May Wrap-Up + June TBR

On June 15, 2021June 15, 2021 By Beth JonesIn Wrap-Ups + TBRsLeave a comment

Hi! I’m here with a very late May Wrap-Up and June TBR, even though we’re halfway through June, oh well. I managed to read 14 books in May and all of the books on my TBR, which I’m so happy about. I recently posted videos of my May Wrap-Up and my Whatever-You-Want-a-Thon TBR for June, which I will link here.

Books I Read in May

Review (2020) | Goodreads | Waterstones

★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

Review | Goodreads | Waterstones

Anne Shirley is an eleven-year-old orphan who has hung on determinedly to an optimistic spirit and a wildly creative imagination through her early deprivations. She erupts into the lives of aging brother and sister Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, a girl instead of the boy they had sent for. Thus begins a story of transformation for all three; indeed the whole rural community of Avonlea comes under Anne’s influence in some way. We see her grow from a girl to a young woman of sixteen, making her mistakes, and not always learning from them. Intelligent, hot-headed as her own red hair, unwilling to take a moral truth as read until she works it out for herself, she must also face grief and loss and learn the true meaning of love. Part Tom Sawyer, part Jane Eyre, by the end of Anne of Green Gables, Anne has become the heroine of her own story.

★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

Review | Goodreads | Waterstones

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone. . . .
A convict with a thirst for revenge
A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager
A runaway with a privileged past
A spy known as the Wraith
A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums
A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes
Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.

★★★★★
5 out of 5 stars

Review | Goodreads | Waterstones

Melody McIntyre, stage manager extraordinaire, has a plan for everything.
What she doesn’t have? Success with love. Every time she falls for someone during a school performance, both the romance and the show end in catastrophe. So, Mel swears off any entanglements until their upcoming production of Les Mis is over.
Of course, Mel didn’t count on Odile Rose, rising star in the acting world, auditioning for the spring performance. And she definitely didn’t expect Odile to be sweet and funny, and care as much about the play’s success as Mel.
Which means that Melody McIntyre’s only plan now is trying desperately not to fall in love.

★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

Review | Goodreads | Waterstones

Kaz Brekker and his crew of deadly outcasts have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn’t think they’d survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they’re right back to fighting for their lives.
Double-crossed and badly weakened, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz’s cunning and test the team’s fragile loyalties.
A war will be waged on the city’s dark and twisting streets – a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of the Grisha world.
Welcome to the world of the Grisha.

★★★★★
5 out of 5 stars

Review | Goodreads | Waterstones

Present Day:
Eva has never felt like she belonged… not in her own family or with her friends in New York City, and certainly not at a fancy boarding school like Hardwick Preparatory Academy. So when she is invited to join the Fives, an elite secret society, she jumps at the opportunity to finally be a part of something.
But what if the Fives are about more than just having the best parties and receiving special privileges from the school? What if they are also responsible for keeping some of Hardwick’s biggest secrets buried?
1962:
There is only one reason why Connie would volunteer to be one of the six students to participate in testing Hardwick’s nuclear fallout shelter: Craig Allenby. While the thought of nuclear war sends her into a panic, she can’t pass up the opportunity to spend four days locked in with the school’s golden boy. However, Connie and the other students quickly discover that there is more to this “test” than they previously thought. As they are forced to follow an escalating series of commands, Connie realizes that one wrong move could have dangerous consequences.
Separated by sixty years , Eva’s and Connie’s stories become inextricably intertwined as Eva unravels the mystery of how six students went into the fallout shelter all those years ago . . . but only five came out.

★★★★
3.5 out of 5 stars

★★★★
3.5 out of 5 stars | Goodreads | Waterstones

Within the boroughs of London, nestled among its streets, hides another city, filled with magic.
Magic is the first sin. It must be bound.
Ever since Anna can remember, her aunt has warned her of the dangers of magic. She has taught her to fear how it twists and knots and turns into something dark and deadly.
It was, after all, magic that killed her parents and left her in her aunt’s care. It’s why she has been protected from the magical world and, in one year’s time, what little magic she has will be bound. She will join her aunt alongside the other Binders who believe magic is a sin not to be used, but denied. Only one more year and she will be free of the curse of magic, her aunt’s teachings and the disappointment of the little she is capable of.
Nothing – and no one – could change her mind before then. Could it?

