Month: May 2022

Attack on Titan Whole Series Review

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For the past century, what’s left of mankind has hidden in a giant, three-walled city, trapped in fear of the bizarre, giant humanoids known as the Titans. Little is known about where they came from or why they are bent on consuming humankind, but the sudden appearance of an enormous Titan is about to change everything…

Let’s a take a bit of a dive into my thoughts on this monumental series!

It Happened One Summer Review

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Piper Bellinger is fashionable, influential, and her reputation as a wild child means the paparazzi are constantly on her heels. When too much champagne and an out-of-control rooftop party lands Piper in the slammer, her stepfather decides enough is enough. So he cuts her off, and sends Piper and her sister to learn some responsibility running their late father’s dive bar… in Washington. Piper hasn’t even been in Westport for five minutes when she meets big, bearded sea captain Brendan, who thinks she won’t last a week outside of Beverly Hills. So what if Piper can’t do math, and the idea of sleeping in a shabby apartment with bunk beds gives her hives. How bad could it really be? She’s determined to show her stepfather—and the hot, grumpy local—that she’s more than a pretty face. Except it’s a small town and everywhere she turns, she bumps into Brendan. The fun-loving socialite and the gruff fisherman are polar opposites, but there’s an undeniable attraction simmering between them. Piper doesn’t want any distractions, especially feelings for a man who sails off into the sunset for weeks at a time. Yet as she reconnects with her past and begins to feel at home in Westport, Piper starts to wonder if the cold, glamorous life she knew is what she truly wants. LA is calling her name, but Brendan—and this town full of memories—may have already caught her heart. 

The Leviathan Review

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Norfolk, 1643. With civil war tearing England apart, reluctant soldier Thomas Treadwater is summoned home by his sister, who accuses a new servant of improper conduct with their widowed father. By the time Thomas returns home, his father is insensible, felled by a stroke, and their new servant is in prison, facing charges of witchcraft. Thomas prides himself on being a rational, modern man, but as he unravels the mystery of what has happened, he uncovers not a tale of superstition but something dark and ancient, linked to a shipwreck years before. Something has awoken, and now it will not rest.

Moriarty the Patriot: Volume 1 Review

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Before he was Sherlock’s rival, Moriarty fought against the unfair class caste system in London by making sure corrupt nobility got their comeuppance. But even the most well-intentioned plans can spin out of control—will Moriarty’s dream of a more just and equal world turn him into a hero…or a monster? In the late 19th century, Great Britain rules over a quarter of the world. Nobles sit in their fancy homes in comfort and luxury, while the working class slaves away at their jobs. When young Albert James Moriarty’s upper-class family adopts two lower-class orphans, the cruelty the boys experience at his family’s hands cements Albert’s hatred of the nobility he was born into. He asks the older of the two boys—who has a genius mind and a killer instinct—to help him rid the world of evil, starting with Albert’s own family!

April 2022 Wrap Up

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So the streak I feel is slowly ending. I struggled this month and I only managed to keep my numbers up due to all the manga I have been reading recently. The month of May is going to be tough to as I have books I must read for a specific project I am doing so we shall see how next month goes.

  • I read 9 books this month
  • I DNFd 1 book this month
  • Genre: 4 fantasy, 2 mystery, 2 non-fiction and 1 historical fiction
  • Gender of authors: 5 men and 4 women
  • Race of authors: 5 white authors and 4 asian authors
  • Age range: 5 adult and 4 YA
  • Format: 5 ebook, 2 paperback, 1 hardback and 1 audiobook

Elektra by Jennifer Saint (DNF)

Unfortunately, despite me loving the author’s first book, I did not love this one. I don’t know what it was about this book but I just could not get into it. I think it was mostly down to the writing style. I didn’t find this one as engaging and I felt that I just didn’t connec to any of the characters.

The Killings at Kingfisher Hill by Sophie Hannah (3 stars)

The final book in the series. (I think. I could be wrong but I haven’t heard any news about new books) This book was fine. I had a lot of hope in the beginning as I found it to be very engaging. I really enjoyed learning about the main core family and all of their dynamics. But just as it started to get to the end the streak that the author was on plummeted with the final reveal. The ending left me feeling underwhelmed and disappointed. If the author does come out with new books I am not sure if I will pick them up.

Attack on Titan: Volume 3 by Hajime Isayama (3.5 stars)

The best volume so far. It’s great to go back and look at where everything started. I really liked all the action panels in this volume and it was great to read the more strategy focused segments. I can’t wait to get back into the lore of the titans.

Mercia’s Take by Daniel Wiles (4 stars)

A pleasant surprise as this book is very far removed from my normal reading tastes but I gave it a go and really enjoyed it. I really enjoyed the main character and I felt the author did a great job of making you root for him, I wanted to see him succeed. I also felt the author did a great job of placing you firmly in the time and place this novel is set in (1870s, Black Country). A solid book.

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Volume 1 by Kanehito Yamada (4 stars)

The first manga I have started that actually isn’t complete. As of now it only has 3 volumes out! This was a great find and I plan on continuing to read this series. I felt that not only was it beautifully illustrated, I could just stare at those panels for ages, but the message behind this series is really touching. I am invested in Frieren’s story and watching her learn and grow and I also super interested in learning more about her past.

Beasts and Beauty: Dangerous Tales by Soman Chainani (4 stars)

A fresh yet dark set of fairytale re-tellings. I really enjoyed this collection. I loved how the author switched and changed things around. I will preface and say even though people assume it’s middle grade, due to the author’s past work, it feels more YA. Also there were no quotation marks at all and that did make things confusing to read. In terms of the stories my favourites were:

  • The Little Mermaid
  • Peter Pan
  • Rapunzel

Losing It: Sex Education for the 21st Century by Sophia Smith Galer (4 stars)

Super informative. This book needs to be compulsory reading for everyone regardless of age, gender, sexuality etc. I learnt so much and also felt so validated as a woman and as a person. I will have all my friends read this book!

Moriarty the Patriot: Volume 1 by Ryosuke Takeuchi (4.5 stars)

Another manga that is still ongoing. It follows Moriarty and his journey to bring down Victorian Britain’s hierarchal system. I found the intial start to be a bit rocky but once we got to the end of the introduction of the main characters’s I was in for the ride. I did find that differentiating between Moriarty and his brother to be a bit hard as their design is relatively similar. But I thought the different stories were really engaging, I thought the messaging was super interesting and I am excited to see where the author takes this story and if we will be seeing Mr Holmes himself.

Dead Famous: An Unexpected History of Celebrity from Bronze Age to Silver Screen by Greg Jenner (5 stars)

I listened to this on audiobook to and from work and it was the highlight of my day. Greg Jenner just has a way of making even the most mundane story super entertaining and hilarious. I learnt a lot and laughed a lot. I will now be reading everything he has ever written!