October Wrap Up (2019)

Hey guys, this is Abi here,

And I'm posting this wrap up a little early so that I can post my TBR on Thursday, because I probably won't have the time to post on Friday.

That's all I have to say for the intro, so all I can say now is:

Enjoy!

-BOOKS-

I read a total of five books this month, and considering how little I read last month, I'm really happy that I achieved five books, even if they weren't the longest.

These are the books I read:

1. Anne of Green Gables, by L.M. Montgomery

As much as I enjoyed this book, I wish it had been shorter than it was. It took me longer to finish it than I would have liked. The ending was what redeemed the book for me. Once I got over the novelty of the newness of Green Gables, there wasn't a whole lot that I enjoyed about the book. So when some events finally began to unfold which I found interesting, I was so relieved. Look, I get the hype for this novel. When Anne of Green Gables was released, it was probably way ahead of it's time. But there was just something about the book that didn't gel well with me.

2. Faceless, by Alyssa Sheinmel

I'd seen this book in a couple of shops before and I've always been intrigued, but I've bought it. And when I first started it, I found it hard to get into, for the first 50 pages or so. But after that, I got sucked into this story about a girl that didn't recognise the face that stared back at her in the mirror, and had to learn to become the person she was now, regardless of what she had gone through. Hard to read, because of the difficult subjects discussed within the pages of this novel, but such an addictive read. I recommend this if your in the mood for a sad one.

3. The Girl in Red, by Christina Henry

The girl in red. To be honest, I was expecting the classic story, told in a more modern way. That's not what I got, but I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. The Girl in Red is set where most of the world has died, been infected by this mystery disease. Red is riding alone, trying to get to her grandmother's house. She has a prosthetic leg, which means she doesn't run headlong into battle (though that doesn't stop her fighting back when she needs to), so it adds to an already interesting story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and definitely want to read more of Christina Henry's books in the future.

4. Eliza and her Monsters, by Francesca Zappia

OMG this book. Eliza and her Monsters, I'm glad to say, is so worth the hype. This will definitely make my favourite list for the end of the year because it just blew me away. My eyes were glued to the pages the minute I opened the book all the way through to the last page. I started crying at work because of this book and that never happens. If you haven't picked this book up yet then I urge you to.

5. A Sorrow Fierce and Falling (Kingdom on Fire #3), by Jessica Cluess

The third and final book in the Kingdom on Fire trilogy. The second book, A Poison Dark and Drowning was one of the challenges for my TBR Jar Challenges, and I figured that I may as well finish the trilogy and add it to my completed list. For months now, I've been trying to get myself to pick it up, but have never seemed to manage it. But eventually I did, and I ran through it so quickly I wasn't sure I'd even started it, or whether it was just a dream. I've grown to love these characters so much over the last three books, and this book tore me to shreds with the way everything ended. I actually can't believe the series is over. Recommend this if you like books that feel Jane Austen-ey, with a mix of magic, and violence.

-TV SHOWS-

1. Chicago Med~ Seasons 4 & 5 (Caught up)

2. Waterloo Road~ Season 10 (Finished)

3. Pramface~ Seasons 2 & 3

-FILMS-

1. I, Tonya

2. Orphan

3. Daddy Day Care

4. High School Musical 3: Senior Year

5. Saw

6. Saw II

7. Mulan

I haven't done much this month, other than work so I'm going to leave it there.

I hope you have a wonderful day and I will see you all on Thursday, with my TBR!

Feel free to comment what you got up to down below!

Byeeeee!

-Abi xxxxx

Series I'm Up To Date On

Hey guys, this is Abi here,

And even though I make sure I update any new series' I complete regularly, I haven't done a post on what series' I'm up to date on, and awaiting releases for.

There are five series on this list, and I hope you enjoy it.

1. Heartstopper series, by Alice Oseman

I read the first volume in the series when I went on holiday to a cottage in Durham for a week in June, and I fell in love with the characters. I can't explain how much I love and root for these characters. As soon as it's released on 6th February, my eyes will be scouring the pages, for what happens next. If you like books about love, and are interested in pursuing more of the graphic novel genre, then I highly recommend this series.

2. This Mortal Coil trilogy, by Emily Suvada

This is one of the few Science Fiction series that I'm interested in. Sci-fi is one of my top three genres that I like to read, but I haven't been reading much, because I've been picking up more fantasy. But the third book comes out in January, and I'm pretty sure it's going to be one of my TBR Jar Challenges for next year. This is a DNA sci-fi ish story where a disease continues to mutate and evolve. People are few and far between. But it's incredibly fast paced, and each chapter wants me to keep reading.

3. Legacy of Orisha (series?), by Tomi Adeyemi

I thought the sequel to this book was released in March. Turns out, it's not out until December. I don't remember much of this book, despite it being so good, so I think I'm going to re-read this at some point, but I know that if the sequel is half as good as the first book, then the whole world is (probably) going to really enjoy this. (Because the hype is huge for this book.)

4. The Noughts and Crosses series, by Malorie Blackman

This was a series that I loved many moons ago, and to this day it remains to be my favourite series to date. Crossfire joined the collection on 4th July, and there is to be another book coming soon, because it ended on a cliff-hanger, of all things. I haven't found a release date for book 6 as of yet, but I can't wait to find out what happens to Troy and Libby, how the trial on Tobey is going to go, knowing that once again, Troy and Libby's fate is balanced on a knife point.

