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The Perfect Neighbour by Susanna Beard

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I read this in the height of my thriller obsession and even though the book kept me reading and guessing I was not as obsessed with this one as the others. The book read with a really easy flow, and I really enjoyed Beard’s writing style. You can tell that the author loved writing this book and put a lot of work into the research behind some of the themes of this book.

“Falling in love, a first kiss, the late teenage years, full of possibilities. I miss my family, my mama, my papa, my little sister, my lovely cousin Elena. The joy of a hug. Human contact. The anguish is a twist in my chest, a rock in my belly.” 

When Beth moves into a house she just wants to fit into this perfect neighbourhood; she wants a new group of friends, a new job and she desperately wants to become friends with her new neighbour Oksana. However, when she runs into her garden one day after her runaway dog, she sees a girls face in the window. With a sign baring two words. HELP ME. Beth quickly wants to discover who this girl is and figure out what is going on in this quiet neighbourhood. 

Starting with my favourite part of this book which was the dual perspective. I loved seeing both sides of the story through the different situations in the book. It also always left you on a cliff hanger and wanting more from the story. It was an element you do not often get in thriller books but one I really enjoyed. 

“If you have hope, every small disappointment, every single, tiny failure builds and grows into a huge mass until your mind can’t deal with it anymore and you go mad.”

The story started off strong but once it got to the middle it really started to go slowly. By the end I was just waiting for the ending, and I knew exactly what was going to happen. I was happy with the ending, but it was predictable, and I was waiting for the shock factor just a little bit. I wanted to be left on the edge of my seat, but I did not find that in the end. 

The focus on the real-world issues was really heart-breaking to read about since it is something that does not get as much attention as it should in the media. Human trafficking is an issue that should be addressed more and seeing Sofia’s despair throughout the book was really hard to read about. Susanna Beard has clearly done her research surrounding the topic and it feels authentic in the book. 

This book was a page turned which is ultimately why I ended up giving it three stars however I just wanted more twists and turns for a thriller. I would be interested in reading her future works and I really respect the work and research that went in this book. 

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

Flower Crowns and Fearsome Things by Amanda Lovelace

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I read a few of Amanda Lovelaces books before I picked up this one. However, I felt like this one did not sit with me as much as the other collections did. I felt like I had read it all before during different feminist poetry collections. Despite really looking forward to this one due to it having mythology references I did not enjoy it half as much. The mythology aspect was definitely my favourite aspect of this book. 

“Never once has she felt as if she’s interesting enough to be the daring heroine of her own story, & she’s oddly okay with that. —she likes being nobody.”

Flower Crowns and Fearsome Things is Amanda Lovelaces delve into poetry through mythology and folktale inspired poems. Whilst this was a little shorter than Lovelaces previous collections it did not feel too different to me in size and there was still plenty of poems to enjoy and read. 

My favourite aspect of this poetry collection was the fact it focused on mythology specifically Persephone, goddess of spring and the underworld. One of my favourite people from the Greek myths and I was so excited to see how she brought her across in the style of poetry. The symbolism with the flowers portrayed Persephone so well and by bringing in more masculine aspects just perfectly portrayed Persephone as the strong, independent woman that she is. It showed women as strong, powerful, fierce and formidable which was my favourite aspect throughout. 

“Being friends with girls isn’t TOO MUCH DRAMA, but you know what is? Constantly trying to burn your sisters…at the stake out of pettiness & resentment when you could just support them instead…”

Lovelace brings across difficult aspects of life and makes you realise that you are not alone in these feelings. However, I feel as though this was portrayed better within previous works. There were certain quotes that really resigned with me throughout but only a few stuck with me once the collection had ended. I just did not feel absorbed by the writing as I had previously, and I felt as though this was more like quotes, I would see on Instagram rather than an actual poem collection. 

Overall, I would go back to Amanda Lovelaces works however this one didn’t hit home with me. I ended up rating the book a two and a half stars. I loved the myth retelling but that was where my love of this book extended too. Hopefully the next Lovelace book I pick up I will love just as much as I loved her previous works. 

Love In The Time Of Serial Killers by Alicia Thompson

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This book was made for me. I am the girl obsessed with true crime always suspecting people of crimes that I know they haven’t committed. And I felt all of this reflected in this book. Alicia Thompson writes such a funny and loving book about a girl who is obsessed with serial killers but still finds love along the way and I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next. This book was one of my favourite kinds of romcoms; easy to read and funny in all the right places. Also how cute is the cover!

