Wednesday 27 April 2022

Month in Review: April



My month in reviews have been on and off since I've taken a few hiatuses, but I'm finally in a good place to bring them back! April was so chaotic, so let's get into it: 

What I Read: 

A Lesson in Vengeance by: Victoria Lee: 4/5 stars 

Laughing All the Way to the Mosque by: Zarqa Nawaz: 5/5 stars 

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by: Malinda Lo: 4/5 stars 

Arsenic and Adobo by: Mia P. Manansala: 4/5 stars 

Lore Olympus by: Rachel Smythe: 5/5 stars 

Care Of by: Ivan Coyote: 5/5 stars 

Honey Girl by: Morgan Rogers: 4/5 stars 

The Fire Never Goes Out by: ND Stevenson: 5/5 stars 

Favourite book: It was overall a great month for reading! I'm going to have to give my favourite book prize to Laughing All the Way to the Mosque by: Zarqa Nawaz. Nawaz created the popular Canadian tv show Little Mosque on the Prairie, and she embodies everything I want to be as a writer: funny, but also incredibly concious of representation and social issues. 

What I Blogged: 

Like I said, blogging has been inconsistent over the past few months, but this month, I slowly started to get back into the swing of things. My favourite post of the month was when I discussed When You Stand Up For Something You Believe In, But It Doesn't Turn Out Right. That discussion was difficult to write, but also I think very needed in terms of my personal reflection on an uncomfortable situation. 

Favourite Blog Posts: 

Vera and Sabrina celebrate their blogiversary by Shouting Out Some of Their Favourite Bloggers 

Cee shares how to Write Your Obvious 

Morgan shares how they've Changed As A Reader 

Life Stuff: 

April was an extremely busy month. I finished up my coursework with final essays, and just this past Tuesday, I had to complete a big presentation of the work I'm doing for my MA. It was extremely daunting and I had some hiccups (for example, when I get nervous, I tend to ramble), however, for the most part, I am extremely proud of myself for overcoming some social anxiety. 

The day this post goes up, I will be going to my first family celebration since COVID started. There's been a lot of milestones since the pandemic, and now we all feel more comfortable in celebrating them. I'm excited to get back to dressing up fancily lol. 

Next month will probably be more busy. I will have to start writing my final paper for my MA, but also, I am attending a conference in Montreal in the middle of May. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous, as meeting new people is not my strong suit, but it'll definitely push me outside of my comfort zone which I'm interpreting to be a good thing. 

So, that was my April! A lot of busyness, with some more busyness to come. How was yours? 

Emily @ Paperback Princess

10 comments:

  1. YAY for overcoming social anxiety and more celebrations with family again, this is very exciting! And I'm so happy to see you had a good reading month overall. I really enjoyed A Lesson in Vengeance as well!
    I hope you'll have a lovely May, take care! <3

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    1. Thank you, Marie! I would love to read more from Victoria Lee :)

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  2. I'm so excited for you Emily! I have my eye on A Lesson in Vengeance so I'm glad that you liked it! Good luck on your final paper, hope it all goes well!

    riv @ dearrivarie

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    1. Thank you very much, Riv. Have a great May!

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  3. "I am extremely proud of myself for overcoming some social anxiety."
    You have a right to be. It's a huge deal. I can relate because, even if we are in very different headspaces when it comes to mental health, it's difficult for me as well to perform in front of other people (that's one of the reasons why I used to love radio - no one could see me LOL. Also, I was in total control...).

    "I will have to start writing my final paper for my MA, but also, I am attending a conference in Montreal in the middle of May."
    That sounds exciting! I hope everything will go smooth for you (crossing my fingers!).

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    1. I totally get that, Roberta! I hope you find another radio job that you equally love. Thanks so much for your support. I really do hope you have a fabulous May.

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    2. "I hope you find another radio job that you equally love."
      Uh...thanks, but that would be a no. I haven't loved my job anymore for a very long time. There were so many things about my work environment that turned me off. As of now, the only "nearby" radio station is the one who bought our frequencies (they used to be our competitors, and now my former boss is working for them as a publicist, haha), it's 31 miles from here and not hiring, but regardless...I'm so DONE with radio. As they say, be careful what you wish for. Right now? I only hope to find a job that pays for my needs but lets me have enough free time to live my life 🙂.

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    3. That's totally fair! I'm sorry that your work environment became super toxic, that's definitely not a fun way to leave things at all. Sending positivity for a new, reliable job your way!

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  4. Thanks for the link Em! :) Well done on the presentation!!! And good luck for all the other things you've got coming up! :) <3

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