my favorite books of 2022!

Hello, friends!

I am coming to you so incredibly late, and I am sorry for that. I was really hoping I would have the chance to post this earlier but life has been a mess of working too much, being too exhausted during my time off and feeling bad about not being able to post/blog hop. I will be better about it, I promise!

So in a very self-indulgent way, as I love looking back on these posts and reminding myself of my favorites of the year, I am here to share my ten favorite books I read in 2022:

DESERVING OF MORE HYPE

I didn’t know much about APPLE: SKIN TO THE CORE going into it, but I was so blown away by how much I enjoyed it, despite the format. It is entirely written in verse and recounts the author’s experience living between the Onondaga and Tuscarora nations from his family’s legacy, to his own upbringing and future.

At the end of the book, the author mentions how each section was inspired by a different album by The Beatles, which was reflected in the themes of each poem or even in the metric of the verses to match the songs! As soon as I read that, all I wanted to do was go back to the beginning and re-read the whole thing paying closer attention to these references.

Even though most of the poems were in free verse, you could still tell how much effort and thought was put in each one of them to create a unique sound.

One event that happened in Gansworth’s life and that certainly perpetuates the whole book is the loss of the house he grew up in to a fire back in the 90s. You can tell by the poems how much losing all of the photos, memorabilia and physical memories of his childhood impacted him and I was really able to see the book as a way to preserve the legacy of his family for eternity.

 

THE PERFECT ROM-COM

I do find very hard to find perfect rom-coms these days. I think most of the time they end up being an unbalanced medium of 70% com 30% rom or the other way around, and yet I found THE MISTLETOE MOTIVE to be the perfect 50/50.

I am not into enemies to lovers as a trope, but I found that Chloe Liese was able to find the perfect trope between entertaining and believable with these two. I loved the humor and the amount of passion between them in the same amount.

Lastly, I need to mention how great it was to read a romance book that features two disabled protagonists and to see that being mentioned and present during every scene – including the intimate ones – and yet to have that not be the focus of the book. These characters were so much more than their disability, but it was still a relevant part of their lives that impact the way they interact with the world!

 

MOST RELATABLE

As soon as I finished ICEBREAKER, I knew this was exactly the category it would fit in my “favorites of the year” list. This book was so surprisingly adorable and also heartbreakingly relatable.

To start with the not-as-deep layers, I need to mention how the “rivals to lovers” romance was such a good one, especially with the “rivals AND lovers” twist as the characters would pretend rivalry to the public while hooking up in private. Absolutely hysterical and amazing. I also loved how the side characters felt so vibrant and real, not like they were only existing to orbitate around our protagonist.

But what I really, really loved about this book was the mental health representation. Mickey, the main character, is struggling with depression, but it takes him a long time to come to terms with it. You can see throughout the story how much this is affecting him – his friendships, his grade, even his relationship with hockey, the sport he’s played his whole life – but Mickey feels as though he is not “allowed” to be depressed because nothing really bad has happened to him and he has a supportive family and friend group. To watch him learn how depression just works like that and chooses you regardless of your past, and also to accept help and to realize he doesn’t have to go through everything alone was so beautiful and made me feel so seen.

 

BIGGEST SURPRISE

Once again, I have to mention SUPER FAKE LOVE SONG as the biggest surprise of 2022, mostly because David Yoon’s debut book had been an absolute no for me. But this one made me feel all the possible feelings.

While I really disliked the romance in Yoon’s Frankly In Love, I found it to be surprisingly endearing in this one, even if the protagonist is technically lying to his girlfriend for most of the book. I also loved the supportive and loving friend group and the growth of their bond throughout the story.

David Yoon writes humor really well and I found myself laughing out loud at times. What really impacted me, though, was how emotional it also made me feel, especially with the relationship between Sunny – the MC – and Gray – his brother. You can see how much these characters care and respect each other, how much they look up to one another and yet how they struggle to convey that and actually communicate their feelings. I loved their dynamic so much and it was absolutely the highlight of the novel for me.

 

BEST WRITTEN

I don’t think there’s really any other answer but ONE OF THE GOOD ONES. I was so surprised to learn that this is only the author’s sophomore release, because there’s so many things going on in this story and somehow everything works??

This novel jumps between different timelines, mostly a past and present one but some chapters are written several years in the past, back in the 1960s. You also have a jump in perspectives, with multiple points of views and yet all of them felt equally engaging and interesting????? Like, that is SO rare to find in books, as I feel like there will always be that one perspective you’ll be hoping to get more or less of, but this was incredibly balanced.

I also love the way it discussed different themes, such as the idea of “being one of the good ones” and how this really is just a toxic idea to turn oppressed groups against each other; the legacy of black people in America and the way social media impacts individuals and helps foster white supremacy. To have that and so much more be discussed in a YA novel that is formatted in such a unique way – I have to give it to these authors, they were outstanding.

 

FAVORITE NEW RELEASE

I was so happily surprised by the quality of THE LESBIANA’S GUIDE TO CATHOLIC SCHOOL, as it was a debut novel and I didn’t know much of what to expect.

I really appreciated how this was a coming of age story but not necessarily a coming out one, as I feel like we need more stories like these in YA, that normalize taking your time and respecting your own boundaries and how this doesn’t make your queerness any less valid.

I also loved the approach to mental health and the different experiences shown on page and how the main character really learns how she’s not able to help other people if she isn’t in a good state herself.

Lastly, the message around the power of love and how it changes people was so heart warming for what was also such a heartbreaking book. I really really loved it!

 

BEST RE-READ

I don’t think many of you will be surprised to see another appearance of Brigid Kemmerer in my favorites list, as I feel like she’s one of those authors that truly gets the feelings I want in my contemporary stories.

The first time I read LETTERS TO THE LOST, it had been a few months since I had read Call It What You Want so I couldn’t stop comparing the two. But the second time around, I was able to appreciate Letters for what it really is and it was just such an experience.

I recall picking this up while waiting for my parents at a mall and I simply devoured 80% of the book while sitting there for a few hours. It’s one of those stories that is so heartbreaking but addictive and impossible to put down.

I love these characters so much and their journey to finding themselves again after having gone through so much is so beautiful. I love how they push each other to healing while hurting as well and everything – from the writing, to the side characters, to the romance, to the themes – is legit perfect.

Also: I love Declan now.

 

BEST ADULT ROMANCE

I am honestly still mad that the BookTok girlies haven’t made FOOL ME ONCE famous yet. This book is so good??? Where’s the hype for it c’mon!

I didn’t think politics and romance was a good mesh (from having been burned before by the RW&RB fiasco) but this book proved me wrong. I was so entertained by every single chapter and every weird thing the characters would get themselves into.

I was also blown away by the tenderness and passion of the romance. This book offered some of the best dialogues I had read in a while and I was swooning over these characters in a way I could’ve never expected!

I felt like this was the perfect combination of beautiful, swoon-worthy romance and hilarious dialogues and moments. It truly is the rom-com of my dreams.

 

BY A FAVORITE AUTHOR

Lyssa Kay Adams does it again! Granted, it had been a while since I had last picked up any book by her and I was purposefully avoiding continuing the Bromance Book Club series as I had heard mediocre reviews for books #2 and #3, but then book #4 – ISN’T IT BROMANTIC – came out and the reviews were good, the premise was just what I needed and, indeed, I was right! This was AMAZING!

