I really think I should just change my blog name to "I am only slightly late posting this." I think it would fit the vibe better.
ANYWAYS! I had a really good reading month in January despite being on vacation for the first week of the month. I read a total of 4 books and some were better than others
This was my first read of the year and I am glad it was. I loved this book and I really don't have much to complain about. I loved how character focused this book was and yet it still managed to keep me interested (unlike other books I read this month). I am not sure if there was any overarching plot but this was still a fun read especially for those who love historical fiction!
4/5 Stars
The third installment in the An Ember in the Ashes series. This was my favorite so far. Most of the book felt like it dragged on and it was very focused on character development which usually doesn't bother me but this whole series is very action packed and the slower pace of this installment tripped me up. However, the last 2/3rds of this book had me reeling and screaming into my pillow. And the ending knocked me right off my feet. It is easily one of the best endings I have ever read.
4.5/5 Stars
This is a re-read. This year I am focusing less on reading new books and more on finishing series. I have only read the first 3 books in this series so I felt justified to read it again. I watched the show with my mom and we both loved it and now that the second season is coming out I want to read the entire series PLUS the six of crows duology by the time it comes out in March (This is definitely a long shot I know). I was not expecting to like this book as much as I did. I had read it when I hadn't really developed my reading tastes and loved everything I read. This book is older and I just was expecting it to be an eh book. I loved it, is it the greatest work of literature? No, but I love it.
4/5 Stars
Well, not every book I read this month could be a hit. I don't think I had high expectations going into this but this book severely disappointed me. This is marketed as enemies to lovers but they were kissing by page 120. I thought oh maybe there is some backstabbing and there was but they still maintained feelings? Not only that but this book is too damn long. This book was 505 pages long and didn't get good until the last 100 ish pages. I feel like this book tried to be character driven and it was but to the point to where there was no plot. I was simply reading about people doing stuff.
2/5 Stars
As I mentioned before, this year I am focusing on finishing series and clearing out my TBR so I will be reviewing a lot more sequels and other installations in series. I may also be re-reading some books so that I can finish books that I read in previous years.
Once again, I am sorry for posting late. I will see you guys in my February Mid-month update (no TBR this month, sorry!)
Much love,
June <3
2022 End of the Year Wrap-Up
I am so excited to be back from my hiatus! It was a much needed break and I am happy to announce that I have finished my 3rd semester of college and was able to spend more time with friends and family.
2022 was certainly a year of growth for me. I really grew into my responsibilities and I could not be more proud of myself. Not only was I productive in self care this year but also in reading. My Goodreads reading goal this year was 40 compared to last year’s goal of 29. I was also able to complete my goal this year and read a total of 40 books! This makes me very excited, last year my goal was far less and I wasn’t able to complete it so I am extra proud of the progress I have made. Another goal I had this year was to not re-read as many books and make myself branch out into new territories, I was also able to do that, only re-reading 4 books.
I will not be going in depth for many of these books as I have given reviews for many on Goodreads or they have made it onto this blog already. I'm going to keep my comments on what I read this year brief unless there is something special I want to mention. As always, full thoughts (during and after reading) are on Goodreads, so if you want to know more about what I thought, check there or DM me (here or on Instagram @Jooniens )
(also note before reading, on Goodreads I will round up my scores accordingly hence why you will see a difference in ratings!)
No more waiting, here are all of the books I read in 2022!
The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
I love Hendrix’s work but his other novels definitely outshine this one.
3.5/5 Stars
Gumiho by Kat Cho
A little over dramatic for my taste, an interesting concept though.
3/5 Stars
Scythe by Neal Shusterman (2018 Re-read)
Just reaffirmed my love for this series, full thoughts on Goodreads.
5/5 Stars
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
Fairly unmemorable, I enjoyed reading it.
3/5 Stars
Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
An instant favorite.
5/5 Stars
One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Not my favorite book by this author but enjoyable and memorable.
3/5 Stars
The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philya
An excellent collection of short stories that touched my heart.
4/5 Stars
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
A quick and easy read, not my favorite book by this author.
3/5 Stars
The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins
A surprisingly good read that kept my drives to work interesting.
3.5/5 Stars
Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram
A touching book that sticks with me to this day. A favorite to come out of YA.
4.5/5 Stars
The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson
An excellent and action packed sequel to Mistborn.
4.5/5 Stars
I Kissed Sarah Wheeler by Casey Mcquiston
I think Mcquiston should stick to Adult novels, it doesn't compete with other YA on the market.
2.5/5 Stars
American Panda by Gloria Chao
A cute coming of age story. Enjoyable but not exactly unique.
3.5/5 Stars
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
A very disappointing book for a Pulitzer Prize winner. Full thoughts on Goodreads
2.5/5 Stars
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
A super cute summer read. Not the height of literature but fun to read.
2.5/5 Stars
Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy
Such a fun concept with an unlikable main character.
3/5 Stars
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
The hype got to this one for me but I still loved reading it.
4.5/5 Stars
Palm Beach by Mary Adkins
The Worst of The Year. I hated this book.
1/5 Stars
First Love, Take Two by Sajni Patel
A cute romance book, super formulaic but enjoyable.
