New Year, New Month, New Wrap-Ups?
My intros are repetitive at this point but no I don’t really care lmao.
But I am sorry if you are sick of them, this will be the last post for one year with that kind of intro, promise!
Since it is the first wrap up of the New Year, I thought it was a perfect opportunity to change up my wrap-up style. I’m going to be changing up a bunch of things for my monthly wrap-up, so a) I don’t get bored, b) some parts were just not working for me/I didn’t find necessary, c) New Year, New … Wrap-Ups? Like I said before, oops.
This means I’ll only have one wrap-up from now on, as the life wrap-up is going to be condensed here! (But it has the same headers as my reviews so your eyeballs will be aesthetically satisfied!)
I’m thinking of including an extra section of bookish statistics? Let me know what you think, and I’ll add it in.
Since I decided to wrap up my December reading early (WHY), I didn’t get to include the books I read from then to right before the New Year (which was two, bringing up my total December reading count to 10! Which I’m so proud of). So I’m including it here.
THEN we’ll go through my January reads.
π
REMAINING DECEMBER READS:
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo β β β (2.5) // This was super mediocre, and the first half was so bad oh my god.
One Day in December by Josie Silverman β β β β β // Was such a good Christmas read for me, since I wasn’t super feeling the Christmas spirit. (also hELLO London!!). It was also such a perfect audiobook which I adored (the female narrator though!!)
JANUARY READS
Snow In Love by Kasie West, Aimee Friedman, Melissa de la Cruz and Nic Stone β β β β β // I only read 2/4 stories (Kasie West’s and Nic Stone’s, since I heard pretty much unanimously negative things about the other two), but they were good! I have to say, Kasie West’s story was absolute perfection!
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid β
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π* // Perfection. A masterpiece. What else can I say that hasn’t already been said? I HAD to read this as soon as 2019 started because that is how extra I am. Yes, you do see six stars, I have no regrets.
Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand β β β ββ (3.5) // I am very confused on my feelings with this book, two weeks later.
Siege and Storm by Leigh BardugoΒ β β βββ π*Β // I had such high hopes because Nikolai, but even he he wasn’t able to save this trainwreck.
Dear Heartbreak edited by Heather Demetrios β β β β β (3.5) // Highly cathartic, and is another case of I read this at the right time in my life.
In An Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire β β β β β (4.5) π // This broke my 5-star Wayward Children streak, but it’s fine. That ending though. How dare you @ Seanan McGuire.
Black Enough edited by Ibi Zoboi β β β ββ (3.5) // It started off really solid, then started going off the rails a little? But this was overall a solid anthology that I’m glad that African-American teens can have!
A Separate Peace by John Knowles (school reading) β β β ββ (3.25) // I FINALLY FINISHED THIS!! Chapter 11 and 12 though! You know what you did, John Knowles.
Famous in a Small Town by Emma Mills β β β β β (4.25-4.5) πΒ // The main thing I didn’t like about this was that it was so short because I never wanted this to end. BUTTTT this was so good, and the friendships were A++ as always (shoutout to Terrance, a sass king that we stan)! This was my first buddy read ever with Marie @ Drizzle and Hurricane Books! β€οΈ
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Harry Potter, #1) by J.K Rowling β β β β β (4.5) // No, this isn’t my first time reading this, but rather my third (or fourth?). But this was really a special reading experience, as I switched between listening to the audiobook (narrated by Stephen Fry), reading the stunning illustrated edition (which I may or may not have borrowed from my sister, sorry sis), and listening to a Harry Potter and the Sacred Text episode after each chapter! I’m trying to read a Harry Potter book every month along with the #Potterheadreadalong19! This was still as magical and lovely as ever, and I can’t wait to continue!
Ruin and Rising (Shadow and Bone, #3) by Leigh BardugoΒ β β β ββ//Β When I apply to jobs I will put down that I finished this trilogy (especially since I finished it twenty minutes before 12am of 29th Jan (the King of Scars release, duh! You bet I’ll be reading it after my SoC reread!)Β This was (probably??) the strongest in the trilogy (?) and for sure the easiest one to get through. I’m so glad this is over, and if Alina and Mal are in King of Scars, I’m out.
