December Wrap-Up.

I am so proud of my December reading this year! I managed to get through so many reads, some on my original list for the month, and some that I've been wanting to read for ages! I got round to nine whole reads this month! I'll admit a few were pretty short, but I'm super proud of my productive reading month!

1. 'Ghost Stories' by Whit Taylor. Everything about this book disappointed me. I've read some wonderful graphic novels this year and I wanted the same from this. But the art was not great and the stories felt like they didn't really mean anything or achieve their purpose. 1/5 Stars.
2. 'A Christmas Carol' by Charles Dickens. I actually planned to read this one on Christmas Eve/Day and was only loading it up on my Kindle ready when I started reading and found myself unable to stop. This was every bit the tale that I imagined it would be - a little creepy but full of festive cheer and hope. 4.5/5 Stars.
3. 'Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki & His Years Of Pilgrimage' by Huruki Murukami. This is the first thing I've read by Murukami (I thought I'd start small to get a taste of his work) and I enjoyed elements of it. The plot was kind of intriguing, and the mystery kept me hungry for answers. But that ending was so disappointing because I felt like it had all been a waste. 3.5/5 Stars.
4. 'The Gifts Of Reading' by Robert Macfarlane. This short essay was a nice break from longer books and did a great job at making me think and reflect. It's subject, gift giving, was perfect for the time of year too! Macfarlane writes bittersweet anecdotes well and references many other books that I now want to read. 3.5/5 Stars.
5. 'Renegades' by Marissa Meyer. This has been one of my most anticipated reads of the year, largely because it was written by Marissa Meyer, whose books never fail to blow me away. This was definitely my least favourite of hers - the dialogue felt a bit corny at times and I was a little at odds with the book's pacing. But this was still a rich world with great characters and I'm still excited for book two! 4/5 Stars.
6. 'The Worm & The Bird' by Coralie Bickford-Smith. I'm definitely collecting these little illustrated tales that Bickford-Smith writes, and as I got some money for Christmas I actually bought this one for myself as a gift! The art is beautiful but the message felt a little hopeless so I didn't quite like it in the same way that I enjoyed 'The Fox & The Star'. 4/5 Stars.
7. 'The Toymakers' by Robert Dinsdale. This was hands down one of my favourite reads of the month. Mesmerisingly magical, the story captures the wonders of toy shops at Christmas time and expertly contrasts them with the horrors of WWI. Dinsdale writes his characters very well too, I empathised with all of them! 5/5 Stars.
8. 'The Happy Prince & Other Stories' by Oscar Wilde. Oscar Wilde's fairy tales have always intrigued me, and it's clear to see from these that he had an enigmatic personality. These read more like political satire and mockery of the format than anything else, but I enjoyed them all the same - even if they were a little dark and slightly hopeless. 4/5 Stars.
9. 'Fairest' by Marissa Meyer. 'The Lunar Chronicles' series is probably one of my favourite series of all times and I've been dying to get hold of a copy of this novella because it reveals a little more about Levana's life before the series and how she came to be so cruel. I loved the insight into her character and learning more about Lunar itself. 5/5 Stars.

Now it's time to see how I did with my challenges this month!

This month I have read three books for the Netgalley & Edelweiss Challenge, bringing my yearly total to thirty. My reads were:

- Ghost Stories

- Renegades

- The Toymakers

This month I have read zero books for the 2017 New Releases Challenge, bringing my yearly total to fifteen.

This month I have read zero books for the LGBTQIA Challenge, bringing my yearly total to eleven.

This month I have read three books for the Diverse Reads Challenge, bringing my yearly total to thirty seven. My reads were:

- Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki & His Years Of Pilgrimage

- Renegades

- Fairest

And here's my update on this quarter's Bookish Bingo card, courtesy of Pretty Deadly Blog!

