monthly wrap up: march, ’20

Hello, friends!

I hope y’all have survived March well. I know the news worldwide have been pretty scary and I hope you are all staying healthy and safe. My month was pretty uneventful, because of everything that’s going on, but I read a lot of great books for Women’s History Month, so at least there’s that!

HIGHLIGHTS

• I got tickets to watch Niall Horan in November! Niall Horan was my favorite One Direction member and I absolutely love his solo work too. He released his new album, Heartbreak Weather, this March, and I am so glad I loved it just as much as I loved his debut. It will be my second time watching him live and I’m really excited to see some of my favorite songs being performed live.
• And I quarantined – much like everyone else. Corona virus hit Brazil as well, and because of that, classes were cancelled and I didn’t have to work either. Even though I’m somewhat used to staying home, it’s pretty annoying having to stay indoors for so long, especially because the weather is absolutely PERFECT. I won’t get much into it, because I feel like everyone else in the world is doing it, but yes this virus absolutely sucks and I’m lowkey terrified but pretending to be fine.

BOOKS I READ

★★★★☆

I started the month with a new release I absolutely adored. Only Mostly Devastated was the gay Grease I never knew I needed. I loved everything about it, but what got my attention the most was the incredibly accurate representation of teenagers. The dialogues felt so real, the characterization, just everything. I related quite a bit to Oliver, our protagonist. It was just a very *giddy and adorable* read and I loved it.

 

 

★★★☆☆

Saints and Misfits was quite a weird read. I liked our protagonist, I liked the themes, I loved how the book was unapologetically brown and Muslim. I was sort of lost sometimes, but I appreciated that a lot. However, I hated the side characters; and I feel like the writing style was choppy and difficult to connect with at times. It focused focused too much on the plot, and not enough on the characters’ emotions. I still enjoyed it enough for the themes it discussed, especially sexual assault and religion.

 

 

I Was Born For This is my second Alice Oseman and, well, it didn’t go how I expected. I related so much to the main characters’ obsession with The Ark; it reminded me so much of my own obsession with One Direction from back in the day. And, at the beginning, I was really excited with the idea of this book being very fandom-positive. But I feel like every chapter was there to remind me over and over again, about the ugly parts of fandom – the stalking, the disrespect, the shipping -, that even though I am not a part of, I’m still uncomfortable to be indirectly attached to. In the end, it was making me feel so fucking bad about myself, like being a fan is being a part of an awful community, dedicating your life to fandom is being naive and irresponsible, and that my feelings are not valid because celebrities are constantly lying to their fans. So I DNF-ed it, because I don’t need this kind of negativity in my life at the moment.

★★★★☆

I picked up another Brigid Kemmerer this month and I may be obsessed with this author. This book is your classic fantasy, with a badass female character, and a reserved but deeply passionate male character. It had a lot more political intrigue than I anticipated, as I expected more romance from a Beauty and the Beast re-telling. I liked the characters enough, and even though I found the story to be a bit dramatic and predictable at times, it was still a solid read.

 

 

★★☆☆☆

I also finally picked up Loveboat, Taipei and found it to be quite overdramatic, so I was eyerolling through most of it. While I expected this book to follow reckless teenagers, it was a bit too cliché at times and I found myself not carrying for any of the characters. It also rushed through themes I wish had been more deeply explored. I couldn’t really connect with our main character and felt like most of her actions were written as “reactions” to others rather than like she was actually taking responsibility for it. (Also lowkey pictured all the guys in this book as those Asian e-boys on TikTok and that alone made me want to punch every single one of them).

 

 

MONTHLY PLAYLIST

This playlist is the most chaotic playlist I’ve ever done in my whole life. This is what being inside my brain looks like, y’all: there are indie songs, pop songs, Nelly Furtado and The Beatles. So it’s definitely not one for everyone, but I had a lot of fun!

LOOKING FORWARD

I’m expecting April a lot, mostly in terms of reading, as Magical Readathon is happening and I’ll be taking part ofc! That’s pretty much the only thing I know for sure will be happening in April, as everything else has been put on hold for the past few weeks and I still don’t know where we’re heading next. Oh, so much for planning, lol.

How has been quarantine for you? Did you read any amazing books this month by female authors I should know about? Let’s chat in the comments!

 

my magical readathon: O.W.L’s 2020 TBR!

Hello, friends!

My favorite readathon ever is starting up again – the Magical Readathon. Granted, I only took part on it one time before, for last year’s N.E.W.T’s, so this is my first time ever doing the O.W.L’s. But I love this readathon’s concept and I can’t wait to take part in both of them this year.

In case you’re not familiar, The Magical Readathon is hosted by @ Book Roast and it is a Harry Potter inspired read-a-thon, based off of the fictional tests the students at Hogwarts have to take: the O.W.Ls (Ordinary Wizarding Levels) and the N.E.W.Ts (Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests). It’s a month-long read-a-thon, running from April 1st to April 31st.

For this year, I chose the career of a Hogwarts Professor. My idea initially was to go for Care of Magical Children, considering I am currently working at a kindergarten, so it would be a perfect fit. But, sadly, most of the prompts didn’t really fit with my existent TBR, so I decided to go for a Hogwarts Professor instead, as it is also in the field of education and works better for me.

As for my actual TBR:

ARITHMANCY

Read something outside your favorite genre

Considering my favorite and most-read genre is contemporary, everything outside of that would count.

AURORA RISING is my pick, as it is science fiction, and also because I feel like this is one of those books that I need the readathon’s motivation in order to pick up.

I don’t know why I am so hesitant, but probably because I’ve heard from fans of  the Illuminae Files that this book isn’t actually *that* good, compared to their first series. But I’m going with low expectations and hopefully it will blow my mind?

ASTRONOMY

Read most of the book when it’s dark outside

I do not tend to read a lot at night, since I have night classes regularly, but I’ll try my best with this one.

My choice is I HOPE YOU GET THIS MESSAGE BY FARAH NAZ RISHI, which is sci-fi with contemporary, so best of both worlds, I think?

From what I recall, this book follows multiple perspectives and their last days before the apocalypse. It’s probably not the best book to read during our current world climate, as the perception of the apocalypse is starting to get a bit more real, but oh well.

Hope y’all are staying safe, btw!

CHARMS

A book with a white cover

I am very excited to read SORTED, as I’ve been gravitating more and more towards memoirs and non-fiction lately.

