Showing posts with label may. Show all posts
Showing posts with label may. Show all posts

Monday, June 3, 2024

May 2024 Wrap-Up + Book Haul


Well, May was a busy month. I worked 20 days straight and then had only a few days off sprinkled in. In light of that, I feel pretty accomplished with the number of books I got through. I read 8 books in May, though I ended up in a slump the last couple weeks of it so I potentially could have read even more. Still, an overall good reading month. I only hauled two books this month as well, so we're still on track for downsizing my book collection and saving money. But, without further ado, let's dive in! 


1. 
Title: Yellowface
Author: R.F. Kuang
Rating: 5 // 5 stars


2. 
Title: Pack Darling, Part One
Author: Lola Rock
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
-reread-

3. 
Title: Pack Darling, Part Two
Author: Lola Rock
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
-reread-

4. 
Title: Pucking Around
Author: Emily Rath
Rating: 3 // 5 stars

5. 
Title: The Scepter
Author: J. Bree
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
-reread-

6. 
Title: The Sword
Author: J. Bree
Rating: 4 // 5 stars
-reread-

7. 
Title: The Crown of Oaths and Curses
Author: J. Bree
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
-reread-

8. 
Title: The Throne of Honor and Blood
Author: J. Bree
Rating: 4 // 5 stars




The first of two books I got this month was Tourner by Jane Washington. This is the second book in her Ironside Academy series and one I absolutely adore. With the release of the fourth book at the end of May and the upcoming series cover change, I knew I wanted this book on my shelves. I love these covers and Tourner really is one of the more stunning ones in the series. Plus, the story is so much fun and very addicting. I'm just excited to have it and add the next two to my shelves later in the summer. 

Then I picked up the Stardew Valley Official Cookbook by ConcernedApe and Ryan Novak. I've become a huge Stardew Valley fan in the last six months and, being a huge foodie, I was so excited when this cookbook was announced. Cooking is a relatively big part of the game and having a lot of the recipes be represented in this cookbook to then get to try is a very fun prospect. I've had a couple cursory flip throughs so far but I'm pretty excited to dedicate some time soon to having a proper look. 



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Sunday, June 4, 2023

May 2023 Book Haul


May was, once again, a bigger book haul than I was expecting. There were definitely some impulse purchases for sure. However, there were a few that I ordered and paid for ages ago that finally arrived so that makes it a little easier. I got 10 books this month so let's just dive in!



The first book I got this month was Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. I caved to the hype and went out and got a copy of this the week it released. I then had to spend the entire work week until my weekend off waiting to be able to read it. I then read it in one sitting and have not stopped thinking about it since. It's a definitely new favorite of all time and I cannot wait for the next book coming in November. Because I loved it, I then decided to get the Australian paperback edition to annotate in the future. So I actually got two copies of it this month and I'm not upset at all. 

The next book I got was my preorder of the Waterstones edition of One For My Enemy by Olivie Blake. This is one of her previously indie-published books that has been picked up for traditional publication. I was lucky enough to get the indie version before it went out of print and I also wanted a copy of the new version. I decided on the Waterstones edition as it was normal price and I would get it on release over any of the book boxes. It is a beautiful edition and I'm very much looking forward to reading this one. 

Then I picked up a copy of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. This has been a popular book for years and I've been intrigued by it but never picked it up until now. Then a friend was talking about wanting to read it and I saw a copy at the grocery store for cheap so I picked up two so that we could both get into it soon. 

I also grabbed a copy of Falling Hard for the Royal Guard by Megan Clawson. I've been following Megan on TikTok for a couple years now and have always found her account interesting. She lives in the Tower of London and always has these cool stories about the history. She recently wrote this romcom and I knew I wanted to pick it up, so when I saw it for cheap I impulse bought it. I'm hoping to read it this summer.

Then my copies of the Crescent City Fairyloot editions arrived. I'm a massive SJM fan so of course I ordered these last fall and they've finally arrived. Of course, mine came damaged but replacements are being provided so I'll eventually have nice copies on my shelf. I'm still not sure how I feel about them. I was hoping having them in person would make me like them more after the initial reveal. I think mainly it's a difference in art style. I like the slipcase, the spine, the embossing, and the endpages. However, I don't particularly like the dust jackets or the sprayed edge design. I'll keep them for now until the final book comes out and then make my decision on if I'll keep them or not. 

Then I got Six Scorched Roses by Carissa Broadbent. I began my journey into reading the books of this world this month and I knew I wanted to read the novella as well. It's very beautiful and I had a good time reading it. The world itself is super intriguing and I am definitely excited to see how these characters play into future books. 

