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9 books for brat summer

Tuesday, August 13, 2024

PLEASE NOTE: This post contains affiliate links. When you purchase using these links, I receive a small commission.

Hello again, dear friends! I hope all is well, and if not I hope brighter days head your way soon! So, friends, I've been a fan of Charli XCX since I was in high school (almost 12 years ago *cringes*), so I'm really happy to see she's having a moment this summer with the release of her latest album, BRAT. So, naturally, what better way to celebrate in these here parts of the bookish internet than to recommend books for what has come to be termed as "brat summer"?

But before anything definitions! What is "brat," you ask? Per Charli XCX herself:

You’re just like that girl who is a little messy and likes to party and maybe says some dumb things sometimes. Who feels herself but maybe also has a breakdown. But kind of like, parties through it, is very honest, very blunt. A little bit volatile. Like, does dumb things. But it’s brat. You’re brat. That’s brat.

So then what is a book that is brat? To me, a book that is brat is a book that focuses on a "messy" woman ("messy" word counter starts now 😅) in a relatively insightful way so as to focus as much on her humanity as her flaws. So, with that said, let's dive right into the recommendations!

everything i know about love by dolly alderton

✿ What It's About: In this whirling memoir about her young life, Dolly Alderton recounts finding her way into parties, jobs, friendships, romances, and ultimately, love.

♥ Why It's Brat: Alderton's memoir is quite beloved for discussing the general messiness that is being a young woman in your twenties. From getting wasted at parties to misguided hook-ups to realizing that your friends might be the real loves of your life, Everything I Know About Love confesses it all. But what comes with the confessions is also a great sense of compassion and love for being a young woman. If you're a girly in your twenties who feels she's lost herself in the middle of the muddle that is life, Everything I Know About Love just might help you find yourself again.

☛ Purchase: Bookshop | Libro.fm

daisy jones & the six by taylor jenkins reid

✿ What It's About: In this riot of a fiction novel, the band members of The Six and notorious singer Daisy Jones recall all of the sex, drugs, and rock n' roll filled events leading up to the infamous implosion of the group.

♥ Why It's Brat: If you want "messy party girl" but rock n' roll flavored, Daisy Jones & The Six has you covered! Yet at the same time, this novel is also a roaring celebration of womanhood, of finding yourself as a woman and ultimately knowing who you are and exactly what you're worth. All of the women in Daisy Jones & The Six are raw, flawed, and, above all, deeply complex, and Reid writes their stories with compassion for both them and their experiences.

☛ Purchase: Bookshop | Libro.fm

emma by jane austen

✿ What It's About: Believeing herself to be an excellent matchmaker, self-absorbed Emma Woodhouse meddles in the lives of her neighbors and friends to disasterous ends.

♥ Why It's Brat: Emma Woodhouse is perhaps Austen's messiest heroine, with her flaws on full display throughout Emma. Nevertheless, by the end of the novel she does manage to learn the error of her ways and find love along the way. Emma is probably the closest thing the literature of the early 1800s has to Charli XCX's concept of "brat." She does say dumb things, she does feel herself but "also has a breakdown." If you're looking for brat, in both the traditional sense and the Charli XCX sense, lemme tell ya: that's Emma Woodhouse for you!

☛ Purchase: Bookshop

conversations with friends by sally rooney

✿ What It's About: Two young women in college form an entanglement with a married couple.

♥ Why It's Brat: There's nothing messier than "an entanglement" (as Jada Pinkett-Smith once called her affair), and this one promises to be particularly interesting. Rooney is known for her pointed observations of humanity as much as she is known for her Marxist leanings (leanings we are fully on board with around these parts!), and Conversations with Friends seems as interesting and insightful as the rest of her books are. The brattiness of Rooney's wor comes in its honest reflection of human flaws, and I, for one, am here for it (hence how Conversations with Friends made its way onto my TBR)!

☛ Purchase: Bookshop | Libro.fm

wordslut: a feminist guide to taking back the english language by amanda montell

✿ What It's About: With sparkling wit, sociolinguist Amanda Montell reveals the ways the English language has been used to reinforce patriarchy and how women can reclaim the language for themselves.

♥ Why It's Brat: Is the word "brat" in and of itself a patriarchal linguistic construct and is Charli XCX really reclaiming it successfully? I don't know the answer to those questions, but reading Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back The English Language might get me just a tad closer to figuring it out. In a delightfully engaging conversationsal style, Amanda Montell brilliantly explains the intersection of gender and sociolinguistics in a down-to-earth, easy to understand way.

☛ Purchase: Bookshop | Libro.fm

yellowface by r.f. kuang

✿ What It's About: When June Hayward's writer frenemy dies, June decides to steal her frenemy's incredible Asian-focused #OwnVoices manuscript, take a racially ambiguous photo, and pass herself off as "June Song," fully attempting to masquerade as an Asian author. What ensues is chaos of literary proportions.

