Tag: book wrapup

June 2022 Wrap Up

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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.

May 2022 Wrap Up

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May was a solid reading month. I gave out loads of 5 stars this month so I was super happy!

  • I read 11 books this month
  • I DNFd 1 book this month
  • Genre: 5 fantasy, 2 historical fiction, 1 romance, 1 non-fiction, 1 sci-fi and 1 poetry collection
  • Gender of authors: 7 women and 3 men
  • Race of authors: 5 white authors, 4 asian authors and 1 black author
  • Age range: 5 adult, 5 YA and 1 middle grade
  • Format: 5 ebook, 4 paperback, 1 hardback and 1 audiobook

Set in Stone by Stela Brinzeanu (DNF)

I was super excited to read this book as it seemed super intriguing. Unfortuantly the cracks started showing quite quickly. This book is marketed as a romance but the romance felt incredibly under-developed. I liked both characters as individuals and their own individual journeys but I was not sold on the romance. I didn’t feel like they had any chemistry and I personally felt that it was more one-sided than the author intended.

The Kids by Hannah Lowe (2 stars)

Every once in a while I try to go back to poetry to see whether it is my thing and every single time I come to the same conclusion that poetry and I just don’t gel. This was the case with this collection. There was some really good poems in there and I loved the ones focused on her experience as a teacher. But overall, poetry is just not for me.

The Leviathan by Rosie Andrews (3.5 stars)

This was a book that I grew to love more once I finished it. The first half was a bit slow for my liking and I felt that I thought I had caught the plot twist very early on but the author completely subverted my expectations. The second and the third acts were really good.

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Vol. 2 by Ryosuke Takeuchi (4 stars)

Another solid installment. I don’t have much extra to say about this volume other than it was clearly setting up bigger narrative plot points which I am excited to read more about in the future.

Attack on Titan Vol. 33 & 34 by Hajime Isayama (4/5 stars)

I decided that I was not waiting until next year to learn how this series ends. I decided I was going to read those last two volumes instead. Overall, I feel like a series that became as complicated and grand-scale as this one did is really hard to finish. I did wonder where Isayama was going to go with this series ending and I loved some elements and didn’t care for some others. My 5 star rating was more about all the strong emotions I felt when reading it. I was expecting the ending to be way worse and I was satisfied on the most part.

Agatha Christie’s Poirot: The Greatest Detective in the World by Mark Aldridge (5 stars)

A look into the history behind the character and all his various adaptations. Such an informative book which I thoroughly enjoyed listening to in audiobook. Not much more to say.

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

I honeslty, at the moment, cannot find a flaw with this series. Not one! Each volume packs a punch with way to many twists and turns for me to keep track of.

Fullmetal Alchemist Vol. 7 by Hiromu Arakawa (5 stars)

We are on the home stretch now. I am so close to finishing this series and I am so sad it will be over soon. But I am also super excited to read all the spin off books I just learnt existed.

Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun by Tọlá Okogwu (5 stars)

One of my favourite middle grade books I have read in a very very long time. Up there with the Percy Jackson series! Full of action, amazing superpowers, great female role models. The last 25% of this book secured it that 5 star rating as it’s so so smart. Literally if Black Panther met X-Men. No flaws.

It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey (5 stars)

My first ever contemporary romance and what a ride it was! I was not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. I literally absorbed this book I read it in like 2 days and all I did on those 2 days was read it nothing else at all. I literally bought the sequel the day after I finished it. It was such a refreshing read after reading loads of intense fantasy books. This was super fun and easy-reading with amazing lovable characters and funny as hell dialogue.

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!

March 2022 Wrap Up

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And the streak keeps going! Another great month of reading and I cannot wait to talk about it!

