April Wrap Up: Grishaverse, Silly Socks & the Battle of Winterfell!

Hello everyone!

Another month gone, another wrap-up post. These sure do come around quickly sometimes! (I’d also just like to preface this by saying that despite the title there will be NO Game of Thrones spoilers in this post!)

I’ve been sitting here trying to rack my brain for something interesting enough to share with you guys from April. I did think about trying to convince you that I’d learnt to talk to animals, built a spaceship, or found a fossilized dragon egg in amber that had hatched and I’d become a dragon rider (still ever hopefully after my childhood of watching Jurrasic Park), but somehow, I didn’t think you guys would take me at my word?

(A girl can dream, right?)

April can basically be summed up in Dory’s famous words ‘just keep swimming…’ or the better know phrase, ‘keep on keeping on’.

Of course, there was that brief moment in the UK where we got July-worthy sun over the bank holiday weekend and we all had a freak-out and dug out the BBQ equipment, but it wasn’t long before the status quo returned.

By far the best thing about April for me was seeing all the amazing love you guys have given my Pancake Book Tag. SO many of you have participated in this now and I kind of feel really emotional about it??! I really didn’t think this many people would do it and the whole thing has far exceeded my expectations. You guys are absolutely incredible, THANK YOU! :’D

So, let’s get on with the wrapping up!

Total Books Read: 4 | YA: 2| Adult: 2

The Binding by Bridget Collins | ★★★★★| Comments:  My first 5-star read of 2019, hurrah! I was beginning to get worried! This stand-alone novel was absolutely stunning. It focuses on a bookbinder but has a forbidden romance, magical elements, and absolutely gorgeous writing. Review to come!

Shadow and Bone (The Grisha #1) | ★★★★| Comments: Who says tackling your backlist isn’t rewarding? Check me out finally dipping into the Grishaverse! I really enjoyed this first installment full of orphans, magic and evil creatures. Despite having pretty much ALL THE YA TROPES, it was fast-paced and gripping. Also, THE DARKING IS SO SUAVE AND SASSY.

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo (The Grisha #2) | ★★★ | Comments: Eh, this one felt like a bit of a slog despite the fact that there was more action in it? And OHH MY GOSH WHY WAS THERE SO MUCH WHINING?!? This was also too love triangle-ey for me… or should I say love rectangle??? However, there was also some great character development for Alina. 🙂

 The Poppy War by R.F Kuang | ★★★★| Comments: This book left me feeling conflicted because the characters were SO morally grey and I didn’t know who to root for, but the worldbuilding was amazing and it had the best trauma/PTSD rep I’ve read! You can read my review here.

What did you read this month?

 

Apart from flailing hysterically over Game of Thrones… (I mean ADSFGHFGHGHFF THAT LAST EPISODE) here’s what I’ve been watching!

 Inferno (Robert Langdon series) | ★★★★| Comments: The Langdon series should be so cliche, but ohh how it does pander to my favourite things! History mysteries, dramatic races against the clock and lots and lots of PUZZLES, OOOH. Plus Tom Hanks is just the man!

The Umbrella Academy | ★★★★ | Comments: The whole of the internet told me I should watch this, so of course, I complied! I kinda wasn’t sure about it at first? I just didn’t get what they were going for, but it all slotted into place around episode 4 and then I was loving it! Superheroes brought up as siblings, bizarre powers, sibling rivalry – who doesn’t love a bit of that. 🙂

West World (Season 2) | ★★★★ | Comments: I can never quite decide how I feel about this series on robots from a ‘pleasure’ theme park fighting back against humans. In some ways, it’s incredible, brilliantly shot, and really makes you think about the big questions. In other ways, it’s overindulgent and the pacing can be a bit off!

After Life| ★★★★★| Comments: This series took me completely by surprise! I don’t normally like Ricky Gervais at all (I didn’t even want to watch this), but this mini-series looks at grief and the agony for those left behind, and somehow also balances it with snort-worthy hilarity!

The Darkest Hour| ★★★| Comments: I enjoyed this from a historical perspective, and there was a surprising number of funnies, but I couldn’t help but feel that Churchill came across slightly differently than I expected!

Lucifer Season 2 | ★★★| Comments: This show has its ups and downs, but there really is something amusing about the Devil being nicknamed ‘Lucie’, going to a therapist once a week and working for the LAPD by day and as a nightclub owner by night! 

What did you watch this month?

 

This month I am loving silly socks!

My whole life, I have worn nothing but black socks with the tiniest detail on them for practicality reasons, but since buying my Harry Potter socks from Primark I mayyyy have gotten a little bit hooked?!?

Now I have lots of different silly socks, including ones with corgi’s flashing their cute little bums, funky fox ones, awkward turtles, and lamas lamaste-ing. (The HP and fox socks were from Primark, and the others were from New Look.)

It’s nice to have weekend socks and they bring me so much joy!
It’s the little things in life, right? 

What did you buy this month? 

 

Blogs Posted: 3 | Reviews: 2 | Discussion Post: 1

My favourite post by far this month was the Bookstagram one, and it definitely got the most views too! I’m glad it made some of you chuckle and that it made us all feel a little less alone with our social media woes! 😀

 

• Cait at Paper Fury gets together with some other amazing bloggers and authors for an #actuallyautisic colab, discussing what they want to see in autism books. I was basically fist pumping THE WHOLE WAY THROUGH THIS.
• Janina at Love Letters highlights some characters that are ‘just so Hufflepuff’, and proves their awesomeness (us badgers don’t get enough credit, you know)!
• Tony’s Rambles reviews Dry by Neal Shusterman after our buddy read, and does a brilliant job of it!
• Vicki Who Reads provides us with an incredible guide on how to turn book covers into horizontal headers for our blogs, and she’s got mad skills!

Let’s Chat!
How was the month of April for you? What have you been reading, watching and discovering?  Are you a Games of Thones fan feeling ALL THE THINGS (feel free to DM me on Instagram or Twitter if you want to discuss/squeal specifics, no spoilers in the comments please!)