July Wrap-Up | 2023

Welcome to my July Wrap-Up! Once again, I didn't read as much as I normally would, but I'm definitely not mad about it because I had a really fun time mood reading this month. Unfortunately, this was my worst reading month of the year which only 11 books and 4548 pages read, however, I still mostly enjoyed what I read, and now I'm super hyped for the Magical Readathon in August! (Keep an eye out for my TBR!)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz ★★

This is an adult thriller and the premise intrigued me when I first heard about it: Five attendees are selected for a month-long writing retreat at the remote estate of Roza Vallo, the controversial high priestess of feminist horror. Alex, a struggling writer, is thrilled. Upon arrival, they discover they must complete an entire novel from scratch, and the best one will receive a seven-figure publishing deal. Alex’s long-extinguished dream now seems within reach. But then the women begin to die. Trapped, terrified yet still desperately writing, it is clear there is more than a publishing deal at stake at Blackbriar Estate. Alex must confront her own demons – and finish her novel – to save herself.

The first half of this book was incredibly interesting and it really delivered on the premise. The writing initially kept me hooked and I liked the way Bartz set everything up; I love books about writers and their process, and the idea of an isolated writing competition was right up my street. I enjoyed the beginning; seeing all these characters come together, hearing about the past between Wren and Alex, and seeing the competition turn even more fierce. It was nice to see so much representation in a thriller too. 

Unfortunately, I really didn't like the way the second half of the book went; it turned almost absurdist and it wasn't what I expected at all (but not in a good thriller twist kind of way). A lot of setup from the first half of the book just fell to the wayside and became irrelevant (I understand red herrings, but this felt more like it was just pushed to one side out of ease). The characters were all so unlikeable too. I disliked Roza and Wren from the start, and then Taylor was just as bad. And the actions of the characters were so unrealistic (or if it was realistic, then they were delusional to think they could just get away with what they were trying to do). The synopsis is also quite misleading; it implies women start dying like a murder mystery, but it's not like that at all. I found the ending to be a bit lacklustre and it solidified my feelings about Alex. Overall, it was an okay thriller but sadly the twist and turning point meant the book went in a direction I didn't enjoy.

2. For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing ★★★★.5

I had low expectations because I'd heard mixed reviews, but this adult thiller was pleasantly surprising for me. It follows a host of characters, but primarily focuses on Teddy Crutcher, an esteemed teacher at a private school. But something isn't right at that school. It starts with a techer falling sick. Rumours about a former pupil going off the rails. But who could've guess it would end in murder?

This book was so twisted and tense and every character was morally grey or somewhat unlikeable, but you always had some reason to root for them in some way. In all honesty, the way the characters were portrayed felt very reminiscent of a combination of Death Note and Confessions by Kanae Minato and I loved that; the build up of suspense where you are seeing if someone will get caught, but also kind of not wanting them to get caught, even though you know they're a terrible person. Yes, it had all of that. The writing was so well done, with short chapters and switching perspectives to keep the reader hooked - and it worked. There was just so much going on throughout the book: between Crutcher, Zach, Fallon, and Frank especially. Crutcher was an awful human, but very clever and interesting to read from to see his twisted logic. I enjoyed hearing more about Zach too and I liked how different everyone's relationships were with their families and friends.

I enjoyed that there wasn't just one big twist too, it was a series of tense events that built up over time, with mini twists to keep the reader surprised. I will 100% be picking up more books from this author; it was a fantastically written thriller and exactly what I needed right now.

3. You Will Get Through This Night by Daniel Howell ★★★★

I've been watching Dan's YouTube videos since 2010 and have always been a huge fan. So when I saw he'd released a non-fiction, mental health book I thought I would pick it up. Written by Daniel Howell, in conjunction with a qualified psychologist, in an entertaining and personal way from the perspective of someone who has been through it all - this no-nonsense book gives you the tools to understand your mind so you can be in control and really live. Split into three chapters for each stage of the journey: This Night - how to get through your toughest moments and be prepared to face anything; Tomorrow - small steps to change your thoughts and actions with a big impact on your life; And the Days After - help to look after yourself in the long term and not just survive, but thrive.

I've read a lot of mental health and self-help books over the years and this is definitely one of the better ones. It's the sort of book I wish I'd had 10 years ago when I was really struggling. Dan's witty humour keeps the tone of the book upbeat, even when dealing with difficult topics. I really liked that it didn't dwell too much on the humour, or even on Dan's personal experiences, and it really delved into the psychology of our mental wellbeing and small actions we can take to help ourselves. While 80% of the content in this book included things I already knew, I still took a few things away from it, and it was helpful to read. I think if you haven't explored much of this topic before, are new to your mental health struggles, or even if you've had them a long time but have never had help, then this book will be perfect for you. It's a toolkit you can refer to at any time and the split chapters really help to know what to focus on. I highly recommend this book.

4. Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid ★★★★

This is the seventh Taylor Jenkins Reid book I've read and while it wasn't my favourite, I still enjoyed it a lot. In this historical fiction, we follow the Riva family in Malibu: August, 1983. It's the day of Nina Riva's annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas: Nina, the talented surfer and supermodel; brothers Jay and Hud, one a championship surfer, the other a renowned photographer; and their adored baby sister, Kit. Together, the siblings are a source of fascination in Malibu and the world over-especially as the offspring of the legendary singer, Mick Riva. The only person not looking forward to the party of the year is Nina herself. By midnight the party will be completely out of control. By morning, the Riva mansion will have gone up in flames. But before that first spark in the early hours before dawn, the alcohol will flow, the music will play, and the loves and secrets that shaped this family's generations will all come bubbling to the surface.

As always with Reid's books, this was beautifully written; I loved the alternation between the past and present, the previous generation and the current generation and how they all got there. Every family member felt so real, and that is one of the skills of this author, she makes every character so realistic you can't believe they're not actual people. Seeing everything June and Nina went through was heartbreaking. There were so many trash men in this book that had no excuses for their behaviour except that society let them get away with it; it made me so angry, but it was also good to see the portrayal of strong women and make the story more about them. I loved the seeing the family rise from nothing to riches too. I always love to see the dynamic between large groups of siblings, because it reminds me of my own childhood, and the Riva siblings loyalty to one another was so well done. I will say, as the youngest myself, that I really felt for Kit throughout too. Overall, not as compelling as some of her other books, but still a beautifully crafted novel that will stay with me.

5. That Weekend by Kara Thomas ★★★

I've read a few thrillers by this author and really enjoyed them, so I thought I'd pick up her latest release. This YA thriller has a premise that intrigued me: Three best friends, a lake house, a secret trip - what could go wrong? It was supposed to be the perfect prom weekend getaway. But it's clear something terrible happened when Claire wakes up alone and bloodied on a hiking trail with no memory of the past forty-eight hours. Three went up the mountain, but only one came back.

It's not a unique blurb for a thriller, but I was still looking forward to it nonetheless. It did start strong and I'm a big fan of Kara Thomas's writing; she's got a great way of builiding suspense while also progressing the story at a good pace. However, the reason I didn't enjoy this one very much was that I found all the characters to be incredibly unlikable - even to the point where I found Claire to be too frustrating to read from. The one good thing about Claire was that she never tried to solve anything herself and always got adults/police involved, which felt realistic and I appreciated that she was an intelligent protagonist. I also did like the twists that we got and, while they didn't blow me away, I didn't see them coming at all.

However, despite the twists being good, the ending was a bit lacklustre and certain parts felt a bit rushed (like the death scene). We also still had a few unanswered questions and loose threads at the end that I really wanted to see resolved. Especially Claire and Jesse's relationship, but there were a couple of other things that I won't say because of spoilers. I found that the POV shift that we got later on was a bit strange, but I do think it worked well overall. If you're a fan of YA thrillers or this author, then pick it up and give it a try. It wasn't the best thriller I've read by the author, but it was still an enjoyable and quick read.

6. Hide by Kiersten White ★.5

This is my fourth Kiersten White book and, although I'd heard very mixed reviews, I did have high hopes for this adult horror novel. However, it really missed the mark for me. The premise: spend a week hiding in an abandoned amusement park and don't get caught. The prize: enough money to change everything. Even though everyone is desperate to win - to seize their dream futures or escape their haunting pasts - Mack feels sure that she can beat her competitors. All she has to do is hide, and she's an expert at that. It's the reason she's alive, and her family isn't. But as the people around her begin disappearing one by one, Mack realizes this competition is more sinister than even she imagined, and that together might be the only way to survive. Fourteen competitors. Seven days. Everywhere to hide, but nowhere to run. Come out, come out, wherever you are.

The premise itself drew me in and I was so intrigued by the Prologue, but so many things didn't work for me. Firstly, this reads far more like a YA than it does an adult novel (the only thing that made this 'adult' was the amount of swear words). Secondly, this was barely a horror; nothing scary ever really happened, everything was very 'fade to black', and the most horrifying things in the book were barely alluded to. That meant that the book wasn't a horror, barely a thriller, and also far more paranormal than I was led to expect from the synopsis (which was disappointing to me). The scariest thing about this book was Mack's past and that was it.

We're also introduced to 14 characters in quick succession, meaning that we don't get enough time or backstory from any of them to ever care enough when they died. Having two Ava's was needlessly confusing, and the actual days in the park itself were just plain boring. Half of the book was dialogue, and the other half was just sitting around waiting. Then the discovery of what happens is so convenient and ended up being a lot of exposition. Ava and Mack's 'relationship' was interesting, but I didn't feel like we ever got enough of anything to really be invested. The ending was lacklustre and abrupt with so many unanswered questions. It felt like the author just forgot to end it. I don't feel like you can have something that weird happen in the book and never really explain the how or why? Overall, this book wasn't enjoyable, didn't fulfil its promise to be an adult horror, and the best thing I can say about it was that it was a quick read.

