Month in Review: June

I went on a very much unscheduled hiatus for the majority of June. Life events just caught up with me! But I'm glad to be back now and am ready to recap June. 

What I Read: 

Unreconciled by: Jesse Wente: 4.5/5 stars 

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by: Elle Cosimano: 2.5/5 stars 

You Don't Have A Shot by: Racquel Marie: 4/5 stars 

Secretly Yours by: Tessa Bailey: 3/5 stars 

Ms. Marvel: Teenage Wasteland by: G. Willow Wilson and Nico Leon: 4/5 stars

Favourite book: I really enjoyed Unreconciled by Jesse Wente. I read a few excerpts from the book when I was TAing earlier this year, and I thought it was a super informative read on Indigenous resistance and the true meaning behind reconciliation. 

What I Blogged: 

As mentioned before, I did trail off from posting in the middle of the month. But, I did update you all on the Changes by blog went through, and I am overall very happy with my new graphics and the new directions my blog is taking. 

Favourite Blog Posts: 

Because of my blog absence, I didn't get to do a whole lot of blog hopping last month :( Sorry friends! I feel like I opened my laptop in July and realized I missed out on so many posts. It took me a while to catch up. But if you have a post you are proud of, link it in the comments! 

Life Stuff: 

June was BUSY. I had weddings, vacations, graduations, and much more. I also got a new laptop which will make writing and blogging a lot easier. I ended the month with the great news of finally finding a new place to live, and feeling more prepared for school which makes me so happy. I hope the final two summer months will go by smoothly with as little stress as possible. But of course, moving always carries with it a bit of stress. Wish me luck in packing! 

That was my June. How was yours? 

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Month in Review: June

CW: This post will discuss COVID 

Well, this month was a rollercoaster! What started out as a really fun month ended in COVID for the whole family. As I write this on June 30th I am still testing negative, but everyone else in my house has been out for the week. I feel like I'm starting to get it, but there's so many unknowns so we're all just living in one big isolation ward at this point! It's been a tiring week for all full of disinfecting, testing, and finding the right medications, but I'm confident we'll make it through. Besides that, here's what I got up to this month: 

What I Read: 

Delilah Green Doesn't Care by: Ashley Herring Blake: 4/5 stars 

Elektra by: Jennifer Saint: 5/5 stars 

Reckless Girls by: Rachel Hawkins: 2/5 stars 

Memphis by: Tara M. Stringfellow: 3/5 stars 

Daughter of the Deep by: Rick Riordan: 3/5 stars 

Interview with the Vampire by: Anne Rice: 2/5 stars 

Right Where I Left You by: Julian Winters: 4/5 stars 

Favourite book: Jennifer Saint continued to add to my love for feminist Greek mythology retellings with Elektra! I loved her work on Ariadne, and Elektra did not disappoint. Told from the perspectives of Cassandra, Clytemnestra, and Elektra during the Trojan War, I was very happy with how the story came together. 

What I Blogged: 

To celebrate Pride Month, I listed some of my favourite books with 2SLGBTQIAP+ representation! Check it out and let me know your recommendations for Pride Month. 

Favourite Blog Posts: 

Marie shares 10 YA Books Like The Summer I Turned Pretty To Read Next 

Greg discusses the topic of Cloning in Books 

Shayna shares Bookish No-No's 

Life Stuff: 

June was a fun month until the end! I got to go into Toronto for a few days, see a Toronto Blue Jay's game, and last week before COVID struck, my sister and I got to go to our first concert since the pandemic: The Arkells. Although, the concert may have left us with a parting gift in terms of sickness haha. I also got to celebrate Pride Month in our city and even got to meet one of my favourite drag queens, Brooke Lynn Hytes. Overall, I think the high's of the month outweigh the low's, though it is disappointing that July is off to such a rough start. Still, things could be a lot worse, and I'm looking forward to all the fun stuff this summer has to offer once the sickness is away! 

That was my June, how was yours? 

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Month in Review: June

It's very hot up here in Canada right now. Not that I'm complaining. I love the warm weather and everything about summer. However I also understand that this weather is not for everyone, so I hope you all stay cool if you're in a hot climate right now as well! This is what my June looked like: 

What I Read: 

Love After The End edited by Joshua Whitehead: 4/5 stars 

Born A Crime by Trevor Noah: 4/5 stars 

Seven Fallen Feathers by Tanya Talaga: 5/5 stars 

Kate In Waiting by Becky Albertalli: 5/5 stars 

People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry: 4/5 stars 

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston: 4.5/5 stars 

Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee: 4/5 stars 

Jay's Gay Agenda by Jason June: 4/5 stars 

Favourite Book: Seven Fallen Feathers was an emotional but important non-fiction novel about the epidemic of Indigenous children and teens going missing in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The book has elements of a crime book while still being extremely sensitive to the victims and their families. The author is also Indigenous, so this book truly comes from a place of respect. While it's a very hard read, it's also extremely necessary especially considering the things coming up in Canadian news as of recent. 

