Pole Position by Rebecca J. Caffery – ARC Review

Title: Pole Position

Author: Rebecca J. Caffery

Synopsis: Red, White and Royal Blue meets Formula 1!

Kian Walker has always been the golden boy of motor sport. The four-time Championship winner has racing in his DNA – his father was a legend on the track, just don’t let him catch you comparing the two. As reckless and unreliable at home as he was behind the wheel, there’s nothing Kian wants less than to be just like his dad.

Enter Harper James. This year’s rookie called up to compete with the big boys – and Kian’s new teammate. Cocky, hot-headed and with a reputation for breaking as many hearts as he does new track records, Harper’s the opposite of Kian in every way. But when the season starts, there’s no getting away from him.

This might be one of the most dangerous sports in the world, so why then does Kian’s heart feel safer flying around the track at 220mph than when he’s anywhere near his teammate?

Rating: 3.25/5 Stars

An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

I’m at a point in my life where I get to know how sports work thanks to my reading preferences and not through actual knowledge from my everyday life and let me tell you, I’m not mad about it.

This sport romance is Formula 1 centered, which was nice and I would also say a novelty when it comes to this kind of genre. I know next to nothing about this sport but I think all the aspects were done pretty well and I didn’t feel like there were things that flew over my head. I especially enjoyed reading the high-stake moments when the races actually took place, it was definitely adrenaline inducing! 

But now let’s get to the characters of this novel, Kian and Harper, a four-time Championship winner and the young rookie driver who ends up in his team. The two are polar opposites in everything concerning their training, their behavior on the track, their routine, even how they celebrate their wins! But the more time they are forced to spend together, the more they get to know each other and along the way their relationship starts to shift and develop.

Overall I would say this book was an enjoyable read for sure and I enjoyed reading about Kian and Harper’s relationship, I only wish we could have seen more, especially when it comes to the emotional aspect of it. The two of them feel a physical attraction for each other, that much is obvious, and they also share some funny banter and emotional moments, but overall I felt like something was missing and some emotionally-charged scenes were too rushed for my taste.

Unfortunately I also found some of their dynamics a bit repetitive at times and since we get to see both their POVs I would have liked some more introspection on Harper’s part, especially considering all the trauma he has to unpack in order to fully trust Kian and be ready to be in a long-lasting and loving relationship.

All the remarks just mentioned are obviously personal preferences when it comes to romance and in the end I would honestly say that overall Pole Position was an entertaining read and I’m sure that lots of sports romance fans will enjoy it. Also, I don’t know if this book will turn out to be the first one in a companion series or something since there is a side-character who I think may be getting his own story… we’ll see about that, but if that’s the case, I’m so curious to see what his deal is.

Anyway, if you’re into Formula 1, you’re definitely in for a treat!

Talking at Night by Claire Daverley – Bookish Playlist

Hey there,

Every two months we host a book club on our Instagram page and at the end of the month I will bring you a bookish playlist to go with the book we just finished reading.
Book club pick for the month of May 2024: Talking at Night by Claire Daverley

 

(The moodboard credits are mine. Please give rights if you use it. The singular photos are not mine, all credits to the owner)

 

  PLAYLIST

 

– Mirroball by Taylor Swift
“I’m still a believer but I don’t know why
I’ve never been a natural
All I do is try, try, try
I’m still on that trapeze
I’m still trying everything
To keep you looking at me”

 

– All I Want by Kodaline
“All I want is nothing more
To hear you knocking at my door
‘Cause if I could see your face once more
I could die as a happy man I’m sure”

 

– Nothing by Bruno Major
“Dumb conversations
We lose track of time
Have I told you lately
I’m grateful you’re mine”

 

– Birds of a Feather by Billie Eilish
“Birds of a feather, we should stick together, I know
I said I’d never think I wasn’t better alone
Can’t change the weather, might not be forever
But if it’s forever, it’s even better”

 

– This Is Me Trying by Taylor Swift
“They told me all of my cages were mental
So I got wasted like all my potential
And my words shoot to kill when I’m mad
I have a lot of regrets about that”

 

– Iris by Goo Goo Dolls
“And I don’t want the world to see me
‘Cause I don’t think that they’d understand
When everything’s made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am”

 

–  I Will Wait by Mumford and Sons
“These days of dust
Which we’ve known
Will blow away with this new sun
But I’ll kneel down
Wait for now
And I’ll kneel down
Know my ground
And I will wait, I will wait for you
And I will wait, I will wait for you”

 

– Hero by Charlie Puth
“I don’t need a hero, I don’t want to be saved”
But I said, “I’ll be here every night and day, ” oh
I don’t need a hero, but if you let me stay
Oh, I can still be here every night and day, oh”

 

– Matilda by Harry Styles
“You can let it go
You can throw a party full of everyone you know
You can start a family who will always show you love
You don’t have to be sorry for doing it on your own”

 

– Stick Season by Noah Kahan
“And I love Vermont, but it’s the season of the sticks
And I saw your mom, she forgot that I existed
And it’s half my fault, but I just like to play the victim
I’ll drink alcohol ’til my friends come home for Christmas
And I’ll dream each night of some version of you
That I might not have, but I did not lose”

 

–  Holocene by Bon Iver
“And at once, I knew I was not magnificent
Strayed above the highway aisle
Jagged vacance, thick with ice
But I could see for miles, miles, miles”

 

–  Little Freak by Harry Styles
“I was thinkin’ about who you are
Your delicate point of view, I
Was thinkin’ about you
I’m not worried about where you are
Or who you will go home to, I’m
Just thinkin’ about you“

 

–  Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus by Taylor Swift
“So if I sell my apartment
And you have some kids with an internet starlet
Will that make your memory fade from this scarlet maroon
like it never happened
Could it be enough to just float in your orbit”

 

 

Funny Story by Emily Henry – ARC Review

 

Title: Funny Story

Author: Emily Henry

Genre: Romance

Publishing House: Viking (Penguin General UK)

Synopsys (from Goodreads): A shimmering, joyful new novel about a pair of opposites with the wrong thing in common.

