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rafaela

@dragonsandpaperbacks

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2 9 🇵🇹 books & journalling 💗 romance & fantasy reader

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Tailwind has such a fun concept. F1 with dragons, the whole media shebang around the races, visiting different cities with different race courses around the world…

Lena’s a dragon keeper; she takes care of the needs of the dragon she raised since he was a hatchling, and loves him like she’s his mother. But this wasn’t her dream job; she wanted to be a dragon rider at the races. But women don’t fly in the races, and someone she trusted betrayed her at the most important time. She’s determined, passionate, and a little headstrong, but she’s such a brave character; I really liked her!

The characters and plot of this book are great. It’s the execution I found a little lacking. The middle arc (let’s say that, so I don’t spoil it) feels very unfinished, like it abruptly ended there and the book skipped to the final arc because…? The pacing in general/transitions felt a bit abrupt.

The romance is… barely there. I do think this is marketed as a slow burn, rivals-to-lovers to appeal to the romantasy girlies out there, but it’s just… not a romance book. There’s like ONE SCENE of attraction and a very good friendship.

I also would’ve loved an epilogue to see what happened after the ending, not only to Lena personally but like the sport in general. (This is not a critique, just a thought.)

Overall, I had a really good time reading this book, but I wish it were longer, so it had the space to truly develop to its full potential. I rated this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I read an arc of Tailwind by Olivia Hayward thanks to netgalley and the publishers, Penguin Random House UK/Penguin Books UK. by @dragonsandpaperbacks

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5 days ago

Hiiii☀️
I just got back to work today after a week of vacation camping, and I am not in the mood to work... but let me tell you all about my vacation!

It's been literally 19 years since I last went camping with my family, so we were pretty excited to go again. I
On the first day, I immediately got pooped on by a bird 😂 and it took us like 3h to assemble the tent!
We went to the beach one day, but mostly just spent the other days chilling at the pool reading, drawing, and just enjoying nature...

And I finished 5 books in a week, which is lowkey insane for me atm, but I enjoyed them all, finally got around to some books I've been meaning to read and finished a series that's become one of my favorites of the year.

Now, I'm working for two weeks before getting another two weeks off work, and I'm already making plans....

How is your summer going?

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#readingupdate #vacationwrapup #readingwrapup #bookreviews #bookstagramportugal by @dragonsandpaperbacks

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2 months ago

One of my favorite journal spreads in 2026 so far!

I read both Feral Fates and Whispers of the Elderoak in June, among others, and both are indie books I think? one was for a book club, and the other's been on my radar for a while. Neither is a new favorite, but both were fun to read!

I'm thinking of doing more individual pages for the books/series I read from now in this collage style that I love, they were such a fun way to make and I only printed the covers, everything I had from old magazines.

I haven't been very active here this year, but I do find that I am enjoying staying away from the hell that is social media for now, lowkey just here for the hotd memes atm!

Seriously looking forward to my vacation days that start next thursday, and going camping near the beach! What are you excited about this summer? by @dragonsandpaperbacks

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2 months ago

This year, I am seriously embracing mood reading. Fk TBRs and reading goals, this year half the time I'm too tired to read for like a week, or I'll read 2-3 books a week, there's no in between.

I'm in the too tired to read week lol. I'm doing some work-related training/classes in Lisbon, which means waking up earlier, spending amost 3h in public transportation, + 3h in an uncomfortable chair (the class contents aren't that bad at least) still going to work in the fk afternoon, though.

[Photo of my current physical reads except The Eye of the World, which I finished last saturday!] by @dragonsandpaperbacks

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5 months ago

A little late as usual but here are all the books I read in March!!

Wild Love ☆☆☆☆
Wild Eyes ☆☆☆☆
Lights Out ☆☆☆☆.5
Slaying the Vampire Conqueror ☆☆☆☆
Blue Exorcist vols 28 (reread) to 31
Frieren vol. 14 ☆☆☆☆
Galaxias vol 01 (arc) + review!

Lights Out was the biggest fucking surprise, but my favorites were probably the Elsie Silver books, but only by a slight margin!

March was a productive but exhausting month. I worked a lot on some life goals that I have (am looking at houses to buy, made an offer, am waiting 🥴, among other things) and it was a also a very insightful time regarding other aspects of my life!

Had a very tiny vacation to clear my head and relax and it felt like heaven! And I watched a lot of tv, which isn't really reflected in this edit because its mostly Magnificent Century lol and it's a big series! (currently on ep 77/139) and Project Hail Mary was EVERYTHING! (need to reas the book and rewatch the movie asap) by @dragonsandpaperbacks

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5 months ago

I finished Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry and I am shocked with how much I loved this book! I had no expectations and was only hoping to have a good time, but as soon as I picked it I could not put it down.

