Independent Book Week #IBW2017 [IRL Adventures]

WHO’S READY TO SPEND MONEYYYYYY??????!?!?!?!??!!!!!??? 😎🙌🏻💖📚💸🤑

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Before I started this blog in 2015, I made it a point to go on a bit of a book crawl so I could make some posts showcasing the indie stores, while I was back home in Singapore.

Didn’t really get around to making more than two of those posts… BUT in the spirit of Indie Bookshop Week, I’m going to feature those bookstores I visited, and in geographical order!

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Pride 2017 Recommendations [Literary Lists]

🌈 🏳️‍🌈 H A P P Y  🏳️‍🌈 P R I D E 🏳️‍🌈 M O N T H ! 🏳️‍🌈 🌈

Not gay as in happy, but queer as in fck you! AM I RIGHT MY DUDES?

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ANYWAY, I just wanted to spotlight a handful of my favourite LGBT/GSM reads this month since it is pride month after all.

 

Monthly Roundup ↪ April/May🌼

DOING A MASTERS IS HARD OK. Especially when you have mental and chronic illness issues that sometimes make you sleep a Lot and have little energy for things.

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But then this was also the period that I started my internship at Fixi London!

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Asian Lit Bingo [Book Tag]

At the beginning of May I saw Aentee’s post about this month long event called, Asian Lit Bingo. Which is AMAZING, being from Singapore I’m always trying to find more books, especially SFF, written by Asian authors as well as books that ARE Asian in content in someway.

Instead of participating because my reading has been a bit stagnant as of late, I decided to find a book for each of the squares and make a rec list instead!! In retrospect I probably should have posted this earlier, but whatever. Better late than never. 😎

Monthly Roundup ↪ Feb/March😵

February was a mess. Busy, but a mess. I had assignments due in the first week-ish and then at the end of the second week I was off for 10 days for my reading week to visit the US. And then when I got back it was all a blur and then it was March…!! I didn’t really read in Feb so I’m just combining the two months in one post…

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Trope Talk: The Chosen One [Thinky Talky Thoughts + Book Master Training]

NB: This was previously locked as it was an assignment for my Masters course, but since marking is over now I will unlock it! Also cause I got good feedback from it so why not. 😎

The Chosen One. The one who will save us all.

The one who will vanquish the demons.

The one who is EVERYWHERE.

A cliché or just badly utilized? And has it gotten any better?

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Reading Week in America 2017!! [IRL Adventures]

The best part of that title is that the week off from uni when I took this trip was LITERALLY called Reading Week. For those not in the know, it just means that we get a week off classes to catch up on work and various reading that we may have been assigned. Instead I decided to visit friends in the USA.

I HAVEN’T GOT MUCH TIME LEFT TO BE A CAREFREE STUDENT OK!!!!11!!

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Anyway, here are my book related adventures in the colonies wild west!

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Monthly Roundup ↪ Jan❄

Gotta say, I’m starting off 2017 quite strong reading wise. YAY ME!!!!

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Monthly Roundup ↪ Dec🕎🎁

As per usual with my shitty luck, my chronic illness flared up over the break when I was AT HOME. Which meant I couldn’t really concentrate on anything or have enough energy to do much for more than half of it. AND I EVEN FORGOT TO DO MY HANUKKAH BOOK TAG!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’m most upset about that to be honest…

Also upset that I only managed to read one book the whole month… ☹ I was hoping to fit in at least 3 or so more since it was the last month of 2016, but oh well.

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ALPHABET OF THORN
by Patricia A. McKillip 👸🏻⏳📜

I wanted to read this in the first place because of the beautiful cover. What can I say? I’m a slut for beautiful covers… BUT ALSO because it was a book about books! Sort of!!! Well it’s really more about an orphaned girl who was adopted by librarians who also double as translators, who now works under this grand castle spending her days amid books and unknown languages. The blurb is great because it doesn’t give too much away, but gives just enough away to get you interested…!! It’s not normally the kind of book I read to be quite honest, but once in a while I’ll pick some high fantasy up and be whisked away by the prose. This is deffo one of those cases. I’ve only given it 3 out of 5 because I felt the ending was a bit rushed and simple, and I kinda wished there was more exploration with the floating school!!! It reminded me at times of the Arrows of the Queen trilogy, which I was OBSESSED with earlier this year. That series exceeded where this one failed simply in terms of the world building. Which is fine considering this was a stand alone book that was under 300 pages. OH WELL.

📘📘📘 3 Books!

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Monthly Roundup ↪ Nov😴

I HAVE READ SO LITTLE THIS MONTH. WOW. SURPRISE SURPRISE… To be fair on myself, this month has been incredibly busy – I’ve been travelling out of town on the weekends to see friends, going to concerts, finishing assignments, classes have been long, I’ve been tired, etc etc.

LYF IS TUFF.

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MONSTERS
by Emerald Fennell 🌊💀🏖

I had a ‘Talented Mr Ripley’ moment with this book. That means I did not expect it to get as disturbing and creepy as it did. I don’t wanna say anymore at risk of giving anything away. I gave it 3 out of 5 not because I didn’t enjoy it that much, but mostly because it weirded me out so much….!!! I’m not really into these kinds of creepy books. ANYWAY, if you enjoy reading about disturbing murders and creepy small towns, this is for you.

📘📘📘 3 Books!

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AND I DARKEN
[THE CONQUERERS SAGA #1]
by Kiersten White ⚔☪🏰

So this book was a lot of fun!!! Long story short: if Vlad the Impaler was actually a girl and this is her ‘origin’ story of sorts. The book blurb basically explains it all so I’m not gonna repeat what’s there already, but what I WILL say is that it is a very fun and addicting read, especially if you love historical fiction. But maybe don’t expect it to be entirely accurate. I mean, it IS an alternate history novel, and also it’s complete fiction but “inspired” by real history. I initially picked it up because anything related to Vlad the Impaler and the ‘myth of Dracula’ or rather the Dracul’s of Romania, is right up my alley. Well enough that I’ll take a look at it. I didn’t know this was going to be a series when I picked it up and on finishing it I don’t think I’ll read the rest. I’m content with what I got from this one and I’m not invested enough in the characters to want to read more.

📘📘📘 3 Books!

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