#WWWWednesday: 06 November

It’s time for another WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be answering these questions:

  1. What did you read last?
  2. What are you currently reading?
  3. What will you read next?

What did you read last?

I haven’t read a lot since last week. As mentioned on my Sunday Wrap Up, I got really sucked into a Webtoons vortex, which resulted in me putting aside any and all reads that I had planned. I’ve read two books in the past week (and many fun Webtoons series)!

Frankly in Love by David Yoon ★★★★☆
I ended up really enjoying Frank Li’s story, and although there were elements of it that I didn’t like, it wasn’t enough to affect how I felt about the story in general. Despite not being Asian-American or having had any experience living in America, I grew up internationally and moved around a lot, so reading about Frank’s experiences and thoughts about his cultural/identity really hit him for me. I didn’t manage to write the best or most coherent review, but it will be going up later tonight, so be on the look out if you want to know more 🙂

Under Locke by Mariana Zapata ★★★★ ½
Yes, I’m still slightly in the romance zone but I’m slowly starting to leave it behind. I’ve been wanting to read this one since Jen recommended it as she thought I’d love it, and she wasn’t wrong. I’m officially a big Zapata fan, and even though I still have a few of her books left to read, I think she might be an auto buy author from now on?! Nobody does slow burns like her and they’re always so damn satisfying. RTC.

What are you currently reading?

I’m reading Wicked Saints right now and it honestly kind of feels like I’ve been reading it for forever? It’s not that I’m not enjoying it while I’m reading it… But I feel like there’s something missing. I really can’t put my finger on it, but that element that hooks me in and keeps me wanting to go back to it every time I put it down is just not there. Right now I don’t mind putting it down and it will take me a long time to pick it back up. I think I’ve almost reached the 50% mark now, so let’s see how it goes!

What will you read next?

I think my mood is really calling for me to read Darkdawn right now, but maybe after finishing Wicked Saints I’ll be better off reading a different genre first? I might as well pick up my first NF of the month since I’m giving Nonfiction November a try! I’m tossing up between The Stranger Beside Me (true crime) or Good Talk (“a memoir in conversations” graphic novel). But can’t decide. Maybe a nice quick graphic novel would be good… Thoughts?

What are you currently reading? How’s your week and reading going?
Leave me a comment and let’s chat! 🙂

Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp [28]

We’re back with another Sundays in Bed With… meme! This meme dares to ask you what book has been in your bed this morning and is hosted by Midnight Book Girl. Come share what book you’ve been you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed with, or which book you wish you had time to read today!

This Sunday I would’ve liked to spend the day in bed with Wicked Saints (Something Dark and Holy #1) by Emily A. Duncan. I’m about 100+ pages into the story and while I’ve found it interesting while reading it, it’s taking a bit more time than I anticipated to get into it. The one “complaint” that many have mentioned about this book are the names and I have to agree that it can be quite confusing/trying. I thought there would be a glossary for how to say the names but apparently not… To be honest, I find myself going over the names repeatedly trying to sound them out in my head which sidetracks me from the actual story 😂 I do like it so far though, but hopefully I’ll get more into it tonight! I have a feeling once the action really picks up I won’t be able to put it down! Let’s see if my gut proves right on this… I really hope I like it because I got granted the second book as an e-ARC last month! 🙈

A girl who can speak to gods must save her people without destroying herself.
A prince in danger must decide who to trust.
A boy with a monstrous secret waits in the wings.

Together, they must assassinate the king and stop the war. In a centuries-long war where beauty and brutality meet, their three paths entwine in a shadowy world of spilled blood and mysterious saints, where a forbidden romance threatens to tip the scales between dark and light.

Wicked Saints is the thrilling start to Emily A. Duncan’s devastatingly Gothic Something Dark and Holy trilogy..

What are you currently reading?

