An orphaned child with little or no prospects, Pip expects very little from life. His sister makes it clear that her little brother is nothing but a burden on her. But suddenly things begin to change. Pip’s narrow existence is blown apart when he finds an escaped criminal, is summoned to visit a mysterious old woman and meets the icy beauty Estella. Most astoundingly of all, an anonymous person gives him money to begin a new life in London. Are these events as random as they seem? Or does Pip’s fate hang on a series of coincidences he could never have expected?
Thank you to Amy for the recommendation of this one! I’ve been reading a classic per month this year from my Wordsworth editions set, but recommended to me by my friends. I’ve picked most of the classics I’ve read so far up on audio, and this one was no different. I found this one to be quite daunting as a physical version, and the audiobook felt a lot more accessible, despite it being quite a long one.
I have to say, I definitely didn’t find this as dense as I expected, and I don’t think that’s just because of the audiobook. I generally found the language easier to get through than I anticipated. Although it could be quite a hard one to focus on at times, I only had to focus on the words to find this one much easier to get on with.
Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts.
I really liked the characters of this story, and honestly they were one of my favourite parts of this book. I felt so emotional for Pip, especially towards the end of this book, and just generally found the characters quite likable and that I couldn’t help but root for Pip. I also feel like some of the characters had a sense of mystery around them and I enjoyed seeing how their stories intertwined throughout the book.
I also really love the writing and I like it more and more as I reflect on the book and read some of the quotes. Dickens has a way of weaving beautiful sentences and creates such emotional scenes that I know will stay with me for a while to come.
I was better after I had cried, than before–more sorry, more aware of my own ingratitude, more gentle.
I would love to re-read this in the future and I already know it is one I will come back to throughout my life, much like A Christmas Carol which I now try to re-read every year.
Solving the Maze was supposed to be the end. No more puzzles. And no more running. Thomas was sure that escaping meant he would get his life back. But no one knew what sort of a life they were going back to… Burned and baked, the earth is a wasteland, its people driven mad by an infection known as the Flare. Instead of freedom, Thomas must face another trial. He must cross the Scorch to once again save himself and his friends.
Well, that was darker than expected. Reading this book made me realise how I often recommend this series to young teens at the bookshop I work in, and even I was slightly creeped out. There is definitely some scenes in here that weren’t included in the movies (at least not that I remember) and I can fully see why they were left out, because they were very dark. The earlier scenes also reminded me of some parts from Terminator 2: Judgement Day and I think if you’ve read this one and watched the films you will know what I mean!
In some ways this book did have a bit of second book syndrome and felt a little like a bridge book between the first and third books. I think this was partly because this book features a journey across a hot, flat desert…which made it feel like a journey bridging the two books and also made it feel a little flat. Which might sound stupid, but I honestly think it gave me some strange symbolism.
i felt her absence. it was like waking up one day with no teeth in your mouth.
I also felt a little bit of a disconnect to the characters and I just wish I felt more for the horrific things these characters go through. This book was quite dark in places and the characters have some incredibly traumatic times – however I just didn’t feel enough sympathy for them in my opinion.
One of the most positive parts of this book for me was the plot. The chapters were super short and I found this so easy to read because I didn’t want to put it down! I found this slightly quicker and easier to read than The Maze Runner (despite me reading that over a fewer amount of days). I just thought this one was slightly easier to pick up and felt a little more compelling than the first.
you wouldn’t need to run to the mirror to know they were gone
Overall this one was a little mediocre in comparison to my pleasant surprise of the first one in the series! However, I’m excited to read The Death Cure soon as I haven’t seen the film of that one so I have no idea what to expect there.
Hi everyone! I’ve decided to split my TBR’s and wrap-ups starting this month so I can focus on including my BookTube videos and giving my TBR’s the full attention they deserve. I read 14 books in July, which I’m proud of even though it’s a lot less than what I managed to read in June. I had a much busier month in July so I still think that’s a pretty decent amount! You can see my August TBR here and my July wrap-up on my YouTube channel below.