Daphne always loved the way her fiancé Peter told their story. How they met (on a blustery day), fell in love (over an errant hat), and moved back to his lakeside hometown to begin their life together. He really was good at telling it…right up until the moment he realized he was actually in love with his childhood best friend Petra.

Which is how Daphne begins her new story: Stranded in beautiful Waning Bay, Michigan, without friends or family but with a dream job as a children’s librarian (that barely pays the bills), and proposing to be roommates with the only person who could possibly understand her predicament: Petra’s ex, Miles Nowak.

Scruffy and chaotic—with a penchant for taking solace in the sounds of heart break love ballads—Miles is exactly the opposite of practical, buttoned up Daphne, whose coworkers know so little about her they have a running bet that she’s either FBI or in witness protection. The roommates mainly avoid one another, until one day, while drowning their sorrows, they form a tenuous friendship and a plan. If said plan also involves posting deliberately misleading photos of their summer adventures together, well, who could blame them?

But it’s all just for show, of course, because there’s no way Daphne would actually start her new chapter by falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex…right?

Rating: 4/5 stars

 

A huge thank you to the publishing house, Viking (Penguin General UK), for inviting me to take part in the blog tour for this book and for providing me with an E-Arc through NetGalley.

All opinions, however, are completely my own.

 

TW: toxic parents, emotional abuse, absent father

 

This review will be completely spoiler-free

 

Hey there guys, today I’m here with a review of a book from one of my favourite authors ever: Emily Henry. I know this book has come out a month ago, but life got in the way, so better late than ever, here we are with my review of Funny Story.

I have read every single Emily Henry’s romance book, and I love her writing style, her wittiness and her plots. I always say that she’s for me in romance literature what Taylor Swift is for me in music, since they both touch a lot of emotions that I feel with all my heart.

Henry’s books have always been 5-stars reads for me (with the exception of Book Lovers, which still remains my least favourite one). I have to say that sadly this one wasn’t a 5 star for me either. I expected a bit more from it, and while this was still better than most books I’ve read this year, since it is Emily Henry, it didn’t blow my mind. I would still read Henry’s grocery list, though, there’s no doubt in that.

This book is very fun (no pun intended) in its premise, since it follows Daphne, who was dumped by her ex-fiancé. He wanted to get together with his best friend Petra, who was Miles’ girlfriend. Miles is our other main character. In an act of compassion, and equally hurt by what happened to them, Miles offers Daphne, who’s temporarily without a home, to go live with him. You can imagine what happens from there.

I really liked Daphne and Miles’ characters, they had all of the characteristic I search in an Emily Henry’s novel, they were witty, they were still searching themselves, and their banter was top notch. I truly think no one can write a dialogue like Miss Henry. But I didn’t believe in their romance like I believed the other ones in her books. If I have to choose one couple from Henry’s books who probably has broken up after the epilogue, I’m sad to say… this one would be it. I just didn’t feel their tension, or a big chemistry. I felt a lot of affection between them at the end of the book, but I don’t know if it was love yet.

Also, there was a fake dating trope that lasted for the span of literally two seconds, it was thrown there, and it was never picked up again.

But while the romance didn’t totally convince me, what really got to me, and that even made me shed a tear or two was Daphne’s relationship with her father. Henry’s always got the best side-plots in romance books, and that’s something I really appreciate. The love story between the two main characters is not the only focus, and she got, also in this book, to examine some family dynamics that were heavy to read, but I think really formative for the growth of our main character. At the end of the book, I think Daphne found a little bit of the hope she had lost of the beginning of the story and that was beautiful to see.

Okay guys, that was my review for Funny Story by Emily Henry, I highly recommend it if you are in search for a romance with good banter and a good side plot.

Thank you so much for reading,

Watching Books – April 2024

Hey guys, how are you? I cannot believe that it’s already May, the warm season is upon us and I couldn’t be happier about that, sunny days are upon us, and with that, we have also some bookish adaptations news I want to discuss with you. We had some exciting ones last month, so get ready, and let’s get started!

 

• The first news for the month regards the movie based on the book Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder. It will be released in theatres on December 6^th of this year. The movie is directed by Marielle Heller (The Diary of a Teenage Girl, A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood) and Amy Adams (American Hustle, Sharp Object) plays the main role in it.

 

 

• A massive and exciting news if you like the Dune franchise: the third movie Dune: Messiah, based on the novels by Frank Herbert, is officially in development at Legendary. This movie is supposed to have a 12-year gap in the plot from the events of the first two movies, and the director, Denis Villeneuve (Arrival, Blade Runner 2049) revealed that the screenplay is still in the early stages of development.