3/5 Stars
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
My second Jenny Han book, I liked it a lot more than TSITP.
4/5 Stars
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
A truly excellent novel. One of my favorites of the year.
5/5 Stars
Hot Under His Collar by Andie J. Christopher
A trash romance book, not much else to say.
2/5 Stars
The Grace Year by Kim Ligget
A book that I wasn’t expecting to like nearly as much as I did.
4.5/5 Stars
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
This is THE murder mystery. This sets the standard.
5/5 Stars
Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson
Awful thriller. Like what the hell was this.
1.5/5 Stars
City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
You all know how I feel about these books.
3/5 Stars
Furyborn by Claire Legrand (2020 Re-read)
This was technically a re-read but I remembered nothing about it and I am so thankful for that.
5/5 Stars
Kingsbane by Claire Legrand
A solid sequel but I much prefer the first book.
4/5 Stars
City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
A really good conclusion to the series. I have complaints but y’all know them.
3.5/5 Stars
Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson
This is certainly one of the books of all time. I liked the first one better.
3.5/5 Stars
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
This was a massive book. Not just in terms of size but also in content. An instant classic.
5/5 Stars
House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig
I went into this book with no expectations and it was an okay read.
2.5/5 Stars
The Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
This is another case where the hype really got to me for this book, wish I would have read it earlier.
3/5 Stars
Kill Creek by Scott Thomas
Entertaining and worth the read, especially in October.
4/5 Stars
Flame in the Mist by Renée Adhieh (2nd time re-reading)
My favorite comfort book.
4/5 Stars
Truthwitch by Susan Dennard
Not what I was expecting to read but I absolutely loved this book.
4.5/5
Ink by Amanda Sun
Showed me just how much my reading taste has changed.
1.5/5 stars
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
OMG did I love this book. It instantly became a favorite of all time
5/5 Stars
Serpent and Dove by Shelby Maurin
I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to lovers of enemies to lovers.
3.75/5 Stars
A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir
An amazing sequel, this series is becoming a favorite.
4/5 stars
Now for some re-caps:
My Favorites of 2022:
Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
Furyborn by Claire Legrand
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
My Worst Reads of 2022:
Palm Beach by Mary Adkins
Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson
Ink by Amanda Sun
Hot Under His Collar by Andie J. Christopher
I am so happy to be back doing this blog. I truly missed this and I hope y’all did too. I only have one goal for 2023 and that is to finish all of these series that I started this year. Unfortunately, I won’t be posting a January TBR as I’m currently traveling but I will be bringing back the Mid-Month reading update and will be making one for January.
I’m happy to be back and I can’t wait for the new year.
Much love,
June <3
Hello my reading pals
I can’t believe that it is already November. This year has blown by. I felt like as a child days lasted forever and now it seems like I neve have enough time to do anything.
That doesn’t mean I don’t have time to read of course ;)
As mentioned in my last post, I didn’t get around to reading much in October as I had fallen into a reading slump (which is okay). However, I am feeling far more motivated a week into November (yes sorry this is taking so long to get these posts up) and I want to read a lot more this month. In November I plan on finishing up a few series and getting into sequels so that I can start with some new series in 2023 (that can’t be a real year come on).
It is no shock that I absolutely love Brandon Sanderson. I loved Mistborn when I started it earlier this year and I’ve really wanted to complete the series for the past few months now. I don’t want this story to end at all but I know that I will love this book and it will allow me to dig into other series by Sanderson without feeling guilty
It is definitely ambitious for me to have 2 of Sanderson’s novels on here but that is why it is called a TBR. I loved Way of Kings and if I may be wrong but I think the next Stormlight book comes out in 2023 and if I could catch up with the series it would make me very happy.
You all saw how much I raved about the first two books in this series when I read them yet I have not read the conclusion of the series (this a common theme for me). I’m not sure if it was the length that got to me or the fact that I read the first 2 back to back and just needed a break. Regardless, I want to see how this series ends and I miss these characters so much and there is so much in the first two books that need to be explained.
I read A Good Girls Guide to Murder this year and was absolutely blown away with it. It was truly a phenomenal book. I read the sequel and wasn’t as thrilled with it and I almost put the series down completely. However, after reading some of the reviews and the synopsis for the conclusion I think I want to read it (as soon as I can find a paperback copy).
These are just a few of the series that I am wanting to conclude/continue this month. I need to be better about finishing the series if I like them. I’m sure you have noticed that a lot of these were the final books in a series and that is because when I like something, I don’t want it to end. Yet, I need to make more space for new favorites.
You may have noticed the title and saw that I am going to be doing some schedule changes. I am a college student and finals are coming up very soon so I will be reducing posts to just twice a month. I will be doing a wrap up and a TBR list instead of all of those plus a mid month check in. If at any time you are interested in what I am currently reading check out my Goodreads, I also tend to post fuller reviews there and you get to see my thoughts as I am reading. This is hopefully just a temporary change and I will be back on a normal(ish) schedule in 2023.
Have fun with your fall adventures!
