five fictional friend groups i want to be a part of

Hello, friends!

To be honest, it’s been a while since I last sat down to blog. All the previous post had been scheduled for a while now and it’s a good feeling to sit down and finally draft a post. This one comes out the week I’m writing it, so it’s pretty up to date.

Recently, I’ve been enjoying my job winter break, but I still have uni classes to attend (virtually, of course). I’ve been watching a ton of NETFLIX (rewatching Julie and the Phantoms as I write this) and reading a lot too. Overall, it’s been a great week.

But that’s not what this post is about. I wanted to write about my favorite friend groups because that is something I always want to read more of. I *love* reading about friendships and watching iconic friends on screen too. Friendships > romance. It is what it is.

FIVE. KARINA’S FRIEND GROUP IN COUNTING DOWN WITH YOU

Ok, it is true that I didn’t love this book, but the friend group here is ICONIC.

These girls are so chaotic and so supportive of Karina the whole time. Sometimes, it’s almost overwhelming. I respect that so much, because I was definitely that friend back in high school: the one to be sending messages SENT US SCREENSHOTS every time one of their friends was trying to talk to a guy.

They were so hilarious and yet, also knew when to be serious and be there for their friend during the hard moments too. Basically: they’re the type of girl friend group I want to see more of.

FOUR. MEG AND LESTER, FROM TRIALS OF APOLLO

art by @limevines

They’re an icon, a legend and they’re the moment.

Look, Meg and Apollo (Lester) are the best part of this whole series. The combination of Meg’s sass and Lester’s cluelessness is a perfect entertainment recipe.

Also, their growth??? How much they grow to care and understand and love each other, and just be able to read each other’s thoughts every single time?

Ugh, I’m obsessed. I want to be them SO bad.

THREE. SLOANE’S FRIEND GROUP FROM THIS ADVENTURE ENDS

Imagine you just started at a new school and someone invites you to hang out with them and they already turn out to be the coolest friend group ever? Ugh, I wish.

I was obsessed with the friends dynamic from This Adventure Ends. The characters are all so unique and fleshed out on their own: Sloane being reluctant sharing her interests, Vera being charismatic and loud and so protective, and Gabe being the quiet one who loves fiercely. Aubrey, Frank and Remy were also equally iconic and brought great drama and A+ one-liners.

Not only that, but their dynamic as friends is exactly what I’d expect from teenagers and Emma Mills definitely nailed the realism in this one.

TWO. ALED AND FRANCES, FROM RADIO SILENCE

My two favorite people to exist. Or should I say my two favorite fictional characters. Cause, sadly, these two are not real.

Their friend group does expand throughout the book, but it all started out with them, after all.

Aled and Frances have the best platonic relationship I ever read. My heart aches with just how much these characters love each other. How much they can *see* through each other. How much they can be themselves around each other.

What I’d do to have a friend like that, seriously.

ONE. JULES’ FRIEND GROUP FROM FIFTEEN HUNDRED MILES FROM THE SUN

This friend group gives me *major* On My Block vibes and if you know me at all, then you know how that makes me feel.

As much as I can say how much I love these other friendships I mentioned here, it hits different when you find a friend group you can *see* yourself in. And that’s who these people are: the chaotic, amazing and supportive Latinx friend group of my dreams.

Jules crafts a family for himself – a family that is not perfect (no family ever is), but that loves him through all things. Jordan, Rolie, Itzel, Lou, Piña: they’re all so freaking amazing and saying goodbye to them and realizing they weren’t an actual friend group I could hang out with anymore by the time I finished  the book made me actually tear up.

What is your favorite fictional friend group? If you could send apps to join, which one would you choose?

what i’ve been watching recently #12

Hello, everyone!

It’s that time again: the one when I’ve finally watched enough shows to share my opinions on. There’s a lot more coming out in the next couple months, so definitely expect a follow-up to this one soon!

LUPIN (S2)

This show is just so entertaining, it’s pretty much impossible not to finish it in one sitting.

I do admit this second season had even more elements that felt too convenient, the first episode was very slow and they do sometimes overexplain a lot, but I still found it a lot of fun. More and more, I grow to love Assane as a character and I also loved how this season allowed us to see more of Ben, his best friend.

One thing I didn’t like was the romance, especially because it wasn’t the one romance I was rooting for, but oh well. Apparently, a season 3 is coming out, and I don’t know how necessary that will be either, but I can already anticipate it will be very entertaining.

THE CROWN (S1-S2)

Ok, full disclosure: I didn’t watch *all* of both seasons, because uh hi I’m Lais and I don’t give a shit about prime-ministers.

I started watching The Crown after watching a doc series on the Royal family and feeling like everything would be more interesting if I could watch a dramatized version of those events. Then, I remembered that The Crown existed. I also had a friend show me a fan edit of Princess Diana and Charles to tolerate it, by Taylor Swift and that successfully convinced me to watch it.

Instead of skipping ahead to season 4, I decided I needed some context, so I watched seasons one and two. I did skip around and only watched the scenes of the royal family, but they were interesting. The pacing of the show is *very* slow, but the production value and the dialogues make it worth watching after all.

ÉLITE (S4)

Yes, I watched it. Yes, I hated it.

Ok, hated is a strong word. I went into it with low expectations, because some of my favorite characters were not returning for this season, so it’s not even like I was disappointed. Still, there was so much development from previous seasons that was just ignored here, especially when it comes to Guzmán, also known as my favorite character.

I didn’t care that much for the new characters and was annoyed at how the main plotline was so cliché and seen numerous times before. I did love the amount of angst we had between Ander and Omar and Samu looked the hottest he’d ever looked, but those were the only two things this season really had going for it.

To be honest, I don’t know if I’ll be watching any upcoming seasons, as I’m scared they will ruin further my favorite characters (Rebe, Omar and Samu).

YOUNG ROYALS

I imagine that if you’re active at all on Tumblr, you’ve heard of Young Royals. It is a NETFLIX Swedish original and it’s compared a lot to Red, White and Royal Blue as it follows a young prince figuring out his sexuality.

I was initially excited about the show, but I think the high quickly wore off. I really appreciated the fact they casted age-appropriate actors and the main relationship was adorable, but apart from that, there was nothing really that was interesting?

I found the side characters to be annoying at worst, forgettable at best. I also hated the fact there is an outing plotline as well as how little support one of the characters had after deciding not to come out. This is your friendly reminder that people don’t need to be out to have their sexuality be valid and they don’t need to be out to simply satisfy their partners. Let people choose the moment when they come out and not be considered bad because of it.

