~ November's Books Reviewed ~

~ November's Books Reviewed ~

Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuinston

(418 pages)

I had wanted to read this book for AGES and I'd say it definitely lived up to my expectations - every shitty christmas romcom! And I mean that both in a bad way, and a very very good way. I unapologetically loved every second of it.

I gave this book 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Fateful Crossing by Tom Hindle

(449 pages)

Not bad, but also, not good. A little messy and therefore a bit confusing, especially as a murder mystery, messy plot holes etc can really detract from the story in my opinion. That being said, I read it quickly and it was an easy and enjoyable enough story for that to happen.

I gave this book 3 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Babel by R. F. Kuang

(546 pages)

Really interesting concept. I think I maybe read it a little too quickly so didn't fully appreciate it as it should have been. The commentary and insights on society and racism and xenophobia was very well done and extremely engaging which is what's going to make me say (unusually for me) that the fantasy elements were the worst bits of this book for me, and I almost felt that the same story could have been told without the "magic" and it maybe would have been even more impactful to just be commenting on language and communication in a reality that is more obviously similar to our own.

I gave this book 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Murder Game by Tom Hindle

(373 pages)

Better than the other Hindle book I read in my opinion, but still a little too "convenient" almost to be a fully successful and good murder mystery for me. Still obviously an easy and light read though, otherwise I wouldn't have picked it up after the first one.

I gave this book 3 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Where are the Women by Sara Sheridan

(447 pages)

I was gifted this book and it is therefore an obvious movement away from the normal sorts of books I choose to read (it is designed more similarly to a guide book or history text book). In theory, this book is extremely interesting and so so undeniably well researched. I definitely learnt a lot. However, there is a reason I don't tend to read non fiction (or fictions books like this designed to be like a guide book), and that is because I don't particularly like reading them - they always feel just like an info dump with a lack of an actual story arc to me (which I suppose is exactly what they're aiming for...)

I gave this book 3 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Secret History by Donna Tart

(559 pages)

It is clever. And I'm always going to appreciate a book that is the first of its genre or does something new for the first time. That being said, just because somethings the first, rarely means it's the best, and I've definitely read other dark academia style books that I've enjoyed more to be honest. I found myself skim reading sections which speaks to the fact that I perhaps didn't find it as engaging as other books.

I gave this book 3.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️🌗

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

(386 pages)

I was waring going in to this book since it has blown up, but mostly with people a little older than myself (late 30s-early 50s as far as I've seen), but I really really enjoyed this (and have now recommended it to all my reading friends my age too!)! It filled me with a righteous anger, but in a very validating way. Bits were a little predictable, but that hardly mattered when the social commentary was so much more important than the plot. I'd support a rule saying that every cis male should have to read this to be honest, it's such a peak behind the curtain at just the unintentional, but so deeply engrained micro aggressions that all us women experience, nevermind the outright moments of sexism and misogyny.

I gave this book 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Almond by Won Pyung Sohn

(252 pages)

A bit of a non story, but I strangely enjoyed it. I read the entire thing in less than an hour so hardly an intense read, but it was a very interesting perspective and commentary on people and their relationships with each other, and with themselves.

I gave this book 3.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T. J. Klune

(398 pages)

Everything I wanted and/or needed. So wholesome. My only complaint actually is that I wanted more to be honest. All the characters are so so lovely and I loved their found family. T. J. Klune rarely disappoints.

I gave this book 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

~July's Books Reviewed~

*everyone please just ignore the fact that June was skipped... shhhhhhh! 🙈*

A slow month for reading again (but better than the previous 😬) however all three were thoroughly enjoyed. That's it for this months intro, not going to lie to you, I have nothing else to say 😅

The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie

(304 pages)

I read this book in a single day right at the start of the month when I still had good intentions of reading more... while my intentions led to little, it is a testament to the book that it was finished so quick. There is something comforting about an Agatha Christie novel, especially a Poirot one, and I really enjoyed reading the very first Poirot one for the first time and seeing just where the character started. As always, the pacing was good, the characters were intriguing, and the mystery was, well, mysterious! I especially loved that in this edition of the book they had printed both the official ending, as well as the original ending Agatha Christie wrote before she changed her mind. I thought it was a really interesting insight into her as an editor as well as a writer. I will say that I definitely preferred the official ending so was glad to see that was the one chosen by the printers! Overall, an engaging and fun read, a classic whodunit and should rightfully be included on any mystery lovers tbr list.

