My favourite TV shows of 2018

I'm a bit late with all 'my favourites of 2018' posts, but better late than never I guess? Anyway, 2018 was such an amazing year when it came to TV shows and I found so many new favourites. Those who made my list didn't necessarily aired in 2018, but I watched them during that year. I also managed to rank them and I'm so proud of myself, as I'm unable to do that with books and movies for 2018. So without further ado, here are my favourite TV shows of 2018!

10. Peaky Blinders

I finally started watching Peaky Blinders last year* and I fell in love with it, I even watched the first season in less than a day. I'm a huge period drama fan, as you probably know, but I had been reluctant to watch this one, for I was scared it would be a bit too violent for me (I was wrong). The universe kept sending me signs for two days, between seeing articles about the show everywhere or Sam Claflin announcing he would play in series 5 (!!), so that's how I ended up starting it, and I couldn't be happier to have watched it. It is full of morally grey characters, which I adore, and I admire the female characters' of the show so much (okay I fell in love with two of them, but shhhh): Peaky Blinders was one of the reasons I cut my hair shorter in November, I wanted to live the 1920s aesthetic, so yeah. #noregrets

*Fun fact: I finished catching up with it today!

9. The Good Place

Another show I watched after everyone else was The Good Place. I didn't even know what it was about when I started it, just that people were obsessed with it and I feel that it's the best way to watch it. I had no idea what was going on at first, but I was so curious and needed to have answers: that's the magic of the show and that's how you end up binge-watching it in three days or something. The characters are absolutely hilarious, there are so many iconic lines it's very addictive and I adore the photography of it!

8. Brooklyn Nine-Nine

I started watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine in 2017, but completely caught up with it last year. I'm usually not a use fan of cop shows, because I often find them repetitive, but that's absolutely not the case for Brooklyn Nine-Nine. All the characters are amazing and picking a favourite is next to impossible for me: they've all helped and inspired me in different ways and I'm so grateful they exist. This TV show is perfect to watch when I'm feeling a bit down, it always makes me laugh a little. I am so excited about the newest season, thank god it wasn't cancelled in the end! *cries*

7. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is such a breath of fresh air: I started watching it because I wanted a 'lighter' period drama to watch... and it ended up in a binge-watch and my boyfriend joining in and falling in love with the show as well. This American period drama, created by Amy Sherman-Palladino (who also created Gilmore Girls!!), is set in 1958 and follows Myriam "Midge" Maisel, an upper-class Jewish housewife. After her husband leaves her for his secretary, she delivers an impromptu comic performance in a bar where her husband used to act for fun, and after some time, she is inspired to become a comedian. I adore Midge so much and Rachel Brosnahan, who portrays her, delivers such amazing performances (she won two Golden Globes in the past two years?).

6. Jane the Virgin

I've been watching Jane the Virgin since 2016 and I've always considered it to be one of my favourite TV shows (even though season 2 disappointed me a bit), so truly, it's no surprise that it's making the list. And then, season 4 happened and changed my life. That's not even me being overdramatic, it's true. 2018 was the year I accepted myself like never before and the show helped me immensely: if it weren't for that scene with Petra, I would still be doubting myself... Her dream scene was exactly what happened to me, so when I saw that for a fictional character I loved, it truly meant the world to me. I cannot wait for the last season, I just want to see these characters happy. That's all I need.

5. Star Wars: The Clone Wars

It's no secret that I'm so obsessed with The Last Jedi that I watched it eleven times on the big screen. While I was on a Star Wars roll, I decided I would finally get started on the new Expanded Universe, whether it was TV shows, books or comics. I wasn't too excited about watching The Clone Wars at first, as I'm not a huge fan of Episode II or Anakin, but as the first two seasons were on Netflix, I gave it a go. Little did I know that it would make me love the Fall of the Republic era so much, that I would meet one of my favourite Star Wars characters in the person of Ahsoka Tano, that I would get super obsessed with the show. It's so worth it and a great place to start if you want to go beyond the Star Wars movies!

4. Everything Sucks!

Everything Sucks! means the world to me, because it's the show that finally gave me the strength to come out. I'll always remember how much I cried and how I wrote all the words I had always been too scared to say. Truly, I will always be heartbroken they decided to cancel it. I dedicated a blog post to it if you want to know more about it, but this is the show I had always needed in my life. It's set in 1996 (the year I was born!) and it follows high school misfits in the AV and drama clubs who brave the ups and downs of teenage life in the VHS era. It is full of pop culture references, it has amazing characters and a great coming out story. I have to admit that it's hard to watch at first, because there is bullying and homophobic slur, it truly shows how life can be awful in high school, but it gets better and better with every episode. I miss this show so much, I need to rewatch it.

