Books 1-10 of 2022

Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And I've finally made it to 10 books! Which means it's time for a re-cap! 

Here are the books I've read so far this year!

Enjoy!

1. All Time Low Presents: Young Renegades, by Tres Dean 

A suprise book that I'd ordered several months ago, that kept getting pushed back. Was very excited to pick this up, but wasn't expecting a huge amount from. What I will say is that, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it absolutely met my expectations. Solid standalone, and although I don't regret reading it, I'm glad it's a standalone and nothing more than that. 

2. One Last Stop, by Casey McQuiston 

High expectations with this one. Winner of a Goodreads Award, this was everyone's favourite book when it was released. Definitely enjoyed it, I just seemed to lose interest after maybe 20 pages, every time I picked it up. It wasn't boring all in all, sometimes I actually liked that it took me so long, because a lot of it felt like slow burn, but when it got to the point where I'd been reading it for 8 days and I was only just over halfway, is when my interest began to dwindle in a big way. Same as the above novel, I enjoyed it, but in a way I'm relieved that I was able to finish, so it's done. Sorry guys. 

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

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

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

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

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

YES! I cannot describe the feeling I felt when I delinquished this series. 

It has been an absolute honour and joy to become engrossed in this Rick Riordan world, follow magnificent characters launch themselves into near impossible situations and (most of the time) live to tell the tale. The Trials of Apollo series was just as amazing as the rest of the series, I feel so relieved and satisfied to have chosen and finished this fifth and final series. 

Absolute wonderful to have known these characters, these adventures, it's been wonderful. 

8. You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone, by Rachel Lynn Soloman 

All my in-depth thoughts are linked to the review (in the title) but to tie it all up, I thought that this was an absolutely phenomenal read. So powerful and emotional, you'll have no trouble jumping straight into these character's POV. Absolutely, astounding good read for a debut, I can't wait to read more of Rachel Lynn Solomon's work, because I am certaintly interested to read more. 

9. What If It's Us (What If It's Us #1), by Becki Albertalli & Adam Silvera

I read and fell in love with these characters two years ago, and now that the second and final book has been released, I was gearing up for a re-read of this. Of course I was a little nervous about jumping back into this after two years, worried I wouldn't like it as much as I did, but honestly, I had nothing to worry about. It still remains a firm favourite, and I know I can go back to it again and again and the magic will still be there. Just a darn cute book guys, from two of the best YA contemporary authors published today. Just go and read it guys, if you haven't yet. 

10. Here's To Us (What If It's Us #2), by Becki Albertalli & Adam Silvera

And then I got to this. Takes place two years later, when both boys are at college. Arthur has been hired as an intern at one of the top queer theatre companies currently working on their next performance (love this by the way), which means he's back in New York. Ben is back in the city for the summer. They both have romances going on. Just not with eachother. 

This is where the second book starts. It's different to the first one, but it's nice to meet the old characters once more, Ben, Arthur, Dylan, Samantha, as well as some new ones too. 

So, I didn't love this as much as I loved book 1, but it'll probably still make my favourites list at the end of the year, I don't doubt that. 

It was so wonderful to read all about these characters, and the fun they have in it. Didn't end the way I thought it would, but that made the ending just that little bit better. 

Loved this, and I'm satisfied with leaving these characters like this. 

Awesome conclusion. 

Okay! Those are all the books that I've read so far this year! I'm currently working my way to catch up with my Goodreads pace (I get on track, and then suddenly I'm 1 book behind schedule- you know how it is, right)? 

I enjoyed all of them (some more than others), but I'm glad I got to have a look at them all, and I hope you have too! 

Okay! That's everything I have for you guys today! I hope you have a wonderful evening and I'll see you soon with my February Wrap Up (2022)! 

Byeeeee! 

-Abi xxxxx

You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone, by Rachel Lynn Soloman

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And tonight I read half of You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone, (and no I do not regret it). I have so many thoughts and feelings surrounding this book that I decided to make a review out of it, before they all run out my brain and into the air (this happens so often, I swear to god). 

Without further ado, here are my crazy, messed up feelings about this book. 

I hope you enjoy it. 

