The Running Book Tag 2.0

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And I'm back, after a week of holidaying in Brighton. 

I was going to work on a post if I had the time- but it just got away from me! 

One of the things I actually managed to do was complete The Brighton Marathon, which is why I digged up this book tag-that I created myself! 

(I made it back in 2015, so it's one of my very first posts. You can check it out here.)

I hope you enjoy. 

~Sprinting: A book you flew through~

Although I should say the Kane Chronicles trilogy, because technically I finished those the fastest (24 hour readathon) but I'm going to go with the Malory Towers books. Those books were my childhood and it was an absolute pleasant to relive these books about the wonderfully strong and delightful girls that attend the school. A wonderful way to get children into reading guys. 

~Jogging: A book you read at a steady pace~ 

Lore, by Alexandra Bracken. I listened to the audiobook, so this is the ideal book for this question. I listened to a fairly even chunk most days over maybe a week, and I found it was easier than reading a whole chunk of chapters and then leaving it for a week. I also found that I was able to take in more details on each given day with that method. 

~Walking: A book that you felt could have had a faster pace~

The Scythe trilogy! It's been just over a year since I finished this trilogy and straight away, that series went on the give away pile because of how slow the pacing was. There really wasn't much to keep me engaged, but I'd purchased the entire box set so there was no way I was going to DNF them. 

This is one series where I genuinely don't understand the hype. 

~Collapse: A book that you refuse to read another word of~

Wuthering Heights. Another classic, in both senses of the word. I draw the line at this book, and all books written by Jane Austen, or the Brönte sisters. I give up on pretending I'm excited to read these, or care about the characters and their stories. Everybody else can love them, because I'm done. 

~Stopping at the end: A book that just ends~

I can't really think of any for this question, so I'll adapt it a bit. 

I'll change it to a book that you wish didn't have to end. For me, that book was The Ocean at the End of the Lane, by Neil Gaiman. I felt like we'd only just scratched the surface of this weird and wacky wonderful world I'd found myself in with this book. I couldn't make sense of how things happened in this book, which I think is why I loved it so much. It's made up from a child's world, which is a place I would love to go back to. 

~The aftermath: A book that drained you (emotionally)~

Kingdom of Ash. Wow that book was full of heartbreak. 

My heart is still reeling from the aftermath. 

~Adrenaline rush: A book that makes you feel like you could read the biggest book in the world and FINISH IT~

I'm not even sure what I was thinking when I put this on here. 

Maybe a book you absolutely loved, and read quickly? 

I'll go with that. 

So my pick is probably The Serpeant's Shadow, by Rick Riordan, the third book in the Kane Chronicles trilogy. Upon finishing the final book in this trilogy in less than 24 hours, I felt like I could read anything and live to tell the tale. Aside from that, what a whirlwind finale to wrap the series up. 

Carter and Sadie are my favourite duo that I've read by Rick Riordan so far, and I doubt that'll change. 

~Training: A book you feel you have to work up to before attempting to read it~ 

I'm going to go with Assassin's Apprentice for this one. This book starts off I think a 10 book world (all directed into specific trilogies) and I reckon I need to read a couple of the larger adult fantasies before I can start this. Maybe I'll attempt the Game of Thrones books first, before I read these. 

I tag: 

Everyone! Of course, you can do this if you want to, there's no rule that states otherwise. 

(Honestly it would be great if you did.)

Okay, and that's all I have for you today! I hope you enjoyed the tag, and I will be back soon with another post! 

Byeeee! 

-Abi xxxxx

September TBR (2021)

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And I'm back with my September TBR (2021)! 

I've finally made my way through some of the books I've compiled over the last couple of months, so now I can get some more! (And with my birthday coming up, it's perfect timing!)

Here's what I plan to read this month, enjoy! 

1. Everything I Never Told You, by Celeste Ng

I just started this yesterday and I feel like I'm already deep into the story. I'm only 50 pages in and I can already tell, I've only just scratched the surface. 

If you didn't know, Everything I Never Told You tells you the story the Lee family, a Chinese-American family living in small-town Ohio in the 1970s. Lydia is parents Marilyn and James' favourite child and they are determined that she will fulfill the dreams they never got the chance to accomplish. Until she's found dead in a lake and the foundation that they've been building for years is shattered. 

2. You and Me on Vacation, by Emily Henry 

I read Beach Read by Emily Henry last October and loved it, and with all the hype surrounding this one, I knew I had to pick it up. 

Long story short, this is a hate-to-potential love, and then someone screws up and they might risk their whole relationship story. With holidays thrown in every year. What's not to love? 

3. Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating, by Adiba Jaigirdar

Basically the same situation as the previous book. I loved The Henna Wars so I was eager to pick this up too. 

"Everyone like Humaira "Hani" Khan- she's easy going and one of the most popular girls at school. But when she comes out to her friends as bisexual, they invalidate her identity, saying she can't be bi if she's only dated guys. Panicked, Hani blurts out that she's in a relationship... with a girl her friends absolutely hate- Ishita "Ishu" Dey. Ishu is the complete opposite of Hani. She's an academic overachiever who hopes that becoming head girl will set her on the right track for college. But Ishita agrees to help Hani, if Hani will help her become more popular so she stands a chance of being elected head girl. 

