Readers - Blog Posts
November 2022 TBR and Some Schedule Changes
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).
The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson
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
Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson
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.
Lightbringer by Claire Legrand
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.
As Good as Dead by Holly Jackson
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!
Mid-Month Reading Check-in + My Goodreads Shelves
Hello reader friends!
Going to be completely honest, this was supposed to go up Sunday. I had drafted out the post but it never made its way to be published (I didn't like it). So here we are.
As of this post I have completed 2 books this month. That feels a little underwhelming but I have been in a bit of a reading slump and I'm ahead on my Goodreads reading challenge so I am allowing myself to relax a bit. I'm actually drafting this at work and I'm certain that I will be picking up a new read tonight (most likely Jade City by Fonda Lee) but we shall see once the wrap up comes around.
Because I'm not currently reading something, I knew this post was going to be a bit short so I thought I would add something that I find interesting, Goodreads shelves. I love looking through other peoples shelves, it gives me a glimpse of their personality. Every Goodreads account has 2 shelves 'want to read' and 'read'. Users can add onto these allowing them to organize their shelves further.
Along with the two shelves that every Goodreads account has, I have 5 personalized shelves:
Emma Approved Romance:
This shelf is pretty self explanatory. If I enjoyed the romance in the book, it made its way onto this list. This list is not exclusive to romance books as there are plenty of non-romance included on this shelf. That being said, not all of the books on here I particularly enjoyed. If the romance didn't make me want to vomit, its probably on this shelf.
Made Me Cry Shelf:
Another shelf that is pretty self explanatory. If a book made me cry it makes its way onto this shelf. Many of these were just sad character deaths although one was out of pure frustration with a character.
Trash in a Bad Way:
These books sucked. No sugar coating, no "well..." I simply did not like these books. I have a grand total of 5 books on here so if you made it onto this shelf, go sit in time out and think about what you did.
Trash in a Good Way:
These books also sucked but I had fun while reading them. A lot of this shelf contains old books that I read as a younger teen/child that I revisited later in adulthood. They could also be books that even though the writing style was bad, I enjoyed the plot and characters.
Truly Excellent:
These books were the ones that had me on the floor. They were so good that 5 stars wasn't quite enough to describe them. What is also called the "6 star shelf" contains some of my favorite books of all time.
While my descriptions aren't super concise hopefully they will make more sense to those just perusing my Goodreads page (although I doubt people do that).
I will update you guys when it comes time for the October Wrap-Up (that feels wrong to say, where did this year go?).
Much Love,
June <3
October 2022 TBR
Hello reader babes!
Despite what the weather tries to tell me, it is full on fall. My house is full of pumpkin spice scent and my closet has been restocked of my favorite, cozy sweaters.
I'm super excited for October and like any other normal person, I save all of my horror/thriller books for this season. To be honest, after reading the chunky book that was The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson I have felt a bit of reading slump coming on and while I am ahead of my reading goal, I don't want to start falling behind.
No more rambling, let's get into my reading plans this coming month.
Hide by Kiersten White
When I first saw this book I was immediately intrigued because it reminded me of a book that I read as a child called Closed for the Season by Mary Downing Hahn. I love the concept of a spooky, haunted amusement park. I have seen quite a few mixed reviews but when it comes to thriller/horror books I am easily entertained.
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
According to Goodreads, I read this some July 2-3 years ago but I don't think I actually finished it (I didn't realize how to properly shelf things at the time). But now that I have more understanding of fantasy under my belt and more of a grip on V.E. Schwab's writing style I think I will be able to actually enjoy the story this time around.
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
I remember when this book first came out and everyone was losing it. Yet, a couple of years later I hardly hear anyone talk about it. I know that with the release of the Shadow and Bone series on Netflix that any of Bardugo's work has taken the back burner while the Grishaverse runs its course on booktok. I don't know much about this book other than it contains a murder mystery (I think). It all seems very dark academia and I love it.
The Troop by Nick Cutter
I've seen this book pop up multiple times in the vlogs that I have seen from the booktubers that I like and honestly their reactions are enough to have me interested in the book. Small confession; One of my biggest fears is parasites. I hate them all and they all creep me out so it makes sense that this book would rightfully terrify me. I'm going to try and brave through it and hopefully I'm not a wimp and it will make it's way onto my October Wrap-Up.
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
I absolutely adore Chloe Gong as a person so it is a mystery as to why I haven't read this yet. I have started this multiple times and each time I have been intrigued especially with the beginning scenes and the idea of a scary monster terrorizing 1920's Shanghai? Wonderful and it sounds so spooky and a perfect autumn read.
While this isn't a concise list of all of the things that I want to read in October I think it really provides a snippet of what my reading mood is for this month. Hopefully this new schedule will work for all of you lovely readers and I'm working on bring you guys more content . Side Note: I'm working on getting a YouTube Channel set up so that I can hopefully reach a wider audience and bring more bookish content into this world.
Anyways, I'll check in with you guys on my Mid-Month reading check in and I hope you are all enjoying your fall reading.
Much Love,
June <3
August 2022 Wrap-Up
Hello reader babes!