Actually, I’m not familiar with Jackson Bird at all – even though I believe he’s a youtuber and I’m on YouTube for like 6 hours on a daily -, but this book is pitched as: “Growing Up, Coming Out, and Finding My Place (A Transgender Memoir)”, and that sold me.

I’ve also heard nothing but positive things about it and I really think it will be a very important, but still fun read.

DEFENSE AGAINST THE DARK ARTS

Book set at the sea/coast

Y’all, this was a lot harder than I anticipated, and definitely the prompt I struggled with the most. I thought about seven different books, before finally settling on this one.

ALEX, APPROXIMATELY is a backlist title I’ve been meaning to pick up for a while. And it’s also the perfect choice for this one, as I believe this is set in a surfer’s town in California.

(I mostly would’ve just included it because there’s water in the cover, but the fact it’s actually canon makes me happy too).

MUGGLE STUDIES

Read a contemporary

This is actually the subject I’d like to teach if I do become a Hogwarts Professor. Obviously, magic is fun, but I find I work better with reality and muggle studies is interesting enough in my opinion.

Well, that and this was the class that allowed me to read a contemporary and I’ll finally pick up my most anticipated release of the year, YOU DESERVE EACH OTHER.

This book comes out on April, 7th and I freaking *can not wait*. This is adult romance and it’s enemies to lovers, but they’re already engaged? Basically, neither one of these characters are into the idea of getting married, but the one who pulls off will have to pay for the nonrefundable wedding bill. So they keep trying to make the other person give up, but then inevitably fall in love in the process of trying to break apart?

It gives me a lot of What Happens in Vegas vibes and I hope it will be as amazing as I expect.

POTIONS

A book under 150 pages

I am freaking finally carrying on with some of my manga series. I suck, I know.

Last year, for NEWT’s, I actually read the second volume, so it will probably become a tradition at this point to read AO HARU RIDE for the Magical Readathon, but then that means I’ll probably only finish this series in 2029.

I actually really enjoy it once I read them, but it’s the motivation to pick them up that I’m lacking on. Let’s hope I’m actually more consistent with my manga until the end of the year, otherwise we’ll have to wait until NEWT’s for the volume 4.

TRANSFIGURATION

Book/series that includes shapeshifting

It was also for 2019 N.E.W.T’s that I read The Golden Compass, and now I’m carrying on with this series for another round.

My best friend gifted me this one – again – for my 19th birthday, last year, and I know he’ll do the same for the last book in this series for my 20th birthday, so I’m hoping to get to this one before that.

I literally have no idea what to expect from THE SUBTLE KNIFE. I didn’t particularly love the conclusion of the first book, but a lot of people have this one as their favorite in the series, so I don’t know what to feel. Hopefully, I’ll love it!

That’s it, friends! Are you taking part in the Magical Readathon? Which career did you choose? Have you already sorted out your TBR? Let’s chat in the comments!

 

the liebster award (again)!

Hello, friends!

First of all, apologies for my lack of interaction lately. I was incredibly busy until a few weeks ago and the coronavirus outbreak really affected my mental health. To say that I’m scared for what that means for my country is an understatement. I know some places have even worse than us, but I live in a developing, third world country, that is facing a major political and economical crisis for years now. A lot of small businesses are already closing, people are losing their jobs, and if the curve doesn’t slow down, the health system will most likely colapse. To top all of that, our dumbass of a president literally just went on live television yesterday to announce that quarantine should end because coronavirus only affects the elder, but it’s like a normal flu.

I feel like whenever I stand still, I get stressed AF and obviously there’s not much to do but stay indoors anyway. I’m trying my best to remain positive, and stick to a productive schedule, but it hasn’t been exactly easy.

On a more positive note, though, I was nominated again for The Liebster Award by the amazing Beck, @ Smellfoy Can Read. She’s probably one of the funniest bloggers I know and I love how unique her content is.

So, if I remember correctly the rules of this award involve answering the 11 questions she had for me and tagging some more people to answer my questions. So, let’s get started:

BECK’S QUESTIONS

1. What was your first blog post about?

My first blog post was about my “return” to blogging. It was published in late 2018, so I also talked about some of the highlights of the year – including my trip to New York and Orlando, which I miss so freaking much.

It’s very rambly and with no particular layout, but I still like looking back to it sometimes.

2. If you had to become a Disney villain for a day, who would you be?

Am I lowkey a Hans stan? I guess you could say that.

I think he’s a really interesting Disney villain. First, because I could actually buy his motivations, but most importantly, because I truly couldn’t see it coming when he showed his true colors.

I think it would be interesting to be him for one day and navigate being so freaking two-faced like he is, lol. I am the *worst* at pretending I like people when I don’t and lying in general, so I think it would be a very different experience being in Hans’ body, who’s really good at it.

3. What is your favorite podcast to listen to?

So, I do not listen to a lot of podcasts actually.

I love listening to The Archibald Project, though. It’s not really well known and I’m pretty sure their audience consists in 99% of adults and parents, but here I am, a nineteen year old listening and loving the heck out of it.

In the podcast, they invite different people to talk about their experiences with adoption and orphan care, from all around the world. There are a lot of fascinating insights, and I learned a lot through it, even if I don’t listen to it as often as I should anymore.

4. What Doctor Who creature do you identify with the most? (if you don’t watch Doctor Who just look it up and take a guess)

I do not watch Doctor Who, sadly, but hopefully Google will be enough to back me up.

I took a test to find out and I got a Dalek, which apparently is one of the worst creatures, because my result said: “You are filled with nothing but hate and won’t stop until you’re the supreme being of the universe. Bit mean, to be honest.”

I do not consider myself to be a mean person, but the idea of ruling the universe does sound pretty cool to me.

5. What is your favorite gif?

brazilian culture but universal at the same time

6. Most paranormal experience?

I can’t remember any super paranormal experience I had, but one time, I was knocking on the door of my sister’s room and I felt as if someone had put their hand on my shoulder and called my name. I literally thought it was my dad and was shocked to turn around and find *no one*. It was pretty scary and I just ran back to my room immediately, lol.

7. Open your junk drawer (I know you have one) and grab a couple random items in the bottom of the drawer. Tell me what they are.

Coins. Crumpled post-its. A ribbon, probably from an old birthday present.

8. Which Spider-Man? Tobey, Andrew, or Tom? What about Spider-Verse characters?

ANDREW GARFIELD. ANDREW GARFIELD. ANDREW GARFIELD.

