The Hating Game | A Delightful Treat

Overall rating: 8/10

Spoiler alert if you haven't read the book!

My review of the book here!

Yomna's Pick #29

Picture taken by Yomna.

"Adieu to disappointment and spleen. What are men to rocks and mountains? Oh! what hours of transport we shall spend! And when we do return, it shall not be like other travellers, without being able to give one accurate idea of any thing. We will know where we have gone -- we will recollect what we have seen. Lakes, mountains, and rivers shall not be jumbled together in our imaginations... Let our first effusions be less insupportable than those of the generality of travellers."

A few weeks ago I visited Cleopatra's Bath in Mersa Matruh, Egypt. On the left in the picture you can see the bath, which is a hollow rock with several natural holes where you can enter and exit, and one in particular through which the rushing waves enter refreshing the water in the bath. In this marvel of nature, where allegedly Cleopatra and Mark Antony used to bathe, a quote vividly came to mind from Pride and Prejudice. I was so captivated by the beautiful view and the fresh air that it was so hard to drag myself away. I really can't wait to go there again when I get the chance. And if you ever visit Egypt's Mediterranean coast, this is a sight you must see. Seriously, it's beyond description with words.

Have you ever seen a view that made you think of a book?

Can't Wait Wednesday #8 | The Legacy by Elle Kennedy

Can't Wait Wednesday is hosted by Wishful Endings, click on the link to access their blog! 

Check out The Legacy on Goodreads!

Rosanna's Pick #28

  

The Male Gaze 

There was this trend on TikTok that highlighted what each person did unknowingly to satisfy the male gaze. At first, I thought it was funny, I related to it. And then I saw this quote which resonated with me. Maybe the comedic trend it appeared to be wasn't what it was. I had missed the whole point the TikToks were illustrating. It served to highlight something much bigger than I realised. 

I had a conversation with my dad about it over breakfast on holiday and was glad I did. To be heard. I also realised that I don't know anything about what being a woman in this society means. I have somewhat of a superficial understanding. I am hugely privileged in my ignorance. 

It is quotes like these that make me realise I need to learn more.

He's All That | I didn't not like it?

Rating: 3/5

This movie may get bad ratings, but people will be watching.

L2RA | Fukuyama to shitty detective novels

This is the new little series that I am initiating to get back into reading. This project is a continuation of my letter. I'll just review random books I have read or thoughts while I am reading. It's a travel journal of sorts. I'll use L2RA as an acronym to make the titles shorter. 

The first one is about all the books I read this year (there are shockingly little, but still huge for me). I have started a lot of books but finishing them is another story. 

A letter...

Hi, 

Yomna and I have recently spoken about how we started the blog, which frankly I had forgotten. Back in middle school, when we both still lived in London and I still went by Srishti (I opted to switch to my middle name), we created a place for us to just share what we were reading. It was a really beautiful project. However, slowly it became something it was never meant to be. A job. Partially because we were so ambitious and partially because we loved it too much. It also became a burden in Yomna and I's relationship, at least that's how I viewed it. 

I always felt guilty for not participating and I never knew how to tell Yomna. So I lied and spoke a lot about my plans for the blog and what I wanted to write. But I never did anything and I hated being that type of person. At the time, I was also dealing with the start of a lot of mental health issues. I was not doing very well and was on the cusp of a depressive episode that would last years. I lost motivation in everything I loved and couldn't recognize myself anymore. With hindsight, I realize that I was going through puberty but what I felt during those years was very muddled and numb. I lost my ability to sit for hours just reading and reading and reading. Something that used to be me. I then moved to Hong Kong in 2017 and left everything behind, including the blog. It became Yomna's blog. Ever since then, it has always been in the back of my mind. 

It's 2021 now and I am preparing to go start my second year of university. I, thankfully, as cliched and dumb as it sounds, am learning to be myself again. However, it's a long process and I learned to be kind to myself and realistic in my goals. And I have a lot of goals, which will never change, but I believe in them now. One of them includes reading more, and hopefully write a little post from time to time. No promises. 