If you’ve watched any of these, let me know your thoughts! What shows are you currently watching? Which ones are in your to-watch list?

mid year freak out book tag 2021!

Hello, everyone!

I am so excited to be doing the Mid Year Freak Out Book Tag, as it has become a yearly tag in my blog and I love looking back onto my reads and also planning future ones for the rest of the year.

Best book you’ve read so far in 2020

Funnily enough, my favorite book of 2020 so far has been one I read all the way back in January and that is, of course none other than Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas. This book was so hilarious, while discussing so many serious topics. I loved Maverick as a narrator and how the author showed how all of the things he had happening in his life explained his bad decisions. It’s definitely a relatable story, with so many heartfelt moments and funny dialogues. I have a full review up for it, if you want to check it out. I am so glad I gave this one a shot!

Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2020

As you guys know, I hardly ever read series and mostly read YA standalones, so I didn’t have a lot to pull from. Because of that, the only sequel I really had to talk about was Heartstopper (vol. 2 and 3). I am absolutely in love with this series now and so excited to watch the show, whenever that comes out. When I read the first installment, I just thought it was cute, but nothing special, and after reading the sequels, I realized how important this series is, with its great representation, the A+ communication the characters have with each other and the overall protection the author has with its audience by always providing trigger warnings.

New release(s) you haven’t read yet, but want to

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THIS WILL BE FUNNY SOMEDAY. I loved Katie Henry’s previous two books, Heretics Anonymous and Let’s Call It a Doomsday and this one seems to be amazing: it’s about a girl in stand-up comedy who’s lying to her new group of friends that she’s in college, when she’s still a high schooler.

I THINK I LOVE YOU. I think I’ll enjoy this a lot simply because it has rom-com references, which is my whole thing. It’s a lesbian, enemies-to-lovers romance, and while that is not my trope, this one seems to have the perfect summer vibes.

THAT WAY MADNESS LIES. This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and I have yet to read it. It’s an anthology inspired by Shakespeare and I’m so excited because of how many great authors we have here: Mark Oshiro, Dahlia Adler, K. Ancrum, etc.

Most anticipated release(s) for the second half of the year

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ARISTOTLE AND DANTE DIVE INTO THE WATERS OF THE WORLD. This one comes out on my birthday month, which I think is my true birthday gift. It’s not news that Ari & Dante is my favorite book in the world and I’ve been anticipating this sequel for so long. I can’t wait to cry my eyeballs off.

OUR WAY BACK TO ALWAYS. I didn’t *love* Nina Moreno’s debut, but this one is a friends to lovers second chance summer romance and while the cover reminds me of Episode (that app where you like act out Wattpad stories), I stil have hopes I’ll love it.

CAZADORA. I really said “stan latinx authors” with this answer. But this sequel to Lobizona is very anticipated by me, as the ending of the first book left a lot of questions to be answered and I’m looking forward to be reunited with Manu.

Biggest disappointment

It sucks to say but that will have to be Counting Down With You. I was very excited for this book, because it was a fake-dating romance, which is my biggest buzzword, and while I did enjoy the friend group and the anxiety rep, the actual romance was so disappointing. I found it to be very cliché and honestly quite cringey – they had no chemistry imo and the development of the relationship was so fast. I talked more about it in my Goodreads review, if you want to check it out.

Biggest surprise

Initially, I was shocked to even get early access to an ARC for Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun. Being Brazilian, I don’t have access to Netgalley and the only arcs I’ve read before have been through blog tours, so imagine my shock when I opened my email one day and there it was! I am so thankful, especially because this story was amazing. I loved the found family, the romance, the atmosphere – it was so good and I highly recommend checking it out.

Favorite new author (debut or new to you)

A book that also took me by surprise this year was Boyfriend Material, and the one thing I loved the most was the writing. This book was so funny, like legit laugh-out-loud funny. I loved the banter between all the characters and it also had a lot of random pieces of information that were actually very interesting to read about, and while if this was any other book, I would’ve gotten tired of it, Alexis Hall did such an amazing job that I was in love even when they were going on about insects, lol. If they ever release more cute rom-coms in the future, you can expect I’ll be reading it!

Newest fictional crush

Y’all, it’s been a while since I last fell in love with a book character, tbh. I finished the Truly Devious series this year, so I think I’ll be repeating the same answer from 2019 – I love David a lot. He’s very weird, and very pretentious, and not really a good person sometimes, but I adore him. He’s mysterious and loves with all his heart, and feels things very intensely all the time. I just wanted to wrap him and protect him sometimes.

Newest favorite character

I’ve been very lucky this year, because I found myself having a hard time choosing just one character to answer here. But the one that swept me off my feet was Juliette, from These Violent Delights. I have a tendency to like male characters more, so I was quite surprised by how much I adored Juliette and never wanted to stop reading in her perspective. She’s determined and fierce and doesn’t let anyone get in her way. She also shows her vulnerability, and sometimes her impulsiveness takes away from her good decision-making, but I absolutely loved everything about her, even when she was being a bit of a dick.

Book that made you cry

That will have to be Dear Justyce, by Nic Stone. I didn’t expect to full-on cry like I did with this book, but it was so intense and heartfelt. This one is a sequel to Dear Martin and it focuses on the prison system and at-risk teens. It’s also phenomenally written, with so many deep quotes and a really great inside into Quan’s mental health issues. It has a beautiful and hopeful ending, which is probably what moved me the most. I can not recommend this one enough.

Book that made you happy

One I recently finished that just made me smile every time I picked it up was She Drives Me Crazy. This book was the sapphic teen-com of my dreams: it literally reads like 10 Things I Hate About You, with the phenomenal banter, the relevant social commentary and your typical teen fiction tropes that are very nostalgic and fun to read about. This book is a delight, with amazing characters, incredibly great writing, and it’s one I def expect to re-read many times in the future.

Your favorite book to movie/tv show that you’ve seen so far?

Uh, I mean, is there any other answer but Shadow & Bone?

Even though I was a bit confused, I loved the show. I am so excited for season 2 and for how we’ll get to see even more of this universe. I think they did an amazing job by intertwining the Crows’ story with Alina’s, and all the characters are so charismatic and easy to connect with.

Not to mention the couples & ships that had me DYING as I watched it. What a great time.

