Starting the month early // Mary TBR

Hey and howdy.

April was not the reading month I wanted it to be. I was super excited about my TBR last month but most of the books I wanted to read were ones I had physical copies of. The problem there being that I was away for most of Easter so couldn’t read any of them.

As I’m writing this there’s still a week and a bit left of April but I’m calling it quits on this month early. I can’t explain why I’m doing this, because I don’t know, but basically any books I read from now on I’m going to class as May reads.

Like I said, I can’t explain why I’m doing this, I just know that this is going to help me avoid a reading slump so I’m just rolling with it.

With that being said, here are the books I want to read in May (… and the last week of April).

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If you haven’t read these 2021 releases, you should!

Hello👋I just got back from uni where the same girl who said I reminded her of a “golden retriever who’s just happy to be here” a couple of weeks ago, today said I reminded her of a “languid capybara”. I have many questions, the main one being: Am I being bullied and I just don’t realise or care??

I’ve sent this question circling around my friends but I just wanted to share that here as well because I’m still confused and trying to process.

Anyways, moving away from the animals I apparently remind people of, I’m here to talk about 2021 releases you should read if you haven’t already!!

I did this for 2020 releases just a couple of months ago. I was also planning on leaving this post til the end of the year but I’ve already read a bunch of 2021 releases I want to recommend. I’ve got even more on my TBR so this is probably part one, with part two coming later in the year.

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What I’ve Been Watching Recently… #7

Howdy 🤠

I should be in uni right now but instead I’m still in my pyjamas, drinking a cup of tea and doing a colouring book. I just really couldn’t sit through my morning lecture and personal development session today. Jury’s still out on if I go to my 4pm lecture.

I am getting cramp from colouring though so it’s time to take a break and instead talk about what I’ve been watching recently 🙂

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The Batman

Once upon a time I said I’d never watch any new batman movies unless it was more Lego-Batman … then they cast Robert Pattinson and I caved so quickly.

This movie was so freaking. First of all, I saw it for free! My friends boyfriend works at a cinema and got us in for free. So it was already a good day but then I watched this movie and it got even better.

The cinematography! The humour! The action!! My favourite scene of the whole movie was when Battinson just yeeted out the window, had a parachute, and then flew straight into a bridge, and hobbled away. I love the aesthetic of this Batman: greasy emo. I finished watching it and immediately wanted to watch it again.

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I read a lot of books! // March Wrap Up

Hello 👋

I’ve just not long ago got back home after attending my first book club meeting. I was terrified but it ended up being really nice, albeit super awkward. I feel like when we all get to know each other and grow more comfortable it’s gonna be better so I’m hoping to keep going each month.

With that being said, I’m now going to attempt to wrap up all the books I read this month, one of them being the book-club pick. I read a lot this March. And by a lot I mean 13 books! It’s April and I’ve completed my Goodreads goal for the year. How???

Okay I know how. I read a couple of graphic novels for uni, and then I had a week and a half of reading non-stop romance. Just one after the other, couldn’t get enough so that helped boost up my numbers.

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What I’ve Been Watching Recently … #6

Hello 😊

I have a bunch of work to do, plus a 250+ page book to read before 9am tomorrow and yet I’ve been sat scrolling Tik-Tok for the last hour and a bit and still looking for more ways to procrastinate.

My problem is I don’t know where to start so I figured if I crack on with a non-mandatory task it’ll get me in the groove of being productive. Is this going to work? Probably not but at least I’m trying.

I really made the most of the three weeks I had living alone before my new housemates moved in and I’m paying the price for it now because I have a lot of movie’s to talk about today :))

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tick, tick … BOOM!

I forgot to talk about this movie in my last wrap up which is a crime because this movie was so good!

I didn’t know what to expect, I know next to nothing about theatre so I didn’t even realise this was based on the creator of Rent and things like that. You bet your ass the song “they’re singing Happy Birthday, you just want to lay down and die!” is still playing over and over in my head. 

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Top 5 Books I Read this Winter … + Autumn Honourable Mentions❄🍂

Hello.

It’s just dawned on me how much work I’ve actually got to do: two assignments, creative writing for seminar feedback, study abroad paperwork, renewing my passport, I also wanted to enter a creative writing competition.

This is not the great realisation to have when I’m running off only a couple hours of sleep so what am I going to do? Ignore all that and talk about some recent favourites!!

Today I come to you with my favourite books from December, January and February, as well as some honourable mentions because I forgot to do an Autumn version of this and those books deserve love too.

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Honourable Autumn Mentions

*won’t be talking over much about these ones because, I’m going to be honest with you, it’s been a few months and my memory is not the greatest*

I finally read some decent books for Uni // February Wrap Up

Hello and howdy.