7. The Name of All Things by Jenn Lyons ★★★★★

This is the sequel to The Ruin of Kings and second book in The Chorus of Dragons series. I gave the first book 5 stars and I'm happy to say I've given this book the same rating. It took me a long time to finish this one, not because I wasn't enjoying it, but because I've had a very stressful month in my personal life, but I'm so glad I've finally finished it because it was amazing. I love that it's told in a similar way to the first book: alternating perspectives of the past with conversation in between. Even though we're primarily following different characters, I really loved them all (especially Dorna and Qown). Even some of the more 'evil' characters are explored and we get such a different side of them. I especially loved seeing Janel's time with Duke Kaen and a certain someone with a polar bear cub (I did not see that twist coming - or any of them actually).

We still have a lot of Kihrin even though he's not the main focus, but most importantly, we get to see how the storyline in this book connects to the story in the previous book and it's so fascinating. I can only imagine that this continues in the sequels and I'm already so excited to continue the series to find out how everything is connected and why certain things are happening. One thing I especially loved in this one was that it felt far less confusing than the first book (maybe I'm just getting to grips with it more, or maybe there was less confusion in the sequel). Overall, this series is incredibly well-written and thought out - I'm very excited to continue even though it might take me a while. 

8. Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan ★★★★

In this LGBTQA+, YA fantasy, Lei is a member of the Paper caste, the lowest and most oppressed class in Ikhara. She lives in a remote village with her father, where the decade-old trauma of watching her mother snatched by royal guards still haunts her. Now, the guards are back, and this time it's Lei they're after - the girl whose golden eyes have piqued the king's interest. Over weeks of training in the opulent but stifling palace, Lei and eight other girls learn the skills and charm that befit being a king's consort. But Lei isn't content to watch her fate consume her. Instead, she does the unthinkable - she falls in love. Her forbidden romance becomes enmeshed with an explosive plot that threatens the very foundation of Ikhara, and Lei, still the wide-eyed country girl at heart, must decide just how far she's willing to go for justice and revenge. 

This book was a lot better than I thought it would be. The setting and culture is captivating to read about; I especially loved reading about the lore and magic in this world. Ngan's descriptions were beautifully vivid and I felt like I could picture every part of the palace. Also, the food descriptions made my mouth water. The cast of characters were all very unique and I especially loved the supportive female characters that we saw. Lei is a somewhat typical YA main character in the sense that she is forced into a position she never wanted and we see her constantly fighting back against it. However, I like that her decisions never felt stupid. They were usually a result of careful planning or pure instinct. Aoki's character was sweet and her story really was heartbreaking with her only being 16. Wren was interesting, but I still feel like we didn't quite get to know her enough for my liking. And Blue... Blue was so unbelievably insufferable. There were moments where I was thinking 'oh good, here's the moment she becomes a better person', but nope. She was always terrible. Oh, also, nobody warned me about the horrific thing that happens right at the start of the book - it's something that I hate seeing in books so for anyone else, here's a warning: there is a pretty awful animal death in this book. Also, huge trigger warning for rape and sexual assault.

I will say that while I loved the setting and magic, I did find the demons very difficult to imagine. They're more animal that human, but some of them were still described in human ways so I felt like I could never quite grasp what they looked like. Probably a me issue, but it was jarring to me every time. Overall, this was a really enjoyable book. I'll probably try to pick up the sequels from the library at some point, but I'm not in a huge rush to continue right now. I'd highly recommend this if you're looking for a queer fantasy that is a little bit different

9. In My Dreams I Hold a Knife by Ashley Winstead ★★★★★

This is an adult, thriller novel with hints of dark academia that I'd heard a lot of good things about and I'm happy to say I wasn't disappointed. A college reunion turns dark and deadly: six friends, one unsolved murder, and the dark secrets they’ve been hiding from each other for a decade. Ten years after graduation, Jessica Miller has planned her triumphant return to southern, elite Duquette University, down to the envious whispers that are sure to follow in her wake. Everyone is going to see the girl she wants them to see - confident, beautiful, indifferent - not the girl she was when she left campus, back when Heather’s murder fractured everything, including the tight bond linking the six friends she’d been closest to since freshman year. But not everyone is ready to move on. Not everyone left Duquette ten years ago, and not everyone can let Heather’s murder go unsolved. When the six friends are reunited, they will be forced to confront what happened that night - and the years’ worth of secrets each of them would do anything to keep hidden. 

Although I'd heard good things, I was still very surprised by how much I enjoyed it, especially when the main character was so unlikable. All the characters have a lot of baggage and their own issues and Jessica is no exception. We see early on how self-centred she is to the point where I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy the book initially. However, seeing all these characters' secrets unravel and their personalities evolve over the course of the book was fascinating. The setting was peak dark academia: the cozy college, the ambition to succeed, and the tight-knit friendship group that is actually spectacularly fragile when you start looking at their secrets. I loved every second of it. The friendship group was interesting to delve into: I particuarly liked Jack and Coop. I also liked that we got a few different perspectives and seeing how they all viewed each other versus how they thought everyone looked at them. Cora was especially interesting in that way.

