“2 books ahead of schedule.” – Goodreads

• https://moreblminfo.carrd.co/ 
• https://getinformed.carrd.co/ This is an incredible carrd with information and resources about many of the issues the world is going through right now!
• I find Twitter an extremely useful tool in finding information about these injustices and ways to help.

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The Kpop ReadAThon was created by Noura over at theperksofbeingnourablog here on WP and her Twitter is @NunuKz (which is where there is a thread all about the prompts etc.). The official dates were 15th June – 15th July and I decided to keep going until I finish all the teams!

For round 4, I decided to combine two groups that had only a few prompts each. I kind of struggled with the accompanying posts, but that was mostly due to lack of motivation. And that also shows in how long it took me to finish the books as well.

I started this round at the end of October and it’s currently the end of January (and I read 4 out of 6 in Jan)… But, I’m happy that I finally completed it! And a lot of these books were really good ♥

This is going to be the last one of these that I do for a while. I like the concept, but I’m having trouble with fitting my owned books into a lot of the prompts. I’m looking into read-a-thons happening in February, so if I do pick one, you’ll see that post in a few days~

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ITZY

ITZY is a 5 member girl group that debuted in February of 2019. The three prompts are titles of tracks from IT’z ME. I like the members of ITZY and I love the title tracks, however, the b-sides are not to my taste. I think the vocals aren’t being utilised in the best way and with the best sound to suit them. Hopefully, they continue to grow and strengthen in their sound~

WRAP UP

The Murder on the Links; Agatha Christie

• This fulfilled the prompt: 24hrs: Read a Book in 24 hours
• Finished: 03.01.2021
• ⭐⭐⭐⭐

“… humble chronicler of these pages”… Hastings is so extra and I love that for him. He’s such an idiot haha

A millionaire is murdered in his home in France and Poirot is quickly summoned to help. This plot was a lot more complicated than the previous, with a lot more confusing twists and I was basically on the same journey as Hastings. We’re both dumb 😅

I really liked the characters of this book and the little rivalry between Poirot and Giraud (a French policeman) was so petty and funny to me. I also really like Dulcie and hope that we get to see her more. In this book you can definitely see the affection that Poirot has for Hastings and how he treats him like a son.

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The Power; Naomi Alderman

• This fulfilled the prompt: You Make Me: A Book a Friend Recommended
• Finished: 21.11.2020
• ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Compelling and thought provoking!

One day the world wakes up to the astonishing knowledge that woman now have the ability to inflict serious pain and even death, simply with their touch.

The Power shows us the way the world is, and then subverts it. While it is somewhat satisfying to see the women overthrow the men that subjugate them, it becomes concerning to see the same patterns repeated as time goes on. It’s a look at the instability of the human psyche and that our perceptions of gender do no justice to the complexities of human nature.

This book also does a good job of highlighting how thousands of years of patriarchy makes certain things seem inevitable and just accepted, but make you double take and suggest your own complicity (consciously or not) when flipped on it’s head and projected onto men.

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The Obelisk Gate; N.K. Jemisin

• This fulfilled the prompt: Wannabe: A Book You’ve Been Wanting to Read or a Has a Character You’d Want to Be
• Finished: 18.01.2021
• ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Obelisk Gate is the second book in the Broken Earth trilogy. I gave the first book 5 stars and I’ve been wanting to continue (but had been scared to). Slight spoilers ahead~

While the plot in this one was a little less intense, I really enjoy this world. The characters are incredibly captivating and what makes everything come to life. Essun may be unlikeable, but I love her! She is so multi-faceted. And talking of people I love, Hoa’s presence in this novel was so much greater and integral to the narrative, both figuratively and literally.

The parts with Nassun were good, I was mostly there for her relationship with Schaffa in particular, as it is so dynamic and interesting. I’m more excited to see what she will do in the final book, as it felt like her story wasn’t that essential in the Obelisk Gate.

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ATEEZ

ATEEZ is an 8 member boy group that debuted in October 2018. The three prompts are from their 4th mini album Treasure Epilogue: Action to Answer. This group is very talented and I’m looking forward to seeing what they do in the future. I’m very excited to see what they do on Mnet’s Kingdom ♥

WRAP UP

The Bear and the Nightingale; Katherine Arden

• This fulfilled the prompt: Star 1117: Book With a Star on the Cover
• Finished: 29.01.2021
• ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is the first novel in the Winternight Trilogy. At the edge of Russian wilderness, Vasya’s town is filled with fear and step completely away from the old traditions into the arms of the new young Christian priest. As their lives become harsher due to the weakening spirits and creatures that protect them. Vasya’s life is steeped in fairy tales and she begins to understand that she’s integral to the survival of her town and those she loves.

I loved this ♥

The writing is beautiful and the world building is simple, but the fairy tales and characters breathe fresh life into it.

Vasya is a great protagonist and it was nice to see her grow from birth to her mid teens. Her relationships with others build and propel the narrative forward. All the characters are compelling, especially the flawed ones: Konstantin is a Christian priest who instils fear into the village, and who is easily swayed by his need for self-fulfilment. Anna is basically thrown into a life she doesn’t want and while she can be unloving, she is gripped with fear by the things she can see and not understand. The intertwining of Christianity and the old traditions was well done and added a depth to the conflict.

I’m excited to continue with the trilogy!

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Pride & Prejudice; Jane Austen

• This fulfilled the prompt: Precious: A Book That Means a Lot to You or By an Author You Love
• Finished: 18.11.2020
• ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Pride and Prejudice is my favourite book and it feels like home every time I read it.

This book explores the lives of the middle to upper classes antics in the countryside, forming conversations about the namesake emotions and our main characters challenging their thoughts. Mrs Bennet is intent on marrying off her daughters, but there are many mishaps that derive from the frivolity and embarrassments of both her and several members of her family. This book is charming, but is also layered with Austen’s wit and humour ♥

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Midnight Sun; Stephanie Meyer

• This fulfilled the prompt: Outro: Long Journey: Read a Long Book (over 400 pages)
• Finished: 24.01.2021
• ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I’d like to remind you that the Quileute Tribe need donations to move certain buildings to higher ground (most prominently the school) as they live in a tsunami zone. You can learn about and donate at their site: https://mthg.org/. The Quileute tribe’s name and traditions have been used without permission and they have gained none of the benefits that Stephanie Meyer has had for using them. I hope you consider helping ♥

I was hesitant going into this, but apparently I’ll never not be Twilight trash 😂 Edward’s insight into the events of the first novel were interesting and gave us more information into the Cullen’s reactions to his relationship with Bella, but also their backstories. I will say Edward is a hater – the Rosalie hate was strong in this one and I am not on board that train! Overall, he’s a fun narrator, even when he’s being all dramatic. The murderous rage he had towards Mike was hilarious – that poor boy.

It was also littered with little insights into things that couldn’t be seen from Bella’s perspective. I will say Bella is a better character when we’re in her head. The main reason it’s not a 5 star book for me is that certain parts felt unnecessary and drawn out for no reason. This book did not have to be over 700 pages long. Absolutely not.

My final thoughts are that this is perfect for a fan of the original books, especially if you have the nostalgia of reading them when you were younger – but there wasn’t enough Carlisle. The Emmett content slightly made up for it though~

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Have you read any of these? What were your thoughts?

What was your favourite thing you’ve read in the last few months?

Thanks for reading! I hope you’re having a lovely day and staying safe ♥