2018 Debut: The Toymakers; Robert Dinsdale

Winter Release: Ghost Stories; Whit Taylor

Sci-Fi: Fairest; Marissa Meyer

Freebie: --

Friend's Fave: The Happy Prince & Other Stories; Oscar Wilde

Trees On Cover: The Gifts Of Reading; Robert MacFarlane

Music Themes: Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki & His Years Of Pilgrimage; Haruki Murakami

Book That Was A Gift: The Worm & The Bird; Coralie Bickford-Smith

Holiday Theme: A Christmas Carol; Charles Dickens

Villainous: Renegades; Marissa Meyer

November Wrap-Up.

Another solid six reads managed! It's frustrating, I know I can read much faster than this but I seem to be so busy most of the time that I simply don't get round to it. But the reads I did manage were mostly great!

1. 'Zenn Diagram' by Wendy Brant. I had pretty high hopes for this book when I read the synopsis, but sadly it was a pretty sad start to the month's reading. The MC was so annoying and the writing took way too long to get to the point. I grew so bored of the constant info-dumping and inner monologues. I liked the romantic interest and the plot twists were well thought out. A pretty cool concept, but not very well executed. 2.5/5 Stars.
2. 'Hortense & The Shadow' by Natalia O'Hara & Lauren O'Hara. I'm always up for a good, illustrated children's book with a fairy tale feel. This one certainly delivered, though was so short. There was a really clever (albeit sinister) addition to a lot of the drawings so I think I felt the ending to be a bit anticlimactic due to them. 4/5 Stars.
3. 'The Goblins Of Bellwater' by Molly Ringle. This was the book that I had no idea I needed until I read it. Goblins are a creature seldom found in fiction, and having grown up with the movie Labyrinth they were everything I wanted: cunning, mischevious and stronger than they appeared. I adored this read. Great characters, fantastic world-building and a thrilling plot. 5/5 Stars.
4. 'The Girl In The Tower' by Katherine Arden. I adored 'The Bear & The Nightingale' at the beginning of the year, and saw this month as the perfect time to get stuck into book two! And what a sequel! What impressed me most (being a 'middle' book) was the character and plot development. It felt like a necessary addition to the series' world. I can't wait for book three. 5/5 Stars.
5. 'Fragments Of Femininity' by Olivier Pont and Laurence Croix. Another graphic novel, in response to my promise to read more of these at the beginning of the year. I really loved this beautiful piece of art, as each fragment or story so beautifully articulated a point regarding a very taboo topic: breasts. I felt there was room for a piece on motherhood here, but each story was sensitive, liberating, and a little bit heartbreaking. 4.5/5 Stars.
6. 'The Wrath & The Dawn' by Renée Ahdieh. I just about squeezed this one in but it was well worth it. It played on a lot of overused tropes, and yet somehow that didn't irritate me! Shazi is a great female MC, strong-willed, clever and witty. Khaled was a great love interest too despite being a little typical. This book was a fantastic retelling and made me melt. 4.5/5 Stars.

Now it's time to see how I did with my challenges this month!

This month I have read five books for the Netgalley & Edelweiss Challenge, bringing my yearly total so far to twenty seven. My reads were:

- Zenn Diagram

- Hortense & The Shadow

- The Goblins Of Bellwater

- The Girl In The Tower

- Fragments Of Femininity

This month I have read five books for the 2017 New Releases Challenge, bringing my yearly total so far to fifteen. My reads were:

- Zenn Diagram

- Hortense & The Shadow

- The Goblins Of Bellwater

- The Girl In The Tower

- Fragments Of Femininity

This month I have read one book for the LGBTQIA Challenge, bringing my yearly total to eleven. My read was:

- Fragments Of Femininity

This month I have read three books for the Diverse Reads Challenge, bringing my yearly total to thirty four. My reads were:

- The Girl In The Tower

- Fragments Of Femininity

- The Wrath & The Dawn

And here's my update on this quarter's Bookish Bingo card, courtesy of Pretty Deadly Blog!

