31-40 Books of 2020

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And because I didn't want my monthly wrap to be a shorter version of this, I decided not to post this until now. 

And now I've just reached book 50, so it's time for 31-40 books of 2020! 

Enjoy! 

31. Beneath the Sugar Sky (Wayward Children #3), by Seanen McGuire 

After loving book 1 and 2 of the Wayward Children series, I had high hopes for Beneath the Sugar Sky. It sounded a little different to the other two, because it was a "let's travel to different places and go on an adventure" type of novel, instead of being situated in one place for any length of time. And even though it was a little different, I gave it a shot. And honestly, it wasn't my favourite. It was a very good story, and I liked it enough to continue on with the rest of the series, I just happened to not like it as much as it's predecessors. Wonderful world-building though. 

32. All Your Twisted Secrets, by Diana Urban 

No joke, I read this nearly 400 page book in two days, it was that good. After Beneath the Sugar Sky, I did not hesitate for a second before reaching for this, hoping it would like me a complete change of pacing. And I got exactly what I was hoping for. It might have been because I'd had to wait an extra two months before I could get my hands on this, or something else, but I feel completely into the story and the characters. They were the typical high-schoolers you would find in this day and age, which kind of made me enjoy it more. All Your Twisted Secrets is about six teenagers that are stuck in a room for one hour. They have to choose one of them to die, or they all do. It switches back and forth to that night, and the events over the past year leading up to present time, and it's so cleverly done, I can't wait to see what else Diana Urban will release.

33. Gemina (The Illuminae Files #2), by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff 

Gemina. The second book in The Illuminae Files. I really wish I'd read this trilogy sooner. Gemina was amazing. I don't really need to say more than that. We meet some insane kick-ass characters, that I loved, and there is a superhuman computer that makes a reappearance. Also, everything that happens is going on at exactly the same time as the first book. Also, it's made up of text messages and reports and it makes my Ravenclaw brain very happy indeed. 

34. The Henna Wars, by Adiba Jaigirdar

I wrote a review for this, so if you want my more in depth thoughts, you can click the title, but The Henna Wars is most likely going to be on my favourite books of 2020 list, I loved it that much. It deals with a long list of issues, but in a way that doesn't make it feel too heavy, or like it'll send you spiraling into a reading slump. I'm actually having trouble to explain just how much is packed into this novel in just a few hundred pages. I love the characters, I loved how there was a message at the front of the book warning readers about the trigger warnings, but most of all I love the message that this book portrays. I urge everyone to pick this up because you will not find another book like it. 

35. The Call (Grey Land #1), by Peadar O' Guilin 

36. The Invasion (Grey Land #2), by Peadar O' Guilin 

I read The Call way back in, I think 2016, and I thought it was a unique, creepy story with very graphic description (of the mangled way children return back to the mortal world after being Called), I didn't think much more about it after that. Come 2020, when I see The Invasion, and I decided to not only, complete the duology, but to re-read the first book on my Kindle. It wasn't the best duology I've read in my life, but it was interesting, and if you're looking for something to fly through, with creepiness, for a readathon, or during Halloween, I highly recommend the Grey Lands duology. (The Invasion is the aftermath of The Call, by the way.)

37. In An Absent Dream (Wayward Children #4), by Seanen McGuire 

After the third book in this surreal series, I was hesitant about what the fourth book might bring. However, I had nothing to worry about. In An Absent Dream follows a girl called Lundy, a normally studious young girl that finds herself in a door where her father once called home. When she finds a world full of logic, deals, and riddles, she thinks she's found paradise. But when she makes a deal at the Goblin Market, where everything has a cost, she must pay up, or it won't end well. There was something about this installment that I found, that I had missed since the second book. It's arguably my favourite of the series so far, but we'll see. 

38. Obsidio (The Illuminae Files #3), by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff 

Such an epic conclusion! All our heroes come together in the final book to kick ass once more! Such an explosive ending, The Illuminae Files will for sure be making an appearance in my favourite series list! I read the trilogy over the course of three months, and I know that this will not be the last time I pick the series up! The characters were amazing as usual, the plot was crazy, and it took my emotions on a frickin' roller-coaster! Read this if you haven't already!

