The Resolutions Book Tag

Because it’s been ages since I’ve done a tag and I’m in the mood to blog, but got no better ideas, here is a tag for you. Check out the original creator as well. I will mostly try to answer with books I read in 2020, since I’ve not made any favourites/least favourites post this year.

Exercise More – name a book that has made you want to leap up out of your seat (for any reason)

Hmm… I’m stumped by the first question. I don’t remember any books I’ve read recently making me want to leap out of my seat. Keeping me on edge, yes, but not not quite leaping out. Alas, I’ll have to settle for that and I’ll go with The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton. One of my favourite reads of 2020. New favourite author. Just yes. This book is amazing. 

Get Organised – a book with an exceptional plot

Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennet was another favourite of 2020. I have actually reviewed it as well, one of the few such occurrences last year. This book was so good. The magic system is so cool, there’s a magical heist plot, there’s a wonderful talking key who is the BEST. It’s just fantastic and I loved every second of it.  

Learn A New Skill – a book which taught you something

I actually read a few non-fiction books that I really enjoyed. A Classical Education by Caroline Taggart probably stands out the most for me because it was just so funny and informative at the same time. Having said that, the one I feel like I retained the most information from was Rome: A History in Seven Sackings  by Matthew Kneale.

Live Life To The Fullest – a book which inspired you

I really don’t know what to answer this with. I don’t think I’ve been particularly inspired by any of the books I read in 2020. I’m sure at some point in my life I felt inspired by some book, but I can’t think of any such instances just now. 

Save more money / spend less money – the most expensive book you’ve bought and was it worth it?

I don’t think I bought any particularly expensive books in 2020. Probably graphic novels would be the most expensive books that I bought. I bought 2 graphic novels last year: Maus by Art Spiegelman and Monstress Vol. 3 by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda. And yes, they were both worth it indeed.  

Spend More Time With Family and Friends – a character you would want to be best mates with

There are a few characters I’d love to be friends with. Clef, from Foundryside is one. He’s my favourite character in that series. The Fool from The Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb (I read six Elderling books last year!) would be another. Also Nighteyes from the Elderlings series as well. Skulduggery Pleasant from the eponymous series is another I’d love to be friends with. And another one is Wit/Hoid from the Cosmere books in general but particularly from The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson. He appears in most Cosmere novels, but he’s a lot more prevalent in the more recent one. I have not actually finished any Cosmere books last year but I did read the majority of Oathbringer (I was forced to put it in storage before I could finish it 😥 ) so I’m going to include it here as well. To be honest, I could list quite a few Stormlight characters I’d want as my friends, but I’ll refrain. 

Travel More – a book with a location you’d love to visit

Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend. I would love to visit Nevermoor, it sounds like a wonderful place!

Read More – a book you are desperate to read this year

I’m going to assume this refers to new releases, so I will go with The Mask Falling by Samantha Shannon, The Girl and the Mountain by Mark lawrence and Kingdom of the Cursed by Kerri Maniscalco. I’m sure there are more books that if I knew they were coming out this year, I’d be desperate to read, however I haven’t really looked at what is being released this year. 

Mid-Year Book freakout tag 2020 edition

This is my fourth year doing this. I have not done any wrap-ups this year, I don’t think. I’ve re-read a LOT of books so far. Like probably half the books I read were re-reads. So yeah, let’s see how this goes. I will try not to use re-reads for any of the questions.

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Best book you’ve read so far in 2020

Foundryside is actually the latest of the books I read and it is by far one the best book I’ve read this year. It’s just a phenomenal book, I have a review of it if you want to hear more of my thoughts.

The only other book that I read this year and can compare is The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. This book totally deserves its hype, it’s one of the coolest mysteries that I’ve read. I can’t wait to see what Stuart Turton has in store in the future.

Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2020

I read both the books in this series this year and man, this is another favourite series. One of the best middle grades I’ve read in some time. It’s so fun anf wholesome and magical. It’s exactly what I want in a middle grade book and I just want more. I can’t wait for the third book.

