We are starting off 2023 with our Pretty Little Liars and this time they’re on a cruise! Yeah it’s super random but I guess it’s nice to have a setting other than Rosewood every once in a while. Plus they think by going on a cruise, they’ll be free from A which we all know is just wishful thinking.
In this one we find out that Hanna’s big summer secret is that she was driving someone home after having had a drink at the bar and she ended up being run off the road and crashing. Yikes. Hanna was panicked because of her past with drunk driving and crashing cars she didn’t own so she called the girls and asked them to help move the girl who is in the passenger seat into the driver’s seat. Not the smartest idea but these girls don’t always make the best decisions.
I’m not going to lie, I am going to cut out talking about the actual cruise because there is nothing of worth about it, they might as well still be in Rosewood.
Anyway, the deal with Hanna’s hit and run situation is that the girl she was driving home turns out to be Naomi’s cousin. Naomi is one of the girls Hanna is on again/off again friends with as she navigates Rosewood popularity, and Naomi was also friends with the real Alison before Courtney took over and became friends with the Liars. This connection makes her the girls’ new prime A suspect.
Compared to the last people they thought was A, I think Naomi would make sense considering she is the same age as them and can get away with being around them when A related things happen. So I accept this compared to when they thought A was a grown ass woman that barely had any connection to them before Emily got pregnant.
The girls also believe that whoever A is has to have a helper, they can’t be everywhere at once. Which we all knew I mean mainly just from watching the TV show we know an A team can very much be in play.
I’ll put a pin in Naomi for now if only to mention briefly how dumb I think Emily’s new love interest is. I thought it was bad on the TV show when Emily had a new girlfriend every 5 minutes but it’s the same in the books. She always has someone. This time, it’s a random girl who is a stowaway on the boat called Jordan.
Long story short, Jordan is a wanted thief and she wants Emily to run away with her and Emily almost considers doing it but A calls the cops before they get a chance to escape. I honestly just roll my eyes anytime Emily meets someone new because she almost always ends up getting with them and they always remind her of Alison in some way or another. It’s boring at this point I need her to be a strong independent woman without all these troublemakers getting in the way.
As for Spencer, she is crushing on this guy called Reefer, who is a stoner she met at the Princeton thing from the last book. Not who I thought would be Spencer’s type but we go along with it. The issue she has though is that Naomi is also into Reefer? Again surprised as I didn’t think he would be Naomi’s type either but naturally there’s drama between the two as Naomi tries to steal Reefer from Spencer.
We also learn that Naomi was doing shady things to Spencer which seemed like things A would do to her which further proved the girls’ theory of her being A. For example, Spencer slipping on oil in front of Reefer and putting gum in her hair etc. Though it was weird so much was targeted at Spencer in comparison to the other girls. But good to know the girls were right about something lol. Apart from Naomi being A, she just wanted to win Reefer over by getting Spencer out of the picture she’s not out to torture the girls for real.
Then there is Aria, who has gotten herself tangled up with Tabitha’s ex boyfriend? Because of course he would be on the same cruise as the girls. Aria feels bad for what they did to Tabitha and so she thinks doing something nice for her ex might somehow bring her good karma? But really Aria should just learn when to leave things alone lol.
Also Noel gives Aria a necklace which he found on the beach and it turns out to be Tabitha’s. This seems sketch but at the same time could have been planted by A. We also see there is a photo of Tabitha and Alison together in the necklace which is weird but proves they knew each other and were friendly.
Anyway yeah, things turn weird with Aria and Graham – Tabitha’s ex – as he wants to talk to Aria about something serious but she is worried that he is A after the girls figure he’s probably the person working with Naomi. I don’t remember exactly what their reasoning was for these two people to work together but I imagine it wasn’t a very strong link. But once they think he’s dangerous and he’s trying to talk to Aria, she freaks out and runs away from him. He seems to act weirdly when he sees Aria’s necklace, which he has every right to be if it belonged to his old girlfriend.
So Aria runs away from him but he chases after her, it seems what he has to say is very important but Aria doesn’t want to hear it and locks herself down in near the ship’s control rooms. While she is there, an explosion in the ship goes off and so everyone has to evacuate. Great. Fun.
The girls meet up and talk and they think that A planted the necklace for Noel to find and give to Aria and now it makes them look even more guilty of murder, so their solution is to take a lifeboat out to the middle of the ocean and for Spencer to scuba dive into the deep ocean and leave the necklace down there for no one to find. This is so farfetched and dumb I was literally rolling my eyes so hard. Like first of all, it’s not safe and second of all just toss the necklace into the ocean anyway? Did it really need to be buried? Dumb.
Naturally, the plan backfires when the girls are all in the water and their lifeboat mysteriously deflates and they are stranded in the ocean. Thankfully Naomi comes to the rescue when she sees the girls go off-course. Which proves she’s not A because why would she save their lives if she was trying to destroy them?
It’s after this rescue mission that Hanna confesses to Naomi that she was the one who crashed her cousin’s car that night of the accident. She thought Naomi might have figured it out long ago and that was her motive for being A but it turns out that Naomi had no idea that Hanna was involved in the accident. So I would say that friendship bridge has well and truly been burnt down.
Though Naomi did reveal to Hanna that when Alison came back as Courtney she called Naomi and asked for her help to take down the girls. Naomi turned it down because she thought it was farfetched and ridiculous. So that’s interesting, makes you wonder what would have happened if she had said yes.
The girls talk and Aria wonders if maybe Graham wasn’t trying to hurt her but actually tell her who was. Before the explosion, he was trying to tell her someone was watching her or something like that, so she tries to look for him but overhears people talking about how he is in a coma. Yikes. Guess she won’t find out what he knows anytime soon.
When everyone returns to Rosewood the girls think it’s finally time to confess what they did to Tabitha. They are done dealing with A and all the drama and so they call up the lead in Tabitha’s investigation to turn themselves in. However as they are about to do this, they see on TV that there’s been a breakthrough in Tabitha’s case. They find out that she was killed by blunt force trauma to the head, not the fall from the bird’s nest. So Aria didn’t kill her, A did.
So the book ends with the girls decided not to confess to the murder because they didn’t commit it and them reconsidering what Emily was saying all this time about A being Alison. Especially because Emily finally confesses to leaving the door open for her in the Poconos.
Honestly, I feel like this was a wild goose chase over nothing. I mean it was interesting to learn about Naomi knowing about Alison the whole time she came back but nothing else came of it. Also I wonder what Graham saw? Though the likelihood of us finding out is slim. I guess we will have to read more to find out!
With only a few books left though, I am not sure how this all comes to a head, though I’d say a lot can happen in a few books in comparison to the TV show in which they really put the biggest load of nothing in for the finale episodes. So we keep going. I would like to wrap up the series in the first half of 2023. So I’ll be back very soon with another PLL recap.
Last year was a whirlwind but in the best way. I felt like this was the first year where everything was truly getting back to normal post-COVID and it was great. So without further ado, I am going to share all the things I’ve done in 2022! Beware the post is going to be very long so buckle in and grab a snack lol.
My friends being cute
The year started out with me celebrating with friends. We all gathered at Megan’s house and just chilled out. I remember we were playing an escape room board game thing and we hadn’t finished it by midnight so we had a little break for the countdown before getting back into it. I also remember not sleeping that well that night and then watching a lot of Gilmore Girls. So overall a good start to the year lol.
