It's time for my first wrap up on 2020. This month, I thought I'd combine January and February as I didn't manage to post monthly wrap ups. I've also become a big fan of the "what I've read recently" format on YouTube. My reading this year isn't quite going to plan. I was trying to read 2 books a week, but due to various reasons, I have fallen behind on my goal. So far this year I have read 12 books and am almost finished with my 13th. Without further ado, here are the books I've read so far.
January
The first book I read in 2020 was The Wych Elm by Tana French. I had read In The Woods in 2018 and loved it. I then had to read Faithful Place for my degree and it reminded me why I enjoyed In The Woods so much. Sadly, The Wych Elm was not for me. It was difficult to follow at times and the main character wasn't likeable at all. I gave it 3/5 stars.
Next, I read Darkness on the Edge of Town by Adam Christopher, the second book in the Stranger Things novels. This novel was mostly from the perspective of Hopper, who is one of my favourite characters. This was much more enjoyable than the first ST novel about Eleven's mother. I loved how it weaved between scenes with Hop and El and Hop in the 70s. The only thing I wasn't a big fan of the multiple P.O.Vs, as they didn't add much to the story. I gave it 4/5 stars.
I had quite a varied reading month which is why I next ended up reading Cheri by Colette. I had seen the movie about Colette in 2019 and I found her to be a really interesting person. This was my first Colette novel and I have to say it wasn't the best reading experiences. Most of the time, I was confused as to what was happening, due to the flashbacks. However, the bits I did understand, I found really enjoyable. I would love to read her Claudine novels. I gave it 3/5 stars.
This book is one I actually started to read for uni but I ended up enjoying it so much, I read it for fun. It was The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson. I have been dying to read this series for some time and I'm so glad I finally had an excuse to pick it up. I had read a mini prequel about one of the characters in this novel many years ago and I had really wanted to continue with it. It's a Jack the Ripper mystery set in 2011. Maureen Johnson is an incredible YA mystery writer. I gave it 4/5 stars.
Like everyone else, I have been swept up in The Witcher hype and because of this, I've started reading the books. I picked up The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski. It is a collection of short stories, many of which feature in the TV show. I have to say that I did enjoy the stories that they adapted for the TV show were the ones I enjoyed the most. I liked Dandelion (aka Jaskier, the best character in the show). I gave it 4/5 stars.
Next, I decided to read The Muse by Jessie Burton. This was a cover purchase for me back in 2016 and I'm so glad I finally picked it up. I was totally swept up in the mystery of the novel and was fully invested in both timelines. I have a copy of The Miniaturist which I will be reading shortly. I gave it 4/5 stars.
The last book I read in January in full was How to be Famous by Caitlin Moran, the second book in her How to Build a Girl series. I accidentally purchased the second book without realising it was in a series. I then listened to the first on audiobook and I wasn't the biggest fan. I was shocked when I ended up enjoying this one a bit more. I cared much more for the story this time. I'm still not the biggest fan of the main character, but I am considering continuing and reading the final book. I gave it 3/5 stars.
February
The first book I completed in February was Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi. I had heard nothing but good things about this book, which was why I was surprised when I ended up not enjoying this as much as I wanted to. I really enjoyed the magic system and the world building, but I found the multiple perspectives and first person narration confusing. I also could not stand the amount of insta love in this book. I'm highly doubtful I will continue with this series. I gave it 3/5 stars.
In February I finally read my first five star read of the year, Heartstopper volume 3 by Alice Oseman. She has quickly become one of my favourite contemporary writers. It was just as adorable and gay as the first two volumes. I'm dying to get my hands on the rest of this series. I am also desperate to read the novella that is finally being published in physical format about Nick and Charlie. I obviously gave it 5/5 stars.
I was on a contemporary high at this point, so I decided to read Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli and Amid Saeed. It was a cute political love story. I really liked that there is more politics being included in YA books. Sadly, it fell under the multiple perspectives and first person writing style that I really don't vibe with. I also felt that the characters weren't that developed and that the ending was predictable. I gave it 3.5/5 stars.
A book I was shocked that I did not enjoy as much as I thought I would was Infinity Son by Adam Silvera. Adam has become one of my favourite authors of all time, but this book was just not for me. I found the magic system complicated and unexplained. I also found that I didn't like any of the characters. I did like the fact that there was some LGBT rep. Sadly this is another case were I highly doubt I will continue with the series. I gave it 3/5 stars.
Lastly, I read No One Is Too Small To Make A Difference by Greta Thunberg. I had the absolute pleasure of hearing Greta speak recently, so I decided to read her book. It was an interesting, quick read. I do think it is better to hear her speak in person. I gave it 4/5 stars.
That concludes all the books I've read so far in 2020, I might make these "What I've Read Recently" a regular feature on my blog rather than monthly wrap ups.
Carenza :) x
