Friday 29 May 2020

Month in Review: May


May had its ups, and it had its downs. But, I did reveal a lot more about myself this month then I have in my six years of blogging. For the first time ever, I was vulnerable to pretty much everyone in my life. And it was so needed. While everything is still a work in progress, being able to reveal what I have basically kept secret for a long time was a crucial step for me.

What I Read: 

The Lighting Thief by: Rick Riordan: 5/5 stars
Great Goddesses by: Nikita Gill: 5/5 stars
Oedipus the King by: Sophocles: 2/5 stars
Siege and Storm by: Leigh Bardugo: 4/5 stars
Skraelings by: Rachel and Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley: 3/5 stars
The Elite by: Kiera Cass: 5/5 stars
The One by: Kiera Cass: 4/5 stars
Wacousta by: John Richardson: 1/5 stars
The Selection Series Novellas by: Kiera Cass: Avg. Rating: 4/5 stars

As you can see, I read A LOT this month! I was on a total Selection series re-read kick and pretty much flew through the entire series. I'm also not done yet because I'm working through the stories I missed in Happily Ever After, and I plan on reading The Heir and The Crown as well. These books are just so fluffy, and despite me not always rating them five stars critically, they do provide me with so much comfort. So, I will say The Selection series as a whole was my favourite from this month!

What I Blogged: 

I think an obvious post of mine that I wish to highlight this month is my post on My Experiences with Pure OCD. This post was not easy to write, but I so needed to write it for my own acceptance and healing. I could not be more happy with the response, and this is my sincerest thank you to everyone who has reached out and given me support in any way. You guys make my fight so worth it <3

Favourite Blog Posts: 

Konna asks How You Diversify Your Reading 
Veronika discusses if she's Fallen Out of Love with Writing Reviews
Cait shares 10 Things She Would Like to See More of in YA Books about Mental Health
Roberta asks If you Rate Books Up or Down on Goodreads
Lais discusses the Premonition Sex Trope in YA

Life Stuff: 

The month of May was a rollercoaster of emotions. But, we made it through! I have found a therapist who I really love, and I do feel like I am turning over to a new chapter. The true road to recovery begins now!

A thing that I really enjoyed this month was the SoShelf Distancing Book Club. Two book bloggers, Claire and Tessi put this virtual book club together and I look forward to it every Saturday! It's been so nice getting to put some faces to the names of many book bloggers I have seen around the blogsophere, and also nice to talk to people outside of my family for a change haha. This round we're reading We Hunt the Flame by: Hafsah Faizal! If you're interested in participating definitely get in touch with these ladies, because it's a really awesome club.

One thing that has really been a highlight of May has been the weather. It has been super hot and sunny this past week, which means I have been doing a lot of my schoolwork outside. I love summer and so it has been so nice being able to wear shorts and enjoy sitting outside. I have also been going on a lot of long walks and I'm just overall happy that the snow is behind us. It's nice to get into a new summer routine.

So, that was my May. We forge ahead towards June, and as Sesame Street said, hope that the sunny days will sweep the clouds away :)

How was your May?

Emily @ Paperback Princess



12 comments:

  1. Any month you can see the end of is a good one Em! Glad you found some rainbows amongst the clouds! :) <3 <3 <3

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  2. I read Your Heart is the Sea by Nikita Gill a while back and really enjoyed it, so I definitely want to check out Great Goddesses, hopefully I'll enjoy it as much as you did!

    Sofia @ Bookish Wanderess

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    1. I definitely want to read more from her! I think her writing is amazing.

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  3. Some books are just like that! Total comfort reads. Glad you enjoyed the Cass books so much. :) And glad the weather has been nice too! I find I'm so much in a better mood when the sun is out. I don't mind clouds and rainy weather sometimes but my mood is so much better with the sun haha, especially lately!

    Hope your June is awesome!

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    1. Absolutely the weather plays a factor! I also feel like a get a lot more work done when I’m able to do it outside :)

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  4. love this post and it's nice to see that you had a great reading time in May <3 I read The Selection when I was in the 9th grade, but I didn't read the sequels. I hope to do so during this quarantine period while I still can. i'm really glad you loved it!! I really loved The Selection, and I can't believe I haven't finished the series. I hope you have a fruitful and great month this June despite everything that's been happening <3

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    1. I hope you enjoy the rest of the series! It really is a total mood booster :) hope you have a great month as well!

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  5. I'm happy you've found a therapist that works for you. :) And that you're enjoying participating in the book club. I kind of want to reread The Selection, but I'm SCARED my fond memories of it will be ruined, because what if I won't like it anymore? Your positive response to the series is such a boost, though!

    I hope your June has been going well!

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    1. Thanks Veronika :) So obviously I have found America ALOT more annoying this time around than when I read this series for the first time. I definitely see issues with the way women tear each other down in this series. However, I think I've just accepted the fact that these books are just The Bachelor tv show in book form, and so I can thoroughly enjoy how mood-boosting they are without taking it as the best representation of YA out there.

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  6. If you've read with 4-5* the 6 books out of 9 you've read, then May has definitely been a great month :)
    Bookclubs are wonderful! I'm glad the you are enjoying it!

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