♥ Why It's Brat: June Hayward isn't just "messy," she's straight up not a good person. Yet despite having a main character who is, for all intents and purposes, "the bad guy," Yellowface is far from a bad novel. A scathing critique of racism in the publishing industry at all levels, this novel hits every high note whilst its main character hits every foor on the way down to Hell.

☛ Purchase: Bookshop | Libro.fm

the woman in me by britney spears

✿ What It's About: You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn't think they know the infamous life story of pop superstar Britney Spears, but with this memoir Britney reclaims her narrative and delves into the realities of her chaotic life.

♥ Why It's Brat: As a child in the early naughties, I watched Britney Spears' life implode in realtime whilst tabloids tore the superstar apart for any and every small thing. As a young woman I saw the #FreeBritney movement come to a head as Britney finally managed to escape the abusive conservatorship she had been forced into. Finally, with this The Woman in Me on my TBR, I'm looking forward to hearing Britney's side of it all. With this memoir, Britney boldly retakes her narrative, and re-shapes the public's understanding of her and her harrowing life.

☛ Purchase: Bookshop | Libro.fm

bright young women by jessica knoll

✿ What It's About: Inspired by the real life murders committed by Ted Bundy, this novel reimagines the story of sorority sisters and several other women whose lives collide with the killer's.

♥ Why It's Brat: I never got into the true crime craze (although I did have a phase of using Dateline as background noise while doing homework as an IB student in high school...which I don't recommend if you want to be super productive...) so I've never been fascinated by Ted Bundy in the way that some people seem to be. That said, this book sounds so interesting me, as the author's apparent goal was to point out Ted Bundy wasn't the extraordinary one in that case, the bright young women he murdered were. I'm also hoping this book may show that no matter how "messy" or "bright" someone is, they never deserve death. Regardless, Bright Young Women is sure to be read that is in turns twisty and tragic.

☛ Purchase: Bookshop | Libro.fm

down the drain by julia fox

✿ What It's About: The iconic Julia Fox recounts the wild whirlwind of her life in this riot of a memoir.

♥ Why It's Brat: Do you ever find yourself singing the line from Charli XCX's "360" that goes, "I'm everywhere, I'm so Julia," and find yourself wondering, "Wait. Who the fuck is Julia?!"? If so, then this book is here to help you, as it's the memoir of infamous icon Julia Fox, who that line from "360" is actually in reference to. In Down The Drain, Julia recounts the batshit wild tale of her life, talking everything from drug-dealing boyfriends to being a dominatrix.

☛ Purchase: Bookshop | Libro.fm


So that's all for today, dear friends! I hope you enjoyed this post and maybe found a few good book recommendations. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a very bookish brat summer to continue enjoying! Ta ta for now!

spill the beans, friends!

  • Do you enjoy Charli XCX's music?
  • What books do you feel embody "brat summer"?
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lately with lila july 2024 | friendship fun

Tuesday, August 6, 2024

Hello again, dear friends, I hope all is well for you, and if not, I hope brighter days head your way soon! A quick administrative note before we go on: I'll be posting on this Blogspot site for the next month or two, as my Wordpress is temporarily down due to unforseen circumstances. I'm sorry for any confusion this may cause, but I'm hoing y'all can spread the word that for now my posts will be here! Anyhoozle! My August was surprisingly amazing! I had a bunch of fun outtings with friends, and I managed to finish two whole books on top of that! So let's dive right in and check out what went down this past month!

what i posted

what i read

🐉Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier (★★★★) I loved this book, but had some very minor issues with it towards the end, so the CAWPILE system spit out a 4 star rating for it and I think that's spot on. Dragonfruit is a Polynesian-inspired YA fantasy involving sea dragons, and it somehow manages to pair adventure and a relaxing vibe in a surprisingly effective way! I wouldn't quite call it "cozy fantasy" cause the stakes of the story are actually quite high, but the entire atmospheric vibe of the book is quite laid back, which was nice. My only issue with the book was a deus ex machina instance and some info dumping towards the end. But other than that? *chef's kiss*



💖Lore Olympus Vol. 1 by Rachel Smythe (★★★+0.5) I...wasn't the biggest fan of this? I know Lore Olympus is MASSIVELY popular, but it just didn't strike a chord with me. The art was beautiful, and the story was decent, but what really niggled at my mind were the characters and the romance set up between Hades and Persephone. I think that Smythe's development of the characters relied too much on modern stereotypes rather than crafting truly unique motivations and inner worlds for the characters. That said, this is volume one of five or six so she still has PLENTY of time to course correct on that. The other big thing that bugged me was the way Hades and Persephone's reltionship is being set up kinda gives major alarm bells for romanticized emotional abuse, which is a personal trigger for me so this complaint is a bit more of a personal one. All in all, this graphic novel was fun, but it wasn't anything I'd call special. I'll probably continue the series to see where Smythe takes it, but it's not at the top of my TBR.

reading challenges progress

the carterhough school for folklore and the fantastic's summer reading challenge

You can find the info about this reading challenge on The Carterhough School’s website here.

