It’s spooky season! Here’s what you should read.

Hey and hello, happy Halloween weekend!!

I have no idea what I’m going to be doing this weekend. There’s a bunch of parties all over campus that I’m sure I’ll end up being dragged to. Honestly, I’m good with staying in bed all weekend watching scary movies and reading on-theme books.

If, like me, you’d rather spend the night inside then I have a list of recommendations for books that would be perfect to read this weekend. (Or just whenever. These are all good books!)

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I feel like a lot of these are quite popular, but still, in the spirit of Halloween I’m going to keep things mysterious and just give a super brief overview of each book and let you make your own mind by reading them!

Books to read instead of binging Criminal Minds (again)

Hi, happy Monday 👋 

The past three weeks I have channeled my love for Criminal Minds into various blog content. First we had my own TBR for books to fill the void, then we had the book tag, and finally, this week I have actual recommendations!

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None Shall Sleep by Ellie Marney

When I think of serial killers I think of America, specifically America in the 70’s and 80’s. What was in the water back then that turned everyone so murderous? Really hope whatever it was is gone because I’m in small town America right now and I don’t wanna be murdered.

I miss Criminal Minds so I’m going to read these books

Hello and howdy.

Over the summer I achieved a major life goal: I completed Criminal Minds. 15 seasons, 324 episodes and I have watched every single one of them, most of them more than once. I’ve been working towards this since I was 13 years old. To say I’m proud of myself is an under statment.

To celebrate, and also apease the part of me that wants to go back and re-watch this show already, today marks the first of three Criminal Minds related posts!!

Today I’m going to talk about the books on my TBR and on my wishlist that have that murder and mystery vibes. Basically the books I’ll read until I’ve forgotten enough specifics of Criminal Minds episodes and I can watch it again.

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🌧grumpy/sunshine🌞 I still love you!

Hey and hello 👋

Last year I shouted my love for the Grumpy/Sunshine romance trope from the rooftops, specifically in a dedicated post where I read three books with this aspect. I had a lot of fun reading and reviewing those books and have wanted to do it again ever since.

And now the time has finally come and today I’ll be reviewing Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert and The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren.

I was meant to also include It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey but I got 60 pages in and couldn’t do it anymore. I wasn’t loving the characters or the plot and had to DNF it, at least for now. I might go back to it, I might now. If it get’s better and is actually worth reading, please let me know down in the comments 🙂

Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert

I’m gonna start off by saying that I don’t think I’ve ever laughed out loud (lol-ed as the kids say) so much while reading a book in my life. From page one this book had me in literal stitches which is exactly what I needed to get me out of my mini book-slump.

Books I wanted to recommend for my YA Lit class

Hello. I’m writing to you from the back of my YA Lit class. Last week we had to propose a book to add to the sylabus to read this month and I recommended As Many Nows as I Can Get by Shana Youngdahl … and it was just voted in.

I recommended this book for various reasons: it’s a story about that transition from high school to college with these characters reailsing that, while they were the stars in their hometown, they’re now just another fish in the sea. We see these characters battle with drug addictions – as an addict and as somebody close to an addict, and it also has a teen pregnancy plotline. While many serious topics are brought up, it’s never glamourised and always depicts a realistic representation of such things.

The other reason I recommended it is because I just loved this book and will happily take any opportunity to read it again or force other people to read. Now, however, I’m scared that (if the bookstore is able to stock it), my class is going to read it and hate it.

So anyways, this is the book I proposed and it was actually my first choice but it has made me think: what other YA books would I recommend for this class?

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Quick & easy books to read while travelling!🌍

Hello and howdy.

This weeks blog posts revolve around one common theme: travelling, which is why I come to you today with a list of recommendations that I think will be perfect to read while you’re out exploring the world.

In my eyes the best books to read while travelling are the ones that are quick and easy. They drag you in and don’t let go until you’ve finished, preferably just in time for landing, so that’s what we’re gonna narrow down this list of recomendations.

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Little White Lies by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

I could sit here and recommend you every single one all Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ books because they all fit the criteria of “quick and easy” but I’m going with her Debutantes duology.

