Hello fellow bookworms β The first two months of the year have already been weird, 2021 has not let me rest so far π I went on a hiatus from February until the end of next week (when my exams will finally all be done) because the strain of studying for my exams was a lot and the workload more than I was used to. That’s why I combined my January and February wrapups, as I wasn’t able to write the former in time and doing them together was much easier π I desperately need my semester break! I’m even more excited to finally be more active on the blog as I’ve really missed writing posts and interacting (plus, I was nervous that I’d be forgotten, which I think is a common worry) π₯Ί I’d love to hear what you’ve been doing and/or what you’ve been reading β€
Important Resources
- Carrds to check out if you want to educate yourself & help out
- https://globalissuesawareness.carrd.co/
- https://dotherightthing.carrd.co/
- BLM 2020 Resources Spreadsheet
π = Reread π = Library Books π = #QueerBookFun2021
Β π = Readalong/Buddy Read π = #TackleYourTBR2021 β = Digital Arc
I read 18 books in β January β, which is a lot more than I expected π 13 of them were graphic novels which really boosted my reading this month! I participated in the GraphicsAthon, as it was a short event and I was in the mood for some graphic novels, so I joined and it was the best decision I could have made π₯° I even discovered a surprise new favourite graphic novels series – Fence Vol 1-4. – which also became my first 5-star read of the year for me (the second one was of course Network Effect) β€ Apart from that I took care to not stress myself with reading and instead paid attention to my moods, which made me look forward to reading every night. I’m happy that I was consistently reading before bed and using it to relax π
I read 8 books in π February π , which I’m happy with as I was very busy with studying. I mostly read in the evenings when I finally had some time and reading helped me unwind from a long day! It was such a nice experience to be buddy(re)reading the His Fair Assassin books with Veronika from wordyandwhimsical, it reminded me of how much I love these books π Apart from one book, I had a great reading month with many books I ended up loving! Overall, I already found three new favorite books in the first two months of 2021, so I’m counting that as a win π
I read 4 books out of my comfort zone in β January β and was really happy with almost all of them! As expected, I adored Network Effect (adult sci-fi), as it’s part of one of my favorite new series – the Murderbot Diaries – and I was excited to read the first full-length novel in the novella series π₯° I also loved El Deafo (YA memoir graphic novel) and Dead Voices (MG Mystery, Horror & Fantasy), but sadly wasn’t a big fan of Paper Girls Vol 1 (YA Sci-Fi graphic novel), so I won’t continue this series π
β Network Effect (Martha Wells) βββββ πΒ
β El Deafo (Cece Bell) ββββ.5 π
β Dead Voices (Katherine Arden) ββββ π
β Paper Girls Vol 1. (Vaughan & Chiang)Β ββ.5 π
I read 3 books out of my comfort zone in π February π and was really satisfied with how my reading turned out. I had been wanting to read The Midnight Library (Adult Sci-Fi/Contemporary) and You Should Talk to Someone (Adult Memoir/Nonfiction) and luckily I enjoyed both of them a lot π₯° Sadly, the other book that I read, Peace is Every Step (Adult Nonfiction) missed the mark for me completely π
π Maybe You Should Talk to Someone (Lori Gottlieb) ββββ πΒ
π The Midnight Library (Matt Haig) ββββ π
π Peace is Every Step (Thich Nhat Hanh) ββ.5Β π
β 1.-4. Fence Vol 1-4 (C. S. Pacat & Johanna the Mad) βββββ ππ β½ Review
β 5. El Deafo (Cece Bell) ββββ.5 π β½ Review
β 6. The Girl from the Other Side Vol 1. (Nagabe) ββββ πΒ β½ Review
β 7. The Backstagers Vol 1 (Tynion IV, Sygh & Baiamonteβ½ Review
βββ.5 π πβ 8. The Backstagers Vol 2 (Tynion IV, Sygh & Baiamonteβ½ Review
Β βββ.5 π πβ 9. Am I Overthinking This? (Michelle Rial) βββ π β½ Review
β 10. Paper Girls Vol 1. (Vaughan & Chiang)Β ββ.5 π β½ Review
β 11. Network Effect (Martha Wells) βββββ π β½ Review