★★★★★
4.5 out of 5 stars

Review | Goodreads | Waterstones

Face your demons… or feed them.
The dashing young king, Nikolai Lantsov, has always had a gift for the impossible. No one knows what he endured in his country’s bloody civil war–and he intends to keep it that way. Now, as enemies gather at his weakened borders, Nikolai must find a way to refill Ravka’s coffers, forge new alliances, and stop a rising threat to the once-great Grisha Army.
Yet with every day a dark magic within him grows stronger, threatening to destroy all he has built. With the help of a young monk and a legendary Grisha general, Nikolai will journey to the places in Ravka where the deepest magic survives to vanquish the terrible legacy inside him. He will risk everything to save his country and himself. But some secrets aren’t meant to stay buried–and some wounds aren’t meant to heal.

★★★★★
4.5 out of 5 stars

Review | Goodreads | Waterstones

Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship–the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.

★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

Review | Goodreads | Waterstones

It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.
The odds are against him. He’s been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined—every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute . . . and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.

★★★
3 out of 5 stars

Review | Goodreads | Waterstones

The gentle thoroughbred, Black Beauty, is raised with care and is treated well until a vicious groom injures him. The damaged horse is then sold to various masters at whose hands he experiences cruelty and neglect. After many unpleasant episodes, including one where he becomes a painfully overworked cab horse in London, Black Beauty finally canters towards a happy ending. Although Anna Sewell’s classic is set firmly in the Victorian period, its message is universal and timeless: animals will serve humans well if they are treated with consideration and kindness.

★★★★
3.5 out of 5 stars

Review | Goodreads | Waterstones

The Demon King. As Fjerda’s massive army prepares to invade, Nikolai Lantsov will summon every bit of his ingenuity and charm—and even the monster within—to win this fight. But a dark threat looms that cannot be defeated by a young king’s gift for the impossible.
The Stormwitch. Zoya Nazyalensky has lost too much to war. She saw her mentor die and her worst enemy resurrected, and she refuses to bury another friend. Now duty demands she embrace her powers to become the weapon her country needs. No matter the cost.
The Queen of Mourning. Deep undercover, Nina Zenik risks discovery and death as she wages war on Fjerda from inside its capital. But her desire for revenge may cost her country its chance at freedom and Nina the chance to heal her grieving heart.
King. General. Spy. Together they must find a way to forge a future in the darkness. Or watch a nation fall.

★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

Review | Goodreads | Waterstones

The Jungle Book introduces Mowgli, the human foundling adopted by a family of wolves. It tells of the enmity between him and the tiger Shere Khan, who killed Mowgli’s parents, and of the friendship between the man-cub and Bagheera, the black panther, and Baloo, the sleepy brown bear, who instructs Mowgli in the Laws of the Jungle.

★★★★
3.5 out of 5 stars

Review | Goodreads | Waterstones

Vaseline on the teeth makes a smile shine. It’s a cheap stunt, but Mark Adams knows it’s optics that can win or ruin an election.
Everything Mark learned about politics, he learned from his father, the congressman who still pretends he has a daughter and not a son. To protect his father’s image, Mark promises to keep his past hidden and pretend to be the cis guy everyone assumes he is. But when he sees a manipulatively charming candidate for student body president inflame dangerous rhetoric, Mark decides to risk the low profile he assured his father and insert himself as a political challenger.
One big problem? No one really knows Mark. He didn’t grow up in this town, and he has few friends; plus, the ones he does have aren’t exactly with the in-crowd. Still, thanks to countless seasons of Scandal and The West Wing, these nerds know where to start: from campaign stops to voter polling to a fashion makeover. Soon Mark feels emboldened to get in front of and engage with voters—and even start a new romance. But with an investigative journalist digging into his past, a father trying to silence him, and a bully front-runner who stands in his way, Mark will have to decide which matters most: perception or truth, when both are just as dangerous.