Odessa was instantly a memorable character. Jumping off cliffs into the ocean for a quick, fully-clothed swim? Big yes. (Not a spoiler, happens in chapter 1.) She was seen as a wallflower or weak princess in her court, but clearly no one was paying attention, I loved how fierce and resourceful she was.

The world was so unique and intriguing, I especially loved the monsters, and I was really hoping to see the crux in this book. And I NEED to read book two to learn more, especially after THAT ending. I CAN'T WAIT

The romance was done beautifully, and slow burn is my favorite trope. I loved the banter, their chemistry from the first moment they met and you know what I lowkey predicted the plot twist regarding the MMC, but I still loved it.

Writing-wise... I honestly didn't notice it. It was easy to read, fast-paced and full of action. I loveeeed this book! by @dragonsandpaperbacks

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6 months ago

My exact reading mood right now~ a.k.a. the problem when you have too many hobbies and too little time for all of them (it's a good "problem" to have)

I started rereading The Eye of the World a couple of weeks ago, and I just didn't realize how slow paced it was the first time I read it. It was a world that was new to me, and I loved it so much I read this 800+ page book in like 4 (unemployed) days.

And now I need something a little faster-paced (and shorter) to pull me in... but I also need to reduce my physical tbr, which is 71 books right now...

This has been such a good (mood)reading year so far (and not the year I'm putting more effort into bookstagram, clearly), so I don't want to force anything, so maybe I just need to pick a random book and go with it? by @dragonsandpaperbacks

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6 months ago

This reading wrap up is very lateee but life has been fk chaotic this year, so lets gooo, these are the books I read the past couple of months:

The Burning Maze ☆☆☆.5
The Cinammon Bun Bookstore ☆☆☆☆.5
The Knight and The Moth ☆☆☆☆ (lowkey obsessed)
Bitten ☆☆☆.5
Blind Date with a Werewold ☆☆☆☆.5 (loved being back in this world)
Iron Flame (reread)
Onyx Storm ☆☆☆☆
The Au Pair Affair ☆☆☆
The Strawberry Patch Pancake House ☆☆☆☆☆ (so freaking sweet)

I'm very happy with all of these since I'm picking books from my physical tbr and making progress with my older overall tbr as well.

other media I'm consuming:
-frieren s2 and jjks3🖤
-reincarnated as a dragon hatchling is my comfort anime this season!! (magnificent century, too, but it's like 130+ eps so I'm taking it slow)
-really enjoyed AKOTSK, and though it's been like 7y since I read the book, it feels accurate?? and honestly, just made me even more excited about HOTDS3! by @dragonsandpaperbacks

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7 months ago

Did I say I was enjoying January in my last post? No I didn't, I was delusional.

This week has been hell ngl, between the constant rain, storms, three days without power (today included smh), and fk work bullshit... I'm done with January. I need a week of vacation...

The things that are keeping me sane rn:
🌱Animal Crossing!
🌱Iron Flame reread!! So I can finally get to Onyx Storm!
🌱 Magnificent Century s2 (just started I'm on ep 28! I love this tv series so much!!) by @dragonsandpaperbacks

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8 months ago

Book#2 of 2026: The Cinammon Bun Bookstore ☆☆☆☆.5 (it was so sweet and fun!) and the first few days of 2026~

This is the first time in a few years that I remember starting the year off so well and happy. I'm hoping (and planning) to keep it that way! by @dragonsandpaperbacks

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9 months ago

2025 was such a meh reading year for me, so many slumps, and almost as many rereads as new reads!
I didn't read that many new authors, and my favorite books were from authors I've already read. I don’t think I read a single book outside my usual genres...

(*I did finish Dune, but it was a struggle ngl)

I am making 2026 a year with less expectations and more realistic goals in all aspects of my life, and I am planning on being kinder to myself when I don't achieve that shit. This year is about more happiness and less stress. by @dragonsandpaperbacks

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9 months ago

It's literally december 18th, and I remembered I still hadn't talked about what I read these past few months!

These are all the books I read in September, October, and November. I started at least 3 more that I still haven't finished, and overall just feel like I've been in a bit of a different reading rythm/mood this year as I've been paying more attention to other hobbies (and been more stressed bc of work). (Miss all the free time of my uni days!!)

The Library at Hellebore was actually one of the biggest disappointments of the year.

(The Things We Water, Bride and Queen of Shadows are rereads.)

Mate was as good as I expected it to be or even better!!! Still need to annotate my edition!

I actually posted one review - The Fragile Threads of Power - in the last 3 months? I am as shocked as anyone.

Ascendant and the other two books by Michael R. Miller are the biggest surprises of the year! This is a very underhyped series, and I am loving it, I'm only one book behind, and there's one more coming out I think.

I'm on my penultimate work day of the year so I am at the stage when I'm counting down the hours until I'm on fucking vacation ( at six thirty tomorrow!) and there are so many posts I want to make and things I want to do... I'll never do them all, I know... but I'm so excited for my vacation!! by @dragonsandpaperbacks

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9 months ago