me and music book tag

Hello, friends!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So here are a few of my favorites:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Can’t you tell I’m aro/ace yet?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

best and worst: book adaptations

Hello, friends!

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

BEST

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

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

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

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

WORST

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

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

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

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

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

what i’ve been watching recently #17

Hello, friends!

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

NORMAL PEOPLE

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

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

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

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

SELLING SUNSET (S5)

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

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

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

STRANGER THINGS (S4)

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

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

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

THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY (S1)

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

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

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

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

book recommendations based on harry styles’ harry house!

Hello, friends!

Ever since Harry announced he’d be coming out with a new album, I had been mentally preparing myself to write a recommendations post based on it. However, the album came out and the songs were a lot hornier than I anticipated, lol. That’s when I realized I would have to mostly recommend smut romances, which I don’t even read that much of!

But I pushed through and decided to recommend different books based on specific lyrics of each songs. If the books don’t match the overall vibe of the song, don’t @ me, okay, there was not much I could do!!!!

MUSIC FOR A SUSHI RESTAURANT

(It’s ‘cause I love you, babe)
(In every kind of way)
(Just a little taste)

Since Music for a Sushi Restaurant is upbeat and obviously has food references, I figured Act Your Age, Eve Brown would be a perfect fit. This one is about the hot-mess-express, Eve Brown, who has to find and stick to a job or else her parents will cut her off the family fund. In true Eve Brown fashion, she decides to not face any of that and instead runs away to the countryside, where she finds a B&B hiring a chef. There, enters Jacob, the owner of the B&B who wants nothing to do with Eve’s chaotic antics but finds himself hiring her anyway. Obviously, with Eve being a chef, you can expect some food themes and her chaotic energy definitely matches the upbeat, energetic vibes of Music for a Sushi Restaurant.

🍞 This book is perfect if you’re interested in: black romances, grumpy and sunshine trope, self-discovery journeys, funny family dynamics.

LATE NIGHT TALKING

I’ve never been a fan of change
But I’d follow you to any place
If it’s Hollywood or Bishopsgate, I’m coming, too

This one is more a lyrics match than a song-vibes match, but with a lyric that literally references following someone to Hollywood, of course I had to recommend Sinner. It has nothing to do with the fact this is one of my favorite books of all time and I will take any opportunity to scream about it. This one is a companion novella to the Wolves of Mercy Falls, but could be read as a standalone if you really wanted to, as long as you consider there are some paranormal elements and one of the main characters can turn into a werewolf. Most of the book is not about that, though. It’s about Cole St. Clair, ex-vocalist of NARKOTIKA, who makes a return to Los Angeles looking to be in a reality show, record a new album, but mostly to get Isabel Culpeper back.

🐺 This book is perfect if you’re interested in: werewolves, stories about fame and music, Los Angeles, complicated romances, mental health rep.

GRAPEJUICE

There’s never been someone who’s so perfect for me
But I got over it and I said
Give me something old and red

Pining for someone you think belongs so perfectly to you is certainly a theme of The Romantic Agenda as well, which is why I thought these two would match. This is an adult romance following Joy, who’s been in love with her best friend Malcolm since they met in college. They’re both Black and asexual and Joy feels as though she will never find anyone who understands her like Malcolm. When he invites her to this lake house retreat, she believes it’s so he can finally confess his reciprocate feelings, but when she gets there, she realizes Malcolm just really wanted to introduce Joy to his new girlfriend, Summer. Summer has also brought a friend along for the trip, Fox, and the book follows Joy as she tries to figure out her love for Malcolm and her new found crush on Fox. Even though the book involves pining, it’s mostly just a fun story, which goes along with the upbeat vibes of Grapejuice, even if the lyrics are a bit more melancholic.

🏞️ This book is perfect if you’re interested in: ace rep, Black main characters, complicated friendships, house by the lake settings, fake dating.

AS IT WAS

In this world, it’s just us
You know it’s not the same as it was

I think most people’s interpretation of As It Was, it’s that this song has to do with family and the grief that comes with these dynamics changing, which is why I wanted to choose a book that centered on sibling dynamics and loss. In Summer Bird Blue, we follow Rumi, whose sister has just passed away. As her mom is also struggling with her own grief, she sends Rumi off to Hawaii, to spend some time with her aunt, and we follow closely as Rumi deals with her loss, depression and her mom’s abandonment. Rumi and her sister loved music and had that “us-against-the-world” mentality that now no longer exists. Following her grapple with this new world, without her sister, is incredibly heartbreaking but beautiful too.

🌊 This book is perfect if you’re interested in: books about grief, music, platonic relationships, aro-ace mains and cast of mixed characters.

DAYLIGHT

I’m on the roof
You’re in your airplane seat
I was nosebleedin’
Looking for life out there

OK, this one is like the wildest card and the book has pretty much nothing to do with the song, but I wanted to shout it out anyway because when I read these lyrics, it was the first one to come to mind. Station Eleven is a post apocalyptic novel and it follows different perspectives and their lives before and after the pandemic that wiped out over half of mankind. Considering this is a pandemic book, it’s obviously one to proceed with caution, but I did really like the themes the author discusses on this one, including humanity, resilience and religion. It’s also a book about art and I’m pretty sure the comic where the title “Station Eleven” comes from has a line that resembles “Looking for life out there”.

☄️ This book is perfect if you’re interested in: post apocalyptic books, science fiction, books about books, discussions on humanity, large cast of characters.

LITTLE FREAK

I’m not worried about where you are
Or who you will go home to
I’m just thinking about you

Picking a book to recommend for Little Freak was the hardest part of drafting this whole post. This song is so much about nostalgia, memories and looking back on a relationship and seeing it free of judgement. That’s why I thought “A History of My Brief Body” would be a great fit. This one is part collection of essays, part memoir and recounts Billy Ray Belcourt’s experience being a queer, NDN man. In some of the essays, he talks about previous relationships he had – the ones that lasted for years and the more ephemeral encounters – and they’re also told in the same way as Little Freak, with a tinge of nostalgia but no judgement, as the author mostly reflects on what these relationships meant to him and his own growth.

