Top 10 Tuesday: Favourite Reads of 2019

It’s that time again. The one where I somehow pick 10 books out of the piles I’ve read over the past year to crown my favourite reads. Choosing favourites of anything has always been a tough ask for me, but I’m going to do my best anyway. This year I’ve read 73 books. While it’s not as many as last year, it’s still a sizable amount to narrow down from. To ensure variety I’ve excluded re-reads from eligibility. Now, in order from 10 to 1, here are the books I enjoyed the most this year.

10. The Boy Who Steals Houses – C. G. Drews | ★★★★.5 | Review

I read several young adult contemporaries during 2019 and this little, Aussie gem was easily one of the best. I’ve found that, most of the time, the best books in this genre are the ones that are somehow able to bring you both joy and heartbreak and TBWSH does this perfectly. The book definitely has some sad and dark moments but it’s also a story about found families, brotherly love, and plenty of waffles. The characters are loveable, the autism and anxiety rep wonderfully done, and (despite some loose ends and minor problems with the writing style) it’s just generally a lovely read.

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9. Sorcery of Thorns – Margaret Rogerson | ★★★★.5

After a so-so reaction to An Enchantment of Ravens, I went into Sorcery of Thorns with low expectations. Next thing I know, I’m having a great time! While I loved the characters – librarian, Elisabeth, sorcerer, Nathaniel, and his demon companion, Silas – it was the world that really hooked me. Monster books, library magical hot spots, deals of demonic servitude, historical battles won through the use of necromancy, I’d gladly read another book set in this universe. My only real gripe was some pacing issues, mostly around the middle. However, bonus points for a well-developed romance, sword fights, decent magic system, Nathaniel’s banter, and Silas shape-shifting into a cat.

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8. Eggshell Skull – Bri Lee | ★★★★.5

2019 was a year for broadening my reading horizons. In the search for something different I tried a couple of non-fiction reads. Eggshell Skull was one of them and I was shocked by how engaging it was. From the moment I picked it up, I had trouble putting it down. Learning about the Queensland court system’s approach to sexual assault cases from someone who has experienced it on two different sides – judge’s associate & complainant – was both fascinating and horrifying. It was extremely informative and I wish I could smush it in the faces of everyone who asks why women don’t report assault. The writing style may not always be smooth but the content is spot on.

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7. Josh + Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating – Christina Lauren | ★★★★.5 | Review

Sometimes all you need is a sweet, romantic contemporary to brighten up your week, and Josh & Hazel were the ticket for exactly that. This is the perfect read for those who gravitate towards a good friends to lovers story with a solid dose of humour and adorableness. I loved Josh and Hazel as characters and their opposites attract friendship, which eventually evolved into something more, was immensely enjoyable. Unfortunately, I had to deduct half a star for a not so great ending but it wasn’t enough to severely damage my overall positive feelings. This book is definitely the gateway drug to reading the rest of Christina & Lauren’s adult romances.

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6. Letters to the Lost – Brigid Kemmerer | ★★★★.5 | Review

LTTL feels like it came out of nowhere and stole my heart. I read a few YA contemporaries these days and most of them are enjoyable but not as many are really memorable. This book dealt with some heavy themes and it did so with such heart and honesty. The characters are wonderfully written, even the smaller ones, and the relationship between the two leads, Juliet and Declan, was beautifully done. I don’t often get emotional reading books but LTTL was very close to getting me there. The sense of catharsis I felt upon reaching the end of it is hard to put into words. The story may be a little melodramatic for some people but if you can get on board with it, it’s an enjoyable (if sad) read.

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5. The Wicked King – Holly Black | ★★★★ .5 | Review

In 2019, I can say that I binge-read this book not only once, but twice! And I loved it just as much the second time as the first. While The Queen of Nothing may have been disappointing, The Wicked King certainly wasn’t. This book was full of twists, devious characters, addictive romantic tension and political machinations. It expanded on the world building of the series somewhat, made me fall more in love with Jude & Cardan, and just generally had me glued to the page from start to finish. The book hangover was strong with this one!

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4. The Name of the Wind – Patrick Rothfuss | ★★★★★

Say hello to the largest book I tackled in 2019. It may have taken me months to get there but the adventure & effort were worth it in the end. Sure, the writing can be a little wordy at times and there’s some issues with the story (e.g. female characters), there’s just something about this book! I’m not sure if it’s the witty, talented protagonist, the phenomenal world building (magic, currency, history, lore!) or just the general journey that the story takes you on from start to finish. Regardless, I really enjoyed this brick and I understand why it’s considered a fantasy masterpiece. I’ll surely read book two, The Wise Man’s Fear. Well, maybe when I know that book 3 is actually in sight.

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3. The Poppy War – R.F. Kuang | ★★★★★

On first glance, I was intimidated by the size of The Poppy War but in keeping with my resolution to read some bigger books in 2019, I gave it a go. I’m so glad that I did because it was absolutely fantastic. This was an emotionally intense ride full of violence, death and pain, and every time I thought I knew how things would progress, I was completely wrong. It’s beautifully written (drawing from Chinese history to shape it’s narrative), has a strong, well developed protagonist, great world building, and engrossing action. It also happens to include a few of my favourite fantasy tropes like training academies and mentorship. The fact that this is a debut novel is crazy to me and I’m looking forward to getting around to reading the sequel, The Dragon Republic.

