Spring Cleaning Book Tag

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And today I'm back with the Spring Cleaning book tag! 

I did one version of this a few days back but the questions were way too hard, and I wasn't enjoying it! If there's one thing about doing a tag, it's that you should enjoy it! 

So, I'm trying this version instead, because the questions look easier. 

Enjoy! 

~Getting started: A book series you've been meaning to read~

I have a post of all the series I want to read this year, which you can check out here. My next series is on that list, unsurprisingly, though I was tempted to read something else. The Percy Jackson series has been around for years and it's horrendous that I have yet to finish it. As far as I remember, I read books 1-3, but I can remember little to nothing. I'm looking forward to jumping back into Rick Riordan's novels again. 

~Cleaning/ organising the wardrobe: The best way to organise books~

There isn't really a best way to organise your bookshelves, everyone has a way they like to display their books. I like to display them by genre/ author, although there are a few exceptions. If I think a certain series would fit better somewhere else, I'll put it on a different shelf. Or if certain books look beautiful together, I'll put them next to eachother. 

I've tried to do a rainbow, but it never seems to work!

~Getting rid of unnecessary things: Book/series you no longer need~

I've actually got a pile of books I need to put online, they're literally across the room from me right now. There is one series however, that I will be looking forward to no longer owning, and that's the Arc of A Scythe trilogy. With the exception of Thunderhead, I really didn't like the series at all. I don't regret reading it, because I'd have always wondered whether I'd like it or not. But I know now that the series just wasn't for me. 

~Get some air: Your favourite light-hearted read~

I read this last year and even now, when I think of these characters, their whirlwind romance, the DEH references and how well-crafted this story feels, I can't help but smile. What's even better is that there's going to be a sequel sometime in the future, so there's more to come! I can't wait to jump back into this story, and meet some amazing characters once more. 

~Clean out the kitchen cupboards: Favourite food themed read~

Although baking isn't the very centre of these books, I love reading about books that include baking! I was surprised to find that 2/3 books that include baking are actually fairytale retellings, but that doesn't mean I won't include them in this list! It's been a while since I've read any of these, so let me know if you have any recommendations for books with baking! 

~Dust the shelves: What's the fifth book on your bookshelves~

The one in front of me at least. 

~Wishing for the end: A 2021 release you're really excited about~

The Nobleman's Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks was the first book I thought of. The release date is 16th November, so it's certainly a long wait. Kind of fitting, because this starts about a decade after books 1 & 2 in the Montague Sbilings' trilogy (The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue and The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy). The third and final book to this phenomenal trilogy follows Adrian, the sole heir to the Montague estate. He was diagnosed with hysteria at a young age and although it was always a secret, a breakdown at an engagement party reveals his deepest fears: that he might not be fit to run the estate. He's given a second chance: to find the lost artifacts of his deceased mother, who the Montague family still mourn over. Whilst on his travels he discovers that he was not the only Montague child: he has two siblings who disappeared a decade ago. What else is hidden in the Montague estate? 

~Long but satisfying: The longest book series you've ever read~ 

In terms of numbers, it'll be the Series of Unfortunate Events, by Lemony Snicket, which has a total of 13 books. 

If we're talking pages, it'll be the series I finished less than a month ago, which is the Throne of Glass series, by Sarah J Maas. Total number of pages was over 4000 if I remember correctly. 

Okay! That is The Spring Cleaning Book Tag! I hope you enjoyed it, and feel free to comment your thoughts below! 

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

Byeeee! 

-Abi xxxx

My Dark Vanessa, by Kate Elizabeth Russell

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And today I'm posting my first review of 2021! 

It's a slightly controversial book, too. 

To say I'm nervous about writing this is an understatement. 

If you've seen the title, you already know the book. 

It's My Dark Vanessa. 

Enjoy. 

Title: My Dark Vanessa

Author: Kate Elizabeth Russell 

Genre: Fiction/crime 

Status: Standalone 

Pages: 369

Blurb: "Vanessa Wye was fifteen years old when she first had

sex with her English teacher. 

Now the teacher, Jacob Strane, has been accused of 

sexual abuse by another former student, and a journalist 

has asked Vanessa to contribute to a story about him. 

But no one seems to understand that what Vanessa and 

Strane had together wasn't abuse. It was love. 

Wasn't it?" 

My Thoughts

I'm so nervous about approaching this book. Not only is it a controversial choice but, if I write one wrong statement, I'm going to get nailed to the wall. It's also why I'm confused as for what to rate this book. I'll get into that in a bit. 

But, nervous or not, this is a book that needs to be talked about- because I have a lot of thoughts on it. 

First off, I want to say that My Dark Vanessa was a heavy, heavy book, with some very difficult scenes in it. Trigger warnings include sexual abuse, child pornography, rape, grooming, emotional manipulation, pedaphilia, and the only reason why I was able to get through this is because I have no personal experience with those themes myself, so if any of those are trigger warnings for you then I would steer clear of this book. 

In some of the scenes throughout this book, I had to close it for a moment to take a breath because some of what I read was so plainly grooming and manipulation. Some of the lines in this had me biting my lip, let me tell you that, because they hit hard. 

My Dark Vanessa takes place at two different points in Vanessa's life, and it jumps from each of them, chapter to chapter. One part is Vanessa at the age of fifteen, going back to Browick after the summer, the other part takes place when Vanessa is thirty-two, when the accusations begin against Strane. I thought a chapter per POV was perfect, because each chapter was enough of a relief from the other part, a change of pacing. I never felt like I was getting too much from either perspective. Also, it made it incredibly easy to remember where each chapter had left off. 

Vanessa was an incredibly fleshed out and realistic protagonist to follow. She was written so well that she felt like a real person, she didn't feel rushed at all. She was self-aware enough to recognise the after-effects of what had happened to her, years later, yet naive enough as a fifteen-year-old, to get swept up in what she thought was a romantic love affair with her English teacher. 