3. One Day at a Time

One Day at a Time already was in my previous favourite TV shows list and of course, it kept its spot.  It is one of the greatest and most important TV shows that was ever made and if you still haven't watched it, please do. I made all my friends watch it and they all got obsessed, because clearly I have good taste (I'm joking of course). It tackles down such important and contemporary topics, has a diverse cast of characters and it's hilarious. Most of all, it has Elena, one of my favourite fictional characters ever, she's so inspiring, she makes me want to fight to get what I want and to be myself, without hiding. No, but really, can you believe that we have a Latina, gay, feminist, vegetarian and super clever main character as awesome as she is? I cannot wait to rewatch the first two seasons to be ready for the third!

2. The Bold Type

When I started watching The Bold Type, it truly felt like the one and it's definitely one of the TV shows that has inspired me the most. It is a feminist, empowering, diverse and topical show, tackling down so many contemporary issues and doing it in such a clever way. It follows the lives of Jane, Kat and Sutton, who works for Scarlet, a global women's magazine. There three girls mean so much to me, because not only the portraying of their friendship is one of the healthiest I have seen on TV, but I see myself in all of them, and they all are my role models in a way. They still are at the beginning of their professional lives - they've worked for four years or something? - and it's so encouraging for me, as I'm almost done with my studies. If you asked me who was my favourite, I wouldn't be able to answer, because it changes with every episode and I love them in different ways. I dedicated a blog post to this one as well because I love it too much. 

I think that it is my favourite currently airing TV show and it could almost

have been number 1 on this list as well, if it weren't for...

1. Parks and Recreation

*everyone pretends to be shocked* I don't think that my words could ever do justice at how much I adore this show, but just know this: I watched all seven seasons in a month and a half. Parks and Rec is set in Pawnee, Indiana, and follows the team from the Parks and Recreation department (duh) on their adventures. It's funny, always makes me feel good, has relatable characters and I would almost move to Pawnee to work in the department by day and be a Mouse Rat groupie by night. *starts singing The Pit* My favourite character was of course my wife April Ludgate, she's the best and I adore Aubrey Plaza, so that's no surprise! I miss the show so much, I need to rewatch it, I need to buy the DVDs, how have I been holding on without it for the past seven months and six days?? H O W??

What were your favourite TV shows of 2018?

Reading wrap-up + Favourites | December 2018

I have so many blog posts planned for the beginning of the year, from lists of everything I've loved in 2018 to what I am planning to do in 2019, that I would almost have forgotten to post my December reading wrap-up. *shocked gasps* So before we're too far ahead in the month, it's time to wrap up December 2018!

December was quite an eventful month: it was made of my last few weeks at uni, being accepted into the internship I wanted the most, getting in the Christmas spirit and so much more. It was also a difficult month, as my anxiety was a mess because of university, but at least that part is over and I've been on vacations since December 19th, so it's alright. Anyhow, let's jump into what I read during the last month of 2018.

• Lord of Shadows, by Cassandra Clare, 5/5 stars (re-read)
• Queen of Air and Darkness, by Cassandra Clare, 4/5 stars
• Mr. Dickens and His Carol, by Samantha Silva, 4/5 stars
• Assassin's Quest, by Robin Hobb, 4.5/5 stars
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, by J.K. Rowling, 5/5 stars (re-read)
• The Master and Margarita, by Mikhail Bulgakov, 3.5/5 stars
• Hickory Dickory Dock, by Agatha Christie, 4/5 stars
• Muse of Nightmares, by Laini Taylor, 4.5/5 stars
• A Game of Thrones, by George R.R. Martin, 5/5 stars

      + three French graphic novels

At the beginning of December, I set myself a very ambitious TBR, because there were many huge books I wanted to read and I nailed it (I was very scared I wouldn't finish A Game of Thrones in time, but I did it!). Reading and loving fantasy again is such a wonderful feeling, so it won't be too surprising if I tell you that I got a book hangover after finishing The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb and that it would have been the same for A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin, had I not started my reread of Les Misérables at the beginning of January. My favourite book of the month, then, was A Game of Thrones, I'm so proud of myself for starting the A Song of Ice and Fire series at long last! Now I need to binge-read every book set in this world.

