Sunday 25 July 2021

Down The TBR Hole #45


Current TBR shelf: 3749

Last week's TBR shelf: 3757

The rules   

  1. Go to your goodreads to-read shelf.
  2. Order on ascending date added.
  3. Take the first 5 (or 10 (or even more!) if youre feeling adventurous) books. Of course if you do this weekly, you start where you left off the last time.
  4. Read the synopses of the books
  5. Decide: keep it or should it go?
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Thursday 22 July 2021

Book Review | Hope Nicely's Lessons for Life by Caroline Day

Publication Date: 22nd July 2021 (UK) by Zaffre
Format: Physical ARC
Target Audience: Adult
Genre: Contemporary  
 

GoodreadsWaterstonesBlackwells

 
Content warnings: References to suicide & sexual assualt.
Representation: MC with Foetal Alochol Spectrum Disorder, SC with autism, gay SC, queer SC. 
 

Synopsis


Hope Nicely hasn't had an easy life.

But she's happy enough living at 23 Station Close with her mum, Jenny Nicely, and she loves her job, walking other people's dogs. She's a bit different, but as Jenny always tells her, she's a rainbow person, a special drop of light.

It's just...there's something she needs to know. Why did her birth mother abandon her in a cardboard box on a church step twenty-five years ago? And did she know that drinking while pregnant could lead to Hope being born with Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder?

In a bid to find her birth mother and the answers to these questions, Hope decides to write her autobiography. Despite having been bullied throughout school, Hope bravely joins an evening class where she will not only learn the lessons of writing (including the number one golden rule of 'show don't tell'), but may also begin to discover more about the world around her, about herself and even make some (human) friends.

But when Jenny suddenly falls ill, Hope realises there are many more lessons to come...
 

Rating

My Thoughts

 
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Monday 19 July 2021

Book Review | Meet Me In Another Life by Catriona Silvey

 
 
Publication Date: July 8th 2021 by HarperVoyager
Format: Netgalley ARC
Target Audience: Adult
 
Content warnings: References to suicide

Synopsis


Two people. Infinite lifetimes. One impossible choice.

Thora and Santi are strangers in a foreign city when a chance encounter intertwines their fates. At once, they recognize in each other a kindred spirit—someone who shares their insatiable curiosity, who is longing for more in life than the cards they’ve been dealt. Only days later, though, a tragic accident cuts their story short.

But this is only one of the many connections they share. Like satellites trapped in orbit around each other, Thora and Santi are destined to meet again: as a teacher and prodigy student; a caretaker and dying patient; a cynic and a believer. In numerous lives they become friends, colleagues, lovers, and enemies. But as blurred memories and strange patterns compound, Thora and Santi come to a shocking revelation—they must discover the truth of their mysterious attachment before their many lives come to one, final end.
 

 

 

Rating

 
 

My Thoughts

  
 "It's not one choice. It's a hundred choices, every single day, and all of them matter."

Imagine my suprise when an email showed up in my inbox with an exclusive download for HarperVoyagers next big fantasy debut! Meet Me in Another Life is a fantasy with strong sci-fi elements that examines how two people are linked through multiple different lives and what this mysterious bond truly means. 
 
Recommended to me after I adored Threadneedle by Cari Thomas, I couldn't wait to start reading this unique and captivating story. From the very beginning I was enthralled by these two characters that have such a strong connection that you can feel immediately, an extremely important element as we watch them grow and learn more about themselves and the extraordinary situation they're in. 
 
The writing is strong with a lot of interesting things to say, the author talks about quantum physics and reincarnation and everything that goes with it which at times went a little over my head but Silvey did it in a way that had me eager to learn more about these topics rather then making me want to rip my hair out of a lack of understanding! Silvey is clearly a very clever writer with a strong grasp on language and science without alienating the reader. The pacing was also a strong point, each chapter being a new life for both of them meant that I was gripped to find out what exactly was happening to them. 

Thora and Santi were compelling characters with a contrast in their beliefs and personalities that made their dynamic all that more believable. They clearly care about each other but have a tendency to butt heads at times too when their opinions clash. I loved that we got to explore their relationship through different pairings as well, sometimes one of them would be significantly older then the other; sometimes they were teacher and student, brother and sister etc. It was a really interesting way to build that bond between them and to see how they interact with each other in different circumstances. 

