Sunday Post. Giving It One More Opportunity

Sunday Post is a meme hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviews.

I miss blogging. I miss building ties with book lovers alike. I miss knowing how everyone's week has been. Not only that, but I miss looking at beautiful book hauls. However, most of all, I miss this part of my life. Yet, life is chaotic and full of choices and surprises. Time becomes short. And, after spending the whole day looking at a computer screen, the last thing I feel is to spend more hours looking at the computer screen. So, let me give this space one more opportunity.

Happy New Year! A Brief Recap, My Expectations and Reading & Blogging Challenges

Happy New Year! 🎉 If 2023 welcomed you with a power outage and a flood, raise your hand. 🙋🏻‍♀️ The first morning of the new year was chaotic -- to say the least. I guess the year just had to start with a bang. Anyway, may 2023 bring new books, new goals, new achievements, and a lot of new inspirations on your life. Wishing you a year fully loaded with happiness. 💛

Sunday Post. Did I Buy Too Many Books?

Sunday Post is a meme hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviews.

When I wrote, "see you next Sunday," I was naive and had too much hope. 😋 I still have to perfect my blogging schedule. I just spent a long time without blogging, and I need to learn how to balance work, life, and blogging again. It might take me longer than I want to, but I will do it! 🤞

Favourite Books & Comfort Books, All the Same?

Discussion article alert! 😁 I confess, I did not think I still had the ability to write discussion posts -- okay, blog discussion posts because I think that what I do for a living can be described as a 10k to 200k words "discussion post." But inspiration comes from the strangest places -- okay, Twitter is not the most bizarre or odd place to find inspiration. I saw this tweet about one's favourite book and comfort book a thousand years ago, and it was the kick-off for this discussion. So, is my favourite book different from my comfort book?

Sunday Post. One More Hiatus

Sunday Post is a meme hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviews.

Some days, you wake up thinking, "Blogging is no longer for me." Other days, you wake you with a thousand post ideas popping in your head and think, "There are so many book conversations I want to have." So, after another return followed by a hiatus, which I thought would end my blogging hobby, here I am, AGAIN! 😅 I'm not sure if "Sunday Post" is still an active meme, but this has always been the perfect spot to begin anew after a long time without writing.

TTT. 7 Books I Was SO EXCITED to Get, but Still Haven’t Read

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl.

 

Top Ten Tuesday wants to shame us all this week. It's calling out our compulsive book-buying habits and exposing the happiness of finally getting the book we wanted only to put it on the TBR pile and never pick it ever again. Okay, "ever again" is too harsh. Let me replace it by "only picking it a thousand years later after cleaning the dust and some spiderwebs." Better, right? 😋 Now it's time to start my guilt trip with seven books I wanted so freaking much, but I have yet to plunge into their worlds.

 

Sunday Post. No More I'm Back

Sunday Post is a meme hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviews.

HELLO! I think it is time to stop writing "I'm back!". 😅 The last few months have been pretty eventful -- I fear I have been on an unlucky strike -- and blogging just wasn't a priority. In fact, even reading was not a priority. After flying through the pages in January, I had trouble reading one book per month. But now that my PhD studentship has begun, I'll be back to the reading and writing world -- and hopefully, to the blogging world too.

Monthly Wrap-Up. January

Goodbye, January! 🥳 Usually, the first month of the new year goes very slowly, but I have got to say that January has gone by pretty quickly. Just yesterday, I was celebrating the arrival of the new year, and now it is February -- and I'm worried because I haven't finished a single book, nor completed a paper I will be presenting very soon, nor updated my blog regularly as I expected.

TTT. Can't Wait Books of 2022

My yearly can't wait books lists are usually much longer, but I've decided to take it slow since I'm returning from a long unwanted hiatus. I picked one book per month -- actually, I must confess, choosing one book was far from easy, with all the great books that are coming out this year. Anyway, shall we take a look at my list?

Sunday Post. Happy New Year!

Sunday Post is a meme hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviews.

2021 was, without a doubt, not my blogging year. Nor my reading year. Every time I felt inspired to return, it only lasted a few days (not long enough for me to write and/or complete any new post). I will now keep on hoping 2022 is better because, as I have written a thousand times before, I love rambling about books, sharing my most anticipated releases, shamelessly showing all the books on my TBR pile, and being part of an open-hearted community. Let us hope 2022 will be a better year for My Lovely Secret. 🤞

Sunday Post. Another Comeback

Sunday Post is a meme hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviews.

Long time, no see, right? 😅 This year just hasn't been my blogging year. From a reading slump to feeling less than inspired to share my bookish thoughts, 2021 was when I took a long hiatus without meaning to -- there were several attempts of to come back. Still, sadly, blogging was not a priority between a PhD thesis and job hunting (the latter took most of my time). Without any further delay, let me share with you what I've been up since whenever was the last time I joined this meme.

Can't Wait Books. May 2021

I'm back! At least, I hope I'm back because I love blogging about books too much to give up. 💛 Since May just began and I wanted my comeback post to be something I could easily put together (there was nothing easy about putting this list together), here are all the May releases I can't wait to read. 😋 Suprisingly, I've come across several contemporary novels that I wish to read -- you know I'm a fantasy reader who rarely crosses the fence to adventure into cute/heartbreaking contemporary romances.