During the summer of his first year in high school, a young man named Hodaka runs away from home to the bustling city of Tokyo. Alone and exhausted, he decides to kill time in a fast food place, where he meets a young woman named Hina who happens to work there. Little does he know that Hina possesses powers that not only affect the weather, but the whole world…
If Bao Nguyen had to describe himself, he’d say he was a rock. Steady and strong, but not particularly interesting. His grades are average, his social status unremarkable. He works at his parents’ pho restaurant, and even there, he is his parents’ fifth favorite employee. Not ideal. If Linh Mai had to describe herself, she’d say she was a firecracker. Stable when unlit, but full of potential for joy and fire. She loves art and dreams pursuing a career in it. The only problem? Her parents rely on her in ways they’re not willing to admit, including working practically full-time at her family’s pho restaurant. For years, the Mais and the Nguyens have been at odds, having owned competing, neighboring pho restaurants. Bao and Linh, who’ve avoided each other for most of their lives, both suspect that the feud stems from feelings much deeper than friendly competition. But then a chance encounter brings Linh and Bao in the same vicinity despite their best efforts and sparks fly, leading them both to wonder what took so long for them to connect. But then, of course, they immediately remember. Can Linh and Bao find love in the midst of feuding families and complicated histories?
Sixteen years ago, after a scandal that rocked the world, teenagers Katherine and Matthew vanished without a trace. Now Clove Sutcliffe is determined to find her long lost relatives. But where do you start looking for a couple who seem to have been reincarnated at every key moment in history? Who were Kate and Matt? Why were they born again and again? And who is the mysterious Ella, who keeps appearing at every turn in Clove’s investigation? For Clove, there is a mystery to solve in the past and a love to find in the future, and failure could cost the world everything.
Here is a novel, glamorous, ironical, compassionate – a marvelous fusion into unity of the curious incongruities of the life of the period – which reveals a hero like no other – one who could live at no other time and in no other place. But he will live as a character, we surmise, as long as the memory of any reader lasts. It is the story of this Jay Gatsby who came so mysteriously to West Egg, of his sumptuous entertainments, and of his love for Daisy Buchanan – a story that ranges from pure lyrical beauty to sheer brutal realism, and is infused with a sense of the strangeness of human circumstance in a heedless universe. It is a magical, living book, blended of irony, romance, and mysticism.
Maeve Chambers doesn’t have much going for her. Not only does she feel like the sole idiot in a family of geniuses, she managed to drive away her best friend Lily a year ago. But when she finds a pack of dusty old tarot cards at school, and begins to give scarily accurate readings to the girls in her class, she realizes she’s found her gift at last. Things are looking up – until she discovers a strange card in the deck that definitely shouldn’t be there. And two days after she convinces her ex-best friend to have a reading, Lily disappears. Can Maeve, her new friend Fiona and Lily’s brother Roe find her? And will their special talents be enough to bring Lily back, before she’s gone for good?
Welcome to Niveus Private Academy, where money paves the hallways, and the students are never less than perfect. Until now. Because anonymous texter, Aces, is bringing two students’ dark secrets to light. Talented musician Devon buries himself in rehearsals, but he can’t escape the spotlight when his private photos go public. Head girl Chiamaka isn’t afraid to get what she wants, but soon everyone will know the price she has paid for power. Someone is out to get them both. Someone who holds all the aces. And they’re planning much more than a high-school game…
In 1998, a sixteen-year-old girl is found dead on school property, dressed in white and posed on a swing, with no known cause of death. The novel opens with this image, as related to us by the narrator, Violet, looking back on the night it happened from the present day, before returning to relate the series of events leading up to the girl’s murder. After an accident involving her Dad and sister, Violet joins Elm Hollow Academy, a private girls school in a quiet coastal town, which has an unpleasant history as the site of famous 17th century witch trials. Violet quickly finds herself invited to become the fourth member of an advanced study group, alongside Robin, Grace, and Alex – led by their charismatic art teacher, Annabel. While Annabel claims her classes aren’t related to ancient rites and rituals – warning the girls off the topic, describing it as little more than mythology – the girls start to believe that magic is real, and that they can harness it. But when the body of a former member of the society – Robin’s best friend, with whom Violet shares an uncanny resemblance – is found dead on campus nine months after she disappeared, Violet begins to wonder whether she can trust her friends, teachers, or even herself.