I am learning to read again.

Lots of love, 

Rosanna 

To Srishti and Yomna 

and most importantly to Yomna

Revisiting The Selection series by Kiera Cass after 5 years

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

Spoilers ahead for the whole series!

Review: A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas | An emotionally impactful journey

 Nesta Archeron has always been prickly-proud, swift to anger, and slow to forgive. And ever since being forced into the Cauldron and becoming High Fae against her will, she's struggled to find a place for herself within the strange, deadly world she inhabits. Worse, she can't seem to move past the horrors of the war with Hybern and all she lost in it.

The one person who ignites her temper more than any other is Cassian, the battle-scarred warrior whose position in Rhysand and Feyre's Night Court keeps him constantly in Nesta's orbit. But her temper isn't the only thing Cassian ignites. The fire between them is undeniable, and only burns hotter as they are forced into close quarters with each other.

Meanwhile, the treacherous human queens who returned to the Continent during the last war have forged a dangerous new alliance, threatening the fragile peace that has settled over the realms. And the key to halting them might very well rely on Cassian and Nesta facing their haunting pasts.

Against the sweeping backdrop of a world seared by war and plagued with uncertainty, Nesta and Cassian battle monsters from within and without as they search for acceptance-and healing-in each other's arms.

Rating: 4.5/5

SPOILERS for ACOSF AND AZRIEL BONUS SCENE (marked separately)

Can't Wait Wednesday #7 | A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas

 

Can't Wait Wednesday is hosted by Wishful Endings, click on the link to access their blog! 

Spoilers for ACOTAR series ahead.

Check out A Court of Silver Flames on Goodreads.

Review: A Sky Beyond the Storm | Beautiful but Painful

   Prepare for the jaw-dropping finale of Sabaa Tahir's beloved New York Times bestselling An Ember in the Ashes fantasy series, and discover: Who will survive the storm?

Picking up just a few months after A Reaper at the Gates left off...

The long-imprisoned jinn are on the attack, wreaking bloody havoc in villages and cities alike. But for the Nightbringer, vengeance on his human foes is just the beginning.

At his side, Commandant Keris Veturia declares herself Empress, and calls for the heads of any and all who defy her rule. At the top of the list? The Blood Shrike and her remaining family.

Laia of Serra, now allied with the Blood Shrike, struggles to recover from the loss of the two people most important to her. Determined to stop the approaching apocalypse, she throws herself into the destruction of the Nightbringer. In the process, she awakens an ancient power that could lead her to victory--or to an unimaginable doom.

And deep in the Waiting Place, the Soul Catcher seeks only to forget the life--and love--he left behind. Yet doing so means ignoring the trail of murder left by the Nightbringer and his jinn. To uphold his oath and protect the human world from the supernatural, the Soul Catcher must look beyond the borders of his own land. He must take on a mission that could save--or destroy--all that he knows. 

My rating: 4.5/5

SPOILERS AHEAD

House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City) by Sarah J Maas Review

My rating: 5/5

Has a non-spoiler and spoiler section!

Those last 200 pages....

Review: The Queen of Nothing | A satisfying and enjoyable finale

My rating: 5/5

This is the finale to The Folk of the Air series by Holly Black. It is a YA fantasy series following a character called Jude, a human living in the midst of a fae world and struggling to prove herself. If you're into political intrigue, scheming, a fast-paced plot, and morally-grey characters that win your heart nonetheless, this book is totally for you. I have really enjoyed this series and whole-heartedly recommend it for all fantasy lovers out there. 

Spoilers below!

Can't Wait Wednesday #6 | The Beautiful by Renée Ahdieh

Can't Wait Wednesday is hosted by Wishful Endings. You can click on the preceding link or the picture above to access the website.

Rapid Movie Reviews | Aquaman, Aladdin, and Eighth Grade

I haven't written about any movies on here for a while, so here we go!