Month: October 2024

Monthly Wrap Up | October 2024

Posted October 31, 2024 by Haze in Monthly Wrap Up / 2 Comments

Welcome to the Monthly Wrap Up hosted by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction to share our monthly wrap-up posts that summarizes our month in books, our favorite books of the month, what we did on our blogs, and anything noteworthy we want to share.

October 2024 Wrap Up

October wasn’t a very good reading month for me; I had two DNFs and a few books I wasn’t quite satisfied with. I was in a general funk and sulking about the DNFs and sub-par books, and I spent a little too much time on the DNFs trying to decide if I should finish them or not. You’d think I’d have learned my lesson by now but it’s really not easy to let go! 😭

I did have a few great books though! And I’m choosing to focus on them. I read two Stephen Kings, which are always great! And I’m currently obsessed with the Super Powered series by Drew Hayes.

My October 2024 TBR Intentions

I think I’ve learned my lesson with setting my tbr intentions. The DNFs were kind of demotivating, but I need to learn to move on and focus on the books I loved.

  1. Pet Sematary by Stephen King
  2. The Shining by Stephen King
  3. Dear Enemy by Jean Webster
  4. Never Whistle at Night by various authors – DNF
  5. The Glass Chateau by Stephen P. Kiernan
  6. Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
  7. I Fell in Love With Hope by Lancali – DNF

Books Read in October 2024

  1. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
  2. Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
  3. The Mother-In-Law by Sally Hepworth
  4. Exhalation by Ted Chiang
  5. The Shining by Stephen King
  6. The Girl from the Other Side Vol. 9 by Nagabe
  7. The Girl from the Other Side Vol. 10 by Nagabe
  8. The Girl from the Other Side Vol. 11 by Nagabe
  9. Super Powereds: Year 1 by Drew Hayes
  10. Super Powereds: Year 2 by Drew Hayes
  11. Pet Sematary by Stephen King
  12. The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young

Notable Books This Month

Super Powereds by Drew Hayes
This series was the highlight for me this month. Almost every other book I’ve read this month is either horror and/or have heavy themes, and I think this series was just so fun and enjoyable to read. The books are huge, and so many hours on audiobook, but they’re so entertaining and easy to get through. Once again, I have to comment on the amateurish writing because I don’t want to hype it up without giving this heads up, but it’s come to a point that I almost feel the writing is deliberate and becomes part of the fun of reading the books – you can have drinking games out of pointing out how many times the author uses a few particular phrases!

I also had three very good rereads:

  1. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
  2. The Shining by Stephen King
  3. Pet Sematary by Stephen King

I loved the Becky Chambers books the first time I read it and I feel like I got more out of it the second time around, especially reading it as a buddy read and seeing what other people thought about it and what stood out to them. I’m also planning to read the next books in the series again some time soon.

I had also read both Stephen King books some time ago and enjoyed them but it has been decades since I read them and they both hit differently this time. I’m paying more attention to some of the details this time even though I’m sure there’s still a lot I’m missing. I’m definitely noticing Stephen King’s genius a lot more this time.

Reading Challenges

I have finished every challenge I signed up for this year except two:

They are both related to finishing series and even though I don’t have very many to go, I have decided to let go of both these challenges because they no longer resonate. I have been reading many series this year, actually, and even finishing them(!), but they don’t count based on the parameters of these challenges and I realized that these challenges don’t work for what I originally wanted them for and it’s okay to let them go. I’ll be more mindful of the challenges I sign up for next year!

November 2024 TBR Intentions

Definitely wanting to continue with the rest of the Super Powered series, and I’m also looking forward to Dungeon Crawler Carl. It’s good knowing that these two fun series are in there among the other heavier books.

  1. Super Powereds: Year 3 by Drew Hayes
  2. Super Powereds: Year 4 by Drew Hayes
  3. Dear Enemy by Jean Webster
  4. The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
  5. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
  6. Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
  7. The Glass Chateau by Stephen P. Kiernan
  8. Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
  9. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Even though many of these are heavy, I’m still excited to read them. Some of them have been on my TBR for ages!

