First of all, I am so sorry for how late this is! I completely ran out of time, but here it finally is!
So, August was N.E.W.T.s month and I had a lot of fun. Admittedly, I did not read as much as I wanted to, but I honestly did love lots of the books I read and I found some new favourites! So I think this month can be labelled a success (even if I did watch a lot of booktube)…
There were only two books that I read that I couldn’t fit into the readathon, so let’s just talk about those first.
Heartstopper Volume 2 by Alice Oseman
I love this graphic novel series so much and I can’t wait for the next one to be published. I love the characters and the romance and the themes! I thought this one was even better than the first volume. The only thing I don’t like about these books is how quick they are to read – I need more!
★★★★.5
The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
I came out of this thinking it was just okay, but the more I think about it the more dreadful it seems to me. There were some very questionable descriptive choices, the angst was so petty, unnecessary and annoying, and it was just so repetitive. I liked Alexa, and I thought she was a really strong character, but that just wasn’t enough to carry this book for me.
★★
The N.E.W.T.s Readathon 2019 (in which I didn’t really follow my tbr but oh well)
-> ANCIENT RUNES (Exceeds Expectations Achieved)
Acceptable:
Valiant by Holly Black
The second book in The Modern Faerie Tales, and this was my favourite in the series. It was still very questionable in places, and the romance is the definition of instalove/feelings coming out of nowhere, but I liked the darkness, and Holly Black’s writing was fairly good. I preferred Val over Kaye as a protagonist.
★★★
Exceeds Expectations:
Ironside by Holly Black
This is the last book in the very “meh” Modern Faerie Tales series. And, to be honest, this was probably my least favourite. I really don’t remember much about the main conflicts and nor do I really care. I feel nothing towards the characters and I hated some of the character “developments” that went on.
★★
-> ARITHMANCY (Outstanding Achieved)
Acceptable:
Storm Glass by Maria V Snyder
I have the same issues with this book as I have with every Maria V Snyder book I have read, which is mainly the writing style and also the fact that all of her characters are not necessarily the same, but have the same role as all the other characters in her other novels (e.g. the snarky protagonist, the broody boy etc etc). But they’re addictive and enjoyable and I want to read on.
★★★.5
Exceeds Expectations:
Blanca & Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore
I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH. I was expecting to love it but this book actually went beyond all my expectations. The writing was stunning, the characters were fantastic, and the themes and messages were beautiful. I need to now get my hands on everything Anna-Marie McLemore has written, because I think they could become a new favourite author.
★★★★★
Outstanding:
Wilder Girls by Rory Power
I was thinking about this book for a long time after I finished it. The atmosphere is incredibly creepy, and I loved the concept and the characters. I thought the writing was good, even if it wasn’t my favourite, and the goriness and the enjoyability of this book just kept me reading it all the time. The open ending annoyed some, but this book for me wasn’t meant to wrap up; it was more a slice of what was happening to these characters, and the reader is left to wonder what they will do next. I liked this story structure, I thought it was unique.
★★★★.5
-> CARE OF MAGICAL CREATURES (Outstanding Achieved)
Acceptable:
Agatha: The Real Life of Agatha Christie by Anne Martinetti, Guillame Lebella + Alexandre Franc
This was a cute little graphic novel about Agatha Christie. It interestingly incorporated elements of her life and was very enjoyable. Personally I wasn’t a huge fan of the art style but I know that’s very particular to the individual reader. If you want to get a little taste of the life Agatha Christie led, then you might love this one.
★★★
Exceeds Expectations:
Tithe by Holly Black
This was the first book in The Modern Faerie Tales series and was overwhelmingly average. I did like Holly Black’s writing, but not much else. She has definitely improved as a story teller in her subsequent works, and The Cruel Prince is far, far superior to this series.
★★.5
Outstanding:
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J K Rowling
I really needed this reread, and it was so nice to just pick up the book spontaneously and find myself back in this world with all my favourite characters. Harry Potter gives me that warm and cosy feeling, and it makes me very happy. I also started annotating the books this time!
★★★★★
-> C H A R M S (Acceptable Achieved)
Acceptable:
Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff
Yes, I finally read this book after putting it off for more than a year. And what can I say? It was fantastic! Even better than the first book, and I adored it with every fibre of my being. This is one of my favourite books of the year and I can’t wait to get to Darkdawn (hopefully I will read it sooner rather than later!).
★★★★★
-> H E R B O L O G Y (Outstanding Achieved)
Acceptable:
Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
I really loved this one! I know it has received some mixed reviews, but in my opinion it was really good. The writing was gorgeous, just as it was in the author’s previous book, and I liked the characters. I loved the library aspects of it, and it was a lot of fun to read. Not to mention the cover is stunning!
★★★★.25
Exceeds Expectations:
A Woman of War by Mandy Robotham
This book surprised me. I was expecting it to be a little cheesy, but actually it was beautifully written, was extremely heartfelt, and carried this deep sense of sadness and trauma. If you like WW2 stories, then I would definitely recommend this one.
★★★★
Outstanding:
A Lesson in Thorns by Sierra Simone
This was very beautifully written and atmospheric, and had a really gorgeous setting. I enjoyed it, but I don’t think I will carry on with the series, as I’ve heard the second book is awful.
★★★★
So those are all the books I read in August and for the NEWTs readathon. I had a lot of fun and I can’t wait to participate again next year! I hope you all had a fantastic reading month too.
The Bookish Courtier 