He was the SUPREME Spider-Man. Those two movies saved my life, honestly.

I love Electro as a villain and Harry Osborn too. From the most recent movies, I do appreciate Ned a lot – but he’s the only part of the new Spider-Man movies that I do not hate, so there’s that, lol.

9. What is your favorite meme? (don’t tell me, show me!)

Man, I feel like those change everyday. But the one that has been pretty much summing up my life and feelings lately is probably this one.

10. Did you ever hear the tragedy of Darth Plagueis, the Wise?

No.

And I googled it and found out it’s a character from Star Wars, which explains why I have never heard of it. I’ve pretty much never watched a single Star Wars movie and can barely tell you what it’s about, though I obviously recognize most of the characters as they’re everywhere in pop culture.

But not Darth Plagueis, surprisingly.

11. Just go on a mini rant about anything.

I hate the definition that “boybands” are only bands in which none of the members play instruments.

For me, the definition of “boyband” is SO much broader than that. It involves the way fans relate to the band more than anything. If the fans care for each member to a different extent, if each member represents a personality and aesthetic within the band, if there’s no front man or vocalist, but everyone’s equally important, if they target mainly to a younger audience: that’s boyband culture, y’all.

Let’s take Imagine Dragons, for example. You probably aren’t able to tell me the name of none of their members, except for maybe the vocalist. But if you’ve ever listened to McFly, then you’re able to tell me at least two of the members names. And in both of these bands, the members play instruments. But they are SO different, especially because of the way fans interact with them.

Speaking of which: The Beatles were a boyband. The world has tried to convince us that they’re “above” that title, when they literally originated boyband fan culture and that’s on that.

MY QUESTIONS

1. Your favorite Beatle?
2. If you could have dinner with three people, living or dead, who would they be?
3. Your favorite typically British name?
4. Rank the next apps: Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube and explain why.
5. Your favorite Original Netflix and why?
6. What do you think would be your favorite subject if you attended Hogwarts?
7. A funny story from high school?
8. Top three favorite music albums of the last decade?
9. Autobuy authors?
10. Favorite thing to do when in quarantine?
11. Let’s suppose the following scenario: we can prepare for the near apocalypse, so we decide to save the best works by humanity so that if aliens find earth, they’ll know who we are and what we did. What would you save?

WHO I NOMINATE

• Margaret @ Weird Zeal
• Aditi @ One in a Million
• Ruby @ Ruby Rae Reads
• Charis @ Charis Rae

 

That’s it, friends! Hope y’all are staying healthy and safe. Now, let’s talk: how’s your quarantine going? Any new shows/music/books I should get to already? And are you also mad about how people think of boybands or is it just me? LOL. Let’s chat in the comments!

kaleidoscope of tropes #2: found families

Hello, friends!

First of all: thank you so much for your support in the first post of this series that I posted a couple weeks ago. I really enjoyed writing this post, and it’s been making me think so much lately about the things I like that have themes in common and identifying other tropes I never realized how much I loved.

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)

Our trope for today will be:

FOUND FAMILIES

The found family trope can mean a lot of things. I find that my favorite version is just following a character who’s either an orphan or has no close family around, and ends up taking his friends as family. It is a very close friendship dynamic, but that means even more when you realize the person really has no one else to rely on.

Harry Potter probably has one of the most well known examples of this trope, as Harry has no actual family members around. So Hogwarts (Ron, Hermione, Ginny) end up becoming his family, even though they’re technically all only friends.

EXHIBIT #A: THE MAZE RUNNER, BY JAMES DASHNER

Of course I had to mention The Maze Runner, as this is one of my favorite series of all times. In this dynamic all of the characters are in need of families.

At the beginning of the first book, we have this group of boys thrown into a maze together, with no recollection of their past lives. Naturally, they start gravitating towards each other for comfort or advice, becoming each other’s family.

I loved this dynamic, because it perdured so well throughout the trilogy. The more these characters go through together, the less they’re willing to let each other go. They build more than just a trust-worthy friendship; they’re legit determined to go to the ends of Earth to find each other. And that’s the type of thing you’d do for family only, because that’s what they become for each other after all.

EXHIBIT #B: THE ILLUMINAE FILES, BY JAY KRISTOFF AND AMIE KAUFMAN

Now, obviously the relationship in here is slightly different, because some of these characters do have family around. But the reason why I think they fit into this trope so perfectly is because their dynamic is so family-like.

Kady is like the mom of the group, definitely. Nik and Hanna the rebelious children. Even the way Nik and Ezra fight is the perfect sibling banter. You simply can not convince me that they’re not actually related.

And so while these characters didn’t have a dramatic coming together, where they had no one else but each other, the way they interact remind me a lot of a big family dynamic, so I had to mention them.

EXHIBIT #C: A LIST OF CAGES, BY ROBIN ROE

This is probably one of the most perfect examples of this trope, because this book is a lot about family. In A List of Cages, Adam used to be a foster brother to Julian, but they haven’t seen each other in years, as Julian moved in with a distant uncle. Now that they’re in the same school, they start re-connecting and a lot comes from that.

Adam and Julian are brothers, period. Even though they are not related and there’s so much that needs to be unpacked on that relationship, it is clear that they care about each other as if they were family.

Adam’s group of friend also becomes a found family to Julian, apart from him and his mom. I loved seeing Julian interact with Adam’s friends – even if not all of them were perfectly friendly (cof cof Charlie), they were still there whenever Julian truly needed, offering the support and the strength he needed to grow.

EXHIBIT #A: THE 100

Of course I had to mention The 100, because even though it’s been such a long time since I last properly watched this show, the entire reason why I was so sold on it was because of the amazing dynamic the characters had.

Indeed, these characters have no family on Earth. Bellamy and Octavia are the only pair of actual siblings the show introduces at first, but they all become family in one way or another. Having to survive and protect each other really brings people together.

More than that, there is a lot of trust (or lack thereof) because there are literally no adults around. And throwing a bunch of irresponsible teenagers on a post-apocalyptical version of Earth is just as bad as it sounds. And the process of figuring out rules and laws, in order to live together, is very tricky, but also the reason why I find this dynamic to be so family-like: because these characters are also learning how to swallow up their pride and give in during an argument, apart from surviving skills.

EXHIBIT #B: WTFOCK

Find one post in which I’m not talking about SKAM or one of its remakes. I dare you.