39. How to Make Friends with the Dark, by Kathleen Glasgow 

I'd had my eye on this book for a while, and I was always going to read it, I just wanted to be in the right head-space for it, because I knew how heavy the subject matter is. And for some reason, I decided that now was the time. How to Make Friends with the Dark is about Tiger, a teenage girl that has just lost her one remaining family member- her mother. This is a story of how she learns to make sense of what has happened, and finds her way to reality again. I'm going to say this now- it's a very hard hitting, and realistic read, so if you're questioning whether to pick this up, odds are you shouldn't. Because it will hit you like a punch to the stomach. That's how difficult it is to read at times. But I'm not going to say I regret reading it, because I very much enjoyed this read (as much as you can enjoy a book about grief.)

40. Scythe (Arc of A Scythe #1), by Neal Shustermann 

Honestly... WHY DOES EVERYONE ENJOY THIS BOOK SO MUCH? I genuinely don't understand why! Okay. I bought the whole trilogy, so I must have liked this a little bit, else I would have just DNF'ed the whole thing. But I was bored, until about the halfway point. Which is like 230 ish pages?! Like if someone told me that I was going to be halfway through this book before I started to enjoy it, I would have stayed far away from this trilogy. 3 stars, and that's being generous. Sorry, guys, but this book just didn't go down well for me. 

Okay! That's it for now! As always, feel free to comment on any of the book discussed here, and we can chat about it! 

I hope you have a wonderful day, and I'll be seeing you soon with my next post! 

Stay safe, and happy reading! 

Byeeee! 

-Abi xxxxx

August TBR (2020)

Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And even though I'm a little late on this month's TBR, it still remains one of my favourite posts to do- so here's my August TBR! 

Enjoy! 

1. Evernight, by Ross Mackenzie 

I started this a few days ago, and even though I'm not that far into it, I know that this is going to be a very interesting story. There's magic, it's fast paced, and it's like a Snow White retelling, (so far). The cover is as colourful as the book, and I am so intrigued as to what will happen next. Evernight is about Lara (who is an orphan), who makes a living by treasure-hunting in the sewers. She keeps her head down in a city where White Witches march through the streets and the fear of Hag magic roll through the streets. But when she stumbles upon a mysterious box, she's transported to a world of wild magic- facing adventure, mortal dancer and a man with no shadow. 

2. Under A Dancing Star, by Laura Wood

What drew me to this first of was the cover, and when I found out what it was about, I knew I had to have it. Under A Dancing Star takes place in the 1930s, where Bea's family want her married off to carry on the family estate. But Bea longs for adventure. A golden summer in Italy with her uncle, opens up a world of possibilities, which include Ben, a handsome artist. After Sparks fly between the quick-witted pair one night, they're issued a challenge: can they put aside their teasing and have the perfect summer romance? One rule: they absolutely must not fall in love. When I read about this, I was getting Letters to Juliet vibes, and because it's set in Italy, I was totally right. 

3. Loveless, by Alice Oseman 

I went into detail on this on my anticipated releases post a couple of months ago, but to sum up, Loveless is Alice Oseman's new book and I'm very excited because 1)It's set in university, which rarely happens, 2)it's got aro ace representation, and I am very much looking forward to it. I'm making sure I read this after the first two, because I have a feeling that I'm not going to want to read anything else afterwards. But this promises to be amazing, and although I'm yet to hear any spoilers, I know I will sooner or later, so I need to get to this soon. 

4. Vicious (Villains #1), by V.E. Schwab 

Although I was originally going to start reading Nevernight for my next series, for some reason, I decided to get this instead. I'll definitely be picking up Nevernight next, maybe next month, after I read Vengeful, bur right now I'm in the mood for V.E. Schwab. Most people have heard of this duology, but if you haven't, Vicious is about college roommates Victor and Eli that recognize the same qualities in the other person than they see in themselves- a shared interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events that reveal that someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from academic to experimental, things go disastrously wrong. Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up with his friend turned enemy- Eli. I don't know much more than that, but I'm excited to delve back into another world that V.E. Schwab has created. 

