It goes without saying that there are many difficult things going on in the world right. I hope this post finds everyone safe and healthy. I am especially grateful right now for my little corner of the Internet and being able to escape into the world of books and fangirl things for a while.

I’ve talked about this on Instagram and Twitter, but it’s major life update time. As some of you know, I am a college senior. My school had just gotten back from spring break during the second week in March only to find out on that Tuesday, we would be going online until April 3^rd. We had the option of staying on-campus or going home, but with all the uncertainty going on, I elected to go back home. I was bummed that I’d basically be home for a month during the last eight weeks of senior year, but felt it was important to me at home with my family, and nothing was going on on-campus. I was also disappointed that this meant that my last college formal had been postponed, but I looked forward to going back a month later.

A Tuesday later, my college decided to officially go online for the semester. To say the least, I was, and still am, devastated. Yes, I have so much to be thankful for right now, and so, so many people have it way worse than me right now. All of my friends and family and myself included are safe and healthy. But I can’t help but think about those senior rites of passages I will be missing and won’t have the opportunity to get back: attending my last formal with my best friends; opportunities to present on my media and communications capstone research; ceremonies celebrating me and my classmates’ hard work; having my last day in the office I’ve worked in as a student employee for three years; saying my official last goodbyes to my best friends and professors; and the one that is hurting me the most right now, getting to walk across that graduation stage with my diploma in hand. My school is trying to work on a solution for this one, and I am really hope that a deferred in-person graduation will one day occur for us.

In light of all this, while I am still doing school work as I have online classes through the first week of May, books and TV have been a even more present comfort in my life right. I tend to not go on book buying sprees as often as I’d like, but I bought 5 books for myself within the first week I was home (thinking of them as early graduation gifts).

Today, I’ll be sharing and discussing the books and TV I’ve been enjoying lately in hope that you might find some comfort in them too. I’ve definitely been spending way too much time on my phone- my only exception in doing so is when I am FaceTiming or texting my friends- so I want to try to delve into more reading and watching this week.

Books

ARCs/Upcoming Releases: What I Like About You by Marisa Kanter &  We Are the Wildcats by Siobhan Vivian – If there’s one thing I really appreciate about social distancing (PSA, please practice it), it’s having the opportunity to catch up on all my review copies. What I Like About You (YA book blogger with a love for cupcakes and an online alias meets her online crush and best friend IRL) and We Are the Wildcats (girls’ field hockey team must deal with a very toxic coach and reunite as a team) were two of my most anticipated releases of the year and they did not disappoint at all. Reviews for both will (with an inspired recipe or two) will be coming in April!

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord – I now also have plenty of time to catch up on early 2020 releases that I missed; insert sigh here that I didn’t put more books on hold before the libraries closed- I’ll read you soon, Of Curses and Kisses & Anna K . My weekend read was Emma Lord’s Tweet Cute, which I am still utterly obsessed with! It was such a fantastic romance and I basically want to make 50 blog posts with recipes inspired by the book.

House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City #1) by Sarah J. Maas – I posted my 1700 word review last week- yes, I have a lot to say and yes, I had even more to say, but wanted to refrain from spoilers. I highly recommend checking this one out if you’re craving fantasy or want a long, but addicting read to keep you company.

Christina Lauren Books –  Roomies, The Honey Don’t List & Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating– Contemporary romance is the name of my stay-at-home reading game, so my book shopping spree had to reflect that. I’ve suddenly found myself on a Christina Lauren binge! I read Roomies last weekend (review coming later this week) and I bought copies of The Honey Don’t List and Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating, I chose these two because I want to read them ASAP, not knowing when the library will be re-opening, and this is such a crucial time to be supporting bookstores and authors, especially those who have spring releases.

TV  

You S1 & S2 (Netflix) – It’s dark, it’s messy, it’s ruined my dream of falling in love with a guy in a bookstore, but it’s good. Everyone has been telling me to watch You for a while and I’ve been really enjoying it. I definitely want to check out the book- You by Caroline Kepnes- that inspired it soon.

Schitt’s Creek S6 (PopTV) – If there’s a time to get into Schitt’s Creek, it’s NOW. Seasons 1-5 are available on Netflix, with the sixth season currently on air and the series finale set for April 7^th.

Family Karma (Bravo) – Reality TV is one of my favorite forms of escapism- also, here’s your 1000^th PSA to also watch Love is Blind on Netflix- and me and one of my best friends are addicted to this one follow young adults who have been raised and live in Florida’s Indian  community.

Julia Tries Everything S2 (Delish/YouTube)- I’m obsessed with anything and everything Delish, but Julia Tries Everything series is my favorite. Her recent Red Robin video made me immediately crave a burger and onion rings.

Say Yes to the Dress America and SYTTTD Atlanta (TLC)- Say Yes to the Dress America just wrapped up, and the latest season of Say Yes to the Dress Atlanta just premiered this weekend! This new season will also be featuring bridesmaid dress shopping.

What books and television have you been turning to lately? Any recommendations for me? How are you? How you are practicing self-care? Share in the comments!