Nina Dean has arrived at her early thirties as a successful food writer with loving friends and family, plus a new home and neighbourhood. When she meets Max, a beguiling romantic hero who tells her on date one that he’s going to marry her, it feels like all is going to plan. A new relationship couldn’t have come at a better time – her thirties have not been the liberating, uncomplicated experience she was sold. Everywhere she turns, she is reminded of time passing and opportunities dwindling. Friendships are fading, ex-boyfriends are moving on and, worse, everyone’s moving to the suburbs. There’s no solace to be found in her family, with a mum who’s caught in a baffling mid-life makeover and a beloved dad who is vanishing in slow-motion into dementia.
Seventeen-year-old Valeria is one of the only survivors of the freeze, a dark magical hold Knnot Mountain unleashed over her village. Everyone, including her family, is trapped in an unbreakable sheet of ice. Ever since, she’s been on the run from the Czar, who is determined to imprison any who managed to escape. Valeria finds refuge with the Thieves Guild, doing odd jobs with her best friend Alik, the only piece of home she has left. That is, until he is brutally murdered. A year later, she discovers Alik is alive and being held against his will. To buy his freedom, she must lead a group of cutthroats and thieves on a perilous expedition to the very mountain that claimed her family. Only something sinister slumbers in the heart of Knnot. And it has waited years for release.
Welcome to the café that never sleeps. Day and night Stella’s Café opens its doors for the lonely and the lost, the morning people and the night owls. It is many things to many people but most of all it is a place where life can wait at the door. A place of small kindnesses. A place where anyone can be whoever they want, where everyone is always welcome. Meet Hannah and Mona: best friends, waitresses, dreamers. They work at Stella’s but they dream of more, of leaving the café behind and making their own way in life. Come inside and spend twenty-four hours at Stella’s Café; a day when Hannah and Mona’s friendship will be tested, when the community will come together and when lives will be changed…
Naila’s conservative immigrant parents have always said the same thing: She may choose what to study, how to wear her hair, and what to be when she grows up—but they will choose her husband. Following their cultural tradition, theywill plan an arranged marriage for her. And until then, dating—even friendship with a boy—is forbidden. When Naila breaks their rule by falling in love with Saif, her parents are livid. Convinced she has forgotten who she truly is, they travel to Pakistan to visit relatives and explore their roots. But Naila’s vacation turns into a nightmare when she learns that plans have changed—her parents have found her a husband and they want her to marry him, now! Despite her greatest efforts, Naila is aghast to find herself cut off from everything and everyone she once knew. Her only hope of escape is Saif . . . if he can find her before it’s too late.
Every seven years, the Agon begins. As punishment for a past rebellion, nine Greek gods are forced to walk the earth as mortals, hunted by the descendants of ancient bloodlines, all eager to kill a god and seize their divine power and immortality. Long ago, Lore Perseous fled that brutal world in the wake of her family’s sadistic murder by a rival line, turning her back on the hunt’s promises of eternal glory. For years she’s pushed away any thought of revenge against the man–now a god–responsible for their deaths. Yet as the next hunt dawns over New York City, two participants seek out her help: Castor, a childhood friend of Lore believed long dead, and a gravely wounded Athena, among the last of the original gods. The goddess offers an alliance against their mutual enemy and, at last, a way for Lore to leave the Agon behind forever. But Lore’s decision to bind her fate to Athena’s and rejoin the hunt will come at a deadly cost–and still may not be enough to stop the rise of a new god with the power to bring humanity to its knees.