“It made me dream, for one night at least, of something I hadn’t even dared to as a young girl lying in this same bed— that all the pink heart valentine, sappy love song stuff might be real, and be something I could have.” 

Phoebe has just moved back home after her dad’s death in order to clean out his house whilst also trying to finish her dissertation on serial killers. However, when her new neighbour starts behaving suspiciously, she starts to suspect him of being a serial killer. But as she gets to know Sam, she starts to find herself feeling more than she has in a long time. As she starts to spend more time with her brother, old friends and Sam she begins to realise how much she suspects the worst and maybe something she finds much scarier is love. 

I loved the characters in this book. Phoebe is so prickly and sarcastic; she has a wall up and its going to take a lot to bring it down. Seeing her overcome these issues within this book was so interesting and seeing her interactions with Sam was adorable. Also, her writing her dissertation was so relatable to me at the moment as I am doing my masters, so I loved reading this aspect. Sam was the gender-reversed version of the girl next door. He was sweet, loving and you just wanted to know him in real life. Of course, her brother and his girlfriend were also just the cutest.

My main love of this book was the referencing to pop culture as well as true crime cases that were familiar to me. I did wish that it references how the true crime community can be harmful when taken to the extreme but other than that I loved the references. It showed that the author clearly had an interest in this topic, and I feel as a reader that I really enjoyed reading about it. 

“True crime is especially interesting, because it tends to reflect and shape our cultural attitudes toward crime in general.”

The writing style, the themes and the setting of this book was super enjoyable to me. I was worried that this book sounded too good to be true and I am so glad I loved it as much as I did. My favourite bit was definitely when Phoebe suspected Sam of being a serial killer in the beginning. The relationship aspect of this book was definitely a lot more than the romance which I really enjoyed. It was about Phoebes relationships with the people around her which was really refreshing to see rather than a pure focus on the romance. 

This book was just really fun and sweet. I gave it a four stars and it could even be a four and a half stars because I just had such an enjoyable time reading it. I wish there were more books that contained a romance as well as true crime aspects because I just loved the cross over! I would definitely read more of this authors work in the future and I hope she brings out more like this. 

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book for review!

Crave by Tracy Wolff Review

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I don’t know how I transported myself back to 2010 with my Twilight vampire phase yet here we are again. When I got confirmed for the arc of Crave by Tracy Wolff, I was skeptical. I haven’t read a vampire novel since I finished the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead and I never thought I would re-enter that part of my life. But here we are.

I ate this book up. Crave was the biggest guilty pleasure book I have ever read. It had your typical clumsy high school girl meets a tall, handsome vampire who she thinks will never be interested in her. Throw in a gorgeous, funny best friend who brings together the love triangle and there you have it. This book.

After Grace’s parents are killed in an accident, she is sent to her uncles boarding school, Katmere Academy, where she immediately notices everything is not quite as it initially seems. As she becomes the only human in a school full of vampires, witches and shape shifters her life is immediately put in danger. Especially since more than one of them are trying to kill her. When Jackson Vega, a mysterious vampire, begins to show a special interest in her Grace must figure out where she belongs in this world full of paranormal creatures.

What I loved the most about this book is how it knew how cliché it sounded yet just went with it. It makes fun of itself which had me laughing on more than one occasion because unlike other cliché vampire books (Twilight) it does not take itself too seriously. It makes references to how she did not want to be the typical boring girl who falls for the dangerous guy or how she is constantly having near death experiences.

Fanart by @whimsicalillustration

The romance kept me wanting more the entire book. Grace and Jackson had a great chemistry that works despite the book only taking place over the space of a week. Even Grace acknowledges this constantly holding her own by saying that she does not want to be one of ‘them’ girls. The back and forward of the two texting each other dad jokes was the most hilarious and romantic part of this relationship. It is easy to tell why Grace falls for Jackson; his use of dad jokes and love of 90’s music makes him a perfect guy.

The only thing that let this book down for me was the world building. I feel like a lot of the characters were there just to support Jackson and Grace’s romance and I would love to see more from the shape-shifters in the second book because I found them so interesting but they were not in this instalment as much as I thought they might be. I feel as though a lot of the information about the creatures; the rules, the backgrounds and the powers were rushed and did not give as much depth as it needed.

