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Reading Slumps Are No Fun!

I thought I was finally in the groove to read lots this summer, but as I tried pushing through The Poppy War I lost all ambition to finish the book. I tried listening to some audiobooks and challenging myself with some genres I typically hate, but I can’t seem to indulge in the pages of a tbr. But today, we try with some thrilling Agatha Christie books. Hopefully I can find my flow again before I go on vacation.

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Franz Ludwig Catel - Monks in the yard of a monastery by the sea (1856)

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As I write up another chapter today, I realized that not everything can be written with such poise and poetry. Sometimes you just need to throw words down that carry a story and beef it up later in your draft. Thus “To Be Beefed”. The true battle and true flavour of the story comes once you find your foundations.

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Work in Progress: Character Profiles

One of my favourite things about writing is the character-creation process. I had so much fun using ai to create the characters for my novel, and they turned out exactly as I imagined!

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So far this has to be my favourite line from my first act. I made it a goal to finish up my first act in my W.I.P A Pantheon of Deceivers by the end of this year and it seems to be coming along. But using pop culture references/ historical references is my favourite part of this piece.

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Orpheus by John Macallan Swan (1896)

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Help! I got robbed!

I went to indigo to waste some time, check out some books. And then… as I was looking at these beautiful books, this thing just lured me over and made me grab the books. And then… it forced me to go to the till… it took my card out of my wallet… and it paid for four books! I-I am so shocked and scared. It was like a siren call and …. $100 … gone… and the worst part is! It left the books with me. So now I have no money, but four beautiful books… it must’ve been a stalked cause it knew every book I wanted…. 🥲a tragedy

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☀️ Summer Reads 2023 P.1/3☀️

🌴June Reads + Song of the Month (feat bonus reads)

June 2023 was dedicated to one specific thing (well it’s a two parter, but one goal none the less). That goal was TO RELAX!

My final year in university has been exhausting and unexpected. It leads me to make some friends but battle myself with priorities. Since April, I made it my mission to nurture my life with simple relaxation. Initially, I thought I would turn to my original plan of gaming, but instead, I decided to delve into my reading since my eyes were exhausted from staring at a screen from behind a desk.

Preface: I have never been a huge reader. I only read when it came down to non-fiction and research. I was never a fantasy or fiction person.

This summer I will be sharing my Summer reads with you in 3 parts. It will include a song of the month and the books I read with a mini-review and a rating. I will avoid spoilers, but these are my honest opinions.

Now, here is my June Reads of 2023 (Part 1/ 3 Summer Reads)⛱️

The City of Brass by S.A Chakraborty: Rating- 5/5: It took me years to get my hands on this book! I was always so hesitant and similarly to Mexican Gothic, it would stare at me every time I entered a bookstore! I finally got it after reading The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi and practically falling in love with Chakraborty's work. Although people said there was a slow build-up, this book was still thoroughly enjoyable. The first time I flipped through Ali's part, I ended up craving to know more. This book was a great introduction to the world and caught me by surprise. Additionally, the main character Nahri was absolutely enjoyable. I could only wait to read more about her. Loved it! Was a masterpiece and forced me to immediately read the rest of the series!

The Kingdom of Copper by S.A Chakraborty: Rating-4.5/5: I launched into The Kingdom of Copper right after The City of Brass and I was shocked by the early revelations. It really shaped the characters and revealed some shocking details. I honestly have to go back and read it again as it was intense and I guess I was distraught that a specific character's journey made me want to chuck my book across the room, but it is what it is. Thoroughly enjoyed this as well. Simply.

The Empire of Gold by S.A Chakraborty: Rating- 6/5: I LOVED THIS BOOK! This was the first 700+ page book I ever committed to reading, and I surprisingly read through it in 3 days. I want to go back and read it all over again! It was... Amazing. No thoughts, just tears and a heavy heart. This book made committing to a trilogy worth it, and I never had been happier with how everything turned out. I loved this book with all my heart. 10000% recommend.

Arsenic & Adobo by Mia P. Manansala: Rating- 4/5: Honestly, this was a very fun book to read. It was filled with delicious food, funny moments, and an intriguing mystery. It was a nice filler read as I hunted down another book, but I ended up curious about the whole Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery series.