 

 

 

• We have the first promotional picture of Sam Claflin (Love Rosie, Daisy Jones and the Six) in The Count of Monte Cristo .  It is of course based on the classic story by Alexandre Dumas.
  This one is supposed to come out in September of this year, and it will supposedly debut on the Italian channel Rai 1 (a commissioning broadcaster of the project).

 

 

 

• We have the trailer for the movie Maxton Hall, based on the book Save Me by Mona Katsen. The boarding school/romance movie will come out on Amazon Prime Video on May 9^th. You can watch the trailer here.

 

• And speaking of Amazon Prime Video projects, we heave the first promotional pictures of the TV series based on the book My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows. We also came to know that the series will debut on June 27^th I’m so excited, I love historical TV shows, and this seems to have romance, humor, a wonderful aesthetic, all of it.

 

• Elliot Page (Juno, The Umbrella Academy) is going to produce an adaptation of the novel The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer. The sci-fi novel is following two boys from enemy countries and the rescue mission they’re going on together. Oh, and love is also involved. It seems really cool.

 

 

• While we are all waiting for our beloved Polin season (at least I sure am), we came to know that season 4 of Bridgerton, based on the historical novels by Julia Quinn, will begin filming in June, and it should follow Benedict.

 

 

• Three amazing casting news for the third season of Heartstopper, based on the famous comics by Alice Oseman. Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton, Fellow Travelers) has joined the cast in the role of Jack Maddox, Eddie Marsan (Hancok, The Illusionist) will play Charlie’s therapist, Geoff and Hayley Atwell (Christopher Robin, Agent Carter) will play Nick’s aunt, Diane.

 

 

 

 

• We have the first promotional pictures from the movie based on the acclaimed novel It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover. It will premiere on the 21^st of August of this year.

 

 

 

• And last, but certainly not least, I’m so excited to say that we have the first trailer for the movie based on the book This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens. I loved the book, and this trailer seems so, so, so good, I can’t wait to watch it. The movie will premiere in UK and Ireland on the 3^rd of June.

 

Okay guys, these were all the news for this month, I hope you enjoyed them, and please let me know your favourite in a comment down below.

Thank you so much for reading,

 

Books as Songs from The Tortured Poets Department by Taylor Swift

Hey there guys? How are youuuuu? How are we all holding up? I’m literally so overwhelmed because yesterday “The Tortured Poets Department” by Taylor Swift came out, and are we kidding? And she also put out a double album? I’m writing this with tears in my eyes, I’m so freaking overwhelmed. I like it soooo much through my first listens. It’s very different from what I expected but it was so good, I definitely enjoyed it a lot. And now, we are going to pair these songs with some books. And also, I hope you don’t mind, I’m so sorry guys, but this time I won’t give long explanations as to why I chose every book, there are literally 31 songs, I could be here all day and night. You will have to just go with the lyrics for this one, and my brief comment, I’m so sorry again.
Oh my God, are we ready? Let’s go.

1. Fortnight by Post Malone

“And for a fortnight, there we were

Forever running to you

Sometimes ask about the weather

Now, you’re in my backyard, turned into good neighbors

Your wife waters flowers, I wanna kill her”

Book: Everybody here is lying by Shari Lapena

It’s giving murder in a small neighbourhood and cheating to be honest.

2. The Tortured Poets Department

“And who’s gonna know you?

If not me

I laughed in your face and said, “You’re not Dylan Thomas, I’m not Patti Smith

This ain’t the Chelsea Hotel, we’rе modern idiots”

And who’s gonna hold you?

Like me”

 

Book: Alone with you in the ether by Olivie Blake

We love a torturous moment and a torturous book, not gonna lie.

3. My Boy Only Breaks His Favourite Toys

“My boy only breaks his favorite toys, toys, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

I’m queen of sand castles he destroys, oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

‘Cause I knew too much, there was danger in the heat of my touch

He saw forever so he smashed it up, oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh”

Book: Happy Place by Emily Henry

The saddest Emily Henry’s book, I said what I said.

4. Down Bad

“Fuck it if I can’t have him”

“I might just die, it would make no difference”

Down bad, waking up in blood

Staring at the sky, come back and pick me up

Fuck it if I can’t have us

I might just not get up”

 Book: The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent

You just have to trust me on this one, she was down bad, and then something changed, if you like romantasy give it a go.

5. So Long, London

“Thinking how much sad did you think I had, did you think I had in me?

Oh, the tragedy

So long, London

You’ll find someone”

Book: Atonement by Ian McEwan

London, tragedy and sea references, I swear I have it all.

6. But Daddy I Love Him

“And I’m running with my dress unbuttoned

Screaming, “But daddy I love him”

I’m having his baby

No, I’m not, but you should see your faces

I’m telling him to floor it through the fences

No, I’m not coming to my senses

I know it’s crazy”

Book: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Do I even have to explain this one?

7. Fresh Out the Slammer

“And no matter what I’ve done, it wouldn’t matter anyway

Ain’t no way I’m gonna screw up, now that I know what’s at stake here

At the park where we used to sit on children’s swings

Wearing imaginary rings”

 

Book: A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas

Listen, I really don’t want to say that I see Taylor’s personal experience in this one (I would never Joe), but starting to breathe again after a relationship that felt wrong is a strong theme in this one.