January was also exciting house-wise, as my boyfriend and I were looking at new kitchens because B&Q were having a sale. We had had our eye on this one kitchen in B&Q since we bought our house and knew we wanted to redo the kitchen so we were looking at getting that. We had a few appointments at B&Q to map everything out, and I mocked it up in the Sims to help visualise too because that’s how professionals do it lol. But yeah we got everything sorted and ordered by the end of the month. This made me feel good about the direction of our house because I know we hadn’t made any progress in a while but this was a big step.
Wedding Glam
Also in January, my boyfriend and I had a wedding to go to. I remember being nervous about this one because I didn’t know any of the people there, and neither did my boyfriend really lol. His work colleague was getting married and we were invited but that was the only person he knew. Thankfully,. the groom’s friends were really nice so we got chatting with them otherwise it would’ve been way worse. But it was a nice wedding and an excuse to dress up.
As always with February, there is not much to report. It’s a short month, things don’t really happen. I think this was around the time I was really into Pokemon Arceus, I remember my friends Jasmine and Nathan getting it and me feeling left out so I decided to buy it. I don’t have any regrets about buying it because I did really enjoy it. I don’t remember exactly when I stopped playing though I know I didn’t complete it. Though realistically I don’t remember the last time I got to the end of a Pokemon game lol I think I need to stop buying them until I complete them but it was still fun to play.
I also had three drag shows in February, which is the most shows I’ve had in a long time. From what I remember they were all really good, it was Rose, Gottmik and Ella V’aday. I think I was just glad they all went ahead and weren’t rescheduled again because everything kept getting rescheduled over COVID.
More wedding glam
At the beginning of March my boyfriend and I attended another wedding, this time it was one of his friends getting married so at least we knew people at the wedding and they were our age haha. It is kind of weird to attend a wedding when it’s people your own age getting married, I suppose because I still don’t feel like we are at an age when people get married but I guess we are lol. It was a good wedding though, and the venue was very pretty.
The week after that, I had plans to go see Everybody’s Talking About Jamie with my friends because the Grand Opera House was doing a deal of two-for-one theatre tickets. Unfortunately, one of my friends got COVID and wasn’t able to make it and so one of the tickets went to waste. But Jasmine and I still went to the show and I enjoyed it a lot. I wasn’t sold on the musical when I first heard it and watched the movie but seeing the actual stage show really sold it for me. I now listen to the title song all the time and it’s great.
Also in March, I had a cute date day with my boyfriend, those are always nice days to have. We went axe throwing haha which was actually kind of difficult. I mean you’d think you can just throw it and hope for the best but there was actually a technique to it. It was a lot of fun though and definitely something we will do again in the future.
Then, at the end of the month, I went to a wedding fair with my friends. My friend Jasmine is getting married this year and she wanted to get ideas for vendors etc. It was the first time I had ever been to something like that before because when would you ever go to a wedding fair unless you’re getting married? But it was a fun day, it just made me excited for Jasmine’s wedding and I can’t wait to see how the actual day turns out.
This brings us to April when I finally thought I had found a driving instructor. I had one lesson with them and they just explained how they worked and everything and it sounded great. But then a week later they messaged to say that for personal reasons they couldn’t take me on anymore. Naturally, this was disappointing but it’s the kind of thing you can’t predict or expect. So I had to go on the hunt for another driving instructor, and everyone still had waiting lists so it was going to be another few months before I made any progress on the driving front.
I also think April might have been the first month where I was going back to the office on a regular basis? It could have been March I’m not entirely sure but I started going back to the office this year. It was kind of weird going back since when I was in the office pre-pandemic I was on a different team in a different department lol. But I settled in quite well with the new team in person and everything so that was nice. It makes coming into the office less depressing when you are in with other people and can have a good time with them.
April was also the first time I ever went to the gym and the last month I was there I think lol. My boyfriend and I had talked about starting the gym for ages and then we finally did in April and went a handful of times. It was fine, I didn’t have anything against it, I was just mainly concerned I’d have no idea what I was doing and people would judge me. But actually going there and working out was fine. The reason we stopped going to the gym is that my boyfriend wanted to focus on the house and I got busy with doing other things. I mean I know I could have kept going to the gym by myself, but because I can’t drive it was going to be more awkward to do it because I would need a lift there and back etc. So we decided to put the gym membership on hold. Will we ever get back? I guess we’ll see what 2023 has in store for us.
Lastly, in April, I went to the All-Ireland Pole Championships with Jasmine. It was a fun night to get glam and see some cool pole dancers. Though honestly, not sure if it is because of how pole trends were this year but I felt like all the performances lacked something for me. Maybe it was because I couldn’t see all the floor work or something but I feel like the first time I went to the competition I was blown away by everyone, whereas this year everyone was still good but it was just okay? I don’t know, I guess it’s all down to everyone’s pole-style preference, but it was still a good night.
In May, I went on a spa weekend away with my mum. It was a Christmas present from me and my brother but he didn’t want to go with us. It was the first time I was ever going to a spa and it was wonderful. Honestly, when I saw everyone going on a spa weekend over COVID I thought it was overhyped, and I can see it being that way if you went a lot but I had a really good time. It was very chill and relaxed, which is exactly what you want for a spa weekend, we had a private hot tub, massages, drinks and dinner. It was great and definitely something I would do again.
Also in May, I went to Lisbon with the girls which was super fun. Though I feel like I have posted about that quite a lot on my blog already, so if you want to know more about my Lisbon adventures I can link you to a few places haha. It was the first proper holiday me and the girls went on as a group and it was wonderful. Plus it was a last-minute plan and we love when those come together.
In June I went to see Lawrence and Bimini, it was a drag show that had been rescheduled a few times and it was good to see them. It was a fun show and it was going to be my last drag show for a while. I hadn’t planned on it to be but other plans got in the way and so did COVID so I ended up missing quite a few of my scheduled shows this year. Still, glad I was able to enjoy this one as it was a good time.
A few days after Bimini and Lawrence, I went to see Kevin Hart in Belfast with my boyfriend. I was so happy to have gotten tickets to the show since Kevin Hart had been doing a bunch of shows in Belfast in preparation for his upcoming tour. This show though was part of the official tour and in a bigger venue so I managed to snag tickets. It was really good, I wasn’t sure what I was expecting from it but I enjoyed it.
Sadly after that June took a turn as I tested positive for COVID on my birthday. Nothing says mid-20s like getting ill on your birthday lol. I can’t say if I got it from my drag show or Kevin Hart but those were the last two big events I had before I got sick. So the second half of June was spent chilling out, watching a lot of Glee and playing Sims 3. Living my best life.
Thankfully, my illness wasn’t too bad and I was testing negative again after a week and a bit. I was raging I had gotten COVID though because I had avoided it for so long but these things happen. I’m just glad there haven’t been any long-term affects.
Another reason I am glad I recovered from COVID when I did is because I had tickets for me and my boyfriend to go to Cirque du Soleil in July. We were meant to go a couple years ago but it was another thing that got rescheduled because of COVID. It was a stressful day that day because we were going to Dublin but the traffic was bad because there were like 5 things on in Dublin that day and everyone was travelling down. Also, the tram wasn’t running to where we needed to go so we had to walk and I was worried we weren’t gonna make it on time. Thankfully though we made it to the show and it was super fun, I had never been to a Cirque du Soleil show before and it was really enjoyable so I would highly recommend.
