Monday Reading Update #20

It’s been a while since I last did a reading update! And as it turns out, when I’m procrastinating something I desperately need to do, I turn to blogging, rather than actually doing the thing that I need to do. So here we go!

Two books I have finished recently:

Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong
The sequel to These Violent Delights was just as good as the first book in the duology, although it took me a hot minute to really get into the story. I simply adore the characters, as well as Chloe Gong’s writing. This is a brilliant retelling of Romeo & Juliet, and most of the plot twists still managed to take me by surprise! 100% would recommend I’m really looking forward to reading Foul Lady Fortune when it gets released (in November I believe).

The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows by Olivia Waite
Sapphic historical romance was a thing I didn’t know I needed in my life, but I’m glad I gave it a try. This one was just as good as The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics, the first book in the series. It has pining, friendship turned to romance, as well as feminist issues, and I’m now fairly certain than this series seserves more readers.

Two books I’m currently reading:

The Silvered Serpents by Roshani Chokshi
After years of waiting for absolutely no reason, I finally picked up the sequel to The Gilded Wolves, which I think I read back in 2019 and had absolutely adored. It’s a steampunk series with a heist, set in 19th century Paris, and featuring some magical secret societies all round Europe. I’m about a third through this one, and I’m delighted to be back in this universe.

Summerwater by Sarah Moss
It’s been raining for most of the weekend, so it felt like the perfect vibe to check out this book, which is set on a rainy day in Scotland, in the middle of Summer. While it’s pouring outside, several families observe each other through their windows, and each chapter follows a different protagonist. So far, it’s a rather atmospherical read, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what this will lead us to.

What I’d like to read next:

This Coven Won’t Break by Isabel Sterling
I bought this one last month, as I finally found a paperback edition to match the first book in the series, and I’m really looking forward to reading it. I loved the first book, and I could do with more sapphic witches this pride month!

And that’s it for today! Thank you so much for reading this far, and I hope you have a wonderful reading week!

It’s Monday What Am I Reading?

I haven’t done one of these in a while, but as I sual, I’ve been reading quite a few interesting books, and I wanted to share a bit more about them!

I just finished reading:

The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite
After finishing Count Your Lucky Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur, I was in the mood for reading another sapphic romance, and picked up this one since it had been on my TBR for quite some time. This one is a historical fiction that deals a lot with the place of women in science and art, which is why I wanted to read it (in addition with the fact that I needed a bit of fancy dresses and romance in my life). I really enjoyed the audiobook, and ended up giving the book 4 stars.

Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales
This is another book I was really curious about. It’s a queer (M/M) modern retelling of Grease and I loved it to pieces. I read it over the weekend, and ended up giving it 4 stars as well. The French translation for this book is getting released in April, and the publisher was kind enough to provide me with an ARC can’t wait to share it with my YA readers art work! (And I also badly want to rewatch Grease in order to be able to really make all of the parallels…)

I also read one literary fiction book which was translated from Portuguese (Brasil). It’s called We All Loved Cowboys by Carol Bensimon and it follows Julia and Cora who used to date but lost touch after both of them moved abroad. On a whim, they decide to reconnect and go on a road trip together. Over the course of their trip, old feelings and old secrets resurface. It’s a quick read, and I rather enjoyed it. I gave this one 3.5 stars.

I’m currently reading:

Life Isn’t Binary by Meg-John Barker and Alex Iantaffi, which I picked up at a feminist bookstore last weekend. As expected from the title, it challenges different ways through which society is always presented as binary, from the dichotomy between good & bad, but of course also through gender and sexuality, and more. It’s really interesting so far.

What I want to read next:

Nobody is going to be surprised when I say that my TBR is currently out of control. I don’t really know what I’m going to read next, but I do know that I have a copy of The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, and I’m really curious about it, so this might be my next read. Either that, or some French literary fiction.

It’s Monday What Am I Reading?

This has been a good reading week! If I’m being honest, not many books tempt me when it comes to the newly released books in the general literature section at work BUT we are getting many amazing new releases in the YA section, so I can work with that. And if all fails, I can still read whatever else I want!