The writing itself was compelling and once I'd started, I couldn't put the book down and ended up reading it in a day. Winstead has great skill in revealing a lot, but managing to hold back enough to tempt you without leaving the reader feeling frustrated. And the twists were amazing. I only managed to see them coming a few lines before they were actually revealed. Overall, an incredibly thriller with brilliant pacing. I will definitely be picking up more of this author's works.

10. A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik ★★

I think this is my fourth Naomi Novik book and it will probably be my last. I love the concepts of her stories - this book included, but the execution just doesn't work for me sadly. A Deadly Education is set at Scholomance, a school for the magically gifted where failure means certain death (for real) - until one girl, El, begins to unlock its many secrets. There are no teachers, no holidays, and no friendships, save strategic ones. Survival is more important than any letter grade, for the school won’t allow its students to leave until they graduate or die. The rules are deceptively simple: Don’t walk the halls alone. And beware of the monsters who lurk everywhere. El is uniquely prepared for the school’s dangers. She may be without allies, but she possesses a dark power strong enough to level mountains and wipe out millions. It would be easy enough for El to defeat the monsters that prowl the school. The problem? Her powerful dark magic might also kill all the other students. 

This was a mixed bag for me. I loved the main character, El - her sarcastic humour and jaded view of the world was actually pretty refreshing; she had a lot of great lines throughout. I also liked the developing relationship between her and Orion; the line towards the end where he grabs her hand had me laughing because I'd fully believed El's point of view up to that point. The school setting was interesting, and I loved the magic aspects of the library and the work involved. However, I would say this is where the good things end for me. The worldbuilding wasn't great. It was equal parts info-dumping, yet weirdly I never felt like I got a good enough grip on the world as a whole to understand why things were happening. Also, I love a bit of exposition in a fantasy, but this was insane. It was pages upon pages of exposition in a stream-of-conciousness to the point where I'd forget what the character had initially been doing to get to this thought. I felt so detached from the story at times. It also meant that really not a whole lot happened in this book - if you took out the exposition, it's pretty minimal plotwise.

I can definitely see why people love this book and I think if you're looking towards a more romance-based fantasy and aren't too bothered by less plot, then you'd probably get on with it well. Overall, not for me and I won't be picking up the sequel.

11. The Memory of Souls by Jenn Lyons ★★★★★

And here we have the third book in The Chorus of Dragons series. This was probably my favourite book of the series so far because so much starts coming together. In this one we follow a combination of the characters from the first two books and it pretty much directly follows the previous book timeline-wise. I won't say much about the plot because of spoilers, but I loved the way this one went. We see so many plotlines come together and finally pay off - especially with all the parents. But I think my favourite part was the way the 'evil' characters turned out and how a lot of things got flipped on their head in a way I didn't expect.

The humour was on point throughout. Between the parents, the 'children', and even with Senera and Xivan, there were so many times I was laughing aloud. I adored the relationship between Kihrin, Taereth, and Janel too and I wish we'd seen more of it. Also that plot twist towards the end with Suless - I did not see that coming - I was gobsmacked. And that battle at the end was epic; I could picture it so clearly and it was equal parts amazing and heartbreaking. It was great seeing Talon back in this book too. Overall, a fantastic addition to the series and I'm so excited to continue.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And those are all the books I read in July! Definitely not my best reading month, but I had a lot of fun with the books I read. What did you read in July? Or what did you think about any of the books I've talked about, if you've read them?

June Wrap-Up | 2023

Welcome to my June Wrap-Up! To be honest, reading kind of fell to the wayside this month. Work is very busy and I've be trying to prioritise my mental health and getting out of the house a bit more, which means I've had less time for reading. So this was my worst reading month of the year but I did read 14 books and 5249 pages, so it definitely wasn't my worst reading month ever. As a heads up, I'm probably not going to make a solid July TBR because I want to come back to August feeling refreshed and ready for a solid month of reading with the Magical Readathon coming up, however, I'll still make a May Be Read pile with things I'm interested in right now.

But, without futher ado, here are my reviews and ratings for the month!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Satellite by Nick Lake ★★★★

This YA sci-fi pleasantly surprised me. The book starts on Moon 2, a space station that orbits approximately 250 miles above Earth. It travels 17,500 miles an hour, making one full orbit every ninety minutes. It’s also the only home that fifteen-year-old Leo and two other teens have ever known. Born and raised on Moon 2, Leo and the twins, Orion and Libra, are finally old enough and strong enough to endure the dangerous trip to Earth. They’ve been “parented” by teams of astronauts since birth and have run countless drills to ready themselves for every conceivable difficulty they might face on the flight. But has anything really prepared them for life on terra firma? Because while the planet may be home to billions of people, living there is more treacherous than Leo and his friends could ever have imagined, and their very survival will mean defying impossible odds.