I fully enjoyed my time reading this book, it broke my heart at times but was a beautiful story about the connection between two people. The ending was superb too, the author is so creative and I loved how everything connected together. This was a fantastic genre-bending debut that examines the choices we make and how our lives intersect with those around us. Looking forward to whatever Catriona Silvey puts out next!
 
* I received an ARC copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes included in this review are subject to change. Massive thank you to HarperVoyager for providing me with a review copy.
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Sunday 18 July 2021

Down The TBR Hole #44

Current TBR shelf: 3757

Last week's TBR shelf: 3764

The rules   

  1. Go to your goodreads to-read shelf.
  2. Order on ascending date added.
  3. Take the first 5 (or 10 (or even more!) if youre feeling adventurous) books. Of course if you do this weekly, you start where you left off the last time.
  4. Read the synopses of the books
  5. Decide: keep it or should it go?
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Monday 12 July 2021

#5OnMyTBR | Yellow Covers

 
This meme was created by E. @ Local Bee Hunter's Nook and you can find the announcement post here. Also, side note, these aren't necessarily books that I own physically but they're all on my Goodreads TBR and they'll mostly be the five most recently added.  
 

This Week's Prompt is...

Yellow Covers! Another colour prompt, gonna be sad once we run out of colours to feature!
 
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Sunday 11 July 2021

Down The TBR Hole #43

Current TBR shelf: 3764

Last week's TBR shelf: 3771

The rules   

  1. Go to your goodreads to-read shelf.
  2. Order on ascending date added.
  3. Take the first 5 (or 10 (or even more!) if youre feeling adventurous) books. Of course if you do this weekly, you start where you left off the last time.
  4. Read the synopses of the books
  5. Decide: keep it or should it go?
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Friday 9 July 2021

Book Review | Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee

 
Publication Date: May 4th 2021 by Quill Tree Books
Format: Library Ebook (400 pages)
Target Audience: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary, Romance   
 

GoodreadsWaterstonesBlackwells


WARNING! This review contains spoilers!

Synopsis

Noah Ramirez thinks he’s an expert on romance.

He has to be for his popular blog, the Meet Cute Diary, a perfect collection of trans meet cutes and happily ever afters. There’s just one problem: all the stories are fake. What started as idealized fantasies of a trans boy afraid to step out of the closet has grown into a beacon of hope for trans readers across the globe.

When a troll exposes the Meet Cute Diary as fiction, Noah’s world unravels. The only way to save the Diary is to convince his fans that the stories are true, but how can he spin fiction into fact without any proof? Then Drew walks into Noah’s life, and the pieces fall into place: Drew is willing to fake-date Noah in order to save the Diary.

But as Noah’s feelings for Drew transcend their staged romance, Noah quickly realizes that dating in real life isn’t quite the same as finding love on the page. With the Meet Cute Diary and Noah’s heart hanging in the balance, Noah will have to choose between following his own expertise or discovering that some of the most romantic endings are the ones that go off script.

 

Rating

 
 

My Thoughts

 

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Monday 5 July 2021

#5OnMyTBR | Sea & Seaside


This meme was created by E. @ Local Bee Hunter's Nook and you can find the announcement post here. Also, side note, these aren't necessarily books that I own physically but they're all on my Goodreads TBR and they'll mostly be the five most recently added.  
 

This Week's Prompt is...

Sea/Seaside! Four books that take place near the beach and one that actually takes place on the sea!

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Sunday 4 July 2021

Down The TBR Hole #42

Current TBR shelf: 3771

Last week's TBR shelf: 3772

The rules   

  1. Go to your goodreads to-read shelf.
  2. Order on ascending date added.
  3. Take the first 5 (or 10 (or even more!) if youre feeling adventurous) books. Of course if you do this weekly, you start where you left off the last time.
  4. Read the synopses of the books
  5. Decide: keep it or should it go?
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Saturday 3 July 2021

June 2021 Reading Wrap Up

I am so so happy with how my reading went in June, best month of the year so far and I managed a total of 13 books plus a DNF. Although I didn't get to all the physical books that I wanted to, I sped through a ton of ebooks including a couple of ARC's I was really excited for. You can read all of my thoughts on the books I read down below!    

