Goose

Flawed – Cecelia Ahern (dystopian, YA, political) DNF at 50% Celestine lives in a time when people can be branded as Flawed if they are deemed to have done something of questionable morality, but not illegal. Celestine is an upstanding citizen who agrees with the system, that is until she is the one being accused. Similar to The Red Queen, I just found this book nothing special, I felt like it had been done a hundred times over. I found the characters a bit irritating and overall just lost interest. Perhaps I should have given the book a chance but I just found I could easily predict what was going to happen. I did however like to commentary on what it means to be a good member of society and how it's easy to judge others when you are not in their situation. Opening line: I am a girl of definitions, of logic, of black and white. Format: ebook 324 pages Published in 2016

The Red Queen – Victoria Aveyard (dystopian, YA, political) DNF at 25% The Red Queen is set in a world where people are divided in to Reds and Silvers. Reds are those whose blood is red and are the lowly workers in society who serve the Silvers, the rich and powerful who have silver blood and magical abilities. Mare is a Red who somehow has magical abilities and is taken in to the royal household as a means of covering up this impossibility to avoid a rebellion. This book was okay but it didn’t interest me enough to keep reading. It’s the predictable plot of commoner who has rare abilities leads a rebellion to overthrow those oppressing them. I love dystopian books but find it frustrating that a lot of them use this same format. Opening line: I hate First Friday. Format: ebook 388 pages Published in 2015

Wow that's fantastic thank you! Will definitely be using this to chose my next one!

I've read The Colour of Magic and thought it was fantastic. I'm looking forward to getting stuck in to some more of them. Are there any that you suggest reading next?

The School for Good and Evil – Soman Chainani (fantasy, middle-grade, fairy tales) DNF at 40% The School for Good and Evil follows best friends Sophie and Agatha who could not be more different, Sophie is beautiful and does good deeds whenever she can whereas Agatha lives in a graveyard and likes to wear black. Sophie has heard of the School for Good and Evil and is desperate to be taken there where she is convinced she will be top of the class in the School for Good. However although Sophie’s wish of being taken comes true she didn’t bank on her being put in to the School for Evil and Agatha being put in to the School for Good. I was excited to read this book, I love the concept of pupils going to classes to learn various skills to help them the become fairy tale heroes and villains and I do think the book does this well. I didn’t however end up finishing the book, I DNF it at about 40%. I think unfortunately because I had seen the film and therefore knew how the story ended it kind of ruined it for me. I do however recommend the book (from what I read) and I am looking forward to reading it to my children one day. Opening line: Sophie had waited her whole life to be kidnapped. Format: ebook 488 pages Published in 2013

The Song of Achilles – Madeline Miller (Mythological, tragedy, historical fiction) 2.75/5 The Song of Achilles is set in ancient Greece and follows the love story of Patroclus and Achilles. It is told from Patroclus’ point of view and spans over many, many years, from when they are children, right up to when the Greeks go to war with Troy. I have seen a lot of reviews of this book where people have said that it broke their heart and it is a new favourite of theirs. Whilst I did enjoy it overall I wouldn’t say I have the same strong feelings about it as others. I think however this is probably mostly because I am not particularly interested in Greek mythology and also don’t tend to read historical books. That’s not to say that you need to know about or have an interest in Greek mythology in order to enjoy this book, quite the opposite actually as Miller does a good job of explaining everything. However I think for me it was mostly the fact of it being a historical fiction. I didn’t particularly like the character of Achilles however this funnily enough was an element of the book I liked, seeing his character change over time and the consequences of that. A few content warnings for the book as it talks about sexual assault, rape and sexism. Opening line: My father was a king and the son of kings. Format: ebook 378 pages Published in 2011