But here’s the thing: in this Belgium version of SKAM, the flatshare dynamic is just *another level*. These characters are truly family to each other, with both the day to day arguments about who’s doing the dishes and the thoughtful conversations in the middle of the night about relationships.

All these characters are living together with people their own age for a reason. Most, because they don’t have a very good relationship with their parents, so they end up relying on each other for the tough things too. And it’s brilliant and heart-warming.

As I said, the authenticity of this relationship is truly what sells it for me. Because they’re not only being each other’s support system, but they’re also being honest and bickering and being their adorable selves, and I couldn’t be more thankful.

EXHIBIT #C: QUEER EYE

Okay, okay, Queer Eye is technically a reality show, but the Fab5 have the most precious relationship I know.

Not all of these guys have had the easiest time coming out to their families and their communities. And even though the show is about how they already have their lives figured out enough, they can help others do the same, I love whenever we can catch a glimpse of their past, because it is truly phenomenal that they’ve found each other.

I love their relationship, because it makes me laugh as much as it makes me cry. It’s so awesome that they have such an amazing and unique support system, of other guys coming from very distinct backgrounds, but that have found enough in common to work together wonderfully.

That’s it, friends! Thank you so much for reading. Now, let me know in the comments: do you have any more examples of this trope? Do you recognize any in my list? Oh, and of course: who’s your favorite member of the Fab5?

women’s history book tag!

Hello, friends!

In honor of Women’s History Month, Margaret @ Weird Zeal created this amazing tag, where the goal is to celebrate amazing women in history and also some of our favorite books. It is in my plans to only read books by women this month, so I wanted a chance to gush about other titles by women I love.

RULES

• Thank the person who tagged you and link back to their post.
• Link to the creator’s blog in your post
• Answer the questions below using only books written by women
• Feel free to use the same graphics
• Tag 8 others to take part in the tag

ONE. ROSA PARKS (1913-2005)

Rosa Park was a civil rights leader whose refusal to give up her seat to a white passenger on a segregated bus led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Her bravery inspired nationwide efforts to en dracial segregation. Parks was awarded the Martin Luther King Jr. Award by the NAACP, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal.

 

A book about a female character who doesn’t do as she’s told.

Felicity from The Lady’s Guide to Peticoats and Piracy is definitely a stubborn one. I’ve always admired Felicity for standing her ground, but reading this second book really strenghtened my feelings for her.

Felicity’s dream is to become a doctor; however, in the 1800s, women were barely allowed an education, moreover the one required to become a doctor. Felicity simply refuses to give up, though. Even though so many people tell her she can’t, she never stops fighting for her right to pursue her dreams.

 

TWO. ADA LOVELACE (1815-1852)

The daughter of famed poet Lord Byron, Augusta Ada Byron, Countess of Lovelace – better known as “Ada Lovelace” showed her gift for mathematics at an early age. She has been called the first computer programmer for writing an alogirthm for a computing machine in the mid-1800s.

 

A book with an intelligent female character

Frances from Radio Silence is an amazing character for a number of reasons, but her intelligence is a very significant trait. Frances is an overachiever at school, but that’s not without hardwork. She puts a lot of effort on keeping good grades, in hopes to get into a good school later on.

I loved, though, that the book focused on a lot more than just her intelligence. Frances was a really layered character – she was an amazing friend, with a passion for fandom and a deep confusion about her future – and reading about her was such a great experience.

 

THREE. QUEEN ELIZABETH I (1533-1603)

Queen Elizabeth I of England claimed the throne in 1558 at the age of 25 and held it until her death. During her reign, Elizabeth I established Protestantism in England; maintained peace inside her previously divided country; and created and environment where the arts flourished. She was sometimes called the “Virgin Queen”, as she never married.

A book about a woman in a position of power

Alright, so An Ember in the Ashes does have very powerful women in general, but I’m talking specifically about the Commander, which is probably not the nicest female character to talk about. In fact, she might be the worst.

I love to hate her character a lot. She’s very smart and seems to always be one step ahead of our protagonists, no matter what, but that’s exactly what makes her such an awesome character.

I also think it’s interesting to see a woman in a role that would be typically associated with males – not only because it is a position of power, but also because she’s merciless AF. And it’s not like women can ever be seen as ruthless, bloody and mean, right? *eyeroll*.

FOUR. VIRGINIA WOOLF (1882-1941)

Born into a privileged English household in 1882, author Virginia Woolf was raised by free-thinking parents. She began writing as a young girl and published her first novel, The Voyage Out, in 1915. She wrote modernist classics including Ms. Dalloway, To the Lighthouse and Orlando, as well as pioneering feminist works, A Room of One’s Own and Three Guineas.

A book with beautiful writing

Even though The Wicker King mostly centers around male characters, I couldn’t *not* talk about it. As soon as I heard this prompt, it was the first book that came to mind, and I think that says a lot about how the writing impacted me.

With that being said, I can still recognize that this book is not perfect and not for everyone. But it was meaningful to me for a number of reasons, and I loved how K. Ancrum shared so much with so little, as the chapters and sentences are short and simple, but still held a punch.

 

FIVE. JOAN OF ARC (1412-1431)

A national heroine of France, at age 18 Joan of Arc led the French army to victory over the English at Orléans. Captured a year later, Joan was burned at the stake as a heretic by the English and their French collaborators. She was canonized as a Roman Catholic saint more than 500 years later, on May 16, 1920.

 

A book about a female warrior

Some of these questions are quite hard for me, because I hardly ever read fantasy or anything that involves warriors or battles. I am mostly reading contemporary, and the most fighting characters do in those books is staying awake during boring lectures. (btw, #relatable).

But Rebel of the Sands, by Alwyn Hamilton is one of my favorite books of all times and I couldn’t pass the chance to gush about Amani. She’s such an amazing character and I love her a ton.

First, she’s not inherently badass, but in fact, quite reckless, who counts on luck for most things. I love how impulsive she could be and, yet, always came up with the best plans. She wasn’t perfect and definitely made mistakes, but that only made me love her even more.

SEVEN. ROSALIND FRANKLIN (1920-1958)

Rosalind Franking earned a Ph.D in physical chemistry for Cambridge University. She learned chrystallography and X-ray diffraction, techniques that she applied to DNA fibers. One of her photographs provided key insights into DNA structure. Other scientists used it as evidence to support their DNA model and took credit for the discovery.