EVENT // Meeting Lin-Manuel Miranda

On December 10th, a premiere of Mary Poppins Returns took place in Paris, in the presence of some of the members of the cast, including Lin-Manuel Miranda. It was just a premiere for press (um, I still haven't watched the movie, which is really sad) and no one was talking about it, but somehow we heard it would take place and I got there with some of my friends. We were just waiting, hoping to get a glimpse of the cast and... We met Lin-Manuel Miranda. I mean, we actually talked to him?? This entire moment was surreal, he truly was the nicest, he signed something for everyone, did group selfies... I still cannot believe it happened, it was a perfect way to end the year. I'm beyond happy for my friends Clara and Lydia, as he means the world to them and they had been wanting to meet him for forever, I can't believe they finally did so!!

TV SHOW // The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017)

In December, I finally started watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and this TV show has been making me so happy. I had been hearing my friend Fatima talking about it for so long and my friend Clara had also started it some time before, and as I wanted to watch a period drama that would make me happy, I gave in. This American period drama, created by Amy Sherman-Palladino*, is set in 1958 and follows Myriam "Midge" Maisel, an upper-class Jewish housewife. After her husband leaves her for his secretary, she delivers an impromptu comic performance in a bar where her husband used to act for fun, and after some time, she is inspired to become a comedian. This TV show is such a fresh breath of air and binge-watching it has been amazing! My boyfriend got addicted as well when he hadn't watched the first four episodes, so yeah... Just watch it!

*she created Gilmore Girls!

MOVIE // Christmas movies

At the end of November, I made a list of Christmas movies I wanted to watch and slowly made my way through it during the time that led to Christmas. I discovered that I loved cheesy Christmas movies and binge-watched all the Netflix Original ones, my favourite being The Holiday Calendar. I also finally got to older Christmas movies I had wanted to watch for so long, such as How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I also watched The Man Who Invented Christmas, which is about how Dickens came to write A Christmas Carol and it was my favourite of them all! I had wanted to watch it for so long (of course I did, Dan Stevens plays Charles Dickens), they never released it in France, and it was as amazing as I thought it would be! I'm hoping that watching it for Christmas will become a new tradition!

WRITING

At the beginning of my holidays, I got an idea for a new novel... and I haven't been able to get away from it since then, because my characters keep talking to me. Oh, well. I haven't written consistently in four years, but got some ideas for historical novels that I've always been terrified to write. However, this one might be the one, because it's not set too far away in the past, and the entirety of it is so me. A lot of it is coming from my personal experience, which makes it hard to write, but this project has made me so happy. I've started doing research for it, which is a lot of fun, and getting to know my characters is amazing, I love them so much. Writing this book will be one of my biggest challenges of 2019, but in any case, December was our honeymoon phase with my WIP, so it was all good.

MOVIE // Aquaman (2018)

I didn't really expect that to happen, but at the end of December, I watched the Aquaman movie and I absolutely fell in love with it. Now, you probably know that I adore Marvel's movies, but the ones from DC Comics... Well, not so much. I always go watch them (except for Suicide Squad that I never watched and don't want to), but I always have mixed feelings about them. Needless to say, I didn't have a lot of expectations when I went to watch Aquaman, I just knew I had to watch it because I've always been obsessed with the sea, and I fell for it. Yes, I do have a crush on both Jason Momoa and Amber Heard, but I also adore the world-building, the story, the aesthetic, the inspirations for it and the soundtrack of the movie. I've already watched it twice in December and by the time I've published this, I'll probably have watched it a third time, because I can't get enough out of it. It also (re)taught me something that I had forgotten and needed to remember, so I'm grateful it did. I'm so happy it was my last movie of the year and I cannot wait to read Aquaman's comics now (even though he's blonde in them *cries*).

As you're reading this, I'm currently in Algeria for a project with my university, which is exciting and a bit scary, as it's my very first time out of Europe! Still, I am so happy to start the year by traveling to a place I've never been before and I'm sure it'll be really interesting. Moreover, I'll be starting my internship on January 10th and I'm so excited about it, I'm sure that it'll be an enlightening experience! So basically, that's what my month will look like and I'm so there for it!

