How (Not) to Prep for NaNoWriMo

NaNoWriMo is almost upon us again! THAT’S A LITTLE BIT TERRIFYING. If you’re anything like me, you’re still under the assumption it’s August and in denial about all the things you still have to do this year. (It’s fine. Everything’s fine.) BUT! Because our lives aren’t hectic enough as it is, we have NaNoWriMo coming up next month!

For those of you that don’t know, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month, and it takes place every November. People who take part usually aim to write 50k (though you can honestly choose any word count goal you like: no one will tell on you), which basically means November is a month where none of us see the sun, we live on ten coffees a day, and by the end of it, we don’t know what “sleep” is anymore. IT’S FUN.

Whether you’ve got a solid plan about how you’re going to tackle NaNoWriMo this year or if you’re not sure you’re going to be participating in it, I’ve made a helpful list of things you should not do if you want to survive. Trust me. Or, you know, if you wanna fail NaNo, be sure to follow my tips to a T!

To all of you getting ready to smash out a novel next month: GOOD LUCK. You got this!

Here’s Your Halloween TBR, Based on Your Favourite Spooky Movie

Halloween is right around the corner! So what could be better than some film and book recommendations to get you in the spooky spirit? Whether or not you’re a fan of scary stuff, I’ve got a whole ton of suggestions. From things that are fun and funny, like Coco and Ghostbusters, to films that are seriously messed up, like Midsommar, there’s something for everyone on this list!

So grab a pumpkin spiced latte, find a comfy spot, and let me recommend some excellent books and movies for you to curl up with in the lead up to Halloween. Enjoy!

16 Ways to Come Up With Story Ideas

Coming up with new story ideas can be hard. If you’re a writer, sometimes it feels like you’ll never have another good idea in your life. Like the thing you’re currently working on has used up the last of your creative energy. But fear not!

If you’re struggling to find inspiration for your next novel, or your next short story, or maybe even your next blog post, I’ve come up with 16 things you can do to spark your imagination. You got this!

10 Reasons Why You’ll Love FRANKLY IN LOVE

IT’S FINALLY OUT! One of my most anticipated releases of 2019! Ever since I heard that my fave, Nicola Yoon’s, husband was having his debut novel published, I’ve been super excited to get my hands on it. Then when I heard that Frankly in Love was all about fake dating and had Korean-American representation, I was praying to the bookish overlords to receive a sneaky ARC in the mail.

Finally, I had the chance to read it, and quite frankly, it’s one of the best books I’ve read all year. This book is swoon-worthy, heartfelt, and so incredibly real. Frank’s voice is unique and engaging, and I loved every single moment I spent with him. Trust me when I say that this book is completely and utterly worth every ounce of hype it’s been receiving.

But if you’re still not convinced, find out ten reasons why you’re going to fall in love with Frankly in Love!

When the World Feels Like Sh*t, Read These Books

The world can be a pretty sh*tty place sometimes. We only have to check our Twitter feeds or turn on the nightly news to hear about more death, more injustice, more reasons to make you feel like you should just give up and curl into the foetal position. But just because things are tough, that doesn’t mean we can give up. In fact, we have to fight harder than ever before to make our voices heard and stand up for what’s right.

It’s certainly not easy, and even though we’ve come so far, we still have a lot of work ahead of us. But in these difficult times, sometimes we just need to escape into a fictional world for a little while. Being constantly switched on to the disturbing and sickening news we’re bombarded with on a daily basis is known to take a toll on people. And that’s why I think so many people find solace in books, and shows, and movies.

One of the most important things about fictional worlds is that, more often than not, they depict stories about overcoming evil and fighting for what’s right. In these dark and uncertain times, we need these kind of stories. We need to be reminded that there is always hope. Friendship and love will outweigh hatred and fear. We all need to be reminded of that at times.

So I’ve compiled a list of book recommendations for when the world feels like sh*t. Because let’s be real: it so often does. Pick up one of these books, get lost in the pages, and you’ll find yourself coming out the other end a slightly different person to when you started it. Whether it’s a realisation that you matter, or that you have the power to be heard, each of these books have messages that we need now more than ever.

