Sit across from me and let me learn your soul,
here, unlock my heart and take the key,
I dare you to make me feel whole.
Sip at your coffee and let me gaze into your eyes.
Welcome to my brain that is a storm;
falling in love with me probably isn't that wise,
Have coffee with me, and let's make this a home.
Hiya lovelies,
I may or may not be back in the swing of writing and posting again (hallelujah). It has been a hot minute since I shared a book review, and to be honest, it has been a hot minute since a book moved me enough to write a book review.
Alas, a book has shaken me to the core. I actually came across this book in the Feel Good Club in Manchester. They had a small collection of books, and this one caught my attention: Bodies Are Cool by Tyler Feder.
Hello, my lovelies,
If I had to say my witchy book was like something, I'd say the OG Charmed X The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. I've always loved witches, magic, and women who are powerful and badass but also authentic. This story won't just highlight powerful women but also women who are genuine, who aren't perfect, and who make mistakes.
I have ideas that this book will be part of a trilogy, but I need to continue drafting this first book before I even explore the possibility of a second or third.
Below are some screenshots from my private Pinterest board so I can give you an accurate idea of the vibes of my current WIP. I own none of these images; they're all from Pinterest!
Naturally, I have a mood board and a dedicated playlist that I listen to whenever I work on my witchy novel. I won't share the whole playlist, but I will share my top five songs that capture the vibes perfectly!
Top 5 songs from my witchy novel playlist:
The Moon is a lesbian.
How do I know?
She demands my attention,
shining like the boldest in the room.
In my slumber, my body aches for her;
I awaken and look out for her every night.
My mind feels settled when I see her.
She is safe, and she is home.
When I am with her, she makes me feel whole.
Every fibre in my being yearns for her.
She is always there.
I know I’m not her only one.
There were many souls before mine,
and there’ll be even more after.
All who caught her gaze swore to love her.
Not me; I worship her.
I lay naked in her light,
embracing her energy as her rays touched my skin.
She empowers my soul, making me feel intensely,
electricity surging through my veins.
She is the almighty divine and powerful,
invigorating and delicious.
She takes my breath away
every single time.
The Moon is a lesbian,
And she’ll forever have my heart.
This poem is from my poetry collection, The Moon is a Lesbian. You can order a paperback version or purchase the new extended version on Kindle here. If you have Kindle Unlimited, you can read the collection for free!
Hello, my lovelies!
I meant to share the post with you a little while ago, but life has been super busy! I do not want to go into too much detail, but I started a new job and have been on a few small adventures (with more to come), and things have been changing super quickly around me. I haven't had much time to stop and write, so it's nice that I can do so now!
It's no secret that I spent my birthday in Rome (back in March); it was, in fact, a dreamy long weekend holiday that was just gorgeous and bookish! Rome was my second solo trip, and I think I'm addicted to travelling alone? Especially when it means I can visit all the bookish spots I want.
My birthday looked like this:
One of the first things I did on my birthday was head to the infamous Trevi fountain to make a birthday wish. I had, of course, seen many photos and videos of the beautiful fountain, but none of them had ever done it justice. It was truly beautiful, and many people flocked to see it and toss a coin.
I'm not a religious person, but I appreciate the architecture and beauty of churches. I had seen many photos and videos of the Church of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, and I knew I had to come and see it for myself. Seeing the beautiful ceiling and artwork within the church was certainly a highlight of my trip to Rome.
I ended my birthday night with a Cosmopolitan at the brilliant, bookish bar. The owners are lesbian, and it's a sapphic safe environment for queer people; it was only right I visited a place that embodies so many of my own beliefs. The atmosphere was amazing and I'm really glad I got to visit this great space!
My birthday in Rome was truly special! I had so much fun exploring, and even on the days around my birthday, I visited some amazing places! I ate incredible Italian food, took many photos, and just enjoyed my visit. The other days, I visited incredible spots like the Colosseum, Vatican City, Spazio 7 (a book cafe), and many more.
I have decided to make it my annual tradition to wake up in a new country every birthday. I do have my heart set on Paris next year!
Hello lovelies!
As some of you may know, on my 25th birthday last year, I published my very first poetry collection, The Moon is a Lesbian! It's almost the first anniversary, and I am still shocked at how much support I received and all the love people have given to it. It is a proud moment when people buy your books (some even take pictures with them and cry each time).
Publishing the collection was definitely a highlight of 2023. It made some great sales and, at one point, ranked 9 on Amazon's LGBTQ+ Anthologies list, which was just incredible. Since the release, I've been writing my heart out (as always) and have decided that on the year anniversary (23rd March 2024), I will be releasing a Kindle version of The Moon is a Lesbian. However, it will include some new poems!! So far, ten new poems, but more could be added between then and now!
