It’s the end of September so it means autumn is officially here! 🍂 I thought it would be fun to put a compilation of my favourite autumny books so here we go!
What’s more perfect for autumn than some dark academia, mysteries and books about witches? 🍂
This is an experimental comeback to posting my monthly wrap-ups on my blog but please don’t hold me accountable when I inevitably forget about it.
My favourite book this month was A Fate of Wrath & Flame by K.A. Tucker. It is an adult fantasy with romance and it was absolutely amazing! I’m gonna post a more detailed review soon but if you are in the mood for adult fantasy I highly recommend this one!
It has:
Other than A Fate of Wrath & Flame, I would say that Only a Monster surprised me with how different it was from what I was expecting. It isn’t one of my new favourites but it definitely was different from what I was expecting (for instance it had time travel).
I saw this over at PaperFury’s blog (make sure you check it out!), and I thought it would be a fun thing to do – especially since I have not been doing my monthly wrap-ups this year. And what a year it has been! Let’s be honest – this year is a mess with everything happening in the world. To be honest, my reading has not been going well, but here is the wrap-up of my first six months of 2020!
So far I have read 31 books, and I set my goal on Goodreads this year for 50 books (but I’m secretly hoping to get to 75 books).
I think I’ve mostly been reading fantasy, especially Young Adult since it’s my favourite genre. I’ve also read a few contemporaries, and a couple of non-fiction books.
So far my favourite read was the Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh. It’s absolutely amazing, and I can’t believe I haven’t read it sooner! Also, it was quite different from my usual reads, but I really loved – I read it in one sitting, and I immediately ordered the sequel.
Well, the best sequel I’ve read was the sequel to my best book so it was The Rose & the Dagger Renée Ahdieh. There were a few things I’d have changed, but overall I really enjoyed, which is surprising since I don’t usually like sequels in duologies.
I’m really excited to read Aurora Burning, which is a sequel to Aurora Rising. I liked Aurora Rising, even though it’s science fiction which is not a genre I usually enjoy. The other one I want to read is Seasons of the Storm by Elle Cosimano, which is a Jack Frost retelling.
I’m waiting for Majesty, which is the sequel to the American Royals written by Katharine McGee. I didn’t love the first book – some characters annoyed me, and some relationships seemed rather simple. However, I’m really curious to see what happens next! I’m also really excited to read Blood & Honey which is a sequel to Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin. I loved the story of Lou and Reid, and I loved how their relationship developed throughout the book. I can’t wait to see what the author comes up within the sequel.
I think the biggest disappointment for me this year was The Beholder by Anna Bright. It was the first book I’ve read this year so I don’t remember much. I didn’t like the main character who was such a pushover, and then she randomly had a character development without any development? Also, she had too many love affairs – I know it was the point of the book, but she fell in love so quickly.
Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold really surprised me – I was expecting a typical retelling with a girl falling in love with a guy who is a wolf. But it was not the case with this book – it talked about consent, rape and women power, and at the same time it was kind of easy to read. The way of writing (the “you” form) took some time to get used to it, but the book was really surprising and I wasn’t expecting to love it so much.
I have to go with Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin which was a freaking amazing debut. I absolutely loved the dynamic between Lou and Reid, and I really enjoyed the background characters, Ansel and Coco! Everyone is talking about this book, and it deserves all the praise it gets!
I will go with The Babysitters Coven by Kate Williams – I don’t think I have seen a lot of people talk about this book, and it was such an adorable read! And it had a lot of interesting twists, and I really enjoyed this book!
So I have reread the entire Grisha trilogy series and Six of Crows duology, both written by Leigh Bardugo. Leigh Bardugo is my absolute favourite author, and I adore all of the characters in her books, so it was really exciting to go back to Grishaverse.
I might have cried during my reread of Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo for obvious reasons. Basically, my whole reread of Grishaverse was a marathon of crying – it’s just one of my favourite series, and I get emotional OKAY.
The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary was such a fluffy read, and the whole idea of flat-sharing made me happy. I think I was smiling the whole time I was reading this book because Tiffy and Leon are so damn adorable together. Basically, this book is so damn adorable.