🛏️ This book is perfect if you’re interested in: memoirs, essays, poetic writing, reading about the queer and indigenous experience.

MATILDA

You can throw a party full of everyone you know
And not invite your family ‘cause they never showed you love

If I struggled with Little Freak, Matilda was the easiest one to pick a book for. The song describes Matilda, who doesn’t have a good relationship with her family and it’s about showing her how life can still be beautiful. Immediately, I thought of A Show for Two, which is a novel inspired by the author’s own experience, when Tom Holland spent weeks at her school to learn about the experience of an American student in a NY public high school. In the book, we follow Mina, an aspiring film-maker who is hoping to win this film competition that will give her a scholarship to USC, in California. At the beginning of the book, she (physically) bumps into Emmitt Ramos, who is enrolling at her school as an undercover actor. Mina agrees to keep his secret if he helps her out in her movie and of course, you know how that’s gonna go. Mina has a really bad relationship with her parents, with them constantly telling her she won’t amount to nothing and doubting her talent and skills, but Emmitt, along with Mina’s sister and best friend slowly show her that home is the people you love.

🎞️ This book is perfect if you’re interested in: enemies to lovers, sisters, complicated family dynamics, Bangladeshi and depression rep.

CINEMA

You all the time (Time, time)
In doses at night (Night, night)
No roof on the drive

Cinema didn’t give me too much to work with, albeit is one of my favorite tracks in the album. But, at last, I had to cave and recommend an adult smutty romance, which had to be Go Deep. This one is a friends to lovers romance, between Navaya, an erotica author and her best friend, Xander. Navaya feels like she’s lost her inspiration and her latest works haven’t been as good, which she credits for the fact she hasn’t slept with anyone in a while. So she tasks her best friend, Xander, to give her the inspiration she’s been missing. This one is a lot of fun, with surprising character development for a novella and definitely very hot.

❤️‍🔥 This book is perfect if you’re interested in: novellas, black romances, smut, friends to lovers, good character development.

DAYDREAMING

Livin’ in a daydream
Give me all of your love, give me somethin’ to dream about

With Daydreaming, I wanted to choose a book that featured a “too-good-to-be-true” romance, where one of the characters is constantly wondering if this is really real. That amounted to, of course, Isn’t It Bromantic, the fourth book in the companion series by Lyssa Kay Adams. This one follows Vlad and Elena, who met in Russia and were good friends. When Vlad got the opportunity to play hockey in the States, he asked Elena’s hand in marriage, so she could leave Russia and her dad’s complicated past behind. However, in America, Vlad and Elena never got the chance to experience their marriage the way he’d dreamed, and at the beginning of the book, Elena decides she wants a divorce and to go back to Russia. But her plans are put to a halt when Vlad gets injured during a game and she’s the only one who can look after him. Like any other hurt-comfort story, you know how this will play out, but I loved how Vlad had thought about being with Elena for real for so long, he really thinks he’s dreaming when they’re actually together.

🧀 This book is perfect if you’re interested in: second chance romance, marriage of convenience, hurt-comfort, hilarious dialogues and investigations.

KEEP DRIVING

Maple syrup, coffee
Pancakes for two
Hash brown, egg yolk
I will always love you

Malibu Rising is set in two timelines, with one being in the 1950s, as we follow Mick Riva and Jules first falling in love. The “present” timeline is in the 1980s and we follow the Riva children, focusing more on Nina, the oldest, who throws these infamous parties for Hollywood’s high society in her Malibu mansion every year. I feel like both timelines go well with this book: the lyrics “Maple syrup, coffee / Pancakes for two / Hash brown, egg yolk / I will always love you” going well with the more domestic and cozy moments between the siblings, as we follow their family dynamics; and then other lyrics, such as “Cocaine, side boob / Choke her with a sea view” pair well with the chapters set during the party, as we follow the guests engaging on all kinds of crazy activities.

🏄🏽 This book is perfect if you’re interested in: books set in California, the 80s, famous people, generational stories and complex female characters.

SATELLITE

Spinnin’ out, waitin’ for ya to pull me in
I can see you’re lonely down there
Don’t you know that I am right here?

Satellite is so much about wishing the other person could see you for who you really are and, OF COURSE, I had to include a Brigid Kemmerer book at some point. Letters to the Lost is a You’ve Got Mail retelling, that starts with Juliette writing letters to her mom and leaving them by her grave. The letters are found by Declan, who’s doing community service at the cemetery, and he writes something in one of them never really expecting that anyone will see it. But Juliette does and they start this correspondence, that eventually turns into e-mails and texting, but that remain anonymous. However, these two characters know each other, going to the same school, but having a very bad impression of one another. Of course, as a You’ve Got Mail retelling, at one point, one or the characters will learn about the other’s identity, which involves a lot of pining in true Satellite fashion, with the character wishing the other would see them for who they really are.

📝 This book is perfect if you’re interested in: sad books, depression rep, You’ve Got Mail retellings, discussions of grief.

BOYFRIENDS

You
Love a fool who knows just how to get under your skin
You
You, you still open the door

This one might cause some confusion, because the behaviors addressed for the “Boyfriends” in this song are mostly seen in the “girlfriend” of Fool Me Once. This one follows Lee Stone, who doesn’t believe in love and is a no-strings-attached type of girl. She’s been through five major heartbreaks throughout her life, the most recent one being with Ben Laderman, whom she hasn’t seen since he moved out to California. However, at the beginning of the book, she learns not only that Ben is back but they’re actually going to have to work together for this political campaign. I recently talked about how I feel like this book deserves a lot more hype and I stand by it completely. Especially because of Ben, truly falling back in love with Lee, knowing how she’s not the best for him – not only because she was the one to cheat and break his heart all those years back, but because she doesn’t believe in love and he does. But, like the song goes, he still opens the door.

💚 This book is perfect if you’re interested in: politics, second chance romance, messy female protagonists and funny friend groups.