I gave this book 3.5 stars purely because of the world building and the cliché moments that just reminded me a little too much of my twilight days, however, I will be getting the next one because this is going to be a series and I could not be more excited. I have also heard that Universal has bought the film rights for this book and I can not wait to see how the movie comes out (and who they’re going to cast as Jaxon Vega!).

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Entangled Teens for letting me read this Arc!

Books Series I Need to Finish Part Two

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This is part two of the book series I need to finish that I really want to get to! I posted part one on my blog yesterday so if you have not read that one, yet you should go check it out! I’m going to get right on with today’s post so enjoy!

Monsters of Verity by V. E. Schwab

This was a lockdown read for me last year. It’s a duology which features This Savage Song and Our Dark Duet. I loved the first book. I thought the entire world building and the characters were perfect. The fine line between good and bad as well as the monsters within the world were written amazingly. I can not wait to get to the second book this year!

This book follows a young man and woman and their decision to be good or bad. Both of them heirs to a war-torn city; Kate who wants to be just as ruthless as her father and August a monster who wants to be as good as his human father. When August is offered a chance to protect Kate with his weapon of music, he jumps at the chance but when they are both nearly assassinated, they must decide where their loyalties lie.

Monstress by Marjorie M. Liu

Monstress is a graphic novel series with breath-taking artwork and a dark, in-depth story. I have read the first two and I am really looking forward to diving into the story more although I always put off buying graphic novels. The characters are ones that you hate to love apart from the little cinnamon roll Kippa.

This is set in Asia with a teen girl who is struggling with the repercussions of war and is somehow connected to a monstrous being. But this connection causes consequences with both humans and monsters alike who are hunting them through the world.

Nevernight Chronicles by Jay Kristoff

Another lockdown book series that I started last year and loved. This series is a trilogy featuring Nevernight, Godsgrave and Darkdawn. I know this is a lot of people’s favourite book series and I can see why. The first book ended up on my favourite books of 2020 list and I already own the second book, so I am really excited to get to the rest of them.

This is about Mia Corvere who is a daughter of an executed traitor who joins a school of assassins in order to get revenge on those that killed her family. She is entered into a competition in order to defeat the rest of the students in challenges to become a Blade of the Lady of Blessed Murder. Alongside her shadow cat Mr Kindly, she must figure out the answers to the tasks and find out who is murdering her fellow students.

The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater

I read the first book in this series a few years ago and I thought it was okay, but I was not as obsessed as everyone else. However, I do want to give the series another try eventually to read all four because I know this is another one of BookTubes favourites. Some of the aspects I enjoyed like the friendship between the boys as well as the setting but for some reason I could not get into it fully.

This is about Blue who when she kisses the love of her life he will die. Every year her and her mother go to the graveyard to see the soon-to-be dead, but Blue has never seen one until a young boy approaches her. Gansey is a student at the privet school near her house who seems to have everything. But the two are drawn to each other and Gansey is on a quest with his raven boys. As their lives become intertwined the two realise more sinister things are going on.

Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples.

This series is a graphic novel series which I read the first book years ago and really enjoyed. I never got around to the rest of the series even though I did love it, but this is mainly because graphic novels are expensive, and I don’t often get to them.

This is about two soldiers from two sides of the war who fall in love. It results in the two having a child and fleeing from the opposing sides who are after them both. Alana and Marko are running from everyone across the galaxy to protect the one thing they love more than each other.

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

I began reading this series as a child and is one of the series that got me into reading. I read most of the series when I was younger, but I ended up falling behind as I grew up and I now have around five unread. Currently I am doing a readathon of the series which I am loving, and I am hoping to finish them all before the end of this year.

This follows a skeleton detective in a world of magic and his sidekick Valkyrie Cain. They both use elemental magic in order to figure out who is trying to end the world. Both must work together in order to defeat a threat from Skulduggerys past who wants to rebuild the world in his image.

Systems Divine by Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell

I read the first book in the series when it came out in 2019 and love it. This series has got two books out so far; Sky Without Stars and Between Burning Worlds and the third book Suns Will Rise is coming out in August this year. I had the sequel pre-ordered and it has been sat on my shelf ever since. I will definitely be getting to the second book before August so I am ready for the third book which I will hopefully read as soon as it released.

