Reading Wrap-Up | January 2017

I stuck two big fingers up to the 2016 reading slump in January and read 14 books, which I think is the most I've read in one month possibly ever; I read a lot as a child, but I had a tendency to re-read books I adored again and again and again.

Not only did I read a good amount of books, but I enjoyed most of them, too. In fact most of them I enjoyed a lot, with only a few disappointments (including two DNFs) thrown in there. I'm going to be DNFing a lot more books this year, at least I am if I find myself reading books that I want to DNF; I'm hoping that the majority of the books I read this year are going to be ones I enjoy, but I'm not going to stress out about not finishing books like I feel as though I did last year. There's just too much I'd rather be reading to feel guilty about DNFing something isn't for me!

• Woman Who Brings the Rain by Eluned Gramich
• The Ladybird Book of Dating by Jason Hazeley
• Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach (DNF)
• The One Hundred Nights of Hero by Isabel Greenberg (Reviewed here!)
• The Good Immigrant ed. by Nikesh Shukla (Reviewed here!)
• The Driver's Seat by Muriel Spark (Reviewed here!)
• McTavish Manor by Inés G. Labarta (Reviewed here!)
• The Things Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Reviewed here!)
• The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin
• The Winter Witch by Paula Brackston (DNF)
• The Other Half of Happiness by Ayisha Malik
• As I Descended by Robin Talley
• Final Girls by Riley Sager
• Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

What did you read in January?

Reading Wrap-Up | February 2015

February was another good reading month for me! I didn't read as many books as I read in January, but so far this year I haven't read a single book I've hated. In fact I enjoyed pretty much every book I read this month.

(And to any of my fellow book bloggers who happen to live in Wales, Happy St. David's Day!)

My Life as a White Trash Zombie

by Diana Rowland

My Rating: 

Angel Crawford is a loser.

Living with her alcoholic deadbeat dad in the swamps of southern Louisiana, she's a high school dropout with a pill habit and a criminal record who's been fired from more crap jobs than she can count. Now on probation for a felony, it seems that Angel will never pull herself out of the downward spiral her life has taken.

That is, until the day she wakes up in the ER after overdosing on painkillers. Angel remembers being in an horrible car crash, but she doesn't have a mark on her. To add to the weirdness, she receives an anonymous letter telling her there's a job waiting for her at the parish morgue—and that it's an offer she doesn't dare refuse.

Before she knows it she's dealing with a huge crush on a certain hunky deputy and a brand new addiction: an overpowering craving for brains. Plus, her morgue is filling up with the victims of a serial killer who decapitates his prey—just when she's hungriest!

Angel's going to have to grow up fast if she wants to keep this job and stay in one piece. Because if she doesn't, she's dead meat.

Literally.

Reviewed here!

The Earl & the Fairy, Vol.1

by Mizue Tani and Ayuko

My Rating: 

Lydia Carlton is a fairy doctor, one of the few people with the ability to see the magical creatures who share our world. During one of her rare trips to London to visit her father, Lydia’s quiet life is suddenly transformed when she is rescued from kidnappers by a mysterious young man! Edgar Ashenbert claims to be descended from the human ruler of the fairy kingdom, and he urgently needs Lydia’s help to find and claim his birthright, the legendary sword of the Blue Knight Earl. Things will never be the same for Lydia as she is pulled into a dangerous quest against dark forces!

Reviewed here!

Judas

by Damian Walford Davies

Judas Iscariot—one of the Bible’s most notorious characters—comes to life in this dramatic and thought-provoking new collection of poems by Damian Walford Davies. Fully aware of how ancient enmities shape modern conflicts, the author draws on 20 centuries of representations of Judas to set out a tale that challenges our preconceived notions of holiness and betrayal.

I got to read this poetry collection pre-publication at work! It's a really interesting collection; I'm a big fan of poetry collections that draw on history, mythology and theology, so I'm glad I got to read this. I've refrained from rating it for the timebeing because I never know how to formulate my thoughts on poetry and I don't think I can rate it. Sadly, I'm no poetry expert.

