Month in Review: May

Emily continues to win at blogging by posting her May monthly review into June. *sighs.* ANYWAYS, if you still care, here's what I got up to in May:

What I Read:

Dear Evan Hansen by: Val Emmich, Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul: 4/5 stars
Love from A to Z by: S.K. Ali: 4/5 stars
Crazy Rich Asians by: Kevin Kwan: 5/5 stars
Children of Blood and Bone by: Tomi Adeyemi: 2/5 stars

Favourite book: I flew through Crazy Rich Asians! It's a pretty hefty novel for being a romance, but it was funny, informative, and so addictive. I have also finally watched the movie and I am just in love with this whole story.

What I Blogged:

I actually did well in scheduling posts ahead of time in May. Well, besides this post. My favourite blog post in May was My Favourite Resources for Writing for Fun. It was fun sharing some tips!

Favourite Blog Posts:

Cee asks, "Is this Dystopia?"

Lais discusses Her Favourite Bookish Names 

Shayna reveals Characters that Remind her of Herself 

Life Stuff:

The most exciting thing that happened in May is that I bought my first car! It is really great to have some independence now and I am really happy with it. I feel so grown up lol.

I also have been working a lot more, which is good on the idea that I have to make more money, but it also means that I have had less time to do more fun stuff. Oh well, it'll all pay off in the end!

Since having a car means I can come and go as I please, I have been utilizing my library a lot more! It wasn't always accessible for me to go often, but now I am checking out a ton of books at a time lol. Hopefully this means more reading!

That was my May! How was yours?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Re-Reading The Hunger Games: My Thoughts

This post is well overdue since I am already into summer but- remember that YA fiction course I took where I discussed Twilight? Well, we discussed The Hunger Games too and I thought I'd do a post on it as well! This post will be comprised of all three books in the trilogy, because most of my thoughts are the same across the entire series. So, here's what it was like to re-read The Hunger Games series, eight years later!

Let me start off by saying, that when I first read the series in 2011, I hated it. I thought the first book was ok, but as the series progressed I found it boring and confusing. Come to think of it now, I honestly think that I personally hadn't matured enough to fully understand the intense political themes in the series. Now more than ever, I have a new appreciation for all that Suzanne Collins was trying to convey.

My professor pointed out that the romance isn't the central plot in this series, as opposed to Twilight, and I would totally agree. Instead, I think we get a really in-depth look at political divide, as well as some allusions to the two opposing sides of the political spectrum. Hear me out, the Capitol represents heavy spending, frivolousness, a divide between the rich and poor. In Mockingjay, District 13 is presented as radically opposed to the Capitol, everyone is equal, though their rebellious tactics aren't exactly moral. I think that Collins did a great job at capturing the difference between the two extremes of the political spectrum. It all totally makes sense to me now!

When I got to Catching Fire, I reminded myself how much I love Finnick Odair. His character development is truly 10/10 and my professor pointed out how awesome it was that he didn't really portray hegemonic masculinity as much as Gale did. Finnick should be protected at all costs.

I found myself being less interested in whether or not Katniss chooses Peeta or Gale and more on whether or not she would be swayed by Snow or Coin. The ending of Mockingjay was so unbelievably epic and should go down as one of the greatest plot twists in history. While my class did have a bit of a problem with the epilogue, and I agree, I do think it reduced the power of Katniss' character a lot, I would still say that the ending is satisfying.

Overall, I am really happy that I found a new appreciation for this series. It is political, powerful, and presents morally ambiguous characters that you can root for and somehow also end up hating. I loved every second of this re-read.

Have you read The Hunger Games? What did you think?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

There's Something About Sweetie by: Sandhya Menon

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary
Published: May 14, 2019 by: Simon Pulse
Rating: 5/5 stars

Ashish Patel, fresh from being dumped by his ex-girlfriend, has completely lost his sense of self. His parents insist they can find him a great Indian-American girl to date, and this search ends in Sweetie, a track star whose traditional parents often remind her how much she lacks due to her weight. As Sweetie and Ashish begin to date, Ashish begins to rekindle the romance he once thought was dead, and Sweetie breaks out of her shell and owns herself for who she is. There's Something About Sweetie is a heartwarming companion to When Dimple Met Rishi, that includes lovable characters, witty humour, and a Bollywood reference or two.

I loved this book! I was really curious to see what Menon would do with the Dimple and Rishi world, and this book was that answer. I thought it was really cool to see what Rishi's brother has been up to, and how the two differ from one another. Sweetie was such an awesome main character, and Menon did a great job at writing a fat main character whose worth does not diminish due to her weight. This book is of course, also #ownvoices when it comes to Indian representation, and I very much appreciated every reference to Indian food and culture. Being half Pakistani, I could understand a lot of Ashish's and Dimple's family structures and thought it was extremely accurate.