Holy wow, it’s the first Sunday of November already! I feel like I’ve been sounding like a broken record every time I say this, but it’s absolutely true. I can’t believe the whole year has gone so quickly–where has the time all gone?! I can already feel all the October energy draining out of me and so I’m hoping that means I’ll be able to really settle into my routine from this week onwards. I’ve spent a portion of this weekend working (unfortunately) since the week had been frustrating with my brand new laptop breaking down (again) and pissing me right off. I regret moving on from my old laptop, which despite slowing down after 6 years of use, never actually gave me much trouble. Unlike this new one 🙄 I know it seems so trivial but I need a fast, functioning laptop for work as I design materials and the office laptops just can’t handle the design programs. *Le Super Sigh* but… not going to dwell on that. It is what it is, right?!

I went to watch Joker today and wow, friends. The movie doesn’t have the best ratings on Rotten Tomatoes but I still really enjoyed it! I thought Joaquin Phoenix gave such an incredible performance and (once again), I can’t imagine the impact getting into a role such as this would have on someone’s psyche. It was such a dark movie. But what can you expect when it’s a movie about how the Joker becomes the Joker? It was pretty heartbreaking? I mean, he’s definitely a psychopath but the system (and everyone in his life) really failed him and while I obviously don’t jam with all the killing, I really sympathized with his character. If you’re up for watching a movie that focuses more on character development and a little less on plot, and of course a story that’s psychologically dark, then I’d recommend it!

Reading & Blogging Recap

Although this week was a lot more chill compared to the previous weeks, I still only managed to finish two books during the week. I haven’t been doing much book reading this week but I have become obsessed with Webtoons. Some of these webtoons are damn amazing and whenever I discover a new one, I always get sucked right in and don’t stop reading until I find that I’ve devoured over 100 episodes in about two nights? Yeah, I definitely got sucked down the Webtoons Vortex this week and I have no regrets! Do any of you read Webtoons? Any favorites I should check out ASAP?

I think I’ve been doing better on the blogging front this week although I still ended up skipping two fo my weekly memes on Friday and Saturday. I was just not feeling inspired and knew I would struggle too much to write something so I just passed on them, but maybe I will catch up in the future! I’m still trying to get back into engaging more with other bloggers. Damn, that one week really sent me tripping huh? I’m sorry that I haven’t been as active with likes and comments on here as I was before. I don’t know what’s wrong with me–my brain just feels extra fried at the end of every work day and I don’t have the energy to spend more time behind the screen. I’ve definitely felt the loss to my blog though (and honestly I do feel a small part of me has fallen flat from not engaging) but I’m really trying my best to get back into the groove! For now, in case you missed any of my posts from this week, you can check them out below!

Review: Birthday Girl by Penelope Douglas
November Possibility Pile
October Monthly Wrap Up
First Lines Friday: 01 November
Review: The Dugout (Brentwood Baseball #2) by Meghan Quinn
The Book Blogger Memory Tag
Review: Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager
#WWWWednesday: 30 October
#TopTenTuesday: Spooky Books I’d Read If I Wasn’t A Chicken (Halloween Freebie)
Down the TBR Hole – 05
Goodreads Monday: 28 October

I’m leaving you with one of my favorite songs of the moment: Graveyard by Halsey. Serious girl crush.

How has your week been? Hope everyone has/had a great weekend!
Let me know how you’re doing in the comments and let’s chat, friends 🙂

#WWWWednesday: 30 October

It’s time for another WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be answering these questions:

  1. What did you read last?
  2. What are you currently reading?
  3. What will you read next?

What did you read last?

I haven’t been able to read as much as I’ve wanted to over the last week because life was still incredibly hectic but I’m slowly getting back into the groove and was happy with what I did read. It’s pretty clear from the list that I’m still on that romance kick and unfortunately, a few of the ones I read this past week were not my jam. I still have TONS of reviews to do but I promise they’re coming!

Falling For My Brother’s Best Friend by Piper Rayne ★★☆☆☆
Not even an Alaska setting could save this one for me and we all know how much I love Alaska settings!
Park Avenue Player by Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland ★★☆☆☆
Most misleading title ever and most disappointing Ward + Keeland book I’ve read to date.
The Dugout (Brentwood Baseball #2) by Meghan Quinn ★★★★½ (Yaas, gimme all that baseball!)
Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager ★★★★½
A chilling read that made me glad I never went to camp! My new favorite Sager.
To Have & Hate by Donna Alam ★★☆☆☆
I’m not gonna lie, I was objectifying the guy on the cover (he’s hot, please don’t judge me) and that’s why I decided to read this one. Welp, not my best decision 😅

What are you currently reading?

