Category: Fun Stuff

Spring Reading 🌸

~ elocko ~ Leave a comment

Spring is here!

I’m feeling all the fresh new season vibes, and my amazing aunt bought me this gorgeous bouquet to celebrate the new changes in my life (I got a new job!)💕🌸

*Trigger warning*

While Spring normally brings a sense of calm after the winter dreariness, the past few weeks have been quite scary with the rise and spread of Covid-19. Once again the world of book blogging has been a safe haven for me. With the media tirelessly covering this topic it is extremely hard to escape, and between book blogs and bookstagram I can take some time to unplug for a little while and enjoy some beautiful book pics.

I’m trying to stay positive in a very grim time, even with social distancing, fear and panic all around me, so I’m looking for a fresh new romance recommendation! Nothing puts my mind at ease like a little literary escape into an always happy ending.

My TBR has been dwindling and I’m not sure what’s next. Any romantic reads you would recommend??

Women’s History Month 💕

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Happy Women’s History Month! To all the amazing women in my life, thank you. With International Women’s Day this past weekend, this time is all about equality, change and appreciation. In honour of the celebration I thought I’d share a post for She-ology by Sherry A. Ross, a fascinating read that focuses on vaginal health, sharing some truths that I think every woman should know. Dr.Sherry is Reese Witherspoon’s OBGYN and she has a complete digital library online of vaginas with every condition so that readers and patients can understand how each condition appears, while also normalizing how different every vagina is.
Historically, vaginal health has not been researched to the fullest extent, unlike male genitalia. Your physical and sexual health is so important!! Educate yourself and those close to you, and put your health first.
I was gifted this amazing book by @medamour1 and I would absolutely recommend giving it a read!

Valentine’s Day 2020

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Happy Valentine’s Day! 💕 As a proud Romance Reader my romantic stack could technically be my entire home library of books, so it was tough to narrow it down to this pile. But these here are my faves at the moment. How are you celebrating Valentine’s Day this year?

I’m celebrating Galentine’s Day a day late this year and hanging out with my girlfriends tomorrow, watching Rom-Coms and the Valentine’s Day episode of the O.C. A day for ladies celebrating ladies, Galentine’s Day is awesome and I can think of no better place where this goes down than here on bookstagram! 💕 There is so much bookish love, and it’s such an awesome space to share. Thank you to everyone who has ever commented, liked or shared a recommendation with me, I always choose my next read from here and you all have such great reviews. Sending out book love to you all 💕 .

Wellness Journals from Medamour

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One of my favourite things to do, besides reading, is journaling! I have about 3 agendas on the go, as well as two journals with to-do lists galore, plus a digital work and personal calendar. 

It may be chaos but it is organized chaos, and it keeps my thoughts, plans and ideas out of my head and onto paper. Medamour.com is an amazing intimate health and wellness shop run by a friend of mine, and they stock some of the COOLEST books and journals as well as pleasure products and bath essentials, etc. Basically, they are a beacon of self-care and support amongst the doom and gloom of the world wide web. 

This past week, thanks to www.medamour.com I hosted a giveaway on my Instagram page. Shoutout to my fellow Canadian @readwellreviews the winner of 2 awesome wellness journals by Monica Sweeney. Thank you to @medamour1 for sponsoring this giveaway, and be sure to check out the www.medamour.com for all your sexual health and wellness needs.

If your interested you can use code ‘theromancereader’ to save $10 off any $50 purchases!

An Ode to my Favourite Book

~ elocko ~ 1 Comment

Oh The Hating Game. I love this book so very VERY much.

I’m currently re-reading for the third time and I can promise that it does not get old. I adore these characters, and the hate to love trope with a ‘flamethrower’ level passion.

While sitting at work day dreaming about this book yet again, I stumbled upon some amazing Hating Game artwork that other book bloggers have put together. And it is now officially my screensaver. (Thank you @alleskelle.com)

Now the film is supposed to be in production later this year and I quite literally cannot wait!!! Lucy Hale and Robbie Amell are the spitting image of the characters from my mind, I know they’re going to be perfect.

Have you read the Hating Game yet?

🌧 Rainy Day Reads 🌧

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This weekend in Toronto called for intense rain, and lots of it, which meant I had a perfect excuse to go nowhere and enjoy some guilt free reading!

One of my best friends gave me two of these books for Christmas, and I can’t wait to bring them with me on vacation later this week (I’m going to Mexico WOOHOOO!!).

Do you have any vacation romance recommendations? (I’ve already read Unhoneymooners). I’m not necessarily looking for destination romance novels but I need a guaranteed good read for my trip, I’d appreciate any suggestions 🙂

My Top 5 Books of 2019 📚

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🎉 My Top 5 Book Picks of 2019! 🎉

This year has been full of amazing new book releases, though my top five might not be released in 2019, they were new to me this year. It felt like choosing a favourite child to narrow it down to just 5 but I managed…

  1. Beard Science – Penny Reid
  2. The Hating Game – Sally Thorne
  3. Pucked – Helena Hunting
  4. The Simple Wild – KA Tucker
  5. Bringing Down the Duke – Evie Dunmore

What were your favourites this year??

My Goodreads Reading Challenge 2019

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This is my first year participating in the Goodreads Reading Challenge. I gave myself an insane (to me) goal of 50 books to read in 2019. Bear in mind I read a total of 2 books in 2018…

I didn’t start reading until halfway through February so I was really starting from behind with this one, but I challenged myself to simply see what I can do, with no real pressure.

I’m so proud to have reached my goal early and finished 50 books. Now I’m going for 2 more books before the end of the year just to make it an even book a week. Woohoo!

Have you participated in the Goodreads challenge before? What was your experience with having a reading goal, did it add to your reading enjoyment or take away from it?

A Well Red Stack

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Yesterday was one of those days where I was reminded how wonderful this time of year can be, and that it is also the time to give to those in need! 

@careylovestobook is donating $1 for every red and white stack posted with the tag #wellredkids up to $1000!! All the funds will be going to the Toys for Tots Literacy program. Such a wonderful act of kindness, thank you @careylovestobook!

And a big thank you to the sweet lady that always serves me my steeped tea at Tim Horton’s, who gave me the mug in this photo as an early Christmas gift for being a “regular”. I’ve always wanted to be a regular somewhere!! Who would’ve thought it’d be at Timmy’s haha #notashamed

I will definitely be paying forward these acts of kindness and donating to my local food bank, that is especially busy this time of year.

Happy Holidays book friends!! 📚🌲❄️

❄️ A Holiday Stack ❄️

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How do you get in the festive spirit? ❄️ I love holiday themed books that match the season I’m in. Thankfully there seems to be an unending number of Christmas romance novels. I also love Christmas cookies, watching Die Hard, Gremlins, Home Alone, Love Actually and the Hallmark channel on repeat…

Here’s my red and green stack for day 5 of the #booksharkshollydays challenge! .