What I Blogged: 

I really enjoyed my post about The Fetishization Of M/M Romance And Representation That I Need To Read More Of. I am really passionate about that subject matter so it was good to get some frustrations off my chest, and receive some great tips from fellow readers! 

Favourite Blog Posts Of The Month: 

Simone says: "Please Don't Assume That I Need Healing" 

Nicole talks about The Joys Of Verse Novels 

Cee discusses the film Jojo Rabbit: The Bittersweet Tale of Captain K

Life Stuff: 

This month was very busy! I continued to freelance write, which got me through the beginning and middle of the month, but by the end of the month, my manager called me back to work at my in-person job. Ontario has been in lockdown since December, but vaccine rollout has gotten better, so the government decided it was okay for retail stores to open up again. Now I'm doing freelance stuff on the side, while also working a couple times a week in-person. While seeing strangers again is always worrying, I'm glad to get back into a normal routine. 

In other great news, I am now fully vaccinated! I am so happy that me and my entire family have put the vaccination stress behind us. It's a huge weight off of our shoulders. If you can, please go get the shot! 

I watched Loki this month, and I am absolutely loving it. It's such a complex, unique show and I never knew how much I loved Loki until watching it. Now I look forward to every Wednesday when it comes out. I can't believe season one will be over soon :( 

This July, I will continue to work, and also try to do my part to raise more awareness on issues that Indigenous populations face. As July 1st marks Canada Day, I am thinking a lot more critically on the problems with this country and why it's crucial that the world doesn't write Canada off as being "better than the US." I also hope that people will think about how capitalism exploits issues like this, so that we can decide how to ethically support marginalized communities. For more information on the capitalization of Indigenous issues, visit this link 

So, that was my June. Very busy, but also very hopeful for a better future. How was your June? 

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Month in Review: June

Happy summer, everyone! The weather is finally hot. (Perhaps maybe a bit too hot), and things are starting to open back up in Canada. I kinda disagree with this because I think if you give humans too much freedom they tend to abuse it, but alas, only time will tell. Here's what went down in June:

What I Read: 

We Hunt the Flame by: Hafash Faizal: 1/5 stars
How We Fight For Our Lives by: Saeed Jones: 5/5 stars
The Sea of Monsters by: Rick Riordan: 5/5 stars
The Titan's Curse by: Rick Riordan: 5/5 stars
The Battle of the Labyrinth by: Rick Riordan: 4/5 stars
The Last Olympian by: Rick Riordan: 5/5 stars
Buffy the Vampire Slayer #4 by: Jordie Bellaire: 4/5 stars
The Rez Sisters by: Tomson Highway: 3/5 stars
The Orenda by: Joseph Boyden: 2/5 stars
The Heir by: Kiera Cass: 4/5 stars
The Crown by: Kiera Cass: 4/5 stars
The Starless Sea by: Erin Morgenstern: 5/5 stars
Indian Horse by: Richard Wagamese: 4/5 stars
Dear Martin by: Nic Stone: 5/5 stars

As you can see, I got sick with the reading bug :D Reading just came so naturally to me this month, and this doesn't always happen. I read so much that I even heightened my reading goal to 75 books, because I've already hit 50 books! I'm hoping to continue this streak.

My favourite books of the month were How We Fight For Our Lives, and Dear Martin. Special shout-out goes out to The Starless Sea for being an overall mind trip, but I chose these books as my top favourites because of the powerful subject matter. Saeed Jones' memoir was heartbreaking, but so well-written. Dear Martin was also quite sad, but also stood out because of the intertwining of letters written to Dr. Martin Luther King, and the story of a Black boy trying to make a difference. Both of these books are written by Black authors, and I just think it is crucial that during this time period, we read books like these.

Side note, but I also decided to re-read the Percy Jackson series, because in this house we stan Rick Riordan as the superior middle-grade fantasy writer, more than She Who Shall Not be Named.

What I Blogged: 

On the same note, my favourite blog post I wrote this month was my appreciation post for the TV Series Pose. Black Trans Lives Matter, and I felt I needed to share this wonderful series with people who may want to be engaged with more media depicting Black and Latinx people. There are also some resources in that post for those who want to get more involved.