Completed: 3/15 Prompts

✅Read A Novella: When Among Crows by Veronica Roth

✅Read A Creature Feature: Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier

✅Read A Graphic Novel: Lore Olympus Vol. 1 by Rachel Smythe

what i plan on reading


🔎The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson I'm 60% through this magnificenty mystery novel, so I'm hoing I might finish it in August. So far I've really enjoyed this book! It's got lots of building tension and I can't wait to find out the ending twist(s)!

💍What The River Knows by Isabel Ibanez So far I'm really enjoying this book! It's full of adventures and reminds me of movies like Indiana Jones and The Mummy, both of which are in my "top five favorite films and franchises" list!

♠️Foul Days by Genoveva Dimova I'm just at the point where this mysterious, Blugarian-inspired fantasy is starting to kick off, but I love it so far and can't wait to find out what's to come!

what i listened to


what i bookmarked

what i did this past july 2024

Right away, I knew this past July was gonna be a good month cause I had plenty of plans with friends, which I knew would feed my extrovert soul!

First up, my friends from my Physics I course and I went to the Smithsonian Folklife Festival! This year's theme was "Indigenous Voices of the Americas," and it was so much fun to experience with friends. We saw some singers and drummers perform, ate Indigenous American food, and also watched some Indigenous Lating American skateboarders. Afterwards, we grabbed dinner at a local restaurant, which was delicious, and then we blasted the music and sang songs on the way home.

I also had a big get together with a different group of friends in mid July as well. We all went out to Korean BBQ and it was so nice to see them and catch up with everyone! It was my first time ever having Korean BBQ and I can confirm that it was, indeed, delicious!

One of my best friend's birthdays is also in July, and I wanted to do something special with her to celebrate. We ended up heading to this store in D.C. where you can make jewelry and we made charm necklaces there—which was so much fun and such a cute activity! I had a great time with her, and it was totally worth it to brighten her day as well!

what i plan for in august 2024

My friends from Physics I and I are supposed to go to Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens in D.C. sometime in August, which I'm really looking forward to! Kenilworth is a national park that speciaizes in aquatic flora, and apparently it's very beautiful and peaceful, so I can't wait to explore it with my friends! We're also considering going to a different local botanical garden, which has extensive outdoor gardens and is absolutely GORGOEUS, so if we go to either or both I'm hyped!

In addition to that adventure, my choir class (the only course I'm taking this fall) starts in late August, which is another thing I'm eagerly anticipating! I missed my last choir concert due to an unrelated panic attack, but I'm so excited to get back in the game and singing again after the summer break!

Other than these two things, though, I basically just have a TON of "life administrative tasks" I need to get done this August. So much so that thinking about the tasks in question is a bit overwhelming, unfortunately. Nevertheless, I will persist—I am determined!!

spill the beans, friends!

  • How was your July of 2024?
  • Did you read anything notable?
  • Is there anything you're looking forward to this August?

want to help support hardcover haven?

💗 Your support means the world to me, thank you for everything 💗
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the get to know the fantasy reader tag | meet the maiden behind the magic

Sunday, August 4, 2024

Hello again, dear friends! I hope you all are well, and if not, I hope brighter days head your way soon! Now y’all know I’m a big fantasy fan, so today I thought I’d do something fun to celebrate that fact. I found this tag—the Get To Know The Fantasy Reader Tag—over on Imyril’s book blog, There’s Always Room for One More… and I just knew I had to participate! This tag was created by Mads at the booktube channel a lil bit mads and it totally speaks to my fantasy fangirl heart! So let’s dive right in and get going!

What is your fantasy origin story? (The first fantasy novel you read)

Oh god, I honestly don't know becauset feels like I've always been devouring fantasy stories! Like, for instance, some of my earliest memories are of being a toddler and a young child and my mom and older brothers making up these epic fantasy bedtime stories full of fairies and wizards and gargoyles and such! And, the minute I could read chapter books, I instantly gravitated towards fantasy books! So yeah, I don't exactly remember but that's more because I've always loved fantasy.

If you could be the hero/heroine in a fantasy novel, who would be the author and what’s one trope you’d insist be in the story?

some Olivie Blake books

Wow, another tricky question! Hmmm...I think I'd want Olivie Blake to write my story because she always writes such interesting books! Plus, her stories seem to be very character driven, so I think that'd make my story extra compelling.

Some fantasies featuring the “academic rivals to lovers” trope

In terms of tropes I'd want in my story, I think I want to go with the "academic rivals to lovers" trope! I don't think we see this trope enough in fantasies, but I think it's such a fun one! Plus, I've always been very academic and I'm just the kind of dummy who'd fall for my rival lol!