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2. Red, White & Royal Blue – Casey McQuiston | ★★★★★ | Review

I knew the moment I started reading RW&RB that it’d be on this list. I’m somewhat stingy with my five star ratings (I should work on that!) but had no trouble handing one out here. Much like Simon or TATBILB in 2018, this was a breath of fresh air- fun, romantic, great characters, diverse, and laugh out loud funny. The US first son falls in love with the Prince of Wales. That set up alone is pure gold. Throw in some potentially murderous turkeys, a bit of polo, a few Star Wars references, and some major queer positivity, and you have a winner! There’s no doubt in my mind that I’ll re-read this down the line.

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And here we are, at my number one read for 2019. If you’ve read through a few of my blog posts this year, you’re not likely to be surprised by this particular choice. It’s not only a great book but written by a fantastic author.

* Drumroll*

1. Skyward – Brandon Sanderson | ★★★★★ | Review

The first half of 2019 was full of great books but looking back, Skyward was my favourite. I totally get the Sanderson magic now. This book had me completely gripped and made it so difficult to put it down (getting off my morning train was a sad moment). As someone who doesn’t usually visualise books as I read them, I was surprised at just how fantastically this novel played out in my head, much like an action packed movie. I fell in love with the characters, especially Spensa and her sassy talking ship, M-Bot, laughed at the dialogue, absorbed every bit of detail about the world, and overall just had an amazing time. If you enjoy science fiction with heart, this is the perfect read for you. I cannot wait to dig into Starsight!

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What do you think of my 2019 top 10? And which book came out on top for you this year?

** Top 10 Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl but which originated on the now retired blog The Broke and the Bookish. **

Breakfast and Books: The Pancake Book Tag

I love pancakes. LOVE THEM. Maple syrup, lemon & sugar, Nutella, all of it. Load me up and then get ready to wheel me out the door when I’m done. Breakfast food is the best, honestly. So, how could I possibly resist doing a pancakes themed book tag? I can’t. It’s impossible. This sweet tag (along with the ridiculously cute pancake graphics) was created by Becky over at Blogs of a Bookaholic and which I stumbled across thanks to another breakfast lover, Kat at Novels & Waffles. All this food talk is making me very hungry…

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The Rules

• Link back to the original creator (Becky @ Blogs of a Bookaholic)
• Feel free to use any of the pancake graphics in your post, or create your own!
• Tag 5 other people at the end of your post, and let them know you’ve tagged them. 

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I have to agree with Becky on this one – while I wasn’t head over heels for the characters and plot in Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus (it’s certainly very…different), the writing is beyond lovely. I’m not usually one for flowery descriptions or phrases that attempt to be deep and profound, but some of the lines from this book are just beautiful. Reading it is, well, to quote the book itself, “Like stepping into a fairy tale under a curtain of stars.” As a book about a magical and mysterious circus, the fantasy of the writing is perfectly suited to its story.

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Kvothe from The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss is the first character that comes to mind on this one because he’s sharp in both wit and temperament. Intellect wise, he’s basically a prodigy, especially where it comes to magic and music. However, it’s his wit and snappy tongue that get him in to trouble when he reaches university. Pissing off the sons of wealthy nobles with a lot of pride and influence is not always the best idea… But hey, at least it’s entertaining: “I even started a few rumors that were pure nonsense, lies so outrageous that people would repeat them despite the fact that they were obviously untrue.”

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God, I love pancakes & nutella..*drools* There are a few books that are for sure comfort reads for me (usually YA contemporaries), but this time around I’m going with To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han. Honestly, that whole series in general is the sweetest, most easy-breezy, comforting set of books. And so quick to finish, too! Lara Jean is such an adorable protagonist and, despite their issues, I love LJ and Peter together. Even the side characters are loveable. It just gives me all the warm fuzzies.

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The Wicked King by Holly Black – the book hangover was strong with this one. I guess that’s what happens when you sit and do nothing else but read for hours on end until the book is over and then have to remember what you normally do with your life. I was so excited for this release and hooked from start to finish. Then it ended on a big twist and I was like….what. I have to wait a year to get the next one? Brain does not compute. Why. Why. Why.

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I’m going with one of my faves, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid for this prompt. Indulgent? Check. Feels? A million times check. I flippin’ love this book. Its such a dramatic ride and it really manages to hit you in the guts at several points. Despite its many issues, I can’t help being intrigued by the gliz and glamour of old school Hollywood, which is what drew me to this book originally. Plus, I can never resist a well developed romance, even when I know it’s going to break my heart to pieces.

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Ah, Baz. You start out so rude and potentially murderous only to turn out to have the hots for the chosen one. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell is such a bizarre yet fun book and Tyrannus Basilton “Baz” Grimm-Pitch is easily one of the best parts. He’s all like, why yes, I may have tried to kill you on more than one occasion, potentially stole your girlfriend and constantly acted like an ass for about six years, but I am in fact sensitive, possess a traumatic backstory, currently dealing with my vampirism, and very much in love with your blue eyes and bronze curls Simon Snow. Winner.

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The plot in The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton definitely kept me guessing, mainly because it’s so intricately done and tricky to pin down until the last third or so. There’s just so much happening with all the different timelines and characters. For large chunks of the book, the main character is even more confused than the reader is. Still, it all manages to come together in the end. This book is surely one of the more creative mystery stories I’ve ever read. It’s nice to read something that isn’t really predictable from the get-go.

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A weird choice considering I haven’t read past book 4, but for some reason my brain keeps flashing it up – Aelin & Rowan from the Throne of Glass series. When Rowan was introduced in book 3, I was still hung up on Aelin & Chaol so I was sitting there going, please, please don’t become a romantic thing (even though I could see it coming from a mile away). But, then the idea grew on me over Queen of Shadows. Since then I’ve seen a lot of snippets, recaps, and discussions of the later books and I think that if I actually finished the series I’d be very much on board with the ship because of how loyal they are to one another and how much crap they go through together.