An underappreciated book

I’d never heard of Rosalind Frankin before and it doesn’t surprise me. I’m glad we know that now and can work to properly address her discoveries.

Loving Grover Cleveland, by Rebekah Crane is quite an underrated book, in my opinion. And I enjoyed my experience with it so much. If you relate to mental ilness at all, I think you’d enjoy this one a lot, because it focuses on a number of characters, each facing a different thing.

There’s bipolar disorder rep, eating disorder rep, anxiety rep, schizophrenia rep, and while I’m obviously not able to discuss on how accurate any of these reps were, I do think they were all addressed sensetively, but also not overly done, as these characters are just teenagers after all.

It was a perfect mix of being educational, while also being real, and I loved that a lot.

EIGHT. MARSHA P. JOHNSON

Marsha P. Johnson was a transgender LBTQ rights activist and an outspoken advocate for trans people of color. Johnson spearheaded the Stonewall uprising in 1969 and along with Sylvia Rivera, she later established the Street Transgender Action Revolutionaries (STAR), a group committed to helping homeless transgender youth in New York City.

A book about LGBT+ characters

I could talk about literally so many books here, but I’ll focus in one I feel like I don’t rave enough about and that means a lot to me. Let’s Talk About Love, by Claire Kann focuses on an asexual bi-romantic black girl who finds herself falling for her co-worker, who just happens to be cutest, nicest, Japanese-American guy I’ve ever met.

This book was amazing for a number of reasons, but I have to mention Alice, our protagonist. I could relate to her so much, not only because of her sexuality, but she was also very passionate about all things Pinterest-like and my Libra self who can only think in a color-cordinated way was very pleased.

Most of all, though, I loved the friendships in here – Alice’s best friends, Franny and Ryan, gave me as much feelings as her romantic involvements, and that says *a lot*.

NINE. AMAELIA EARHART

Amelia Earhart, fondly known as “Lady Lindy” was an American aviator who mysteriously disappeared in 1937 while trying to circumnavigate the glope from the equator. She had several notable flights, including becoming the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean in 1928, as well as the first person to fly over both the Atlantic and Pacific.

 

An award-winning book that deserves the hype

Far From the Tree deserves all the hype it can get. It won the National Book Award in 2017 and, even though I do not know much about awards, I think it was a right choice. I loved this book with all my heart and I really think more people should read it.

This book both broke my heart and put it back together. It centers in family, identity and love, which are all very important topics for me, but it did that in such a genuine way. It never felt like the author was trying too hard to be inspiring; instead, it very much felt like she was telling a real story.

 

TEN. (FREE CHOICE) SOPHIA SCHOLL (1921-1943)

Sophia Scholl was a German student and anti-Nazi political activist, active within the White Rose non-violent resistance group in Nazi Germany. She was convicted of high treason after having been found distributing anti-war leaflets at the University of Munich (LMU) with her brother, Hans. As a result, she was executed by guillotine.

 

 

A book & a woman that inspire you

I think Sophia Scholl’s story is beautiful and inspiring for a number of reasons. Even if I have no personal attachment to the conflict, I still think it’s amazing to see a young woman, standing up for the entire system she was raised in, and fiding strength to fight back in books and religion. As someone who believes a lot in the power of non-violent resistance, I adore her story a ton.

And speaking of books that inspire me, I couldn’t pass on the opportunity to rave, once again, about the importance of Birthday, by Meredith Russo. Similar to Sophia’s story, I can’t say I personally related to the issues this book dealt with, but it didn’t stop me from feeling *everything* – most of all, from feeling inspired to be my truest self, always.

Now, let’s chat in the comments: what are some women in history that inspire you? And what books by female authors would you recommend to me?

monthly wrap up: february, ’20

Hello, friends!

February is now over, which means Carnaval is over. In case y’all are not familiar with it: it’s a five-day holiday in Brazil, that involves a lot of partying – or for an introvert like me, a lot of Netflix. March will have no holidays, so I am not exactly looking forward to it, lol.

HIGHLIGHTS

February was pretty uneventful for me, except for the fact I now have an *actual* part time job! I already have sort of a side job, where I am monitoring for my old high school teachers – basically checking out students’ work -, but now I’m actually working at a kindergarten, helping out with kids. I’ve always wanted to do that, but it’s been an interesting experience. It’s not entirely what I expected – and not in a bad way. It just involves a lot more responsability than I thought at first. But it’s also been rewarding, and I’m looking forward to it more and more.

BOOKS I READ

★★★☆☆

I really enjoy contemporaries with sprinkles of magic and fantastical elements, so I was really intrigued by this one’s premise. Basically: Mila is convinced her best friend was murdered, while everyone else in town is calling it a suicide. So Mila decides to do what anyone else would – bring her best friend back from the dead to get her answers. Except she ends up bringing other two girls as well and chaos ensues. As much as I liked the rep in this – Mila was a Latinx fat girl -, I felt like the relationships were particularly surface-level and the resolution of the mystery rather underwhelming.

 

★★★★☆

More often that not, the sole existence of Percy Jackson is enough to make me smile – even if just his fictional existence. This book is basically Percy counting all the original greek myths, with his characteristic sarcasm and humor. I mostly loved this because of how authentic the voice was, but I was also really intrigued by some of the myths, and especially how Rick Riordan transported them to the 21st century, highlighting some of the very *questionable* choices made by the gods – such as the amount of non-consensual sex, lol. This was super entertaining and I miss Percy already.

 

★★★★★

I already wrote an entire review of this book, so I won’t talk much about it. But Call It What You Want offered an amazing and remarkable cast of morally grey characters, who make a bunch of questionable choices for the right reasons and whom you can’t help but fall in love with. I especially loved the writing and how fleshed out *every* single character was in here – even the best friends who are typically nothing but comic relief. Obviously, I loved this one a ton and can not wait to read more from Brigid Kemmerer in the future.

 

 

★★★☆☆

I basically saw Cait giving this book a great review, I quickly learned it was about best friends who are also a little bit more, and it sounded beautifully dramatic, so I picked it up. I loved how Helene Dunbar created Sean’s voice – as someone who hasn’t had proper interaction with kids his age in years, it’s expected that Sean would sound a bit immature, but I loved how that dripped to the narration as well and sometimes I felt like I was indeed reading about a thirteen year old boy still. I enjoyed the writing style a lot, which makes me excited to read more about the author in the future. Unfortunately, though, I didn’t care as much for the side characters and felt like the plot resolved too quickly and conveniently.