π 12. Today Tonight Tomorrow (Rachel Lynn Solomon) βββββ π β½ Review
β 13. Vampire Academy (Richelle Mead) βββββ π π
π 14. Grave Mercy (Robin LaFevers) ββββ.5 π π
π 15. Dark Triumph (Robin LaFevers) ββββ.5 π π
π 16. Mortal HeartΒ (Robin LaFevers) βββββ π π
Β
β 17. Call It What You Want (Brigid Kemmerer) ββββ.5 π β½ Review
β 18. Words on Bathroom Walls (Julia Walton) ββββ πΒ β½ Review
β 19. Dead Voices (Katherine Arden) ββββ πΒ β½ Review
Β Β
π 20. Across the Green Grass Fields (Seanan McGuire) ββββ ππ β½ Review
π 21. Maybe You Should Talk to Someone (Lori Gottlieb) ββββ π β½ Review
π 22. The Midnight Library (Matt Haig) ββββ π β½ Review
Β
β 23. Heartstopper Vol 2. (Alice Oseman) ββββ ππ β½ Review
β 24. Heartstopper Vol 3. (Alice Oseman) ββββ.5 ππ β½ Review
β 25. Heartstopper [6-4] (Alice Oseman) ββββ π β½ Review
π 26. Peace is Every Step (Thich Nhat Hanh) ββ.5Β π β½ Review
Favorite Books π
What Iβve been up to in December π Stress, Christmas & the end of the year ~Β Most Anticipated Releases of 2021 (January to June) πΒ
My 2021 Out of Your Comfort Zone Challenge TBR π ~Β 2021 Reading Challenges Iβm joining π #TackleMyTBR, #QueerBookFun, Goodreads & VA Readalong ~Β Review: Fence Vol 1-4 β Iβm getting invested in β¦ sports?!
Arc Review: Secrets of Camp Whatever by Chris Grine π» A not so normal summer camp ~Β Anti TBR Tag π All about the books I donβt want to read ~Β Books I Put on Hold & Want to pick up again β€
For this section of my wrapup Iβm linking my Favorite Blog Posts of the Month πΒ (January only though, I sadly didn’t have time to do much blog hopping in February and will only now be able to catch up!)
- My 21 Most Anticipated 2021 Releases (January to June) // aka Me Wishing I Had All of These Books Right Now!!Β (Ash @ starlightstrands)
- Reading for the Sake of Content // some honest thoughts from blogging over the yearsΒ (Belle @ bellecanread)
- A Reflection on How Life, Reading, & Blogging Went in 2020 // Opening Up About My Feelings of Burn-Out & Tier Ranking All 100 of the Books I Read in 2020 // In Which I Struggle to Remember Anything About Them (Caitlin @ caitlinalthea)
- Graphicsathon Round 3 β My tbr ππβ¨Β (Ellyn @ allonsythornraxxbooks)
- Letβs Chat | Rating Books Subjectively vs ObjectivelyΒ (Emme @ aliterarylatte)
- Book to Screen Adaptations 2021Β (Kat @ lifeandotherdisasters)
- Other five things i want to see more of in YA! &Β the julie and the phantoms book tag! (original) (Lais @ thebookishkies)
- Nonfiction Book Recs ft. nonfiction I read outside of school and actually enjoyedΒ (Lou @ fluffybooks)
- 2020 in hindsight: more favorites + reading stats (Margaret @ weirdzeal)
- 10 YA books with the friends to lovers trope I enjoyed & 5 book blogging insecurities I have (and how i try to get over them) &Β 10 Backlist YA Books I Want to Read in 2021 (Marie @ drizzleandhurricanebooks)
- Goodbye 2020: My Favorite Books of 2020! The Best of the Best + Honorable MentionsΒ (May @ foreverandeverly)
- Queer Book Fun 2021 Reading Challenge tbr & Movie recommendations for wintertime (Morgan @ morganisreadingagain)
- 2020 Reading Wrap-up: Reading Stats + How Did I Do With my 2020 Reading Challenges?Β (Pauliina @ thebookaholicdreamer)
- Webtoon 101: Recommendations, Ramblings & MoreΒ (Rain @ bookdragonism)
- THE MORE THAN 21 TOP BOOKS ON MY 2021 TBR // a very long list of backlist, 2019 and 2020 titles Iβve neglected (pray for me!!) ft. worst books of 2020Β (Ruby @ rubyreadreads)
- Read More Books β Free, Legal Alternatives to Pirated BooksΒ (Shealea @ ShutUpShelea)
- Top 5 | My Most expected Books of 2021 πΏ & Top 10 | 2021 Latinx Book Releases πΎ & Top 10 | 5 Stars-Worthy Contemporary Books πΊ (Sofii @ abookathought)
- My 2021 ResolutionsΒ (Sophie @ sophiexli)
- 30 Graphic Novels I Want To Read | a mega list &Β My 5-Star Predictions | five books on my 2021 tbr (Sophie @ meandink)
- 5 Ways I Have Been Coping With Lockdown &Β 2021 TBR: First Quarter Edition (Swetlana @ thecaffeinatedbookwormlife)