Good Omens – Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman (biblical, humorous, urban fantasy) 3.75/5 Good Omens is about the coming of the end of the world, triggered by the anti-Christ being born. Aziraphale, an angel and Crowley, a demon are living on earth doing the work of their leaders, God and Satan, when they both realise that the end of the world means an end to the comfortable lives they have grown accustomed to. They decide to try and carefully divert the direction of destiny but things don’t go exactly according to plan. I both loved this book, as well as finding it pretty boring. I loved Aziraphale and Crowley and thought their relationship was wonderful, however I wished that the book stuck more closely to them. What I found a bit boring was that the book spent an awful lot of time with lots of different characters, some of which were only relevant for a very small proportion of the story. Now, I do on one hand appreciate this and the effect it gives, particularly the sense that seemingly small events can have an impact on many people, however I just found I was uninterested in these other characters. Apart from the characters of War, Famine, Pollution and Death, I really like those four. I also found the jumping between many different characters hard to follow and I would find it hard to keep track of what was happening a little (I think that is probably due to my ADHD brain though!). But there are aspects of the story I loved. As I have said already, I really liked the two main characters and loved reading about them. I also loved the concept of how angels and demons live among humans and do things to either cause happiness or suffering. But it would sometimes be things like the M25 ring road being created to cause frustrating commutes, or automated telephone voices. I just liked this subtle way in which they were having an influence on humans. Overall I would definitely recommend Good Omens, I don’t think the things I didn’t like about it are anything that make the book bad, just that maybe it wasn’t written in the best way for me. Opening line: It was a nice day. Format: ebook 491 pages Published in 1990

2021 & 2022 Highlight Reel and Stats I thought I would pick out my favourite books of the year with a quick reason as to what I liked the most about them. I am going to try and stick to only five (and maybe a few honourable motions) but I am not usually very good at narrowing things down! I have included 2021 here as well as I didn't do this last year. They are in no particular order and I have taken the liberty of including whole series as one if I so wish! 2021 Top Five: Ready Player One - Ernest Cline: completely immersive and the perfect depiction of a futuristic world gone to shhhhhhh but in a believable way. Roxy - Neal Shusterman: unique and heart-breaking with mythological vibes. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet - Becky Chambers: character driven space opera that makes sci-fi feel fresh and modern. The Sad Ghost Club - Lize Meddings: an accurate depiction of anxiety and depression. The Constant Rabbit - Jasper Fforde: a twisted reality that is well thought out and believable and doesn't take itself too seriously. Honourable Mentions: Bunny - Mona Awad: totally weird, creepy and intriguing. Stats: Shortest book: Emergency Skin - N. K. Jemisin - 38 pages Longest book: A Court of Mist and Fury - Sarah J. Maas - 626 pages Oldest book: A Brave New World - Aldous Huxley - 1932 Newest book: Roxy - Neal Shusterman - 2021 Most read author: Neal Shusterman - 4 books Books completed: 31 Books DNF'd: 0 2022 Top Five: Record of a Spaceborn Few - Becky Chambers: interesting to see how humans have adapted to living in space. Shades of Grey - Jasper Fforde: cleverly creates a well thought out society based around colour perception and how that determines an individuals place in the world. Heartless - Marissa Meyer: wonderfully whimsical. The Innkeeper Chronicles - Ilona Andrews: a unique premise full of different alien planets and species. Precious Catastrophe - Deidre Sullivan: a modern feeling fantasy with a super witchy vibe grounded in nature. Honourable Mentions: The House in the Cerulean Sea - T. J. Klune: a sweet group of outcast kids, each with their own unique character and story. Stats: Shortest book: Summer Frost - Blake Crouch - 75 pages Longest book: The Priory of the Orange Tree - Samantha Shannon - 848 pages Oldest book: Animal Farm - George Orwell - 1945 Newest book: Precious Catastrophe - Deirdre Sullivan - 2021 Most read author: Ilona Andrews Books completed: 44 Books DNF'd: 4

The Maze Runner - James Dashner (dystopian, YA, sci-fi) 2.75/5 I was initially going to review the whole Maze Runner Trilogy in one however I never finished the second book. I did enjoy what I read however it obviously didn't keep me interested enough to keep going. I was a bit disappointed as I was in the mood for good old dystopian, I hadn't read one in a while and The Maze Runner is on all the lists of must read dystopians, but it just didn't hit the mark for me. The Maze Runner follows a group of boys who live in a glade surrounded by huge stone walls that open during the day to reveal a dangerous maze. All the boys have had their memories wiped and have no recollection of who they are or how they came to be in the glade. When the main character Tommy arrives he seems to spark the beginning of 'the end' and time is running out for the boys to figure out how to escape. I have seen the film so did know what to expect however it was a long time ago so I couldn't remember any details. I found the characters a bit frustrating, we find out that the boys are all apparently geniuses that are being monitored to see how they cope with the obstacles they face however I couldn't buy into the fact they were geniuses as they were seemingly unable to find the solution to the maze. Particularly as the solution was, not obvious, but not exactly that hard to figure out, especially considering some of the boys had been there for 2 years already. I was also frustrated by the use of telekinesis. A big pet peeve of mine is the use of magical/supernatural power being used in a story that is presented as 'real world'. They do begin to explain in the second book a way that this power has scientific grounding however for me it just didn't work. I may eventually read the rest of the trilogy but I don't plan to any time soon. Opening line: He began his new life standing up, surrounded by cold darkness and stale, dusty air. Format: audiobook 384 pages Published in 2009

