June 7th, 2022

Hi everyone,

I hope you are all doing well. Last month I read some great books, but there are two I would like to highlight in this post. Of course, I will also update you on my writing progress, AND I have a fun announcement at the end!

CURRENTLY READING

Carry On (Simon Snow #1) by Rainbow Rowell

I LOVE THIS I LOVE THIS I LOVE THIS.

Review coming soon!!!

REVIEWS

The Houseplant by Jeremy Ray

THE HOUSEPLANT is a short story about George, a fern, who doesn’t exactly like humans. He yearns to be outside with the garden plants, but when Brenda buys him, he’s stuck inside. He tries everything in his power to rebel, but with time he starts to trust her and actually grows fond of Brenda. Then tragedy strikes and George loses the thing he never knew he wanted.

I LOVED this story. Reading the synopsis made me really curious, because a book from the perspective of a plant is so different from what I’m used to. I thought I would enjoy it because it’s so unusual, but I hadn’t expected to love it this much. In less than 50 pages George stole my heart and made me care for Brenda and her family too. I cried through the sad moments, but the ending brought a smile to my face.

A lovely, heart touching short story—one I highly recommend.

Here the Whole Time by Vitor Martins

HERE THE WHOLE TIME tells the story of Felipe, who is (I really don't like to use this word, but he uses it himself, so forgive me) fat. He's getting bullied because of it, so he can't wait for school break. Unfortunately for Felipe (or fortunately, depending on your p.o.v. ;)), his mom casually informs him that Caio, the neighbor kid he's been having a crush on since forever, will be spending 15 days with them while his parents are on vacation. Spending time with Caio sets off a whirlwind of feelings, and Felipe is forced to face unresolved issues he's had with himself.

I really loved this book. It was easy to read and even though it dealt with some serious topics, it often felt like reading a feel-good story. And that was exactly what I needed when I picked it up.

Felipe was amazing from the beginning. He's one of those characters you just have to love. He's kind and funny, and his character development (from too insecure for his own good to being brave enough to stand up for himself) was amazing. Okay, maybe he did it mostly for his friends, but that's even more proof he's great. I also adored both (his relationship with) his mother, and her relationship with Caio. And of course Felipe and Caio together!

Honestly, there is not a thing I didn't love about this book. 5 stars!!

WRITING PROGRESS

I'm still editing Ailene, and I'm waiting on some feedback from readers before I start my second editing round for Purpose. I'm mostly working on writing my first draft for The Unruly King though, and I may or may not have also started the last book in the Ailene series. Am I writing too much at the same time again? Probably.

ANNOUNCEMENT

I've got some exciting news to share!🌟

If you've read my previous blog post, you already know this, but I've decided to publish my first book, AILENE, in May 2023! Leading up to it, I will release one blog post each month to tell you some fun stuff about the book. BUT since no one needs ANOTHER blog written by me, I've asked my protagonist, Hayden, to write it for me! (Yep, I definitely won't write it myself hihi 😉).

I think it's a really fun concept, because this way you can already get to know him. And isn't it super fun to actually have a book character talking to you?! You can even send him messages and he will respond!!

You will be able to read the first post on July 1st, 2022, but you can already subscribe! Just click here and scroll down until you see 'Join our mailing list'. Fill in your name + email, et voilà!

That's it for now. Have a great month & don’t forget to like this post (by clicking on the heart in the bottom right corner of this post), leave a comment below, and/or subscribe to my blog by entering your email address in the Subscribe Form at the bottom of the page.

Be kind & do good.

Love, Annabel