I read 6 books in August. I’ve been surprisingly consistent with the number of books I’ve been reading considering how hard this year has been.
Beyond a Darkened Shore by Jessica Leake
This was sadly somewhat disappointing. It could have been cool, with the combination of Celtic and Norse mythology. Unfortunately, it focused way too much on the romance between the main characters, which was totally insta-lovey and really had no chemistry going. 2/5 stars.
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
This was awesome. I can’t even explain to you how much I enjoyed this book. It’s a fairy-tale and it’s inspired by Rumpelstiltskin. But it’s got Jewish and Russian tones to it. I loved the romance as well, it’s got the trope of the two love interests hating each other and then growing to grudgingly love and respect one another, I just eat that up. and it’s just so beautiful and cool and ugh, I loved it. 5/5 stars
Uprooted by Naomi Novik
I had such a book hangover after Spinning Silver, that I had to go and revisit this story because only a Naomi Novik fairy-tale could satisfy. I audiobooked it this time around and the audiobook was fantastic. I do have a full review of this if you are interested. 5/5 stars.
Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman by Richard Feynman
One of my friends randomly lent me this book and I was very pleasantly surprised by it. It’s probably one of my favourite non-fiction books that I’ve read. It’s so funny and interesting and cool. 5/5 stars
Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
I’m a big fan of Norse mythology and I’m a fan of Neil Gaiman. A match made in heaven, really. I listened to the audiobook for this one, which is narrated by Neil Gaiman, so it was delightful. The man does have a great voice. 5/5 stars
The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black
I have mixed feelings about this book. While I did enjoy the dark setting and the fairy folklore and that aspect of it very much, I wasn’t a massive fan of the strong emphasis put on the romance. I just didn’t really care about any of the couples and in fact… I didn’t particularly like any of the characters. I didn’t dislike them, really. I just didn’t care much about them. The story itself was cool though and I do love folklore. 3/5 stars.
A Book Nerd 