There are also so many releases I'm excited about for books, movies and TV shows. I've already talked about my most anticipated book releases for this winter recently and I'm not quite sure I'll be able to read January releases, but I have an e-ARC of The Gilded Wolves, so that's exciting. For movies, I am so looking forward to watching On the Basis of Sex (Felicity Jones <3), Colette, and The Hate U Give, which is finally coming out in France! I also need to catch up on some movies I didn't watch during the holidays, so I'll probably spend my whole free time in theaters. Oops. I also have several TV shows that will start airing again, the third season of A Series of Unfortunate Events is already there, but I'm also impatiently waiting for Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Victoria, I have been waiting for so long!

How did December 2018 treat you? Any new favourites?

My favourite books of 2018

Now that 2018 is behind us, it's time to share with you my favourite reads of the year! I didn't want to write this post while we were still in 2018, just in case my very last read of the year became a new favourite, and in the end, that was a very wise decision! For this post, I ordered my favourites through chronological order, because I couldn't choose between some of them, but also because chronological order reflects my reading year more. That being said, let's jump right into it!

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Daphne du Maurier might be my favourite author, but I waited for as long as I could before diving into Rebecca. It's her most famous work - with reason -, but she wanted to be known for more than *just* that one, and I wanted to respect her in that. I had also watched 1997 mini-series years ago, so I already knew everything that happened. Yet, nothing can ever prepare you for the beauty of du Maurier's words. Rebecca is intoxicating, with an amazing gothic atmosphere and a fascinating plot. Like all of du Maurier's works, it made me want to visit Cornwall so much and I'm aching for the day I'll finally be able to go there. While I already knew the story, it still took me by surprise and upon finishing it, I had to go back to reread the first chapters of the story. Daphne du Maurier, I love you so much.

Renegades by Marissa Meyer

At the time I read Renegades, I hadn't fallen in love with a young adult novel in six months. However, from the moment I picked that one up, I knew that my problem was fixed, because Renegades was everything I could have asked for. As I adore slow-paced plots and super abilities, this one was perfect for me and I couldn't get enough! This novel is about people you'd call superheroes, villains, but also secret identities and humanity, while giving you the points of view of characters who belong to two different sides. It has a very rich world, full of politics, and you're left wondering who the villains of the story are, which is something I adore. I have yet to pick up the sequel, but I'm so excited to see where this story is going!

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Ah, Children of Blood and Bone. One of the two books that put me in a fantasy slump for most of the year, because I loved it too much. I am often scared of the hype, but Children of Blood and Bone amazed me. The world-building was spectacular, it flew perfectly and introduced everything you need to know about Orïsha, where the series takes place. This book focused on racism, fear and hatred of people who are different from you and how those feelings can lead to prejudice, violence and even slaughter; it echoes our society, especially the stories about unarmed black men, women, and children shot by the police and it makes the story even more important. I also fell for all our main characters, without being able to pick a favourite and I've been missing them for months. 

The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty

The City of Brass is the second book that contributed to my fantasy slump. After these two, I couldn't read fantasy anymore without being disappointed, because they were too good. This novel is a Middle-East inspired fantasy novel (it's set in 18th century Cairo at first!) with a very dense plot and so many layers weren't revealed until the very end, which made me love it even more. I couldn't catch my breath because I always wanted to know what would happen next. As I have a soft spot for morally grey characters and The City of Brass had several, I couldn't help but love them. Moreover, I loved how it didn't make it easy for its characters mastering new abilities, because it can be the case in fantasy, but The City of Brass didn't suffer from it at all! It was such an amazing fantasy novel.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Sometimes, you are lucky enough to find a book that feels so much like you and you can't get enough of it. You know that this book and you will stand the test of time. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is one of mine. To be honest, it never is a good idea to make me talk about it, because that's it: I want to reread it again, as it feels so much like home. This book introduced me to one of the most beautiful stories I have ever read, as well as to one of my favourite fictional characters, Juliet Ashton. She inspires me so much and we share many similarities! Besides, I loved how much this novel was about reading and loving books, how books can bring us together during tough times. It also had so many different book references and I loved it all the more because of that: from the fact that Juliet was a writer who published a biography about Anne Brontë to the fact that it was set on Guernsey, where Victor Hugo was exiled (and wrote Les Misérables aka my favourite book), I couldn't have been happier. 

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo at the right time in my life and from the very beginning, I already knew it would end up being one of my favourite books ever and I already wanted to reread it. This book is about Evelyn Hugo, a very famous Hollywood actress, her life from the 1950s to today, her career and her seven husbands. I can't say too much, but I am thankful I've read this, I am thankful for what it brought me and I will reread it for the rest of my life. Evelyn Hugo was such an interesting character, she was ruthless, ambitious and so inspiring, she will stay with me for a very long time. I'm not saying anymore, but anyone who has read this will know what I'm talking about, but just thank you for it all Taylor Jenkins Reid. I reread it just recently, and I want to do so again.