I liked this book because it was simple, straight to the point, and it was very realistic. Ashish and Sweetie are just two ordinary teens trying to find themselves. They aren't written to be these grand philosophical characters who have everything figured out, and I think that's what makes them very relatable. Their relationship is slow to start and very pure, and I found myself rooting for them every step of the way.

Overall, I thought this was a fun romance that is also incredibly diverse. It is easy to get through, and the ending satisfied my love of the world of Dimple, Rishi, and their friends and family. This was a positive book that I think all should read if you love some fluffy romance!

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Paperback's Pondering's: My Favourite Resources for Writing for Fun!

As some of you may know, I put up a blog post recently about Why I Don't Want to Get Published anymore. I just find writing to be a tedious task when I do it with the intent of it being shared with the world. I don't want writing to be a "job." Thankfully, since coming to this revelation, I have started enjoying writing for fun a lot more, and have been using some resources to help. Here is how I like to write for fun:

1. Writing in the "500 Writing Prompts Book"

Check out the book I use here: 500 Writing Prompts

My mom got me this book from Indigo for Christmas. It has some of the funnest writing prompts, with the line space so you can write right in the book. Some are short, some are long, and I have so much fun completing them. My favourite one thus far was "an alien has just abducted you. Provide the reasons why they should return you back to earth." It doesn't have to be serious or philosophical, and I like to experiment with form while doing it.

2. "Story in a Bag" Exercises

This was provided to me by my creative writing professor, with the intent to write longer short stories. Basically you are given a prompt, and after every paragraph, a new prompt is thrown your way to incorporate into your story. Sometimes it turns into a mess, but it's funny nonetheless. Here is one I followed to help with setting:

•Describe the setting using all five senses and showing the time of day.

•Demonstrate time passing in a scene.

•Have a character hold a conversation – one character is local to the setting and the other is

unfamiliar.

•Create a conflict and change the apparent temperament of one of the characters.

•Introduce a third character and escalate the conflict. Use mirroring in the dialogue. Include a 

descriptive passage about the surroundings / setting.

•Stage an interruption.

•Create some sense that all is lost for one of the characters.

•Have one character exit the setting and another enter.

•Include a short description of the setting – what has changed?

3. Cute Notebooks for Free Writing

I have found that when I am writing in a cute notebook, it inspires me to sit down and write even more. Recently I have been writing in a Game of Thrones Lannister notebook, and it just feels very whimsical and regal. Perfect for fantasy writing!

4. Writing Without Thought Verbs

Check out this link: Nuts and Bolts: "Thought" Verbs

Again, taken from a project I had to do in university, writing without thought verbs is a great way to develop your characters and show, not tell. It is tedious to do when being marked on it, or worrying about editors and publishers, but for fun, I don't take it too seriously. I just find it as a great way to improve my writing.

5. Writing on Pinterest

You heard me. So recently I had to do an assignment where I had to pick a social media and write using that media. I picked Pinterest and wrote a really fun wedding themed story revolving around the wedding inspiration I found on Pinterest. A now I am obsessed with writing cute little stories to go with some of the most creative photos on Pinterest. Sometimes it really helps to have a photo to go off of!

Those are the things that I am loving to do with writing at the moment! How do you like to write for fun?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Month in Review: April

This girl is done school and is ready than ever for summer! 2nd year... well it wasn't fun both mentally and physically, so I am excited to have a break. Here's what happened in April:

What I Read: 

My Lady Jane by: Cynthia Hand, Brodie Ashton and Jodi Meadows: 5/5 stars
To All the Boy's I've Loved Before by: Jenny Han: 5/5 stars
There's Something About Sweetie by: Sandhya Menon: 4/5 stars
P.S. I Still Love You by: Jenny Han: 5/5 stars

Favourite Book: Besides my re-read of To All the Boy's, I very much enjoyed My Lady Jane! It was hilarious, cleverly written, and satisfied by history-loving heart. (Though to call it a historical retelling is a little wrong.)

What I Blogged: 

I continue to suck at blogging and didn't post much this month, however my favourite post was my wrap-up on the Twilight series with Breaking Dawn. It was fun sharing my insight and having a great discussion with other bloggers.

Favourite Blog Posts: 

Ruzaika talks about Muslim Rep in YA

Lais discusses High School in Brazil

Noel reveals that She's Publishing a Book!

Life Stuff: 

Like I said before, school is over and I am really happy about that. I am now going to be working full time to gain some money for the new car I will be getting soon! I am so excited to finally being able to get around on my own.