New release you haven’t read yet, but want to

This was released in April. I obviously haven’t read it yet, I only just finished the first book, but I am soooo excited to pick this up! I have to say… for once I actually like the US covers for this series better than the UK ones. This almost never happens.

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year

It’s pretty much a tie between these two, even though I still need to finish Oathbringer. So maybe I’m anticipating Hollowpox more because I am caught up with the series.

Biggest disappointment

The Magicians by Lev Grossman. This was a DNF for me. I really wanted to read this series. I knew the the first book wasn’t the best, so I didn’t go in with huge expectations, but I absolutely hated everything about it. I hated the characters, I was bored out of my mind. I just could not push through this book.

Biggest surprise

This is a book that is outside my usual genres. I do read non-fiction, but not nearly as much as SFF books. And when I do read non-fiction, I like it because I learn things. But I don’t necessarily think they’re entertaining. But this was actually supremely entertaining. It was funny. I found myself laughing frequently. I actually plan to re-read this just because it was so entertaining. I especially recommend the audiobook.

Favourite new author (Debut or new to you)

See first question.

Newest fictional crush

I don’t really get crushes anymore.

Newest favorite character

Clef from Foundryside. I know this is the third or fourth question I answer with this series, but I just loved it that much!

Book that made you cry

I don’t think there has been one.

Book that made you happy

This series definitely made me happy.

Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received)

This cover is GORGEOUS!

What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

Basically all the Brandon Sanderson!

Top 5 Magical Realism Books I Want to Read

The title is a lie. But first things first, I was tagged by Mandy @ Devouring Books who hosts this top 5 series. So thank you Mandy for bringing me back from my hole of completely ignoring this blog. I have actually been wanting to get back into blogging what with the obscene amounts of time I have on my hands due to the quarantine going on at the moment. So this is the perfect opportunity to do so.

This week’s theme is top 5 magical realism books and here are the rules of the game:

• Share your top 5 books of the current topic– these can be books that you want to read, have read and loved, have read and hated, you can do it any way you want.
• Tag the original post (see the link above)
• Tag 5 people

Now to the reason why the title is a lie. I’m not a huge fan of magical realism. The only magical realism book I’ve read was The Night Circus and while I did like it, I don’t love it the way everyone seems to. I think it was a 4 star read for me, but it was a 4 star because I appreciate how well and beautifully written a book it is, rather than 4 stars based on how much I enjoyed it. It’s just not a genre I click with. As such, I only have 2 books that I’m interested in from this genre at the moment.

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

I think her writing is really beautiful and her stories are really creative. If there’s one magical realism author I’m interested in reading, it’s her. I’ve actually started reading this book and have not finished it, but I do intend to finish it because I was enjoying it. I just picked it up at the wrong time.

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

I have started reading this one as well and I think I actually enjoyed it a little bit more than The Starless Sea, however it was a bit too romance heavy for me to cope with at the time being. So again, I picked it up at the wrong time and I do plan to read it at some point in the future.

So there you have it, a really short post to ease me back into blogging. Now for tagging 5 people, I’m going to tag my latest 5 book blogging followers because what better way to get to know you guys. So if you decide to do this, please comment a link to your post.

Kathryn @ Metaphors and Miscellania

The Hungry Book Dragon (awesome name btw)

Amanja @ Amanja Reads too Much

Abookblog

Jen @ Jenniely

 

 

Another Try a Chapter Thing

Everyone keeps doing these and they’re actually useful. I once again find myself overwhelmed by my TBR and I want to get rid of some books. I have a bunch that are sitting on my shelves and I’m not very excited about, but I also don’t want to unhaul them. So I’ve decided on another try a chapter thing to decide whether they stay or no. I’m going to do 6 books today, because I feel like more than that would just be too much. Anyway, here we go.