This did contain every single one of my favorite tropes, so it was a favorite pretty instantly. Still, I love how the execution was able to expand on the tropes and give me even more of what I didn’t know I needed.

I love how Vlad was such a passionate man and some of his lines had me actually blushing. I loved Elena’s development and the relationship she builds with Vlad’s ridiculous group of housewife-friends. Even though the thriller-esque ending was a bit too much, I still had so much fun with this book it was ridiculous.

 

BEST BOOK OF 2021

I mentioned this book in my mid-year book tag, and it’s still here as the best book I read all year!

BAD BLOOD had the potential of being a lot of the same – I had consumed a lot of content regarding the Elizabeth Holmes/Theranos case, as podcasts, documentaries and numerous YouTube videos have been done about it, but the book still had new information to offer.

I really loved the sections that went into the beginning of the company and how it was built from lies and deceit from the start, as well as Carreyrou’s journey in being threatened by Theranos’ lawyers and still fighting to keep his sources and his story.

The writing was also extremely engaging and interesting. It felt like a thriller, even though it is non fiction, and I found myself not being able to stop reading even when I knew exactly how it ended!

Please, please, please do let me know in the comments: have you read any of these books? Did they make it to your list of favorites? What was the best book you read in 2022?

the most disappointing books of 2022!

Hello, friends!

It’s been a while! I didn’t mean to take an impromptu hiatus but a lot has happened over the past few weeks.

For starters, I’m writing this from my dorm room in Orlando, Florida as I am participating in the Disney International College Program! I am currently working in Animal Kingdom and will be until February. It’s been an experience, to say the least. Not enjoyable for the most part, but I’m hoping to do a few more exciting things before I leave that will hopefully make this worth it.

Because I was preparing for this three-month long trip and also because I was facing a total reader’s crisis and reading slump, I ghosted for the past four weeks. But I am back for the best time of the year: wrapping-up all the books I read in 2022!

Let’s start with the worst & most disappointing ones! I will also be sprinkling some HSMTMTS screenshots to make this a bit more fun and not so negative all the time.

ONE. THE FOURTH TIME CHARM BY MAYA HUGHES

While not the most disappointing book of 2022, since I didn’t have high expectations going into it, this book was still annoying AF. I hated all the characters and it didn’t help that, even though this was released only a couple of years ago, it doesn’t even pass The Bechdel Test because every other side character is a man. It was so weirdly misogynystic and not hot at all. Just a complete, total mess full of Chads.

 

 

 

TWO. THIS WILL BE FUNNY SOMEDAY BY KATIE HENRY

Definitely a more clueless character than Seb was the protagonist for THIS WILL BE FUNNY SOMEDAY. I had hopes as I had previously really loved Katie Henry’s writing, but I hated how the side characters constantly had to educate our protagonist on social issues that affected them. They ended up being not much outside of their oppressions which is not exactly good representation (laughs nervously). The fact the main character seemed to be first learning about misogyny at her big age of 16 years old was… very jarring to read.

 

 

THREE. THE CHANDLER LEGACIES BY ABDI NAZEMIAN

There’s nothing worse than the feeling like the author really is just trauma dumping as much as he can to get a reaction out of the readers and, hopefully, some likability for his characters. Unfortunately, that’s not really how it works. THE CHANDLER LEGACIES offered me no plot but constant “character introductions” until the 80% mark and then rushed with a conflict that felt so underdeveloped and like a complete afterthought. Also, it doesn’t matter how many bullying scenes you include, this will not help with me liking your characters unless they have an *actual* personality.

 

 

FOUR. CAZADORA BY ROMINA GARBER

The thing I loved the most about LOBIZONA was how easy it was for me to feel connected to Manu and resonate with her struggles. This sequel, though, took out so much of her inner monologue that it really felt like I was just watching her go through stuff but not actually *reacting* to any of that stuff. It was so sad to see something I had enjoyed so much be completely absent for the second book. It was also really sad that this was supposed to be a duology but it clearly won’t be which means now I have to wait for a third one.

 

 

 

FIVE. A SKY BEYOND THE STORM, BY SABAA TAHIR

I really wanted to convince myself that Laia would not ruin this series for me, but she kinda did. To be fair, a lot of this last book is a mess. The book’s pacing is an actual tragedy, with the author making a bunch of dumb decisions to buy herself a few more pages, and incredibly repetitive chapters. I also hated that the political landscape, which was SO interesting and made this series SO unique was completely forgotten and taken over by the fantasy plot that ultimately ended with the cringey and corny message that “love saves it all”. Very much YA energy indeed.

 

 

SIX. FAMOUS IN A SMALL TOWN BY EMMA MILLS

(This sounds like something an Emma Mills character would say)

It is true that there’s nothing wrong with this, but I was so let down as someone who had really enjoyed Emma Mills in the past. The conclusion to the big “mystery” in this book is so convenient it hurts and not satisfying at all. I also felt like the side characters are forgiven way too quickly and the protagonist sounded exactly like all the other Emma Mills’ protagonists – her biggest fault is that she’s nice and she’s a chronic people pleaser. Yeah, seen this before. TWICE. Let’s revamp, please!

 

 

 

SEVEN. DARIUS THE GREAT DESERVES BETTER BY ADIB KHORRAM

Again, I wanted to like this so bad! But it was such a mess. The love triangle involved the “bully’s best friend” (yikes) and a cardboard cutout of a character whose only personality trait was that “sex was very important to him (double yikes). The characters weren’t even good enough to be unlikable! The scenes were incredibly repetitive, coupled with a mechanic writing style that didn’t allow for any good conclusions to be drawn on page by the characters. Everything was so superficially discussed and it was even worse that the major thing Sohrab – the awesome side character and Darius’ best friend – was going through happened exclusively off page because the author just didn’t feel like intertwining this incredibly important character with the main plot in a way that was actually good.

 

EIGHT. HUSBAND MATERIAL BY ALEXIS HALL

Live footage of me as I finished this book. Y’all, this was absolutely the biggest betrayal of 2022. I still have not recovered. I LOVE Boyfriend Material aka the first book. I had it in my list of best reads of 2021. I was living for the sequel. HUSBAND MATERIAL is so terrible though omg. The book’s pacing is a mess, we see so much more of the side characters than the actual protagonists and all their scenes are just a repetition of the same conflict again and again and again without ever coming to any kind of satisfying resolution. It was such a stupid conflict too and didn’t make any sense to begin with. The ending of this book was so fucking frustrating and I seriously need all authors to stop writing sequels for their standalone books and ruining my life.

 

So, friends: what was the worst book you read in 2022 and why? Was there any major betrayal from an author you had really trusted in the past? Let’s chat in the comments!

gothtober 2022 wrap up!

Hello, friends!

October was possibly the best reading month of the year for me – not only I finished 10 books, but I definitely ventured out *a lot* of my comfort zone and picked up different titles outside of my typical YA contemporaries. Not all of them were hits, but the end of the month was certainly a lot better!

For the staple prompts:

BAME READ

★★★★☆

While THE LEGEND OF SKELETON MAN is technically middle grade, it was certainly spooky and it left me scared while reading it. The edition I picked up was a bind up of the two books, and I think I liked the first one better. It has slight Series of Unfortunate Events vibes, with Molly’s parents going missing one night and a distant uncle she’s never heard of misteriously showing up to take her custody. I found that the pacing of the first book was perfection and I really enjoyed following Molly going through everything herself. In the second one, we have a few more side characters, and I found it to be more slow paced and not as scary, but I really enjoyed the setting of this old hotel in the mountains and the intertwining of other native folklore from other parts of the world.

