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2020 READING AND BLOGGING RECAP // checking up on 2020 in stats and goals ft. reading challenge, progress in pie charts & new years resolutions
Hello friends, here’s me trying to get all of my end-of-year posts up on time and not post them in April. Which I DEFINITELY have never done before… *crickets chirping* I should do double *crickets chirping* because I disappeared for 2 weeks again. I explain why later in this post but IM SORRY. I’m ~trying~ to get better at not abandoning you all for weeks on end. Anyways… let us take a minute to THANK THE HEAVENS it is 2021. Even though the year has maybe not been off to the best start already lmao. And just because it’s a new year, it doesn’t mean all of our problems will magically disappear. It’s really just the number that’s changed. But STILL, you all get it. Anyways, I absolutely loved doing my mid-year goals check-in last year so here we are reflecting on 2020 as a whole. Feast your eyes on a couple of pie charts and my 2021 goals. READING STATS AND OVERVIEW So,,, unfortunately, there wasn’t really any drastic change in my reading from the last update. My reading year didn’t improve a ton, I still ended up with a very short list of favourites. I haven’t reread all…
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THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS BY CHLOE GONG // book talk: finally reviewing my fave book of 2020 ft. tears, stabbiness and yearning
And Happy New Year everybody. Here’s to 2021 being at least a little bit better than the horror that was 2020. But before we move on, I can’t leave behind my favourite book of last year, so I’m here today to share my review of These Violent Delights by the wondrous Chloe Gong. A round of applause is definitely necessary. I have A LOT to say about this beaut, this stunner and the actual love of my life. I also have an author interview up if you’d like to give it a read (click the image): Oh yeah, I also read the Christmas special that was uploaded a week or so ago and I am a wreck. Love to see it. Anyways, without further ado, let us all scream together. Title: These Violent Delights Series: These Violent Delights book #1 Author: Chloe Gong Page count: 464 Date published: 17 November 2020 Genre: Young Adult historical fantasy 🥀🔪 Synopsis: Perfect for fans of The Last Magician and Descendant of the Crane, this heart-stopping debut is an imaginative Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai, with rival gangs and a monster in the depths of the Huangpu River. The year is…
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MY FAVOURITE BOOKS OF 2020 // a short top 5 list ft. some honourable mentions
And… Happy New Year’s Eve my friends! As I said last year, indeed I do wait until the last day of the year to post this. Just in case. Even though I haven’t really added a new fave to this list in a while, only a recent read to the honourable mentions. Unfortunately, my TOP FAVES is not very long at all, I tried to make it longer but I just abandoned all of my 2020 tbr, basically no YA, maybe too much adult romance and a couple of series rereads. Love that for me. This year has been terrible, to say the least, but I think I had a couple of good reads. Would’ve loved to have many more though. Alas, not everything you wish for comes true. I hope you all have a better 2021. And hoping my list next year will be more diverse in terms of genre, but I don’t want to jinx it so shhhhhh Related posts: TOP 10 of 2019 Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag 2020 Without further ado, let’s dive right in. As mentioned, I have my top 5 list of favourites, and then a total of 9 honourable mentions (almost had one…
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MOST ANTICIPATED 2021 BOOK RELEASES // apologies in advance for the 60 books I added to your tbr that all sound amazing
I am manifesting that 2021 is going to be a better year for all of us. It has to be. Ruby’s manifested so it shall come true. Hi friends, today we’re kicking off with the first of a thousand end-of-year posts, of which I have quite the few planned and don’t know where I’m going to find the time to do them but oh well. I didn’t realise before doing research for this post that there are SO MANY AMAZING BOOKS COMING OUT NEXT YEAR!! It’s insane. So many of my favourite authors have books coming out and there are some stunner debuts too. Let it be a good year my friends. Anyways, without further let’s increase our insufferable tbrs and you can observe Ruby making terrible attempts at pitching books… JANUARY Lore by Alexandra Bracken (5 January 2021): The cover gods (wow fitting) really blessed us with this one. I honestly have no idea what this is about apart from the fact that it involves Greek mythology but I would sell my soul for Alexandra Bracken and that’s all that matters. Happily Ever Afters by Elise Bryant (5 January 2021): Let’s hope this book isn’t too cute for it’s…
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NOVEMBER RECAP // I turned 19, finished first year and start of vacation (aka great times)
Hey hey, friends!! As you can tell by the title, life’s been good. Well, November was busy with all of my final assignments but I’M DONE. I have about 3 months of vacation ahead of me which is exciting. So hopefully lots of content. I have plans *wink wink* Anyways, I want to get this post up on time and we have quite a bit to catch up on since my previous recap so let’s just get into what happened in November. The Emperor’s Babe by Bernadine Evaristo {★★★★☆}: I had to read this one for my final English assignment and YO WAS IT GOOD. It’s told in verse but is set in third-century Roman London. But don’t you fret, it is so easy to read as the author tells the story through a very modern and contemporary voice. It’s funny and full of spirit and just ugh so good?!?!? I haven’t read Evaristo’s more recent releases yet but I now definitely need to. Ugh so good and I super love this kind of text, it fascinates me, and I had a great time with my essay. Definitely recommend, my friends. Click here for GR review. – Wrapped Up In…
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INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR CHLOE GONG // chatting to author of These Violent Delights (aka my fave book of 2020) on release day!!
