Standalone Sad Books- For When You Want A Real Weeper

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And I've been toying with the idea of writing another list for a while, and I was going to start a list of new adult romances, but then I started thinking about the opposite side of the genre, the books where you just, can't stop bawling. 

So here's a list of books I've accumilated, which I couldn't stop crying whilst reading them. 

I hope you like it. 

1. Before I Die, by Jenny Downham 

I didn't even have to scroll down to find this photo- that's how long ago I first read this. The fact that I still consider this one of my biggest tear-jerker's, still-says something. 

As you can probably tell from the cover, this is a book about a girl with cancer. But before she dies, she has a list of things she has to do. And we get to go on that journey with her. And the inevitable deterioration and the emotional punch at the ending. 

Honestly, just thinking about the ending makes me start to tear up. 

Honestly guys, I cannot recommend this book enough- just read it. 

2. My Sister's Keeper, by Jodi Picoult 

I feel like most people, if they haven't read the book, they've seen the film. Yeah, it's another cancer book, but at the same time, it also isn't. There are so many strands of plot, that all weave to make one very sad and sensational story. It jumps from POV to POV over the course of the book and although it's just 400 pages, the emotional impact that's threaded into each and every chapter will just make you weep, because in the matter of family, there's no black and white.

3. The Start of Me and You, by Emery Lord

When I heard about this, it didn't seem like there was a whole lot to premise. A year after Paige lost her boyfriend in a horrific accident, Paige is finally ready for a shot at normalicy- it go back to high school. She has a list of things she needs to do. 1) Find a boyfriend- to convince everyone she's fine, 2) join a school club and 3) swim (her boyfriend died from drowning). The Start of Me and You, although it's sad, didn't think I was going to be bawling. 

I was so wrong. About as wrong as I could be. You guys, this book packs a punch. Before reading this, Paige just seemed like another protagonist who had suffered a traumatic event, but because of how real she felt, everything she felt, you also feel. You feel her pain, her hope, and you see this messy, vulnerable journey she goes on, to rebuild her life again. 

An absolute marvel, I could not stop crying. 

4. Five Feet Apart, by Rachel Lippincott, Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Laconis

I read this in one night, it was that gripping. You live the life of Stella and Will who, because they both have cystitic fibrosis, have only ever been inside a hospital room. And when they want to be together, but can't even be within six feet, your heart cries out for them. It's more than a want with these two, it's a need for, just a simple hug. But when your life rests on you keeping your distance from the one you want to be close to the most, how can you not cry? Sob fest, constantly.

5. The Light Between Oceans, by M.L. Stedman

Going into this, I knew precisely zero about what this was about. I went into it completely blind and that is how I believe you should go into it. It tore my heart and my tear ducts to absolute shreds. 

Out of all of these books, this has the most mature themes to them. Trigger warning for miscarriages, stillbirths, isolation, and having a child taken, so stay away from this if those kinds of themes are upsetting for you. It remains one of my favourite standalones to this day, and I know that the second I want an emotional read, that this will be the book I reach for. 

Heart-shatteringly good, you'll barely be able to see the words on the page, I guarantee you'll be crying that much. 

6. How to Make Friends With the Dark, by Kathleen Glasgow

I've been lucky enough to not have been through the turmoil of losing a loved one yet, but one of the people I dread losing the most is my Mum. Imagine the last thing you ever said to your mum being spiteful and mean? That's what Tiger has to go through in How to Make Friends with the Dark. Now, this is a sad book. You know that from the premise. But what made this a real weaper above the rest is that the grief process that Tiger experiences isn't glamourised in the slightest. There are upsetting themes within this book, but it's written in the highest amount of sensitivity. This book is real, raw and so bloody emotional and although no book can ever prepare a person of the crushing pain of losing a loved one, this feels like a pretty realistic interpretation.