8. Florida!!! Ft. Florence and The Machine

“So I did my best to lay to rest

All of the bodies that have ever been on my body

And in my mind, they sink into the swamp

Is that a bad thing to say in a song?”

Book: Weyward by Emilia Hart

Witchy vibes, disregard for men, a haunting melody, what could you possibly want more? This is my favourite song, I think, you guys.

9. Guilty as Sin?

“These fatal fantasies giving way to labored breath taking all of me

We’ve already done it in my head

If it’s make believe

Why does it feel like a vow

We’ll both uphold somehow?”

Book: Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

I’m so sorry about Joe Alwyn for this one, I know the irony of it all, but just, this book was just so good for this song.

10. Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?

“So I lеap from the gallows and I levitate down your street

Crash the party like a record scratch as I scream

“Who’s afraid of little old me?”

I was tame, I was gentle ’til the circus life made me mean

Don’t you worry folks, we took out all her teeth”

Book: The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

Literally I think this horror and haunting novel could go well with this song, it is one of my favourites in the album, the build-up is just so good.

11. I Can Fix Him (No Really, I Can)

“His hands so calloused from his pistol softly traces hearts on my face
And I could see it from a mile away
A perfect case for my certain skill set
He had a halo of the highest gradе
He just hadn’t met me yеt”

Book: Reckless by Elsie Silver

Listen, my brain is completely gone by this point, this just gives me bad cowboy vibes, so what better choice than this one?

12. loml

“If you know it in one glimpse, it’s legendary

What we thought was for all time was momentary

Still alive, killing time at the cemetery

Never quite buried”

Book: In Memoriam by Alice Winn

Do you want to cry as you were doing while listening to this song? Don’t worry besties, I got you covered.

13. I Can Do It With a Broken Heart

“Cause I’m a real tough kid

I can handle my shit

They said, “Babe, you gotta fake it till you make it” and I did

Lights, camera, bitch, smile

Even when you wanna die”

Book: When in Rome by Sarah Adams

If you want popstar with a broken heart finding love in a small town romance, this is the one for you, I enjoyed it a lot.

14. The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived

“And I don’t even want you back, I just want to know

If rusting my sparkling summer was the goal

And I don’t miss what we had, but could someone give

A message to the smallest man who ever lived?”

Book: Acts of Desperation by Megan Dolan

Tortured poets and girls being ghosted all over again, I think this is a perfect fit for this track.

15. The Alchemy

“So when I touch down

Call the amateurs and cut ’em from the team

Ditch the clowns, get the crown

Baby, I’m the one to be

‘Cause the sign on your heart

Said it’s still reserved for me

Honestly, who are we to fight thе alchemy?”

Book: The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata

 

Me and Taylor both love some football romance for us. First of a long list of football songs we’ll have in the future guys, here we go.

16. Clara Bow

“You look like Stevie Nicks in ’75

The hair and lips

The crowd goes wild at her fingertips

Half moonshinе, a full eclipse”

Book: Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Oh Daisy, you would have loved The Tortured Poets Department. And this song was written for you.
Also can we talk about “You look like Taylor Swift, in this light, we’re loving it?” Cause I might go crazy if we don’t.

17. The Black Dog

“I move through the world with a heart broken

My longing state unspoken

And I may never open up thе way I did for you

And all of those best laid plans

You said I needed a bravе man”

Book: Normal People by Sally Rooney

Do you know when you see your ex out living his best life and you start thinking about what you had? Exactly.

18. imgonnagetyouback

“Whether I’m gonna be your wife, or

Gonna smash up your bike, I haven’t decided yet

But I’m gonna get you back

Whether I’m gonna curse you out, or

Take you back to my house, I haven’t decidеd yet

But I’m gonna get you back”

Book: Every Summer After by Carley Fortune

She really said “I’m gonna give a song to all the second-chance romance girlies out there”. And girlies is gender neutral.

19. The Albatross

“And when that sky rains fire on you

And you’re persona non grata

I’ll tell you how I’ve been there too

And that none of it matters”

Book: Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

This book still haunts my mind even years after I read it, and this song will too, I think my favourite in the second part of this album.

20. Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus

“So if you want to break my cold, cold heart

Say you loved me

And if you want to tear my world apart

Say you’ll always wonder”

Book: Talking at Night by Claire Daverley

Ill-fated lovers? A story of a meant to be love that never seems to actually have a realization and it is not meant to be? I think this could be it (also this is our May book club read for the month and I am EXCITED).

21. How did it end?

“Come one come all

It’s happening again

The empathetic hunger descends

We’ll tell no-one

Except all of our friends

But I still don’t know

How did it end?”

Book: Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler and Maira Kalman

The autopsy of a relationship that’s dying is the main theme of this book, and also of this song, so win-win.

22. So High School

“Are you gonna marry, kiss, or kill me (Kill me)

It’s just a game, but really (Really)

I’m bettin’ on all three for us two (All three)

Get my car door, isn’t that sweet? (That sweet)

Then pull me to the backsеat (Backseat)

No one’s evеr had me (Had me), not like you”

 

Book: Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter

Classic high-school romance, I loved this book, it’s so sweet and fun, just like this song.

