summer diaries #1: and yet, we march on || new beginnings & change 🌱

17th Apr 202317th Apr 2023 maya rajesh18 Comments

2023.

In all honesty, I’m still taking it in.

I kid you not, two weeks ago, at around 11 in the morning, I was updating my Goodreads and needed to change the ‘read’ date and on the dropdown menu, it read “April 1” and I went berserk. There is no way it’s already April. We’re already more than three months in.

Time never ceases to amaze me (as I’m sure anyone who knows me knows.) My friends and I have been in awe – freshman year of high school is already over. It seems like yesterday we were all nervous in that giddy-excited way, making our way through the gates, and seeing each other after summer break…

And we’re here. It’s summer again. Except I’m going to be a year older soon. And I feel myself trying to hold on to the memories, relish the moment but it’s like grasping for water: you have it for a moment, you feel the coolness on your skin, and just like that; it’s gone.

I write this a couple weeks after a terrorizing set of finals (you wouldn’t believe the relief) and my life just has all this empty space in it – it’s the perfect time for me to pick up a new project, or write some songs, or finish editing my draft… but I find myself unwilling to do something “productive.”

Because, after all, we all need a break sometimes don’t we? (aka, me trying to justify the fact that I haven’t posted since last year. Yes, I’m aware.)

my 2021 bookshelf || the best books of the year || life & literature ep. 10

30th Dec 202119th Jan 2022 maya rajesh41 Comments

2021 can be marked as the year I fell in love with reading again – the year I realised how much impact books can have on your life. From setting myself a goal of reading 70 books earlier this year to actually finishing all those books ~~well I’m still reading the last one, but there’s~~ ~~time~~ I’ve enjoyed the entire process of reading them.

It actually started with my Cassandra Clare obsession in late 2020 – where I binge-read the entire Mortal Instruments series. I remember being in my grandmother’s house and just reading all. day. long. By early January, I’d finished the series and started on the other three trilogies and was done by the end of February.

It sort of marked the beginning of new reading ‘era’ for me – after my middle-grade fantasy phase and I have read so many good books this year. Obviously, credits to all the book bloggers out there who put out amazing recommendations, and thank you to Goodreads and StoryGraph for all the stats.

I won’t be able to mention all 70 books I read this year, but I will be mentioning the biggest surprises, some books that literally changed the way I look at things, and books I absolutely adore. Let’s get to it!

finishing my first draft || nanowrimo ’21 recap || life & literature ep. 9

6th Dec 202119th Jan 2022 maya rajesh56 Comments

On November 22nd 2021, at 3.32 p.m., I finished the first draft of my novel.

It still feels surreal to finally finish it; I wanted to scream from the rooftops, but I had to settle for yelling into a pillow, running around the house while my sister stared at me oddly. This is the book I’ve been working on since early April this year, and I got to about 134k in November. (I have created a monster.)

But, regardless of its many, many flaws and imperfections, I love it with all my heart, and I’m SO pumped to have finished it!

As the year comes to a close, I’m planning to put it aside for a week or two and focus on other projects before I get back to editing and writing a little more. I wrote a whole chunk of the book this NaNoWriMo – let’s get into all the details!

august slipped away || days past: a july & august ’21 recap || life & literature ep. 6

29th Aug 202127th Jan 2022 maya rajesh65 Comments

“But I can see us lost in the memory
August slipped away into a moment in time
‘Cause it was never mine“

Starting one of my longest wrap-ups starting with the beautiful august by Taylor Swift (go listen to it just once if you haven’t and you will fall in love with her voice – do it.)

But honestly, how is it that July and August just disappeared? (~~Ignoring the fact that I question time practically every. single. recap, of course.~~)

July & August were beautiful months, and I did pretty well all through – in terms of school, reading, mental health & my online presence so I’m hoping that the second half of the year – which we’re already partially through – will be one in which all of us shall fare well in.

I read, watched, and listened to a lot these past two months and now I have a number of new favourites. Let’s talk books, movies, songs & life!

days past: a june ’21 recap || playlists, books & movies || life & literature ep. 3

4th Jul 202127th Jan 2022 maya rajesh64 Comments

June disappeared, in all honesty. It’s almost as though this month was non-existent and we’re already in July. Halfway through the year. We’re still self-isolating a year later and I keep reminding myself that there is still hope. June was absolutely a blur. I know I say that so much, but I started out in a most terrible reading slump.

Nevertheless, I did have a lot of fun and I kept up with the blogosphere (for the most part, I suppose!) I had my whole family over and the summer weather is absolutely gorgeous here. All the flowers are in bloom, we had, like 3 birthdays (which meant 3 different cakes, haha!) and we’ve been out on long walks through the gardens. June and July have the best weather in the whole year (except for February and April).

Well, that’s enough rambling! Let’s talk books, movies, songs and life!