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A River of Royal Blood by Amanda Joy

I read the prologue and first chapter and didn’t really like it. It basically feels like a ripoff of Three Dark Crowns (which I’m currently reading) but with vampires and fae and shapeshifters added. It’s basically about this Princess who has a specific type of magic and she has a sister who she has to fight to the death for the throne and her sister has a different type of magic. Sound familiar? Not only that, but I also didn’t like the writing. It was super info dumpy in a super annoying way. Here, it’s easier to illustrate with a quote:

Glamour, the fey ability to to cast illusions over the world and themselves
made their glossy skin shine as bright as the moon. Beside them, groups of
human girls [...] passed around tiny cups of ouitza, dark liquor made from
the sugarcane that grew along the river.Three-story akelaes - Myrean homes 
built around a central courtyard [...]

And it just goes on and on and on like that for nearly a page. It’s like reading a dictionary. And then there’s a bunch of boring tropes that are in no way creatively implemented: gay best friend, best friend who’s kind of a goody two shoes and the wild and mischievous MC who gets them to loosen up, MC with super duper rare and powerful magical abilities unseen for generations. And this was just the first chapter. So yeah, this one’s going. I’m really enjoying Three Dark Crowns and I think I’ll stick to that for my fill of rival sibling queens. I realise that I just hauled this recently and now I’m unhauling it, but I have had it for a couple months. I just didn’t do a haul for a long time.

Catwoman: Soulstealer by Sarah J. Maas

I have had a bit of a falling out with Sarah J. Mass. Used to be a huge fan, but didn’t really like her last few books. Which is why this is on the list. I’ve had it for nearly two years now, or however long it’s been since it came out and I’m never tempted to pick it up. However, after reading the first chapter, I think I will keep it for at time when I’m the mood for some dark, gritty superhero trash. It’s definitely not high quality literature, but it does capture that DC grunge. Reading the first chapter kind of felt like watching an episode of Arrow (which is the last DC show I’ve watched because I don’t have a life) in terms of atmosphere. So I want to have something like that on hand if the mood strikes.

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

I was never really going to unhaul this. I just wanted to see what it was like. I’ve been avoiding it because usually John Green = romance and I really haven’t been in the mood for romance in the past 2 years really. Which is how long this has been on my shelves. I read the first chapter and it’s very John Green, philosophical teenagers and all that. I know that it’s very personal for him and that it depicts his own struggles with OCD and anxiety and thought spirals. And it’s somewhat relatable for me. While I don’t have OCD, I do have anxiety and I understand how hard it is to stop the thought spirals. Anyway, I digress. I am definitely keeping this, but I’m giving myself permission to take it off my TBR for the time being because I cannot handle reading it in my current state of mind.

The Wicked Fox by Kat Cho

anoth

I’m a bit conflicted about this. I enjoyed the first chapter. But I know this is a romance. It’s marketed as one and I’ve heard people say that it focuses much more on the romance than it does on the Korean folklore. The folklore is really the reason I would like to read this and the reason I enjoyed the first chapter is because we haven’t met the love interest yet. So I think I’m going to let this go. But I will say that the book was decently well written and it’s probably worth reading if you’re looking for a YA fantasy romance. Of course this is just based on the first chapter, so it’s not a particularly reliable recommendation.

Mark of the Thief by Jennifer A. Nielsen

This is another one that has been on my shelves for ages and I never reach for it. But I should because I really loved Nielsen’s Ascension trilogy and just reading the first chapter of this brought back all the things I really loved about her other series. I’m glad I did include it in this challenge because now I want to read it, so it renewed my interest in this book.

The Crow Girl by Erik Axl Sund

This is definitely staying as well. I can tell that it’s the type of thriller I will enjoy. You know, the kind that’s actually thrilling and keeps you on edge, not the boring type about a cop with a drinking problem, tortured past and toxic “relationships”.