At the end of July, I also started my proper driving lessons with my current instructor. Naturally, I was nervous about it considering my track record for driving instructors was not good. Thankfully, my instructor is really nice and we get along and the lessons are going well. I don’t really know what I would have done if I had to get another instructor lol probably given up hope of driving. It’s definitely not been all smooth sailing on the driving front but I’m closer to passing my test than I was this time last year so that’s a good sign.
In August, my pole teacher opened his own pole studio which was super exciting! I have been taking pole classes with the same teacher for five years, and when he announced he was opening his own studio of course I had to jump from the old studio to join him on his new journey. The new studio is super nice with high ceilings which means high poles, and more work to climb but it just means getting stronger as I reach the top!
I’ve actually been making really good pole progress over the last year and it’s crazy because the last couple of years I feel like progress wasn’t really happening due to inconsistent classes due to the pandemic. But now I’m back in a routine and can definitely see an improvement.
Along with moving pole studios, I also attended a couple of workshops that my hoop studio was doing. Including one that was three hours long lol. I mean when I first decided to do it I thought it was going to be a challenge and I was correct. I headed to the studio straight after work and then proceeded to do one hour of pole, one hour of chair work and then also a bit of a twerk workshop thrown in at the end lol. It was so much work but a lot of fun, not as hard as I thought it was going to be since I made it to the end but it was wild. Would do it again but probably not for a long time.
Another workshop that we did was silks with hoop and I was obsessed with it if only because the moves we were doing were super pretty, there’s something about wrapping yourself in nice fabric that makes things look nicer than usual lol.
In August, my boyfriend and I also went for a weekend away with all his friends to Enniskillen. It was a great weekend to get away because we were in the midst of a heatwave so there was lots of time spent outside sunbathing and chilling out. We held a game night which involved quiz questions and party games and went go-karting. There was a lot of chaos involved but that’s what happens when a group of 20 adults go on holiday lol. Still, it was nice to get away, even if it wasn’t a holiday abroad.
At the end of the month, my boyfriend and I went to go see Six in the Grand Opera House. I went last year with my niece but when I found out they were coming back I decided to get tickets for me and my boyfriend. He had never been to see anything in the Grand Opera House before and I just wanted to see Six again so off we went. Naturally, I enjoyed the show and it was a cute date night for us.
In September, I had my first-ever pole photoshoot. I saw it advertised online and thought it would be something fun to do. I also really wanted some nice pole photos because the only photos I have are years’ worth of video screenshots that I was lucky enough to get at a good angle lol. So now I have some pretty photos I can show people that don’t have anyone in the background or bad lighting. I learnt that day that pole photoshoots are a lot of work in terms of having the strength to hold a move long enough for photos as well as finding poses that will photograph well. Still, I am obsessed with the photos I was able to get and am looking forward to getting more in the future when I am stronger and can do cooler things.
September was also when I went to Comic Con Northern Ireland. It was my first ever Comic Con experience and it was a good time. I did make a separate blog post about that so won’t say much but I am looking forward to seeing what guests are announced for 2023! I haven’t decided for sure if I will go or not but if they get the right guests I’m sure I could be persuaded.
I think September was also when my Disney Dreamlight Valley obsession began, it was a game I decided to try out on a whim and once I started I couldn’t put it down. It even spawned the longest and most consistent Let’s Play I have ever had on my YouTube channel. That being said, there are two final episodes I filmed but have yet to edit and post but I am hoping to do it soon because I would like to get it wrapped up. I hate leaving things unfinished so even if the videos don’t come out months from now, just know I did film an ending and it’s coming lol.
In October, my boyfriend started work on our new kitchen which is exciting. It’s nice to have some house progress going, even if it’s been slow going a little progress is better than none. It was very noisy for a long time with all the construction going on but we now have a new functional kitchen! It’s not complete by any means, but we have a counter and cupboards and a functioning fridge, oven and stove so we can cook in it but not much else lol. There’s still a lot of work to go, but at least we got the main things going for now. We did go through about 2 weeks of takeaway and while that sounds great in theory, it was not good for my skin or my stomach in the long run.
Also in October, I hurt my ankle lol. Which is a random thing to note but it was the first big injury I have had in a while. I had gone over my ankle as I was coming down the stairs after pole class because I’m super clumsy. It was also embarrassing because I was walking out with people but at least they were able to help me back up and get me to the bus stop lol. It was sore for about two weeks afterwards which made activities such as pole and driving lessons difficult. Moreso pole than the driving lessons but it was fine. Not great but we dealt with it.
In November, I feel like I was busy a lot just in general because I had lots of dentist and doctor appointments. Nothing super exciting about that but I guess it’s just life. I was having a lot of dentist appointments because I am planning to get Invisalign so I’ve been to the doctor more in the last 3 months than I have in the last 3 years lol. Hopefully, it all pays off in the end and I come out with straight teeth. I haven’t even got the retainers yet but have just been doing prep work so hopefully, that’ll kick off soon.
Aside from that the only other big event in November was Liverpool Comic Con. It is where all my fangirl dreams come true because I got to meet the Cullens, the Salvatore brothers and Chad Michael Murray. I have to say though I was not as excited as I thought I would have been? I guess my main fangirl days are behind me which is sad but I’m still glad I went because I know it meant a lot to my younger self. Plus you know when would I ever get the opportunity to see all these people in one place again. If you want to know more about my Comic Con Liverpool journey then check out this blog post.
December is supposed to be a month for winding down and relaxing and while that may be the case for some, it was not for me lol. I feel like I was always doing things leading up to Christmas, meeting friends or hanging out with work ones etc. There was always something.
At the start of December, I had a flying pole workshop, which is something I always wanted to try and thought it looked cool. Basically for flying pole, the pole is only attached to the ceiling and the bottom is free so you’re just swinging around on a very mobile pole. It was a fun workshop and everything was going really well until I fell lol. I mean most things go well until you fall.
The fall was quite a bad one considering I was injured for a while after that. Nothing super crazy like I didn’t have to go to the hospital or anything but it was a painful fall. And it’s probably my first big pole injury since starting pole fitness classes a few years ago so I mean I pride myself in being able to say I’ve gone this long without seriously injuring myself lol. But yeah, I basically landed on my ass and the impact was harsh so I was sore for a while. Didn’t affect day-to-day life too much but I definitely had to take it easy at aerial classes for the rest of December.
Also in December, I did get sick which is not surprising considering I was doing a lot of socialising. And I feel like since COVID everyone has started to get sick again like even with the cold, it’s very easy to pick things up. I suppose it was bound to happen when all the mask-wearing and things stopped. But still, not great. I had a cold for like two weeks and it was not my fave. Though it does fall in line with the pattern of me getting sick once a year, I guess technically this year I was sick twice but that’s better than being sick 24/7. Though ideally, we would avoid being sick altogether.
But yeah, Christmas was pretty quiet this year, I feel like as everyone gets older there’s less chaos going on with presents and toys etc. But it was good to spend a few days with family since I hadn’t seen them in a while. In all my efforts to try and see people more this year I feel like I still didn’t see family as much as I would have liked, so still something to work on in the new year.
And finally, the last big event I had of the year was a drag queen show between Christmas and New Year’s. It was my first show since Bimini and Lawrence back in June so it was good to get out to a show again. Though they haven’t really been announcing drag shows recently which is weird since for the last few years I feel like they were going non-stop. Even with a pandemic, they were still doing their best to bring the best of the best to Belfast.