Perfectly Preventable Deaths Duology (#1 Perfectly Preventable Deaths & #2 Precious Catastrophe) – Deirdre Sullivan (witchy, YA, sister-hood) Book 1 3.75/5 Book 2 3.75/5 Perfectly Preventable Deaths is set in a small town in Ireland called Ballyfran, a very strange place where very creepy things happen. Madeline and Catlin are twin sisters who have just moved to Ballyfran with their mum and new step dad. Its not long before Madeline starts to notice how weird things are and that her twin sister’s new boyfriend does not seem right. I loved this story. The first book was a little slow, but the second book, Precious Catastrophe was fantastic. It wasn’t at all what I was expecting really, other than the general ‘witchyness’. Sullivan managed to keep a book written about witchcraft in an ancient town in the middle of nowhere feel fresh and modern. I am not particularly in to historical fiction in general and unfortunately for me fantasy books are usually set in worlds in line with the Victorian times! These books however are set in the modern day and the characters are very believable modern-day teenagers. I really enjoyed the style of witchcraft explored in the book. It was one based in nature and revolved around using herbs, plants and other natural ingredients to perform spells. I also really liked the two main characters Madeline and Catlin. I wouldn’t necessarily go so far as to say the book is funny per say, but it definitely didn’t take itself too seriously. The first book follows Madeline whereas the second book switches between both girls POVs which I liked as it was nice to see the story from Catlin’s POV also. I would highly recommend these books; the witchy vibe was perfect. The story was seriously creepy but somehow fun and light-hearted at the same time! Opening line: Our father died in flames when he was twenty six and we were two. Format: audiobook Book 1 - 368 pages Book 2 - 418 pages Published in 2019 - 2021

Six of Crows Duology (#1 Six of Crows & #2 Crooked Kingdom) – Leigh Bardugo (YA, fantasy, character-driven) Books 1 & 2 4/5 Six of Crows has been on my reading list for quite a while. It is a very popular YA fantasy and I had heard lots of praise for the books. This did put me off reading it for quite a while as I was worried my expectations had been set too high and it would disappoint me. It didn’t disappoint me, I thoroughly enjoyed it, perhaps not as much as others have but overall, it was a great read. The story follows six main characters who join together to complete a job that will win them a hefty reward if they succeed. They live in a world where there are people called Grisha who have particular magical gifts but who are often exploited by those with money and power. It took me a little while to warm to some of the characters, for some reason I just didn’t click with the character of Cas, the leader, straight away. I think it could partly have been the voice actor of the audiobook I listened too but I just didn’t really buy Cas being a teenager and I think this just got in the way at first. However, in the second book, Crooked Kingdom I grew to like him more, as well as the other characters too. One of my favourite tropes is found family and I found this slightly lacking in the first book, the characters didn’t seem to have each other’s backs as much as I would have hoped. But in the second book this developed a lot more. Looking back however I do think this worked out better as it made the connection between the characters feel more genuine. I also liked that the characters were morally grey. I get frustrated sometimes when characters stop committing a crime at the last minute because ‘it’s the right thing to do’, but that certainly didn’t happen in this story! Another aspect I liked was the magic system. There are three types of Grisha who can each do a different type of magic, those that can manipulate biology, those that can manipulate elements and those that can manipulate materials. I liked that there were limits to the magic and it was described as more of a science than magic. I found my like of the magic system refreshing. I am a huge Harry Potter fan and therefore I often find I struggle to get behind other magic systems so it was nice to come across one I equally enjoyed. I would definitely recommend this book, it’s worth the high praise it gets. Opening line: Johst had two problems, the moon and his moustache. Format: audiobook Book 1 - 465 pages Book 2 - 561 pages Published in 2015 - 2016

Just finished the Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo and the Perfectly Preventable Deaths duology by Deidre Sullivan. Both fab!

