What I've Been Reading Recently- End of Degree Edition| Carenza Bramwell

I say this at the beginning of every wrap up, but I can't believe that another two months have gone. We are now over halfway through 2021. This year is racing by. The last time I wrote one of these posts, I was working towards finishing my degree and now it's been over four weeks since I finished. As I was finishing my degree, it meant I didn't have as much time to read as I would have liked. I read 10 books, 5 per month. I'm looking forward to having more time to read now that I'm done with uni and don't have a job yet. 

May

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

This was a reread from my "to read and go shelf". I recently pulled quite a few books of my shelf to reread and decide how I feel about them. I remember really enjoying it when I read it in 2015, it was one of the first YA books I read because it was big at the time. I have fond memories of this book because of that, but this reread was nothing special. I didn't care for the characters or the story. I also remembered the big twist, so it wasn't as powerful this time around. I have continued with this series out of curiosity. I gave it 3/5 stars. 

Whatever Happened to Interracial Love? by Kathleen Collins

I'm so glad I finally read this as I bought it back in 2017. It was a lovely collection of short stories, all around the theme of interracial love. Some where better than others, I did find myself loosing interest towards the end. It has made me want to read more short story collections. I gave it 4/5 stars. 

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

I have a feeling that I am in the minority with my thoughts about this book, but I was disappointed by this book. I had heard nothing but good things about it so I was very surprised when I didn't like it. I actually have a full review, which you can read here. It was the execution of the idea that bothered me. I did find the writing style quite enjoyable. Unsure if it was the right time to read this book, so I would consider giving it a second chance in the future. I gave it 3/5 stars. 

Heartstopper Volume 4 by Alice Oseman

Anyone who has seen a previous wrap of mine will know that I adore these books. This volume was no exception. There was a bit too much drama at times and the timeline confused me a bit, but aside from that, it was another great addition to the series. I obviously gave it 5/5 stars and am very sad the next volume is the last one. 

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

My final read was another reread. After loving the show, I had to reread the books. It's probably a crime against the book community, but I do prefer the show to the books. They have updated a lot of the problems with the books. It felt very classic, 2012 YA. However, I did enjoy my time rereading it. I gave it 4/5 stars. 

June

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

Unlike my experience with Shadow and Bone, my experience with the next book wasn't as good. I remember struggling with this one when I read it in 2017 too. I love the introduction of Nikolai because he's one of my favourite characters, but aside from that I didn't really like it. I found that there was too much drama. I gave it 3/5 stars.

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

Similar to Siege and Storm, I didn't really enjoy this reread. It was different to my 2018 read as it had been over a year between books. Again, I just felt that there was too much drama. It wasn't quite the ending I had wanted. I also gave this one 3/5 stars. 

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

Another book I had wanted to love, but ended up falling flat. I actually have a full review of this, which you can read here. I felt like there were too many interesting plot lines to follow and that dampened them. The extra POVs at the end of each part didn't add anything to the story. Yet another book I gave 3/5 stars this month.   

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

This was also a reread from my reread and go shelf. It took me almost two weeks to read this book. I remember being disappointed with it as a sequel when I first read it back in 2016. I have one more book in this series that I've read and then it will be first time reads for me. I do want to know how this series ends, so I am persevering with it. This was the final book I gave 3/5 stars in June. 

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

A book I'll be reviewing soon (my review will be coming out this week). I loved Red, White and Royal Blue. This book was another fun and fluffy romance. There were some elements that were very predictable, but aside from that I had a great time with this book. I gave it 4/5 stars.

What books have you read recently?? 

June Wrap Up| CarenzaOnBooks

Now that it's officially July, I can share my June Wrap Up. Compared to May, I had a very good reading month. I haven't been in a reading mood since April for some reason, which is very frustrating when your main passion revolves around reading. On a complete tangent, I feel that my reading has simply become to complete my reading challenge on Goodreads and so I have books to review on here. I want to go back to the time when reading was something I did for fun and didn't feel like a chore. But, in June I read 6 books, which I'm proud of. I have reviews up for some of them and reviews coming for others.

The first book I read was City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. This was actually a reread and I think I started reading it in April as well. I gave it 5/5 stars, but if you read my review, then you'll know I only gave it 5/5 stars because of sentimental reasons. I do plan on continuing my reread of the Shadowhunter Chronicles then at some point in the future, I'll have reviews for all the books in all the series.

At the end of May, I discovered Anime and with the discovery of Anime has come the discovery of Manga. I read my first Manga and it was Attack on Titan Volume 1 by Hajime Isayama. I have a review of the Anime, which you can read here. I also gave this 5/5 stars as it was so beautifully drawn. It was a challenge getting used to reading from left to right, but I will be reading more Manga in the future.

I then read my most anticipated release of the year, which was Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare. My review is coming together very slowly as it is taking me a while to write (this is because I want it to be the most detailed review I've written to date). I obviously gave Lord of Shadows 5/5 stars. I loved it so much and am now beginning my patient 2 year wait for Queen of Air and Darkness. I'm actually meeting Cassandra Clare in August at her Edinburgh event and I am beyond excited.

I finally finished The War of the Worlds by H.G Wells, which I started way back in February. I gave it 3/5 stars and that's because it wasn't for me. I really struggle reading sci-fi books, which is odd as I love sci-fi tv/films. I can appreciate that this is a good piece of literature and I understand why so many people like it, it's just not for me.  

I was sent a copy of When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon via NetGalley and I flew through it. I gave it 4/5 stars because while I enjoyed it, I did have some issues which I go into detail about in my review. I am going to purchase a physical at some point and I am looking forward to her next book.

The final book I read in June was Decline and Fall by Evelyn Waugh. I had to read this for one of my classes in college. I gave it 3/5 stars. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't life changing. It's a book that is very much of its time and some of the things in it are quite shocking. It's rare for me to say this, but I did enjoy the TV series to the book.

I hope I have as good a reading month this month, but I do have a lot of things planned which may mean reading will have to take a backseat again.
Carenza x