I have really no excuse when it comes to writing this the second week of September. But hey, better late than never right? I'm literally writing this at work so I hope you guys enjoy it.
In the hot month of August I read a total of 4 books which was my goal! Some were excellent, others...not so much. Some of these I discussed in my Mid-August reading update however, fresh faces are here as well.
*Spoilers will be indicated by asterisks around the book title*
NOTE: From here on out mid-month updates will only discuss my current read and how many books I have read thus far. Just to keep the Wrap-up interesting :)
Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson
I have already tore into this book pretty hard in my Mid-August Update so I don't feel the need to do so again here. I just didn't like this book, the plot was odd and it didn't feel flushed out at all. It read like a fanfiction that shouldn't have gotten published.
1/5 Stars
City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
I liked this book. That seems like a bad review but I truly feel neutral about it. It felt like a middle book, lots of filler and just weird plot line. The ending battle scene was super good and I will never forgive Ms. Clare for what happened to my baby Simon in this book. He deserves better. I have a lot to comment on regarding Clary and Jace but that will come with my blurb on City of Glass.
3/5 Stars
Furyborn by Claire Legrand
I read this for the first time in September of 2020 but I think God decided that it wasn't the time for me to read it and blanked it from my memory so that when I read it this time it was like the first time reading it. I knew the overarching plot but holy crap did this novel blow my socks off. I loved the characters, their bonding moments, the action just everything had me on the floor and head over hills in love.
5/5 Stars
Kingsbane by Claire Legrand
I finished Furyborn while on shift at my job and as soon as I got home I ran for my bookshelves and grabbed this. I gave this book a lower rating and not just because it had tons of filler. I loved focusing more on Eliana's character, is was great to see a protagonist struggle and not be just immediately good at everything. The twist at the end was fantastic. I only have one real complaint with this book and that has to deal mainly with the amount of spice in it. The first book definitely had spice but it was about what I would expect for a YA novel but this book seemed to have a spice scene each chapter and some of it was very explicit. It kind of took away from the rest of the book and those scenes definitely could have been used in other ways.
3.5/5
August was a really good reading month for me and I'm glad I slowed down a bit from the book monster I was in July. Now that school is in full swing it's hard to read as much as I used to (and thus, posting is more difficult too). I'm glad y'all are sticking with me and I'm thrilled to see what September has in store.
Much Love,
June <3
Mid-August Update
Hey y'all!
Nice to see you again. Remember how in my last post I said I was working on a reading/writing vlog? Yeah well, my camera decided to fill up with memory and I can't afford a new one.
Anyways, I am starting my sophomore year of college this week and I plan for my reading to slow down quite a bit (P.S. I started a studygram, let me know if that is something you would be interested in seeing here).
Other than all of that, I figured I would give you all an update for this month and what I have been reading, and how I felt about the books I decided to shove my nose into this month. I have to admit I was hoping I would have been able to read more this month, it is so hard to believe that this month is already halfway over. So far, I have read 3 books and am currently reading the 4th book. This brings my Goodreads total of books read to 27 (as of writing this 2 books ahead of schedule).
Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson
I picked this up randomly and I went in with absolutely no expectations. I have never heard of this author (despite them being fairly prolific in the thriller genre) and I have to say this was NOT a good first impression. This book had both awful writing and terrible storytelling. The plot was absolutely all over the place and all of the characters were absolutely awful. The main character was just...so flat. Not to mention this thriller was not thrilling, if anything I kept reading to see how I'd want to slap the characters next. I don't this book had any redeemable qualities. Initially, I gave this a 2 star review but after comparing to it another book I gave a 2 star I bumped it down to 1 star.
City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare *this review contains spoilers*
I tried to read this book late last year sometime and the incest REALLY got to me. I expressed this to my friend and she told me that later Jace and Clary end up not being siblings (which helps me) but the fact that they really had a moment where they both basically said "I don't care if we're siblings" made me want to vomit. Their "romance" is set up to seem like they are star-crossed lovers and it is disgusting. Apparently, Cassandra Clare is kind of infamous for her incest "kink" so I'm not surprised looking back.
Beyond that, I really enjoyed this book and plan on continuing the series. I'm so mad that Ms. Incest Clare put my baby Simon through all of that, he really deserves better. I thought the writing was okay and I was entertained enough to keep reading fairly consistently. I gave this a 3 star out of 5 on Goodreads.
Furyborn by Claire Legrand
The final book for this update (and something that was actually on my August TBR, not that we are surprised). Let me start by saying that I have read this before but I did not remember absolutely ANYTHING about it. I don't know if it was because I read it almost 2 years ago or if God said "Nah, this isn't the right time for you to really appreciate this book" and just wiped my memory. Whatever happened to wipe my memory, I'm glad it did because o m g did I LOVE this book. If you go through my updates on Goodreads it's just being confused that I didn't remember this absolute work of art. I loved the double perspective and while Rielle's story was much more interesting (at least to me), I still loved Eliana and all of the characters (Including Corien even though he's toxic). I have already started Kingsbane (the second book) and Am already taking notes. I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.
