March 2022 | Wrap-Up

Hello! And welcome to my March 2022 wrap-up featuring The Final Book Support Group and the Orilium: Gear-Up readathon. Below are some small, spoiler-free reviews of the books I read this month along with star ratings. I ended up reading 11 books this month, with a total of 6027 pages. Although that's less books than I normally read, I'm still pleased with the amount I read this month and the quality of the books. I'm also happy I got to a few chonky fantasy series finished as well. So without further ado here is my March Wrap-Up.

March Wrap-Up and Reviews!

 1. Act Your Age Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert ★★★★

This is the third book in the Brown Sisters companion trilogy. I read the first two books last year and enjoyed them a lot. This book follows Eve Brown, the sister who everyone believes needs to grow up because she's never had a 'real' job or relationship. After an impromptu interview, she accidentally knocks over her interviewer, Jacob Wayne, and gets the job as a chef in his B&B. Before long, she’s infiltrated his work, his kitchen, and even his spare bedroom. Jacob hates everything about it. Or rather, he should. Sunny, chaotic Eve is his natural-born nemesis, but the longer these two enemies spend in close quarters, the more their animosity turns into something else. This was a very sweet romance and the usual romance trope of 'miscommunication' was surprisingly well done and didn't feel frustrating. I loved all of the representation and the way Jacob was so kind to Eve throughout. The biggest issue I had with the book, and with a lot of romances in general, is how predictable the third-act break-up was. It made me not want to pick up the book towards the end because I knew the exact argument that would happen. Other than that, it was really sweet and I do recommend to fans of romances!

2. The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang ★★★★★

Getting around to finishing this trilogy officially ticks some books off my Fantasy TBR that I posted earlier this year. I can't say too much about this as it is the second book in the trilogy, but I can say that I loved it just as much as the first book. The only downside to these books is that we've left the school setting behind, but the politics and intrigue is absolutely incredible. Rin is such a flawed but realistic character which can make her frustrating to read from, but you still want to root for her. The other characters show the more grounded perspectives to balance this out as well. Kitay is easily my favourite character, although I love Sumi as well. Overall, this second book really holds up and I enjoyed it just as much as the first.

3. The Burning God by R.F. Kuang ★★★★

I read this book almost immediately after finishing the second. This is the third and final book in the trilogy so again, I can't say much. I did enjoy this book a lot, but there were a couple of things that happened in here that dragged it down to a four star. My biggest issue was that a couple of really huge things seemed to happen very quickly, but there were also a lot of long, drawn-out parts of the book where not a whole lot happened. I also didn't find the ending super satisfying although, in all honesty, I can't say what sort of ending would have left me satisfied because of the morally grey characters. Overall, I did really enjoy this book and I read it so quickly because I needed to know what was going to happen next. I love this trilogy and would happily read more by this author. If you're a fan of military/political fantasy then I highly recommend picking this up (although I would check for trigger warnings before you do because it is a grim dark fantasy).

4. The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty ★★★★

I thought this was going to get a 5 star but I ended up giving it a 4 in the end. I still really loved this book though. It's is a fantasy book following Nahri, a con-artist living in Cairo, who accidentally summons a djinn and ends up entwined in the politics of the secret, magical city of Daevabad. The writing was beautiful (and oh my god, the descriptions of food had my mouth watering); the depictions of the cities were so vivid that I felt like I was there. The characters were so well written and I ended up loving Ali's chapters so much. I only had two minor issues with the book that brought it down a star. One was that the romance, which I didn't find very believable (but that's more of a me thing I think) and the other was that the history was slightly confusing at times and I can't tell if it was me not understanding, or if the way it was described wasn't done in the best way. Basically, I couldn't figure out why the alliances were happening/had happened with certain people. And was it ever really explained why some are Djinn and some are Daeva? *Shrug* Overall, though I loved this book, this world, and the gorgeous writing. I highly recommend this to any fantasy lover, especially if you're bored of typical western fantasies!