5. The Prince and the Dressmaker, by Jen Wang 

I dont know why, but I saw somebody pick this up on Booktube and it's been stuck in the back of my mind ever since. The Prince and the Dressmaker is a graphic novel set in the modern age France, it centers around two friends. Prince Sebastian, who is looking for a bride, or rather his parents are; Sebastian is too bust hiding his secret life from everyone: At night he puts on dresses and becomes the fabulous Lady Chrystallia- the hottest fashion icon in Paris. His best friend Frances, also his dressmaker, is one of the only two people who know about his double life, but keeping his secret life secret means defering her dreams- forever. How long can she defer her dreams to protect a friend? I know the minute I open this book, I'll be unable to stop, so I'm going to leave it until I've got a couple of other books under my belt for the month, but I genuinely can't wait to pick this up as it's been a while since I've read a graphic novel. 

6. The Lucky Ones, by Liz Lawson 

I only received this today, which is why it's last on here, (I like to read books in the order I buy/receive them), but this has been on my radar since before it was released (back in March), so it's high time I order it, and get on with reading it. The Lucky Ones is about May, someone who, eleven months after the school shooting that killed her twin brother, is returning to the band room where she was the only one left alive. Zach lost his old life when his mum decides to represent the shooter, lost his girlfriend, and the only person that has decided to stick around is his sister. His only friend at school is needy, but won't let him zone out, which is how he ends up in the band room, the exact day that May is auditioning for a new band. This is how May meets Zach, and Zach meets May. And together they may realise that surviving might be an option after all. I've heard from several sources on Goodreads that this is a very emotional, tearjerker book, and I'm anticipating it, as well as being a little worried about what it's going to do to me. I hope I enjoy it. 

Okay! Those are all the books I plan to read this month! I've got off to a bit of a shaky start, but hopefully I can get in stride because I've got a combination of genres in the mix this month! As always, feel free to let me know what you're going to read this month, and we can chat about them in the comments! 

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

Byeeeeee! 

-Abi xxxxx

July Wrap Up (2020)

Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And since we've come to the end of another month, it's time for another wrap up. I'm very happy with how much I was able to read this month (though there's no way I would have been able to read as much as I did with the Reading Rush.) So this one is going to be one heck of a long one! 

Enjoy! 

-WRAP UP- 

I read a total of 10 books this month (which is the most I've ever read, I'd say) and I'm happy to say that even though they weren't all my favourite, most of them I enjoyed. 

1. Obsidio (The Illuminae Files #3), by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff 

Even though this was the first book I read this month, it remains my favourite out of all of them. Such an amazing conclusion to an already fantastic trilogy. Although I wish there were going to be more books in this world, I'm very satisfied with the ending. I can't say a whole lot about the story, because it's the third book in the series, but I can say that a whole load of characters that I like meet, after it seems like a long and intense wait (which I very much enjoyed because there were a lot of other events happening.) 

2. How to Make Friends with the Dark, by Kathleen Glasgow 

How to Make Friends with the Dark is an authentic, heartbreaking, and although it was about a very sensitive subjects, the sweet moments and the hard to read moments were so flawlessly done. Losing your mother isn't something that life prepares you for, but when she's your only family you've ever head, it feels so much worse. Although it was hard to read through some of the scenes in this book, How to Make Friends with the Dark is certainly one that will stick with me for a long time.  

3. Scythe (Arc of A Scythe #1), by Neal Shusterman

4. Thunderhead (Arc of A Scythe #2), by Neal Shusterman 

5. The Toll (Arc of A Scythe #3), by Neal Shusterman 

My opening note- I enjoyed this trilogy a lot less than I was expecting to. I literally had to push myself to get through this most of the time, and when I forgot myself, and actually enjoyed the story, those chapters were few and far between. I think I can safely say that I will never feel the urge to pick this trilogy up again. I'm sure that I will be in the minority with this, because aside from the couple I sought out in Goodreads, the world and it's mother seems to love this trilogy to the moon and back. 

