Tag: reading update

Top Ten Books of 2020!

The Biblioshelf9 Comments

Hello Bibliofriends!

Happy New Years Eve to you all! I don’t know about you but I am so pleased to be saying ‘good riddance’ to 2020 and HELLO 2021! Even without that teeny tiny global pandemic, this year has definitely been a toughie, particularly in the mental health and work department.

In spite of that, this is the first year since 2017 that I’ve actually managed to reach my Goodreads Reading Challenge Goal – hurray for the small wins!

This year I really managed to get my ass in gear on my blog and with Netgalley so some amazing books landed in my reading shaped lap. Surprisingly it wasn’t that difficult for me to sift through and pick out a top 7 books that I loved this year and then it was a little more difficult to try and fill out the remaining 3 spots to make it a top 10 – the pedantic-ness in my brain prevented me from quitting at the Top 7… I mean who ever heard of that? 😂

10. A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer

This was a surprisingly enjoyable read for me as I wasn’t expecting to warm to the new narrators after loving Rhen and Harper’s viewpoints so much. Needless to say, I now cannot wait for the final instalment of this series to come out next year especially after reading a sneak peek a short while ago! Read my review here!

9. Romanov by Nadine Brandes

What a magical retelling this was! The sentimentality and personalisation in Anastasia’s character really made me warm for her. The mystery of the Romanovs is one of my favourite historical conspiracies so I was overjoyed that I enjoyed this read so much. Read my review here!

8. The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

I totally binged this book in a day. After hearing so many brilliant things all over socials it was one of the first books I bought from an ‘in-real-life’ bookshop after lockdown. The intrigue had me turning page after page! Read my review here!

7. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

This book had been on my TBR for ages but the sheer size of it had always been putting me off. Thankfully lockdown gave me a little headspace in order to tackle the tricky narration of Cromwell. I loved the way Mantel characterised Cromwell; it was almost like seeing the historical period through his eyes rather than a 20th century historian’s. Fabulous! Read my review here!

6. My Fence is Electric: and Other Stories by Mark Newman

I was so thrilled to be approached by Odyssey Books to review this collection of short stories by the fabulous Mark Newman. His storytelling was the perfect antidote to the strange times that we were living through and really made me love this genre again. Slightly macabre with a hint of the weird and wonderful I highly recommend this collection! Read my review here!

5. Anna K by Jenny Lee

Crazy Rich Asians meets Sex and the City in this retelling of Anna Karenina. Although I’m not familiar with the tale of Anna Karenina it didn’t matter in the slightest as I was completely engrossed in the messy lives of these teenage New York rich kids! Read my review here!

4. The Rain Heron by Robbie Arnott

This eco-fable had me really pondering the impact we humans have on the natural world. The magical elements of the legendary creatures woven into the story certainly appealed to my fantasy loving nature whilst at the same time delivering a powerful message to the reader. Read my review here!

3. Woven in Moonlight by Isabel Ibañez

It was really refreshing to read a fantasy story rooted in Bolivian folklore and culture. Ximena’s talent with woven animals is one of my favourite magical abilities. I can’t wait for the sequel to come out next year, it’s definitely one of my most anticipated releases for 2021.

2. The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow

By golly did the opening of this book pitch me straight back in time to 1893 New Salem. I really love a distinctive narrative voice and this is definitely what Alix E. Harrow brought to this tale. The insertion of women’s suffrage and empowerment, a sapphic romance, witchcraft-a-plenty, and the bond between three sisters made this a total 5-star read for me – it blew my mind! Read my review here!

  1. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

If you’ve read any of my posts, lists or tags since October then this should be no surprise that Addie LaRue is my all-time favourite book of 2020. It was the book I didn’t realise I needed in my life. Addie’s story was told so poetically and beautifully and I loved the way Schwab tackled the theme of identity and what happens when you’re not really sure who you are anymore. This book has definitely made its way into my God-Tier of favourite books EVER! I loved it! Read my review here!

That’s a wrap!

Dear 2020,
You’ve been a pretty crap year to be honest – but thank you for bringing so many fabulous reads into our lives. I guess you weren’t all that bad after all!

What were you favourite books of 2020? Did you read anything that you know you’ll treasure for all time?As always, drop me a comment to chat! Thanks for putting up with me this past year. Have a wonderful New Year everybody and enjoy ringing in 2021!

T xx
The Biblioshelf5 Comments

Hey Bibliofriends!