5. The Kingdom of Copper by S.A. Chakraborty ★★★★

I did not expect that 5-year time jump, but I actually really liked where Chakraborty went with the story. I'm still not convinced by one of the love interests, but the characters were all fascinating throughout the book. I especially loved the politics at play, and it didn't feel as confusing as the first book since we got a lot more context. I can't say too much with it being a sequel, but I loved this book. Ali was still great, and Muntahdir had such interesting character growth. Overall, it gets a 4.5 stars but only because one character's chapters were less interesting than the others.

6. The Empire of Gold by S.A. Chakraborty ★★★★★

I half expected another time jump, but this book actually starts as soon as the second book left off. Since this is the final book in the trilogy, I won't say too much except that this was probably one of the best endings to a fantasy trilogy that I've read.  I loved that we got to see more of the world in this one. The characters became a lot more complex and had so much development throughout the book. I still didn't really like one of the characters, but their ending was actually really perfect so I was happy with that whole situation in the end. We also got introduced to some more really awesome characters and bad-ass women. Not only did the ending have a twist that I didn't expect, it also didn't make anything too easy for the characters. Overall, a brilliant end to a great trilogy.

7. House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas (re-read) ★★★★★

A solid 5 star re-read for me! This is an urban fantasy following Bryce, a half-human half-fae party girl, who is given the job of investigating a series of murders because of her potential connection to them. Hunt Athalar, an enslaved angel who led a failed rebellion, is given the duty of helping her. As Bryce and Hunt dig deeper into Crescent City’s underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear. This book is probably Sarah J. Maas's best so far. I love her characters (especially Danika and Lehebah) and the setting of Crescent City is so creative and fantastically portrayed. The last 250 pages of this book are a whirlwind of twists and the ending of this book always leaves me shattered. A brilliant 5 star read.

8. House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas ★★★

Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this anywhere near as much as I enjoyed the first book. The first book will forever be a 5 star read, but honestly, not a whole lot happened in this book. There were only 5 or 6 key moments in the whole 800 pages and I felt like it probably could've been shorter. It also just didn't have the stakes that the first one had. The only reason it got 3 stars was that I loved the characters (old + new) and their interactions and banter with one another. I do feel like this series suffers from having too many characters sometimes because I kept wanting a little bit more explored with each of them. The reveal of some of the history of the world at the end of the book was super interesting and I loved that aspect though. However, the final thing that happened in the book, I'm really still unsure about. I honestly don't know whether it's going to be cheesy or amazing so I guess I'll have to wait until book 3 to find out!

9. Talk to Your Cat by Susie Green ★★.5

This is a non-fiction book I picked up for super cheap at The Works bookstore because it looked like it had a lot of information on the history of cats and domestication. While it did have that to an extent, it didn't quite cover the topics I was most interested in. It was well-written and had interesting parts but just not what I was looking for. If you're interested in a book that looks a broad overview of cat breeds, history, and behaviours, then you should pick this up. If you're looking for anything more in-depth/detailed then I would look elsewhere.

10. The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa ★★★

Unfortunately, this wasn't a hit for me, it was just ended up just being okay. This book follows Lina, a wedding planner, who's left by her fiancé hours before the wedding. The news is broken to her by the best man and brother of the groom, Max, who may have been the reason his brother left Lina. Several years later, Lina is competing for a new job and has to work with Max for the marketing campaign, against her ex-fiancé. I will start by saying that it's great to see more diversity and representation, and that aspect worked really well. I loved Lina's family dynamic and discussions about food. I also loved her attempts at petty revenge (cake-eating and chilli peppers had me smiling). However, I didn't feel much chemistry between the two main characters and I really didn't like Max that much. Because of that, I felt pretty bored during his chapters and I just wanted to get to the end of the competition. It probably doesn't help that I read The Wedding Season earlier this year and absolutely loved that one which had a similar theme. Overall, it's definitely not a bad romance, but not one of my favourites sadly!