Title: You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone

Author: Rachel Lynn Soloman

Genre: Hard-hitting contemporary

Status: Standalone

Release date:2/1/2018

Pages: 373

Blurb: "Eighteen-year--old twins Adina and Tovah have little

in common besides their ambitious nature. Viola prodigy Adina yearns to 

become a soloist- and to convince her music teacher he wants her the way she

wants him. Overachiever Tovah awaits her acceptance to Johns Hopkins, the

first step on her path towards med school and a career as a surgeon. 

But one thing could wreck their carefully planned future: a genetic test for

Huntington's, a rare degenerative disease that slowly steals control of the body 

and mind. It's turned their israel mother into a near stranger and fractured the 

sisters' own bond in ways they'll never admit. While Tovah finds comfort in their 

Jewish religion, Adina rebels against its rules. 

When the results come in, one twin tests negative for Huntington's. The other 

tests positive. 

These opposite outcomes push them further apart as they wrestle with guilt, 

betrayal, and the unexpected thrill of first love. How can they repair their rela-

tionship, and is it even worth saving? 

From debut author Rachel Lynn Soloman comes a luminous, heartbreaking

tale of life, death, and the fragile bond between sisters." 

My Thoughts

Phew-ee, what a book. I felt like I had stopped and the world had moved on without me when I read this. I was completely blown away by how emotional, how powerful it was that I genuinely felt stuck. 

Even now, a week later, I still can't get over the fact that this was a DEBUT novel. Like, since this was released, I know Rachel Lynn Soloman has released more (I'll be reading all of her other works very soon) but this was her first release, and honestly, for me it's up there with The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas and Slated, by Teri Terry for me, it was that phenomenal a read. (Clearly, since I gave it 5 stars- which I predicted by the way!)

You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone is such an emotional book. It was always going to be when it's about fraternal twins, each with their own ambitions, one a career in music, one a career in medicine, with a test that reveals whether they'll inherit their mother's Huntington's disease when they're older. I was expecting to be sad about it all, but what I wasn't expecting was how realistic it all felt. 

There was no glamourising, none. You never felt like you were being shielded from seeing Adina & Tovah's mother slowly deteriorating through this book, and that ultimately made this book all the more heartbreaking, because you know that this is what Adina/Tovah will become, and there's no way to change that. 

Imagine knowing that, in 30 years, you'll inherit a disease, and that's going to be the thing that kills you. No choice in the matter, no way to stop it. That's it. It's tough to read about because you know that no matter how long it is until you start to develop symptoms, you're a ticking time bomb. Even time you trip, or drop something, you think. This is it. How it starts. Constantly looking over your shoulder for your time. Cos it's coming. 

And on the other side- survivors guilt. Knowing that you shouldn't be happy, shouldn't be chasing your dreams, planning things, because it could just as easily have been you that got the curse. 

But planning nevertheless. That was part of the struggle that these sisters went through, and because they don't get along, (well that's a bit of an understatement) they're constantly struggling with this on their own. That's part of what's so frustrating for you as a reader, because you so want them to be able to work things out and make up, and when you think they're starting to get closer, one of them does something that sends them spirally back into- almost enemies. 

Another part that I liked about this was the religious aspect to it. I've read some books before that have a theme of religion to them- religions that I wasn't familiar with- like with this one- and I haven't had the best time with them. But with You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone, it was there, it was a noticeable theme, but I didn't groan inwardly when it was mentioned. It was integrated in- it was too prominently a part of Tovah's character not to be- but it was never pushed in my face, which I liked a lot. 

Aside from everything to do with Huntington's disease, and the religious side to the book, there were the ordinary parts to Adina & Tovah's lives too. Applying to University, their passions and hobbies, romances for each of them. These two girls, they're chalk and cheese. 

Adina has dedicated her whole life to playing the Viola- being a soloist in front of thousands of fans- to travel the world on tours. She knew what she wanted, and she knew how to get it. You could feel the passion she had for playing the Viola- the way she needed to play her instrument- not wanted to. 

