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2023 READING, WATCHING & BLOGGING RECAP // last year in review ft reading stats, content posted, movies i watched, pie charts galore & launching my substack!!!
Anonymous caller: Hello? It’s 2023 calling. She wants her stats sent over. Me: No problem, here you go. — Hope you enjoyed my little improv back there. As you can tell, I am an actress. Also ACTING like it’s not a week into the new year and I’m only now getting to the stats (and yearly faves next up shhhh). Folks, I was writing my thesis all of November and I was tired okay,,, So hence the lateness. Take it as a reward that I’m combining all the stats this time around even though it’s due to laziness. Anyways, yup, we’re recapping everything I read, watched AND all the content I posted in one post. Let’s dive in! 2023 RECAP: READING What do you mean my goal was lowered from 55 to 50 books on the 29th of December? I think you’re imagining things man,,, #ihavenoshame It was the year of graphic novels AND equal amounts YA and adult. Also a lot of friends-to-lovers, and whilst the bar is lower than the others, also a fair amount of second-chance romance. Was living my best life tbh. For proof of Kay Claire and Chloe Gong, see below: Read mostly really great…
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JUST LIKE MAGIC BY SARAH HOGLE // spoiler-free book review: all you need for Christmas is this whacky, heartwarming & festive romance ft. a longing for the living holiday spirit!!!
Took me long enough to get to this one but I have gotten off my lazy ass and gosh am I in love. Let’s just get into the holiday yelling because there is a lot of it!!!!! Title: Just Like MagicAuthor: Sarah HoglePage count: 360Date published: 4 October 2022Genre: Adult magical realism romance 🎄 Synopsis: Bettie Hughes once knew the comfort of luxury . . . before she lost all her money. Long obsessed with her public image, Bettie boasts an extravagant lifestyle on social media but in reality, she’s broke and her family has no idea. Christmas, with all its pressure to meet familial expectations, is looming when Bettie plays a vinyl record of ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ backwards and accidentally conjures up Hall, the Holiday Spirit, in the form of a charming and handsome man. Once the shock wears off, Bettie knows she’s stumbled upon the greatest gift: a chance to make all her holiday wishes come true, plus a ready-made fiancé. But as some of Bettie’s wishes lose their charm, she finds herself thrown off-kilter by Hall’s sweet nature. Suddenly, grumpy Bettie finds her heart merry and light. But the happier she gets, the…
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AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER & NOVEMBER RECAP // oops i am late again aka turning 22, my degree kept me very busy ft. finishing my dissertation, some great reads & lots of book mail
Even though I quote Britney Spears “Oops I did it again”, I don’t think even she describes my predicament over the last few months. Have we ever seen this many months in a singular Ruby recap? You all know the answer to that. Um anyways, we’ll get into it later but in short, uni kicked my ass and I have therefore had no life. — The Hundred Loves of Juliet by Evelyn Skye {★★★☆☆}: gah the premise was so promising but unfortunately I was not hooked and this one was just underwhelming. A fun read that I sped through but not a new favourite. Ty to Headline for the eARC via Netgalley – GR review here! The Priest and The Shepherd by Chloe Gong {★★★★★}: kicked my butt into gear and devoured this lil prequel novella before jumping into the big guns and ugh!!! Phoebe and Silas are such babies and I love them so much!!!! Foul Heart Huntsman by Chloe Gong {★★★★★}: I shan’t say much here because I did a lot of that in my review but, yes this is the best book I’ve ever read and I do not exaggerate. Okay maybe a but but she was…
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INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR ASHLEY POSTON // chatting to the fab author of The Seven Year Slip about writing inspiration, next book & a character name reveal!!
