Hello there! The second month of 2022 is over and I couldn't be more relieved. February has been a bit of a dumpster-fire mess when it comes to mental health and motivation and while my reading luckily didn't take a hit, my overall state of my mind crumbled just a bit. With that said, I'm very looking forward to March and hopefully warmer temperatures and this past week has been a positive turn so fingers crossed we're heading upwards from here!

I've kept up my reading streak into the second month of the year and finished a total of eight books this month! After realizing, to my surprise, that I've read a ton more contemporary than fantasy, I took some time to delve back into my favorite genre and pick up titles that have been on my radar (and netgalley shelf) for a while.

            

xoxo by axie oh
ebook - ★★★
read my review here
Like I mentioned in my review, this book is the epitome of a kpop fan's dream because it's highly unlikely to happen but every fan wishes it could. This is a story that's full of sweet and swoony moments with a great friend group that explores the themes of self identity, new experiences, and taking on challenging decisions. It was a fun read to start off February and (as you can tell from the following titles) a good end to my contemporary binge.

little thieves by margaret owens
ebook - ★★★★
review to come
I knew this book would be morally grey with the influences of a darker YA fantasy and it did not disappoint. This is one of those stories that I flew through relatively quickly and it wasn't until finishing that I came to realize how much it had stayed with me. Vanja is snarky and tries to be incredibly unlikeable, but in the process of planning her escape, finds that there's more to love about her home than she initially realized.

tweet cute by emma lord
audio - ★★★
This book fell off my radar and I almost missed it for this list. 😅 I've seen the cover floating around but never felt interested enough before but decided to give the audiobook a shot. Objectively, this was a really fun contemporary story with lots of witty banter, delicious food references, and cute butterfly moments. However, the parenting decisions irritated me to no end and after finishing, it's all I can think of when I see the cover which unfortunately left a rather sour final impression. 

into the midnight void by mara fitzgerald
ebook - ★★★ 
I've been highly anticipating this sequel ever since the first book early last year and after many months of waiting I was finally able to dive back into the dark world that Mara Fitzgerald created. The stakes are even higher this time around as the characters are grappling with the chaos was left and it's every bit as dark and sinister as I remembered. While I did enjoy the world and plot expansion, this sequel ultimately fell a bit flat because I wanted to feel more invested in the characters' individual arcs as that was one of the most compelling aspects that made me love book one.

            

the girl who fell beneath the sea by axie oh
ebook - ★★★☆ 
read my review here
This cover has been haunting me ever since it was released because of how stunning the artwork is and I'm finally able to conclude that the contents are just are magical. A story rich with Korean mythology and a girl's sense of duty to her family and her faith in the gods creates an immersive journey to the Spirit World as Mina tries to free the Sea God and end his plight to the land. 

edgewood by kristen ciccarelli 
ebook -★★★
review to come
I wanted an atmospheric story about dark woods and a girl with a magical voice and left this book feeling...underwhelmed. This book is ultimately pitched as a YA fantasy for an older audience but the writing read very young to me and while I did appreciate the world and magic, I struggled to make a connection with the characters and care about what was happening with the plot.

when we were them by laura taylor namey
ebook - ★★★★
read my review here
This may have solidified Laura Taylor Namey as one of my favorite YA contemporary authors because this book was so simple in writing and storytelling but at the same time it was so incredibly impactful. I desperately wish that I had read this book when I was transitioning from high school because it would have helped my mental turmoil so much when preparing for college. Since finishing this, I've already gone out and purchased a physical copy so it just goes to show how much I adored this story.

empire of sand by tasha suri
physical - ★★★☆
This is a prime example of why I cannot be trusted with TBRs because I had no intention of reading Empire of Sand until I found a copy at the library. I've been one a steady supply of ebook and audiobooks so far and had been missing the physical reading experience and Tasha Suri provided with this immersive and thought provoking fantasy. I'm still unsure if I have enough coherent thought to write a full review, but I loved the world and the insight we got about its religion, culture, and politics. However, I wish I had been more invested in the characters as it would have made the whole reading experience more personal and impactful.

