december inked on paper || look at me being habitually rebellious and posting december recaps at a time that most other people save for those of the present month. HELLO I AM A REBEL.

decembers have the habit of being one of the most eventful times of year.

mostly because of all the vacations. vacations are the only times out-of-normal things deem it alright to happen. such as discovering magic inside cupboard spaces or having giants accidentally break open your hotel door and whisk you away to magiclands. or learning swordfighting with pen-shaped gifts from centaurs and going on road trips that shall change your life for the rest of time. discovering water to change the course of civilization. (they never had schools at the time. IT WAS AN ALL-SEASON VACATION. THE LUCKY BEANS) and running away from home and falling into a hole where monsters roam. WHICH ENDS WITH HAVING ALL YOUR BONES EATEN, YOU HEADLESS REVOLUTIONARY. (why are you always so dumb, bob)

so it’s a little obligatory for me to say that stuff happened this month. seeing as how 845873% of it was spent:

• accidentally being scratched by a dog’s teeth AND MAJORLY FREAKING OUT because what if the universe DOESN’T LET ME PLAY WITH THEM ANYMORE
• shhh don’t copy me and freak too. IT’S ALL OK i’m allowed. to play with my dogs, i mean. ALL IS RIGHT WITH THE WORLD WHY ARE THERE TEARS LEAKING OUT YOUR EYES BOB
• coming back home after a long long time AND CASUALLY FREAKING OUT AGAIN.
• thinking back, there’s actually kind of a ton of freaking involved EXCUSE MY SOUL.
• but shhh. FREAKING’S FUN. that is why we go on marathons of it sometimes when the world is plain and boring.

welcome to the busy side of december. ALTHOUGH IT WAS TECHNICALLY ALL BUSY. but the first half was ridiculousness with everyone running around and having no time AND LOOK IT WAS CHAOS. i was gladly involved.

but maybe i went on a christmas-themed book binge after that. THOUGH IT WENT SLIGHTLY BAD because all the books sucked. i’m possibly doomed to a fate of cardboard-personalitied characters who make terrible decisions and live boring lives and sometimes attempt to make them overdramatic in the hopes of having more fun like that. WE DON’T TALK ABOUT IT.

(except, maybe, for the course of this post)

(BEAR WITH MY LIES, FOLKS)

a merry little meet cute by julie murphy and sierra simone – [1★] welcome to boringness. i’m not generally in the habit of sleeping in between all the pages laid out in front of me except when it comes to ridiculously dry history books that i’m forced to have been reading for the 826463th time that year. but this book was speshul* and it broke all the rules. i slept on page 87** and woke up 5 hours later.

the book was still long and boring.***

*IT’S JUST A VARIATION OF THE ‘SPECIAL’ VERB AND IS USED IN THE IRONIC SENSE. FOR CONTRADICTIONS AND SUCH (LOOK IT UP I DON’T LIE) (BUT ALSO YOU MUST TRUST ME SOMETIMES. I’M THE GREAT RULER OF ALL)

**SHH I DON’T HAVE MEMORY LIKE THAT. IT’S A RANDOM NUMBER.

***THAT WAS THE DAY I REALIZED TIME DOESN’T HEAL EVERYTHING BECAUSE IT DIDN’T HEAL THE BOOK. AND THAT WAS WHEN THE WORLD EXPLODED.

dash and lily’s book of dares by rachel cohn and david levithan – [1★] i like the idea of notebooks hidden in bookstores with letters and clues in them that ultimately lead to friendship and a forever sort of love because it started with words exchanged on paper. I LIKE THEM. or so i always thought.

but then this book came along. and it’s a slightly extraordinary kind of word-shaped-mess in that it changed my view of the world and made me hate all people for the rest of a lifetime.

books are cruel.

10 blind dates by ashley elston – [1★] AHAHAHAHAHA. HAHAHAHA. HA – DOWN WITH THE SCREAMING i’ve learned my lesson this time okay. christmas books and me aren’t made for each other and i must therefore. STAY. AWAY. will follow all my advice here onwards.

