Friends, I’m so excited to be sharing my thoughts on The Ex Talk! This upcoming adult contemporary romance debut from author Rachel Lynn Solomon is essentially about two rival coworkers at a public radio station – producer Shay Goldstein and journalist Dominic Yun. The radio station needs a fresh idea to grow their audience, and Shay comes up with a great idea for a show where two exes deliver relationship advice and share their experience on air. The show is greenlit with one catch: Dom and Shay must pretend to be exes and host it together. Their lie is agreed upon, the show goes on air and becomes popular incredibly fast and our cohosts end up slowly developing real feelings for one another. But what will happen when their lies fall apart? I had a really good feeling about The Ex Talk before I started it, and it totally lived up to my hopes. It’s a very cute romance, and I enjoyed the heck out of the shenanigans (romantic or otherwise) as well as the moments that warmed my heart. It was sweet watching the relationship develop between Shay and Dom, from that one-sided rivalry to cohosts to friends to lovers. I enjoyed their banter right off the bat, and it was lovely to watch their affection, respect and love for the other person develop as the book went on. The other aspects of this story – family and friends, their other coworkers, the work drama, the radio show/podcast – simply added more charm. My only teeny tiny nitpick is that I think that Dominic should have done a few things differently at the end. But this book was still so good, and I’d definitely recommend The Ex Talk! 

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Shipped is the debut adult contemporary romance from Angie Hockman, centering around two rival coworkers Henley and Graeme who are constantly at odds or in competition even though they’ve never actually met in person. Their boss sends them on a cruise to the Galápagos Islands to gather intel for a marketing proposal they need to make to secure the promotion that they are both shortlisted for, and sparks fly between the pair when they finally meet in person. But will the competition for a shiny new job title end up preventing them from finding a happily ever after? While it took a while for me to be hooked by this novel, Shipped ended up being a really fun read! There were so many appealing elements that made up the heart of this tale: the cruise and travel bits (which had me immediately texting my family book club about needing to add the Galápagos Islands to our group bucket list), the sweet romance that blossoms between Henley and Graeme as they get to know each other better, the secondary relationships (including Henley’s relationships with her sister and her coworkers), and the workplace drama. Shipped is very much an entertaining novel that will allow you to escape the real world while you’re reading it, and it’s definitely worth the read!

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The Twelve Dates of Christmas is about Kate Turner, a successful Liberty designer and part-time baker who is signed up by her best friend to participate in an event that offers said twelve dates (and a variety of activities) in order to help singles find love before the holidays. This British women's fiction novel was incredibly charming and totally reminded me of some of my favorites in this particular genre back in the day! I loved the small town setting, especially with the additional touch of the holiday details making everything feel even cozier. I thoroughly enjoyed the twelve dates set-up, especially with the ensuing shenanigans and sweetness dependent on who and what each date was about. And I liked the romance a whole lot too, even though it was fairly obvious from the start who she was meant to be with. I didn't mind that predictability, if only because the journey to get there was very entertaining! But truly, the reason why this novel ended up really being my cup of tea is because I enjoyed our main character Kate so much. She has a strong sense of self, is very independent and funny, and has quite a heart for others, and I couldn't help falling in love with her too. All in all, I'm so happy I ended up picking up The Twelve Dates of Christmas (especially during the holiday season), and can highly recommend it.

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I adored Emma Lord's debut novel Tweet Cute so much, and with her sophomore novel, she's further cemented herself as an author whose work I'm bound to enjoy. You Have a Match is about Abby, who ends up signing up for a DNA service with her best friend. With the results comes a surprising revelation: Abby has a full-blooded older sister named Savannah (nicknamed 'Savvy) who she's never known about. The pair make plans to meet up at a summer camp in order to uncover the truth about why they never knew about each other and the relationship between both sets of parents... though that ends up not being the only thing the pair figure out while they're away.

I loved You Have a Match! My fondness for this story has a lot to do with how much I appreciate stories about family dynamics, particularly between siblings, and specifically between sisters (which I suppose isn't much of a surprise as I have two of my own). While Abby and Savvy's relationship might not be the typical sort, Lord's portrayal of their dynamic was real and relatable. It was equal parts heartwarming (the connections they make!) and heartbreaking (the complications that threaten the fragile relationship that's begun!), while also being 100% compelling to read about these two as they go from strangers to sisters. That's not to say that this was the only aspect of the book I enjoyed! I liked the friendships, the romance (which has a lot of miscommunication, but in a way that made sense),  and the summer camp setting (including the shenanigans). I was also surprised to find out that two characters were Filipino and to see Filipino food mentioned on page; seeing details like that in a story is always exciting. And finally, I fully appreciated the way this novel tackled the aspects of identity (both in real life and online) and relationships (family, friendship and romantic). You Have a Match was a wonderful, charming read, one that I personally really enjoyed and would highly recommend.