This is a Les Misérables retelling which follows three perspectives five hundred years after hope was promised to the planet. It is now ruled by the high class and the poor are left to starve. But the rebels are coming back in the shadows. A thief who will do anything to escape her life agrees to spy on the grandson of the most powerful man. An officer who is being taught to command the governments army. A girl who protects the underground library is brought to the surface after twelve years due to a murder.

The Blood of Stars by Elizabeth Lim

This is another duology featuring the books Spin the Dawn and Unravel the Dusk. Once again, I read the first book in this series during lockdown and loved it. I immediately ordered the second book but for some reason it did not turn up for months and I had gone back to my university address before it arrived. Over Christmas I managed to pick it up, so I am going to read it very, very soon.

Spin the Dawn is a Mulan retelling about a young girl who loves to tailor clothes. However, in their world girls are supposed to marry and have children; not make clothes. Maia decides to take her fathers place when a royal messenger delivers a message about a competition to become the royal tailor. Posed as a boy she risks everything in order to save her family from ruin. But when the challenges get increasingly harder, she realises that achieving her dreams is harder than it seems.

The Witcher by Andrzej Sapkowski

I picked up the first book in this series after watching the Netflix TV show last year. I am obsessed with the TV show; I have watched it three times since it has been released and I really enjoyed the book too. The only reason I have not read the second book yet is that my aunt has my copy of the second book and has not finished with it yet. It is translated from Polish, which is really interesting to see, and I can not wait to get to the rest of this series.

Geralt is a Witcher; a being whose magic has been enhanced. This makes him an excellent assassin, but he targets specific monsters that plague the land. This is a collection of short stories that are set before the official series and this and Sword of Destiny are the books that the first season is based on.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

I have tried to finish this series twice now and I can not get passed the third book. Although I love the first two books and the prequel Assassins Blade for some reason, I can not get into the third. However, I do really want to finish this series and I am planning on trying to read one book a month this year to try and get through it.

I’m sure most people know what this series is about but in case you do not; it follows Celaena Sardothien who is offered her freedom from the horrific salt mines on the condition that she fights for the Crown Prince as his champion. She must compete in a condition to find a new royal assassin against other assassins of the world. But when champions start turning up dead, she realizes something a lot darker is occurring in the palace.

You by Caroline Kepnes

This is another book I picked up after watching the Netflix show like a lot of people. I am obsessed with the TV show and even though I do prefer the TV series I still want to finish the book series. This is written in a really creepy way where it feels like the narrator is watching you instead of the main character.

When Guinevere Beck walks into Joe Goldberg’s bookshop, she does not realise her life is about to change. After he googles her name, he begins to find out everything about her through her social media account. He begins to take control of her through stalking her in order to become her boyfriend. But things get darker when Joe begins to take everything that gets in their way and destroys in.

This is the end of my list of series I need to finish. One of my goals this year is to try and finish some of these series which I know that I will achieve because I am so excited for most of these series! I hope you enjoyed this post, please comment down bellow a series that you need to finish this year! Please follow and I will see in the next post!

Books I Need to Get to in 2021 Part 2

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This is part two to the blog post I put up yesterday telling you about the other ten books I plan on reading in 2021. I don’t really have much else to say so enjoy!

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

This is a debut novel by Chloe Gong that came out in 2020 and I could not be more excited for it. I love retellings, it is a favourite trope of mine especially if they are done well. This book has been receiving so much hype towards the end of the year which makes me so excited to get to this book.

It’s a Romeo and Juliet retelling set in the roaring twenties where a gang leaders’ daughter has been betrayed by the rival gangs’ heir. But when a monster begins killing throughout the city the two heirs must put their issues aside to discover what is destroying their city before it destroys them.

Circe by Madeline Miller

This book was popular a few years back especially on BookTok, so I bought it for my mum for her birthday and then she loved it. She gave it to me, but this is another one that I have never got around too. It is also another book based on Greek mythology which is one of my targets for this year.

Circe is about the daughter of a titan who turns her back on the gods and enters the world of mortals. When Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, she tames wild beasts and meets several of the most famous creatures within Greek mythology. She eventually has to choose between the Gods and the mortals that she has grown to love.

Woven in Moonlight by Isabel Ibañez

This is another book that has become popular more recently. This book has the most gorgeous cover, but I do not know that much about it. I know it surrounds Bolivian politics and is about magic in tapestries. I really want to read this book because of all the amazing reviews I have heard about it.

