Tag: book wrapup

Top 20 Books of 2024

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HAPPY NYE EVERYONE!

So last year I knew instantly that I wanted to do a Top 20 as I had read so many amazing books. This year, while I knew I enjoyed loads of books, I thought I would have a solid top 10 but nothing more. Until I started properly looking and then realised I 100% had enough for a Top 21 at least. So I have chosen my top 20 and I am very happy with them.

September 2024 Wrap Up

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  • I read 9 books this month
  • I DNFd 1 book this month
  • Genre: 3 horror, 2 non-fiction, 2 fantasy, 1 historical fiction and 1 sci-fi
  • Gender of authors: 5 women and 4 men
  • Race of authors: 6 white authors, 1 asian author, 1 Latina author and 1 black author
  • Age range: 6 adult and 3 YA
  • Format: 6 paperback, 2 hardback, 1 eBook
  • 3.9 stars average rating for the month

Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent – Judi Dench (3 stars)

This was interesting but not exactly what I expected. It felt more of a beat for beat analysis of the characters Dench played and her thoughts on each scene. I expected more of a memoir with Dench reflecting on her time in the theatre, funny moments, things she had learnt, wisdom to pass on but I think all of that got lost by Dench just walking you through every single scene which got super repetitive. Which was a shame as she is so funny and incredibly smart and I wanted more personal anecdotes.

Dearest – Jacquie Walters (3.75 stars)

Now I have written a whole blog post towards this book so please check it out >>>

I rarely post full book reviews so please give it some love! x

The Lie of the Land – Guy Shrubsole (4 stars)

I have never read a nature writing book in my life and I have only read a small amount of current affairs books. I am frankly very new to reading non-fiction but this book was incredibly accessible, engaging, and emotive. I learned so much from these pages and it makes me want to go out and pick litter and go out and take in the countryside. I loved as well the action plan at the end of the book which left you feeling more hopeful than you probably felt when first reading the book as you realise how depleted and destroyed our countryside truly is.

Hell Followed With Us – Andrew Joseph White (4 stars)

I read this as per request by my friend Morgan and for the second month of my brand new SFF book group at work. This was such a visceral and vulnerable read with great characters, a juicy plot and an ending that just was the cherry on top of a very gory book. I love a book that tackles cult elements of christianity and I dare say this is one of the best post-apocalyptic YA books in the last 5 years!

Harrow the Ninth – Tamsyn Muir (4 stars)

Now if I wasn’t told ahead of reading this that the book actively lies and gaslights you I would have DNFd. While I enjoyed the book 100%, and I loved what it was doing, the first 2 thirds were a slog to get through. I keep having to remind myself that this was all on purpose but my god. I really like Harrow but she is character that needs a more charismatic side character to bounce off of. Watching Harrow walk around for like 300 pages was a bit of a drag. The last third though made it all worth it. I am never the kind of person to suggest sticking a book out and waiting for it to get better but this one is an exception.

The Hacienda – Isabel Cañas (4.5 stars)

To whoever comped this book as Mexican Gothic meets Rebecca I hope both sides of your pillow are cold at night. While definitely leaning more into the Rebecca side this beautiful and haunting tale set in rural Mexico took my breath away. Great atmosphere, intriguing plot and great chemistry between our two main characters. I will always recommend this book.

Escaping Mr. Rochester – L.L. McKinney (5 stars)

I have personally never read Jane Eyre but knew enough about the story to understand what was going on though I don’t feel that you need to know the story to enjoy this book. The stand-out elements from this novel are the two main characters, Jane and Bertha, and the way McKinney creates such a tense and unsettling atmosphere. Jane and Bertha are such realised and thought-out characters with multiple layers. They were kind-hearted, they STRESSED ME OUT, – specifically Jane and they had determination which I loved. The tension and atmosphere around Thornfield Hall were expected. Upon reading the blurb I knew what I was getting myself into… or so I thought. At times I found my heart racing, like I was watching a horror movie waiting for the killer to jump out, and I literally couldn’t take my eyes of the page. I felt the cold seeping in and I felt as a reader I was constantly ‘reading’ on eggshells. Perfect for this time of the year!

August 2024 Wrap Up

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Ok, so this was a big month and I will not be reviewing all of what I read as that will be too long and too boring. So here are the highlights.

