Hello there! We've officially entered spring season and I need the weather here to get the memo because I'm over wearing puffy jackets. May is always a stressful month as it is concert season for schools and I'm hoping to not get overwhelmed as we begin to wrap up the school year. On the bright side, my paperwork is submitted, my applications are finished, and my concert prep...is coming along, so we can only go up from here!

            

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portrait of a thief by grace d. li
★★★★- ebook/arc
read my review here
Portrait of a Thief was all over my Twitter feed when it became available on NetGalley and I requested it on a whim. Never did I think a heist story would completely grab my attention with a crew of Chinese Americans whose experience just hit a soft spot that had me loving them from the start.

the wolf den by elodie harper
unrated - physical
read my review here
I first heard of The Wolf Den after being offered a copy in exchange for a review by the publisher and it's the perfect read if you're looking for an honest and raw portrayal of ancient Rome with wonderful female friendships and empowerment. It wasn't my cup of tea at the moment which made the reading process a bit difficult, but it's definitely a story to revisit because there's so much social commentary to unpack.

an arrow to the moon by emily x.r. pan
★★★★☆- physical
read my review here
Emily X.R. Pan did it again with her sophomore novel because An Arrow to the Moon was softly powerful and has not left my mind since I finished reading. The story takes the classic star-crossed lovers and combines it with a hauntingly gorgeous atmosphere and magic that left me breathless.

one last stop by casey mcquiston
★★★☆- audio
I knew after finishing RWARB that I had to pick up another Casey Mcquiston book and One Last Stop was just as wonderful. This story tackles themes of self-identity, love and relationships, and found family in a way that is so precious and truly feels like a love letter to the small communities of NYC. 

I've been on a bit of a struggle with kpop lately - I'll go from being super excited about comebacks to only really adding a couple songs to my playlist instead of full albums. However, that doesn't mean the songs I've added aren't complete masterpieces, it's just left me feel a bit apprehensive about future comebacks so if you have any suggestions please share your favorite songs from the month! 

My sister and I rewatched Frozen 2 over spring break and now I am 95% convinced that I want my choir to sing Some Things Never Change for next year's winter concert. Something about that song, which never caught my attention before, has literally been giving me serotonin boosts whenever it comes through on shuffle.

ITZY's Japanese comeback is simply amazing and it's left me wanting a Korean comeback ASAP. Both Voltage and Spice are addicting and the title track just has that iconic ITZY sound that gets itself stuck in my head. 

I've already mentioned my love for Dreamcatcher and they received their first win with their most recent comeback (check out my book recommendations post here!) I loved that this album allowed each of the members to showcase their individual sound through solos and while I loved all of them, Siyeon's is absolutely magical. The traditional Korean influences paired with her smooth vocals give me goosebumps every single time.

The last two songs are newer additions to my playlist but favorites nonetheless. Darl+ing took me a couple of listens to get over some of the lyrics but the catchy beat of the chorus has become another serotonin boost for me. The line "I want to know our problem, blood type or DNA" is also just strangely addicting? 

Miyeon's solo proves G-idle's talent and we just need CUBE to not screw them over. Drive reminds me clear blue skies and a sense of peace and hope that feels oddly nostalgic. I've probably listened to this at least 5x a day since its release so I had to add it on even if it's a newer song.

April was the long awaited month of Spring Break and while I set off with a gigantic list of hobbies and to-do's, I ended up just recharging. Like I mentioned before, who knew that rest and taking time away from worrying about three jobs would be beneficial for one's mental health? While the transition back to work was a struggle as usual, I didn't feel the usual exhaustion and lack of motivation to finish out the school year. It's a win all around.

link will be updated soon!

I hope your April was restful or at least filled with highlights that made you smile. Fingers crossed we're heading into brighter and warmer days in May!

What's something that brought you joy in April?