Hello, I hope you are all doing well? There was a lot going on in February; Lunar New Year, Carnival, Pancake Day, Valentines Day, LGBTQ+ History Month and it was a leap year too! Did you read any themed books? Let me know in the comments below.
BOOKS READ
THE LAST EVER AFTER | SOMAN CHAINANI | The School for Good and Evil #3 | Read 02/02 | ⭐⭐⭐ 3.5 Stars | Audiobook | Audible | Mood Read | Young Adult | Fantasy, Fairy-Tale | “In the epic next chapter of Soman Chainani’s New York Times bestselling series, The School for Good and Evil, everything old is new again as Sophie and Agatha fight the past as well as the present to find the perfect end to their story.” | This book was okay… I enjoyed the plot and was invested enough to want to find out what happened, but I didn’t like the characters, and it was a little too silly at times too. I am glad I kept reading until the end of this trilogy, but I don’t think I’ll carry on and read the Camelot years. This was a good enough place to end for me.
THE TROLLVALLEY | ROLF LIDBERG | Standalone | Read 07/02 | Hardback | Purchased In Norway | Mood Read | Mythology, Nature | “In this journey through a year in the strange and colorful life of the trolls we get to know them as we observe them on winter fishing trips and warm summer evenings.” | A cute souvenir from my holiday! I enjoyed the illustrations and the personality of each troll. There’s some nice messages about respecting and enjoying nature too.
THE CRUISE | CATHERINE COOPER | Standalone | Read 09/02 | ⭐⭐⭐ 3 Stars | Audiobook | Borrowbox | Buddy Read | Adult | Thriller, Mystery | “A glamorous ship. A mysterious cast of passengers. And a New Year’s Eve party that goes horribly wrong…” | I thought there would be a bit more cruising in a book called ‘The Cruise’. The plot felt like it could have occurred anywhere as it wasn’t all that connected to the ship, and most of the book takes place away from it anyway. So that was a little disappointing, however, the mystery was interesting, and the main characters were well developed. I liked how the story all came together in the end, with each thread joining to create a thrilling twist. I listened to this on audiobook and I liked that they had different narrators for the different characters. It’s worth a listen!
HOUSE OF FLAME AND SHADOW | SARAH J. MAAS | Crescent City #3 | Read 12/02 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 Stars | eBook | Amazon | Mood Read | Adult | Fantasy, Romance | “Sarah J. Maas’s Crescent City series reaches new heights as Bryce and Hunt’s world is brought to the brink of collapse-with its future resting on their shoulders.” | Although I don’t love this series quite as much as I love TOG and ACOTAR, and it’s probably Maas’ worst book so far, it’s still a 5 star read for me, and ranks higher than a lot of other fantasy books that I’ve read. This book was full of twists and surprises, I was thrown multiple times with switches in direction and withheld secrets, this was a wild ride from start to finish. It didn’t seem to be -as- well put together as her other series, with some plot turns coming out of nowhere and feeling a little out of place, but I like how it all came together in the end, and I enjoyed the journey. I still dislike Bryce and Hunt as main characters, that hasn’t changed, but the side characters in this series make up for it, and I am glad we got to see more of them. Finally, one thing I was very grateful for in this novel was the fact we returned to fantasy and magic and moved away from thriller and mystery, because that wasn’t something I’d enjoyed all that much in the first two books.
LOCAL GIRL MISSING | J. A. BAKER | Standalone | Read 15/02 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 Stars | eBook & Audiobook | Prime Reads & Borrowbox | Recommended | Adult | Thriller, Mystery | “When local woman Deborah goes missing, her colleagues Adrian, Yvonne and Merriel are all left in shock. Gossip around the office begins to swirl – what could have happened to Deborah? Is she dead or alive? And who could be responsible for her disappearance?” | This is a dark thriller with multiple points of view, and it keeps you guessing right until the end! With heart-thumping, edge of your seat tension and a barrage of twists, it makes for a good read! The only downside was the ending for me as we were left with a few loose ends and red herrings that weren’t quite brought into the main story like I thought they were going to be.