What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

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DARIUS THE GREAT DESERVES BETTER. Jesus Christ, I still have not read this book. This is really embarrassing at this point. I adored the first Darius the Great in 2019, and I still have not picked up the sequel for some reason.

VERONA COMICS. This is clearly inspired by Romeo & Juliet, but it’s about two rival indie comic stores and their workers who begin to fall in love? I have never read anything by Jennifer Dugan before, but I’m still excited.

AN ABSOLUTELY REMARKABLE THING. This book is raved by literally everyone in the community and my sister keeps insisting I need to pick it up. It shall happen in 2021!

Friends, let me know in the comments: what’s your favorite book you’ve read so far this year? What are you anticipating for the rest of 2021? And do you have a favorite book adaptation of the year?

olympic games readathon TBR!

Hello, friends!

I am so excited for a new round of the Olympic Games Readathon, a Percy Jackson inspired readathon created by Ishi @ Ishi Time and co-hosted by Ally @ The Nature of Pages, Nicole @ Nicole and Her Books and Sasha @ The Wild Sasha.

I thought a lot about which team should I compete in. Last year, I was part of team Poseidon, but a lot of the prompts of last year were repeats and I didn’t have any more books in my TBR that fit them. So I decided to participate in Apollo’s team instead! I like Apollo enough, especially in the Riordanverse, so I feel good about this decision, lol.

APOLLO’S PROMPTS

Music to my ear: Listen to an audiobook.

I was so excited to see Ace of Spades available on Scribd, as it is one of my most anticipated releases. All I know about this book is that is queer, dark academia and has massive Gossip Girl vibes, which is pretty much all I need to know anyway. I hope we have two narrators for the two different perspectives, because I absolutely love that in audiobooks. 

 

Read a graphic novel.

I’ve been reading the Fence series since the beginning of the year, but I still have to pick up the 3rd volume. I am super excited to finish this series and especially because Seiji is a character I *need* to know more about. He’s so mysterious and quiet, and I am 100% sure there’s more to his story than we’ve seen so far and I’m ready to get to see that.

 

As the god of the prophecy, Apollo can predict the future. Read a 5-star prediction.

My sister is probably screaming right now, but I will read An Absolutely Remarkable Thing!

I do know a little bit about this book’s plot: it’s about internet fame and weird statues that show up at random times and a protagonist called April May.

I also know everyone and their moms love this book with their whole souls, so yes the expectations are high and I hope to have my mind blown.

 

Apollo is considered one of the most beautiful gods. Read a book with a beautiful cover.

Last year, around my birthday, one of my friends gifted me with a copy of Winterwood by Shea Earnshaw and I kid you not is one of the prettiest books I have in my shelves, along with the previous book by the author, The Wicked Deep.

For this one, I actually have no clue what it is about. Magical forests, based on the title? Maybe witches? I don’t know but is winter here, so the title is very fitting.

 

Read a well known and well-liked book.

This one has to be a re-read, because ofc!

It is a well known and well liked book by myself.

But, in all honesty, Bromance Book Club is also very well known and well liked for many other people and for a good reason. I loved this book so much last year, and while I should probably be continuing on with the series instead of re-reading the first book, uhhhhh… Yeah idc I just want to revisit Thea and Gavin. :)

 

BONUS PROMPTS

PEGASUS RIDING: a book published within the last 5 years

I think I’ve put The Great Unknowable End in three previous TBRs since the beginning of the year and I still HAVE NOT READ IT. It never works out and I can never pick it up when I want to, but it shall happen now.

This one is set in the 70s, I believe, and one of the protagonists has Tourettes and I think it’s set in a hippie commune. This setting is so interesting! I have read Kathryn Ormsbee’s Tash Hearts Tolstoy and really enjoyed the writing, so I hope to enjoy this one too.

 

CANOEING: a book that takes place on or near a body of water

Ruby has raved about Shipped, sooooo I’m successfully convinced I should read it!

I know this one is enemies to lovers, they’re co-workers and in a cruise together. I enjoyed Unhoneymooners, which is the book that constantly gets compared to, so I hope to enjoy this one too.

 

CLIMBING WALL: the next book in a series

It is absolutely not okay for me to be in team Apollo and not reading a Trials of Apollo book, right?

(Also, can we all agree that this is the prettiest cover from the whole series?)

I still have to finish the series, so I’m putting Tower of Nero for this prompt. I am not ready to finish this series, especially because I know is the last book in the Percy Jackson universe we’ll have in a while and I’m not prepared to say goodbye yet.

 

CAPTURE THE FLAG: one of your most anticipated releases

Any Way the Wind Blows comes out this July and ofc I’m anticipating it a lot, even though Wayward Son was a massive disappointment.

This is another series conclusion I am not prepared for. I don’t know if I’m able to say goodbye to Simon and Baz yet because they’re seriously two of my all time favorite characters. But I’m also desperate for them to finally get the happy ending they deserve.

 

Are you taking part in the Olympic Games readathon? If so, what’s your team? Also, let me know if you read any of these books and what you thought of them!

the self-proclaimed #1 fan of fake-dating reviews fake-dating books

Yes, it’s me, Lais: the #1 fan of fake-dating books at your service. You’re welcome.

I’ve been thinking about this post for a while now and I feel like I finally have enough books to give you my opinion on.

Because fake-dating is a specific trope, I have a few things to consider when making this ranking:

1. Characters’ motivations: /10
2. Commitment to the fake-dating: /10
3. Angst & tension: /10
4. Overall book execution: /10

Obviously, all these things are STILL VERY MUCH SUBJECTIVE!!!! I can feel a certain way about the characters’ motivations and you can feel the complete opposite. And that’s okay! As much as I want to claim that I am well-versed in fake-dating, I am still just one person giving their opinion online for no reason at all. So I promise it’s not serious at all!

I also had to do Maths for this post, so pls like share with friends or sth, I worked hard, ok lmao.

