#monica heisey

[tmedic]

.. Little stop at Waterstones .. 🧡

[bookquotesforthesoul]

I sat at my desk on a long Wednesday and ate a pot of yogurt that claimed to provide an experience as delicious and indulgent as lime cheesecake. Products like this produced in me a deep melancholy, but also I could not stop buying them, in case one ever made good on its promise. Every time I ate a dessert-themed yogurt, I felt like a stupid little bitch.

Monica Heisey, Really Good, Actually

[bookcoversonly]

Title: Really Good, Actually | Author: Monica Heisey | Publisher: William Morrow (2023)

[shxpeshifterr]

[goodbooksonly]

I didn’t love it and I didn’t hate it. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[goldengenprint]

How can you tell if something you did was a stupid mistake or a real sign of your character?

- Monica Heisey

[shortskirtsandsarcasm]

Really Good Actually Review

Really Good Actually is equally funny and heartbreaking. It has the vibe of a modern divorced Bridget Jones of Toronto. Maggie has recently separated from her husband, who she only recently married. They have been together for nine years, so Maggie is having a very difficult time adjusting to life alone. She tries various coping strategies, each one more unhinged than the last.

Some of Maggie’s antics were difficult for me to read and I had a lot of second-hand embarrassment for her. Her soft spiral out of control was sad to watch and I was simultaneously full of empathy as well as annoyance. I think Monica Heisey created a book that feels realistic and amusing about the breakup of a long-term relationship. I rated this book four stars because it was well-written, had emotional depth, and made me laugh a lot. Having finished this book, Heisey’s comedy non-fiction book is on my radar, and I would like to read any more fiction books she writes.

[robotpals]

I’ve never had such a lovely hot chocolate :-)

[myheartalivewrites]

25 books for 2025

Thank you for tagging me to the lovely @alasse9 @14carrotghoul @anti-homophobia-cheese @tailsbeth-writes @suseagull5914

and @zwiazdziarka ! I love love love talking about books with you all.

In 2024 I managed 16 out of 25 on my list, though overall I read almost 100 books throughout the year. There was a MAJOR detour through historical romances, and so so many research books I picked up when I decided to write one myself. It’s been busy!

In 2025 I want to try and be more committed to this list, but I’m sure so many more things will pop up as I continue to work on book #2. Let's see if I manage. These are a mixture of research reads and for fun reads, in no particular order:

The Pickwick Papers, Charles Dickens (I'm only like 10% in, so this goes on the list!)

Unmasked by the Marquess, Cat Sebastian

Winter's Orbit, Everina Maxwell

The Prospect, KT Hoffman

The Mill on the Floss, George Eliot

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Anne Brontë

Really Good, Actually, Monica Heisey

The Queer Principles of Kit Webb, Cat Sebastian

Love Marriage, Monica Ali

Wolfsong, T J Klune

Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh

The Marriage Portrait, Maggie O’Farrell

Rodham, Curtis Sittenfeld

Here We Go Again, Alison Cochrun

The Night Watch, Sarah Waters

Sea of Tranquility, Emily St John Mandel

England, A Natural History, John Lewis-Stempel

Machines Like Me, Ian McEwan

The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry, Gabrielle Zevin

Victorious Century, David Cannadine

Lady Chatterley’s Lover, D. H. Lawrence

Something Extraordinary, Alexis Hall

The Nickel Boys, Colson Whitehead

Dr James Barry, Michael du Preez

All Fours, Miranda July

Tagging @caterpills @whimsymanaged @firenati0n @indomitable-love @tintagel-or-cockleshells

@na-dineee @cha-melodius @orchidscript and anyone who might like to play. Happy reading!

