10 Year Challenge Book Tag

 Hey guys, this is Abi here! 

Today I will be posting something a little different- something I haven't done in over a year (well done on forgetting the mid year freak-out tag, Abi! Sorry guys, it's too late now). 

And yes, as you can see from the title, it is a book tag- but it's one I haven't done before, so should be interesting. 

This one stood out to me because, well, I realised a couple of months ago that I've been posting on this blog for over ten years now- and I recently hit 1 million views- so it seemed fitting to see how my tastes have changed since I was 18. 

Without further ado, I hope you enjoy reading the only new book tag I've done in well, several years. 

Oops. 

~What was your favourite book in 2016?~

I'm going to twist this a little bit. I'm going to pick my favourite book that I read in 2016. (Although that's still extremely hard, because I read so many good books that year- Six of Crows, Unbecoming, The Book Thief, I'll Give You the Sun, Ready Player One. 

Okay, I'm picking Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline. 

Not only is the world building phenomenal, unlike any world I've had the pleasure of visiting, but it's the book that I think the most about today, based on what my current reading tastes are. 

Unbecoming, by Jenny Downham is a close second, due to the generational storyline, the characters, and the subject matter (and the writing), but Ready Player One takes the cake for that year. 

~What is your favourite book in 2026?~

My current favourite for the year (so far of course, cos the year isn't over yet) is definitely... 

Although there weren't a lot of books from this year's list, due to the massive re-read I'm currently working through, it wasn't hard to decide on this one. It may be a bit of a commitment, what with it being 500+ pages, and the first in a 10 book series. 

But getting to follow Claire as she was dropped on her head, with a new baby to care for, no devoted husband, and no home, begin to pick herself up and start to look forward to what life had to offer, was worth the large page count. I think I'll struggle to find a book that matches this in character, storyline, character arc, and addictability. Literally, I could not put this book down when I was reading it, always wanting to find out what happened next. 

~What was your least favourite book in 2016?~

I have a feeling some people aren't going to like my choice for this one... 

Yeah... 

So, I heard a lot of people raving about this book on booktube, Jessethereader at the forefront of it. Then the trailer dropped for the movie, and so I decided to give it a try. 

My God, was it slow. 

So, it was common knowledge that the photos included in the story are real, and Ransom Riggs created a story around these strange photographs. 

And that is true. You can see the story make sense, around these photographs. 

It just felt like he was stretching too far to make the photos make sense within the story. 

The story just dragged for me, because these photos was the base of the story. I remember wishing he hadn't of bothered. 

Maybe I just didn't gel with his writing, or like the characters, or even the story, but I just didn't enjoy it all that much. 

And I haven't reached for another book of his since. 

~What has been your least favourite book in 2026?~

I'm just going to go with Resurrection. Book 10 in the Skulduggery Pleasant series. The first book in a new series, where I was waiting for the plot to start unfolding. 

I've said in my Skulduggery Pleasant updates that it wasn't my favourite, and at the moment, I haven't read any books I didn't especially dislike- which is why I'm picking Resurrection. 

~What is a book published in 2016 that you still want to read?~

THIS. 

I've been wanting to read this since I heard about it. Fredrik Backman is a recent auto-buy author for me, and I will not rest until I've read every single book of his. His hauntingly beautiful writing makes for an emotional breakdown whenever I pick up a book, even if it's as small as 70 something pages. He reminds me of Patrick Ness, in the way that he can break your heart into a million pieces with just one, well placed sentence. 

I've heard that Beartown is one of Backman's best works, and I cannot wait to finally get my hands on it. I intend to purchase it with a voucher I've recently accuired. 

~What is a book published in 2026 you want to get to before 2027?~

I do post my anticipated releases every three months, so you can find those posts on my page pandemonium page if you want to know all of them. 

However, the standout book from those is 100% A Soul Full of Shadows, by Derek Landy. Actually can't believe I had to search my anticipated releases before I decided on that one. 

(Hello? Anybody upstairs? It's the whole reason why I've been re-reading Skulduggery Pleasant since bloody March. Dumbass. 

But yeah. Final Skulduggery Pleasant book. Ever. No more after this one. No idea how I'm going to feel after this one. 

~What is a genre you used to read a lot of that you don't read as much of anymore?~

Honestly, no idea. I still read anything and everything. I read middle grade, fantasy, sci-fi, romance, fiction, everything I was reading in 2016, I still read now. 

I haven't read a YA murder mystery in a long while, thinking about it. 

I liked Sara Shephard, with The Lying Game and PLL, I liked Karen M. McManus' books, with all of her murder mystery standalones, and I like Diana Urban books too. 

So if there's a Genre that I've dropped a lot in the past decade, it'll be that one. 

~What is a new Genre you've discovered since 2016?~

Graphic novels, definitely. 

In the last decade, I've started Saga, Heartstopper (recently finished), Paper Girls, Life is Strange, Clementine, Fence,  Skyward and recently started Monster. 

All fantastic series', mostly Sci-fi and Fantasy genre, but I genuinely can't wait to read more in upcoming years. 

~What is a reading or book habit you are hoping to leave behind in this decade?~

Using audiobooks as a crutch when I'm struggling with huge hardbacks/ paperbacks. I've more or less dropped the physical Skulduggery Pleasant books in the past week, because I'm impatient. I'd like to have a whole year of picking audiobooks because I want the audiobook- and don't own the physical. Not becuase I'm bored of reading a book I'm struggling to progress with. 

