I've re-read rwarb and carry on three times this year (confessions of comfort reads)

I just started doing online school again, and I've had to do a surprising amount of writing (which I enjoy so I don't really mind). But the stress of school and IGCSEs has really been getting to me since I am also applying to schools in the UK right now which is super stressful because the last time I was there I was like 9 so I don't remember anything and now I can't visit cause of covid and AAAh.

Anyways, just having a bit of a life crisis cause I've never lived outside of Asia but OH WELL. This is a book blog!!! Gotta talk about books!!! So in lew of my life being a big joke, here are my comfort reads!!! 

(PS: the fact that these are all mlm was not on purpose, I guess I read a lot of mlm?)

Red, White and Royal Blue - Casey Mcquinston

I have read this book three times this year! Kinda bad! This is honestly my favourite romance novel EVER so can you really blame me? I'm honestly such a sucker for the 'enemies to lovers' trope, it's just so good. When they are enemies you can feel the tENSION that they think is just them being rivals but NON (french for no). SEXUAL TENSION. love love love. 

ANyways back the rwarb. In this story, we follow Alexandre-Clairemont Diaz as he pursues his dream of becoming the youngest politician in American history. Not to mention that his mother is the president of the United States. Alex's life has always seemed to revolve around politics, so it's not surprising that he would eventually meet the royal family. Henry is the Prince of Wales, and 'the spare' (aka second-born son), and when Alex finally meets him, he's an absolute ass. From then on, Alex had despised Henry, and even the media had cast him as Henry's American equivalent. So when it's time for the Royal Wedding (Henry's brother's wedding, don't worry), Alex plans to get absolutely wasted. But he didn't plan to land ass first in the 75,000$ wedding cake with Henry on top of him. 

Okay, I think I was a little bit dramatic in that summary, but the book is dramatic and FANTASTIC, so I hope I did it justice? I love Henry and Alex so much and just reading about their story makes me so happy. I will probably be reading this to calm my nerves on my flight to England when I move there (IF I move there). There aren't a lot of books that just make me SUPER HAPPY, but this is definitely one of them. 

Other things I love about this book: Love letters over business emails, polo, jaffa cakes, turkeys, Alex staying in the palace, Henry staying in the White House, NORA AND JUNE, WOMAN PRESIDENT HELL YEAH, ...

Carry On - Rainbow Rowell

There seems to be a come theme where you either LOVE this book or think it's super average. At first, I thought Carry On was a pretty average story. I tend to do this, where when I first read it, I think it's pretty subpar, but when I reread it, I absolutely love it. This book is fan fiction inception. Okay, hear me out. Carry On is supposedly Cat's fanfiction in Rainbow's novel 'Fangirl'. And that fanfiction was loosely based off Harry Potter. So Rainbow is TECHNICALLY writing fanfiction of Cat's fanfiction which is fanfiction of (kinda) of Harry Potter. IM SO SORRY IF THAT MADE NO SENSE.

Carry On is often described as 'Rainbow Rowell's take on the chosen one story' which I think is a perfect description of the story. Anyways, here's my description: Simon Snow is a horrible mage, but he also so happens to be the most powerful mage of all time who is supposed to save the whole magical world. When he was brought to Watford at age 11, he didn't even know magic existed. But now he's been thrust into this world, told he's the prophesied saviour of mage society and given an absolutely unbearable roommate (who he thinks might be a vampire). And he loves it all. We follow him in his last year at Watford, as he tries to take it all in one last time and also tries to look for his roommate who has mysteriously gone missing. 

I absolutely love this book, and it makes me so happy. I've read it 4 times now... (three times this year, oops?). The sequel 'Wayward Son' is just as good to me, though a lot of people thought it was worse. Don't go into Wayward Son expecting Carry On, they are completely different. I am SO excited for when Any Way The Wind Blows comes out (third book), it's actually out so much faster than I thought it was going to be!! I bought I signed and personalized copy, and I'm so so excited. This is definitely my favourite series. But of course, if you were to ask me what my favourite series was, I probably would say something more socially acceptable, since a lot of people hate Carry On (I would probably say Six of Crows or A Darker Shade Of Magic, both series I love btw!).

This is just an added bonus rant:

Okay, I guess this is kind of embarrassing? But this is a post on comfort reads SO OH WELL. I've been really (fucking) stressed, and what I do when I'm stressed and should be revising is read ao3. If you don't know what ao3 is, I don't want to be the first person to introduce you to it, so please just carry on with your lovely life and don't get SUCKED INTO AN AO3 ADDICTION LIKE ME. Okay, it's not an addiction, I'll just randomly every couple of months get addicted for 2 days. It's kind of sporadic? ANways, I mostly read fanfic on ao3 (legit what else would you read on ao3). It AMAZES ME how people publish their writing FOR FREE??? and a lot of what I've read on ao3 has been better than real published books. LIke????? People write NOVELS, wHole entire SERIES on ao3!!!!! FOR FREE!!!! Wha- I'm amazed, they are the true givers of this world. Charity volunteers have nothing on ao3 writers who write THE ENTIRETY OF HARRY POTTER FOR FREE??? I'm amazing, phlabaghasted. I'm tempted to do a piece on my favourite ao3 pieces, but if my future employer's find this I would be kind of embarrassed.