April Highlights (SUMMER'S ALMOST HERE!!!!)

📷 cred: Anastasia

WELL, HELLO THERE, MAY. *waggles eyebrows* You're my favorite month bc you mean that SUMMER IS ALMOST HERE!!!! Which means strawberries🍓 and watermelons🍉, picnics🥧 and tents⛺️, art📚 and adventures🌼... I'M JUST SO EXCITED fdgtrb ewbrbfelbr;sdlkvfb

{Source.}

LIFE HAPPENINGS

• Me: *applies for position as poll clerk morning before deadline* // Human: *calls that night to say that I GOT THE JOB* // Me: WOWZA THAT WAS FAST
• Mom: Let's stop by the dmv and get you that driver's handbook. // Me: OH DEAR
• I went to Sac the weekend before last and got SUPER SICK but lol I'm going back again this weekend for my bestie's graduation so 😎
• Bestie: *driving* // Me: Have you ever listened to the Lumineers? // Bestie: OMW YES *blasts the Lumineers all the way home*
• *end of SAT* // Kid next to me: Well I AM SO TAKING THAT AGAIN // Me: lol I remember those days
• MY FIRST AP EXAM IS A WEEK FROM TODAY AND I. AM. FREAKING. OUT.
• I finally figured out how to Instagram and not be just a stalker anymore??!! (My Instagram handle is @oliviakimwrites, btw 😉)
• Lionsgate is making a Robin Hood movie and IT LOOKS SO EPIC, YOU GUYS (trailer below)

• My friend Anastasia (who has just recently started #hairstagram-ing and YOU SHOULD TOTALLY GO GIVE HER A FOLLOW) and I went out to tea (pics above) after I took the SAT for the last time & it was such a wonderful, peaceful, relaxing decision 💖
• Me: Are you going to eat your garnish flower? // Anastasia: No, go ahead // Me: *slowly eats it* // Me: That was really sweet... and then REALLY GROSS // Anastasia: Now the waitress is going to return and be like, "Oh no, what happened to the garnish flowers?!" And I'll let her know that the vegan ate them. // 😂😂😂
• Me: *should be doing homework* // Also me: *compiles a list of 100 titles she wants to read this summer, but probably won't*
• I discovered the joy that is the Oh Hellos' album Notos
• THE FROZEN ON BROADWAY SOUNDTRACK RELEASES IN JUUUUUUUNE
• I FINALLY saw The Greatest Showman and it was SO BEAUTIFUL but THEY TOTALLY BUTCHERED THE LEGACY OF JENNY LIND, THOUGH
• Fan: *goes kaput* // Mom: *buys a new fan that is basically an oscillating rectangle of Antarctica* // Me: *is way too excited*
• Yesterday Stephanie Garber announced that Caraval is getting ANOTHER sequel and I AM ALL KINDS OF HAPPY, RN
• Current mood bc SUMMER IS SO CLOSE:

{Source.}

• Also, here's a summer countdown because qwoifre gebgb b gbfrb I CAN'T WAIT ⮛⮛⮛

READING CORNER

1. Sinking by Sarah Armstrong-Garner [4/5]. Mermaids, Ireland, pirates, unwanted suitors... um, YESH. I was a little slow getting into it, but the more the heroine's character developed, the more I enjoyed her story!

2. Where Trains Collide (ARC) by Amber Stokes [5/5]. I LOVED IT; IT WAS PHENOMENAL. Let's start there. Keep an eye out for my full review as a part of the blog tour, coming June 8th!

3. How a Star Falls by Amber Stokes [3/5]. Not nearly as lovely as Where Trains Collide, but still a fun little read! I so enjoyed seeing little snapshots of Humboldt County (I didn't realize there were so many places I didn't know existed!).

4. Word & Deed by Rachel Rossano [4/5]. A very different sort of story, but interesting. I was quite pleased with who-got-who, in the end! 🙂

5. The Moon Master's Ball by Clara Diane Thompson [5,000,000,000,000/5]. I ADORED IT. And yah see that five-trillion out of five? That means that THIS IS BASICALLY RIGHT UP THERE WITH HARRY POTTER. It was THAT GOOD. 💕

6. The Spinner & the Slipper by Camryn Lockhart [4/5]. It took me an insane amount of time to get into this, but I'm pretty sure that was all me. And as soon as I met the green-eyed man, I knew it was love! 😍😉

7. The Prince & the Dressmaker by Jen Wang [1/5]. No. Just no. It takes me waaaay to long to explain why, but you're welcome to read my Goodreads review with my reasons. 🙃

8. An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson [4.5/5]. I AM STILL ON A HIGH FROM THIS BOOK!!!! The romance, the worldbuilding, THE CHARACTERS... Oh my word, I adored it! 💖

WRITING DESK

You know how I said I'd be doing Camp NaNoWriMo?

Hahahahaha-- UM. Anywhozens.

The Scent of the Stars didn't get written. I... got a little distracted. Because, shortly into Camp, I learned about Spring Song Press's new writing contest and MY BRAIN FELL IN LOVE. Thus, my WIP for the next month-and-a-half is called Fjord Phantom, and it's a Nordic, gender-swapped retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice. Here's the Pinterest board:

APRIL BLOG ROLL

ELSEWHERE IN THE BLOGOSPHERE

• Cait @ Paper Fury and Sky @ Further Up & Further In released the last Beautiful People challenge 😭😭😭
• Spring Song Press is hosting a writing contest! 🌟
• Savannah @ Inspiring Writes (formerly known as Scattered Scribblings) and Madeline @ Short & Snappy redesigned their blogs!
• Abbiee @ Abbiee and Sarah @ The Introverted Extrovert returned from hiatus!
• Ivie @ Ivie Writes reveals the cover for her debut novel (Uprising) on May 19th!
• Rebekah @ Rebekah's Remarks releases her poetry book on Sunday! (And she's offering some pretty neat swag to anyone who joins her in celebrating the release, this weekend! 😉)

What's new with you, me'Dragons? Any fun plans for May? Are you excited for summer?

❤,