Hi everybody, and welcome to my April wrap up!
Happy May everyone! Hope it’ll be a good month for you all. April was okay for me – I did ok in my reading but a lot of my focus and free time was spent on other things this month, mostly TV and music. But that’s okay, like I said in my previous wrap ups, I’m not putting any pressure on myself this year when it comes to reading. And May has a lot of awesome new releases coming up, so I have an inkling my reading mojo will be back full force soon 🙂
Without further ado, let’s dive into my April wrap up!
The War of Two Queens (Blood and Ash #4) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
The latest installment in the Blood and Ash series came with quite the commotion. Before reading it myself, I heard that there was a group of “fans” who got so upset with an element in this story that they harassed the author online – so much so that she left her own Facebook group for a few weeks. I don’t get these types of people – harassing an author is NEVER okay! If you don’t like something, stop reading. That said, when I read the book and realised what the commotion was about, I actually did not mind it at all. In fact, I’m probably in team ‘very happy with this turn of events’. It may have even been what I liked most about the book, which felt very slow in the first half and confusing for all of it. Honestly, this worldbuilding and storyline is just so confusing to me, but I don’t mind all that much as I’m solidly in this for the romance only by now and that’s okay.
Rating: 3,5 stars
The Longing of Lone Wolves (Fae Guardians #1) by Lana Pecherczyk
This is a series I’ve been wanting to try for a while, about a human girl who somehow wakes up hundreds of years after earth has been destroyed in a new “earth” inhabited by fae, shifters, elves, vampires and all sorts of magical creatures. She ends up captured/working together with a fae she meets who is cursed. I think this book and story has a lot of potential, but it did take me weeks to finish so that’s a sign something was missing for me. Perhaps the worldbuilding needed some more work, perhaps I wasn’t that sold on the romance. I still want to continue the story, but I’m also not overly invested in it either, so it’ll all depend on my mood.
Rating: 3 stars
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune (Re-read)
I re-read this beauty (well, re-listened to it on audio) and shocker: I AM STILL IN LOVE WITH THIS BEAUTIFUL STORY!
Rating: 5 stars | Read my full review
Below Zero (STEMinist novellas #3) by Ali Hazelwood
While I’m sad this novella series is over, I also ADORED the final installment in the series! I also felt like this one featured the most science and was probably the steamiest of the three. And Ian may be my favorite male lead too – he’s just so sweet and kind and a little awkward but also successful and respectful of Hannah… major swoons.
Rating: 4,5 stars | Read my full review of the STEMinist novellas
Sheer Cupidity (Heart Hassle #4) by Raven Kennedy
Sheer Cupidity is a spin-off standalone set in the Heart Hassle series, following the events of the first 3 books and focusing on the characters of Lex and Belren. This was a super fun addition to the series as I did love the combination of uptight, prim cupid Lex and mischievous thief Belren. While it lacked the humor that Emelle brought to the first 3 books, I was happy to see her in a cameo. Check out my review of the Heart Hassle series if you’d like – it’s definitely a fun fantasy romance series featuring cupids and fae.
Rating: 3,5 stars
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh
The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea is based on Korean mythology and the Tale of Shim Cheong, a Korean classical novel about a girl who throws herself into the sea as a sacrifice to help her blind father. It’s a magical fairytale that is the perfect read if you’re in the mood to escape into a fantastical world filled with mythical creatures, epic heroines and a sweet romance.
Rating: 4 stars | Full review coming soon!
Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress #1) by Jeaniene Frost (Re-read)
At the end of April The Other Half of the Grave was released, which is a retelling of Halfway to the Grave, but from the POV of Bones, the male hero of the book. I was super excited for that one, so to prepare I re-read this book that started my love for the Night Huntress world. Of course, it was a fun time all over again! I’m currently reading the The Other Half of the Grave and I’m enjoying it just as much.