23. I Hate It Here

“Secret gardens in my mind

People need a key to get to

The only one is mine

I read about it in a book when I was a precocious child

No mid-sized city hopes and small-town fears”

Book: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

She literally says it in the song, so I guess this was the reference for this piece of work. I love when she combines music and books.

24. thanK you aIMee

“All that time you were throwin’ punches, I was buildin’ somethin’

And I couldn’t wait to show you it was real

Screamed “Fuck you, Aimee” to the night sky, as the blood was gushin’

But I can’t forget the way you made me heal”

Book: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

I was a bit struggling for this one, but I think both this song and this book have a strong theme of bullying, so I think this could be a good choice.

25. I Look in People’s Windows

“I look in people’s windows

In case you’re at their table

What if your eyes looked up and met mine

One more time”

Book: One Day in December by Josie Silver

This book follows someone who sees another person one time at a bus station, and then she believes to be in love, so I saw the resemblance.

26. Prophecy

“Hand on the throttle

Thought I caught lightning in a bottle

Oh, but it’s gone again

And it was written

I got cursed like Eve got bitten

Oh, was it punishment?”

Book: The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson

I can’t even begin to describe what this song did to me, I was a crying mess. I know this book talks about a woman who’s cursed, same as this song, and I just love female rage, what can I do?

27. Cassandra

“So, they killed Cassandra first ’cause she feared the worst

And tried to tell the town

So, they filled my cell with snakes, I regret to say

Do you believe me now?”

Book: Cassandra by Christa Wolf

Sometimes it’s just as simple as that, but I’m a Greek mythology girly, so I love all these references, and this song is so beautiful.

28. Peter

“And I didn’t wanna come down

I thought it was just goodbye for now

You said you were gonna grow up

Then you were gonna come find me”

Book: Wendy, Darling by A.C. Wise

Oh my, I love a good retelling, and this seems to focus on the character of Wendy so well,  so I think this could be a wonderful fit for the song.

29. The Bolter

“All her fuckin’ lives

Flashed before her eyes

It feels like the time

She fell through the ice

Then came out alive”

Book: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Sometimes I think I’m funny, but bless you Amy March, you would have loved The Tortured Poets Department, the woman that you are.

30. Robin

“You got the dragonflies above your bed

You have a favorite spot on the swing set

You have no room in your dreams for regrets”

Book: The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

This is a sweet ballad about the innocence of childhood, so I could only pair it with my favourite childhood book of all times, this is so sweet.

31. The Manuscript

“The only thing that’s left is the manuscript

One last souvenir from my trip to your shores

Now and then I reread the manuscript

But the story isn’t mine anymore”

Book: Writers and Lovers by Lily King

A book about how writing gives the main character something to live for is what I thought could be best for this wonderful song that closes this very, very, very long album.

Okay guys, we have come to an end and I really hope that you liked this article cause I spent so much time on it, I’m not even kidding.

Please tell me if you liked The Tortured Poets Department, and which was your favourite song at first listen.
Thank you so much for reading, and I’ll talk to you soon,

Watching Books – January 2024

Hey there, welcome to the first “Watching Books” of 2024. I can’t actually believe January is already coming to an end, it seems like yesterday it just started.
As usual on this time of year, we don’t have a lot of news this month, but the ones we have are very exciting, so let’s get started, and let’s see what January had to offer us!

 

• We start with a sad news, but we can only get better from here: sadly the Disney+ TV series American Born Chinese, based on the graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang, has been cancelled after just one season.

 

 

• Jacob Elordi (Euphoria, Saltburn) has replaced Andrew Garfield (The Social Network, Tick Tick… Boom) in the upcoming Frankenstein movie, based of course on the book by Mary Shelley. This new version will be directed by Guillermo del Toro. Garfield left the project due to upcoming works that would interfere with the shooting of this movie.

 

 

• We have the first trailer for the upcoming One Day adaptation, based on the famous book by David Nicholls. It will be released on Netflix on the 8^th of February. I really hope it will be good, the movie is one of my favourites of all time. You can watch the trailer here.

 

• We have an update about the It Ends With Us movie, based on the book by Colleen Hoover. It will be released officially on the 21^st of June 2024, and after a brief interruption, the shootings are progressing smoothly.  We also came to know the name of the actors who will play a younger version of Lily and Atlas: Isabela Ferrer (Evil) will play young Lily and Alex Neustaedter (American Woman, Things Heard & Seen) will play young Atlas.
  

  

  

• We also have the first teaser and the first promotional pics of Ripley, the upcoming Netflix limited series based on the book by Patricia Highsmith. It will star Andrew Scott (Fleabag, All of Us Strangers”. It will come out on Netflix on April 4^th of this year. 
  

  

  

 

• The Whalebone Theatre by Joanna Quinn will become a TV show thanks to Producer Hera Pictures. The novel follows Cristobel, an “unmarriageable girl” who will have a coming of age story during World War II. Both she and her brother will become British secret agents, but in different missions. It seems really interesting, can’t wait to see it.

 

 

• Speaking of historical fiction, we have the first official pictures from the Hulu adaptation of We Were The Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter. It follows a Jewish family during World War II and it’s partially based on the writer’s family. It also stars Logan Lerman, so we’ll be watching.

 

 

• And last, but not least, we came to know that Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon) will star in the adaptation of The Memory Police, based on the novel by Yoko Ogawa and directed by Reed Morano (I Think We’re Alone Now). It seems very exciting and I will watch it for sure.