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman

Alice Oseman's books were so special to me this year, I binge-read them all back to back in a week (I rarely ever do that for a series or an author) and Alice Oseman became my newest favourite author. I read this one in June, when I was terrified of what my future would hold and it helped me so much. Frances Janvier became one of the characters I relate to the most and I am beyond grateful she exists in this amazing novel. Everyone has read this one years ago, so I'm very late to the party, but I am so thankful for this book, how nerdy it is, for Frances and Aled and for what it brought me. I adore Alice Oseman's words so much and I would read her grocery shopping list. It's been months now and I still can't put into proper words how much this means to me. That's just about it.

Frenchman's Creek by Daphne du Maurier

What. A. Surprise. I have two of Daphne du Maurier's novels in my favourite books of 2018 list. I just couldn't help myself. I have often written that Daphne du Maurier was probably my soulmate and have always meant it: no one gets me as much as she does and I will forever be heartbroken not to have lived at the same time as she had. But anyway. In this novel, I fell in love with the descriptions of Cornwall, with the atmosphere, with the way the pirate's life was described. I adored Dona St Columb, because I could relate to her so much, she felt so modern, was so smart, witty, independent and fierce, she also needed more from her life, and I get that. Frenchman's Creek is a story about finding who you are after having to hide it for so long, about sexual awakening, about duty, about family, about passion. It's very far from the "silly" love story some people want to make of it. It means the world to me, feels like home, and I'm so glad that Daphne du Maurier wrote it.

The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb

Remember when I mentioned my fantasy slump? Well, I eventually got out of it and it's all thanks to the Farseer Trilogy. Special thanks to my parents and my boyfriend for making me read it, even though I got a book hangover from it. This time, I'm not talking about one book, I'm talking about the trilogy, because I think about it as a whole and it's spectacular throughout. If I had to choose, Royal Assassin would be my favourite, but I just love the trilogy more, if that makes sense? This series is a medieval fantasy following FitzChivalry, the illegitimate son of a prince, who comes to court and secretly learns to be an assassin for his king. The Farseer Trilogy is full of court politics, has such a spectacular world-building, fleshed-out characters (I feel like I know them all by heart!) and while its slow pace isn't for everyone, I didn't really mind. I haven't been able to get this story out of my mind ever since I started it in November, even though I've tried. Even today, weeks later, all I want to do is dive into the next trilogy, The Liveship Traders. I'm so happy that Robin Hobb's world is made of so many series, I wish they could last forever.

A Game of Thrones by by George R.R. Martin

Last, but certainly not least, A Game of Thrones was the last book I read in 2018 and it became one of my favourites. I've been watching Game of Thrones (the show) for years, sometimes I adore it, sometimes I'm feeling a bit meh about it, so I was always unsure whether I wanted to read the books or not. However, everyone kept saying that the books were way better, so I gave in... And while I only read the first one, I'm already in agreement (it might also be because I like fantasy more in books than in movies/TV shows). I already knew most of the story, but it's a complete different experience through George R.R. Martin's words: the world is richer, the characters more fleshed out and I just appreciate it more? I'm not quite sure I can explain, but I was so excited to go back to it every time (even though I read it slowly) and I need to buy A Clash of Kings tomorrow so I can take it to Algeria with me the day after. Oh, and while we're at it, I need all things Westeros, thank you very much.

So that's it for my favourite books of the year! I'm so happy I got to discover all the books I mentioned in this post in 2018 and I already miss them, I cannot wait to reread them over and over again. If I had to pick just one favourite, I could almost do it... I'd just have to pick two instead, aka The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, but I'm sure most of you knew that already. 2018 was such an amazing year for me and I'm sad to see it go, but having all those books to look back on is everything I need.

What were your favourite books of 2018?

Reading wrap-up + Favourites | September 2018

Hello, beautiful people! 

September was such a long and busy month. I moved back to Paris, started my new master's degree and have been loving my classes, started talking to new people, fangirled too much, watched Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone on the big screen for the first time in my life (!!), visited museums, enjoyed the beginning of Fall and saw my friends again. Of course it was exhausting at times and I need to remember to keep time for myself, but it was so worth it, I feel like my life is going in the right direction and it couldn't make me happier.

