Quarterly wrap up + tbr! || in which i ramble on about shadow & bone and other equally amazing things

this chunk is pure chaos. proceed at your own risk ☺️

these months were a haze of finals and frantic studying which was fun (no, not really)
also for a glorious minute i contemplated having a organised posting schedule but… i’m afraid not 😂 posts will be sporadic and chaotic as usual.

my friend got me addicted to ‘achilles come down‘ & now i DESPERATELY want to reread ‘the song of achilles‘ while listening to it. // is this solely because it’s going to traumatise me? y.e.s. also can we take a moment to appreciate ‘ACD’!? it’s so haunting and beautiful and the voice overlap* at 4:30minutes (approx) is the reason why I’m OBSESSED 😍 I am SO late to the hype but seriously, if you haven’t heard it, please do!! it’s seven minutes long but imo 100% worth it.

ALSO SILVER UNDER NIGHTFALL SEQUEL!! i literally gasped when i saw it on goodreads. we’re going to be reunited with our queer chaotic vampires so soon!!!
>>lmaoo so i thought the release date was sept’23 but it’s not!?! it’s APRIL FOURTH TWENTY TWENTY FOUR (4/4/24) how am i expected to wait for a YEAR??
>>>i’m crying i can’t fucking read y’all. the release date is october 3rd 2023.
>>>>wait so there are two different release dates?? one is april’24 and the other is october’23. i do not understand the publishing industry at times-

entirely unrelated but i just saw a horror movie and now am traumatised & in desperate need of therapy. horror is a terrifying genre and i do not have the metal to watch it.

shadow and bone season two!!!!//i’m trying my best to not spontaneously combust over this show asdfghjkl
this definitely takes a different turn from the books & i am a bit salty over the ending regarding the Crows but overall, THIS WAS SO GOOD. alina’s smile at the end?? oh my GOD i am terrified and hyped for her character! and genya!! i love her an unreasonable amount. also, there was SO MUCH POTENTIAL for the “i am not ruined. i am ruination” line ahhh!!
the show doesn’t follow ruin and rising, instead it diverges and incorporates bits from SoC and the ending sets itself up nicely for KoS. but a few unresolved storylines will most likely be carried forward.

i’m in love with toyla, i missed the Crows so much and ngl, i prefer the shadow and bone show storyline to the S&B books.
ALSO WYLAN AND NINA!! they ‘joined’ the Crows this year and everytime the five of them interact, i need to lie down for 20 years. lines were literally lifted from the book!!

also -holy shit- that butterfly scene was so UNHINGED i am still reeling!! also i DIED watching the wesper banter. and nina 😭 I LOVE HER. the scene where she deduced the CA whereabouts in like, five seconds?? ICONIC.
jack wolfe is literally wylan and no i will not be hearing otherwise. i’m dying, the crows are almost complete!! the piano scene?? the waffle reference?? THE BUTTERFLY SCENE?? god tier, y’all.
the kanej angst was a+ but i do feel that it was a bit rushed, especially inej’s character arc. her entire arc in SoC is based off her facing [spoilers redacted] and choosing to [spoilers redacted] so this felt a bit rushed i’m so happy we got inej & zoya content though. QUEENS.
also jesper witnessing kaz’s first onscreen panic attack?? and him not realising & blabbering on?? SO IN CHARACTER!! and kaz asdfghjkl i was not expecting Those Scenes; they were so well done ohmygosh!! and That Scene with rollins?? and nina?? the entire deal?? IT WAS SO REMINISCENT OF WYLAN’S SCENE IN CK!!! i actually believed it for a good 15 minutes aha.
and jesper!! he had SUCH GOOD character development, i am softly crying. the flashbacks were honestly amazing. his bond with all of the characters is so PRECIOUS and that Gun Scene/ambush was the literal best.
look, we were ROBBED of matthias content & i’m so scared (but also v excited!) to see what he’s going to do next season. every time he mentions nina, i need to sob for an hour, maybe two.
the helnik flashbacks were painful and the ending with nina and rollins!! the AGONY!!



tldr: I LOVE MY CROWS AND NEED ANOTHER SEASON THANK YOU VERY MUCH
*ahem* i unfortunately can’t continue gushing about the show for the rest of the post, so onto other things!