February was comeback after comeback of some of my favorite 2nd generation groups and I was absolutely thriving so it's hard to narrow down my top music picks. In the end, I had Spotify help me out to highlight the five songs I listened to the most:

This month was a little rough on the mental health side of things so it took me a while to find the motivation to put together some highlights, but I'm glad I was still able to push through and focus on the small details when everything else felt like a downward spiral.

check out my monthly highlights here!

There are a lot of horrible things happening in the world at the moment and I hope that you are taking care of yourself mentally and physically while staying informed about global and domestic affairs as well as the best ways to use your voice to support those in need. There are a couple links under my record_024 if you're interested in learning more about what's happening in Ukraine as well as some organizations who are collecting financial support for those affected.

Here's to hoping for a brighter March as, at least here in the Northern Hemisphere, the days will start to be longer and the temperatures warmer ☀️

I would love to hear how your February went - what were some things or experiences that made you happy this month?

"I am the maker of my own destiny."

     isbn: 9781250780867 | pages: 336
      publication date: February 22, 2022 | source: tour/netgalley
     genre: young adult, historical fantasy, korean mythology
     rating: 6/10 

     A M A Z O N    |    G O O D R E A D S    |    B O O K S H O P * 
     B O O K D E P O S I T O R Y    |    B A R N E S A N D N O B L E S

the power of myths and legends
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is an immersive story under the ocean waves where a girl must figure out how to save her family and the Spirit Realm before turning into a spirit herself. Everything starts with a sacrifice and while navigating the Spirit Realm, Mina's uneasy alliance with Lord Shin of Lotus House sets her on a journey to break the Sea God's curse while trying to remain human herself.

The world is so engaging and I loved exploring the different aspects of Korean mythology as Mina discovers more about the gods and goddesses her people pray to. There's this interesting conversation regarding the roles of prayer and faith as well as the power that stories hold over each of us. As Mina adjusts to the Spirit Realm and her constantly changing role in their society, it's the stories from her grandmother that give her hope and drive her actions even when the situation may seem hopeless. 

"Don't chase fate, Mina. Let fate chase you."

the duty to family and self
Alongside Mina, there is a lovable cast of characters that honestly stole the show for me. As much as I enjoyed following Mina's perspective and she made a strong YA protagonist, it was Namgi, Mask, and the rest of the spirits that left the biggest impression. Mina is powered by the sense of duty to protect her family which fuels her first movements at the beginning, but it's those she meets in the Spirit Realm that continue to push her to find the solutions to save both humanity and spirit. 

Axie Oh manages to weave so many layers of loyalty and honor into the story that it brings to life a deep sense of determination, making it easy to root for the characters as their journey progresses. Mina learns that the gods and spirits from her grandmother's stories are real and despite their power, they are as reliant on humanity's faith to give them purpose as humanity is reliant on their influence. The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is a story of relationships - familal, platonic, and romantic - and the power of paving your own destiny to change the fate of those you love for the better.

"Sometimes you don't find family in your own blood, but elsewhere."

thank you to Colored Pages Tours and Fierce Reads for providing an e-ARC to participate in this book tour - all thoughts are 100% my own. please click on the banner to check out the other amazing stops!

m o o d b o a r d

images from unsplash : ocean // heaven // girl in hanbok // garden door

m e e t    t h e    a u t h o r

Hello there! When going through my blog's archives, I realized that I've never done a Valentine's Day themed post which seems crazy to me but I guess I've somehow avoided it for the past five years. To remedy that, here is a list of six of my favorite love songs and which bookish couple I think fits the lyrics and/or aesthetics best!

taeyeon - all without you (hotel del luna ost)
a cuban girl's guide to tea and tomorrow by laura taylor namey
Lila and Orion have quickly become one of my favorite couples in YA contemporary and their relationship is as gentle and sweet as Taeyeon's vocals in this song. With their time together having a clear end date as Lila can't stay in England forever, I can just see the two sharing this song on one of their final nights and trying to memorize each other's presence. They are also absolutely adorable when it comes to being one another's support system throughout all the ups and downs.
read my review here