Much Love,
June <3
P.S. If you are in the U.S. and able to vote go do so! Make the change we need to see in this world!
Hello reader babies!
I know, I'm a broken record at this point but this post should have gone up earlier in the week.
In October, I allowed myself to relax a little bit and even fell into *Gasp* a reading slump. I only read 3 books in October and there is nothing to be ashamed of. In the reading community, there is a stigma around reading slumps and after wrapping up the books I read, I'd like to talk about it more.
As stated above, I only read 3 books in October and while I know I could have read more I am happy with the books that I did read.
I don’t really remember a lot about this book and I feel like that says a lot about how I feel. There is a lot of controversy around this book and its politics. I will not be touching on that mostly because I do not know a lot about what is going on and I would like to keep my blog free of these kinds of things. I thought this book was just okay. It really is encompassed by the word “mid”. I feel like the execution could have been better because this is such a cool concept for a book. The romance felt forced and not natural at all and I cared more about the side characters than anything else. At least this book had a cohesive plot and it kept me entertained.
I saw this in a YouTube video posted by gabbyreads and she adored it so I of course had to pick it up (she is the only person I take horror/thriller recommendations from). While I did like this book and the premise there are a couple of things I want to touch on. I liked the characters and there were times that I genuinely felt creeped out when reading this. Not to mention the idea of this story is so freaking cool. I loved the haunted house and how it followed the characters. I loved how this wasn’t just a spooky house and how there were psychological aspects to the horror as well. There are a couple things I didn’t like and that was how Scott Thomas wrote the main female character in this book and how he described fat people. Both came off as very misogynistic and fatphobic.
This was not a new read for me. After I realized that I had fallen into a reading slump I allowed myself to re-read a book which is something that I didn’t want to do this year (we will touch more on that later). I loved this book the first time I read it and I loved it this time around. I don’t really have much to add. I love the world, I love the characters, its quick and action packed, it was a great pick me up when I really needed one
Now let’s talk about reading slumps. These things are straight up demonized in the reading community. I know why that is but at the same time, when you need a break, you need a break, after checking some analytics I realized that I read 10 books in June which is maybe why by July and August I was starting to feel some burn-out. I also felt a little burnt out after reading Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson, it was just a really long book and it took a lot out of my brain. Reading slumps are okay and that is something that I am slowly teaching myself. In my little blurb for Flame in the Mist I mentioned that this year I didn’t want to re-read books. Last year, I re-read quite a few books and I just wanted to be able to expose myself to more authors and genres which I am proud to say that I have done well this year. But re-reading Flame in the Mist was a great idea as it helped push me out of that reading slump because I actually got to enjoy reading for that small time frame, even if it wasn’t an entirely new world.
My fellow reading sapiens, don’t feel bad because you are burnt out. Take your time, no Goodreads reading challenge is going to define whether or not you are a good reader.
Much Love,
June <3
See? I told you that I would post today. I'm actually working on setting up a YouTube reading/writing vlog as I write this. However, in my July Wrap-up, I said what a great month July was for me in the reading scope and it really was, August has a lot in store for me and I can't wait to see how it goes for me. This month I go back to school and I'll have to balance all of that stuff with my job and other fun adult things. Reading will get done and with the line-up, for this month I think it will be hard for me to keep my hands off of these books.
This book is not my typical read at all. I picked it up at a Barnes and Noble and while scrolling through Libby it was available so I guess the universe just wants me to read this book right now. Fresh off of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, this seems like a fun thriller/mystery that will keep me on my toes (not to mention that cover is gorgeous)!
As mentioned in the little blurb right above this, I just finished A Good Girl's Guide to murder and that book entirely swept me off my feet. Needless to say, I am dying to get my hands on that second book and as soon as I get my paycheck this week I know what I am getting. I'm still not entirely sure how the first book leads into a series but at this point, I am so in love with the characters that I am dying to read this book.
So earlier this year I absolutely fell in love with this series. I read Mistborn in late may(?) and it was the first book in a while to make me hardcore sob. I love these characters and I love Brandon Sanderson's writing with all of my heart. I took a little break after reading the second book in this series because I simply don't want this series to end. However, I think now is the time and I am ready to finally close the series and dive into other Sanderson books.
I read Boyfriend Material early in 2020 and I absolutely adored it. It was a SUPER cute and quick read and I've been desperately waiting for this novel to come out since I found out. I am trying to branch out of my fantasy comfort zone this year and so far I am doing excellent. I am wanting to read more thrillers and more romance and while this may thrill me it is more of a romance. Needless to say, I just can't wait to read this on a cool night in August with some tea.
If you saw this title and got excited, don't get too hyped up. I read the first book in this series (Furyborn) a while ago and I'm not sure how much of it I remember (other than I really enjoyed it). While I am dying to finish up this series, I might need to re-read the first novel before I dive into the second book, or at least use Cliffnotes.
While this certainly isn't a concise list of everything I want to read this month, these are the titles I picked out of my TBR list on Goodreads (maybe I should do a total TBR blog/video...we shall see). This list may morph and change as the month goes on and my schedule gets a little more intense, but I have big hopes for this month in regards to reading.
Much Love,
June <3