I gave this book 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Beyond the Story: 10 Year Record of BTS by BTS & Myeongseok Kang

(496 pages)

Am I biased? Probably. Do I care? No. This is for my personal record of the books I've loved this year and I loved every single second of this. I cried, laughed, reminisced, missed all of them more than is healthy probably, and felt indescribably proud of them and myself. I don't tend to read biographies, or nonfiction at all, but I have been listening to BTS since the end of 2015 and they have taught me so many important lessons, as well as offered me comfort and joy in ways that they probably can't even imagine. Reading this book felt not only like a window into a section of their past that we hadn't been able to see before, but also like a portal right back to my own past. As ridiculous as it may sound, they are all so relatable and it makes me so happy to remember how far they've come, as well as filled with hope for my own future. I genuinely don't think it's an exaggeration to say that they reminded me how to just be happy. Yes they're not solely responsible for it, nor do they miraculously solve everything, but they definitely have improved my life with their music and unwavering (if remote and one sided!) presence. For that, I will never be able to thank them enough.

I gave this book 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

(643 pages)

I really really enjoyed this! To be completely honest, I was nervous going in that it wouldn't live up to my expectations for Sanderson, but I had no need to be concerned. Sanderson is a masterful world builder, has incredible characterisation, and enthralling plots. I am obsessed with the almost espionage elements of this book and am so happy to see that once again Sanderson has prioritised a beautiful found family at the centre of the relationships. It is truly a unique and fun story with so many twists and misdirects, and yet it is all written so cleverly that it isn't once blunt or off putting. I would highly recommend!

I gave this book 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

~ December's Books Reviewed ~

The Dreamer Trilogy by Maggie Stiefvater

(1,101 pages total)

I wasn't expecting to enjoy this trilogy as much as I did. I loved the characters in particular, but the plot was also engaging and went in directions I wasn't expecting. I would say that my one regret would be that I hadn't read the previous trilogy first. Maybe I'll go back and read it later but considering I now know where all the characters stories end I don't know how much enjoyment I'll get out of watching people pine and/or fight until they work out the relationships I know they will get to. That being said, I didn't feel like I missed out on any enjoyment while reading it as a result of not reading the first trilogy. I fell right into the story and the characters easily and really truly did love all the dynamics etc.

I gave this trilogy between 4-4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(🌗)

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

(541 pages)

Absolutely incredible. So worth the wait (I've been trying to find this book in a shop for AGES!) and very pleased that I finally found a copy. Absolutely chilling at points and definitely almost has minorly horroresque elements (but this is coming from someone who really hates horror books so probably isn't that bad to most!) It almost made me cry (and I'm not a cryer) too. Basically, I'd definitely recommend!

I gave this book 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Poppy War Trilogy by R.F. Kuang

(1,862 pages total)

*SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW*

A little heavy on military scenes for me. I found it a tad confusing at points, and definitely began to run out of steam towards the end of the trilogy. However, it did keep me engaged through all three books and I did finish the trilogy so it was far from bad. Overall I think it was an interesting read, and I did really like the sort of slow realisation that you had that the "protagonist"/speaker was actually most definitely the villain. I think loads of people would absolutely love this trilogy, and Kuang is a fantastic writer, it just maybe wasn't for me.

I gave this trilogy 3.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️🌗

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

(356 pages)

Was okay. Not great, but certainly not bad either. Kept my attention throughout, and I honestly wasn't expecting the twist at the end so that was undeniably successful. I will say that without knowing anything about the author, it was very very clear to me from about 20 pages in that he was a male writer writing from the perspective of a female protagonist. I googled and I can confirm the author is male. He didn't do anything overtly sexist or anything, I think there is just a vibe that you can pick up on.

I gave this book 3.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️🌗

The Betrayals by Bridget Collins

(423 pages)

The only reason this book isn't getting 1 star (and the only reason I think I was able to finish it) is because of its potential. The game at the centre of the story is never explained, nor was the government, nor (as far as I could work out, but I confess to beginning to slightly skim read) was the entire character of "the rat" and the point of their storyline. The relationships and descriptive language felt uncomfortable to me, and a very old fashioned approach to many things. The "twist" felt badly set up and overused. Additionally, the entire thing was just unnecessarily complex, like the author was trying to show off how clever and intellectual they were, but failed.