LOVE OF MY LIFE

Baby, you were the love of my life
Woah, maybe you don’t know it’s lost till you find it

Even though I believe Love of My Life is a love letter to England, I still wanted to recommend a traditional YA contemporary romance, that goes along well with this song too. With and Without You begins with Siena, our protagonist, rehearsing how to break up with her four-year-old boyfriend, Patrick. However, before she has the chance, Patrick announces he’ll be moving to Texas for their senior year and Siena sees this an opportunity to experiment other things – including being alone – without having to break up with Patrick. It’s interesting to see that, as they develop, they still find themselves falling in love with each other – with the new things they learn about the other person. It reminds me of the idea of “you don’t know it’s lost till you find it” of the song, that is certainly a sentiment of the novel as well.

🌅 This book is perfect if you’re interested in: YA romances, mature characters and relationships, unique settings, character development.

Have you listened to Harry’s House? If so, what is your favorite song? Also: have you read any of these books and did you enjoy them? Do you have a favorite smutty romance to recommend me? Let me know in the comments!

pop culture readathon wrap-up!

Hello, friends!

This July, I participated in the Pop Culture Readathon and somehow managed to read all the books in my TBR! I surprised myself just because the beginning of the month was SO busy and I really didn’t think I would be able to get to all books. But it turned out to be a great reading month.

Since the readathon’s round was inspired by D-COMS, I decided to also watch and rewatch some of my favorites and I’ll be reviewing them as well at the end of this post.

STARSTRUCK

Read a celebrity romance

Initially, I was very excited about the idea of this book, but ultimately I found this installment to be just… okay. There was a lot of potential for angst – this one is an arranged marriage romance where eventually the reason why the characters agreed to get married is no longer a problem, which is a great scenario for pining where the heroes feel like they’ve lost their purpose to one another. But things are very easily resolved and there’s basically no pining whatsoever. The characters also have sex by like page 3, and while I looked forwared to the idea of the characters engaging in intercourse simply because it was expected of them to and then move into being more romantic as they fall in love, that never happens and left me with sex scenes that were incredibly boring to read.

 

 

GIRL VS. MONSTER

Read a book with a haunted house aesthetic

I do think Tripping Arcadia had some interesting elements to it: the writing was interesting and I was definitely devoted to the characters. However, I found that the main character would make and unmake some pretty serious decisions very fast, in a way that just wasn’t really realistic. I also hated the fact that the rich characters were given somewhat of a redemption arc at the end, and the blame was put in the “poor dude” who was too greedy. (Not “eat the rich” enough tbh). The ending in general was confusing and I was left frustrated that the protagonist’s family plot was never given a conclusion to.

 

 

CAMP ROCK 2: THE FINAL JAM

Read the final book in a series

As I looked back on my thoughts in this series, I realized that I picked up the WRONG BOOK. I wanted to read book three in the series, but ended up picking book four, because apparently I have no brain cells! And reading this definitely did not help – it felt like I was watching an endless Abercrombie ad. First, the plot is a mess and convoluted for no reason, with side plots such as the heroine literally donating a kidney to the hero’s dad. I wish I was joking, but I am not. Then, there’s all the overprotectiveness coming from all the guys in the heroine’s life. She had shitty parents, but her dad was excused of all his actions, while her mom was only further villainized, which didn’t help when she was the only female character in the book outside of the heroine. I’m not even mad that this didn’t pass The Bechdel Tast – I am mostly mad I had to read about so many MEN. The cherry on top was the fact the smut was the most uncomfortable and awkward I’ve ever read. Remind me to never pick up new adult again, please!

SPIN

Read by an Indian or Indian-diaspora author

I read two books dealing with matchmaking apps this month and it was very interesting. I like how Match Made in Mehendi stars a heroine that doesn’t really want to be a matchmaker, but seems to always be accidentally matching couples together. When she puts that knowledge into an app to hopefully propel her and her best friend into high school popularity, things get quite messy. I liked the side characters a lot – including the best friend, Noah, and her brother, Navdeep – and was very happy to see the heroine’s mom standing up for her at the end. However, the “mean girl” trope was a bit overdone here and I always find that the resolution to “let’s record that person and catch her in the act!” is overused in fiction, but I’ve never actually seen happening in real life, so it always makes me eye roll a little bit.

 

TEEN BEACH MOVIE

Grab a beach read

I can’t believe I was actually quite intimidated by this book, because it was just so much fun! The romance was underwhelming and didn’t really have to be there, to be honest, but everything else? Iconic! The aunties were hilarious and the plot was so ridiculous, with every twist making things even more absurd. It was so funny to listen to the audiobook and the narrator did such a good job. I hope this gets turned into a movie, because it definitely has the potential to be a comfort comedy with great representation. I will most certainly be picking up Jesse Q. Sutanto’s newest release!

 

 

HOW TO BUILD A BETTER BOY

Read a book with a tech/computer geek character

While I don’t think Love, Decoded should be marketed as a YA novel, I did have fun with it! It does read more middle grade than YA, with the characters, dialogue and writing feeling quite childish at times. I was particularly bothered by the lack of inner monologue, especially during the first 40% of the book, with the writing being just descriptions of what the characters were doing, but no insight on what the protagonist was thinking as that happened. The writing in general was overly detailed in moments when it absolutely did not have to be. Nonetheless, I had a lot of fun drawing parallels between the book and Emma – which it is a re-telling of – and the relationship drama was very entertaining to follow.

 

 

SHARPAY’S FABULOUS ADVENTURE

Read a book with a pink cover

I was really happy to re-read Loveless as it was a really interesting read back in 2021. I still enjoyed it a lot this time around and overall, I think I was better able to understand the parallels the author was trying to draw between Rooney and Georgia, our main characters. Georgia experiences a lot of loneliness, which she believes to be tied with her being aro-ace, but we see how Rooney also feels incredibly lonely, even when she’s surrounded by people. There’s also this really toxic biphobic idea that bi or pan people are more likely to “date around” and cheat or mess with people’s feelings, but we see that Georgia, not being bi or pan, also does a lot of not so great things in the process of figuring her own sexuality out. I think it was important to show that there’s a lot more in common between their experiences than we might originally think and to bring them closer too.