★★★★★
4.5 out of 5 stars

I not only read a mixture of books once again this month, I also managed to finish my Grishaverse re-read and read Rule of Wolves! My favourite book of the month was my re-read of Crooked Kingdom, and my least favourite was The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

Books I Want to Read in June

Heartstopper Volume 1 – Alice Oseman
Heartstopper Volume 2 – Alice Oseman
Heartstopper Volume 3 – Alice Oseman
Heartstopper Volume 4 – Alice Oseman
Caraval – Stephanie Garber
Legendary – Stephanie Garber
Finale – Stephanie Garber
The Starlight Watchmaker – Lauren James
The Deep Sea Duke – Lauren James
Show Us Who You Are – Elle McNicoll
Slay – Brittney Morris
Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte
Cinderella is Dead – Kalynn Bayron
House of Hollow – Krystal Sutherland
Punching the Air – Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam
Circe – Madeline Miller
Xoxo – Axie Oh
The Maidens – Alex Michaelides
Blackout – Various Authors

I have so many books on my TBR for June, which is partly because of Whatever-You-Want-a-Thon! However, these books have a lot of variety, including a few graphic novels, shorter books and even a verse book. I wanted to give myself a lot of variety, and I do have a few proofs to read before they are released this month. I’ve already managed to read 10 of these and a couple of others, so I’m really happy with how the month is going.

What did you read in May and what are you hoping to read in June?

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

www.etsy.com/uk/shop/thebooksareverywhere

Review: The Railway Children by E. Nesbit

On June 15, 2021June 14, 2021 By Beth JonesIn Book Review2 Comments

Goodreads | Waterstones

When Father goes away with two strangers one evening, the lives of Roberta, Peter and Phyllis are shattered. They and their mother have to move from their comfortable London home to go and live in a simple country cottage, where Mother writes books to make ends meet. However, they soon come to love the railway that runs near their cottage, and they make a habit of waving to the Old Gentleman who rides on it. They befriend the porter, Perks, and through him learn railway lore and much else. They have many adventures, and when they save a train from disaster, they are helped by the Old Gentleman to solve the mystery of their father’s disappearance, and the family is happily reunited.

I decided to read this one on audiobook while driving, walking and running around the British countryside this past weekend, and honestly it was just perfect. I could not recommend a better way to read this, but enjoying the very countryside talked about in this book and glimpsing railways over the hills and through the trees. This is also a super short audiobook, clocking in at around 5 hours and it was just perfect for a big weekend of travelling!

This one was actually a major surprise for me, especially as I have been not enjoying classics quite as much recently. This was recommended to me to me by Alex, who loves this book, and trust me she has some great classic recommendations! I read The Secret Garden a couple of months ago on her recommendation, and I loved that one too. However, I actually ended up enjoying The Railway Children just a little bit more!

I think everyone in the world is friends

This one follows a family as they move to a small house in the British countryside due to mysterious circumstances leaving them without their father. This is told from the perspective of the three children of the family as they explore the countryside and get to know the people in the nearby village and on the railway. I loved reading about the children, and I imagine I would have absolutely adored this as a child. The children also don’t know why they’ve moved or their father has not moved with them, leaving a mystery aspect surrounding this book that I really didn’t expect to have!

The children also have some really interesting discussions throughout this book, including about gender identity, race, friendship, family, wealth and status. Some of these discussions felt very ahead of their time and I was surprised they came up at all. Alongside their loving and caring mother, these children learn the importance of looking out for one another through tough times and helping those around you despite their backgrounds.

if you can only get them to see you don’t want to be un-friends.

Overall, this was such a pleasant surprise. I loved the feeling of adventure throughout, and the mischief these kids got up to was so fun to read about! The relationships and friendships were so heartwarming and beautiful, and left me with goosebumps when I finished this book.

★★★★★
4.5 out of 5 stars

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

Review: The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances by Matthew Inman

On June 14, 2021 By Beth JonesIn Book Review1 Comment

Goodreads | Waterstones

This is not just a book about running. It’s a book about cupcakes. It’s a book about suffering.
It’s a book about gluttony, vanity, bliss, electrical storms, ranch dressing, and Godzilla. It’s a book about all the terrible and wonderful reasons we wake up each day and propel our bodies through rain, shine, heaven, and hell.

If you didn’t know, I started running in March 2020 and completed Couch to 5k over the couple of months that followed. Inspired by my boyfriend and friends, I really wanted to start running and a few people recommended me the Couch to 5k program. I have since built up by myself to running 10k, and I now run a (roughly) 5k and 10k per week.