Books and Bakes Book Tag

Here is another book tag from me because I’m really busy and don’t have time to review books. I saw this on Sam’s from Thoughts on Tomes channel.

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Cupcakes – name a collection of short stories, poems, or anthologies where you couldn’t read just one section and had to go back for another

I don’t read a whole lot of anthologies or poems or anything like that. But Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur. I read it in one go. It made me cry. It’s a great poetry collection.

Lemon Pound Cake – Name a book that has 400 pages or more that you considered a comfort read and a classic

I’m not sure if this means a classic that is over 400 pages. Buy I’m just going to go with a book over 400 pages that I consider a comfort read. And that is Uprooted by Naomi Novik. That book just makes me happy.

Red Velvet cake – Name a book that you thought was one thing, but ended up being something completely different

The first that comes to mind is Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky. Unfortunately, this is not a positive example. I did not enjoy this book. You can read my review for more information if you are interested, but I was expecting something different from this based on the synopsis.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough – Name a book or a book series that you can read over and over again even though you know that it’s bad for you

I don’t think I have any books or series that are necessarily ‘bad for me’. But I guess the Harry Potter series. I don’t even know how many times I’ve read them at this point. At least 5, probably more. They’re easy and fun to read and I can just read them over and over and over again.

Apple Pie a la Mode – Name a book that was really good but could have been better with a little bit of ice-cream

Not sure what is meant by ‘ice-cream’. A book that was absolutely fantastic but it wasn’t quite 5 stars (though that’s mainly because my astronomical expectations from the author) was The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. I loved it, but there were some issues with pacing every now and again in my opinion. Kind of hard to avoid with such a long book, but yeah it was just a little bit shy of perfection.

Gingerbread Cookies – Do you like your gingerbread cookies crunchy or soft.

1.  If you like your cookies soft name a book that was squishy in the middle, but the beginning and the end were really good.

2. If you like your cookies crunchy or more like ginger snaps name a book that you finished, but that you wanted to throw at a wall, or snap

I like crunchy ones dunked in tea. So… kind of both. So I’m going to answer both prompts.

1. For this, I’m gonna go with Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch. Now this was by no means a bad book. But it was longer than necessary in my opinion and it dragged a little in the middle. I have reviewed it if you want more of my thoughts on it.

2. This is probably a tie between Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard, Caraval by Stephanie Garber and Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige. I have rants for the latter two, so you can check those out. But these books just got on my very last nerve.

Brownies – Are you a corner piece or a middle piece?

1. If you’re a corner piece, name a book that starts off strong and then all comes apart.

2. If you’re a middle piece, name a book that kept you in the feels the entire time.

I’m probably just slightly more of a corner piece, though I love both for different reasons. A book that starts off strong, but crumbles afterwards… most YAs I read, to be honest. They have this really cool premise and the first few chapters are exciting, then flop. However, I’m actually going to go with a series and that is the Illuminae series by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff.

The first book is absolutely amazing. The following two are progressively worse. I wouldn’t go as far as calling either of them bad. But they went from amazing to meh. I have reviewed all of them (1, 2, 3) so check them out for more info. But I was sadly disappointed with especially the final book.

Birthday Cake – Name a book series or an author that you feel like keeps coming out with a book, short story, novella every year

Brandon Sanderson. I don’t know how that man does it, but I am grateful that he does. He consistently churns out books, most of them pretty huge and good quality too. Sometimes even more than one a year.

Carrot Cake – Name a book that sounded healthy for you, but ended up being unhealthy either with content, or put you in a reading slump

What do you mean carrot cake isn’t healthy? I can’t really think of anything for this. I’ve been pretty slumpy this year, but that’s had less to do with what I was reading and more to do with my mental health. As for content, I’m fairly good at filtering out content that I can’t handle. There are a number of books that are currently on my TBR and I’d like to read, but I’ve had to put on hold for now because I just can’t handle them. And if a book does start upsetting me, I will just put it down before it really does any damage. So that’s just a very long way of saying I don’t have an answer for this and also carrot cake is great.