Favourite Blog Posts: 

Marie asks if Book Bloggers' Work is Really Valued 

Veronika wonders if she's A Bad Reviewer 

Erin shares her Favourite LGBTQ+ Characters 

Sierra does the Nope Trope Book Tag 

Life Stuff: 

Like I said before, the weather is really nice now, and restrictions are starting to ease. I am too anxious to go anywhere, but I have been venturing out more in terms of taking longer walks and sometimes stepping into town (masked up) to run errands. This is a pretty big deal for me because normally I would be too scared to go anywhere where there are other people. But it's all part of exposure therapy that I'm doing with my therapist.

In June, I was able to get more virtually involved with my community in terms of speaking with the mayor about the town's next steps towards combating racism. The talk went surprisingly well, and I think this taught me that some people are willing to change. It was nice to know that the people in charge of my town are willing to hold themselves accountable.

I also got into watching booktube! I decided to subscribe to some diverse booktubers and see if watching booktube is for me. I've always been an avid youtube watcher but never ventured into booktube. I was surprised at how much I enjoy watching booktube videos. So far my favourite booktubers I've been watching are Myonna Reads, Olivia's Catastrophe and The Positive Writer. 

In July, I will be participating in my first readathon! I'm doing the All the World's a Page readathon, which is Shakespeare themed. I'm really excited because Shakespeare can be very daunting for me, but I'm looking forward to challenging myself and hopefully I'll learn to just have fun with it.

So that was pretty much my June. It was a busy month for everyone, but hopefully we can keep the momentum going, keep making change in our communities, and stick together.

How was your June?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Month in Review: June

Why does it seem like the moment I am done school, I actually find I have less time to read? I think it's because breaks in between classes and obviously required reading makes me read more. But now that I'm working eight hour shifts at a time, I have less time to crack open a book. Anyways, here's an update on a not so productive reading month:

What I Read: 

The Sands of Ammon (Alexandros #2) by: Valerio Massimo Manfredi, Iain Holliday (Translator): 2/5 stars

And that's it. This is the only book I read in June. I'll post a full review of this book, but basically I wouldn't call it my favourite book of the month (even if it was my only book), because it was just: meh.

What I Blogged: 

Blogging wasn't very productive either. However, I did finally post my review of My Lady Jane, which was so awesome to write because the book was, well, AWESOME. You should check it out.

Favourite Blog Posts: 

Cee talks Anxiety and Worrying about Sh*t She Doesn't Care About 

Erin discusses The Redundancy in A Court of Frost and Starlight 

Veronika talks about All the Stuff that Annoys Her in Book Reviews 


Life Stuff: 

All work and no play makes Emily a sad girl. I feel like I missed out on a lot of fun things this month because it's all just work, work, and more work. I know the money pays off but, when I see my friends all doing fun stuff without me, it does dampen my mood.

However, my manager has been so gracious to give me July 1st off, which for those of you who don't know, is Canada Day, and I am so excited about it!! I've gotten used to having to work through summer holidays, so the day off to just be patriotic af will be great. I'm looking forward to it.

So that was my June. Kinda boring if you ask me. But, I do have some fun things to look forward to in July.

How was your June?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Month in Review: June

It is so freaking hot in Toronto right now I might die. Seriously in need for things to cool down because it is honestly unbearable outside. Anyways, my June was pretty good! My summer finally got more exciting and to be honest I was so busy I completely forgot to write this post! Here's what happened:

What I Read: 

Half Broke Horses by: Jeannette Walls: 5/5 stars
The Color Purple by: Alice Walker: 4/5 stars
Appointment with Death by: Agatha Christie: 4/5 stars
Hero at the Fall by: Alwyn Hamilton: 3/5 stars

Favourite book: Definitely Half Broke Horses! I am in love with Walls' writing and this story that featured her grandmother was so beautifully written.

What I Blogged: 

I got real about my frustrations with Blogger at the moment. I need to find a good commenting platform, and I discussed it in my post: Blog Commenting Formats- What's Your Preferred Platform? 

Favourite Blog Posts: 

Clare and Veronika review A Thousand Perfect Notes 

Cee asks What the Purpose of the Purpose is 

Charlotte shares her First Year Feelings 

Life Stuff:

This month was very fun! I went to see Phantom of the Opera with my mom, two days later went to see Harry Styles in concert, and now I have friends from Italy staying with my family! It's been a busy few days of taking them around, I somehow feel like a tourist in my own city! But it's been really fun. It's also the Canada Day long weekend so everything is starting to really feel like summer now.