My entire life, I never got running. I never saw the appeal of it, and it wasn’t until 2020 when I finally wanted to start. And although I sometimes still fail to really see the appeal in running, I also love it. And this is exactly what this book is about. My boyfriend Mark has been a runner throughout his life, and handed me this book the other day as something to read at some point. Instead, I sat down and read it from start to finish, there and then. You may recognise the style of this book as similar to the widely known How to Tell if Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You, who is by the same one-man-band, Matthew Inman (aka, The Oatmeal).

This book is displayed in comic format mostly, with different sections and reflections on running and the reasons why we run. Drawing on Inman’s own history and experience, it was so honest, relatable and absolutely hilarious. As a runner myself, I absolutely loved this because it was just so relatable. Although I’m not quite there yet with long distance runs like marathons and half marathons, I could still relate to a lot of the humour. If you’re a runner yourself, I would really recommend picking a copy of this up!

★★★★★
5 out of 5 stars

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

Review: Legendary (#2) by Stephanie Garber

On June 11, 2021June 9, 2021 By Beth JonesIn Book Review1 Comment

Goodreads | Waterstones

A heart to protect. A debt to repay. A game to win.
After being swept up in the magical world of Caraval, Donatella Dragna has finally escaped her father and saved her sister Scarlett from a disastrous arranged marriage. The girls should be celebrating, but Tella isn’t yet free. She made a desperate bargain with a mysterious criminal, and what Tella owes him no one has ever been able to deliver: Caraval Master Legend’s true name.
The only chance of uncovering Legend’s identity is to win Caraval, so Tella throws herself into the legendary competition once more—and into the path of the murderous heir to the throne, a doomed love story, and a web of secrets…including her sister’s. Caraval has always demanded bravery, cunning, and sacrifice. But now the game is asking for more. If Tella can’t fulfill her bargain and deliver Legend’s name, she’ll lose everything she cares about—maybe even her life. But if she wins, Legend and Caraval will be destroyed forever.
Welcome, welcome to Caraval…the games have only just begun.

I’m so glad I decided to re-read this. I read Caraval when it came out, and read Legendary when it came out too, and something just felt missing to me. I decided I wouldn’t risk leaving the same gap with Finale in case that was the reason I didn’t feel so captivated by this, and am finally reading them all back to back with Alex. And although this one definitely doesn’t capture my heart in the same way as Caraval, not leaving a gap between them definitely helped!

This book follows Scarlett’s sister, Tella, in the next game of Caraval. I really like both Scarlett and Tella as main characters, and I definitely wasn’t disappointed to follow her for a while. Both the sisters are strong female characters and Tella is especially ruthless, knows what she wants and isn’t scared to get it. This story is definitely more character heavy than Caraval, which is weirdly one of the ways it disappointed me.

Every good story needs a villain.

One of the things I adore about Caraval so much is the location and the setting heavy style of the writing. I feel as though Legendary goes away from this a little and focuses more on the characters instead. And although I enjoy the mix of both, I did miss the vivid descriptions and way of picturing the scene. I also really liked the romance in this one, and I feel like Stephanie Garber writes romance really well and does an amazing job of capturing your heart with characters you’d least expect.

The plot was definitely one of the best parts of this book. I didn’t find it quite so enthralling as the first one, but I still found this super easy to read and get into, and it was very readable. Learning about the wider world of Caraval and exploring some of the other relationships outside of the one’s already mentioned in Caraval was really interesting. The character dynamics were well written and I enjoyed reading about them.

But the best villains are the ones you secretly like.

I do still feel like this book is lacking something in comparison to Caraval, a kind of vibrancy in the descriptions. So although this is still a super enjoyable one, I couldn’t help but feel ever so slightly let down. We’re reading Finale next for the first time and I’m really looking forward to seeing how it is!