 

The Fall Bucket List Book Tag

I was tagged by Caffeine and Books, thank you very much for the tag.

The rules:

• Link back to the creator (Read By Tiffany)
• You can use their graphics if you want
• Tag 7 people at the end

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The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett. Any Discworkd book, I imagine, though I’ve only read a couple of them. But yeah, this is just lighthearted fun and it’s hilarious. If you enjoy puns and irony, this is for you.

I would have to agree with my tagger on this one and say Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo. On the list of autumn releases that are a) hyped and b) I’m interested in, this is the one that has the most hype (even if it’s not the one I’m most interested in).

I have some issues with the final book in this series, but this second book is still one of my favourite books, with one of my favourite friend groups.

I just love this book so much. It just makes me happy every time I read it. And it’s a comfort read for me.

No one fits this prompt better than Mrs. Weasley, let’s be honest.

Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson. Especially towards the end, there were bits that made me pump my fist and yell “YESSSSS!”

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I tag anyone who wants to do this. Spread the autumn love around!

Books that I associate with autumn things – Original? Book tag?

I know, that title is absolutely genius.

So, here are some of my favourite things about autumn and some books I associate with them.

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Scented Candles – Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

I love scented candles. I love reading and feeling that waft of fragrance from my candle. I love the flickering light. I just love the atmosphere they create. daughter of Smoke and Bone is the book I most associate with them, because the writing is so beautiful, it delights the mind just to read the words, and that complements the way that scented candles delight the senses. It’s also so atmospheric. It takes place in Prague, at least in part and I always associate Prague with flickering candle light. Don’t ask me why, I just feel like that’s the vibe of Prague. Even the cover and the title remind me of blowing out a candle and the smoke you get.

Tea – The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Specifically chai. There’s just something about The Name of the Wind and Patrick Rothfuss’ writing that reminds me of a nice, hot cup of chai tea. The spices in the tea complement the story so well. In my mind, tea (only black tea), is associated with long fantasy stories. And The Name of the Wind is one of the best fantasies I’ve ever read, so I have to pair it with one of my favourite teas. But it’s more than that. It’s hard for me to explain, but Kvothe’s story is like cinnamon and all those autumn spices. It’s kind of… unfurling. I don’t know if that makes any sense to anyone else, but yeah…

Pumpkin Pie – Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J. K. Rowling

Specifically this Harry Potter book. For the most part, I associate Harry Potter with winter. But this first book, I associate with pumpkin pie. Even more so the film for some reason. I know most people don’t like the first film because of the bad acting, but it’s my second favourite film (after goblet of Fire). I don’t care about the bad acting. I love the atmosphere of the first two films. Where they actually wear robes and pointy hats it’s all so magical. It’s also a book that I could read over and over again and I love pumpkin pie to the extent that I could eat nothing but pumpkin pie all day.

Piles of colourful leaves – Any Cosmere book by Brandon Sanderson

As a kid, I used to get out of school and go the park and pick up leaves. I would look for really beautiful ones and made little bundles of them. I also loved just making piles and jumping in them. I would look forward to that all day. My birthday is mid October and the weather was often really nice for my birthday. You know those crisp, yet sunny autumn days. Just thinking about it makes me happy. With the leaves and sunlight and scent of the leaves and birds about (especially crows and ravens). Amazing. Sanderson’s Cosmere books are like that. They’re colourful and varied. They have unique worlds and magic systems. Whenever I’m reading one (like now), I’m constantly looking forward to my next reading session. I just want to jump right in. And they’re also vast. Both in page number and in scope and complexity. And I just remember going to the park as a kid and everything would be covered in leaves. Just a colourful carpet.

