Year in Review // Quarterly Check-In – 2020, the First Quarter

Well, 2020 has been the biggest fucking mess so far. 

Each month has felt like it went on for at least a year. We had major fires here in Australia, Brexit happened this year didn’t it??? And there was like the possibility of world war III??? Also, we’re now in the middle of a pandemic and also U.S. politics have come down to voting between two rapists as president.

Why??? Why are we like this??????

On a more personal note, I’ve recently lost my job, thanks to said pandemic and I’m scared my asthma—which has mostly been hiding since childhood—might be my downfall if I get the virus and I am worried. Like my butthole and jaw are clenched at all times.

I’ve started recapping Shrek movies to my mother. My cat is getting increasingly more annoyed by the fact that I’m getting bored and so I’m annoying him more. I’ve taken to watching shitty 2000s movies and I’ve been half-ass applying for jobs because working during all of this is maybe even scarier than being unemployed.

But I had cheesecake for dinner and casserole for dessert last night so it’s not all bad I guess.

If you would like to buy any of the following books please consider using my Book Depository Affiliate link!

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TBR

│The Raven Cycle│Maggie Stiefvater│✅│
│4│The Raven King│✅│

│Villains Series│V.E. Schwab│▶️🔄│
│1│Vicious│▶️🔄│
│2│Vengeful│

│Percy Jackson and the Olympians │Rick Riordan│▶️│
│2│The Sea of Monsters│✅│
│3│The Titan’s Curse│
│4│The Battle of the Labyrinth│
│5│The Last Olympian│
│Companion│The Demigod Files│
│Companion│Percy Jackson and the Greek Gods│

│To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before Series│Jenny Han│▶️│
│2│P.S. I Still Love You│✅│
│3│Always and Forever, Lara Jean│

│The Conqueror’s Saga│Kiersten White│▶️🔄│
│1│And I Darken│🔄│
│2│Now I Rise│
│3│Bright We Burn│

│The Dark Artifices│Cassandra Clare│▶️🔄│
│1│Lady Midnight│
│2│Lord of Shadows│
│3│Queen of Air and Darkness│

│Harry Potter Series│J.K. Rowling│🔄│
│1│The Philosopher’s Stone│
│2│The Chamber of Secrets│
│3│The Prisoner of Azkaban│
│4│The Goblet of Fire│
│5│The Order of the Phoenix│
│6│The Half-Blood Prince│
│7│The Deathly Hallows│

│Montague Siblings│Mackenzi Lee│▶️🔄│
│1│The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue│
│1.5│The Gentleman’s Guide to Getting Lucky│
│2│The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy│

│Shadow and Bone Trilogy│Leigh Bardugo│
│1│Shadow and Bone│
│2│Siege and Storm│
│3│Ruin and Rising│

│The Diviners│Libba Bray│
│1│The Diviners│
│2│Lair of Dreams│
│3│Before the Devil Breaks You│
│4│The King of Crows│

So I’ve only read 3 books so far . . . that’s not great. But I think I’m going to stop requesting ARCs now and just focus on books I have on my shelves because ARCs really do stress me out and I’m not sure they’re worth it . . . Well sometimes they are but often they’re not.

  

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Readathons

I’ve participated in 4 wonderful readathons so far this year! The first two are hosted by CW @ The Quiet Pond. The other two I joined late but am still counting books I’ve read this year so far since they don’t have any kind of points/reward system.

🌲 – Pondathon – finished March 7th

💫 – StartOnYourShelfathon – year long

🏳️‍🌈 – Here & Queerathon – year long

📤 – #ARCApocalypse – year long

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Read

To see my reviews click on my star ratings!

│Speak│Laurie Halse Anderson│🏛️│🌹🔥│✅│★★★★│Jan 18│

│Sissy│Jacob Tobia│🎧🏛️│🌈🌹🔥✨│✅│★★★★★│Jan 30│🏳️‍🌈│

│The Sea of Monsters│Percy Jackson & the Olympians│Rick Riordan│📖│💐🌱│✅ │🌲💫│★★★★│Feb 3│

│Warriors, Witches, Women│Kate Hodges│📥💚📖│🌈☀️🔥│✅│🌲💫🏳️‍🌈📤│★★★★★│Feb 7│

│Strange Girls│Azzurra Nox│📥💚📖│🚫│💫📤│–│Feb 7│

│How to Talk to Black People│A. Anon│📥💚📖│☀️│🚫│💫📤│-│Feb 8│

│Queer Heroes│Arabelle Sicardi│📥💚📖│🌈☀️│✅│🌲💫🏳️‍🌈📤│★★★★★│Feb 9│

│P.S. I Still Love You│To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before #2│Jenny Han│📖│🌈☀️│✅│🌲💫🏳️‍🌈│★★★★│Feb 13│

│You Can’t Touch My Hair│Phoebe Robinson│📖🎧│☀️🔥│✅│🌲💫│★★★★★│Feb 17│

│Opal│The Raven Cycle #4.5│Maggie Stiefvater│📱│🌈🌹│✅│🌲💫🏳️‍🌈│★★★★★│Feb 18│

│The Wicked + The Divine Vol 8│Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie│🏛️│🌈☀️🌹✨│🚫│-│Feb 29│