 

LGBT READ

★★★★☆

TIM TE MARO AND THE SUBTERRANEAN HEARTSTICK BLUES was a lovely surprise! I had only heard Adri talking about it, but they convinced me to read it and I am ultimately glad that I did. The book is not perfect – I’m afraid some parts needed to be better edited, with more showing and less telling; the worldbuilding of this fantasy world is essentially non-existent; and the plotlines outside of the romance were never really concluded. Nonetheless, I had such a good time with this! The humor was on point, the characters are adorable, it has absurd moments like a full-on fanfiction and if you’re a fan of idiots-in-love as a trope, you can not go wrong with this one!

 

 

DISABILITY READ

Trigger warnings: panic attacks, discussions of anxiety/PTSD

★★★☆☆

I think I mentioned in my initial TBR post that I was excited to read BET ON IT because it featured a bingo sex game and that sounded hilarious and steamy. It turns out that what the author meant by this was not “characters getting themselves in progressively freakier sex situations in order to hit a bingo” but rather “the characters get to have sex whenever they win at bingo” – and considering neither one of them is particularly good at it, you can sort of guess the level of steam with this one. I thought the discussions on anxiety/PTSD and the way it impacts peoples’ lives and also how the main characters grew in terms of their relationship with said issues was important, but I didn’t care for much of anything outside that. The relationship pacing and development was slow and too “realistic” and the writing was full of unnecessary details that made it boring to read at times.

And as for the prompts that were chosen for me through the TBR game:

 

READ A GOTHIC MOOD READ

Trigger warnings: drug use, discussions of sexual assault, suicidal thoughts and suicide attempt, loss of a loved one.

★★★★☆

I picked up one of the most hyped books of last year – THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE. While an overwhelming amount of readers I know gave this book 4 or 5 stars, I had heard negative reviews and was wondering where I would fall. Ultimately, I enjoyed it! It is true that nothing really happens for like, 70% of it, and it’s mostly the characters walking from different places in different towns, lol. But I think V.E Schwab is a very talented writer and I loved her descriptions and atmospheres. I also really, really enjoyed the characters: Henry was fantastic and deeply relatable; Addie had a beautiful journey that was remarkable to follow; and Luc was charming and haunting as I expected him to be. While I wouldn’t call this a new favorite, I did think it was overall a worthwhile reading experience.

 

 

READ A BOOK BY A COMFORTING AUTHOR

★★★★☆

It might be considered cheating that I chose BETTER THAN THE MOVIES for this prompt, because I had never read anything by Lynn Painter before. But after reading it, I can attest this was the most comforting read of the whole month. Filled with rom com references, well known tropes and an indisputable similarity to the To All the Boys series, this one was definitely a fun ride. I appreciated our main character’s journey and the romance was super swoon worthy. However, the protagonist’s relationship with her best friend made me very mad – the best friend, Jocelyn, was never made responsible for judging and mistreating Liz which is why Liz feels like she can not tell her about what’s actually happening. Sorry, but if your friends can’t come clean to you about something they’ve done, it’s because you’re a shitty friend. Period.

 

READ A BOOK WITH A HIDDEN ANTAGONIST

Trigger warnings: drug use, violence, body horror, death of an animal, discussions of sexual assault.

★★☆☆☆

I mostly picked out MY BEST FRIEND’S EXORCISM on a whim, as I am not a horror fan, but it seemed to have an interesting premise and I love all media set in the 80s. That aspect was definitely fun and it transported me very easily. I did find most of the writing to be very gruesome and gross, and the one thing that bothered me the most was how unnecessarily sexual it was – especially considering the characters were 15 and this was written by an adult man. I don’t think I’ll ever be reading by Grady Hendrix in the future, but I’m still glad I had this experience – mostly because it was totally out of my comfort zone and I was wondering if I’d be even able to finish it. But I did, so good for me!

 

 

READ A BOOK WITH WATER ON THE COVER

★★★☆☆

I ended up re-reading THE WICKED DEEP this month and I’ll never shut up about how this book really is perfect for this time of year. I don’t think it is a perfect novel by any means – the pacing of the relationship is very unrealistic, with the characters falling in love after two interactions; and a lot of the plot doesn’t make sense/is too convenient. However, Shea Earnshaw creates such an atmospheric and eeriee vibe with her setting of Sparrow. I love the flashback chapters where we get to read about what happened to the sisters 200 years ago and to other characters too. The writing is my favorite part and why I keep coming back to this one.

 

 

READ A BOOK WHERE YOU CAN’T TRUST ANYONE

Trigger warning: kidnapping, isolation, PTSD and panic attacks, mentions of sexual assault

DARK ROOM ETIQUETTE was a highly anticipated release for me and I still have no idea how to feel about it. I knew going into it that it was going to be a very disturbing and triggering read for me, as kidnapping is not something I can easily read about. Robin Roe is a very talented writer and it’s understandable why this book took her so long to write – how differently Sayers’ perspective feels from Daniel’s and afterwards too, when Sayers’ is processing his trauma, is honestly impressive. However, there are a lot that feels unrealistic and sometimes, underdeveloped. I wish we had given a bit more detail to what happened in the “outside world” immediately after Sayers’ kidnapping and after his return too. Nonetheless, as a story of hope, this book does the job, despite it being such a hard one to read at times.

 

READ A BOOK WITH A PLOT TWIST

Trigger warnings: self-harm, sexual assault, bullying and homophobia.

★☆☆☆☆

I think it’s funny that I chose this book for this specific prompt, because it barely had any plot whatsoever, moreover a plot twist. To be fair, I do think there is one small one, but THE CHANDLER LEGACIES took such a long time to happen – by the 75% mark, there was still no plot whatsoever, and the way all the perspectives intersect over the one conflict happens literally in the second to last chapter of the book. The resolution is rushed and the build up is so underwhelming. I feel like there was a lot of potential to show the different reactions over the “plot twist”, which centers on the mentor of the group being exposed, but even that happens so fast. It felt like the main conflict was an absolute afterthought, even though the author claims that was the message he wanted to convey the whole time. Most of this book is just the characters trauma dumping and going from one place to another. Not a good one, tbh.

Have you read any of these books? If so, what are your thoughts? Do you fall in the love Addie LaRue or hate Addie LaRue category? Do you read books even though you know they might be triggering? Let’s chat in the comments!

kaleidoscope of tropes #8: fake identity

Hello, friends!

I can’t believe myself I am finally bringing back this feature in my blog. I think I’ve been sadly uninspired to write posts on tropes considering how popular they’ve become of a discussion in media, which makes no sense, because the rise in popularity should’ve made me more excited to talk about them but alas… that was not the case.

But FINALLY, I am back!!!!! And I am here to share with you a recent favorite.

But first:

WHAT IS A TROPE?

In storytelling, a trope is just that — a conceptual figure of speech, a storytelling shorthand for a concept that the audience will recognize and understand instantly. Above all, a trope is a convention. It can be a plot trick, a setup, a narrative structure, a character type, a linguistic idiom… you know it when you see it. (source)

And today’s is:

FAKE IDENTITY

I don’t think I had realized how much a fake identity story works for me but I certainly love following characters going through all kinds of ventures to keep up a façade, low-key lying to other people and then having to do the walk-of-shame as they come clean about what they’ve done but claiming, underneath it all, IT WAS REAL ALL ALONG!!!!!!! We love, love a cliché.