The first thing is that the writing style initially really grated on me and it took around 100 pages before I stopped feeling frustrated by it. Everything is spelled incorrectly so it says this like 'u think so?'. It feels unecessary - as though it's trying to show Leo to be uneducated, yet he seems to be educated in literally every other way. It's worth noting that to enjoy this book you have to really suspend your disbelief. There are a few things that came up (Leo not realising his situation, the flying around the world, Yuri's hidden base etc.), that were so unbelievable that I did roll my eyes at times. Despite those two things, I really enjoyed the story this told. It was a lot darker than I expected too. Nick Lake is fantastic at describing the awe and creepiness of space and those scenes during the EVA's were incredibly tense and had me completely hooked and on the edge of my seat. Discovering their lives on earth was also interesting and I absolutely loved Comet. It was great seeing Leo's relationship with his family develop throughout too. The ending was so bittersweet and I definitely teared up towards the last 50 pages. Overall, this was a fascinating sci-fi exploring how far humanity will go and the effect it has on future generations, despite my initial gripes.

2. Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames ★★★★

I'd heard a lot of mixed things about this Adult Fantasy and, while I definitely enjoyed it, I can see why others might not. In this we follow Clay Cooper. He and his band were once the best of the best - the meanest, dirtiest, most feared crew of mercenaries this side of the Heartwyld. Their glory days long past, the mercs have grown apart and grown old, fat, drunk - or a combination of the three. Then an ex-bandmate turns up at Clay's door with a plea for help. His daughter Rose is trapped in a city besieged by an enemy one hundred thousand strong and hungry for blood. Rescuing Rose is the kind of mission that only the very brave or the very stupid would sign up for. It's time to get the band back together for one last tour across the Wyld.

I really enjoyed the writing and tone in this one. Although some of the humour was a bit too much at times (I'm look at the phylactery), I often found myself laughing aloud at the slapstick humour (I swear, every time the pond got mentioned was brilliant). There were some members of the band I loved more than others - Clay and Moog in particular. Their backstories were so interesting and Moog's was particularly heartbreaking. Honestly though, most of this book just felt like a fun ride; it was like reading a group of friends go through a D&D campaign and I wasn't mad about it. The stakes never felt particularly high, but again, I didn't really mind that. It was fun seeing these washed up heroes try to relive their youth, all the while looking forward to their quiet lives again. I really liked how big the world was and the amount of mythical creatures that were roaming around without much explanation. The ending and epilogue were perfect to me too. I will say that I don't think I'll be continuing with the series; this felt like it ended so nicely, and reading the blurb of the next one it follows characters I'm less interested in. I would highly recommend this to any D&D fans or if you enjoy an adult fantasy, with a dark yet humourous tone.

3. Yellowface by R.F. Kuang ★★★★★

R.F. Kuang has done it again. What an astounding novel. Unlike her previous works, this is an adult contemporary/thriller following two authors: Authors June Hayward and Athena Liu. They were supposed to be twin rising stars: same year at Yale, same debut year in publishing. But Athena's a cross-genre literary darling, and June didn't even get a paperback release. Nobody wants stories about basic white girls, June thinks. So when June witnesses Athena's death in a freak accident, she acts on impulse: she steals Athena's just-finished masterpiece, an experimental novel about the unsung contributions of Chinese laborers to the British and French war efforts during World War I. So what if June edits Athena's novel and sends it to her agent as her own work? So what if she lets her new publisher rebrand her as Juniper Song - complete with an ambiguously ethnic author photo? Doesn't this piece of history deserve to be told, whoever the teller? That's what June claims, and the New York Times bestseller list seems to agree. But June can't get away from Athena's shadow, and emerging evidence threatens to bring June's (stolen) success down around her. As June races to protect her secret, she discovers exactly how far she will go to keep what she thinks she deserves.

This book has left me speechless to be honest. I read it in one sitting because I could. not. put. this. down. It's definitely not a thriller in the most conventional sense, but it's filled with tension from start to finish. It was also incredibly different to her other fantasy books; she is clearly not limiting herself to one genre and we should all be thankful for that because her writing is amazing.

It's worth saying that there are pretty much no likeable characters in this book, but that doesn't detract from the story; June herself is absolutely awful. We see her constantly twisting the narrative to make herself feel better - whether about stealing the manuscript or how racist she is; we see June in one sentence saying how these Chinese stories need to be told, yet in another she'll fall into racial stereotypes and say things like 'Asian people are small' or 'I once read a book that said X about Asian people'. These mental gymnastics are a sad reality in today's world and June really portrays that through her actions and thoughts. Throughout the book, Kuang explores racism, not just in the publishing industry, but the societal impact it continues to have on people. She does not shy away from the topic in any sense, and it was refreshing to see. We see discussions on cancel culture, cultural appropriation, diversity and sterotyping, and the way narratives can be framed around those things to make someone 'good' or 'bad' depending on who and how they're telling the story. Reading about June was awful, but I could not look away and Kuang is so talented that she occasionally had me rooting for her? Her relationship with Athena was so cleverly written and by the end I was still questioning everything June told the reader about them both. I liked that there was no hero in this story, that we're just left with this grey area of uncertainty; we know exactly who was wrong in this book, but we also don't have anyone in the right. Overall, this was a fantastic novel. If you're even remotely interested in the plot, pick it up because it will blow you away.