W H A T   I  R E A D

September has been a great reading month, I overall enjoyed every single book I read and also developed a thing for Greek mythology retellings: I so need them all! Well, I've been reading less and less because of uni (I read a book per week these days), but I don't really mind, it makes me happier when I finally have time to read! 

Here are the books that I read:

• Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, by Susanna Clarke, 4.5/5 stars
• Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales: a Selection, 3/5 stars
• The Silence of the Girls, by Pat Barker, 4/5 stars
• The Children of Jocasta, by Natalie Haynes, 3.5/5 stars
• Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray, 4/5 stars (reread)
• If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio, 4/5 stars 
• The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie, 3.5/5 stars
• Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor, 5/5 stars (reread)

If we don't count rereads, my favourite book of the month was Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. I had been looking forward to reading it for so long and it didn't let me down, it was such a complex novel, with amazing historical details and fleshed-out characters. I cannot wait to watch the adaptation at some point! I was also full in my autumnal reading in September, it was perfect!

F A V O U R I T E S

DRINK // Pumpkin Spice Latte

I'm not a very original person on that one, for everyone raves about Pumpkin Spice Lattes every year, but I adore it so much and it's the perfect Fall drink. Unfortunately, I couldn't drink too much of it because the weather was very warm for most of September, but now that it's colder, that's the only Starbucks drink I'll get until they stop making it. I still need to try to make my own, that shall be the plan for October.

MOVIE // Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Until this month, there was this one thing that had bothered me for almost my entire life: I had never watched Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in theaters. I was five when it came out and while I did read the book, my parents didn't want me to see the movie on the big screen, because I would have been too scared (now that I think about it, most Disney movies scared me BUT ANYWAY). However, I did watch the rest of them in theaters and it always made me so sad to have missed out on the first one. Then, this month, they aired the movies on the big screen again (thank you, France) and I was able to finally, after seventeen years, watch it there. I cried most of the time, because I was so overwhelmed and the wheel had finally come full circle. Like so many people, Harry Potter is what I grew up with and it means the world to me, so that was the best feeling in the world.

MISC. // French press coffee maker

For some time now, I really wanted to get a French press, not only for the aesthetic (#shallow), but because I really needed a coffee maker of some sort for when I moved back to Paris. My mom first got me a big one so we could use it at home and I adore the whole process and the taste, it's my favourite thing for sure. She then got me a smaller one (for one person) and I've been using it everyday, now that I've moved back to Paris. I obviously named the big one Lorelai Gilmore and the small one Rory Gilmore, I HAD TO.

TV SHOW // Gilmore Girls

Speaking of which, my best friend and I started our Gilmore Girls rewatch at the end of August and have continued in earnest throughout September. We even watch it at distance now, as we're living in different cities. Gilmore Girls truly is one of my favourite TV shows, it makes me feel good, motivates me to study as hard as I can and makes me want to drink coffee all the time. I had so missed my favourite character, Paris Geller. I also have a Gilmore Girls moodboard on my desk and that's the perfect study motivation.

(I love her so much and now 

I'm reaaaaally emotional)

FASHION // Scratch sneakers

I had to throw away my good old sneakers in August and it made me so sad, I had them for more than a year and a half and they were so comfortable, I travelled everywhere with them! With that came the need to get new sneakers and... I gave in to a cheaper brand that made cute scratch sneakers. I even put a golden star on one of my shoes and it made me love them even more, they're all the more unique. I used to not like scratch sneakers very much, but they're so handy, comfortable and I like the concept of them! It seems like they're trendy again because I keep seeing people wearing them and I so approve.

FASHION // Grey plaid dress

As I'm typing these lines, I'm actually wearing said dress. If I could wear it everyday, I would? Grey is one of my favourite colors (with purple and yellow), I adore dressing in it so much. While I was looking at clothes online and in stores, I saw that there were lots of grey plaid dresses in the autumnal collections, so I gave it and got myself one. Mine is super comfortable and has both blue and green lines as details on the sleeves, which is perfect for the Slytherclaw that I am! It also looks very cute with the scratch sneakers, so it helps its case!

L O O K I N G  A H E A D

October seems to be shaping itself like quite a challenging month, but I'm ready for it. Now that uni truly has started, I have lots of projects due, which is stressful, but also exciting, I am eager to study, study and study again. When it comes to reading, October means Victober and I am beyond happy to get back to Victorian literature as much as possible! I also have so many movies I want to see on the big screen (... five?!) and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society will get released as a DVD in France! I cannot wait to get my hands on it and to rewatch it over and over again. Oh and of course, October is the best Fall month, it's time to do everything on my Fall bucket list now, right?