Through her, we as readers are able to see what the relationship looks like and what's blatant grooming from the hands of Strane. 

Despite the difficult topic subject, Kate Russell did a phenomenal job in the writing of this novel. If I hadn't already found out during my research of this book, there's no way I would have thought that this was her debut novel. Perfectly written. Gritty and hard to read, but not too graphic that the book bordered on cruel, I'm intrigued as to what she'll choose to write about with her next release, if Russell can pull this off for her debut. 

One final note, before I wrap this up. I liked how the book didn't just centre around Vanessa and Strane. I feel like it might have been a bit too much if it had been. Although the other characters were just side characters, they were fleshed out enough that they were remorable. They played their part in moving the story along. 

All in all, I'm still unsure as for what rating I should give this. Extremely well-written, realistic characters, nothing felt rushed, everything included felt deliberate and important (as hard as it was to read about), but to rate it 5 stars would be to say that I liked it. We'll have to see what I stick with. 

Okay, that puts my review to an end. Let me know your thoughts in the comment, if there's a book I would like to discuss, it would certainly be this one. 

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

Byeeeee! 

-Abi xxxxx 

March TBR (2021)

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And I'm posting this today because I won't be able to include one of my books in this post if I don't! 

The pacing of this month will be very different to last month, because the books I'll be reading won't be half as long. 

Here's what I plan to read this month. 

Enjoy! 

1. The FlatShare, by Beth O' Leary 

I had to get this posted today because I'm likely to finish this today- I have approx. 100 pages left and it's only my third day reading this! I was meant to get to this last month, but I didn't have the time, due to needing to prioritise the Throne of Glass series. I've thoroughly enjoyed this so far, and although I don't want it to end, I'm more desperate to find out how it all wraps up! This is my first book by Beth O' Leary and although I had no idea whether I was going to like this or not, but I had an idea that I would, and I was absoluetly right. 

2. The Switch, by Beth O' Leary 

Yeah, I'm attempting to read both of my Beth O' Leary books in one week. I was drawn to the swift because it appears different to other fiction books I've read (though that number isn't high). I don't think I've ever read a book where an 80 year old and a young woman switch places. It's a simple premise, but it sounds very interesting. I'm very much looking forward to seeing what happens in this, and it's short enough that I should be able to fly through it in a few days. 

3. My Dark Vanessa, by Kate Elizabeth Russell 

I'm a little bit worried about going into this. It's been mentioned a fair bit in the Booktube community recently and although I was vaguelly interested in it, I didn't think too much about it. Then when I saw a copy for sale in town, and I couldn't resist. If you don't know about this, the blurb starts with the sentence "Vanessa Wye was fifteen years old when she first had sex with her English teacher." This book takes place when she is thirty-two, and that same English teacher is being accused by another former student, of sexual abuse. That's all it takes to sum up the premise of this book. I've heard this is a tough book, so we'll see what I think. 

4. The Falling in Love Montage, by Ciara Smyth 

Another book I wanted to read last month, but didn't have the time to get to. So, it's been moved over to this month. To put it shortly, all I know about this book is that The Falling in Love Montage is an f/f summer romance that takes place in the summer before both girls start university. This feels like the book version of that film Emma Roberts was in, Holidate, but set in the summer, because these two girls have set a rule for themselves: the perfect summer romance, but they can't fall in love. Because at the end of the summer, they will go their seperate ways. This book has gotten amazing reviews, and I'm looking forward to a fun change of pacing after My Dark Vanessa, so I'm excited to get to this. 

5. Girl A, by Abigail Dean 

I heard about this for the first time a couple of months ago, and because it was a book of the month (subscription box online) I decided to order it. It now seems to follow me everywhere I go. I see it on YouTube, in book hauls. I see it daily in Instagram posts. I get it. There are enough signs that I need to read this. As much as I prefer the American cover, the UK version is certainly striking. Lex Gracie is Girl A, the girl who escaped the House of Horrors, freeing her older brother and four younger siblings when she was just fifteen. When her mother dies in prison, leaving her and her siblings the house, Lex can no longer run from the memories that have been haunting her since she escaped. I've heard this story is intense and dark, very much like the other thriller I've listed above, so it'll be interesting to see which one I prefer more. 

6. We Are Okay, by Nina LaCour

I put this on my Graphic Novel TBR list back in September. I've since found out, it's not a graphic novel. But that doesn't mean I no longer want to read it. Even if it doesn't belong on that list. It's a very simple premise, and follows Marin, a girl who left behind everything, except her phone, her wallet, and a picture of her mother. But even though she left most of her things behind her while she travelled as far as she could, New York, to go to college, she can't escape the tragedy she tries so hard to outrun. Now, her friend is coming, and Marin is forced to face everything that's been left unsaid and finally confront the loneliness she's been living with for so long. This seems like a very emotional and sad book, one you have to be in the right mood for, but it's been ordered, and I'll be reading it soon. 

7. Romanov, by Nadine Brandes 

This one was admittedly, quite random. I'd been debating when to order this, mulling it over for some time, before I finally pre-ordered it a few days ago. One of my favourite animated movies as a kid was Anastasia, and it literally only took a re-watch for me to do it. The only thing I know about this is that Romanov is that it's an Anastasia retelling, and that's all I need to know about it. I've never read an Anastasia retelling before, so it's certainly a standout for me. Plus the cover is gorgeous. Excited to see what all the hype surrounding it is about. 

Okay! That's my TBR for the month! I'm hoping to start more, but at the moment I have no idea what those books will be, so that will be all for today!

As always, feel free to comment down below! 

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

Byeeee! 

-Abi xxxx