Despite their mutually beneficial pact, they start developing real feelings for each other. But relationships are complicated, and some people will do nything to stop two Bengali girls from achieving happily ever after." 

4. The entire Trials of Apollo series, by Rick Riordan 

Which consists of: 

The Hidden Oracle,The Dark Prophecy, The Burning Maze, The Tyrant's Tomb and The Tower of Nero

5. The entire Magnus Chase series, by Rick Riordan 

Which consists of: 

The Sword of Summer, The Ship of the Dead, The Hammer of Thor 

So, from what I've read, these two series' are meant to be read in chronilogical order, meaning I should be reading them at the same time, kind of intertwined, because they take place at around the same time. I'm not sure how much they'll overlap, but the way I see it is that it's a chance to knock out two full series' at the same time, and read one big story, which sounds fantastic. 

I'm so excited to jump right into these series' because it means I'll be completely caught up on all of Rick Riordan's books! Finally! 

Okay! Those are the books I plan to read this month! I don't doubt that I won't be getting to all of these, but I'll give it a try! These are honestly the books I plan to read next. 

Right! I hope you have a wonderful day and I'll see you all soon! 

Byeeee! 

-Abi xxxxx

August Wrap Up (2021)

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And I'm back with my wrap up for the month! 

Hold on to your hats, I read a lot this month. More than any other month so far this year actually. 

In August, I read a total of 12 books. 

Here are my thoughts. 

Enjoy! 

1. The Red Pyramid (The Kane Chronicles #1), by Rick Riordan 

2. The Throne of Fire (The Kane Chronicles #2), by Rick Riordan 

3. The Serpeant's Shadow (The Kane Chronicles #3), by Rick Riordan 

Honestly, I wasn't sure if I wanted to pick this series up, or whether I actually needed to read it. But I decided, if I'm going to catch up on all Rick Riordan's books, then I need to read this too. And it turns out, this has been my favourite series so far. I read the majority of this in one day (24 hour readathon) and I enjoyed myself immensely doing so. 

My main thought regarding this trilogy is that I think it's severely underrated. I loved the back and forth of Sadie and Carter, and the way they went from being almost complete strangers to working together as a solid team. 

4. First Term at Malory Towers (Malory Towers #1), by Enid Blyton 

5. Second Form at Malory Towers (Malory Towers #2), by Enid Blyton 

6. Third Year at Malory Towers #3), by Enid Blyton 

It was the most wonderful thing to be back reading about this wonderful boarding school, and all the cheery characters that make me laugh, tear up, and gasp in shock at all the weird and wonderful goings on in this amazing school. These books are short and sweet, just under 200 pages each, I read each of these in a day. Some of my favourite books from when I was a child. 

7. Felix Ever After, by Kacen Callender

This had been on my "Want to read" for a couple of years now, so when I saw it in a Waterstones, I took the chance to get it. Everybody I'd talked to, (or read their Goodreads comments) had loved this book, so I was hoping it would be a slow burn to prevent a reading slump after my 24 hour readathon. It was exactly what I needed this month, and it was wonderful to be able to get some form of grasp of the perspective of a trans protagonist. 

8. Upper Fourth at Malory Towers (Malory Towers #4), by Enid Blyton 

9. In the Fifth at Malory Towers (Malory Towers #5), by Enid Blyton 

10. Last Term at Malory Towers (Malory Towers #6), by Enid Blyton 

After finishing Felix Ever After, I knew that these books would be next. They're quick to fly through, and I find that the further along I get into the series, the more I tend to enjoy them (not that I have a favourite of course). These books have been amazing to revisit, and I'm so happy I was able to. These characters will always hold a special place in my heart and there'll always be a small part of me that wishes I could have gone to a girl's boarding school. 

11. Audrey, by Sean-Paul Thomas 

All my in-depth thoughts are already on my blog- you can find them here, but to put it in short- I loved this book. 4.5 stars, the only problem I had was a miniscule one, not even worth taking note of. And honestly, although this book isn't something I typically pick up, this book has changed my opinion (by that I mean that I'm thinking I'll try books outside my comfort zone more often- because this is definitely the opposite of what I tend to read)! 

I'll definitely be reading more of Sean-Paul Thomas' books in the immediate future. 

12. Dark Blue Rising (The Circle Trilogy #1), by Teri Terry 

This was basically a re-read to refresh before jumping into Red Sky Burning but honestly I was super excited to jump back into the murky world in Dark Blue Rising. I read this in three days, and it got me pumped to continue on with the next book (which I'm currently working through now). 

The first time I read this, I said it contained everything I love about Teri Terry's stories and her writing. It's good to know that that hasn't changed. 

Okay! Those are the books that I read this month! I'm so happy with everything I managed to get to this month, so let's hope it can continue in September (though I've got some stuff on so we'll see). 

I hope you have a wonderful day, and I'll see you all soon with my September TBR (2021)! 

Byeeeee! 

-Abi xxxxx