6. Come Tumbling Down (Wayward Children #5), by Seanan McGuire 

Come Tumbling down is the fifth book in the Wayward Children series, and although it wasn't my favourite of the series so far, I did very much enjoy it and I'm kind of sad that I'll now have to wait until the new year for the next book. Once again we return to Eleanor's West Home for Wayward Children and escape to a world that has been visited before. I had high hopes that this would leave me with anticipation for the sixth book, which is out in February 2021, I think, and even though I was a little disappointed, I enjoyed it enough to give it a solid four stars. 

7. Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen 

Out of all the books I chose for the reading rush, Sense and Sensibility was the book I found the hardest to get through. In hindsight, I'm not surprised- it was written in 1811, so the language was what made it difficult to wrap my head around. Aside from that, the print was tiny! But I managed it, in two days, and even though I'm rethinking about whether or not I should try and read more Jane Austen, I'm still intrigued to see why everybody loves these classics. 

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

Dark Blue Rising is the first book in Teri Terry's new sci-fi series and honestly, right now it's up there with her debut series- Slated- if you've stuck with me you know that Slated is one of my favourite trilogy's that I've read- ever- and I flew through this easily. This is why I stuck it on my reading rush TBR, despite it being the largest of the bunch. Dark Blue Rising starts when Tabby-caught in a car accident is whisked away from her mother-only to find out she's anything but. As more time passes, Tabby's life is full of questions- why was she taken away from her parents in the first place, why is she drawn to the sea? And what does the Circle have to do with all of it? This is such an addictive read, I can't wait until 2021- when I can find out what happens next! 

9. 19 Love Songs, by David Levithan 

19 Love Songs was the perfect book to compliment what else I was reading during the reading rush. It was literally a relief when I didn't want to continue to struggle through Sense and Sensibility, or I needed a break from the intense goings-on in Dark Blue Rising. 19 Love Songs delivered cuteness, fleshed out characters, and compelling plots, in almost every story. I have my favourites within this collection, but that's always the case. One thing I will say is that this certainly won't be my last David Levithan novel. 

10. The Last Children of Tokyo, by Yoko Tawada 

I'm not sure what to make of The Last Children of Tokyo. It wasn't a bad book, but I certainly wouldn't say it deserves more than 3 stars. Although I felt that the setting was explained very well, (The Last Children of Tokyo is set in well, Tokyo, after some huge catastrophe has isolated them from not only the rest of Japan, but the entire world). It centers around a man and his great grandson. What's interesting is that the elderly are living to post 100 years, and it's unlikely Toshiro's grandson is going to make it to adulthood. Although it was interesting to read about these two characters, the story didnt really seem to go anywhere. A nice placeholder, but I doubt I'll be picking this up again. 

-TV SHOWS AND FILMS-

TV SHOWS

1. Ru Paul's All Stars~ Season 2 (Finished)

2. Anne With An E~ Season 3 

I'm one episode into this series, but hopefully I should get stuck in in August.

3. Dragonball Z 

That's right, we're watching this through again! Love getting stuck back in with this series. 

FILMS

1. Oliver and Company 

This wasn't actually my pick, but Jordan's. Doesn't matter, I'll watch it whenever he wants! This is one of my favourite Disney films, about a cat, called Oliver, and it's based off of the musical. 

WHAT ELSE I DID 

-Started training for Boston Half Marathon- which is still going ahead at the moment. 

-Met my friends- social distancing outside- for one of their birthdays. It was nice to do something different. 

Other than that, I worked, read and wrote! 

 

Okay! I hope you enjoyed that, because that's all I've got! 

I hope you all have a wonderful day, and remember to stay safe! 

I hope you get lots of reading done, and I'll be back with my August TBR soon! 

Byeeeee!

-Abi xxxx