BOOKS
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
This book was like coming home. I don’t know why it took me so long to pick this book up. Obviously, things are very tumultuous right now and reading this book was like coming home. I know Harry’s going through a ton of life threatening shit but this book honestly made me felt very safe.
The Flatshare
I read this book in almost two days and devoured every single page. The formatting was a bit different than I’ve ever seen but the relationship between Leon and Tiffy was so heartwarming. They didn’t change each other but instead grew with each other. Their chemistry was AMAZING. It was full of humor, a nice slow burn, and also discussed important topics such as toxic relationships, emotional abuse, and the justice system so please be aware of any potential triggers before going in!
Lovely War
I buddy read this with my friend Adeline and ugh, my heart. I really enjoyed this book. I loved a lot of the character development and Aubrey Edwards has my heart and soul. If you need any convincing arguments, Aubrey Edwards has the strongest Sam Lloyd vibes I’ve encountered since finishing the Diviners later last year. This was almost a five star read but the end kind of lack luster for me.
A Heart so Fierce and Broken
Brigid Kemmerer is the queen of amazing second books. I’ve read her contemporary books before I stumbled upon her fantasy books and have found that she does this interesting thing where her sequels/companion novels are always centered around the side characters in the previous book. This is exactly what happened in “A Heart so Fierce and Broken”. I was so happy to be following Grey in this book. The plot was gripping with all the political drama and the moral tension between characters who once loved each other. The ending of this book physically stressed me out in the end. My heart was pounding so fast and I still can’t get over all the BeTrAyAl. I don’t know how I’m going to wait so long for the third book.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
I love how much of a literary genius JK Rowling is. I jumped into the second audiobook as soon as I finished the first book because I couldn’t wait any longer. I loved how much of the Weasley’s we got to see in this book. This book had more of a creepy tone to it and I really appreciated it. The first book was somewhat light and fluffy as Harry got used to this new world he discovered and made home with people he just met. I think it’s a nice leeway into the more serious tone the other books will employ. We’re only five days into May but I’m already on the fourth book so I can safely say that I think the second book so far is my least favorite. I didn’t hate it by any means, I honestly loved it when I read it but I wish we got to see more of Hermoine. It was a lot more focused on Ron and Harry.
WATCHED
The Foreigner
This was an action packed movie that I watched with my family. I loved the mesh of history between immigration during the Vietnam War and the politics of the IRA (Irish Republican Army). This movie didn’t have much of a plot other than Chan trying to seek revenge and basically upending his entire life to make those who killed his daughter pay. It was an easy and fun watch though.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
This movie is bundled up nostalgia. It was a very fast movie and it felt quite choppy but I still love it so much. Everyone is so little, they’re little babies. It’s fun watching the movie after reading the book immediately because I got to see how much the first movie leaves out. This movie for sure is the softest and most light hearted of all the movies.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
I loved the second movie even more than the first. The second movie is a bundle of memes. Everyone’s so funny and I loved watching Snape in this movie. He’s so extra that I was laughing for most of the movie. While I did miss Hermoine in the second book, I think this movie really made sure that Harry and Ron stole the show. Ron was my favorite character in this movie and I will forever cherish the scene in the forbidden forest with all the spiders.
Morgan Long
I feel like it’s not a month if I don’t talk about Morgan Long. I appreciate and love her videos so much so expect her name to be on EVERY monthly wrap up. In this post though, I’m going to get real specific and link one of her recent videos that really got to me. She talks about her current situation and outlook on the pandemic and how she’s trying to just get through the time by taking it one day at a time. She’s such a bundle of light even when she’s dealing with things that are trying to bring her down and I so badly aspire to be like her. So grab yourself a cup of tea and soak up the sunshine by watching her video.
Click here to go to her video!
SacconeJolys
I’ve been following this family’s youtube channel for a very long time. I don’t watch as avidly as I used to because my taste in videos change frequently. Sometimes I just watch reading vlogs or sometimes I watch more lifestyle kind of vlogs. Ever since the quarantine started though, I’ve been religiously watching their videos on a daily basis. They’ve been so soothing and calm to watch which is exactly the vibe I’m going for. Also, their babies are adorable and Anna and Jonathan are hilarious.
MUSIC
- Mxmtoon – Dawn Album
- Lewis Capaldi – Before You Go
- Bomba Estereo – So Yo
- Novo Amor – Birthplace
- 88 Rising – Head in the Clouds II Album
- BTS – On
- J Balvin – Amarillo
I hope that April was nice to you all and I hope you’re ready to make the best of May!