LET IT SHINE

Read a book written in verse

Possibly the most surprising of my reads this month, I picked up Apple not even remembering why I wanted to read this one that much. It is a memoir in verse and recounts the author’s memories while drawing inspiration from The Beatles’ discography. The fact the sections are all inspired by different albums by the band is only revealed during the author’s note at the end of the book, and the second I read that, I wanted to re-read the whole book as I think drawing these parallels myself would be so cool. This was incredibly interesting, moving and smart. While I don’t think everyone will love the free verse format, I really loved reading about Gansworth’s family history and heritage and certain parts made me quite emotional.

 

LEMONADE MOUTH

Read a book with a musically inclined plot

Perhaps if you’re not a fan of Emma Mills, you’ll enjoy this one better than I did. But in comparison to her other books, I didn’t find this one as amazing. First, the protagonist felt and read exactly like the other Emma Mills’ protagonists I’ve read before – her biggest flaw was that she was too kind and too nice. I also found that the side characters, including the protagonist’s best friend and love interest were cut too much slack for the amount of shitty decisions they make. Ultimately, the resolution of the main conflict was also underwhelming and completely based on coincidences and conveniences. It isn’t a bad book by any means, but knowing what this author can do, I was left disappointed by this one.

 

 

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MOVIES I WATCHED

LEMONADE MOUTH. Like expected, this was beautiful, fantastic, show-stopping and absolutely made me cry. I love my little communist band with all my heart. Also, Wen saying to Olivia: “We believe in you. [whispers] I believe in you” from the other side of a bathroom stall… is something that can be so personal.

Z-O-M-B-I-E-S. I had never seen this one before and personally it was not for me. The plot was pretty much the exact same as Descendants and yet lacked all the charisma that Descendants had. I found Zed, especially, to be such a dull protagonist, with the acting being particularly bad there. Someday really was the only song I cared about and I was left very confused at the random “breaking-the-fourth-wall” moments.

CAMP ROCK. My rewatch of this one solidified that it does not matter how many years pass and how much more of an adult I become, I’ll still cringe too much to watch the scene when everyone on camp learns Mitchie has been lying about her mom. I have to skip it every time.

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 2. Since the new season of HSMTMTS dropped, I’ve turned back to a HSM stan and I was feeling particularly nostalgic. It was tons of fun, and I realized how in this installment Sharpay really is treated awfully, though she also treats everyone terribly, making it quite hard for me to feel truly bad for her.

LET IT SHINE. It was also my first time watching this one and it was so good! The outfits were hideous, it’s true, and I do wish it had been less focused on the potential of romance between Kris and Roxie and more on Kris having a dream to be a rapper, but still, it was really great. The soundtrack was fantastic and I was surprised at the conversation on “no music genre makes you more or less worthy of respect”.

SNEAKERELLA. I am incredibly mad at myself for not watching Sneakerella sooner. This movie was SO GOOD. It’s a gender-bent re-telling of Cinderella and it has a great soundtrack, diverse characters and really good acting. I don’t know much about sneakers, but I still loved how this was incorporated into the story and how well done it was, with the amount of animations and fun transitions. Please, go watch it!

What is the best book you read in July? Have you watched any of these movies or read any of these books? If so, what are your thoughts? Let’s chat in the comments!

comparing brazilian & american book covers #3

Hello, friends!

A few days ago, I saw Kat talking about German vs. American covers and I was reminded of how fun it is to compare them. I went recently to a book fair in my country and found out a lot of new books that had been translated and with new covers, so I have quite a few to share! 

I recently talked about the cover for If This Gets Out in my blog and how I didn’t like it. So when I saw the Brazilian one, I was sososo surprised! The colors are stunning and the characters remind me of the art style from Turning Red, which I loved. Also: the title is so fun! It was translated to the equivalent of “This stays between us”, which I thought was a pretty smart way to adapt the title to make it accurate to the story but still interesting.

While some may argue that the covers are pretty much the same: they have very similar illustrations and backgrounds, and the style is not that different, I think the color scheme for the US one is sooo much prettier. In general, I tend to prefer light covers over dark ones, especially for YA contemporaries. However, I do think this one deals with slightly darker topics, so maybe the Brazilian cover is more accurate to the actual content. Still, the US one wins as the background isn’t as distracting, really allowing the illustrations to pop.

I really like the original cover and the illustration style is beautiful. Plus, it’s interesting to have the side characters in the background. However, I love how the Brazilian cover focuses solely on the main couple and has a softer art style. I am not obsessed with the title change, though, as “She Drives Me Crazy” is such a good title and would’ve been pretty easy to translate. “A Jogada do Amor” is a pun with basketball/sports, but it’s a bit too cliché imo.

I think this one is a pretty obvious answer. While the original cover for Winter’s Orbit is not my all time favorite, I definitely like the color scheme better for that one. I think it’s a very interesting style, as it combines illustration and photographs. I find that the Brazilian one has an overuse of the same font (like, c’mon, couldn’t at least the blurb be in a different font?) and it gives off more hard sci-fi than sci-fi romance vibes.

I think this might be an unpopular opinion, but I really liked the Brazilian cover of I Kissed Shara Wheeler when I first saw it. It’s definitely more of your “traditional” illustrated cover style, but I loved the art style and it gave me more YA vibes – which apparently this book is! I thought it was an adult novel for the longest time, so this cover makes a lot more sense imo.

Again, it’s not like I am obsessed with the original cover for You’ll Be the Death of Me, but it wins by default. I think the bus stop photograph is unique and yet fades in the background enough to leave the focus for the title. As for the Brazilian cover, the cutout for the girls’ face in the photograph is COMICALLY bad and it looks more like a generic thriller cover than anything particularly interesting. I haven’t read this one yet, so I don’t know how much the bus stop relates to the book, but at least is more creative!

What do you guys think of some of these covers? Which ones are your favorite and least-favorites? Let me know in the comments!

mid year freak out book tag for 2022!

Hello, friends!

It is now the 4th year in a row where I share my answers for the Mid Year Freak-Out Tag. I think this is a staple in bookish content and definitely one of my favorite tags to answer every year. So far, I think 2022 was an interesting reading year for me. I’ve ventured outside of my comfort zone a lot more often, but I also found myself extremely busy and having to juggle reading on top of everything I have going on has not been easy, but we managed.