Even White Trash Get the Blues

by Diana Rowland

My Rating: 

Angel Crawford is finally starting to get used to life as a brain-eating zombie, but her problems are far from over. Her felony record is coming back to haunt her, more zombie hunters are popping up, and she’s beginning to wonder if her hunky cop-boyfriend is involved with the zombie mafia. Yeah, that’s right--the zombie mafia.

Throw in a secret lab and a lot of conspiracy, and Angel’s going to need all of her brainpower--and maybe a brain smoothie as well--in order to get through it without falling apart.

Reviewed here!

Fairest

by Marissa Meyer

My Rating: 

Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now. 

Reviewed here!

Ms. Marvel, Vol.1: No Normal

by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona

My Rating: 

Kamala Khan is an ordinary girl from Jersey City — until she's suddenly empowered with extraordinary gifts. But who truly is the new Ms. Marvel? Teenager? Muslim? Inhuman? Find out as she takes the Marvel Universe by storm! When Kamala discovers the dangers of her newfound powers, she unlocks a secret behind them, as well. Is Kamala ready to wield these immense new gifts? Or will the weight of the legacy before her be too much to bear? Kamala has no idea, either. But she's comin' for you, New York! 

If you haven't been able to tell, I've gone on a bit of a graphic novel binge this year. 

What a fantastic start to a series. First of all, I'm ashamed to say I don't think I've actually read a book where the main character has been a Muslim. Evidently that's something I need to change; I like to think I read quite diversely, but I know I still have a lot I can improve in that respect when it comes to my reading habits. 

Kamala is such a fun character, and I really loved her relationship with her family, particularly her father. I could understand why Kamala was clashing so much with what her parents wanted for her, but her parents were still portrated as likable people which I really appreciated. I'm looking forward to the rest of this series!

What did you read in February?

Reading Wrap-Up | December 2014

December was one of those strange months in which I felt like I read way more than I did. I read five books in total - which is good! - but for whatever reason I feel like I read way more than that; probably because one of the books I read was a collection of short stories.

Anyway, on with this very brief (because I'm very tired) wrap-up!

Christmas at Rosie Hopkins' Sweet Shop

by Jenny Colgan

My Rating: 

Rosie Hopkins is looking forward to Christmas in the little Derbyshire village of Lipton, buried under a thick blanket of snow. Her sweetshop is festooned with striped candy canes, large tempting piles of Turkish Delight, crinkling selection boxes and happy, sticky children. She's going to be spending it with her boyfriend, Stephen, and her family, flying in from Australia. She can't wait.

But when a tragedy strikes at the heart of their little community, all of Rosie's plans for the future seem to be blown apart. Can she build a life in Lipton? And is what's best for the sweetshop also what's best for Rosie?

Reviewed here!

My Family And Other Superheroes

by Jonathan Edwards

My Rating: 

Leaping from the pages, jostling for position alongside the Valleys mams, dads, and bamps, and described with great warmth, the superheroes in question are a motley crew: Evel Knievel, Sophia Loren, Ian Rush, Marty McFly, a bicycling nun, and a recalcitrant hippo. Other poems focus on the crammed terraces and abandoned high streets where a working-class and Welsh nationalist politics is hammered out. This is a postindustrial valleys upbringing re-imagined through the prism of pop culture and surrealism.

A really fun poetry collection!

The Christmas Surprise

by Jenny Colgan

My Rating: 

Rosie Hopkins, newly engaged, is looking forward to an exciting year - especially as the little sweetshop in Lipton she owns and runs continues to thrive. She's also enjoying helping out her best friend, Tina, as she prepares for her big wedding to local lad Jake. But fate is about to strike Rosie and her own fiance, Stephen, a terrible blow, threatening all they hold dear. And it is going to take all their strength, as well as the loving support of their families and their friends, to hold everything together.

Reviewed here!

My True Love Gave to Me

ed. by Stephanie Perkins

My Rating: 

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ...This beautiful collection features twelve gorgeously romantic stories set during the festive period, by some of the most talented and exciting YA authors writing today. The stories are filled with the magic of first love and the magic of the holidays.

Reviewed here!

