#ReadYourFaceOff TBR – April

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The general goal for a #ReadYourFaceOff readathon is to get through as much reading as you can in a 24-hour window of time. It’s a fun (and short) readathon that was created by Riley from RMFickFack. This round will run from 9am on Saturday 20th April to 9am on Sunday 21st April in your time zone. My focus for this round is to try and knock a couple of books off my OWLs Readathon TBR list, as well as pick up the #ReadYourFaceOff Buddy Read book for the month. Good luck to everyone participating in this round!
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March Empties

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Tarte ‘Rainforest of the Sea’ Marine Boosting Mist – This was a product that came with a Tarte highlighting set Sebastian picked up for me in Sephora Singapore last year, and to be honest I was really surprised by how much I loved it. It somehow managed to hydrate my skin and make it look dewy and fresh with a couple of spritzes. It also smelled incredible, a fresh citrus scent that I found really uplifting. I will definitely be adding this to my list of things to buy when I’m wanting to treat myself.

asap Daily Facial Cleanser (with AHA) – Because I stick to using Paula’s Choice and Dermalogica facial cleansers for the most part, I’ve had Sebastian use up a few bottles that were sitting unused in my beauty cupboard. This cleanser did the job well for him, and Sebastian has noticed that he prefers skincare that contains AHA (to help control his milia), so this was right up his alley.

Philosophy Christmas Cookie Shower Gel – I purchased this as part of Sebastian’s Christmas present last year, and it was so tempting to steal this and use it all for myself. This smells incredible. If you are someone who loves vanilla/sweet scented products this is definitely for you. The Philosophy shower gels are always a pleasure to use, they lather up well, rinse off easily, and leave your skin smelling amazing. I would definitely repurchase this again – maybe as another little treat this Christmas?

Avène Micellar Lotion – Random fact about this product, I picked it up in Bali a couple of years ago because I needed to break some change in a pharmacy and this looked like something I might want to try. I didn’t like this at all, it had an overwhelming rose fragrance to it and I felt like it wasn’t the best for my sensitive skin.

Ahava Velvet Body Lotion in Tropical Pineapple & White Peach – This was a deluxe sample that came along with a skin care purchase I made a couple of years ago, and I finally made the effort to use it up. This was a really nice lotion that hydrated my skin without leaving too much of a residue. The smell was nice–fresh and fruity without being too sweet.

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OWLs Readathon/April TBR

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This month’s TBR is going to be a bit longer and more ambitious than usual because I am participating in the OWLs readathon. You can learn all about this readathon over at Book Roast’s channel. Here are the books I am hoping to read in April in order to meet the challenges of this readathon –

[ MUGGLE STUDIES – Contemporary ] The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
[ HERBOLOGY – Plant on the cover ] – Into The Forest by Jean Hegland
[ ARITHMANCY – More than one author ] The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen
[ CHARMS – Read an adult work ] The Favourite Sister by Jessica Knoll
[ DIVINATION – Set in the future ] Suicide Club by Rachel Heng
[ POTIONS – Sequel ] The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater
[ HISTORY OF MAGIC – Published at least 10 years ago ] Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
[ DEFENCE AGAINST THE DARK ARTS – Starts with “R” ] The Replacement Crush by Lisa Brown Roberts
[ TRANSFIGURATION – Red Cover ] The Girl in 6E by A.R. Torre
[ ASTRONOMY – “Star” in the title ] Girl Made of Stars by Ashley Herring Blake
[ CARE OF MAGICAL CREATURES – Land animal on the cover ] Zero Day by Ezekiel Boone
[ ANCIENT RUNES – Retelling ] Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Page

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February/March Reading Wrap Up

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Total Books Read: 6
February/March TBR Books Read: 2
Total Pages Read: 1,657

99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne – I was really disappointed by this book and I kind of hate myself for it. It was my most anticipated new release of 2019, my dear friend Tonile had gifted me a copy, and I was convinced it was going to bump me out of the reading slump I had fallen into. In the end, it was just… confusing? I’m not sure if it was because I actively disliked the main character, or a lack of exposition throughout the story but I found it difficult to connect with the romance. Although this an easy read, I struggled to finish it as fast as I usually would have. If you’re a superfan of Sally Thorne this might be worth picking up, but otherwise you should probably hold off and wait until her next release.

Two Can Keep A Secret by Karen M. McManus – This was a fun and enjoyable thriller from one of my favourite young adult authors. I can see this easily being adapted into a TV show or a movie, and that is one of the marks of a good thriller for me. If I can easily see it all playing out in my head and making sense, it works. This was a fast read, and I found it really easy to get caught up in the plot. I also love an ending that I don’t anticipate or I’m not able to guess, and this book did just that.

What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera – This was the Read Your Face Off Buddy Read book for February/March, and true to my procrastinating nature I picked it up in the middle of March. Overall I enjoyed this, but honestly for the majority of the book I found the side characters far more likeable than the two main protagonists. Despite that, I was able to get pulled into the romance of the book and enjoy it.

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March Book Haul

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What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera – “Meet Arthur and Ben. Arthur is only in New York for the summer, but if Broadway has taught him anything, it’s that the universe can deliver a showstopping romance when you least expect it. Ben thinks the universe needs to mind its business. If the universe had his back, he wouldn’t be carrying a box of his ex-boyfriend’s things. But when the boys have a chance meeting at the post office, they leave wondering what exactly the universe does have in store for them. What if – in a city of eight million people – they can’t find each other again? What if they do … and then can’t nail a first date even after three do-overs? What if Arthur tries too hard to make it work and Ben doesn’t try hard enough? What if life really isn’t like a Broadway play? But what if it is?”

Girl Made Of Stars by Ashley Herring Blake – “Mara and Owen are as close as twins can get, so when Mara’s friend Hannah accuses Owen of rape, Mara doesn’t know what to think. Can her brother really be guilty of such a violent act? Torn between her family and her sense of right and wrong, Mara feels lost, and it doesn’t help that things are strained with her ex-girlfriend, Charlie. As Mara, Hannah, and Charlie come together in the aftermath of this terrible crime, Mara must face a trauma from her own past and decide where Charlie fits into her future. With sensitivity and openness, this timely novel confronts the difficult questions surrounding consent, victim blaming, and sexual assault.”

Dare To Lead by Brene Brown – “Leadership is not about titles, status and power over people. Leaders are people who hold themselves accountable for recognising the potential in people and ideas, and developing that potential. This is a book for everyone who is ready to choose courage over comfort, make a difference and lead. When we dare to lead, we don’t pretend to have the right answers; we stay curious and ask the right questions. We don’t see power as finite and hoard it; we know that power becomes infinite when we share it and work to align authority and accountability. We don’t avoid difficult conversations and situations; we lean into the vulnerability that’s necessary to do good work. But daring leadership in a culture that’s defined by scarcity, fear and uncertainty requires building courage skills, which are uniquely human. The irony is that we’re choosing not to invest in developing the hearts and minds of leaders at the same time we’re scrambling to figure out what we have to offer that machines can’t do better and faster. What can we do better? Empathy, connection and courage to start.”

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