Best book you’ve read so far in 2022

Despite being incredibly familiar with the Elizabeth Holmes-Theranos case and having consumed it in so many formats – podcast, documentaries, YouTube videos -, I still found reading BAD BLOOD BY JOHN CARREYROU deeply fascinating. The writing was extremely engaging and it read like a thriller-esque novel at times, making it impossible to put down. Even though I knew a lot about the case already, I still found myself learning new things, such as the origins of the company and how it was built in deceit from the start, as well as the lengths Theranos’ lawyers were threatening to go to stop the article from coming out. I would definitely recommend this one, especially the audiobook!

Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2022

I haven’t read many sequels in 2022 and definitely not many good ones. But picking up ISN’T IT BROMANTIC in January was such a good choice! It has so many of my favorite tropes – second chance romance, hurt/comfort, friends to lovers and arranged marriage. Vlad was such a swoon-worthy love interest and I really loved the friendship dynamics in this one too, with both the bromance book club and also the divorced housewives group that Vlad is a part of. While this was not a perfect read and there were certain elements I wasn’t a huge fan of, I still enjoyed the heck out of this reading experience.

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

I have TO MARRY AND TO MEDDLE in my July TBR and I hope to get to it this month. I’ve enjoyed every book in this companion series of historical romances by Martha Waters and this one will follow two side characters I was very interested in during the previous installments – Julian and Emily.

OUT THERE: INTO THE QUEER NEW YONDER is a queer anthology of sci-fi stories, but I believe they’re all still set in our world. The premise sounds fascinating and there are a lot of authors I really want to read more from: Abdi Nazemian, Z.R Ellor and K. Ancrum being some of them!

Lastly, I need to continue on with the Dreamers’ trilogy and MISTER IMPOSSIBLE just recently came out. This title is a travesty, but the cover is really beautiful. I am looking forward to this one, despite Call Down The Hawk being a middle-of-the-road book for me, because the plot of this series *is* really interesting after all.

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

By far, my most anticipated release of 2022 is DARK ROOM ETIQUETTE. Robin Roe is the author of the fantastic A List of Cages and I know this book is going to be equally triggering – it follows a popular boy who gets kidnapped -, but I still am desperate to read this one because I have no sense of self-preservation whatsoever.

The sequel for Boyfriend Material, HUSBAND MATERIAL is also highly anticipated by me. I loved the first book so much and I know this one promises just as much chaos and hilarious shenenigans.

Lastly, Shea Earnshaw has yet to release a book that disappoints me and A WILDERNESS OF STARS is such a fantastic title + cover combo. The plot is a bit convoluted, but I still think this one has potential to make me swoon.

Biggest disappointment

Unfortunately, my biggest disappointment of the year was the finale for the AMBER IN THE ASHES series – A SKY BEYOND THE STORM. I was really looking forward to concluding the series, but there was so much wrong with this last book. Not only I felt like the author did very little to immerse us back into the narrative, but the pacing was terrible, full of conveniences and inconveniences to drag it for 50 more pages. Elias was one of my favorite characters but his perspective was so repetitive and annoying and the villains’ backstory added virtually nothing to the conclusion of the story. It was also disappointing to see a series that had had such an interesting political landscape become completely a fantasy, ignoring all the political elements that were so interesting.

Biggest surprise

I didn’t think I was going to enjoy SUPER FAKE LOVE SONG that much, mostly because David Yoon’s debut had been a miss for me. But this book turned out to be such a delightful ride: Sunny was a fantastic protagonist who undergoes such interesting development; his friend group was so sweet and supportive, while being fleshed out characters on their own; the romance was cute and with the right amount of stakes; and the family dynamics legit brought tears to my eyes. Sunny and his brother, Gray, don’t have the best of the relationships at the start of the book, but they grow so much and it is so great to see them sharing their own insecurities, as well as the way the other person inspires them.

 

Favorite new author (debut or new to you)

I was very impressed by the work of MAIKA AND MARITZA MOULITE in ONE OF THE GOOD ONES. This book is the authors’ debut and it was so well written, despite having so many different layers to it. It is a contemporary story but it plays with timelines and characters perspectives incredibly well and all feel equally interesting, which can be so hard to achieve. I also really appreciated the messages the authors were able to intertwine with the story, talking about the legacy of Black people in America, how the idea of “being one of the good ones” is just a concept that pits marginalized folks against each other and the importance of family in getting us through hard times.

 

Newest fictional crush

It’s been a while since I last crushed really hard on a fictional character, but Ben from FOOL ME ONCE was such a delightful love interest. He was devoted for Lee from the beginning and clearly still had many unresolved feelings. He also forgets all sense of self preservation around her – even though he knows that their relationship is doomed from the start, as she is not into serious commitments and he’s already in too deep, he still can’t stay away. I was so impressed by how great the dialogues were in this one and I do feel like it’s a book that deserves so much more hype than it gets!

 

Newest favorite character

When I picked up ICEBREAKER, I had no idea I was going to love Mickey James III as much as I did. He’s the son of a hockey player, coming from a successful family and definitely carries a lot of the weight to follow in his dad’s footsteps. You could say that he was a cliché, but Mickey was so much more than that. I related a lot to his feelings towards depression – even though he is clearly depressed, he feels like his feelings are not valid because he has no reason to be depressed as he has a good family and a supportive friend group. But we see throughout the book how much his depression affects his life, and especially his relationship with hockey, as he struggles to understand if he has really fallen out of love with the sport or if it’s just his depression making him feel like he doesn’t like anything at all. I found his to be such a relatable and well written perspective and loved him.

Book that made you cry

I don’t think I legit cried with any reads this year, but THE LESBIANA’S GUIDE TO CATHOLIC SCHOOL got me dangerously close. I didn’t really expect this book to be as dark as it was and it was certainly moving. In this one, we follow Yamilet, whose mom is very religious and also puts in her daughter the responsibility to look after her younger brother. Yamilet spends a lot of the book worrying about money and ways to support herself if her mom kicks her out when she comes out as a lesbian. She also worries a lot about her brother, who’s struggling with depression as well. These characters are all hurting and yet, seeing the support they’re able to give to one another was really emotional. It was a sad, but definitely hopeful one.