I gave this book 1.5 stars ⭐️🌗

Curtain: Poirot's Last Case by Agatha Christie

(284 pages)

Quick, easy, enjoyable. Almost got emotional reading the end of Poirot, but it also was a very fitting end for him too. I loved the symmetry with the first case and book too. Basically, a Poirot novel is never not going to be good.

I gave this book 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

~May's Books Reviewed~

May saw some highs and lows in my enjoyment of books! I largely was still making my way through some old books I hadn't had the opportunity to read, but I also read a couple of newer ones. I was also on holiday for a week in May which meant that I had a couple of easier books thrown into the mix too. All in all, I've been enjoying my reading, especially as the weather has been nice and I'm able to read outside more!

Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li

(369 pages)

I actually started this book at the end of April, but I finished it at the start of May so in this post it goes! I really really enjoyed this book! I picked it up at the book shop because I have an unapologetic love for heist films, but had never actually read a proper heist book that I could think of. This fulfilled everything u wanted it to be as a heist book though. It was light and fun and a fairly easy read. It completely held my attention and remained believable (bizarrely!) while being compelling. It brought about the same feelings of investment and fun that I get while watching heist films and I would highly recommend it to people.

I gave this book 4.5 stars ⭐⭐️⭐️⭐️🌗

The MouseTrap (70th anniversary edition) by Agatha Christie (arranged and introduced by Sophie Hannah)

(245 pages)

This is a bit of an odd one to include, however I saw the play (finally!) and absolutely loved it so felt I had to locate the book now that I was part of the secret! Obviously seeing it was indescribably better, however it is still a fun story and I enjoyed all the behind the scenes bits and history that this book went in to. I cannot recommend going to see the play enough and would in fact not recommend reading this until after you already know the story so that you can enjoy the plot twists and mystery in real time with the rest of the audience.

I gave this book 3.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️🌗 (but as a play it was 5!)

The Book of Dust by Philip Pullman

(546 pages - this was a hardback)

I had owned this book for several years, having got it when it first came out with every intention of reading it, only to never get around to it! I loved the His Dark Materials trilogy when I was younger which is why I was really wanting to read another book from the same universe. That being said, while I enjoyed this book, it did not quite live up to the original trilogy (at least not in my memory). This was probably mostly due to a lack of nostalgia and attachment to the characters considering it is set like a prequel to the original books. The world and the writing remains incredible so I would highly recommend all Philip Pullman books, including this one to anyone who is perhaps a younger reader and wanting to get into a good fantasy world.

I gave this book 3.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️🌗

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John LeCarré

(367 pages)

So I read this primarily for its reputation as this incredible espionage book.... I have to admit, I do not get the hype. I honestly could not tell you anything that happened in this book, it kept my interest that little that I have already forgotten genuinely everything. I found that there were too many characters and the plot and language was long winded, meandering and unnecessarily complex. It's supposedly a classic, but unfortunately I'm still not sure what I even actually read. I therefore did not exactly enjoy it. It's definitely not the worst book I've ever read, but I doubt I'll find myself reaching for any more LeCarré.

I gave this book 2 stars ⭐️⭐️

The Help by Kathryn Stochett

(451 pages)

Very different from the other books that I rated this highly, but no less enjoyable. It took me a surprisingly long time to read for the number of pages it is, but this was in no correlation to the writing, which was simple and effective, but rather down to the content I think. The book deals with a lot of heavy themes around racism in particular, especially as it aims to by historically accurate and so it would have felt disrespectful almost to have read it much quicker. The writing and story were addictive and despite the heavy themes, I genuinely enjoyed reading this book and at no point felt weighed down by the responsibility of it. I would really recommend this book.

I gave this book 4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌗

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty

(434 pages)

This was the start of my holiday reading and it was indeed a total "airport book", ironically enough about an airport book author! I did strangely enjoy this book and was definitely desperate to finish it and find out what was going on the whole time. Although, that being said, the ending was a little anticlimactic and sudden in my opinion which did drag the rating down a little. I would also say that there does need to be a bit of a content warning here for eating disorders and very casual references and descriptions of them at that. It is set at a wellness retreat so a lot of the characters internal monologue does end up focusing a fair amount on body image and dieting.

