Monthly Wrap Up and TBR

It is now May! April felt like it flew by in no time at all (especially when compared to March which felt like it lasted five years all on it's own).

I have been watching a lot of TV and movies to help pass the time while staying at home. I've also been lucky to have regular check in with friends that have helped keep me sane during all of this.

Before I get into what I am hoping to read in May I have to wrap up April. I did much better this month than in March (but we can all agree that March was a complete dumpster fire).

The books that were on my list are:

In Five Years by Rebecca Serle (goodreads)

Something To Talk About by Meryl Wilsner (goodreads)
The Goal by Elle Kennedy (goodreads)
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell (goodreads)

Plus I had some ebooks on my list:

Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow (goodreads)

Undercover Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams (goodreads)

The Honey-Don't List by Christina Lauren (goodreads)

I managed to read six books this month and sadly most of them were not on my list.

Here is what I managed to read in April:

Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow (goodreads)

Undercover Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams (goodreads)

The Honey-Don't List by Christina Lauren (goodreads)

The Goal by Elle Kennedy (goodreads)

Chosen Ones by Veronica Roth (goodreads)

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow (goodreads)

My #2020PopCultureResolution book for April was Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow. My review was already posted if you were interested in checking that out.

Here is what I hope to read in May:

Crave by Tracy Wolff (goodreads)
Something To Talk About by Meryl Wilsner (goodreads)

In Five Years by Rebecca Serle (goodreads)
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell (goodreads)
Hollywood Dirt by Alessandra Torre (goodreads)

I also have some ebooks I am hoping to get to.

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote (goodreads)
The Chase by Elle Kennedy (goodreads)

She Died Famous by Kyle Rutkin (goodreads)

My May #2020PopCultureResolution choices are In Cold Blood by Truman Capote for the book, and Niagara for the movie! The book has been on my to be read list for years, and Niagara is one of the few Marilyn Monroe movies I haven't seen yet.

What books are you reading this month? Have you read any of the ones on my list? If so, let me know what you thought in the comments.

Monthly Wrap Up and TBR

Life sure looks a lot different from what it did when I posted last month's reading pile (and March felt like it lasted a year). We are now in the midst of a global pandemic and we're all social distancing and not going out. I am adjusting to working from home.

I am not going to lie, it's been hard for me to not see people. I miss so many of the people I care about. I know that why we are doing it is important and that I have it much better than others, but I am not doing well with it at all. I feel very isolated and lonely a lot of the time.

All of this means that reading is not something that was happening much in March. I did mange to read a bit, and I am in a place where I seem able to focus better so I hope to get more books read in April.

Before I get into what I am hoping to read in April I have to wrap up March.

The books that were on my list are:

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson (goodreads)
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell (goodreads)
House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J Maas (goodreads)

Plus I had some ebooks on my list:

Interference by Harlow Cole (goodreads)
Foul is Fair by Hannah Capin (goodreads)
In Five Years by Rebecca Serle (goodreads)

I managed to read just two books. It's awful, but I was just not in the head space to read at all.

Here is what I managed to read in March:

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson (goodreads)
House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J Maas (goodreads)

My #2020PopCultureResolution book for March was The Devil in the White City. My review will be going up pretty soon but it was a lot different than I was expecting it to be.

Here is what I hope to read in April:

In Five Years by Rebecca Serle (goodreads)
Something To Talk About by Meryl Wilsner (goodreads)
The Goal by Elle Kennedy (goodreads)
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell (goodreads)

I also have some ebooks I am hoping to get to. I am keeping this light this month.

Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow (goodreads)

Undercover Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams (goodreads)

The Honey-Don't List by Christina Lauren (goodreads)

My April #2020PopCultureResolution choices are Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow for the book, and Sabrina for the movie! Excited to get to both of these this month.

What books are you reading this month? Have you read any of the ones on my list? If so, let me know what you think in the comments.

Monthly TBR and Wrap Up

March is upon us. I can finally see the end to this winter and am looking forward to spring. It has not been a bad winter but I am over the snow.

I feel like March is a renewal in so many ways. Hopefully the snow stays away and the nice weather arrives quickly.

Before I get into what I am hoping to read in March I have to wrap up February.

The books that were on my list are:

Wicked Sexy Liar by Christina Lauren (goodreads)

The Goal by Elle Kennedy (goodreads)
The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher (goodreads)

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell (goodreads)

Plus I had some ebooks on my list:

Interference by Harlow Cole (goodreads)
The Stars We Steal by Alexa Donne (goodreads)
Of Curses and Kisses by Sandhya Menon (goodreads)
Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed (goodreads)
She Died Famous by Kyle Rutkin (goodreads)

I managed to read five books which I think is an improvement (especially in a short month).

