Hey guys! Guess who's fallen so far behind on her wrap ups for this year? Yep, me. I considered just ignoring a good chunk of books, but that'd be giving up. Instead, I'm gonna try and spend the next few weeks writing them all up. Apparently I've only wrapped up 10 books for this year, but I've actually read 42 so this'll be fun. Without further ado!
#11: King's Rising by C.S. Pacat
What a conclusion to this series! I stand by the statement that each book in this series surpasses the previous one, so this one was the best. It was tense and satisfying and worth sticking it out for. It's a slow burn finale but Pacat already made me care so deeply for the characters that I didn't even mind. 4/5 stars
#12: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
This was actually a re-read but I love this book so much, I'd read it again many more times. I actually did a non-spoiler review here you can check out for my longer thoughts but in short, this book is one of my favs of all time. 5/5 stars.
#13: The Shining by Stephen King
I finally read a Stephen King novel! He's one of those authors that just everyone should read at least one of his books, because he has so damn many! I actually started reading this last year and only finished in the early months of 2017 after putting it down for awhile. It was a bit too long-winded (something King is known for) and could've shaved 100 or so pages but all in all, was quite enjoyable. I wish it had been a bit scarier though. 3/5 stars
#14: History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera
This book is heavy. I mean, if you know the premise, you go in expecting heavy. It really successfully explores human relationships and dealing with grief without trying to romanticise it or ignore how messy and complicated the situation is. I found the MC hard to connect with, though, so it didn't quite 'wow' me in the way I thought it might, but a book I appreciate nonetheless. 3.5/5 stars
#15-16: American Gods & Monarch of the Glen by Neil Gaiman
I thought I'd just include both of these since the second is just a short story that follows American Gods. But anyway. I really love Neil Gaiman and this novel really sees him going all in and throwing as much mythology as he can into one story. It's impressive and whimsical and so perfectly Gaiman. It's not a story to be rushed because of the way he writes, but it's a treasure nonetheless. The Monarch of the Glen just feels like a very extended epilogue to the story and while it was nice to read, it didn't feel entirely necessary. American Gods: 4/5 stars. MotG: 3/5 stars
Alright, first catch-up wrap up done. Still a few more to go, haha. Let me know if you've read any of these books and what you thought of them!
Until next time!
- J, xxx