Witch

by Damian Walford Davies

My Rating: 

With the narrative pull of a novel and the vibrancy of a play, this collection offers a thrilling portrait of a Suffolk village in the throes of the witchcraft hunts of the mid-17th century. The poems in this collection are dark spells, compact, and moving, delivered by those most closely involved in the “making” of a witch. The speakers—from priest Thomas Love and the villagers, who slowly succumb to suspicion and counter-accusation, to the witch hunter Francis Hurst and the “witch” herself—authentically conjure a war-torn society in which religious paranoia amplifies local grievances to fever pitch.

A very atmospheric collection, and one that I think I'll be going back to and rereading more than once this year!

What did you read in December?

Reading Wrap-Up | November 2014

November was a pretty decent reading month for me. I managed to get through five books, and while the majority of them disappointed me (I've been very critical lately) this month has been the first month in a while where I've constantly been reading something. I finished a book and then immediately picked up another, and I feel as though I haven't done that in a while without giving myself a headache!

Also, unusually for me, I've been on something of a contemporary kick this month! I don't usually read a lot of contemporary, but this month, apart from one book, everything I read was contemporary.

So, on with the wrap-up!

Welcome to Rosie Hopkins' Sweet Shop of Dreams

by Jenny Colgan

My Rating: 

Rosie Hopkins thinks leaving her busy London life, and her boyfriend Gerard, to sort out her elderly Aunt Lilian s sweetshop in a small country village is going to be dull. Boy, is she wrong.

Lilian Hopkins has spent her life running Lipton s sweetshop, through wartime and family feuds. As she struggles with the idea that it might finally be time to settle up, she also wrestles with the secret history hidden behind the jars of beautifully coloured sweets.

This was my very first dip into Jenny Colgan, and I really liked it! I've owned this book for a while after my sister recommended it to me, and I decided to pick it up this month purely so I could read Christmas at Rosie Hopkins' Sweet Shop as the festive season approaches - in fact I'm reading it now! 

I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would - in fact there were some parts of it that broke my heart a little bit - and I definitely want to check out more Colgan in future. I keep eying up Little Beach Street Bakery, but I think it'll be a read for the warmer weather, and after I finish Christmas at Rosie Hopkins' Sweet Shop I'm hoping to borrow The Christmas Surprise from my local library.

The Giver

by Lois Lowry

My Rating: 

It is the future. There is no war, no hunger, no pain. No one in the community wants for anything. Everything needed is provided. And at twelve years old, each member of the community has their profession carefully chosen for them by the Committee of Elders.

Twelve-year old Jonas has never thought there was anything wrong with his world. But from the moment he is selected as the Receiver of Memory, Jonas discovers that their community is not as perfect as it seems.

It is only with the help of the Giver, that Jonas can find what has been lost. And it is only through his personal courage that Jonas finds the strength to do what is right…

I've been meaning to read The Giver for years, so in November I finally decided to cross it off my TBR and I'm sorry to say that I was very disappointed with it. If you want to know more about my thoughts on it, you can find my review here!

If I Stay

by Gayle Forman

My Rating: 

Choices. Seventeen-year-old Mia is faced with some tough ones: Stay true to her first love—music—even if it means losing her boyfriend and leaving her family and friends behind?

Then one February morning Mia goes for a drive with her family, and in an instant, everything changes. Suddenly, all the choices are gone, except one. And it's the only one that matters.

After I finished The Giver I was in the mood for something short, and preferably something short that wasn't going to disappoint me like The Giver did. I read If I Stay in a day and enjoyed it way more than I thought I was going to. I recommend it to anyone who hasn't read it yet, and I'm eager to watch the film adaptation now!

The Little Women Letters

by Gabrielle Donnelly

My Rating: 

With her older sister, Emma, planning a wedding and her younger sister, Sophie, preparing to launch a career on the London stage, Lulu can't help but feel like the failure of the Atwater family. Lulu loves her sisters dearly and wants nothing but the best for them, but she finds herself stuck in a rut, working dead-end jobs with no romantic prospects in sight. When her mother asks her to find a cache of old family recipes in the attic of her childhood home, Lulu stumbles across a collection of letters written by her great-great-grandmother Josephine March. In her letters, Jo writes in detail about every aspect of her life: her older sister, Meg's, new home and family; her younger sister Amy's many admirers; Beth's illness and the family's shared grief over losing her too soon; and the butterflies she feels when she meets a handsome young German. As Lulu delves deeper into the lives and secrets of the March sisters, she finds solace and guidance, but can the words of her great-great-grandmother help Lulu find a place for herself in a world so different from the one Jo knew?

