What I've been reading lately


For so long I've wanted reading to become a priority and big hobby of mine, and this year I made sure that was something I did. I started using my Goodreads account and set a goal to read 26 books this year. July 18th I reached my goal - 5 months early. I use reading as a chance to escape into another life and fall in love with authors work. My blog is still the same but I've started incorporating a lot more posts about reading and books, since it is such a huge passion of mine but also because not enough people read. We're all so stuck and focused on our phones that it distracts us from the beauty of literature and the reality around us. I was inspired by Sarah Chappell who does 'what I've been watching, reading and listening to lately'. I didn't want to copy her original idea so I took inspiration from it and decided to focus mainly on what I've been reading lately. 

To stay updated with what I'm reading make sure to add me on Goodreads.

My favourite read as of lately, and of the year is Five feet apart by Rachael Lippincott. I read this for The Reading Rush challenge for reading and watching a book to movie adaptation. This is about 2 young adults who have cystic fibrosis who develop a relationship over time, however they can't get within 6 feet of one another. The book made me cry but the film made me sob. There was something about the writing that made me feel like I was friends with Will and Stella. I was also really surprised with how well the movie captured all the essence from the book without changing the story or skipping over memorable scenes. I gave this 5 stars.

Back in May I finally got around to reading; To All the Boys I've Loved before by Jenny Han and loved it. I first fell in love with the film then the book. It took me another 2 months to read PS. I still love you and Always and forever Lara Jean but I ended up completing them both in 1 day because they were so good. I love how real Lara Jean and Peter's relationship, showing that relationship's aren't easy and you will have obstacles along the way. I'm even more excited to watch the second movie when it comes out and see their relationship grow in front of me again. I gave this overall series a 4 out of 5 stars.


When I was taking part in The Reading Rush last month, one of the challenges was to read a book
in the same place the entire time and also to read a book that you meant to last year. My brief history 
by Stephen Hawking fit both of those challenges. I'm not the biggest fan of non-fiction books,
because I love being truly captured by a fictional story. However there are a few non-fiction books
that I'm really interested in. A man that I love and truly admire is Stephen Hawking. His knowledge,
admiration and strength blows me away. I read this book, hoping to learn more about him and I came
away truly satisfied. A few of the chapters were difficult to understand, due to not being at his
intellect however I would highly recommend reading this, if he is someone that you look up to. After
finishing this book I admire him more for everything he's gone through and achieved in his life and
am thankful to have live in a time when he did. A respected part of history. I gave this book 4 stars.

Despite my favourite genre of books being fiction, especially contemporary romance, I love learning
more from real life experiences and making myself more aware of everyday things. I've had Mind 
your head by Juno Dawson on my bookshelf for as long as I can remember, and I finally got round
to reading it last month. This book talks in depth about a wide variety of mental health issues from;
anxiety, eating disorders, depression, addiction, personality disorders and more. If you've read a lot
of my posts then you will know that I battle with a handful of these mental health issues myself.
I love becoming more aware of important topics like mental health and also hearing it from a
professional stand point. This is definitely the most intense and triggering book I've ever read,
which is a huge warning for and in the book. If you are battling with any mental health issues,
know someone who is, think you might be or are just generally curious then I can't recommend
this enough. I gave this book 4 stars.

My latest reads have been my easiest but again some of my favourites. I'm not a fan of many graphic novels as the story is so short it often doesn't have time to capture the readers attention. I was very hesitant going into Heartstopper vol 1 and 2 by Alice Oseman but I read in less than half an hour and already want to re-read it. This focus' on 2 young men in high school, who have become friends and develop a crush on one another. 1 of the men has come out and the other man doesn't know or understand his sexuality. The story is about them falling in love and working out who they are. It's a really short read but it managed to capture my attention straight away and have the same reactions as reading a 400 page novel. I can't wait to read vol 3 when it's released next year. I gave both of these books 5 stars.

xoxo
Lea-Mai

16 comments

  1. I love the film: to all the boys I loved before and I seriously want to read this one! The Stephen Hawking one is so inspiring I would love to read that one too x

    Joyce | www.joycelauofficial.com

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    1. You should check them both out! So incredible x

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  2. I need to read the book version for sure! I love the sound of the Stephen Hawking one too!
    Rosie

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  3. Amazing that you've got book goals! I need to set some to be honest as I love reading but just never find the time x

    Gemma Louise

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    1. I find starting off small, even if it's read 1 chapter a day from a small book really helps x

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  4. Loved hearing about what you've been reading lately! I definitely need to get back into it more this year :)

    Kate | http://www.katelovesx.co.uk/

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  5. I really need to get back into reading! x

    Terri Talks

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  6. Mind Your head sounds fab, I love Juno Dawson x

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  7. I adored the To All the Boys series - read them all in a couple of days! I have Five Feet Apart on my shelf waiting to be read, I was putting it off but will definitely pick it up soon now I've read your post :)

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    1. It's amazing. They've just announced that they're currently making the third film so I can't wait. Have some tissues set aside for the ending x

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  8. Goodreads is amazing isn't it. I struggled to get back into reading for ages. I definitely think buying a Kindle helped me as I was struggling to find places to put books at home, the Kindle of course eliminates the storage issue.

    Amy x
    The July Rose

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    1. I've heard great things about Kindle's but I love the feeling of buying and reading an physical copy of a book! x

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