April Wrap Up & May TBR

EMOJI KEY
🌈 = LGBTQ+ rep | 🌱 = Mental Health rep |🌻 = POC rep
✨ = Disability, LD, Chronic Condition rep

Love from A to Z by SK Ali
Emoji Key: 🌻✨
While this one took me forever to read, it was really enjoyable – yes, it had sad and horrible moments since it tackled real life messy issues, but it was ultimately a hopeful story filled with romance and light. It’s a perfect read if you’re looking for fluff with a dose of social issues. 

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A Dash of Trouble by Anna Meriano
Emoji Key: 🌻
This was easily my favorite read of the month – I really enjoyed this one so much! This was exactly what I’ve been craving from my middle grade reads – it was filled with whimsy, heart, and so many happy feels. It’s just so good, and I forever recommend.

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Running by Natalia Sylvester
Emoji Key: 🌻
I was excited to finally read a political contemporary that actually gets political! This book brought on so many real-life social issues, and it was a wonderful coming of age story with so much emotional growth from our main character. The pacing was the only issue for this one.

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Ghost Squad by Claribel Ortega
Emoji Key: 🌻
This was my most anticipated read, and it didn’t end up too badly! I loved the concept behind it, and it was a good classic middle grade adventure with the ghosts. I never super felt connected with the characters, but it was still a good read!

Spirit Hunters by Ellen Oh
Emoji Key: 🌻
I could not figure out my feelings for this – I think it was mostly because the audiobook wasn’t my cup of tea. It did have a lot of ghostie moments, but there was a lot of bumps in this one for me.

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A Dress for the Wicked by Autumn Krause
Emoji Key: n/a
I was super excited for a Project Runway-esque read, but it just didn’t make the cut for me. It wasn’t bad, but it just never gave me that oomph that I needed from it. The writing was easy, but I struggled to connect with it.

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Incendiary by Zoraida Cordova
Emoji Key: 🌻
This one pains me that it’s on the Book Lows. I’ve been so excited for this one, but the pacing was just so slow and it just fell too much into the tropes for me. The world building and atmosphere was amazing, but I wanted more from it.

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Finale by Stephanie Garber
Emoji Key: n/a
Buddy read with the wonderful Rendz @ Reading With Rendz – but this book didn’t quite bring the wonder for us. The book had so much potential, but its focus was on the romance – which I was not vibing. And then that endingggggggggggggggg.

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Charlie Hernandez and the League of Shadows by Ryan Calejo
Emoji Key: 🌻
Buddy read with the wonderful Sha @, well, here. It’s Sha. I don’t know if it’s a good sign that both buddy reads ended up in the Lows. I loved loved loved the mythology and folklore aspect here, but it just good – just didn’t bring the greatness that I desired.

fairy godmother’s blessing: We are hosting Give-A-May this month on Twitter, celebrating Canadian and International bloggers.
fairy godmother’s blessing: Sha and I had our first 2020 Princess War!
evil stepmother’s curse: It’s definitely still super uncertain times.

📌 Well. It’s another month of self isolation. I’m definitely at an odd place now – like, I’m eager to get out of my house and go places again, but, like, I also have gotten used to it by now, and it’s not as bad? Like, I like sleeping in and not have to spend hours getting ready and spend all the money/time getting to and from work. I’m not sure what I’m feeling – except unproductive, lol.

📌 I’ve found so many good news shows – since that’s all I’ve been doing. I’ve found an obsession with the Spring Baking Championship (which forced me to buy a cake despite my butt being on a diet). I really enjoyed the new season of Buzzfeed Unsolved. I’ve also got a 30 day free trial of CBS All Access, and it has so many good shows!! I loved Why Women Kill, Interrogation, and The Good Fight.

📌 I’ve fully developed a Disney pin obsession? I always seem to fall in some sort of obsession with stuff, and this time it’s Disney pins. There are just soooooooooooo much, and they’re so pretty, and I keep finding more and more?? I’m overwhelmed, and I keep desiring to shop when I’m stuck here. I’m fully down this rabbit hole like Alice did.

📌 BPR has some exciting things happening on our social media pages too. We are doing Give-A-May on our Twitter page, where we are celebrating Canadian and International giveaways. And Instagram – since I’m clearly in the Disney vibes, our theme for the month is all Disney! I couldn’t be more excited for it, and I tried to bring my A+ bookstagram game for it.

📌 We will be participating in the #MentalHealthaThon, a readathon that spans the whole month of May focused on mental health.

• Love Sugar Magic: A Sprinkle of Spirits by Anna Meriano
• A Mixture of Mischief by Anna Meriano
• The Incredibly Dead Pets of Rex Dexter by Aaron Reynolds
• The Grace Year by Kim Liggett
• Goddess in the Machine by Lora Beth Johnson

• Forest of Souls by Lori M. Lee
• Camp by L. C. Rosen
• The Enigma Game by Elizabeth Wein
• Hoax for Hire by Laura Martin
• Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

This is my current game plan for the month, but my reading habits constantly keep shifting. I’ve been trying to let my mood take me where I want to go, but I’m ending up in a weird sort of slump? I’m going to see if more structured reading will help with it, and hopefully, these will be good! I’m most excited for Clap When You Land.

What do you think? What books did you read last month? Did we share any of the same?