N.E.W.Ts Readathon | Week #2 Update

Has it really been a week already? I managed to read three books for the N.E.W.Ts Readathon in the first week, something I haven't quite managed this week, so this past week feels as though it's flown by!

Like last week I'm going to list my progress below and then briefly chat about my past week of reading. If you're unfamiliar with this readathon, which is running throughout August, you can check out Book Roast's introduction video here.

Ancient Runes

1. Read a book set in the past Riddle of the Runes by Janina Ramirez
2. Read an ancient book on your shelves that you haven't yet read
3. Read a translated book

Arithmancy

1. Read a book of at least 300 pages The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
2. Read a book that ends on an even numbered page Heart of Thorns by Bree Barton
3. Read a book that's not a first in a series

Charms

1. Read a book with magic in it The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin
2. Read a book with a cover that charmed you
3. Read a book that you think will leave a mark

History of Magic

1. Read a book that you think would fit right in at Hogwarts Library
2. Read a book that was published at least 5 years ago
3. Read a book that's at least 400 pages long

Last week I mentioned that I was struggling to start History of Magic and, as you can see, I still haven't - oops! I've read Bree Barton's Heart of Thorns since last week which I mentioned in my previous post, I was thinking of using it for my A in History of Magic because the cover reminded me of Devil's Snare, and unfortunately I didn't like it as much as I hoped to. I've reviewed it here if you're interested!

In the end, as it ended on an even numbered page, I decided to put it towards my E in Arithmancy rather than my A in History of Magic. After finishing The Obelisk Gate I really wanted to carry on with the series and read The Stone Sky which I can put towards my O in Arithmancy, so I needed to get my E in the subject, and once I get my O in Arithmancy I've 'passed' - the main goal of the readathon is to get at least one O and one A in two separate subjects.

Like I said last week I know it's just a readathon and it's just a bit of fun, but it'll genuinely ease things up for me if I can get an O under my belt and then I can take my time with all the other books I'd like to try and read before the end of the month. I'm about a third of the way through The Stone Sky now, and really enjoying it, so I'm hoping to have that one finished soon and then Arithmancy is done!

My goals for the rest of the month are to get an O in Charms, reading Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi and Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik, and to get Es in Ancient Runes and History of Magic. In a perfect world I'd get Os in all four subjects, but I don't think I'm going to have the time and I'm planning to buddy read Spinning Silver with my friend Natalie @ A Sea Change this month so I need to get to it soon.

To get my E in Ancient Runes I'm planning to read The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, which I've been meaning to read for years, and for History of Magic I still need to choose a book to get my A. At the moment I think I might go for Circe by Madeline Miller, which funnily enough I mentioned I wasn't in the mood for last week as it was originally on my Charms TBR, but as Circe is considered one of fiction's first witches I think it's only fitting that a book about her would be in the Hogwarts library and considering its Ancient Greek setting, I'd like to try and read Circe before the autumn comes around.

With any luck I'll get a good way through The Stone Sky tonight and I'll be back next week with another update! How's your reading going?

This Week in Books | 25/07/18

This week I'm joining in with Lipsy @ Lipsyy Lost & Found to talk about the books I've been reading recently!

Have you seen my INTERNATIONAL GIVEAWAY?

Last weekend I gave myself a whole day to chill out and do nothing but read, and that day I finished the book I was reading and then read two more, both in one sitting, so right now my reading buzz is back. I recently made myself a TBR for the rest of the year - nothing strict, but a bunch of books, including 20 review copies, that I'd like to try and read by the end of this year - so I've been working my way through it.

Now: I've recently started The City of Brass and I like what I've read so far. It's really refreshing to read a book set in 18th century Cairo; whenever Egypt pops up in books it tends to be Ancient Egypt, so to have a book acknowledging another period of the country's history is great. I love books about con artists and all I know about this book is that it's going to involve djinn/genies at some point and I am so here for that.

Then: I was sent a copy of West to review via NetGalley and it was a really quick, beautifully written read. I didn't like it as much as I'd hoped but Carys Davies is definitely an author I'd like to read more of - check out my review here!