7. The Ghosts We Keep, by Mason Deaver

My final book on this list. Pretty similar to the book above- it's about losing a brother, also suddenly and without warning. I have a twin, I don't think I could imagine life without him, and him me. You have a different relationship with your siblings than with anyone else in the entire world. Sometimes you hate eachother's guts, like when they tell tales when you're children, and vise versa. But then you grow up, they move away, but in those gatherings when you're together again, it's like no time has passed. I can't even imagine what it's like to know you'll never squabble or play fight again. The Ghosts We Keep follows Liam, who has lost his brother in a hit and run and now must figure out a way to deal with life without Ethan, and also learn to navigate their identity without the one person they could have confided in. 

Not that the speed with which I read a book is any measure on how sad or good the book was, but I finished this in two days. This starts of as a sad book, and it stays sad throughout, but this book is hopeful too. It's a book about brothers, new love, acceptance and grief, and it's phenomenally written. Highly recommend this if you want a sad book, but also a book about hope. 

Okay! Those are my sad book recommendations! I hope you enjoyed them, and if you have any recommendations for me, I'd love to hear about them in the comments! 

I hope you have a wonderful day and I'll see you all with my wrap up! 

Byeeee! 

-Abi xxxxxx

10 Books Challenge BOOK TAG

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And I'm back with another book tag! 

In January. The month of new year book tags. 

But this one is completely random. I hope you enjoy it. 

~10 Books Challenge Book Tag~

~A book that made me think~

Anastacia has always been one of my favourite Disney films, so when I stumbled upon this, I knew I had to read it. I saw this as a way to learn more about the Romanov family, and although I know this isn't an exact interpretation (because of the magic etc), it was enough of a book to make me think about the real life Romanov family and the historical events surrounding their family. 

(By the way, one of the most gorgeous covers I've seen in my life.)

~A book that surprised me~

Because I've mostly read Stephen King's more recent novels (well, up 1983 onwards) I wasn't sure how well Salem's Lot would be received. But it isn't one of the first inspirations for vampire books for nothing, and I can say that Salem's Lot was a hell of a surprise. If you're looking for a book that will seep into your brain, take over your instincts when you're walking alone, then pick this up. Genuinely surprised by how scared this made me. 

~A book that made me happy~

I didn't know this graphic novel existed, so when I unwrapped it on Christmas morning, I was absolutely elated. If you didn't know, this is the first volume of the Life Is Strange graphic novel series that takes place one year after the events of the videogame, which I've been a fan of since I played it a few years ago. I flew through the first volume and I'm going to be picking up Volume Two as soon as I've read through some of my TBR (that's right, I'm prioritising my unread books)! 

~A book that made me sad~

It would have been harder for me not to cry for this. As the subject is about a person coming to terms with the death of their brother, it's obviously a very heartfelt and emotional book, which is why it's been picked for this category. 

~A book that made me feel nostalgic~

You know when you suddenly get that urge to read something from several years ago that you never even thought, let alone considered reading? Yeah, this was that for me. After my 24 hour readathon where I read most of the Kane Chronicles trilogy all at once, I knew I wanted to re-read something that was fun, lovable, but I wouldn't have to try too hard to remember. So I picked up the entire Malory Towers series and I got all the nostalgia from my childhood. I had so much love for these stories when I was their age, and it's good to know those haven't changed. 

~A book I have a love/hate relationship with~

Honestly, probably more of a hate than a love relationship with this one. There is some love there too though! I loved how well the characters were written, their relationships with eachother, both during the flashbacks and several years later, seemed like they were genuine relationships that siblings would have. However, there was just something that didn't gel well with me. Maybe the way it was written, the change of pacing, but whatever it was, I just couldn't love it like the rest of the world did. 

~A book that I have re-read the most~

THESE FOUR. That's kind of what you get when you've been a fan of a series for a decade, and more books keep coming. 

The concluding novel, Endgame came out this last year though, so although I hope I continue to read them every few years, I have no idea when I will do so again. 

I have no fault for these books. Just solid gold in the form of books. 