-Tovah went in the opposite direction- AP kid, very much top of the class, all the extra curriculum activities. But what she wanted the most, what she desperately wanted to do, was go to Johns Hopkins, take pre-no med and become a surgeon. She had a plan, a genuine four year plan that could not fail. 

Honestly, it was amazing how so much could be packed into just one 400 page book. I never felt like I needed time to remember where each aspect of the book had paused because it was all so cleverly written and balanced out. The book jumps from the twins' perspective, and I never got bored of either twin, which must have been difficult to do as they're so different. 

Overall, such a wonderful read. Huntington's is a horrible disease that I wouldn't wish on anyone, but I'm so happy that this book excists and that I was able to read it. This book is so underrated and I wish more people would read this because it's truly magnificant. 

It was nice to read a book about Huntington's because I don't think I've read a book about this disease yet. We need more books about these kinds of diseases/ conditions, so everyone can know about them! 

I can't recommend this enough guys, literally! Cos 5 stars. 

As you can probably tell, this will definitely be on my favourites list for the year. 

This book is a diamond in the rough. 

Go and read it guys, it's amazing. 

And I'm done. 

Okay! That's my review for You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone, by Rachel Lynn Soloman! 

I hope you enjoyed reading about my thoughts, and if you have any thoughts, let me know down below! (Or if you have any recommendations based on this book.) 

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

Byeeeee! 

-Abi xxxxx

Pretty Little Liars: Pilot (Rewatch Reaction)

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And I was scrolling through Netflix, trying to find something to watch while I wrote this post, when I stumbled upon PLL (Pretty Little Liars). I'd been eyeing it up for a while, thinking about re-starting the series. 

And theIn inspiration! Why not do a reaction for the pilot? 

Now, let me know if this is terrible, and I should stop doing this, but if you guys like it, then I'll consider doing more of them. 

Premise

PLL started back in 2010, went on for seven seasons, and was a huge hit worldwide. I mean, it's set in America, and here's me, re-watching in the UK. 

It tells the story of four girls: Aria, Spencer, Emily and Hannah, who start receiving threatening texts from a mysterious cyberbully called A... a year after their friend Alison went missing. 

I watched this show during my teenage years (maybe aged 17-19) and at the time, it was captivating and engaging, I went through a series in a really short space of time, and waited with unwavering loyalty for each season to be released in the UK. 

But this time around, I had some different thoughts. 

1. Everyone looks so young. 

It feels weird to know that the actors in this show, are nowhere near the age of the character they were playing. The main protagonists ranged from age 20 to 24 when they were playing high-schoolers. Now I'm not against that when they're the right actors for the part, it was just weird to know that these actors were my age when they were playing these parts. 

2. Toby, and Mrs. DiLaurentis.

 

Since it was the pilot, some of the characters hadn't yet been cast, which was the case for Toby and Mrs. DiLaurentis. So no Keegan Allen in this unfortunately. 

Speaking of characters...

3. Melissa.

After so many years following Chicago Med, it was weird to see Torrey DeVitto playing the spiteful and malicious Melissa, constantly making Spencer's life harder. 

4. Reminiscing!

One of the best parts about this episode for me was hearing a piece of music, or even a conversation, or a look, and getting that feeling of nostalgia. They remind me of all the plot lines that take place in this show, and all the characters I've yet to meet, and it's a nice feeling. 

Overall, despite the flip phones, the shall we say 'unique' clothing choices, this episode holds it's own. Honestly, even if I hadn't already seen the rest of the episodes, I would still carry on watching it. 

Which is exactly what I'm doing now. 

Okay! That's my review on the pilot episode for Pretty Little Liars! I hope you enjoyed it, and if you want me to keep doing this for tv shows, or films, let me know in the comments! 

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

Byeeee! 

-Abi xxxx

January Wrap Up and February TBR (2022)

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And February is upon us! But we can't have the TBR without the wrap up, which I am just about to do (both, because why not)?

I read a total of five books this month, and although I was hoping to read a bit more, I'm happy with how it picked up towards the end. 

Here are the books I read, I hope you enjoy it. 