11. The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green ★★★★

I'm a huge Vlogbrothers fan so picking up this book was a must. I love Hank and John's numerous podcasts and books, and I really enjoyed John's podcast of The Anthropocene Reviewed, so I was glad I finally got around to reading his full book of the podcast. This is a non-fiction that literally reviews parts of the world on a five star scale (e.g. Diet Dr Pepper, Bluegrass, Mortification). John's thoughts on many subjects are beautiful and touching, while others are funny and silly. It's also written in short chapter bursts that can be read out of order if you just wanted to read a specific review. This book was humorous and cleverly written; filled with anecdotes and memories. If you want a fantastically written, witty book (that may or may not give you an existential crisis) then I recommend this book. I'd also recommend listening to the Dear Hank and John podcast for anyone who enjoys Vlogbrothers videos. Overall, I'd give The Anthropocene Reviewed a 4 out of 5 stars.

So, those are the 11 books I read this month! Let me know how your reading month went or if you've read any of the books above. Have a great reading month in April!

Top Five Wednesday | Mental Health

 

Hello! Welcome to another Top Five Wednesday! This week's Top Five Wednesday is my top five books with mental health rep. Mental health and the importance of it is increasingly a topic that is being discussed in fiction. In honour of World Bipolar Day, we are looking at some books that touch on or centre around the importance of mental health. I will say that creating this list has made me realise how few fantasy books there are with mental health rep. There are definitely a few with PTSD rep but other than that, I don't think I know of many! So the ones I've chosen are mostly contemporary and non-fiction, but if you know any fantasy books with good mental health rep then let me know in the comments!

1. Am I Normal Yet? by Holly Bourne

Holly Bourne is actually my favourite contemporary author because she writes characters and women's lives so well. Her adult books are my favourite, but this YA series, starting with Am I Normal Yet? is probably the best YA contemporary that I've read as an adult. This book follows Evie, a teenager recently off her meds and trying to make friends at a new college where no-one knows her as the 'girl-who-went-crazy'. But relationships are messy - especially romantic ones. Evie has OCD and anxiety and I've never read rep as good as I have in this book relating to those mental illnesses. It's so well done. Also, Evie's relationship with her two female friends, Amber and Lottie, is just so refreshing to see in YA because they so clearly care about each other and there's no competition or cattiness. I also loved to see the UK college setting, which is so rare - you mostly see American high school books. Overall, this is a funny, feminist, contemporary with fantastic mental health rep so I highly recommend it.

2. Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

Now, first of all, I know everyone already knows John Green's books. Secondly, I didn't actually love this book, but I'd still recommend it as a book with good mental health rep, and I'll explain why in minute. This book begins with a fugitive billionaire and the promise of a cash reward, but it primarily centres around Aza Holmes, a young woman going through her daily existence with the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts. The plot itself is a little weird and a bit unrealistic (as with a lot of John Green books). However, the mental health rep of anxiety and OCD was too well written for me in the sense that I actual found it a little bit triggering (I know loads of people who didn't find it triggering though so do read more reviews than just mine if that's something that might bother you!). Because this is an own voices novel about anxiety and thought spirals, John Green is very good at writing about them, which was hard for me to read. Overall, it's fantastic rep and great to see more books normalising it, but this one just wasn't quite for me. I know a lot of people who adored this book though which is why I still wanted to put it on people's radar as a book with good rep.

3. Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig

I absolutely love Matt Haig's non-fiction work. His books centre around depression and anxiety and this is a life-affirming memoir about his own struggle and how he's learned to appreciate being alive. Everyone’s lives are touched by mental illness: if we do not suffer from it ourselves, then we have a friend or loved one who does. Matt’s frankness about his experiences is both inspiring to those who feel daunted by depression and illuminating to those who are mystified by it. Above all, his humour and encouragement never lets us lose sight of hope. He teaches the reader to celebrate the small joys and moments of peace that life brings, and reminds us that there are always reasons to stay alive. It's just a beautifully touching book that has helped so many people I know, not only with their own mental health, but also with understanding how those illnesses can make others feel even if you don't suffer from it yourself. 

4. Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

I haven't yet read a Fredrik Backman book that I haven't loved, but this one is my absolute favourite so far. Anxious People starts with an ordinary, open-house apartment viewing that soon turns into a hostage situation when a failed bank robber bursts in. As the pressure mounts, the eight strangers begin slowly opening up to one another and reveal long-hidden truths. Before long, the robber must decide which is the more terrifying prospect: going out to face the police, or staying in the apartment with this group of impossible people. The whimsical plot and beautifully translated writing gives the reader an insight into the human condition and all the anxious people that exist in our world. It is the perfect combination of serious conversation, humour, and positivity. It will make you cry but it is so heart-warming overall and I highly recommend it.

5. First, We Make the Beast Beautiful by Sarah Wilson

I was given this book by a friend who has also suffered from anxiety. This is another non-fiction book that pulls at the thread of accepted definitions of anxiety and reframes it as a spiritual quest. While I didn't agree with some of the topics/views in this book (e.g., quitting sugar) there were some great quotes that I think are really helpful to both anxiety-sufferers, and also to people who have loved ones with anxiety who want to understand it better. Some of the issues I had with the book included the author's assumption that people just had money to go on retreats and solve their problems. But overall, I do feel like this book (if used alongside others) can definitely help people with their understanding of anxiety overall.

So, those are my top five books with mental health rep! I do think it's often hard to find books with genuinely good mental health rep, especially since mental health conditions can affect people in such different ways, so let me know what your Top Five are below, or if you have a blog post then link it! Just in case anyone is new to this, Top Five Wednesday was created by Lainey (Gingerreadslainey on YouTube) and is now run by the Goodreads Group so that people can share more of their favourite (or sometimes least favourite) books in an interesting way. The people in the Group create weekly topics each month so Bloggers and YouTubers alike to discuss books. The group can be found here! And if you want to see more of my previous Top Five Wednesday Blog posts, you can click here!

April TBR 2022 | feat. Magical Readathon & Realmathon

This is a short(ish) post to show my TBR for April 2022. My March Wrap-up will be coming early next month so keep an eye out for that! This month I'll be participating in the Magical Readathon (hosted by G from BookRoast) which is finally back!! And I'll also be low-key participating in the Realmathon Readathon (hosted by Cassidy from CoverswithCassidy).

My plan is to read 14 books in April, one for each prompt in the Magical Readathon. I've tried to pick a few backlist books and some books I've been excited to read for ages. So, without further ado, here are the books I plan on reading and which prompts they will fulfil:

1. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell (Alchemy - A book featuring Romance)

2. The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson (Animal Studies - A quick read)

3. Jade City by Fonda Lee (Art of Illusion - A book with a trope you like)

4. Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell (Astronomy - Top of your TBR)

5. Rise to the Sun by Leah Johnson (Conjuration - Source of light on the cover)

6. Shadows of Self by Brandon Sanderson (Demonology - Word 'Shadow' in the Title)

7. The Hope of Elantris by Brandon Sanderson (Elemental Studies - Book under 100 pages)

8. The Comfort Book by Matt Haig (Spells & Incantations - Short stories/essays)

9. The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow (Artificery - Earth setting)

10. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Catherine Webb (Inscription - Intimidating read)

11. Circe by Madeline Miller (Lore - Mythology inspired)

12. Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff (Psionics and Divination - A book set in the future)

13. Jade War by Fonda Lee (Restoration - A book featuring healers)

14. The Chosen by Taran Matharu (Shapeshifting - A creature with claws on the cover)

I'll also be using these books with Realmathon prompts as and when I finish a book.

So that's my TBR for April! Let me know what you're reading and if you've read any of these books. Also, are you participating in either of these amazing readathons? If not you should definitely check them out!

Top Five Wednesday | First in a Series

Hello! Welcome to another Top Five Wednesday! This week's Top Five Wednesday is my top five favourite book that are the first in a series. Basically, what would I recommend as a fantastic first book. I've deliberately chosen to only include books where I enjoyed the rest of the series too, but there are definitely some great first books that I've read where the sequels weren't as good. I've also got a few honourable mentions at the end of the list with pretty popular books that are also great!