~A book that made me want to travel~

Although I can't travel through time, reading about all the times that Addie was able to experience throughout her life was enough to make me want to travel to new lands, learn at different landmarks and eat at new restaurants. This book showed me that the only person stopping you from doing and seeing and experiencing what you want to, is yourself. 

~A book that gave me all the feels~ 

All the Heartstopper books are held near and dear to my heart, but this tugged at my heartstrings a little. It went in a more serious direction, which meant I experienced a full range of emotions. I laughed, I very nearly cried, and I breathed a sigh of relief when problems were resolved. 

I've just found out the fifth volume will be the concluding volume, so I'm feeling a full series re-read, in preparation for the release of the final volume? Anybody else think I should? Let me know in the comments below. 

~A book I wish I hadn't read~ 

I picked this up with the idea that I would get to read a book in a location in which I'd never read or seen before. 150 pages, a book I could fly through when I was in the right mood, a book about a boy and his grandfather. That's not what I got. I'm afraid that I will have to say, The Last Children in Tokyo, dragged. I wish I could say differently, but I can't. It's only because it was a 150 page read that I didn't just give up on the whole thing. Will be giving this away soon as I don't plan to re-read it. 

Okay! That's the 10 Books Challenge Book Tag!

(Finally! I finished a post!)

As always, anyone and everyone should do this post if they want to. 

And don't forget to let me know in the comments if you do, I'd like to read your answers! 

But anyway, that's all from me today folks! 

I hope you have a wonderful afternoon, and I'll see you all very soon! 

Byeeeee! 

-Abi xxxxx

Reading Goals for 2022

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And since it's the start of January, I think it's a good time to talk about my reading goals for the year. 

Without further ado, here are my goals: 

1. Goodreads Reading Goal. 

Of course this was going to be Goal 1). My goal this year is 70 books, which I know I can achieve relatively easily. I read 84 books last year, and lowering my goal this year means that hopefully, I'll be able to tackle some of the larger series that I've wanted to read for a while (at least one from my "Series I'm Intimidated to Start" post from a couple of years ago). Hopefully it also means that I'll be able to focus on some of these other goals as well!

2. Read most of my "Want to Read" shelf on Goodreads. 

 
I currently have 9 books left on my "Want to Read" shelf on Goodreads. Most of them are the first book in a series, but these three are some of the standalones. I want to get to at least half of the books on the list. Maybe I'll order them all at once, and or maybe I'll do them gradually. But one way or another, I will make these books a priority. 

Here's the full list:

1. You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone, by Rachel Lynn Solomon

2. The Exact Opposite of Okay, by Laura Steven 

3. The Poppy War (The Poppy War #1), by R.F. Kaung

4. Paperweight, by Meg Haston
5. Still Alice, by Lisa Genova

6. All Boys Aren't Blue, by George M. Johnson

7. Get A Life, Chloe Brown (The Brown Sisters #1), by Talia Hibbert 

                                           8. Early Departures, by Justin A. Reynolds                                                           9. Ready Player Two (Ready Player One #2), by Ernest Cline

3. Read at least three books per "Anticipated Releases" post. 

Since I do these posts every three months, I figured as a way to actually start reading these books that I'm really looking forward to reading, I'll start with one a month. And it's not going to be a random choice, it'll be one I want to read the most at that time. 

And if I manage to read 12, then I'll go back over 2021's anticipated releases! 

4. Read all the series' on my "Series TBR" post from last year. 

If you haven't seen it, you can check out my Series TBR, which was constructed last year, here, but I said I was going to be reading these in the year 2021. That changed when I decided to read all of Rick Riordan's series', (all five of them), rather than the original two that I had planned to read previously. But those series still need to be read, so they're being rolled over to this year, because there's no reason why I shouldn't get to them this year. 

5. Try and take in more of what I'm reading- and savour it if I'm enjoying it. 

I've never really got what people meant when they said that they wanted to savour a book. If I get engrossed in a novel, I always want to find out what happens next. 

Now I get it. 