What is a fantasy you’ve read this year, that you want more people to read?

I’ve actually been reading some pretty under-the-radar fantasy literature this year, but of all of the fantasy I’ve read so far I think I want more people to read Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier. Somehow this book has managed to already become a “hidden gem” despite being published fairly recently this year, and I’m pretty bitter about it! Dragonfruit is a mesmerizing island fantasy which is inspired by Polynesian cultures (and written by a Polynesian author) and involves sea dragons. It’s got a very laid back “islander spirit” to it, but it’s still a really fun read! The only sad thing about Dragonfruit is that it’s a standalone, cause I would definitely read more books set in its world!

What is your favorite fantasy subgenre? What subgenre have you not read much from?

some MENA inspired fantasy books

I genuinely love most all of the fantasy subgenres, but there's a special place in my heart for MENA (Middle Eastern and North African) inspired fantasy! I'm part Middle Eastern (specifically, Lebanese) and I always love seeing parts of my cultural heritage show up in MENA inspired fantasies, especially when it's done well! It always means so much to me to see various MENA cultures being represented and celebrated, especially in recent decades given contemporary views on people from the MENA region and the corresponding bigotry we face.

As for a subgenre I haven't read much from, it's probably grimdark fantasy. Its not that I don't see the value in grimdark, but I also fundamentally disagree with the typical main assertions of grimdark themes that people are inherently awful and there is no hope for a better future. As an anthropology student I find those messages lacking in nuance and, as a result, fundamentally incorrect and sightly ignorant.

Who is one of your auto-buy fantasy authors?

Shannon Chakraborty's Daevabad Trilogy

Any fantasy that's written by Shannon Chakraborty, I will read! I truly think the woman is a genius when it comes to fantasy writing!! I absolutely LOVED her debut series, The Daevabad Trilogy, which also happened to land a spot in my top five all-time favorite book series list! Her writing is so immersive, her characters are nuanced and complex, her world building is vast, and she still manages to have tightly plotted stories on top of all that. She honestly is such a fabulous writer, and I encourage everyone to read from her!!

How do you typically find fantasy recommendations? (Goodreads, Youtube, Podcasts, Instagram...)

I tyipically get my fantasy recs from other book bloggers, as well as from my favorite booktubers! I don't use Instagram that much, and I don't find many good fantasy recommendations that fit my taste on TikTok unfortunately.

What is an upcoming fantasy release you’re excited for?

I absolutely cannot wait to get my greedy little book goblin hands on Heir by Sabaa Tahir, which is the first book in her new upcoming fantasy duology. Tahir’s An Ember in the Ashes quartet is another one of my all-time favorite series, so I’m beyond excited to dive into her latest fantasy work! I’m especially excited as I recently learned that this new duology is, indeed, a sequel series to the An Ember in the Ashes quartet—so now I gotta hurry up and finish reading the final book in that quartet!

What is one misconception about fantasy you would like to lay to rest?

Probably that YA fantasy isn't as "deep" or meaningful as Adult fantasy. First off, there's plenty of Adult fantasy that isn't deep or meaningful. Likewise, there's also plenty of YA fantasy that is meaningful and deep. Just look at Laini Taylor's books and their messages on the affect of war on both soldiers and civilians, as well as the generational trauma which war causes! Or Julie C. Dao's darkly feminist Forest of a Thousand Lanterns, which follows the origin story of a female villain! Or Tracy Deonn's Legendborn, which takes on systemic racism! Just because something is aimed at younger readers doesn't mean it automatically doesn't or can't have nuanced and deep takes on "serious issues." As a matter of fact, sometimes books aimed at younger readers have much more nuanced yet accessible takes on such things by virtue of being aimed at a younger audience.

If someone had never read a fantasy before and asked you to recommend the first 3 books that come to mind as places to start, what would those recommendations be?

I think another misconception about fantasy books that often drives readers away is the idea that fantasy books are very dense and filled with confusing world building and magic systems. Certainly, some fantasy books are, but there are also books that manage to weave in things like world building and magic systems in a much less dense and much more flowing and easy to read way. Many such books are Adult fantasy books, but I think there are even more books like this that are YA, which is why I'm recommending three vastly different YA fantasy novels:

  1. Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson A much lighter and fun fantasy Sorcery of Thorns is about Elisabeth Scrivener, who is a librarian trained to guard maggical books. When a dangerous magical grimoire escapes from the library, the blame is pinned on Elisabeth. Facing judgement at the capital, Elisabeth must lean on a notorious young sorcerer by the name of Nathaniel Thorn. The problem? Elisabeth has been raised to suspect sorcerers and Thorn is the worst of them in her eyes!
  2. Wicked Fox by Kat Cho In this YA urban fantasy set in Seoul, Korea, readers follow 18 year old Miyoung, who is a magical gumiho (a nine-tailed fox spirit who eats the souls of men). But when rescues a teen boy named Jihoon, she ends up losing her fox bead (which holds her gumiho soul) in the process. Miyoung and Jihoon form a delicate friendship which plants the seeds for more, but there are murderous forces at work in Seoul which they must confront.
  3. The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi If you, like me, love adventurous treasure hunting stories like Indiana Jones, The Mummy, and National Treasure, then you’ll adore The Gilded Wolves just as much as I did! It’s about a young man who is the former member of a magical secret society and who pulls together a crew to find magical treasures, and it’s so much fun!!