ha sung woon - think of you (her private life ost)
you've reached sam by dustin thao
As if I need another reason to cry - when looking at the translation for this song, the chorus reads - I want to tell you these hidden words now, I'll be there for you, felt like a punch in the gut and immediately I thought of this book. It's been almost a month and every time I think about the ending of You've Reached Sam, I can feel my heart die just a little bit. Needless to say, Sam is certainly on Julie mind and will be forever and even though they're separated, he will always be there for her. Damn now I want to actually cry. 
read my review here
 

txt - love sight (doom at your service ost)
spin the dawn by elizabeth lim
It has been a minute since I've thought of Spin the Dawn but the lyrics of this song immeadiately brought the cover to my mind. Edan and Maia are one of the softest and most precious pairings in YA fantasy and their relationship makes my heart warm and fuzzy. For Edan especially, being a powerful sorcerer who's lived for hundreds of years, his heart could quite accurately be described as frozen but it's Maia's love and dedication to her family along with her insane talent that starts to allows flowers to bloom. And now I'm a little bit emotional thinking about the two, maybe it's time for a reread?
read my review here
 

        

yuqi - bonnie & clyde
these violent delights by chloe gong
If only Roma and Juliette could be the 1920s Shanghai version of Bonnie & Clyde, I think my heart would absolutely burst. They have it all as heirs of rival gangs but deep down know that they are each other's ride or die for the rest of their life. I also just have this scene in an alternate world where they are driving off into the sunset with diamonds or just cash blowing in the wind and it's such a carefree snapshot that I wish could be a reality because they deserve that sense of happiness.
read my review here

loona odd eye circle - chaotic
the wolf and the woodsman by ava reid
Choosing this song to include on the list sent me down a LOONA OEC rabbit hole and it was absolutely glorious. This addictive b-track is all about the chaos and dizzying feeling that comes with falling in love and the first title that came to mind was The Wolf and the Woodsman. While Évike and Gáspár are far from your common romantic pairing - the fact that they start off as staunch enemies and have to work together to stop an evil prince and possibly kill a mythical creature to do so - well it brings even the worst of enemies together. Their thoughts are no doubt chaotic and could make a person psychotic but there's no denying the care and affection they gradually develop towards each other.
read my review here

key ft. taeyeon - hate that
the gilded wolves by roshani chokshi
I know that this is technically a break up song but I couldn't not include this masterpiece on this list. While the couple in question walk a very fine line when it comes to their relationship, the 15% of The Silvered Serpents that I read when it first came out was enough to make them jump out at me when studying this song's lyrics. The iconic "hate that you're happy without me" feels like a perfect late night song when it's raining and the characters are finally able to take a minute to themselves and just feel their feelings and the longing.
 

        

Writing this post has made me so nostalgic of all these couples and now I just want to reread all the titles with their chosen song in the background. Wherever and however you're spending this sugar and hearts filled day, I hope that you are able to take a minute to relax and love yourself as well.

Do you have a go-to / favorite love song?

Hello there!  I'm slowly but surely still on my contemporary grind and have reaffirmed my hypothesis that I definitely enjoy YA contemporaries more via audio because it helps me set my disbelief aside at some of the vague and overly cringe-inducing romances. Apparently, my ears are able to filter out any critical thinking and reduce me to the heart-eyes emoji, but I'm quite okay with that. While I can feel the spark gradually start to die down, this genre has also brought me so much joy (and pain) in the past two months so before I completely burn out on the genre, I have three more books to wrap up! 

pages: 336 | source: library, audio
publication date: June 8th, 2021
genre: ya, contemporary
rating: 7/10

B O O K S H O P *    |    G O O D R E A D S    

 We Can't Keep Meeting Like This is a heartfelt coming of age story that follows Quinn as she's navigating the summer before college and trying to reconcile her ideology of love (it doesn't exist) with her family's wedding planning business and the return of her childhood crush. The story highlights the exploration of finding new passions as well as rediscovering interests from the past that might have slipped away and become simply mundane. This was my first Rachel Lynn Solomon novel and it quite frankly blew me away because I found myself adoring the characters and also feeling incredibly seen by the representation of mental health. The characters are able to talk about their experiences so candidly, it helps to create this connection to the readers, making the reading process all the more personal.