1. Malice by John Gwynne

I read this book and the entire Faithful and the Fallen series last year, and it became one of my favourite fantasy series of all time. This high-fantasy series follows quite a large cast of characters in a world which has a violent past where armies of men and giants clashed in battle. But now giants stir anew, the very stones weep blood and there are sightings of giant wyrms. Those who can still read the signs see a threat far greater than the ancient wars. Corban is a young boy who longs to be a warrior, and when he saves a wolf cub, his life starts to change. This series has everything I love in fantasy series: elemental magic, animal companions, dragons, and a found family. I highly recommend this series to absolutely everyone, but this first book definitely sells the series so well.

2. Vicious by V.E. Schwab

Vicious is the first book in the Villains series (originally a standalone but now it's potentially going to be a trilogy). This is a contemporary book with a sci-fi twist where people are able to become superheroes (aka an Extraordinary) but cheating death. We follow two anti-heroes, Victor and Eli, who start off as college roommates, but ten years later, one is in prison and the other is hell bent on eradicating all other super-powered people. I loved all of the characters in this book despite their flaws and the powers in this book were so interesting. I also adored the way the book goes between the past and the present to tell the story. This is easily the best book I've read by Schwab and I highly recommend this as an introduction to her books.

3. Nyxia by Scott Reintgen

This is a book that really surprised me. I actually got it as an arc in an Illumicrate box years ago and it was genuinely the best book I've ever had from them. It's a YA sci-fi where 10 intelligent teenagers are recruited to earn the right to travel down to the planet of Eden where they will mine a substance called Nyxia that has quietly become the most valuable material in the universe. We follow Emmett Atwater who isn’t just leaving Detroit; he’s leaving Earth. Why the Babel Corporation recruited him is a mystery, but the number of zeroes on their contract has him boarding their lightship and hoping to return to Earth with enough money to take care of his family. This is a fantastic book and it gave me Hunger Games-esque vibes with the competition, but the characters are all so amazing. The writing is fast-paced and it's so easy to read this in a day. This is a seriously underrated book and it also makes a great introduction to sci-fi books if you're new to them.

4. The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

The Gentleman Bastard series is another high fantasy that follows Locke Lamora, an orphan turned thief, on the mysterious island of Camorr. As leader of the band of light-fingered brothers known as the Gentleman Bastards, Locke is soon infamous, fooling even the underworld’s most feared ruler. But in the shadows lurks someone still more ambitious and deadly. Faced with a bloody coup that threatens to destroy everyone and everything that holds meaning in his mercenary life, Locke vows to beat the enemy at his own brutal game, or die trying. This is another book that alternates between two timelines so so well. It also has an amazing found family with the Gentleman Bastards. Locke is witty and the humour throughout is paired so well with the almost grim-dark world. I absolutely adored this first book, and while I do think it's the best book so far, there are many more to come, and the sequels are still truly great. Fair warning though, you may cry when reading this.

5. Stray by Rachel Vincent

This is a bit of a different type of book to the ones I usually recommend. The Shifter series is an urban fantasy that primarily follows Faythe, an all-American grad student, and one of the few female werecats left. With the ability to shift into a huge black leopard, she is hunted by Strays (werecats without a pride) who are trying to find another female werecat. This brush with danger was all her Pride needed to summon her back. This book and this series is definitely not perfect, but it is quick-paced, easy to read, and has very unique characters. If you enjoy a good urban fantasy with a romance aspect then I highly recommend this series. The first book is the longest but I think I read it in one sitting because it was so addictive. Definitely pick this up if you want something fun and quick. I haven't read these since 2015 but just talking about them is making me want to pick them up again.

Now for some honourable mentions!: 

• Eragon by Christopher Paolini (my favourite dragon book so far, but the series does go downhill after the second book in my opinion).
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (I don't think I need to explain this one to anyone)
• Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (another very popular YA book)
• House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas (everyone knows who SJM is at this point but I think this is easily the best book she's written so far, although the sequel wasn't fantastic).

