Tag: book wrapup

February 2022 Wrap Up

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Another really successful reading month but I can tell this is where my streak ends. I had a pretty solid month in terms of ratings and I am loving the books I am picking up in terms of variety. Let’s hope this continues for the rest of 2022.

  • I read 10 books this month
  • I DNFd 1 book this month
  • Genre: 6 fantasy, 2 contemporary and 2 non-fiction.
  • Gender of authors: 5 women, 4 men and 1 gender-neutral.
  • Race of authors: 4 white authors, 4 asian authors and 2 black authors
  • Age range: 5 YA, 3 adult and 2 middle grade
  • Format: 5 paperbacks, 3 ebooks, 1 audiobook and 1 hardcover

The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo (DNF)

This was a book that was on my TBR for ages and I decided to listen to this in audiobook form. Unfortunately, due to the constant stop-start of the audiobook as I only listened to it on my commute I just didn’t connect to the story. I think this is a story best read physically.

A Taste for Poison by Dr. Neil Bradbury (4 stars)

This was really good. Since working at the bookstore I have started to branch out more with the books I am reading and I wanted to start reading more non-fiction. I really liked how the book balanced the more sciencey elements alongside the true crime stories. It was reading this book that made me switch from listening to fiction audiobooks and start listening to non-fiction audiobooks. 1. Because I would be able to branch out more and 2. I wouldn’t fall into the trap as I did with the above book as much because I don’t have to follow specific characters and storylines.

The Promised Neverland Vol. 1 by Kaiu Shirai (5 stars)

Oof! This is a series I will be finishing this year, I am that invested. I had heard so many great things about this series both the anime and the manga. I did hear though that the anime’s second season to a dive compared to the first and was very rushed so this prompted me to seek the manga out instead of the show. Going into it I expected to enjoy it but boy did it live up to the hype. The storyline is amazing, the characters are great and I love the art-style.

This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki (2.5 stars)

This book unfortunately did not work out for me. I felt the book tried to cover too many things at once and then couldn’t fully commit to all the storylines. The art-style was not my favourite and I found the main character to be borderline unlikable. This was a miss for me.

Loki: A Bad God’s Guide to Being Good by Louie Stowell (3 stars)

This book I enjoyed a lot more than I thought I was going to. This book was fun and an easy read.

The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin (5 stars)

THIS BOOK IS EVERYTHING I WANTED AND MORE! I read the first book in Jan 2021 and while I enjoyed it I did come away a bit confused with certain elements of the world and the magic system. I was nervous going into this book as I was worried I was going to feel the same way. This series has been praised so highly I just wanted to enjoy but this book just is everything I have needed in a fantasy novel. It’s like the author had been inside my brain and wrote a book specifically on things I like in books. 10/10. I want to finish the series this year.

Demon Slayer Vol. 1 by Koyoharu Gotouge (2.5 stars)

Now this one did not slap as much. Again, this series is super hyped and I wanted to try the manga before I watched the show but I was left feeling slightly unimpressed when I read it. I didn’t feel that it was doing any brand new and I just didn’t finish the book with any strong feelings.

That being said I decided to give the show a go due to the praise I have seen on social media and the TV show I LOVE!!!!! I did struggle with the first couple of episodes which funnily enough were all the stuff mentioned in volume 1 so maybe if I had continued the manga I would have liked it more? But now I am watching the show I feel like I am going to stick with the anime instead.

Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel by Jason Reynolds (4 stars)

This was a really good and poignant graphic novel. I felt the art-style really elevated the story and I found the story to be really powerful in getting its message across. I read this book fairly quickly as I was so absorbed in the story and the main characters’ journey in that lift.

The Ultimate Discworld Companion by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Briggs (3 stars)

This was a fun book for fans of the Discworld series. I decided to read the book as I felt this would be a nice way to be able to learn more about the world without having to read all the books in the series as I just didn’t love the writing style. I loved the illustrations in this and being able to learn so much.

The Last Firefox by Lee Newbery (4 stars)

This was a super fun and exciting story about learning to believe in yourself and your capabilities. I found the writing to be super engaging and the illustrations to be beautiful. This book made me wish I had a pet fox.

January 2022 Wrap Up

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Here we are! My first wrap up of 2022. Now let me tell you!!!!! This has been the most productive month since I started my blog. The first month of the year is always when I read the most books as I feel the most pumped up to start my challenge. I like to read a lot in the first month so when I tackle the heavier books later down the line I don’t start lagging behind on my goal. But 12 books in one month! Amazing! Normally I would talk about my DNFs but I also read between 50% and 60% of those books which is still a good amount of pages! I highly doubt that I can keep this momentum going for the rest of 2022 but we shall see.