EXHIBIT #A: SUPER FAKE LOVE SONG, BY DAVID YOON

In this one we follow Sunny Dae, a self-proclaimed nerd who wants to impress this new girl in town, Cirus. Accidentally, he ends up showing her to his brother’s room instead of his own and seeing the band posters and cool guitars, she assumes Sunny is into music and part of a band – which he’s very much not, but doesn’t really have the heart to tell her.

You can imagine that building a relationship based on the lie that you are a musician, in a band, who loves rock is not great, to say the least. But I still loved and rooted for Sunny so hard throughout the whole thing!!!!

Mostly because as a teenager, he’s still figuring himself out so while trying out this “new” Sunny persona, he starts to realize he might enjoy some parts of it – music, playing an instrument, being closer to his brother…

I also love how supportive his friends were in joining him on his lie even though they really didn’t have to. A+ friend group for sure.

EXHIBIT #B: THIS WILL BE FUNNY SOMEDAY, BY KATIE HENRY

OK, OK, it is true that I did not love this book and may have even given it a 2 star. But I *have* to recommend it because it’s certainly a messy fake identity case.

In this one, our protagonist Isabel lives life as a shadow of herself – she can never really speak her mind in class, her siblings are constantly outshining her and her boyfriend is ultra controlling. Things go sideways, though, when she ends up accidentally on the stage of a stand-up bar and making new college friends, telling them she too is in college when she’s very much not.

Isabel ends up creating a whole other personality for herself – Izzy, the one who does stand up comedy, is in college and also might be the one she *truly* is if anyone in her life gave her the chance to be.

While this book didn’t work for me compared to other titles by Katie Henry, when it comes to the fake identity shenanigans it definitely delivered, ESPECIALLY in the ultra-cringey sequences as the protagonist bumps into someone she knows for real and is trying to keep her two lies at the same time.

EXHIBIT #A: LET IT SHINE

D-COMs are always doing the most with the fake identity trope. The Lizzie McGuire movie could be here as well as any other Cinderella stories.

But I wanted to talk about Let It Shine, mostly because I only watched this one for the first time this year which feels like an absolute travesty.

In Let It Shine, we follow Cyrus, who’s too shy and insecure about actually rapping in front of people but loves writing lines and is quite talented at it. Suddenly, the opportunity to win a record label through a contest presents itself and he sends his own song under the name “Truth” and a picture of him and his best friend. And when he wins the contest, people assume Kris (best friend) is the one behind Truth.

This movie is so interesting because while, yes the fake identity situation is a big part of it, it also discusses heavily whether choosing a certain type of music is the one thing that makes you “respectable” and the importance of music and safe spaces.

Also the soundtrack is BOMB!!!!!!!!

EXHIBIT #B: CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE DRAMA QUEEN

I wanted to choose this one because the relatability factor is embarrassingly high for me.

Our protagonist in this one is Lola – her real name is Mary but she tells everyone it is Lola because it makes her cool and hip – starting at a new school and deciding to make a whole new identity for herself for…… nothing but the funzies?

I love Lola because she’s insanely chaotic and wreaking havoc just to make herself seem cooler. And I have the fear that had I not been consistently humbled as a child by my older sister I would’ve grown up to be exactly like her!!!!!

This movie is also pure fanfic, about best friend bonds and boyband leaders and it’s true, pure joy.

Do you also have an unhealthy connection with the fake identity trope? If you have any recommendations – especially for books! – please share them in the comments!

what i’ve been watching recently #18

Hello, friends!

It’s that time again – the time when I share all the shows I’ve watched! Surprisingly, this time around I had less teen shows than I typically do, so can I get a round of applause please. Maybe your girl is finally growing up, who would’ve thought!

NEVER HAVE I EVER (S3)

I was so excited for this season and I am so happy that it delivered in every front. First, Devi continues to be an amazing character, and this season gave her so much growth while still keeping her characteristic humor. I love her relationship with her mom and was so happy to see them being cute this season.

As for the couples, I am glad they all had good development. I didn’t know who was my favorite between Paxton/Devi and Ben/Devi, but now I’ve made up my mind for sure. I also enjoyed Des’ introduction and his face definitely made him easy to root for, but he then turned out to be a dick which was sad. I was also sad that Aneesa/Fabiola didn’t thrive like I thought they would.

We better have a season 4, because the ending of this season was not satisfying AT ALL. But the soundtrack this season is possibly the best of the best and I was surprised to find that even Trent was likable this time around, lol.

FLEABAG

Look at me. Watching something that is not a teen drama. I have layers, ok?

I only really watched this because of the Andrew Scott edits on TikTok, it’s true. But I do think there’s a bit more merit to it than just that. The direction and editing is literally perfection. The cuts make the show 10x more dynamic and are perfectly timed humor-wise. They also have pretty good casting and I loved the relationship between Claire and Fleabag.

Other than that, season one didn’t work for me at all. All discussions and scenes revolve around sex, and as a sex-repulsed aro ace, there’s nothing that I find less interesting to discuss. It also doesn’t help that I don’t tend to find it funny either.

Thankfully, season two was A LOT better and Andrew Scott’s performance had me screaming in my pillow at 2 AM. How does one manage to look that good is beyond me. I also lowkey wish we had a season three, but I understand why it ends as it does.

SHERLOCK (S1)

Can you tell I was in an Andrew Scott mood?

Despite being on Tumblr in the early 2010s, I had never watched Sherlock before. Since the seasons are very short, with only three episodes each, I thought I could give it a chance to see more of Andrew Scott.

The only thing I can truly say is: “hell, this show is gay”. It’s much gayer than I thought it would be. First episode and they’re already heavily implying that Sherlock is into men, him and Watson are seen as boyfriends by everyone around them and the editing is so fucking camp. I can understand why all the girls were mad on Tumblr when they were never proven to be canonically queer.

I will be continuing on with the series eventually, but I just have to comment on the scene when Andrew Scott’s character is first introduced and Sherlock just eyes him up and down and says “gay”. And then rephrases it as “hey”. I died laughing it was insane.

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL: THE MUSICAL THE SERIES (S3)

As much as I was disappointed by the ending, I liked this season SO much more than season 2! The new characters: Maddox and Jet are so much better than the ones we had in season 2 and the overall plot of the reality show was a lot more engaging than the North High vs. East High one.

I am also OBSESSED with the way there are like, 3 straight characters in the show now. Kourtney’s anxiety journey, Jet finding a way to apologize to Maddox and Ashlyn discovering she’s bisexual were all such great moments.

However, the ending did disappoint me a lot. Not only because I was confused as to why they would spend a whole season building up Portwell just to let them have 5 seconds of fun together, but also because the way EJ’s character in general was handled this season made me very mad. I was also let down that we never saw Nini saying a proper goodbye to Kourtney, Ricky or any of the Wildcats.

I don’t think I will watch season four as I’d rather preserve my thoughts and memories of the show as it is and I know that watching season 4 will just make me mad.

Have you watched any of these shows? Do you have any actor you’re obsessed with at the moment? If you tend no not watch as many teen shows, do you have any recs for me? (pls i need at least one romantic subplot or i will perish). Let’s chat in the comments!

my all time favorite fanfics!

Hello, friends!

It’s that time of the year again – the one in which I self-indulgently share a post related to myself in honor of my birthday!!!! This year, I am turning 22 – yes, like the Taylor Swift song, which is funny because I didn’t even listen to 22 during the day of, though I always told myself that I would. Funny how things work.

