The Girl Who Cried Poetry

Notice the new decor? Right, I did something. If you ask me why I changed the blog’s theme, you’ll find the answer funny, but it’s because I was bored with it and I was in the mood to stress and rack my brain for a couple of hours. There’s a chance I’ll probably get bored with this one in months to come, so let’s savour it for now.

The end of month wrap ups are never my favourite time of the month — don’t ask why — but I’m a reader and it does help to see and share the kind of books I was really into this month.

And do you know why I call it the Mood Reader Edition? Because every book I read this month was because I was in the mood, and when the mood reader in me is out to prowl, she garbles everything she can get her hands on.

It’s kinda hot, sometimes, but girly pop, we do have goals for 2024, don’t we? You’ve gotta leave me alone in the month of March.

For this wrap up, I won’t go into explicit detail the books I read, but I’ll carry you along all through using Story graph. The app is really good for tracking your reader progress and getting more book recommendations, so you should check it out if you are not using it already.

In the beginning of the year, the goal was to read 110 books and so far, it’s been:

And it shows you how much the mood reader in me is working.

I mostly read fiction novels which I plan to change soon. I want to be able to read both of them together. You think non fiction isn’t it? Stay tuned for a future blog post. Yes, I’m cooking.

I can’t even lie to anyone, every book I read in the month of February was queer. Pure LGBTQ. It’s crazy how I did it, but I did it. From the first day of the month to the last, it’s been a queer novel. I’ll share a few with the class.

I do enjoy a fast paced book, because I’m ND and my eyes read before my brain gets the message making reading difficult sometimes.

As you all know, I read I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston. You can read the synopsis and my review and mini worship here.

I read Count Your Lucky Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur. Also an F/F queer novel.

Synopsis

Following Written in the Stars and Hang the Moon, national bestselling author Alexandria Bellefleur pens another steamy queer rom-com about former best friends who might be each other’s second chance at love…

Margot Cooper doesn’t do relationships. She tried and it blew up in her face, so she’ll stick with casual hookups, thank you very much. But now her entire crew has found “the one” and she’s beginning to feel like a fifth wheel. And then fate (the heartless bitch) intervenes. While touring a wedding venue with her engaged friends, Margot comes face-to-face with Olivia Grant—her childhood friend, her first love, her first… well, everything. It’s been ten years, but the moment they lock eyes, Margot’s cold, dead heart thumps in her chest.

Olivia must be hallucinating. In the decade since she last saw Margot, her life hasn’t gone exactly as planned. At almost thirty, she’s been married… and divorced. However, a wedding planner job in Seattle means a fresh start and a chance to follow her dreams. Never in a million years did she expect her important new client’s Best Woman would be the one that got away.

When a series of unfortunate events leaves Olivia without a place to stay, Margot offers up her spare room because she’s a Very Good Person. Obviously. It has nothing to do with the fact that Olivia is as beautiful as ever and the sparks between them still make Margot tingle. As they spend time in close quarters, Margot starts to question her no-strings stance. Olivia is everything she’s ever wanted, but Margot let her in once and it ended in disaster. Will history repeat itself or should she count her lucky stars that she gets a second chance with her first love?

I still believe that nothing I’ve read this year is touching the aesthetic of this book cover because it’s so cute. You can read my review on Instagram here.

I reckon Sabrina Bowen and Elle Kennedy are a fit, because this book was really good. The slow burn was great, the writing was good and I love my books without complications, so it was a plus. Too bad I couldn’t read the full series. I’m in my standalone era and I think that the story was okay the way it ended, but I do understand the need for a full series. Read the synopsis on the list of books I recommended for Valentine’s day.

Synopsis

Boss from hell. Satan personified. A tyrant everyone fears.

Nate Parrish loathes his boss from the moment they meet.

Raffaele Ferrara is probably the most insufferable, domineering man in the world. He doesn’t seem to understand that his personal assistant isn’t actually his personal slave. He expects Nate to do his bidding with a single word. He expects that Nate’s whole life will revolve around him. He expects other, entirely unreasonable things, even though they’re both straight and there’s supposed to be a line your boss should never cross. Apparently, as his personal assistant, Nate has to assist him… personally.

Except Nate knows it’s just a game. His boss is straight. He knows Raffaele just wants to make him angry enough to quit. But Nate has always been too stubborn for his own good, and he’s determined to be the best assistant his boss has ever had, no matter how insane—or inappropriate—Raffaele’s orders may become. Before long, the two men are drawn into a twisted game neither wants to lose.

Nate knows it has to stop. He has to leave his job. It’s not good for his sanity. Except his horrible boss is like a bad addiction he can’t quit. The world feels boring without Raffaele’s intensity, and his focus on Nate might be infuriating… but it’s also something Nate’s starting to realize he can’t live without.

This book is from a series called the Straight Guy by Alessandra Hazard that has roughly 13 books. I do admire the dedication. It’s a MM series where there’s a lot of sexual tension between a gay man and a straight man and I do go with the notion that sexuality can be fluid.

I read Just A Bit Bossy first, but I soon realised it was the twelfth book in the series and as a girl who loves to follow order, I started reading the first book all the way to the 7th.

This might not be everyone’s cup of tea and I do understand because you will cringe a lot, but if it’s yours, then you should probably read it. I highly recommend it because the slow burn, writing, plot building and even the characters are really amazing.

When I read This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Njikamp — the book wrecked me — I was really eager to read more books by the author because I had an inkling that they would be just as good and thrilling, and Before I Let Go proved that. This book was so amazing that it nearly brought tears to my eyes.

I’m really motivated to post a review on the blog and I will. There was something about the book that made me feel cold while I read it. It is Winter here, but it’s more than that.

Overall, I read 15 books(if we’re counting the ones I DNF, they’ll probably be more) and 3,668 pages. February was a funny month and I needed these books to cope and they did help me.

If you’re looking for more book recommendations or need motivation to read any of the books here, you can contact me. I’ll be happy to do so.

This is your sign to please the mood reader in you for a while. They are not a bad thing and sure, they can bite more than they chew when you indulge them, but do what works for you, whether it’s a TBR list or going with the wind.

Thanks for reading my February Wrap Up. I’ll love to read yours or you can indulge me in what you read this month. I’m encouraging more bookish conversations.

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