Favorite or most memorable camp scene in TV/movies? There are two movies from my childhood that come to mind immediately when I think of camp, and those films are It Takes Two and The Parent Trap (Lindsay Lohan's version). I couldn't decide between two scenes so I'm just going to take the liberty of mentioning them both here! From The Parent Trap, I love the fencing scene, and from It Takes Two, I love the food fight scene.

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(Please note that I will be talking about books 3.5 and 4 in The Bone Season series. At this point, spoilers for previous books will be unavoidable. If you’ve never read the series, check out my review of The Bone Season instead.)

In the novella The Dawn Chorus, Samantha Shannon invites readers to join Paige Mahoney and Arcturus Mesarthim as Paige heals from her ordeal and the pair await further instructions from their benefactors in a Parisian safe house. Arcturus and Paige are slowly reconnecting after an extended separation, and this tentative new beginning has many parallels to the start of their relationship years ago. While this novella is simply a series of scenes strung together, it tugged at my heartstrings. I have made my love and admiration for Paige Mahoney clear, and the additional insight to her character was very welcome. It’s also obvious that I’ve always enjoyed the relationship Arcturus & Paige share, and this novella fills the craving many readers have had for more page time with the two of them together. I soaked up this novella, with its heartbreaking and heartwarming moments alike, and it served as the perfect segue into the next novel of the series.

The Dawn Chorus (The Bone Season #3.5) was released July 9, 2020.

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Fans of The Bone Season series, myself included, have been waiting since 2017 (nearly four years!) for the release of the fourth book in the series, The Mask Falling. And 2021 is the year that we are finally getting this new installment – and it was worth the wait! As you might infer from the previous paragraph, The Mask Falling takes place in the Scion Citadel of Paris. Paige Mahoney and Arcturus Mesarthim are confined to a safe house by the still mysterious Domino Programme until Paige heals up enough to be given an assignment. But Paige, as usual, has her own goals in mind. Together, the pair will embark on an adventure that takes them everywhere from the luxurious political world of the Parisian government to the grittier Parisian underworld. Faced with foes and friends old and new, Paige will have to confront old demons and new revelations that just might change everything yet again.

Truthfully, I’d initially harbored concerns that Samantha Shannon’s writing sensibility and style would have changed so completely that I’d feel put off on the series. But I need not have worried! The book fits in perfectly with the already existing body of work, as the storytelling style and overall series vibe is maintained. Shannon balances the cohesion with the rest of the series along with the new writing prowess she’s gained since the last book in the series was released, and that’s really a testament to her skill as a writer.

The series follows a pattern where each book just adds to this fantastical story that Shannon has crafted, opening up the story and the world just a little bit more than before. We travel to new locations (and in The Mask Falling, the location is Paris). We learn new things about the world, including more about clairvoyance, the rebellion, the Rephaim and government of Scion. We meet interesting new characters and we learn more about characters we’ve encountered before. Even though I do love having a grasp on the series (and I think I’m pretty solid on the basic facts of this one), it’s so cool to keep finding that there is more to be uncovered and unveiled. I’m definitely expecting that the remaining books in the series will continue to have twists and revelations that surprise me!

As for the experience of devouring The Mask Falling, I’m honestly having a hard time putting it into words. (You can refer to this thread, and specifically this tweet, for some idea of what I went through.) The novel was equal parts stressful, frustrating, exhilarating, and wonderful, and it’s one of the most intense reading experiences I’ve had in some time. I was really immersed in the ups and downs, the twists and turns and in betweens of the latest chapter in Paige’s story. I laughed. I smirked. I yelled. I got mad. I teared up. I was stunned speechless. It was seriously such a rollercoaster ride of a read, and I was there for every single minute of it.

It would be remiss not to mention how much I enjoyed being reunited with Paige. I’ve always admired her, as she’s capable, tough, brave, smart, loyal and, above all, willing to do whatever it takes to do the right thing. She’s not perfect, as she does have a temper, a reckless, impulsive streak and pushes herself far past her limits almost all the time. And she certainly struggles with choices she’s made, the consequences of said choices and, in this novel, her PTSD from her capture and torture. She’s such a complex individual, and her circumstances and experiences continue to shape her. I love her so much, including all her strengths and flaws (even if I mentally scream at a lot of her choices), and I’m so honored that I get to continue watching her grow as the series goes on.

Quick shoutout to the incredible and vast cast of secondary characters that Shannon has brought to life! Not only do we get to cross paths with a few familiar faces, we also have a bunch of new ones that provide even more color and detail to an already vivid story. I also need to take a moment to appreciate the wonder that is Arcturus Mesarthim, who has so many incredible moments on page in this installment and who I love even more than before.

To sum it all up, The Mask Falling was incredible! It takes the foundations of this world and the characters we know and love, places them in a brand-new setting and wraps it all up with an action-packed plot. I absolutely loved this new addition to The Bone Season series, and I know many other fans of the series are going to love it too!

