Read This Quarter II

 What I read this quarter, 2021: Quarter II

April, May & June

1. Winterkeep        audiobook ✦✦✦.5✧

2. Bookish and the Beast       ebook ✦✦✦✦.5

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- - -

3. Northanger Abbey audiobook (classic) ✦✦✦✧✧

4. The World's Most Pointless Animals: Or are they? ebook ✦✦✦✦✧

Re-Read: Graceling (ebook), Importance of Being Ernest (audio)

Data (not including rereads):

Author:

          75 % female,

          25 % male

Genre:

         50 % contemporary romance/romance,

         25 % fantasy,

         25 % non-fiction,

       

Pages:

       1 156 p (+reread x2)

Format:

         50 % audiobooks,

         50 % e-books

Average:

         3.75

Arcs:

          25 % sent to me (for honest reviews)

*For more info check my Goodreads: link*

Read on lovelies,

S

Summer break

Summer Break Post

As usual, I'm having a summer break from blogging. I'm not sure when I'll be back yet, like I mentioned in my previous blog update (link) things are a bit up in the air. 

But I'll be back, and you can always see what I'm reading on my Goodreads page: link.

Read on lovelies,

S

 

What Makes Me Pick Up A Book? TAG

Do you judge a book by its cover?

Yup, you see I often find new books by browsing Goodreads and I might read the synopsis depending on the cover and name

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Focusing just on the cover, what attracts you to pick it up?

Hmm I know I don't like real people on the cover, but other than that I'm not sure! Nice typography?

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Do you read the synopsis first, or prefer to go in without knowing anything about the book?

It depends, but usually I read the synopsis and add it to my TBR and when I go to read it I've often forgotten quite a bit of the synopsis

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Do you have any auto-buy authors – authors whose books you will always buy, even without knowing anything about them?

Some I think? First ones that come to mind are Marissa Meyer, Ally Carter, Jennifer Lynn Barnes and Kasie West? Though I still do often read the synopsis

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Are you more likely to pick up a book if it includes specific elements/themes? (e.g. LGBTQ+, mental health rep, disability rep, etc.)

Sure! Though I can't think of anything other than definitely being a sucker for fairytale retellings

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Do you ever read a book that has generally negative reviews just to form your own opinion of it?

Can't think of a time I did

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Do you ever buy a book just because another book blogger or BookTuber has reviewed it or talked about it a lot?

Not JUST because someone talked about it, but I am definitely influenced by hearing people talk about them

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Is there anyone whose book recommendations you will generally always trust?

I've read the most suggested by Books and Lala, but it's either a big hit or a total miss

Read on lovelies,

S

Across the Green Grass Fields : review

 Across the Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire

SUMMARY

Wayward Children #6

With every other book being a kind of continuation to a previous book, this book is another fresh start book, though I still recommend you read the others!

A young girl discovers a portal to a land filled with centaurs and unicorns in Seanan McGuire's Across the Green Grass Fields, a standalone tale in the Hugo and Nebula Award-wining Wayward Children series.

Goodreads' link to the book!

Release Date: January 12th 2021

- - -

Stars: ✦✦✦.5✧

So as usual, I'll tell 3.5 things I liked about the book and 1.5 thing I didn't care for.

I reviewed the very first book two years ago (link) and have since read the following 5 books which are currently out.

Book #1: Every Heart a Doorway - 4

          #2: Beneath the Sugar Sky - 3

          #3: In an Absent Dream - 3.5

          #4: Down Among the Sticks and Bones - 4.5

          #5: Come Tumbling Down - 4

          #6: Across the Green Grass Fields - 3.5

+1 | The idea and premise of the world. Finding doors to mysterious (sometimes whimsical, sometimes just brutal) lands? Yes please

+1 | Entertainment value. Not my favorite in the series, but still plenty entertaining

+1 | The writing from pace to style, I enjoy it

+/-0.5  | The characters. I don't know why, maybe because it only had new characters, but it just wasn't the same

-1  | This one felt just short, even though it didn't leave me wanting to know more which has been something I've commented about a previous one.

- - -

NOTE:

You can choose to either read the whole series in order or other options for how to read the Wayward series:

#1 is a great starting point about Nancy and the Home for Wayward children, though some others can also work like that

#2 & #5 tell Jack and Jill's story, though I'd recommend reading #1 before them (even though it technically won't go chronologically this way)

#3 tells Rini's story, and acts like a sequel to #1 though can be read on it's own

#4 tells Lundy's story and is sort of like a prequel, so again I'd recommend reading #1

#6 tells Regan's story and can be read on it's own

Read on lovelies,

S

 

20 Questions Book TAG

1) How many books are too many for a series?

Though it really depends two to three books in a series is a sweet spot for me with more than four typically being too much.

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2) How do you feel about cliffhangers?