Hello there friends! Today is a special day as THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS BY CHLOE GONG is OUT NOW. I read this one a month or so ago via eARC (big thanks to Hodder via Netgalley) and have,,, still not recovered. I adore it so much and I need EVERYBODY to go and read it. And I also need you to suffer with me as we wait for the sequel welp. I’m also so very fortunate to have author Chloe Gong as a guest today and she so graciously answered some questions about her debut. Which is so exciting and I’m so excited to have her!! Let’s just jump right in. Chloe Gong is an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania, double-majoring in English and International Relations. Born in Shanghai and raised in Auckland, New Zealand, she now lives at the top of a crumbling, ivory tower in Philadelphia (also known as student housing). After devouring the entire YA section of her local library, she started writing her own novels at age 13 to keep herself entertained, and has been highly entertained ever since. Chloe has been known to mysteriously appear by chanting “Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare’s best…
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OCTOBER RECAP // my brain is very tired but I did (miraculously) read some stuff
*cricket chirping* ….. hi Honestly, I am just sitting here, head empty, and can’t even remember how to blog. It feels like about a million years since I created any sort of content. I had expected to have less stuff to do in November because no exams but I was sorely mistaken. Apparently, ALL of my essays are due at around the same time so I was pulling at my hair and eating it. Fun times. Oof was October a month. I,,, you know my brain is kind of dead right now. I have been so drained and exhausted. This entire year has been, as well all know. But I feel like it was sort of universal that October was exhausting? Like I don’t think it was just me?? Anyways, this is late. As usual. Apparently, I don’t post recaps on time at all anymore. I would like to change that but that’s a worry for another day welp. Also, I haven’t been keeping up with blog posts for the past few weeks so I shan’t be mentioning any this month, but I’m going to slowly catch up and I’ll scream about all the amazing work next month xoxo Nick…
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BOOKS I NEED TO READ BY AUTHORS I LOVE // dear fave authors, my deepest apologies for being a terrible fan
I am currently an exhausted corpse. That is all. Jk no. But I’m so over university assignments and have no motivation anymore welp. This is a really random post idea. But I had this ongoing list (as per usual) and I thought LET’S JUST COMPILE INTO A POST. It’s been in drafts for approximately 1000 years and I’m feeling 0 creativity at the moment so we’re just gonna go ahead and post. There’s not much else to say really HA. I’m a bit of a mess. Before we get into it, I urge you to educate yourself on what is happening in Nigeria at the moment and to help #EndSARS in any way you can – click HERE MADE YOU UP BY FRANCESCA ZAPPIA I absolutely ADORE Francesca Zappia’s second novel Eliza & Her Monsters, it’s like my favourite standalone of all time. I just… cannot even put into words how hard it hit me. I related to the main character(s) on a whole other level. And it just WOW. IT’S SO GOOD!! I saw this one at a book sale and immediately bought it because I loved her other book so much. And I’ve actually heard mixed things about…
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SEPTEMBER RECAP // start of spring, I actually read books (one good, one bad) & other shenanigans
I’m calling it, I would now REALLY like 2020 to end. Okay no, there is ONE saving grace and it was a book. We are all shocked. Anyways, I apologise for,,, not posting for a month. I know I am a terrible person. I intended to, but I just never got around to sitting down and drafting new content. I didn’t read all that much and was also just busy with university work. Actually had intended to have this up like a week ago but ah assignments. I had an assignment due this morning so,,, fun times. Let us get dive right into what happened in September. Oh, also happy October I guess. Tis not fall where I live, but spring, and there will most likely be no Halloween not that I celebrated it anyway bc I’m a hermit but still. The Hating Game by Sally Thorne {★★☆☆☆}: thank the holy heavens above that I did not actually buy a physical copy of this book and instead read the ebook or,, idk I probably would have spat on it and tore it to pieces. Also, I don’t want it on my shelf. This book was… for lack of a better…
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MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK RELEASES FOR THE REST OF 2020 // crushing our tbrs with stunning covers and exciting releases
This post is apparently becoming an annual tradition on the blog. Love that for us. Welp we’re a few days a week late but I’m here anyway. Better late than never amirite? There are… many more than I thought so I apologise to everybody’s tbr. Especially my own as I’ll probably only get to these in like 3 years because I’m terrible with new releases whoops. There are some PHENOMENAL books that are still coming out, at least I hope they are going to be. So without further ado, let us get into it!! Causes you need to care about: Gender-based violence in South Africa Junk Terror Bill Yemen Crisis BLM Quick August Releases You Had Me At Hola by Alexis Daria (4 August 2020): I have heard such lovely things about this adult romance and it sounds so up my alley!! It’s about movie stars, which already has me hooked, and I found it super cheap on my Kindle so… *crossing fingers* Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland (11 August 2020): honestly have not heard all that much about this book, but I have an ALC copy and it sounds like a ton…