I have some exciting news to share today … I got accepted onto the study abroad programme for next semester!!! I had the first meeting about it yesterday and sure I signed up for this but it’s still not fully set in that I’ll be going to freaking America in a couple of months! What the Hell!!

With this though comes a lot more stuff to add to my to-do-list which is why I’m in full blown productivity mode right now (please ignore the fact that I still didn’t get out of bed til noon). As usual though, I’m kicking off with some work that doesn’t feel like work cause I enjoy it so much: sharing my February wrap up!

February ended up being a much better reading month then I though. I didn’t accomplish my mission of reading “all the romance” like I said in my TBR, but I did read 7 and a bit books this month which I’m really happy about!

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Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert – I was so annoyed with myself that I wasn’t able to squeeze this last book into 2021 but it’s okay now because I’ve done it. I’ve completed the Brown Sisters Trilogy!! This entire series was a banger, but this third book in particular was probably my favourite of the three. It was just so much fun! I genuinely don’t think I’ve ever laughed out loud at a book so much, not even just from the witty back and forth dialogue but actual events that take place had me in stitches. I was in a bit of a slump at the start of the month but this was exactly what I needed.

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston – And here we have another book I’m so happy to finally say I’ve read! I ordered this book last year, around the time of it’s release, but it just never came and my order ended up being cancelled. It took me a while to read this, I’m gonna blame the slump, but I did really enjoy it. As hard as I tried I did end up comparing it to Red, White and Royal Blue, I think that’s just inevitable. It has the same fun and addictive writing style but is a bit slower and requires a bit more patience. The found family aspects were my favourite thing about this, so fun and wholesome. I wrote an entire review if you’d like to check out my full thoughts, but now I’m counting down the days til McQuiston’s YA debut.

A strong start // January Wrap Up

After reading 10 books in January I have now hit a slump. Whyyy!!! As evident by my February TBR there a bunch of books I want to be reading right now but just physically can’t. It’s annoying.

I’m hoping that once I share my thoughts and feelings on the books I’ve read recently it’ll free up brain space and get me motivated to read again. (Please. I beg).

Like I said, I read 10 books in January which I am very happy with. Considering the fact that my goal for the year is 30 books, I’m already 1/3 of the way towards that. I definitely made the most of my three weeks off uni :))

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I Think I Love You by Auriane Desombre

I wasn’t sure about this book when I first picked it up. The characters were a bit younger then I was expecting and the writing not as mature.

This book follows two girls who, while part of the same friend group, have a kind of rivalry which hits an all time high when they have to team up to make a movie for a film festival.

The characters being on the younger side (I feel so old saying “young” they’re like 15-16) actually ended up being for the best as a lot of the characters actions can be blamed on the hormones. In the end I ended up really enjoying it.

Review

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You’ll Be the Death of Me by Karen M. McManus

The end of December and start of January was dedicated to catching up a little bit more on the McManus releases I’ve been meaning to get to. Unfortunately You’ll Be the Death of Me turned out to be my least favourite of her books I’ve read so far.

While I liked the fact that this moved away from high-school gossip and drama and focuses on more “heavier” stuff it just didn’t hit the same. I wasn’t as invested in the action or characters which is a shame. Still glad I’m almost caught up on McManus’ books though.

Review

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Time to read all the romance!! // February TBR

Round of applause guys, we made it through the first month of 2022 👏👏 and now onto the second …

February is of course the month of Love™ despite there only being one designated day for it. Obviously I’m going to be milking this holiday for all it’s worth when it comes to content, starting with the books I plan to read this month.

I got off to a really good start in January and I’m already ahead of my reading goal. I’d like to keep up with that momentum but I’m not gonna put too much pressure on myself because I start back at Uni this month and am hoping to go visit my aunt and Godson.

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My Favourite Books of 2021!!

Hello and happy new year everyone!!

For most people 2021 is over. Done with. No looking back. But not for book bloggers. For us, January of any new year is a month full of looking back on the previous year. I genuinely love this time of the year, just for all the bookish content.

Today I’m going to be starting on a positive foot and looking back on my favourite books of 2021!!

the yearly tradition of using this gif lives on. you don’t understand how happy this photo makes me.

Overall I read 100 books in 2021. I’m pretty happy withe everything I read. With that being said, it was super easy to pick out my favourites. Chances are you’ve heard all about these book already, but I’m excited to talk about none the less. (these are in no particular order btw).

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Never Saw You Coming by Erin Hahn

Not only does the tradition of the “positive mental attitude cute dog” gif live on, but so does the tradition of a Erin Hahn book being a favourite of the year.