5. Skulduggery Pleasant series, by Derek Landy

I'm not going to post all the covers for this series, because there's 12, not including spin-offs. This is a humongous series, and I've been reading this since I was about 12, and I still haven't gotten bored of it. It follows a skeleton detective, (called Skulduggery Pleasant), with his partner (Valkyrie Cain) as they fight bad guys, and solve mysteries. It is quite dark, but it's such a good series if you're looking for a good intro into YA, because it's more of a mature middle grade series'.

From what I know, the next book is due to be released in March 2020.

Okay! I hope you enjoyed that post, let me know in the comments what series you're enjoying at the moment, because I'm always looking for recommendations.

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

Byeeee!

-Abi xxxxxx

31-40 Books of 2019

Hey guys, this is Abi here,

And it's time for another look at some of the books that I've read recently!

I've currently read 43/52 books for my Goodreads reading challenge, so these will be the books that I've read up to the end of September!

Enjoy!

31. Heartstopper Volume 2, by Alice Oseman

This was just as amazing as volume 1! I flew through this book in just under an hour, and it's definitely going to be on my Favourites list for 2019! If you like heart-warming, funny graphic novels with an LGBT romance within it's pages, then this is the series for you. I seriously can't wait for Volume 3.  

32. Twilight (The Twilight Saga #1), by Stephanie Meyer

This was one of my selections for Reading-rush-a-thon. It had been a while since I had picked it up, and it fit a couple of the categories, so I decided to give it a re-read. And I'm so glad I did. If I feel like it, I might pick it up in the new year, (when I've read all the books I have on my TBR- I have 8 left.)

33. A Poison Dark & Drowning (Kingdom on Fire #2), by Jessica Cluess

The second book in the Kingdom on Fire trilogy. This is one of my TBR Jar Challenges for the year, and I'm still trying to read the third one so I can be done with this trilogy. (Do you ever feel like you want to be done with a series, but really don't want to pick it up? That's how I feel.) But this was a pretty decent book. We get to explore the world a little bit more, meet new people, and we find out a bit more about Henrietta's history and her heritage. Writing about this now, has actually got me in the mood to pick the third and final book in the trilogy. (Maybe I'll read it next.

34. The Surface Breaks, by Louise O' Neill

When I started this book, I didn't know what to expect. Based on the opinions on Goodreads, I knew some people loved this, others hated it. But having read it, I realise that some people might not have got the message behind the story. This is meant to be a feminist version of the Little Mermaid. I don't know if I would call it that, but it's definitely a lot darker, and more powerful than the Disney classic that we all have come to know.

35. Girls of Paper and Fire (Girls of Paper and Fire #1), by Natasha Ngan

Another book that I wasn't too sure about, going into it. I'd heard some mixed reviews, (but saying that, there are mixed reviews with any book.) Overall, even though there were some scenes that were very unsettling, other than that it was great. The character development wasn't the best, not much changed once you met all the girls, and what the aim of the book was, but what Natasha did really well was the building of the tension, particularly towards the end of the book. A solid read.

36. Dear Evan Hansen, by Val Emmich

Such a beautiful read. Having heard the soundtrack about a million times, I was more than eager to pick this up once I knew they were turning it into a book. And even though I imagine I'd be crying X100 if I was watching the show (it's come to the West End this October in fact.) This was such a beautiful book to read, the language, the lyrics were drafted beautifully into the novel. I'm so glad I picked it up.

37. Crossfire (Noughts & Crosses #5), by Malorie Blackman

It was absolutely fantastic to dive right into the world that Malorie Blackman created all those years ago. Even though some years have passed since the end of Double Cross, Crossfire fits right in with the other four. Everything came flooding back as soon as I read the first page, and it was wonderful to read about all of my favourites characters once more, along with a few new ones too. What's more, there's going to be another, so I really can't wait for that to be released!

38. Opposite of Always, by Justin A. Reynolds

To sum this book in one word: heart-wrenching. It's always hard to read about a person whose always the underdog, always close but never quite there. Well, we have to read about that multiple times in this book when Jack is just too late to save the girl he loves. Sometimes, you have to go through something more than once to learn how far you're willing to go. A very... unique read. (I promise, it's a lot less depressing than I'm making it sound. It's incredibly funny as well.)

39. Becoming, by Michelle Obama

One book that I absolutely have to insist you listen to this on Audiobook. There was just something special about hearing her talk about her story with such conviction. When she described what it was like living with her brother, and her parents, her education, and what eventually led to being the wife of the president. I can now say with some confidence, that Michelle Obama is a national treasure. Give it a read. You won't regret it.

40. Five Dark Fates (Three Dark Crowns #4), by Kendare Blake

The fourth and final book in the Three Dark Crowns series. Also the final TBR Jar Challenge for the year. Although it wasn't my favourite throughout the series, it was still a decent ending to the series, and I'm satisfied with the ending. Being honest, I'm actually going to miss reading about these characters, even if they were all poised to kill each-other. What I liked about this series was how it became so much bigger than the three Queens fighting to rule. They were more than just strategizing to gain power for their party, they became real people. There was still a fair share of mystery, surprise twists and violence, but it was honestly such an amazing series. Highly recommend, and I can't wait to see what Kendare Blake writes next.

Okay! That's the end of the post, and that's going to do it for today!

If you've read any of these books, and want to talk about them, then let me know in the comments and we can chat about it!

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

Byeeeee!

-Abi xxxxx