Next: Even though I want to focus on the TBR I set for myself, these past couple of days I've been yearning for the rest of N.K. Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy. I loved The Fifth Season and I actually started The Obelisk Gate, so I'd like to continue with it and maybe try and finish the trilogy this year.

What are you reading?

Top Ten Tuesday | Series I'd like to finish

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted at That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week's theme. You can find everything you need to know about joining in here!

This week's theme is 'Series I’ve Given Up On/Don’t Plan to Finish', but I feel like I've talked about this fairly recently or at least recently enough that my answers won't be any different, so I decided to talk about the series I'd like to finish instead!

I'm a terrible finisher, but since devouring the Six of Crows duology earlier this year I've rediscovered my love for reading whole series so I'd like to finish some more series this year if I can.

The Broken Earth trilogy by N. K. Jemisin: I read and really enjoyed The Fifth Season and started reading The Obelisk Gate and then just got distracted by other things. I'd really like to return to this series, though, because it's one of the most original fantasy stories I've come across and I love the way it straddles fantasy and science fiction.

The Memoirs of Lady Trent by Marie Brennan: I tried reading A Natural History of Dragons a few years ago and couldn't get into it, but earlier this year I ended up listening to the audiobook during my commute to work and enjoyed it. I'm not desperate to continue this series, but I'd definitely like to try the other books via audiobook at some point.

The Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carriger: So far I've read Soulless, Changeless and Blameless and this series is one I turn to when I'm in the mood for something quick and fun - I'm hoping to finish this series this year!

The Glamourist Histories series by Mary Robinette Kowal: Another series that's light, fun and easy to read. I've only read the first two books so far but I've liked them enough to want to finish the rest of the series.

The Mistress of the Art of Death series by Ariana Franklin: This series is unusual in that it never got to end properly because the author sadly passed away after completing only four books, and I've seen from reviews that the fourth book actually ends with a cliffhanger. I don't actually love this series, but like the above series I find it really easy to read and I like the characters enough to want to know what happens to them. I've read three books so far so, even though I know it doesn't have an ending, I'd like get to the fourth book at some point.

The His Fair Assassin trilogy by Robin LaFevers: I really enjoyed Grave Mercy and I loved Dark Triumph, and yet for some reason I still haven't read Mortal Heart. LaFevers is bringing out some more books following these characters next year, though, so I definitely need to get to it soon.

The Fruits Basket series by Natsuki Takaya: Fruits Basket is one of my favourite animes and I started reading the manga but still haven't finished reading the series - I'd like to, though!

The Newsflesh trilogy by Mira Grant: Feed is one of my favourite novels of all time and I loved Deadine, too, but I'm ashamed to say I still haven't read Blackout. Oops.

The Girl From Everywhere duology by Heidi Heilig: I thought The Girl From Everywhere was so fun with such a unique take on time travel, so I'd like to try and get to The Ship Beyond Time this summer.

The Old Kingdom series by Garth Nix: I adored The Old Kingdom series when I was younger, Sabriel remains one of my favourite books from my childhood/early teens, but I haven't read Clariel or Goldenhand yet and, to be honest, I think I might have to re-read the earlier books before I do.

Which books made your list this week?

Top Ten Tuesday | Fictional Places I Would NOT Want to Live In

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted at That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week's theme. You can find everything you need to know about joining in here!

This week's theme is 'Bookish Worlds I’d Never Want to Live In', which I found to be a really fun topic! So often when I love a story, particularly a fantastical one, I can find myself thinking 'I wish I'd gone to Hogwarts' or 'I wish I lived in The Shire', but I've never given too much thought to the places I really wouldn't want to live in.

For my list this week I've decided to stick with fictional places. I thought of mentioning The Book Thief because I would have hated to live in Nazi Germany, but in the end I felt like, for me, it was a little disrespectful to mention real places because some people really have had to live through that. Anyway, on with my list!

Panem from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: Let's just get this one out the way with because it's probably on most lists this week, right? Pretty much any dystopian novel has a setting I wouldn't want to live in, but Panem in particular I'd hate because if I'd been chosen to take part in the Games when I was younger I'd've been the first one to die.