Room – Emma Donoghue (touching, contemporary, mother-hood) 3.5/4 Room is about a young woman who has been held captive by a man for seven years. The story is told from the perspective of her five-year-old son Jack who has never seen the outside world and who has no understanding of what real life is like. I was unsure at first when I realised that the story was told from a child's point of view, I thought this might irritate me a bit, however it did not. I thought it was a very unique way of exploring the very adult topic that the book covered and I think it was done very well. Jack was such a sweet character that I grew to love and feel a connection with. In the second part of the book Jack and his mum manage to escape the room and to me this was where the book really came in to its own. We watch as Jack tries to grasp what the outside world is like and we see through his eyes how his mother struggles to adjust also. Its not exactly an action-packed story but I would definitely recommend. Opening line: Today I’m five. Format: audiobook 321 pages Published in 2010

Magpie – Elizabeth Day (psychological, contemporary, mental health) 3.5/5 Marisa has the perfect life with her boyfriend Jake, they have just bought a house together and now they are about to have a baby. Then, however they get a roommate who turns everything on its head. I overall enjoyed this book; it touches on the really difficult topic of infertility and the struggles associated with it. This is an area I am fortunate enough to not know much about and therefore it was interesting and eye opening to learn about. As for the mystery element to the story I at first thought this was done really well and it kept me reading, however once it is revealed what is actually going on (this is done about a third of the way in) the book kind of loses its edge a bit. Although still interesting it did start to drag towards the end and I felt that the controlling mother-in-law character was mainly there to try and plug the gap that the reveal had left behind. There is a mental health element to the book that I did find a little problematic at times in its depiction. I worry that the way it was depicted could lead people to fear those with mental health conditions. I would however still recommend the book if it sounds like your sort of thing. Opening line: The house was perfect. Format: print 336 pages Published in 2021

Currently reading Perfectly Preventable Deaths by Dierdre Sullivan

Nearly finished Magpie by Elizabeth Day. Reading Room by Emma Donoghue next.

Just finished I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Ian Reid and about to start Magpie by Elizabeth Day.

I’m Thinking of Ending Things – Ian Reid (unnerving, psychological, philosophical) 3/5 I’m Thinking of Ending Things is about an unnamed narrator who goes with their boyfriend to visit his parents. The narrator is having seconds thoughts about the relationship and is contemplating ending it. However, things get a bit weird when the narrator starts to notice unusual things. This was definitely a gripping story. I did find it took a while to get going, although there are hints at odd things early on, a large portion of the first half of the book is just the narrator and their boyfriend having very deep philosophical discussions. I am not usually too keen on this sort of thing, however the intrigue of wanting to find out what was going on was enough to keep me reading. Once in the second half of the book where its obvious something was not right I really enjoyed it and just didn’t want to stop until I had finished. I would recommend, I think some things could have been done a bit better to keep the flow of the plot going a bit better but overall, I enjoyed it. Opening line: I’m thinking of ending things. Format: audiobook 241 pages Published in 2016

Animal Farm – George Orwell (political, fable, thought-provoking) 3.5/5 I don’t really think there is much more I can say about this book that hasn’t already been discussed and analysed over the years. Its obvious commentary on totalitarianism is done in such a fantastic way that I would maybe even go so far as to say it is a must read. I never usually describe books as ‘must reads’ as I think reading is such a unique and individual thing that no book will ever be right for everyone. However, I think it’s different with Animal Farm. It is done in such a simple way that I think anyone can connect with it and what it’s trying to say. I’m sure most are aware of what Animal Farm is about, but for those that don’t the book follows a group of farmyard animals as they rebel against their human keepers and form their own society. At first, they all work together to build better lives for themselves, until the greed of a few takes over. I wouldn’t say that I loved the book, it wasn’t a book that I found enjoyable in the way I do most books, for their characters or interesting world building for example, however I came away from it just feeling so glad I had finally read it. I don’t really know how else to explain it. One of my favourite aspects was the depiction of how ordinary citizens can be made to continue faith in a regime if they are fed the information that everything is as it should be. How those in power use the loyalty of their people to further themselves. I do think that anyone who gets the chance should read this book, its very short but still manages to pack a punch. Opening line: Mr. Jones, of Manor Farm, had locked the hen-houses for the night, but was too drunk to remember to shut the pop-holes. Format: ebook 128 pages Published in 1945