Gahhh I am over the actual moon today and just oh so grateful!!! Look who’s here today,,, yep scream with me. Before we dive right in, I got a bunch of Poston reviews for you to go check out: Heart of Iron duology The Dead Romantics The Seven Year Slip INTERVIEW WITH ASHLEY POSTON Hi hello Ashley! Thank you oh so much for being here today, I am absolutely ecstatic to have you! Before we get started, I wanted to wish you a big congratulations on your sophomore romance release aka The Seven Year Slip! I absolutely adored this one to bits, as I do all of your books, so without any further ado, let’s get into my nosy questions! 🍋 Thank you so much for having me! First of all, can you tell us a little about yourself: hobbies, favourite foods, where are you currently, how are you doing? And of course, about your latest book! 🍋 Of course! I am doing really well right now. I just got myself a new tattoo—Calcifer in a bouquet of flowers, from Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones—and I’m devouring books like it’s my business (which, well, technically I guess it…
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IF ONLY YOU BY CHLOE LIESE // spoiler-free book review: finally reviewing one of my fave reads of the year aka friends to lovers sports romance perfection
A lot has been happening this year and by a lot I mean I’ve been working on my thesis for like 3 months straight. Hence this post has not happened until now *cries* I’m sorry, but I swear the wait will be worth it!!!! Because this book!!! Imma just get right into it because I need to yell!!!! Oh wait, you can check out my interview with Chloe Liese right over here: Title: If Only YouSeries: Bergman Brothers book #5Author: Chloe LiesePage count: 376Date published: 11 April 2023Genre: Adult contemporary romance ⚽ Synopsis: Ziggy I’m the youngest player on the National Soccer team, the baby of my family, and thoroughly sick of being underestimated, so I’ve decided to take matters into my own hands. Which is where my brother’s best friend and teammate, the infamous Sebastian Marchand, comes in. Seb needs to rehab his reputation. I want to give mine an edge. So I propose a fake friendship with real benefits: spending time in the public eye, my good-girl image and his bad-boy notoriety rubbing off on each other. He’s my devious, dark-haired fantasy come to life, but his destructive ways make it easy to keep him in the (fake)…
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FOUL HEART HUNTSMAN BY CHLOE GONG // blog tour book talk: say hello to my favourite read of this year and hands down the best conclusion to a showstopping ya historical fiction fantasy series!!!
Hi hello friends! And welcome to my tour stop celebrating the upcoming release of Foul Heart Huntsman. As you can guess, I’m hyperventilating over this just a little bit and I’ll just shut up now so we can cry together,,,, Big thanks to Colored Pages Book Tours for having me! Title: Foul Heart HuntsmanSeries: Secret Shanghai series book #5Author: Chloe GongPage count: 560Date published: 26 September 2023Genre: Young Adult historical fiction fantasy 🫀 Synopsis: Winter is drawing thick in 1932 Shanghai, as is the ever-nearing threat of a Japanese invasion. Rosalind Lang has suffered the worst possible fate for a national spy: she’s been exposed. With the media storm camped outside her apartment for the infamous Lady Fortune, she’s barely left her bedroom in weeks, plotting her next course of action after Orion was taken and his memories of Rosalind wiped. Though their marriage might have been a sham, his absence hurts her more than any physical wound. She won’t rest until she gets him back. But with her identity in the open, the task is near impossible. The only way to leave the city and rescue Orion is under the guise of a national tour. It’s easy to convince…
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INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR JESSICA JOYCE // chatting with debut author of You, With a View about this glorious childhood rivals to lovers romance you need injected into your veins!!!