Then I got The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent. This is the second novel in the series and after I read the first book, I ordered this one alongside Six Scorched Roses. I'm currently reading it and enjoying it quite a bit, though I do think I currently prefer the first book. I've got about 200 pages left and I'm really wondering where it will all go. 

The last book I got was Yellowface by R.F. Kuang. This book has been very highly anticipated because of the rest of the author's books. I've read Babel and really enjoyed it while The Poppy War is still on my TBR. This one is a literary fiction and I've heard great things. It also addresses the publishing industry and, as an aspiring publishing professional, I think it's right up my alley. 



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Friday, June 2, 2023

May 2023 Wrap-Up


May was an interesting reading month for me. I didn't get to read as many books as I wanted due to lots of overtime but everything I did read was amazing. I read a total of five books (and got through 400+ pages of another) and every book was 4 stars or above. So while I didn't read very many books this month, the quality of the books were great. Let's dive in! 

Friday, June 24, 2022

Unboxing: Fairyloot's "Cloak & Dagger" (May 2022)


We have another Fairyloot unboxing! It's been a bit since I got a box as I skipped April but I am so incredibly excited about this one. I figured out the book when it was revealed and was excited to finally get my copy. Plus, in my opinion, the customizations were gorgeous this month! Without further ado, let's dive in! (I also apologize for the poorer quality on the pictures this time...the weather and my camera did not want to cooperate). 



Up first, we have a bottle opener inspired by Red Rising by Pierce Brown designed by @ironandinkdesigns. I quite like this bottle opener as it's a cool shape and seems pretty sturdy. However, I live with a bartender so we have plenty of bottle openers and I'm not sure how much use this will get. I do think it's a useful item, though. I'm also interested in reading this series when the sixth book comes out. 

Then we got a mug inspired by Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan designed by @kudriaken. The artwork is pretty nice on this mug and I always like practical items. Mugs, for me, are great because I can use them on my bookshelves for artwork and bookmark storage. I don't tend to use bookish mugs for actual drinks, though, as I have other mugs for those. I'm pretty happy with this item and I can only hope I'll enjoy this book so that I can keep my current growing merch collection for it. 

The third item was a stardust tea strainer inspired by the book of the month, The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah, and designed by @blanca.design. I'm really on the fence about this item. For starters, I don't drink tea and the only other person in my house who does drink it doesn't use loose leaves. I also think that the wooden part that holds the strainer will get wet from tea and might hold smells. I do love the design, though, so I might keep the wooden holder on my shelf for decoration and just use the little strainer basket for something else. 

Then we got two scrunchies inspired by From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L Armentrout and designed by @catarinabookdesigns. I actually use silk scrunchies primarily so these will probably get used. I like the designs as well, as it's just generic art and a quote. I don't particularly like scrunchies that have character art on them so these ones work well for my tastes. I also have read this book series so I'm always happy to have additional merch for it. 
The last item was the next two foiled mythology bookmarks designed by @gracezhuart. This is a collectible series with new items every few months. This month was numbers three and four which show Loki and Kumiho. I like the artwork, though I wish the artwork was more consistent from the first two bookmarks as I think I liked those a bit more. I'm quite excited to see where this collectible series continues from here, though.
The two tarot cards this month are inspired by These Hollow Vows by Lexi Ryan and designed by @arz28. The first card is The Hierophant featuring Sebastian and Finnian. The second card is The Empress featuring Brie. I adore the artwork on these. I'm really liking the artwork lately for their tarot cards as when they initially brought out the first set I wasn't as much of a fan. Now that I like the artwork more, I'm quite excited to collect these. I'm also going to try and collect all of them this time around. I've also read this book and really enjoyed it so it's always fun to have a bit of merch. 

The book of the month is The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah. This Fairyloot edition has an exclusive cover, purple sprayed edges, foil embossing on the hardcover designed by @artbyemmilinne, artwork on the endpages designed by @jhocaaa, and is signed. It came with an author letter with an art print on the back designed by @artbyemmilinne. I love the customizations on this. While there aren't stenciled edges like some people expect, I like the purple edges just how they are. 

Now, my copy did come with a bit of glue stuck to the endpages, dust cover, and first few pages. When I opened the book, these little bits ripped slightly. With the dust jacket on it's not noticeable but I have submitted a query on if the damage is enough for an exchange/replacement. Mainly because the dust jacket is now super thin in a few places and might rip through eventually and have a hole. However, I did contact Fairyloot and have already received a replacement copy which is amazing. I'll be sending the slightly damaged one to a friend and I'm quite happy to have a copy free from imperfections. 