 

 

★★☆☆☆

I genuinely have no idea how to describe this novella, except that it is a weird relationship between a monster and a sorcerer, who’s equal frightening and sexual. I do think I would’ve enjoyed this a lot more had I not listened to the audiobook, as I couldn’t connect with the narrator at all, and I feel like it took a lot from the story. Even though I enjoyed the characters’ relationships and dynamics, I was not that interested in the overall plot, and ended up zoning out through most of it.

 

 

MONTHLY PLAYLIST

This is probably one of my favorite playlists I’ve ever made. There are so many classics here, but also a lot of songs I just recently discovered and fell in love with. And, of course, A LOT of the High School Musical The Musical The Series soundtrack because I’m obsessed.

LOOKING FORWARD

I am positive March will be an exhausting month, as I’ll be both working and going to classes regularly. But I am excited nonetheless, because two of my favorite shows are dropping a new season in March: On My Block and Elite. So I’ll at least have some motivation to wake up early everyday, lol!

 

Let’s chat in the comments: any new music recommendations? Books you loved in February? And how much do you like kids? Hahah.

book review: call it what you want, by brigid kemmerer

When his dad is caught embezzling funds from half the town, Rob goes from popular lacrosse player to social pariah. Even worse, his father’s failed suicide attempt leaves Rob and his mother responsible for his care.

Everyone thinks of Maegan as a typical overachiever, but she has a secret of her own after the pressure got to her last year. And when her sister comes home from college pregnant, keeping it from her parents might be more than she can handle.

When Rob and Maegan are paired together for a calculus project, they’re both reluctant to let anyone through the walls they’ve built. But when Maegan learns of Rob’s plan to fix the damage caused by his father, it could ruin more than their fragile new friendship…

This captivating, heartfelt novel asks the question: Is it okay to do something wrong for the right reasons?

Here’s a little annectode for y’all: out of all the books I had on my TBR, Call It What You Want was the one I was the least excited to pick up. It’s not that I had anything against it, but there were other books by Brigid Kemmerer I wanted to get to before this one. But I was at the bookstore once, and my mom was feeling generous, and offered to buy any book I picked up. Since this was one was the cheapest, we went to check out.

Immediately after I paid for the book, I felt a big regretful. I didn’t even know that much about it and the premise didn’t even sound *that* interesting. I thought about returning it, but didn’t want to sound ungrateful, since my mom had literally just bought it. So I went home and read it.

And, oof, I am so, so, so glad I did.

“Other people don’t have the challenges we have… but that doesn’t mean they don’t have their own.”

1. Everyone kinda sucks. I know it sounds a bit contradictory, that my favorite thing about this book was how I couldn’t truly like any of the characters. But that’s the thing. I really enjoy myself some morally grey characters, but I feel like they’re always written the same way: a badboy with daddy issues. But Call It What You Want offered so much more than that. These characters were doing a lot of questionable things, but I still felt sympathy and compassion for all they were going through. It was very conflicting, but amazing at the same time.
2. The side characters. I love whenever a book can develop its side characters as much as the main ones. It’s so hard to achieve, but Bridgid Kemmerer did it almost effortlessly. I loved Owen – a friend that Rob makes throughout the book – for his hilarious honesty; I loved Connor – Rob’s former best friend – even if he was a total jerk; I loved Samantha – Meagan’s sister -, for being a badass with too many feelings; I loved Rachel and Drew – for being honest about how race privilege allowed Rob and Meagan to get away with the stuff they’d done. They were just as interesting as our protagonists and had just as much to offer.
3. Family means a lot. I am always happy to see family being a big role on characters’ lives, as I feel like it is in mine and it’s relatable for a lot of other people out there as well. Don’t be fooled – these characters families are just as bad as they are sometimes, but I still loved their role throughout the story and how they offered both comfort and stress, as I feel like all families do.
4. The writing style. I didn’t feel like one of the perspectives was stronger than the other, though I did like Rob better, but that’s because I am a male character hoe. They were both very well written and distinct. I feel like Rob sounded so much like a seventeen year old boy and I don’t know how to explain it, because he exuded both the asshole energy that I find any straight teenage boy has as default, but also a lot of feelings that added to his complexity.

“When you’ve lost everything,’ he says, ‘sometimes you don’t see anything wrong with taking a little back.”

The only thing I can name that made me a bit frustrated was the ending. As much as I appreciate how the author concluded it, considering everything the characters had been through, it happened way too quickly in my opinion. I would’ve really liked to have just a couple more pages, so we could tie some loose ends and give better closure to the characters and their relationships.

 

Overall, this is a book I’d recommend for people who enjoy reading about morally grey characters. You have to be open to disagree with these characters and roll your eyes at some of their actions, because that’s sort of the point. Call It What You Want does not claim to be a perfect story, following perfect characters. They’re not supposed to be role models – they’re supposed to be real.

I loved the book for exact those reasons, but I understand that it can not work for everyone. Nonetheless, I am really happy I decided to pick this book up out of all the options I had at the bookstore that day. I could’ve missed out on the chance to read an amazing story.

“One choice doesn’t determine your whole future.”

Have you read Call It What You Want? Or any other book by Brigid Kemmerer? If so, let me know your thoughts in the comments! And if you have any recommendations for books with morally grey characters, please share them in the comments too!

 

kaleidoscope of tropes #1: the broken musician

Hello, friends!

Welcome to a new series on my blog, one that I decided to call “Kaleidoscope of Tropes”. (Basically, I searched for words that rhymed ‘tropes’ and thought kaleidoscope was pretty neat). But it basically exists to discuss all things tropes.

I was really inspired by Marie’s post and decided to talk about some of my favorite tropes in books and TV. So that’s what we’re doing here today.

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, we’re going to be discussing the following trope:

THE BROKEN MUSICIAN

In short, this trope can show up in any work following a musician/super star/celebrity. Said character will either have a dark past, or trauma he’s working on. All of these issues can impact their career either in a positive way – inspiring passionate songwriting, for example – or in a negative way – giving them a bad reputation.

I’d say this trope is quite common, because, at least from my mundane perspective, celebrities lives can be so easily glamourized. Therefore, it becomes an interesting concept exploring the darker and not-so-pretty layers of it.