Still, can’t complain I guess it gives me the opportunity to do other things and also saves some money in my bank account. I do enjoy a good drag show but I also feel like since I’ve been to so many now that I don’t need to go to every single one. So we’ll see what directions the shows take next year and if I’ll be going to them or not.
The show I went to in December was Danny Beard and Cheddar Gorgeous and they were both fabulous performers. I knew I was going to get a good show from them after Drag Race UK and they did not disappoint. And I think it was a fun way to wrap up 2022.
And that brings us to the end of another wild ride of a year! And I guess into the first month of 2023. I had planned to write this blog post sooner but time just got away from me. Maybe for 2023, I will write month by month so it’s a lot easier to compile in the end lol. But still, thanks for sticking with me this long if you did.
January is over and I gotta say I have done very little. Which is fine, I mean I needed some chill time after last year being so busy. That’s not to say this year won’t be equally as busy once we get things going but it would be nice to take more time to rest in between activities. If there’s anything I got of 2022 it was that sometimes it’s okay to say no to things and take a break. But at the same time, I liked being busy so we need to find a balance lol.
Aside from that, I am sending good vibes into the new year as always. Hoping everyone has a good one this year because I feel everyone deserves a good year after the last few pandemic-ridden ones. Not sure exactly what the next year holds for me but I know there are exciting things coming up so we’ll see where it takes us. And I look forward to recounting all the tales and adventures right back here in 2024! See you then!
This should have been posted last year but I am never good with time-sensitive blog posts lol. Despite my lack of punctuality though I feel like I did well with my goals from 2022.
Learn to Drive
I am actually making progress on this one! So I think the last time I wrote about my goals, I was trying to get an instructor and I am happy to report I found one! I have been taking lessons since the end of July last year and it’s actually going well, I’m not going to lie, some weeks it feels like it’s a bit shaky but I’ve definitely come a long way since I first started.
I also went on a few lessons with my boyfriend last year, though this turned out exactly how we thought it would. Disastrous lol I was just super nervous driving his car and so I was on edge the whole time. He also just got a new car so I doubt we’ll be doing many more driving lessons together.
So yeah I am feeling optimistic about it and will need to rebook my theory test again since mine has long expired lol. Don’t know whether to be excited or slightly scared about being out on the roads in 2023 but I’m glad I’m finally doing it.
Blog More
I think this one has been good this year, a bit hit or miss considering I think about blogging about stuff and then lots of time passes and I don’t do it lol. For example, my Comic Con posts were months later just because I was meaning to write them and never did.
I think I need to work on not putting so much pressure on what I’m writing. Which is easier said than done since I always think about this but I’ll work on it. I mean sometimes there genuinely isn’t anything to blog about but other times I know I can do it so I just need to make time for it.
I will continue to work on blogging this year, and for as long as I have a blog.
Read 22 books
Smashed this one. But I knew I would lol. I’m pretty sure I was close to reaching my goal when I did my mid-year check-in so something would have had to go seriously wrong for me not to reach it.
And as always I will continue on reading in 2023, I am excited to finish up PLL and dive into new things this year.
Learn a Language
I’d say I am doing okay at this. Mainly because I am just doing Duolingo. And my streak is going strong, almost at a full year now. That being said, there’s definitely been more than a few streak freezes used, and days when I was just doing a quick repeat lesson to keep the streak. So I can’t say I’ve been working my hardest at it.
Still, I have been learning a few things. Though as time goes on I know it’s not really sustainable for learning a language, especially when you only ever learn really specific phrases, and I’m never really challenged to do it myself. Like, yeah you have to write a phrase in Korean based on English but you see the phrases in Korean all the time because it’s always the same stuff. So am I really learning anything other than how to memorise very specific sentence structures?
I mean either way I’m not fussed about not learning how to speak a language. I had this as a goal because I thought my boyfriend and I would do it together but he ended up bailing lol. I will still keep up with the Duolingo though in the new year, as I think it’s a good thing to keep the brain active and working ya know? So we see how it goes.
Spend more time with friends and family
This one has been hit/miss as I feel like I have spent lots of time this year with friends like I’ve been out with my friends from school, work and pole. It’s been a busy year for me and socialising.
But in terms of family, I definitely have not been spending as much time with them and I think half of it is because I’ve been busy with other things lol. I filled 2022 with doing the most it seems so I feel like I need to take more time to rest, but also make time for family. I didn’t see most of them until Christmas in 2022 so it would be nice to see them more than once a year. I definitely think learning to drive will help though, because I’ll have more freedom to travel rather than being confined to public transport, which is becoming more and more annoying to me recently but we won’t get into that.
So yeah, not the worst but not the best.
Make progress on my house
We did make progress on the house but also feels like we currently just have another incomplete room lol.
Currently, the ensuite is tiled which it wasn’t before this year but the rest of the ensuite is not put in. And we have the basics of our new kitchen in which is exciting but the plastic is still on all of the doors because we still have the painting, tiling and other things to do.
So we are getting there, I am hoping after the kitchen and ensuite everything else magically falls into place but it’s a big undertaking, especially when doing it yourself. Still, looking forward to the day when it’s all done and we can just enjoy the space we have.
Exercise consistently
I think I did well with this, at least in terms of pole classes I was good. I went almost every single week and I’ve made a lot of progress which I am so proud of myself for.
Hoop classes kind of fell off for me in the second half of the year just because my Saturdays were taken up by other things but I am slowly getting back into it. That being said, it would be easier to do a class during the week if I could but the timings just never add up for me. So it’s a come-and-go thing which is fine.
There was also a period of time when I was doing pole practice, KPop Dance class and pole class for a few weeks and that was a lot lol. So I mean it’s about balance. I’m not too mad about not doing tons of exercise I think as long as I keep what I’m doing I’m doing all right.
Plus who knows? Maybe when my boyfriend and I get the house sorted we might actually make it to the gym again lol.
And so, those were all my goals from 2022 and what I achieved with them. I have to say I’m proud of myself for actually making progress with the goals. I mean usually, you have ideas about stuff you wanna do in the new year and never do them so I’m proud these were achievable and I was doing them.
Do I have goals for 2023? Yes and no. I mean I have a couple things I wanna do but I don’t really know if I’ll make a post talking about them. It’s mainly just keeping up the driving and get Invisalign but I have already started talking to someone about that so it’s happening lol.
But this was good and just like the start of last year I feel very motivated for this year and doing things so I am hoping to keep up the momentum and make the most of the year. And hopefully, I will keep up the blogging along the way!
I’m finally sharing my photos from Comic Con Liverpool! Almost two and a half months later but it’s fine. I tried to write this blog post a while ago but I didn’t like how it was going so I’m doing it again. I feel like sometimes I try too hard with my blog posts when they don’t even need that much to them. I’m not writing this for anyone but myself so does it really matter what they say?
Anyway yes, so I went to Comic Con Liverpool in November with my boyfriend and it already feels like a lifetime ago. But I have been waiting for this Comic Con for a long time and now it’s finally happened and it still doesn’t feel real. I mean, like Comic Con Northern Ireland all of the meet and greets were kind of a blur but I’ll share with you what I remember and how it all felt.