I just finished reading:

I finally finished Conversations With Friends by Sally Rooney which, if I have to be honest, I didn’t like as much as I liked Normal People. It was still very beautifully written, and I will be looking forward to reading more books by Sally Rooney. I also binge read You’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Thao. I started it last night, and finished it this morning, and I have to admit that it has left me a bit broken (and yes, it was to be predicted). It’s a very beautiful book about grief and the different ways one can cope with it.

I’m currently reading:

I’m still almost done with the audiobook for Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert (I think I only have one hour left) and I am REALLY enjoying it. It’s both sweet and sexy and I am here for it. I also picked up Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao and I am LOVING IT. I have less than a hundred pages left and I am pretty sure that this will be my first 5 stars reads of the year.

I want to read next:

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig was released in France earlier this month and I borrowed a copy because I am really curious about it. I’m going to try and read it as soon as I finish Iron Widow which is bound to be soon. I also received (in French) an ARC copy of Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales because the translation is going to be released here in April and I am also really curious about it. And of course, I still want to check out The Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He.

And that’s it for today! I hope you have a great reading week!

Monday Reading Update #17

Another week goes by, another reading update! Have you read anything good lately?

I just finished reading:

Two books in French, namely Les Accords silencieux by Marie-Diane Meissirel which is a beautiful novel about music. It’s a historical fiction that goes from 1937 to 2014 and follows several families through generations and continents, all sharing a love for music as well as a special relationship with a Steinway piano. It’s a truly beautiful book, and I’m really glad that I got to read it. The second one was also just released in France. It’s called Steglitz and it was written by Inès Bayard. I was looking forward to reading it because it’s set in Berlin but it turned out to be my first disappointment of the year. Ultimately, this book (or rather, this kind of books) is why I prefer reading either YA or really anything that’s not French. Don’t get me wrong, there are some good French books that were written in French. But you can sometimes stumble upon some really bad ones I guess? It was really bland, and nothing much happened.

I’m currently reading:

The same books as last week! I haven’t really touched Conversations With Friends by Sally Rooney but I’m hoping to make some progress this week. And I have almost finished Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert which I am LOVING.

I want to pick up next:

I’m still hoping to start The Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He soon but I don’t think it’s going to be my next read BECAUSE Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao here in France and I heard so many great things about it, I have to read it immediately.

Monday Reading Update #15

It’s a new year and I’m trying to settle back into old habits because I LOVE blogging, and I actually really missed it. I still have been reading quite a lot, and am determined to keep it that way. So hopefully I will be back with reading updates more regularly!

I just finished reading:

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren
I decided to kick off the year with a romance novel, so I picked this one on January first and finished it yesterday. I hadn’t read any seasonal book yet this winter, and I had been eyeing this one for a while. It was the perfect book to start the year with. It has the cutest childhood-friends-to-lovers romance, loads of holiday cliché, and a time loop which is a trope I can’t get enough of ever since I was destroyed by Before I Fall many years ago. (I say that as if I read loads of books with that trope, which I don’t, but I still love it dearly.) Anyway, In a Holidaze was the perfect sweet book to start my hear, and I’ll be looking forward to reading more Christina Lauren books this year! (And I 100% blame booktok fo that.)

I’m currently reading:

The last book I started in 2021 was Conversations With Friends by Sally Rooney. I’ve heard great things about it, and I really loved Normal People. I’m about halfway through it and I’m really curious as to how the story will all unfold. Hopefully I get to finish it this week.

I also started reading Get a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert — or rather, listening to the audiobook. Again, I’ve heard many great things about this one and I was really curious about it. I think I’ve read a third of the book so far. It’s just the beginning, but I’m really enjoying it! And it also felt like a good book to start the year with.

I want to read next:

I recently got a copy of The Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He because it had been on my radar for a while. It will be released in France in February and I wanted to read it beforehand, so I think I will try to make it my next read. I’ve heard amazing things, so I’m really excited!