*BOOK OF THE MONTH* | LOVELESS | ALICE OSEMAN | Standalone | Read 23/02 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 Stars | Paperback | Mood Read | Young Adult | LGBTQIA+, Contemporary | “This wise, warm and witty story of identity and self-acceptance sees Alice Oseman on towering form as Georgia and her friends discover that true love isn’t limited to romance.” | This book was funny, emotional and relatable and I loved how it explored all different forms of love from platonic and romantic and everything in-between. I have been meaning to read this book for so long now, as I have absolutely loved everything that Alice has written so far (I only have Radio Silence and Nick & Charlie left in the ‘Osemanverse’ now). Alice writes compelling, diverse characters that always seem to bury themselves into your heart. This is the first book that I have read with an Aro-Ace character at the centre which was such a huge thing. It’s an identity that’s still so misunderstood and discriminated against, and Alice delved deep into this, showing the difficulties and fears that Aro-Ace people face. It was heart breaking, but I loved how honest Alice was about everything, especially as this book contains elements of their own experiences too. I adore books about friendship and this is one of THE ultimate books about friendship, showing the true love that friends can share and putting it centre stage. I just wish I hadn’t waited so long to read it!
THE CRUISE | CAROLINE JAMES | Standalone | Read 29/02 | ⭐⭐⭐ 3 Stars | Audiobook | Borrowbox | Recommended & Buddy Read | Adult | Contemporary, Holiday, Romance | “Leaving behind the heartache, guilt and disappointment of their real lives, three friends decide that now they’re in their sixties, it’s time they finally did something for themselves!” | I was recommended this book by my great aunt, as we are all avid cruise fans. And I did find the cruise aspects realistic. However I couldn’t quite connect with this book, I didn’t find the characters very relatable and the book was too slow at times. I did like the relationships between the characters though and the descriptions of the islands and the experiences they had there. It’s a relaxing no-pressure read, but it didn’t quite bring the level of excitement and interest I normally look for in a book.
BOOKS GAINED
- BRIDE | ALI HAZELWOOD | Standalone | eBook | Amazon | Adult | Paranormal Romance | “A dangerous alliance between a Vampyre bride and an Alpha Werewolf becomes a love deep enough to sink your teeth into in this new paranormal romance from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Love, Theoretically and The Love Hypothesis.” | NOT READ
- TO BE TAUGHT, IF FORTUNATE | BECKY CHAMBERS | Standalone | eBook | Amazon: Gift Card | Adult | Sci-Fi | “In the future, instead of terraforming planets to sustain human life, explorers of the galaxy transform themselves.” | NOT READ
I picked up 5 World Book Day books this month at my local supermarket, as a fan of children’s and middle grade books, and at only £1 each they are perfect for when I am looking for something that’s light, and can be finished in one sitting.