Airstrip One from Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell: Carrying on with that dystopian theme, Nineteen Eighty-Four is one of the most depressing novels I've ever read and I would hate to live somewhere where the government was quite literally watching me all the time.

The town from The Lottery by Shirley Jackson: There's a reason why The Lottery is one of the most famous American short stories ever, and this story alone earns Jackson a place as one of the best horror writers in my opinion. I can't say much without giving anything away, although this story's so short I recommend you reading it asap, but trust me when I say I wouldn't want to live in that town and I guarantee you wouldn't want to live there either.

Neverland from Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie: Disney Neverland looks fun, but the Neverland in the book is just as creepy as everything else. I don't understand the whimsy around Peter Pan, it's so strange and unnerving, and even as a child I don't think Neverland would have appealed to me unless Robin Williams was there.

The Other World from Coraline by Neil Gaiman: Having everything I want in exchange for having buttons sewn into my eyes? Yeah, no, that's not happening.

Westeros from A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin: Admittedly I haven't read the books but I watch Game of Thrones and no amount of money could convince me to live there. It's so brutal and I wouldn't last five minutes.

Wonderland from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll: Unlike Peter Pan, I love Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and I've always been fascinated by it. Having said that, the world is just so bizarre that I think I'd go mad and, while I love stuff that's a bit weird, I think Wonderland would be just a bit too weird for me.

The Stillness from The Broken Earth by N.K. Jemisin: There's no way I'd want to live in a world where the earth decides it doesn't want you there every few years and has a little apocalypse to wipe a few million people off it.

Giant Country from The BFG by Roald Dahl: This is going to sound ridiculous, but I'm terrified of giants. I know they're not real but the idea of them scares the crap out of me so Giant Country is my idea of hell. I don't want to be anyone's dinner, thanks.

The Fifteen Realms from Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder: There's a plague spreading across this world killing thousands at a time and even the healers can't do anything about it. No thanks.

Which places made your list this week?

Top Ten Tuesday | Best Books of 2017

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week's theme. You can find everything you need to know about joining in here!

This week's theme is 'Top Ten Favourite Books of 2017', and it's a topic I'm not quite comfortable with this year. Out of all the books I've read this year not many have wowed me, in fact most of them have left me feeling a bit 'meh, and in all honesty I don't really like choosing the best books of a year before the year is over, just in case I read something amazing in the last few weeks of December, so look out for another post at the end of this month/beginning of next month in which I'll make myself choose my Top 3 books of 2017!

While most books did leave me feeling a bit cold, the more I thought about it the more I realised that, actually, I did read some really fun, really well-written books this year, and I think it'd be doing the books and their authors a disservice not to mention them. So, in the order I read them, here are my top ten books of 2017:

The Good Immigrant ed. by Nikesh Shukla: An essay collection that really opened my eyes to the kind of racism I have contributed to and not noticed in Britain because of my white privilege. That makes this book sound so preachy, and it really isn't, but it made me think a lot of thoughts and, frankly, I think it should be required reading in schools alongside Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's We Should All Be Feminists.

The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Speaking of Adichie, I decided to finally explore some of her fiction with her short story collection this year and loved it. It was so different from everything else I've read and it's made me really excited to read her novels.

The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin: One of the most original fantasy stories I've ever read, told in one of the most interesting ways I've ever seen a story told. 

Final Girls by Riley Sager: This twisty and twisted thriller plays around with the 'final girl' trope in horror films and that made it so much fun to read.

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli: Be still my beating heart! I didn't think it would be possible to love this book after I enjoyed Albertalli's debut, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, so much, but I think I loved it even more. I found Molly to be such a relatable heroine, something that rarely happens for me when I read Contemporary YA, and the whole story is lovely. This book is like a warm hug.

Stay With Me by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀: After reading The Thing Around Your Neck, this debut confirmed that I really enjoy fiction set in Nigeria and I'm eager to check out more. Whatever Adébáyọ̀ releases next, I'll definitely be getting my hands on a copy; this debut is a fantastic page-turner, so much so that I read it in one sitting, and full of twists and turns. I highly recommend it!