I'm a big fan of the Little Women story and The Little Women Letters has been on my TBR for a while. I borrowed it from my local library while I was on my contemporary kick and, sadly, I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped I would. Again, if you want to know more about my thoughts on it you can find my Goodreads review here!

A Winter Flame

by Milly Johnson

My Rating: 

Eve has never liked Christmas, not since her beloved fiancé was killed in action in Afghanistan on Christmas Day. So when her adored elderly aunt dies, the last thing she is expecting is to be left a theme park in her will. A theme park with a Christmas theme…

And that's not the only catch. Her aunt's will stipulates that Eve must run the park with a mysterious partner, the exotically named Jacques Glace. Who is this Jacques, and why did Aunt Evelyn name him in her will?

But Eve isn't going to back down from a challenge. She's determined to make a success of Winterworld, no matter what. Can she overcome her dislike of Christmas, and can Jacques melt her frozen heart at last…?

For my final book of November I decided to continue on my contemporary kick and tick one of the books off my Winter TBR. I didn't dislike this book exactly, but it did disappoint me. I'm not going to say much because I'll be reviewing it during my Twelve Days of Christmas!

What did you read last month?

Reading Wrap-Up | August + September 2014

After a little hiatus my reading wrap-ups are back, and today I'll be sharing with you what I read in August and September. Considering I was finishing up my MA portfolio and just generally stressing out throughout both of these months I got more reading done than I expected!

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane

by Katherine Howe

My Rating: 

Connie Goodwin should be spending her summer doing research for her Ph.D. dissertation in American History. But when her mother asks her to handle the sale of Connie's grandmother's abandoned home near Salem, she's compelled to help. It's not long before the time she's set aside for research is instead spent sorting through her grandmother's ancient possessions, discovering a woman she barely knew. One day, while exploring the dusty bookshelves in the study, Connie discovers a key hidden within an old bible. And within the key is a brittle slip of paper with two words written on it: Deliverance Dane. Along with a handsome steeplejack named Sam, Connie begins to dig into the town's records, looking for references to Deliverance Dane. But even as the pieces begin to fall into place, Connie is haunted by visions of the witch trials so long ago, and she begins to fear that she is more tied to Salem's dark past than she could have ever imagined. 

The first book I read in August was a re-read for me. I first discovered The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane in my local library and enjoyed it that much that I had to get my own copy. It had flaws in places - the villain was a little too obvious and the ending felt a little rushed - but I enjoyed it just as much as the first time I read it. Connie's a very relatable heroine and I love her mother, too. Not to mention Sam, the love interest, who I certainly wouldn't kick out of bed.

Even More Terrible Tudors

by Terry Deary

My Rating: 

Want to know:-- who invited Queen Elizabeth I to visit his brand new toilet?
- what you get when you sew the front of a chicken to the back of a pig?
- how to catch jail fever if you've never been to prison?

Read on for amazing information about the good times and the gory - from the fabulous fun of the great goose fairs and the harmless horrors of Shakespeare's plays, to the vicious variety of painful punishments and the terrible trickery of the ruthless royal family.

History has never been so horrible!

I grew up on the Horrible Histories books, they might be non-fiction but this series was one of my absolute favourites when I was little and I devoured them. Over the past few years it's garnered a whole new fanbase following the success of the show on CBBC and new, bright editions of the books have been released for a whole new generation of kids to enjoy. But I will always love the editions I grew up with which I sadly lost some years ago (I have a feeling my Mum donated them to charity), so when I discovered an entire box of the books in the editions I grew up with on a market stall there was no way I was walking away empty-handed. They were only 70p each, so I ended up picking up some of my favourites, including this one! One night I couldn't sleep, so I read this and it was really comforting. I love these books.

