Hi everybody, and welcome to my May wrap up!
May was one of those months which seemed to last forever, but that’s only because I feel like I did so much. Every day has been a hustle from beginning to end, and I am both exhausted and happy. I’ve also been a terrible blogger since I am so behind on comments and bloghopping I may never catch up again, but I swear I have good reasons which I’ll explain later in this post. So please forgive me and catch up with what I did in May:
The Blood Of Olympus by Rick Riordan
Yes, this month I finished the final book in the Heroes of Olympus series with my lovely buddy-reader Uma at Books. Bags. Burgers. Needless to say I LOVED IT. Especially my loves Percy, Nico, Leo, Annabeth and Reyna. And I need more Rick Riordan. But also, I am horrible at remembering things that happened in previous books or even earlier in the same book because there are just so many names and stories and quests and I get confused a lot, okay?
Rating: 4 stars | Full review to follow
Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli
I finished this book in give or take 24 hours. Meaning I loved it. It was addictive, it was funny, it was cute and romantic and sassy and bantery and seriously I could go on. Was it perfect? No. It did not even come close to taking Simon’s place in my heart (but truthfully, the chances it could do that were very slim to start with). Be aware that this book definitely has some issues that need to be discussed though. But overall? I am happy that I got to read this and I am happy this book exists.
Rating: 4 stars | Full review
A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas
Well, don’t read this if you really need a plot, because there is none. But definitely do read this if you love this group of characters and just want to see them celebrate Christmas (or well, Winter Solstice) and witness their antics such as drunken decorating, snowball fights, terrible (or amazing) tastes in gifts, awkward sauna trips and so much more. While I’m still not a fan of novellas, this one got me super excited for the next book in the series, when I wasn’t really all that interested before. So I consider that a major win for this novella!
Rating: 3 stars | Full review
Restore Me by Tahereh Mafi
I loved the Shatter Me series, despite thinking that the worldbuilding was seriously lacking. But the characters and their development were amazing. So I was happy that we got another trilogy, because it meant we would finally get that worldbuilding, right? Right. We totally did. And I am pumped about it and can’t wait to read more. But I also kind of forgot that in making 3 more books, it would also mean more pain and drama for my precious characters, and I couldn’t just imagine them all happily ever after anymore. And oh boy, there is pain and drama and please don’t hurt my babies any more Tahereh!
Rating: 4 stars | Full review to follow
Immortal Reign by Morgan Rhodes
Ok I’m maybe cheating a little here because I have not technically finished this one yet, but I am about 90% in and it just fits so well into this month’s theme of sequels, spin-offs and finales that I’m just adding this here, okay? So far I am liking this, but I am not wowed either. This series has always been a guilty pleasure kind of read for me with characters I love even though the writing isn’t that amazing and the drama can be over the top soap opera drama. But this final book I’m not feeling the guilty pleasure love all that much… Not sure why yet, but I’ll be sure to get to the bottom of it when it’s time for my full review.
Rating: 3 stars | Full review to follow
TOP TEN TUESDAY
- 29 May 2018: Ten Scary Futuristic Societies I’d Rather Not Live In, Thank You Very Much
- 22 May 2018: Bookish Names For Your Pet
- 15 May 2018: YA Books Dealing With Tough Topics
- 8 May 2018: Gorgeous Green Eye Candy Covers
- 1 May 2018: Books I’d Consider Selling My Soul For If I Could Read Them Today Already
Quote It Wednesday
I started a new weekly topic for my blog because I just adore quotes. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to do it every single week, but I still got three quotes up in May, so check them out 🙂
This month has been a bit mixed in terms of music: of course there was still k-pop, which seems to have taken a permanent spot in my playlist, but I also listened to some amazing non k-pop.
SOME OF MY FAVES THIS MONTH:
BTS – Fake Love
My favorite k-pop band had their comeback this month so naturally I was super excited. Fake Love is again a new style for them, but I personally LOVE IT. The music video is a work of art and the color scheme is my aesthetic. Plus that choreo with the mirror moves? <3<3<3
CROSS GENE – touch it
This is a highly underrated k-pop band and I am so happy they are back so I can shout about my love for them some more.
Hamilton – First Burn
Well, just when I thought I might finally be over the worst of my Hamilton obsession, they drop “First Burn” and OMG there is that obsession again. I think I may even love this more than the actual Burn? “I see how you look at my sister” = shivers.
Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
If the rest of the album is as good as the three songs that have been released already, it may become my favorite album of the year. High Hopes is again awesome.
Against The Current – Strangers Again
Against The Current is back! I love this band and I am eager to discover the rest of their new album.