Overall, I liked this box but it definitely was my least favorite of 2022. The tea strainer, while beautiful, is not something I see myself or anyone around me using. And while I may use the scrunchies, it's more likely they'll sit in a merch box until I can display my merch collection. However, I am really excited to read this book and love that the color changes were to purple as it's my favorite color. I am intrigued to see what June will be like with two books and am pretty excited about those. 



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Thursday, June 10, 2021

May 2021 Book Haul

 

Hello beautiful people of the internet! I hope you all are doing spectacular and getting the month of June off to a good start. I finally have my May book haul ready to share and I'm so excited about all of these books! I got a total of eight books, with two of them being sent to me and three of them being ones I used a gift card for. I'd say that's a pretty good month! I don't anticipate getting as many in June, but we'll see if that happens! For now, let's just dive into this haul! 



The first book I picked up this month was a signed copy of Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard. I had some stuff to do and stopped into Books A Million with a gift card to treat myself for finishing my degree. I spotted a signed copy of RB and just had to pick it up as I've heard nothing but amazing things. Despite owning almost every single one of Victoria's books, I still haven't read any of them though. I do have high hopes for this book but I'm not sure when I'll get around to reading it. I just couldn't pass up the signed edition. 

The next book I got was Not Even Bones by Rebecca Schaeffer. I also got this at Books A Million while I was browsing through the clearance shelves. As this book has been on my wishlist for a while and was only $3, I decided to pick it up with my gift card as well. This has been pitched to me as V.E. Schwab meets Dexter, a show I've enjoyed immensely over the years. That pitch immediately put it on my wishlist and I'm so excited to finally have a copy.

Up next I have my first copy of Illusionary by Zoraida Cordova. This is the sequel to Incendiary, one of my top three books of 2020. This has been one of my most anticipated releases of this year and I'm so excited to finally have my hands on it. Hopefully I'll get around to reading it this summer but, if not, I also have two more copies that I preordered in the UK shipping to my boyfriend's house that I can read once I go abroad this fall. I am so excited to see what happens with these characters and story but also quite sad that this will be the end of the duology. 

The rest of the books I got this month were all Grishaverse books. The first two were the Netflix tie-in editions of Six of Crows and Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. I was sent these by the publisher for a blog tour I did in collaboration with Terminal Tours. The two books were included in a giant PR package full of Grisha that, quite honestly, made my entire month. I've read both of these books as well and hope to do a series comparison this summer!

The last three books I got were the new paperback editions of the Shadow and Bone trilogy. I love these new covers but I wanted to get my hands on ones without the stupid permanent Netflix sticker. It took a few days of searching online but I finally got my hands on a box set for a reasonable price and I'm quite excited. They are the UK editions, so a bit shorter and compact, but that's okay since I primarily got them for the beautiful outside box set covers. 



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Wednesday, June 2, 2021

May 2021 Wrap-Up


Another month gone, another wrap-up to do! May was a very interesting month. It honestly kind of sucked for the most part and I'm glad it's over. In terms of both reading and life, I hope that June will be a lot better (but especially in terms of reading). 

A lot happened in May, with the most notable event I'm willing to share being that I completed my Bachelor's degree and graduated from college. I'm moving onto further education in the fall for my Master's degree so it doesn't feel quite as daunting as it would otherwise. However, graduating was very bittersweet because, as much as I was relieved, I was also faces with the reality that I'm fully done with this school and will never get the experiences there that COVID robbed from me and many others. However, I'm trying to stay positive and look forward to what will (hopefully) be my truly final year of school starting this fall. 

That being said, I only read a total of three books in May because I was completely overwhelmed with finals, personal life issues, and finally getting Animal Crossing and dedicating a lot of time to it. I enjoyed all of the books I read so let's just finally dive in after this long-winded introduction!


1. 
Title: Shadow and Bone
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Rating: 4 // 5 stars

2. 
Title: Kings of Quarantine
Authors: Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
Series Review TK

3. 
Title: Kings of Lockdown
Author: Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti
Rating: 4 // 5 stars
Series Review TK





Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



You can follow my bookstagram here for more bookish content!

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Sunday, June 2, 2019

May 2019 Wrap-Up!


Hello all! Today I'm coming at you with my May wrap-up. May was a pretty good month for me but I still wish I'd been able to read more. I'm a little disappointed with how the last week and a half went because I only finished one book when I had the potential to finish so many more than that. Overall, I read 15 books which is less than last month but when I added up the page counts, the months were pretty equal. My June TBR is very ambitious as well so here's to hoping that I can get through a good chunk of it! Let's just dive straight in!



BOOKS READ
1.
Title: Entice
Author: Jessica Shirvington
Rating: 3.5 // 5 stars
Still just as addicting as the first book, though I will say that I think I enjoyed the first book more? One of my favorite characters got very little page time in this book and I think that's what drove my enjoyment down a little bit. But other than that I loved how the world, magic, etc all expanded in this book. Definitely interested in seeing what happens next!