Key:
πΒ = highlight(s) of the month
πΒ = disappointment(s) of the month
Since I want to make my wrap-ups more interesting, I’m going to showcase my top post of the month (in terms of views, for now), my Top 3 Favourite Posts of the Month, as well as my other posts in that month.
My Top Post
I am honestly so glad that you guys liked this so much, and that it got so much love (thank you if you shouted it out and supported it, for real, I love and appreciate you guys so much!) Asian content is near and dear to my heart. Even though it was a slog to write at times, I’m very proud of it.
My Favourite Posts (in no particular order)
I find checking-in with goals, TBRs and such really fun and interesting, and I honestly surprised myself at how much I ADORED writing my most anticipated releases post! Like, I was legitimately sad when I finished it. I am honestly so proud of this review because even though I sat on it and procrastinated forever on it, I think it communicated my opinions and issues with this fairly well.
Other Posts
- Kitty @ Jelly Fable curated a comprehensive list of ace characters in YA
- May @ Forever and Everly shares their WordPress Formatting Tips and Tricks (this helped me so much, thank you May! It’s also their most popular post currently, so check it out and give it some extra views)
- Jami @ Jami Shelves talked about the downsides of ARCs and why we need to talk about them more
- Ju @ Paper Blots made her glorious comeback! (And has been putting out so many posts!)
- Kat @ Novels and Waffles and Tiffany @ Read By Tiffany collaborated to create two posts recommending contemporary and fantasy for beginners!
- Shealea @ Shut Up Shealea, Lily @ Sprinkles of Dreams, CW @ The Quiet Pond, Vicky @ Vicky Who Reads announced the Year of the Asian Challenge! (Also they’re all Asian icons you should all follow)
- For all you stats nerds (like me), May @ My 1st Chapter recapped her 2018 in reading
- Ben @ Ace of Bens talked about all the bi 2019 releases!
- Elise @ The Bookish Actress recapped her year in terms of life
- Marie @ Drizzle and Hurricane Books talked about reading on a schedule, and the pros and cons of that
Not gonna lie, January was a stressful and tiring month for the most part. Obviously, there was New Year’s (which was fine). I spent a lot of time with my sister (and had a fun outing with her), which was super great. I’ve mentioned this a few times, but we
I went up to Phuket to visit some family and to drop my sister back to her boarding school. It ended up being a very busy trip, which I did not expect, but it was nice to do some traveling before school started.
And then school started back … and my mental health went down considerably. I was going through some tense periods with some people at school, so the first two weeks of school was torture (and when you add the fact that I was still in holiday mode …) I was also feeling stressed out by the last minute pile-up of assignments before reports came out (I’m very salty towards certain teachers for doing that, who I won’t mention just in case, for my own privacy).Β On that note … reports came back, and it resulted in a mini sob-fest of a pity party (yikes) and binging of the Good Place and Brooklyn Nine-Nine (of course).
Moving on to happier things! I also was a lot more social this month! (Who am I.) I went to a birthday party of a friend (?) from art that I didn’t know very well, even though I was super anxious over it, and I was so proud of myself for doing that. I also put myself out of my comfort zone a little with that, which was … interesting. I also reconnected with two friends that I was on some pretty sour terms with, which was great.
I also did my first buddy read ever with Marie @ Drizzle and Hurricane Books, as I mentioned earlier in this post! She was so kind and understanding with my questions (and my reading pace, sorry again) and she is just such a gem in the community. Here’s to more buddy reads with her and to anyone else who’d be down, because they were such a cool way to experience reading.
Monthly Playlist
I guess my music taste this month was a mix of self-love jams, hype music and cathartic songs?? A lot of the songs were also off-brand for me, hmmm.