So I’m late for the buddy read because I totally forgot that I was also part of a Riley Sager buddy read and wow, bad organization panda! I’m about to finish up Frankly in Love tonight and… I’ve really been loving it and the fact that it’s more than just a love story. As a TCK I really relate to Frank’s cultural identity crisis and I was so ready to give five stars, but then Frank had to go and do something that made me so damn angry (I frankly don’t care what your damn ‘excuses’ are, Frank Li!) but let’s see how the rest of the story plays out.

What will you read next?

I want to give focus to Non-Fiction this November but I’m hoping to give Wicked Saints and Under Locke a read before diving into some non-fiction reads. I know me and I know that I won’t be able to stick to only non-fiction next month, so I’m definitely going to break it up with some more romances, maybe some SFF (THE TOLL!) and maybe even some thrillers. Also, eARCs need focus but we all know that 😅

What are you currently reading? How’s your week and reading going?
Leave me a comment and let’s chat 🙂

Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp [27]

We’re back with another Sundays in Bed With… meme! This meme dares to ask you what book has been in your bed this morning and is hosted by Midnight Book Girl. Come share what book you’ve been you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed with, or which book you wish you had time to read today!

This Sunday I spent the day in bed with Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager. In typical fashion, I’ve managed to sign myself up for TOO MANY group reads this month and until now I haven’t read any of the reads that have been scheduled for discussion this weekend. I’m a mood reader but I’ve never had so much trouble with following through on group reads before 😅 I usually manage to put down whatever I feel like reading and pick up what I’m meant to be reading but that hasn’t been the case over the last few months.

BUT I DIGRESS. Last Time I Lied is one of the books that is meant to be discussed this weekend (i.e. today) and I’ve only just started it. I’ve only read one other Sager book and although it was much slower in pace than I anticipated, I still really enjoyed it. I’ve heard lots of great things about this book of his, so I’m looking forward to seeing how I feel and whether it’s truly as creepy and thrilling as people say.

Have you ever played two truths and a lie?

Emma has. Her first summer away from home, she learned how to play the game. And she learned how to lie.

Then three of her new friends went into the woods and never returned . . .

Now, years later, Emma has been asked to go back to the newly re-opened Camp Nightingale. She thinks she’s laying old ghosts to rest but really she’s returning to the scene of a crime.

Because Emma’s innocence might be the biggest lie of all…

What are you currently reading?

It’s Sunday and I can’t even. We’ve also come to the end of October, with just a few days to go until November comes around. The last two weeks have been… Insane? One week was a holiday and the second week was diving straight back into high-intensity work loads due to it being the regional meetings. I’m wondering if I’m feeling extra tired because of the fact that I went from a pretty lazy holiday straight into an intense week without even one day of easing into things in between. I think I’ve managed to stretch myself pretty thin with everything this October and I’m trying not to let the guilt I feel at not being at the top of my game get me down. I’m feeling like there’s a lot of change coming in the last few months of 2019 and definitely in 2020. I’m just hoping that they all end up being positive ones!

Did I mention that the days are only continuing to get hotter here?! I want to keep my AC on 24/7 because honestly the days are stifling. The humidity is only increasing and the intensity of the sun’s heat down here is mind-numbingly hot.

Reading & Blogging Recap

Unsurprisingly due to the hectic life schedule, I’ve fallen quite behind on books and blogging over the last two weeks and the break in my regular programming has really disrupted my flow and my ability to get back into things. I’ve managed to read a decent number of books though and have noticed that I’m still very much in the contemporary romance mood and I think that’s mostly because I really don’t have to concentrate on the stories and I can still follow along fine. I’ve tried picking up some other reads that require more concentration and I find I so easily lose my place as I get lost in my own thoughts. Hopefully things pick up in November though!

