Don’t forget about these 2022 releases!

I’ve been scootering around the block with my little brother and sister and I’m just not made out for that life anymore. They were whizzing away while I tried not to let on that one of my legs had gone numb. Now the kids are asleep, I’m back in my element: in bed eating chocolate ready and rearing to talk about books 🙂

When it comes to blogging, or being in any sort of bookish-sphere, there can be this pressure to keep up with the new releases, despite how unrealistic that is. In an attempt to prevent that pressure, I like to give myself an extra couple of months before I give some recommendations, with the expectation that I’ll recommend more in the (distant) future.

And so today I come to you with some 2022 releases that were so good, you should make sure to keep them at the top of your TBR!

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Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl by Joya Goffney

I am still so happy that I got stuck on door duty at work. Sure I was cold and yes I got freaked out by the elevator opening on it’s own that it made me jump and kinda break the card machine, but I was so bored that I picked up one of the few ARCs I had downloaded on my phone and I loved it!

Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl is a sex-positive and educational story about a religious girl learning about her sexuality and sexual health. I loved Monique, the main character. I thought this book did a really good job at making you feel what the character was feeling – frustration, anger, fear. I also loved watching her becoming friends, and more than friends, with Sasha and Reggie and how those new relationships changed her for the better.

I definitely recommend this book. I’d say it’s perfect for any age but definitely for those who are maybe falling out of love with YA a little bit!

My Review

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Reading all the sapphic romances // February TBR

You can tell I’m motivated and invigorated to read because, as I’m planning out these books, it’s early January. I’m just wanting to read everything all at once which, of course, is impossible to do, so planning my TBRs ahead of time is helping me fulfill this need.

Despite Valentine’s being only 1 day out of 28, in my brain February is the month of reading as many romance books as possible and that’s exactly what I’m going to do!! There are 10 books on this TBR and 2 less days to read them than normal (something I always forget about) so we’ll see how this goes.

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My main focus this month is going to be sapphic YA romances, specifically the ones released in 2022 that I was dying to read, but just never got around to:

Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales – There are three reasons I want to read this book 1) it’s a Sophie Gonzeles book and she hasn’t let me down yet, 2) it’s a reality-dating show were two girls fall in love with each other instead of their shared exboyfriend, and 3) the Taylor Swift title reference.

I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston – I’ve been curious about McQuistons YA debut since before this was even out and yet I’ve still not read it. That’s gonna change this month. Despite the plot giving me Paper Town vibes, a book I hated, I am keeping my fingers crossed that I’m going to love this one.

She Get’s the Girl by Rachel Lippincott and Alyson Derrick – This cover is so beautiful that whenever I think about this book, the only thing my mind thinks of is the cover and not the plot. I actually can’t remember what the plot is in the slightest, I just know it’s F/F, written by a married couple, and I’ve been desperate to read it for months.

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While those are my top 3 books I hope to read, they’re not the only sapphic romances on this TBR as I also really want to read …

For Her Consideration by Amy Spalding – It’s happened a few times now but I never cease to get excited and giddy when a publisher reaches out and offers me a copy of a book, as was the case here. This book is set in Hollywood which I’m always on board for, especially since it follows a scriptwriter (I’m doing a whole class on scriptwriting this semester!) and a movie star!

She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlan – AGHH I’m so happy to have this book and I will force myself to read this, even if it involves staying up all night. I only know as much about this book as the cover is telling me – cheerleader and a jock – but if this disappoints me I do think I’ll cry.

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I bought these books last year!!

Hi and hello, happy Friday!!

Today I am bringing you a bookhaul. Not my first book haul of the year (that’ll come in due course don’t you worry), but actually my last bookhaul of 2022.

These books are either books I bought in New York … or books I bought to stop me crying when I got stranded in Germany. After not sleeping in 24 hours, not eating in 8 hours I missed my connecting flight due to delays. I cried like a baby because the next flight wasn’t until the next day and all I wanted was to be at home. What’s the solution to crying literally non-stop? Retail therapy!!!

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Some say “when in Rome” I say “when in the USA” because of course I had to buy myself some books from Barnes & Nobel of all places!!

I need to read more books by these authors!

It’s Monday and despite not starting back at uni for another week, I am back at my dads house which means I get to wake up to my little brother and sister arguing with my step-mum about going to school before the crack of dawn. I love them but I just don’t wanna hear or see them at 7 o’clock in the morning ya know.

Since I’m up so early and I’ve now got the house to myself all day, I’ve got plenty of times to talk about the authors I want to read more of, preferably in 2023 but my TBR for this year is already longer than my life-expectancy so let’s just say “eventually”.

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Adiba Jaigirdar

• Read: The Henna Wars
• To Read: Hani & Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating and A Million to One

As of right this moment the only book by Adiba Jaigirdar that I’ve read is The Henna Wars – a book about two girls who set up rival henna business at school. It’s a crime at this point how behind I am with her books.

The next two books of hers I need to read are her two most recent releases:

Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating – as you may be able to guess from the title, features two girl fake-dating after Hani’s friends invalidate her bisexuality because she’s only dated guys. And A Million to One – I don’t know much about besides the fact that it’s an LGBTQ+ historical fiction novel about a heist which really is all I need to know.

I’m really excited to read another contemporary romance from Adiba Jaigirdar and also read a heist novel which is a trope/concept I’m always on board to read. One of the things I really enjoyed about The Henna Wars was the characters and the focus on their culture’s which is something I definitely want to read, and in turn learn, more about!