The House in the Cerulean Sea – T.J. Klune (urban-fantasy, whimsical, heart-warming) 4.75/5 The House in the Cerulean Sea is set in a world where magical beings live among humans however, they are not usually treated as equal. Linus is a case worker for the government department that manages magical youth whose job it is to go to orphanages of magical children to investigate and ensure the children are being properly cared for. Linus is given a highly secretive case of investigating an orphanage that houses six dangerous children on a secluded island for a month and make a recommendation as to whether the orphanage can remain open of not. This was a beautiful book. I’m not usually drawn to books where the characters are mainly children, however the children in this book just stole my heart. In particular a little wyvern called Theodore who collects items for his secret hoard and Chancy, an unidentified green creature whose life ambition is to become a bellhop. There is such a sense of found family in this book which is one of my favourite tropes and I loved how all the children have their own little personalities and stories. I would highly recommend this book if you are looking for a real feel good, heart-warming tale. Opening line: ‘Oh dear’ Linus Baker said, wiping the sweat from his brow. Format: audibook 394 pages Published in 2020

Wings – Aprilynne Pike (fantasy, YA, unique) 3.5/5 Laurel is an unusual girl who has just started at a new school after years of being home schooled. She struggles to relate to her classmates which is only made more difficult when one day she finds out that she is actually a faerie after she starts to grow wings. At first, I kind of felt like I was reading the authors own fantasy of finding out she is a faerie and telling a cute boy who then adores and falls in love with her. I’m not sure why but it just felt a bit odd, I don’t know if it was because the story almost felt like it was rushing to get to the part where she found out she was a faerie, as if the author couldn’t wait. However, once this fact was established, I actually started to really enjoy it. It was a really unique take on faeries, one that I’ve not seen before. In this book faeries are actually not human, rather they are a very advanced plant species and have an unusual and unique way of life in the secret world of Avalon. I liked the way Pike also integrated the existence of faeries and other magical creatures into well-known myths and folklore. I did start to read the next book in the series but I just kind of lost a bit of interest in it. I think I will continue it at some point, but I just have some other books I’m more interested in reading right now. Opening line: Laurel’s shoes flipped a cheerful rhythm that defied her dark mood. Format: ebook 356 pages Published in 2009

To Be Taught, if Fortunate – Becky Chambers (sci-fi, speculative, thought-provoking) 3.5/5 To Be Taught, if Fortunate (TBTIF) is a novella. The story follows a small crew aboard a spaceship on a decade’s long exploration mission in which they are destined to visit four un-explored planets and document their ecological findings. However, whilst on this mission they realise something back on Earth is not quite right. I found this book similar in many ways to The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (LWSAP) - another book written by Chambers - which unfortunately I don’t think did it any favours. Both books follow a crew on a ship who become like family to each other on a difficult mission together. To me LWSAP was such a fantastic book that TBTIF struggled in the comparison and ended up falling a little flat. However, looking at TBTIF from the point of view of never having read LWSAP I think that it’s a really lovely story and one that leaves the reader with lots to think about. Ideally, I would have liked a bit more character building as I didn’t feel much of a connection to them, however I appreciate it’s a novella and therefore there is less time for this. Don’t get me wrong, I did really enjoy the book, it touched on interesting topics about the human desire to reach out and discover new places and the impact that exploration can have. We have colonised almost every corner of our planet and now we are looking farther afield, but for what? Surely we should learn to look after the home we have rather than looking at what we can replace it with after we’ve finally destroyed it. Anyway, overall I would recommend this book, it’s an enjoyable storyline and has some sections that go into detail on specific scientific methods/concepts that made it feel a bit more sci-fi than the other books in the series. Opening line: If you read nothing else we’ve sent home, please at least read this. Format: print 153 pages Published in 2019

Just finished The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune. Reading Animal Farm by George Orwell next.

I love the premise, I think I was just expecting it to be done a slightly different way. Maybe now that I am aware of that then I can go in to it from a different perspective. I'll give it a go

Yeah I agree, I love the idea but maybe just wish it had been explored slightly differently.