This month I went to see one of my all-time favourite musicals, Dear Evan Hansen, in Toronto. It was an incredible show and I really want to see it again. I may have cried.

My month was also consumed with watching the new season of Game of Thrones. *sobs* Let me know what you thought of the first few episodes!

I hope May will bring a lot more sunshine, and that my summer will be fun. God knows I need it.

How was your April?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

My Thoughts on the To All the Boy's Sequel So Far

As most of you probably know, I am quite obsessed with the To All the Boy's series by: Jenny Han. It is my pick me up series, and I re-read it a solid three times a year. You all also probably know that it was turned into a pretty successful movie last August, and the sequel is in the works. I, for one, have a lot of opinions on how things are looking, and I need to get them off my chest. However, if you couldn't care less about this series, then this post is not for you. But, I hope some of you would like to share your opinions with me.

First off, people need to stop calling it "To All the Boy's 2." The name of the sequel is P.S. I STILL LOVE YOU. I think that people often forget that the movie sequel will be following the book sequel, and that is the title of the second book. Now this is no shade to people who are only fans of the movie and haven't read the series. Honestly, I am way past the point of caring whether people read books or watch movies, however, I do hope the movies stay semi-consistent with the books.

Now let's go to the main chunk: the casting. Jordan Fisher will be playing my all-time favourite character, John-Ambrose McClaren. I'll admit, when I first heard this news, I didn't know how to feel. I LOVE Jordan Fisher, I think he's brilliant, and I did enjoy the thought of having an often white fan-casted character being a POC. However, I'm not sure if I picture Jordan as John in my head. For context, Jordan just played Mark in Rent Live, and I think I just see him as more of a strong stage actor than a dreamy boy-next door type in a teen movie. I understand he has done teen movies before, but I'm not sure if he's past that point in his career. I think I will have to see the first look of him actually in character in order to make my final decision.

They casted Ross Butler from Thirteen Reason's Why as Trevor Pike. Now, I've got some things to say. I don't know why Netflix recycles the same teen movie/tv actors to be in everything. Butler was in Riverdale, then Thirteen Reason's Why, now this. Noah Centineo was in TATBILB, then Sierra Burgess, and now in a new rom-com The Perfect Date with Camila Mendes, who also stars in Riverdale. You see the cycle?! I'm just sick of seeing the same five actors in everything I watch, and I think if they had casted Cole Sprouse as John- Ambrose, which was an actual rumour, it would've been the last straw. I just need some fresh faces please!

Some more positive news, I am so happy that Madeline Arthur is returning as Chris, I think she did an amazing job. Also, Holland Taylor is playing Stormy! This is incredible news because I really thought that they might have omitted Stormy for some reason. I'm really happy that the retirement residence will still be playing a role. Also, Sarayu Blue is playing Trina! She is exactly how I imagined her to be and I'm so glad Trina is getting a significant-enough part as well.

Another big news moment: Susan Johnson, the director of To All the Boy's, will not be returning. Now this worries me, because she did such a good job on the first movie and I'm not sure if a new director will mean a new vision? Still, I am remaining optimistic that the new director will still keep the brilliance of the first movie. I really don't want this sequel to bomb.

This was a long post for something that may seem insignificant to a lot of people. However, I am a firm believer that if you are interested in something and you've got something to say: say it! If you are as obsessed with this series as I am, I would love to hear your thoughts. What do you think of all this news?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Month in Review: March

April is officially underway and it is my last week of school! I'm so happy to be rid of the absolute HELL that second year was, and hopefully have a relaxing summer. Here's what I got up to in March:

What I Read:

That Time I Loved You by: Carrianne Leung: 5/5 stars
Hecuba by: Euripides: 4/5 stars
Insurgent by: Veronica Roth: 3/5 stars
Medea by: Euripides: 3.5/5 stars
Nervous Conditions by: Tsitsi Dangarembga: 3/5 stars

My reading was once again dominated by books read for school, but I still did enjoy some of them! My favourite was That Time I Loved You by: Carrianne Leung. You can read my review for it here.

What I Blogged:

I put up a post this month that I was quite proud of! It was my discussion, Why I Don't Want to Get Published. This post was really the first time I admitted to myself my true feelings about publishing, and I'm glad I wrote it.

Favourite Blog Posts of the Month:

Noel discusses Beta Readers and Author's Advice 

Clockwork Bibliotheca shares Songs that Tell Incredible Stories 

Lais discusses Sexual Content in YA 

Life Stuff:

Nothing new, really, just work, school, and therapy. Hopefully my summer will be a lot more interesting! This Sunday I am going to see one of my favourite musicals, Dear Evan Hansen, for the first time on stage. To say I am excited, is an understatement.

That was my March! How was yours?

Emily @ Paperback Princess