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Don’t worry, Becky. I’m not much of a fan of Peanut Butter either, except for Reese’s Peanut Butter cups weirdly enough. Anyway, ugh Marcus Farrar from The Ember Quartet by Sabaa Tahir takes the cake (or pancake) on this one. The guy just makes my skin crawl and for good reason. He sexually assaults slaves, hurts people for the pleasure of it, and just murders as he likes. I can’t say too much because of spoilers, but Marcus does some seriously messed up stuff during the series, especially during book 2 – A Torch Against the Night.

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I may have had a few problems with The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi but the characters were not one of them. In fact, they were the best part! And they’re so fabulously diverse. We’ve got Algerian-French, Indian, Filipino-Spanish, Polish, and Haitian-French covered just in the main cast alone. There’s straight characters, bi characters, curvy characters, skinny characters…ahhhh…it makes my heart do a little happy dance. They’re all so quirky and brilliant, and create this perfect little found family. If only more books achieved this.

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Annnnnnndddddd…now I’m dying for pancakes. Why do I do these things to myself. *cries* Speaking of which, are you guys team pancakes or team waffles? I think I prefer pancakes but I absolutely love both. Give me a breakfast smorgasbord, pretty please.

I’m going to do my usual no tagging thing but if you love pancakes and feel like giving this tag a go, I strongly recommend it. I had a blast. Just make sure you eat beforehand!

The Mid-Year Freak Out Tag: 2019 Edition

Around this time last year I did the Mid-Year Freak Out Tag for the first time. It turned out to be a really great way of wrapping up the first half of the year so I’m bringing it back to my blog for a second go around in 2019.

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Best Book of the Year So Far

I hate this question. Why? Why must you do this to me straight out of the gate? At this point, I’ve had a couple of 5 Star reads in 2019 (which I included as part of my top 10 reads of 2019 so far earlier this week) so this question is touggghhhh. I think I may hold out on answering this one for the moment. I know, such a cop out.

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Favourite Sequel So Far

The Wicked King – Holly Black

Oh good, an easy one. Phew. The Wicked King takes this award for now. This series is an addiction for me. I just want to devour it all as fast as possible. I had high hopes for this sequel and it didn’t disappoint, thank god. The problem is, that after finishing it in about 24 hours, the wait for book three seemed ESPECIALLY agonising. I’ll definitely be re-reading this at some point down the line.

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A New Release You Have Yet to Read but are Excited To

Sorcery of Thorns – Margaret Rogerson

Most of my crazy-excited-for releases for 2019 either have already been read or are still yet to be released. However, Sorcery of Thorns is something I am looking forward to reading even if I’m not jumping out of my chair excited. The reviews have been good so far which is encouraging and I still find the blurb intriguing even after several months of it sitting on my Goodreads TBR. Fingers crossed for a good read when I get around to both buying and reading it.

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Most Anticipated Release for the rest of 2019

This is another tough question. I recently did a Top Ten Tuesday on precisely this topic. There were six books on my list and I can safely say I’m really looking forward to getting my hands on all of them. The later months of the year can’t come fast enough. Still, if I absolutely had to narrow it down to just two, it’d likely be The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black & Darkdawn by Jay Kristoff – the minute those come out I’ll be locking myself in my room and reading until the late hours.

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Biggest Disappointment So Far This Year

King of Scars – Leigh Bardugo

KoS wasn’t a bad read, just an average one. Then again, expectations were super high on this one. I’m still madly in love with the characters (I’m officially head of the Zoya fan club now) but the plot in KoS was on the slow side for me. When we did finally find some momentum, I wasn’t majorly engaged by the choice of narrative direction (even with the inclusion of an awesome dragon). Plus the ending… talk about complicated feelings.

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Biggest Surprise

Again, but Better – Christine Riccio

Kind of a negative surprise with this one and mostly in terms of the number of issues there were with the writing. For someone who’s read as many books as Christine has in this genre and who’s actual job is talking about their pros & cons, I expected something better than this and was generally surprised that this was what she ended up with. More importantly, how her publisher and editor failed to course correct on a lot of things (e.g. extraneous detail) was also a little odd.

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Favourite New to You or Debut Author

Colleen Hoover

Despite having heard really good things about them, I had never read a Colleen Hoover book until this year. I can now say that I’ve read two and really liked both of them. It Ends with Us was an interesting look at an abusive relationship and it actually made me consider things in a way I hadn’t before. Verity, on the other hand, was dark and addictive, and very enjoyable. I’ll definitely check out more of her books in the future.

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Favourite Fictional Crush

None of the characters in the books I’ve read so far this year have really done anything for me on this side of things. There have certainly been a lot of characters that I’ve really liked, just not ones I’ve sat there swooning over. A lot of the time I get really on board with shipping characters with each other but not with me. Check back at the end of the year!

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New Favourite Character

Spensa Nightshade (Skyward – Brandon Sanderson)

There are several good characters in the books I’ve read so far this year but I’ll go with Spensa for this one. She’s definitely someone who takes some getting used to at first (as in, she’s hugely intense) but after a while you see just how strong, hardworking, funny, loyal and kind she is. If I needed to pick a fictional character to have my back in a tough situation, Spensa would be high on the list. Bonus – she’s also a kick ass pilot.