I thought a lot about what should I write for my annual birthday post, and I ultimately settled in sharing about my favorite fanfics, mostly because they keep me going almost as much as books these days.

I should give a warning, first, that I only read fanfics from one specific fandom – the Gallavich one. (Aka Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich from Shameless US) So don’t expect many recs, this post is more like for me and for me only. Also, shoutout to Olivia Savannah @ Olivia’s Catastrophe who inspired me to do this post to begin with.

me struggling to find one gif when they’re not hitting each other or making out obscenely

ONE. PROMISED LAND, BY ANOMALOUSLY

Friends, it’s no coincidence Barack Obama’s memoir has the same title as the best Gallavich fanfic. Obama is a man of taste, clearly.

OK, but jokes aside, I do love this fic a lot. It is only 13-chapters long, since it’s been abandoned since 2018, and I know this is like a glaring red flag. And I get that, some people just don’t touch abandoned works and to each their own.

But I really love how angsty this one is. It alternates perspectives and it’s about childhood-friends to lovers Ian and Mickey who broke up six years ago and are now reunited. Mickey is also in a motorcycle club if that interests you.

I have to admit: I skim read the plot every time and jump straight to the Mickey/Ian scenes. And they’re fantastic! The level of angst and emotion seriously hurts me in a physical level, and the flashbacks really allow you to buy into their history.

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TWO. INTRO TO QUANTUM DATING BY SPOONFULSTAR

I feel like this fic’s synopsis “another college AU” sells it SOOOO short. Because this is actually so good! Indeed, Mickey and Ian are both college students and they start this friends with benefits dynamic as they slowly catch feelings for one another. In this case, we follow Ian’s perspective and both characters are pretty close to canon in terms of their backstories.

I love the writing style, as we follow short snippets through the weeks, and the original characters are also iconic, especially Linus – Ian’s roommate. While I do resent the fact the smut scenes are pretty, uh, not-hot, I do like how authentically the college experience is depicted here.

Ian and Mickey are constantly attending lectures, studying for tests and assignments and also discussing what they’ve learned in their classes. It makes it 10x more engaging imo, as you can really see them as real characters. It’s a pretty long fic, still on-going, and it’s very cute how we’ve been through so much with them already.

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THREE. I HAD A DREAM (I GOT EVERYTHING I WANTED) BY OFORAMUSE

I don’t want to say this fic saved my quarantine, but it kinda did.

This is an AU from 5×12/6×01 onwards, where Mickey lives with Mandy in NYC and he hasn’t seen Ian in nine years until they bump into each other while Ian is in the city for Fiona’s wedding.

This one is quite angsty, but there is so much healing. It is entirely from Mickey’s perspective, and while some may perceive this fic as a bit anti-Ian, I’ve never had that impression at all? It shows how both of them were hurting each other in the past, but also how they’ve grown and are capable of being better to each other now.

I like how it is short, but there’s still a lot of room for growth (and angst hehe). Personally, I love Mickey in this fic even if he is a bit OOC which is quite hard to achieve for me.

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FOUR. EARLY AND UNPREPARED BY CALICOJACKOFFICIAL

This is a whole series of 5+1 works, and while most have been abandoned (I know, apparently I have a thing for abandoned works sue me), I would still recommend it for slight dom/sub dynamics that are not too weird, or over the top, and that still fit into the canon plotlines?

They’re a lot about Ian and Mickey figuring out things about their own preferences when it comes to sex and also slightly hurting each other in the process, but that’s sort of the whole point. I loooooove angst, so this one delivers the most of it, while still having happy smutty moments at the end of it!

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FIVE. BOY WITHOUT A FACE, BY ANOMALOUSLY

This is the OG college AU fic for me and I love it so much. It was my favorite fanfic for the longest time and I still hold it in a special place in my heart.

It is super short – only 10 chapters long – and you can find both Ian’s and Mickey’s perspective (Mickey’s is titled Boy In the Sun) in the author’s profile. It is pretty fast paced, which I like actually, and I love how angsty it is, even though the characters barely even interact lmao. Yes, just give me angst for no reason.

I highly recommend reading both Mickey’s and Ian’s perspectives, because even though they follow pretty much the same events, some scenes are just so much better in one or the other’s point of view. Ugh. It’s great!

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SIX. STACCATO HEARTBEAT BY ARIASTARKE

A classic, if you will.

This is not super incredibly popular, in terms of comments and bookmarks, but I consider this to be such a classic for Gallavich fanfiction. It is a one-shot, 15k words long, where Ian and Mickey start this friends with benefits relationship, but Mickey is veryyyyy closeted.

I love Ian in this fic and his relationship with Fiona is so great. Plus, for a one-shot, the angst is surprisingly believable and the pacing just chef’s kiss.

In general, I like fics where they are able to pick up the canon dynamic of “casual sex to lovers” but apply it to slightly different contexts and dynamics. This one is another that I was obsessed with during quarantine and thought way too much about.

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SEVEN. SINCE WE’RE ALONE BY BUFFYMILKOVICH AND LETHARGICMICK

This one was certainly an obsession for me early this year, being is a college AU romance between Mickey – hockey player – and Ian – his overdramatic tutor.

It’s an enemies to friends with benefits to lovers, which!!!!!!!!! Hello yes. Mickey and Ian have such hilarious banter and I also really appreciate the original characters here. If you enjoy the Off Campus series, I can’t imagine you not liking this one? Granted, I’ve never read Off Campus but if the vibes are hockey, enemies to lovers, pretty overdramatic and hilarious friends, then it checks off all the boxes.

It’s also from Mickey’s perspective, which tends to be my favorite. I am bummed that it seems like it has been abandoned just before the last chapter, but there’s certainly a lot to binge read and the way it ends is satisfying enough.

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EIGHT. OF SLIP ‘N’ SLIDES & DUMB DISTRACTIONS BY IANRIGHTSONLY

For my fellow fans of PWP, I have to recommend this one because it is actually very well written and I love Ian in this fic so much? He’s very desperate, very horny, but also a bit embarrassed by his own desires and Mickey just knows how to trigger him.

It is a 5+1 type of one-shot, set between seasons 10 and 11 as Mickey and Ian have become the babysitters of the Gallaghers household and can never catch a time to be alone.

It is great, honestly. As someone who definitely prefers more emotional smut scenes, I have to say that this one really surprised me and I would love to read more about this Ian.

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NINE. SIDEWAYS BY WHATICAMEHEREFOR

This fic definitely healed my post season 5 heart when I read it. It is a season 6/7 fix-it, where Mickey is still in prison, but Ian gets his shit together and starts visting him again. It’s short, but does SO much for the angst girlies out here like myself.

It centers more on Mickey and I do think some people may perceive it as anti-Ian, but again, I’ve never felt like Mickey was cut slack during this. Plus, he’s already in prison, so it’s expected he won’t be punished by the narrative any more than that.

The Gallaghers annoy me in this one a bit, but for the most part, it’s a soft and fast-paced time.

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TEN. APARTMENT 4A BY SKIESBELOW

 I am always hesitant to call an ongoing work a favorite, because there’s always the chance the author will just give up on writing it halfway through and here I am, left as an orphan.

This can definitely happen in this case, but I am choosing to put it in the list as a manifestation that hopefully the author will stick with it and we’ll see through the ending of this one.