So, those are my top five first book in a series! Let me know what your Top Five are below, or if you have a blog post then link it! Just in case anyone is new to this, Top Five Wednesday was created by Lainey (Gingerreadslainey on YouTube) and is now run by the Goodreads Group so that people can share more of their favourite (or sometimes least favourite) books in an interesting way. The people in the Group create weekly topics each month so Bloggers and YouTubers alike to discuss books. The group can be found here! And if you want to see more of my previous Top Five Wednesday Blog posts, you can click here!

Top Five Wednesday | Favourite Villains

Hello! Welcome to another Top Five Wednesday! This week's Top Five Wednesday is my top five favourite villains. Now, the trouble with favourite villains is that the best ones you end up hating, but the ones with some humanity can kind of become anti-heroes (which can make them not the same as traditional villains?). But I've chosen the first five villains that came to mind as the most memorable for me and they are a mixture of the two.

1. Count Olaf from A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

I just have to put Count Olaf on this list because he is equal parts ridiculous and terrifying - similar to how I would describe this series as a whole. This series holds a special place in my heart since I read it repeatedly throughout my childhood. A Series of Unfortunate Events follows the Baudelaire siblings who become orphans very early in book one. Each book shows them being sent to live with different people while Count Olaf appears in various disguises to try and steal their large fortune. The entire series is ridiculous but also hilarious and cleverly written. Count Olaf's schemes are very mustache-twirly and absurd, but he also has moments of terrifying villainy when he murders people or even when he just sits outside a room at night with his shiny, shiny knife. Overall, a great villain for a children's book series.

2. Kyle Haven from The Liveship Traders Trilogy by Robin Hobb

Now this is a villain I actually hate. Robin Hobb is fantastic at writing unlikeable characters. I genuinely spent the first two books of this trilogy seething in anger at this character, and he's not even the main villain of the story. The Liveship Traders is the second trilogy in Robin Hobb's series and is an adult fantasy trilogy following a large cast of characters. Ship of Magic is the first book of the Liveship Traders series and it tells the story of the fortunes (and misfortunes) of the Vestrit family. A liveship is a ship made of Wizardwood, a mystical substance, giving it magical properties. When three generations of a ship's owners die on board, a liveship "quickens", meaning that the ship awakens and becomes a sentient being with all the memories of the ancestors who have contributed to the ship's quickening. When the Vestrit family's ship quickens, arguments break out between the daughter who thought she would inherit the ship (Althea) and her brother-in-law, who actually inherits the ship (Kyle). Kyle is just so cruel and uncaring from the very start of the first book, and his unwillingness to listen or understand anyone else makes him so unlikeable throughout the whole series. And while I hate him, I really appreciate that it takes a good writer to create such a realistic villain.

3. Trin from The Greatcoats Series by Sebastian de Castell

Trin is another character who is just so evil throughout the series that it's hard to read sometimes (especially when it comes to the torture scenes in these books). The Greatcoats series follows... the Greatcoats. Trained in the fighting arts and the laws of Tristia, the Greatcoats are travelling Magisters upholding King’s Law. They are heroes. Or at least they were, until they stood aside while the Dukes took the kingdom, and impaled their King’s head on a spike. Now Tristia is on the verge of collapse. The Dukes bring chaos to the land, while the Greatcoats are scattered far and wide, reviled as traitors, their legendary coats in tatters. All they have left are the promises they made to King Paelis, to carry out one final mission. We follow three of the remaining Greatcoats: Falcio, Brasti and Kest, in this politically intriguing, humorous, and well-written set of books. There are many villains in these books who I love (including Duke Jillard) but Trin is one that especially stands out as particularly memorable.