- Why You Should Read These 15 Books I Didnβt Love &Β 21 Books I Want To Read In 2021 &Β My Goals and Challenges for the New Year &Β I Read and Reviewed My Co-Bloggerβs Favorite BooksΒ &Β A Discussion About My Comfort Characters (Veronika & Sabrina @ wordyandwhimsical)
Bonus: The St. Vladimir’s Readalong Liveshows π
Studying for exams and university consumed my life π΄Β Literally. I had the last few precious days of my winter break in January, but needed to use them to prepare for my classes. I really enjoyed spending time with my family, but went back to my flat to focus on the upcoming exams, seminars and presentations I had to do. February was especially heavy with studying, as I had 3 exams coming up, two of them very time-intensive, so I was spending most days revising and keeping up with the current lectures. One of my exams was for statistics, which was hard and the one I was most nervous for, so I spend much time studying it. Would not recommend having to study a lot of different topics and having to prepare for multiple exams are once π I was definitely very tired and my mental health was … not good. For most of January I had such sleeping problems, it really weighed on me π At least I could study with another classmate, it was nice to chat and prepare for the exams together π
Things that made me happy π
β½ Watching Shows β€ I wasn’t able to watch as many shows in the past months but my friend Sandra and I watched two big series finales: CAOS Part 4 and The Rain S3! Plus, we also watched first season of Equinox, rewatched My Neighbor Totoro and started watching Cursed!! I also watched the first two seasons of Hilda on my own, which were so wholesome and cute, I highly recommend it π₯°
β½ SO MUCH SNOW β Especially in January, we had another surge of snow, which surprised me, as back home it doesn’t snow as much. As a big Winter enthusiast, I was so happy and took lots of walks every day (which is also good for my mental health) to make the most of it π
β½ My guest post for the Bibliosmile Project going up β I was so honored when Kat asked me to be part of this lovely post series all about our bookish stories that brought joy! It’s much needed, especially right now and I loved sharing my stories. Definitely make sure to check out the other posts as well π₯°
β½ Buying some books as a post-exam treat π I actually got them before writing my exams, so they would arrive in time, especially given the current situation. I hadn’t bought physical books for myself in a while and I’m excited to make my way through this haul – there are so many great books β€Β In case you’re curious I got;
- Concrete Rose (Angie Thomas)
- A List of Cages (Robin Roe) ~ sadly still hasn’t arrived π₯Ί
- The Enigma Game (Elizabeth Wein)
- Nightblood (Elly Blake)
A picture from my daily walk in JanuaryΒ π₯°
A little bit of freedom!!! π With exams finally over next week, I’ll have so much more time for reading, blogging and relaxing again! (Maybe even getting back to writing, I’m overdue for another writing update) Without the pressure of university for at least a couple of weeks, I can hopefully get some more inspiration again and reset my mind, as the next semester is already coming up in the Middle of April! But we won’t think about that and instead focus on doing some self care β€ I’m especially excited to go back home and spend time with my family again π₯° I’ll also be joining the Women’s History Challenge (I’ll be sharing my progress over on Twitter!) and I’m looking forward to participating in a longer Readathon again, especially as I join the challenge every year and it’s always a lot of fun β€
Top 3 Priority Reads for March
- Frostblood (Richelle Mead) π (St. Vladimir’s Readalong) ~ I wasn’t able to read this in February, so I hope to catch up soon!
- Shadow Kiss (Richelle Mead) π (St. Vladimir’s Readalong)
- plus my #WHM Reads π
What were you up to in January and February? What was your favorite book(s)? I hope you had a good start into the new year! β€
Congrats on reading 18 books!! Fence looks really good, I’ll have to get my hands on it. I hope things get better mentally in the next few months! February can always kind of suck π. Lovely rap-up!
