Tag: Heartstopper

Posted in Monthly Wrap-Ups

January 2023 Wrap-Up ⛄️

Posted on by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Tuesday, bibliophiles!

Already a month into 2023! I hope you’ve all been doing well and staying safe. I could do without how freezing it’s been, but it’s been

GENERAL THOUGHTS:

Happy new year! January is usually my least favorite month in general; now that all of the fun of the holidays are over, all of the snow just makes everything look all sad and sludgy. And it’s been a freezing January—as I’m writing this, it’s a balmy 3° outside. We had our first snow day of the year on the second day of school, even though we really didn’t get all that much snow. Not that I’m complaining. It would’ve sucked to walk in all that. Needless to say, I wore my pajamas all day that day.

Winter break lasted blissfully long, and I got to catch up with one of my best friends for coffee, which was wonderful. As far as college goes, I think I’m in for an easier semester—no math or science credits this semester, and it’s still all English/humanities classes. Again, another reason why I’m enjoying this part of college—I’m taking another class where the reading is all comics, a Science Fiction class, and a class on LGBT studies (specifically focusing on Black/African diaspora)! I’m enjoying all of them so far.

I’ve had a fairly decent reading month, I’d say; break gave me some much-needed time to read after finals, and a family friend very generously gave some of his comics to me, so I’ve been slowly making my way through those as well. My reading’s slowed down a tad bit just from getting back into the rhythm of school, but it’s a lot better than the first semester in terms of how much I’m reading. Not complaining that I’m re-reading Slaughterhouse-Five for my intro to fiction class.

Other than that, I’ve just been drawing, playing guitar, trying to write a bit more (gonna need to for class, anyway…), blowing through all three seasons of Derry Girls (we love Clare in this house), and doing my best to stay warm. Fingers crossed that February will be more merciful on the weather front.

Also, you can’t really tell because I’m wearing a beanie in the new pfp, but I shaved my head on New Year’s Eve. Feels lovely, gotta say.

READING AND BLOGGING:

I read 21 books this month! I had a few brief slumps, but overall, I’d say it was a fairly even mix this month; I’ve already had a DNF, but I had two 4.5 star reads as well, so I think that cancels out.

1 – 1.75 stars:

You Truly Assumed

2 – 2.75 stars:

The Keeper of Night

3 – 3.75 stars:

The Heartbreak Bakery

4 – 4.75 stars:

The Sirens of Mars: Searching for Life on Another World

FAVORITE BOOK OF THE MONTH: Little Thieves – 4.5 stars

Little Thieves

POSTS I’M PROUD OF:

POSTS FROM OTHER WONDERFUL PEOPLE THAT I ENJOYED:

SONGS/ALBUMS THAT I ENJOYED:

this has been on repeat in my library for eternity
a find from The Heartstopper Yearbook
if I had a nickel for every Gorillaz song that I haven’t been able to stop listening to this month, I’d have two nickels. which isn’t that much, but it’s weird that it happened twice.
a perfect, wintry album for January
NEW BOYGENIUS ALBUM NEW BOYGENIUS ALBUM THIS IS NOT A DRILL Y’ALL
and as if on cue, I’m on a huge Super Furry Animals kick again

Today’s song:

fantastic album!! just finished listening yesterday

That’s it for this month in blogging! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

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Posted in Book Tags

Winter is Coming Book Tag ❄️

Posted on by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Saturday, bibliophiles!

Sorry for the unexplained absence, by the way. Finals just kinda crept up on me there, and I was in a reading slump for quite a while, so I’m not sure if I would’ve had much to post in the first place. But I’m done now! I’m out! FINISHED MY FIRST SEMESTER OF COLLEGE!!

Anyways, I’ve been meaning to do this tag for a while, but I wanted to wait until it was actually winter to do it, so here I am, about a year later. (Oops…) I was tagged by Ritz @ Living, Loving and Reading, and the tag was originally created by Katherine Barka on YouTube.