- I Love Me by Meghan Trainor (the ULTIMATE self-love song)
- Wow. by Post Malone (H Y P E)
- Sunflower by Post Malone and Swae Lee (it was the Post Malone month ok)
- Ice Cream (Milkshake) by Asian Pop Addicts (FYI this was the song in the headphones incident in Brooklyn Nine Nine!)
- I Don’t Exist by Olivia O’Brien (melancholy?)
- Motion by Khalid (I’m just obsessed with the whole Suncity EP)
- Another Sad Love Song by Khalid (another sad song, but by Khalid!)
- Vertigo by Khalid (I told you I was obsessed with Suncity)
- 7 Rings by Ariana Grande (you like my post? gee thanks, just made it (THIS IS SO BAD BUT I’M SO SORRY I HAD TO)
- Fake Love by BTS (I never thought this would be here, because I find K-pop overrated. BUT THIS IS A B O P, ngl)
- Coaster by Khalid (this is simultaneously so chill and shatters my heart into a million pieces? I’m not over “maybe you weren’t the one for me //
But deep down I wanted you to be”. Also this album is a masterpiece) - Winter by Khalid (love gets colder in the winter *cries and takes a deep breath* I LOVE KHALID)
- bury a friend by Billie Eilish (my queen just came out with a new single, and though I didn’t like it at first, I’m really growing to love it. also her new album is out on march 29th and you best bet that i’m listening to it ASAP ahhhhh skskksksks)
Miscellaneous Mains of the Month
Can we just appreciate the alliteration for a hot second? It has all my uwus.
This is going to be a section where I put quick little graphics of my favorites of the month, in terms of life stuff (e.g podcasts, movies, TV shows, concepts etc.).
I’ve talked about Harry Potter and the Sacred Text briefly earlier in this post, just listen to it!
LOOK AT ALL MY BABIES THEY’RE BACK AND THRIVINGΒ π©π
(Also that Good Place Season 3 ending … I did not ask for THOSE FEELINGS OKAY)
Ok, let’s be real, NBC is now my new favorite network, we don’t talk Fox around here.
I told you I was switching up my wrap-ups a little, and since you all know I love checking in with things I said I’d do, I figured we’d see me constantly fail we’d see how I’d do at my monthly goals! I didn’t write down my monthly goals for January in December’s wrap up, because I just decided to do this thing.
- Implement organizational systems at home and at school.Β βΒ The failure of this goal is … disappointing to the core.
- Create a financial tracking system βΒ Any tips? This is seriously becoming a problem.
- Be ahead of my blogging schedule βοΈΒ This didn’t happen at the beginning of the month (shoutout to 1am panic blogging) but I got myself together mid-way through the month, and I’ve been ahead of schedule (and scheduling lots of posts) as of late, which makes me so happy!
- Have at least 5 self-care days a monthΒ βΒ How I actually THOUGHT this could happen, we shall never know
- Focus on my Personal Project βοΈΒ Yes, I did do this! I think it’s going pretty well so far.
- Finish my Personal Project!Β (I have like 3 deadlines for this, someone save me)
- Keep up with my bullet journal (especially my mood tracker) better.Β I’m normally very good at keeping up with them at the beginning, and then fading mid-month until the end of the month.
- Try out Habitica? I’ve heard good things from Elise about it, and habit trackers aren’t cutting it for me right now.
- Successfully pull together that launch! I’ll talk more about this in my February wrap up (probably), but things aren’t going super well right now, hopefully, it’ll get better!
- Begin to compile, organize and backup my IGCSE notes (yikes) My first exam is in May, and though I’ve pulled together a lot of it in December, however, the earlier the better!
- Ensure I get proper IGCSE help for my subjects! I’m aiming for some pretty high grades, and I want to be able to make sure I can do whatever I can to increase the possibility of scoring as high as I can! π
- Be more consistent with my skincare routine! My skincare routine used to be so good and consistent, but now isn’t anymore?