“We’ve all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on…that’s who we really are.” — Sirius Black

Asking Out My Fictional Crushes

I don’t know about you, but I have more crushes on fictional characters than I can count. From my first loves (such as Gale in The Hunger Games and Rose in Vampire Academy) to my most recent obsessions (like Angel from I Was Born For This and Alex from Red, White & Royal Blue), it’s become apparent that maybe I just need to… message these people? Like, ask them on a date?

We all sit around talking about our fictional crushes, but we never DO ANYTHING ABOUT THEM. So I decided to join an online dating service, message all my crushes, and ask them out. I can’t believe how easy it was to find them! Who knew these people were just looking for love as well?! Fingers crossed I get some replies from these messages.

(Please note that this is just a bit of fun! I don’t endorse sending unsolicited messages to people who aren’t open to receiving them, nor do I endorse relationships with people who are underage. These messages are 100% fabricated.)

Which Upcoming YA Release You Should Read Based On Your Starbucks Order

There’s nothing I love more in this world than coffee and books. If you follow me on social media, you’ll know that I’m absolute Starbucks TRASH. I go there every morning on my way to uni, pick up my coffee and my blueberry bagel, and sit down to enjoy a few chapters before I head to class. It’s my favourite part of the day, ngl.

Yeah, I know loving Starbucks makes me a basic bitch, but hey, I’m leaning into that. Leave me in peace to sip on my light soy caramel macchiato while telling you about how I’m a Scorpio and that I’m still not over how Katniss chose Peeta and not Gale. Starbucks just soothes my soul, okay?

So today I thought I’d pair my love of coffee and YA together to recommend some upcoming releases you should read based on your Starbucks order! Whether you’re more of an iced latte gal or if you prefer your drinks a little more Extra™️, I’ve got the perfect book for you. ENJOY!

YA Mental Health Must-Reads of 2019

One of the things I’m most passionate about in YA is mental illness representation. I mean, isn’t it always amazing to read about characters and stories that you can relate to or see yourself in? Which is why all kinds of representation is SUPER IMPORTANT! I’m definitely a little biased because of my own experiences, but some of my favourite books are queer and have mental illness representation because THAT’S ME! I FEEL SEEN!

I’ve read quite a few incredible YA novels with mental health representation so far in 2019, so today I want to share some of my top favourites with you! I particularly loved these five that I’ve read this year, and I hope you love all of them as well.

Do These Popular 2019 YA Releases Deserve The Hype?

Hype is a fickle thing, isn’t it? On the one hand, hype gets people excited about new releases and encourages them to add books to their TBRs. But on the other hand, too much hype can lead to disappointment, or even putting people off certain books altogether.

Whether you’re a fan of hyped books or not, there’s a chance you’ve read a few of them in your life. And I’m sure you all know which books I’m talking about! You only have to scroll through social media to notice which books are getting a lot of attention, and those that have seemed to have been overlooked completely.

So today I wanted to share my thoughts with you on TEN OF THE MOST HYPED YA RELEASES OF 2019! Whether you’ve been thinking of picking these ones up, or if you just want to know if I think they’re deserving of the hype or not, check out my selections!

YA Books with Deaf Representation

Isn’t it just the best feeling when you read a book and go YES. That’s me, right there on the page!? There’s nothing quite as exciting as feeling seen in a novel. It can be because of a character’s ethnicity, or sexuality, or even something small like a character quoting The Office or shipping Quirrelmort like you do (#1 Quirrelmort shipper right here). Seeing a part of you in a book is one of the things I love most about reading, and as a queer cis white woman, I’ve been lucky to see myself represented on the page in a lot of what I read.

REPRESENTATION IS IMPORTANT, Y’ALL. I’m sure as fellow bloggers, I don’t have to tell you that twice. But one of the aspects of representation that I believe we need to see more of in YA is disability representation—and the spreading of awareness for books with disability representation that we already have available to us. So today I just wanted to shine a light on some of the books featuring Deaf characters that I’ve read recently.

Of course I have no place to say whether the representation in these novels is accurate or how well these characters are written, but I do hope that if you’re looking for more books with hearing impaired representation this list helps you out! I really enjoyed all of these, and I’m definitely on the lookout for more books starring Deaf protagonists. Hit me up with all your recommendations!