Who is the most recent fantasy reading content creator you came across that you’d like to shoutout?

There are so many awesome bookish content creators who focus on fantasy, but the fantasy booktuber who I came across most recently is Rachel from the channel ravenhairedreader. She focuses largely on romantasy, and her enthusiasm is so infectious—plus, I love seeing a girly who unabashedly focues on romantasy, given that the subgenre and its mostly female readers are so often snarked about! Our tastes may not always align 100%, but I still love watching Rachel’s reading vlogs, and I manage to find plenty of good recommendations in her TBR and wrap up videos. So, if you’re a fan of romantasy or are looking for some good recommendations in the subgenre, then definitely check Rachel’s channel out!

spill the beans, friends!

  • What book or experience got you into reading fantasy?
  • What’s your favorite fantasy book?

want to help support hardcover haven?

💗 Your support means the world to me, thank you for everything 💗
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mid year mania! | my 2024 midyear entertainment recap

Saturday, July 13, 2024

Hello again, dear friends! I hope all is well for you, and if not, I hope brighter days head your way soon! It’s time to strap in for a wild ride, cause today we’ve got a GINORMOUS one! Today is all about celebrating the highs and lows of the entertainment I’ve consumed so far in 2024!

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

resources to help change the world

Before anything: FREE PALESTINE!!! 🍉 For over half a century now, the Israeli government has been enacting a genocide against the Palestinian people. This is more than something that started on October 7, 2023. It’s not complicated. It’s genocide. And it’s important that we witness, raise our voices, protest, and fight against it in any way possible. Below are a list of resources to help educate yourself on Palestine, as well as to donate to aid the Palestinian people. In addition, I’ve added some Palestinian influencers and journalists you can follow to learn more from and who keep track of what’s going on. Peace to all and keep fighting the good fight!

educational resources

aid & assistance donation resources

journalists & influencers

FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA, PALESTINE WILL BE FREE ✊🏼✊🏼✊🏼

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

To be honest, 2024 has been a bit of a roller coaster for me. Early on in the year, I was dealing with a lot of physical and mental health challenges, which affected my ability and desire to do basically anything and everything. Fortunately, I was able to ask for and recieve help with all of my health issues and I’m now on the mend and in a much better place! Despite these issues, I still managed to have some memorable entertainment and life moments—so let’s dive in and check out my recap!

books

my 2024 mid-year reading goals check in

I had a bit of a rough start to 2024 mental health-wise and, while I'm now doing much better, it definitely affected my ability to make progress with my reading goals, unfortunately. I was hoping to complete 15 to 20 books this year, but I've had to scale that back to 5 to 10 books. I also was hoping to take part in G's/Book Roast's Year in Aeldia reading challenge, but I missed so much of it that I think that goal is a total wash for me. That said, I am still hoping to check off some prompts for the 2024 Beat The Backlist reading challenge and the 2024 Swords & Stars reading challenge. I'm also taking part in The Carterhough School of Folklore and the Fantastic's 2024 Summer Reading Challenge, which hopefully will help me read more! Regardless, my primary goal each year is always "quality over quantity," so I'm trying to remember that numbers shouldn't be something I stress over.

favorite read of 2024 (so far)

Well, technically I only read and finished one book prior to July this year, and it was a novella 😅 Fortunately, it was an amazing hit with me! Which novella do I speak of? When Among Crows by Veronica Roth! Listen. I'm not usually someone who goes for standalones nor for novellas, so I am abolutely stunned by the fact that I loved this standalone novella so much!! Especially when you consider that I hadn't read any of Veronica Roth's works since The Divergent Trilogy!!! As much as The Divergent Trilogy means to me, in retrospect I can recognize that it's not the most well written series of books, but what is clear to me after reading When Among Crows is that in the years since writing her debut series Roth has really mastered her craft.


most anticipated book releases of the second half of 2024

Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan seems like the perfect mix of The Shadows Between Us and Inkheart and I am SO HERE for it! To my understanding, Long Live Evil is about a woman who's transported into the world of her favorite fantasy book series, only to find out that she's now the villain in the story. Sounds amazing, right?! I can't wait!!