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THE FILL-IN BOYFRIEND, BY KASIE WEST

1. Characters’ motivations:

Gia’s boyfriend breaks up with her in the parking lot of her prom and she has to find a new fake date. Honestly, I’d do the same, because walking into prom without the boyfriend that you’ve been raving about for weeks would definitely be a cringe sequence for the history books. As for our fake-boyfriend, he doesn’t have that many reasons to keep up with the façade, except he wants to impress his ex, which is like… I guess? 8/10

2. Commitment to the fake-dating:

I’d argue both characters are pretty committed, but it becomes too quickly about doing things for each other as “friends” rather than as “fake boyfriend and girlfriend”, which takes away the *tension* of it all (like, the pretending to hug, and kiss and hold hands, which is the excellence of the trope to begin with). 6/10

3. Angst & tension:

Gia is already facing enough angst and tension with her friends and family, so the relationship is more about being her safe space than anything. That is not a bad thing & actually works for the book, but I’m a hoe for angst, so… 4/10

4. Overall book execution:

I actually really like this book! It’s as dramatic as an early 2000s rom-com and I love it for that. The fake-dating is alright, and it added enough to the story imo. 9/10

FINAL RATING: 6,75/10

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FRANKLY IN LOVE, BY DAVID YOON

1. Characters’ motivations:

Frank wants to date this girl, but this girl is white. Joy wants to date this boy, but this boy is Chinese. Joy and Frank’s parents just want them to date fellow Koreans, so they start fake-dating each other to put up a front for their parents, while they’re actually with their own partners. It’s honestly an epic plan. 10/10

2. Commitment to the fake-dating:

These characters were so committed to the fake-dating that they actually cheat on their respective partners! We absolutely fucking hate to see it! -2/10

3. Angst & tension:

Most of the angst & tension comes from these characters, again, CHEATING on the people they’re *actually* dating. However, there’s also the fact that at one point, Joy and Frank’s parents fight and yet that somehow never affects their relationship because….? I guess the author just didn’t care enough to write about that? 2/10

4. Overall book execution:

Y’all, this book is not bad. As a coming of age story, a tale of identity and family, it’s actually pretty fucking good. I also really like David Yoon’s writing. But as a fake-dating book, it sucks. Not only the cheating, but the romance in general makes no sense and it’s so insta-lovey it hurts. 6/10

FINAL RATING: 4/10

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TO ALL THE BOYS I’VE LOVED BEFORE, BY JENNY HAN

1. Characters’ motivations: Let’s bring it back to the classics, shall we? The motivations here are kinda blurry and all over the place. Lara Jean wants to prove she no longer has feelings for her sister’s ex, because well, it’s her sister’s ex. And Peter K wants to win his ex back. A lot of exes, childhood friends and drama. Lara Jean’s motivations are not exactly realistic, but a lot stronger, so it gets a 8/10.

2. Commitment to the fake-dating: Lara Jean and Peter actually have a whole ~contract~ for what they’re supposed to do when entering this deal, and they’re pretty commited. Peter gives Lara Jean rides every morning and writes her notes. Lara Jean goes to parties with him and bakes him cookies. A fair trade for me. 10/10

3. Angst & tension: Ooooohhh, yes, these two deliver. Because they have “history” – like the fact Lara Jean wrote an entire letter confessing her feelings to him -, it makes things twice more complicated. Unlike the other couples I mentioned in this post, that didn’t really know each other that much before the fake-dating, these two absolutely do and the unresolved feelings come to play wonderfully here. 10/10

Overall book execution: I am absolutely biased, because I adore the To All the Boys series and the entire universe Jenny Han created. I love the characters, their dynamics, the writing, the amount of baking & rom-com references, etc. So, this is another easy rating for me. 10/10

FINAL RATING: 9,5/10

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BOYFRIEND MATERIAL, BY ALEXIS HALL

Note: this book is actually an adult romance.

Characters’ motivations: Again, the motivations are a bit unbalanced. Luc needs a fake-boyfriend that is respectable and with a good reputation, to help him repair his so he can keep his job. But Oliver doesn’t have that much of a reason to be engaging on the fake relationship, except he needs emotional support when meeting his (incredibly toxic cof cof) family. 7/10

Commitment to the fake-dating: This is another case where the characters turn to friends pretty quickly, so most of what they do together is not to keep up the front of their fake relationship, but because they’re genuinely being supportive. 7/10

Angst & tension: Even if there’s not much *actual* tension in terms of the fake dating (like, not a lot of forced proximity and PDA moments, even though these are absolutely chef’s kiss whenever they happen), there’s definitely a good amount of angst, especially towards the end, and it’s totally worth reading if you’re a fan of those in your romances. 10/10

Overall book execution: I did adore this book. The humour is absolutely out of this world, the romance made me actually giggle and the characters are so beautifully complex. It’s another easy 10/10 for me.

FINAL RATING: 8,5/10

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HANI AND ISHU’S GUIDE TO FAKE DATING, BY ADIBA JAIGIRDAR

Characters’ motivations: Hani wants to “prove” to her friends that she is in fact bisexual by dating a girl, which is… like, a realistic motivation I can see people having becaue biphobia is very much real, but also absolutely awful that she’d even have to do that. Friendly reminder that no one should have to “prove” their sexuality to others✨. As for Ishu, she hopes to by dating Hani she’ll become more popular and get more votes for her as Head Girl, which is a motivation I can stand by. 8/10

Commitment to the fake-dating: I also didn’t think there were many moments when these characters actually went out of their way to commit to the fake-dating, except when Ishu had to go on a triple date with Hani’s friends and talk about Riverdale and the royals, which I imagine must’ve been in her top 10 hardest moments. 8/10

Angst & tension: Well, there were definitely some moments. Like, their first date had me giggling and there’s this scene in Ishu’s bedroom that was also UMMM YES OK. I will say, though, the “there’s only one bed” scene’s execution had me \: 8/10

Overall book execution: This was another really good one. Adiba Jaigirdar is so good at discussing very serious topics in her books, while still keeping them entertaining. Her writing is also SO good. I loved both Hani and Ishu’s family dynamics, so honestly this was solid. 9/10

FINAL RATING: 8,25

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RENT A BOYFRIEND, BY GLORIA CHAO

Characters’ motivations: This one is different because it’s literally a rent a boyfriend situation. Meaning Drew is just here for the coin, lol. But he does grow fond of Chloe very fast, so he’s also there to support her. As for Chloe, she hopes that getting herself a boyfriend will finally remove the idea off her parents’ head that she should get married to the local playboy. 9/10

Commitment to the fake-dating: Drew is COMMITTED, ok. Again, yes, he’s technically being paid, so he doesn’t really have a choice? But like, the way he was cooking and washing the dishes and spending family holidays with Chloe and almost fucking up his other fake dates for her? Iconic. 10/10

Angst & tension: To be honest, this book could’ve been A LOT more tense and angsty than it was. Like I said, Drew quickly realizes how complicated Chloe’s situation is, so they quickly become friends more than fake boyfriend and girlfriend, which was a bit disappointing tbh. 6/10