The Mask Falling (The Bone Season #4) will be released January 26, 2021.

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It's time to finally share my 2021 reading journal set-up! I'll admit that I wasn't entirely confident I'd be able to keep up with the journal I started last year, but I surprised myself when I surpassed my limits (bonus points if you know the reference) and really went all in on it last year. It's been fun to spend a little time each month putting together a spread, and it's so satisfying to fill it out too. I've been inspired by so many people (like Amanda, Elizabeth, Chloe, Amaris and Allyson, to name a few) over the last year, and I'm excited to dive into book journaling again for 2021!

Since I'm simply using the same Archer & Olive journal from last year, I created a divider page to indicate where 2021 starts. I had to reassess what pages I really used last year, and it ended up inspiring me to pare down the spreads I created. First, there's the books read spread. Not only do I list the titles of all the books I've read in the year, but I also included a fun little tracker that I can color in whenever I finish a book. Still trying to decide if I want to pick out different colors to represent different formats or genres or months!

I originally didn't want to set too many reading-related goals for this year, but I somehow ended up accidentally agreeing to or planning too many different things. Can't say I'm mad about it though! You can find the full details in yesterday's post, but these books to read spreads are split up into the different sections according to what TBRs, book clubs or goals they are meant to track. 

Okay, but of all the spreads I created for 2021, this last two page spread is absolutely my favorite. While I did watch my fair share of anime in 2020, I fell short on the manga end of things. I decided I wanted to keep the otaku obsessions coming, so I created a page to track my manga & anime goals.

It's become an annual tradition (fourth year running now!) for my sister Rachel & I to pick out a word that we want to be our focus as we start a brand new year. After the year that was 2020 (and it was truly a doozy of a year), I struggled a little bit with my choice for 2021. But I've finally settled on the word confidence. I want to hold my head up high with the security that comes from knowing what I'm capable of. I want to charge forward and ahead into this brand new year with all its struggles and triumphs. I want to stand up for what's right and, to quote Frozen II, do the next right thing. I also want to walk in the certainty of knowing that I have folks in my corner who will love me for me. 

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I can't help making a list of goals every year, even when I find myself unable to cross them all off my list. I wanted to pare it down just a tiny bit for 2021, so I'm choosing to focus on the three lifestyle goals below specifically in the hopes that I'll be able to work on accomplishing them as the year goes on.

Drink more water. I've been doing a little bit better with this, but I want to continue to strengthen this as a habit. It'd be ideal to drink exactly the amount of H2O I need in my body every single day, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I can hold myself accountable!

Exercise once a week. In 2020, I've started to become really conscious about my physical health and that includes the state of my body. I'd really like to try to get my blood pumping and use those muscles in a regular way.

Write regularly. Thanks to the copious amounts of fan fiction I read and all the encouragement from my friend Danica, I've been dabbling in writing again. It's starting to become a more regular habit (and I'm coming up with entirely too many ideas), so I'm hoping to continue to fan that flame this year.

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I didn't intend to make too many reading commitments for 2021 (apart from Friends with ARCs with my best friend Rachel). But I did have two reading related goals planned... and also have somehow found myself involved four different book clubs for the year ahead. I'm not even mad about it because everything just sounds like it's going to be so much fun!

Get my TBR to total 100 books or less. I was hoping to reduce my TBR number last year, and I kind of did, but I also didn't since I acquired a lot of new books. Anyway, all things considered, I will always have this as one of my yearly goals until I've finally gotten this to 100 books or less. And, to be very clear, I'm counting both my physical and digital (ebook and audiobook) TBRs for this item.

Read 6 classics. I didn't read as many classics as I wanted to in 2020 (I was ambitious and aimed for 12 - who was I kidding?), but I did get around to reading (and enjoying) 3. I'm going to aim a little lower and read six for 2021, starting with The Picture of Dorian Gray.

Continue with the Paranormal Book Club. This is an ongoing casual book club I do with my friends Rachel, Kristin & DJ where we read (or reread) older YA paranormal and fantasy series starters. We managed to read four books last year (one per quarter) and we're aiming to do the same in 2021!

Continue with my family book club. My sisters Melissa and Rachel, my cousin Carmela and I started our book club on a whim in June last year. And it's really cool that we've managed to stick with it through the end of 2020! We're hoping to read more books this year, especially since we all have such different reading tastes and end up challenging each other to try new (or new-to-us) things.

Start the FandomBuzzz Book Club. Macky and I often talk about how much we want to reread old favorites. So, we decided that we would try to do that more often in 2021! We've picked out a list of series that we want to revisit (or finish, in some cases), and we're excited to tackle them together.

Join the Historical Hellions Book Club. When Samantha and Jess announced they were going to run a book club to read older historical romances, I was all in! It's been a hot minute since I've really immersed myself in the world of historical romance, and I'm excited to get back into it. Especially after the Bridgerton reread and the Netflix series release from late last year!