BLOG POSTS

INCLUDES

✨STATISTICS AND PIE (charts)

✨a ridiculous amount of book recs

✨me overusing exclamation marks

✨pRETTY COVERS

INCLUDES

✨me (finally) participating in the 12 in 12 challenge

✨stunning book recs from my stunning friends ❤

✨weird thrillers with bloody knives but also soft romcoms

✨gay books. what more do you want 😂

INCLUDES

✨sapphic yearning

✨maleficent villain origin story

✨intricate world building

✨list format review!

INCLUDES

✨so many books from old favourite authors

✨trans books!! trans pianists, trans romcoms, trans pirates (y’all… y’know what this means?? WE HAVE QUEER PIRATES I AM TOTALLY NORMAL ABOUT THIS)

✨absolutely gorgeous covers i am very much the heart eye emoji (there’s a dark-foresty/flower cover trend this year and i am so here for it!)

✨the sapphics are truly wining this with all the wlw content.

JANUARY

this is how you lose the time war// i fall more in love with this book every time i read it.

king of battle and blood// (1/12) this was trash but at least it was good? i wasn’t looking for anything heavy with any ‘substance’ so this was fun.

the stolen heir// nothing holly black will write can ever hold a candle to ‘the folk of the air’ but this was gorgeous in its own way ✨️ the ending was AMAZING and i’m softly in love with the writing!

the gathering dark// some stories were horrible but some were eerily good asdfghjkl. still thinking about them. would definitely recommend if you enjoy soft ‘old town’ horror. truth or dare by alex brown was my favourite. THE VIBES??? THE NARRATION?? i was shivering!

eternally yours// i’ve never been too ✨️in love✨️ with paranormal romance but I enjoyed a couple!! the old authors didn’t miss 😌 but i was pleasantly surprised by akshaya raman’s, melissa de la cruz’s, marie rutkoski’s and kalynn bayron’s stories. (the latter two were so vicious and unexpected. I LOVE)

matched// call it a ‘the giver rip off’ or whatever yall like but (1) this was an absolute BLAST (2) ky is my fictional love (3) this is leagues better than ‘the giver’ 😂

FEBRUARY

nothing but shadows// james and matthew are friendship goals. THESE PRECIOUS BOYS.

the wives of azhar// i knew i needed to reread chokshi’s first bluebeard retelling before getting to her sophomore one!

chain of thorns// asdfghjkl so many thoughts!!?!? it’s been like, three months and i still don’t know what to say about this book. as a book, it’s great; but as a cassandra-clare-the-last-hours-finale-sequel-to-chain-of-iron it fell a bit flat, tbh. butbut i’m also too emotionally attached to these characters to be truly critical, so 4⭐️ shall we say?

stolen// oh my GOD this was so messed up and i was utterly enthralled. _{no rating because it feels weird}

the last tale of the flower bride// help, this book has completely obliterated my English. THIS WAS SO PRETTY AND VICIOUS AND STUNNING?!? also so dark and twisted 🙌🏽😌

switched// lmao this reread did NOT age well.

torn// literally all the characters were shitty but [struggles to think of a redeeming quality] it?? had pages?? with?? English words??

ascend// look, on the bright side i’m one book closer to my reading challenge.

politically correct bedtime stories// idk i was probably high or something when i read this, but it was so much FUN!! i can’t remember the last time i laughed reading a book. finals had just gotten over, i was brain dead, i decided to pick up this book. can’t say i regretted it. solid 4/5, highly recommend!