★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

ARC review: The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

On June 10, 2021June 7, 2021 By Beth JonesIn Book Review3 Comments

Goodreads | Waterstones

Edward Fosca is a murderer. Of this Mariana is certain. But Fosca is untouchable. A handsome and charismatic Greek Tragedy professor at Cambridge University, Fosca is adored by staff and students alike—particularly by the members of a secret society of female students known as The Maidens.
Mariana Andros is a brilliant but troubled group therapist who becomes fixated on The Maidens when one member, a friend of Mariana’s niece Zoe, is found murdered in Cambridge.
Mariana, who was once herself a student at the university, quickly suspects that behind the idyllic beauty of the spires and turrets, and beneath the ancient traditions, lies something sinister. And she becomes convinced that, despite his alibi, Edward Fosca is guilty of the murder. But why would the professor target one of his students? And why does he keep returning to the rites of Persephone, the maiden, and her journey to the underworld?
When another body is found, Mariana’s obsession with proving Fosca’s guilt spirals out of control, threatening to destroy her credibility as well as her closest relationships. But Mariana is determined to stop this killer, even if it costs her everything—including her own life.

Thank you to W&N for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! Also, happy book birthday/release day to this one!

Wow, this one was such an intricate web and it definitely trapped me in it. The Maidens is such a page turner and absolutely unputdownable after the (around) 100 page mark. This book follows Mariana, who is a group therapist who has recently lost her husband. When mysterious murders start happening at her niece’s university, she tries to uncover the mystery and is convinced she knows who the murderer is – she just needs to find some evidence.

This one kept me guessing until the last pages. I had my suspicions about a few of the characters throughout but it kept throwing me off and misdirecting me, and just as I thought I had worked it all out something else would happen to let me know I had it all wrong. I never, ever even had suspicions about the person who actually ended up being the killer.

I love how this book was interwoven with Greek myths and Greek tragedy, taking inspirations from mythology. This, along with the dark academia setting, gave such a creepy sense of foreboding throughout this book, and it definitely made my skin crawl and I felt on edge at many points throughout. It definitely unsettled me and added to the brilliant atmosphere around this.

The characters were really interesting, especially because they all have their own questionable actions. This was incredibly clever, as I could never pinpoint who was the most suspicious or likely to have been a part of the murders. However, this did mean I didn’t like Mariana as much as I wanted to and couldn’t quite gather her true intentions, thoughts and feelings. It also made me feel disconnected from the love interest, as I didn’t know who to trust.

My only other slight complaint is this did take me a while to get into, probably 100-150 pages. However, once I got past the first part, I couldn’t put it down. After the 150 page mark I was so drawn into this story and I became desperate to know what happened. The chapters are also super short which helps it become such a page turner!

Overall, this one was brilliant, clever and so enthralling. I would highly recommend picking it up!

★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

Review: Caraval (#1) by Stephanie Garber

On June 9, 2021June 7, 2021 By Beth JonesIn Book Review3 Comments

Goodreads | Waterstones

Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval—the faraway, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show—are over.
But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.
Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. Nevertheless she becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic.

This was my second time reading Caraval and I will be honest, I was a little hesitant going into this for the second time. The first time I read this, I hadn’t read a lot of fantasy and this provided a brilliant introduction to the genre. However, years on, I was worried I wouldn’t be quite as blown away by this as I was the first time. I wasn’t quite as blown away, which does make sense as I was obviously a bit aware of the plot from the first read.

I was still super impressed with this the second time. Although it is still a brilliant introduction to fantasy, it doesn’t feel in any way inferior because of it. I found this super easy to read and such a page turner, and is such an easy-going fantasy. It is so intriguing and captivating to read as the world is so involved and magical.

Hope is a powerful thing. Some say it’s a different breed of magic altogether.

The setting is definitely my favourite part of Caraval – it has an amazingly written setting and is very location heavy, which I loved. I pictured this world so clearly and vibrantly because of the setting. The world of Caraval and the game within it is so magical and enthralling. This series is like no other in the fact it is set within a game – the closest book I can think of is The Night Circus.

The way this book is written including a game is so impressive because as the reader, you never know what is real and what is part of the game. Even the second time, I found this such an amazing way of writing because I never knew what would happen at the end of the game and was so captivated by the plot because of it. The plot was so twisted, dark and full of secrets of and lives.

Elusive, difficult to hold on to. But not much is needed.

I adored this book once again the second time around and I am so happy. I once again absolutely fell in love with the enchanting plot and beautiful world I could picture so well. The characters are brilliant, and I love the strong female leads throughout this series in Scarlett and Tella. I can’t wait to continue with my re-read and first time reading Finale!

