (ICYMI it’s just a very late haul of books from March to end of October) But um yeah there isn’t much else to say in this into so let us just chat about what happened in November. Geekerella by Ashley Poston {★★★½☆}: this was a reread for me because I thought I might like it even more (ignore my 2017-self’s 4-star review who couldn’t rate back then). I landed up flying through this one on a free dat and I had such a fun time. The only word I can use to describe this book is cute and that I liked it. It wasn’t perfect, I didn’t buy the actual story a lot of the time. I loved the…
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OCTOBER RECAP // new fave book, spooky series binge & mental health
I’m really terrible at sticking to a schedule people. I’m meant to be FREE and I just can’t do it. I said I’d try and post every 2 weeks during exams but whelp that didn’t happen. I kept leaving it to Sunday and then I just couldn’t get around to finishing the dang post. The cycle continued so this is why you’re only getting a post now. Anyways, I don’t want this post to go up too late so I’m trying to stay ahead of the game and post it now. I also want to start doing book hauls in monthly recaps so that’ll start happening in next month’s one. I have a giant one coming up because my last one was back in like March, but afterwards, I’m going to do ’em in recaps. If you even cared… Should I stop rambling and just get into what happened last month? I think that’s a good idea! Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco {★★★★☆}: hskjkjs this SERIES! I’d just finished the first book last month (i.e. September) so I decided to jump right into the sequel. And I enjoyed it a lot more. I will say I think I rated…
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SEPTEMBER RECAP // a consistent blogging schedule, tons of reading and braces
Yes hi, this is me trying not to have these posts up so late but very badly failing. Oh well. Anyways, September was A TIME! And there’s a lot to talk about so let’s just get into what happened last month. Also, I did try to get this up on time but it wasn’t working with my upload schedule (which we shall get into later). Oh well Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston {★★★★★}: welcome to the few minutes of me also giving this book all the praise because I’m super basic. We loved this book! My heart is in a puddle. It was stunning, amazing, beautiful and every other adjective you can give it. I also did a REVIEW WHAT?!? A whole ass blog post review?? I’m particularly proud of it too. It’s basically just me squawking like a bird about this book for an absurd amount of time. Check it out here <3 ♥ Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker & Wendy Xu {★★★★☆}: I read an e-ARC of this graphic novel just recently and wow what a fun book! By the time you’re reading this it should be coming out in a few days and yes you…
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AUGUST RECAP // all the awesome books and exam update
Look at me actually being semi-consistent with this posting thing! Wow, I know a MIRACLE tbh.. But um by some other miracle I also read a decent amount of books? As you have probably heard by now because I talk about it all the time, I’m busy with exams this year. But I read some really good books during this time, all of which I loved so that’s a plus?? Anyway, let us just get into the actual post. Paper Girls Volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughn & other artists {★★★★½}: I’ve been getting into graphic novels this year and as soon as I heard what this was about, well I obviously I needed to read it. So it was described as similar to Stranger Things and set in the 80s which is like a formula for success?! And I, of course, loved it as you can tell by my rating. This book delivered because it was heaps of fun. I came for the ST vibes and the ST vibes is what was delivered. It was super weird and the story was strange but it hit all the right buttons?! I loved the art style and colour palette. There’s a…
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(very very late) MAY, JUNE AND JULY RECAP // exam craziness, holidays ft. the usual anxiety
As you can tell by the title of this post, it is way overdue. And I sound like a broken record but ahh I’ve been so busy lately. School has been taking up a lot of my time. I’ve felt super demotivated over here and not as creative as usual. But I’m trying to come back, I swear. I have a few posts that I’m working on. Just a warning though, I have had time these past few months available, but my end of year exam season is coming up so I might disappear again? I’m going to try not to but I can’t make any promises. Besides that, hi, how have you been doing? I hope you’ve been doing well. I have missed this. I’ve mentioned this a lot but I am SUPER active over on Instagram, if you’d like to keep up to date with what I’m up to, you can follow me 🙂 But without further ado, let’s get into the books I’ve been reading and other shenanigans! Defy Me by Tahereh Mafi {★★★★☆}: I read this in like two sittings which is rare for me. But it’s a good thing because it means I…
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APRIL RECAP // anxiety struggles, a fave book, blogiversary & writing
Hey hey hey, well I truly tried to get back on a regular schedule but um life has been SO FREAKING BUSY. And I haven’t had any time to read let alone post. Gahhh!! Anyways, let’s just get into this recap. A Million Junes by Emily Henry {★★★★★}: Gosh I totally picked this up on a whim because my friends were talking about it so much. And ahh it’s been a while since I literally wanted to read a book all day. I loved this one so much. I loved the relationship and the world and the mysterious whimsy of the story and world. I loved the writing and the characters were so complex. Just ahhhh I loved this book. Click here for my Goodreads review. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde {★★★☆☆}: I had to read this one for school and I usually don’t talk about them much but I know this a loved book and I have some opinions. As you can tell I rarely rate books low, I generally know my taste but with this book, I was really into it for the first third and then some characters started making stupid decisions and I…
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(late) MARCH RECAP // i read A TON but am kinda sorta suffering a creative slump
Okay, I legit just checked how long ago I posted and internally cringed. I APOLOGISE IMMENSELY FOR ABANDONING YOU GUYS. But I’ll get to that later. I did actually read quite a few books. Your eyes might pop out of your head (chill Ruby it isn’t that much). Anyways, I think it’s just time to get into this post. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas {★★★★★}: We’re just going to sidestep the fact that I’m 648368622 years late to this book and talk about how brilliant this book is. You all know this already, your grandma knows it. But I love Starr and her family. I love Angie’s writing style and of course the message and how important it is. Click here for my Goodreads review. One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus {★★★★☆}: This year is the year that I catch up on 2017 bestsellers that I didn’t read when everyone else was. I picked this up on a total whim and read it so freaking fast. It’s not the most amazing book that ever existed but I was WAY too addicted and invested in these characters. We all know The Breakfast Club, and I loved…