I feel like most people travel for their summer holidays and this definitely has the better summer vibe. It follows a girl who’s convinced to take part in the Debutant season by her grandmother in exchange for college tuiton, but along the way she uncovers so many family secretes.

It honestly blends the best parts of a soap opera with the best parts of a YA mystery, elevated even more by Barnes’ talent for writing thriller style novels. Cannot recommend this one enough.

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F/F Recommendations 🌈💕

Hello.

Today I come to you with a list of really great books that feature prominent F/F characters and romances. I’m sure you’ve probably heard about all of these books already but I’m gonna talk about them anyways because I love them your honour!

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A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee – Dark Academia lesbians who are investigating their schools history of witchcraft and murder. Make sure you have a cup of tea when you read this one.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenksins Reid – Evelyn and Celia are the definition of soulmates.

Afterlove by Tanya Byrne – That awkward moment when your girlfriend dies and turns into a Grim Reaper. In all honesty though this book made me cry.

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💓Modern Day Meet Cute’s💓

It’s my last post of February and you bet I’m squeezing one last romance related blog post out of this month!

Saying that though, I have had this post planned for months now I’ve just never gotten around to actually writing it. Today I come to you with some books that have what I’m calling “a modern day meet cute“.

By “modern day meet cute” I mean that the two characters meet online in some way and their relationship develops online. That kind of thing. I’ve be wracking my brains for more books like this but in the months I’ve been wanting to write this post, I’ve only come up with 4 which seems crazy, I feel like there should be loads more.

There’s every chance I’m just completely forgetting a few. Let’s have a look at the one’s I’ve got, and you can tell me in the comments which one’s I’ve left out!

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Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertali

apparently I don’t have the book cover in my gallery and I’m too lazy to go find it.

Was this the first YA book to do what I’m pegging as “the modern day meet-cute”? I think so. In this book we of course have Simon, who is closeted to everyone besides his online friend Blue, who he talks to through e-mails.

🌧grumpy/sunshine☀: the most elite romance trope?

Helloo 👋

The grumpy/sunshine dynamic between two characters is elite in any circumstance but it’s ten times better in a romance. I don’t know what it is about a grumpy character only being soft for their love interest that makes me all happy inside but it is what it is.

Because I love this trope so much, I wanted to make an effort to read some grumpy/sunshine romance’s lately. I decided to read: The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood, The Hating Game by Sally Thorne, and The Fine Print by Lauren Asher.

And of course because you’re reading this, it means I’m going to do a lil mini-review for each 🙂

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The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

Everybody and their goddamn mother has been reading this lately and, besides from the tropes it contains, feeling left out was a big part of why I wanted to read it. (Also I found out this was originally Star Wars fanfic and, despite never having watched the movies, I wanted to check that out).

I’m very happy to say it loved up to the hype though. This book made me so happy!!

Mandatory Romance Recommendations 😻

Hi, hello 👋

While my housemates are out hanging with their boyfriends I’m in my room eating left-over pizza (Pizza Hut is ridiculously expensive by the way. just wanted to complain about that). Clearly I’m winning.

I plan on multi-tasking though because while I’m eating pizza alone, I’m also going to be recommending some books with A+ romance.

Is it Valentines day if you don’t recommend romance? The answer is no, it’s not. I did some romance recs last year, although that was more me just rambling but you can check that out too if you’re really bored :))

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Fools in Love by Rebecca Podos & Ashley Herring Blake

In my opinion this is the quintessential book to read this Valentines Day. It’s literally multiple love stories for the price of one!

I’m terrible at remembering the plots of one story let alone multiple but this really is what it says on the tin: fools falling in love. The one story that really has stuck with me since I read it is one where a girl get’s into a car, thinking it’s her Uber, and the other girl is too awkward to say “erm excuse me, what are you doing?” and just drives her where she needs to go and thats essentially their meet cute.

I personally enjoyed ever story in this. Obviously I liked some more then others, but as a whole it was one of the best anthologies I’ve ever read and you should definitely check it out!

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