Happy 1st September! Whilst my inner child is happily in London at Platform 9¾ to get to Hogwarts, the real me is sat at a laptop screen wondering how on earth September is happening already?!

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BREAKING NEWS – I have actually got rid of some books! 😱 Getting rid of books either by donating them or selling them has been one of those ‘never have I ever’ things for me, but considering all of the books I’ve been buying recently, the fact that my floorboards are now actually bending underneath the sheer weight of all of my tomes, and that I barely have time to read a majority of them… I figured it was finally time to part with some of my lesser-loved reads that I know I’ll probably never pick up again. To be honest, I can’t even remember what I’ve parted with – I just know that they have found their way to a community centre where hopefully others will find some enjoyment in them. How do you decide what to part with and what to keep? Do you donate or sell? Any tips would be gratefully received to try and cure my hoarding affliction!

With that all sorted, it gave me a little more room to concentrate on the epic list that forms the ‘never-ending TBR pile’to see which books I could actually start ticking off my list. In case you missed my summer reads, you can shimmy on over to see which series I’ve finally finished reading here. According to Goodreads, the Reading Challenge to read 50 books by then end of 2019 is ‘on track’, which is hilarious considering the amount of time I’ve actually given to reading these past few months!

September’s TBR focus is still trying to complete a few more outstanding series before I start to get cracking on some of the newer ones.

This month I’m aiming to read:
Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix by Julie C. Dao – This is the conclusion to Forest of a Thousand Lanterns which was one of the first books I ever reviewed on this site. I loved the atmosphere of this Evil Queen retelling that I have been desperate to finally start it the sequel.

Song of Sorrow by Melinda Salisbury – After receiving State of Sorrow in a previous Fairyloot box last year and then coming across a gorgeous edition of Song of Sorrow complete with fancy stencilled edges, it was a dead cert that I’d have to be completing this series.

If I have time:
Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson – As this is a standalone it’s been allowed to be bumped up the TBR list! 😂 I’ve heard some wonderful things about it on Bookstagram and the magical library may be just the escape I need from teaching young muggles this month!

What are you all reading this month? Are you on track to reach your reading goal? Is your inner child also on board the Hogwarts Express? As always drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

April Update – OWLs Magical Readathon

The Biblioshelf4 Comments

Hey Bibliofriends,

This month has been super busy already in my reading world. I’ve already passed last month’s read count of 5 books and I think that’s purely down to it being the Easter holidays and my motivation to try and pass all 12 exams in the OWLs Magical Readathon. If you’re not taking part in the Readathon or you want to know what it’s all about then you can see my previous post here.

The Goal:

Originally, I didn’t really have the time to browse the wonderful booklet of wizarding careers that G @book_roast had so lovingly created. I dove straight in at the deep end and made a TBR to try and complete all 12 OWLs, leaving my career options wide open.

OWLs completed so far:

✅Arithmancy: Work written by more than one author – Gemina (Illuminae Files #2)
✅Charms: Read an adult work – Five Give up the Booze
✅Defence Against the Dark Arts: Title starts with R – Red Queen
✅Divination: Set in the Future – Mirage
✅Potions: Sequel – The Lost Sisters
✅Transfiguration: Sprayed edges/red cover – Circle of Shadows

Currently in Progress:

Astronomy: Star in the title – Stardust
History of Magic: published at least 10 years ago – The Silmarillion

The Revised Plan:

Now that the Easter holidays are nearing an end, I know I’m going to have less time to get my reading done so I decided to narrow down the occupations and OWL Exams I definitely wanted to sit. I browsed the Wizarding Careers Guide and narrowed down my job choices to:

  • Astronomer
  • Hogwarts Professor
  • Librarian
  • Potioneer

True to my teacher roots, I think I’m going to end up going for Hogwarts Professor. To complete it I still need to pass Astronomy and Ancient Runes.
But then to be a Librarian/Astronomer I’ll still need to pass History of Magic…
And then… to be a Potioneer I’ll need to complete Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures.

So realistically I’ll still be attempting to complete 10/12

And here’s the funny part – I’ve already finished Divination and none of the career paths I’ve chosen require that. By the end of the readathon I guess I’m still aiming to complete 11 of 12 OWL exams – I guess I’ve really narrowed down my options haven’t I?!

Who’s doing the readathon? How’re you getting on? Are you on track for your career? Drop me a comment to chat!

T xx