What are you reading this week? Do you have reading plans for the year?
I’ve set up my reading challenge to 150 books like I did in 2021. Other than that, nothing in particular, I simply will read whatever floats my way, and hopefully fall in love with many stories. In addition to that, I think I will also try and reread some favourites!

Back from an unplanned hiatus: Reading Update!

Hello bookworms! Time flies and I hadn’t really planned on being absent for so long, but here we go: it’s been two months since my last post. I’ve never been away from the blog this long, even at times when I was in a reading slump (and I wasn’t even in a reading slump this time). My mental health hasn’t been the greatest, but honestly it’s been worse, and that’s not even the reason why I was away. I think. I just needed a break. I’ve been busy reasing, I traveled to Berlin in October, and I binge watched a few kdrama. I also got to spend time with my new flatmate which is great!

Anyway, I don’t want to give up on this blog, because it still gives me joy. So this is my attempt at getting back into the game: let’s start with a Monday reading update. In time, I will also try to come up with monthly wrap-ups for September and October, because I have read many amazing books. So without further ado…

Which books did I just finish?

The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo, which my flatmate gifted me for my birthday. It’s a retelling of The Great Gatsby told from the perspective of a queer & Vietnamese Jordan Baker, aka Daisy’s best friend. Bonus: it’s a fantasy setting and Jay Gatsby actually sold his soul to the Devil while Jordan can make people out of paper. This book was incredible. It was fascinating and the writing was really beautiful. I fell in love with both Jordan and Nick, and it actually made me like the original story more. I almost want to reread it (but I think I actually got rid off my copy because I didn’t really like it). And while browsing tumblr I found out about another queer retelling of Gatsby’s story which is called The Pursued and the Pursuing by AJ Odasso, and I will definitely read that one as well. Full rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.

I also read Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram. This one had been on my TBR for quite some time, and I was really curious about it (it had also been on my actual bookshelf for quite some time at this point). It’s a beautiful book that deals with depression, friendship and family relationships. For the most part, it takes place in Iran as the main character visits his grandparents for the first time. This book was absolutely stunning and I loved it from the bottom of my heart. I’m so glad I finally read it, and as I am a totally rational person, I will attempt to buy a copy of the sequel tomorrow. Full rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐.

I’m currently reading:

I picked up The Titanic Sisters by Patricia Falvey as my brother gave it to me for my birthday. It’s a historical fiction about two sisters who made the trip on the Titanic, and I am really intrigued by it (I’ve only read a few pages so far). It has the potential for a good romance, and some great drama, and I can’t wait to see how it will all unfold.

I’m also listening to the audiobook for Made In Korea by Sarah Suk. I have been for a while now, and I’m hoping to finish it soon. I’m really enjoying the book, but I don’t really feel like listening to audiobooks these days, so I just might cancel my Scribd suscription once I’m done, or at least take a little break until I feel like it again.

And finally: the next book I want to pick up is Rick Riordan’s latest release aka Daughter of the Deep. I purchased it as soon as it was released, and am really excited about it! I have to confess that I haven’t read a single Jules Verne book, but this retelling of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea seems like it’s right up my alley…

And that’s it for today! It feels good to post again, and I can’t wait to share all of the amazing things I discovered lately ~

In Which I Mention A Lot Of Books | Reading Update

Since I finished Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan and The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates (because yes it happened, and I really loved it. It was not an easy read but it was both fascinating and important) I also picked up quite a few other books.

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I read Stéphanie Janicot’s new book L’île du docteur Faust which follows eight women who traveled to a mysterious island to retrieve their youth. And I listened to the audiobook for All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace. It’s a story about pirates and mermaids and cursed magic, and it follows a princess who will do anything to protect her kingdom. It was really good, and I’m already listening to the sequel, All the Tides of Fate.

What else am I reading at the moment? I picked up Spellhacker by M.K. England on Scribd. It is a sci-fi novel set in a world where magic (known as maz) used to fly freely but is now controlled by the government, and it follows a crew going to a heist. It definitely is a page turner, but I think I enjoyed their previous book better (The Disasters was truly excellent). I’m about two third into this one so I think I will finish it pretty soon.