- WORLD BOOK DAY BOOK 2024 | THE DOOMSDAY DATE | FARIDAH ÀBÍKÉ-ÍYÍMÍDÉ | Standalone | Paperback | Local Supermarket | Young Adult | Romance | “The hilarious, heart-soaring story of one night, two friends and a list that will change everything” | NOT READ
- WORLD BOOK DAY BOOK 2024 | THE AMAZING EDIE ECKHART: THE FRIEND MISSION | ROSIE JONES | The Amazing Edie Eckhart | Paperback | Local Supermarket | Children’s | Contemporary, Disability | “From TV comedian Rosie Jones comes a sparky and HILARIOUS story for World Book Day. Perfect for fans of Jacqueline Wilson and DORK DIARIES.” | NOT READ
- WORLD BOOK DAY BOOK 2024 | DREAD WOOD CREEPY CREATIONS | JENNIFER KILLICK | Dread Wood | Paperback | Local Supermarket | Middle Grade | Contemporary, Disability | “The brand new World Book Day adventure and must-read middle-grade novel from the author of super-spooky Crater Lake. Perfect for 9+ fans of R.L.Stine’s Goosebumps.” | NOT READ
- WORLD BOOK DAY BOOK 2024 | ONYEKA AND THE SECRET SUPERHERO | TỌLÁ OKOGWU | Onyeka | Paperback | Local Supermarket | Middle Grade | Fantasy, Superhero | “A superpowered World Book Day story in the action-packed ONYEKA series from bestselling author Tọlá Okogwu. Perfect for 8+ fans of Percy Jackson, Marvel and DC!” | NOT READ
- WORLD BOOK DAY BOOK 2024 | LOKI: TALES OF A BAD GOD | LOUIE STOWELL | Loki: A Bad God’s Guide | Paperback | Local Supermarket | Children’s | Humour, Adventure, Mythology | “A collection of three short stories from trickster-god-turned-school-boy, Loki, star of the bestselling Loki: A Bad God’s Guide series.” | NOT READ
READING STATS
| Books Read | 7 |
| Books Read Minus DNFed | 7 |
| Total DNFed | 0 |
| Total Pages | 2977 |
| Avg Days Per Book | 6.4 |
| Avg Pages Per Day | 69 |
| Audio Hours | 54:03:00 |
| Re-Reads | 0 |
| Series Stats | 1 Series Finished, 1 Sequel Read, 5 Standalones |
| Average Rating | 3.9 |
| Author Stats | 7 Different Authors, 4 New Authors |
| Book Length | Shortest (32), Longest (839) |
| Reason Read | 5 Mood Reads, 2 Recommended |
| Years Published | Oldest Published (1998), Average Year (2018) |
| Top Genres | Contemporary, Mystery, Thriller, Fantasy |
FEBRUARY’S TBR
CARRYING OVER FROM LAST MONTH
- THE GIRLS WHO DISAPPEARED | CLAIRE DOUGLAS | 5% COMPLETE | Standalone | Paperback | Borrowed | Adult | Thriller, Mystery | Recommended | “Twenty years ago, Olivia Rutherfood crashed her car while driving home with three friends. When she regained consciousness, she was alone – her friends had vanished. Now, journalist Jenna Halliday visits the town where it happened, determined to unlock the girls’ disappearance.”
- GHOSTS: THE BUTTON HOUSE ARCHIVES | THE CAST OF BBC’S GHOSTS | 78% COMPLETE | Standalone | Hardback & Audiobook | Fane Online: Pre-Ordered, Audible: Purchased | Family | Humour, Fantasy | Mood Read | “The comic companion to the BBC sitcom GHOSTS, perfect for all the family.”
TBR FOR THIS MONTH
- BRIDE | ALI HAZELWOOD | Standalone | eBook | Amazon: Pre-Ordered | Adult | Paranormal Fantasy, Romance | Mood Read | “A dangerous alliance between a Vampyre bride and an Alpha Werewolf becomes a love deep enough to sink your teeth into in this new paranormal romance from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Love, Theoretically and The Love Hypothesis.”
- SEVEN DAYS TO DIE | MICHELLE KIDD | Detective Inspector Jack MacIntosh Mysteries #1 | eBook | Amazon: Free (Stuff Your Kindle Day) | Adult | Thriller | Recommended | “A brutal killer who strangles young women and leaves their bodies strewn across London’s parks. A killer who leaves his next victim’s shoe beside the body of his last one. Detective Jack MacIntosh has seven days to find the truth.”
- THE SEA OF MONSTERS | RICK RIORDAN | Percy Jackson and the Olympians #2 | Paperback | My Bookshelf | Middle Grade | Fantasy, Mythology | Mood Read | “Percy sets out to retrieve the Golden Fleece before his summer camp is destroyed.”
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