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2021 Reading Goals #ReadHarder Challenge
It’s that time of year again. You know, when the year is almost over, and you somehow feel the urge to reflect on what you’ve achieved in your life thus far. I’m doing this right now. I mean, yes, 2020 could have been better. Understatement of the year, I agree. But there’s not much I can do about the past. All I can do is be grateful for what I have now and look forward to the future. I’m feeling ambitious this year. I have goals I want to hit by December 31, 2021, and I’m putting it all down here to let the Universe know (and the whole internet…
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Book Review: The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa
So many books to read, so little time! Who else has this first-world problem? I have the tendency to collect anything I’m obsessed with and that includes titles of books I want to read. My TBR list nowadays is quite long to the point where I probably have enough books to devour for the next few years or so. That’s when audiobooks come into the picture. As much as I wish it to be true, I don’t have the luxury to just sit down and read. This woman has gotta hustle, you know? So, whenever I’m doing chores or out on a walk by myself, I listen to audiobooks. The…
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Book Review: The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
Heartwarming. If you want a book that will leave you smiling, that will give your hope back to humanity, well this is the book for you. It’s got great character arcs which is one of its strengths. I enjoyed the main character’s journey from living a mundane life to one full of colour. Even the kids in the stories also evolve at the end of the book. Klune has done a fantastic job creating a very well-thought-out novel. He has also written probably the sweetest, romantic scene I’ve ever read. If I have to describe it in one word, it would be magical. Themes of acceptance, family, and the fight…
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Book Review: Scarborough by Catherine Hernandez
I’m typically drawn to stories that distract me from reality. Fantasy and Science Fiction rank high on my TBR list. Sure, the themes from these books still explore the human condition, at least the good ones anyway. Something about the worldbuilding and fantastical magic systems softens the blow when I face uncomfortable scenes. Such is not the case with Scarborough by Catherine Hernandez. Hernandez writes about the lives of multiple characters in a borough in Toronto called Scarborough. Scarborough, like most inner cities in North America, deals with issues on poverty, racism, violence, crime. If there’s a great example of showing rather than telling in writing, it would be Hernandez.…
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Book Review: We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry
Do you love the 80’s? John Hughes movies? Hilarious characters? Witchcraft, the high school experience, and field hockey?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Emilio Estevez?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Have I got the book for you!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Set in 1989, We Ride Upon Sticks follow a high school field hockey team in a small town called Danvers, the original site of the Salem witches trials. They start documenting their dark deeds in an Emilio Estevez notebook and lo and behold, they start winning. But, to maintain their winning streak, they have to recharge Emilio with more dark deeds. The darker it is, the better results they get.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀The power doesn’t just work on field hockey. It works with their personal goals as well. Like…