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee: Another really fun read with such a charming protagonist and a romance brimming with chemistry. This novel was so full of character and Lee didn't tone down on the historical accuracy for the sake of romanticising the past and, as a history nerd, I really appreciated that.

All the Truth That's in Me by Julie Berry: This one took me by surprise. I was expecting it to be more of a thriller than it was, but the story turned out to be quieter than the blurb made it out to be and I really, really enjoyed it. I loved the way it was written and I loved the way the story unfolded - this is a great one to read in the winter!

Persuasion by Jane Austen: Can you believe it? The book that turned me against Austen when I was eighteen has appeared on my best books of the year list eight years later. Pride and Prejudice is fun but, having reread this one, I think I agree with the many other Austen fans who regard this one as her masterpiece. I also watched the 1995 adaptation this year and thought it was brilliant, so I recommend it if you haven't watched it.

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller: Last, but definitely not least - this one isn't only one of my favourite books of 2017, but has become one of my favourite books of all time. It's a masterpiece. I adored it, and I can't wait to read Circe.

Which books made your list this week?

This Week in Books | 28/06/17

This week I'm joining in with Lipsy @ Lipsyy Lost & Found to talk about the books I've been reading recently!

Now: Yep, I'm still reading The Obelisk Gate and I'm really enjoying it and I'm determined to finish it soon. Work's been pretty hectic this month so I haven't had much time to read in general, hopefully that'll change soon!

Then: I finally read one of Maya Angelou's collections! 'Phenomenal Woman' is a favourite poem of mine but, despite owning my copy of And Still I Rise for a couple of years, I'd never read one of Angelou's collections until now. I really enjoyed it, and it's definitely a collection I'd read again.

Next: I swear I'm going to get to The Beautiful Ones soon. I just want to read The Obelisk Gate because it's frustrating me that I should have read it by now. The Beautiful Ones is definitely on my radar to read next, as well as The Song of Achilles, When Dimple Met Rishi, The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue and Shades of Milk and Honey. There's so much I want to read, I just need some more hours in the day please!

What are you reading?

Top Ten Tuesday | Best Books of 2017 - So Far!

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week's theme. You can find everything you need to know about joining in here!

This week's theme is 'Best Books You've Read In 2017 So Far', and while I feel like I'm having a more positive reading year, and more positive year all-round, than last year, I'm still not reading as much as I'd like to be and I haven't read many amazing, blow-my-socks-off books which is a little sad considering it's June. I can't believe it's June.

I have read some books I've really enjoyed, though, and this is the best of the bunch so far - I'm hoping the latter half of the year is even better! So, without further ado, here are my top ten eight books of 2017 so far...

The Good Immigrant ed. by Nikesh Shukla: This is such an important book given our current political climate and the kind of book I want to throw at every person I meet. If you haven't read this yet then you must, especially if you're British or currently living in the UK. Check out my review here.

The One Hundred Nights of Hero by Isabel Greenberg: A lesbian retelling of The Thousand and One Nights is everything I didn't know I wanted until I came across it in this charming graphic novel. I loved it.

The Driver's Seat by Muriel Spark: Quite possibly one of the most disturbing books I've ever read, it left me feeling the same way I felt the first time I read Shirley Jackson's The Lottery, and I loved it. It's not a new favourite, a book has to be pretty special to be a new favourite, but it is deliciously dark and short enough to be devoured in one sitting, which I think is what it deserves.

The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin: This is one of those really unexpected books; I wasn't planning to read it, I hadn't even heard of it at the beginning of this year, but I was on the lookout for some high fantasy and my lovely friend Natalie @ A Sea Change recommended Jemisin's work to me. I picked up a copy of The Fifth Season after seeing how many brilliant reviews it had on Goodreads and I loved it. It's so fresh and new compared to the other high fantasy I've read and I had such fun reading it.

The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: I was determined to read some of Adichie's fiction this year, so I decided to dive into her short story collection and I really, really enjoyed it. There weren't really any stories I didn't like and even now, with the book nowhere near me, I find myself able to remember a lot of them. I can't wait to read her novels. Check out my review here.