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A Book That Made You Cry

Always Never Yours – Emily Wibberly & Austin Siegemund-Broka

I don’t really cry during books very often. It’s probably happened with only about three or four, so this one I base on getting that sad, hollow feeling in your chest. Always Never Yours is actually a fun and sweet, little contemporary, but for some reason, towards the end of the book, where Megan is feeling really lost and down on herself, it hit me harder than expected. Of course, it ends happily (as you would want in a book like this).

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A Book That Made You Happy

Red, White & Royal Blue – Casey McQuiston

RW&RB very much gave me the happys. I had a huge smile on my face throughout large chunks of it which is partially why I rated it so highly. It’s such a sweet, positive and funny read. Honestly, if you’re having a bad day or even week, this book is definitely the medicine to rectify it. Bring a little Henry and Alex into your life.

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Favourite Adaptation so Far

As I mentioned recently in one of my wrap ups, I finally got around to watching seasons one and two of Killing Eve and massively enjoyed it. This show is an adaptation of the e-book novellas by Luke Jennings. The series blends espionage, thrills, drama and dark comedy into something unique and wonderful. The acting is fabulous (Jodie and Sandra = love) and I’m so keen for season three, whenever it makes itself known. And with only short season runs, it’s perfectly bingeable.

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Favourite Post You’ve Written So Far This Year

Like last year, I’ll choose two posts for this prompt – a book review and a discussion. I have a bit of a soft spot for my Skyward by Brandon Sanderson review. I like the flow and the coverage. Discussion wise, I enjoyed writing about the importance of fanfiction and thought it was a cute and fun topic to look at.

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Most Beautiful Book Bought

The Name of the Wind 10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition – Patrick Rothfuss

I took a chance and bought this special edition without knowing whether I’d like the book itself. But the darn thing just looks so damn pretty. There’s beautiful illustrations scattered throughout, a nice looking jacket, red stained page edges, info about money, calendars and a whole bunch of other things, and I rather like the front inner cover as well. No regrets at all.

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Books you Want to Read Before the End of the Year

I definitely need to do a reread of both Nevernight books to get primed and refreshed for when Darkdawn releases later this year. It’ll probably take me a good long while, but I’d also very much like to tackle The Priory of the Orange Tree in all it’s bug smashing, paper weight glory. And if I were being super optimistic, I’d love it if I finally went back to and finished Iron Gold, especially considering The Dark Age will be released very, very soon. Hopefully they’re all achievable goals!

It’s crazy to think we’re more than halfway through the year now. If only I were halfway towards my Goodreads goal as well – eek! Still, despite this tag’s name, I wouldn’t say I’m freaking out too much this year. Hopefully I have a bunch of exciting books to tackle in the second half of the year.

Top 10 Tuesday: Favourite Reads of 2019…So Far

This week’s Top 10 Tuesday topic is actually supposed to be a character based freebie. However, as we’re now around halfway through 2019, I’m doing a list of my favourite reads of the year so far. I did a similar list in 2018 and found it really interesting to compare it with the final top 10 at the end of the year to see how things had changed. So here they are, in no particular order and excluding re-reads:

Red, White & Royal Blue – Casey McQuiston

The first of several obvious choices for this list. I don’t hand out five stars that often in my reviews but this fun book is one of a few that have successfully hit the jackpot in 2019. I had such a good time reading this – the characters are great, the dialogue is funny, it’s super queer positive, and the romance is so shippable it hurts. This is a perfect example of what new adult could be. As my eleven year old self would have said, Alex and Henry 4eva!

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The Wicked King – Holly Black

You know those books that you’re so excited for, you binge read them in about a day? It’s rare for me these days but TWK was one of them and not a disappointment at all. The twists keep coming, the characters are still devious little bastards, the romance smolders just a bit, and we get more info on the world. I can’t get enough of this series and I’m counting down the days until The Queen of Nothing releases.

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The Poppy War – R. F. Kuang

I like big BOOKS and I cannot lie…especially if it’s this book. The Poppy War was an intense ride (how could it not be drawing from especially bloody moments in Chinese history) but dramatically enjoyable all the same. This book had some turns I didn’t see coming and ended in a way that had me going, did that really just happen? Like other books on this list, is has great characters and a fascinating setting. It also features a layered protagonist, plus bonus points were awarded for catering to some of my fantasy trope fettishes.

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Skyward – Brandon Sanderson

Why, hello there kickass sci-fi written by a fantastic fantasy writer. This book is basically a movie in literary form, in the best way possible. There’s humour, friendship, action, compelling world building, an engaging plot, and characters that grow on you like moss. The sequel to Skyward is another one of my most anticipated releases for the rest of the year because after that ending, I need to know where we go from here. But also I miss Spensa’s random proclamations of blood and violence.

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Verity – Colleen Hoover

If I had one word to describe Verity, it’d be ‘addictive’ because this was one book I had a lot of trouble putting down. It’s different from Colleen’s usual romantic reads (there is a romance though) but it goes to show, she can do thrillers just as well as her usual genre. A creepy setting, a story which makes you question everything, and then an ending which goes from 0-100 – definitely a book I’ll be recommending to friends.

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The Boy Who Steals Houses – C. G. Drews

TBWSH was an unexpected gem. This novel was such a perfect mix of sweet and fluffy, and tear your heart out sad. It’s got memorable characters, great autism rep, fun banter, and lovely sibling relationships. And waffles, can’t forget the waffles. As far as YA contemporaries go, a good choice and from an Aussie author to boot!