4. Light Yagami from Death Note by Tsugumi Ohba & Takeshi Obata

Now Light is a weird villain, because you see pretty much all of Death Note from his perspective. You even start rooting for him, even when you know everything he's doing is wrong. Death Note is a manga series that follows Light Yagami, a teenager who find a book at school called a Death Note. When he writes someone's name in the book, they die a few minutes later (although there a lot more rules to using the Death Note than just that). Light decides to use the book to kill criminals but is soon hunted by the best detectives in the city. As I said, I really like this character because he's so obviously in the wrong, but he's so clever and manipulative that you actually want him to pull through so many times. I highly recommend this series to anyone new to manga if you enjoy horror/thrillers.

5. Adrius au Augustus from the Red Rising Series by Pierce Brown

The Red Rising trilogy follows Darrow, a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars liveable for future generations. But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity already reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and sprawling parks spread across the planet. All of the Reds are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class. Adrius aka The Jackal, is one of many villains in the Red Rising series. He is a complicated character and sees little value in anything other than achieving his goals, yet he still longs for his father's approval. He is needlessly cruel throughout, always trying to prove himself to his father. I found him to be so interesting and he always keeps the reader on their toes whenever he appears.

So, those are my top five villains! Let me know what your Top Five are below, or if you have a blog post then link it! Just in case anyone is new to this, Top Five Wednesday was created by Lainey (Gingerreadslainey on YouTube) and is now run by the Goodreads Group so that people can share more of their favourite (or sometimes least favourite) books in an interesting way. The people in the Group create weekly topics each month so Bloggers and YouTubers alike to discuss books. The group can be found here! And if you want to see more of my previous Top Five Wednesday Blog posts, you can click here!

These Books Will Self-Destruct in 12 Months | 2022

Hello! Welcome to my 'These Books will Self-Destruct in 12 Months' blog post. This post is inspired by Becca and The Books, who originally started doing videos of this idea a few years ago (here are her 2021 and 2019 videos if you're interested!).

The basic idea is to pick 10 books that have been sitting on your shelves for a long time but that you never reach for. If you don't read them in 12 months then you have to unhaul them. I love this idea because there are definitely some books on my shelves that I never reach for even though I'm still quite interested in them. So I've decided to create this post and in 12 months we can revisit it together and see what I've read/already unhauled/not read.

So, without further ado, here are the 10 books on my Self-Destruct list:

1. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North

I first heard about this book on Reagan's channel (PeruseProject) years ago, and I'm still really interested in getting to it. This is a sci-fi novel that follows Harry August, a person who is reborn and lives the same life again and again. This happens 11 times until something finally changes. As Harry nears the end of his eleventh life, a little girl appears at his bedside. This is the story of what Harry does next. Like I said, I am still interested in this but I never find myself reaching for it so hopefully this is a good incentive.

2. The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan

The first time I heard about this book was on LittleBookOwl's channel back in 2013 and I bought it second hand because it sounded like such a moving story. It's an historical fiction about an Australian man and I know it also follows the story of a POW in a Japanese slave labour camp. It sounds intense but also important and I don't think I've ever read anything about this subject matter before. I've never reached for it purely because it sounds so harrowing and it's hard to know when you're in the mood/mindset to be able to handle that subject matter. But since I've had the book since 2017, it's time I got around to it!

3. The Smoke Thieves by Sally Green

This book is the first in a fantasy trilogy. I know very little about this because I received it in an Illumicrate box a few years ago. However, this is me giving Sally Green a second chance after DNFing her Half Bad trilogy when I heard it had a controversial ending. This novel does sound really interesting though so if I enjoy it I'll definitely continue with the series. The book follows a princess, a traitor, a hunter, and a thief. Four teenagers with the fate of the world in their hands and four nations destined for conflict.

4. Contagion by Teri Terry

I've read a lot of Teri Terry books over the years now and while I really enjoyed Mind Games and Book of Lies, I didn't enjoy her earlier Shattered trilogy which I DNF'd after book one. So I don't know how I'm going to feel about this one, but I'm hopeful I'll enjoy it as much as her other later books. My main concern is this being set in a pandemic and I find that difficult to read about these days (surprise, surprise - thanks COVID!). This book follows Kai whose sister is missing. When Kai meets Shay, a girl who saw Callie the day she disappeared, his hope is reignited. Their search leads them to the heart of a terrifying epidemic that is raging through the country. Will they both survive?