Final Girls by Riley Sager: I don't read thrillers often but I tend to enjoy them when I do, and this one, which plays on the horror trope of the 'final girl', was so much fun to read; I read it in two sittings because I couldn't put it down. It's being released next month, I believe, so make sure you pick up a copy! Check out my review here.

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli: My favourite book of the year so far, which really surprised me. I loved Albertalli's debut, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (reviewed here), but with this book Albertalli has become my favourite YA author. I wasn't sure I'd be able to love this book as much as I loved her debut and I'm always nervous when a book is marketed as having a fat protagonist - so often the plot will revolve around them losing weight or they won't really be fat - but I read this in one sitting, I didn't move at all, and I adored it. This book and Signal to Noise are the only books I've read in recent years that have reminded me of what it was like to be a teenager, and have spoken to the experiences I had in a very personal way. I loved it. Check out my review here.

Stay With Me by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀: I haven't been this surprised by a debut novel, in all the best ways, since I read Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. I was really hoping to enjoy Stay With Me and I ended up loving it; it's such a well-crafted and cleverly plotted story and I can't wait to see what Adébáyọ̀ writes next! Check out my review here.

Which books made your list this week?

Top Ten Tuesday | More Anticipated 2017 Releases

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week's theme. You can find everything you need to know about joining in here!

This week's theme is 'Top Ten Most Anticipated Books For The Second Half of 2017', so below are the ten books, published between July and December of this year, that I'm most looking forward to!

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng: Ng's debut, Everything I Never Told You (reviewed here), was the best book I read last year, so I can't wait to get my hands on her second novel. She has a real talent for writing families and I'm hoping this book's going to be just as good as, if not better than, her first.

The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: If you've been following my blog for a while then you'll know I'm a big fan of Moreno-Garcia's work. Her debut, Signal to Noise (reviewed here), is one of my favourite books of all time and I really enjoyed her second novel, Certain Dark Things (reviewed here), too. Her third novel seems to be a kind of fantasy of manners book - it's giving me The Night Circus vibes - and I can't wait to read it.

Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant: Grant is the author of one of my other favourite books, Feed, and Into the Drowning Deep is a novel-length sequel to her horror novella, Rolling in the Deep (reviewed here). I must thank Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies for bringing it to my attention, because after reading Rolling in the Deep I remember thinking I'd love to read something longer about Grant's killer mermaids.

The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin: The final book in Jemisin's The Broken Earth trilogy which is simply fantastic. I can't wait to see how Jemisin concludes this story.

Black Tudors by Miranda Kaufmann: I love me some Tudor history, and this book sounds fascinating. When we think of Tudor England we imagine a very white England, but Kaufmann has written a book about the black people who were very much around during this time. October is Black History Month in the UK, so I'm aiming to read this book this autumn.

There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins: I haven't read any of Perkins' novels, Anna and the French Kiss etc. don't really interest me, but I did enjoy her short story in My True Love Gave to Me and I'm very interested in checking out a novel described as Scream meets YA. I really enjoyed Riley Sager's Final Girls (reviewed here) earlier this year, so I'd love to read more novels that play on slasher movie tropes.

Strange Practice by Vivian Shaw: Urban fantasy doesn't tend to be a genre that reels me in, but every now and then I'm in the mood for it and this sounds interesting! I love it when stories play around with the Dr. Helsing figure.

A Skinful of Shadows by Frances Hardinge: This has a beautiful cover, ghosts and it's released on my birthday - what's not to love? I've also read virtually no historical fiction set during the English Civil War, so this should be interesting.

The Tiger's Daughter by K. Arsenault Rivera: Eastern-inspired high fantasy and girls kissing. It's all I need in a book.

The Orphan of Florence by Jeanne Kalogridis: If a story's set in Florence then I'm already sold, and if it's set in Renaissance Florence I want it even more.

Which books made your list this week?

Top Ten Tuesday | Unique, just like everyone else

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week's theme. You can find everything you need to know about joining in here!