It is one of my favorite tropes – the casual sex one – coupled with another one of my favorites – roommates and forced proximity. I love the occasional Mandy appearance and I really, really hope we get more than the promised 11 chapters hehe.

Do you read fanfics? Do you also exclusively read from one fandom or you like a bit of anything? What are your favorite tropes and tags you’ll avoid at all costs (the one i will always avoid is mpreg, no seriously, it haunts me)? Let’s chat in the comments!

gothtober TBR

Hello, friends!

I am so excited to be participating on my favorite readathon for another year – GOTHTOBER! It’s hosted by Olivia Savannah @ Olivia Catastrophe, Tish @ Little Wolf and Hannah @ LadetteM. Even though the readathon this round is inspired by horror movies’ final girls, I will mostly be reading in my favorite go-to genres like I tend to do, lol. But I still have a pretty ambitious TBR!

The tropes this round are individual, but there are three staple ones for everyone:

BAME READ

Joseph Bruchac is an Indigenous author whose books are deemed pretty scary even though they’re middle grade. I am very excited to read THE LEGEND OF SKELETON MAN – first because this title???? I find that legends and myths are sometimes the scariest stories, so I’m looking forward to this read.

 

 

LGBT READ

I mentioned TIM TE MARO AND THE SUBTERRANEAN HEARTSTICK BLUES before because of the cover and it is indeed a slay. But I also am really intrigued by the content – mostly because I know it’s set in a magical school and it’s about two characters having to look after an egg as if it was a child? (Flashbacks to that Everybody Hates Chris episode). Most importantly though: it’s a friends with benefits to lovers!!!!!!!!

 

DISABILITY READ

I am pretty sure the MC from BET ON IT deals with anxiety, just because the synopsis mentions a panick attack. I do wish I had picked up a book with an protagonist that had a visible disability but I’ve also been slacking in reading books with mental health rep so I’ll count it as a win. I want to read this one so bad – it’s about the protagonists engaging on a sex bingo game???? Ma’am. Respectfully yes. I’ve seen quotes from this one doing their rounds on TikTok so you know what that means and I’m not mad.

Now, for our actual prompts:

READ A GOTHIC MOOD READ BOOK

I think this one definitely fits the prompt and it is indeed: THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LA RUE. My real-life best friend recently finished this one and sent me a picture of himself crying by the end of it. I know this is a polarizing one, but I am hopeful I will enjoy it. It’s about a girl who makes a deal with the devil and is forgotten by anyone she meets – until she finds a boy who remembers her.

 

 

READ A BOOK BY A COMFORTING AUTHOR

Ok, so hear me out: it is true that I’ve never read anything by Lynn Painter before. But she is a YA contemporary romance author, which means I know she’ll be comforting by default. I’ve been meaning to read BETTER THAN THE MOVIES since forever and it’s the perfect opportunity – it’s a contemporary with rom com references. What is more my comfort zone than that?

 

 

READ A BOOK WITH A HIDDEN ANTAGONIST

I don’t really know if this will count, obviously, as I have not read it yet but I got a copy of MY BEST FRIEND’S EXORCISM recently and October is the month to read it, let’s be honest. I think out of all the books I wanted to read tis month, “hidden antagonist” for a book where one of the characters is being posessed by a demon is pretty accurate. I mean, that is definitely a hidden antagonist, right?

 

 

READ A BOOK WITH WATER ON THE COVER

The copy that I own of THE WICKED DEEP does have some water doodles on the cover. This book is perfect for the October spooky vibes. I remember I read it around this time on October 2018 and I loved it for the atmosphere, so I’m hoping to replicate it this time around. This one is about a town that is cursed by the ghost of three witches every summer and they drown boys like they were once drowned.

 

 

READ A BOOK WHERE YOU CAN’T TRUST ANYONE

I am doing it everyone. I am reading DARK ROOM ETIQUETTE even though just reading the summary of this book gives me anxiety. It’s fine, it’s fine, I promise. I think for a book about a LITERAL kidnapping, it’s pretty obvious you won’t be able to trust anyone in this one. I am reading it mostly because it’s Robin Roe but I am considering the possibility of having to DNF it and pick up something else if it gets too dark for me to bare.

 

READ A BOOK WITH A PLOT TWIST

Do I know if THE CHANDLER LEGACIES will have a plot twist? No. Have I seen anyone talking about a mindblowing twist throughout the book? No. But, c’mon – this is a book about secrets being revealed in a boarding school. Isn’t that a plot twist just waiting to happen? I believe in my deduction skills but I will tell you once I’ve read it.

 

 

Have you read any of these books? If so, how do you feel about them? Will you be participating in any readathons this October? Let’s chat in the comments!

me and music book tag

Hello, friends!

I can’t believe I had never done this tag before, but when Maria @ Character Study tagged me, it was the perfect opportunity to finally do so! Sophie @ Me and Ink is the fabulous creator of this tag and the one behind the gorgeous graphics you’ll see on this post. Thank you, Maria for tagging me!

Funnily enough, the first song that came to mind as an answer was SAY IT RIGHT BY NELLY FURTADO. I mean, I was a child of taste, OK? This song gives me major throwbacks of afternoons in the mall with my mom and grandma and very specific childhood memories. It’s still a favorite one of mine.

I also need to mention some Brazilian songs, right? ÍNDIOS is by my mom’s favorite band – it’s very much 80s and any song with those vibes is immediately a favorite to me, lol. I also need to shoutout VOCÊ NÃO ME ENSINOU A TE ESQUECER which is part of a soundtrack for this Romeo and Juliet-esque story, called Lisbela e o Prisioneiro. Of course I would be talking about soundtracks because hello, it’s me, Lais. This song is super dramatic and I love it a lot, lol.

I was trying to find songs that get to encompass the same exact vibes from watching Nate and Blair kiss in Central Park while it snows. (Iykyk). While there are a lot of songs I enjoy that talk about love, I struggled to find songs that felt as romantic as kissing in the rain or in a ferris wheel. I think LOST IN JAPAN BY SHAWN MENDES would maybe work, but it’s more about infatuation than love, right?

I’m currently obsessed with HOMERUN HITTER BY GREYSON CHANCE (forever in debt to Sophie for reminding me of his existence 10 years after his debut album). I mean, I’m sorry but the line:

Cause I thought you were the home-run hitter, the cherry that never bitters

Like the first taste of heat, the feeling I wanna keep until I’m dead

SHAKESPEARE IS QUAKING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Speaking of amazing lyrics and great vibes, I need to mention Mr Alex Turner who has written some of the best lines about love in the whole wide world. I swear, this is POETRY and DESERVES TO BE STUDIED. I’ll mention ARABELLA, mostly because I haven’t fully recovered from: “her lips are like the galaxy’s edge and her kiss the colour of a constellation falling into place”.

If there is one thing about me, is that I do not dance. Unless we’re talking about Disney Channel tracks.

So here are a few of my favorites:

• DETERMINATE BY LEMONADE MOUTH. The energy this song gives me is insane. Especially considering how easily I can tear up if I listen to it while reminiscing the scene during Rising Star when the crowd starts singing the lyrics to them. The duality.
• WE GOT THE PARTY BY HANNAH MONTANA FT. JONAS BROTHERS. Possibly the most iconic featuring to have ever existed in the history of featurings???? Yes. I think it’s humanly impossible to listen to this song and not want to move.
• BET ON IT BY TROY BOLTON. Not me naming the artist Troy Bolton and not Zac Efron. But this song is such!!!!! a!!!!!!! jam!!!!!!! That part right after the bridge transforms me and I have to make all the moves as I dance to it.