Overall book execution: This book is hilarious and an absolutely wild ride. Like, it’s very ridiculous at times, but there are also serious and relevant conversations in terms of identity and how both of these characters relate to their heritage as Chinese-Americans. 7/10

FINAL RATING: 8/10

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COUNTING DOWN WITH YOU, BY TASHIE BHUIYAN

Characters’ motivations: To be honest, the fake-dating in this book doesn’t make that much sense at all. Alistair wants to prove his family that he can actually find a decent girlfriend, but at the same time, his entire thing is *not* being decent because that’s what makes his family give a shit about him? See how it doesn’t go at all? Karina also has no reason to be his fake girlfriend, except she wants to help him because she’s a good soul or whatever. 2/10

Commitment to the fake-dating: They do go on a date together and Karina does pretend to be Alistair’s girlfriend when she’s around his family, but for the most part, they’re actually dating and yet pretending it’s fake. It’s very confusing, trust me. 6/10

Angst & tension: Literally, none. Which is probably good considering Karina technically didn’t even want to be in this agreement in the first place (she legit has a panic attack when he brings it up), so at least he’s not putting her into more unnecessary tension, though there’s still a lot of confusion between what’s real and what’s not, that is frankly a shared emotion between all the readers. 4/10

Overall book execution: Sooooo, I actually didn’t like this one. I did appreciate the friend group and the anxiety rep, but the characters were a bit too cliché and their dynamic too cheesy. 7/10

FINAL RATING: 5/10

I still have more books to talk about, such as Take a Hint Dani Brown & Meet Cute Diary, but I will save those for a second edition of this post. Thank you so much for reading & pls recommend me more fake dating romances!

i read ace by angela chen and i am now a new person (a review & discussion)

Hello, friends!

So, back in April, I read Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society and the Meaning of Sex, written by Angela Chen. I had seen this book being mentioned before, when people were discussing asexuality, and it felt like a good place to learn more about it, as a label I gravitate more and more towards.

Disclaimer: this post is going to be super personal. If you don’t care about it, and just want to know my thoughts on the book: I loved it & I encourage anyone – ace or not – to read it.

THE PROBLEM WITH LABELS

The one thing that always stopped me from using “ace” as a label was the fact that I could change my mind about it. How to know if I’m asexual if no one ever actually had an interest in me either? The phrase “Am I ace or just ugly?” is written in my journal at least 400 times.

And that’s, already, the first thing I loved about the book: the way the author acknowledges that it’s okay to change your mind, and therefore, find a better label out there that suits you best.

Especially when we’re talking about communities, it’s impossible not to feel like an imposter, like if I join and leave, then my presence there was less relevant. And it’s fascinating how this book actually made me realize that so many people go through this journey as well and seeing how normal it was for them, made me realize it could be a normal process for me too. I have joined communities and left them before – the number of fandoms I was once a part of is literally too many to count – and that doesn’t mean they didn’t matter to me at the time when I joined them. And when it comes to labels, so many people grow up thinking they’re straight, just to realize they’re actually not. Some think they’re gay and then realize they’re actually bi, or pan, or trans. Labels are not written in blood or ink, and it’s okay for them to change.

Not only that, but it’s also okay not to know one thing or the other. Like, I may never know if I’m asexual because I’m ace or because I’m just not desirable. And it felt, for the longest time, like the answer to one would cancel out the other, as if I couldn’t just be both or neither.

INTERSECTIONALITY

The book touches a lot in the intersectionality of asexuality and race, as well as asexuality and disability. And that was the part that impacted me the most, as these are two almost opposing communities and living in that intersection is like being rejected by both sides. The ace community wants to prove that asexuality is NOT a disability. The disabled community wants to prove that being disabled doesn’t automatically make you ace. So it must absolutely suck to be both.

But what I was able to apply to my experience was what one of the interviewed – Cara – discussed: the fact that she doesn’t know if she is actually asexual or if she is disabled, and therefore, by our society ableist standards, undesirable. And there’s no way of her knowing, because she’ll never get to just *stop* being disabled. So the answer becomes irrelevant. It doesn’t matter which one causes the other, because you can’t strip someone out of their disability, to figure out how different their sexuality would be. We’re all MORE THAN ONE THING and they’re all intertwined. Her disability might affect her asexuality, and that’s how things *are* supposed to work. Again, it made me feel a bit ridiculous that I for some reason thought things could be different.

It’s the same thing when it comes to sexual assault victims. The ace community strives to prove that asexuality has nothing to do with trauma, but that lowkey invalidates sexual assault victims who ALSO choose to label themselves as asexual. Again, you can’t know what that person would choose as a label if they hadn’t gone through that, because you can’t take their trauma back. One thing may affect the other and it doesn’t invalidate their experience as ace in the slightest.

WHY I ONLY WRITE THE GOLD-STAR ACE

I hadn’t even realized just how many prejudices I had internalized by trying to affirm asexuality as a valid identity. One of them was the aiming of the “gold star ace”.

I hadn’t realized it then, but I started writing ace characters when I was 13, in my first ever writing project. I have no idea when I first heard the word “asexual”, but I was already familiar with it at the point, and wanted to write about an ace character. This character was: white, blonde, tall, and a MASSIVE celebrity. Like, Ariana Grande level of celebrity. And her biggest “scandal” was the fact she never dated. She was never seen with anyone, never had hook ups or rumors or flings, or any of that. And people were constantly pressuring her to get a boyfriend.

I did envision her to get one by the end, so I imagine she was more demi than ace, but nonetheless, I’d wanted to write about a character who was, in every sense of the word, a desirable person, and that still CHOSE not to have sex. It wasn’t because no one else wanted them, it was because they didn’t want anyone else.

And I loved how Angela Chen made me question that. Why was that identity the one I was striving for? Why was *that* person going to finally validate asexuality as a real thing? If my character had been disabled, fat, neurodivergent and not-white, then they wouldn’t be the “perfect ace”, because all of these other labels would become things for others to point: *this* is why you’re not having sex. Not because you’re ace, but because ___, ____, ____.

And that is simply *not* true. It’s honestly a bit ridiculous to expect that the “gold star ace” exists and only if they do is that our existence will be validated. We are ALREADY existing. People ALREADY feel like they’re ace. It’s not a matter of whether to not we’re “allowed” to exist, because we already do.