4. Orange: The Complete Collection, Volume 1 by Ichigo Takano ★★★★★

I've been hearing about this YA sci-fi/contemporary manga for years now and I thought it was about time that I finally picked it up. On the day that Naho begins 11th grade, she receives a letter from herself ten years in the future. At first, she writes it off as a prank, but as the letter’s predictions come true one by one, Naho realizes that the letter might be the real deal. Her future self tells Naho that a new transfer student, a boy named Kakeru, will soon join her class. The letter begs Naho to watch over him, saying that only Naho can save Kakeru from a terrible future. Who is this mystery boy, and can Naho save him from his destiny? 

Let's start with the premise. I love the idea of changing the past to affect the future, so this book is right up my street and it's fascinating seeing how the future is obviously changing as the book moves along. The main thing I want to talk about though is this group of friends. They are one of the most incredible group of friends I have ever read about; not only are their dynamics realistic and funny, they are so kind to one another and seeing them all stick up for each other was heartwarming. I love that they pull Kakeru into the group and he fits in seemlessly with them. I also loved the dynamics between Naho and the other girls; they stick up for her all the time. Naho is such a sweet person too. She cares about everyone around her so much. My only frustration is when she still refused to do what the letter said sometimes, even though she knew it would help. I do get it though, she's 16 after all. Also, Suwa is probably the most kind and incredible person in this manga. The fact that his future self wants to change what happened despite what he has is unbelievably selfless.

This book deals with a lot of heavy topics including suicide and the death of a parent; however, it also handles the difficult topics so well. Kakeru's struggles are clearly so huge and it's so lovely to see this group of friends rally around him to help. This is a very character-focused story and I recommend it to anyone that enjoys a contemporary manga with a twist. It's heartwarming, will probably make you cry, and will definitely make you want to pick up the next volume.

5. Orange: The Complete Collection, Volume 2 by Ichigo Takano ★★★★.5

Naturally, I picked up the next volume pretty much immediately. I'm not going to talk about this much because I don't want to spoil anything for those that haven't read the first one. This volume directly follows the previous book and handles many of the same topics. I loved the Sports Day aspect and how everything comes together in the end. This series was far more heartwarming than I expected it to be and I'm so happy about that. A beautiful manga series that I'd recommend to anyone.

6. Orange: Future by Ichigo Takano ★★★

So, this is technically the next volume in the Orange manga series, however, the last volume concluded the overall story. This is more of an additional story in the same world following some of the same characters. While I still liked seeing those characters, I don't feel like this manga really added anything to the original story and it just didn't feel that necessary. Personally, I won't be reading any further, but I will read other works by this artist/author.

7. Five Survive by Holly Jackson ★★

Earlier this year I finished Holly Jackson's A Good Girl's Guide to Murder series and mostly enjoyed it; so, I decided to pick up her latest YA thriller release. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed in this one. In this book, eighteen-year-old Red and her friends are on a road trip in an RV, heading to the beach for Spring Break. It’s a long drive but spirits are high. Until the RV breaks down in the middle of nowhere. There’s no mobile phone reception and nobody around to help. And as the wheels are shot out, one by one, the friends realise that this is no accident. There’s a sniper out there in the dark watching them and he knows exactly who they are. One of the group has a secret that the sniper is willing to kill for.

The premise of this is great: eight hours, six friends, one sniper. I liked the build of tension and how quick to read this was. I also really liked Red as a character and her jumping thoughts. However, this definitely requires you to suspend your disbelief a lot and, if you're able to get past that, we also then have a group of friends that we don't really get to know well enough to care too much about the reveals. I spent the entire book just despising Oliver. He is the worst human being I've ever had the misfortune to read about with not one likeable quality. We also don't get to see enough of him beforehand which means I'm sat wondering why this group of people ever made friends with him/dated him to being with? Because of my focus on Oliver, I kind of cared less about the actual whodunnit. And once we found out what the situation was, I was pretty disappointed by it. Even Oliver's secret was kind of more interesting. It's a trope I don't like in many books and it all felt either unrealistic or plain weird. The romance was also very wedged in once the situation was revealed and didn't feel necessary. I did like that it tied multiple mysteries together at the end and I also loved that certain characters got their comeuppance too. Overall, this was a fine YA thriller. I think if it's one of your first thrillers, you'll probably enjoy it more.