Apparently, Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid is a feminist retelling of Lady Macbeth's story, and I can already feel the urge to have grabby hands for this book forming within me! I wasn't a fan of Reid's debut Adult fantasy novel, The Wolf and the Woodsman, but I was a fan of one of her other novels, the feminist YA dark academia fantasy standalone, A Study in Drowning. That all said, I think Reid's take on Lady Macbeth could be a hit for me, so I can't wait to see for myself what it's all about!

I love the Truly Devious series, so of course I am absolutely ecstatic to check out Death at Morning House by Maureen Johnson! It looks like this book is a standalone mystery novel that's unconnected to the world of Truly Devious, but I'm still ridiculously excited to read it eventually. I love Johnson's writing in her mystery books, in addition to her sense of humor and how she incorporates it into all of her works. I'm super eager to see how she writes mysteries outside of Truly Devious, so I can't wait to get my hands on her upcoming novel!

The Girl with No Reflection by Keshe Chow seems like such a unique novel, and I'm so here for it!! It's synopsis speaks of princesses, arranged marriages and mirror worlds which hide a strange darkness---all of which sound incredible! It's rare in our current publishing landscape that I come across traditionally published books which seem so unique, so I'm hyped for The Girl with No Reflection!

I've been hearing about This Ravenous Fate by Hayley Dennings for years now as I actually followed the author back when she was an active booktuber. I know Hayley's big pitch for her debut novel is "Black, sapphic vampires during the Harlem Renaissance," and that honestly sounds so incredible to me!! After literal years of anticipating this book, I can't wait to find out if it lives up to my dreams of it!

Mistress of Lies by K.M. Enright looks like a delightfully dark romp and I'm so excited for it! After all, it's got vampires and an angsty polyamorous romance and is written by a Filipino author---what more could you ask for?! I've seen so many of my fellow online community friends salivating over this upcoming release and I am fully down with the hype!

I absolutely LOVED the underrated GEM that is Wolf by Wolf so when I saw the author had a new book releasing after years of silence, you can bet your bottom dollor I was (and remain) so stoked! And, lucky for me, The Enchanted Lies of Celeste Artois by Ryan Graudin looks equally as amazing as the author's other works! Set in the magical and lush world of Paris in the early 1900s, this book boasts of fortune tellers, con artists, and devilish deals. It sounds incredible and I can't wait to find out if it really is!

Y'all know I'm always down for a good story involving fae, and it looks like Tales of a Monstrous Heart by Jennifer Delaney has me covered this year! Interestingly enough, this book is also touted as being a gothic, dark academia romantasy, which is a take on fae fantasy that I haven't seen before---so I'm extra excited for it! Tales of a Monstrous Heart seems like a monstrously good time that I can't wait to get my hands on!

The Count of Monte Cristo is one of my favorite stories, so when I heard that For She Is Wrath by Emily Varga is a Pakistani-inspired retelling of it? Oooooh, y'all know I instantly added this to my TBR!!! I mean, who doesn't love a good revenge story? Certainly not me! Catch me on Audible the midnight this book releases, eagerly downloading my pre-order, lol!

Last year one of my favorite reads was Spice Road, so obviously I am super excited for the sequel, Sea Serpent by Maiya Ibrahim! Spice Road ended at a wild point and I can't wait to see what's next for the characters. Most of all, I can't wait to see how the characters grow and change, cause Ibrahim's character work is immaculate! I'll be so happy when I have the audiobook of this book in my posession!

I wasn't a fan of Down Comes The Night, but I'll be giving the author another chance with the upcoming adult fantasy A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft. I'm particularly interested as the main character is a folklorist and I'm majoring in anthropology with a minor in folklore and mythology---so the MC and I have that in common! A Dark and Drowning Tide is also described as a sapphic rivals-to-lovers fantasy romance and oh my god I need it now!!! This book sounds so amazing and I'm looking forward to getting it!

I saved the best for last because my most anticipated release of the entirety of 2024 releases during the second half of the year and that book is Heir by Sabaa Tahir!!! I've heard conflicting reports as to whether or not Heir is connected to the world of An Ember in the Ashes, but regardless, I'm hyped for this new book from Sabaa! This is her return to fantasy, and I absolutely cannot wait!!!!

tv & film

favorite tv series of 2024 (so far)

I haven't watched many TV series since the beginning of the year, so this prompt had me searching my mental archives, heh. But once I jogged my memory, the TV series I've watched this year that stuck out to me was one I've only watched two episodes of so far but still loved: School Spirits. My enjoyment of this series is a bit of a surprise to me seeing as I went into watching it thinking it was gonna be something TOTALLY different. I had thought it was a comedy---turns out it's actually not, it's actually a murder mystery. But it also was really good, despite my misconception! School Spirits is about a teenage girl who wakes up to find that she's been murdered (to her disbelief) and who goes on to try and solve the mystery of her own murder with the help of her living and dead friends. It's a surprisingly emotional show, and the actors really do it justice. I can't wait to watch more of it, and I definitely recommend you check it out!