Let’s begin, shall we?

☃️WINTER IS COMING BOOK TAG☃️

SNOWFLAKE: something beautiful and always different. Choose a book that stands out and that is different from all the other books you’ve read.

The Reckless Kind was an unexpected 5-star read for me; The inclusion of so much queer rep AND disability rep in a historical fiction novel set in a time period/place that I haven’t read much about made for a truly unique read. Highly recommended!

SNOWMAN: it is always fun to make one with your family. Choose a book a whole family could read.

Part of why I’m putting this on here is to draw attention to these gorgeous new editions coming out next September, but now that I’m looking back at The Search for WondLa (my favorite series back in late elementary/middle school), it’s one of those special kid’s books that you can appreciate just as much as an adult.

CHRISTMAS: Choose a book full of happiness that made you warm inside after reading it.

I need to stop putting Heartstopper for every book tag with a “warm/fuzzy/cozy/etc.” prompt, but it…always fits?? It’s just so full of love and joy and all things warm and fuzzy…🥹

SANTA CLAUS: He brings wonderful presents. Choose a book you’d like to get for Christmas.

I put Gleanings: Stories from the Arc of a Scythe on my Christmas list this year, so…😳

SNOWBALLING: It can be painful to be hit by a snowball. Choose a book that hurt, that made you feel some strong emotion, like sadness, or anger.

She Gets the Girl just made me angry for most of the time reading it—I hated Alex, and the romance had zero chemistry. Not worth it at all.

SLEDDING: We all loved it when we were younger. Choose a book you loved when you were a child.

I could’ve put WondLa on here too, but a prompt like this calls for Warriors! I was OBSESSED with these books for years, and I have so many good memories of working my way through the series and picking up the paperbacks from my local bookstore as I made my way through the seemingly endless books. There’s a good…40 of them that I still have in boxes under my bed.

FROSTBITE: Choose a book you were really disappointed in.

I wanted to give The All-Consuming World a chance despite the low ratings, but I could barely get through the muck of painful writing…

REINDEER: Something dear to us. Choose a book of great sentimental value to you.

I had to restrain myself from putting Aurora Rising for this prompt, I know you’re all tired of me and my Aurora Cycle soapbox, so…even though the rest of the series started going downhill after this one, I have incredibly fond memories of reading Carry On for the first time. Gotta love Rainbow Rowell.

I TAG:

Today’s song:

how about some childhood nostalgia for this saturday morning

That’s it for this tag! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Posted in Book Tags

Fall into Fall Book Tag 🍁

Posted on by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Saturday, bibliophiles!

Still fall, so I might as well do this tag, right? Doesn’t *feel* very fall-like—we just got our first big snow on Thursday night, and it’s mostly melted now, but it’s still pretty chilly. We’ve still got a few straggler leaves, though, albeit very damp ones now.

Anyways, this tag was created by Silver Button Books, and I found the tag over at Classy x Book Reviews. I’m always up for a seasonal tag, especially if it’s my favorite season!

Let’s begin, shall we?

🍁FALL INTO FALL BOOK TAG🍁

APPLE PICKING: A bright, shiny book on your shelf

My copy of A Song of Wraiths and Ruin has the most GORGEOUS gilded spine, and it always catches the light whenever I come into my room!

PUMPKIN SPICE: A book that everyone loved that just didn’t sit well with you

Everybody seemed to love The Space Between Worlds, but it left me wanting so much more—with such an expansive concept, I feel like there were so many more creative directions it could’ve taken, but alas…

FALL LEAF TOUR: A gorgeously written journey

I Am the Ghost in Your House not only presented an incredibly compelling piece of magical realism, but it gave us the poignant journey of Pie, an invisible girl grappling with how the world sees—and doesn’t see—her.