Mental Health: Our Numbered Days; Neil Hilborn
Different Culture: I Am Malala; Patricia McCormick & Malala Yousfazai
Illustrations: The Little Red Wolf; Amélie Fléchais
Black Cover: The Hate U Give; Angie Thomas
Set In Another Country: The Girl In The Tower; Katherine Arden
Person On The Cover: The Elite; Kiera Cass
Magic In The Real World: The Girl From Everywhere; Heidi Heilig
Co-Authored: Fragments Of Femininity; Olivier Pont & Laurence Croix
2017 Debut: Hortense & The Shadow; Natalia O'Hara & Lauren O'Hara
American History: Lies We Tell Ourselves; Robin Talley
Fall Release: The Goblins Of Bellwater; Molly Ringle
Horror: Lot No. 249; Arthur Conan Doyle
Asian American Author: The Wrath & The Dawn; Renée Ahdieh
Yellow Cover: The Geek Feminist Revolution; Kameron Hurley
Required Reading: The Return Of Sherlock Holmes; Arthur Conan Doyle
Set At School: Zenn Diagram; Wendy Brant
Poetry Or Verse: O Frabjous Day!; Lewis Carroll
Paranormal: The Woman In Black & Other Ghost Stories; Susan Hill

October Wrap-Up.

October looked like it was going to be a bad month for reading for me to begin with. I seemed to be getting through books at a snail rate and always had too much to do, even during my week off. However, things improved towards the end of the month and I'm pleased I managed five reads!

1. 'The Hate U Give' by Angie Thomas. This book, focussing on the very important #BlackLivesMatter movement, is very deserving of it's record-breaking time at the top spot of the NY Times Bestsellers List. It's powerful, emotional, and necessary, but also funny and eye-opening. The characters are charming and the story builds well. I do think that it is a little over-hyped and too long, but it's a fantastic read. 4/5 Stars.
2. 'The Elite' by Kiera Cass. This book was such a disappointment to me, and yet I expected it to be. I'd been putting it off for that very reason. It felt like 300 odd pages of filler material, mostly taken up by the MC's constant whining and moping about the love triangle she was now stuck in. I'm still drawn into the world enough to want to see this through to the end. Hopefully Cass actually uses the finale to further and resolve the plot. 2.5/5 Stars.
3. 'Lies We Tell Ourselves' by Robin Talley. This is the best book I've read in a long while, and certainly one of my top reads of the year. I'd never really put much thought into the period between segregation and integration in American history, but I will never forget reading the harrowing first chapter of this book. Ever. This book is everything that a diverse YA should be, and has some fantastic LGBT+ representation too. 5/5 Stars.
4. 'The Woman In Black & Other Ghost Stories' by Susan Hill. Another great read but for a totally different reason, I've been looking forward to finding time to read more ghost stories by Susan Hill. Halloween eve was perfect! I'd read 'The Woman In Black' before, and found that these other short stories are just as atmospheric and chilling. I love Hill's creativity and originality and came out of these spooked. 5/5 Stars.
5. 'Lot No. 249' by Arthur Conan Doyle. Feeling a thirst for a little more horror before the night was up, I decided to read this fifty page long short story. I've never read a paranormal story with an Egyptian mummy before and this was the first ever one to be written. Doyle had a great sense of humour which shines through in his complex and energetic characters and while the sentences were a little too convoluted, I loved this read! 4.5/5 Stars.

Now it's time to see how I did with my challenges this month!

This month I have read one book for the Netgalley & Edelweiss Challenge, bringing my yearly total so far to twenty two. My read was:

- The Elite

This month I have read one book for the 2017 New Releases Challenge, bringing my yearly total so far to ten. My read was:

- The Hate U Give

This month I have read one books for the LGBTQIA Challenge, bringing my yearly total to ten. My read was:

- Lies We Tell Ourselves

This month I have read two books for the Diverse Reads Challenge, bringing my yearly total to thirty one. My reads were:

- The Hate U Give

- Lies We Tell Ourselves

And here's my update on this quarter's Bookish Bingo card, courtesy of Pretty Deadly Blog!