EXHIBIT A: WHERE SHE WENT, BY GAYLE FORMAN

I feel like I talk incessantly about this book on my blog, but I love it too much. This is the follow up for If I Stay, but focuses on Adam – Mia’s boyfriend in the first book -, as he is now the vocalist for the rising punk band, Shooting Star.

Adam has anxiety and a lot of unresolved business in his past, which totally drips to his music. In the book, we can see tiny excerpts from his lyrics, which are all so tragic and angsty.

Even though his career is technically skyrocketing, it is not without compromising his mental health, reputation and even his personal relationships. He does not have a friendly relationship with his bandmates anymore and most of the tabloids are very unflattering to his image.

Needless to say, I adore Adam as a character and being inside his head is so fascinating and intriguing. I really wish he was a real person sometimes, so I could really listen to his music.

EXHIBIT B: YOU’D BE MINE, BY ERIN HAHN

In this dual perspective novel, we’re following two musicians, both falling perfectly under this trope. Clay is a very successful country star, who’s been recently collecting scandals – from bar fights to underage drinking. He’s totally developing a drug issue, but pretends to be fine most of the time.

Annie is rising in the country scene. Daughter of two huge stars who committed suicide when Annie was still a kid, the girl has a lot of past trauma to unpack. She ends up tagging along for Clay’s tour and they form an interesting relationship.

Both of these characters are so awesome, because like I mentioned earlier, I think they can represent very well how trauma & hardships can affect your career both in positive and negative ways. For Clay, it’s mostly negative, as his label is about to drop him. For Annie, it’s positive because she can channel all of that into amazing songwriting.

However, the book is not trying to glamourize their hardships, like some may think. Despite showing them in a “glamourized” environment, the book goes at length to show how unhealthy these beaviours are and how much they need help.

EXHIBIT C: DAISY JONES AND THE SIX, BY TAYLOR JENKINS-REID

Taylor Jenkins-Reid is very well known for writing her characters like they’re real people, and it’s no different with Billy and Daisy in this book.

Even though we’re following multiple characters, I focused on these two because they’re *the* characters who embody this trope the best.

Daisy is gorgeous and has every man falling at her feet, but like she puts it herself: she doesn’t want to be somebody’s muse, she wants to be the somebody. Billy has always been in love with music, but once on the road, he quickly develops a drinking issue.

Both of these characters have *so much* they need to work on. Starting with being honest with themselves, of course. But, in general, they’re both struggling with their own personal demons – whether that is insecurity, addiction or unrequited love. And they’re again two people that I wish were real, so I could listen to their really great lyrics.

EXHIBIT A: DEACON CLAYBOURNE, FROM NASHVILLE

I feel like musicians with drinking issues are truly a cliché, because this is the third one I talk about. However, what’s really interesting about this dynamic is that when the show starts, Deacon is already out of rehab and clean for years.

The show truly explores the dark sides of addiction – how it took him away from the woman he loved all those years ago, and how it’s a constant battle not to give in to past habits.

Deacon is also known for having a temper and being rather impulsive at times. But that only makes him an even layered character, and a really fascinating figure to follow.

EXHIBIT B:  AUGUST RUSH

I think everyone in August Rush fits this trope a little bit, which is exactly what makes this movie one of my favorite ones of all times.

In case you’ve never watched it, the best way I can describe it is with a quote from the movie itself: “I believe in music the way some people believe in fairytales“. Following a little orphan boy, Ethan, the movie talks about the power of music in bringing people together.

Louis is our main character’s father and a vocalist and guitarist for this rock band. After meeting Layla, his life changes a lot. Despite it being such a quick encounter, it affects his relationship with other people and even with his friends and bandmates for years to come. Layla is a violinist, with a perfect career planned ahead. Needless to say, a pregnancy is not part of her plans. Even after so many years, these feelings still pour into her music.

And, then of course, there’s Evan – their child. He’s very passionate about music, and this passion can not be explained. He’s incredibly skilled, despite never having the chance to properly learn it. His search for his parents and the way he just truly believes they’ll find him as soon as they have the chance to listen to him is heart-wrenching.

Just writing about this movie makes my heart ache. It’s so beautiful and emotional and these characters are so incredibly layered. It’s just truly breath-taking.

Wow! This was a long post. I hope y’all have stuck around ‘till the end.

If you have, let me know in the comments: do you have any suggestions for me of books/shows/movies that contain this trope? Have you watched/read any of the ones I recommended?

 

top five characters who would be sorted in ravenclaw!

Hello, friends!

So, earlier last year, I shared a post on the five characters whom I’d sort in Slytherin – aka my Hogwarts House. I thought the idea of playing sorting hat was so fun, I decided to carry on and do it for one more house: Ravenclaw.

I explained in that post how my Hogwarts House is a little bit divided, because every test I take, I end up either in Ravenclaw or Slytherin. I can see my personality being in the middle of both, so I thought it would be fitting to talk about other five characters who would share my other house.

FIVE. GANSEY, FROM THE RAVEN CYCLE

art by @pentachilles

Let’s get some of the most obvious ones out of the way first, right?

Of course Gansey would be a Ravenclaw, as one of the most important traits of the house is curiosity and intelligence. And to say Gansey is a curious little bitch is an understatement, because he goes *at length* trying to prove this mystery he found years ago.

I just don’t think Gansey would be an organized, over the top Ravenclaw. His chatoic energy is too much and he’s definitely the type to pull all nighters in order to finish a project.

 

FOUR. LOLA, FROM LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR

Okay, this may sound like a wildcard, but hear me out, ok?

A very important trait for Ravenclaws is originality. And Lola is obsessed about being different. She wears wigs to school, for God’s sake. Everyday is like Halloween and she loves dressing up and coming up with the craziest combinations. And that definitely requires some skills, and wit too.

I also can’t see Lola being sorted in any other house, but Ravenclaw. She’s very smart and well-versed, even if only in specific themes, such as fashion and sewing. But it’s still an intelligence that I’ll never have, so I applaud her for it nonetheless.

 

THREE. WYLAN, FROM SIX OF CROWS

art by kkatsudone

Now, technically, Wylan is illiterate, but he’s still a Ravenclaw anyway. Because I like to believe Ravenclaws can also praise intelligence that comes in different ways other than words, and that books are not the only way you can obtain knowledge. Right?