(WHY DO YOU LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT. I WILL, ALRIGHT. I WILL. when have i ever broken promises before)

BUT THE GRANDMOTHER’S APRONS WERE COOL. and i want to go to a hockey game where puppies run wild.

hello to the 30th of december and goodreads telling me i still happen to be 4 books away from ruling the world (aka conquering my measly reading challenge BUT SOMETIMES WE EXAGGERATE)

fastforward to my all-conquering determination THAT LED TO ME READING FOUR BOOKS IN THE COURSE OF A SINGLE DAY. my proudest little achievent in life *wipes tear that accidentally leaked*

[click here for accessing THE DETAILED ENTERTAINMENT]

the hazel wood by melissa albert – [3★] book the first of the 30th of december was A MAJOR SUCCESS. i’m happy. there’s magic and madess and fantasy worlds where nightmares roam, followed all around by evil characters from story books that broke the rules. one day i shall be reborn and raised on magic and fairytales too.

REMEMBER MY MAGNIFICENT CLAIMS, WORLD. REMEMBER THEM FOREVER.

(OR DIE)

geekerella by ashley poston – [3.5★] hello to book the second of the 30th of december. MORE COMMONLY KNOWN AS THE LOVE OF MY LIFE. in book form.

the first time i ever read this, i was a smol olive with no idea what she was doing. it was december of 2021 and i was determined to prove myself to the world and read more books than was humanly possible. because that was a time when school sucked.

i went in knowing only the little facts. such as this being a cinderella retelling and having a recurring theme of stars (which, combined with the insane hype i’d seen surrounding it on goodreads and beyong, was the sole (AND ALSO ENOUGH OF ONE. STARS ARE NICE) reason i snatched it up from the library shelves in the first place) except it ended up changing my life.

that december, i read only 6 books. but it was all worth it because this book existed in my smol little occupied universe.

THE WORLD IS SO NICE LIKE THAT.

the loophole by naz kutub – [2.5★] book the third of the 30th of december WAS A SLIGHT EXPERIENCE OF SORTS. it was hilarious and lightly heartbreaking WHILE ALSO BEING THE HUGEST EVER LEVELS OF FABULOUS.

sy is an innocent little cinnamon roll who accidentally deserves the entirety of the world. I SHALL SQUISH HIM, MY SMOL KID.

heartstopper: volume one by alice oseman – [5★] hello to book the fourth of the 30th of december. AN UN-NUMBERED HEARTSTOPPER REREAD BECAUSE WE’RE SMOL ON NUMBERS HERE WHEN THEY’RE TOO HUMILIATINGLY HUGE TO BOTHER MENTIONING.

the world was kind that day and this somehow ended up being better than i remembered.

which is a little impossible in hindsight because i distinctly remember remembering amazingness.

welcome to dipped in ink. it’s a book blog and it’s mine. i’m very proud of both facts. BUT MOSTLY I’M JUST HAPPY OF OWNERSHIP AND THE SMOL STEPS I’VE TAKEN TOWARD ONE DAY DOMINATING THE WORLD. taking over corners of it and subtly converting all my olive-shaped readers into loyalty-sworn minions i can depend on for the rest of my life is obviously the way to eternal and fail-proof success. BE PROUD.

because i’m kind like that and also casually fond of screaming. WELCOME TO RECENT OBSESSIONS AND THINGS I ACCIDENTALLY FELL IN LOVE WITH.

• mesal reviews the entirety of their 2022 within the course of a single post AND IT’S FUN TO READ OKAY || ft. 92 books (!!!!), AN INCREDIBLE COMEBACK, additions to your close-to-falling-over tbr AND ALSO POST NAMES THAT SOUND HILARIOUS AND INCREDIBLE. i love EVERYTHING. [the post]
• maddie talks about HER 2022 too AND THERE’S CERTAIN AMOUNTS OF OPHELIA AFTER ALL FANGIRLING AND NURA AND THE IMMORTAL PALACE GETS A MENTION || i suggest you run. RUN, BOB. [the post]
• rachel (aka MY MOST FAVORITE PERSON OF EVER) returned from the dead (so called on HER OWN TERMS i do not make stuff up) AND I’M THE HAPPIEST || welcome to a post featuring percy jackson AND SCREAMS IN FAVOR OF THE TRAILER (because she has taste obviously) (THIS ADAPTATION SHALL BE PERFECT) and books and little women and shara wheeler and anne with an e AND PHOTOS. i might have fallen in love. [the post]
• hello to the time line was once again fabulous and creative as is her habit AND GAVE US AMAZINGNESS in the form of spotify wrapped MIXED UP WITH BOOKS || this is genius. [the post]
• diya makes her long-awaited return WITH THE WHOLLY ORIGINIAL WEDNESDAY BOOK TAG || hello i’m in love. [the post]

