January || February || March

Remember to stay up to date with the world, listen to those facing atrocities and help spread awareness/donate where you’re able to.

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In January, February and March, I read a total of 25 books.

I decided at the end of last year that I wasn’t going to do monthly wrap-up’s as I don’t find them especially fun to write. However, I thought it would be fun to do a quarterly wrap-up going through everything I’ve read every 3 months and give some brief thoughts on each book.

I can then also use these posts for end of year content.

As I used my stats from StoryGraph, I also linked each title to it’s page on the reading tracker as well.

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JANUARY

In January, I read 13 books and took part in the January Pages Challenge on StoryGraph. Due to this, I read 7 digital books, mostly from Libby (5 graphic novels; 1 poetry collection and 1 novella). These were easy reads just before bed each night if I was unable to read anything during the day due to work.

Half A Soul; Olivia Atwater ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Absolutely loved this book! I’m so glad that I chose this as my first read of the year ♥ Dora is a woman with half a soul and this has meant that her feelings are muted and she is forced to control the things she says and does to varying degrees of success. Her cousin enlists the help of the Grand Sorcier, however, a mystery erupts in the workhouses of London and Dora insists on providing her help to Elias. Their relationship was wonderful and I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading about this pair. (The Regency Faerie Tales #1)

The Latchkey; Olivia Atwater – This is a short novella (about 30pgs) of how Elias arrived in London and essentially his “origin story” of how he became the Lord Sorcier. It also brings together the “present timeline” and how Elias is coming to terms with his growing responsibilities. It was lovely to learn more about him. (The Regency Faerie Tales #1.5)

The League of Lady Poisoners; Lisa Perrin ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 – This was very interesting and spanned different time periods and also different reasons for the actions of these women. The artwork is also beautiful!

Ten Thousand Stitches; Olivia Atwater ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – While this sequel has a more gentle pace and more insular plot, I still enjoyed it. This one focused more on the romance between Effie and Blackthorn. The main plot is how Effie enters a bargain with the Faerie to help her marry one of the son’s of the manor she works at. There is also the additional plot with the other servants of the house and how Effie may have a magic of her own. This was super cute! (The Regency Faerie Tales #2)

The Tea Dragon Festival || The Tea Dragon Tapestry; K. O’Neill – These are super cute children’s graphic novels about small dragons who are nurtured and looked after by The Tea Dragon Society. The artwork is absolutely stunning and there is a wonderful array of diversity and love in these books. (The Tea Dragon Society #2 + #3)

I Hate Fairyland (Book One); Skottie Young ⭐⭐⭐.75 – I chose this at random as it was available on Libby. Gert fell into Fairyland and was chosen to fulfill a quest. On completion she would be able to go home, however, she is absolutely hopeless and has spent the last 30 years in her 6yr old body. Having grown incredibly jaded, Gert spends most of her days causing chaos and leaving broken limbs and dead bodies in her wake.

This is so incredibly violent and somewhat vulgar in places. But there is something about the high action, colourful world and characters that had me swiping through the book! (I Hate Fairyland #1-2)

Taproot; Keezy Young ⭐⭐.5 – Hamal has the ability to see ghosts and they are drawn to him and he has a gentle and nurturing nature. Blue is struggling to pass over to the other side and in part this is due to his feelings for Hamal. I really did want to love this, but the characters didn’t feel very developed and the plotline was vague in places and a bit boring in others. I didn’t find myself invested.

the witch doesn’t burn herself in this one; Amanda Lovelace ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – This was such an emotive, thought-provoking and inspiring poetry collection. I will say that some poems were not to my taste, but overall this was incredible and quite a few of the poems gave me chills. If you do read this, please do take note of the trigger warnings at the start of the book. (Women Are Some Kind of Magic #2)

And Then There Were None; Agatha Christie ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – This was such a great “one sitting read” as it’s full of intrigue and drama. Ten strangers are invited to an isolated manor on an island by different means and drawn into a deadly cat and mouse game. I did really enjoy this. The setup and characters are great, but the only downfall was the ending as it was too overexplained.