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Fangirl – Rainbow Rowell

This book is one of the most loved YA contemporaries around and in January, I finally sat down and read it. I honestly expected the hype to be massively over the top on Fangirl, but I ended up really enjoying it. As a bookworm, I think it’s hard not to relate to Cat on some level in all her crazy fan ways. I liked the fact that the book was a little older in feeling than some other YA out there and also that it took the time to deal with some not so light topics whilst still feeling sweet overall. Worth a reread down the line.

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The Name of the Wind – Patrick Rothfuss

It only took me about four months but it was certainly worth the time and effort. The amount of work that’s gone into this book is pretty staggering and even if I hadn’t enjoyed the story itself, that alone would be impressive. However, I did enjoy the story. There will likely be people out there who’ll find the direction and pacing a bit slow but for me, I was there for it from start to finish. Now the question is: do I read book two knowing book three is nowhere near release or hold off? Hm…

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It Ends with Us – Colleen Hoover

Colleen is doing very well as far as my 2019 is concerned. This was my first experience with her writing and I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, only that it would involve a romance and some form of complication. Here she manages to take something as dark as domestic violence and handle it fantastically with all of its emotional complexity. It really helped me think about things differently than I had before. The characters are also likeable, deep and really help connect you with the story itself.

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The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet – Becky Chambers

While the plot is slower at points, the strengths of this particular book are it’s rich and diverse characters, and fabulous world building. Chamber’s universe is full of a multitude of vastly different species all with their own languages, cultures, and histories, and just travelling the universe with her lovely, little Wayfarer crew (or family) is a wonderful ride in itself. There’s adventure, humour, romance, friendship, and most importantly, acceptance of anyone and everyone for exactly who they are.

And that’s my top ten reads for 2019…so far. I expect things to shift a lot by the time we reach the end of the year if 2018 is anything to go by. From what I can see at this point, I’ve read quite a lot of good books over the past six months. Here’s hoping for a bunch more during the rest of the year!

What are some of your favourite reads of 2019 so far?

And That’s a Wrap: June ’19 Edition

Six months down, six months to go. I’m now almost exactly halfway towards my reading goal for 2019. Up until the beginning of last week, I was about 3 weeks behind on my challenge which was stressful to put it mildly, especially since I’ve consistently been ahead of the game up until this month. Still, I’m pushing through. Let’s have a look back at June.

This month was a light one for me in terms of the number of books finished. I had a slow start to the beginning of June and my motivation to read was fairly low for some inexplicable reason (even though I was reading books I was enjoying). It’s improved a little in the last few weeks but we’ll have to see how July goes. The books I managed to finish this month were:

Strange the Dreamer – Laini Taylor ★★★★.5 | Review

Strange the Dreamer was a re-read for me. I knew there was no way I’d be able to tackle Muse of Nightmares without doing one. As expected, the book was just as good as the first time around. I love the world building, characters, and absolutely stunning writing – Laini makes magic with words. While the plot is slow, I really enjoy it and the book definitely goes out with a bang.

Muse of Nightmares – Laini Taylor ★★★★

While I didn’t enjoy this as much as Strange the Dreamer, I still think it’s a really good book. I appreciate how Laini was able to expand her world and story in an unexpected direction, however, I’m not entirely sure how I feel about the resolution to that expansion. It was great to get some more backstory on the Mesarthim and answers to the questions from STD. The book treats its characters well (plus introduces compelling new ones) and I like that it still manages to keep smaller roles in the picture.

All the Bright Places – Jennifer Niven ★★★.5

This is a tough one to review. For the most part I found ATBP mildly enjoyable. It has some really lovely moments and the characters are okay (even though Finch does seem a little ‘manic pixie dream boy’). The book also puts a spotlight on some heavy topics like suicide, abuse and mental health – even though I’m questioning the way these were handled at times. However, the book does feel a bit emotionally manipulative and even with the author drawing on her own experiences, the ending still feels like something you’d find only in a novel. This was an up and down read for me which made scoring it hard. I have to say though, Jennifer Niven’s author’s note is an easy five stars.

Magic for Liars – Sarah Gailey ★★★

Harry Potter meets Noir. The concept for MfL is great and I was quite excited about it. In the end though, the execution could have been better. Despite dealing with some emotional things, the characters and story didn’t connect with me as much as they should have. There are a few plot elements that feel kind of thrown in without much real purpose and I wasn’t so keen on the ending itself. However, I did enjoy the way magic was handled (a little more scientifically) and the general mystery aspect (even if it did take a bit of time to warm up).

The Name of the Wind – Patrick Rothfuss ★★★★★

It’s been about four months and by George, I’ve finally done it. And what a fabulous ride it was. I’ve had this book on my to read list for about 8 years(!) and kept putting it off for fear it’d be slow and disappointing. While I can understand why it may not appeal to some people, that wasn’t the case for me. I thoroughly enjoyed reading TNotW at a leisurely pace – the characters, the incredible and extensive world building, even the writing itself, it’s all fantastic and I understand why it’s considered a masterpiece of the fantasy genre.

In June I added four books to my physical TBR. NOS4A2 and Recursion were both bought using birthday money (and credit on my Dymocks membership card – win).

This month Book Depository also had a good sale going on and FINNNAAALLLLYYY the hardback edition of Winter was discounted. I’ve been waiting a very long time for this. There was a happy dance involved before I hit the order button.

Magic for Liars was an ARC approval but weirdly enough I was only approved for it on release day. Still, I’m not going to complain about a free copy of a book I was interested in reading.