How was September? What did you read? Any new favourite things?

Lots of love,

Lucie

Reading wrap-up + Favourites | August 2018

Hello, beautiful people!

I am so happy that August is coming to a close, it was such a busy and long month for me, as I spent most of my time at my summer job (but as you're reading this, I'm freeeeeee). It was quite a tough month as well, and I won't go too much in details about that, but can I please stop worrying all the time? UGH. Despite that, there were so many highlights in August, such as my best friend's birthday, watching many, many movies, surprising my boyfriend for his birthday, watching football games, drinking a lot of coffee, starting the great Gilmore Girls rewatch of 2018 and so on. 

W H A T  I  R E A D

Following the great "31 books in 31 days challenge" that I did back in July, I didn't want to read as much, but I still managed to read a lot, and as I participated in a 24h readathon again, it certainly helped. Here are the books that I read:

• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, 5/5 stars (reread)
• Wait for Me by Caroline Leech, 3.75/5 stars
• Guermantes' Way (Le Côté de Guermantes) by Marcel Proust, 3/5 stars
• Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell, 3.5/5 stars
• Take Courage: Anne Brontë and the Art of Life by Samantha Ellis, 3.5/5 stars
• The Muse by Jessie Burton, 4/5 stars
• The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas, 4/5 stars
• Pauline by Alexandre Dumas, 3.5/5 stars (reread)
• Peril at End House by Agatha Christie, 4/5 stars
• On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan, 4/5 stars
• Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson, 3/5 stars

In August happened the #classicsathon hosted by Lucy @ Lucy The Reader, which I was really excited about, as it motivated me to read some classics I had been meaning to read forever (mainly French ones), so I read four classics! Other than that, I mostly read historical fiction, as it's all I've been in the mood for lately. I don't really want to say it's back to being my favourite genre, but... When I look at my favourite books, 90% of them are either historical fiction or classics. Ahem. I've been in a huge fantasy slump since the beginning of the year, I really need to get out of it soon. Anyhow, August also was the month where I destroyed my TBR once and for all, I'm so happy about that. I'll talk more about why I don't want a TBR anymore in an upcoming blog post, so stay tuned for that!

F A V O U R I T E  B L O G  P O S T S

Fatima @ Screen Queens reviewed the movie adaptation of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and she also talked about the Q&A with the cast that she attended. Special thanks to her for making me read a first draft of it, she's the best and I adore this post!
Shealea @ That Bookshelf Bitch talked about #bookishwish and how it came to be.

Holly @ Nut Free Nerd explained how she came to study English at college (and why she kept it that way).

Jemima @ Be Aware of Books talked about the "right" to be a Shakespeare fan.

Lucy @ Queen of Contemporary shared her views on many book lovers' nightmare: damaging a book.

Lauren @ Bookish Byron talked about her dissertation on the Brontës - more specifically on the relationship between marriage and class in Charlotte’s Shirley, Emily’s Wuthering Heights, and Anne’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall - which was so interesting, I had been curious about her dissertation for months!

Marie @ Drizzle and Hurricane Books discussed how to support international book bloggers.

F A V O U R I T E S

BEAUTY | (almost) no makeup & dyeing my hair

I'm part of those people who hate their skin. Like, why do I still have to have acne at 22? My skin isn't the worst, I know that, but I've felt self-conscious about it for my entire life and started wearing BB cream, then foundation a year and a half ago. However, with that came the fact that I hated going out without makeup, then for some reason (probably laziness and the heat)... I just stopped everything at the beginning of July. At first, I was just trying to get used to not wearing make up, then decided to drop it for the rest of the summer, and it actually feels great, I'm getting less and less self-conscious every day. There are days where I wear nothing, or lipstick and nothing else (not even mascara), which I used to do all the time three years ago and I've been loving it.

In July, I also dyed my hair for the first time, then did it again in August and got the results I wanted! It's nothing big really: my hair has different shades of blonde, but it's gotten darker in recent years, especially during winter, and I just want to be completely blonde (aka I just wanted the color my top hairlocks have, so it would look more even). So I did that and I feel so much better and it gave me a bit more confidence, so yay!