PUMPKIN PICKING: A book that reflects the pumpkin you always pick

My main criteria for pumpkins is just a) being light enough for me to pick up, and b) not super beaten up, so I’ll pick The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea—a solid length, and almost flawless.

HALLOWEEN COSTUME: A book with a character whose style you admire

Asta from The Reckless Kind is not only an absolute delight in personality, but also in her cheeky sense of style—nothing like split-dyeing your hair in the 1900’s to match your heterochromia!

FALL BEVERAGE: A book that reflects your favorite fall drink

I’d probably pick hot chocolate or cinnamon tea for my favorite fall drink, even though I technically drink cinnamon tea no matter the weather. Both of them make me feel warm and fuzzy inside, and the same can be said for Heartstopper!

CORN MAZE: A book you can get lost in

The expansive, colorful world of Tillie Walden’s On a Sunbeam is one that I love to get lost in.

HOT FOOD: A book you waited all summer to read

Alright, technically, A Prayer for the Crown-Shy came out in July, but it was on hold so long that I only got around to reading it this October. Worth the wait, though!

I TAG:

Today’s song:

welcome back to this season of sad girl autumn, I’ll be your host—

That’s it for this book tag! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Posted in Books

🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️YA Pride Month Recs (2022 Edition) – Contemporary/Realistic Fiction🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈

Posted on by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Wednesday, bibliophiles!

Here we have the last of my pride month recommendations for this year! This post is focused on contemporary and realistic fiction books, but romance and mystery are included in here as well. And as always with my recommendations: diversify your reading 24/7, but always take this time to uplift LGBTQ+ voices!

(click here for this year’s queer YA sci-fi and fantasy recs!)

So let’s begin, shall we?

🏳️‍🌈THE BOOKISH MUTANT’S 2022 YA PRIDE MONTH RECS: CONTEMPORARY/REALISTIC FICTION 🏳️‍🌈

Perfect on Paper, Sophie Gonzales

LGBTQ+ REP: Bisexual MC, lesbian, bi, pan/nonbinary, and gay side characters, straight-passing relationship

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’m saying this as a proud bisexual woman: Perfect on Paper is seriously some of the best bisexual rep I’ve ever read! There’s so many important discussions in this book, from internalized biphobia to how the queer community views straight-passing relationships, all with a sweet and messy romance!

Sick Kids in Love, Hannah Moskowitz

LGBTQ+ REP: Bisexual love interest, straight-passing relationship

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Sick Kids in Love is such an important book for so many reasons (namely its groundbreaking disability rep), but this is what intersectionality looks like—both protagonists are disabled and Jewish, and the love interest is also bisexual! Always warms my heart to see disabled bisexual characters.

The Falling in Love Montage, Ciara Smyth

LGBTQ+ REP: Lesbian protagonist, lesbian love interest, wlw relationship

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A tender and emotional piece of teen romance, complete with messy lesbian misadventures and plenty of rom-com references.

Loveless, Alice Oseman

LGBTQ+ REP: Aromantic/asexual MC, lesbian, aroace/nonbinary, pansexual side characters

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’m not ace myself, but I’m certain that Loveless’ coming-of-age asexuality story will resonate with so many ace readers!

Sasha Masha, Agnes Borinsky

LGBTQ+ REP: Trans woman MC

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A beautiful coming of age story about a trans teenager discovering her identity!

Ace of Spades, Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

LGBTQ+ REP: Bisexual MC, Gay MC

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A nail-biting thriller and a fierce and suspenseful manifesto for the takedown of institutionalized racism!

Heartstopper, Alice Oseman

LGBTQ+ REP: Gay MC, bisexual love interest, mlm relationship, trans woman, lesbian, and gay side characters, side wlw relationship

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’d be remiss if I didn’t include Heartstopper here—such a sweet and heartwarming LGBTQ+ romance comic! Plus, I can say with certainty that the bisexual rep is ON POINT. I adored the Netflix show too! (did anybody else full-on SOB during Nick’s coming out scene 😭)

TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! What are your favorite queer YA contemporary/realistic fiction books? Have you read any of these books, and if so, what did you think of them? Tell me in the comments!

