Hey guys, this is Abi here,
And it's the end of June, so my next post is the June Wrap Up (2020)!
I read a lot of books this month. I didn't even think I was going to get my monthly TBR finished this month honestly, because of how large the first three books were. But I did, and I even read extra, to my enormous surprise.
Enjoy!
-BOOKS-
I read a total of 9 books this month, and just like last month, I've enjoyed every book (some more than others though.)
Here's what I read this month.
If you want to see more of my in-depth thoughts of this book, the link to the review is in the title. But to sum it up, I thought there were both good parts, and things that could have been improved. But, I'm hoping, that if Suzanne Collins is able to write a book like this for a character we're not meant to like, then she should be able to write an even better book for a character we do like (like Finnick, Mags, Haymitch, Johanna, Cinna or Effie- please Suzanne Collins?) But, I read this book so I could form my own opinions on this book, because so many people are divided on this one.
2. Seasons of War (Skulduggery Pleasant #13), by Derek Landy
I've been following the Skulduggery Pleasant series since I was 12 years old, and it hasn't disappointed me once. Once again we follow Skulduggery Pleasant and Valkyrie Cain in their next adventure. This time around, they travel to another dimension, to stop them taking over their reality. They make the journey with a (mostly) new bunch of characters and it was nice to meet the people that clearly weren't all they seemed. I also feel like I found out a lot more about Valkyrie on a personal level in this one, which isn't something I was expecting to read about. Of course there was lots of action, and I'm bummed I have to wait a whole year until the next book. (Also that there's only two books left until the end (I've been following this series for so long, even two years feels like nothing to me where this series is concerned.) But, this was just as fantastic as all the other instalments have been. Welcome to the collection, Seasons of War.
3. Beneath the Sugar Sky (Wayward Children #3), by Seanen McGuire
After loving the first two books of this series, I was excited to see what came next in the series. This one was a little confusing compared to the first two books, but it was also a kind of story, because it wasn't focused on a particular character, and the main action did take place at Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children either. It was kind of a group adventure where they have to try and save a character, before she ceases to exist (in the past, her mother was killed before she was born- try working that one out.) But it was an interesting chapter in the Wayward Children universe, and it can't have been that confusing because I'm currently listening to the fourth instalment of the series.
4. All Your Twisted Secrets, by Diana Urban
This was so good! I can't think of one thing I could say that this book could improve. Addictive, intense and full of surprises, All Your Twisted Secrets is about six teenagers that are invited to a scholarship dinner- or that's what they think. But when they get there, they realise that there's no such thing. Stuck in a room with no clue what's going on, they're left with a choice: choose one to die, or they all do. At first there is disbelief, of course. But as the bomb continues to count down, disbelief turns to fear, and fear to panic. Is this a trick? Or will they really have to choose? I flew through this, and I'm not surprised. If I didn't know that this is Diana Urban's debut novel, I wouldn't have thought so. If you like the One of Us Is Lying series, I highly recommend this.
5. Gemina (The Illuminae Files #2), by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
The second book in The Illuminae Files and even though I feel like this one had a different pacing to the first one, (I didn't feel like I was thrown into the action straight away like in the first one), I was still amazed by how much I grew to love the characters. I also can't wait to pick up Obsidio to see what happens to this fantastic cast of characters in the conclusion. (Have no idea what's going to happen, but I hope there's action... wait, of course there will be.) Anyway, Gemina introduces us to two new protagonists: Hannah, the daughter of the captain on-board the Heimdall, and Nik, her drug dealer. Thrown together to defend their home from invaders, soon they're not just fighting for their own survival, the fate of everyone on the Hypatia- and possibly the known universe- is in her hands. 
I loved this book so much, I had to write a review for it- link is in the title if you want more in-depth thoughts. But the first thing I will say is that this was such a well-written story. The Henna Wars follows Nishat, a Bengali girl who is allowed to be whoever she wants- except a lesbian. When her school announce a contest where the students can start their own business, both Nishat and Flavia- a girl she used to know, who has recently enrolled at her school, both decide to start a Henna stall. I have to say, I love everything about this book- but my favourite part was the relationships. Nishat and Priti (her sister) was the most realistic, but it was Nishat and Flavia's relationship that was spark that kept the will they, won't they get together question stuck in the back of my mind the entire book. It's such a cute book, but I love how it deals with serious issues too, like racism, or a character being outed too. Top class.
7. The Call (The Call #1), by Peadar O' Guilin
I read this years ago, back in 2016, and donated it, so someone else could enjoy it. Four years later, when I bought the sequel, The Invasion, I decided to give it a re-read on my Kindle. The Call is about Nessa, a girl that has been training for four years, to prove to everyone that she can survive the call, where adolescents are transported for a day of hell, where the creatures that reside there like nothing more than to twist and torture the teenagers of Ireland. Having suffered from Croup as an infant, Nessa's legs are little more than useless, but she is determined to prove everyone wrong. Can she survive? This is a classic horror book if ever I've read one. The writing is gruesome, and you can't help but wince at some of the prescriptions. If you're in the mood for a short horror story, this is the one for you.
8. The Invasion (The Call #2), by Peadar O' Guilin
Taking place nearly immediately after the end of The Call, once again we read from the POV of Nessa, going to meet with Anto. But she never gets off, as she is arrested for something that I will not talk about because spoilers, and whisked away to prison. And it all escalades from there. Unlike in The Call, we follow both Nessa's perspective and Anto's over the course of the book. I wouldn't say this would make a good film, but it sure as heck would make a great videogame, because of the balance of character ARCs and fighting for good there is in this book. The concluding book to a decent duology, even though I wasn't expecting it to go the way it went, but that doesn't mean I wasn't satisfied. A decent duology to fly through if you're in the mood for routable characters and a book filled with action.
9. In An Absent Dream (Wayward Children #4), by Seanen McGuire
I literally finished this today, and I'm glad I could fit it in because my TBR for next month is HUGE. Maybe it's because it's my favourite one so far? Cos it totally was. In An Absent Dream is about a very studious girl called Lundy, who doesn't want to conform to a respectable housewife in the future, as well she shouldn't. But when she finds a door to the Goblin Market, full of rules and lies and deals, she thinks she's found her wonderland. Until she makes a deal, one that won't end well. (This is a prequel, so anyone that has read this series knows where she ends up.) But what I loved about this was that it was so much more than what the blurb says, I definitely liked Lundy more as a main character than all the other characters I've met so far. I wish the next book isn't the last one that's currently out.
-FILMS AND TV SHOWS-
Films
1. Table 19 (2017)- Not as amazing as I thought it would be, but still a funny film. Starring Lisa Kudrow and Anna Kendrick.
2. P.S. I Love You- One of my absolute favourites. Should really read the book. Starring Hilary Swank & Gerard Butler. Also worth a mention: this also features Lisa Kudrow.
TV Shows
1. RuPaul's Drag Race- Finished current season.
2. RuPaul's All Stars- Started current season.
3. The Next Step- Slowly making my way through Season 4.
-What I Did This Month-
Honestly, the exact same things as last month. Working, read, running. Not much else.
Okay! That's it for this month! I got a heck of a lot of reading done, more than I think I've ever read in a month (and I hope you had a good reading month too.) I will see you later with my July TBR, and because The Reading Rush is next month, I'll be doing two TBR posts, and that means a whole lot of books!
I hope you all have a wonderful day, and I'll see you soon!
Byeee!
-Abi xxxx
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