MISC. | Tottenham Hotspur (Football)

Hear me out: when France won the World Cup... I couldn't let it go. I couldn't, not when watching games made me forget all of my problems and that I realised how much I had missed it. I've been wearing my French bracelet since then and if I have to go outside without it, I actually freak out. As I was saying last month, I used to watch football games when I was younger, then gradually stopped, except for the games with our national team. After the World Cup, I really wanted to start to support a team, and that's how I came to root for Tottenham and to follow what was happening in the Premier League  (lmao, of course, if I had to watch a football league, it'd have to be the English one, what a surprise). 

I'll confess that yes, I did start watching Tottenham's games because of Hugo Lloris, but I've been having so much fun that it's more than that now! It's also very stressful when I have to find livestreams or when it takes us* a long time to score (we've won all out August games, though). Still, I adore it and you can tell that I've turned into a proper supporter when I'm screaming "he does score in August" in front of my laptop like everyone else and it has meaning to me (He did score in August! And twice at thaaaat >> excuse me, my excitement couldn't be contained).

*"us", "we", oh my, I have really turned into a proper supporter who checks everything about her team all. the. time. oops.

MUSIC | Mamma Mia!, Born to Be Yours & Dying in LA

Apart from the Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again soundtrack that I'm listening to daily (Andante, Andante is my current favourite), here are the two songs that I've been listening to all the time:

(it's been going on since... mid-July)

(At some point, I realised that I was getting The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo vibes

 from this one, then I was completely lost and couldn't stop listening to it anymore)

Now, moving on to TV shows and movies...

TV SHOW | Land Girls 

I hadn't realised how much I had missed period dramas, until I finished Mr. Selfridge in July and needed to start a new one. On my mom's recommendation, I started Land Girls and flew through it (I was basically watching one season per day, they're quite short, but still). I don't watch a lot of period drama/read a lot of books set during World War II, but I figured out that it was okay for me when it was about what happened to people left behind during the war. Land Girls was so entertaining, full of drama and interesting characters (as the Land Girls didn't always stay from one season to another). I'm a bit sad they didn't renew it for a fourth season, because there are some loose-ends, and that they changed the actor for Henry, but still, it was great!

TV SHOW | The Bold Type

I had already dedicated an entire blog post to it earlier this month, but I adore The Bold Type so much and I devoured the second season of it in a few days in August. I won't dwell on it too much, as I already discussed it at length, but it is such a topical, diverse and needed TV show, which focuses on women and makes me feel so good about myself and my dreams. Kat, Jane and Sutton, I miss you so.

MOVIE | BlacKkKlansman (2018)

I watched quite a few movies this month, but the one that truly stood out was BlacKkKlansman, which isn't very surprising, considering how excited I was about it. If you haven't heard of it, this movie is based on a true story. In 1979, Ron Stallworth (John David Washington) is hired as the first black cop in his town; he pauses on the phone as a white man to join and infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan, one of his white colleagues, Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver), pretending to be him during meetings. I attended a premiere of it with my best friend, the room was packed and people even clapped at the end, which rarely ever happens in France*. It is such an important movie, so hard to watch at times because of all the racist remarks/acts, but it was amazingly done. I am so happy it won the Grand Prix during the Cannes Film Festival, it truly deserves it and I hope it'll get many awards during award season! If you can, please go watch it.

*it did happen at the premiere of Love, Simon, but it wasn't the same type of audience at all, that's why it surprised me so much after BlacKkKlansman!

L O O K I N G  A H E A D

I am excited about the month of September, I am terrified of the month of September. I'm about to start my last year at university, doing a master in cultural mediation, heritage and digital technologies, which I'm beyond excited about, as I won't be doing something by default anymore and I'm breathing again. It's going to be quite challenging though, because it's a new field to explore and I'll have to talk to new people, but it will be okay. I'm also really looking forward to living on my own again when I move back to Paris (it's been four months...), it'll take me time to adjust to everything, but it'll be so worth it in the end. Plus, classes only start at the end of the month, so I still have some time to get ready!

I also have some releases to look forward to, not as much as for the last months of the year, but still! In September will finally be released Vengeful by V.E. Schwab, The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton, Wildcard by Marie Lu and Lethal White by Robert Galbraith (I really dislike JKR now, though, so I'll get it from the library, because I need to know what happens after the evil cliffhanger of Career of Evil anyway). I don't think I'm looking forward to any movie releases in September, but Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is going to play in theaters in France again! Can you imagine how excited I am? For TV shows, The Good Place is also coming back for a third season and I am so ready.

How did August treat you? Any new favourite things?

Lots of love,

Lucie