 

 

Okay guys, these were all the news we got this month (not so few, in the end), let me know which one you’re most anticipating, and thanks for reading.

Talk to you soon,

 

If you like these singers, then read these books #1

Hey there guys, today I would like to introduce you to a new idea I had, and that is to give you three books to read that I think you might like if you enjoy listening to these artists. I will start with some of my favourite singers of all time, and if you like this format, maybe I will do others in the future.
I will say, buckle up and let’s get started!

 

Taylor Swift

Of course I had to start with my favourite singer of all time, Taylor Swift. She has such a vast catalogue, that it would be quite reductive to just offer you three books, but I will try for the sake of this article. If you would like more specific recs, I have various articles on this blog where I give a recommendation for every single song of various Taylor’s albums. For this time being, in honour of her career, I decided to split the recs as one for her country era, one for her pop era, and one for her indie folkmore one.
For the country category, what could be better than the Chestnut Spring Series by Elsie Silver? I think this romance series could really well reflect Taylor’s first albums, where romance was a huge part of the narrative. For her pop era, I decided to go with basically anything by Emily Henry, but in particular her book People We Meet on Vacation, it has that energetic and romantic vibe that Taylor’s pop albums tend to have, and a part of this is even set in New York, so win win. And for the folkmore era I decided to go with my favourite classic book of all time, Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. The moors, the drama of it all, the big emotions, this book has it all. And also, a lot of rain. What better than that to associate with these albums?

 

Harry Styles

Here we go with another one of my favourite singers of all time. I’ve been a big fan of Harry for years now, I’ve seen him live a bunch of times, and his music really has got me through a lot.
The three books I would like to associate with Harry’s music are The Binding by Bridget Collins, Call Me By your Name by André Aciman and Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
“The Binding” is maybe the less obvious of them all, but in my eyes it really encompasses a lot of Harry’s mellower songs vibes, the imagery is quite beautiful and convoluted, and it reminds me for example of songs like Little Freak. “Call Me By Your Name” is a book I simply had to include because in my eyes it is really tight with Harry’s songs, there’s something about the poetry but at the same time the angst that both convey, that really makes these two pieces of media similar in my eyes. And I think Daisy Jones is quite self-explanatory, right? I mean, we could discuss that Harry is maybe the most rockstar-y pop-star of our time, and his looks and antics really resemble the ones of a 70s band.  That’s just how it is in my eyes.

 

 

Hozier

Listen, Hozier is per se maybe one of the best songwriters of our generation, so his lyrics alone are a work of art, but if you would like to associate his wonderful songs with some books, I will give you my recs.
In my eyes Hozier’s music encompasses three big macro-areas of themes/aesthetic and they are literature references, mythology (in particular Greek) and the folkloristic nature feeling of being in the woods with magical creatures. So I have a book for everyone of these categories.
Let’s start with the literature one: what better than a classic dark academia book? The staple of it all? The Secret History by Donna Tartt is the book for you if you enjoy talks of poetry, glory and a mesmerizing writing style. I swear I think about this book on a daily basis and it’s been years since I first read it.
For the mythology area I had of course to go with The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, I think it is a staple in the Greek mythology retellings genre, and I think its lyricism and the way it’s written, with an otherworldly delicacy, really declares it the best in the sector.
And finally, for the folkloristic area, I think the best choice might be Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier, an historical fantasy novel where nature is its own character and the cottagecore vibes are very present and set the tone for the whole story.

 

 

Phoebe Bridgers

And last but not least for this article we have a singer that also doubles as my therapist lol. Phoebe Bridgers is one of the best singers/songwriters of our generation, and I think she so well encapsul the struggle of being a woman in her twenties and thirties. For this reason, if you like Phoebe I can only recommend a bunch of books from the “hot girl literature” trend of the last few years:
First and foremost, a book I truly think well encompasses Bridgers’ lyrics is Milk Teeth by Jessica Andrews, a coming-of-age story, a love story and an ode to Europe all in one. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I would highly recommend it. If you want something more glamorous, I could recommend you Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors. This story is set in New York and it follows a girl in her twenties as she struggles with friendship, love, and a sadness that never seems to go away (like Phoebe perfectly says: “Jesus Christ, I’m so blue all the time”).
And last but not least, I think really resembling some of Phoebe’s earlier stuff, Bunny by Mona Awad is a very fitting choice. It’s something a little bit more unhinged and over the top, with some dark academia vibes and a deep dive into womanhood.

 

Okay guys, these were my book recs if you like the same artists I listen to. Please let me know your advice and recs, and if you liked this kind of article. I could always do more with other singers.
Thank you for reading and for your time.

Watching Books – December 2023

Hi there guys, and welcome to the last Watching Books of 2023. Can you believe we’re already at the end of the year? I for sure can’t, but before January we have one last article where we’ll talk about the newest bookish adaptations, and what we came to know this last month.
Are you ready? Let’s get started.

• The first news for this month will be a pleasure to many: we have the first photos and the first teaser trailer for the new “House of the Dragon” series, based on the world created by George R.R. Martin. It will come out in Summer 2024, and I bet a lot of people surely can’t wait.
  

  

 

• The newest internet boyfriend, Tom Blyth (The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Billy The Kid) will star in the adaptation of “A Farewell to Arms”, based on the classic by Ernest Hemingway. His role will be the one of Frederic Henry, a volunteer ambulance driver who falls in love with a nurse during his time in Italy in World War I.
  