Far from fading with time, Kenneth Grahame’s classic tale of fantasy has attracted a growing audience in each generation. Rat, Mole, Badger and the preposterous Mr Toad (with his ‘Poop-poop-poop’ road-hogging new motor-car), have brought delight to many through the years with their odd adventures on and by the river, and at the imposing residence of Toad Hall. Grahame’s book was later dramatised by A. A. Milne, and became a perennial Christmas favourite, as Toad of Toad Hall. It continues to enchant and, above all perhaps, inspire great affection.
When the lift cranks open, the only thing Thomas remembers is his first name. But he’s not alone – an army of boys welcomes him to the Glade, an encampment at the centre of a terrible maze. The Gladers have no idea why they’re there, or what’s happened to the world outside. All they know is that every morning when the walls slide back, they will risk everything to find out.
★★★★ 4 out of 5 stars
My favourite read was Weathering With You and my least favourite was definitely Lore, which was a bit of a disappointment honestly!
Everyone has a reason to fear the boy with the gun… 10:00 a.m.:The principal of Opportunity, Alabama’s high school finishes her speech, welcoming the entire student body to a new semester and encouraging them to excel and achieve. 10:02 a.m.: The students get up to leave the auditorium for their next class. 10:03: The auditorium doors won’t open. 10:05: Someone starts shooting. In 54 minutes, four students must confront their greatest hopes, and darkest fears, as they come face-to-face with the boy with the gun.
I’ve had this book for a while and I’m so glad it came up on my August TBR so I finally had a reason to pick it up. I love the idea of this being set of 54 minutes and books set over a time period of a day or even an hour really intrigues me. I admire authors so much who can fill a whole book with such a short amount of time and still make it fast paced and full of action.
This book felt so important and a crucial read, but wasn’t without heartbreak and sadness. I read this over a couple of days where I had little time to read, and I still got through it so quickly and never wanted to put it down. It is the kind of book that would be super easy to read in one sitting as despite the heavy topics, it was very easy to read and hard to put down.
You can’t always keep your loved ones with you. You can’t always settle your life in one place. The world was made to change.
I liked the characters and I also enjoyed the fact this had 4 points of view. However, I felt like the execution of this wasn’t perfect. This book is fairly short at 280 pages and I just feel like we didn’t quite have enough time for the characters to build distinct personalities. I just didn’t feel as connected to the characters as I wanted to, and I feel like this one was crucial to have a connection to the characters in such a harrowing situation. I didn’t dislike the characters, I just didn’t feel they were as distinct from one another as I wanted them to be.
I really liked the atmosphere of this book and I feel like the writing captured the action really well. I felt like I was right there with the characters as they went through this horrific event. The writing was also so easy to read and created a great balance of being compelling without taking away from the nature of the difficult discussions throughout.
But as long as you cherish the memories and make new ones along on the way, no matter where you are, you’ll always be at home.
Overall, although this wasn’t perfect I did find this really enjoyable and would make a perfect one-sitting read!
Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga where we share books we’ve bought or received this week. Find out more and join in here!
Hi all! I’ve been slightly better about buying books in the past couple of weeks (I think). I definitely feel like I’ve been restraining myself a little better when it comes to purchasing!
I was also sent this beautiful picture book about Greek Mythology, which feels like exactly what I need. Thank you to the publishers, Templar, for sending me a copy!
I was also sent the second Deadly Education book by the publishers – thank you Cornerstone! I’m hoping it gives me the motivation to pick up the first book.