8. The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons ★★★★★

I've owned this book for a long time and I'd heard so many good things about it. I'm very happy to say I wasn't disappointed and ended up giving this book 5 stars. This is the first book in an adult, epic, political fantasy series following Kihrin, who grew up on tales of long-lost princes and grand quests - despite being raised in a brothel, making money as a musician and street thief. One day he overreaches by targeting an absent noble's mansion, hunting for jewels. There he witnesses a prince performing a terrifying dark-magic ritual. Kihrin flees but he's marked by a demon and his life will never be the same again. That night also leads to him being claimed as a lost son of that prince's royal house. But far from living the dream, Kihrin finds himself practically a prisoner, at the mercy of his new family's power plays and ambitions. He must also discover why his murderous father finds Kihrin more valuable alive than dead. Soon Kihrin attempts to escape his relative's dangerous schemes, but finds himself in far deeper waters. Kihrin also discovers the old tales lied about many things: dragons, demons, gods, prophecies, true love - and the hero always winning. But maybe Kihrin isn't fated to save the empire. He's destined to destroy it. 

Firstly, I really loved how this story was told. The alternating perspectives of Talon and Kihrin was incredibly intriguing and the past and distant past we got to see cleverly revealed the story. It was just so well written. I was constantly wanting to read just one more chapter to see where the characters were. There were a few time jumps where people effectively montaged themselves into getting better at a skill, but I wasn't too disappointed by that since it worked with the way the story was being told. I liked Kihrin as a character, although I felt like he occasionally went from meek to cocky in a matter of seconds in places at the start. I loved Tyentso, Khaemezra, and Ola; they were brilliantly written female characters; all very complex and different from one another. I also enjoyed reading about the villains; they were brutal and their ambition and motives weren't just two-dimensional.

However, I was, and still am, confused by a few things that happened throughout: the prophecies, the meaning of the rings, what Surdyeh had to do with everything, etc. There are a lot of character names thrown around - both living and dead. And then we have the added complexity that people can both come back from the dead, and also swap bodies with others. Combining those things had me very confused at times and I'm still not 100% sure of the family tree or the motives of some of the older returned characters. Don't get me wrong, I know this is a longer series so things will get explained later, and the author definitely did their best to provide some answers in this one, but I wish I could have more to figure out who was who a lot of the time. Overall, this was a very solid start to a cleverly written political fantasy and I'm excited to continue the series!

9. The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis ★★★

I was uncertain whether or not I would enjoy this book. It's a YA Dytopian/Historical Fiction book, but it's also a western and I find them quite hit and miss. In this story, we follow: Aster, Violet, Tansy, Mallow, and Clementine. They weres sold as children to the Welcome House and branded by cursed markings. Trapped in a life they never would have chosen. When Aster's sister Clementine accidentally murders a man, the girls risk a dangerous escape and harrowing journey to find freedom, justice, and revenge - in a country that wants them to have none of those things. Pursued by the land's most vicious and powerful forces - both living and dead - their only hope lies in a bedtime story passed from one girl to another, a story that only the youngest or most desperate would ever believe. It's going to take more than luck for them all to survive.

Firstly, the writing was pretty good; I loved the diversity and topics this book covered including PTSD and anxiety. The characters themselves were so unique and three-dimensional. I loved the complexity around Violet, espeically when she seems to just be a typical mean girl bully and her turnaround from that. Zee was interesting, but I wish we'd seen more conversations between him and Aster before the instalove with Clementine. Clementine was also probably the weakest character purely because it felt like Aster overshadowed her personality all the time. I did also find it an odd choice that Clementine was the first point of view we see, but then the rest of the book is from Aster's perspective - it just felt like an odd choice and confused me to begin with. 

The plot was quite weak in comparison to the characters themselves. It was just a lot of travelling and escaping with not much in between. The pacing also didn't help this, with some moments feeling like they dragged, but then other sections flew by when I wanted more detail (like the final 20 pages!). It also just felt quite predictable to me; every 'betrayal' was pretty obvious from the start and nothing particularly shocking happened, but that might just be a me thing. I did really like the concept of the book though and the 'magic' was very clever - the Raveners, the tattoos, the spirits - I thought these were really well imagined and executed. There were definitely a few things I was hoping we'd get more explanation about though (like the whole shadow situation). Overall, an interesting debut; I probably won't continue the series personally, but it wasn't a bad book by any means.

10. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon ★★★

This book has been sitting on my TBR for years and everyone has always highly recommended it. While the book was good I don't really feel like it was for me, sadly. This is a hybrid of genres: historical fiction, romance, and a mystery. Set in Barcelona, 1945: A city slowly heals in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, and Daniel, an antiquarian book dealer’s son who mourns the loss of his mother, finds solace in a mysterious book entitled The Shadow of the Wind, by one Julián Carax. But when he sets out to find the author’s other works, he makes a shocking discovery: someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book Carax has written. In fact, Daniel may have the last of Carax’s books in existence. Soon Daniel’s seemingly innocent quest opens a door into one of Barcelona’s darkest secrets - an epic story of murder, madness, and doomed love.