Deadline

by Mira Grant

My Rating: 

Shaun Mason is a man without a mission. Not even running the news organization he built with his sister has the same urgency as it used to. Playing with dead things just doesn't seem as fun when you've lost as much as he has.

But when a CDC researcher fakes her own death and appears on his doorstep with a ravenous pack of zombies in tow, Shaun has a newfound interest in life. Because she brings news-he may have put down the monster who attacked them, but the conspiracy is far from dead.

Now, Shaun hits the road to find what truth can be found at the end of a shotgun.

The last book I read in August was the second book in Mira Grant's Newsflesh trilogy. As expected, it was amazing and I loved it and I had to start the third book, Blackout, straight away. I haven't had much of a chance to really get into the third book yet, but I'm hoping to complete the trilogy this month! If you haven't picked up this series yet then frankly I don't know what you're doing with your life.

Frenchman's Creek

by Daphne du Maurier

My Rating: 

The Restoration Court knows Lady Dona St Columb to be ripe for any folly, any outrage that will relieve the tedium of her days. But there is another, secret Dona who longs for a life of honest love - and sweetness, even if it is spiced with danger. Dona flees London for remote Navron, looking for peace of mind in its solitary woods and hidden creeks. She finds there the passion her spirit craves - in the love of a daring pirate hunted across Cornwall, a Frenchman who, like Dona, would gamble his life for a moment's joy.

In September I finally read my first Daphne du Maurier book! I was going to read Rebecca, but I've heard such amazing things about it that I didn't want to read Rebecca first and ruin du Maurier's other books for me. Being the lover of historical fiction that I am I decided to pick up Frenchman's Creek instead, and I really, really enjoyed it; it was just the kind of fun adventure/romance story I needed after finishing up my MA, and now I can't wait to read more du Maurier!

Blood Sinister

by Celia Rees

My Rating: 

Ellen Forrest is sick, she feels as if the life is being sucked out of her. The doctors think that she is suffering from a disease of the blood, and she has been sent to her grandmother's house to rest, but she seems to be getting worse, not better. Can it have anything to do with the diaries she has found in the attic? Diaries written in Victorian times by her great great grandmother. Diaries that describe an encounter with a handsome young Count who comes from the Land Beyond the Forest. 

Ellen likes a vampire story, who doesn't? The difference is that this one just happens to be true…

I wanted to cross at least one book off my Autumn TBR in September, so considering Blood Sinister isn't even 200 pages long it seemed like the perfect choice. It was okay. It wasn't the worst book I've read, but it wasn't particularly special either, although it was fun to read about people watching videos - you just can't beat the '90s! If you're in the mood to read something easy this Halloween then I recommend you pick it up, but don't expect to be wowed.

What have you read recently?

Reading Wrap-Up | May 2014

I only got through two books this month because I ended up becoming obsessed with a new trilogy that I'm currently in the middle of finishing, but I enjoyed both of the books I read!

Attachments

by Rainbow Rowell

My Rating: 

"Hi, I'm the guy who reads your e-mail, and also, I love you . . . "

Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work e-mail. (Everybody in the newsroom knows. It's company policy.) But they can't quite bring themselves to take it seriously. They go on sending each other endless and endlessly hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives.

Meanwhile, Lincoln O'Neill can't believe this is his job now- reading other people's e-mail. When he applied to be "internet security officer," he pictured himself building firewalls and crushing hackers- not writing up a report every time a sports reporter forwards a dirty joke.

When Lincoln comes across Beth's and Jennifer's messages, he knows he should turn them in. But he can't help being entertained-and captivated-by their stories.

By the time Lincoln realizes he's falling for Beth, it's way too late to introduce himself.

What would he say . . . ?

In May I read my very first Rainbow Rowell book and it was very cute! I've been interested in Attachments for a while now because when it comes to contemporary I tend to read more adult contemporary than YA contemporary, not entirely sure why, though.

Now that I've read this I'm even more eager to read Fangirl and Eleanor & Park to see what Rowell's YA is like. If you're interested in more of my thoughts on Attachments there'll be a review up on Friday!