I have to go with Crescent City by Sarah J. Maas – it just has the most stunning, shiny cover really. The second place goes to House of Dragons by Jessica Clues.
I want to read the books that have been on my To Be Read shelf forever. I want to finish the Witcher series, and I want to finally read Throne of Glass series.
This year I’ve read “They Both Die At The End” by Adam Silvera, which left me wanting more of his writing. And this one has magic in it, and two brothers getting caught up in a war, which sounds like a recipe for a heart-breaking disaster.
synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34510711-infinity-son
synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45891343-the-upside-of-falling
THIS LOOKS LIKE MY KIND OF ROMANCE. Magic, shadows and seduction – what can a girl want more than a disaster mission to make a king of shadow fell in love with a protagonist. Also, Tricia Levenseller is such a great author (so far I’ve only read Daughter of the Pirate King duology, but I’m excited by her other books).
synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35702241-the-shadows-between-us
synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43721070-red-hood
With my love for A Court of Thorns and Roses series, it is not a big surprise that I cannot wait for Maas’ newest book series. I’m really curious to read about demons and angels from her point of view. After all, I really enjoyed her take on faeries (and her talent for creating swoon-worthy characters).
synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44778083-house-of-earth-and-blood
synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34213299-the-kingdom-of-back
synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46650016-if-i-never-met-you
The first book in the series, Wicked Saints, has left me absolutely shattered and was one of my favourite reads of 2019. I got a serious Leigh Bardugo vibe (and Bardugo is my favourite author ever), which I really loved. The ending of the first book has left me wanting more, so I really cannot wait for this premiere.
synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40126121-ruthless-gods
synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40516960-aurora-burning
Dragons and a group of disaster characters? Count me right in. This is probably one of my most anticipated releases of 2020, even though I haven’t read any of the author’s books before. But, hey, it has dragons inside so it has to be good, right?
synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44603554-house-of-dragons
synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42893340-the-kinder-poison
Okay, so I got Jack Frost vibes from the synopsis. And Winter and Spring falling in love? That sounds amazing and totally different, so I’m really excited to read that.
synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48245147-seasons-of-the-storm
synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48245040-sisters-of-sword-and-song
In 2019 is the year I finally read Jay Kristoff, and it was amazing. I have no doubts that he is going to write an amazing book about vampires (I mean, vampires are making a comeback, right?)
synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43728380-empire-of-the-vampire
Gladiators? Gladiators.
synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41954467-set-fire-to-the-gods
I know, I know – there isn’t an official date just yet, but one can hope, right? Though after watching season 8 of the show, I’m a bit wary about reading this final book in the series.
synopsis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12111823-the-winds-of-winter
I loved all the series I’ve read this year, but my absolute favourite read of this year has to be “All For The Game” series by Nora Sakavic. I made the mistake of reading it at the beginning of the year, which kind of determined the standard for the whole year. But I absolutely loved that series, and I 100% recommend it to everyone.
I actually gave it 4,5 stars, because it was really damn good. We don’t have many books about tribes in Young-Adult, which is a shame. I liked the characters, who were from different tribes, but realise that they are the same despite fighting for centuries – I think it sends a strong message, and additionally, it’s a really good read. I can’t wait for Adrienne’s new book!
The beginning was really good – it pulled me right in, the middle of the book was a little boring, but I guess every book has a boring part? The ending was an absolute mess – I honestly have no idea what happened there, and I couldn’t decipher which characters were on the good side? I’m going to read the second book in the series, just to find out what happens next.
For those of you who don’t know, hygge is a Danish lifestyle involving a lot of happiness and cosiness. I fell in love with the idea when we discussed it during English class, and I bought this book because I wanted to find out more – sadly, the book was very general. The author wrote about general things, like the fact that hygge involves candles. I expected more details and more information.
This book was so damn good. Everything was great – the characters, who were complex and interesting; the plot that was surprising; and I didn’t even mind the dual narration – one was from Nadya point of view, and one was from Malachiasz’s. The only thing that annoyed me throughout the whole book was the similarity to Grisha trilogy by Leigh Bardugo – I could foresee the ending because I’ve read Grishaverse before.