How was your month in October? What were your most memorable bookish moments? I hope you have a wonderful November with lots of great books!

Tags: , , , ,

Top Ten Tuesday | Books About Vampires

Posted October 28, 2024 by Haze in Top Ten Tuesday, Weekly Book Memes / 29 Comments

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl that features a different bookish topic every week.

Today’s topic is Halloween Freebie

I decided to go with vampire stories for today’s topic because there’s been so many vampire stories I’ve loved. Except Twilight, I did not like Twilight so I didn’t include it, but I do recognize its popularity. I’ve listed some of my favorite vampire books here although I haven’t read the last three. They feel familiar to me because I’ve watched the movies and there are so many pop culture references to them. In any case, I could do with a reread for almost all of these books!

Top Ten Books About Vampires

  1. Sunshine by Robin McKinley – This is one of my all-time favorite vampire books, and an author I love in general. It has been a long while since I read this, so definitely time for a reread!
  2. ‘Salem’s Lot by Stephen King – I have such fond memories of listening to this on audio during a thunderstorm while being home alone. I spoiled the atmosphere a little by turning on every single light in the house, but I was still very creeped out by it. I loved the experience so much!
  3. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black – Another favorite! And another favorite author! I thought this book was a very interesting take on vampires and a very different vampire story.
  4. Thirst series by Christopher Pike – My first vampire love. The first of the series came out more than two decades ago and I loved it as a teenager. It’s a bit dated but you never forget your first love.
  5. Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead – I devoured the series! I read it more than a decade ago but I remember loving them so much at the time.
  6. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova – I remember really enjoying the story although missing a lot of the details, especially because of POV and timeline switches, but I do intend to read this again eventually.
  7. The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant by Drew Hayes – I thought this was such a fun read and intended to read the rest of the series but never got to them for some reason. Now that I’m reading Super Powereds by the same author and loving it, I’m definitely planning to come back to this one.
  8. Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist – I thought I read this but I might be wrong. I’m quite certain I watched both the movies though! I think? I remember being immersed in this story and yet I’m doubting myself now.
  9. Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice – I definitely watched the movie! I might have read the book but I don’t remember, so it’s time to (re)read it either way!
  10. Dracula by Bram Stoker – I know I didn’t read this one but I’ve been meaning to for ages! The last time I tried, I did a stupid thing and listened to it to go to sleep, and I was very rudely awakened by a screaming evil voice that scared me so much I couldn’t go back to sleep!

Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them? Would you read any of these books?

Tags: , ,

Sunday Post | Under The Weather

Posted October 26, 2024 by Haze in Sunday Post, Weekly Book Memes / 4 Comments

Welcome to the Sunday Post, a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer to share weekly news and updates on what we’ve been up to on our blog, with our books, and book-related happenings. 

Under the Weather

I came down with a cold the first half of last week and was pretty much tired the whole of the week. I was quite miserable, not just because of the cold, but also because I was already behind with work since the week before and I’d intended to catch up last week but only got further behind. I didn’t even do the Top Ten Tuesday for the week, and I haven’t caught up to replying comments either. 😭

As for The Conqueror Challenge, I didn’t do well since I was sick, but I did push a little more towards the end of the week and got 18km out of my 20km goal. I should mention that 6km of it was only done this morning.

Really hoping for a better, healthier, and more productive week coming up!

The Books

Books I read last week:

  1. Super Powereds: Year 1 by Drew Hayes – I’m enjoying this series so much even though I mentioned earlier that the writing is quite amateurish. The story and the characters are really good though!
  2. Super Powereds: Year 2 by Drew Hayes – The first book was 26 hours, this one was 32 hours and just as entertaining. I just finished it last night!
  3. Pet Sematary by Stephen King – This is both a buddy read on my online bookclub, and the BOTM for my in-person bookclub! It’s harrowing, horrifying, and soooo good!

Book(s) I’m reading:

  1. Super Powereds: Year 3 by Drew Hayes – A whopping 41 hours on audio! I just started it this morning.
  2. The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young – It’s been on my TBR and it’s also a buddy read. I’m only on Chapter 4 right now.