★★★★★
5 out of 5 stars

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

Review: Heartstopper Volume 4 by Alice Oseman

On June 7, 2021 By Beth JonesIn Book Review1 Comment

Goodreads | Waterstones

Charlie didn’t think Nick could ever like him back, but now they’re officially boyfriends. Charlie’s beginning to feel ready to say those three little words:I love you.
Nick’s been feeling the same, but he’s got a lot on his mind – not least coming out to his dad, and the fact that Charlie might have an eating disorder.
As summer turns to autumn and a new school year begins, Charlie and Nick are about to learn a lot about what love means.

I will never not love this series. Heartstopper has been close to my heart for a few years now, after a friend recommended to the Webcomic to me and I read all of the comic published to date in one go. I dropped off the Webcomic a while ago and I wasn’t sure how far through Volume 4 I was when I stopped reading, but it turns out I was around halfway through. So some of this ended up being a reread, and some was a brand new story!

Although these books are very fluffy and cute, they never shy away from difficult subjects. Volume 4 is definitely the heaviest yet, and does an amazing job of exploring some really difficult topics such as mental health, coming out, eating disorders and being in a psychiatric hospital. I love, love, love the way Heartstopper deals with these subjects, as they are so accessible and easy to read even though the topics are heavy.

Heartstopper Volume Four: Amazon.co.uk: Oseman, Alice: Books

As always, I adore the characters so much and in particular, Nick’s mum is a favourite. I also love that this one has the addition of Henry, who is an absolutely adorable puppy! Tori, Charlie’s older sister, is also the most amazing side character.

Overall, my favourite part of this volume is how Nick and Charlie demonstrate how to be strong for each other even through the toughest times, how to support each other from afar and that relationships aren’t just for the good parts. I love how well this was discussed and was so beautiful to see. This didn’t quite beat volume 3 for me, which remains my favourite, but is a definite close second!

★★★★★
5 out of 5 stars

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

Review: Rule of Wolves (#2) by Leigh Bardugo

On June 4, 2021June 1, 2021 By Beth JonesIn Book Review1 Comment

Goodreads | Waterstones

I can’t believe I’m done with my Grishaverse re-read/read. I’m so glad I read all of the books back to back this time before reading this one, as I found I got so much more out of the story and felt so connected to the characters because of this. This book follows characters from both Six of Crows and Shadow and Bone, as it continues from King of Scars. I love these characters so much and I’m so happy that these books follow them all together. I also loved how some of the characters from the other stories appeared in this one as side characters, it was so cool to even see them briefly!

I really enjoyed this book, but sadly it didn’t quite capture me as much as King of Scars, and the Six of Crows duology remains to be my favourite of the Grisha books. I found this one less consistent than the others, mainly due to the points of view. I’ve always found Leigh Barugo does multiple POV so well, but I felt ever so slightly differently in this one. I think this is because it follows a different character that has never appeared in the Grisha books before, and I just didn’t feel connected to that character as much as I wanted to.

Love was the destroyer. It made mourners, widows, left misery in its wake.

I also found this slightly more political and more focused on royalty than I expected or wanted. I have recently realised that I am not often drawn to those kind of stories, and it did ever so slightly put me off this one. I also think this is why Six of Crows is my favourite Grisha duology, as it follows a heist and I find it so much more fun. I also felt the characters were sometimes quite disconnected from one another and had different things going on, which was slightly jarring for me.

I hope this doesn’t make it seem like I didn’t love this story, because I still really did! I loved Zoya and Nina’s chapters in particular, and some of the events made me so emotional because of what these amazing strong women go through throughout the Grisha books. I also enjoyed the way gender identity is explored in this story, which is so often not looked at in fantasy stories!

Grief and love were one and the same. Grief was the shadow love left when it was gone.

Overall, I still really enjoyed this one and some of the characters and events made me so emotional. I also loved the ending and it has made me super excited for where more stories in the Grishaverse could go…

★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

Review: The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

On June 3, 2021June 1, 2021 By Beth JonesIn Book Review1 Comment

Goodreads | Waterstones

I listened to the audiobook of this one and I absolutely loved it. The one I listened to was narrated by Gildart Jackson, who was brilliant. I’m so glad I listened to the audiobook rather than reading this one as honestly, I feel like it really elevated the story. Jackson breathed so much life into this and really made this such a vibrant story.