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Did I read the books I hauled last year?

It’s that time of year again ladies and gentlemen where I hold myself accountable for my own actions, or should I say purchases. Today I’m gonna be looking back at all the books I hauled in 2022 and seeing if I actually got around to reading them!

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January

• Good Girl Complex by Elle Kennedy
• Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl by Joya Goffney
• Breathe and Count Back From Ten by Natalia Sylvester
• Only a Monster by Vanessa Len 
• A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee
• Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth
• In Deep Waters by F.T Lukens
• XOXO by Axie Oh
• The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin
• The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
• The Fine Print by Lauren Asher
• Kingdom of the Curse by Kerri Maniscalco
• You’ll Be the Death of Me by Karen M. McManus
• Women Don’t Owe You Pretty by Florence

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Hoping for a strong start // January TBR

Hello and welcome to my first TBR of the year.

Will 2023 be the year I actually commit 100% to these monthly TBRs? No. Probably not, but I’m gonna keep at it. They’re always books I’m really in the mood for at the start of the month but that does usually end up changing as the weeks go by. I still like having my TBRs as kind of a guide for each month.

Janauary I’m hoping to get off to a strong start so I’ve got 3 current reads I’m really hoping to finish soon, and then 4 other books that are top priorities.

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Currently Reading:

My favourite book covers of 2022!

Can somebody please tell me why I decided to fly home from America a week early meaning I need to get all my finals in before I leave to avoid stress and added complications? Jesus, the things I do just to see my dogs and have a homemade meal again.

I also need somebody to tell me to stop starting my assignements in the middle of the night. It’s 2am and I just finished writing one of my entire Final Projects :p

Really, I should sleep right now, but my brain and eyeballs are on fire so I’m gonna keeo rolling while the motivation is coming which is why I’m gonna talk about my favourite book covers of 2022!!

This is becoming a tradition on my blog. I love books and I love pretty things so it only makes sense to combine the two. Today I come to you with a list of 10 book covers I’m in love with, but you should check out my 2020 and 2021 favourites too!

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Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid

Imagine my surprise when I was scouring Goodreads for 2022 releases, just to re-fresh my brain, and I come across this book that I could have sworn was released last year. I’ve triple checked and nope, it is in fact a new release. Can’t believe I’ve missed this but I will happily gush about it here!]

Might just be me but this kind of reminds me of a stained glass window of an abandoned church or something. But yeah this book cover is great and I’ve heard the insides are just as good. Pretty sure this is a horror so it definitely matches that vibe.

I am absolutely heartbroken, however, because I’ve looked and this is not the cover for the UK version of this book. Why would they do this to me!

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Mid-Year Book Freak Out 2022!

It’s that time of year again folks!! The Mid-Year Freak Out tag is a book blogging staple and I love doing it every single year. We’ve officially survived the first six months of the year, only six more to go. In those six months I’ve read 61 books and I’m excited to reflect on those books today!

✨Past Mid-Year Freak Outs!✨ – 2019 // 2020 // 2021

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Best book you’ve read so far in 2022.

I did a whole blog post last week talking all about my favourite books of the year so far.

I think I included something like 8 books on that list but my definite favourite of the year so far is still really easy to point out: Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

This book was so goddamn addictive. I could not put it down and reading it was just one of those experiences where my brain couldn’t get enough.

My life now revolves around waiting for this TV show to premiere.

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ARC Review: The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake

Publication Date: March 1st 2022

The Alexandrian Society is a secret society of magical academicians, the best in the world. Their members are caretakers of lost knowledge from the greatest civilizations of antiquity. And those who earn a place among their number will secure a life of wealth, power, and prestige beyond their wildest dreams. Each decade, the world’s six most uniquely talented magicians are selected for initiation – and here are the chosen few…

– Libby Rhodes and Nicolás Ferrer de Varona: inseparable enemies, cosmologists who can control matter with their minds.
– Reina Mori: a naturalist who can speak the language of life itself.
– Parisa Kamali: a mind reader whose powers of seduction are unmatched.
– Tristan Caine: the son of a crime kingpin who can see the secrets of the universe.
– Callum Nova: an insanely rich pretty boy who could bring about the end of the world. He need only ask.

When the candidates are recruited by the mysterious Atlas Blakely, they are told they must spend one year together to qualify for initiation. During this time, they will be permitted access to the Society’s archives and judged on their contributions to arcane areas of knowledge. Five, they are told, will be initiated. One will be eliminated. If they can prove themselves to be the best, they will survive. Most of them.

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I’ve become obsessed with romance novels.

Once upon a time I said over and over that romance was my least favourite genre and that I especially never thought I’d like Adult Romance. Well, well, well how the turntables because fast forward a couple of years and here I am!

I really milked the romance cow back in February and I kinda feel bad about still going on the romance train BUT i realised I’ve not talked about up and coming New Adult romance books I’m interested in reading so I’m going to do that today!

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Terms & Conditions by Lauren Asher – February 24th

I’ve been seeing people reading Terms & Conditions over the last week since it’s release and I am so jealous!

The Dreamland Billionaire’s series follows the grandsons of the fictional version of Disney. Each grandson is given a task, I guess you could say, they have to complete in order to secure their shares in the company. The second book follows the eldest brother Declan who has to marry to secure his position and so he marries his assistant Iris.

I loved the first book in this series which I read late last year. I did a whole review on it in my grumpy/sunshine post if you want to check that out. I’d like to say for the record that I am anti-real-billionaire’s but fictional-billionaires are very fun to read about!

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