THINGS I LEARNED WITH ‘ACE’

Besides everything I talked about that the book helped me change my perspective on, I also love how “Ace” taught me about a lot of topics I didn’t know enough about.

One of them was the idea of “rape is not sex”. When I started reading this segment, I vehemently disagreed with the author, just because the phrase “rape is not sex” is something I’d heard being repeated so often, in contexts where I generally agreed with people who used them (feminist segments, defending victims of sexual assault, talking about rape culture, etc), but the more she talked about it, the more it became clear that statements like that just help perpetuate even further an idea that sex should always be something good. And sex doesn’t have to be all that.

I also had never given much thought about how asexuality is perceived in relationships, especially with allosexual partners. Mostly because I am aromatic, so the thought of navigating asexuality in a relationship just didn’t feel worth having. But throughout the book, Chen goes in depth about sexual enhancement products and how they not only have side effects that disproportionately affect women, but how their use is recommended without considering the societal pressure where people are expected to always want to have sex, and how THAT is what we should be treating.

It was definitely a learning experience, as I previously knew close to nothing about these practices and it made me not only more aware, but more critical of them too.

WHAT I THOUGHT WAS LACKING

While the book was amazing and one of the easiest 5-stars I gave all year, I did think it was lacking in some aspects.

One thing I found weird was how much the author went on about how the feminist movement hardly ever welcomes asexual women or just women who simply don’t want to have sex. I understood her point but I feel like it’s something already discussed a lot in feminism – how moving towards more forward thinking and the embracing of women who are open about their sexuality should not mean the shaming and the “leaving behind” of women who choose celibacy. It’s a similar concept to the feminist view of motherhood: no woman should be shamed into becoming a mom, but no woman should be shamed for genuinely wanting to either. I thought these were old news, but if just yesterday, I had to listen to my college professor, well-versed in feminism, shaming his own cousin because she used “mom” to define herself, then it might indeed not be as “common knowledge” as some may think.

I also wish the author had touched more on the place of aces within the queer community. While she’s very open throughout the book about seeing asexuals as part of the community, we all know they’re not as easily welcomed. Every Pride Month I feel like we witness the same conversation happening on Twitter – whether or not aces are allowed to celebrate Pride & whether or not they are *really queer*. I’d have liked to listen to experiences of people who felt like they were not exactly welcomed by the queer community and had to build their own.

There also weren’t a lot of people being interviewed who define themselves as aromantic and asexual, which was something I missed, especially because society pressures us into romance even more than it pressures us into sex. While sex is, in some cultures and for some demographics, considered something too “vulgar” to be talking about, you hear stories of romantic love from as early as a toddler, when you watch Cinderella for the first time. I wish there had been a broader conversation on aromanticism and its differences and similarities with asexuality.

This turned into a whole fucking essay, so I apologize. Let me know if you’ve read Ace, your thoughts & what was a book that you read recently that changed your life!

five specific romantic tropes that deserve better

Hello, friends!

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day here in Brazil, so HAPPY EARLY VALENTINE’S! Yes, unlike the rest of the world, we don’t actually celebrate Valentine’s on February 14th, but rather on June 12th, to honor Saint Anthony, who’s known as the match-maker saint.

And it’s in this love-doey spirit, that I present to you today’s list of my *hyper-specific* favorite romantic tropes that I want to see more of in fiction!

FIVE. PERSON A TALKING ABOUT PERSON B TO PERSON C

Oh God. It doesn’t get more specific than this, huh?

But, honestly, the way in which characters are more honest about their feelings when they’re with other people than with their *actual* loved one is actually pretty realistic!

I, too, am a lot nicer about my mom when I’m not talking TO my mom, you know?

That’s definitely why I love a good counseling/therapy scene. Those were some of the most awkward, but also fascinating moments to read in Love Her or Lose Her because these characters opened up more to strangers than to each other and it was just beautiful to watch.

FOUR. HURT/COMFORT

Not to go 100% my AO3 history here, I looooove myself a good hurt/comfort story. The angst, the softness, it’s all there and it’s beautiful?

When I picked up Snowflake by Nia Forrester, I was counting on having more of this trope. Mostly because the synopsis suggested that Kaleem, one of our protagonists who’s a runner, had gotten himself injured, and I totally expected to see him being the grumpy, hurt one while our other protagonist, Asha, takes care of him as he softens.

That’s not what happens at all and it was the biggest disappointment of LIFE. Seriously.

THREE. SWAPPING CLOTHES

This is just simply a superior trope. That’s it.

Only Mostly Devastated possibly has one of my favorite scenes ever written, which is when Ollie and Will sneak out of the diner and Will asks to see Ollie in his varsity jacket.

HE ASKS TO SEE IT. AND THEN TAKES A PICTURE. AND THEN TELLS HIM HE WISHES OLLIE COULD WEAR IT IN PUBLIC. I die every time I think about it.

this is me having a mental breakdown at this scene when i re-read it

It was just…… beautiful, really. Like, equally heart-warming and sexy, if that’s even possible? Anyway. Give me more of this, I beg you.

TWO. LOVERS TO ENEMIES TO LOVERS

Enemies to lovers has NOTHING on lovers > enemies > lovers. It’s the best transition in the whole wide world.

It’s always connected with the second chance romance trope, which is one of my favorites, but it has the added angst of now these two characters after breakup becoming “known” enemies and joining opposite sides.

You can always count that is going to be angsty af, which is the best you could wish for.

Nina and Matthias are probably the most popular example for this one. However, recently I also finished May The Best Man Win and I can attest that it DELIVERS.

ONE. TALL GIRL X SHORT GUY

We need to end the “tall guy x short girl” narrative. It’s old, outdated and deeply rooted in sexism.

Okay, jk.

If that’s your thing, then go for it! But it makes me sad to see how little rep we have for tall girls dating short guys or fat girls dating skinny guys. It’s a trope that makes me go feral every time I think about it.

Book-wise, the only couple that fits the trope that I remember was Sakshi and Perry, who were a minor side couple in Her Royal Highness. I still wait for the day Rachel Hawkins will give them the spin-off novella that they deserve.

Let’s talk about romantic tropes in the comments! Which one is your favorite? Do you have a hyper specific one that you’re obsessed with? Let me know!

high school musical book tag!

Hello, friends!

Am I writing this while I’m supposed to be in class? Yes, yes I am. I just have been going through a really weird blogging slump lately. It’s not as much that I don’t have ideas to blog, is just that all the ideas I have are really complex and I’m too lazy to actually execute them.