- Write some sort of reviews (don’t have to be full, at least put some bullet-points down) I’ve been absolutely terrible at reviews so far this year, so I want to at least get some form of thoughts (likely bullet-point style, inspired by the amazing Marie!) Wish me luck lmao.
I just looked at my calendar …. and February is not going to be a fun month. Like yes, I have a week-long Chinese New Year (but I can’t go back for work reasons, ew). I am literally going to be running around like crazy and trying not to cry under deadlines and stuff. I’ll be fine.
That being said, I may be taking a mini-hiatus in February, but I’ll definitely schedule a mini hiatus post if so. I’m going to do my best to schedule as many posts as possible early, but with at least four major deadlines in February (which is also the shortest month of the year, smh), I need to focus on school. So, yeah, there will probably be fewer posts in February.
Sorry for the complaining lmao, I really need to focus on being positive, haha.
How was your January like? What did you read? How is the New Year treating you thus far? Have you watched the new Brooklyn Nine-Nine and the final Season 3 The Good Place episodes? (If you have, we need to talk, like now). I would love to know.
You had a pretty great reading month! Though Iβm sorry that the first two weeks didnβt work that well but Iβm glad that you ended January with happy things. I wish you an awesome February and hope you get to do all your goals this month π
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Thank you, Erica! It was rough, but things did get better so yay!! (I’m so relieved I finished the Grisha trilogy lmao) February is actually getting off to a pretty decent start, so that’s great! I wish you all the best in February and happy reading to you too!
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I’m so glad to hear that you had a great start to the month. Thanks! π
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omg thank you so much for bringing that post about ace characters in YA to my attention! I’m always looking for more ace rep, and even at first glance I can see there are some interesting books I hadn’t heard of on that list!
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No problem! I thought that post was a great resource, as an ally, I wanted to do everything I could to help out! Happy reading, Fran!
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I remember reading Shadow and Bone a couple years ago (I think) and like you, I wasn’t really impressed, and I never continued with the series. I’m honestly impressed and surprised you pushed through it despite your enjoyment of it!
I wish you all the luck for your goals and exams! π
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Thanks! Tbh the only reason I pushed through the Grisha trilogy was because I needed to get to King of Scars, never revisiting it again (ngl a great life achievement was finishing the whole series 20 mins before king of scars released HAHA). I’ll need all the luck I can get, so thank you! I wish you all the best in February!
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omg thank you for shouting out YARC again, Taasia and also AHHH FAMOUS IN A SMALL TOWN
I AM SO EXCITED TO READ IT
and I 100% know what you mean about books being too short it KILLS ME I just want more more more!!!
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no problem! yarc is doing amazing things, so as an asian, i needed to shout it out.
books short can be good thing but not if they cut off mid way sksksksksksks
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ME JUST DISCOVERING YOUR BLOG AND FALLING OVER IN APPRECIATION!!!
ahem, I’m a fangirling mess. I need to listen to more Khalid!! I like all of his songs that I’ve listened to so far which is like thee but OKAY IM GOING TO LISTEN TO MORE BECAUSE OF YOU. you like my post, gee thanks just wrote it made me LAUGH. bury a friend’s video is so CREEPY but when are Billie’s videos any different – and I really like the song – super sad and depressing!! which I love!!
I’m sorry that you had mental health, i hope Feb is better for you in terms of that so pls take care of urself!! and the shadow and bone series is so trash, i dnf-ed the last book oops. amazing post β€
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ilsaaa!! you’re too kind π©β€ a fangirling mess is a whole mood ngl, how are you so iconic! you HAVE to listen to more khalid! i got hooked on some of his songs in November, but it got so much worse this month, no regrets though!
look i make terrible puns & jokes (i hope to one day be considered punny and funny though), but i’m glad you found it funny!
omg omg bury a friend vid was creepy but there was lots of intense flashing (tw for epilepsy patients) and needles in skin (which triggered me a little). but the sONG is SO GOOD AHHHH, i normally listen to it daily ahahah
here’s to better mental health in feb! feb is going to be a super super hectic month so i’m worried about my mental health! BUT! rest assured i’ll do my best to take care of myself!
also oooo we sense tea! ruin and rising made sense as a conclusion, but the whole series spells out mediocre. yikes.
i’m glad you liked the post! happy reading β€β€
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Love this post, Taasia! I love love loved Foolish Hearts by Emma Mills and definitely need to read Famous in a Small Town like right now!!! So glad to hear you had a good month. I’ve had a serious case of the book slumps, so here’s to a better February!
