Okay, okay, this post is a little late, but whatever, I’m getting it out now. Exam season is KICKING MY BUTT, and I say that in the most literal sense. I have 0 time to do anything except read my textbooks and review my notes. Don’t get me wrong, I kind of love it. Being in the productive mood and going to bed after a long day of getting my stuff done? Nothing really beats that feeling. I’m one of those people who just loves academia. I love to study, I love to organize my notes, I love planning and reviewing and researching. It’s fun for me! But despite all of that, finals this semester are killer and are most definitely going to have me gasping for air at the end of it.
On a more positive note, Christmas season is finally here!! Who else is sooo excited to be in the festive spirit? I know I am. My mum and I recently hit Winners and I got an adorable, mini pink christmas tree for my bookshelf! It’s all dressed up and ready for the festivities of Christmas! It’s also snowing a lot here. My university city has had quite a bit of snow over the past few weeks and the more white the ground is becoming, the happier I am to be in the festive spirit!
Anyways, now that I’ve given you a brain dump/life update, let’s get into my:
November 2023 Wrap Up
This past month has been nothing if not fulfilling. I turned 20 on the sixth of November and have immediately been put in a mindset of self-discovery and finding out what makes me, me. I’ve been trying new things, meeting new people, and searching within myself for my passions and interests and things that I would enjoy. I’m getting out of my comfort zone, I’m learning new things about not only myself but the world around me. It’s been one of those months that almost doesn’t feel real from the amount of changes I’ve made, but also from the amount of discoveries I’ve made.
With all of that comes little time to be reading. I did manage to get through Starter Villain by John Scalzi which was absolutely hilarious. My dad recommended the book and I honestly loved every second of it. It wasn’t the kind of story that was super gripping or made you want to read 24/7, it was the kind of book that was there when you needed a laugh. There were talking dolphins, typing cats, bombs going off, villains everywhere, volcano lairs, anything and everything absolutely ridiculous and stereotypical villains. If you’re looking for a laugh, please pick this up and text me while you’re reading it because it was so funny.
I also managed to finish Caraval, and guys, why did nobody tell me how freaking amazing this book is?! I feel like it’s been on my TBR for AGES, but I just hadn’t gotten around to reading it. I picked it up because my FOMO got the better of me and I wanted to read Once Upon A Broken Throne. I’m fairly certain that the Caraval trilogy has to be read before the Broken Hearts trilogy so I figured, what better time to get into it?
I was wrong, it was the worst time. I stayed up late into the night reading this book, fantasizing about Legends private island, about Julian and the secrets he might be hiding from Scarlett, about how she would most definitely win the game this year, but would she be able to do it without losing her loved ones? It was so gripping and had me literally carrying my kindle everywhere with me to get through the book, my eyes never straying from the screen.
Caraval was like an experience. It was like I was transported to a completely different world. I didn’t get it at first, I was confused as to why the hype was so crazy around the book, but once Scarlett discovered the island, discovered the secrets of what was inside, discovered the parts of Caraval that are so magical and so transformative, I couldn’t wait to go myself. I felt myself falling into the pages, I saw myself in Caraval. Stephanie Garber did such an amazing job with this book, but you’ll hear a lot more in my review!
I wasn’t able to get through a few of the other books that I had on the go for the month, so they’re saved for my:
December 2023 TBR
December, finally. I feel like this year went super fast but somehow dragged on too. My December TBR isn’t as long as I expected, but I’m hoping to finish a few before the end!
- Legendary
Caraval was so good, so why isn’t Legendary appealing to me? Yeah, because of Tella. Not only did she bug me in Caraval the entire book, but now she’s the main character of the series and I kind of hate it. The entire Caraval book she was so self-centered, so selfish, and I felt sorry for Scarlett because if it was my sibling I’d do the same as she did. I’d love them unconditionally, but she didn’t deserve to deal with all that Tella put her through. I get that she did it for the greater good and for their overall safety, but Tella just irks me.
We’ll see if I manage to get through Legendary, I kind of just want to get it done so I can binge Finale and move onto the Broken Hearts series.
- King of Patriam: Outlaws
Listen, I didn’t read any of King of Patriam throughout the month of November, I actually started it in October but just didn’t have the motivation to get through it. I think a lot of it is because we got the relationship, we got the romance, but the plot just wasn’t doing it for me. I didn’t get the whole idea about Primas, I think it’s annoying. Like I understand that the Primas came first and all that, but there’s so many unsolved mysteries and questions that I just couldn’t find the interest.
Until a few nights ago. I picked up King of Patriam hoping that Cassian and Salem would finally get back together, would find each other again and find happiness. The book is so long with so many different plot points and so many twists and turns. I feel like everytime something good happens, five bad things happen.
A few nights ago I picked up King of Patriam and I have not been able to put it down. I don’t know how I managed to put it down in the first place. The book is incredible, Amizah’s writing is incredible, their romance is incredible. I can’t get enough of it and I think honestly that the Dome series has become my absolute favorite series of all time.
- Mile High
Yeah, this was another one of my November TBR picks. I just don’t see myself getting through it right now, but maybe as the month goes on I’ll be in the mood for a sports romance. Mile High just isn’t giving the vibes I need. It’s so long and the tension is high, but what really could be so important that the book needs to be that long? The book could easily be a 300 page book and call it a day.
Overall
So that’s it! The two amazing reads of November and the few picks for December! Happy festive season, bookworms!
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