One thing that I need to start working on in the coming week or at least at the weekend, is writing all the reviews I haven’t written for the books that I’ve read. Maybe it’s because I’m feeling extra lazy but I haven’t really been pushing myself to write the reviews down for the books right after I finish reading it when things are still fresh in my mind. As a result, I’m finding that I’m already forgetting why I loved or didn’t love a book. So these might all end up being mini-reviews! I’m trying not to feel guilty about it as there’s really no obligation (they’re not ARCs) for me to write these reviews, right? But I’ve really enjoyed writing reviews ever since starting my blog, so I think I’m just going through a funky phase where routine is disrupted and things feel a little bit in limbo? Anyway, before I digress even further and blather on about nothing, check out the posts I made this week below.

Friday Favorites: Magic Wielders
First Lines Friday: 24 October
eARC Graphic Novel Review: The Black Mage by Daniel Barnes & DJ Kirkland
Review: Rules for Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall
eARC Review: On The Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness (The Wingfeather Saga #1) by Andrew Petersen
WWWWednesday: 23 October
#TopTenTuesday: Fantasy Book Title Generator!
Goodreads Monday: 21 October
Down the TBR Hole – 04
Cover Reveal: His Royal Highness by R.S. Grey

I’d like to give a special shout out this week to Leelynn who recently featured me on her blog and I’m seriously still shook that there are bloggers out there who want to share more about me! I never in my wildest thoughts would’ve expected anything like this to happen when I started my book blog this year. Leelynn is one of my favorite bloggers and she is so incredibly supportive of everyone in the community! She is such a force of positivity and I’m so lucky to have met her through blogging and to be able to now call her my friend. If you haven’t done so already, I strongly urge you to check out her fun and amazing blog posts and give her a follow! I’m planning to share the blogger spotlight post on my blog in the coming week as well, not to toot my own horn or anything but to share Leelynn’s work and amazing thoughtfulness for featuring me on her blog! So much love 🧡💙💜

How has your week been? Hope everyone has/had a great weekend!
Let me know how you’re doing in the comments and let’s chat, friends 🙂

#WWWWednesday: 23 October

It’s time for another WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be answering these questions:

  1. What did you read last?
  2. What are you currently reading?
  3. What will you read next?

What did you read last?

HEY FRIENDS! As I’ve probably mentioned a time or two before this, I was off on a staycation in Bali last week when my friends had come to visit, and because we had so much time chilling by the poolside, I managed to squeeze in more reads than I expected (three to be exact)! I’ve been feeling lazy AF though and haven’t written reviews for the majority of these reads (and I’m already feeling my memory slipping on me ARGH! Why is memory so bad?)! I enjoyed the majority of my reads this past week but I think my favorites were: Serpent & Dove and Rules for Vanishing (YES, it’s a scary book! I don’t even know who I am anymore 😂)! I enjoyed These Witches Don’t Burn and The Sea of Lost Girls (e-ARC), but thought Birthday Girl, while pretty steamy, was just OK. I’m falling behind on SO MANY reviews and my memory is already failing me, so I’m hoping to get to writing some this weekend! *fingers crossed*

What are you currently reading?

I’ve got a few reads going at the moment because I can’t decide what to keep on reading. I’m part of a group read for Frankly in Love, which we’re discussing at the end of the week, so I should probs get rolling on that one. I’m not sure I’m in the right mood though, but I also don’t know what I’m in the mood for 😅I’ve also picked up Wicked Saints and I’m thinking of starting Under Locke as well (I’me excited to see it’s under 500 pages too!). I’m also part of a group read for a Lisa Jewell book but I can’t actually remember which book I should be reading? Haha I’m clearly on the ball this week! I’m so glad it’s already Wednesday although I won’t be catching a “break” until Saturday evening!

What will you read next?

