Hello, dear friends! It’s been a pretty odd three months for everyone I’m sure. If anything, spring 2020 has proven just how quickly life can change! It’s also weird to be alive during such a strange and historic time. I can only imagine the stories we’ll tell future generations about this truly bizarre time! I think the most thing that seems most mind-boggling is that we’re so technologically and scientifically advanced…and yet, the entire world has had to shut down because of something so basic and natural as a virus…It really shows how far science still has to go!

Anyhoo don’t mind my tangential ramblings. We’re not here to talk about that godforsaken virus—we’re here to wrap up my bookish life and my favorites from March, April, and May 2020!

• My Brief List Of Good Things To Bring You Cheer
• Quarantine Queen | 5 Comforting Reads To Get You Through Tough Times
• Find Your Inner Fantasy Fan! 10 Fantasies That Are GREAT For Getting Started With The Genre (Wyrd & Wonder 2020)
• Quarantine Queen | 5 Binge-Worthy Fiction Podcasts To Follow During Quarantine
• Magic & Mental Health | 5 Fantasies That Deal With Mental Health Disorders (Wyrd & Wonder 2020 / Mental Health Awareness Month)

The Deck of Omens by Christine Lynn Herman: This was a massively fun, wild ride and definitely a satisfying ending. If you’re looking for a fun, minorly spooky series, check this one out! ★★★★☆

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo: I’m not exaggerating when I say this book took me literally three years to finish but I’ve finally made it through and now I’m hooked! ★★★★☆

Mooncakes by Wendy Xu and Suzanne Walker: This was cute and fun and I really appreciated all the diverse representation, but I wish there had been more depth to the characters and more complexity to the plot. ★★★☆☆

Spell On Wheels by Kate Leth, et al.: What a fun ride this was! The story wraps up pretty well at the end, but I can’t help we get to see more of these gals and their adventures! ★★★★☆

Since I’m just getting out of a reading slump, I decided not to set out even the loosest of TBRs for right now. TBRs tend to make me feel stressed and rebellious, which in turn tends to lead me right back into a slump. So for now, I’m just hoping I’ll read and finish something 🤷

The show I’ve definitely been most obsessed with is Netflix’s new teen dramedy, Never Have I Ever. Produced by Mindy Kaling, the show follows an Indian American teen girl named Devi (along with her family and friend) as she navigates her way through high school. The show is surprisingly touching, especially in its portrayal of grief, and will left me alternately cheering, sobbing, and sighing “Awww!” I binged half the season in two days and I’m excited to continue!

I also checked out Netflix’s other new teen show, the action/adventure/drama show, Outer Banks. The show stars a ragtag gang of mostly lower class misfits (the “pogues”) in the Outer Banks who stumble upon a boat wreck which places them in the smack dab in the center of a dangerous mystery. It’s a tad slow going at first, but I’m pretty intrigued to see where it goes, especially given that I particularly love treasure hunt stories!

I’ve been using time in quarantine to learn hand embroidery and it is such a relaxing creative outlet for me! Basically, I started following this science communicator, Lauren, on Instagram (fyi her handle is @stitching_hew, for those interested) and she uses hand embroidery to teach about neuroscience. I saw all of her neat designs and that she was offering a couple of patterns for free on her blog and decided I wanted to teach myself the art! I looked up some tutorials on YouTube and it’s been great going so far!

one of my biggest recent faves is Eve Cornwell’s YouTube channel! Eve is a recent law school graduate who makes content that’s, like, 50% fun videos about law, law school, and the realities of being a lawyer and 50% lifestyle videos. I love her sarcastic yet peppy personality and her down-to-earth, casual discussion style. I always leave her videos having fun and having learned something. Seriously, check out her amazing channel!

I recently got into the sci fi audio drama podcast, The Bridge and, whoo chile, has it been a ride! I pretty much was instantly drawn in and fell in love with the story and the mysterious and quirky characters. The Bridge follows a radio show made for those crossing the Transcontinental Bridge, a futuristic bridge spanning the ocean and connecting the continents. As we listen along, we get to know the loveable crew of Watchtower 10 and start to real9ize that they’re more than they initially seem and that something strange and possibly sinister may be afoot! Definitely give this fun and gripping podcast a listen!

March, April, and May were…well, they were a trip, if I’m being real with y’all. It feels like these past three months were really hectic and yet…I was pretty much confined to the house the entire time? I think it’s just that it was just a big adjustment period. I mean, my family and I had to adjust to quarantine, my school moved to remote learning, and, on top of that all, my mom contracted COVID-19. Thankfully, my mom has made a full recovery after two weeks of being very sick! Unfortunately, though, I ended up getting two weeks behind in my schoolwork as a result and I haven’t managed to catch up, meaning I had to take incompletes in both of my courses. Luckily, I have very understanding and flexible professors, who are willing to do all they can to help me out, so I’m thanking god for that!

But, believe it or not, there were a few bright spots in these past two months! My friends stuck by me and we spent time together everyday, whether it was by text, by phone, or by video. We also adopted a stray cat! We’ve named him Snoopy and he’s the best boy ever!

I also redecorated my room a bit (which I somehow managed to do despite the fact that it’s still an absolute mess) and I’m really pleased with the results!

I went for a colorful bohemian look, with a floral duvet from Urban Outfitters as my bed cover and a tapestry portraying a color image of the tarot card “The Sun” hanging behind the head of my daybed. I also covered the other wall next to my bed with art, posters, and an old map and looped fairy lights around my bed frame. Ultimately I’m in love with the result and I’m happy to have personalized my space a bit more!

It’s really hard to say what’s gonna happen in the near future. May 28, 2020 marks the start of Phase 1 of reopening for my hometown area, but the Washington, D.C. area (including my hometown area) is still one of the largest Covid-19 hotspots in the US and, being the seat of government, the county/state/national officials are being very cautious about reopening. With that said and given we still don’t have a vaccine, I’m skeptical about non-essential institutions and shops staying open for longer than a month or two.

Anyhoo, all of this to say that everything is just so uncertain. The only thing I am certain of is that due to receiving an “Incomplete/Covid” grade in both my Spring 2020 semester courses, I now have to complete my coursework and finals over this summer. But other than that, it’s all up in the air…

• How has your spring been?
• What books have you been reading?
• What are some of your recent favorites?
• Is there anything you’re looking forward to coming up soon?