most disappointing tv series of 2024 (so far)

When I saw that the Amazon reboot of Mr. & Mrs. Smith had released earlier this year, I was excited. I had watched the original movie for my film theory course, and thought it was relatively fun. Unfortunately, the Amazon reboot left me kinda disappointed. The original film uses a pretty unique framing device which makes the film feel a little more flirty and fun, but the reboot (which is supposed to tell the origin of Mr. and Mrs. Smith's marriage) totally drops the framing device. It was choices like that that I think made the series lack a certain charm, and the humor that was utilized was so dry that it didn't pick up the slack. I also feel like the actors did the best they could with the script and directorial choices, but ultimately the characters felt very stale. The pacing of the plot didn't help, either, as it felt oddly slow for an action series. All in all, the more I relflect on this series, the more disappointed I am.

most anticipated tv series releases of the second half of 2024

The first TV series releasing in the second half of 2024 that I'm anticipating is one I've been anticipating for literal YEARS now that finally has a release date! It's Marvel and Disney+'s Agatha All Along! Ever since I watched WandaVision a few years ago and heard that Agatha would be getting her own series, I've been anticipating the show. In fact, I'm pretty sure this series has been on most of my quarterly check ins since I initially heard of it! And we finally have a release date for it---September 18, 2024! I'm so freaking excited!!! Agatha was such a compelling character in WandaVision and I absolutely can't wait to find out more about her and see her causing chaos in more stories!



Another upcoming TV series I'm looking forward to is A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. All I really know is that this series is about a teen girl who starts a true crime podcast as part of a school project wherein she aims to solve a murder mystery which everyone thinks was already solved. I also know the original book series by Holly Jackson is ridiculously popular. I've never read the books this YA mystery/thriller show is adapted from---but please don't kill me yet because they're on my list! I'm actually currently reading and enjoying Holly Jackson's latest YA mystery/thriller (The Reappearance of Rachel Price), which is part of why I think I'll enjoy this upcoming adaptation of her other series. So, I'm excited to see if this show lives up to all the hullabaloo!

favorite movie of 2024 (so far)

This year has been the year of "screen scarcity" for me, seeing as I've only watched one film this year! Thank god it was a good one, though!! The singular movie Ive watched this year was Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse, which I mostly enjoyed. I don't think it quite surpassed the first film for me, but it was a fun watch and, of course, the animation was INCREDIBLE! I also loved seeing more of Gwen's story in the film---I feel like it had equally as much depth as Miles's story, which was a pleasant surprise! And in the end, the cliffhanger ending rocked me, especially knowing that these films take a while to animate, meaning we probably won't get the sequel for a bit 😭




music

favorite songs of 2024 (so far)

If there's any song that reminds me that I'm proud to be an Arab girly (especially in times like these), it's "Batwanes Beek" by Felukah. This fun anthem is a remix of a classic Arab song called "Batwanes Beek" (which, fun fact, the original "Batwanes Beek" was also sampled by R&B legend Aaliyah) and I love it to bits! It perfectly mixes the sounds of Arab pop and Western pop to get listeners dancing, and it has plenty of cultural Easter eggs for Arab and Arab diaspora listeners. Just perfection!!

Sometimes there are songs whose lyrics just get you, and for me one of those songs is "Free" by Florence + The Machine. I've been a big fan of Florence + The Machine since I was in high school (so, like, for 15 years now *sobs*) and I've always felt Florence Welch's songs have amazing lyrics paired with insanely beautiful, haunting, and atmospheric music. "Free" is no different in that regard, but there's an added layer of lyrical relatablilty for me which makes this particular song extra special.

Last but certainly not least is the powerful protest song of the year: "HIND'S HALL" by Macklemore. It's so lovely to see artists like Macklemore and Kehlani take a stand for what they know to be right, even when it's against the industry. And, just like we saw in the 1960s and 1970s, turns out protest makes some good music! "HIND'S HALL" reminds me of the good in the world, that there are people who are willing to stand up in the face of evil, even if doing so means making sacrifices.

favorite albums of 2024 (so far)

Babe, wake up, new Elyanna album just dropped!!! WOLEDTO by Elyanna is the latest addition to the Palestinian-Chilean artist's discography, and it is immaculate, as per usual! I know I can always expect perfection from Elyanna and, honestly, WOLEDTO doesn't disappoint.

If you're in the market for another Palestinian artist who perfectly mixes Levantine Arab sounds and Western music, then you need to check out Deira by Saint Levant! My friend recommended Saint Levant's music to me a few years back, but he's gotten much more attention in light of recent events, and I genuinely couldn't be happier that people are listening to him now!