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Thank you!! Fence was such a positive surprise for me, I got super invested in the comics and I’m eagerly awaiting the next volume π I hope you’ll like it as well! I really hope that I can relax a bit now! I hope you’re having a good March π·
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18 books is amazing, especially with your workload and the upcoming exam. Good luck! π
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Thank you, Tasya!! I have done all my exams now and hope for good news π I hope you’re doing well π₯°
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I hope all your exams went well/are going well in the final week. I don’t envy you for having to go through all of that right now, but happy that you’ll be getting a bit of a break and hopefully will return with refreshed spirits here.
I just read all the shows you’ve watched and I’ve literally seen everything you mentioned hahaha I shouldn’t be surprised, but I still think it’s funny.
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I’ve finished all my exams now and it’s such a relief to get a break now & finally return to blogging as well as other hobbies π₯° Ohh what did you think of the shows!! I definitely have to catch up on some shows I’ve been meaning to watch/finish during my break π
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Well, definitely happy to have you back! As for the shows:
-CAOS 4 was pretty decent, except for Sabrina being annoying af about being single. And the end was abysmal. Nick literally committing suicide to be with Sabrina did not sit right with me, especially since they might do a movie or so in the future and revive her.
-The Rain: Was very furious about the death of Martin, but liked the end overall. It felt fitting.
-Equinox: It was a bit too slow for my taste, but had an interesting premise. I think it works as a limited series, even with the end.
-Cursed: It’s okay? haha I don’t know how far you are and don’t want to spoil anything.
Not sure if I forgot something.
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I had very similar thoughts on these! I felt like the end of CAOS 4 was a bit rushed and Nick comitting suicide to be with her send such a bad message π I wasn’t the biggest fan of how The Rain ended but I liked Equinox even though it was slow! It gave me some Dark vibes and I’m curious if it’ll get a second season π Just finished episode 6 of Cursed so I still have a bit to go π
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There’s still no news on a second season of Equinox, which isn’t a great sign.
Oh, I also did watch all of Hilda and loved it!
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Wow, I thought my list of eight books read was a lot for January-February! I’ll try not to compare myself to others x)
Sounds like you’ve had a busy few months. Please take good care of yourself, and reward yourself with some good and well-earned relaxation π
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That’s also a great number of books! I hope you enjoyed your recent reads in 2021 π I was pretty busy at the beginning of the year, but now I hope that I can relax a bit and enjoy my semester break! I hope you have a good March π·
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Get yourself some well-deserved rest βΊοΈ
Good March to you too!
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I hope your exams are going well and that you can relax soon β€ 18 books in January is amazing! I really love the Fence series so I was excited to see those in your wrap up. Also that picture of the snow is amazing!
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I finally have finished my exams and I’m so excited to relax now! π₯° I picked up the Fence graphic novels by chance for a graphics Readathon and it was such a good decision. I was surprised by how much I ended up loving them! β€ The snow was soo magical β
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Honey, I don’t deserve you, you’re wonderful!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH for highlighting so many of my posts π₯Ίβ¨β¨β€οΈ & I’m so sorry I didn’t have enough time to check your posts, this year has been crazy π. Seeing all the books you have read makes me feel so motivated to read so much more, you’re an inspiration. I hope you have an AMAZING March π₯°π₯°
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Always happy to share your posts, Sofii!! ππ₯° I totally understand, it has been a busy start of the year for me as well! I hope you also have some time to relax β€ Aww thank you so much! I hope you get to read some amazing books! I hope you’re also having a fantastic March β€
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Wow, it’s so amazing that you managed to read this many books while being so busy!! Congrats! I hope your exams will go well, good luck with them! π
Thank you for sharing two of my posts! π I started the new year with a big slump so unfortunately, I don’t have a new favourite yet.