Rating: 4,5 stars
Top Ten Tuesday
The 2022 Book-to-Screen Adaptations I’m Looking Forward To
Authors I Haven’t Read Yet, But Already Want To Read Multiple Books By
Ten Must-Have Items For My Dream Reading Nook
Some Of My Favorite Typography Covers
Can’t Wait Wednesday
Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood {Can’t Wait Wednesday}
See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Solomon {Can’t Wait Wednesday}
Quote It Wednesday
Something Different Sunday
April brought a nice balance of kpop and non kpop, which is how I like it :
MY FAVORITE: Dreamcatcher – Maison
My favorite kpop band had a comeback and IT IS FIRE! Maison is another catchy pop-rock song with a meaning (this one’s about global warming and the environment) and I adore it so much. They also got their first win at a music show for this song, after 5 years of being a band, and I’m not gonna lie, I cried as much as they did when I saw. These girls deserve all the love and success <3
BIGBANG – Still Life
Another epic comeback this month was from one of the biggest kpop bands out there: BIGBANG. It’s their first song in a few years and it is definitely so nice to have the back. Still Life is such a sweet, nostalgic song about life and growing up and getting older.
Machine Gun Kelly ft Bring Me The Horizon – Maybe
Sigrid & Bring Me The Horizon – Bad Life
Heartstopper
THIS ADAPTATION WAS EVERYTHING I’VE BEEN HOPING FOR! I loved every single minute. The wholesome vibe, the heartwarming friendships and the amazing representation and diversity… this was just a perfect show from start to finish. It was a super accurate representation that also added some awesomeness and honestly, I could rave about this feel-good queer love story all day long. So instead, I wrote a full review, go check that out if you would like more of me raving 🙂
While You Were Sleeping (Re-watch)
I first watched this kdrama in June 2018 and it became one of my all-time favorite kdramas, so I felt it was time for a re-watch. While You Were Sleeping is about a woman who has dreams about the future and one day she meets two people who start having the same kind of dreams. One of them is a prosecutor and so they work together to solve crimes and save eachother and of course fall in love in the process. It is super dramatic but also fun and romantic and I loved my rewatch!
Emily in Paris Season 2
I was a bit behind on this since it released in December, but I finally got to season 2 of this fun little show. I went to Paris this month, so it was the perfect time, right? This is such a an addictive little show and while it may not be winning any awards any time soon, it’s super entertaining and a fun way to escape for a little while. Also, I’m super invested in the romance and I want Emily and Gabriel to have a happily ever after, please. (Sorry, Camille, I want you to be happy too though!). Also, Mindy and Sylvie are totally the best characters of the entire show!
(Sidenote: S2 does feature a harmful stereotype of a Ukrainian character)
April was a good month that flew by. The weather was super nice (well, if you don’t count THE SNOW at the very beginning of the month) and it feels like spring has finally arrived, which is great. I had a fun weekend in Paris with my husband. And, I also finally went to the doctor for the bloody noses I’ve been having for several months – I’ve been having them once or twice a week and were triggered by everything from stress to spicy food to watching a sad movie – and I’m glad that’s finally looking better. Basically, I had a wound from a burst vessel inside my nose and that was cauterized with some silver nitrate – it hurt for about 1-2 weeks, but now it’s improving and I’m glad that I can get back to my spicy food and sad movies, haha.
Things that made me happy this month:
- A WEEKEND IN PARIS WITH MY HUSBAND!
- Sunny days – I finally put my winter coat back into my closer. I was also able to hang my laundry to dry outside for the first time this year – it’s funny the little things that bring me joy 🙂
- The Guild Codex webtoon comic is out! One of my favorite Annette Marie series is out on Webtoon for free and it’s so much fun. Whether you know and love the story or whether it’s new, I’d definitely recommend you to give it a try!
THINGS I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH:
- Stranger Things season 4 is releasing on May 27th!
- A few anticipated kpop comebacks: Oneus, Seventeen and GOT7.