welcome to november. but the anoushka version.

i wrote this in the course of a single day while laughing over live stand-up-comedy (courtesy of a cousin) and simultaneously smashing at computer keys because i’d already ran off my self-imposed deadlines. twice. it was tons of fun though. would 200% do it a second time if asked.

because i’m a huge huge fan of opposites and contradictions (especially when said contradictions are me versus me), this took me an entire month to write. i pride myself in being procrastinator extraordinaire like that. we started off on relatively good terms and deals of writing between all the perfectly spaced study sessions.

except that didn’t really go according to plan. AND THEN THE WORLD EXPLODED.

which is why it took so long*.

*DUDE I HAD TO PIECE TOGETHER THE BROKEN SHARDS OF THE WORLD AND REBUILD A UNIVERSE OUT OF THE ASHES OF THE ONE THAT PRECEDED IT. YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND THE KIND OF WORK THAT SUCH IMPOSSIBLENESS INVOLVES.

maybe december was also a wild month.

despite being busy and the like. MY SISTER GOT ME OFF OF MY YEAR-LONG ALEXA AND KATIE BAN A MONTH EARLY AND WE REWATCHED AS CELEBRATION.

it was a tuesday and we’d just arrived home from the airport. and look maybe i had a test to study for the next day but flights are exhausting and returning from india is slightly sad stuff. which is how we ended up raiding all the available food in the month-long unoccupied house and binge-ing the entirety of the first season while my mum slept.

THE GOOD DAYS.

• alexa and katie (season 1)
• HELLO TO THE SINGULAR TELEVISIONLY LOVE OF MY WHOLE ENTIRE LIFE. i shall gladly live in this story and make it my whole entire eternity.
• and name my unborn-dog-because-i-must-wait-until-i’m-a-#ADULT-before-i-adopt-one after potato.
• so mostly just name said dog of mine potato.
• (WHAT STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT POTATO’S A NICE NAME)
• this is a very soft show with the hugest ever amounts of hilarious. it’s very funny. and also fabulous. and i love katie.

• wednesday (but only just plots and random spoilery-scenes BECAUSE I’M A BUSY OLIVE)
• my sister has a wednesday obsession.
• it’s huge and unwieldy and it never listens. which led to her rewatching it from the beginning every time she finished, for the past month and a half.
• so i have a brief summary to provide the world about what happens and who the real monster is. if anyone asks.
• but i don’t have the entire story. SO NO ONE ASK.

• laal singh chaddha
• welcome to the time i begged my mom into subservience, thereby convincing her to stay up till 3 watching this. MY LIFE WAS PERFECT ON THE 31ST OF DECEMBER.
• this ended up being hugely so much better than i’d ever expected of it. but look it also didn’t have huge standards to live up to ok. since the only movies i’ve ever, till date, fallen obsessively in love with are 3 idiots and mission mangal. i don’t even have an english favorite anywhere on the list. THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MEDIOCRELY GOOD, AT BEST.
• but it decided to prove the world (aka me. THE WORLD IS MY DOMAIN, BACK OFF BOB) wrong. and i’m kind of very happy that it did.
• THIS WAS FUN.
• (BOB I CAN STILL SEE YOU I SAID BACK. THE HELL. OFF)

december was ridiculously eventful for all the hatred i threw its way. but SHHH. eventfulness does not make the bad parts of it any better (I NEVER SAID IT WAS GOOD, BOB. GET YOUR EARS CHECKED) but there maybe also WERE good parts. (although we don’t often mention it)

ESPECIALLY THAT TIME WHEN I REWATCHED ALEXA AND KATIE FOR THE 94753736TH TIME IN THE TWO YEARS SINCE I’VE DISCOVERED (AND SELFLESSLY MADE THE PINNACLE OF THE ENTIRETY OF MY SMOL PERSONALITY) IT. good times.