Here is what I managed to read in February:

Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed (goodreads)
Of Curses and Kisses by Sandhya Menon (goodreads)
The Stars We Steal by Alexa Donne (goodreads)

The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher (goodreads)
Wicked Sexy Liar by Christina Lauren (goodreads)

My #2020PopCultureResolution continues to be a success with me reading The Princess Diarist for Feb and watching A Streetcar Named Desire. Excited to continue with this in March.

Here is what I hope to read in March.

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson (goodreads)
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell (goodreads)
House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J Maas (goodreads)

House of Earth and Blood is such a thick book. At 799 pages it is legitimately hefty. I am reading The Devil in the White City and watching It Happened One Night for my #2020PopCultureResolution so look for reviews of both of those later this month.

I also have some ebooks I am hoping to get to. I am keeping this light this month.

Interference by Harlow Cole (goodreads)
Foul is Fair by Hannah Capin (goodreads)
In Five Years by Rebecca Serle (goodreads)

What books are you reading this month? Have you read any of the ones on my list? If so, let me know what you think in the comments.

Monthly TBR and Wrap Up

How are we already one month into 2020? It feels like we just started this year. This month kind of got away from me (which is indicated in my reading) and I am hoping February doesn't fly by quite as quickly.

To wrap up January ....

The books that were on my list are:

Wicked Sexy Liar by Christina Lauren (goodreads)

The Goal by Elle Kennedy (goodreads)

Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco (goodreads)

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell (goodreads)

Plus I had some ebooks on my list:

Interference by Harlow Cole (goodreads)
Not the Girl You Marry by Andie J Christopher (goodreads)
Infinity Son by Adam Silvera (goodreads)
Chosen by Kiersten White (goodreads)
Seduction: Sex, Lies and Stardom In Howard Hughes Hollywood by Karina Longworth (goodreads)
The Stars We Steal by Alexa Donne (goodreads)

I managed to read four books this month which is not great, but I am hoping to improve this in February.

Here is what I actually managed to read in January:

Infinity Son by Adam Silvera (goodreads)
Chosen by Kiersten White (goodreads)
Madly by Amy Alward (goodreads)
Seduction: Sex, Lies and Stardom In Howard Hughes Hollywood by Karina Longworth (goodreads)

Now moving on to what I hope to read in Feb. It is mostly the same as last month with one new addition (well substitution).

Wicked Sexy Liar by Christina Lauren (goodreads)

The Goal by Elle Kennedy (goodreads)
The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher (goodreads)

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell (goodreads)

I also some ebooks on my list. I am being ambitious again and including a lot of titles that I have been meaning to get to.

Interference by Harlow Cole (goodreads)
The Stars We Steal by Alexa Donne (goodreads)
Of Curses and Kisses by Sandhya Menon (goodreads)
Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed (goodreads)
She Died Famous by Kyle Rutkin (goodreads)

What books are you reading this month? Have you read any of the ones on my list? If so, let me know what you think in the comments.

#2020PopCultureResolution

We all have pop culture blind spots. It might be that genre you barely read, or that movie you have been meaning to get to. I have been thinking about the books I read and what my own pop culture blind spots are.  I am going to make an effort each year to help fill some of those blind spots and hopefully make my reading choices more varied and diverse than what I currently consume in the process.

With this goal in mind I decided to launch my #2020PopCultureResolution. I am going to pledge to read 12 nonfiction books throughout 2020, and watch 12 classic movies that I have not yet seen. I also want to encourage anyone who wants to take to part to join me in your own way. You can pledge to read/watch/listen to/etc whatever you want to help fill some of your own pop culture blind spots. I am excited to see what everyone has on their own lists. Please feel free to tag me in your posts, or use the hashtag so that I can see them!

My twelve nonfiction books are:

My schedule looks like this (and if anyone wants to read any of these as well, I am happy to chat about them). Each of them links to their Goodreads pages for more details.

January -  Seduction: Sex, Lies, and Stardom in Howard Hughes's Hollywood by Karina Longworth

February - The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher

March - The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

April -  Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow

May - In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

June - All That Heaven Allows: A Biography of Rock Hudson by Mark Griffin

July - Who Killed These Girls by Beverly Lowry

August - The Stranger Beside Me by Anne Rule

September - Lords of Chaos by Michael Moynihan

October - 5th Avenue, 5 AM by Sam Wasson

November - Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt

December - TBD - hoping to fill this spot with a 2020 release I am not aware of yet

Here are the movies I am going to watch for this event:

The schedule for this will be as follows (and again, if anyone else wants to watch and chat just let me know).

January - A Place In The Sun

February - A Streetcar Named Desire

March - An Affair To Remember

April - Sabrina

May - Niagara

June - Rear Window

July - Penny Serenade

August - Humoresque

September - It Happened One Night

October - Gaslight

November - Pillow Talk

December - It's  A Wonderful Life

What are your own pop culture blind spots? Have you read any of the books, or seen any of the movies that I am going to tackle this year? Let know in the comments. 