HIT ME HARD AND SOFT by Billie Eilish is another 2024 album that I've been obsessing over. I feel like Billie's music get better with each album---and that's saying a lot as she started out with her music being AMAZING!

most disappointing album of 2024 (so far)

The minute I listened through The Secret of Us by Gracie Abrams, I realized why most Swifties seem to love Abrams. It's because she sounds like a carbon copy of Taylor Swift. Everything from her vocals to her production to the vibe of her songs on The Secret of Us sounds exactly like Swift, to a point that it's a little freaky. Which, I guess isn't surprising when you consider that she's opened for Taylor on on the Eras Tour and that Taylor's producer, Jack Antonoff, also produced The Secret of Us. Still, it is quite disappointing and makes the album fade into the background of wannabe pop stars pretty easily, seeing as it's nothing new. I know that sounds harsh, but I'm miffed because I can tell Abrams has talent, it just seems kinda wasted, ya know?

favorite newly discovered artists of 2024 (so far)

I know I'm late to the party for Sabrina Carpenter but I'm here now, okay?! I love all of her latest music and the stylistic variety she's been showing within all of it. I'm so impressed by her vocal versatility, like, it's embarassing that I wasn't listening to her before now!! It took me a minute after hearing "Espresso" to jump into listening to her backlog, but, guys, I'm there now and I love it so much, I promise! I can't wait to hear her upcoming album, and if you aren't yet onboard the Sabrina Carpenter Express(o), I encourage you to jump on now before it leaves the station!


miscellaineous

favorite webcomics of 2024 (so far)

I zoomed through the entirety of what's currently posted of Morgana and Oz by Miyuli earlier this year, and I fell so in love with it! This adorable webcomic is about a witch and a vampire from feuding clans who befriend each other and team up to investigate some mysterious, magical happenings. It's sweet and cozy with a hint of dark mystery, which sounds like an odd pairing but works perfectly!



favorite podcasts of 2024 (so far)

When it comes to podcasts, I've listened to several new-to-me episodes of old favorite shows, but my latest new favorite podcast that I hadn't listened to previousy is Rehash. Surprisingly to me, Rehash is cohosted by one of my favorite YouTubers---Maia of the video essay focused channel Broey Deschanel. The other half of the cohosting duo is Hannah, who I believe is a researcher for Maia. The podcast is about internet "phenomena" that quickly gained and lost the spotlight in the public's conscience. If you're a fan of YouTube video essays and commentary channels, then Rehash is the podcast for you! Maia and Hannah take a very balanced and nuanced approach to their topics, and it's clear that they do their research very well!

favorite youtubers of 2024 (so far)

Recently on YouTube I've really been enjoying Lauren Louise. Her videos have a very calming vibe about them, full of gentle visuals and atmospheric ambient background music. It's all very lovely and tranquil.

miscellaineous favorites of 2024 (so far)

my new(ish) midori b6 slim journal

I'll be real with you: I'm not a "journal everyday" kinda person. My journaling is part scrapbooking and takes place more sporadically than most people online advise. But what's made it easier for me to journal when I do journal is having less page to fill. And that's where the Midori B6 Slim journal that I purchased this past May comes in handy! It's shorter and slimmer than the A5 journals that a lot of people favor, which makes it easier to fill up quicker because---ta da!---smaller page size! For me, this helps take the pressure off feeling like I have to write a lot without having much to say, since it's just easier to fill a page with less. Which is...a relief, tbh 😅



favorite memories of 2024 (so far)

having an arts and crafts day with friends at a cafe restaurant

Back in April, my friends and I had an "arts and crafts date" at a local restaurant and it was such amazing fun!!! We all brought different arts and crafts supplies and taught each other things like knitting and how to make friendship bracelets whilst snacking on delicious brunch food! We a had such a great time, and I was happy to spend more time bonding with my friends!




attending an african-palestinian solidarity event with my friend

In May, one of my good friends and I made a day of going to an African/Palestinian solidarity event and then spending time in D.C., and it was great! It was lovely to be in community with both of our cultural communities, since both of us are Afro Arab (she's Egyptian and I'm Black/Lebanese). After the event, we went to a local indie bookstore, where I purchased a tiny journal. Then we went to a funky local cafe next to the bokstore and tried out the lavender honey latte---yum!





going to the smithsonian folklife festival with friends

I know July 1st is technically the second half of the year, but I'm counting it anyway 😆 Anyhoo, this past July 1st, my friends and I went to the Smithsonian's Folklife Festival. The Folklife Festival is a free annual event put on my the Smithsonian which celebrates the cultures of the world. This year's theme was "Indigenous Voices of the Americas," so they had food, music, dancing, arts and crafts, activities, and sports from Indigenous America. It was so much fun to go to with my friends! We saw a singing and drum performance, watched Indigenous Latin American skateboarders, and had delicious Indigenous American food! Afterward, we went to a local restaurant for dinner, and it was soooo good!! I had a great time, but the best thing was just having fun with my friends 💗


spill the beans, friends!

  • What are your entertainment favorites from the first half of 2024?
  • What are you looking forward to in the second half of 2024?

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