This message will probably continue to stay unchanged for the foreseeable future: I’m still trying to give priority to several eARCs that are well overdue! I’m still hoping to read TH1RT3EN soon because I’ve seen a ton of people posting about it and I think it’d be great to stick to my goal of reading more creepy books this month. I’ve heard great things! Shadow Frost is also a bit of a priority since it was just published earlier this month but I’ve heard so many mixed reviews (mostly not so great ones) that it’s making me reluctant to read it 🤦🏻‍♀️

What are you currently reading? How’s your week going? I’m hoping my vacation-brain-mode deactivates soon! Leave me a comment and let’s chat 🙂

#WWWWednesday: 16 October

It’s time for another WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be answering these questions:

  1. What did you read last?
  2. What are you currently reading?
  3. What will you read next?

What did you read last?

Since the last check in, I’ve managed to finish four books! I’m really loving Mariana Zapata’s books and finished two in the last week alone. Although the formula to her stories isn’t all that complicated and not entirely unpredictable, I really enjoy the journey I go through with her characters. Sometimes it’s just really satisfying to get what you sign up for in these reads, you know? I finished Dear Aaron and Wait For It. Dear Aaron was alright but Wait For It had me smiling constantly. I also finally finished House of Salt and Sorrows and I also read Faker, another contemporary romance.

What are you currently reading?

I started Serpent & Dove yesterday and um… I love it so much?! Lou is so bad ass and why am I developing a soft spot for Reid?! I haven’t had much time to read since my friend is visiting, but I’m really fighting the desire to read this book non-stop! At the same time, because my friend is here I’ve decided that NOW IS THE TIME to start reading Rules for Vanishing. It’s… TERRIFYING. I’ve only managed to read a little bit but my toes are curling thinking about how scary this is sounding. I don’t honestly don’t know if I’ll be ready for the scary shit, with or without my friend here 😅

What will you read next?

I’m still trying to give priority to several eARCs that are well overdue! I’m still hoping to read TH1RT3EN soon because I’ve seen a ton of people posting about it and I think it’d be great to stick to my goal of reading more creepy books this month. I’ve heard great things! Shadow Frost is also a bit of a priority since it was just published earlier this month but I’ve heard so many mixed reviews (mostly not so great ones) that it’s making me reluctant to read it 🤦🏻‍♀️

What are you currently reading? How’s your week going?
Leave me a comment and let’s chat 🙂

Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp [26]

We’re back with another Sundays in Bed With… meme! This meme dares to ask you what book has been in your bed this morning and is hosted by Midnight Book Girl. Come share what book you’ve been you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed with, or which book you wish you had time to read today!

This Sunday I spent the day in bed with Faker by Sarah Smith. When I heard about this romance earlier in the year, I was super excited to get my hands on it because it’s an enemies-to-lovers romance, plus I’m always keen to see more diverse characters in this genre (the female MC is half Filipina). Have you heard of this one before?

Emmie Echavarre is a professional faker. She has to be to survive as one of the few female employees at Nuts & Bolts, a power tool company staffed predominantly by gruff, burly men.
From nine to five, Monday through Friday, she’s tough as nails–the complete opposite of her easy-going real self. One thing she doesn’t have to fake? Her disdain for coworker Tate Rasmussen. Tate has been hostile to her since the day they met. Emmie’s friendly greetings and repeated attempts to get to know him failed to garner anything more than scowls and terse one-word answers. Too bad she can’t stop staring at his Thor-like biceps… When Emmie and Tate are forced to work together on a charity construction project, things get…heated.
Emmie’s beginning to see that beneath Tate’s chiseled exterior lies a soft heart, but it will take more than a few kind words to erase the past and convince her that what they have is real.

What are you currently reading?

I CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S SUNDAY. HOW?! I’ve literally spent this weekend tucked up in bed because I’ve been whacked by the red wave out of the blue and I’ve been suffering from more pain than usual. I’ve been feeling so nauseated and dehydrated since Saturday despite drinking almost 2L of water a day, and this tropical heat isn’t helping at all! 🙁Why must we suffer so?! ANYWAY. That’s probably TMI so we’re moving on from this uneventful weekend news 😅

In other news, my bestie who I haven’t seen in four years is arriving tonight and will be staying with me in my shoebox flat for a week! Our friendship is the kind where we can pick up where we left off and I’m so glad that she’ll be visiting me because not only am I really looking forward to the time off I’ll be taking, but I think we both could really use some BFF time. This will mean that I’ll be pretty MIA on the blogosphere for a week or so, but I’m going to try to post as much as possible (and maybe even schedule some posts in advance?)!