Book that made you happy

Yes, I was reading a Christmas novella in June. And what about it? LOL. THE MISTLETOE MOTIVE was so fun and it certainly put me in a good mood. I had never read by Chloe Liese before and I loved how she was able to write sexual tension, as well as the incorporation of disability rep for both our protagonists. Mostly, what made me happy was reading to this one while I listened to the playlist that goes alongside it. It was full of Christmas music, one of my favorite things ever, and I even learned about a few other songs through it! The festive mood made me super happy, which was helped by the fact the book was also really good.

 

 

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

I think Heartstopper will be most people’s answers for this one. Not only because I haven’t watched many adaptations this year, but also because the Heartstopper show was everything I wanted and more. The casting was fantastic, the soundtrack consisted of all my favorite artists and I was in love with the further exploration of the dynamics that we got to see on the show. I am sososo excited for the upcoming seasons and really glad this was a success!

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

IT HAPPENED ONE SUMMER was incredibly hyped and I tend to enjoy Tessa Bailey, so I’ll try to get to this one in the next few months and see how I feel about it.

I also had DISABILITY VISIBILITY in my May reading plans, but it was a really busy month for me and I ended up not getting to it, but I really, really want to.

And lastly, I am very hyped for TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT – the plot gives me D-COM vibes so I hope to enjoy it as much as I do those movies.

What was the best book you read so far this year? And which ones you’re anticipating for the last half of 2022? Let me know in the comments!

my pop culture readathon TBR!

Hello, friends!

Sooooo, at the beginning of the year, I had this goal to participate in more readathons throughout 2022. It is now July and I have yet to participate in any. Ooops.

It all worked out, though, because the Pop Culture Readathon is having a round all based on one of my favorite things: D-COMS! The prompts are based on Disney Channel Original Movies and I chose the third board as it has more movies I was familiar with + more prompts I wanted to accomplish anyway.

The Pop Culture Readathon is hosted by Whitney @ bookswhitme.wordpress.com and ReadingParent!

STARSTRUCK

Read a celebrity romance

Starstruck is one of my all-time favorite D-COMS and to this day I dream of reenacting the scene where they are riding around LA to “There’s Something About The Sunshine”.

I took some creative liberty with this prompt, and chose the third book in this companion series of historical romances by Martha Waters. It’s a romance involving the owner of a theatre, who’s not necessarily a celebrity, but he’s infamous in the community and has a bit of a messy reputation. So, considering the standards for the time, I’d say it counts.

 

GIRL VS. MONSTER

Read a book with a haunted house aesthetic

To be fair, I know almost nothing about the plot of Tripping Arcadia. Much like I know very little about what Girl vs. Monster is actually all about!

However, this one had such an eye-catching cover and I know it’s sapphic. Plus, I remember that it had vibes similar to Knives Out, which I only watched this year, but I definitely get the appeal of. If I am honest, the Goodreads average rating does scare me a little bit, but I have a goal to read more out of my comfort zone this year, so I’ll push through!

 

CAMP ROCK 2: THE FINAL JAM

Read the final book in a series

Ok, technically, this is not an actual book series, but it is the final release, so I am counting it. Last year, I read The Perfect First and thought it was a much more well-written novel than I expected from the shirtless guy in the cover, lmao.

The Fourth Time Charm is about a guy who has a crush on the coach’s daughter and it sounds like it has a lot of potential to be very overdramatic. I hope it delivers!

 

SPIN

Read by an Indian or Indian-diaspora author

I also had never heard of Spin before, so I might need to add this one to my D-COM marathon watch-list.

A Match Made in Mehendi is a YA contemporary I’ve heard a lot of great things about, especially from Marie. I don’t remember the specficis about the plot, but I am pretty sure this one is about match-making, which is something that has always fascinated me. (Lowkey still waiting for Season 2 of Indian Matchmaking on NETFLIX. Seriously, where is it).

 

TEEN BEACH MOVIE

Grab a beach read

For some reason, I am very intimidated by the book I chose for this prompt, which is why I’ve been post poning reading it for so long. Mostly, it’s because I don’t reach out for this genre often (aka women’s fiction) and I don’t know if I have motivation to finish something that doesn’t have a romance subplot to it lol.

But this one sounds sososo fun: it’s about aunties, a wedding and hiding a dead body. Like, that’s a fantastic plot if I’ve ever seen one!

 

HOW TO BUILD A BETTER BOY

Read a book with a tech/computer geek character

I hope to make time to read a new release by an author I’ve never really read before, but that sounds adorable! Love, Decoded is Emma but with a geek main character, which I feel like it’s a plot of a D-COM waiting to happen??? Like how come no one has done this already? Lmao.

The protagonist literally creates a friend-match app. I feel like I have to read this one simply so that I can then be the writer of the D-COM screenplay inspired by it.

SHARPAY’S FABULOUS ADVENTURE

Read a book with a pink cover

OK, I am technically cheating a little bit here because the cover for Loveless is more purple than pink, but who caresssss. I am sure Sharpay would approve of this color!

I have read Loveless before, but I really want to re-read it now that I have a physical copy and I can annotate and tab the hell out of it. I also hope to actually take my time with it rather than trying to finish it in one sitting like I did the first time around.

 

LET IT SHINE

Read a book written in verse

Fun fact about me: I’ve never actually watched Let It Shine even though it is a classic. I know, I know. I hope to mend this fact this July.

I heard about Apple: Skin to the Core through Marines and since I finished A History of My Brief Body recently, I feel like I am ready to read another book with a very poetic writing style and *actually* understand it. Also, this one is actualy YA, so it should be easier to grasp. Fingers crossed!

 

LEMONADE MOUTH

Read a book with a musically inclined plot

IT’S MY FAVORITE D-COM OF ALL TIMES!!!!!!! In honor of that, I decided I needed to pick up a book I knew I was going to highly enjoy. Famous in a Small Town is by the fantastic Emma Mills, whom I’ve read twice before, and I always really love her plot and characters. So I am hoping this one matches my love for Lemonade Mouth.

As for the musically inclined plot, I am pretty sure the characters are in a school band!