  • I read 12 books this month
  • I DNFd 2 books this month
  • Genre: 2 fantasy, 2 historical fiction, 2 mystery, 2 romance, 2 sci-fi, 1 contemporary and 1 sport.
  • Gender of authors: 8 women and 4 women
  • Race of authors: 7 white authors, 4 asian authors and 1 black author
  • Age range: 6 adult, 4 YA, 1 new adult and 1 middle grade
  • Format: 5 ebooks, 4 paperback, 2 audiobooks and 1 hardcover

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao (5 stars)

I actually to listened to this on audiobook and started it about halfway through December but didn’t get round to finishing it until Jan. This was a such a refreshing and exciting YA sci-fi novel. I have briefly mentioned before on this blog how sci-fi can be hit and miss for me with books, I tend to prefer to consume my sci-fi through TV or film, but this blew everything out of the water for me. It was exciting and enticing with one of the best female characters in YA ever! I loved the world, the characters, the politics and most of all the battle scenes. Never in my life would I say I liked battle scenes!

The Hatmakers by Tamzin Merchant (3 stars)

So, I read this as part of my bookstores Book of the Month campaign and I was excited to start getting back into middle grade fiction. Ever since I started my job I have been super intrigued by all the new publishing I missed once I got older and started reading more YA and adult books. I want to read everything I have missed. This book was super fun. I found the main character to be really sweet, determined and smart. I thought the magic included in this novel was fun and quirky, I loved learning about the different ingredients to make hats. But I did find the middle portion of the book to lull a bit.

The Key in the Lock by Beth Underdown (2.5 stars)

This book unfortunately fell flat for me. This book is half literary fiction, half mystery and I 1000% preferred the mystery. I felt that the mystery held up the novel as I was bored watching the MC talk about her sad life, her regrets and her relationships with people and while I appreciated her and her struggle; I found her to be quite annoying. A kind character but also quite boring. This made the more character-focused sections of the plot to be quite slow going and I craved more of the mystery. The mystery itself, when we got round to it, was good. A bit predictable for me but still enjoyable.

The Chosen Twelve by James Breakwell (DNF)

I got about 60% through this book before I decided to put it down for good and that was because not much really happened. Not much more to say. The premise was super exciting but it was just a lot of sitting around and talking or watching the same failed simulations. Also, it was marketed as being like The Hunger Games and I was just waiting to see that come to fruition but it never happened.

Empress and Aniya by Candice Carty-Williams (DNF)

I also listened to this via audiobook and I felt that the narrator, Mia Deacon, did a really good job! But personally, for me, I just wasn’t as engaged with the story. I understand due to it being a novella that you can only fit so much in a certain number of pages I wanted a bit more from the story. I felt that everything just needed that extra bit of detail. At certain points, I felt we were just scraping the surface of the characters, their friendships etc. I just needed a bit more of everything!

Attack on Titan: Volume 2 by Hajime Isayama (3 stars)

This was good. To be honest, I don’t have loads to say about this volume. I loved exploring Mikasa’s character more but I have seen the anime so this isn’t new to me. I am still not sure if I like the art style but I enjoyed this nonetheless.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas (3 stars)

Now, this was a book I was adamant a couple of years ago I was never going to read. This was when I was wholeheartedly against anything romance based and also I was trying to be a “serious fantasy reader” (excuse while I see my old self out) but I ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would. I felt the wiring was super engaging, the main female character I liked and the romance was interesting and grabbed my attention. While I completely understand and get the criticisms and I agree with a lot of them. I still found myself enjoying this novel for what it is!

The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett (5 stars)

One of the best books I have ever read. Point blank period! I mean words cannot begin to describe how smart and exhilarating this book was! I cannot say too much as everything will teeter on spoiler territory but this was literally if The Famous Five was a spy thriller! If you are a fan of the podcast or book Rabbits you will love this book! The sense of character was so strong in this book. I loved how the main character flicked between his deep past, his past from hours ago and his present. It was structured very well. READ IT!

The Clockwork Girl by Anna Mazzola (4 stars)

I enjoyed this historical mystery! I felt that this book did a great job of placing you firmly in 1700s Paris. The 3 female protagonists we follow are all intelligent women struggling to live in a patriarchal society from the bottom of the ladder all the way to King’s Palace. I enjoyed exploring what it was like to live in 1700s Paris and I felt the historical part of the novel was really strong. The mystery while I enjoyed it and I felt it came to a satisfying conclusion I just wish there was a bit more. There was not much investigating at all, I felt about the majority of the novel just had the MC Madeline walk around not really getting anywhere and the reveal at the end of the novel while satisfying in terms of identity I don’t feel anything was really earned it as a reader.

