The book really wants me to believe that Zelu’s book is just so damn good and life-changing, but every time I read an excerpt, it’s just not good. And that’s wild because I like the writing style of the non-excerpt chapters (it definitely feels like the writing of a debut novelist— a bit green, but definitely promising, and still way better than the excerpts). But there is a HUGE disconnect for me between everyone raving about Zelu’s book and my experience with Zelu’s book.

I’m going to keep reading because I like majority of it so far and the premise is very interesting, but I do not look forward to the excerpt chapters lol

In just 4 days, August will be over. It feels like it passed a little too quickly. With it, summer will technically be over too (actually, by date, in my country fall starts SEP 22nd usually, but it's easier to think of the end of august as the end of summer).

As a fall girlie and stressed student, this is both a joy and a demise. So, what are the best things and worst things about fall in your opinion? For me, the best things are Halloween and the leaves changing colour; worst things are having to adjust to a strict routine, sacrificing my free time and getting caught unprepared by the rain.

Reading wise, how did your summer go? It's the time when I try to read the most since I have more time and I know that's the same for lots of people. Did you have any goals for it? Did you manage to meet them? Any particular stand outs of this season?

In June I managed to get myself back up from a reading slump, in July I got back into my three books a month habit, and that led me to being a little ambitious with myself this August. I wanted to read 2 manga, 1 non fiction and 4 novels. Considering the most I'd read in a month was just 4 books and this would've made the count go up to 7, I'm still really happy I ended up reading 5.

I'm trying to squeeze into these last few days one more read, it's a very short book, so I might actually make it, but forcing myself to read while on a busy vacation put me into a slump these past few days, so I don't know if I'll be able to.

Now I'm curious to hear about how your summer was and to know if you're also trying to squeeze in some more reads like me. For anybody who was waiting for fall, we're almost there! And for all the summer lovers, hope you had so much fun<3

I was recently reading The Priory of the Orange Tree and i was talking to one of my friends about. I was saying i thought it was really interesting and I thought that by all the elements included, he would enjoy it. He then said he might check it out since i said that, but when he was looking for the book he first saw it described as 'feminist Lord of the Rings'. We then got sidetracked and had a whole discussion about Tolkien and the society he lived in at the time of writing the books, but that is beside the point.

I got stuck in mind the idea or trend that is in describing some books by using others. I think it might have been a BookTok amplified phenomenon, which I did find interesting and fun at first, but also started to feel a bit irritated by it as time went on, because i found most, if not all, popular books being described as 'the cross between this book and this book with the emotional impact of this third book'.

I felt that having an actual description of the plot or characters might convince me more. Also, sometimes, when i see the books described through some titles, I am actually less likely to pick that book up, because I did not enjoy the one they are referencing, even if perhaps this book has a different writing style or story progression or characters I would enjoy much more.

So i was wondering what others think. Do you enjoy having that, so you can discover books more like your favourites, or do you also find that you are not the biggest fans of it?

I am giddy with excitement, I was casually browsing my local board game store when I stumbled upon a card game inspired by the Elfhame by Holly Black. I read those when I was a teenager and absolutely loved them, and had no idea it was turned into a game. The owner told me it came out a week or two ago, and I'm now the very happy owner of a card game I know nothing about but the design is gorgeous. I love board games, so if you have any other gem you can think of, please drop the names, I want everyday to feel like Christmas like this !