Monthly TBR and Wrap Up

It is time, once again, to check in with my monthly reading. October was a busy month for me at work (and just in general). This means that I did not read nearly as much as I wanted to. I did, however, eat a lot of Halloween candy and watched a few scary movies.

To wrap up October ....

The books that were on my list are:

Cupid's Match by Lauren Palphreyman (goodreads)

Into The Crooked Place by Alexandra Christo (goodreads)

Epoch by Jewel E Ann (goodreads)

The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh (goodreads)

Cursed by Thomas Wheeler/ Frank Miller (goodreads)

Disgraceland by Jake Brennan (goodreads)

Plus I had some ebooks on my list:

Interference by Harlow Cole (goodreads)
Crier's War by Nina Varela (goodreads)
Desperate Measures by Katee Robert (goodreads)

I managed to read three books this month which is entirely awful. I am going to have to focus if I want to meet my Goodreads goal of 75 books. My reading is not going as well as I want it to. I have been distracted by podcasts, television, and movies. The upside is that I feel more well rounded pop culture wise. I am going to have to find a balance I am happy with though so it is a work in progress.

Here is what I actually managed to read in October:

Cupid's Match by Lauren Palphreyman (goodreads)
Desperate Measures by Katee Robert (goodreads)
The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh (goodreads)

Now moving on to what I hope to read in November:

Into The Crooked Place by Alexandra Christo (goodreads)

Epoch by Jewel E Ann (goodreads)

Cursed by Thomas Wheeler/ Frank Miller (goodreads)

Disgraceland by Jake Brennan (goodreads)

Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell (goodreads)

I also have one ebook on my list. I am really hoping to get to this one in November.

Interference by Harlow Cole (goodreads)

What books are you reading this month? Have you read any of the ones on my list? If so, let me know what you think in the comments.

Happy Halloween!

It's Halloween and that officially ends the spookiest of months. This, however, does not have to mean that you have to stop watching your favourite spooky movies or reading spooky books. I am going to share my five favourite Halloween season movies and books so that you can keep the chills going well into November.

MOVIES

My movie list is in no particular order and are filled with all of the movies I love to watch in the month of October. These are ones I return to again and again.

1. Scream                

Scream is one of my all time favourite scary movies. The infamous opening scene on its own makes this movie worth the watch, but the great cast, and smart script are also big reasons to check this one out. It also has Skeet Ulrich looking very hot. Just saying.

2. The Crow

This may not be specifically a Halloween movie, but I watch it every October. I feel the atmosphere and tone is sufficiently worthy of watching during the Halloween season. I, maybe surprisingly, find this to be an incredibly romantic movie. Eric and Shelly's romance is tragic but beautiful. Brandon Lee is freaking incredible in this. His performance gives me chills each time I watch it.

3. The Craft                    

This is another movie that perhaps doesn't scream Halloween, but is one I watch every October all the same. It's witchy and atmospheric in a way that entirely fits the season. 

4. Practical Magic

Another movie on this list due to it involving witches. It also has the best use of the song "This Kiss" in ANY movie. It's a story of sisterhood, magic, and love. It's perfect for those who don't want their Halloween movies to have too much of a scare.

5. Nightmare Before Christmas 

This movie gets to be both appropriate for the Halloween season and a perfect way to transition from Halloween to the holiday season. It's one I tend to watch towards the end when I am reading to say goodbye to the season of chills. It's charming and also a great way to introduce children to more scary fare.

BOOKS

My books list is a little different. These are ones I would recommend as perfect reads during the month of October. It'll be a mix of recent and older titles and they are, again, in no particular order.

1. Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin

 

This is a book filled with witches, forbidden romance, and plenty of atmosphere. It's also got a fantastic cast of characters.

2. Lizzie by Dawn Ius

Based on the true story of Lizzie Borden, this book has plenty of spooky atmosphere. It's about a woman's descent into madness and is definitely creepy at times.

3. I'll Be Gone In The Dark by Michelle McNamara

Nothing scares me more than true crime stories. They're all the more terrifying because they are true stories. Michelle McNamara has written one of the best, and one of the most unsettling that I have read.

4. There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins 

This book is a love letter to slasher movies, and is especially influenced by Scream. It's perfect for anyone who wants Scream in book format. It's basically made to be read in October.

5. Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas 

This title may not seem like a Halloween season read, but I think it totally fits. Sometimes you just want a good mystery that has some great twists and turns. Dangerous Girls is a book I STILL think about even thought I read it back in 2013. It's stayed with me, and that speaks to its power to unsettle.

There are some recommendations in case you, like me, aren't quite ready to say goodbye to the spooky reads and movies of October. What are some books and movies you like to watch in the Halloween season? Let me know in the comments.