Stats


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Thursday 1 July 2021

Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag 2021

I've seen a lot of people doing this tag, on blogs and booktube, for a couple of years now so I thought it was about time I tried it for myself. It's a nice way of looking back on all the books I've read so far and then panic about all the books that still need to be read!    

Best book you’ve read so far in 2021


I've actually only given out four five star ratings so far this year, clearly I'm picky as hell but I think Threadneedle by Cari Thomas just pips it. This was a stunning fantasy debut perfect for my witchy loving self with gorgeous writing and major The Craft vibes going on. I read an ARC of this and immediately after finishing ordered myself a physical copy! I'm now impatiently waiting for the sequel to arrive!
 

Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2021

  

Well this question has made me realise that I read a surprising lack of sequels. I'm much more of a standalone gal but I did read the Six of Crows duology a couple of months ago and Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo was a great end to that bunch of characters. I really fell in love with Kaz, Nina and crew and I'm hopeful we may get another book featuring them at some point in the future.  
 

New release you haven’t read yet but want to


I just bought True Crime Story by Joseph Knox a couple of days ago as I was so intrigued by this mystery novel that reads like a documentary. I love true crime therefore I think this could be a new favourite if other people's reviews are anything to go by. 
 

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year

  

I very rarely pre-order books but something about Little Thieves by Margaret Owen has me dying to get my hands on it. Maybe it's the fairytale vibes, it's a retelling of The Goose Girl, or the fact that it's about switched lives and wicked girls but October can not come soon enough!
 

Biggest disappointment

 

The Wolves of Mercy Falls series by Maggie Stiefvater as a whole was fine but Sinner, the sequel/spin-off book about Cole and Isabelle was so incredibly boring. The characters annoyed the fuck out of me and the writing style was terrible too. It was just completely unnecessary to the series in the end.

Biggest surprise

Junk by Melvin Burgess is being re-released for it's 25th anniversary and I snagged a Netgalley ARC just on a whim. This was such a well written book though that examines two teenagers experiencing homelessness and heroine addiction in the 90's. It felt very relevant to today and was just so heartbreaking and harrowing, a book that will stay with me. 
 

Favorite new author (debut or new to you)

 

I now own a few Matt Haig books but The Midnight Library was my introduction to his writing and it was such a beautiful and poignant book about regrets and about learning to live in the moments happening right now. I'm excited to dive into more by this author, both in his fiction and non-fiction. 
 

Newest fictional crush

I didn't fall in love with The Darkling in the books but Ben Barnes in the Netflix show was a moment! You know you shouldn't like him but that face and intense stare was doing things for me 😂
 

Newest favourite character

   

I really liked Angrboda from The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec, her character was so resilient and fierce. A force to be reckoned with when it came to protecting her children and the sacrifices she ultimately makes broke my heart. The author did a brilliant job of taking a lesser known figure in Norse mythology and fleshing her out. 
 

A book that made you cry

Even though I read The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab at the beginning of the year I still think about it regularly for the emotions it brought out of me. I didn't cry but I was definitely close! This book packs an emotional punch and these characters are so well developed that the ending practically destroyed me. It's still on par for favourite book of the year!
 

A book that made you happy

If you love cozy mysteries packed with excellent British humour then look no further then The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. I adored this smart, witty book that takes place in a retirement village as four senior citizens investigate a series of murders that have occured in their community. It's a lot of fun and the characters are just brilliant. Can't wait for the next book.

The most beautiful book you’ve bought (or received) this year

The original cover of The Ones We're Meant to Find by Joan He is beautiful but the Owlcrate edition I got last month is completely stunning and I love the purple and pink tones they've used. It's a gorgeous cover and definitely one of my favourite of the year so far. 
 

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

Too many to list but I'm doing well regarding my Goodreads challenge: 41/60 books already meaning I'm 12 books ahead of schedule! I don't have any specific books in mind yet but it would be nice to make a dent in my Netgalley ARC's as well as some of the books I've owned the longest!
 
Have you done the Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag? What were your answers? Leave a link to your post/video in the comments for me to check out! Happy Reading!
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