Last Week on The Blog

This Week

It’s the last week of the month so I have some wrapping up to do. I’d like to try to finish a couple more books before the month is over too.

How was your week? I hope you had a great week last week, and I hope you have a great one again this week!

Tags: , ,

Book Review | Pet Sematary by Stephen King

Posted October 25, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 0 Comments

Pet Sematary by Stephen King

The house looked right, felt right, to Dr Louis Creed.

Rambling, old, unsmart and comfortable. A place where the family could settle; the children grow and play and explore. The rolling hills and meadows of Maine seemed a world away from the fume-choked dangers of Chicago.

Only the occasional big truck out on the two-lane highway, grinding up through the gears, hammering down the long gradients, growled out an intrusive note of threat.

But behind the house and away from the road: that was safe. Just a carefully clear path up into the woods where generations of local children have processed with the solemn innocence of the young, taking with them their dear departed pets for burial.

A sad place maybe, but safe. Surely a safe place. Not a place to seep into your dreams, to wake you, sweating with fear and foreboding…

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 Audiobook Challenge

The Reason

It’s the BOTM for my in-person bookclub, and a buddy read for my online bookclub. It’s Halloween season, what can I say?

The Quotes

“Sometimes dead is better”

“Cats were the gangsters of the animal world, living outside the law and often dying there. There were a great many of them who never grew old by the fire.”

“He’s my cat! He’s not God’s cat! Let God have his own cat! Let God have all the damn old cats He wants, and kill them all! Church is mine!”

“The barrier was not made to be broken. Remember this: there is more power here than you know. It is old and always restless. Remember.”

The Narrator(s)

Michael C. Hall. I love him!

My Thoughts

My audiobook copy has an author’s note which really enhanced my experience of reading the book. Apparently, a lot of the events in the book were based on real life things that happened for Stephen King and his family. Smucky was his daughter’s cat, was buried in a Pet Sematary, spelt exactly like that, near their house, with the exact epitaph written for Smucky in the book. His daughter also said the exact same words about how God should get his own cat and leave hers alone.

Thankfully, the harrowing, horrifying stuff did not actually happen to the author and his family! King has said that he considers this book the one he finds most scary, and I can imagine why. “Sometimes dead is better.” We should never try to play God, nothing good comes from it, and this book is the absolute embodiment of why that is.

I can’t talk more about the details without spoiling the book, but I do want to talk about the writing. As usual, I love how King tells the story. I love the buildup, the slow escalation, and the thrill the closer we get to the end. His characters are amazing, their relationship dynamics, the ways they interact with each other. There’s always something to be gotten from a King novel.

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

Tags: , , ,

Book Review | Super Powereds : Year 1 by Drew Hayes

Posted October 25, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 0 Comments

Super Powereds : Year 1 by Drew Hayes

Knowledge is power. That would be the motto of Lander University, had it not been snatched up and used to death by others long before the school was founded. For while Lander offers a full range of courses to nearly all students, it also offers a small number of specialty classes to a very select few. Lander is home to the Hero Certification Program, a curriculum designed to develop student with superhuman capabilities, commonly known as Supers, into official Heroes.

Five of this year’s freshmen are extra special. They have a secret aside from their abilities, one that they must guard from even their classmates. Because for every one person in the world with abilities they can control, there are three who lack such skill. These lesser super beings, Powereds as they are called, have always been treated as burdens and second class citizens. Though there has been ample research in the area, no one has ever succeeded in turning a Powered into a regular human, let alone a Super.

That is, until now…

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 Audiobook Challenge

The Reason

Someone recommended it as an audiobook worth listening to, so I decided to try it!

The Quotes

“Sometimes, attaining the impossible was simply a matter of continuously putting one foot in front of the other, no matter what.”

“In Seattle there is a constant hope for a period called “two days in a row when it doesn’t fucking rain.”

“The truth had its place, and it was called a deathbed.”

“Playing with new stuff is for down time. This is crunch time. Crunch time is for focusing on what you’ve got.”

The Narrator(s)

Kyle McCarley. I love the narration and all the voices. I personally feel like this book isn’t very well-written, but the narrator makes it highly enjoyable to listen to!