  

• The beloved book “Assistant to the Villain” by Hannah Nicole Maehrer will become a TV series. Legendary Television has acquired the rights to the novel. It follows Evie, a girl with financial problems and so eager to help her family that she takes up the role as the assistant to the evilest Villain in all of the land. It’s a hard job, and even harder considering she develops a crush for her boss.

  

 

• My favourite news of the month for sure is the one regarding “Bridgerton” season 3, based of course on the bestselling novels by Julia Quinn. The third season, following my beloved Penelope and Colin, finally has a release date: the first part will come out on May 16^th 2024, while the second part will come out on June 13^th We also have the first promotional pictures, and they are adorable. I really can’t wait to watch this one.

 

 

• We also have the first poster for the movie “Which Brings Me to You”, based on the book by Steve Almond and Julianna Baggott. The movie will star Lucy Hale (Pretty Little Liars, The Hating Game) and Nat Wolff (The Intern, Mainstream). It will be released in theatres very soon, on the 19^th of January of next year.

  

• Tommy Dorfman (13 Reasons Why, Jane The Virgin) will direct the movie adaptation of the graphic novel “Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me” by Mariko Takami and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell.
  Tamaki is writing the screenplay of the movie. Dorfman describes the movie as “the lovechild of John Hughes and Jamie Babbett with a fresh and honest perspective on love and queer chosen family”. We can’t wait!
  

  

• “Things We Never Got Over” by Lucy Score will become a TV show thanks to Amazon. It will be adapted, and produced, by Amy Rardin, who also worked in The first book follows Naomi, a runaway bride, who comes back to Virginia when her twin sister Tina calls her because she’s in trouble. But Tina steals everything from her, leaving Naomi with her 11-year-old daughter and Knox, a man who doesn’t do relationships, but who is willing to help Naomi. It sounds cute, I can’t wait to see it.

  

• Last news for this month but not least, Gina Prince-Bythewood (The Old Guard, The Woman King) will be the one to direct the movie adaptation of the very famous fantasy YA novel “Children of Blood and Bone” by Tomi Adeyemi. The final book in the series will come out next year, so it’s a double win.
  

  

  Okay guys, these were the last bookish adaptations news for the month. Please let me know your favourites in a comment down below, I wish you a happy new year.

  Thanks for reading,

  

This Spells Love by Kate Robb – ARC Review

Title: This Spells Love

Author: Kate Robb

Publishing House: Penguin General UK

Genre: Romance

Synopsis (from Goodreads): A young woman tries to heal her heartbreak by casting a spell to erase her ex from her past, but she wakes up in an alternate reality where she’s lost more than she wished for in this witty, whimsical friends-to-lovers debut.

What if one little wish changed everything?

When Gemma gets dumped by her long-term boyfriend, she reacts the way any reasonable twenty-eight-year-old would: by getting drunk with her sister, kooky aunt, and best friend, Dax. After one too many margaritas, they decide to perform a love- cleansing spell, which promises to erase Gemma’s ex from her memory. They follow all the instructions, including a platonic kiss from Dax to seal the deal.

When Gemma wakes up, she realizes that this silly spell has worked. Not only does it seem that she never dated her ex, but the rest of her life is completely unrecognizable. The worst part: Dax has no idea who she is.

To reverse the spell and get back to her old life, Gemma must convince her once-best-friend-now-near-stranger to kiss her. But as she carries out her plans, she finds herself falling for him—hard. Soon, Gemma begins to wonder whether she even wants to go back to the way things once were. What if Dax was The One all along?

Rating: 2.75/5 stars

Publishing Date: 5^th of December 2023

A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publishing house, Penguin General UK, for providing me with a digital ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
All opinions, however, are completely my own.

TW: fire, alcohol, injuries

This review may contain some minor spoilers

 

This Spells Love by Kate Robb is a romance novel which contains some elements of magical realism, and which is described as a friends-to-lovers story.
It follows Gemma, a girl in her twenties who gets dumped by her long-term boyfriend. Desperate to forget everything about him, she decides to perform a magical spell in her aunt’s bookshop, not truly believing it is going to work. Her sister Kiersten and her best friend Dax are going to help her. The only trick? To seal the spell Gemma will need a kiss, and Dax is right there to help.

Except that the next morning Gemma wakes up and she’s in another dimension where her ex-boyfriend is not her ex-boyfriend and Dax doesn’t remember her. To reverse the spell she needs Dax, to whom she is now a complete stranger, to kiss her. But when you start to have feelings for this person, is going back really the best option?

On paper, this story had all of the elements to be a favourite book of mine: a bit of magic in a romance novel and the friends-to-lovers trope.
Sadly, in the end this novel didn’t quite work for me. It was fun to read, and I would be curious to read other books by this author, since this is her debut work, but in the end a lot of things didn’t quite meet my taste.

A lot of it comes from my expectations but also how the novel was promoted: this is not a friends-to-lovers novel, or at least not as much as it was advertised. I thought the alternate dimension part would be shorter, but basically it takes up almost all of the novel. So, since as you can see that Dax in that dimension doesn’t know her, the trope is basically non-existent. And also, the chemistry they have in this other world is completely unjustified to me. Sure, Gemma has known Dax for years (another version of him), but Dax doesn’t know Gemma at all, and he falls in love with her after he sees her in his shop, where she entered when no one was there, passing as a thief in his eyes. So romantic, right?