boyfriend material// (2/12) i’m sorry, i really am 😭 i tried to like this book but it felt so flat. (oliver’s texts though. i’d read an entire book consisting of them)

vow of moonlight// first of, let me just shriek over that stunning cover!! it is breathtaking and very purple 😍🥰
i got approved for an arc of and i screamed for almost an hour. that book is amazing and very queer; highly recommend if you enjoyed ‘malice’!! i’m still flailing over the ending no pls don’t mind me-

the monster of eldenhaven// this book really said “be gay do crime” huh?

the false prince// i forgot how much of an idiot sage is. also my friend pointed out all the tension between errol and sage and i’m wheezing. the true love story is sage x errol, not imogen ❤

the runaway king// you convince tell me that the [spoilers redacted] and roden’s interactions were entirely heterosexual 🤨

the shadow throne// i love how sage gets progressively unhinged throughout the series.

on earth we’re briefly gorgeous// this book is both, brief and [devastatingly] gorgeous.

the picture of dorian grey// _{i actually finished this on april 2nd but shh.. let me tinker with time ❤} (3/12) the WRITING skjdfhsfsd // also this was the First Morally Repressed Gay Novel and no i will not be hearing otherwise

here are some snippets news on the bookish world includes my favourite posts, book releases and more (not in chronological order)
i thought it would be fun to make a list on the happenings of the blogs and authors i follow
all linked to the posts accordingly.

💫naemi @abookowlscorner is as creative as ever, and cooks up a lovely AI-inspired book blurb post
💫suhani @randomreadersrambles is backkk with a stunning analysis of babel and i’m both terrified and fascinated by the book now
💫fanna @fannaforbooks compiles an impressive list of SSF books ft women of colour
💫evin @acurlysuesramblings writes a stunning review of the picture of dorian grey and i’m softly obsessed with the layout ❤
💫april @bookedtillmidnight review of if you could see the sun has bumped the book up my tbr

(JANUARY-MARCH)
so many stunning cover reveals!

✒️ kerri maniscalco reveals the cover for ‘the throne of the fallen’
✒️katherine arden shares the details for the winternight read along (recordings of the read-along can be found on her instagram)
✒️holly black announces the title of stolen heir #2
✒️sarah rees brennan announces her 3 book-deal with the first releasing in 2024
✒️cassandra clare reveals the cover for her adult debut, ‘sword catcher’
✒️maria kuzniar announces her sophomore novel’s title and release date
✒️julian winters announces his two book deal & debut title
✒️roshani chokshi reveals the cover for ‘spirit glass’
✒️mara rutherford reveals the cover for ‘a multitude of dreams’
✒️jennifer l armentrout reveals the cover for ‘a soul of ash and blood’
✒️raven kennedy reveals the cover for ‘gold’; plated prisoner #5
✒️elizabeth lim reveals the cover for ‘her radiant curse’
✒️chloe gong reveals the cover of ‘foul heart huntsman’
✒️jennifer l armentrout announces the production of ‘from blood and ash’
✒️disneybooks announce a new anthology & reveal its cover

i don’t have anything specific because school is tormenting me & i just want to survive aha. i do want to continue reading more books. i barely make time to read anymore which is a bit sad and instagram is so draining?!?! why are reels so addictive 😭
i also have a few plans for blog posts and might start typing up posts in advance! the 2023 book release part II will probably definitely be a bit late though.

TBR

DESPERATELY need to read ‘last violent call’ or dante might just snap and kill me otherwise ❤ (jk) and ‘dear mothman’ is a trans MG contemporary so YES.
also loooook @anoushka i’m finally getting to ‘lesbiana’s guide to catholic school’ lmao.

i’m so excited for april-may!! i’m from india so it’s summer and that equals to MANGOES (my one true love 🥰) also can’t wait for my break to start, so i can devour the stunning new releases!!

HOW HAVE YOU BEEN? HAVE YOU READ ANYTHING EXCITING? DO TELL!!

and most importantly, do you like mangoes?? AND YOUR THOUGHTS ON SHADOW AND BONE SEASON TWO PLEASE AND THANK YOU

thanks for reading!
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-ash ❤