June wrap-up!

Happy July, everyone! I can’t believe it’s July already (I feel like I say the same sentiment every month, but it’s true every month. Where does the time go).

Books Read

• Olga Dies Dreaming Xóchitl González: 4 stars
• Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales: 4 stars
• Disfigured by Amanda Leduc: 4 stars
• The Mad Women’s Ball by Victoria Mas, translated by Frank Wynne: 3 stars
• An Unauthorized Fan Treatise by Lauren James: 5 stars

Overall, this was a good reading mont numbers-wise! The best thing I read was definitely An Unauthorized Fan Treatise, which you can read here. If you like fandom drama, I cannot recommend this enough.

Currently reading

• I’m currently reading And I Do Not Forgive You by Amber Sparks, which is a short story collection. I’ve read the first third-ish of the stories, and have enjoyed most of them!
• I’m also about a third through City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert but keep forgetting to pick it up.
• And I’m listening to As Long as Grass Grows by Dina Gilio-Whitaker, but I’m not loving it so I may swap it out.

Things watched

• Survivor: Exile Island: we finished Exile Island, and I enjoyed it! I was surprised by the top two tbh, but I enjoyed the season overall. This was the last season we needed to watch to get back to where we started, so now we’re rewatching some seasons before continuing.
• I watched Long Story Short, an Australian romcom on Netflix, and I really enjoyed it! Definitely recommend, it’s very fun and a great summer watch.
• I finally watched the second and third To All the Boys movies. I thought they were both fine tbh, entertaining and dramatic, but not new favourites. Lara Jean and Peter definitely break-up after highschool though, sorry.
• I also watched My Best Friend’s Girl, which was also fun! I miss early 2000s romcoms, so if anyone has any recommendations, please let me know!

Reviews posted

• A review of the Family Chao but also a discussion on representation

Other bookish posts

Some pride recommendations // More original book covers

I haven’t had the energy to blog this month, sorry y’all! But hopefully more blogging will come soon!

Other news and highlights

• It was my friend Dalal’s birthday, so a few of us got tacos and sat in the park. It was really nice to hang out and catch up.
• Dalal and I also lay in a different park in some very soft grass for like two hours after work one day, and it was honestly really nice. Sometimes, people do need to touch grass (it was me, I needed to touch grass).
• I went to go see the premiere of the orchestral version of Rag Time, which premiered in Calgary and had one of my coworkers! It was really good, and the first time I had been to the theatre since covid started.
• My work also had a board game afternoon, where we went to a board game cafe and had food and played board games. It was a lot of fun, highly recommend.
• I officially completed articling! It was very bittersweet in that I’m excited I’m done and it’s a big accomplishment, but I loved my firm and my job and my friends, so I’m so sad it’s over. I cried a lot my last few days, and have cried at least once since it ended (and it’s only been two weeks so). But I am excited for new things and the future.
• I had about a week off in June, and it was really good! The weather was really nice, so I spent a lot of time outside. I read by the river one day, and read in my favourite cafe on their patio another. It also rained, which was kind of nice because it never rains in Calgary and we got some thunderstorms, and it was a good excuse to stay inside and read. Overall, I wish I had longer off but I’m glad I got a relaxing week.
• I also started my new job! I’m back doing health research, so even though I’m so sad I’m not at my old job, I’m also so thrilled to be back researching things I find interesting. I’ve been learning to code!

Anyhow, how was your June? What have you been up to? Let me know!

Thanks for reading! xx

Ally xx

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