It’s my 4th Blogiversary!! // A Long Overdue Update

Hey guys! I hope you are all doing amazing! I can’t believe it’s been this long since I’ve written on here- I’ve been so busy and time just slipped out of my hands! Since today is my 4th blogiversary (!!), I decided that today would be a good time to pop in, see how everyone is doing, and give you all some updates!

~My Life in Quarantine~

The coronavirus pandemic has been crazy! I’ve been out of school since mid-March and we are set to return on May 4th as of right now (but anything can happen). As I am now a senior in high school (can you believe I was in 8th grade when I created this blog?!), it has been pretty sad to see my last semester being ripped away from me. I have been looking forward to prom and graduation since I started high school, and the fact that they may not happen is so devastating for my peers and I. I will also (hopefully) be off to university in September. I have decided to pursue a mathematical science degree, but due to the quarantine, I can’t go and visit the schools I am considering. So frustrating!

I’ve been trying to stay positive during this time by distracting myself with the things I love doing. I’ve been devouring lots of books (which I will talk about soon), watching a plethora of TV shows and movies, and Facetiming and Zoom calling friends. On Monday I started my online classes, including French, calculus, and biology, to continue the academic semester.

As for TV shows, I am currently on season 6 of Gilmore Girls, I am on track with all of the Brooklyn Nine-Nine episodes, and I just started Grey’s Anatomy (it’s SO GOOD so far!). I love Gilmore Girls for its witty characters and strong, ongoing plot, and Rory is a very relatable lead for us bookworms. And not only is Brooklyn Nine-Nine an awesome way of getting laughs; it also covers relevant issues such as racism, LGBTQ+, and family troubles. I’m so happy it was renewed for an eighth season!

As for movies, I have been watching some classics such as Mulan and Legally Blonde, amongst others. I also recently watched the new Pixar movie Onward, which was super touching! I have no doubts that I will be watching more as the quarantine continues its course.

~

Now the part you’ve all been waiting for- the books! I have been taking part in the PopSugar 2020 Reading Challenge, which I believe has been a great way to both broaden my reading tastes and read more often. I set a goal of reading 20 books this year and so far I have read 9.5, which puts me 4 books ahead of schedule. Considering that last year and the year before I had consistently been behind schedule and unable to finish my reading challenges, I am calling this a win!

The books I have read so far this year (along with their corresponding PopSugar prompts) are as follows, with Goodreads pages attached:

1. Confessions of a Shopaholic– Sophie Kinsella (A book with a pun in the title… this counts, right?)
2. Everything I Never Told You- Celeste Ng (A book published the month of your birthday… June)
3. The Shape of a Girl- Joan MacLeod (A book taking place in a country starting with the letter C… Canada! This is a short play I had to read and perform in English class with a group last semester.)
4. The Great Gatsby- F. Scott Fitzgerald (A book set in the 1920s)
5. Stay Sweet– Siobhan Vivian (A book that passes the Bechdel test- basically a test that ensures females are portrayed well in literature)
6. Where’d You Go, Bernadette– Maria Semple (A bildungsroman)
7. Animal Farm– George Orwell (A book featuring one of the seven deadly sins)
8. How to Make a Wish– Ashley Herring Blake (A book with at least a four-star rating on Goodreads)
9. The Alchemist– Paulo Coelho (The first book you touch on a shelf with your eyes closed)
10. I’m currently in the middle of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman, which when finished will count as a book recommended by my favourite blog, vlog, podcast, or online book club. While I don’t really have a favourite, I know this book is highly regarded in the blogosphere. So far it has been living up to its potential!

I hope to get around to writing some reviews for these books soon- so keep your eyes peeled for those!

As you may be noticing, I have started to read more adult fiction. I was in a reading slump for a long time (part of why my blog has been so inactive), and I think it was mostly because I was reading too many YA contemporary books that all followed similar formulae. Branching out into adult fiction has been a huge motivator for me to start picking up books again and experiencing new adventures!

~

As for the future of this blog, I can’t promise I’ll be able to stick to a strict schedule (very unlike me, I know). I am hoping to be able to post at least once a month with reviews and updates, but with university looming in September, I can’t know for sure. All I can say is that I’ve truly missed writing on here for you all and that I’m back in the reading groove and ready to blog some more!

I hope you and your loved ones are all staying safe and healthy during these trying times, and let’s all continue to keep our fingers crossed that life can return to normal soon! Make sure to stay home and only go out for essentials, and definitely take this time to pick up a bunch of good books, watch tons of movies and TV shows, and cherish the quality time with your loved ones, either at home or by video call!

Love, Kayla ❤️

 

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