Basically: I want to blog but I also don’t want to blog.

Yeah, it’s a struggle.

I settled for a tag, then, because it’s not as time-consuming and it still allows me to vent about some books I’ve been reading recently. I chose a High School Musical one, because High School Musical has literally been the only thing to put me in a brighter mood lately.

I saw this tag @ A Fictional Bookworm.

THE START OF SOMETHING NEW: A NEW FAVORITE GENRE/AUTHOR/SERIE

 

While it is definitely too early to call anyone a favorite author, I can for sure say that anything that Leah Thomas and Adib Khorram publish in the future will be read by yours truly. I loved their debuts so much and I think they developed so many relevant topics in a short amount of time with so much care. They’re just *ugh* amazing.

 

 

WHAT TIME IS IT?: BEST SUMMER READ

I’ve talked about 10 Things I Hate About Pinky numerous times and I do think it’s summer in a book. But recently, I also finished Fifteen Hundred Miles From the Sun and it’s also SO perfect for summer.

It’s not set around this time of the year, at all, but because it has Texas and California as landscapes, which are two locations I mostly associate with hot weather, I think it’s 100% worth reading.

WHAT I’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR: A BOOK THAT HAS EVERYTHING YOU’VE ALWAYS WANTED

I *wish* it existed. I really did. A book that has everything I want would probably be something like:

• theater kids
• asexual love interest
• found family
• rom-com references

Or something like:

• boybands
• angst
• queer relationships
• music lyrics

Also include South American rep and I will be sold.

STATUS QUO: A STEREOTYPE DEFYING CHARACTER

I think Randy’s story is very much about defying stereotypes, while initially subscribing to them. He starts out the book trying to act out as the masculine, butch gay dude to impress this other guy he’s into at summer camp. But throughout the story, he learns that he doesn’t have to choose one thing over the other and that he can like sports *and* theater, short hair *and* painting his nails.

I loved how this book challenged stereotypes within the queer community A LOT.

 

FABULOUS: A BOOK WITH THE BIGGEST DIVA

Is it okay if I answer with my current read? Noah from Meet Cute Diary is legit a diva. He’s so self-absorbed is kinda funny actually, and genuinely believes that anyone who glances at him is obviously about to fall for him. He’s also very judgy and spends the 400$ on his parent’s credit card during his first WEEK away from them.

Name a bigger diva, I’ll wait.

 

 

BOYS ARE BACK: THE BEST BROMANCE

Honestly, it’s been A MINUTE since I last read a bromance that really swept me off my feet, made me feel all the things, etc.

So we’re going to have to take it back to the place that we know it all began:

THEM.

 

EVERYDAY – IF YOU HAD TO LOOK AT ONE BOOK COVER FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

Here’s the thing: I love blue.

Any cover that has blue in it is 10x more likely to become a favorite.

And The Cost of Knowing’s cover is by far the PRETTIEST use of blue I’ve ever seen. I could 100% stare at it forever.

 

 

JUST WANNA BE WITH YOU: A BOOK YOU COULDN’T PUT DOWN

Recently, I finished The Sun Down Motel rather quickly. Once you get to the climax, it’s pretty impossible to put down and I did find myself reading over my page count for the day multiple times. I don’t typically read thrillers, so I totally did not expect just how much this book was going to grip me.

 

 

SCREAM: A CHARACTER THAT FRUSTRATED YOU

“Frustrating” is definitely an understatement, because the way I just flat-out hated all the characters in Wuthering Heights was intense.

But I do think that all my reading experiences of the past six months, Wuthering Heights is the one where I came the closest to screaming.

They were all so awful to each other and FOR WHAT. Seriously.

 

SPRING MUSICAL MEDLEY: THE HAPPIEST ENDING EVER

I just want to talk about Birthday, because the ending here is something I think about often.

It’s just beautiful and hopeful and makes me smile and leaves my heart warm.

It’s the ending I wanted, but it’s still so much better than I could’ve anticipated. After so much hurt, the ending of this book is all what they deserve.

How are you guys doing? Let me know honestly! And what’s your favorite song & movie from the HSM franchise? Also: tell me your favorite book cover of all times!

monthly wrap up: may, ’21

Hello, friends!

May has been a weird month. I hope y’all are staying safe and mentally well during these times. Also, if you can, check this link out for places to donate & petitions to sign to help Palestine at this crucial moment, as well as this one with more resources.

HIGHLIGHTS

1. I taught high school students for 5 days. And it was awful, lmao. But are we surprised? Teenagers are just… terrifying and also the worst. I work mostly with kids ages 4-6, and moving from that to high school was daunting and not an experience I’d like to repeat. I’m still proud of myself for doing it, but it definitely was not an easy one.
2. My parents are vaccinated! They have yet to get their second shot, but it will be a while until they do. Nonetheless, I am so happy! Both of my parents suffer from high blood pressure, and my mom is diabetic, which is why they got the vaccine earlier than most people. Still, I am so so sooooo thankful!
3. Also, season 2 of HSMTMTS is here! It feels weird talking about something so shallow, but I also think shows/movies/music can help distract us from the atrocities of the world. I can attest that, during one of the hardest days I had this month mentally, this show was like a blanket of comfort and made me so happy. I am really enjoying the season so far and have high expectations for the upcoming episodes.

BOOKS I READ

★★★★☆

I was hoping to finish Born a Crime last month, but unfortunately, with my hectic schedule as I adjust to my new job, I couldn’t find time to do so. I expected this book to be funny, since Trevor Noah is a comedian, but it was honestly just a very sad and hard-hitting book. It discusses violence, abuse and racism at length and it was not easy to read. I still really enjoyed drawing parallels between Trevor’s experience in South Africa and my experience in Brazil (ofc they’re vastly different, but some similarities surprised me) and reading about Trevor’s beautiful relationship with his mom.

★★☆☆☆

Unfortunately, Counting Down With You turned out to be a disappointment, even though it was one of my most anticipated 2021 releases. Like I talked about in my Goodreads review, I mostly found the relationship between the main couple to be cringey and cheesy. I also found there was a lot of missed opportunities in developing the side characters, having a more nuanced discussion on religion and Ace as a protagonist read like a big cliché. I still think the friendgroup was iconic and the anxiety rep will definitely resonate with some people.