First off, this convention was about three times the size of Comic Con Northern Ireland and there were people EVERYWHERE. I mean, I shouldn’t be surprised they brought both Salvatore brothers and the Cullens to the UK, not to mention Charlie Hunnam and some other big hitters so it was a busy time. Still, like most people I did have issues with some of the organisation of the events and the flow of things.
For example, there were no signs for things anywhere and so it was hard to navigate your way around. Thankfully, for the first day all of my meet and greets were in the one place so I just had to find that place and stay there but signage would have been helpful. Especially for Paul and Ian, they were in a separate area away from everyone but I had no idea where that was. I kind of went to an area and hoped for the best. Still, I got where I needed to go and met who I needed to so that’s what matters.
Another issue they had was congestion around the hallways. Mainly near the sky bridge and the Q&A hall. I mean I guess it didn’t help that when you left Paul and Ian’s room you were put into the hallway everyone was trying to pass through. Naturally, there were people standing about there trying to get a glimpse of whoever was hidden in the separate room, but you also had the lines for the Q&A and then people just trying to get to the other building. It was a mess.
Not to mention, one time we were on the sky bridge but the staff were trying to close it but weren’t letting us leave the bridge? They were closing the doors but we were all standing behind the doors trying to get through but they wouldn’t let us even though we were already there and more people were coming down so we couldn’t go back the way we came. It was not pleasant and there was no communication from staff about what was going on so yeah, not ideal and I can’t imagine how it would’ve felt if you were claustrophobic.
So those would have been the main downsides to the days, aside from that it was fine. I guess I was also annoyed I wasn’t able to make all the Q&As I wanted based on photo times and everything but that was mainly a ‘me’ problem since I bought all my photos for Saturday and the Q&As I wanted to go to were all on Saturday. So next time we balance things out for both days.
In terms of meet and greets, they were all similar, except when I was queuing for the Twilight meet and greet I got talking to some other people in line and it was amazing. Like to be around people who share that interest with you and who you can fangirl with is honestly the best feeling. My heart felt so full talking to them, it really made me feel like I’d found my place and where I was meant to be. It was such a highlight for me and I would definitely recommend going to Comic Con just for that. It’s one of the reasons why I joined Twitter when I was younger, to find people who loved Twilight as much as me because no one in my real life really understood, so meeting people like that in person really meant a lot to me and my younger self.
I didn’t really get talking to anyone else in the other lines I was queuing for, which is fine. I mean I was queuing by myself but I usually keep to myself unless other people talk to me first lol. I have become a lot more confident since I left school but striking up conversations with strangers has never been my strong suit. But I’m sure if I had tried I could have gotten into some good conversations about Vampire Diaries, considering half the convention goers were walking around in some form of Vampire Diaries t-shirt.
As for the photo-ops themselves, it was all in and out. When I got my photo with the Cullens, I didn’t say anything to anyone lol I think I was kind of star-struck, but also the photographer was taking a break or something and it was kind of awkward as I was just standing in the middle of all of them and they were talking amongst themselves. I can’t say I was disappointed because I didn’t have anything to say and I wasn’t expecting them to have much to say either but it was just a bit awkward because I was standing there longer than expected lol.
The Ian and Paul photo was not my favourite to queue for, it was the longest queuing and since I didn’t have anyone to talk with so it did drag for me. I also felt bad for Ian and Paul the whole weekend as their schedules were non-stop, but they showed up and showed out doing their best. I mean from my experience with them it wasn’t ideal, I don’t think Ian looked at me until I was halfway out the door but again, I’m not mad about it. A bit disappointed but I understand they were busy that day and I wasn’t there for conversation. It definitely would have been nice if they had been a bit more enthusiastic but by the time I got there I think they’d already been taking photos for hours so you can’t expect the world of them, they’re only human.
I also got a photo with Nathaniel Buzolic, though only just. I was the last person he met on Saturday I think lol I had to rush from Ian and Paul to get over to him because of how the timings worked out. He was really nice, I think if I had things to say to him he would have happily chatted with me but I genuinely didn’t have anything to say so we said hello, got our photo and off I went.
And finally, I got a photo at the end of the day with Chad Michael Murray, he was the most memorable to me. I guess because he actually looked at me lol. What I mean is he said hi, shook my hand and asked how I was doing. He seemed pretty laid back and in no rush, though it was the last photo op of the day and the line was short. It was a nice moment and again, if I had had more to say to him I’m sure he would have chatted with me but I’m not really one for making small talk with celebs. I mean it’s great if you have a story to tell them or you want to tell them how much their show/movie meant to you but that’s not who I am.
Then there were the two Q&As I was able to make it to. I went to the Originals Q&A panel and then I managed to get a ticket to the Paul and Ian one.
So the Originals one was pretty chill. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the actors as I didn’t know them outside the show but they were good fun. Nathaniel and Sebastian played off of each other and were having a good time. I do wish Riley had been able to speak more but I guess it’s the struggle when you’re co-stars are louder than you lol. Something I could relate to. Overall I enjoyed it and my boyfriend did too, despite him not knowing anything about the show or the actors lol.
The Paul and Ian Q&A I felt was good. I kind of wish the questions had been better but I mean I can’t control what other people are going to ask lol. I suppose if I wanted a good question I should have thought of one but then you never know if they’ll get to you in time etc. But yeah, they were entertaining, Ian being more vocal than Paul though how either of them managed to have any energy at the end of the weekend was beyond me. The panel was the very last thing of the weekend so they had spent the last two days meeting all the people with little downtime I appreciate the effort they put into the panel.
Last but not least I did decide on Sunday to get autographs from the Twilight cast, I wasn’t going to do it initially but I thought why not, I’m here I’m gonna do it. It was the kind of thing I was in and out with them all lol, didn’t have much to say and that’s all good.
I mean impressions up close I’d say Ashley is very professional, she had her handler person write out your name and everything before you got to her so she would copy it out and everything. She was also about to go for lunch so I feel like she was trying to get through as many people as possible.
Jackson was nice to meet, he was friendly and asked how I was. Kellan was okay though he needed to leave for the restroom so I can understand if he wasn’t super friendly when we met lol. Plus he was doing free selfies which was nice so I feel like his line was extra busy compared to others who were charging for selfies.
Peter Facinelli’s line took the longest, I guess because he was taking time to chat with everyone which is a positive, but at the same time when you have spent all weekend in queues, it was not the best. Still, I waited in line and he was nice enough. I feel like because I didn’t have anything to say though it was pretty quick and chill.
Overall I would say Comic Con is what you make it, like if you want to be there to talk to the celebrities and have time with them you can get that. Depending on scheduling and everything too, I saw on Facebook some people were disappointed they didn’t get their meet and greets or something due to timing. From my experience, I definitely could have taken longer at the signing tables if I wanted to, and at some of the photo ops I feel like the people would have been happy to chat. I guess it depends on the celebrity as well, but you can usually judge by being in front of them.
But it was definitely worth it for me, I got everything that I wanted and I met the people I wanted to meet. I can’t complain. Well, aside from the things mentioned at the start of the post lol. I didn’t expect it to be perfect though.
Will I go back for another Comic Con? Yes, I would, but probably not for a long time. I mean the only reason I went to this one and the last one was that they announced people I really wanted to meet. Now that I’ve met them, I don’t feel the need to see them again if they are announced again. Plus, it would be good to give my bank account a chance to recover lol.