2. 
Title: Queen of Air and Darkness
Author: Cassandra Clare
Rating: 4 // 5 stars
Review

3.
Title: Fever
Author: Maya Banks
Rating: 3.5 // 5 stars
Not a literary masterpiece or anything but super addicting and such a page-turner. Like with the first book, I read most of this in one sitting and loved all the drama, smut, and more. I definitely am excited for Ash's book because I feel like I got so much more of him in this one and I can't wait to know more. Also, freaking love Bethany. She's just perfect and pure and I want to wrap her in a blanket and keep her safe from everything.

4.
Title: The Song of Achilles 
Author: Madeline Miller
Rating: 4.5 // 5 stars
Review

5.
Title: Lifeguarding Manual
Author: American Red Cross
Rating: n/a rating
This is pretty self-explanatory. I had to spend a day reviewing this manual and doing online coursework to prep for lifeguard recertification and I wanted it to count towards my Goodreads goal. Nothing special, just a manual on lifesaving. 

6.
Title: When to Fear the Living
Author: B.L. Brunnemer
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
Review
-reread-
Rereading this was so fun and also a tad heartbreaking just with the events in this book. I'm definitely super excited to continue my reread of this series and to finally get to reading the newest releases!

7.
Title: Heartstopper
Author: Alice Oseman
Rating: 4 // 5 stars
This was honestly just so freaking cute. I read it so quickly and now I wish I'd savored it a bit more. Either way, it was cute and, since this is a prequel/companion to a different book, I'm super happy to know how the story ends even though there's more volumes coming. I definitely will be buying myself a copy and getting the next volume when it releases in July! 

8.
Title: Furyborn
Author: Claire Legrand
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
Review
-reread-
While I loved reading Furyborn the first time around, I think I loved it even more the second time around. There's just something about rereading that makes you get a deeper understanding of the story. I'll also be honest, I forgot a lot of this book in the past year so I'm really glad to have revisited the story and refreshed myself before diving into the sequel.

9.
Title: On Beyond Zebra
Author: Dr. Seuss
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
You best bet I'm counting reading children's book to my niece as part of my Goodread's challenge. This was a fun, cute book and I actually really enjoyed it, especially the rhyming.

10.
Title: Kingsbane
Author: Claire Legrand
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
Review

11.
Title: We Contain Multitudes
Author: Sarah Henstra
Rating: 4.5 // 5 stars
Review

12.
Title: Whispers From the Dead
Author: B.L. Brunnemer
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
Review
-reread-
Rereading this was super fun just like the previous books. Things definitely get even deeper in this book after the events of book 3. I have to say that this is definitely one of my favorite books in the series and I'm definitely excited to reread the next one.

13.
Title: Stone Cold Touch
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
Review
-reread-
Rereading this was a lot of fun for me. I will say that I think I like book 1 better, but I also adored this book. So much happens in it both in terms of plot and character development. I honestly didn't remember most of this from when I read it the first time. I don't remember the third book at all, either, so I'm very excited to reread that one next month! 

14.
Title: Something Strange and Deadly
Author: Susan Dennard
Rating: 4.5 // 5 stars
Review

15.
Title: The Invisible Library
Author: Genevieve Cogman
Rating: 3.5 // 5 stars
Review



BLOG POSTS



TV/MOVIES

I also watched quite a bit this month. There were some movies and some TV thrown in there throughout the month. I enjoyed most of what I watched, though I will say that there was one movie that was just meh to me.

First, I watched Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. I thought Zac Efron did a great job in this movie and I could definitely see how Ted Bundy was able to trick so many people. I did wish there was more to it as I was a bit disappointed at the end. But overall, it did the job they all set out to do.

Next, I watched Papillon with my dad and it was meh. I just prefer movies where it's difficult for characters but there's still hopeful or bright moments. Seeing as this was based off a true story, it's not something that could have been changed but a lot of this was just too much for me.

Then I finished Season 6 of Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Gosh this show is just absolutely great. I thought the season finale was amazing and I can't wait for season 7. I love how this show can be so funny and short yet we still connect to the characters and get discussions on real-world issues happening right now.

And then I finally saw Avengers: Endgame. My heart. I liked this one so much more than Infinity War, which was just overwhelming in a lot of different ways for me. I could go on a long tangent as to why I liked Endgame more, but I'm still heartbroken over certain endings.

Lastly, I rewatched Season 1 of Bones. I'm partway through season 2 already and I just love being back with these characters. I spent half of 2018 watching this show and rewatching it feels like returning to something familiar. I just love these characters and the progression of this show.



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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