• so i maybe attended the second-ever wedding in all of ever AND HAUNTED THE FOOD STALLS. only just the pani puri ones YOU DON’T HAVE TO WORRY. because it’s ridiculous to eat anything else when there’s unlimited pani-puri supply that i don’t have to pay for. I LOVE PANI PURI OK. except maybe i’ve made enemies with the stall workers because they got tired of me. LOOK I WAS ONLY THERE FOR TWO HOURS IT WASN’T EVEN THAT LONG.
• but i ate 40+ plates and basically lived off of that for an entire day. that and the smol amounts of ice cream i devoured in between when the all pani puri got too spicy. am very very proud of myself.
• look it went something like this:
  me: *grabs bowl*
  the stall owner: *drops filled pani puri in said bowl*
  (1 hour interval wherein the above steps repeat 635263 times)
  me: *holds out bowl*
  the stall owner: *glares and crosses hands over chest in what the world assumes to be a defiantly angry gesture*
  me: one more? please? *puts on what she calls her best impression of the puppy eyes™ that the movies gladly taught her*
  the stall owner: there’s other people in line *gestures vaguely to the other 836364 people grumbling behind me*
  me: please?? *re-insert puppy eyes impression here*
  the stall owner: I WILL NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS *drops pani puri*
• have come to the conclusion that i must further work on my puppy eyes. AND MAYBE LEARN THE ART OF DISGUISE SO I CAN COME IN AS 28 DIFFERENT CUSTOMERS WITHIN THE COURSE OF A SINGLE HOUR.
• (although we’re mostly just dramatizing here)

• but look i was taken to the pani puri stalls every day for a week by every single available adult after that SO MAYBE WE’RE EVEN.
• THIS IS HOW YOU SUCCEED IN LIFE, OLIVE. WATCH AND LEARN.

• after which i visited my aunt-with-the-dog again AND HAD THE GRANDEST TIME OF ALL MY LIFE.
• hello my name is anoushka and i’m in love with dogs and olives.

• i returned from india AND IT’S ACTUALLY VERY LONELY AND QUIET NOW?? no one SPEAKS ON THE STREETS, DARNIT. no one honks the car horns either. AND THERE AREN’T DOGS. MY LIFE IS RUINED HOW DARE THE WORLD.
• i’ve taken to ghosting the local street cats though so maybe i shouldn’t complain. they sometimes walk into the house and i sneak them into the upstairs and keep them there forever. THEY’RE AMAZING FOLKS.
• i’m also currently in the process of building a cat army all my own for when i overtake the world one day. THEY’RE VERY LOYAL AND COME OVER FOR LESSONS IN DOMINATION.
• (or maybe food. YOU CAN NEVER TELL WITH CATS)

• i’m also in the midst of continual exams now SO NO ONE DISTURB FOR A MONTH AND A HALF
• (which is now conveniently over. all thanks to my fabulous late-wrap-up-writing-skills)
• (YOU’RE WELCOME)
• (the world can disturb all it wants now)

• we’re concluding that everything was fun overall.

goodbye to the final send-off of december and the 2022-flavored-end that comes with it. maybe 23 will be a better number. and a better year that comes with it.

HERE’S TO HOPING.

(cheers)

thoughts on THE YEAR TRAGICALLY ENDING?? was december wild and fabulous and AN ABSOLUTE ADVENTURE or was it the calm before the storm of 2023 wherein you snuggled under a blanket layer like the MIGHTY DRAGON OF ALL that you claim to be, and silently fell in love with books again?? I NEED DETAILS. i ALWAYS need details. favorite books of the month AND ALL THE FUN THAT HAPPENED?? i demand your answers, my olives. I DEMAND YOUR WORD WORD WORD LONG ANSWERS.