A young woman picks up a book left behind by a stranger. Inside it are his margin notes, which reveal a readerentranced by the story and by its mysterious author. She responds with notes of her own, leaving the book for the stranger, and so begins an unlikely conversation that plunges them both into the unknown. THE BOOK: Ship of Theseus, the final novel by a prolific but enigmatic writer named V. M. Straka, in which a man with no past is shanghaied onto a strange ship with a monstrous crew and launched onto a disorienting and perilous journey. THE WRITER: Straka, the incendiary and secretive subject of one of the world’s greatest mysteries, a revolutionary about whom the world knows nothing apart from the words he wrote and the rumours that swirl around him. THE READERS: Jennifer and Eric, a college senior and a disgraced grad student, both facing crucial decisions about who they are, who they might become, and how much they’re willing to trust another person with their passions, hurts, and fears.
I recently found out a copy of this book had been sent into the bookshop I work in and couldn’t resist picking up. It’s the only book I will admit to buying because of Tiktok!
Way out in the furthest part of the known world, a tiny stronghold exists all on its own, cut off from the rest of human-kin by monsters that lurk beneath the Snow Sea. There, a little boy called Ash waits for the return of his parents, singing a forbidden lullaby to remind him of them… and doing his best to avoid his very, VERY grumpy yeti guardian, Tobu. But life is about to get a whole lot more crazy-adventurous for Ash. When a brave rescue attempt reveals he has amazing magical powers, he’s whisked aboard the Frostheart, a sleigh packed full of daring explorers who could use his help. But can they help him find his family . . . ?
My friend at work recently got rid of her copy of Frostheart and after hearing Gav from How To Train Your Gavin talking about this series, I decided to pick it up!
Enter a school of magic unlike any you have ever encountered. There are no teachers, no holidays, friendships are purely strategic, and the odds of survival are never equal. Once you’re inside, there are only two ways out: you graduate or you die. El Higgins is uniquely prepared for the school’s many dangers. She may be without allies, but she possesses a dark power strong enough to level mountains and wipe out untold millions – never mind easily destroy the countless monsters that prowl the school. Except, she might accidentally kill all the other students, too. So El is trying her hardest not to use it… that is, unless she has no other choice.
I also swapped my Illumicrate copy of A Deadly Education for the standard hardback copy, mainly because it matches my proof of The Last Graduate really well. I also found the Illumicrate edition stood out on my shelves because of the gold colour it was, and it is one of very few books I’m finding I prefer the standard hardback overall!
When the doors of the lift crank open, the only thing Thomas remembers is his first name. But he’s not alone. He’s surrounded by boys who welcome him to the Glade – a walled encampment at the centre of a bizarre and terrible stone maze. Like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they came to be there – or what’s happened to the world outside. All they know is that every morning when the walls slide back, they will risk everything – even the Grievers, half-machine, half-animal horror that patrol its corridors, to try and find out …
These books have been on my radar for over 10 years. I think the box set I am reading from has been in my family home for around 10 years too, and I never picked them up for some reason. I read The Hunger Games around the time of popularity, but I only picked up Divergent last year and I’m only picking up The Maze Runner now. My brother read the first book years ago (which is why I own the set) and I have actually seen the films of the first two. I always struggle when I watch the films before reading the book (which very, very rarely happens!) as I never know quite how to make my thoughts distinct on them both.
I have to say, this book was a real pleasant surprise. I thought I would find this a bit young for me and therefore not find it too enjoyable, which is how I felt about Divergent when I read it last year. But I must say I really liked this book. I read it in just over 24 hours and found it such an easy and fast paced read.
Just follow me and run like your life depends on it.
I liked the cast of characters and I really like how this focuses on male friendship rather than a relationship (not yet at least!). It felt unique for YA to not jump on a relationship and I liked having something a bit different. Even though I have watched the film adaptation for this first book, I found myself on the edge of my seat and wondering where the book was going to go (it’s worth knowing it has been years since I saw the film last!).
I definitely feel like this premise is super unique and although falls into dystopian themes and tropes now, feels unique of it’s time. I’m intrigued to see how the plot will develop over the books as I haven’t seen the film adaptation for The Death Cure and therefore will have no idea where the book goes.