This week's theme is 'Top Ten Of The Most Unique Books I've Read', which is a topic with a whole lot o' scope. How do we judge what's unique when every single one of us reads different books and even reads the same books in a different way? But there's no need for me to get all philosophical.

Here are ten of the most unique books I've read, all for different reasons, and if you haven't read them yourself I recommend them! Or at least most of them...

Holes by Louis Sachar: I was lucky enough to read Holes in school, and when I was first told I was going to read it I wasn't impressed. It's essentially described as a story about boys digging holes but it turned out to be so much more than that and I have such fond memories of it now.

Blood Red Road by Moira Young: This one was a unique read for me because of the way it's written. Usually I find it hard to get into books written in dialect, but this book pulled me through it and I ended up loving it. I still haven't read the sequels because it turns out I'm rubbish at reading series, but I do still love this one.

Signal to Noise by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: As always, I refuse to miss a chance to mention this book. I love witches and I love stories about witchcraft, but there are a lot of samey ones out there. Signal to Noise, however, is such a fresh witchcraft story; it's set in Mexico in the 1980s, where fifteen year old Meche learns to cast spells with her vinyl records. It's so good and you need to read it immediately.

The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig: I don't read many time travel books, but I think the way time travel happens in Heilig's debut is such an exciting, new way. The characters in The Girl From Everywhere don't find secret portals or build time machines, instead there are certain people who can sail to places on a map - but there's a catch, if they find a map to 17th century France then they'll travel to 17th century France. It's just so cool, and a really fun novel, too!

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli: My favourite book of 2017 so far, it's still gives me the warm fuzzies just thinking about it. The protagonist, Molly, is overweight, but something about this book is truly miraculous: the story isn't about Molly wanting or trying to lose weight. I know, it's astounding, isn't it? Read this if you haven't already, it'll make you feel better about the world.

Wise Children by Angela Carter: Sadly I'm not the biggest Carter fan, aside from The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories, because her work is just a little too weird for my tastes - Wise Children is no exception. I had to read this during sixth form and it's just bizarre. I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't read it yet, but any book that ends with a seventy-five woman sleeping with a one hundred year old man who she knows is either her uncle or her father is definitely unique in my book. And bloody weird.

Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix: Sadly, this story about a haunted store rather than a haunted house turned out not to be as different as I was hoping, but the way it's been published is definitely unique. Horrorstör has been published to look and feel like a department store catalogue and I love it for that alone.

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin: Probably the most unique high fantasy book I've read, which doesn't really say much because I haven't read much high fantasy since I was a teenager and have only started getting back into it in the past year. The way this book is written is unique, the characters are unique, the relationships are unique, the ways magic and science intersect are unique. It's a brilliant book and you should read it.

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson: I've yet to come across any other books in which the narrator is a nameless pornographer recovering from severe burns. That's pretty unique to me!

The Meat Tree by Gwyneth Lewis: This is a retelling of one of the stories in The Mabinogion. Now The Mabinogion is already weird in and of itself, and this sci-fi retelling took it to a whole other level that, to be honest, I didn't really enjoy. I haven't read anything else like it, though!

Which books made your list this week?

Diversity Bingo 2017!

I spotted this over on Mallory @ The Local Muse's blog and couldn't resist taking part myself. The last thing I want to do is make it seem as though my striving to read more diversely is about ticking something off a list; as I mentioned in my 2017 Resolutions I do genuinely want to get to a point where I'm reading as many authors of colour as white authors, and reading all across the spectrum within those books because dammit it's 2017 and the world isn't made up of white, wealthy, heterosexual, cisgender, able-bodied people and that's something to be celebrated and something that should be reflected in the stories I read.

So I'm going to put this Diversity Bingo here and at the end of the year I'd like to come back and see how much I've crossed off so that I can assess how diverse my reading has been throughout the year, and I'll probably check it myself throughout the year because I know there are areas that I am consistently missing out. For example, I feel as though I've read very little by Asian or South American authors, and even less about Asian and South American characters in Asian and South American settings, and I've read practically nothing about the trans community which is something I need to change. I don't want to be ignorant.