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Thanks Meredith! Both Foolish Hearts and Famous In A Small Town were fantastic, and I honestly can’t decide which I liked better, which was surprising, since I only picked Famous up because of the author (I thought it was going to be a little dull ngl). You should definitely read Famous soon!
Reading slumps are the absolute worst, so I wish you the best of luck in breaking it! Happy reading :))
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That’s so good to hear! I have been worried it won’t stand up to Foolish. Thanks for the luck with the reading slump! I think with the help of an old favorite book I’m on my way out of it. Happy reading to you too :))
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Taasia, I’m wishing you luck on all your February goals! I’m sorry that school has been stressing you out so much lately; and even if your past results weren’t the best, I trust that you’re going to rock next finals. Honestly. (And I’m also lowkey super proud that you got out of your comfort zone and went for a party; I’m also the worst at socializing, but you’ve inspired me, truly!)
I saw quite a lot of people (re)reading The Grisha Trilogy in my feed this past month, and all the comments were negative, lol. I think it’s funny how people looooove Six of Crows, but simply can’t stand the original trilogy. I’m glad I started with the duology, then! I’ve never had an interest in The Grisha Trilogy and only picked up Six of Crows because of the – well-deserved – hype.
Also, listening to a lot of Khalid, I see! I’m the worsttttt at keeping up with artists – I just listen to a few songs, never their whole albums – but recently I found out one in my Discover Weekly called girl in red. I’ve been obsessed with all of her songs; even if the lyrics are quite basic, I still enjoy listening to them while I’m reading or in the car.
Hope you have an amazing Februaryyy! π
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Thank you for your kind words, Lais! School’s been fine, I guess? But yeah, I’m proud of myself for stepping out of my comfort zone, and I’m glad I’ve inspired you! You should totally give it a go :)))
So many people have been reading the Grishaverse novels, am I right? I do think it’s funny after thinking about it for some time. I found that reading Six of Crows after the Grisha trilogy really helped with my understanding of the world, so I wasn’t super confused. But yes, Six of Crows is pretty solid, and deserves the hype.
Khalid is amazing! His songs are just the best, and I only listened to the American Teen album to listen to more songs by him after liking quite a few of his songs. I’m glad you found a new favourite artist!
Hope you have an amazing February too! Happy reading!
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I was so, so, SO happy to buddy read with you and thank you for agreeing to buddy-read with me and I had such a fun time and I should be the one apologizing for my slow-pace (why can’t we read while we’re at work, that would resolve all of my slow-reader problems ππ). Famous was suuuuuuuch a fun read and I’m so excited to read moreeeeee from the author, hopefully soon!! β€
I'm so sorry you felt a little stressed out last month, know that I am always here if you need to rant or just talk about anything else or distractions or anything, you know where to find me always β€ I hope that February will be bright and amazing for you, I'm sending you tons of love and good vibes β€
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the buddy read was so funnnnn, we should totally do another one!! please don’t worry about your reading pace, i can just be too fast sometimes :(( since you enjoyed famous, you HAVE to read foolish hearts ASAP!! β€ β€
Thank you for your kind words, Marie! I might need to take you up on that offer some time, hopefully things go well though :)))) I hope that February, life, reading, blogging etc.-wise will be as wonderful as you are! ilyy
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YES YES I’m reading Foolish Hearts this month can’t wait π
Thank you so much!!! β€ β€
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YAYYYY
tell me how it is! i’m here for you if you need to scream about its amazingness π
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taasia you’re my actual fav omg ππ bookish statistics are basically my two favourite things in the world, so my vote is YES. you read so MUCH IM SO PROUD!!