Because it does.
Despite this one being a little difficult to judge, I can confidently say I really enjoyed reading this one more than expected and I’ll be starting The Scorch Trials very soon!
Far from fading with time, Kenneth Grahame’s classic tale of fantasy has attracted a growing audience in each generation. Rat, Mole, Badger and the preposterous Mr Toad (with his ‘Poop-poop-poop’ road-hogging new motor-car), have brought delight to many through the years with their odd adventures on and by the river, and at the imposing residence of Toad Hall. Grahame’s book was later dramatised by A. A. Milne, and became a perennial Christmas favourite, as Toad of Toad Hall. It continues to enchant and, above all perhaps, inspire great affection.
I had a lot of nostalgia going into this book, which was unexpected actually. I must have read some kind of version of this story as a child as I remembered certain aspects of it really clearly. I don’t remember reading a specific version or watching a film adaptation, but I have clear memories of the characters and setting.
I really loved the setting of the book and it felt so vivid and beautiful. The river felt very reminiscent of spring and captured the atmosphere perfectly. Although I really liked the setting and houses of the characters, some of it did feel slightly nonsensical to me. Much like a lot of children’s classics I’ve read, I feel like this kind of silliness is the kind that really grabs children’s attention but feels a little lost on me now.
Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing –
I really enjoyed reading about the friendship between these characters, but I ended up disliking Toad a lot. He is narcissistic and pretentious throughout the second half of the book, and any redemption is too little, too late for me. Sadly this made me lose interest in a lot of the second half of the story and miss the cozy companionship of Mole and Badger.
I listened to the audiobook of this from Recorded Books on Scribd, and I really liked the version I listened to. Not only was the narrator brilliant and gave a lovely tone to the story, but he also sang some of the songs. This may seem like a tiny thing to notice, but I often find myself disappointed when songs and poems are read out in monotone, so this stood out to me as something extra special.
absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.
Overall, this definitely wasn’t my favourite classic but also wasn’t unlikable. I wouldn’t go into it expecting a wild ride, but more a slow meander down the river in spring.
It’s been a long time since I’ve done a separate blog post for my monthly TBR, but I thought this would be an nice way to include my BookTube channel and showcase my TBR game! I recently created a TBR game called TBR mini golf, where I play mini golf to decide which books I will read in the following month. You can check out the July edition (which was the first edition) here, and I will put my August TBR game video below for you to check out!
If you didn’t know, TBR stands for To Be Read! I thought I would mention the books I chose in my August TBR in a dedicated blog post, so here they are…
Ash Persaud is about to become a reaper in the afterlife, but she is determined to see her first love Poppy Morgan again, the only thing that separates them is death. Car headlights. The last thing Ash hears is the snap of breaking glass as the windscreen hits her and breaks into a million pieces like stars. But she made it, she’s still here. Or is she? This New Year’s Eve, Ash is gets an RSVP from the afterlife she can’t decline: to join a clan of fierce girl reapers who take the souls of the city’s dead to await their fate. But Ash can’t forget her first love, Poppy, and she will do anything to see her again… even if it means they only get a few more days together. Dead or alive…
The first prompt I received in my TBR game was one word title and I decided to go for Afterlove. I was lucky enough to be sent a proof copy of this one so thank you to Hodder! I’ve been wanting to read this for a while and I’m looking forward to finally picking it up.