• New Releases in June
• WWW Wednesday | 12.06.19
• Let’s Talk: Bookish Pet Peeves
• Top 10 Tuesday: Most Anticipated Releases for the Second Half of 2019
• Let’s Talk: The Challenges of Reviewing Diverse YA Books

I meant to read Beartown in June but with my lacking motivation for the past month, that just didn’t happen. I’ve started it today and I hope it’s as good as people have said. Last month I bought Legendary and in order to refresh my memory, I’ll probably do a re-read of Caraval some time in July as well. As for the rest of this month’s reads, it’s a bit of a mystery. We’ll see how I feel as the weeks progress.

MUSIC

Songs I had on repeat in June were:

• Don’t Throw it Away & Rollercoaster – The Jonas Brothers (Happiness Begins)
• Never Really Over – Katy Perry
• You Need to Calm Down – Taylor Swift
• Outta My Head – John Mayer & Khalid
• Star Maps – Aly & AJ

TV & MOVIES

I watched less TV & movies in June than usual but what I did watch included:

• Stranger Things S1 & S2 (rewatch to prepare for S3 in July)
• Started HBO’s Chernobyl mini series
• Started Veronica Mars (rewatch to prepare for S4 in July)

LIFE

• This month both my sister and I celebrated birthdays – we’re 4 years and 3 days apart. They were both very low key this year. Twenty-six is a…littttttle bit scary but I guess time progresses even if we don’t want it to.
• At work we’ve been preparing to move to a brand new office which we finally did just a few days before the end of the month. It’s going to take some getting used to but it’s good to have a bit more space.
• I’ve been wanting to get back into bookstagram lately but boy, finding the right light during winter is hard. One minute the sun is there and the next, poof, behind a cloud. *sigh*

And that’s a wrap on June. Not the best month reading or blogging wise (except for my finally finishing The Name of the Wind, which I’m psyched about). Here’s hoping for a better month in July all around.

Top 10 Tuesday: Books on my Autumn TBR

You guys know the drill by now – it’s Spring in the northern hemisphere but it’s Autumn in the land down under (thank god, I am beyond over Summer). Here are ten books I hope to get through over the current season:

It Ends with Us – Colleen Hoover

I don’t real a lot of pure romance books and the ones I do read are usually more light, fun chick-lit type books, but hey, it’s good to branch out occasionally. Colleen seems to be a super popular author in this genre (her books are always popping up on Goodreads) and It Ends with Us is one of her most popular books. I’ve heard that this one is deep and a lot more emotionally powerful than some of her other works. A few people whose reviews I trust have really liked this one so here’s hoping I do too!

Daisy Jones & The Six – Taylor Jenkins Reid

Alright, alright, so technically I’m reading this as we speak. However, in my defense, these TBR related TTT topics are never assigned right at the beginning of the season. What about the books I wanted to read in the first two weeks of Autumn, huh? Well, this is one of them. I’ve been waiting on this release ever since I fell hard for The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo last year. Another period piece with a strong woman at its centre, how could I resist? The book is told entirely as interview transcripts. It’ll put some people off, but that’s inevitable. Still, it’d make a great audiobook!

What If It’s Us? – Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera

The way my mind seems to work: Maybe if I put this book on enough TBR lists, I’ll re-discover the motivation to finally read the damn thing. It’s been MONTHS. Just do it already, my gosh. Like, its Becky! And Adam! With sweet, cinnamon roll gay boys, theater, diversity, and Harry Potter references galore. What more should I need? I’m going to do it, I WILL DO IT.

Strange the Dreamer – Laini Taylor (Re-Read)

I was excited to read Muse of Nightmares when it came out last year, really, I was. But then, being my usual self, I didn’t. Now here we are, with my terrible sieve brain having retained nowhere near enough information about book one, making it a crime to try and read book two without doing a re-read. So that’s what I’m doing. I make it sound like a chore, but honestly, this book is so damn enjoyable. It’s also too pretty for it’s own good, so I’m looking forward to reintroducing myself to Weep, Sarai and Lazlo.

Aurora Rising (The Aurora Cycle 1#) – Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Come on, as if I’m not going to just drop everything to read this when it comes out on May 7th. I am so excited for this book. It’s Jay and Amie back at it again with the epic space adventures and quirky characters. I feel like I’ve been waiting ages for this, ever since they dropped word of it at an Obsidio signing. It’s supposedly The Breakfast Club meets Guardians of the Galaxy. How could it possibly fail?

The Vanishing Stair (Truly Devious 2#) – Maureen Johnson

The reasoning behind this choice is simple and two-fold: 1) Because I want to, and 2) because I need to read it before I forget all of the important crimey-wimey details necessary to understanding the story. Truly Devious took a while to get into its groove but once it got there, it was a lot of fun so I’m really looking forward to continuing the momentum with The Vanishing Stair. Maybe it’ll give me some answers on a couple of the lasting questions from book one. Fingers crossed.

Middlegame – Seanan McGuire

Now, this one is an ARC copy. I’m not allowed to publish a full review until about 2 weeks before the release date, which happens to be in May. Consequently, because I just can’t help myself, I’ve been putting off reading it until closer to the time I can write and then publish my review. The upside, it sounds awesome – there’s twins, alchemy, time travel, multiverses, and fairy tale elements. Hello, smorgasbord. I haven’t read any of Seanan’s other books but I’ve heard people rave about them. If this one goes well, I’ll have to check out the rest.

