the most disappointing books of 2022!

Hello, friends!

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

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

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

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

ONE. THE FOURTH TIME CHARM BY MAYA HUGHES

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

 

 

 

TWO. THIS WILL BE FUNNY SOMEDAY BY KATIE HENRY

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

 

 

THREE. THE CHANDLER LEGACIES BY ABDI NAZEMIAN

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

 

 

FOUR. CAZADORA BY ROMINA GARBER

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

 

 

 

FIVE. A SKY BEYOND THE STORM, BY SABAA TAHIR

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

 

 

SIX. FAMOUS IN A SMALL TOWN BY EMMA MILLS

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

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

 

 

 

SEVEN. DARIUS THE GREAT DESERVES BETTER BY ADIB KHORRAM

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

 

EIGHT. HUSBAND MATERIAL BY ALEXIS HALL

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

 

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

what i’ve been watching recently #18

Hello, friends!

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

NEVER HAVE I EVER (S3)

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

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

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

FLEABAG

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

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

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

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

SHERLOCK (S1)

Can you tell I was in an Andrew Scott mood?

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

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

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

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL: THE MUSICAL THE SERIES (S3)

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

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

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

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

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

my all time favorite fanfics!

Hello, friends!

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

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

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

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

ONE. PROMISED LAND, BY ANOMALOUSLY

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

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

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

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

---

TWO. INTRO TO QUANTUM DATING BY SPOONFULSTAR

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

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

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

---

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

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

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

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

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

---

FOUR. EARLY AND UNPREPARED BY CALICOJACKOFFICIAL

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

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

---

FIVE. BOY WITHOUT A FACE, BY ANOMALOUSLY

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

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

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

---

SIX. STACCATO HEARTBEAT BY ARIASTARKE

A classic, if you will.

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

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

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

---

SEVEN. SINCE WE’RE ALONE BY BUFFYMILKOVICH AND LETHARGICMICK

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

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

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

---

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

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

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

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

---

NINE. SIDEWAYS BY WHATICAMEHEREFOR

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

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

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

---

TEN. APARTMENT 4A BY SKIESBELOW

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

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

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

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

gothtober TBR

Hello, friends!

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

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

BAME READ

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

 

 

LGBT READ

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

 

DISABILITY READ

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

Now, for our actual prompts:

READ A GOTHIC MOOD READ BOOK

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

 

 

READ A BOOK BY A COMFORTING AUTHOR

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

 

 

READ A BOOK WITH A HIDDEN ANTAGONIST

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

 

 

READ A BOOK WITH WATER ON THE COVER

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

 

 

READ A BOOK WHERE YOU CAN’T TRUST ANYONE

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

 

READ A BOOK WITH A PLOT TWIST

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

 

 

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

me and music book tag

Hello, friends!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So here are a few of my favorites:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Can’t you tell I’m aro/ace yet?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

best and worst: book adaptations

Hello, friends!

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

BEST

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

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

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

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

WORST

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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!