 

Have you read any of these books? Also: what is your favorite D-COM ever? Let’s chat in the comments!

chapter and melodies book tag

Hello, friends!

When I first saw this tag being answered by Maria @ The Character Study, immediately I wanted to answer it. The tag combines two of my favorite things: book and music. So I was very happy that Maria actually tagged me to answer this one, so thanks a lot!

RULES

• Link back to the creators’ posts – I have 12% of a plan & A Curly Sue’s Ramblings
• Thank the person who tagged you
• Answer the prompts and use the original graphics
• Tag 5 bloggers who would enjoy doing this tag
• Notify them by commenting on their blog
• Use the tag “Chapters & Melodies Tag” in your post
• Have fun!

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Going with a cliché, yes, but it’s been a while since I last talked about this book, which is I Believe in a Thing Called Love! This one is for all the K-drama fans out there: in this book we follow our protagonist Desi who’s obsessed with watching Korean dramas with her dad and decides to create a list of “K Drama Steps to True Love” to hopefully finally attract her crush. I remember finding the K-drama references hilarious and the relationship between the MC and her dad super heart-warming.

More because I was reading to The Great Unknowable End around the same time Solar Power came out, I am reminded of this story every time I listen to Fallen Fruit. I do think the lyrics go along well with the story – one because the whole vibe of Solar Power is “hippie cult” and The Great Unknowable End does revolve around a hippie commune in the 70s, but also because the story is about the pain left by previous generations which is certainly a theme for one of the protagonists, Stella.

I do love book that features music in it, but most importantly, I love books that feature original lyrics!!! I recently read a book that featured musicians, but no actual lyrics of the songs they wrote and I was so disappointed. I find that I am only able to connect with the feelings the characters are singing about if I, too, get to read the lyrics like I was one of their listeners. And that was a feature I loved in You’d Be Mine. In this book, we follow Clay, who’s gotten himself into one too many scandals and is now on probation by his label. As a way to mend his reputation, they arrange that he goes on tour with the princess of country, Annie.

I recently talked about this TikTok that compared the lyrics to “long story short” by Taylor Swift to Percy and Annabeth’s relationship and now, whenever that song comes out, all I can think about is Percabeth! The lyrics “When I dropped my sword / I threw it in the bushes and knocked on your door / And we live in peace” make me emotional just like whenever I think about Percy and Annabeth living peacefully in New Rome together as the married couple they are.

I have so many, so EXCUSE ME as I fangirl about soundtracks. Look, this is a very serious topic for me, okay, lol. But soundtracks can truly make or break a story and I am always happy when a favorite book has been adapted and the soundtrack is *actually* good.

Which is why I was so happy that Heartstopper contained so many of my favorite artists in the show soundtrack, such as girl in red, beabadoobee and ella jane. I was familiar with Baby Queen but I became down right obsessed with their song Dover Beach since it showed up in the show.

I also remember when the first movie of To All the Boys came out and I was overwhelmed by how great the soundtrack was. It has the perfect indie-coming-of-age vibes to it and so many fantastic songs! Even though I think the quality of the direction of the movies went down after the first one, the soundtrack continued to be awesome. Chinatown by Wild Nothing is by far my favorite pick, though, mostly because it gives me walking around NYC vibes.

Lastly, I need to talk about a CLASSIC which is the Twilight movies soundtrack. Honestly, if there is one good thing to have come out of this clusterfuck of a series, it is the movies’ soundtrack. They’re the most perfect ambiance and atmosphere and I still dream of riding around Forks with Roslyn playing in the back. However, I have to shoutout my favorite song which plays in the best sequence of the franchise – Hearing Damage, which is the soundtrack to the montage of the wolves hunting Victoria in the woods.

I had so much fun answering this!!!! I’ll be tagging Ruby @ Ruby Rae Reads, Sophie @ Me and Ink and Caro @ The Book Cheshire Cat.

Okay, friends! Now it is your turn: what are some of your favorite songs that you associate with books/ships/adaptations?

my favorite (straight) fictional ships for dia dos namorados

Hello, friends!

Today is June 12th, which means we’re celebrating the equivalent to Valentine’s Day in Brazil! Here, we call this day “Dia dos Namorados”. For the past few years in my blog, I’ve celebrated this date by sharing a post related to romantic love and ofc today I’m keeping the tradition.

The reason why we celebrate Valentine’s Day in June, instead of in February, is because in Brazilian tradition, Saint Anthony is more well known than Saint Valentine. Since Saint Anthony is known for being a matchmaker and people pray to him if they wish to get married, the celebration takes place on Saint Anthony’s day instead – aka the 12th of June.

So, since we’re all about romantic love today, I figured I would share my favorite (straight) fictional couples with y’all (sorry, I know it’s pride month) and some of my favorite quotes related to them that make me feel *all *the* *things*.

COLE AND ISABEL, FROM SINNER

“You’re the one good thing I’ve ever done in my life”.

Uh, yes, them.

I think about this couple so much is a bit ridiculous. Sinner is a fantastic book that just speaks to my soul so deeply, it’s hard for me to describe. But basically, Cole and Isabel meet in the Wolves of Mercy Falls and are quite, uh, a dysfunctional couple. Isabel resents werewolves after her brother died trying to been one and Cole wants nothing more but to be one. Yet, they work.

In Sinner, Cole goes to Los Angeles to film a reality show and record a new album, but mostly to get Isabel back. Their dynamic is so romantic without even trying. They’re constantly flirting, even knowing they’re not good for one another, but at the same time, they are? They definitely make each other better – both are deniers of feelings, but when they come together, they drown in how much they feel for one another. It’s stunning, really.

NATE AND BROWNYN, FROM ONE OF US IS LYING

“Fucking Rojas”.

Did the show of One of Us is Lying make me a Nate/Brownyn stan? Yes, very much, thank you.

To be fair, I remember a total of 0.2 things about them in the books. But their show version absolutely demolished me, it really did.

Nate is the criminal, Brownyn is the brain, and while typically the bad boy x good girl trope does nothing for me, I think how much Nate has been obsessed with Brownyn for years now really convinced me that they were different. Nate knows all these random facts about Brownyn from when they were in middle school, making very clear that he’s had a crush on her for years.

