May Wrap-Up: Asian Heritage Month Wrap-Up + Thoughts // All The Things I Did to Keep Busy + I Read Lots of Books… (for once??)

IT’S BEEN SO LONG SINCE I DID ONE OF THESE POSTS.

God this is so sad because I’ve missed doing these, but I know that once I’m at uni I probably won’t have the time anymore, so these posts/this summer is kind of bittersweet bc I love blogging sm *tears*

oh well, enough of those emotions. MAY WAS HERE AND NOW IT’S GONE AND I SWEAR IT LASTED 0.3 SECONDS? Excuse me, this is noT okay.

I hope that everyone had a great month, and did lots of good things despite the CHAOS around us. Anyway, let’s talk about me now. (this is a joke I promise I’m not that self-absorbed)

forewarning: this post is pretty long so. yeah. sorry. makes me sad

reading:

i planned a tbr for this month bc it was Asian Heritage Month… now.. i was not optimitic about this at all. BUT!!! I did it… sort of (i DID dnf one of them but it was so bad i just could not continue reading it at all.. and i promise that’s not how i usually feel about books….) I don’t think I’ve ever read so many books in a month??? it’s probs not a lot in comparison to some book bloggers, but 9 books in comparison to the FOUR books I’d previously read THIS YEAR, is pretty good for me!!

MY TBR FOR MAY…

Summer Bird Blue (eh) – this just did NOT live up to my expectations at all. it was very sad, which i did expect, but there was more of the character just being angry with other people and repeating that she wanted to finish the song, but then not doing that on repeat until she eventually does. Basically, there was no real plot, and there was NO relationship with the main character and yeah. just. i think the whole book could have been the whole book. i did like the ace rep tho! (more here in my review)

P.s I Still Love you (DNF) – God. i hated this more than i disliked Summer Bird Blue, and I NEVER HATE A BOOK. BUT, HERE WE ARE. I had to DNF this one, it was just…. i read the first book and thought that the immaturity was relatively under control (and would hopefully go away in the second book as she, you know, grew up), but this book BLEW THAT OUT OF THE WATER. I couldn’t handle it at all. Lara-jean just is not a character for me, at all. I’m gonna save you and end this rant here.

Emergency Contact – I was so skeptical going into this book, i have to admit. The first 100 pages were kind of make-or-break. There wasn’t a lot happening, and i wasn’t gripped. BUT THEN I WAS ATTACHED AND NEVER LETTING GO. This book unexpectedly stole my heart and i couldn’t be happier about it. (see the rest of my raving adorations here)

Like a love story – I didn’t end up reading this book, which was actually the book i was most looking forward to reading… I’m such a mood reader and i just didn’t want to read this book so i just couldn’t,, i read the first 40 pages but i was just NOT in the mood to cry and be sad sooooo. i decided to wait until i really really felt like reading it, rather than force myself to read it and end up hating it

and some more…

I wish you all the best (reread) – i will always love this book. it’s such a comfort read for me and i just love it. it has such important messages and i just want to hold this book forever and give it all the love. i cannot put into words my love for this book. (#ownvoices)

This is Kind of an Epic Love Story – i.. eh… liked this book!! i loved the hard-of-hearing-rep. I wasn’t sobbing and melting over it like i wanted to!! the REP AS GREAT… the ship was m/m, they’re both black, the mc is bi and his bf is gay and hard of hearing. What i didn’t like about this book was that (SPOILER ALERT) the mc was cheated on, by his best-friend-turned-gf and they remained friends after and she kind of expected him to get over it like it was no biggie, and hang out with her and her gf, even though he was really hurt, which i thought was really unfair (end of spoiler) i felt like a lot of this book was just centred around the messy lives of teenagers and that a lot of it could have been avoided! but i’m not angered by this book either aha. it didn’t FULLY meet my expectations, but oh well.

You Asked For Perfect – can i just say 1) that this author knows what they’re doing!!! i felt all the stresses of the main character, i felt like i was living in the situ with him (this book stressed me out sm), felt the same irritation from the friends at the time (to the point where i didn’t like them but then realised that i felt this way bc i sympathised with the character sm) and 2) i absolutely ADORED the Jewish rep!!! it was like a cake-load of Jewish rep, with some Muslim rep too. (and of course m/m)

Red White Royal Blue (reread) – i forgot how much i adored Nora????? she’s great!!! i love the dynamic between June, Nora and Alex, and all of them eventually ajbfksjenjksgjse. let’s move on. I forgot what a Bi!disaster Alex is and honestly??? he’s a mess??? but i love that bby. okay we’re moving on. IT’S JUST SO GOOD.