I may be a little biased but as someone who has dabbled very sparingly with lever harps I was so excited to see them shine in this book. As gorgeous as pedal harps are, I loved watching Quinn experience all that their lever cousins have to offer - beyond the beautiful wedding and classical music it's typically known for. It made me want to pull my harp out from its case and just play with a sense of excitement and abandon that shows how alive music can be. As Quinn explores her interests outside of her family's business, the instrument becomes part of her journey to creating her own path for her future. Additionally, as she begins to redefine love and her own identity, I couldn't help but fall in love with Quinn's relationship with Tarik and the maturity of their relationship even with the ups and downs of their mental health and personal struggles have officially made them another couple that I adore.

ultimate verdict - heartfelt, harps, and happy moments

pages: 304 | source: library, physical
publication date: November 9th, 2021
genre: ya, contemporary, magical realism
rating: 7.3/10

B O O K S H O P *    |    G O O D R E A D S    

Hello, this book brought me lots of pain and now I get to share that with you via this review. You've Reached Sam is a tear-inducing story that had so much of Twitter sobbing when it released and because of that, I've avoided this book for a couple months. Now that the pain has numbed itself down to a small ache, it's time to tell you why this story wrecked my soul. 

You've Reached Sam is a story that follows grief and the stages of healing that comes after losing someone you love. After her boyfriend Sam was killed in a tragic car accident, Julie didn't think there was hope or purpose for a future. One day, she decides to call his number just to hear his voicemail but he picks up. What follows is a heartbreakingly beautiful journey down memory lane as Sam reminds Julie of their shared experiences and also gives her hope to make new ones with those still around her. The way that grief was portrayed within just the first few chapters was enough for me to feel incredibly connected to both characters and want to cry with them. As this follows Julie's healing after a traumatic loss, it's not the easiest story to read and there sometimes felt like an imbalance of emotional pull throughout. The beginning and the end completely broke my heart whereas I felt pretty mellow during the middle portion, a small detail that didn't detract from my reading experience overall but just a point to note. 

I appreciated how Dustin Thao allowed for grief to be portrayed in different ways so that even if I couldn't resonate with Jenny and her decisions, I could understand her pain through the other characters. This story truly is sentimental and a beautiful second chance at closure and letting go.

ultimate verdict - tears, tears, and more tears

pages: 352 | source: library, ebook
publication date: July 13th, 2021
genre: ya, contemporary
rating: 5/10

B O O K S H O P *    |    G O O D R E A D S    

Jenny Go is a talented cellist who runs into the main singer of Korea's newest kpop sensation XOXO one night and without recognizing who he is, they embark on a little adventure through the streets of Los Angeles. When her mother decides to visit Korea to help Jenny's grandmother with her upcoming surgery, Jenny decides to follow and transfers for a semester to one of Korea's top art schools. Deciding to expand her horizons, she's ready to meet new friends and her Korean culture - what does doesn't expect is to run into the same kpop idol and his fellow members as classmates. 

XOXO is the epitome of every kpop fan's dream - running into a popular idol on the streets of your hometown and spending an innocent but memorable date only to lose connection with each other but magically reunited months later at an arts school in Korea. If you go into this with even a shred of disbelief, it's going to be quite a challenging book to enjoy. But, if you enter with the goal to feel all the cute fluffy emotions of love and new friendships, then this will be just the book for you. Jaewoo and Jenny were adorable in a sense of first love and romantic butterflies but if I'm honest, they paled in comparison to the friendships that Jenny made. I loved the easy-going banter between Gi Tak, Angela, Sori, and the members of XOXO just added the breath of freshness that kept me engaged beyond the romantic plot. This really is a story where you have to suspend your disbelief because as a music major, I could not imagine cancelling a hard to find session in a practice room for a couple hours with a boy, idol or not, but maybe that's just me? Regardless, this is the perfect story if you're looking for something to warm your heart with both the romance and the friendships.

ultimate verdict - finding new love, new friends, and new passions

I just checked my stats so far for 2022 and could not believe that I've read more contemporary this year than any other genre. With that revelation, I feel the need to pick up something fantasy in the future just to balance things out a bit? 

If you've read any of these stories, please let me know your thoughts below! Are you a believer of love and its grand gestures or do you prefer something more sweet and subtle?