Today’s song:

That’s it for this post! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Posted in Monthly Wrap-Ups

May 2022 Wrap-Up 🎓

Posted on by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Tuesday, bibliophiles!

We’re almost halfway through 2022 already (!), but I’d definitely say that this month was the most momentous one of this year.

GENERAL THOUGHTS:

Wow. So I really am done with high school.

I got distracted from all that with my AP tests at the beginning of the month (ecstatic that I’ll never have to take them again), but once the middle of the month hit, the realization started to sink in. Then I graduated—in freezing spring snow at an outdoor venue, no less. Certainly a day to remember. But it’s over now—strange to think that those four (very weird) years have come to a close. And now college is on the horizon…

With all that going on, I didn’t have as much time to read. It wasn’t quite as good of a bunch, either—I still had a few gems, but I had a lot more 2-3 star books and a DNF too. Haven’t had much writing time either—I did a little more outlining for the WIP sequel, but I’m turning my attention to something new—I figured that since my brother and friends are starting to suggest edits, it’s probably too soon to start the sequel.

Other than that, I’ve just been drawing, watching Heartstopper and sobbing at the coming-out scene, going to see Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (mixed bag, but it was fun) and Everything Everywhere All at Once (TEARS), seeing Spoon live (AMAZING), and listening to the new Wilco, Smile, and Arcade Fire.

READING AND BLOGGING:

I read 17 books this month! Less than usual, but it was a lot like April in terms of reading—I was super busy with AP tests, graduation, and all that jazz this month, but I was still able to read some good books here and there.

1 – 1.75 stars:

Forget This Ever Happened

2 – 2.75 stars:

The Chosen and the Beautiful

3 – 3.75 stars:

A Magic Steeped in Poison

4 – 4.75 stars:

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev

5 stars:

Art Matters

FAVORITE BOOK OF THE MONTH: Art Matters – 5 stars

SOME POSTS I’M PROUD OF:

POSTS FROM OTHER WONDERFUL PEOPLE THAT I ENJOYED:

SONGS/ALBUMS THAT I ENJOYED:

I’ve had this on repeat for almost a month straight not gonna lie
love this album but this song is my favorite
another great album, although I haven’t been able to let this one quite sink in yet
more soccer mommy!!!!
lovely album!
CAN’T BELIEVE I HAVE TICKETS TO SEE THEM IN SEPTEMBER AAAAAAA
not a perfect album, but when it’s good, it’s FANTASTIC—case in point


DID I FOLLOW THROUGH ON MY MAY GOALS?

  • Get through the AP tests: made it! sucked to have two in one day, but I made it.
  • Finish high school strong! (aAAA STILL CAN’T BELIEVE I’M GRADUATING—): got straight A’s, so I’ll say I finished strong! and now I’m done with high school! would you look at that…

GOALS FOR JUNE:

  • Read at least 20 books
  • Enjoy the first month of summer/pride month!

Today’s song:

That’s it for this month in blogging! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Posted in Weekly Updates

Weekly Update: May 2-8, 2022

Posted on by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Sunday, bibliophiles, and happy Mother’s Day for those celebrating! I don’t know where I’d be without my amazing mom—thank you for supporting me through thick and thin, always. 💗

This week’s been a bit exhausting; I had all three of my AP exams this week, two of which were on the same day. (@ the comparative gov multiple choice: WHAT) It was rough, but I feel alright about them in general. And this means that I’m all done with AP tests! Good riddance.

As a result, I haven’t had as productive of a week in most other departments. I got through most of my library books, but two of them ended up being duds. (Shoutout to The Final Revival of Opal & Nev for pulling me out of the momentary slump.) I picked up more at the library, and they all seem fairly promising.