Cozy blankets/clothing – Middle grade

This is obviously a genre, rather than a specific book. But I just love a nice, fun middle grade. I find them cozy. I love snuggling up with a fluffy throw and a nice middle grade. I actually have a huge middle grade craving right now and I don’t own a lot of middle grades that I haven’t read. So I need to get some asap (if you have any good recs, comment and you will have my gratitude).

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These are some of my favourite autumn things and the books I associate with them. Feel free to do this yourself you you’re so incline and ping me so I can see your post. Or just leave it in the comments, I’d love to know. Just writing this post made me happy, so I’d love to read more of them.

Reader Problems Book Tag

I’m really in the mood to blog right now, but at the same time, my mind is blank about what to write and I don’t really feel like writing a review. So I’m turning to the good ol’ trusty book tag. I found this on Thrice Read’s blog (as I often do with tags). So let’s get into it.

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You have 20,000 books on your TBR. How in the world do you decide what to read next?

Pretty much whatever I feel like. I don’t really plan TBRs and if I try to, I usually don’t stick to them. Like I could probably manage yearly TBRs (I’ve dipped my toes into that with my TBR for the second half of 2019). Depending on how that goes, I might continue doing that kind of TBR in the future. But yeah, usually I just look at my books and read whatever I feel like.

You’re halfway through a book and you’re just not loving it. Do you put it down or are you committed?

I usually put it down, telling myself I’ll pick it back up at a later date. However, I’ve started officially DNFing books now. I’ll still probably give a book a couple of chances, as I am very much a mood reader and sometimes, I might not enjoy a book in that particular moment but might like it later. I’ll also sometimes push through a book I have issues with just because I really want to review it and rant about it. So it really depends.

The end of the year is coming and you’re behind on your reading challenge. Do you try to catch up? And if so, how?

I’ll try, but not too hard. If I’m a couple of books behind, sure I might push myself a little or read a graphic novel or two. But if I’m significantly behind, I’ll just cut my losses.

The covers of a series you love do not match. How do you cope?

I’m less particular about this than I used to be. I will buy specific editions for some books if I really love a series, but most of the times, I just don’t care anymore.

Everyone and their mothers love a book that you do not. Who do you bond with over your shared feelings?

I just rant on the internet. There’s usually at least one person who feels the same.

You’re reading a book in public and you’re about to start crying. How do you deal?

If you’d asked me a year ago, I’d have said I just wouldn’t cry. I’m usually pretty good at holding back tears. But this past year, I’ve cried so much (often in public) that I’ve realised no one really notices and if they do, they don’t really care. So I’d just let myself go.

The sequel to a book you loved just came out but you’ve forgotten a lot of what happens. Are you going to reread it?

I’m more likely to just read a summary. Or just jump right in. I tend to remember what happened in the previous book once I start reading a sequel.

You do not want anyone borrow your books. How do you politely say no when someone asks?

I don’t usually get asked and I don’t usually mind lending my books. But if there was a book I didn’t want to led, I’d just be upfront about it.

You have picked up and put down 5 books in the last month. How do you get over this reading slump?

Like that.

There are so many books coming out that you are dying to read. How many do you end up buying?

Probably all of them. Though I would only buy the ones I’m actually dying to read. Not the ones I’m interested in, but not dying to read. Those can wait.

After you purchase all of these books that you’ve been dying to read, how long do they sit on your shelves before you get to them?

If they’re ones I’m really dying to read, I will usually read them fairly quickly. That’s why I want to get my TBR down to a reasonable size. So I can buy books and quickly read them without feeling guilty because of the 50 other books that have been waiting for months.

 

Mid Year Book freak Out Tag – 2019 Edition

I did this in 2016 and 2017 and then I skipped it last year, but I think it’s a nice way of reflecting on the books I’ve read so far this year. And it’s really interesting to see what my answers were like in previous years and how my reading tastes have changed. As of writing this, I have read 35 books this year.