I altered the cover slightly, wanting the Kindle version to look somewhat different from the physical copy. So, here is the cover for the Kindle edition of my poetry collection:
In case you didn't hear about it the first time, the collection is filled with personal poems that cover the topics of love, lesbian life, coming out, mental health, politics, queer panic, and all that is in my heart. I'm excited to share this extended poetry collection with you in the upcoming weeks!
Keep an eye out, and thank you as always for reading my blog and supporting my words <3
Spring has almost sprung.
I'm looking forward to the crisp cold air leaving and for the flowers to rebud and the sun making more of a daily appearance. I've been eager for Spring since Winter started. Granted, for me, Spring brings more than just a change of weather; it brings along with it my birthday and my second solo trip. In a few weeks, I will be turning 26 in Rome.
I'm really hopeful for the month ahead, but before we dive into that, I want to reflect on the month just gone.
February's highlights:
Is February the new January? I ponder as I check my goals from last month, and I have yet to make much of a dent in making them a reality.
January was good to me; I had a life-changing epiphany and decided I couldn't wait for things to happen; I needed to be more proactive in getting things done. It sounds obvious, but I had let myself fall into a two-doom hole, and my sister's snap back to reality allowed me to pull myself out of that hole. So, I had the January blues, but I am better for it and have been sorting myself out.
My January stats:
Legends & Lattes is a novel of high fantasy and low stakes. It tells the story of a retired Orc swordswoman who decides to build a coffee shop, and we witness her make it from scratch with some wholesome characters who help her along the way.
It's a cosy fantasy book, a coffee shop with a side story of a cute woman-loving woman romance. If you're looking for something chill, not too dramatic, but enough drama to carry the story, this is the one for you.
The story is from Viv's perspective. We see her dream of opening a place that sells coffee. She first tried coffee in a distance gnome shop and decided she wanted to make her own place. That's when she comes to the riverside city of Thune and buys the residents of an old stable with a mission to open her own coffee shop.
Viv meets Cal, a handyman who helps her build the coffee shop from the ground up. He becomes one of her dearest friends and helps her expand and rebuild the shop. He later becomes a close friend. Viv introduces the citizens of Thune to the goodness that is coffee, and she, with the help of her succubus assistant, Tandri, makes a positive reputation for themselves. Tandri and Viv run the business together, falling in love in a slowly-paced romance that gives all the feels.
Running the coffee shop has downsides, like local mafia-esque Madrigals come knocking for rent as they do everyone in that area. Additionally, in one of Viv's previous adventures, she finds herself getting her hands on a Scarlvert's stone, a rarity that is said to bring good fortune. A once close friend and now nemesis causes some issues over the stone.
The story is wholesome, to say the least, a tale of friendship, cosiness, and a fantasy world galore. I don't want to give too much away, but it was a lovely read, and I've already started the next one, Bookshops & Bonedust.
Hello!
We're a little over a week into the new year, and I need to share some thoughts. I am feeling hopeful for the year ahead. I have some plans in my diary and am eager to work on myself. I thought I'd bring you on the journey with me, share my goals and objectives for the year, and just general vibes for the year going forward.
First, I created this vision board for 2024, and all the images are not my own and are from Pinterest (my current obsession: mood board and Pinterest).
So far, I've got one solo trip booked. I'm taking myself to Rome for my 26th birthday; I decided I'd like to wake up in a different country on my birthday for the first time in my life. I'm super excited. I've wanted to visit Rome for a long time, and since my solo trip to Croatia was great last year, it's the perfect opportunity to embark on another.
My goals and objectives for the year ahead:
Hello lovelies,
It's that time of year again. We come to the final page of the last chapter. I'd like to have a 2023 wrap-up of all the books I've managed to read over the previous 12 months. My goal for the year started at 40, but after some consideration, I moved it down to 25. 2023 was the year of realising I set myself up to fail a lot with unrealistic goals!
I didn't meet my reading goal once again; it's annoying, but it's clear that I am setting my goals too high. So, next year, I will put my reading goal to the same number of books I read this year, a grand total of 21.
Books I have read in 2023, with ratings:
Hello lovelies,
If you have yet to see my many posts over the last month or so on my Instagram page, I did my first solo trip holiday to Croatia. The trip was so incredible that I wrote a blog about it and told you about my favourite moments in Zadar.
Spoiler: watching the sunset at the Sea Organ was my favourite moment!
I had such a fabulous time in Zadar. It's a beautiful place with so much history and friendly locals. The trip was five days in total. It was enough time to explore the old town and have a cute beach day. I was there during a heatwave; the coolest during the day it got was 30 degrees. As someone used to 17 degrees at best, it was boiling!
When you're in the old town, everything is quite close. It was so lovely to have a wander. If I were to go back again, I'd look for accommodation much closer.