If you like contemporaries, you need to read this book – it stole the first place for my favourite contemporary after the first chapter. Every part of the book was amazing – the main character, Anna, was adorable and relatable; the second character, St. Clair, was a perfect bookish boyfriend; the plot was full of twists which could have been avoided by honesty, but I guess that’s similar to real life.
I had such high expectations for this book, but I was really disappointed. The main character annoyed me, the whole story had nothing to do with ‘Beauty and the Beast’, and the plot was really boring and predictive. I just expected more from this book.
I definitely liked ‘Stalking Jack the Ripper’ more. The beginning of this book was so boring, but the second part was really interesting. What saved my rating of this book, was the characters – the amazing Audrey Rose and the charming Thomas. I just can’t help but love them.
To be honest with you, I would love anything connected to the magical world of ‘Harry Potter’. It doesn’t matter that this book only had 73 pages – for a couple of minutes I took an amazing trip back to my childhood and back to the magic of Hogwarts. I know, I know – I sound like a such a dork, but I can’t help it!
An absolute masterpiece. I loved everything about this book – the characters, the storyline and the rock n’ roll. I can’t even articulate how much I loved this book. Taylor Jenkins Reid managed to convince me that the band really exist, and I just wanted to listen to their songs so much.
I always like to read about Clarkson’s witty and sarcastic approach to life, which for me is also an inside look into life in England (which fascinates me). This one was much better than the previous book of Clarkson’s I read – he has definitely grown up a bit and managed to make me laugh out loud a few times.
I also read a book in Polish by a Polish author, but it’s not available in English so I didn’t include it in my wrap-up. For any Polish readers, I may have, it’s ‘O pisaniu. Na chłodno.’ Remigiusz Mróz.
I usually love retellings, but I have to admit that I didn’t like this one as much. It was very different from what I have already known about Anastasia. I liked the main character – she was everything a main female character should be, and I liked the tsar’s whole family. The love interest really annoyed me, and the plot was boring throughout the whole book, only to have everything culminate at the end of the book.
The beginning of the book was really disappointing – every single scene was really awkward, even for a book about teenagers. As the book progressed, it got more interesting. There aren’t a lot of things to say about this book, other than it’s an easy read. It’s perfect for relaxing, and it can easily be read in one sitting.
It’s a really good conclusion to a series. Usually, the last book in the series is the worse, but I have to admit that ‘Always and Forever, Lara Jean’ kept the level of the previous books. It was predictable but still great to read. We got to see the characters with love grow up and get ready to go to college. Also, I liked seeing Lara Jean’s more crazy side.
It was no doubt my favourite read of the month. An autobiography of the former First Lady of the United States instantly caught my eyes in a bookstore, and it didn’t disappoint me. It was a great insight into both childhood and the adulthood of Michelle Obama, who is definitely one of the most influential people in the world.
I’m not sure how I feel about this book just yet – the beginning was too dull for me. It took three months to finish it, but when I finally decided to read it, I did it in one day. I definitely did not like the beginning, but the rest was so capturing and intriguing. I couldn’t stop thinking about what was Victor planning. Schwab’s writing was incredible, and her idea for this book was uncanny so I can’t wait to read her other works.
Dragons! Any book about dragons automatically has my attention, and ‘The Last Namsara’ was no different. My favourite part of the book (apart from dragons) was Asha. She was fierce and quite frankly terrible, but she was honest, and she wasn’t idealized. And the plot twists – so many times I thought I knew what was going to happen, but every time I was surprised. Also, did I mention all of the dragons?
I was really amazed by the first book, ‘Three Dark Crowns’, but it was enough for me to reach for the second part, which really disappointed me. There was barely any action in this book, even fewer plot twists and intrigues – everything was cumulated at the end of the book. I really struggled to finish it – it took me almost three months. I definitely won’t read the third part. A lot of people say that this series gets better and better with each book, but for me, it got worse.