This follows a girl who is a stand in for a royal but when the prince proposes marriage to the royal, she takes her place. She goes to take revenge for her people who were pushed away by an ancient relic. When the girl takes her place, she finds out the relic is no longer with them and tries to find it in order to regain her people’s lives.

 A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

I tried to read this book about two years ago but never fully got into it. After reading This Savage Song earlier this year I now really want to read more of V. E. Schwab’s writing because I loved that book. I know that this is her most popular series and everyone loves it so hopefully I can finally get around to reading it.

This is about a world where four London’s exist; red, white, grey and black. Kell travels between the London’s as an ambassador smuggling pieces of the different worlds that others will never get to see. After he meets Delilah who robs him before saving him, he takes her to another world for an adventure.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

This book is BookTubes baby. Everyone and their mum read this a few years ago but for some reason I never got myself a copy. I have however read Daisy Jones and the Six which was one of my favourite books a few years ago. I am also obsessed with old Hollywood and the lives of actresses so this one sounds amazing.

This is about Evelyn Hugo, a glamourous actress who is finally ready to tell all about her scandalous life. When she chooses a journalist that no one has heard about the whole community is confused. Evelyn tells about her making her way to LA before deciding to leave show business as well as all about her husbands. They soon realise their lives are intersected together.

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Claire

I have slowly been making my way through Cassandra Claire’s books and this is the next trilogy on my list now. I’ve really been enjoying revisiting these books especially now I am on the books I have not read before. This is the first book in the Dark Artifices trilogy which is set after the events of The Mortal Instruments series.

This picks up five years after the events of City of Heavenly Fire and Emma Carstairs is set on revenge. Alongside her parabati Julian Blackthorn she has got to figure out a demonic plot that is taking over Los Angeles. After a face from the past is returned by the faeries as a peace offering to try and figure out who is killing their kind the everything gets a little more complicated.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Another one of BookTubes babies that I haven’t yet got around to. If anyone is interested in me doing a series reading old popular BookTube books, then let me know in the comments! This was A Clockwork Readers favourite book and I know it is supposed to be amazing. It also has a competition trope as well as an enemy to lovers.

This follows a circus that appears overnight. It is only open to the public at night and it is spectacular. But this is a fierce competition between two of the magicians. However, only one can be the winner but when the two become closer than they should have. Despite this they must continue with the game or the fates will destroy everything.

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

I cannot believe I have not got to this one yet. This one has been living on my shelf since BookswithChloe recommended it years ago. It was huge on BookTube years ago and is one of the most popular duologies out there. The whole plot of the book sounds amazing and I know I am going to love it when I eventually get to it.

This follows Lazlo Strange who is obsessed with the lost city of Weep. When a group decide to go on an expedition to try and find the city, they choose Lazlo to find it. There is so many unanswered questions but also a mystery to figure out. Who is the woman that keeps appearing in Lazlo’s dreams and why does she seem so real?

The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang

Another series that has been raved about this year, but I just really want to try and get to the first book. I tried to start reading the e-book this year, but I could not focus on the story due to it being on my phone. I have since picked up the physical book but have not got to it, so I am excited to finally get to this one this year.

This is another one that I am not quite sure what it is about. I know this is about a war-torn county and a girl is studying to try and get into a school. After she aces all her exams much to the surprise of everyone around her. But being at the school is harder than she realises, and she might lose herself in the process.

Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff

Finally, we have Godsgrave which is the second book in the Nevernight trilogy. I read the first book earlier in 2020 and I loved it. It made my top ten books of 2020 and I can see this becoming one of my favourite trilogies. Jay Kristoff’s writing is so unique especially with the use of footnotes which I know a lot of people don’t like but I personally loved this little extra.

This series follows Mia Corvere and her shadow cat Mr Kindly as she trains to become an assassin as revenge. She travels to join a school of assassins where she has to beat the rest of the students in several tasks to become a Blade of the Lady Blessed Murder. But when people start to be murdered within the keep Mia must figure out who is behind them before it is too late.

They are all the books that I want to get to in 2021. I am not sure how many I will end up getting to but hopefully I will get through over half of the books on this list. Next year I am going to look back on this list and write a post about if I got to these books or not, but I hope you enjoyed. Please leave a comment if you have read any of these books and please follow if you enjoyed!