What It Takes: The Inspiring Journey of Sarina Wiegman and the Lionesses’ Rise to Success; Sarina Weigman – Football is my favourite sport and the Lionesses have a truly special place in my heart! It was really interesting to learn more about Weigman’s career and her insights into the sport and a lot of players that I’m familiar with, as well as having sections written by those players.

Longshadow; Olivia Atwater ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 – The third and final installment in this series follows Abigail several years after the events in Half a Soul. Abigail is now a young woman and has been learning magic from Elias, but her adoptive father still holds back as he is afraid of her getting into danger. Despite his worries, Abigail throws herself into danger when other young women she knows start dying and it’s evident this is due to Faeries. There is a queer romance in this novel and I just wish the novel was longer to truly explore that more and make it a stronger part of the plot. (The Regency Faerie Tales #3)

Squire; Nadia Shammas, Sara Alfageeh ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Aiza has always wanted to be a knight and jumps at the chance to go to a camp to train to do just that. Born a second class citizen, Aiza hides her cultural identity from the organisers and her fellow peers. However, the more time spends in the camp, the more time she learns that their plans further threaten her people. This was a great graphic novel, the storyline is engaging and full of emotion and political intrigue. The artwork is also great!

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FEBRUARY

February saw a more romance heavy month. I started more non-fiction than I finished, as I do like to read more LGBTQIA+ books as February is LGTB+ History Month in the UK. However, I’m still happy with the books that I did manage to read this month. Unlike January, I only read 1 digital book out of the 7 I read in total.

A Study in Drowning; Ava Reid ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 – Effy is an architecture student at a prestigious university, however, she has always dreamt of being part of the English department, but they refused her application on the basis of her gender. Through an architecture competition Effy finds herself at the estate of the late Myrddin, who penned her most beloved book “Angharad“. Effy truly believes in faeries, however, she soon finds herself filled with doubt about the authorship of her favourite book due to the discoveries she and literary student Preston Héloury find at the manor.

Ava Reid’s novels are incredibly atmospheric and her characters are complex and fascinating!

The Duke and I; Julia Quinn ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – I would just like to preface this with “I know this book has problematic elements regarding consent”. And apart from that element in the book, I did really enjoy reading this! It was fun to see Daphne and Simon become friends and the drama was great with the inclusion of her brothers.

Essentially, the Duke and I, a regency romance, follows Daphne Bridgerton as she searches for a husband. Simon is a Duke who cannot stand the attentions of the ton, so the pair pretend to be courting to stave off the mother’s, but get the attention of other suitors for Daphne. The plan goes awry when Daphne realises her feelings may not be so pretend and that even a Duke is not above taking responsibility for his scandalous actions. (Bridgerton #1)

The Viscount Who Loved Me; Julia Quinn ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Anthony Bridgerton, eldest brother of eight and head of the family, is a renowned bachelor. However, he has decided that this season he will marry and he has just the person in mind – Edwina Sheffield. The only obstacle is her half sister Kate. The two constantly find themselves bickering and drawn to each other. Anthony is intent on marrying Edwina and Kate is even more intent on not allowing that to happen, however, the pair find themselves more concerned about the feelings that are sparking between them.

I loved this book! There was so much more humour, mixed in with the heartwarming and emotional moments that we saw Anthony and Kate help each other through. The romance was wonderful ♥ (Bridgerton #2)

Mooncakes; Suzanne Walker, Wendy Xu (Illustrator) ⭐⭐⭐ – Nova is a witch who lives with her aunts, and they help the locals with their magic. A darkness comes to town and her investigation leads her to reuniting with her childhood friend Tam, who is a werewolf. The pair find themselves falling in love as they work together to save their loved ones and their community. The artwork is lovely and it was a heartwarming story of love, inclusivity and family.

An Offer From a Gentleman; Julia Quinn ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Benedict is my favourite Bridgerton male and while I haven’t seen the Netflix adaptation, I’m surprised that they have changed the order because this pairing’s romance is complicated, but wonderful!