[pumpkinspice-prouvaire]

Top 10 Reads of 2024

this is just a lil start of the year tradition on my blog tehe I feel like I didn't have as many stand out reads this year as in previous years? But maybe I just read all my favourites at the start/middle of the year lol anyways talk to me if you liked any of these books

The Glass Castle- Jeannette Walls

Really Good, Actually- Monica Heisey

Detransition, Baby- Torrey Peters

James- Percival Everett

Penance- Eliza Clark (side note this book references Les Mis fanfiction lmao)

Carrie Soto is Back- Taylor Jenkins Reid

Pride and Prejudice- Jane Austen

Milk Fed- Melissa Broder

Prophet Song- Paul Lynch

Butter Honey Pig Bread- Francesca Ekwuyasi

[guiltyasdave]

thank you for the tag babes <3 @freelancearsonist @rizzraa @burntheedges @justagalwhowrites @thirtysevenodddogs

~~~rules: answer + tag 9 people you want to get know better and/or catch up with!~~~

favourite colour: blue, especially light blue!

last song: i look in people's windows by taylor swift

currently reading: really good, actually by monica heisey

currently watching: game of thrones season 4 for... research lol

currently craving: SLEEP! and pasta

coffee or tea: coffee always

npt: @luxurychristmaspudding @fruityreads @yxtkiwiyxt @tired-tyrant @fungal-rot

@artsy-girl-76 @theweedisasterxoxo @sizzlingcloudmentality @joelsdagger

[metalcorebarbie]

7, 14 and 23 please!! <3

7. Favorite actor of the year?

I tried to go through my letterboxd diary to figure out if there are any actors who have been in several of my favorite movies of the year but I can’t come up with anyone so I’m gonna list my favorite movies this year based on acting performances in them.

The Holdovers was really great and the cast managed to make me emotional and The Substance obviously was insane… Challengers was a great one acting wise even if I wasn’t as obsessed with the movie in general as most people were. The Iron Claw really surprised me, I wasn’t expecting to like that movie but it was actually really good, and really fucking sad?? Also a special shoutout to Naomi Scott in Smile 2, like that movie wasn’t mindblowingly good but it was a very solid and entertaining horror movie (which is basically like high praise from me because I watch a lot of horror movies and most of them are just so bad and boring) and I feel like it was Naomi Scott’s performance that made it such a good horror movie. It was a three star horror movie in a one star world.

14. Favorite book you read this year?

I wish I had read more because I feel like I barely read anything, I think I only read nine books this year (but at least I read more than last year even if I didn’t read a lot) and honestly, my favorites were Cat Sebastian’s We Could Be So Good and You Should Be So Lucky. I love some good pining, the writing was pleasant and the characters loveable.

Also I did enjoy Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey, even if I don’t think it’s THAT relatable. It also had a very pleasant writing style that was easy and fast to read, I did find the story entertaining even if the main character is kind of annoying.

Most of the books I read were okay and good even if they didn’t really end up blowing my mind and I only read one book that was really bad.

[behindthearmory]

Ok, some good things:

Leah made a QR code to make it easier for people to sign up for the potluck

My car has heated seats. It currently feels like 9 degrees out (-12 Celsius, I think) and it makes the drive home cozy (the high today was 38, but idk what the wind chill was)

The Voice made me cry three times

There was delicious salad waiting for me when I got home

I have lavender tea and dandelion honey

I just painted my nails

Now that I’ve adjusted my expectations for this novel I’m really enjoying it (Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey)

[the-forest-library]

January 2023 Reads

Partners in Crime - Alisha Rai

Never Ever Getting Back Together - Sophie Gonzales (thank you, carrie!)

The Key to My Heart - Lia Louis

A Little Bit Country - Brian D. Kennedy

Funny You Should Ask - Elissa Sussman

A Guide to Being Just Friends - Sophie Sullivan

Mysteries of Thorn Manner - Margaret Rogerson

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries - Heather Fawcett

Wildwood Dancing - Juliet Marillier

Really Good, Actually - Monica Heisey

Dead Collections - Isaac Fellman

Ms. Demeanor - Elinor Lipman

They Never Learn - Layne Fargo

Five Survive - Holly Jackson

The Silence Between Us - Alison Gervais

6 Times We Almost Kissed - Tess Sharpe

The Star That Always Stays - Anna Rose Johnson

Illuminations - T. Kingfisher

The Witch Boy - Molly Knox Ostertag

Witchlight - Jessi Zabarsky

Hawkeye, Vol 1 - Matt Fraction

Hawkeye, Vol 2 - Matt Fraction

You Can Do All Things - Kate Allan

Divergent Mind - Jenara Nuremberg

The Swedish Art of Aging Exuberantly - Margareta Magnusson

Unraveling - Peggy Orenstein

Windfall - Erika Bolstad

Quit - Annie Duke

Portable Magic - Emma Smith