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Books really helped me unwind during all the stress π₯° Thank you! They are all done now and I’m really relieved to finally be able to relax a bit! Sorry to hear that you started the year with a big reading slump, but I hope you’ll find some great books to enjoy soon β€
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Thanks! π₯°
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SO glad to see that you found little pockets of time to read despite of the exams! β¨β€οΈ don’t worry about taking time off when life gets busy, you would never be forgotten! Hopefully March is more calm for you and you get to take some time off studying β€οΈβ€οΈ
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Books really helped me to unwind after a long day, it’s the best kind of self-care π₯° Aww thank you!! π₯Ίβ€ With my exams done now, I look forward to relaxing a bit again! I hope you’re doing well and having a good March! π·
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Ahh Caro THIS WRAP UP IS AMAZING!!!! Go you for all the reading you got done omg!! And thank you for mentioning my post, love youuu <3<3
So pumped to read The Midnight Library omg, it sounds so good. Also need to get to Fence and Heartstopper Vol3 asap *hides*
Hope you have a great March and that school can slow down for you (yay for treating yourself in books – love that). Lots of love xoxo
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Thank you so much for reading, Ruby!! I’ve had such good luck with the books that I read so far π₯° I really liked how The Midnight Library explored parallel lives and finding your purpose, Matt Haig is an author whose works I enjoy so much π I hope you end up reading Fence, it’s such a good graphic novel series! I’m eagerly anticipating the next Heartstopper volume π₯°
I hope you’re also having a great March!! Sending lots of love back π
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It sounds like you have been very busy with exams and everything. I hope they all went well and that you get some well deserved rest soon. I’m glad you got yourself some books because we are need some treats and books are the best treats. You still did so well with reading though and I’m glad you were able to find some new favourites too. I really enjoyed the first volume of fence, I loved the pacing and I’m excited to continue with it.
I’m so glad to hear your loved Today, Tonight, Tomorrow because I am super excited to read that book. I’ve heard all good things !!
The snow looked amazing !!! I hope you have a great rest of March ππ and thank you soooo much for linking my posts !! π
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Thank you so much, Sophie! β€ My exams are finally over and I’m very happy to be able to relax a bit! Books as a treat are truly the best and I cannot wait to read them, now that I have more time π₯° Happy to hear that you also enjoy the first Fence volume! I hope you like the rest of the series!
Today, Tonight, Tomorrow has an amazing rivals to lovers romance that I loved, I hope you end up enjoying it as well! I also hope that you’re having a good March and generally had a good start into the new year π
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hey, caro, i hope youβre doing well with school and exams! i know how overwhelming it can get, but iβm hoping you can get a break soon!
ah, i know so many people who love the fence series, i should really give it a try already! i am the *worst* at keeping up with graphic novel/manga series and should really start making it more of a priority.
i am so glad you read and enjoyed call it what you want! i was super hesitant when i saw it on your goodreads cause i was like oh my god what if she hates it and i spent so much time recommending this book, hahah. iβm glad to hear i was not the only fan of it!
i also adored concrete rose & a list of cages, so i hope you enjoy them as well. wishing you an amazing and hopefully more relaxed march! π
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I finally have finished all my exams, so I can relax a bit during my semester break π₯° I hope you end up picking Fence, it’s such a great graphic novel series and has such a good slow burn romance β€ I’m sooo bad at keeping up with series in general, so I was glad that I could binge this π
Call It What You Want was such a great book! I was super in the mood for contemporary and this touched on so many important topics, it really gripped me π I definitely need to read more of Brigid Kemmerer’s contemporary books now! So happy to hear that you enjoyed Concrete Rose and A List of Cages, I hope to read them soon π₯° I hope you’re having a good March π
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i did read the first volume of fence! i’m trying my hardest not to binge-read the series, because i do have other things i need to read at the moment, hahah. but i really enjoyed the first volume and all the characters are so intriguing so far!
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So happy to hear that!! I hope you enjoy the rest of the series π₯°
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Ooh so many fun graphic novels! Iβve been wanting to read The Midnight Library too, so Iβm glad to know that you enjoyed it. And Today Tonight Tomorrow also sounds like so much fun!
Iβm so glad to hear that youβll have some more free time with your exams finished (congrats!), and I hope your break before the next semester is restful. Iβm delighted that youβre doing the Womenβs History Month Readathon too! π Hope the rest of your March is lovely, and happy reading β€
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I’ve had so much fun reading graphic novels this year! I highly recommend The Midnight Library as well as Today Tonight Tomorrow, both are such great books that I enjoyed reading π₯°
Thank you! I’m so relieved that my exams are finally over and that I can take a break until next semester! I’m so excited to be reading more for the Womenβs History Month Readathon now β€ I hope you’re also having a good March!! π·π
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