October Wrap Up

Hello everyone!

How was your October? This will be long enough so I’ll be quick here and leave the chatter for the personal section but I just want to say October was good for me, guys. 

(I promise, it’s only so long because of the pictures!!)

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Goodreads challenge: 80/100

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1. Minus by Lisa Naffziger || ★☆☆☆☆ || GR || Review

Key words: mystery, graphic novel, YA

2. Hotel Dare by Terry Blas, Claudia Aguirre  || ★★★★,5 || GR || Review

Key words: siblings, badass grandma, adventure, humour, sci-fi, fantasy, graphic novel, MG

3. Heart of Gold, Act I by Viv Tanner, Eli Baumgartner || ★★★★☆ || GR 

Key words: mystery, LGBT, catholicism, graphic novel

4. Safe Passage by Rachel Ford || ★★★★☆ || GR || Review

Key words: f/f, LGBT, sci-fi, space opera, lowkey enemies to lovers, humour, Adult

5-9. Sylvania #1-5 by Kristin Kemper || ★★★☆☆ || GR 

Key words: siblings, sisters, elemental magic, graphic novel, YA 

10-12. Taking Care, #1-3 by Gianni Holmes || no rating || GR 

Key words: m/m, LGBT, romance, contemporary erotica, BDSM, Adult

13. Yagate Kimi ni Naru 8 (Bloom into You, #8) by Nio Nakatani || ★★★★★ || GR || Review

Key words: f/f, a-spec, LGBT, school life, romance, manga, YA 

14. Sunstone, Vol. 1 by Stjepan Šejić || ★★★★★ || GR || Review

Key words: f/f, LGBT, romance, contemporary, erotica, BDSM, graphic novel, Adult

15. Waiting on a Bright Moon by J.Y. Yang || ★★★★☆ || GR || Review

Key words: f/f, LGBT, sci-fi, dystopia, sad, short, Adult

16. A Duet for Invisible Strings by Llinos Cathryn Thomas || ★★★★,5 || GR

Key words: f/f, LGBT, pinning, older women, music, fae, fantasy, short, Adult 

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📚 Top Ten Tuesday 📚

TTT: 8 October: Character Traits I Love || 15 October: Extraordinary Book Titles || 29 October: I Love Their Magic

📚 Waiting on Wednesday 📚

WoW: 2 October  || 23 October

📚 Theme Thursday 📚

TT: 3 October: Witches 🔮

📚 TAGS & AWARDS📚

T: 5 October: Are You Ready for Sweater Weather? — The Autumn Tag 🍂

A: 12 October: The Sunshine Blogger Award 🌞 || 17 October: The Liebster Award 💙

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I was actually painting/drawing for most days of October! Yay! (Please, ignore other empty rows in my tracker. Let’s not focus on that.)

Now let’s post some of my better work.

So, you can see that I love taking inspiration from some classical pieces. Why? Usually it’s super easy to follow the light and it’s one of the things I need to work on.

I also drew some random girls I found on pinterest. (Please, don’t look at that hand. I KNOW.)

Those fruit may not be the best fruit but I’m trying to learn how colours work and I’m not the worst with soft pastels either. More prcatise needed but we’re on a good road here, guys!!

And last but not least, my watercolour work! It’s just some of it and I’ll post more watercolour lettering with the review of the book from NetGalley I have on it so keep an eye out for it!

Those bookmarks are cute though and I’m super proud of them! I have three more but those were done in November so maybe I’ll post some pics in the next wrap-up too! Not as many because, wow, it’s a long post here but I’m proud of my babies.

(Also, I’m sorry the pics are mediocre quality! I may be able to paint but taking pictures is not my forte!)

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So, I was really planning to post everyday for #blogtober, and as you see I had a good streak going for nearly two weeks, but after I run out of drafted and sheduled posts — it became a bit stressful.

I didn’t want to settle for subpar content but also I wasn’t prepared to spend hours on blogging every day — and blogging isn’t just writing your own posts. I wanted to visit other bloggers as well and my anxiety kept me staring at a blank new post page so I decided, hell, I need a break or blogging will become just another thing I stress about in my life.

So, 13th of October I took a break — and it felt so good, guys! I finally had more time to just relax. I didn’t come back with any huge streaks after that but my attitude to blogging is much better now and I make sure I pay attention to my other hobbies. Hopefully, this will keep my content fresh as well.

📚 #Blogtober Posts 📚

#B: 3 October: Bookish autumn bucket list 🍂 || 4 October: Perfect Reading Nook 🍂  || 6 October: Spooky Middle Grade 🍂 || 8 October: 5 Classically Perfect Autumn Reads 🍂 || 9 October: Favourite Vampire 🍂 || 10 October: Reading Challenge Update 🍂 || 11 October: Witchy YA 🍂 || 16 October:  What were you reading this time last year? 🍂

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This month I tried to save the links of some posts I loved (only some because I am super forgetful and before I think about saving some link I’m already 23821 pages away from it, I’m sorry T-T…) and I’ll share them with you as well! Give them a click because they’re so so worth it!! 

📚 Reviews 📚

Sari: 23 September: Good Luck Girls

CW: 9 October: Frankly in Love by David Yoon – More Than Just Fake-Dating; A Story About The Intersections of Family, Identity, and Love

Sofii: 9 October: BOOK REVIEW || WITH THE FIRE ON HIGH BY ELIZABETH ACEVEDO

📚 Memes 📚

Kitty Marie: 8 October: TTT: Character Traits

Marina: 8 October: TTT: Character Traits I Love

Sophie: 24 October: Theme Thursday Witches

📚 Other Posts 📚

Maha: 20 October: THE ULTIMATE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO ROMANCE! (+ RECOMMENDATION ON WHAT TO READ FIRST)

Sophie: 19 October: 18 New LGBT+ Releases You Can Read This Halloween

RAIN: October 14: [A READER’S LIFE] Confessions of a VERY picky, VERY moody, VERY stubborn reader.

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So, not much happened in my personal life this month.

Of course, of course — I had birthday October 6th and many of you send me your best wishes and thank you so much again! 

But still, I was mostly chilling? 

I’ve been mushroom picking. I hung out with my family. Developed a new internet friendship. 

What was cool though — I started a journal? I tried to keep a bullet journal many times over the past 2-3 years and I gave up fast so I’m keeping it simple this time. 

I just kave a callendar, a tracker, and space where I put my daily mental health logs. I leave some pages blank and I add my art there when I’m painting but it’s not the priority and it’s mostly functional.

Also! In July/August Wrap-Up I was talking about how I flunked my first ever readathon but this time I had my FIRST SUCCESSFUL READATHON! It was #SapphicSaturday and you shoud join us this month! You can find out about it from my wrap-up post though because I talked enough here.

I’m sorry I’m so long today! Thank you for keeping up with me! I love you all and HAPPY NOVEMBER!! Remember, it’s only gloomy if we say so! 

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