TV
Big Little Lies
I finally, finally read the book last month and fell in love (check my review here), so naturally I wanted to watch the tv show next, because honestly, the tv show drew my attention first with it’s stellar cast and rave reviewss. And yes, it was worth all the hype. This show was amazing. Beautifully filmed, amazingly acted and just visually stunning. Could there be a more perfect cast to play these characters? I don’t think so. Of course there were a few differences to the book, but I liked them generally because they added more mystery and even more appeal to the whodunnit scenario. They even made my baby Ed look like a massive suspect, which I am mixed about because I adored him in the book and I felt mixed about they way they handled him in the show. But overall? AWESOME.
The 100
Season 5 is here and I am loving it! I think The 100 is the only running show I am still actively watching right now and I am impatiently awaiting each week’s new episode. But I don’t have anyone to talk to about it IRL, so talk to me fellow The 100 fans! What do you think of the first 5 episodes so far? Was that Bellarke reunion everything you hoped for? Is Octavia scaring you a bit too? Are you loving Raven and Murphy as much as I am? Do you actually kind of like Diyoza, like me? Is this show amazing or what?
MOVIES
Deadpool 2
I love Mr. Pool, so I had to go see this movie in the theatre ASAP and IT. DID. NOT. DISAPPOINT. Frankly, I liked this just as much as the first one. Maybe even a tiny bit more?? The humor is spot on, even when mixed with some darker moments. Ryan Reynolds was born to play Deadpool and the supporting cast was amazing. I adored Domino and I even liked Cable. Also, that ending sequence had me in stitches. I already want to rewatch this.
Things that made me sad this month:
- The massive ticket fail
Technically, this happened the first of June, but I’m ranting about it now. I finally got a chance to see BTS and was so excited when they announced that their world tour was coming through Europe. Even though they didn’t come to Belgium, I made plans to go to Amsterdam to see them and was all excited to get tickets. They went on sale at 9 AM on Friday, June 1st and I arranged to go to work later so I could get the tickets (and my job doesn’t really like giving flexible hours, so that was a huge deal). I was online on 2 different computers, with several tabs open and in the waiting line as of 8:30 AM. And long story short, I did not get any tickets. They sold out (in Amsterdam and all other European venues) before I had a chance to buy any. And I am so unbelievably bummed, because this is the band that got me through the dumpster fire that was my life in 2017 and I just wanted to experience seeing them live once. Blergh. But at least these boys will get to perform in Europe for sold out arenas and experience the love of the European ARMY. So maybe they’ll decide to come back some day? Here’s hoping. - The ‘ugh I feel like crap’ days
I’ve been having all sorts of physical discomforts all month. From a stiff neck, to a sore throat, to headaches pretty much 3-4 times a week. Nothing bad enough to go to the doctor (I don’t go to the doctor quickly, I think it’s an anxiety thing), but still bad enough for me to feel like crap. I even had a week of holiday and though I did some nice things (like see Deadpool 2), I had to force myself through a lot of it because I felt so exhausted. - The ruined sneakers
I got a new, fabulous pair of white sneakers that I was super happy with (I never had any white sneakers before). So naturally, I had to spill coffee over them just 3 weeks after getting them. (I don’t even drink coffee, I was cleaning up someone else’s coffee). And no, after 3 washes the stains still haven’t come out. Boo.
Things that made me happy this month:
- The house that we bought
Well, my husband and I finally found a house we loved and have bought it! It’s not too far from where we currently live, in a quiet, cozy neighbourhoud and we both fell in love with it straight away. So this month we have been arranging a lot of things like bank visits to discuss our loan, signing documents and driving around for kitchens and floor tiles and stuff like that because we will have to do some renovations. We don’t have a date to move in yet, but I think we will get the key by the end of summer and then we’ll have to start working in it. So I’m both happy and terrified, because we finally found a house of our own, but I have zero experience with any of this and all the work that needs to be done and it is quite an investment so I’ll have to make some sacrifices financially (drastic cuts to my book budget for example). But it’s also a new chapter and I am looking forward to starting it for real 🙂
(Disclaimer: between the house stuff and the feeling sick stuff I’ve been a terrible blogger this month and I’m sorry to all my blogger friends. I’m hoping to catch up with you all soon!) - The weather (yes, the weather)
Nice weather is back and getting to wear dresses and tops again. - The rediscovery of my love for marketing
I’ve been missing my marketing background a lot lately as it’s not something I get to explore in my current job anymore. But I figured if I want marketing back, I’ll have to work for it myself, so I’ve been reading articles and getting back into it in my personal time. And this little thing has made me so happy, it’s unbelievable. - The first give-away I ever won
This happened perhaps more to the end of April, but it feels like it was still May still so I’m adding it here: I won my first ever give-away! I was lucky enough to win Suzanne’s at The Bookish Libra‘s give-away and got a copy of Vicious by V.E. Schwab. So excited to dive in! Thanks again, Suzanne!
THINGS I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH:
- BTS Festa
- BlackPink comeback
- Starting a new kdrama. Any suggestions?