Homicide & Halo-Halo by Mia P. Manansala: Rating-3/5: I wasn't super impressed with this second book. I was intrigued by the plot with the pageants and the gruesome murder, but I have to admit... There was a ton of stereotypical dumping of Filipino culture (which I understood was a staple to the author's work, but took away from the story). It got a bit repetitive and did not necessarily fulfill my urge to continue reading the series. However, Arsenic & Adobo will push me to stay curious about what is going on moving forward.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: Rating- 4/5: If you are following my blog you can see my review on my page, but I will keep it short for this to recapture my thoughts. This book was not what I expected. I was thinking this would be a haunted house situation, but it is so much more complex. As a person who is a complete wuss and cannot deal with horror, I was mortified by the idea of picking up this book. However, I felt deeply attached to this work. The main character resonated with me a bit too much, and the journey it takes you on is well worth it by the end. I would not pick this book up again cause I am a wimp and it creeps me out, but if I ever grew a pair, I would go back and indulge. I would recommend this book to anyone who is new or curious about the horror genre but is too scared to do so.

The Promised Land by Barack Obama: Rating- 5/5: As I started my reading journey and revisited my old interests, I thought it would be smart to read The Promised Land by Barack Obama. This biography of Barack Obama reminded me of the first time I picked up Dreams of My Father back in 2008. I was in the 5th grade, and I was mesmerized by the thought of him being in office. I am not American, but it was a moment in history I will forever remember. Picking this book up, I felt like that same curious kid and relished in the history I got to live through and understand his time in office. The transparency and the humanized aspect of his presidency made me reflect on my own life and recognize the changes that have been made since. I love the Obama's and I would recommend this book if you are into those conversations.

Twisted Love by Ana Huang: Rating-3/5: I read this book after seeing it on all of Booktok! I was so unsure because I am not super into salacious reads. But I picked it up yesterday morning, and then I completed it after 5 hours. I was shocked. I blushed and had to admit...It was quite sexy, BUT... I felt that Alex was so cliched and corny. I understand the corny romantic bad boy type, but there were just some things that Huang wrote that made me cringe. However, I would be a liar to say I didn't blush and have to check myself for being so engulfed in the material. Will I continue reading the Twisted series? I have no clue... Am I intrigued by her other series Kings of Sin, I also do not know. But I absolutely fear romance readers who pick this book up in public. You have the utmost strength to read that and not react, because...Oof, it was ghost pepper hot. but 3/5 for sure.

Currently finishing:

The Poppy Wars by R.F. Kuang

Fear and Trembling/ The Sickness Unto Death by Søren Kierkegaard

Song of the Month: GOSSIP by Måneskin feat. Tom Morello.

The song and the vibe says it all! Hot Rocking Italian Babes who tickle the itch in my brain! Love them!

See ya'll in a month! 😎🍹

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Um… an update… I am on chapter 27 after starting it earlier on today, and I downloaded the other three books of the series… what have I become?

Unpopular opinions: The Scariest Readers

The readers who scare me the most are not non-fiction readers, they’re just big nerds. Nor horror fans, they just got some freaky stuff to read.

The scariest readers are ROMANCE readers!

How the heck do you read/ listen to such … spicy stuff in public and look unphased. The poker faces on romance readers scare me. I can’t trust y’all 😫😂

(Provoked by Ana Huang’s Twisted Love)

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Unpopular opinions: The Scariest Readers

The readers who scare me the most are not non-fiction readers, they’re just big nerds. Nor horror fans, they just got some freaky stuff to read.

The scariest readers are ROMANCE readers!

How the heck do you read/ listen to such … spicy stuff in public and look unphased. The poker faces on romance readers scare me. I can’t trust y’all 😫😂

(Provoked by Ana Huang’s Twisted Love)

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The Poppy Wars by R.F Kuang

Checkpoint #1: Chapter 4

I am excited to finally start The Poppy War Trilogy by R.F. Kuang! After I finished the Daevabad trilogy, I was becoming desperate to indulge in a fantasy book again, but not one with a European Narrative. I was in a book slump where I would grab at books and try to read but it wasn't working. I wanted another trilogy to indulge in, however, I wasn't so sure where to turn next. That is when I saw multiple people recommend this trilogy to suffice those fantasy cravings.

I am excited about reading this novel because this will be my first R.F. Kuang book to read! Funny enough, but I have all her books on my shelf or in my e-books, but I have not touched them because I am a bit scared that I may have fallen for her hype. I have both Yellowface and Babel staring at me, however, I figured, if I really want to appreciate her work, why not start off with her first work to ease in.