This book felt very nostalgic for me, not because of this being a reread (it wasn’t), but I did watch the Disney adaptation as a child and again more recently. The first half of this book specifically felt very nostalgic, especially because of the story following Mowgli and the surrounding characters. The most surprising thing I found in this story was how it only seemed to follow Mowgli for around half of the book. The remainder follows other characters and animals throughout the story, which felt a little strange and jarring for me.

My heart is heavy

Having read other reviews of this book, I have since discovered that this is actually a collection of 7 stories and 7 songs. The only problem with listening to the audiobook is that I didn’t necessarily have a visual distinction between these sections, which meant I felt so thrown by whenever the story changed and began to follow other characters. The other annoying thing about this is how the audiobook chapters stopped randomly in the physical book chapters which meant I found it hard to follow where I was in the print version! Thanks to the Disney adaptation, I think of this story as following mostly or only Mowgli, and I found I didn’t enjoy the other stories as much as I wanted to.

I loved the jungle setting of this and as I mentioned, I loved how much the narration brought this to life and I could really clearly picture the surroundings of the jungle. I found this entire story entertaining and very lyrical, especially as it is interspersed with poem/song. Some of these stories were touching, some were fun, some I just didn’t connect to at all. It was such a mixture!

with the things I do not understand.

Overall, I did enjoy this but not quite as much as I expected and I did find it very up and down. However, I really enjoyed the experience of the audiobook and I would recommend it if you’re going to read this one!

★★★★
3.5 out of 5 stars

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

ARC Review: The (Un)Popular Vote by Jasper Sanchez

On June 1, 2021June 1, 2021 By Beth JonesIn Book Review1 Comment

Goodreads | Waterstones

Optics can make or break an election. Everything Mark knows about politics, he learned from his father, the Congressman who still pretends he has a daughter and not a son.
Mark has promised to keep his past hidden and pretend to be the cis guy everyone assumes he is. But when he sees a manipulatively charming candidate for student body president inflame dangerous rhetoric, Mark risks his low profile to become a political challenger.
The problem? No one really knows Mark. He didn’t grow up in this town, and his few friends are all nerds. Still, thanks to Scandal and The West Wing, they know where to start: from campaign stops to voter polling to a fashion makeover.
Soon Mark feels emboldened to engage with voters-and even start a new romance. But with an investigative journalist digging into his past, a father trying to silence him, and the bully frontrunner standing in his way, Mark will have to decide which matters most: perception or truth, when both are just as dangerous.

Thank you to Harper 360 YA for sending me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Firstly, happy book birthday to this book! This book is released today in some parts of the world and I think next month here in the UK. I would also like to say thank you to Harper 360 for sending me this advanced copy, as this ended up being one of my most anticipated release of the year and I really enjoyed it. This book is slightly odd for me as the main character has the same full name as my boyfriend, and it comes up a lot in the book because of the nature of the election. Every time his name was mentioned, it made me smile because of it being my boyfriend’s name too!

I honestly loved this so much for so many other reasons too, especially because of how diverse it was. The main character is trans and I adored the discussions that this brought up. It felt so authentic and although some of this was tough to read because of Mark’s relationship with his father, it felt so natural and I found it interesting to read about. The larger cast of characters is also super diverse in gender identity, sexuality and religion. Again, all of this representation felt natural and authentic and I loved it.

The plot of this book was entertaining and kept me interested in the story, but at the same time let me down a little because it felt predictable in some ways. It followed a few typical tropes and plot lines for YA, which is why I found it slightly predictable. I also felt the author did a great job of making us feel sympathetic to Mark even when he made some mistakes. These mistakes were hurtful to other characters, but felt natural and understandable rather than making us judge him for his actions.

I adored the friendship group and they had a real found-family feel for me which was one of my favourite things about this book. The interactions between them were so heartwarming and seeing them support each other as they grow up and explore their own identities was so lovely and emotional.

Overall, this was definitely more of a character driven story for me than a plot driven story, as the plot did let me down in places. However, I did really enjoy this one and it was brilliantly queer and diverse!

★★★★★
4.5 out of 5 stars

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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