  • I read 34 books this month
  • I DNFd 3 books this month
  • Genre: 23 fantasy, 3 contemporary fiction, 2 historical fiction, 1 romance, 1 murder mystery,1 thriller, 1 literary fiction, 1 horror and 1 sci-fi
  • Gender of authors: 13 women, 7 men and 1 non-binary author
  • Race of authors: 18 asian authors, 4 white authors, 1 Latina author
  • Age range: 23 YA, 8 adult, 2 new adult and 1 middle grade
  • Format: 34 paperback
  • 4.1 stars average rating for the month

Fang Si-Chi’s First Love Paradise – Lin Yi-Han (DNF)

This DNF is purely down to the content in the book being to distressing for me. I wanted to give it a go and read some impactful translated fiction but it just got too much. Check trigger warnings for this book.

Silver Spoon, Vol. 1 – Hiromu Arakawa (DNF)

Not even the mastermind that is Hiromu Arakawa could make me interested in an agricultural slice of life story. Love the art and the comedy but the pacing was super slow and the content was boring.

Claymore, Vol.2 – Norihiro Yagi (3 stars)

I flew through this volume but I wouldn’t say I was super invested in this story. It’s early days so I am going to give it up to volume 4, as that is all I can get hold of, and if I don’t love it I will DNF the series. I do think this is because I know the story due to the anime and the adaptation of that volume was very good.

Young Hag – Isabel Greenberg (3 stars)

This was an interesting take on Arthurian which I enjoyed but I HATED the art-style. I was hoping I would get used to it but I struggled with it the further the novel went on.

Usotoki Rhetoric Vol.2 – Ritsu Miyako (3.5 stars)

Love the characters and 1920s Japan setting but I am getting a bit bored of the short story format. I am hoping that with the next couple of volumes we will get some longer form stories!

Snow White with the Red Hair, Vol. 2-4 – Sorata Akiduki (AVG: 3.5)

Volume 2 ended incredibly strongly but I am not sure how much this story is for me. I love the romance elements but there is something missing for me in this series. I am going to give it one more volume and if I don’t love that volume I will probably DNF this series.

Orange, Vol.6 – Ichigo Tanako (4 stars)

Now before I read this volume, which follows my favourite character Suwa, I had heard that it ruins his character and was a disappointing addition to the series. I personally, loved it, to me it added to Suwa’s character who I felt was reduced a bit to being the gracious friend zoned character. For me, this added so much more depth and nuance.

Delicious in Dungeon, Vol. 2-4 – Ryoko Kui (AVG: 4.3)

This is what I am talking about when I call for the end of the short story format and focusing more on a long form story. The plot, the characters, the food. All amazing! The ending of volume 4 literally turned it up a notch and I am so excited to see where the rest of this story goes. Now I just have to convince my boyfriend to watch the anime.

The Hills of Estrella Rosa – Ashley Robin Franklin (4.5 stars)

A perfect queer folklore, horror story set in Texas. I enjoyed the plot line, the mystery, the podcast elements. All so good.

Yona of the Dawn, Vol. 3-5 – Mizuho Kusanagi (4.5 stars)

Probably my favourite series this year. Each year, I have a new fave series and I think it’s between Yona of the Dawn and Children of the Whales. Yona of the Dawn has the perfect balance of emotion, comedy, romance and action. I have been loving the development of this story and especially Yona’s development as a character.

What A Way To Go! – Bella Mackie (5 stars)

What a whirlwind! I had such a fun time reading this book with its unreliable narrators, the most frustrating cast of side characters that you love to hate, and a plot where you think to yourself “this can’t get worse” well it actually can! I loved the use of multiple POVs and mixed media. This was such an exciting, engaging, and fun read that I would recommend it to anyone who wants to read about complicated families, complicated relationships, and wanting to hate on the top 5%!

Lightfall, Vol. 1 – Tim Probert (5 stars)

Such a jaw-dropingly beautiful story. Incredible pieces of art, hilarious characters, heart-rending yet hopeful story. I instantly got the following 2 volumes to keep up with the story I loved it that much.

North Woods – Daniel Mason (5 stars)

Thank you to authors like Daniel Mason who have made me realise I actually am a literary fiction reader. After reading this book I am firmly in Autumn. This book whisked me up in a tornado of apples, golden leaves, and poetic tragedy. Following centuries on one specific piece of land in America we watch various inhabitants and characters live, breathe, and die among the apple trees and ghosts of North Woods. This book is a feat unto itself spanning various years, giving voice to characters vastly different from one that came before them and the one that will succeed them, and giving you a sense of tragedy and beauty in one whole gust of wind. I was lost in this book and lost in these stories, I loved how despite the years between are characters they all have something in common which is curiosity and love for humanity, and how this was their best asset and their undoing. An epic autumnal novel that you will rarely see on the shelves.