- May is the month of highly anticipated bookish releases, for example Book of Night, Book Lovers, I Kissed Shara Wheeler, Glow, Something Wilder and of course The Twice-Scorned Lady of Shadow by Annette Marie!
How was your April? What did you read? What did you listen to and what did you watch? What are you looking forward to in May?
What happened with JLA was absolutely wild! I really can’t believe the audacity of people and for them to say that it wasn’t foreshadowed at all? Please, were we even reading the same book?! 😂 I’m looking forward to reading this one next month and I have no doubt I’m gonna enjoy what they hated so much!
Also, you’ve made me so excited with that Webtoons news! I’ve been wanting to read all the books in this series but I’ll defo start with the web comic. 😍 Looks like you had a wonderful month of reading and a great one in general (Paris looked fun!) and I hope your May is fantastic!
Haha, I know right, it’s been obvious it was gonna happen sooner or later since book two at least 🙂 I hope you’ll enjoy the read and will indeed love what the commotion is about!
Ah that’s great, I really hope you’ll enjoy the webtoon! It’s incorporating some of all the characters from the different series in this world and it’s been a blast so far 🙂
Hope you’ll have an amazing May too!
I’m loving the STEMinist novellas so much. I wish they would go on forever. I’m currently on the second one. And I’m also enjoying the Guild Codex webtoon. It’s so fun!
The STEMinist novellas are so much fun! I’m glad there’s 3 of them, so it still kind of feels like a full-length novel 🙂
The Guild Codex webtoon is indeed so much fun, I love how they did it and being able to relive the story in this format!
I still need to start reading those Hazelwood novellas. Don’t even know what I’m waiting for, lol. Yay for a trip to Paris with the hubby! I just got caught up on Emily in Paris this month as well. I know a lot of people criticize the show but I enjoy it. 🙂
I’d definitely recommend the Hazelwood novellas – and now that they’re all out they can be binged so that’s a good reason for waiting haha 😉
Emily in Paris is such a fun show – I think it’s a nice show to escape into and doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Ahh, Paris! Glad you had a great time! Happy reading in May!
Paris was definitely amazing 🙂 Thanks, hope you’ll have a great May too!
Yay for a weekend in PAris! Looks fun even if a bit snowy. 🙂
And yes- May is crazy isn’t it with all the releases???
Paris was definitely fun, and the snow added… umm… charm for sure 🙂
May always seems to be crazy with all the releases, but I love it.
A weekend in Paris sounds delightful! I’m glad they figured out your nose. That did not sound fun!
It was definitely super delightful 🙂 Thanks, it was definitely not fun having the bloody noses, but I’m happy it was something relatively small and fixable.
I agree 100% about The War of Two Queens. Some people are just… too much.
Super jealous of your weekend in Paris! Lol 🙂
Exactly! I don’t understand some people 🙂 Paris was definitely super fun, I hope you’ll get to visit the city some day too!
I thought you were in Paris for RARE or something! Also I love Bad Life from Sigrid and BMTH !!
I was indeed thinking about going to RARE, but in the end we decided to just do a Paris trip – but maybe I’ll do get to go to RARE someday 🙂 Bad Life is such an amazing song!
Looks like you had an awesome April! 🙂 Your weekend trip to Paris looks like a lot of fun. I’d love to do something like that.
Paris was definitely a fun trip – I’ll hope you’ll get to visit someday too!
I’m glad you got your bloody nose figured out!! My sister used to get bloody noses all the time and it was a pain! I’m also super excited for the web cartoon! Tho I haven’t started about it 🙂
Thanks! It’s definitely a pain, and always happened at inconvenient times (though I guess there’s never really a convenient time). Hope your sister doesn’t have them anymore!
The webtoon is super fun, though there are only 7-ish chapters out so far, so you’ll catch up very quickly 🙂
Wow! It’s crazy but I think we were in Paris at the same time! Wouldn’t it have been fun to meet up?!
Really? Wow, that’s a great coincidence, it would indeed have been fun to meet up if we knew!