Mental Health: Our Numbered Days; Neil Hilborn
Different Culture: I Am Malala; Patricia McCormick & Malala Yousfazai
Illustrations: The Little Red Wolf; Amélie Fléchais
Black Cover: The Hate U Give; Angie Thomas
Person On The Cover: The Elite; Kiera Cass
Magic In The Real World: The Girl From Everywhere; Heidi Heilig
American History: Lies We Tell Ourselves; Robin Talley
Horror: Lot No. 249; Arthur Conan Doyle
Yellow Cover: The Geek Feminist Revolution; Kameron Hurley
Required Reading: The Return Of Sherlock Holmes; Arthur Conan Doyle
Poetry Or Verse: O Frabjous Day!; Lewis Carroll
Paranormal: The Woman In Black & Other Ghost Stories; Susan Hill

September Wrap-Up.

I'm so pleased because I had a much better month this month! Hooray! While not all of them were on my original list, I actually managed seven reads in September, which is amazing!

1. 'Our Numbered Days' by Neil Hilborn. A short book of poetry by my favourite modern poet, I bought this a while ago for my fiancé and decided to read them myself! With a heavy focus on mental health, some of these poems were very relatable while others a little nonsensical. Nevertheless, an enjoyable collection with some real gems. 3.5/5 Stars.
2. 'The Geek Feminist Revolution' by Kameron Hurley. Don't get me wrong, I didn't hate this read. The raw, anger-fuelled passion was very inspiring without a doubt. But there was a lot of self-promotion, repetition and I didn't feel that the essays had been structured very well. More like a memoir in the wrong order at times. 3/5 Stars.
3. 'The Little Red Wolf' by Amélie Fléchais. What a cute little re-imagining of a classic fairy tale! I loved that the wolves were the 'good guys' in this one and Fléchais put a great little spin on the original. Beautiful illustrations too! 4/5 Stars.
4. 'O Frabjous Day!' by Lewis Carroll. I'm really obsessing over owning these little black classics now, after reading this one! I liked some poems more than others, especially those that I recognised so distinctly from Carroll's classic 'Alice In Wonderland' the rhythm and clever wordplay is so much fun! 3/5 Stars.
5. 'The Return Of Sherlock Holmes' by Arthur Conan Doyle. I really went along the classics route this month, and felt that September is the perfect time of year for a little bit of Sherlock Holmes! Doyle really does write short stories extremely well, and these mysteries were no exception. I liked that not all of them were murders - a lot of variety meant I didn't feel that I was reading the same story repeatedly. 5/5 Stars.
6. 'The Girl From Everywhere' by Heidi Heilig. To begin with I really didn't think I was going to enjoy this, thanks to a lack of 'building into it'. However, as the story progressed and came with well-researched settings, mystery and plot, and developed characters I really began to like this book. 4/5 Stars.
7. 'I Am Malala' by Patricia McCormick & Malala Yousafzai. What an emotional read! This book made me cry with it's heartfelt passion and message. Malala is truly an inspirational figure in recent history and I really felt that I learned so much after reading this! My favourite read this month, that's for sure! 5/5 Stars.

Now it's time to see how I did with my challenges this month!

This month I have read two books for the Netgalley & Edelweiss Challenge, bringing my yearly total so far to twenty one. My read was:

- The Little Red Wolf

- I Am Malala

This month I have read zero books for the 2017 New Releases Challenge, bringing my yearly total so far to nine.

This month I have read zero books for the LGBTQIA Challenge, bringing my yearly total to nine. 

This month I have read four books for the Diverse Reads Challenge, bringing my yearly total to twenty nine. My reads were:

- Our Numbered Days

- The Geek Feminist Revolution

- The Girl From Everywhere

- I Am Malala

And here's my update on this quarter's Bookish Bingo card, courtesy of Pretty Deadly Blog!