Can't Wait Books. February 2021

Let's pretend February has just begun, and I'm not a thousand years late to announce my can't wait books of the month. 😋 Yes, this is a new feature on the blog that many other content creators already do. Since I was not able to share my can't wait books of 2021 at a reasonable time, I decided it would be better to fangirl about all the books I'm dying to read on a monthly basis. Shall we take a look?

Reading & Blogging Challenges. Planning an Epic Year

I know, I know: I am late! I should have begun organizing a new reading and blogging year before 2020 ended. The thing is, I was too scared to look at what I pledge last year because I am aware that I failed miserably at everything. Well, maybe I do not need to be that harsh on myself. I mean, these challenges did help me tackle down my ever-growing TBR pile -- even if I did not meet all of my goals. Anyway, I am once again really excited about the challenges I am joining, and I hope to do a lot better this year. 😊

Monthly Recap. January

Goodbye, January! 🥳  January was a month filled with plans (so many to-do lists), but then something happened (you can read all about it below). I do have some very bad luck -- I've been wondering about who has jinxed me when I was born?! Anyway, I really hope February will be a better month and something good comes this way.

ARC Review // Five Reasons You Should Read Cast in Firelight

 
Title: Cast in Firelight [book depository | amazon]

Author: Dana Swift

Publisher: Delacorte Press
Published: 19th January 2021

Pages: 448 pages

 

The first book in an epic, heart-pounding fantasy duology about two royal heirs betrothed to be married, but whose loyalties are torn, and a ruthless enemy who threatens their world, perfect for fans of Sabaa Tahir, Hafsah Faizal, and Renée Ahdieh.

Adraa is the royal heir of Belwar, a talented witch on the cusp of taking her royal ceremony test, and a girl who just wants to prove her worth to her people.

Jatin is the royal heir to Naupure, a competitive wizard who's mastered all nine colors of magic, and a boy anxious to return home for the first time since he was a child.

Together, their arranged marriage will unite two of Wickery's most powerful kingdoms. But after years of rivalry from afar, Adraa and Jatin only agree on one thing: their reunion will be anything but sweet.

Only, destiny has other plans and with the criminal underbelly of Belwar suddenly making a move for control, their paths cross...and neither realizes who the other is, adopting separate secret identities instead.

Between dodging deathly spells and keeping their true selves hidden, the pair must learn to put their trust in the other if either is to uncover the real threat. Now Wickery's fate is in the hands of rivals..? Fiancées..? Partners..? Whatever they are, it's complicated and bound for greatness or destruction.

TTT. 13 Amazing 2021 Middle Grade Adventures

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl.

Happy New Year! Wishing everyone a not-so-crazy 2021 and that all your delayed plans may come true. 😊 I wanted to share with you all the books I can't wait to be published in 2021, but there are so many new novels I want to gush about that I did complete my list for today's Top Ten Tuesday. Thus, I decided to share thirteen middle grade novels coming out this year that I really want to read. When will I ever restrain myself to ten books? 😇

 

Monthly (and Yearly) Wrap Up. December

Happy New Year's Eve! 🥳 Still remember me? No, I didn't give up on blogging after my 10th blogversary (although it might have seen like I did since I have not shared new content nor blog hooped in the last two months). Life was a bit busy, aka I began a course that took all of my free time, so I had to take a mini blogging break. I don't like taking breaks (I fear everyone will forget about me), but sometimes it's very hard to jumble my PhD / work and blogging together. Hopefully, 2021 will be a year filled with lots of new content.

ARC Review // Five Reasons You Should Read Kingdom of the Wicked

 
Title: Kingdom of the Wicked [book depository | amazon]

Author: Kerri Maniscalco

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Published: 27th October 2020

Pages: 448 [Hardcover]

Two sisters.

One brutal murder.

A quest for vengeance that will unleash Hell itself…

And an intoxicating romance.

Emilia and her twin sister Vittoria are streghe – witches who live secretly among humans, avoiding notice and persecution. One night, Vittoria misses dinner service at the family’s renowned Sicilian restaurant. Emilia soon finds the body of her beloved twin…desecrated beyond belief. Devastated, Emilia sets out to find her sister’s killer and to seek vengeance at any cost-even if it means using dark magic that’s been long forbidden.

Then Emilia meets Wrath, one of the Wicked-princes of Hell she has been warned against in tales since she was a child. Wrath claims to be on Emilia’s side, tasked by his master with solving the series of women’s murders on the island. But when it comes to the Wicked, nothing is as it seems…

Sunday Post. Bustling Octobers

Sunday Post is a meme hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviews.

Hello, fellow bookworms! How are you doing? Can you believe spooky August is almost over?! 👻 I know it has been a long time since I've joined Sunday Post -- I've actually been keeping myself very busy, so there's a lot to share. Without any further delay, let me share with you what I've been up since my monthly recap.