Reading & Blogging Recap

I’ve been basically reading non-stop since Friday and managed to finish two books this weekend. If it isn’t obvious from my weekly check-ins and reviews, I’ve been on a little bit of a contemporary romance kick lately! There are books I feel like I “should” be reading right now but all my heart really seems to want is some romance 🤣Mariana Zapata style romance in particular–oh, those epic slow burns are just so damn good! Safe to say that I have been bingeing her books this week and despite them usually being over 650 pages on average, I always finish them in one night because I just CAN’T STOP READING! Aren’t those kinds of books the best? 😊

It’s been a week friends but WordPress is telling me that I’m on a 55-day posting streak so, woo me! But seeing as next week is gonna be hectic I’ll probably end up breaking this streak 😕 Hopefully not but we’ll see. I noticed that I’ve really not been posting reviews lately–I’ve been reading so much but just haven’t felt motivated to write reviews? EEK. I have quite a few to catch up on but I will get back to it. Also, I just wanted to apologize that I’ve been so MIA with engaging with all your wonderful posts. I’ve been feeling a cave-ish lately and have been trying to push out of that mindset, but it’s been a struggle, friends… Thank you all for not deserting me and continuing to engage with me on my blog though! Mad appreciation and love to you all 💜For now, here’s a wrap up of all the posts I did this week, in case you missed them:

Top 5 Saturday: Books that Cast A Spell On Me!
#Blogtober: Witchy YA
Friday Favorites: Childhood Favorites (Pt. II)
First Lines Friday: 11 October
Review: The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman
The Netgalley Book Tag!
#Blogtober: Reading Challenge Update
eARC Review: My Life as Marlee by Victoria Anders
WWWWednesday: 09 October
#TopTenTuesday: Falling in Love with Book Characters!
eARC Graphic Novel Review: Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker, Wendy Xu
Down the TBR Hole – 03
Goodreads Monday: 07 October

I’m leaving you with one of the tracks that has been on constant repeat for me this week. YEBBA’s voice is MAGIC. Not only does her sultry tone suck you in but her range and power is incredible! And honestly I’m just a sucker for Mark Ronson 💚

How has your week been? Hope everyone has/had a great weekend!
Let me know how you’re doing in the comments and let’s chat, friends 🙂

#WWWWednesday: 09 October

It’s time for another WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be answering these questions:

  1. What did you read last?
  2. What are you currently reading?
  3. What will you read next?

What did you read last?

I managed to finish four books since last Wednesday! I finally finished The Bookish Life of Nina Hill yesterday and even though I didn’t fall head over heels for the cast of very quirky characters, I still thought this was an adorable read! Nina was such a great bookish character and the whole story in general was very quirky and charming! Fairlady, Vol. 1 was a fantasy graphic novel that I enjoyed for the world building but I was disappointed that the stories were so disconnected. My Life As Marlee was an ARC I got from Book Sirens and which I’m so proud of finishing before the deadline (this is sad really lol)! While the book started off well for me, I didn’t end up enjoying the rest of the story as much as I thought I would. Maybe I’m just too old and cynical for these types of YA romances? The Wall of Winnipeg and Me was by far my favorite out of all of these and I’m so glad I picked up another Zapata book after being somewhat let down by the first of hers that I read. I’m a fan of the slow burn romance and this was one heckuva slow burn but never have I been so damn satisfied by it! All the reviews for these books are coming as soon as I finish getting my thoughts down and organizing them coherently 😅

What are you currently reading?