And I’m also reading Margaret Peterson Haddix’s The Messengers aka the third book in her series Greystone Secrets which I am really enjoying. It’s the last instalment in a middle grade trilogy about parallel universes, and it’s really entertaining.

What am I going to read next? To be honest, I have a huge pile of ARCs of books that have just been released or will be released soon in France (except for We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal which I bought at Shakespeare and Co in August and am still hoping to pick up soon). Anyway, this pile includes mostly translated books, and I’m dying to read pretty much all of them. I’m not one to make TBRs because I know I never respect them, but here’s the pile anyway:

Memorial Drive by Natacha Threthewey
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

Now that I look at it that way, it’s only five books? And therefore I could technically read all of them before the end of September. And of course, finish the ones I am currently reading. If I look closer, of course there is more books like The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang and Conversations With Friends By Sally Rooney but let’s not do that. I will get to them eventually.

Oh and now that I think of it, I also received a French copy of Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin. This book has already been sitting on my kindle for quite some time and I KNOW that I want to read it. Is it a sign that I finally will? Who knows.

What about you? What have you been reading lately?

Monday Reading Update #12

Another Monday, another reading updatate!

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I’ve read this past week:

We Can’t Keep Meeting Like This by Rachel Lynn Solomon
I recently read Today Tonight Tomorrow and I loved it to pieces, so naturally I wanted to check out more books by Rachel Lynn Solomon. This was her latest release (and the cover is the cutest). It takes place over the course of a summer and follows Quinn, a 17 years-old harpist who works with her parents who are wedding planners, and has stopped believing in love, and Tarek, who came back for the summer and works with his parents’ catering business. As the two of them keep running into each other, old feelings resurface and things get entangled. This is a book about food and music, and it’s super adorable. If you are looking for a YA romance, then I highly recommend you check it out!

The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree by Shokoofeh Azar
This book was stunning. It is set in Iran during and after the Islamic Revolution of 1979, and follows a family that left Teheran for the countryside. It’s told like a tale from the Thousand and One Nights from the perspective of one of the daughters who passed away in a fire, and still lives with her family as a ghost. It’s a tale of djinnis and mermaids and other mythical creatures and events, and it was such a nice discovery. It’s extremely poetic, and I strongly recommend it! [TW death, torture, violence]

Just Last Night by Mhairi McFarlane
I have to admit that I picked up thie one hoping for a romance novel and this is not at all what I got BUT it was nevertheless a truly excellent book. It’s a story about an old cursh, and four friends whose life is turned upside down one tragic nights. It’s about secrets and new beginnings, and I devoured it. It deals with grief in a very realistic way as well. I am simply amazed by this book. It was not the fluffy story I was looking for, but that’s okay because I really enjoyed this story. I loved how it dealt with friendships, and Eve was a truly brilliant main character. I may or may not have shed a few tears, but it was worth it! [TW death, abuse]

I’m currently reading:

Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan
I just picked up the audiobook for this one! It caught my eye because it was on the list of the Women’s Prize for Fiction, and cover intrigued me. Basically it’s the story of an Irish expact in Hong Kong.

I’m going to read next:

The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Okay I swear this time it’s definitely the one I’m going to pick up next! It’s been on my TBR for the longest time, and the French translation was released last week. I’ve read yet again excellent reviews for it in the past week. And I finished the other physical book that I was reading, so now it’s going to happen I am sure of it.

Monday Reading Update

So which novel have I read during the past two weeks since my last update? I’ve been on vacation which has left me with quite some time to read! Before I get into it any further, I missed the exact date but this August marks my 6th blogversary. I never thought I would achieve such a milestone, but here we are. This blog has helped me through hard times, and accompanied me in my love for reading. Whether you are new to this blog or not, thank you for being there with me on this journey! And now that I’m done being sappy, back to what I’ve been reading these past two weeks.