So far, I can say that I have no clue what this book or series is about, and I am okay with that. I wanted to jump in without giving myself too much information about what I was reading. Thus far, Rin seems pretty strong and I am here for that. Man or woman, I love a character that can throw a punch and intimidate people with their sturdiness. I am still at the beginning, but I am hoping to document my little reading journey here!

Let's start this bad boy!

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That moment when...

You finish a solid series, and now nothing seems to interest you enough to read.

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Write, write, write, write , writinggggg

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Writing my first draft

I am in the middle of writing the first draft of my novel, and oof, being a mood writer can be difficult. I want to commit myself fully, but knowing if I stress myself out, I will just throw it out the window due to my own expectations. But, here we go! Another 10,000 words coming right up!

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Need a Notion Template to track your readings or watchlist?

Duplicate this free Minimalistic Reading Nook template!

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Mexican Gothic Review

Dates read: June 12, 2023, to June 19th,2023

Before I give my review, I just wanted to give a bit of a preface to why I read this, and how I approached this novel.

I am not a person who enjoys horror, or thrillers. As a person who gets scared quite easily, I tend to avoid watching or reading anything that deals with this genre. However, since I began leisurely reading and hunting down books around 2 years ago, Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia always stared me in the face; luring me to read it. I finally got it this April, and I still put it off. But this June I decided to finally give it a chance. So here is my review! Remember it's all preference, but here we go! SPOILERS AHEAD

Review:

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is an amazing book. I initially picked it up as a person who loves the use of Mexican history in any form of fiction. However, I was hesitant as I am not a person who loves haunted houses or possession stories.

First, Noemí is one of my favourite female main characters I have read. She is relatable, spunky, smart and stubborn. She stays true to her values and does not shy away so easily. She is a liberating character to read, and you constantly root for her. Although I wish she would have left due to the creepiness of the house, I understood why she fought to stay. Plus as an aspiring academic, it was a joy to decipher the anthropological and historical conversations that were mentioned.

The first ten chapters laid a foundation for understanding the environment, patterns and tendencies of each character and the house as well. It was a fun mystery to uncover in trying to decipher if illness, hauntings or environmental pressures were affecting Catalina. This beginning gave me the same feeling that Get Out gave me. It was intense and weird, but all you could hope was for your main character to get out of there.

The second half of the book is swept in the action and creepiness of Doyle's High Place home. I honestly have no clue how to explain my reaction. When she finally decides to leave, and all that happens between her and Virgil, and the general hostilities of this family...The build-up to the reveal of Howard Doyle's true form absolutely DISGUSTED me. I was not prepared for it. From the incest to the fungus in the air, the cannibalism, the sexual assault and the final realization with eugenics were so heavily brought forward finally made sense. I had to put the book down a couple times, although I just wanted to get it over with because I was so appalled by the truth revealed. Suddenly this book that I thought would be like Get Out turned into this Midsommer-like reality. A cult-like family with aspirations to live forever, a possession of the body, a home that links everyone.

But genuinely, once I got myself to the end, I was so satisfied. I was happy that Francis escaped with Catalina and Noemí, and that they finally broke that tension with the final romantic gesture. I also was very happy that Francis still feared that his blood was still tainted with the fungus or to end up like Howard. It left room for tension and kept a door open for theories.

My only gripe was some of the language used. In some places, it felt a bit clunky in trying to get through the material. It was like a random brick here and there of information that disrupted the flow, but once it picked up it was perfect. That did not fully take away from the experience at least, it only pushed me to find the answers I craved.

I could talk and ramble about this book for a while, but I will leave my overall impression here. A fantastic, creepy novel that did not go the way I expected, although I thought I knew. A book that actually wants me to read more horror books, so in other words, a great intro to the genre.

Rating: 4.5/5

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Unpopular & unasked for opinion:

I don’t care for European fantasy novels or shows. It’s getting overused and it’s become boring to me and I just don’t care for it. I know people love Shadow & Bone or Crescent City, but I simply could not care less for them. I don’t care for Faes, and not a fan of Arthurian lore. It’s bland. Also, I find some of these main characters to be so naive that it feels annoying. That’s just my opinion.

That being said, if you have any non-European inspired NA Fantasy books, please tell me 🥲. I need it.