~What is a new reading goal or habit you want to create in the next decade?~

Start a reading streak. Even if I only read 10 pages some days, I want to say that I managed to read something- every single day. And not because I want to carry the streak on, but because I genuinely want to read. 

Let's see if I can make it happen. 

Okay! That is the 10 year Challenge Book Tag! 

I won't be tagging anybody, because I have no idea who is still blogging at this point, but it's open to anybody that wants to try this tag! 

I hope you enjoyed reading this, and don't be afraid to post a comment down below! 

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

Byeeeeee! 

-Abi xxxxxx

Skulduggery Pleasant: Month 4

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And I'm back after three weeks, with my next Skulduggery Pleasant update! 

It's been a while since I posted, and even longer since I've updated you all on how I'm doing with this final epic re-read (which is why it was my first priority since my return!)

Anyways, I hope you enjoy reading these updates, I am aware that they're mostly factual, but I hope everyone likes the change of pacing regardless! 

I hope you enjoy. 

8.5. Armageddon Outta Here

Reading days: 28th May- 3rd June

Pages: 479

Despite this being a collection of short stories, scattered throughout the first nine books, I found them so refreshing to read. They're great because they're short and snappy, and other than a couple of them, you don't need a whole lot of time to knock out one, or two at any given time. 

I honestly don't remember why I was so loath to pick them up when I was re-reading the rest of the series in the past, because I really enjoyed them, a lot. 

10. Resurrection

Reading days: 9th June- 16th June

Pages: 420

Although I love a good re-introduction to a series, Resurrection is a book that I've always struggled with, and this time is no exception. I found myself waiting for the novel to take shape, which I never had a problem with in the first nine books. 

I managed to finish this in a week, somehow, through making time for it, but if there was going to be a book that I fell behind my Goodreads goal on, it would have been this one. 

It was mostly knowing that the books got a lot better after this one that kept me reading it (and forgetting what happened at the ending, and wanting to find out.)

11. Midnight 

Reading days: 16th June- 23rd June

Pages: 418

This is the book where the second series gets interesting. Because of events that happened in Book 9, Valkyrie has kept well away from her family, for their own safety, and also because she feels guilty. In Midnight, Valkyrie has finally begun to forgive herself (still has a long way to go though), and spend time with her parents and little sister, Alice. 

So it's just her bad luck that some people that have a grudge against Valkyrie are watching. Of course they snatch Alice and leave Valkyrie a series a clues to get to her before, you guessed it, midnight. 

Of course she does. 

And at the very end, she figures out why Alice is back to normal, even after being kidnapped for most of the day. 

Which is essentually the plot of the next book.

Fantastic book though. I particularly love reading about sibling relationships, and Auger and Omen's relationship was one of the best parts too. (Actually I love everything to do with Omen, and all the other characters from Corrival Academy, come to think of it.)

12. Bedlam 

Reading days: 23rd June- 2nd July

Pages: 584

Yeah, this one takes a leap in the page count a bit, which is why it took me a little longer to read it. Not to mention I was packing for a holiday a couple of days before. Still a really solid book in the series though. 

You know that thing that I mentioned is the plot for this in Midnight? So basically, Valkyrie found out that because of something she did to Alice in Book 9 (The Dying of the Light), she no longer has a soul. She no longer has any major emotions, nothing traumatic affects her. Which of course makes Valkyrie feel immensely guilty. 

So what does she do? Journey down into the Necropolis, in search of her little sister's lost soul fragments. 

So that part is really good, especially when she finds out that one of her soul fragments is already attached to someone. 

Not to mention, Skulduggery's evil ex and her son are around for a final stand off. 

So there's a lot going on. 

14. Seasons of War 

Reading days: 7th July- 18th July

Pages: 552

I love this one. There's an actual, concrete premise. A select team, including Skulduggery Pleasant, Valkyrie Cain, Tanith Low, Saracen Rue, and Dexter Vex, head out to another dimension to kill one of the most nefarious killers around, Mevolent. 

He's dead in Valkyrie's dimension, but very much alive in another one, and he plans to use a portal to invade their dimension. The team, of course, is sent over to stop, and kill him. 

Like I said before, I love this one. It's seperated into seasons, and each season is more thrilling than the next. Of course, characters die, one of which I still think about every so often, and you have your usual action sequences, and comedic scenes, which never, ever fall flat, even after all this time. 

Seasons of War is definitely one of my favourite books from this six book section. 

14. Dead or Alive

Reading days: 19th July- now

Pages read currently: 146

It's been a slow going with this one so far. After Seasons of War, with it's clear cut premise, it takes a bit of time to establish the plotline, so I've been whittling away at it every so often. I realised today that I already have the audiobook for this, so I'll try to jump between the physical book and the audiobook over the next couple of days, and hopefully I can progress through it quicker. 

This is the penultimate book in this six book series, and I know that it builds to something huge at the end. 

Who knows, maybe I'll finish the entire series next month! This may be the penultimate update guys! 

(Really I hope so.) 

Final calculations: 2120 pages over two months (not great, but getting there). 

Really don't know the average. 

Okay! That is everything I have for you all today! As always, feel free to comment down below, and we can chat about this phenomenal series! 

I hope you have a wonderful day, and I'll see you all soon! (Will be posting before the month is out, I promise.)

Byeeee! 

-Abi xxxxxx