I’ve been reading House of Salt and Sorrows since last week and it’s taking me so long only because my last week was hella busy and I didn’t have as much time to read it at night, but it’s mostly because I’m too scared to read it alone at night in my flat. I’ve been trying to read it at work during my lunch breaks but people keep chatting to me 🙃and I’m trying to be a little less anti-social at work LOL that said, I’m almost done and I really don’t want to wait until tomorrow to continue reading it but will I be able to conquer the chicken in me? Not sure. It’s creepier than I thought it’d be!!! I’m also reading Dear Aaron by Mariana Zapata, which I started late last night as my melatonin was kicking in and will continue to read tonight, I think. I’ve been really bingeing on romances lately, it seems to be the mood I’ve settled in for now!

What will you read next?

I’m still trying to give priority to several eARCs that are well overdue! Even though I’m *obviously* not doing as well as I’d hoped in tackling them, there’s still time to improve! I’m hoping to read TH1RT3EN next because I’ve seen a ton of people posting about it and I think it’d be great to stick to my goal of reading more creepy books this month. I’ve heard great things! Shadow Frost is also a bit of a priority since it was just published 01 October! 🤦🏻‍♀️

What are you currently reading? How’s your week going?
Leave me a comment and let’s chat 🙂

Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp [25]

We’re back with another Sundays in Bed With… meme! This meme dares to ask you what book has been in your bed this morning and is hosted by Midnight Book Girl. Come share what book you’ve been you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed with, or which book you wish you had time to read today!

I stayed up well into Sunday morning (the sun was out and the neighborhood coming to life) in order to finish reading The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata and then managed to catch a few hours of zzz’s before finishing getting up to finish The Bookish Life of Nina Hill.

Vanessa Mazur knows she’s doing the right thing. She shouldn’t feel bad for quitting. Being an assistant/housekeeper/fairy godmother to the top defensive end in the National Football Organization was always supposed to be temporary. She has plans and none of them include washing extra-large underwear longer than necessary.

But when Aiden Graves shows up at her door wanting her to come back, she’s beyond shocked. For two years, the man known as The Wall of Winnipeg couldn’t find it in him to tell her good morning or congratulate her on her birthday. Now? He’s asking for the unthinkable.
What do you say to the man who is used to getting everything he wants?

Meet Nina Hill: A young woman supremely confident in her own…shell. The only child of a single mother, Nina has her life just as she wants it: a job in a bookstore, a kick-butt trivia team, a world-class planner and a cat named Phil. If she sometimes suspects there might be more to life than reading, she just shrugs and picks up a new book.

When the father Nina never knew existed suddenly dies, leaving behind innumerable sisters, brothers, nieces, and nephews, Nina is horrified. They all live close by! They’re all–or mostly all–excited to meet her! She’ll have to Speak. To. Strangers. It’s a disaster! And as if that wasn’t enough, Tom, her trivia nemesis, has turned out to be cute, funny, and deeply interested in getting to know her. Doesn’t he realize what a terrible idea that is?

Nina considers her options.
1. Completely change her name and appearance. (Too drastic, plus she likes her hair.)
2. Flee to a deserted island. (Hard pass, see: coffee).
3. Hide in a corner of her apartment and rock back and forth. (Already doing it.)

It’s time for Nina to come out of her comfortable shell, but she isn’t convinced real life could ever live up to fiction. It’s going to take a brand new family, a persistent suitor, and the combined effects of ice cream and trivia to make her turn her own fresh page.

What are you currently reading?

This last week was ridiculously busy. Mum was over and left Saturday morning at the butt crack of dawn and I drove her to the airport and then I came home and fell asleep for way too long. Oops? After that I went out to the cinema for the first time in ages and watched Abominable with my bestie. It was ADORABLE! I had no clue what it was about other than it looked cute and exactly what I needed! I loved that it was set in Asia (China) because it’s still so rare to see diverse mainstream movies, especially cartoons. DreamWorks definitely delivered all the cuteness and laughs that I was looking for and I left the theater feeling giggly and buoyant!

This week was (unsurprisingly) super busy with lots of family things because mum was around. We also had some old family friends visiting, which meant more late nights with dinners and socializing after work. It left me completely drained of energy at the end of every night, so I think I really needed a weekend doing as little as possible. I just realized that October is going to be a really busy month with next week being the only one I have to myself until the end of the month. I have some besties coming to visit me for a little over a week and I’m planning to take a few days off from work to spend time with them. After that the office is having the second round of annual meetings and then the month will be over. I’m finding it ridiculous how quickly time is flying!