Always Never Yours – Emily Wibberly & Austin Siegemund-Broka

After hearing lots of wonderfully fluffy and sweet things about this YA contemporary, I ordered myself a copy off Book Depository last year. I’m still yet to read it, though. Typical. I think I’m saving this one for when I need something to make me feel good about the world and leave me soft and squishy inside. Also, the fact it was written by a married couple is honestly goals and the most adorable thing ever. I’m looking forward to falling in love with Megan and seeing her get a happy ending.

The Name of the Wind (The King Killer Chronicle 1#) – Patrick Rothfuss

This is another one I’ve already started but I can safely say, considering how long it is and how slowly I’m progressing, it’s likely to last the entire season. The Name of the Wind has been on my radar for years now. People always seem to be talking about it, even though the first book was released over ten years ago (fans are still waiting on the third – Rothfuss and George RR Martin have the same attitude to writing, clearly). I haven’t read many lengthy fantasy books in recent years and it’s good to get back to one. So far, it’s going well and I am thoroughly enjoying taking my sweet time.

Beartown – Fredrik Backman

I only recently discovered Beartown and was so intrigued that I went and bought it on my next trip to the bookstore. Backman’s books have a fabulous track record of high ratings and this one is no different. I’ve always been a sucker for the small town with dark secrets vibe so I had trouble resisting this one, even though it does have a sporting element. I think it’ll also be good to break up my usual Fantasy, YA, YA-Fantasy pattern.

What books are on your Spring/Autumn TBR for 2019? Are they all backlist books or do you think you’ll tackle some new releases as soon as they drop?

For more on Top 10 Tuesday, visit That Artsy Reader Girl.

WWW Wednesday | 13.03.19

It’s time for another edition of WWW Wednesday, a post in which we answer the big three questions – 1) what have you just finished reading, 2) what are you currently reading, and 3) which book is up next?

Again, but Better – Christine Riccio | GR

Those of you who enjoy booktube will be familiar with Christine Riccio, or PolandBananasBOOKS. In May, Christine will be releasing her debut and I was lucky enough to be granted an ARC. This book is a YA contemporary set at university in London with a time travel element thrown in. It was a very mixed bag for me, there were some things I liked and quite a few I had issues with. Honestly, the first half was a 2 star read, maybe even less. It’s mostly the writing but, admittedly, the plot was boring me, too. However, once we hit the midway twist, the story picked up a lot and the writing noticeably improved, bumping my enjoyment up to about 4 stars! Then…it slowed down again, the characters did stupid things, and the book ended in a mishmash of super adorable, unbelievable, & rushed. I’m conflicted.

A Curse so Dark and Lonely – Brigid Kemmerer | GR

I’ve been waiting on this one for ages! I’m a huge Beauty and the Beast fan but, surprisingly, I haven’t read many retellings. Weird, right? At this point, I’m about 400 pages in (I’ll likely finish tomorrow). While it’s not the most amazing book I’ve ever read and I’m not crazy determined to devour it as fast as humanely possible, I’ve had an entertaining time with it on my morning commute for the last week. The characters are likeable (I love the fact that it features a MC with cerebral palsy still being a total badass) and I appreciate how BK has managed to keep so many elements of the original story but still (a) turned it into something typical of YA fantasy and (b) made it her own.

The Boy Who Steals Houses – C. G. Drews | GR

I can’t say much on this one yet as I’ve only started it this evening. It’s another ARC and this time from popular book blogger/bookstagrammer, Paper Fury. I wasn’t sure whether I’d be a fan of Cait’s writing style but the idea for this book was just so intriguing, I had to give it a go. It’s about a boy who breaks into people’s vacant houses and gets caught up when one family returns home unexpectedly. He ends up sticking around by virtue of the fact that the kids in the large family keep assuming he’s a friend of one of their siblings. So far, I’m really enjoying it, more than expected! I hope it keeps up.

The Name of the Wind – Patrick Rothfuss | GR

At last, after years of putting it off, I’ve finally begun this enormous monster. Last month I splurged and bought a super expensive, and ridiculously pretty, 10th anniversary edition. So damn worth it though. This thing is way too big to read on a train so over the last few days I’ve been making time before bed each night to relax and just read it for half an hour or so. I’m not worrying about reading goals or how long it’ll take to finish, I’m just taking my time, and gosh, it’s such a nice change. The story, itself, has been slow to start with (I’m like 70 pages in?) but I’ve been finding it weirdly enjoyable. I really hope this one lives up to the hype cause I’ll be massively disappointed if it doesn’t.

Daisy Jones & the Six – Taylor Jenkins Reid | GR

As usual, I have a whole bunch of books on my TBR that have been sitting there for ages and what do I want to read? The book I purchased last week. Eh, I go where the reading momentum takes me. This is another one I’ve been super excited for, ever since I read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and fell in love last year. I know this book is very different in style (it’s in interview format) than her previous books, but I’m really keen to get stuck in. Maybe it’s because I just finished re-watching Bohemian Rhapsody and famous bands are on the brain? Who knows.

How’s things going in your reading world right now? Give me the low-down.

Have you read any of these yet? What did you think?

WWW Wednesday is hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.

Top 10 Tuesday: Backlist Books I Want to Read

I’mmmmm backkkk! It’s been about a month and here I am again, ready to get stuck into some Top Ten Tuesday fun.

Is it just me, or are there about a zillion and one amazing looking books released every few months? I go to cross one anticipated release off my TBR list only to find I have to add five more to it. For this reason, it’s pretty easy to get caught up in new releases and neglect the poor book babies which have been angrily screaming, ‘You promised to read me last month’ for about five years.