I would’ve been fine with a scenario where after this accident they get to know each other better, but they are basically smitten from minute one, so you get that this didn’t seem very believable for me. And we don’t talk about a fling, we talk about love love. The smut was great though, I have to give that to this novel.

The end was just so confusing to me, there were some aspects that I will not spoil that did just not make sense. I get that the romance is the main aspect of this story, but why would you use a magic system in some way if you’re not going to use it properly? I mean, I guess I’m being picky, but it didn’t work for me.

But there are also some aspects I particularly enjoyed in this novel. The first one was the humor, this book was funny without being silly, and I absolutely appreciated it. The banter between the characters was good and I had fun while reading it, so there’s that.

The aspect I appreciated the most though was the depiction of Kiersten and Gemma’s bond as sisters. It was so heartwarming to see, and for sure my favourite thing in the entire novel. I’m an only child, and the sibling relationship always fascinates and moves me. They were always there for each other, and they always lifted each other up, but they also didn’t shy away from having serious conversations about some issues between them. It was inspiring to see and it made me a bit envious to not have an older sister myself.

In conclusion, I’m sorry to say this novel didn’t particularly work for me, but if you like romance novels with alternate universes, and a dash of magic, this could be the one for you.

So this is the end of this review. I hope you enjoyed, and I will talk to you soon.

Thanks for reading,

Watching Books – October 2023

Hey guys, I’m so sorry for being late, but life has been kind of hectic. On the good side, though, this month we have collected a lot of bookish adaptations news, despite the ongoing actors strike. We have a lot to talk about, so let’s start right away. I hope you enjoy!

• First news regards “The Spiderwick Chronicles” TV adaptation based on the books by Terry DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. After having exited Disney+ the show has found a new place to land: Roku has acquired the U.S. rights of the series. It will have eight episodes and will premiere in early 2024.

 

 

• We have a new very emotional trailer for the movie based on “The Color Purple” by Alice Walker. It seems really poignant and interesting, so I can’t wait to see it. It will come out in theatres on Christmas Day.

 

• Not a trailer, but a sneak peek, and equally exciting: the first look at the second season of “Interview with the Vampire” has been released. I still have to see the first season, but it seems really well done. The series is based on the homonymous series by Anne Rice.

 

 

• Some exciting casting news: Karen Gillan (Doctor Who, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3), Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave, The Martian), Matthew Lillard (Scream, Scooby-Doo), Kate Siegel (Hush, The Fall of the House of Usher) and Jacob Tremblay (Wonder, Good Boys) have joined the cast of “The Life of Chuck” based on the 2020 short story by Stephen King.

 

 

 

• Maybe, just maybe, this is my favourite news of the month: we have the first look (a picture) at the upcoming adaptation of “This Time Next Year” by Sophie Cousens. The rom-com is lead by Sophie Cookson (Kingsman: The Golden Circle, The Confessions of Frannie Langton) and Lucien Laviscount (Emily in Paris, Your Christmas or Mine?). The novel, which I read an ARC of, is adorable, it follows two people born on the same day, New Year’s Day, but that don’t know each other. Minnie, our main character, is very unlucky, and she blames Quinn, the other boy born seconds before her, who stole her name. It’s really cute.

 

 

• Speaking of something very different, a mystery thriller, Liz Tigelaar (Life Unexpected, Little Fires Everywhere) will adapt into a limited series for Hulu the book “The Guest List” by Lucy Foley.
  The mystery follows a group of guests celebrating a wedding on a secluded island, until one of them gets killed.

 

 

• We’ll have a stage adaptation of “The Hunger Games” (the first book in the series) by Suzanne Collins. It will be directed by Matthew Dunster (Hangmen, The Seagull) and the playwright will be Conor McPherson (The Actors, Girl from the North Country). The play is supposed to debut in London in the fall of 2024.

 

 

 

 

 

• We have also come to know the roles that the cast of “Frankenstein” by Guillermo del Toro (of course based on the novel by Mary Shelley) will play. Mia Goth (Suspiria, Emma) will be The Bride, Oscar Isaac (Dune, Moon Knight) will be The Monster, and Andew Garfield (The Amazing Spider-Man, Tick, Tick… Boom!) will play The Doctor. It’s too early to say best movie ever?

 

• The movie based on the book “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe” by Benjamin Alire Sáenz will be released on VOD on November 14^th, so if you missed it at the movies this is your chance to watch if for the first time!

 

• A news that I think will make a lot of people happy is that the famous romantasy book “Fourth Wing” by Rebecca Yarros will be turned into a Tv series thanks to Amazon MGM Studios and Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society. The rights have been acquired for the sequel as well, and also for the three other books in the series that will come next. The first book follows Violet, a girl forced by her mother, the commanding general, to join the school to become a dragon rider.

 

 

• Last news for this month is that there are talks about making a new movie based on the book “Carrie” by Stephen King. Hunter Schafer (Euphoria, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes) is in talks to play the lead character.

 

 

 

Okay guys, it’s all for this month. I hope you enjoyed all of the news, and let me know in the comments which one you are most excited about.

Thank you so much for reading, talk to you soon,