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Best book you’ve read so far in 2019

I’ve read so many good books this year. However, some of them were re-reads so I will give this one to Holy Sister by Mark Lawrence. This has become one of my favourite series. I’ve talked about it a lot, it’s amazing and I can’t wait to see what Mark lawrence has for us next in this world.

Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2019

Waking Gods by Sylvain Neuvel. This is another one of my new favourite series and Waking Gods was my favourite book in the series. Again, I’ve talked about this a lot already. It’s definitely worth checking out if you enjoy sci-fi.

New release you haven’t read yet, but want to

Limited Wish by Mark Lawrence. I’ve read the first book in May and the second book has now been released with the third one upcoming later this year. These are very short and i really enjoyed One Word Kill. I think I’m going to wait for the third one to come out and just binge read them though.

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year

Darkdawn by Jay Kristoff. It’s interesting that my answer for 2017 was Godsgrave. So it’s nice to see that some things haven’t changed.

Biggest disappointment

I’ve been pretty good about picking books I really enjoy this year, but I think the book I was most disappointed with was Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky. I had a lot of issues with this and I was expecting to really enjoy it. So it really disappointed me. I recently reviewed it so you can check that out for more details.

Biggest surprise

I think for this, it’s a tie between Fire & Heist by Sarah Beth Durst and City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty. I enjoyed both of these way more than I was expecting and I’m glad I read them.

Favourite new author (Debut or new to you)

Brian Vaughan and Fiona Staples. I started reading Saga this year and man was that a great decision.

Newest fictional crush

I don’t know, I don’t think I have one.

Newest favorite character

Nona from The Book of the Ancestor by Mark Lawrence. Technically, I was introduced to her last year, but since I didn’t do this tag last year, i think it’s fair and I don’t really have anyone else.

Book that made you cry

I don’t think any books have made me cry so far this year.

Book that made you happy

The Martian by Andy Weir. It genuinely brightened my mood. I loved it so much.

Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received)

Some of my faves I got this year.

What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

All of my owned TBR, really.

The Intimidating TBR Tag Part 2

I did this about a year ago and I’m pleased to say that I’ve either read or removed from my TBR all the books in that post with one exception. So I thought I’d do it again and see what intimidating books I have to tackle next.

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1. A book on your TBR pile you haven’t finished

American Gods by Neil Gaiman. I think I got about a third through it, then stopped. And now I’m just too intimidated to pick it up cause I’m thinking what if I don’t remember enough to continue it and I have to re-read it. And it’s so chunky and every time I think about picking it up, I just don’t.

2. A book you just haven’t had the time to read 

Relativity: The Special and General Theory by Albert Einstein. This is the kind of book that requires a lot of concentration to read and I just haven’t had the time to dedicate to it.

3. A book you haven’t read because it’s a sequel 

The Magician King by Lev Grossman. I actually don’t own the ft book. I found this at a thrift store for super cheap, so I bought it.

4. A book you haven’t read because it’s brand new

I actually haven’t bought any books for well over a month now. I’m trying to get through some of my TBR before buying anything new. So I don’t currently have any brand new books or even any recently purchased books on my TBR at the moment.

5. A book by and author you read previously but didn’t really like

I don’t think I have any for this one either. i tend not to buy books by authors I haven’t liked in the past. I mean it obviously depends how interested I am by the new book and how much I disliked the previous one. But in any case, I don’t currently have any books that fit this category either.

6. A book on your TBR pile that your just not in the mood to read

They’re both series finales and I’m just not mentally and emotionally in the right place to read them right now. Plus, they’re HUGE.

7. A book on your TBR pile that you haven’t read because it’s enormous

I feel like either of the books from the previous question fit here, but also The Crow Girl By Erik Axl Sund.

8. A book on your TBR you bought because of the cover

I don’t think I have one for this category either. Check me out, stopping all the bad habits.

9. The book on your TBR you find the most intimidating

This answer has actually remained the same as in the previous post. The Odyssey by Homer. Because I just know that it’s going to be hard for me to follow, even though I do want to read it.