As I said above, I don't feel like this story was for me; I definitely didn't dislike it, but nor did I love it. To be honest, I mostly felt indifferent throughout the reading experience. Let's start with with the things I enjoyed though. The writing was beautifully written and translated. I can completely see why people fall in love with the story; it's so quotable and cleverly put together. All of the characters were very complex and flawed; I particularly loved Fermin and his friendship with Daniel. Daniel himself was an interesting character, but I felt like he didn't have much agency in the story since it was often told to him by other characters. I will say, I found it quite difficult to keep track of the multitude of characters to begin with, so some of the background story went over my head until I went back and re-read it too. The background mystery was heartbreaking to discover, but also wrapped up so beautifully that I have no complaints about that. Overall, it was an interesting book. I think I just read this at the wrong time for me.

11. No Plot? No Problem! by Chris Baty ★★★★★

Chris Baty is the creator of NaNoWriMo - something I discovered in 2007 and adored. I participated about 10 times, but I've only won a couple of times. Have you heard of NaNoWriMo before? If not, it stands for National Novel Writing Month and it's where writers are challenged to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 day (November). This book is a non-fiction filled with anecdotes and advice for anyone wanting to participate in the event. In all honesty, I wish I'd had this book 20 years ago, but I'm incredibly happy I've read it now.

Baty's writing is humourous and made me laugh multiple times. His advice is down-to-earth, relatable, and easy to put into practice. It's also filled with motival quotes and advice from previous NaNo winners that I found very inspiring. Reading this made me want to start writing again imediately (although I might wait for Camp NaNo in July!). It's such a short book that there's not too much more to say; if you're an aspiring writer, have every wanted to take part in NaNo, or just need a boost of inspiration for your creativity, then definitely pick this book up.

12. Pokemon Adventures, Volume 9 by Kusaka & Mato ★★★★

Pokemon Adventures is one of my favourite series from my childhood and the first manga I ever read. I adored Red and Blue's darker story that was more based on the game than the show. This is Volume 9 in that series and primarily follows Silver & Gold and their adventures in Johto (again following the game more than the show).

In all honesty, I didn't have high hopes for this one because I enjoyed Yellow's storyline less than the originals and I thought it would be the same for Silver & Gold. However, I was pleasantly surprised that I loved this one. Gold and Silver's relationship is not what I expected at all and I loved seeing it progress over the course of this volume. It was great seeing more pokemon and the team that Gold has evolve and change. I also really loved that Red's storyline came back and we got to see the Gym Leader challenges. The manga really expands upon the world and I think anyone that enjoys pokemon in any way would love this series. Pick it up and give it a try, but be prepared for a darker pokemon plot than any you've seen before!

13. Pokemon Adventures, Volume 10 by Kusaka & Mato ★★

After enjoying the last volume so much I decided to just continue on with the series. Sadly, this was nowhere near as good as the previous volume for me. This one introduced Crystal as a character and I absolutely loved her. She was so bad-ass and I loved that she was an expert Pokemon catcher. However, the major downside to this volume was the sheer amount of Suicune battles. There was about 5 or 6? And it was just the same thing over and over again. It really felt like a filler manga. I was also disappointed we didn't see anything from any other characters. I imagine they'll all tie together in the long run, but for now, this volume just fell flat for me and was a bit boring. I'll definitely be continuing the series though!

14. Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo ★★★★

I picked this up on a whim after seeing it recommended by a couple of people. It's a short, historical fiction novella set in South Korea. To be honest, I'm just going to leave the Goodreads synopsis here because I tihnk it really does justice in describing the book: Kim Jiyoung is a girl born to a mother whose in-laws wanted a boy. Kim Jiyoung is a sister made to share a room while her brother gets one of his own. Kim Jiyoung is a female preyed upon by male teachers at school. Kim Jiyoung is a daughter whose father blames her when she is harassed late at night. Kim Jiyoung is a good student who doesn't get put forward for internships. Kim Jiyoung is a model employee but gets overlooked for promotion. Kim Jiyoung is a wife who gives up her career and independence for a life of domesticity. Kim Jiyoung has started acting strangely. Kim Jiyoung is depressed. Kim Jiyoung is mad. Kim Jiyoung is her own woman. Kim Jiyoung is every woman.

This was a difficult read in terms of subject matter. Seeing the oppression and expectations that women are facing (while society tells them they are equals), is heartbreaking. I also didn't realise how prevalent some of these views were in the 80s and 90s in South Korea - it was fascinating to see both the cultural differences and also some of the similarities. It's awful that women have to give up their careers to be a mother, and seeing the hiring practices and the way they isolate women was hard. I also didn't realise how much people in South Korea were pressured into wanting/having a boy rather than a girl. Despite this being a historical fiction, it reads like a non-fiction, with facts about the country added to the story about Kim Jiyoung's life. Personally, I really loved this style of writing, but I can understand that some people might find it a bit jarring. I don't want to say too much more with this being a short novella, but I really loved this book and I think it's a very important read for anyone to pick up to understand how women are made to feel in modern society.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And those are all the books I read in June! Fingers crossed for a more successful July for me (especially with work). Let me know if you've read any of these books and what you thought of them.