- House prep
I can’t wait to read your review for Restore Me! I haven’t picked it up yet because I’m worried I’m not going to love it and I loved the first trilogy so much. D:
I loved Restore Me! But yes, it does put our beloved characters through the ringer again…
Lindsey I’m so happy you loved Blood of Olympus!! I so get you on the memory thing too ? but def check out the Apollo and Magnus Chase series when you can because they’re so good!!!
I’m so so sorry about the ticket situation ? I know how that feels and it’s the worst. It always makes me wonder how tickets can sell out so quickly when you’re buying them right as they go on sale and it makes me think ticket outlets need to do better in preventing scams and scalpers.
Huge congrats on buying a house ?? Good luck with everything ? and I hope you’re feeling a lot better soon too!!!
Also, I’m so excited for the new Panic! album and yessss Against The Current’s new stuff has been so good ?
Haha glad to know I’m not the only one with memory issues, haha 😉 oh yes, Apollo and Magnus chase are definitely next in line!
Yeah it’s always such a hassle to get tickets for some of those super popular artists. And it hurts when you find tickets being sold for outlandish prices on the internet when you didn’t get a ticket. Ticket Outlets should indeed do so much better in preventing that.
Thanks so much! And yay for the new Panic! And ATC music 🙂
Yay for finding a house! That’s so fun. Tom and I just bought a house a few months ago, and it has been really good. Although it is a lot more responsibility (and more money), it’s so nice knowing something is yours. Hope you feel better soon!
Thanks! Congrats on your house too! It is nice indeed to know we have a place all our own 🙂
So exciting you bought a house. That is great, but does come along with a lot of arranging yeah.
Sorry you didn’t get tickets for BTS. My friend also couldn’t get any. But at least they have a lot of fans here…
Thanks! Yeah it’s great but comes with a lot of work 🙂
Sorry your friend didn’t get any tickets either. But yes, at least they sold out so maybe they’ll come back for another show some day 🙂
Awe that sucks that you couldn’t get BTS tickets 🙁 We can share this pain because nobody is even coming close to me hahaha ~ congrats on the new house!!
Ah sorry you’re not even getting a concert near you! Here’ hoping so more dates will be announced 🙂
Thanks so much!
The new season of The 100 is so good! I’m enjoying the show more now than I have in a while. Raven and Murphy are great, and oh yeah, Octavia is pretty terrifying. I loved the Bellarke reunion and I’m also a Kabby shipper so I’m loving all of the scenes with them as well.
Congrats on buying a new house! That’s so exciting!
Yes, this new season is definitely keeping us on our toes! Oh yes, Kabby is amazing this season too 🙂
Thanks so much!
I am so glad The 100 is back!! Octavia is so kick ass!!
Octavia is amazing 🙂
Ahhhh Blood of Olympus… This book has been sitting on my shelf for literally three years and it’s so ridiculous. I read about halfway through and then had a mini crisis where I saw the series of my childhood coming to an end so I never finished it. It helps that you thought it was a good ending; I’m going to get up the courage to finish it this summer! It’s been so long… I’ll definitely have to reread the rest of the series in preparation. I hope you have a lovely June, Lindsey, and hopefully the weather continues to be wonderful 🙂
Laura @BlueEyeBooks
I hope you’ll love The Blood of Olympus! It was definitely a good ending, and at least there are still more Rick Riordan books to look forward to 🙂
Lindsey!!!!!!!!!!! Gosh, if YOU’VE been a terrible blogger I hate to think how I’ve been – because I’m epically worse!
I’ve missed you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’m glad to be trying to catch up (still) and that I’m finally back around by your blog!
I love that you and Uma have been BRing the PJ books! I feel like I need to reread those sometime, but probably not this year…
I really need to read Simon V… REALLY.
ACOFAS I loved. I didn’t want a plot, I didn’t want any conflict – I just wanted more of a world that I know and love and a glimpse of my favourite characters just being themselves without the fate of their world hanging over their heads. I also wanted to see how they would be dealing with the fallout. And I got everything I wanted. Plus that sneak peek? I almost died… Now I live in anticipation of the next series.
Shatter Me and Falling Kingdoms series are both on my TBR so…. I really need to get to those one day. Falling Kingdoms made it onto my Kindle… So hopefully I’ll be getting to that sometime soon?????
I REALLY HOPE that I’ll be around more often so I don’t fall so far behind again… But who knows with my life!!
I’m sorry about the sad things in the month 🙁 But yay for so many happy things!!! Congratulations on your new house!!!!!!!!! How freaking exciting! I look forward to more news about how you’re getting on.
Di, I missed you too!!! And ahh I’m so behind on your blog as well, I need to catch up too!
I loved the buddy read with Uma! It was my first buddy read and I loved that it pushed me to finally read this series 🙂
Simon is one of my all time faves, so I’ll always recommend haha 🙂
Yeah ACOFAS definitely delivered in terms of character moments. And yes I’m so pumped for the next series now, so I really can’t complain.
Thanks so much Di, I always love chatting with you through our blogs <3 Hope you're doing great and you're having an awesome week!