My Thoughts

I’ve mentioned a couple of times that I feel that this book isn’t very well-written. I feel like it’s quite amateurish, to be quite honest – and I’ll say why in a minute – but somehow I am loving this book so much and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!

On why I feel it’s amateurish; the most noticeable thing is all the he said, she said, they said, and all the variations of it. So many variations of it! Not only did they “said”, they also asked, answered, implied, surmised, agreed, acquiesced, snapped, shot back, spat out, pointed out, commented, reciprocated, complimented, admitted, chastised, scolded, cursed, encouraged, explained, countered, chided, mused, quipped, confirmed, noted, inquired, interjected, praised, protested, reiterated, complained, sighed, chuckled, repeated, joked, pried…

And they often did the above; with a smile, with a grin, with a shrug, with a smirk, with a pause, with incredulity, optimistically, sadly, longingly, with a surprisingly reassuring smile, with a genuine smile, with a slow smile, with an unwitting grin, with a big grin, respectfully, obediently, with a kiss, tentatively, deferentially, with a more sincere smile…

It’s gotten to the point where I’m not annoyed but impressed with the vocabulary! However, writing aside, I really do enjoy the story and there are a lot of things to like about it.

The best thing about it, I feel, is that the characters are all very distinct, interesting, and most of all, consistent. I also love the found family element, and the plotting and strategizing is done very well! I mean, it’s basically all the things we like about Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Red Rising, and other books in that vein, but lower stakes and more fun.

Kids go to a school to learn to hone their skills and powers. They have tests and competitions to get ahead, they make friends and connections, they train and strategized, they fight against bad guys but also navigate the student and young adult life. They live, they love, they laugh. And I am thoroughly enjoying myself!

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars. Even with the bad writing! Because it’s just so fun and enjoyable and I’m even getting enjoyment from the bad writing.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

Tags: , , ,

Book Review | The Shining by Stephen King

Posted October 25, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 0 Comments

The Shining by Stephen King

Jack Torrance’s new job at the Overlook Hotel is the perfect chance for a fresh start. As the off-season caretaker at the atmospheric old hotel, he’ll have plenty of time to spend reconnecting with his family and working on his writing. But as the harsh winter weather sets in, the idyllic location feels ever more remote…and more sinister. And the only one to notice the strange and terrible forces gathering around the Overlook is Danny Torrance, a uniquely gifted five-year-old.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 Audiobook Challenge

The Reason

The last time I read this was more than a decade ago and it’s the BOTM for my online bookclub.

The Quotes

“Monsters are real. Ghosts are too. They live inside of us, and sometimes, they win.”

“Small children are great accepters. They don’t understand shame, or the need to hide things.”

“He would write it for the reason he felt that all great literature, fiction and nonfiction, was written: truth comes out, in the end it always comes out. He would write it because he felt he had to.”

“That’s your job in this hard world, to keep your love alive and see that you get on, no matter what. Pull your act together and just go on.”

The Narrator(s)

Campbell Scott. Great narration, I was immersed.

My Thoughts

I think the last time I read this book was so long ago, my memories of it was interwoven with the movie because of how prominent the movie is. This time, my memories of both the book and movie have faded quite a bit so I was surprised by a great many things I had long forgotten.

What I loved most about reading it this time is seeing more of Wendy’s and Danny’s POVs. I think Jack stood out too much in the movie, which isn’t surprising, but the book gave a lot more depth to Wendy’s and Danny’s characters. I also loved Hallorann; he might be one of my favorite characters in the book even though we don’t see him very much. He’s the kind of character that makes an impact on you even just crossing paths with him randomly.

I also feel like I got a lot more out of the book this time around; maybe because I’m rereading it, maybe because I’m older now and seeing it with a new perspective, maybe because it’s a BOTM and I’m reading it with other people and seeing their perspectives.

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

Tags: , , , ,

Book Review | Exhalation by Ted Chiang

Posted October 25, 2024 by Haze in Book Reviews / 0 Comments

Exhalation by Ted Chiang

In these nine stunningly original, provocative, and poignant stories, Ted Chiang tackles some of humanity’s oldest questions along with new quandaries only he could imagine.