Now that’s what I’m talking about!!!!!!!!!!!

I love TV and movie soundtracks a lot and I am always more prone to love a piece of media, if it has a really good soundtrack. (I.E: Heartstopper, To All the Boys, Hamilton, etc).

ROSYLN BY BON IVER is part of the soundtrack of Twilight and I still have a dream of driving through Forks while this song plays, it’s twilight blue outside and there’s rain pouring on my windshield. Can you tell that I’ve went through this very specific scenario a lot in my head?

Considering the Nashville Cast is, every year without a fault, one of my most played artists on my Spotify Wrapped, I need to mention at least one of their songs. Most recently, I’ve been in love with IF I’M STILL DREAMING. The Triple Xs are possibly my favorite band ever, even though they’re fictional.

Speaking of fictional bands: STAND TALL BY JULIE AND THE PHANTOMS. Every single time I listen to this song, I get chills and I feel like crying. I love that for me.

I love that I actually have a “to feel calm” playlist and it’s literaly all of TAEMIN’s calm songs or ballads. I created this playlist during my college-entrance-exams era and pretty much every weekend, I was taking a different test, so I exclusively listened to this playlist to calm down my anxiety.

My favorite ones include: UNTIL TODAY, PLAY ME and BACK TO YOU. Thank you so much, Taemin, for having the most calming voice and allowing me to get through the most stressful time of my life.

There’s nothing that motivates me more than listening to angry teenage girl music. It’s so inspiring in a way.

GOOD 4 U BY OLIVIA RODRIGO has definitely been that song since it came out. I’ve also noticed is the one song that, if playing in a club, I will dance like there’s no tomorrow. I also love DID YOU COME BY GIRL IN RED sososo much and I understand why it was one of the most played songs of my 2021, as it was possibly the most tiring year of my life. Lastly, to mention a classic MISERY BUSINESS BY PARAMORE continues to be a bop. Sorry, feminism.

I’ve noticed now that a lot of my favorite songs of all time could be considered retro.

EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD is a classic and for good reason. I love, love, love this song and it gives me an amazing feeling whenever I listen to it – which is probably why it has been in every single one of my birthday playlists since 2019.

While I understand the controversies around Morissey and The Smiths, THIS CHARMING MAN is the one song that makes me feel like I’m in a movie and I can walk around dancing to it every time.

Also, because of a bunch of good memories attached to it, I also love myself some LAST CHRISTMAS BY WHAM! at literally any given time of year, lol.

Possibly one of the most heartbreaking songs to have ever been written: TOLERATE IT BY TAYLOR SWIFT never fails to make me emotional. I can’t believe when I first listened to this song, I disliked it so much it made me physically cringe. Watching a fan edit of The Crown season 4 to this song definitely changed my perspective.

While I know most people wouldn’t consider this one a “sad” song, the lyrics to GREEN LIGHT BY LORDE are very heartbreaking imo. “I wish I could get my things and just let go” have the exact same vibes as “right where you left me” by Taylor Swift and you can’t tell me otherwise.

Also, Lil Nas X’s DEAD RIGHT NOW. I definitely have a thing for songs that are sad but don’t sound like it, until you pay close attention to the lyrics.

LEWIS CAPALDI’S FORGET ME has been on repeat since it was released. I adore Lewis (whom I also found out through a blogger!!!!) and seeing more of his personality while promoting this single was so great too. WITCHCRAFT BY THE GRAVEYARD CLUB is so cool – definitely soundtrack potential and I’m shocked that it hasn’t been used in any show or movie yet. I’m also listening to a lot of the HSMTMTS soundtrack – and RIGHT PLACE is so beautiful and emotional!

I have definitely shared a few of my favorite lyrics throughout this post already, but I feel like I should choose some of the most relatable lyrics I have found out there:

“Still wear the same shoes I did back then / I don’t think they’ve ever been untied / I can’t regret the things I don’t try / I’d switch it up but I don’t like change” SCRAWNY BY WALLOWS

“Don’t take it to heart / Your company is fine / But I get on better with mine” ON MY OWN BY NIALL HORAN

“Crush culture makes me wanna spill my guts out” CRUSH CULTURE BY CONAN GRAY

Can’t you tell I’m aro/ace yet?

*Me googling the current global music charts as we speak* Not that I’m indie or anything like that, because I’m not and I am very much into all the things everyone else is – such as Harry Styles, Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo. But there are also a lot of artists and songs that I don’t know at all, even though they’re super popular.

AS IT WAS BY HARRY STYLES is an amazing song and I don’t even care how overplayed it has become. The feeling this song gives me every time I listen to that intro is unlike anything I’ve experienced before. STAY BY JUSTIN BIEBER – but make it the GIRL IN RED cover – is fantastic and I’m surprised this song is still in the global charts after so long, lol. Also, HOLD ME CLOSER BY ELTON JOHN FT. BRITNEY SPEARS is a hit and I won’t deny it.

GOLDEN BY HARRY STYLES – singing this one with the windows down while going on quarantine rides with my mom because that was the only thing we could really do and the only place we could really go.

ASK BY THE SMITHS – taking a train from Edinburgh to London in December last year and being so enamored by the landscape.

COMING UP ROSES FROM THE BEGIN AGAIN SOUNDTRACK – the winter break during my last year of high school when I’d go study in cafés by myself and pretend I wasn’t depressed af.

I feel the need to shoutout my favorite 2000s girlies because they were doing it like no one else:

IRREPLACABLE BY BEYONCÉ. A classic, an anthem, it was through this song that I learned what “left” and “right” mean in English when I was 6. A THOUSAND MILES BY VANESSA CARLTON will always be the “White Chicks” song but it’s also one of the best tracks ever made. COMPLICATED BY AVRIL LAVIGNE is my go-to karaoke song if I went to karaokes at all.

PASSIONFRUIT by DRAKE is always one that comes to mind, mostly because I don’t listen to hip-hop so I had never even considered listening to Drake before, but this song is a total vibe. I’ve also been recently obsessed with TORNADO WARNINGS BY SABRINA CARPENTER which was a surprise, considering I hadn’t really liked any of her songs before. And while I love a pop song as much as the next person, I didn’t expect that SUCKER BY JONAS BROTHERS would become one of my favorite songs by the band, because all the ones I love are more rock-based. But this song is sososo good, bubblegum good.

MELODRAMA BY LORDE is the only answer to this. I feel like I could very much live without any other album but this one. It is for the girls, pop-modern heartbreak, lyricism perfection and the production has so many layers I feel like I always find a new hidden 10sec masterpiece every time I listen to it.

This one was definitely a bit harder, because I am not that into music videos these days. Of course there are some iconic ones, but for the most part, I don’t keep up with new releases.

I think mentioning ALL TOO WELL (10 MIN. VER) is being a cliché, but it’s a go-to one for a reason. I love the song so much and Dylan O’Brien was my biggest crush growing up, so him being on a Taylor Swift music video is something that would’ve made my 13 old self combust on the spot. I also love the SUMMER OF LOVE music video – mostly because Shawn Mendes looks good, it’s true, but it’s a vibe nonetheless. Also: IF YOU DO BY GOT7 is absolutely one of the best Songs ever made and the music video is also so overdramatic in the best way possible. I also miss the time when guys wore chokers.