Cee has been trapped on an abandoned island for three years without any recollection of how she arrived, or memories from her life prior. All she knows is that somewhere out there, beyond the horizon, she has a sister named Kay, and it’s up to Cee to cross the ocean and find her. In a world apart, 16-year-old STEM prodigy Kasey Mizuhara lives in an eco-city built for people who protected the planet―and now need protecting from it. With natural disasters on the rise due to climate change, eco-cities provide clean air, water, and shelter. Their residents, in exchange, must spend at least a third of their time in stasis pods, conducting business virtually whenever possible to reduce their environmental footprint. While Kasey, an introvert and loner, doesn’t mind the lifestyle, her sister Celia hated it. Popular and lovable, Celia much preferred the outside world. But no one could have predicted that Celia would take a boat out to sea, never to return. Now it’s been three months since Celia’s disappearance, and Kasey has given up hope. Logic says that her sister must be dead. But nevertheless, she decides to retrace Celia’s last steps. Where they’ll lead her, she does not know. Her sister was full of secrets. But Kasey has a secret of her own.
I picked the prompt special edition for my second pick, and I chose The Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He, and I’m so excited for it. I’ve heard amazing things about this one and I’m confident I’ll love it, and I also bought this gorgeous Owlcrate edition which I love!
Everyone has a reason to fear the boy with the gun… 10:00 a.m.: The principal of Opportunity, Alabama’s high school finishes her speech, welcoming the entire student body to a new semester and encouraging them to excel and achieve. 10:02 a.m.: The students get up to leave the auditorium for their next class. 10:03: The auditorium doors won’t open. 10:05: Someone starts shooting. In 54 minutes, four students must confront their greatest hopes, and darkest fears, as they come face-to-face with the boy with the gun.
I then picked the prompt book you’ve had for over a year and I chose This Is Where It Ends. I’ve actually already read this book (review to come soon!) and I really liked it.
Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life—working hard all day and partying all night—until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She’ll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths. Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose—to assassinate his boss’s enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he’s offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach. As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City’s underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear, and they find, in each other, a blazing passion—one that could set them both free, if they’d only let it.
I then got the prompt longest book, which is daunting but I ended up with House of Earth and Blood. I read A Court of Silver Flames over the course of a couple of days, so I’m happy this one ended up being the longest book on my TBR! This is the last book by Sarah J Maas I need to read and I always love her books, so I’m sure it will be a great read.
Olivia is an expert at falling in love . . . and at being dumped. But after the fallout from her last breakup has left her an outcast at school and at home, she’s determined to turn over a new leaf. A crush-free weekend at Farmland Music and Arts Festival with her best friend is just what she needs to get her mind off the senior year that awaits her. Toni is one week away from starting college, and it’s the last place she wants to be. Unsure about who she wants to become and still reeling in the wake of the loss of her musician-turned-roadie father, she’s heading back to the music festival that changed his life in hopes that following in his footsteps will help her find her own way forward. When the two arrive at Farmland, the last thing they expect is to realize that they’ll need to join forces in order to get what they’re searching for out of the weekend. As they work together, the festival becomes so much more complicated than they bargained for, and Olivia and Toni will find that they need each other, and music, more than they ever could have imagined.
I then picked the prompt romance, which I liked because it gave me so much scope to pick a lot of different books. After a bit of deliberation, I picked Rise to the Sun by Leah Johnson. I knew this was one I wanted to read over the summer so thought I would squeeze it in, and I’m also excited to read it because I loved You Should See Me in a Crown which I read last year.
So that was my August TBR! I’m so excited to read all of the books on this one which is really cool.
Every seven years, the Agon begins. As punishment for a past rebellion, nine Greek gods are forced to walk the earth as mortals, hunted by the descendants of ancient bloodlines, all eager to kill a god and seize their divine power and immortality. Long ago, Lore Perseous fled that brutal world in the wake of her family’s sadistic murder by a rival line, turning her back on the hunt’s promises of eternal glory. For years she’s pushed away any thought of revenge against the man–now a god–responsible for their deaths. Yet as the next hunt dawns over New York City, two participants seek out her help: Castor, a childhood friend of Lore believed long dead, and a gravely wounded Athena, among the last of the original gods. The goddess offers an alliance against their mutual enemy and, at last, a way for Lore to leave the Agon behind forever. But Lore’s decision to bind her fate to Athena’s and rejoin the hunt will come at a deadly cost–and still may not be enough to stop the rise of a new god with the power to bring humanity to its knees.
