A bit of a quieter one this month. Still read some great books though!

• I read 9 books this month
• Genre: 3 fantasy, 2 horror, 2 mystery, 1 romance and 1 non-fiction
• Gender of authors: 5 women, 2 men and 1 book by multiple of authors
• Race of authors: 4 white authors, 2 asian authors, 1 middle eastern author and 1 book by multiple authors
• Age range: 7 adult, 1 YA and 1 middle grade
• Format: 5 paperback, 3 ebook and 1 audiobook

Summertime Rendering Vol. 1 by Yasuki Tanaka (2 stars)

This was a series that really intrigued me. A super cool time loop story. Unfortunately, this volume (and I am also guessing will be the case for the other volumes) had some cases of fan service. I personally find that fan service just objectifies and over-sexualises female characters and this can make or break a good series for me. Because of these instances of fan service, and also finding out later that one of the characters used for the moments of fan service was 15!!!!!, I have decided to not continue this series.

Nura and the Immortal Palace by M.T. Khan (3 stars)

This book was really good. It follows a young girl who falls into the realm of Jinn and gets tricked into working at this hotel for Jinns. Very Spirited Away. I loved the main character, I loved the creativity of the setting (I need to go to this hotel!) and I felt that the plot was super engaging.

The Perfect Crime by Multiple Authors (3 stars)

This was a very middle of the road book for me. Some stories I loved and others not so much. The stories I loved included:

• Clout Chaser
• The Beautiful Game
• The Yellow Line

Three Act Tragedy by Agatha Christie (3 stars)

Enjoyable but not as memorable as some of her other stories. I sort of guessed the ending but enjoyed it nonetheless. I just wish that their was more Poirot in this story as my enjoyment sky rocketed when he finally came into the fray.

A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum by Emma Southon (3.5 stars)

A really funny and informative look at a part of history I didn’t know to much about. I did prefer some sections over others and I felt the structuring of the audiobook I was listening too made the experience a bit confusing. But the narration and the comedic writing were amazing!

The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke (4 stars)

The first physical ARC I was ever sent by a publisher. This was a really good and suspenseful story. The characters were a massive strong point and I loved the use of the multiple POV and short chapter combo which just kept me reading page after page.

The Promised Neverland Vol. 5 by Kaiu Shirai (4 stars)

Another solid installment. The narrative has dramatically shifted from where we were the last 4 volumes so it was setting up a lot of new things but I am excited to see where the rest of the series goes.

One Foot in the Fade by Luke Arnold (4 stars)

Another great installment. Worth the wait. The world-building is amazing, the message and themeing of this series is being delivered really well and the characters are as good as ever. I am super excited to read the next book, whenever that comes out, and continue watching Fetch’s journey.

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang (5 stars)

And finally, the main event! Back on my romcom shit! Just a super fun time. The chemistry is amazing, I loved both members of the couple both in and out of the relationship and I really enjoyed seeing the neurodivergent representation in this novel.