Like I said, I'm a little disappointed that I haven't read more this month but 2 out of these 3 books were 300-400 page fantasy novels so I'm cutting myself slack, especially since I am 2 books ahead of my goal (for now).
Good luck with the rest of your month and to those who are going back to school, I hope you have a good semester and study hard. I do expect my reading to slow down but I plan on continuing to update here. Starting from now a lot of my focus is going to be on my studygram but I won't abandon you all I promise.
Much Love,
June <3
August TBR (2022)
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.
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
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)!
Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson
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.
Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson
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.
Husband Material by Alexia Hall
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.
Kingsbane by Clare Legrand
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
July Wrap-Up
Hey y'all, it's been a while hasn't it? To be honest, I planned on posing a June Wrap-up + July TBR but by the time I got around to doing it, it was halfway through June and It felt wrong. This month I plan on doing better with posting now that I have settled into the rhythm of my life.
July was a great reading month for me. By the end of June I had caught up with my reading goal, and this month I've been consistently about 1 book ahead (BTW follow me on Goodreads!)
In total, I read 5 books this month, which isn't as many as other people but I am rather proud of the progress I made as well as the quality of the books I managed to read this month. The reads this month definitely lead up to an exciting August TBR. Without further ado, let's get into it.
To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
I read The Summer I Turned Pretty in the later weeks of June and while it certainly wasn't the greatest work of literature, it was a fun read. After scrolling through some reviews and watching videos about those who read romance/contemporary books more than I, I heard that this was the preferred Jenny Han book series. I have to say that I agree. While this book DEFINITELY read like an older YA romance novel, it was thoroughly entertaining. I think both Josh and Peter were thoroughly boring as love interests. They were just so regular. It was still entertaining to read and I had a fun time.
Rating: 3.5/5
Where The Crawdads Sing By Delia Owens
After seeing the trailers for the movie that came out in Mid-July I thought to myself "Ah crap, now I have to read it." I remember when this book came out and my local library deemed it a book club read. I don't know about y'all's local library, but mine tends to pick not great reads for their book club. So needless to say, My expectations were kind of low but holy crap I absolutely love this book. Not only was the writing absolutely gorgeous, but I was actually rooting for Kya and the twist I did not see coming. I had theories about it and my theory could not have been farther from what actually happened. However, now I don't want to see the movie anymore because I don't think it will live up to how I feel about the book. It came full circle and I probably won't see the movie until it becomes available on Amazon prime or something.
Rating: 5/5
Hot Under His Collar By Andie J. Christopher
I saw this while scrolling through my library and internally "This looks awful, it's going in the pile." I burned through this book in about 2 days and while it entertained me it was...not good. It was fun to read, the plot was entertaining and I don't think I've seen this kind of priest/church member romance in mainstream media (not including those odd Amish romances your mom reads) besides the show Fleabag. The characters didn't feel like they had a lot of chemistry but it ended up on my "trash in a good way" shelf on Goodreads because of how entertaining it was to me.
Rating: 2/5
The Grace Year by Kim Ligget
I technically started reading this book in mid-June through the audiobook which I checked out through Libby but I returned It because I just wasn't listening to it enough. I ended up re-checking it out later in July and finally finishing it. My first comment on this book is that this isn't a great YA novel. There were very graphic descriptions of violence and gore. I am not complaining but I think that Kim Ligget would have made this an EXCELLENT adult novel. Beyond that, I'm not sure how I feel about this book. Tierney was kind of annoying to listen to (or maybe that was just the audiobook narrator) yet I still managed to root for her. I wish more of the social dynamics would have been explored and maybe some better explanations of the history of this society. The twist came out of nowhere and didn't make much sense and the ending left me guessing what happened (and not in a good way). I'm sure the author did that intentionally, but it just didn't work for me.
Rating: 3.5/5
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
Technically, I finished this book just as August 1st rolled into the year but I'm still counting it as a July read. I picked this up randomly and I guess that I need to do that with books more because I absolutely adored this book. I'm not usually a thriller reader and especially not a YA thriller reader. I absolutely loved Pippa and this book kept me entertained from start to finish. In other thrillers that I have read, the first 1/3 of the novel tends to provide background information and character development/info dumping. This novel added leads, new theories and it kept me intrigued in the story. I had a few theories thanks to the plethora of details the reader gets yet I couldn't have guessed the twists, yes plural. In the last 50 pages, there was this massive twist and I thought, oh that is kind of underwhelming but then another twist came right after practically slapping me in the face. Do you know that meme of Sheldon Cooper where he says "I don't need sleep, I need answers"? that was me for the last 100 pages of this book and I can't wait to read the rest of the series (although I'm not sure how it is a series).
Rating: 5/5
Edit: It was so late I forgot to sign off...
I'm so glad that July was such a great reading month for me. After the reading month that was June, I am glad that I actually enjoyed (most) of the books that I read this month. August TBR coming later this week, originally planned to put it in this post but I'd like to go to bed. Thanks for sticking with me even though I didn't post for a month or so, you mean the world to me.
Much Love,
June <3