In the old town, I found this cute little spot I returned to every day of my trip: Coffee&Cake Zadar. With the hot weather, I often when in for an iced latte, breakfast, and to cool down with their AC. It was so peaceful to just sit with my Kindle reading and relax. One of my favourite things about doing things independently is that I can mooch around and go at my own pace.
My favourite moment in Zadar was watching the sunset on the Sea Organ. So many people came to watch it too, it was beautiful. We are just admiring the view, and it is such a captivating hour of total strangers taking the beauty of the view. It wasn't all sunshine and ice cream. There were a few terrifying moments. Like, getting stranded for a little while and having a panic attack, no one could understand me. That was tough, but I managed it, returned to my hostel, and slept like a baby. After a rough night, the next day, I took the stone beach where I sunbathed, petted a neighbourhood cat and read my book. There were so many lovely cat's around Zadar, I had the pleasure of meeting three, and they were so friendly- it did make me miss Solstice a lot.
Had it been any other time I wasn't feeling so determined, I would have turned back and not bothered. But the view from the top of the Clock Tower was legendary, and I had to see it for myself. It was such a relief when I reached the top. With my heart pounding, I was so proud of myself for facing several fears, and the view was most definitely worth it.
Hello, lovelies!
This week I’ll review the second book in the Mousai series: Dance Of A Burning Sea by E.J Mellow. I read the first book in the series Song Of The Forever Rains at the beginning of the year and thoroughly enjoyed reading it! Each book in the Mousai series is standalone and tells the story of one of the three sisters. After enjoying the first book, I naturally had to buy the second and third.
So, the premise of Dance Of A Burning Sea is that Niya Bassett is kidnapped by pirates and faces her true identity (being a powerful third of the Mousai) and those of her sisters revealed to the world. Niya is kidnapped by Alõs Ezra, an infamous pirate lord who was once her lover and is used as leverage to remove the bounty off his head and allow him and his crew back in the Thief Kingdom. We follow them on a journey of discovery, pirate adventures, a battle of powers and a story of the enemy to lovers. This book has it all.
To say the book is firey would be an understatement, especially since Niya’s powers are around fire and energy. Niya loves to bet, maybe a little too much! When she is threatened by Alõs Ezra, she makes a binding bet that her sisters will save her within three days. If the bet comes true, she is free, and the identity of the Mousai stays hidden. However, if the bet falls flat, she has to stay on the ship and serve on the Crying Queen boat as a pirate under the control of Captain Alõs for a year. Niya is bound to the Crying Queen for a year because her sisters don’t arrive on time. Niya has a journey of self-discovery and finally learns to reign in her temper, which she’s struggled with for years. On this journey of discovery, she finds out there is more to the Pirate lord than meets the eye. More bets are placed, and more lives are at stake.
This book had a lot of action. I was simply gripped with anticipation! This was a lot spicer than the first book, and the action jumped up many notches. The book is told from two POVs: Niya & Ezras. I liked the contrast between the characters; hearing each of their thoughts as this slow-burn romance took place was delightful to read. I loved how their powers reacted to one another (fire and water).
However, As much as I was happy to have them together in the end, there is a part in the book that made me quite uncomfortable; the idea that Ezra keeps Niya as a pet he can use, so she’s been kidnapped, and he requires her to dance for a crowd of people and lure answers from another person, I feel it was a bit like he could her at his disposal which doesn’t sit right with me. He just expected her to use her body to pleasure others to get answers for him. Yikes. There is an unpleasant scene where Niya is whipped in front of the other pirates as punishment for spelling them. There was a little too much sadistic joy with Alõs. For him to think he went easy on her whilst she’s quite literally bleeding red raw, and scarred for life is quite disgusting. Like from the whole book, those were my only issues. Also, he only slept with her four years ago to steal her secret, which is a huge red flag. I don’t know how she forgave him because if someone used me for a secret and threatened to out my family, I’d have banished all feelings for them then and there.
Otherwise, I lived for the lesbian pirates Kintra and Saffi. The pirate adventures gripped me and were so fun to read. I haven’t read a pirate story forever, so I welcomed this one with open arms. The romance was a hot, slow burn, but it was a good read! I rated the first five stars and rated this one the same. I love the Mousai, three powerful women taking vengeance on the world and being the most powerful. I’m really looking forward to the next book!
So, this book is dark in terms of romance. It’s questionable at times, but the pirate adventures are epic. I enjoyed this one, even if I don’t believe Alõs deserves redemption. The five stars were definitely for Naya, she’s my favourite sister so far, and I’m really looking forward to adequately meeting the third sister Arabessa in Symphony For A Deadly Throne.
Thank you for reading my review, and the next post you'll see on the blog is about my Zadar trip!
even if my brain sometimes doesn't feel like my own.
I feel intensely, even when I wish I wouldn't,
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