│The Wicked + The Divine Vol 9│Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie│🏛️│🌈☀️🌹✨│✅│🌲🏳️‍🌈│★★★★★│Mar 1│

│Nineteen│Makenzie Campbell│📥💚📖│✅│🌲💫📤│★★★│Mar 1│

│The June Boys│Courtney C. Stevens│📥💚📖│☀️🌹│▶️│🌲💫📤│★★★★│Mar 8│

│The Magical Writing Grimoire│Lisa Marie Basile│📥💚📖│✨│✅│💫📤│★★★★│Mar 18│

│Ghosted in L.A. Vol 1│Ghosted in L.A.│Sina Grace, Siobhan Keenan + Cathy Le│📥💚📖│🌈☀️✨│✅│💫🏳️‍🌈📤│★★★★│Mar 30│

│Eat, and Love Yourself│Sweeney Boo + Lilian Klepakowsky│📥💚📖│🌹🌑│✅│💫📤│★★★★│Mar 30│

│Vicious│Villains #1│V.E. Schwab│📖│🌈🌹✨│▶️🔄│🏳️‍🌈│

│The Raven Boys│The Raven Cycle│Maggie Stiefvater│🎧│🌈☀️💐🌹🌱✨│▶️🔄│🏳️‍🌈│

 

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My Top 5

To see my reviews click on my star ratings!

│Sadie│Courtney Summers│📖🎧│🌈💐🌹🔥🌱✨│✅🔄│★★★★★│Jan 8│🏳️‍🌈│

│Aphrodite Made Me Do It│Trista Mateer│📥💚📖│🌈🌹🌑🔥│✅│🌲💫🏳️‍🌈📤│★★★★★│Feb 7│

│The Raven King│The Raven Cycle #4│Maggie Stiefvater│📖│🌈☀️💐🌹🌱✨│✅│🌲💫🏳️‍🌈│★★★★★│Feb 17│

│The Hate U Give│Angie Thomas│📖│☀️🌹🌱✨│✅│🌲💫│★★★★★│Feb 29│

│Belle Révolte│Linsey Miller│📥💚📖│🌈🌹🔥🌱│✅│💫🏳️‍🌈📤│★★★★★│Mar 29│

Stats + Structured TBR

│▶️ 2│🚫 3│

│Must Read: ✅ 19/15│📥 9/3│📖 16/6│🌏 17/9│

│Allowances: 🏛️ 4/3│

│Readathons: 🌲 12│💫 17│🏳️‍🌈 11│📤 11│

│Goodreads Reading Challenge: ✅ 19/50│

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Grey Reads

🍃 Grey Reads // Why Did My father Never Build Me a Castle?? Shit’s Not Fair – The June Boys

🍃 Grey Reads // Political Intrigue w/ a Side Serving of Supernatural Chaos – The Rook

🍃 Grey Reads // Less a Title and More a Warning – Sharp Objects

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TBW

If it doesn’t have an emoji it’s because it’s not out yet.

│Little Women│❌│

│Bombshell│❌│

│Seberg│❌│

│Birds of Prey│✅│

│Mulan│

│The L Word│✅│

│The L Word: Generation Q│✅│

│Sex Education│✅│

│The Haunting of Hill House│

│Russian Doll│

│Lucifer│

│Killing Eve│

So not the worst! I’ve watched more than I haven’t!

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Watched

│The L Word│Season 2-6│📺│2004│💭 Michele Abbott, Ilene Chaiken, Kathy Greenberg│🌟 Jennifer Beals, Leisha Hailey, Laurel Holloman│★★★│Jan│

│The L Word: Generation Q│Season 1│📺│2019│💭 Michele Abbott, Ilene Chaiken, Kathy Greenberg│🌟 Jennifer Beals, Katherine Moennig, Leisha Hailey│★★★★│Jan│

│Sex Education│Season 2│📺│2019-│💭 Laurie Nunn│🌟 Asa Butterfield, Gillian Anderson, Ncuti Gatwa│★★★★★│Jan│

│Glow Up│Season 1│📺│2019│💭 ??│🌟 Dominic C. Skinner, Ella Walker│★★★│Jan│

│The Circle│Season 1│📺│2018│💭 ??│🌟 Sophie Willan, Alex Hobern, Woody Cook│★★★★│Jan│

│Birds of Prey│🎥│2020│🎬 Cathy Yan│🌟 Margot Robbie, Rosie Perez, Mary Elizabeth Winstead│★★★★│Feb│

│Booksmart│🎥│2019│🎬 Olivia Wilde│🌟 Kaitlyn Dever, Beanie Feldstein, Jessica Williams│★★★★★│Feb│

│To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You│🎥│2020│🎬 Michael Fimognari│🌟 Noah Centineo, Madeleine Arthur, Lana Condor│★★★★│Feb│

│Everything’s Gonna Be Okay│Season 1│📺│2020│💭 Josh Thomas│🌟 Kayla Cromer, Adam Faison, Maeve Press│★★★★★│Mar│