I also adore the way he calms her down when she’s anxious and how her believing in him makes him want to believe in himself too. While their dynamic could’ve been improved had the acting been better (cof cof sorry), I still find myself thinking about them frequently.

DIMPLE AND RISHI, FROM WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI

“You are beautiful. Lajawab. My only worry is that I might not be able to do you justice.”

I’ve talked so much about my love for this couple, but seriously!!!!!!! They are so special because, so often, when we think about YA contemporaries, very unrealistic or lowkey problematic love stories come to mind, so having a couple who supports one another so genuinely warms my heart so much.

Dimple and Rishi are complete opposites, but they learn a lot from one another, including each other’s relationship with their Indian heritage as well as how they see their future. I am also obsessed with how they constantly push the other person to be the best and most authentic version of themselves.

Basically: everyone deserves a relationship like this in their lives!

PETER K AND LARA JEAN, FROM TO ALL THE BOYS I’VE LOVED BEFORE

“Like in the 1950s. Remember, Lara Jean?”

A classic, but had to be a part of my list anyway, because hello, it’s them.

While many people may be annoyed at how “immature” this couple may sound, my favorite thing about them is how painfully high school their conflicts and dynamics are. Like, when Peter gets mad at Lara Jean for not sitting next to him in the bus. Or the fact Lara Jean brings him sandwiches and cookies and lets Peter not share with his friends.

This couple reminds me of the innocence and beauty of teenage relationships and Jenny Han toes the line between “realism” and “romanticism” perfect. I am a firm believer that, especially love stories, don’t have to be realistic, because real life is boring and never romantic. But Peter K and Lara Jean manage to do both and I love them so much.

MIA AND ADAM, FROM WHERE SHE WENT

“You don’t share me. You owe me.”

I was re-reading some of my favorite quotes and moments from this book and I realized how, indeed, Mia and Adam are one of my favorite couples. I think before I was just all about how much I love Adam as a character, because his narration is so good. But no, it’s him and Mia.

They’re the best edition of “he hates everyone but her” and the fact Adam has written an entire album about Mia and no other song he writes is as good as those speaks to my soul a lot. Even though in Where She Went you’re following them after they’ve broken up, during one night in New York, you feel the stakes of their relationship and their past love for one another is absolutely palpable. I am obsessed, friends.

NINI AND RICKY, FROM HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL THE MUSICAL THE SERIES

“You can always talk to me about anything. Anytime.”

Did Olivia Rodrigo and Joshua Basset ruined this one for me? Yes. But that’s fine, we’ll move on. In my mind, the two never dated in real life and Nini and Ricky managed to be endgame AS THEY SHOULD.

Look: these two are just the cutest thing to ever exist, okay. They’re childhood friends to lovers and that scene when they talk about being each other’s first crushes and also giving each other the nicknames that they go by to everyone else. That’s A LOT, okay.

Plus, all the songs they have together are so good and I am still mad we never got a proper duet where they sing staring in each other’s eyes in deep Troy and Gabriella fashion. While I understand their relationship got codependent by season two, I do love how much Ricky counts on Nini and how her opinion truly matters to him. True soulmates, if you ask me.

PERCY JACKSON AND ANNABETH CHASE, FROM PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS

“You’re not getting away from me. Never again.”

This is my OG OTP, friends. I remember being 10 years old reading about the underwater kiss and fangirling for like 20 minutes straight because, fucking finally, they had kissed. I also wrote this quote when I was kid, and glued it to the wall of my closet and it is still there.

Remembering about this couple is the reason why I decided to write this post in the first place. I found this TikTok talking about how “long story short” by Taylor Swift went perfectly with Percabeth and I wasn’t able to stop thinking about it for months.

Basically: these two are the best slow burn/friends to lovers, you will ever read about in your whole life. The way they become so completely obsessed with one another, are ready to die for the other person, and still have the most fantastic banter… Rick Riordan did that, folks.

SCARLETT AND GUNNAR, FROM NASHVILLE

“Then why do you keep ending up here with me?”

I am so obsessed with this couple, is honestly a bit scary if you really think about it.

Scarlett and Gunnar are THE slow burn. They meet in season one, Gunnar is clearly crushing hard on Scarlett while she has a boyfriend, they finally get together but break up and then take literally THREE MORE SEASONS to get back together. It’s ridiculous, honestly, but works so well because it absolutely tugs in your heart strings every time.

You can tell that, no matter how much these characters try lying to themselves that they are over their feelings for one another, everyone around them can tell that’s not the case. The way they’re constantly writing songs about each other and pretending they don’t care is… AGAIN, RIDICULOUS. But it works so much for me. Ugh. I love them.

DECLAN AND JULIETTE, FROM LETTERS TO THE LOST

“Please, I want to say to her. Please figure me out.”

As I re-read Letters to the Lost this year, I couldn’t help but notice how much I love these two. Their story is angsty from the beginning, with annonymous correspondences and not liking each other in real life. Yet, they’re also a source of positivity for one another and are constantly encouraging the other person to pursue things they typically wouldn’t.

Both Declan and Juliette are struggling with depression and I think it’s interesting how the author navigates their relationship without them becoming codependent – they still have plenty support outside of each other. But it’s just sososo great see them becoming closer and being able to help the other person without even knowing who they are in real life.

EMMA AND MR KNIGHTLEY, FROM EMMA (2020)

“If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more, but you know what I am.”

Okay, but why did this 2020 version of Emma absolutely wretched me? I am not a fan of period dramas or Jane Austen, in the slightest, but there was just something about the scene when their hands are touching while they dance together that shifted something in me.

Obviously, this couple has a very questionable age gap and dynamic, with Mr Knightley being seen as a son by Emma’s dad. But we’ll just stare right past that and focus on the fact they’re adorable. I love the idea of two know-it-all’s falling in love and still being completely clueless about their feelings for each other. Plus, they have the best confession scene known to man.

What are some of your favorite fictional ships? Do you relate to any of the ones I included in this post? Also: what is your favorite quote from any ship? Let’s chat in the comments!