I also need to consider that every so often I find my reading tastes and interests change or expand a little. This tends to open my eyes up to a whole bunch of amazing books from years ago which I may not have been aware of before. For example, I only really started getting into YA contemporaries last year which means I have a lot of catching up to do in terms of the super popular books in that category.

Here are ten books published at least 2 years ago which I’d like to read at some point:

Siege & Storm – Leigh Bardugo (2013)

I now own all three books, and having finally done my re-read of Shadow and Bone at the end of October, I’m planning to push on to Siege & Storm soon. I’m looking forward to finally getting a proper introduction to Nikolai, who people can’t seem to discuss without swooning. I didn’t mind book one but I wasn’t in love with it. Still, I’m willing to give the rest of the series a go because 1) Leigh is awesome and 2) I’d really like to read King of Scars when it comes out.

Fangirl – Rainbow Rowell (2013)

As I mentioned above, I only jumped on the YA contemporary bandwagon last year so I’m still working my way through the so called holy grail books of the genre. Fangirl seems to be one of them. Weirldy enough, I’ve already read Carry On which came after (and only because of) this book so it’ll be interesting reading the fan fiction sections. Hopefully I find it as cute and relatable as people (constanty) keep saying it is. I mean, I am a bit of a hermit and I have written fan fiction so the odds are in its favour.

The Long Walk – Richard Bachman aka. Stephen King (1979)

I’m not entirely sure how I stumbled across this one. I think I may have been googling lists of the best Stephen King books? (Totally normal bookworm behaviour, of course). This one peaked my interest. It’s about a race in which 100 boys have to keep walking above a certain speed for as long as possible. They have three warnings and if they exceed them, they get murdered. Winner gets whatever their heart desires. It sounds super dark but really compelling. It’s also a reasonable length, unlike some of King’s more famous pieces, but then again, he published this one under a pseudonum. I’m hoping it’s an interesting read.

The Darkest Minds – Alexandra Bracken (2012)

I’ve mentioned this one on some other lists recently so apologies for being an uncreative and repetitious dork. I was never super motivated to actually read TDM until the movie came out but everyone raves about these books so I think I need to find out what the fusss is about. Also POWERS. I LOVE POWERS! I’m hoping to find some loveable characters but I’m a little worried about the book just feeling like every other dystopian YA I’ve read. I also tend to get bored with over the top military/government organisation involvement in certain kinds of stories so fingers crossed it doesn’t happen with this one.

The Winner’s Curse – Marie Rutkoski (2014)

This series seems to come up a lot in YA fantasy/dystopian circles, especially when people are talking favourite ships. I’ll admit, the books look a little trashy – the covers give me some serious The Selection vibes (which my guilty pleasure lovin’ self had sooooo much fun with) and I’m worried there will be a heap of tropes, instalove and a lack of proper development. STILL my curious brain cannot be dissuaded. I have to do it. I’m hoping they end up being as enjoyable as everyone says. If so, they’re short reads and they’ll look gorgeous in my bookshelf, triple win!!

The Scorpio Races – Maggie Stiefvater (2011)

I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve been in the bookstore, picked this one up, thought about buying it and then decided to hold off. The plot sounds really exciting (intense live-or-die race involving water horses? Um, Yes!) and I’ve heard a heap of good things about it (it’s slow but really atmospheric and poignant). Plus, it’s a standalone so no need to wait years for pesky sequels which may or may not live up to expectations. I may not always adore Maggie’s books but I have to admit that she always has interesting characters and concepts.

Let the Right One In – John Ajvide Lindqvist (2009)

I’ve been curious about this one ever since I saw the american adaptation years back. I’ve now seen both the Swedish and US versions so I’d really like to read the source material to see how it compares. After how romanticised vampires have become in literature over the years, it’ll be cool to read something with a darker, scarier, and more violent approach towards them. I’ve heard it’s quite intense and creepy so it should be a good change of pace.

 

The Name of the Wind – Patrick Rothfuss (2007)

I’ve been putting this one off for a very long time for three reasons. First, it’s not a small book  and 2018 Ashley seems to find that frightening. Second, I’ve heard it takes some time to really grab you. Third, it’s taking Rothfuss FOREVER to write the series, and who needs that pain and suffering in their life? However, pretty much everyone who loves fantasy has really enjoyed this series and I’m looking forward to seeing what all the hype is about. Please don’t end up being boring and disappointing.

The Well of Ascension – Brandon Sanderson (2007)

I’ve had this book in my bookcase for a few years now and I keep putting it off because I know I’ll need to re-read The Final Empire before I read it. My memory is basically swiss cheese these days and I remember nothing about book one. Okay, nothing other than the fact that the magic system is super cool and that Sanderson actually surprised me by killing off a major character before the climax. This is another series everyone who loves the fantasy genre gushes about. I enjoyed the first book and it’ll be interesting to see where the series goes after how it ended. Sanderson is a really amazing writer so it’ll be nice to get some more exposure to him.

Since You’ve Been Gone – Morgan Matson (2011)

Morgan Matson is another one of those YA contemporary authors that people seem to really enjoy. I read the blurb of this one and though it’d be a great choice for my first book of hers. The cover gives me such Summer vibes so don’t be surprised if this one shows up on a summer reads related post later on. I really love reading about well written female friendships in books and it seems ike Since You’ve Been Gone will have one at it’s core. Give me some cute moments and make me feel all the feelings, pretty please!

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What are some of the backlist books sitting on your TBR at the moment? Why haven’t you gotten around to them yet? Perhaps you’re like me and keep getting distracted by shiny, pretty new releases!