5. Dry by Neal and Jarrod Shusterman

I've enjoyed a few of Neal Shusterman's dystopian books and this is written by both him and his son, so I'm interested to see how the writing is different. I haven't heard many people talking about this book since it came out so I don't really have much in the way of expectations for it. This book basically follows a world that runs out of water and what happens to two siblings whose parents go missing among the chaos that ensues. 

6. Me and Early and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

I heard so much about this book when I first started watching Booktube in 2013. People have called it a 'Better Fault in Our Stars'. However, I remember a lot of people hating it too. It was one of those books that really seemed to divide Booktube. I only picked this up because I saw it for £1 in a Charity Shop and figured I'd give it a chance. YA contemporary isn't a genre I often reach for and I do feel hesitant about this book so I'm happy to add it to this list to see if I finally read it. This book follows Greg, who only has one friend, but then his Mom convinces him to befriend Rachel, who has leukaemia. When Rachel decides to stop taking her treatment, Greg decides to make a stand.

7. It's a Kind of Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

Again, this is another YA contemporary that got a lot of hype on Booktube back in the day, and I actually don't know anything about it. Once again though, it was £1 in a Charity Shop and I though 'Why the hell not?'. I believe this is about a boy who nearly kills himself and ends up in a psychiatric hospital, but I really don't know much other than that. It's not one I've reached for since I bought it so onto the list it goes.

8. Who Killed Ruby? by Camilla Way

This is an Adult mystery/thriller and one of the few that survived my recent purge of unhauling. I had to get rid of a lot of my thrillers (despite it being one of my favourite genres) because some of them have topics in that were just too triggering for me to read. However, this psychological thriller feels more like The Woman in the Window-type thriller than horror so I decided to keep it. If I enjoy it then I'll definitely pick more up by the author. The synopsis of this book speaks for itself: In the kitchen, a man lies dead on the blood-soaked floor. Soon the police will come, and they’ll want answers. Perhaps they'll believe the family’s version of events – that this man is a murderer who deserved to die. But would that be the truth?

Also, if anyone has any thriller recommendations similar to Liane Moriaty, Riley Sager, Lucy Foley, Kara Thomas, Kinae Minato, Courtney Summers, then let me know!

9. Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

I read Little Fires Everywhere a few years ago and really enjoyed it. It reminded me of other American authors like Jonathan Franzen, who I studied at university. Celeste Ng's books often follow Chinese American families and how people interact with one another, along with a mystery element. So begins this novel about a Chinese American family living in 1970s small-town Ohio. Lydia is the favourite child of Marilyn and James Lee, and her parents are determined that she will fulfil the dreams they were unable to pursue. But when Lydia’s body is found in the local lake, the delicate balancing act that has been keeping the Lee family together is destroyed, tumbling them into chaos. I haven't been drawn to this book but reading the synopsis again does give me more encouragement to pick it up.

10. Sleeping Beauties by Stephen and Owen King

And finally we have this book. I've mentioned a lot on this blog that I like Stephen's King writing (although, it has become more hit and miss having read more of his books now). This book is written by both Stephen King and his son, Owen. I picked it up purely because it was cheap and it was a Stephen King book, however, the plot of this has never interested me at all and I don't know if I'm ever going to read it. This book follows a world where women fall asleep and never wake up; if they do wake up, they become feral and violent. So it basically follows what happens to men in a world without women. BUT there is one woman who is immune to the sickness that affects everyone else. I'm mostly worried that this is going to be way too 'male-gaze-y' and probably very misogynistic which makes me hesitant to pick it up, but we'll see if I actually get to it this year!

So, those are my 10 Books that Will Self-Destruct in 12 Months! Let me know if you've read any of them, or if you have a list. Remind me in 12 months that we need to revisit this if I haven't already!