But if they were to somehow get a hold of Robert Pattinson/Taylor Lautner I’d be there in a heartbeat. Though something tells me their convention days are behind them. And that’s fine, I mean it’s a little sad for the Twilight fangirl in me but it’s understandable.
I think if anything my next goal is to make it to RuPaul’s Drag Con UK but I definitely need to save some serious money for that because I know I’ll wanna see everything and everyone. And hopefully, find some friends to tag along because I know my boyfriend will not be in for that one lol.
In the meantime though, it’s time to hang the fangirl hat up for a while and return to doing regular life things. Not as fun but gotta be done.
It is the last reading wrap up of the year and there is only one book I read. And honestly, if I hadn’t been in the mood for reading this last week it wouldn’t have been finished lol. But it’s the end of the year and usually around this time of year I don’t read much and that’s fine. We did a lot of reading the rest of the year so we deserve a break.
West with Giraffes
This was an Amazon Prime First Reads book and I have to say I enjoyed it. It was not something I would usually read and so it took me a while to get into it but once I was in I thought it was good.
The writing style was not my favourite but we can forgive that because the story was a cute one. Plus I got very emotional towards the end which I was not expecting. Like literally read the last pages and then burst into tears so I guess the book had more of a hold on me than I thought.
But that was the last read of the year and I’m glad we ended on a high. And there’s plenty more reading to come in 2023, especially because my boyfriend got me a bunch of books for Christmas and a Kindle. So I am more than ready to begin the next year reading-wise.
I think I am setting my goal for next year at 30 books. I mean I’ve achieved it in the last couple years without trying so I think it’s a safe goal. I can’t imagine being a 52-book goal person. I read a lot but a book a week is too much lol sometimes you need longer sometimes you need shorter. But never say never.
I hope you will continue on my book journey with me I’m 2023. Who knows. Maybe my reading will inspire you to pick up your own book. Or not lol I imagine my books aren’t to everyone’s taste but still as long as I’m reading I’ll be here sharing it. See you in 2023!
I feel like in terms of reading November was a slow one, but I also thought I’d read more than I had lol. Oh well, it’s the end of the year things, in general, are winding down I’m not too mad about not reading much, especially when I have already reached my goal.
From what I remember about this one, I didn’t like it that much. I also felt like I read it months ago but it was only a few weeks ago. I think the story was just getting a bit too farfetched for me, which is saying a lot considering how wild the TV show ended up being. But still, we soldier on as we only have a handful of books left.
Daisy Jones & The Six
I picked this up after loving the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. This one had a very different vibe from that one but still the same theme of women who have more layers to them than people realise and we love that.
It took me a while to get into the writing style because there was about six people’s thoughts going on at all times but eventually I got into a groove. It was a good story and I really enjoyed it.
I also found out they are turning the the book into a TV show so I’ll be tuning into that when it’s released to see how everything comes to life on the screen. I also feel proud of myself for reading the book of something first before I watch a film/TV show adaptation lol.
Currently Reading: West with Giraffes
I’m not ready to return to PLL just yet so I decided to pick up one of the many Amazon Prime First Reads books I have accumulated over the last two years. I think I’m finally on the 2021 picks lol.
This one will take me a while to read though, mainly because it’s taken me a while to decide if I enjoy the style of writing or not. I feel that if most people aren’t feeling it right away they would bail out within the first few pages but I was really giving this one a go.
But I’ve finally adjusted to the writing and I think it’s an interesting story so I’m going to stick with it, even if it’s going to take me twice as long as normal to read. It’s not that the language is difficult or anything, I just feel like I need my full attention on it compared to other stories.
It might be my last read of the year but that’s okay it just means we have even more to be reading next year as my to-read pile continues to grow lol.
This one was a wild ride. First of all, the girls think that a grown-ass woman is A? Almost like when on the TV show they thought A was Jessica DiLaurentis lol. Why would a middle-aged woman care so much about your secrets? It’s so random. I guess they do provide good reasoning as to why they think she is A but it never quite added up for me.
Anyway yeah, so this one was like extra ridiculous, and I know I usually go into a full-blown account of what happens but with this one I’m going to try to keep it brief. I say try because when I start writing it just kind of gets away from me.
So first of all the secrets and the drama the girls had was very random and not relevant to anything. I mean Emily was the main focus here so everyone else’s drama was just thrown in because they all have to be tortured equally you know?
For example, Aria finds out that Noel’s dad did drag and then A threatens to expose it unless she breaks up with Noel. Like what was that? It is so random and provides nothing aside from it just being funny. I think the most shocking thing was that Noel knew about it and that it was just a normal accepted thing. Which, I mean fine, Noel’s dad do what you want but if he’s not actively hiding it then surely more people in Rosewood would talk? I don’t know just wasn’t my vibe. There had to have been more scandalous secrets for a family as rich as Noel’s to be hiding, but that’s what we went with.
Next, there is Hanna stalking Mike and his new girlfriend, I mean not surprising but A leads Hanna on this wild goose chase acting as if Mike’s girlfriend Colleen has been hiding a huge secret. Again a lacklustre reveal – she did an embarrassing commercial and Hanna was going to share it with everyone. Hanna has a change of heart though, realising that she didn’t want to be a bully and so instead, A shares a video of her stalking Mike and Colleen making her the loser.
Again, nothing surprising, I feel like a lot of Hanna’s stuff is very repetitive. Plus Mike ends up getting back together with Hanna in the end anyway because he thinks it’s cool she loved him enough to stalk him?? It’s very dumb.
As for Spencer, she is trying to impress a club at Princeton by baking pot brownies and bringing them to the club’s potluck. Yeah, this one also was dumb. Basically, Spencer makes fast friends with this girl but then feels uncomfortable seeing her smoking pot, A calls the cops on her and everyone thinks Spencer did it. Then Spencer apologises to the girl and the girl invites her to a potluck and Spencer thinks she means to bring food with drugs in it? Yeah okay.
Naturally, this idea backfires, like seriously backfires as A switches Spencer’s brownies out for some that are much stronger and laced with LSD and something else I don’t remember. This is definitely a step up for A and hella dangerous. Someone definitely could have died but they did not and it was all kind of fine in the end.
Definitely not my fave situation and honestly thought Spencer was smarter than that but yeah that’s where we are with that one.
Finally, there is Emily, and we finally learn what happened to her and her baby. So Emily had promised this woman, Gayle, her baby after Gayle offered her a lot of money but Emily ended up changing her mind because she seemed like a psychopath. Which is fair because who randomly offers someone $50k for their baby?
Emily ends up calling her friends to help her get the baby to the original adoptive parents Emily had chosen before Gayle offered her money and she thought she had gotten away with it, until Gayle shows up again in her life. Gayle has moved into town recently to help fund Tom Marin’s senate campaign. Coincidence? The girls think not and sus out that she’s A because she is getting revenge for Emily changing her mind about the baby.
It’s a stretch, because why would Gayle want to punish the rest of the girls for something Emily did? Seems a bit random. Also they justify it because Gayle is always around, she knows Hanna’s business because she’s on her dad’s campaign and she knows about Spencer’s Princeton activities because she’d been spotted there before. Doesn’t really explain how she knew Aria’s thing but the girls are just adamant she’s A.
Not to mention, Gayle comes face to face with Emily and says she wants what she’s owed, which people assume is the baby. So now everyone thinks Gayle is trying to track down Emily’s baby and steal it from her. Again this whole thing sounds ridiculous as I type it. Like between this book and the last, it’s like some switch in me has flipped and I just find all this so dumb??