Reading & Blogging Recap

It was a pretty meh week on the reading and blogging front. Most nights I would normally spend reading was spent out socializing and when we got home, it was spent chatting with mum. It’s moments like these that I miss living closer to my parents (even though only live a short flight over). As it usually is with mothers and daughters, it got a bit rocky sometimes (especially with mum staying over with me in my tiny flat), but it was nice having her around even if it meant I was reading less. The only books I managed to finish this week are the ones I mentioned above. I’m still going on with House of Salt and Sorrows but I haven’t read anymore since Friday night because it’s a lot spookier than I expected and now I’m alone at home and not sure if I can tuck my chicken away and continue reading at night? I’ll bring the book to work and see if I can finish it over my lunch breaks in the coming week!

Despite how hectic the week was I’m impressed that I still managed to post every day, even if it was only one post per day, this week though! Here’s a quick recap of what I posted, in case you missed it:

Top 5 Saturday: Books with the Scariest Covers!
Friday Favorites: Favorite Characters That Other People Hate!
First Lines Friday: 04 October
Summer Bucket List Book Tag!
September Monthly Wrap Up!
WWWWednesday: 02 October
Review: Two Weeks Notice by Whitney G
#TopTenTuesday: Books with Numbers in the Title!
Down the TBR Hole – 02
Goodreads Monday: 30 September

I’m leaving you with one of my favorite (if not my favorite) tracks from TS’s latest album, Lover. I’m still obsessed with this album and it’s kept me company in the background as I read all day today!

How has your week been? Hope everyone has/had a great weekend!
Let me know how you’re doing in the comments and let’s chat, friends 🙂

#WWWWednesday: 02 October

It’s time for another WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be answering these questions:

  1. What did you read last?
  2. What are you currently reading?
  3. What will you read next?

What did you read last?

🎉I FINALLY FINISHED PRIORY OF THE ORANGE TREE LAST WEEK! 🎉

Excuse the all caps because I was SO excited that I managed to finish that hunk of a tome before the end of September. I was so certain that I’d be reading it straight through to October. I still haven’t written my review for it because I’m still not really sure how I feel about it. I enjoyed reading it and when I had it in my hands I would be speeding(ish) through the pages; but when I put it down I didn’t feel compelled to pick it back up again. I knew that I couldn’t have set it down to just read any other book too as I’d probably never come back to it 😂But I still enjoyed it. I think? Anyway, my review will hopefully be coming soon! I binged The Perfect Moment (review coming soon) and Two Weeks Notice (my review for Two Weeks Notice). on Friday night/Saturday morning (yes, both in one night lol) because my soul was craving something super light and fluffy after Priory, and I had no regrets staying up all night reading!

What are you currently reading?

I was feeling restless not knowing what I wanted to read after binging on two contemporary romances after finishing Priory last week, but I ended up choosing The Bookish Life of Nina Hill on a whim the other day and I’ve been speeding through it! The style is not at all what I expected and I wasn’t sure how I felt about Nina at the start, but the style and characters have grown on me. There’s a lot of quirkiness going on in this book and I’m actually really here for it! I’ve laughed aloud countless times since I started and it’s giving me some lightness that I need right now.

What will you read next?

Okay y’all, I have TONS of books outside of my ‘possibility pile’ that I need to get to this October before even turning to look at the ones I want to read! These definitely fall in the ‘must read’ category because they’re eARCs. I’m gonna give priority to several eARCs that are well overdue (I’m sorry pls don’t judge me) and ones whose pub dates are very quickly approaching! I’m actually pretty annoyed at myself for thinking the Shadow Frost pub date was later this month when it was actually yesterday! 🤦🏻‍♀️Epic fail, Dini! I’ve had this e-ARC for a while so I’m annoyed at my ability to push things off until they’re overdue. Someone tell me, why isn’t this a skill we actually need in life?! Lol

What are you currently reading? How’s your week going?
Leave me a comment and let’s chat 🙂