It’s time for another review where I get confused about Greek Mythology! I think at this point I need to face the fact that I probably need to teach myself a little bit before reading more Greek Mythology inspired books, purely because this is the second book I’ve read in 2021 that I have been highly confused over (the first being Circe). I thought with this one being a YA book rather than adult it may have held my hand a little more, but it did still leave me feeling confused.
I feel like I left this book with not much more knowledge than when I went in, honestly. I really liked the idea of this book and the premise sounded brilliant – it sounds like it should have been fast paced and action packed. Instead, I found this boring and confusing at the same time. It took me so much longer to get through than I wanted to because it just felt so long and I didn’t want to pick it up when I wasn’t reading it.
I was born knowing how to do three things –
I liked the characters and the kind of found family element to it, but I didn’t feel connected to them at all. They all felt a little flat and I couldn’t tell you any defining feature about any of the characters less than a week after finishing this book. The plot also felt super slow even though technically a lot happens, I couldn’t pinpoint anything in partiular.
I know that part of my problem with this book was my lack of understanding of Greek Mythology, but I feel like I can’t blame everything on myself here. Partly because there were sections of this book (namely the flashbacks) that I actually really enjoyed. I’m so glad I enjoyed these parts because I do have hope for Alexandra Bracken’s writing. These sections personally felt so different to the rest of the book and I felt so much more connected to them.
how to breathe, how to dream, and how to love you.
It’s really hard to tell how much of this book’s problems is mine and how much is the book, but I really want to read the Passenger series by the same author so it will be interesting to see how I find that one!
Naila’s conservative immigrant parents have always said the same thing: She may choose what to study, how to wear her hair, and what to be when she grows up—but they will choose her husband. Following their cultural tradition, they will plan an arranged marriage for her. And until then, dating—even friendship with a boy—is forbidden. When Naila breaks their rule by falling in love with Saif, her parents are livid. Convinced she has forgotten who she truly is, they travel to Pakistan to visit relatives and explore their roots. But Naila’s vacation turns into a nightmare when she learns that plans have changed—her parents have found her a husband and they want her to marry him, now! Despite her greatest efforts, Naila is aghast to find herself cut off from everything and everyone she once knew. Her only hope of escape is Saif . . . if he can find her before it’s too late.
This was one of the books I’ve had on my TBR for the longest, and I’m so glad I finally got around to reading it. For a while, I’ve had it in the back of my mind that this was a fantasy book, but it was actually a contemporary. Once I realised this, I absolutely stormed through this book and read it in a day. I just couldn’t put it down and needed to know what was going to happen to Naila.
This book certainly wasn’t a light one – Naila goes through a lot throughout this story and parts of it were utterly heartbreaking and left me horrified. But this was also such an important story as it shows something people go through in real life, which made it all the more horrific but also crucial to read.
My mother always says when you fight destiny, destiny fights back. Some things, they’re just written in the stars.
I really sympathised with Naila as a main character but I didn’t quite feel as connected to the characters as much as I wanted to. I think mainly because this book is quite short and feels full of action, leaving not much room for character development. As much as I did feel sympathetic for what Naila was going through, I never felt as emotional as I expected or wanted to.
The plot was very fast paced and I honestly didn’t want to put this book down (which is why I read it in a day!). I felt so sucked into this story and I am still thinking about it over a week later. I did find some of the plot points quite predictable and I didn’t find any of it surprising, but I did still enjoy the journey.
You can try but you can never escape what’s meant to be.
Although I did feel like this book was a narrow (and quite negative) look at Islam and Pakistani culture, as the author pointed out in the Author’s Note, this is unfortunately something that happens to a very small amount of people across race, culture and religions. I was so glad to have such an insight into Naila’s story and even though this book was hard hitting, it felt like a very important read and I really enjoyed it.
The Books are Everywhere 