In this novel, Sophie Beckett is an illegitimate child of a earl who finds herself in a Cinderella retelling, as she is forced by her step-mother to become a servant when her father dies. One night, she attends a masquerade ball where she meets Benedict and the pair instantly find their hearts moved. Sophie rushes out at midnight and he never finds out her true identity. Our protagonists meet years later when Benedict saves her from some unsavoury gentleman and he finds himself falling for her, but the memory of the masked woman won’t leave his heart. (Bridgerton #3)

Ace: What Asexuality Reveals about Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex; Angela Chen – This was an interesting exploration into the different aspects of Asexuality and what it’s like to be asexual in a world that is heavily influenced by sex. Some parts were very accessible for someone who doesn’t know much about this gender identity (aka me), but other parts were more confusing and I think that was because some of the writing was very dense. The inclusion of Chen’s research and interview findings helped with understanding, but I think I might have preferred this if it included more owned voices segments (almost like an anthology style).

Freedom is a Constant Struggle; Angela Y. Davis – This is a collection of interviews and speeches from Angela Y. Davis which touches on several different topics, including state violence, the conflict in Palestine, intersectional feminism and abolitionism. Davis has a great eloquence when she speaks about these topics and I highly recommend giving this a read!

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MARCH

March was a slower month with my reading as work was pretty stressful and I just found myself being too tired to read.

Interior Chinatown; Charles Yu ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Willis Wu is “Generic Asian Man” who dreams of becoming the most prestigious form of Asian Man – “Kung Fu Guy” – in America. This novel is brimming with humour and heartfelt emotion! The screenplay format makes the reading experience super engaging.

Romancing Mr Bridgerton; Julia Quinn ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Colin Bridgerton feels purposeless and so spends much of his time travelling. He has a charming and friendly personality and that is all the ton seem to say about him, especially the mysterious columnist “Lady Whistledown”. On his latest return from a trip, he finds himself inexplicably drawn to Penelope Featherington, a perpetual wallflower. After discovering that Penelope has a secret, he finds himself compelled to keep her safe.

This was great! I loved that Colin appreciated Penelope’s opinion and while he could be overbearing, I did find that rather endearing in most aspects. Also, Penelope is who Dan from Gossip Girl wishes he was. (Bridgerton #4)

To Sir Phillip, With Love; Julia Quinn ⭐⭐⭐ – This had so much potential! Eloise running off to her dead cousin’s home to meet her widower husband with the intentions of possibly marrying him is wild and so on brand for a Bridgerton. Phillip’s children playing pranks on Eloise and her getting closer to them was fun. And there were aspects of Phillip and Eloise’s romance that I enjoyed. But I hated the fact that we had feel sorry for Phillip being a rubbish father and terrible husband to Marina. The way he talked about Marina and how everything was basically her fault really irritated me. This was definitely the weakest book in the series. (Bridgerton #5)

How to Kill Men and Get Away With It; Katy Brent ⭐⭐⭐.75 – I read this in one sitting and the chapters are so short and very casually written. Kitty Collins is a social media influencer and unwittingly finds herself becoming a serial killer after accidentally murdering a man on the way home from a nightclub. Her only victims are men who have used their own power to create their own victims.

Every Heart A Doorway; Seanan McGuire ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Nancy finds herself at Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children after coming back home after spending time in an underworld she discovered in her home’s attic. At the home she learns that many children have found doorways to different worlds and that her fellow peers all desperately wish to go back, but may need to resign themselves to the fact that that may never happen. Not long after Nancy’s arrival, murders start to happen at the home and with several new friends, Nancy sets out to find the culprit.

When people mention these books, they seems to give the impression that they are heartwarming and whimsical… there were gruesome murders!! I mean it was great and super interesting, but not what I expected going into it.

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Thanks for reading!

I hope you’ve enjoyed some great books so far this year!

I hope you’re having a lovely day and staying safe ♥