In “The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate,” a portal through time forces a fabric seller in ancient Baghdad to grapple with past mistakes and second chances. In “Exhalation,” an alien scientist makes a shocking discovery with ramifications that are literally universal. In “Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom,” the ability to glimpse into alternate universes necessitates a radically new examination of the concepts of choice and free will.

Including stories being published for the first time as well as some of his rare and classic uncollected work, Exhalation is Ted Chiang at his best: profound, sympathetic—revelatory.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2024 Diversity Reading Challenge
2024 Audiobook Challenge

The Reason

I’ve read Ted Chiang’s short story, “Arrival” and really loved it. This book was a buddy read so I decided to read it too.

The Quotes

“The universe began as an enormous breath being held. Who knows why, but whatever the reason, I am glad that it did, because I owe my existence to that fact.”

“I hope that you were motivated by a desire for knowledge, a yearning to see what can arise from a universe’s exhalation. Because even if a universe’s life span is calculable, the variety of life that is generated within it is not. The buildings we have erected, the art and music and verse we have composed, the very lives we’ve led: none of them could have been predicted, because none of them was inevitable”

“Our memories are not the impartial accumulation of every second we’ve lived; they’re the narrative that we assembled out of selected moments.”

The Narrator(s)

Edoardo Ballerini, Dominic Hoffman, Amy Landon, Ted Chiang. No complaints about any of them, I enjoyed the narration for all the stories.

My Thoughts

I loved the stories and they gave me a lot of food for thought. I listened to the audiobook and there was an author’s note at the end of each of the stories that gave extra insight into the stories. There were nine stories in the book and they were all good, but I liked some more than others, of course. My personal favorites were The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate, The Lifecycle of Software Objects, Omphalos, and The Truth of Fact The Truth of Feeling. They were all very thought-provoking, but the last one was also very emotion-provoking for me. I speak more about my thoughts on each individual story in my spoiler-filled post for the book; Notes & Reactions | Exhalation by Ted Chiang.

For more discussion on the book – with SPOILERS – check out Notes & Reactions | Exhalation by Ted Chiang. This post has SPOILERS and assumes you have already finished the book. It is password-protected to prevent accidental spoiling. Password is “SPOILME0005”. Proceed at your own risk.

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

Tags: , , , ,

Sunday Post | Birthday and Other Things

Posted October 19, 2024 by Haze in Sunday Post, Weekly Book Memes / 11 Comments

Welcome to the Sunday Post, a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer to share weekly news and updates on what we’ve been up to on our blog, with our books, and book-related happenings. 

Ups and Downs

Last week started off with news that one of our friends had a heart attack and was in the hospital. He’s a very dear and beloved friend and we were very worried when we got the news, but he was in great spirits when we visited him at the hospital and it put our minds at ease. He’s already had tests done and he’s well enough to be discharged back home, which is great! We will be visiting him again this weekend.

Last weekend was also the Canada Thanksgiving long weekend, and my birthday was on Monday. We got my favorite Sichuan food to celebrate and I meant to take pictures but I was a glutton and ate before I remembered!

The highlight of my week was meeting with Susan from The Cue Card this morning. I was so excited when I realized she lives relatively close to me, and I think this is the first time I’ve ever met a fellow blogger in real life. The most wonderful thing about it is that you’ve got lots to talk about because you’re both into books and reading! We had so much fun talking and we found out that we had a lot in common.

My husband and I also hung out later and had a late lunch after his work. We shared and had a little of both dishes because we wanted to try each other’s orders and they were both great! And I did manage to take pictures this time before I gobbled it all down!

The Conqueror Challenge

I didn’t do as well on The Conqueror Challenge last week compared to the week before. My goal is to get at least 20km per week, but I only got 15km last week. Hopefully I’ll make up for it this week.

It has been a tiring week but more emotionally and mentally than for an actual physical reason. It did translate over to me feeling physically tired though and not only did I not run as much as I wanted, I had to reschedule some plans I initially made because I didn’t have the energy for them. I didn’t even manage to work as much on my project as I had hoped.