Other than that, I’ve been drawing, watching Heartstopper all the way through (anybody else sobbing at the coming out scene 🙋‍♀️), watching The Power of the Dog (WHOA), going out to brunch for Mother’s Day, and trying (and failing) to get Ringo to stop biting my feet. Ringo’s a good boy, though.

WHAT I READ THIS WEEK:

Beyond the Ruby Veil – Mara Fitzgerald (⭐️⭐️)

Forget This Ever Happened – Cassandra Rose Clark (DNF – ⭐️)

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev – Dawnie Walton (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)

POSTS AND SUCH:

SONGS:

CURRENTLY READING/TO READ NEXT WEEK:

The Psychology of Time Travel – Kate Mascarenhas

Light from Uncommon Stars – Ryka Aoki

Song of the Crimson Flower – Julie C. Dao

Gallant – V.E. Schwab

Saving Montgomery Sole – Mariko Tamaki

Today’s song:

That’s it for this week in blogging! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Posted in Weekly Updates

Weekly Update: April 25 – May 1, 2022

Posted on by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Sunday, bibliophiles! I hope this week has treated you well.

This week’s been a bit of a slog; I have all three of my ap tests next week (insert infinite string of the 😐 emoji), so I’ve been studying for most of the week. Not ideal. But I’ve had a little time to read and blog, so it’s been nice.

I’ve had a string of good reads, though! Last week’s library haul was great, and although I couldn’t go to the library this week (studying 😐), I was able to pick up some books for this coming week, and they all seem promising! I went to the comic shop on Friday, so I got a big haul from there as well. I haven’t really done much writing this week, so there’s nothing much to say one that front.

Other than that, I’ve just been petting Ringo, getting everything done before the end of the school year, trying to keep track of all the new music coming out soon (WILCO DOUBLE ALBUM I REPEAT WILCO DOUBLE ALBUM), and going to senior prom!! The latter was a lot of fun—such a fantastic night!

WHAT I READ THIS WEEK:

Heartstopper, vol. 4 – Alice Oseman (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

One for All – Lillie Lainoff (⭐️⭐️⭐️.75, rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Warrior of the Wild – Tricia Levenseller (⭐️⭐️⭐️.25)

The Weight of Our Sky – Hanna Alkaf (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

POSTS AND SUCH:

SONGS:

CURRENTLY READING/TO READ NEXT WEEK:

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev – Dawnie Walton

Beyond the Ruby Veil – Mara Fitzgerald

The Psychology of Time Travel – Kate Mascarenhas

Forget This Ever Happened – Cassandra Rose Clarke

Today’s song:

I keep flip-flopping on how I feel on this song—I’d like it more without the autotune, either way. super catchy though, and the video’s cute!

That’s it for this week in blogging! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Posted in Weekly Updates

Weekly Update: April 18-24, 2022

Posted on by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Sunday, bibliophiles!

It’s been another fairly low-key week on my end; we had the day off on Friday, so I’m getting way too used to shorter school weeks. After last week, I’ve been on a streak of great books! So many unique books in particular—I can’t decide which one I’ll review next week! I’m nearly finished with the whole Heartstopper series too—I’ve got vol. 4 ready on my Kindle, along with my other library books!

Writing-wise, I’ve been attempting to outline for book 2 of my sci-fi WIP, and…it’s been…it’s going? It’s going. I have a clear picture of the beginning and the ending, but the middle is still hazy, so I’m trying to figure out what goes in between. Making playlists always helps get my sense of direction going, and it’s certainly helping now, at least.

Other than that, I’ve been listening to the new Spiritualized (AAAAAH), drawing a little, and playing some guitar. I also saw Snail Mail for a third time on Sunday night (great!) and Ben Folds with the Colorado Symphony last night (amazing!!), so there’s been a lot of concerts this month!! I’m tired now, but it was worth it.