★★★★☆

Long Way Down is possibly Jason Reynolds’ most famous work and I am so glad I read it. It’s a very short book, set in the spam of an elevator ride from the protagonists’ apartment to the ground floor and I absolutely loved this setting. The discussions throughout this book – “don’t cry, don’t snitch, get revenge” – are very powerful and were definitely written for teenagers in similar situations, which I appreciated a lot.

★★★★☆

While I am not a fan of thrillers, I was very intrigued by the premise of The Sun Down Motel and I’m happy it did not disappoint. I found the resolution of the mystery to be satisfying, albeit the book was definitely longer than I think it had to be. I enjoyed both timelines and perspectives equally and the overall theme of feminism – how women are never listened to and how they mostly have to rely on other women to find help – was very well developed.

★★★☆☆

May The Best Man Win was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and my overall thoughts were… conflicting. On one hand, I appreciated the themes and how the book allowed the characters to be messy and flawed. However, I did find the character development to come a bit too late and therefore it felt rushed. I also felt like a lot of central themes of the book – such as Lukas’ grief and autism – were left off without any proper conclusion.

★★★★☆

This morning (yes, literally this morning) I also finished Boyfriend Material. I am so glad Ruby convinced me to read this, because it was indeed, amazing! I loved the banter between the characters and it was laugh-out-loud funny. I also appreciate how much information this book had on so many different themes. It might seem something weird, but it was genuinely interesting. I also loved the dynamic between the main couple and the friend group was so hilariously supportive.

 

MONTHLY PLAYLIST

“if i could make it go quiet” pretty much ruled my month. I love girl in red and I was so excited for her debut album and it absolutely did not disappoint. I was also surprised by the amount of female artists I’ve been listening to recently, and pretty proud of myself for doing so. Olivia Rodrigo’s SOUR will only show up in my June playlist, but I have been loving that one too!

LOOKING FORWARD

June is Pride Month and I have some books I am super excited to pick up and finally read this month. S4 of Élite comes out this month as well and… yes, we have feelings. I am not hopeful about this season but I’ll watch anyway, ofc.

What are you excited about this June? Have you read some of your anticipated releases of 2021 already? How did they meet your expectations? Let’s talk in the comments!

a meta discussion on blogging (& me simping for percy jackson)

Hello, friends!

Today’s post is going to be a bit of a lenghty discussion, mostly on blogging. I was nominated for The Sunshine Blogger Award by Belle (thank you very much!) and I thought answering her questions in this format would be fun.

ON BLOGGING

One challenge you faced while blogging?

I think the biggest one is finding a schedule. I’ve been *a lot* better at it this year, but every time I get slightly more busy, my blogging takes the back burden and I turn behind on blog hopping and answering to comments. Then, I get incredibly overwhelmed and take even longer to get back. It’s a pretty bad cycle. I hope by being consistent, I’ll also find time to do so when I’m busy, so I don’t get into the same old toxic routine.

Another challenge I’ll say I’ve faced is the fact I’m not in social media that much. I tried bookstagram but really didn’t like it, I also *hate* Twitter and overall social media makes me anxious. I like consuming content there, but I hate being the one creating it. Because of that, I know my blogging growth has taken a lot longer, since I know how much being active on social media can boost your engagement. But I think slower growth is a sacrifice I’m willing to make for my blog in the name of my mental health.

I’d also like to add that recently WordPress has been my biggest source of stress. I feel no motivation to draft posts because I hate the block editor and I’m also constantly redirected to this wp-admin page that makes all my images look wonky and I can’t stop it from automatically sending me there. Now, I have to mentally prepare myself to have at least five mental breakdowns while doing anything in this website and it’s definitely not encouraging.

Inspiration behind my blog’s name?

Literally, none at all? Lmao. I wanted a name and I liked the idea of “bookish” ____ (enter word here). As someone who loves taking sunset pictures, I thought “sky” would be cute, and easy to build an aesthetic from (related to clouds, sun, the weather, etc). It’s probably not gramatically accurate, but that’s already my brand anyway, so it doesn’t really matter, lol.

How long I’ve been blogging?

Going on 3 years this December! Yohoo!

ON READING

How has reading impacted your life?

Obviously, reading has led me to create this blog, which is something I mention in every single job interview I’ve done so far, lol. Ever since I saw Xandra mentioning she’d added her blog in her CV, I realized how smart that actually was, especially for me, as it shows my English skills pretty well.

On top of that, I think reading just makes me happy. Everyone has something different that they do on their own that makes them happy – doodling, makeup, yoga, or just listening to music really loudly, taking a long bus ride, people-watching and noticing small things in life. When I think about what makes me happy, reading is literally all that comes to mind.

When I got the opportunity for my current job, I was excited, but also sad cause I knew I wouldn’t have as much time to read and I like too much the person I am when I’m reading.

A book that reminds me of my past?

As someone who grew up reading, there are a lot of books that I associate with my childhood and preteen years. But I’m still attached to most of them (cof cof Percy Jackson), so a book that reminds me of my past and that I no longer really think about that much would be The Hunger Games trilogy.

I had a lot of fun reading those books as a kid (I literally read them when I was 11, which was probably not age-appropriately at all) and I remember watching every single movie on release day with my family. I also had a Tumblr around that time and was active on the fandom, which was very exciting (still remember watching the 1st movie premiere in a low-quality livestream and talking about it with my tumblr friends lol).

Predict a 5 star read

I have to be honest, I don’t have a lot of 5-star-reads in my radar at the moment. I do think it’s very likely I’ll end up loving An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green, simply because everyone I know loves this book, and I do think the comentary on internet and social media will blow my mind.

If you could live a character life for one day, who would it be?

Anyone in the Percy Jackson franchise. Because they get to interact with Percy and I consider that a win.

PERSONAL

One thing you want to achieve in 2021? / Country I want to visit post COVID.

I mentioned this in my goals post about how I wanted to visit Edinburgh by the end of the year, so Scotland is at the top of the list of places I want to visit post COVID. I don’t know if I will be achieveing this goal, because realistically, I am a broke university student with currently 100R$ in my bank account, but one can dream, right?

Use three words to describe yourself.

I’d rather choose three Sims traits to describe myself. Creative, Loner and Bookworm.

I can also describe myself using three songs. Ribs, by Lorde. Meet Me in the Hallway, by Harry Styles. Everybody’s Changing, by Keane.

But three words? Uh, not sure, lol.

Let me know in the comments some answers to these questions: what’s one thing you want to achieve in 2021? And which fictional character you would like to live as for one day? Also: if you have a blogging schedule, what’s your secret? (pls help)