In fact, I think if Hogwarts was a real universe and Wylan was a real person that could be sorted, he’d be very surprised to find himself going for Ravenclaw. But that is the absolute perfect house for him and everyone I know would sort him there in the bat of an eye!

Because he *is* smart AF. The kid knows a lot about Chemistry and manages to be level-headed enough during a dangerous fight to figure out combinations to explode enemies. And that’s not only badass, but super intelligent.

Basically: Wylan is a Ravenclaw and no one can convince me otherwise.

 

TWO. FELICITY MONTAGUE, FROM THE LADY’S GUIDE TO PETTICOATS AND PIRACY

Felicity is probably, along with Gansey, one of the most obvious Ravenclaws of this list.

She’s incredibly smart and really wants to be a doctor. And she works her butt off towards that, despise society at her time telling her she could never have such a position. And that’s definitely an amazing strength that I believe Ravenclaws would treasure so much – the strength to fight for your own education, to show that you’re worthy of it.

I also think Felicity would be thrilled to find herself in Hogwarts, because at least she would be treated equally. I don’t know much about Hogwarts History, but I can’t imagine that even in the 1800s, girls would be denied the right to study magic like boys. And I’m sure Felicity would pretty much beat them all.

 

ONE. LEO VALDEZ, FROM HEROES OF OLYMPUS

Okay, another unlikely one, maybe? I’ve seen Leo being sorted all around, mostly in Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, and as much as I can see traits of his personality that would have him end up in both of these houses, I think Ravenclaw fits him perfectly.

Again, I don’t think intelligence can come in only one way or another. It’s so much broader than we can see. Being smart is not only about being strategic or knowing all the words to a book; it’s also about thinking outside the box and doing what no one thinks possible.

And that’s definitely Leo. He’s a son of Hephaestus, which means he’s really good at building and creating anything you can think of. Throughout the series, he’s had many moments of coming up with crazy plans and they’ve always worked – and while you could see that as luck, I see it as Leo being the smart-ass that he is.

Much like Wylan, I can see him being an outcast at first, but slowly growing to learn that he’s just where he truly belongs.

Alright! Do you agree with my sortings? Which fictional characters you see as a Ravenclaw too? Are you a Ravenclaw? Let’s chat in the comments!

 

what i’ve been watching recently #3

And this feature is back for 2020!

I haven’t been watching a ton of new things, but I’m very excited for some upcoming releases during the next few months. S3 of Élite comes out in March and I already can not wait. It was a total surprise for me, because I thought I’d have to wait until September/October, but thankfully, the wait will be much shorter.

As for what I’ve been watching:

QUEER EYE (S1~S4)

This is what I did during the last day of 2019: watched Queer Eye.

I already expected this show to be emotional, but I was taken aback. I’ve cried so much with practically every single episode. I love how this show focuses on self-love and self-confidence so much, and I also adore how they end up connecting with a lot of people that probably would’ve never considered them in different circumstances.

I think Season 1 remains my favorite, but all of them are unique and great on their own way. I have more favorite episodes than I can count, but one that resonated with me a lot was the Jones’ BBQ one from Season 3. I’d always be a bit *meh* when they were transforming women, but this one was so beautiful and emotional and made me so happy.

(Also, my favorite one out of the FAB 5 is Antoni. No one is surprised. I didn’t want that. I tried to fight it. I was determined not to be the basic bitch, but I couldn’t help it. The funniest part is that I don’t even like food and I pay attention to a total of zero things he says. I only pay attention to his face. I know, I suck).

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL: THE MUSICAL THE SERIES

The name of this show, I swear to God. Why. So. Long.

Now, it is very much true that this girl right here doesn’t even have Disney+ because it’s not available in my country yet. But I’ve watched it nonetheless, because I am a child of the internet, and I was born knowing how to illegally download *anything*.

Y’all, this show was GOOD. I already had high hopes from the trailer, but oof. I spend the whole night watching it and then woke up and immediately re-watched all my favorite episodes.

It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. The characters all let their emotions impact their performance on stage, which is so annoying. Scoffs = acting. There are a lot of unnecessary zoom-ins. But I was still so involved in the entire storyline, in love with all the characters, rooting for my favorite couples and jamming to the soundtrack like CRAZY.

For Disney standards, this discussed a lot more than I expected. It had two LGBT couples, and it also discussed empowerement and healthy relationships and being who you are in practically every single episode and I was SO happy to see it.

If you have Disney+, watch it. Even if you don’t, WATCH IT. It’s amazing and all the HSM references added 20+ years into my life spam.

LITTLE WOMEN

I can’t believe I’m jumping in the wagon and talking about Little Women too. I can understand the references people make in social media. I feel cultured.

I am hardly ever interested in Academy Award types of movies. I recently made a Buzzfeed test about “the most highly-acclaimed” movies I’ve watched and I think my result was something like 3/89. I really do not care for these things and am much happier watching rom-coms back to back.

But my sister and I had time to waste at the mall one afternoon, so we went for it. And it was *so* entertaining.

I legit though I was going to fall asleep halfway through the movie, because I was tired AF and it is historical fiction, but it was really dynamic. My biggest gripe with Academy Award movies is that they’re always so tragic – it’s like one bad thing after another bad thing and hey here’s another bad thing. But Little Women was lovely and wholesome, and while it had its rough moments, I loved the happy ending so much.

The cast was phenomenal and I can totally understand the hype behind Saoirse Ronan and Timothée Chalamet now. (I still don’t think he’s attractive, but his character was so childish and ADORABLE).

SKAM FRANCE (S5)

Yes, I am obsessed with SKAM, ok. And what about it?

SKAM FR is the only remake that is getting more seasons than the original one had, which means this is a completely original season, focusing on a completely original character. So I’d already signed up, but moreover after finding out this season was following one of my favorite characters from S3 – Arthur.

(The entire boysquad of SKAM France is just *chef’s kiss*).

So far, this season has been an emotional rollercoaster, but I am really happy they’ve managed to keep the feel from OG that I love. And that we have so much bromance. Like, yes. Thank you. We still have a couple more weeks to go, but I’m really enjoying what I’ve watched so far. They’re discussing a completely new topic, and I was really surpised, but also really happy that SKAM FR decided to dedicate an entire season to it, as it is really relevant, but not adressed enough, especially in teenage shows.

 

What are you guys watching? Have you watched Little Women? If so, which of the characters you relate the most with? (I’d be Jo). Let’s chat in the comments!