Date Me, Bryson Keller, – I read this in UNDER FOUR HOURS ON THE DAY IT ARRIVED AT MY HOUSE. It was the lara-jean story that i always wanted (and actually liked). totally SQUISHED MY HEART. Sweet, funny and sad all at the same time. can we also appreciate the no-friends-drama, the supportive-bfs who actually talk to one another and amazing sibling relationships ❤ a v! important! #ownvoices novel ❤ (warning: outed character, religion/homophobia, bullying) — im going to leave my original thoughts HOWEVER: I’ve found out that this is basically a replica of a comic series, Seven Days, by Tachibana Venio (author) and Takarai Rihito (illustrator). also I’ve seen a lot of reviews that are calling this book out for bi-erasure, as there is only one casual mentioning of bisexuality which does not sit well with me at all.

Simon Vs (reread) – honestly, i forgot about how dark this book actually was? like blackmailing? outing? like bruh. thing is, i still love nearly everything about this book. i love the comments on society that Albertalli just weaves in. the only thing i dislike is Leah*shrug* but by the end, i find her tolerable. but i still think she was plain RUDE at the start of the novel, when there was really no need for that

Only Mostly Devastated – ok i just read this in an afternoon and i really enjoyed it. It was WAY sadder than I thought it was going to be!! But i thought that it was really adorable and THE LITTLE COUSINS WERE SO CUTE I JUST WANTED TO SMUSH THEM. It also really respectfully handled what it’s like to have a loved one with a terminal illness while also being about what it’s like to be queer and closeted all at the same time. the character arc was actually really good??? I just think that he was a really well-done character. don’t go into this book expecting greatness!! but it’s a good tear-jerker if you just want a book about a high school romance thing.

watch out to all those people who read like 300 books a year, i’m coming for your brand

i wish ^ *sobs*

posts that i really liked from others:

1. Marie’s post about what she want’s to see more in books.
2. Cait’s attempt at killing all of our TBRs.
3. Rhi talks about how she rates her books (with great recs too!!)
4. I loved reading Ash’s reviews of the Henna Wars and I Love You So Mochi
5. Ashia Monet’s post about how the recent trend of writing LGBT+ love interest of colour might be more harmful than you’d think from ages ago, but i just found it through twitter!!
6. Faith’s really thought-provoking post about blogging voice is a must-read.
7. Wordy and Whimsical wrote a post about falling out of love with writing reviews and i just,,, relate sm
8. Sofi’s post about consumerism in the book community just ,, yes.

i wrote an… alarming number of posts this month…

some of the best ones (debatable)… click on the images to read them 🙂

…and as per people have been stalking my archives…

Things I did apart from blogging/reading: 

• I revisited my WIP from last year – making some little edits here and there to keep me busy. I’m lowkey tempted to do a huge-rewrite and change lots of things. hmmmm we shall see… (future me: challenge started)
• Did A LOT of yoga & completed the 30 Day ‘Home’ Yoga challenge on Yoga With Adriene’s YT channel. I really enjoyed it. I did yoga every. single. day until the end of the month after the challenge ended, and I’m starting another challenge next month!!
• guys!! i finally managed to do the crow pose(!!) it’s not perfect but i finally got there!!
• I did too many some Joe Wicks workouts to keep me moving (somewhat). Still couldn’t make myself go on a run. That’s just… too much. 
• I hung up the fairy lights in my room, which doesn’t sound like that much but they’re LONG and they were wound around my bed and it took HOURS to undo. Now they’re around the perimeter of my ceiling and look basic but pretty.
• Lots and lots of Netflix. I nearly re-watched all of Friends in a week (8 seasons in one week is pretty…. Erm… not good for my health) started Modern Family, and HOLLYWOOD. 
• The PJO disney+ adaption was announced and I think I was the only person on the face of the earth to NOT flip my shit on twitter and breakdown into a ball of tears. 
• i went to a garden centre (#gasp) (i had not left the house for more than a walk in 8 weeks) and i found two new plant babies, who are now lovingly living in my bedroom and will be coming to uni with me (if uni even happens)
• i met up with one (1) friend and we were two (2) metres apart the entire time. i promptly got a sunburn on my forehead and nose that made my head hurt for dayssss.
• I then proceeded to keep sunbathing anyway.
• I had wotsits for the first time in years and it was fantastic. i GOBBLED them up so fast.
• and thats it.

incase you didn’t know: i was meant to be sitting my a-levels this year, hence why i didn’t blog in SO long, but due to the pandemic the exams were cancelled and my school was shut and they weren’t meant to keep setting us work… so I’ve been doing nothing at home for the past ten weeks so i’ve had to start finding things to do because my work is also closed!! rn I’m just happy that I’m healthy and my family is healthy & so are my friends!! I hope you and your loved ones are okay too!!

How was YOUR May? how are YOU? what did you read? What did you post (link them!!)?? how did you keep bust this month?