│The Bold Type│Season 4│📺│2017-│💭 Sarah Watson│🌟 Katie Stevens, Aisha Dee, Meghann Fahy│★★★★│Mar│

│On My Block│Season 3│📺│2018-│💭 Eddie Gonzalez, Jeremy Haft, Lauren Iungerich│🌟 Sierra Capri, Jason Genao, Brett Gray│★★★★★│Mar│

│Grace and Frankie│Season 6│📺│2015-│💭 Marta Kauffman, Howard J. Morris│🌟 Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Sam Waterston│★★★★│Mar│

│Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters│🎥│2013│🎬 Thor Freudenthal│🌟 Logan Lerman, Alexandra Daddario, Brandon T. Jackson│★★★│Mar│

│Knives Out│🎥│2019│🎬 Rian Johnson│🌟 Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas│★★★★★│Mar│

│RuPaul’s Drag Race + Untucked│Season 12│📺│2009-│💭RuPaul│🌟RuPaul, Michelle Visage│★★★│On-going│

│Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist│Season 1│📺│2020│💭 Austin Winsberg│🌟 Jane Levy, Stephanie Styles, Hiro Kanagawa│★★★★│On-going│

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Grey Watches

🍃 Grey Watches // A Lesson in Bad Parenting – Home Alone

🍃 Grey Watches // Join the Kevin Protection Squad Today! – Home Alone 2

🍃 Grey Watches // Petition to Make all the Christmas Movies Gay – Let it Snow

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Highlights

🍃 Grey’s Shelves // 18 Books on My Radar! – 2020 Releases

🍃 Grey Reads // Showing the Cyclical Nightmare of Abuse – Bad Romance

🍃 Grey Reads // Racism Exists, What Are You Doing to Stop It? – Anger Is a Gift

🍃 Grey Reads // Sharp Edges & Dark Shadows & Will Definitely Cut You as a Warning – Sadie

🍃 Ancient Archive // An African-American Woman Kicked Leprosy’s Ass – Alice Ball

🍃 Grey Reads // Trauma, Abuse, Grief & Everything in Between – Sawkill Girls

🍃 Grey’s Shelves // I’ve Bought More Books Than I’ve Read – Owned TBR 2020

Blogosphere Highlights

│Fadwa @ Word Wonders│MY 2020 READING SPREADSHEET TEMPLATE│

│Krystin @ Here’s The Fucking Twist│Women in Horror Month: Goddesses of the Dark & Twisty You Need To Read!│

│Ellyn @ Allonsythornraxxbooks│BOOKS WITH ARO/ACE SPECTRUM REP COMING OUT IN 2020 BECAUSE I’M FEELING DEPRIVED│

│Marie @ Drizzle & Hurricane Books│21 BOOKS TO READ FOR THE YEAR OF THE ASIAN READING CHALLENGE – #YARC2020│

│Olivia @ Purely Olivia│How I Blog Without Spending Any Money! // Free Resources That Helped Me & My Experience│

│Kat @ Novels and Waffles│HOW TO CREATE AN ANIMATED BLOG HEADER│

│Destiny @ Howling Libraries│Valentine’s Day Special: romance authors I need to check out ASAP!│

│Caro @ Bookcheshirecat│Books by Black Authors #BlackHistoryMonth│

│Sofii @ A Book. A Thought│DISCUSSION POST: THE MEANING OF BEING AN INTERNATIONAL BOOK BLOGGER │

│May @ Forever And Everly│7 or So Books to Read if You’re Feeling Sad (Like Me)│

│Simone @ Simone and Her Books│NEVER JUDGE A READER BY THEIR READING FORMAT│

│Malka @ Paper Procrastinators│My Take on Trigger Warnings│

│CW @ The Quiet Pond│Book Recommendations – Books About The Magic of Food│

│May @ My 1st Chapter│Recreating my Favourite Book Covers: the lunar chronicles edition│

│Laura @ The Book Corps│WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH: BOOKS BY BLACK WOMEN AUTHORS│

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Month In Review

🍃  Month in Review // I’ve Been on WordPress for 2 Years! – January

🍃 Month in Review // I Read and Read and Read – February

🍃 Month in Review // Uhhhhhhhhh – March

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Goals

🍃 Read 50 books

I am definitely on my way to this one!

🍃 Gain full-time employment

Oh boy…

🍃 Get back to eating healthy again

Well…

🍃 Get back to going for walks again

You see…

🍃 Be more consistent with my blogging ✅

Ah huh! I got one! 

🍃 Blog hop more

Okay, I really do plan on working on this…

🍃 Start reading every single day

I have been trying my hardest but sometimes I need a break! I’m determined to have a month where I read every day though!!! I’ve gotten so bloody close I know that it’s within my reach! 

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Month Ahead

🍃  Month Ahead // Less Watching, More Reading – February

🍃 Month Ahead // Please Be a Quiet Month, I’m Tired – March

🍃 Month Ahead // I’m Unemployed for the First Time in 11 Years – April

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You win some you lose some. And I am trying my best. 

What have you done this year?
What have you read?
What posts did you write that you’re super proud of?

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