I've read 15 books so far this year, and 6 of those books have crossed something off this list which I'm really happy with, but I'm hoping to cross as many books off this list as I can. I think this will be a great starting point to help me search for new diverse reads that I might not be reading much of already; like I said above I'd like to read more books set in Asia and more books about the trans community, but I'd also like to read as many Own Voices authors as I can this year as well reading books featuring protagonists with disabilities.

So far I've read:

Retelling w/ MC belonging to LGBTQIA+ - The One Hundred Nights of Hero by Isabel Greenberg and As I Descended by Robin Talley.

Non-Western (Real World) Setting - The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

Book by Author of Colour - The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin.

Diverse Non-Fiction - The Good Immigrant ed. by Nikesh Shukla.

Hijabi MC (Own Voices) - The Other Half of Happiness by Ayisha Malik.

Are you challenging yourself to Diversity Bingo this year?

This Week in Books | 25/01/2017

This week I'm joining in with Lipsy @ Lipsyy Lost & Found to talk about the books I've been reading recently!

Now: I really, really enjoyed The Fifth Season, so much so that I immediately bought a copy of The Obelisk Gate and I think I might be enjoying this one even more. It's frustrating to know that once I finish this I'm going to have to wait until August for The Stone Sky.

Then: Unfortunately I had to DNF The Winter Witch. I got bored and I wasn't keen on the characters; the heroine was irritating and the villains were stereotypical.

Next: I'm planning to continue with my DiverseAThon reading and finish The Other Half of Happiness once I finish The Obelisk Gate, as I was very kindly sent an ARC by the publisher. I'd like to get on top of my ARCs this year!

What have you been reading recently?

Top Ten Tuesday | DiverseAThon Recommendations

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week's theme. You can find everything you need to know about joining in here!

This week's theme is a freebie, so as it's currently DiverseAThon I thought I'd share some of my recommendations with you for anyone who's taking part! There's a focus on #OwnVoices this DiverseAThon - e.g. an LGBT+ book written by an LGBT+ author - so that's my focus here, too.

For more information about DiverseAThon, check out these videos!

Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie: This has to be one of my favourite fairy tale inspired stories out there, all about the power of older stories and how they influence our stories of the future. The 1001 Nights is a particular inspiration behind this book, so if you're a fan of A Thousand Nights, The One Hundred Nights of Hero or The Wrath & the Dawn and you haven't read this yet, you're missing out!

Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley: This is Talley's debut and I loved it. Set in 1959, it explores a mixed-race, LGBT+ romance in an American high school that has started to admit black students for the very first time. It's heartbreaking, but so worth reading given the current political climate.

Signal to Noise by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: I take every chance I can get to mention this book because I love it so very much, and it's such a unique take on witchcraft. Moreno-Garcia is a Mexican writer and both her published novels, Signal to Noise and Certain Dark Things, take place in Mexico City with a Mexican cast. She's so worth reading if you haven't already!

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng: My favourite book of 2016, this is Ng's debut and follows a mixed race family in 1970s America after the death of one of the family's children. It's harrowing, but so well-written and well-plotted and just so good.

Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman: This is pretty much a classic by now, right? This is a must-read.

Sofia Khan is Not Obliged by Ayisha Malik: I really enjoyed this when I read it last year, and it made me realise how few books I've read that feature Muslim characters, never mind a Muslim protagonist. It's so much fun, and funny, but also knows when to be serious and is just really worth reading.

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters: If you're new to LGBT+ fiction and you're not sure where to start, may I present you with Sarah Waters. Five of Waters' six publish novels feature lesbian protagonists and Fingersmith is widely considered to be her masterpiece - it's definitely a fun one to start with if you're new to her work!

The Good Immigrant ed. by Nikesh Shukla: Such an important book. Read it, read it, read it.

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin: This must be the most diverse fantasy book I've ever read, and on top of that it's written and plotted fantastically, too. Highly recommended!

The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: I love Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. This is her only short story collection and if you're interested in fiction set in Nigeria written by a Nigerian, then you need to pick this book up.

What did you talk about this week?