I’m so disappointed with that book. It wasn’t half as good as ‘The Hate U Give’ was, and I didn’t like the main character. And, to be honest, I’m not a big fan of rap so it was difficult for me to get into the book, into the plot, and into Bri’s motives. I really don’t have anything more to say about ‘On the Come Up’ since it was really bland. While reading this book, I felt nothing, which really surprised me since Angie Thomas’ first book was so emotional.
I don’t think I will ever get bored of rereading that book. I mean, my baby boy Neil finally getting a family, and doing what he loves? Count me in! Also, this time I had more appreciation for Andrew, and now I love him even more than before. Basically, I love all of the Foxes, and I just want to protect them. I think it says a lot about this book if I reread it twice in the span of two months. ‘All For the Game’ series is going to steal your heart, break your heart, and then it’s going to patch you up with bandages, so go and read it right now. You are definitely not going to regret that.
I mean, the title really says it all. But I still was hoping for some twist – I didn’t really expect the author to kill his characters as he said? Anyway, I was prepared for death, and yet I still cried. Mateo and Rufus were so adorable, and mostly I just wanted to give them a hug (or for them to give each other a hug). If you haven’t read this, you definitely need to but get ready for lots of crying.
I have so much fondness for this book since it was the book that got me into reading when I was little. I remember having to read the entire series in one weekend because I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen. Going back to this book, it’s still as amazing as it was when I was twelve. And, quite frankly, every book that manages to make me cry deserves five stars from me.
That book was such a fun read! I love both the book, and the movie – I kind of like how different they are. I like the difference in the details, though after seeing the movie I was a bit disappointed with the ending. Now I can’t wait to read the rest of the series, but it seems that I will have to wait a while for it. Also, now I’m in love with Peter Kavinsky, and that’s a real problem.
As always, the second book wasn’t as good as the first one. For me, this one was more boring than ‘Anne of the Green Gables’. I think I remembered there being more Gilbert and Anne relationship, but I wasn’t disappointed by how their friendship developed throughout the book.
This book is perfect for young kids who are just starting their journey with fantasy – it has a different world, dragons, and magic. For me, it was action-lacking and boring. I think I’m too old for this book – I especially got angry at Esme (who is the main character) at the beginning, when she was just being a problematic kid.
The first part of the book bored me – I was really struggling to continue it, but I have read enough biographies to know how difficult it is to write them. The second half of the book captured me completely, hence the four stars. In the Jimmy Burns made me curious what was going to happen next, even though I knew was going to happen. I recommend this book for anyone who loves football.
I’m torn between giving this book 3 and 4 stars. It didn’t capture my heart, but it was nice to read – a retelling of the little mermaid. It was a decent book, but I was expecting something different – like for example less teenage drama between two princes fighting for a girl. But somehow ‘Sea Witch’ made me want more – I wanted to know what happens next, and that’s really the point of a good book.
That book honestly broke my heart, like all of the books in ‘All For the Game’ series. The ending made me want to cry because Andrew and Neil definitely didn’t deserve that. As I reread this, I realised that writing is not as good as I thought it was. Nonetheless, it’s a five-star read for me because any book that makes me wanna cry and smile at the same time is an incredible piece of literature.
I liked this book a lot, though I didn’t like the slow pace of solving the murder. What I liked the most was the complexity of the characters – Audrey Rose who was both girly and brilliant, Thomas Cresswell who probably the most confusing character I have ever read, and finally Jack the Ripper, but I’m not going to say anything about him because I don’t want to spoil the book for anyone.
I had no idea that superheroes could be as boring as they were in this book. There were too many details, too many characters for a reader to keep up with them. I wanted to find out more about the Avengers, but after reading this book I’m just more confused. I wouldn’t recommend it unless you are an ultimate fan who has already read the comics.
Technically, this book deserves 4,5 stars from me. I loved it so much, but in the end, there were parts when I was like ‘What? Why?’. But the writing was really, really good – it was both descriptive, and interesting. I even liked Diana, and Matthew, which is surprising because I almost never like the main character. I recommend both the book and the tv show.