Mental Health: Our Numbered Days; Neil Hilborn
Different Culture: I Am Malala; Patricia McCormick & Malala Yousfazai
Illustrations: The Little Red Wolf; Amélie Fléchais
Magic In The Real World: The Girl From Everywhere; Heidi Heilig
Yellow Cover: The Geek Feminist Revolution; Kameron Hurley
Required Reading: The Return Of Sherlock Holmes; Arthur Conan Doyle
Poetry Or Verse: O Frabjous Day!; Lewis Carroll

August Wrap-Up.

So, reading-wise, I didn't really do all that well. I managed four of my eight chosen reads and I'm a little disappointed. I'm actually falling massively behind on my Goodreads challenge too so I'm hoping that September will be a lot better. But I still read some really great books!

1. 'If I Was Your Girl' by Meredith Russo. So many fellow bloggers adore this book and it has been on my TBR for a little while. It's the first ever book that I've read following a member of the trans community as they struggle through love and life in their new high school. I felt Amanda was a great voice too, and I liked that Russo acknowledged that despite her struggles, she actually had it a lot easier than most trans people. Good friendships to be found here, though I wasn't so struck on the romance. 3.5/5 stars.
2. 'The Sun Is Also A Star' by Nicola Yoon. I'd been hoping to read a book by Nicola Yoon for ages and finally found time! I liked the focus on racism within minority communities, both MCs were actually POCs, Natasha being Jamaican and Daniel of Korean heritage. There were some great themes in this book. Again, the romance was a little unrealistic but I don't think it interfered too much and actually Nicola provided some nice breaks with random POV chapters from side characters. 4.5/5 Stars.
3. 'Not A Drop To Drink' by Mindy McGinnis. This is definitely my favourite read of the month, that's for sure! I haven't read dystopian fiction for ages but I liked that this one was very natural. Not too many government conspiracies, or zombies of any kind, just mother nature doing it's thing. Great characters, heartwarming relationships and interesting despite not an awful lot happening. I thought the end was a little rushed but I look forward to reading the companion novel. 5/5 Stars.
4. 'Flame In The Mist' by Renée Ahdieh. My latest read and one I was really excited about, I'm definitely on board with this series. Set in Feudal Japan, Ahdieh had clearly done a lot of research and knew the time period well. I liked the characters and the beautiful blending of history and the supernatural. I would have liked a little more backstory to explain what was really going on and felt that the cliffhanger ending should have provided some resolution at least. Still, a great read! 4/5 Stars.

Now it's time to see how I did with my challenges this month!

This month I have read one book for the Netgalley & Edelweiss Challenge, bringing my yearly total so far to nineteen. My read was:

- Flame In The Mist

This month I have read one book for the 2017 New Releases Challenge, bringing my yearly total so far to nine. My read was:

- Flame In The Mist

This month I have read one book for the LGBTQIA Challenge, bringing my yearly total to nine. My read was:

- If I Was Your Girl

This month I have read three books for the Diverse Reads Challenge, bringing my yearly total to twenty five. My reads were:

- If I Was Your Girl

- The Sun Is Also A Star

- Flame In The Mist

And here's my update on this quarter's Bookish Bingo card, courtesy of Pretty Deadly Blog!

Over 5 Years Old: Green Rider; Kristen Britain.
Red Cover: Good Bones; Margaret Atwood.
Latinx MC: One Of Us Is Lying; Karen M. McManus.
LGBT+: Release; Patrick Ness.
Summer Release: Not A Drop To Drink; Mindy McGinnis.
White Cover: A List Of Cages; Robin Roe.
Blue Cover: Good Night Stories For Rebel Girls; Francesca Cavallo & Elena Favilli.
On My TBR Forever: The Sleeping Prince; Melinda Salisbury.
Name In Title: The One Memory Of Flora Banks; Emily Barr.
Royalty: Flame In The Mist; Renée Ahdieh.
A Book With A Map: The Final Empire; Brandon Sanderson.
Author From Another Continent: The Sun Is Also A Star; Nicola Yoon.
Flowers On The Cover: What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours; Helen Oyeyemi.
Romance: If I Was Your Girl; Meredith Russo.
Award Winner: Through The Woods; Emily Carroll.