April Wrap Up 2019

April was the month of rom-com reads and superhero movies... which is honestly what I'd love every month to be. I've been leaning towards all the easy, contemporary books lately because I've been super super busy and haven't had much time to sit down and read. (I also haven't had time to sit down and blog/write which explains how staggeringly unproductive I've been too). What can I say? Exams are soon upon us and I'm getting my revise on.

BOOKS

The DUFF- Kody Keplinger (Re-read)
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Having stormed through the majority of V. E. Schwab's books in March, I really wanted to go back to some comfort re-reads and they don't get more comfortable than Kody Keplinger. When I've got a lot going on in life and stress is sitting on my shoulders, I love going into these types of books because they're easy, fun and super enjoyable to read. The DUFF is my favourite of Kody Keplinger's books so I naturally jumped for it.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before- Jenny Han (Re-read)
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This is another comfort re-read that could be described in one word: adorable. It's really sweet and easy but I did decide only to read the first in the trilogy because, in my opinion, I think they get worse and worse as they go on. I like the second book but I'm not at all a fan of the third book for reasons I explain in my book review...
Always and Forever, Lara Jean Book Review

Beautiful Disaster- Jamie McGuire (Re-read)
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Yet another re-read, (I've really fallen back on my aim to read more new books this year), and I liked it but, at the same time, seriously think I need to stop re-reading it. When I first read this book, I rated it five stars. When I re-read it, the rating dropped to four stars. And now... three stars. Solid three stars and that's what I'm sticking with, I promise.
It's not a bad book but as I re-read, I realise all the flaws and just how unhealthy the relationships are. The main couple is co-dependent, manipulative, problematic and... it makes it difficult to root for them in any way. I'd definitely say my opinions about this book have changed over the years and there's so much in my book review that I no longer agree with... which is interesting, I suppose. I'd like to say I've grown as a person and am a little less naive when it comes to unhealthy and toxic relationships...
Beautiful Disaster Book Review

I Spy the Boy Next Door- Samantha Armstrong
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First of all, I don't care if this book is labelled New Adult, it's YA. And, overall, it's pretty mediocre but still enjoyable. The characters are okay but they're decisions are sometimes questionable, the relationships nice but odd at times and the plot interesting but just lacking something. I will say the story took an interesting turn towards the end that I wasn't expecting and explained some of the characters' odd actions but I'm not sure if it redeems the entire book. I left this book feeling 'meh.'

Let Me Be The One- Lily Foster
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This book started off so well and then... just didn't continue well at all. Don't get me wrong, the characters were okay and story good enough to get through but it was also super frustrating and annoying. This is a romance and the main relationship was a little all over the place. They were terrible communicators, broke up so many times because they just didn't trust each other, and got back together without really resolving anything. The pacing was also a bit odd. We'd spend ages focusing on one week and then whizz past years of exposition all in one page. We'd spend ages with them going to parties and yet we didn't even get to see their first kiss! Overall, not an amazing romance read but what was I really expecting from a free kindle book?

Can You Keep A Secret?- Sophie Kinsella (Re-read)
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It's been ages since I read this and I'd completely forgotten how funny it was! This is how you do a rom-com! This book has such a great premise and it's executed perfectly. Sophie Kinsella is the perfect author to turn to if you need a little pick-me-up and enjoyable read. It's guaranteed to make you laugh and leave you feeling warm.


TV AND MOVIES
Game of Thrones Season 7 (Re-watch)
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As season 8 started in April, I didn't have time to re-watch the whole show so I settled for going over season 7 another time. And it was awesome! It's no secret that Game of Thrones is one of the best TV shows of all time and I absolutely loved re-watching this season. It's full of excitement, thrills and epic battle sequences. The characters have come so far since season 1 and season 8 is going to be epic.

Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie (Re-watch)
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Me and my brother were bored one afternoon and just fancied watching an old and nostalgic movie. I used to love Wizards of Waverly Place as a kid and, for days exactly like this, I've kept the DVD of the movie because sometimes it's a nice pick-me-up. It was actually a lot of fun to watch and we had a good laugh.

X-Men
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Over the Easter holidays, my best friend came over and we've decided to start tackling through the X-Men movies. We're both massive fans of Marvel but haven't yet watched the X-Men movies. I've heard many mixed opinions on these films but I quite liked it! They may not be as good as the general MCU, but there were still entertaining and funny (maybe funnier than they were intended to be because they were so cheesy).

X-Men 2
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We went straight into the sequel and, while it was still great, I think I preferred the first movie. There's a lot of promise and a lot of potential with these movies so I'm excited to continue. My favourite character is probably Wolverine at the moment but I also quite like Cyclops.

Avengers: Infinity War (Re-watch)
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As Endgame was coming out at the end of the month, I wanted to re-watch the masterpiece that was Infinity War. I absolutely loved this movie and watching it again was just as fun. This movie juggles so many characters and subplots and planets but it's so flawlessly done and it's maybe the best movie of the entire MCU.

Avengers: Endgame
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I saw Endgame the day it came out and... I don't think I've stopped crying since. It was three hours and two minutes of perfection and I'll never forget the experience of watching this. The cinema was cheering at certain moments, crying and it was the best thing ever. I literally cried for the entire second half of the movie and it wasn't even just sad parts! It was just so overwhelming and the end of an era and the tears didn't stop. There were moments that where I felt so proud and empowered that I sobbed because it was all too inspiring. Endgame truly finished Phase 3 of Marvel perfectly and I'm so excited for all that is to come.
Endgame Movie Review

Avengers: Endgame (Re-watch)
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And yes... I watched it again. Like always, I watched it with my brother first and then saw it with my best friend. I love being able to watch Marvel movies twice at the cinema because they're jam packed with references and jokes and quotes and it's nice to take it all in and dissect everything that's happening.
Endgame Movie Review

Started:
Game of Thrones Season 8
And, of course, Game of Thrones season 8 started in April and I've been loving it. I've actually been watching each episode twice and it's be so much fun! I'm a little behind on episode reviews but every episode has been epic and awesome and I know there's only great things to come. It's going to be super sad when it's all over. Sansa for the win!


Thanks for reading! Feel free to comment your thoughts. Stay amazing!
Chloe