Feed

by Mira Grant

My Rating: 

The year was 2014. We had cured cancer. We had beaten the common cold. But in doing so we created something new, something terrible that no one could stop. The infection spread, virus blocks taking over bodies and minds with one, unstoppable command: FEED. Now, twenty years after the Rising, bloggers Georgia and Shaun Mason are on the trail of the biggest story of their lives - the dark conspiracy behind the infected. The truth will get out, even if it kills them.

And here we have my new obsession. I bought Feed over Easter - it's one of those books I've been seeing in Waterstones for years and kept meaning to pick up - and as soon as I started reading it I loved it. This book is so funny and thought-provoking and sad. I bauled my eyes out when I read the end of this book, in fact I haven't cried that much at the end of a book since I read The Book Thief.

It's the first zombie book I've read and I loved it because the focus isn't really on the zombies, it's more about journalism, politics and the truth, and it's safe to say Georgia Mason is now of my new favourite heroines. I adore her.

I definitely recommend this trilogy (I'm over half-way through Deadline right now and it's just as brilliant) but don't look up either of the second books if you haven't read the first - some versions of them have spoilers in their blurbs!

Those are the two books I read in May, and I'm really not at all bothered I only managed two; I've discovered a fantastic new series, and now I really want to check out Mira Grant's Parasitology books, too.

What did you read in May?

Reading Wrap-Up | September 2013

I managed to get through two books in September which, given that one of them wasn't even a hundred pages long, is pretty pathetic. I do have my reasons though! Last weekend I moved back up to Lancaster to begin my MA, so I spent the majority of September packing up and getting all my finances sorted. So I'm not really that disappointed with my progress this past month, and I'm definitely not surprised.
     October looks like it's going to be even busier - especially with the challenge I've set myself - so I have no idea when I'll be able to get back into reading novels regularly, but I'm not going to let it worry me. I'm just three books away from completing my fifty books challenge; I'm pretty sure I'll have gotten through three books by December 31st.
     Anyway, on with the wrap-up!

Misery by Stephen King

My Rating: 

After a car crash, writer Paul Sheldon is saved by his number one fan, Annie Wilkes. She brings him home, splints his mangled legs, and all he has to do in return is write a very special book, one all about her favourite character. Because if he doesn`t, if he is bad, she will be cross - very cross.

I'll be honest, I've never really been a fan of Stephen King. I've tried on multiple occasions to read one of his novels but each time I haven't been able to get into his writing style, which is particularly frustrating when he gives such good writing advice; I desperately want to like his work.

     I watched the film adaptation of Misery starring James Caan and Kathy Bates several months ago and really enjoyed it, so when I came across a little copy of the book for 50p I decided to pick it up - I had nothing to lose - and I'm so glad I did! For the first time ever I managed to get through a Stephen King novel; in fact I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It was suspenseful, nerve-wracking and, at times, pretty horrifying too.

     Now that I've read Misery I'm hoping I might be able to read more of King's work in the future, but now that I've finally finished one of his novels I won't be too disappointed if I can't get through another.

Animal Farm by George Orwell

My Rating: 

Tired of their servitude to man, a group of farm animals revolt and establish their own society, only to be betrayed into worse servitude by their leaders, the pigs, whose slogan becomes: "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." 

Nineteen Eighty-Four is one of my all-time favourite classics but, until just a couple of weeks ago, it was the only one of Orwell's books I'd read. Many friends of mine had the chance to study Animal Farm at school but it was never on my syllabus; we studied books like Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men and Golding's Lord of the Flies which, let's be honest, aren't any more cheerful than Animal Farm.

     I found a copy of Animal Farm in my parents' local library and was surprised upon discovering how short it was - I'd never realized it was less than a hundred pages long, so I decided to borrow it with the intention of reading it in one sitting. Instead it took me two days to finish, which just goes to show how busy this September was for me.

     In short, I loved it! It was so bizarre and there was a creepiness to it in that it felt as though I was reading a children's story, like one of Aesop's Fables or one of Kipling's Just So Stories, rather than a piece of political satire - but that's why it's so effective. I'm looking forward to reading more Orwell in future.

So this update is short and sweet. With any luck I'll have more books to talk about at the end of October!