Little Pieces of Hope - Todd Doughty (thanks, kim!)

This is Not a Book About Benedict Cumberbatch - Tabitha Carvan

Two Old Broads - Dr M.E. Hecht and Whoopi Goldberg

Year of the Tiger - Alice Wong 

Spare - Prince Harry

Hello, Molly! - Molly Shannon

Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love - Yotam Ottolenghi

The Blue Zones American Kitchen - Dan Buettner

Bold = Highly Recommend Italics = Worth It Crossed out = Nope

Thoughts:

This was a really good reading month to start the year with. I was able to get to quite a few of the books on my physical TBR and really enjoyed the two books I was most looking forward to: Mysteries of Thorn Manor and Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries.

Goodreads Goal: 37/400 

2017 Reads | 2018 Reads | 2019 Reads | 2020 Reads | 2021 Reads |

2022 Reads | 2023 Reads 

[fluffreads]

"I felt pleasantly disconnected from everything around me, as though observing life underwater, which allowed me to take my time before responding to stressors and to fret less about the things that were ultimately insignificant. I was sure this was the way forward and happy to have finally gotten here, even if I had to undergo a traumatic event to do so. Everyone listened carefully, nodding like a group of NPR hosts. Lauren dipped an endive in yogurt, wiped the side of her mouth, and said politely curiously, “Isn’t that, like, exactly how people describe depression?”"

lines from Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey.

[theeternalfeverdream]

Welcome to Eternal Fever Dream

"Eternal Fever Dream" is a collection of characters and stories that take place in a world much like our own. However, in the world of EFD, the idea of multiple and alternate universes is well-established, and some even think it to be provable.

Some time in the 20th century, a psychologist-and-physicist duo came up with the Multiple Realms Theory. It proposed that there are many planes of existence where human life was not only probable but expected, and that one could travel to another plane with ease if their attachments to their current plane began to fade. When it was first introduced, the duo basically became the laughing stock of the scientific community, since their theory was too broad and had minimal basis in physics. Yet, the Multiple Realms Theory became like a golden rule for the more philosophically and spiritually inclined.

In a way, their theory was proven; after losing their potency in their respective scientific fields, the duo became idolized in many spiritual fields. Nowadays, people largely associate the theory with the limited knowledge of parallel universes at the time, and it's usually only brought up in pseudoscientific discussion. However, a small number of scientifically-inclined groups still think the Multiple Realms Theory is credible, and even favor it over more recent explanations.

But, Eternal Fever Dream as a whole really isn't about that. It's about the people that live in the various realms, and how they interact with their environments, and with other characters. It's science fantasy oriented and LGBT friendly, and there's usually something here for everyone. The "two halves" of EFD are separated by their settings and the main characters.

Eastern Fever Dream follows Niitsu Orimageru, the current head of the Orimageru Shrine and a blood descendant of Kinkodo-no-gami, the kami of equilibrium. Because of her abilities, Niitsu serves as an ambassador of the Realm of Humans, and frequents other realms as part of her duties. Her best friend is Arui Mitasa, an oni from Yomi (an urbanized part of Hell) who became attached to her after a youkai extermination attempt. At the first sign of mischief, the two set out to stop it before Earth's relative peace is threatened. They are joined by Honoka Kamejo, the young princess of Yomi, Emi Akuratsuna, a tanuki who lives in Yomi, as well as Dyzi, the high pharaoh of the Dream World. These five are usually at odds with Queen Kamejo's rambunctious royal guard, and the story tends to revolve around the various incidents caused by them. This half of the story is far more fantasy-oriented.

Deviation of Unconventional Nostalgia is set in Izotakara, a Heisei-era city in Yamanashi where the Moon is always in the sky. Naturally, this has attracted many youkai and phantoms to the area, but the humans and the youkai here live in harmony. At the heart of DoUN's character-driven story is Kizamu Mitasa, a 14-year-old cartomancer who connects more with youkai than she does with humans. Her best friend is Monica Sweeney, a 15-year-old from Canada who moved here to study where her idol Dr. Latency did. Dr. Latency just so happens to be the psychologist who helped create the Multiple Realms Theory, so Monica naturally believes in the theory's credibility as well. These young girls are part of a much larger group of friends comprised of both humans and youkai, and the story revolves around their daily lives and actions. This half of the story is far more science-oriented.