I don't mind them! Having small cliffhangers at the ends of chapters makes the reading go faster, not wanting to put it down. And books that end in cliffhangers makes me want to read the next one, though if it's a long wait it might get frustrating

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3) Hardbacks or Paperback?

I like and own both, though I do prefer paperback since I find them easier to read (and they are cheaper!)

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4) Favourite Book?

The only answer I can say is Harry Potter. It is sentimental, still loved and got me reading that much more

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5) Least Favourite Book?

That is a hard one! I have a Goodreads shelf for DNF books which currently has 20: link. This is not to say I dislike them all, but that at the moment I don't have plans to read them

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6) Love Triangles, Yes or No?

Let's just say that they need to be written extremely well in order for me to like it!

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7) The Most Recent Book You Couldn’t Finish?

Sorcery and Cecilia, it wasn't bad just not what I wanted at the moment

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8) A Book you are Currently Reading?

At the time of writing this it's The Shadows Between Us, though for updated info you can always check my Goodreads: link

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9) Last Book you Recommended to Someone?

I gifted Tulevaisuuden lukujärjesty to my father so that I guess? Though it might not count since I read the book myself after him

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10) Oldest Book you’ve Read by Publication Date?

Romeo and Juliet 1597

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11) Newest Book you’ve Read by Publication Date?

Winterborne Home for Mayhem and Mystery published March 2nd 2021

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12) Favourite Author?

Not necessarily favorites, but ones I've read the most from:

Barnes (10), Doyle (10), Meyer (10), Parvela (10), West (10),

Christie (11), Rowling (11), Carter (15), Dahl (17)

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13) Buying Books or Borrowing Books?

I do both, but aim to only buy a book if I loved it (meaning I read it first through the library or as an ebook/audiobook)

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14) A Book you Dislike but Everyone seems to Love?

I'm not sure about this one!

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15) Bookmarks or Dog-Ears?

Bookmarks of the small sticky variety

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16) A Book you can always Re-Read?

Harry Potter is one that I can always go back to

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17) Can you Read while Listening to Music?

Nope!

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18) One POV or Multiple?

Both, though too many POV gets hard to remember for me

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19) Do you Read a Book in One Sitting or Over Multiple Days?

Both, really depending on the book and the time I have

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20) Who do you Tag?

Read on lovelies,

S

The Empress of Salt and Fortune : review

 The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo

SUMMARY

The Empress of Salt and Fortune is a tightly and lushly written narrative about empire, storytelling, and the anger of women.

A young royal from the far north is sent south for a political marriage. Alone and sometimes reviled, she has only her servants on her side. This evocative debut chronicles her rise to power through the eyes of her handmaiden, at once feminist high fantasy and a thrilling indictment of monarchy.

Goodreads' link to the book!

Release Date: March 24th 2020

- - -

Stars: ✦✦✦.5✧

So as usual, I'll tell 3.5 things I liked about the book and 1.5 things I didn't care for.

+1 | The idea and the way it is told is clever and intriguing

+1 | The writing and pace

+/- 0.5 | Though I liked the characters and how different they were, I wanted more from them

+/- 0.5 | The way it was made for the reader to make conclusions

+/- 0.5 | The condensedness made me feel like it was lacking something more that it could bring out, which is  confusing because at the same time I really enjoyed how short it was

Read on lovelies,

S

2021 Read This Quarter I

What I read this quarter, 2021: Quarter I

January, February & March

- - -

1. The Empress of Salt and Fortune        REVIEWED ✦✦✦.5✧

2. Across the Green Grass Fields        audiobook REVIEWED ✦✦✦.5✧

3. The Inheritance Games        audiobook  ✦✦✦✦✧

4. Among the Beasts and Briars       audiobook  ✦✦✦✦.5

5. One by One       audiobook  ✦✦✦✦✧

6. Instant Karma       audiobook  ✦✦✦.5✧

- - -

7. Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor        audiobook REVIEWED ✦✦✦✦✦

8. Winterborne Home for Mayhem and Mystery        audiobook REVIEWED ✦✦✦✦✦

9. Tulevaisuuden lukujärjestys       Non-fiction ✦✦✦✦✧

10. Story of your life       ebook, short story ✦✦✦✦✧

11. The Shadows Between Us       audiobook ✦✦✦✦✦

Re-Read: The Wrath and the Dawn

Data (not including rereads):

Author:

          82 % female,

          18 % male

Genre:

         36.4 % fantasy,

         27.3 % realistic fiction,

         9 % crime,
         9 % sci-fi,

         9 % non-fiction,

         9 % romance

Pages:

       3 007 p

Format:

         73 % audiobooks,

         18 % physical books,

         9 % e-books

Average:

         4.18

Arcs:

          9 % sent to me (for honest reviews)

*For more info check my Goodreads: link*

Read on lovelies,

S