im so glad you enjoyed one day in December bc i’m really interested to read it and youre making me more excited! in an absent dream was INCREDIBLE and so WAS famous in a small town IM SO GLAD WE AGREE
KEEP UP THAT BULLET JOURNALING!!! I hope febuary is better for you mental health wise but im glad you got to spend some quality time with your sister. I hope febuary is amazing for you!!
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may stop it YOU’RE my actual fav, the love and appreciation is so real β€ β€ β€ so yesss i'll totally do stats next month hehe. for you to say i read so much means a lot, especially coming from you (how do you read 20+ books a month, i need to know fr)
you should try reading one day in december, and definitely try the audiobook! also the british accents were just πππ (it helps that i'm lowkey obsessed with british accents lmaoo) and Y E S to in an absent dream and famous in a small town, some great books there :)))
about bujo-ing, i'm thinking about posting monthly plan with me's, but idk? (especially since my spreads are probably a mediocre replica of amandarachlee's spreads, soooo) i hope february is going to be a better month for both of us too! have a february as awesome as you, may! β€
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AHHH Thank you so so much for including my post π I’m glad you had such a wonderful reading month! I also read Evelyn Hugo, and it was absolutely FREAKING AMAZING 5/5 STARS I’M BLOWN AWAY β€ β€ β€ I'm planning on reading Shadow & Bone in February, so it's good to know where to set my expectations. I hope you have a wonderful February of reading!!
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Of course I had to include your post Tiffany, it was so good and so helpful β€ also yAY I'M SO GLAD YOU LOVED EVELYN HUGO IT'S SO GOOD. tbh lowkey surprised i haven't boosted it in what feels like so long lmaoo. best of luck with shadow and bone, the beginning's rough π¬ I hope February is a wonderful month for you too, both life and reading-wise!
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I absolutely loved reading this wrap-up, Taasia! You have such a great and entertaining blogging voice; I love it haha βΊοΈ I’m so glad you loved The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (I also loved this book) and Famous in a Small Town (I CANNOT WAIT to read this one)!! Have you read any other books by Emma Mills? (My favorite is Foolish Hearts π) Oh and I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed buddy reading with Marie! I’ve never done a buddy read before, but they sound so fun, and I’d love to do one with you if you’re up for it sometime π
AND OMG YES B99 AND TGP!! I haven’t watched the latest episode of B99 yet, but I’m loving season 6 so far. AND I LITERALLY TEARED UP AT THE SEASON 3 FINALE OF TGP π how dare Mike Schur do this to us π I’M DEVASTATED. (yes i’m still not over it) Again, great post, Taasia!! I hope you have a great February, and good luck with all of your goals π
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Thank you so much, Dezzy! You really are too kind :)) I’m so glad you loved Evelyn Hugo, it was so good! You HAVE to read Famous soon (because it was so good), and yes, I’ve read all of Emma Mills’s books except First and Then (which I need to do ASAP).
I would love to do a buddy read with you! Buddy reading is a really cool experience, we can chat about it on Twitter or Goodreads, feel free to drop a message!!
AHHHHH the latest B99 episode is SO GOOD, you NEED to watch it (it was so funny at times). the newest season is just …. I’m screaming. TGP was so good, and I was close to tearing up with the Season 3 finale, how dare Mike Schur (#rude). I hope you have a February as wonderful as you are, Dezzy!
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Thank you for including my post!
Seems like you had a busy month, but at least a lot of good happened! This reminds me, I have to catch up on Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Also, Habitica is great and I definitely recommend! π
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No problem! Your post is wonderful and I’m glad it exists :)) The new Brooklyn 99 episodes are great, hope you love them! I need to definitely use Habitica then, heard so much good about them!
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