The Village of Eight Graves by Seishi Yokomizo (2 stars)

Unfortunately, with each book I am reading, I am getting more and more disappointed. I am not sure if I am going to continue with the rest of the series. One of the major draw ins from this series is I love Detective Kindaichi. Unfortunately, we don’t really see much of him at all. I would say he is in about 20% of this entire book and I felt that the book was missing his presence a lot. The main character of this novel, Tatsuya, works hard to try and fill his place but it just doesn’t feel the same. The mystery itself had a lot of promise, everything was set up nicely and I had a couple of theories going but ultimately I was left disappointed by the end. For me, the ending came out of nowhere.

Heartstopper: Volume 1 by Alice Oseman (4 stars)

I finally gave in to the hype and decided to read this contemporary romance. Two genres I don’t read that much of. Well, I loved the romance, the pacing was super quick without feeling rushed and I found the dialogue to be super realistic! I wasn’t a massive fan of the art style at times but that wasn’t a hindrance at all! I need the 2nd volume!

Haikyu!! Volume 1 by Haruichi Furudate (4 stars)

I tried to watch the anime last year but I found the pacing to be super slow so I ended up DNFing it. But I loved the story so I decided to give the manga ago and I prefer the manga so much more. The pacing issue I had with the show was non-existent here, everything was paced well. The characters I instantly loved, even the more annoying ones, and the passion and the drive that these characters have is super inspiring. You can’t help but root for them. I can’t wait to continue this series and watch this team’s journey!

The Twyford Code Review

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s and annotations. He took it to his remedial English teacher, Miss Isles, who became convinced it was the key to solving a puzzle. That a message in secret code ran through all Edith Twyford’s novels. Then Miss Isles disappeared on a class field trip, and Steven’s memory won’t allow him to remember what happened. Now, out of prison after a long stretch, Steven decides to investigate the mystery that has haunted him for decades. Was Miss Isles murdered? Was she deluded? Or was she right about the code? And is it still in use today? Desperate to recover his memories and find out what really happened to Miss Isles, Steven revisits the people and places of his childhood. But it soon becomes clear that Edith Twyford wasn’t just a writer of forgotten children’s stories. The Twyford Code has great power, and he isn’t the only one trying to solve it…

December 2021 Wrap Up

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Goodbye 2021! This is OFFICIALLY (I know I have been saying this a lot) my last post dedicated to 2021 and December was a pretty good month. To be honest I started losing momentum with this month as it was so busy at the bookstore leading up to Christmas and the New Year. But I am happy to say goodbye to 2021 and all the books I read both good and bad and I am looking forward to seeing what 2022 has to offer.

  • I read 7 books this month
  • Genre: 6 fantasy and 1 murder mystery
  • Gender of authors: 3 men and 2 women
  • Race of authors: 4 white authors and 1 muslim author
  • Age range: 3 adult and 4 children
  • Format: 7 paperback

The Fall of Babel – Josiah Bancroft (5 stars)

This was a very poignant moment in my reading life reading this book. The first book in this series was one of the books that got me back into reading and this series has always held a firm place in my heart. It was a bittersweet feeling reading the last book in the series and I loved reflecting on how much the series meant to me.

This book in particular did a great job in wrapping things up from plot points to character arcs. I really enjoyed finally uncovering the secrets of the Tower and all the action-packed, emotionally intense moments that came with it.

Rumaysa – Radiya Hafıza (DNF)

I’ll keep this one brief. I picked this book up knowing I wasn’t the target audience but hoping that despite that I would still love it. Just because its for a specific target age group doesn’t meant you can’t love and appreciate the story. That being said I didn’t love the writing style for the obvious reason of it being too young for me. That is not a criticism of the author at all I should have been just more self aware.

Murder on the Orient Express – Agatha Christie (3 stars)

Now I was super excited for this book all year long. I wanted to wait specifically for winter time so I could read it in the cold weather to match with the setting of the book and everything. But I knew how this book ended which meant that this book was boring to read. I have read other Christie novels where I already knew who the murderer was and throughly enjoyed them but this was not the case for this book. I also found the pacing to be slow and the chapters to be repetitive.

Shadows of Self – Brandon Sanderson (4.5 stars)

While I felt the first book was more about establishing this new world in the Mistborn series. The second book was all about connecting this series with the old one. I enjoyed this book a lot due to all the connections it had to the original trilogy. The over-arching mystery is picking up and intriguing me so much but this book also had a really interesting singular mystery as well. I am super excited to see where the rest of the series goes.

Leo and the Gorgon’s Curse – Joe Todd-Stanton (5 stars)

A really beautiful take on the greek myths and the variety of monsters and mythical creatures. Todd-Stanton is a super talented artist and story-teller and this story was soooo good!

Marcy and the Riddle of the Sphinx – Joe Todd-Stanton (5 stars)

Another great book. This was probably my favourite. I loved the exploration of overcoming fears in this story and the illustrations of the Egyptians Gods were so beautiful!

Arthur and the Golden Rope – Joe Todd-Stanton (5 stars)

Again, just a beautifully illustrated book with a strong message about being yourself… also Thor was in it and that was super cool!