I mean at least in the last book, Kelsey was the same age as the girls and you could see her as A because she’d be petty like that. And the drama was still silly between the girls but it wasn’t so over the top it was unbelievable. This time though I feel like things were wild for the sake of it.
PLUS A lures the girls to Gayle’s house at the end of the book saying that they had Emily’s baby and then A ends up killing Gayle at the end like…are you serious? Why? What is the point?
The girls also find out that Gayle was Tabitha’s step mum which is something new but they didn’t know until the end. I mean if they had known before that would have been a stronger case for her being A if she somehow knew about Jamaica. But seems like she didn’t know.
And the final bomb to be dropped is that at Gayle’s funeral, her husband, aka Tabitha’s dad, reveals that he got an autopsy done on his daughter and he knows it was a murder and not an alcohol overdose. So the girls are not out of the woods for this murder just yet.
So that’s everything, still quite a long post but I feel hits the main points. Like I said I feel like this book was way too OTT with the drama that it just made everything seem ridiculous. I suppose this is the downfall when a series runs on too long, the same thing happened with the PLL TV show. Which is sad but since I have made it this far we might as well continue on.
We still need to find out what Aria did in Iceland that was so horrible and Hanna has a summer secret too so I hope we get those revealed soon. I just need them to be a lot less extreme because I don’t know how to take this series seriously anymore. I guess it’s not supposed to be super serious as a teen drama series but still, there has to be some layer of believability.
Maybe I’ll read something else before diving into the next book to cleanse my mind from all the craziness that happened in this book…Or we just power through and get it done as quickly as possible…either way I am finishing this series.
I feel like it wasn’t that long ago I was writing about Love is Blind season 2 lol. I guess maybe because the season 2 After the Altar episodes weren’t that long ago. But I thought I’d share how I feel about the couples of season 3 and what I think will happen at the weddings. So we already have seen Raven and SK’s but I’m still going to talk about it because it was a shocker. This whole season has been a mess and I have lots of thoughts so might as well share a blog post, even though I have been tweeting up quite a storm recently about the show lol and will no doubt tweet more as the rest of the weddings unfold. But until then, here are my predictions for the rest of the weddings.
Raven and SK
I was not expecting SK to say no and I feel like many people felt the same way. Never did he give an indication that he was going to say no he was so positive about this whole experience and so yeah that was wild and dramatic.
If anything, I thought Raven was going to say no. She was not ever going to live up to the ideals of a Nigerian wife and I know SK said that’s not what he wanted but I’m sure down the line there are some things he would wish for that Raven would not feel comfortable doing. So I think overall this was a good decision.
It’s just wild that even his family didn’t know he was going to say no. Especially after how he talked about how he loved Raven and everything before he was like “I don’t tho”. Savage. I could never go through something like this only for them to say no at the wedding. I bet Raven is glad her family didn’t wanna be involved now.
Bartise and Nancy
I feel horrible for Nancy to be honest. Like you know it’s bad when she’s literally crying to someone else about how your fiancé doesn’t seem to find you attractive.
Then there’s the whole abortion thing. Yikes. I know Bartise thinks they can talk through it together and he was learning from her but I also feel like if in the future, Nancy for whatever reason needed to abort their child he would not be okay with it. I just don’t think that’s a thing you easily change your mind on.
OH, and of course, Bartise bringing up Nancy having the business with her ex every five minutes. I feel he’s insecure but like there’s been no evidence of Nancy sneaking off to meet her ex or doing anything shady. So to me, it’s just him complaining about something just to complain.
I’m actually disappointed Nancy said yes. She has put up with so much crap from Bartise and she hasn’t done anything wrong. I thought she would have given up on him immediately from when he started talking about how he felt about seeing Raven but she didn’t.
As for Bartise, I don’t know what he says. In my head, it would be easy for him to say yes because Nancy is a good person, he would be financially secure with her income and live his best life. Like his friends said before the wedding how he wanted someone to take care of him, which is all well and good but is that a partner or a parent you know?
Ooh I just rewatched the first ever promo after the first lot of episodes dropped and it looks like Nancy’s brothers are pissed so something tells me Bartise could say no. I mean not that the brothers were impressed with Bartise to begin with. So could be messy, now I’m intrigued to see what happens.
Alexa and Brennan
The first couple to get engaged is always framed as the ones meant to last. And I think Alexa and Brennan could be good together. I mean they are a bit awkward at times but I feel like that’s to be expected when you meet and have a relationship without seeing each other haha.
I don’t know if they would be as solid as Lauren and Cameron but realistically no one will be. But I could see them both saying and things being fine. Even with Alexa wanting a prenup lol.
That being said the promo for Wednesday makes me think Brennan might say no though like him crying? But he could just be emotional…I think Alexa says yes though, I don’t know if she has reason to say no.
Cole and Zanab
As soon as I saw Cole I knew he was going to be another Shake type. And he’s living up to that. I mean as soon as he got out of the pods and was talking to the other guys he was already like “I am not physically attracted to her.” Great. I mean it’s valid not to be physically attracted to someone but if it’s not happening just walk away. Like why string someone along for TV it’s harsh.
And then when they started showing Cole and Zanab having good moments I just felt like Cole was trying too hard to compliment Zanab. I mean she may like that and need that to feel secure in the relationship but if Cole was playing it up I can see him getting bored of it quickly.
It also does not look good when Cole is asking Zanab to be nicer to him haha. To be honest their dynamic has been really weird and I don’t like them as a couple.
People on Twitter seem to have mixed feelings about them saying Zay is the one that’s crazy or Cole is a manchild and I think it’s both lol. Like Zanab wants someone who looks like Cole but isn’t Cole since she seems very annoyed when he tries to be his actual self. And for Cole, he wants someone who is a little immature like him to have fun with and not be too serious, oh and looks like Colleen obviously lol.
But yeah I don’t know if Cole will say yes or not. In my head, because of how Zanab talks she’s in it 99% of the way but maybe while walking down the aisle she gets some sense knocked into her and says no. Let’s wait and see…
Colleen and Matt
Oh boy. Well, Matt was giving such a red flag when he threatened to walk out the first time. Like he got so angry over a conversation Colleen had with Cole and I don’t even think it was bad. It was crazy. And then it happened again a few episodes later and I’m like…this is not the kind of person you want to marry.
I think it’s obvious Matt has some issues to work through and was so not ready to go on this show and commit. Like in the latest promo you see him freaking out and being indecisive. I also think he’s the one that says “I do not” in the first promo they showed after the first lot of episodes aired or something. (Though I just rewatched the promos and I could have made up the fact someone says I do not because I didn’t hear it the second time???) But I would be okay if he says no because he’s too on edge all the time to be fully in this relationship.
I don’t know what Colleen would say, to be honest, I mean she’s very on the fence so could go either way. I mean if Matt was the one to say yes would she also say yes? I don’t know. But also if she says no after he’s said yes in my head he would just fly off the handle like he has previously so would make for good TV. So I guess we shall see.
And so those are all my predictions for this season, I honestly feel so much more up in the air with these ones compared to last season. I had clear ideas of who was going to say what but this time I am very unsure. I guess because this time I went on Twitter before writing this and people were swaying me in different directions lol. Either way I am very invested in these weddings and can’t wait to see how it unfolds. See you all at the altar on Wednesday!