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I devoured two romance novels:

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
This book is everywhere on the French side of booktok so I had to see for myself what the big deal was. It’s an enemies-to-lovers/fake dating romance which is dare I say a perfect combo. It follows Olive, who goes on her sister’s honeymoon because they entire wedding party has fallen ill… Except for her and Ethan, the groom’s brother, whom she just happens to hates. They go together in order for the trip not to be wasted but things take a weird turn when they encounter Olive’s new boss, and Ethan’s ex girlfriend, and have to keep pretending that they are madly in love. Except… are they even pretending? It has only one bed, some angst and mutual pining, and overall is super romantic and wholesome. I loved how Olive’s character development through the book, and I’m really glad that I gave in to the hype.

And Hang the Moon by Alexandria Bellefleur
After reading Written in the Stars I had to pick up the sequel. This one follows Darcy’s brother Brendon, an eternal romantic, and her best friend Annie who of course doesn’t believe in love. It was super sweet as well, and I really enjoyed it. I can’t wait to see what happens to Margot in the next book!

I also read one more YA book which was Not Your Backup by C.B. Lee aka the third book in the Sidekick Squad series. It picks up the plot right where we left, but this time from the perspective of Emma, and so far I think this one was my favourite book in the series!

And finally I read two literary fiction novels:

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
This one had caught my attention when it got released, and I read quite a few amazing reviews about it. It’s a book about artificial intelligence, which follows the POV of Klara, an AF (Artificial Friend) who is fascinated by everything she encounters, and her relationship with Josie, the human she takes care of, as well as the people who surrounds her. This book was wholesome and heartwarming in ways I didn’t expect, and I’m so glad that I decided to read it.

And finally, What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon
This one is a time travel romance/historical fiction that follows Anne Gallagher, who travels in 2001 to Ireland to spread the ashes of her beloved grandfather Owen, only to be transported to 1921, where she is mistaken for her lost great-grandmother. This might be her last chance to spend time with Owen, although he is six years old. And of course, she falls in love with Thomas Smith, the doctor who rescued her from the loch. The story is told from Anne’s perspective, as well as pages from Thomas’s journal. I delved into it hoping to fall in love with the story, and I most certainly did. I loved this book to pieces, and recommend it to you from the bottom of my heart.

As for what I’m currently reading, I picked up both We Can’t Keep Meeting Like This by Rachel Lynn Solomon, and The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree by Shokoofeh Azar yesterday. And I’m still hoping to pick up The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates next! After saying this over and over again, I will eventually speak it into existence; I know it will happen eventually.

It’s Monday: What Am I Reading?

Hello everyone! I’ve been really productive with my reading this past week and I’m really happy about that.

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I just finished reading:

Not Your Sidekick and Not Your Villain by C.B. Lee
I had been meaning to check out this series for a while at this point and I am SO GLAD that I finally did! It’s set in a sci-fi world where people have started to develop super-powers. In the first volume, we follow Jess, who is seventeen and comes from a family of superheroes with secret identities, and is waiting for her powers to appear. She accepts an internship with a company that works with their nemesis, and in the process uncovers a plot that could shatter the whole hero/villain world. It’s a great story with amazing friendships, and I’m really looking forward to reading book 3!

In Deeper Waters by F.T. Lukens
This one I can only blurb as a MLM retelling of The Little Mermaid set in a high fantasy land. It’s a romance between a merman who is the last of his kind, and a prince who bears dangerous magical powers. It has adventure and pirates. Overall it’s a quick read and I really enjoyed it!

I’m currently reading:

Not My Problem by Ciara Smyth
I was really looking forward to reading this one, considering I absolutely loved The Falling in Love Montage which I read last summer. I’m also listening to the audiobook for this one, and so far I am really enjoying it! It’s fun, and so terribly on point. It also has a (sort of?) rivals-to-lovers sapphic romance, and a MC that’s just a teeny bit self-destructive. I’m looking forward to seeing how this all unfolds!

The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue
And last but not least, this one is a historical fiction that is set in 1918 in Dublin during the pandemic. Over the course of three days, we follow the intense life of a nurse & midwife who works at a hospital in between birth and death. I am almost done with this one, and seriously, I couldn’t put it down.

As for what I want to read next, I am still hoping that I will pick up The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates pretty soon!