Gosh dang am I excited about today’s post and am oh so grateful that our guest Jessica Joyce agreed to be here today. I haven’t read a debut THIS GOOD in a long freaking time and I shall no go forth and shove her down your throats!!!! 💌 Big thanks to Penguin Random House South Africafor the early copy of You, With a View! Title: You, With A ViewAuthor: Jessica JoycePage count: 352Date published: 11 July 2023Genre: Adult contemporary romance 💌 Synopsis: Two weeks on the road… stuck in a car with your high-school enemy. Noelle Shepard is grieving the loss of her beloved grandmother when she discovers decades-old photos and letters that hint to a forbidden love in her gram’s past. Needing to know the full story, she creates a TikTok video appealing for information – and it goes viral. Through her video, she manages to track down her grandmother’s secret love, Paul, who offers to take her on the honeymoon road-trip he and Gram planned but never got to go on. Noelle jumps at the chance to make this one last connection with her grandmother. There’s just one problem – Paul’s grandson is Noelle’s frustratingly handsome high-school rival…
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JULY RECAP // movie theatre mania aka going to barbenheimer, publisher events, back to school & cute reads
Quite chuffed with myself for being mostly on time with these lately. Who knows if it’ll stick because I have a big fat deadline at the end of August. You have been warned of my potential upcoming hibernation. Let me stop freaking us all out (lmao) and jump right in! — Nothing More To Tell by Karen M McManus {★★★½☆}:I FINALLY picked up this one and ugh Ms McManus always manages to sweep me away with a great time. Unfortunately, this was not my favourite of hers, I usually tend to love her characters but they weren’t my fave in this one. But the cold case was fun and I kept going, so it’s definitely worth a read if you’re a fan like me. Big thanks to Penguin Random House South Africa for the eARC and physical copy. More thoughts in GR review right over here You, With A View by Jessica Joyce {★★★★½}: I mean wow. Round of freaking applause for this DEBUT that literally knocked my socks off. Jessica has pure talent in those finger tips and this book was just absolutely everything. From the writing to the romance to the settings and the gut-wrenching grief conversations THIS…
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MAD ABOUT YOU BY MHAIRI MCFARLANE // spoiler-free book review: meet one of the best adult contemporaries i’ve ever read aka a delightfully british rom-com that has me in a chokehold
Please say hello to this absolute gem of a book that you should be ashamed you haven’t read yet. Yes I do have the right and power to say that about you all and you are not allowed to say it back *hides* AHHH I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH IT HURTS AND IM SHOVING IT DOWN ALL YOUR THROATS FOR ETERNITY!!!!! Onwards with the crying/yelling/screeching about this author *wink wink* Title: Mad About YouAuthor: Mhairi McFarlanePage count: 432Date published: 14 April 2022Genre: Adult contemporary fiction 🏡 Synopsis: Two reluctant housemates.Two broken promises.One crazy plan… Harriet Hatley may be one of the most in-demand wedding photographers in Leeds, but she hates the idea of marriage. Cal Clarke is used to the world falling in line with his plans – apart from his own love-life, which has gone hopelessly wrong. When they become unlikely housemates, it’s clear they’re both running away from something bigger. Can they take a crazy risk to face the past and change everything? 🏡 🏡 STAR RATING: (5 out of 5 stars) Trigger warnings for previous relationship emotional abuse — My heart is so full and I am jumping for joy and Mhairi McFarlane is…
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MID YEAR BOOK FREAK OUT TAG // 2023 edition: i’ve read almost 30 books so far ft. stunning 5 star reads, new favourite authors & exciting new releases
Time for my overused Christmas in July joke once again? We all laughed right? Glad I can amuse you. Anyways, I always love doing this tag but I’m realising it’s been a minute since I did a tag. And there are more questions than I remember so hopefully you get this at a reasonable time and not in like November. I deserve a commandment if this post is early honestly. An entire ceremony if you ask me, Alright, I’ll shut up now and get into the questions!!! BEST BOOK YOU’VE READ THIS YEAR SO FAR ✯ Honourable mention: Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong ✯ Happy Place by Emily Henry The internet had me scared for a second there with all them bad reviews but turns out I should trust my gut. And also my mother Emily Henry. Because she never disappoints and I loved this one. As expected. God, I loved it so much. And hated it. Conflicting but in a good way. Emily Henry is writing my obituary at this point honestly. Not to be morbid or anything, but I do need her to do that. Anyways, yes this book destroyed me and brought me back to life.…