  • I read 12 books this month
  • I DNFd 1 book this month
  • Genre: 7 fantasy, 2 mystery, 1 contemporary, 1 historical fiction and 1 non-fiction.
  • Gender of authors: 5 women, 5 men and 1 book with multiple authors.
  • Race of authors: 5 white authors, 3 asian authors, 1 mixed-race author, 1 black author and 1 book which had multiple authors.
  • Age range: 8 adult and 4 YA
  • Format: 4 paperback, 4 ebook, 3 hardbacks and 1 audiobook

I have decided to start ordering my books from lowest rating to highest rating.

Mrs Death Misses Death by Salena Godden (DNF)

While I loved the premise the writing style didn’t work for me. It’s a very heavy poetry-esque style, which makes sense as the author is also a poet, but that writing style wasn’t my fave. I like flowery writing but where it still feels like prose. I am not the biggest poetry reader which is why it didn’t work out.

The Mad Women’s Ball by Victoria Mas (2.5 stars)

While this story started off great, around the halfway mark it just plateaued. The character didn’t really go anywhere once we learnt their backstory, the ending was predictable and I just felt the story lacked an element of depth. It felt like we had only scratched the surface of these characters and their story.

Murder by the Book edited by Martin Edwards (3 stars)

This was great dive into golden and silver age detective fiction with the theme being all about the world of books from murdered authors to literary clues. This collection had just about everything with some of my standout favourites being Malice Domestic, The Man and his Mother-in-Law and A Question of Character.

Galatea by Madeline Miller (4 stars)

I bought this purely becuase I am a massive Madeline Miller fan. I enjoyed this short story. I like Galatea as a character and I found the ending to be satisfying.

Haikyu! Volume 2 by Haruichi Furudate (4 stars)

Another great volume. This was where I actually stopped in the anime due to the pacing of the show. I loved seeing more of the teamwork, learning more about the characters and just falling in love more and more with this volleyball team. This series is really making me appreciate the sport. I can’t wait to jump into the next volume!

The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman (4 stars)

I love the characters so much. I would love to spend an afternoon with the Thursday Murder Club. The dialogue was super fun and the plot was engaging. I would say that it did take a bit of time to get into the mystery as a whole and I wish they had stuck with a more cosy murder mystery vibe. But I did really enjoy the story I just felt it was a bit of a jump from the plot of books 1 to 2.

The Promised Neverland: Volume 2 & 3 by Kaiu Shirai (5 & 4.5 stars)

Probably my favourite installment so far. I just cannot fault this series one bit! There are 20 volumes in this series and even 3 volumes in there is just so much great content. It gets me so excited for the rest of the story. I love the art-style and the characters are amazing. The character of Mom is by far my favourite I want to know more about her, she is so intriguing.

The Story of the World in 100 Moments by Neil Oliver (4.5 stars)

I am loving getting into non-fiction and this book was no exceptions. I learnt so much about stories of this world that i had never heard of. What i loved the most what seeing the parts of our history where the story repeats. How actions that occurred 100s of years ago could somehow be repeated nowadays. The narration was amazing (as I listened to the audiobook) and I really enjoyed the writing.

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune (5 stars)

My favourite book of the month! This book had so much and was basically therapy. A thearpy session in a book. I loved the mixture of the supernatural and the modern day experience. I found the characters were great and I wish so desperatly that they were real!!! I expected this story to have a pretty meandering plot but actually ended up including a plot that had me desperatly wanting to know how it ended.

Fullmetal Alchemist Volume 6 by Hiromu Arakawa (5 stars)

Honestly I don’t think I could ever hate a volume in this series! As the series goes on an we get closer to the finale the better the story is. We are in the juicy part of the story where you can finally start seeing the bigger picture and its just so much fun. I can’t really remember how this ends so I can’t wait to re-learn.

The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake (5 stars)

Character is my first thought when I think of this book. I enjoyed getting to learn about the characters. Each character felt very distinctive and different from one another. This book is told through multiple POVs and I enjoyed being in the mind of all the characters. I loved watching them interact and how the different personalities bounced off each other. I was so invested in this novel that I literally strained my neck as I was reading for hours on end.