I gave this book 3 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

(461 pages)

The second of my holiday books! I mean.... it's been read before, and it holds up as being exactly what it says on the tin - a classic teen coming of age book that while horribly cringy at points is still generally enjoyable. I loved this book when I first read it (almost 10 years ago!!) and I still loved it this time through, even if it was no longer quite as relatable! I have not much else to say about this one other than I would recommend it, but know that this is not the highbrow literature but simply fun and light and easy.

I gave this book 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Icebreaker by R.L. Graziadei

(314 pages)

The last of my holiday reads. My kindle recommended this one to me based off other books I have read I suppose and I have to admit that unfortunately I was a little disappointed, especially by the end.it felt like it was just beginning to pick up and get interesting, only for all the resolutions etc to happen and feel kinda rushed and kinda unrealistically unsatisfactory. That being said, it was still a mindless holiday read and I really did enjoy the representation, both of multiple sexualities and relationship types; and more so perhaps of various mental health struggles.

I gave this book 3 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

(382 pages)

I really really enjoyed this book, was definitely a high to finish the month on! I found it highly engaging as I was so desperate to find out what had happened through out. The protagonist/speaker was incredibly unique and well written, with her trauma and experiences clearly affecting her thought patterns. This made it really interesting and cool to be reading from such a clearly unreliable narrators perspective, but also to watch with front row view as she herself slowly unpacks what has happened to her and come to terms with what other people see and how she could be living her life. The ending was perhaps a tiny bit too abrupt for my liking, but I really would recommend this book to people.

I gave this book 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

~April's Books Reviewed~

April was significantly better than March, but I'm still definitely taking a little longer than standard to get through books. That being said, all the books I did read this month I highly enjoyed!

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz

(546 pages)

This was a lovely way to start off the month. The format was a little hard to get into at first, but once I got in the way of it, I found the concept of a murder mystery book within another murder mystery interesting. The story was simple to follow and the characters compelling enough to keep reading about, if a little predictable at times. There were also perhaps slightly too many characters, certainly at the start. It felt that a lot of the mystery of the murder mystery came down to my inability to keep track of the characters at points! However, overall I did really enjoy this book, it was a very gentle reintroduction to reading after the failure of March and I would recommend this to anyone who was wanting an easy book that is a bit of fun and simple enough of a plot line to not fully pay attention to at points.

I gave this book 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson

(490 pages)

I strangely enjoyed this book, and I do say strangely as it did fail to fully keep my attention. I didn't find myself desperate to keep reading at night, or reaching for it during the day; however I also didn't struggle to finish it or feel annoyed with the idea of continuing. Like with most books which incorporate multiple storylines or POVs, there was one obviously better one. For me this was the storyline set in the present. I found it easily the most interesting and engaging and as a result I did find myself rushing through the stories set in the past in order to return to it which did mean that the bits in the past were also a little confusing too. I would have happily read an entire novel just following the present though. So all in all, not bad at all and I would definitely still recommend to people who prefer reading more realistic novels.

I gave this book 3 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

(288 pages)

If I had one more person recommend this too my I might have gone mad, but you know what, they were right! This was such a good book! The concept was very clever and so so well written. It was emotional at points and also yet weirdly uplifting. I really really enjoyed it and felt that it achieved exactly what it set out too. I genuinely can't think of anything else to say other than just to strongly recommend it to everyone else too! I will say that a slight content warning should be highlighted here that the protagonist does suffer from depression and as the novel is told through her voice this is very realistically depicted.

I gave this book 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

~ March's Book(s) Reviewed ~

So.... March was the month of life catching up 😅

Unfortunately I only managed to read one book this month, it was a good one at least. But yes, I didn't have nearly enough time nor head space to dedicate to reading books this month as I would have liked. I was still reading every night, just unfortunately the novels took a bit of a back seat as I was reading a lot of academic papers and then countering those heavy intellectual readings with lots of comforting fanfictions of previously read books. Fingers crossed April will allow me to get back into the novels at my usual rate!

Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier

(302 pages)

I really liked this book. It was a fairly easy read, which was something necessary for this month, and the mystery element was fun and well done. Some of the wording and themes and characterisations were a little dated, but generally still a really enjoyable read.

I gave this book 4 stars ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