Last year, I got stuck into the number of books I could read. And I barely remembered them like I used to. So this year, I'm going to take things slow, and savour every page. 

And really take in what I'm reading. Because, if you can't read for the stories, the world, the characters, and the overall enjoyment, then why are you reading?

Okay! Those are my goals for 2022! 

I hope you enjoyed it, and as always, feel free to comment what your goals are for the year! 

I hope you have a wonderful evening, and I'll see you all soon! 

Byeeee! 

-Abi xxxxx

January TBR (2022)

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And we're into 2022! 

It's finally here! 

And I'm back with an ambitious TBR.

Probably the only one for the year, but if January isn't the month, which one is?

Without further ado, enjoy! 

1. One Last Stop, by Casey McQuiston

I finally started reading this a couple of days ago and I'm about a quarter of the way in. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if this ends up being one of my favourites of the year. It seemed to be everybody else's, because it was on the Goodreads Choice Awards for last year. 

One Last Stop follows Autumn, who has moved to New York to prove one thing: that things like magic and cinematic romance don't exist. She can't imagine how finding a job in a pancake diner and a home with a bunch of strangers could ever change that. Until she meets Jane: dazzling, charming and impossibly mysterious Jane. When Jane becomes the best part of her day, she discovers there's one big problem: Jane doesn't just look like an old-school punk rocker from the 1970s. She's literally dislodged in the 1970s, unable to leave the train station. August will have to use everything she's tried to leave behind in her past, if she'll be able to help Jane. Maybe it's time to start believing in magic after all. 

2. The Hidden Oracle (The Trials of Apollo #1), by Rick Riordan 

3. The Dark Prophecy (The Trials of Apollo #2), by Rick Riordan 

4. The Burning Maze (The Trials of Apollo #3), by Rick Riordan 

5. The Tyrant's Tomb (The Trials of Apollo #4), by Rick Riordan 

6. The Tower of Nero (The Trials of Apollo #5), by Rick Riordan 

I bought these a couple of months alongside the Magnus Chase trilogy. After reading two/ three books from that series, I decided to carry on and finish them, even though I was then supposed to jump back into the Trials of Apollo series after book two (I was trying to read them in chronological order). But after finishing that, I really wasn't in the mood to pick up yet another Rick Riordan series. 

But I am now. And so, this is my main focus for the month of January. Knock series one of the park, and finally be caught up on all of the Rick Riordan series' that are out. 

Because it's been a while since I read book 1, I'll be re-reading The Hidden Oracle as a refresher. 

7. You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone, by Rachel Lynn Solomon

For one of my Christmas presents, I asked my partner Jordan to pick a book (out of three) to get me for christmas. The options were this, Ready Player Two and All Boys Aren't Blue. It has now been revealed that he chose this. 

You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone is my oldest book on my "Want to Read" shelf on Goodreads, it's about twin sisters that are about to take a test to see if they have inherited the gene that will develop into Huntington's disease when they are older. The gene their mother has. 

One has the gene, the other does not, and You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone is about how the twin sisters deal with the knowledge and learn to accept it. 

Obviously there is going to be a huge emotional impact with this book- I mean, it's always a massive blow when you find out that a sibling- or even you- are going to develop a horrible condition in the future and I am ready with the tissues for this one. 

8. Girls of Paper and Fire (Girls of Paper and Fire #1), by Natasha Nyan

The other month I purchased the last book in this series- Girls of Fate and Fury and I figured I'd tack this on at the end of the TBR, because I would like to fully re-emerge myself into this world before tackling the third and final book next month. 

I would really love not to re-read this, because of the heavy subject matter, but because I've only read this a couple of times, I really need to if I have any chance of understanding book three. 

I don't know if I'm even going to start this in January, but I'm adding it on, just in case. 

Okay! That's my (very ambitious) TBR for the month of January! 

As always, feel free to comment what you plan to read in January, and we can talk about it! 

I hope you have a wonderful evening and I'll see you soon!

Byeeeee! 

-Abi xxxx