I’m going to try to make up for everything else that got put off last week, not just the running, but I still don’t feel at my best yet, so I’m not sure if I’m going to end up taking some extra time this week also.

It’s hard not to feel pressured and guilty about not getting things done, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that it is important to put your own mental and emotional health first (also physical health!).

All the happy things:

  1. So much good food! All the yummy stuff!
  2. Meeting a fellow book blogger! I loved meeting with Susan, and I hope we’ll see each other again soon!
  3. So grateful that our friend is doing well and recovering at home now.
  4. So grateful that I am one year older and wiser.

The Books

Books I read last week:

  1. Exhalation by Ted Chiang – Wow, these stories really made me think. I enjoyed some stories more than others, but I think they were all really good.
  2. The Shining by Stephen King – This is a reread and a buddy read. The last time I read it was more than a decade ago so there’s a lot I don’t remember, but I loved reading it again and I feel like I’m appreciating it more now.
  3. The Girl from the Other Side Vol. 10 by Nagabe – It’s starting to get more and more confusing, and I’m starting to get annoyed by the inconsistencies, but there’s only a couple of volumes left so I feel like I should just see it through.

Book(s) I’m reading:

  1. Super Powereds: Year 1 by Drew Hayes – I’m surprised by how much I’m enjoying this book! The writing isn’t very good, tbh, but the story is really good and I’m just very pulled in by the whole thing. Also I’m listening to it on audio, and the narrator’s voices are adding to the experience for me!
  2. Never Whistle At Night edited by Shane Hawk – I’m 20% in and while I really enjoyed the stories so far, I’m debating if I want to finish the book. I expected more focus on folklore, but the folklore connection is quite thin on some of the stories, and they’re all very dark and gruesome. Maybe it’s just that I’m feeling low right now so I don’t feel up to finishing the book, but we’ll see.

Last Week on The Blog

This Week

I’ve got a couple of reviews to catch up on, and I’m planning to read Pet Sematary this week for my irl bookclub, plus it’s also a buddy read for my online bookclub. Two birds! So efficient!

How was your week? I hope you had a great week last week, and I hope you have a great one again this week!

Tags: , , , , ,

Top Ten Tuesday | Books Set in Schools

Posted October 14, 2024 by Haze in Top Ten Tuesday, Weekly Book Memes / 32 Comments

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl that features a different bookish topic every week.

Today’s topic is Books I Was Assigned to Read in School

I grew up in Malaysia and our schools didn’t have assigned reading so I’m just going to adapt this topic for books that are set in schools. There are a lot of great books set in schools but I suddenly can’t think of them now that I’m trying to make a list out of them!

Top Ten Books Set in Schools

  1. Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster – I’m sure I’ve talked so much about this book that everyone is tired of hearing about it, but it’s set in a boarding school so I had to have it on the list.
  2. Heartstopper by Alice Oseman – I love Charlie and Nick and I would die for them! I love how heartwarming the whole series is!
  3. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros – My guilty pleasure! I recognize the tropes and cheese but I still love it.
  4. To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han – I loved this one. Lara Jean and her family are so cute and fun to read about.
  5. My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan – Julia Whelan is one of my favorite audiobook narrators but she also writes books and this one is set in an educational institution. This one was so heartwarming and I loved it!
  6. The Sweet Valley High series by Francine Pascal – I devoured this series as a child and have very fond memories of reading SVH from morning to night during my school holidays!
  7. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins – It took me too long to pick this up because I loved The Hunger Games and wasn’t convinced I needed a story from Snow’s POV. It turned out to be brilliant though!
  8. Matilda by Roald Dahl – I love Matilda! I was Matilda! Minus the magical powers and the over-the-top abuse from her family, and I didn’t have a Miss Honey, and I’m not half as smart as Matilda… I guess I’m not very Matilda except that I love reading. That counts, right?
  9. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson – This one hurts but it’s such a powerful book and I loved it.
  10. A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik – I loved the idea of this series, and the first book wasn’t bad, but the books got progressively worse for me and I ended up really disappointed in the end.

Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them? Would you read any of these books?

Tags: , ,