This April was especially busy for me, as I finish up the spring semester of my junior year. Despite the craziness, I still managed to read 9 books this month, keep up with my Netflix binges, and start preparing for Book Expo week.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (reread) | 4/5 Stars

I recently published my 2019 reread goals, including the Anna and the French Kiss trilogy. As someone who always says she wants to reread books, this year I am determined to actually do so! While I’m still very much in love with its settings and atsompshere (including all those French desserts), I actually didn’t love Anna and the French Kiss as much as I did the first time around. I’m going to have post dedicated to rereading all three books, but I found Anna to be more immature than I remembered and I wasn’t in love with some of St.Clair’s actions.

We Were Beautiful by Heather Helper | 4.5/5

Heather Helper wrote of my most memorable first YA reads, The Cupcake Queen, so I was very excited to read her latest release. If you’re looking for a read about self-discovery, friendship, and all the sweet treats, We Were Beautiful is the one for you, as Mia spends her summer after facing a terrible tragedy in NYC.

The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn Herman | 4/5

I’m normally hesistant to pick up books with supernatural elements, but like many, The Devouring Gray had me at its Stranger Things meets Riverdale premise. I had so much fun reading this thrilling read during a particularly stressful school week.

Prince Charming (formerly Royals) by Rachel Hawkins | 3.5

With the upcoming release of Her Royal Highness, it was time to dive into Rachel Hawkins’ Prince Charming. While this book was fluffily fun and entertaining, I think it would have benefitted from more character and plot development.

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins (reread) | 5/5

Unexpectedly, Lola and the Boy Next Door is my new favorite book in the Anna and the French Kiss trilogy! I completely flew through this reread, falling in love with the setting, plot and characters.

Bloodwitch by Susan Dennard | 4/5

Bloodwitch was an exciting follow-up to Windwitch. I found myself particularly interested in Safi and Vivia’s storylines in this installment. However, while this may be my fault as a reader, I had trouble connecting the plot lines to past events and characters and seeing the connections between each character’s storyline.

This Is Our Story by Ashley Elston | 3/5

The Devouring Gray put me in the mood for another thriller-esque read, which led me to Ashely Elston’s This Is Our Story. This book following Kate’s work as a DA intern in her Lousiana town’s biggest murder case has received much love from many people I follow in the community. However, while I loved the glimpse into the legal system and interview excerpts, I wasn’t really impressed with the writing style, I wasn’t a fan of the romance, and I found myself basically just waiting to find out who the murderer was from the middle of the book to the end.

 Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins (reread) | 4/5 

I’m so proud of myself of finishing my Anna and the French Kiss reread this month! While all three books are pretty character-drive, Isla and the Happily Ever After is definitely the most out of the three.

First & Then by Emma Mills | 4/5 

Aside from really enjoying Emma Mills’ This Adventure Ends, First & Then had meet at its Friday Night Lights meets Pride & Prejudice premise. I’m still collecting my thoughts on this one, but this book has many cozy and quiet YA vibes.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine S6 (NBC)- As always, I’m here with my Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season 6 update. “Casecation” was my favorite episode this month because I loved the focus on Jake and Amy’s relationship.

The Bold Type S3 (Freeform)- I’m still very much in love with this show and praying that the rumors surrounding S3 as the final season aren’t true. While I admit there is a tad more cheesiness in this season, The Bold Type is hands-down Freeform’s best show and has me wishing for more and more episodes. I’ll always be invested in the working girl in NYC/magazine world trope.

QB1 (Netflix)- Blame it on my 2018/on-going obsession with Friday Night Lights, but I’ve been eating up streaming services’ football documentary series. My latest obsession comes in the form of Netflix’s QB1, following three high school senior quarterbacks during their last high school season before heading to D1 football.

Rilakkuma and Kaoru (Netflix)- Probably my most unexpected watch of this month, but I decided to watch Rilakkuma and Kaoru because 1) Lana Condor voices Kaoru and 2) I could not get over the cuteness that is Rilakkuma, Korilakkuma, and Kiirotori. As someone who’s taken digitial video and animation classes, I was really impressed by this stop-motion anime. This show is the perfect binge-watch at its 10-12 minute episodes. I found myself laughing over the bears’ antics and general adorableness.

Sex Education S1 (Netflix)- In a completely different way than Rilakkuma and Kaoru, Sex Education also had me laughing out loud and addicted this month. This Netflix show following a teen’s experience giving sex advice to his fellow high school students based on his mother’s work as a sex therapist packed in so many laughs. Its mature content may take some time getting to used to, but I found myself more comfortable after the first episode.

Reviews

We Were Beautiful Review & Inspired Recipe ft. Giveaway

BEAUTIFUL & HISTORICAL READ: My Real Name is Hanna Review

FLUFFILY ROYAL: Prince Charming Review

LOVE & POLITICS: The Wrong Side of Right Review

2019 FAVORITE READ: Serious Moonlight Review & Inspired Recipe

IT’S A LOVE STORY: The Girl He Used to Know Review

SPOOKY SPRING READ: The Devouring Gray Review

Bookish Fun: 

Books That Will Make You Hungry Recommendations

Top Five Wednesday: Rainy Day Reads

I LIKE BIG BOOKS: Largest TBR Reads

REREADING FAVORITES & SERIES: 2019 Reread Goals

FINALS AND FANGIRL READS: April TBR

Book Expo Excitement- While it’s not until the last week in May, I am already getting prepared for Book Expo 2019. This is my second time attending the convention , having attended for the firs time in 2018. I’ll also be doing a few other bookish things in the city that week, such as Blogbound, a smaller convention for readers during Book Expo week. I’ve heard great things about this event and its panels, so I’m excited for my first time attending. However, 2019 will be my first time in two years that I will likely not be attending Book Con. While I’ve been debating back and forth about attending, I know my Book Expo is going to be very busy. Although I still had a great time, Book Con seemed particularly chaotic last year especially for ARC drops and in-booth signings.

What did you read and watch this month? Are you attending Book Expo or Book Con? Share in the comments!