In Poland, this book was divided into two, which really annoyed me. In my opinion, the second part of ‘Fire and Blood’ was much more boring than the first part. I thought that the part about Dance of Dragons would be interesting, but it really wasn’t. Overall, I’m really disappointed with both ‘Fire and Blood’ books.
Hello, beautiful people! February is already over (how the time passes by), so it’s time for another wrap-up. This month was an amazing reading month for me, because all of my exams were over, and because at the beginning of the new university semester there isn’t much to do. I managed to read eleven books, and I started another four, which is a really good score for me.
I feel a little bit like I’m giving stars for the movie, rather than the screenplay. As much as I love the Harry Potter universe, reading screenplays is just not for me. What made reading it a bit easier, was the fact that I have already seen the movie and I could imagine the scenarios in which the scenes were written. I gave it four stars mostly because it’s ‘Harry Potter’ – it’s like coming home after a long break.
In Poland, this book was divided into two, which really annoyed me. ‘Fire and Blood’ is about the history of Targaryen’s – one of the main houses in ‘Game of Thrones’ series. I liked going back to Westeros and learning a bit more about its history. What I didn’t like though was the number of difficult names and details which were unnecessary for the story. I think this book came out too early, definitely too early to be a ‘Similarion’.
I’m so in love with this book, and I’m not just saying that because it had fae in it. It really is incredible – the plot is remarkable, the characters have an amazing development and are badass, and the world-building is just so good. Nora is such a good heroine, she is sassy and funny. The fae is just breath-taking, and so is the entire book. Just read it. It’s going to take over your life, but it’s totally worth it.
I read that book, and then I saw the movie – the movie is horrible compared to this book. ‘Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda’ is just perfect for a cosy, Saturday afternoon spends in the bed with a book. It is just a cosy read, about friendship and coming out. Simon is a total cinnamon roll, and in general, this book is worth reading. It’s not going to take over your life, but I can guarantee that it’s going to make you smile for an entire afternoon.
So I might have reread this series in one weekend, but oh well – I have no self-control when it comes to good because about mythology, especially if they were written by Rick Riordan, who is probably the funniest author I have ever read. ‘The Kane Chronicles’ are full of jokes, sibling squabbles and Egyptian gods, so if you are a mythology freak you should totally read it. Or if you are a fan of good books. Either one works.
The beginning of the book dragged on unmercifully – I was really bored for the most part of the book. I was listening to an audiobook, but it felt like some part of the book was missing – like an author skipped an important part of the book, like it was cut out. What I liked the most was the sibling love between Izzy and Tommy, and instant friendship between Finn and Tommy. Also, I liked the small town vibe – it’s a very good background for a murder. Basically, I think I could have liked this book if I was younger if the beginning wasn’t so dull, and if I read it in print.
That book is so good, as is anything written by Leigh Bardugo. I’m so glad I got to read about all of my favourite characters again – Nikolai, Nina, Zoya are just the best characters ever, and they are so confident. The only reason I didn’t give ‘King of Scars’ five stars is a certain situation on a Fold, but I won’t say more since I don’t want to spoil the book for anyone. The book is definitely worth reading, and I loved it.
I’m not sure how I feel about this book if I’m being honest. It was definitely something different from what I have read. I wasn’t expecting it to be so brutal, and low-key I was expecting the king to turn out to be a nice guy. It made me think a little bit of ‘Grace and Fury’, but ‘Girls of Paper and Fire’ were much better. I liked the world-building, the characters (Wren is such a badass), and the love story. It’s high time we got a book set in another realm that had such an amazing relationship between two girls. Yet, I don’t feel fully satisfied with this book, but I don’t really know why.
I loved returning to FRIENDS, especially in the book form. The book was full of interesting tidbits, and facts about the cast of the tv show. What I didn’t like was the amount of space the author dedicated to sexism and another social issue that apparently took place in the FRIENDS – I know these are important topics, but I fell that discussing that is like missing the point of what that tv show is. FRIENDS were supposed to be a soft, funny tv show made strictly for entertainment, and that’s also what I wanted that book to be. Sadly, it was something else.