PLEASE: do share! What’s your latest music obsession? And your favorite music video (I feel like I need to watch more of those!) Do you have a go-to Disney song to dance to? Let’s chat in the comments!

best and worst: book adaptations

Hello, friends!

In honor of having finished The Summer I Turned Pretty fairly recently, I thought I should do a post about my favorite and least-favorite book adaptations – including to movie and TV. I read only the first book from TSITP, and I don’t have that many memories to judge if it was a good adaptation or not, but I certainly have a lot of feelings about some other ones.

BEST

Of course I have to start with Miss HEARTSTOPPER. This show is so good on its own, but as an adaptation, it’s even better. I love the fact that they were able to expand on relationships we see very little of in the comics, such as Tara x Darcy and Elle x Tao. PLUS, THE SOUNDTRACK!!!!!!! I will never shut up about this soundtrack, I’m sorry. It’s literally art.

Speaking of amazing soundtracks, we have to talk about TO ALL THE BOYS I’VE LOVED BEFORE. I still remember when I was disappointed that Noah Centineo was casted as Peter K and now I can’t imagine a better fit. They captured the essence of the books so well, while still delivering something different enough that it feels unique on its own. Also, the scenes when Lara Jean is alone in her room and the boys show up as her inner monologue????? Royalty behavior.

I will not hear any LOVE, SIMON slander because this movie means too much to me, ok? I cry my eyeballs off every time I watch it and it really is one of the sweetest rom-coms ever. I remember not really enjoying the book and thinking it was very much meh. So when the movie came out, I didn’t care much for it, but my friends dragged me to theaters and I’m so glad they did because I was the one who loved it the most lol.

Another book I didn’t enjoy (because it was fatphobic as hell, hello) is EVERY DAY. But the movie was actually inclusive and diverse and everything the book should’ve been!!!!! It’s such a heartwarming one and I definitely feel like it deserves more hype. (Bonus: the soundtrack is really great too!!!!! Go listen to it!!!!!)

WORST

Let’s start with a classic, shall we? While I don’t think this is a bad movie and I was heavily entertained while watching The Lightning Thief (it was actually through the movie that I found out about the books), we can not deny it is a terrible adaptation. SEA OF MONSTERS, however, it’s both a bad movie and a bad adaptation. I cringe every time I think about it – the cast, the crappy CGI and Alexandra Daddario randomly having blonde hair for the sequel LMAOOOOO.

Having read (and not enjoyed) IF I STAY, I don’t know how much I can argue that the adaptation is better. Maybe the movie is bad because the book is too, you know? But what really annoys me in this movie is the amount of CGI. Plus, couldn’t they have toned down the slut-shaming for a sec? Jesus. I also don’t think Chloe Grace Moretz had the acting range to make me care for Mia that much. The songs by Shooting Star do slap, though.

I have actually read the Pretty Little Liars books and SARA SHEPARD WAS DOING IT OKAY. She was doing it like none other. The TV show then went along with all the inappropriate relationships and weird power imbalances, but a lot of the creepy characters actually die in the books. Also, the -A resolution is much better and less convoluted in the books.

Lastly, we have to talk about the travesty that is MAZE RUNNER: DEATH CURE. Is it true that I watched it on release date, while crying all over my pop corn and I am very very very very thankful to the cast for actually giving us this final installment, despite all the production issues. But oh my God this was terrible as an adaptation. They changed the whole plot, it became a chosen one plot for some reason and THE ENDGAME SHIP WAS NOT ENDGAME IN THE MOVIES?????/ Besties, this makes me so mad to this day I can’t even lol.

What is your favorite book to movie adaptation? Do you have a least favorite? Let me know in the comments!

what i’ve been watching recently #17

Hello, friends!

It’s been such a long time since I last shared a recently watched and that’s literally because the past few months have been SO busy and chaotic and I didn’t have time to finish a thing. But, at last, I’ve finished four shows and I’ll be sharing my thoughts on them today.

NORMAL PEOPLE

I was pretty certain I was going to hate Normal People, but I was still curious enough to watch it. And, indeed, as expected, I hated it, lol. What was still interesting was that I hated it for all the different reasons than I thought I would.

I really dislike the miscommunication trope and some of my least favorite romance stories are those with tons of backs and forths caused by the characters never talking to each other. And while that was certainly present in Normal People, what annoyed me the most was the lack of depth in the interactions and the unbalanced character development.

There is one scene when Connell says that Marianne is his best friend and my only reaction to that was: “is she?” They share practically no meaningful conversations and you never see them develop feelings for one another aside from having sex. It was also really weird how Connell was given a lot of development throughout the series, whereas Marianne’s family issues and submissive tendencies were never properly addressed.

It was a weird show and I definitely can not understand why so many people adore it. Even the Irish vibes were mediocre at best and the lack of soundtrack made pretty impossible for me to connect with the characters/setting.

SELLING SUNSET (S5)

I am a sucker for reality shows and this is a known fact at this point. Season 5 of Selling Sunset was very… weird, I think. Ever since the show started centering Christine as a villain and the source of all drama, I’ve found that it’s just been annoying to watch her being brought down every second. I miss the earlier seasons when drama was caused from left and right.

I think the reunion episode is a must-watch, especially when it comes to the Chrishell x Jason relationship. It was certainly surprising to learn that while they had broken up because Jason didn’t want to be a parent, Chrishell has moved on to a relationship with a 20-something year old called G-FLIP.

As far as a potential season six, I think they will have a hard time creating drama and making the show entertaining without Christine. I am hopeful to hear they will integrate more from the recently-opened O.C office, as a cast refreshment is desperately what the show needs at this point.

STRANGER THINGS (S4)

This season was highly anticipated by me and I had the best time watching it, honestly. Firstly, I need to mention that Jonathan had a lot more screen time than I thought he would have and as a Jonathan Byers stan first, human second, I was VERY happy.

Overall, this season was actually very entertaining. While I was skeptical because they had added so many new characters, I think they were still able to develop interesting dynamics between characters we already knew, such as Robin x Nancy and Will x El. Obviously, some plot lines were more interesting than others, but I liked them all at the end.

The acting, however, was definitely not as good as I remembered it and I think it might have to do with the cringey dialogues. The CGI was also not the best and I was frustrated at how they kept going with the plotline that involved a black man being tortured for literally NO REASON AT ALL!!!!! Just to make us sit through that?! Like, Jesus, be better, seriously.

THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY (S1)

This show got so much hype and I really wanted to see how I’d feel about it, even though I remember reading the first book and really not enjoying it. To be fair, love triangles are not for me, and a love triangle involving two brothers just gives me a headache.

Still, I was surprised by how much I did like the overall experience of watching it. I think they nailed the vibes and atmosphere of this one, playing well with nostalgia around beach houses and summers as a kid. (Not that I ever had anything close to this experience, lmao, but still). However, the soundtrack was definitely overpowering at times – I love Taylor Swift, but it was too much.

I also really loved the dynamic between the moms and the end did made me tear up a bit. I don’t have any preferences when it comes to the main love triangle and honestly wish that the romance between Belly and Cam Cameron had been developed more. The one thing I disliked a lot, though, was Steven and all of his plotlines. Seriously, WHO ASKED FOR IT. I don’t careeeeee, I don’t care, I don’t care, take that boy out of my screen please and thank you.

What is the best show you’ve watched recently? And what were your thoughts in the newest Stranger Things season? Have you watched The Summer I Turned Pretty? If so, are you Team Conrad or Team Jeremiah? Let’s chat in the comments!