WHAT I READ THIS WEEK:

Mexican Gothic – Silvia Moreno-Garcia (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Heartstopper, vol. 3 – Alice Oseman (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

The Library at Mount Char – Scott Hawkins (⭐️⭐️⭐️.75, rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Extasia – Claire Legrand (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)

The Chandler Legacies – Abdi Nazemian (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

POSTS AND SUCH:

SONGS:

CURRENTLY READING/TO READ NEXT WEEK:

Heartstopper, vol. 4 – Alice Oseman

One for All – Lillie Lainoff

Warrior of the Wild – Tricia Levenseller

The Weight of Our Sky – Hanna Alkaf

Today’s song:

That’s it for this week in blogging! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Posted in Monthly Wrap-Ups

March 2022 Wrap-Up 🪺

Posted on by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Thursday, bibliophiles!

🫠🛟🫥🫘🩻🫧🪸🪹🪷🫶🪬🫣

Might as well make use of some of these new emojis…interesting bunch we’ve got here

And sorry for the lack of a book review this week, I just didn’t have the energy for it once the afternoon/evening came (first day after spring break, am I right or am I right).

GENERAL THOUGHTS:

The beginning of March was a bit of a slog, what with all my classes trying to cram a bunch of stuff in before spring break. I finally have that big research paper out of the way though, and we did loads of fun projects in creative writing!

My reading month was good, I’d say; very few books that I didn’t like (no 1-stars and only one 2-star!), my first 5-star read of the year, and indulging in a Smoke Thieves trilogy re-read. I finally got into Heartstopper after all these years of having it on hold at the library too! Worth the wait.

This month was also the month that I finally, finally started sharing my WIP with people! I’ve sent it to some family and friends, and…not gonna lie here, my hands were shaking whenever I put it out there, but I’m proud of myself for getting over the initial hurdle after clamming up about my writing for so many years. Baby steps.

Other than that, I went to see the new Batman (AMAZING!), re-watched The Rocky Horror Picture Show, continued with Raised by Wolves and started Severance, and went to the museum and played guitar there. They have a guitar exhibit at the Denver Museum right now, so I put on a one-man show for my dad and the security guard. The very short setlist consisted of “Trimm Trabb” and “Savior Complex.”

And yesterday, I hit 500 followers!! I’m going to make a longer post later, but for now, thank you all so much for your love and support. 💗

READING AND BLOGGING:

I read 20 books this month! I thought I’d read less for some reason…it feels like I haven’t had as much time to read this month, but I suppose I did read some short books.

2 – 2.75 stars:

Jade Fire Gold

3 – 3.75 stars:

The Golden Apples of the Sun

4 – 4.75 stars:

Our Stories, Our Voices

5 stars:

The Wide Starlight

FAVORITE BOOK OF THE MONTH: The Wide Starlight – 5 stars

SOME POSTS I’M PROUD OF:

POSTS FROM OTHER WONDERFUL PEOPLE THAT I ENJOYED:

SONGS/ALBUMS THAT I ENJOYED:

ONE MONTH UNTIL WE GET THIS ALBUM AND LESS THAN A WEEK UNTIL I GET TO SEE THEM LIVE AAAAAAAA
what a wonderfully weird little song
I would once again like to thank whoever put this on the art class playlist
I CANNOT stress enough how phenomenal this album is
ARCADE FIRE IS BACK I REPEAT ARCADE FIRE IS BACK
AND SOCCER MOMMY TOO!! so much wonderful new music coming our way this year…

DID I FOLLOW THROUGH ON MY MARCH GOALS?

  • Read at least 20 books: 20!
  • Spend some time with Ringo (of course): yep! He’s a troublemaker, but he’s a sweet little puppy. Impossible not to love.

GOALS FOR APRIL:

  • Read at least 20 books
  • Try not to spontaneously combust at the Spiritualized concert if/when they play “Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space”

Today’s song:

That’s it for this month in blogging! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!