How was your June?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Month in Review: June- Changes Are Coming!

If you're reading this, I graduate high school today! I'm so happy to be done with 4 years of stress and am ready to start 4 more years of stress! But in all reality, I am looking forward to a new start in university.

What I Read:

The Mousetrap by: Agatha Christie: 4/5 stars
Always and Forever, Lara Jean by: Jenny Han: 5/5 stars
When Dimple Met Rishi by: Sandhya Menon: 5/5 stars
Death of a Salesman by: Arthur Miller: 4/5 stars
The Book of Air by: Joe Treasure: 4/5 stars
The Handmaid's Tale by: Margret Atwood: 5/5 stars
Alex and Eliza by: Melissa De la Cruz: 4.5/5 stars

Favourite book: Always and Forever Lara Jean!!! I'm so upset that my favourite contemporary series is coming to a close and I know I will always turn back to it when I'm feeling down :((((

What I Blogged:

My favourite blog post this month was probably my review of The Virgin Suicides. I enjoyed ranting about the dangers of this book and I was happy to get out a lot of the disgusted feelings I had.

Favourite Blog Posts:

Ruzaika rants about How to Write a Problematic Book 
Charlotte talks about Compulsive Skin Picking 
Kate re-reads The Book Thief

Life Stuff:

Well, I had exams, and I survived four years of high school. It's kinda bittersweet because I don't typically enjoy change, but I do think I wasted away my high school years worrying too much about little things, and I really want to start fresh in university. How easy that'll be, I have no idea.

There are some changes coming to the blog for the next couple of months. All of July I'm going on vacation to Europe, so I will be limiting my posting to one post a week. My apologies if I'm kinda distant on commenting or on Twitter, or if I miss a week of posting, but I'll try to update when I can. I also won't be doing a July month in review, so August and July will probably be combined.

Speaking of August, I'm not sure how much I'll be posting then either. I have a lot of things going on that month as well, such as my driving exam that HOPEFULLY I will pass, as well as other things. If I miss a week of posting, again, please don't be alarmed.

I don't know what September will bring. Moving into university and my first semester of my first year could go very bad or very good, but I hope I can keep this blog up during my University years. I will try my best, and I'm sure I'll be able to pull through. This is gonna be a crazy journey :)

All this being said, how was your month? Are you guys done school?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Month in Review: June

SUMMER IS HERE! I'm so excited to be able to let go of the hell that was last semester and being able to sleep in. Although it does kind of scare me that next year will be my senior year, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there. I have a lot to talk about in this review:

What I Read: 

The Martian by: Andy Weir- 4/5 stars
The Rose and the Dagger by: Renee Adhieh- 4/5 stars
The Way I Used to Be by: Amber Smith- 3/5 stars
The Hidden Oracle by: Rick Riordan- 5/5 stars

Favourite book: Definitely The Hidden Oracle! This book filled by Percy Jackson fix that I so missed and I can't wait to read the rest of the series. I will NEVER get tired of this world.

What I Blogged: 

My favourite post this month was my thoughts on LGBT Characters as Plot Fillers. I needed to get my opinions out in this one!

Favourite Blog Posts of the Month: 

Sierra explains that you should Respect your Relationship with Reading 
Cee shows that Love will Always Win 
Jillian weighs the Good and Bad of Multi-Book Perspectives 
Charlotte gives advice on Mental Health and Productivity 
Sierra guests posts on Temecka's Blog about the LGBTQA Community 

Blogger of the Month:

This month's shout out goes out to an awesome new blog buddy and fellow Raven Cycle lover Temecka @ Library of Tomes! Thanks for always being so lovely in your comments and go check out her awesome blog!

Personally of the Month: 

Exams have came and went and I am officially done Grade 11! I can't wait to see what paths next year will bring, but I will so enjoy this break first. 

I went to my first awards show, the MMVA's in Toronto 2 weeks ago! It was the coolest experience ever, and I got to see so many amazing performances and see what they actually do during the commercial breaks lol! I was so exhausted from standing by the end though, but it was so worth it! It was amazing to see up close so many celebrities, I had some major fangirl moments. And Nick Jonas will forever be one of my favourite artists ever. 

I have also gotten EXTREMELY into the show Glee this month. The songs are absolutely amazing and I find myself having little jam sessions everytime I watch it. I would so recommend the show!

So that's pretty much it! I'm looking forward to summer adventures and a family vacation soon! I'm not sure yet how that will affect my blogging but I'll be sure to let you know. Hopefully this summer will be the best.

How was your June?

Emily @ Paperback Princess