January Wrap Up

1. All Time Low Presents: Young Renegades, by Tres Dean (Writer), Ryan Cady (Editor), Rober Wilson IV (Illustrator) & Megan Huang (Illustrator)

I ordered this some time in July and, although I wanted to read it straight away when I received it in December, I figured it would make more sense to read this at the start of January, to get a headstart on the reading goal for 2022. 

It was a decent read. Good as a standalone, and as always a fast read, as grahpic novels always are. It wasn't the best graphic novel I've read in my life, but it was a nice little placeholder. Enjoyed it a fair bit. 

2. One Last Stop, by Casey McQuiston

After hearing about the mountainous hype that this book had on Goodreads, I was a bit nervous going into it. It won a Goodreads award despite only being out a couple of months, and although it was a solid four star read, everytime I went to pick it up, I felt my attention wane even after 20 pages or so. When I went to write a review on it, I had little to no thoughts on it. 

I don't regret picking this up, because I'd have spent months wanting to read this otherwise, but after reading this, I'm not sure that Casey McQuiston's books are for me. 

3. The Hidden Oracle (The Trials of Apollo #1), by Rick Riordan (Re-read)

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

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

My main plan for the month was to complete this series, but with less than half of the month left when I started book 2, I wasn't sure how far in I was going to get with this. But I'm happy with my progress, (I read book two and three by audiobook) and I'm due to finish book four in a couple of days. I'm really enjoying the series so far, and although I'm gearing up for to finally be done with Rick Riordan series' (whilst also wanting to see what happens at the end) it's bitter sweet because I know it'll be hard to get past once I'm finally done. 

~February TBR~

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

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

I'm aiming for the tenth to finish both of these, and if I manage to finish book four at some time tomorrow, it may even be earlier. At times, catching up on all of Rick Riordan's series' seemed like an overwhelming and daunting task. It often seemed like I'd never get to all of them, and here I am reading the second to last book. The penultimate. And it's been a pleasure. To know these characters, follow them on all these dangerous missions and survive. I don't know how I'm going to feel after finishing these, but I do know that it's been wonderful reading these. 

Thank you Rick Riordan, for allowing me to go on these wonderful journeys, and relive my dreams again. 

3. You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone, by Rachel Lynn Soloman 

I'm determined to get to this in February. I'm putting it right after the Trials of Apollo books to ensure I read it, because I so desperately want to. Long summary short, You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone is about twins, that find out that one of them has inherited a gene that'll turn into Huntington's disease when they get older. It'll be upsetting no doubt, but it's been so long since I've read a really sad book, that I'm wondering how I'll be with it. Also, I don't think I've read a book about Huntington's disease ever, so I'm interested in that aspect. I love reading a book that introduces a new representation so I'm looking forward to really getting into this one. 

4. What If It's Us (What If It's Us #1), by Becki Albertalli & Adam Silvera 

5. Here's To Us (What If It's Us #2), by Becki Albertalli & Adam Silvera

I read book 1 at the end of February 2020 and absolutely loved it. It made my Favourite Books of the year if I recall and I am ecstatic that the sequel has finally been released. 

This is pretty much my bread and butter of Valentines, and I fully expect to get as much cuteness from these two books, to make up for the full month (because they're the only fully romance novels that I'll be picking up). I'm genuinely excited to pick these two and I fully expect to love book 2 just as much as book 1. (Please *fingers & toes crossed*.) 

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

7. Girls of Storm & Shadow (Girls of Paper & Fire #2), by Natasha Nyan 

I recently obtained Girls of Fate and Fury and I remember exactly zilch of book two and only the main plot of book 1, so methinks it's time to re-read these, before I jump into the concluding novel of this bone-crushing series. Most of the reasons why I enjoyed these books is gone, so hopefully this re-read should reimburse my love for this series, becuase I know it's there. 

Because both of these are re-reads, I've put them at the end of the TBR, so I can start them (and finish them hopefully) for the end of the month, so I can start book 3 at the beginning of March. Looking forward to fully emerging myself back into the world of Lei and Wren and their plans to overthrow the King. 

Okay! That was my January Wrap Up & February TBR (2022)! I hope you enjoyed it, and as always, feel free to comment down below, to tell me what you'll be reading this month! 

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

Byeeeee! 

-Abi xxxxx