I feel like this month I wasn’t reading very much which is weird because I didn’t feel particularly busy with anything but it is what it is.
The Spanish Love Deception
This one I did like when I started reading but as things went on it really started to drag for me. Plus when the characters finally got together I really started to not care anymore which is not what you want with a romance novel. Don’t get me wrong I love a good enemies to lovers story but this one was not it for me.
I am sad though because I did want to like it but I think it was too long and descriptions started to get repetitive. So I was just glad I made it to the end.
We are back in the PLL world again for the second half of the series. The girls thought they were free from A until Spring Break goes wrong for them and A is back with a vengeance…
I am interested to see where we go in this second half of the saga, mainly because the first half ended so nicely. Hoping that it doesn’t go south like the TV show but so far things seem good.
I count this as having being read in October since I only read about 20 pages on the 1st November. But this one was okay, I think I wanted more reveals. Like the Kelsey thing was fine and definitely a good red herring but overall lacked something for me. Still I am enjoying being back in this world so looking forward to seeing where we go from here.
And that has been my reading for October. It would have been nice to wrap up PLL at the end of the month but no big deal. I predict the end of the year will involve more PLL books and maybe some other things sprinkled in. Which has basically been the theme of reading this whole year haha but I’m proud of myself for making it through this series it’s been a long time coming.
One thing I can say for sure is I probably won’t be reading any seasonal reads because I never time those things well but never say never.
We are back again with our Pretty Little Liars. And we have quite a few things to unpack so let’s get down to business shall we?
First off, Aria. Her drama didn’t really add anything to the main story so we can talk about it briefly. Basically, Ezra comes back. Yeah I know. I thought we were done with him but no, Aria sends him an email saying she misses him and next thing you know, he’s back in Rosewood.
He is still his old creepy self and it turns out while he and aria were apart he has written a book about her! And instead of Aria finding this really inappropriate and weird she loves it and thinks it’s romantic. Ugh. I admit it’s only marginally less creepy than in the TV show because at least he didn’t know Aria was a minor when they met and wasn’t obsessed with her because of Alison. But even then…a teacher writing a love story about his student is crossing so many lines.
It’s kind of brushed off as no big deal though because when Aria says she has some criticisms about it, Ezra turns into a whiny defensive baby and won’t listen to her. So there’s that.
Plus when Ezra suggests the idea of Aria introducing him to everyone as her boyfriend he doesn’t see any problem with it. Like yeah okay he’s not her teacher anymore but everyone in Rosewood knows he used to be. He doesn’t see anything wrong with the situation yet Aria sees some sense to it and doesn’t think it’s a good idea.
Again Ezra gets pissy about this with Aria and so they break up lol. Good riddance. Not to mention Ezra ends up making out with Klaudia, the Finnish exchange student who Aria accidentally pushed off a ski lift lol. Looks like Ezra will always be a creeper hitting on minors. Well it’s stated Aria is eighteen in this book but even then that doesn’t really make it okay.
And at the end of all that Aria and Noel get back together. So really Aria’s storyline amounted to nothing. Boring.
Hanna’s story is also in the love department as she starts a romance with the son of her dad’s political enemy. It’s supposed to be romantic and all star crossed lovers until Hanna sees a news article about him being a serial dater. Yawn. To get back at him she decides to tell her dad the drama she found out from the guy she was seeing. Oops. That’ll teach him not to mess with Hanna.
Didn’t get to see the fallout of what her dad will do with the information but I imagine it’s coming. So I guess we sit tight and see. Kate doesn’t even use this information against Hanna because apparently she’s been cheated on before too so I guess that’s nice?
Then there is Spencer and Emily. They are tied together this time around because of one girl. Kelsey.
In this book we find out that Spencer had spent the summer on some pills trying to ace her AP classes to get into Princeton. Her and her friend Kelsey got hooked on them and while all of Spencer’s other friends thought it was a bad idea, she didn’t listen.
Unluckily for Spencer, the girls get caught by the police with the pills and so Spencer decides to save her ass by getting Hanna to plant the drugs in Kelsey’s room and pin the whole thing on her. Harsh.
Spencer thought she was free from that whole situation and that she was getting into Princeton early admission. Only she gets a letter to say that there was a mix up and they accidentally accepted two people with her name and now she needs to work extra hard to secure her place.
This sends Spencer into a whole guilt trip frenzy as she channels her guilt of what she did to Kelsey into her performance of Lady McBeth. All for her to find out that A was messing with her. Cool.
Another reason Spencer was spiralling is because Kelsey reappeared in her life after leaving juvie. She is back at school and working on some orchestra thing with Amelia, Spencer’s step sister to be, so Spencer is constantly on edge. She also believes that Kelsey is A, especially after stealing her phone and finding out that she was in Jamaica that spring break. So she thinks Kelsey saw what happened, figured out Spencer is why she went to juvie and is out for revenge.
It’s a bit far fetched considering the other girls weren’t really involved in the drug bust, well Hanna was but how was Kelsey meant to know? But at the same time it makes more sense than other A theories that floated about on the TV show.
Spencer tells the girls her theory and shows them a picture of Kelsey to be on the lookout and this is when Emily discovers she knows her.
Emily ended up going to a party and meeting Kelsey. The two hit it off right away and were having a good time and it looked like Kelsey could have been Emily’s new love interest. It turns out Emily has a thing for bold women who are a little daring and a little dangerous. Who knew?
But then Spencer and Emily fight about Emily spending time with Kelsey and then Emily ends up telling Kelsey that Spencer is the one that turned her in for the drugs and sent her to juvie. Uh oh.
Spencer then gets a text from A which contains a photo of Tabitha on the beach in Jamaica the night that Aria pushed her and she thinks Kelsey is the one that sent it. Especially when she runs into Kelsey and she asks Spencer if she got her text, this leads to Spencer attacking Kelsey making her look like a psycho.
This then sends Kelsey off the rails and she drives Emily out to the quarry – the same one where Mona tried to kill Spencer – and it looks like Kelsey is trying to kill Emily in the same way…until it is revealed that Kelsey is trying to kill herself?
So the girls theory about her being A is wrong. Naturally I didn’t think Kelsey was A but the girls did have every right to believe that she was. Turns out that Kelsey ended up relapsing on drugs after finding out Emily was friends with Spencer and was mad at her for keeping a secret. Things spiralled out of control for her when she found out that Spencer sent her away to juvie. But the girls ended up saving Kelsey’s life and she wrote them apology letters for what happened.
Kelsey ends up being put into the Preserve, the same institution where Courtney/Alison once stayed and that Hanna also had a stint in. They also discover that Tabitha went there too…so many coincidences. And of course A is still around so it’s not going to be that easy to get rid of her.
And that is where we end things. Naturally it got a bit dramatic at the end but I think it was lacking something for me, I guess I just wasn’t convinced that Kelsey would suddenly be so sucidial? It seemed out of left field for me but yeah.
Oh! And also they keep mentioning Aria doing something unspeakable in Iceland and I hope we find out that soon. I also feel like there’s more to the Emily pregnancy story that we are missing. She can’t just give up a baby at sixteen and go back to life like nothing happened, especially not with A around…so yeah lots of mysteries still be to revealed. Fingers crossed they are good reveals because I’ve been enjoying them so far.
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