Monthly Wrap Ups, Uncategorized

2022 Wrap Up!

Happy Friday bookish people! My goodness the end of the year has arrived very quickly and it is time to do my yearly wrap up. For this year I am going to show a picture of the book cover of every book I have read this year all broken down into categories determined by the star rating I gave the book.

overall, this year I have only managed to read 49 books, compared to over 100 last year.

2 star

This year I read no books that I disliked so much that I gave them one star, it was close but I eventually decided the books in the two star category are:

In my 3 star category are:

4 star ratings

and finally… my two books I read this year that I rated five stars are…..

Book Reviews

Book Review: pride and Premeditation by Tirzah price

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today. Today I am bringing you my book review for Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price, the first book in a Jane Austen Murder mystery series.

In this book review I will give star ratings to four categories and I will write a little bit about each one. I will do my best to not give any spoilers.

Pride and Premeditation Plot:

Rating: 5 out of 5.

This book follows Lizzie Bennett, daughter of a prominent lawyer and determined to prove herself as capable as any man she goes on a quest to solve a high profile murder case. I adored this book, it struck the perfect balance between romance, classic retelling and murder mystery, perfect for me anyway. This book is great for any Austen fans or mystery fans.

Pride and Premeditation Characters:

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Lizzie Bennett is a headstrong and fiercely independent and intelligent. Matched with this is Mr Darcy, the lawyer from a rival law firm. I have to say his character grew on me, it both had it’s own uniqueness while reflecting the traditional Mr Darcy he was based on.

Pride and Premeditation Writing and Dialogue:

Rating: 5 out of 5.

This is one of the most well written books I have read in 2022. It swept me into the story within the first chapter.

Pride and Premeditation Overall:

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Overall I gave this five stars because I cannot tell you in words how much I loved this book. Now excuse me I have to go buy Sense and Second Degree Murder, the next book in the series.

Blurb/Synopsis:

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a young woman who desires a law career must be in want of a case. So when sixteen year old Lizzie Bennet hears about a scandalous society murder, she sees an opportunity to prove herself as a solicitor by solving the case and ensuring justice is served.

Except the man accused of the crime already has a lawyer on his side: Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, the stern young heir to the prestigious Pemberley Associates law firm. Lizzie is determined to solve the murder before Darcy can so that she can show the world that a woman can be just as good as a man. (The fact that Darcy is an infuriating snob doesn’t help.) But there’s still a killer on the loose, and as the case gets more complicated, Lizzie and Darcy may have to start working together to avoid becoming the next victims themselves.

That’s it for this book review, I hope you all enjoyed it.

Monthly Wrap Ups

August and September Wrap Up!

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today. My goodness it has been a busy couple of months, and being that busy has meant my reading has taken a backseat.

In August I started three or four different books and I was just… bored quite honestly, I couldn’t get through them and I don’t think that is anything about the books themselves I think it was my tired brain. So, I decided not to do an August wrap up and now it is October so I am going to do the books I have read in August and September all in one big wrap up!

So, August!

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas – I did not read this book

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard – I was not in a fantasy mood at all.

Ninth House by leigh Bardugo – Same point as above

A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn – I did not read this book either but I am very excited to get around to it hopefully soon

The Library of the Unwritten by A J Hackwith – Another book I did not read in August (this was a very common theme this month)

Kingdom of the Cursed by Kerri Maniscalco – I did not read this. I don’t know why I put so much fantasy in my August TBR because I obviously wasn’t going to eat it.

Assassins Apprentice by Robin Hobb – I did not read this book either

Crownbreaker by Sebastien de Castell – this is one of the books that I started reading, I got about halfway before I stopped

Six Tudor Queens Katherine of Aragon by Alison Weir – I did not read this book either

House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J Maas – there was no way I was going to read this book in August

By the Book by Amanda Sellett – I actually did read this one, in August and September

The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett – I did not get around to this but I am excited to.

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas – I did not read this

Small Favours by Erin A Craig – Another book I did not read

The Shadows between us by Tricia Levenseller – I did not read this either

Last Chance Books by Kelsey Rodkey – I did not read this

The Falconer by Elizabeth May – I did not read this either

So, also in this month I read The Very Nice Box (review is already up) and Closed Casket by Sophie Hannah which brings my total books to 3.

September!

Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price – I did read this and by the way, I loved it!

The League of Gentlewomen Witches by India Holton – I am currently reading this so technically I read this in September

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas – I did not read this

King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo – I did not read this

Dance of Thieves by Mary E Pearson – I would have liked to get around to this one but unfortunately I did not

It sounded better in my head by Nina Kenwood – I did not read this

Down comes the night by Alison Saft – I did not read this

Hunting Party by Lucy Foley – I did not read this.

So in two months I read five books which is pretty good considering everything else I have been doing.

What was your August/September reading like? let me know in the comments!

Monthly TBRs

September TBR!

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you are all having a good day today. As it is the 2nd of the month I am bringing you my TBR for September, believe it or not my TBR is actually a bit shorter this month than usual because I am swamped with so many other things going on I haven’t actually had much chance to read at all. In September I am taking part in the month long Bookopolathon readathon hosted by Becca and the Books on YouTube so my prompts were all spaces on the specially made for this readathon bookopoly board.

Onto the TBR!

Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price

The first space I landed on gave me the prompt of Spring and this book has a bright green cover with these flowers that look like they have all been stitched into the cover, what’s more spring than a floral cover? With a dash of murder mystery of course.

The League of Gentlewomen Witches by India Holton

The second prompt came out as dice roulette which picks a shelf and then picks a random book on that shelf. For me this came out as The League of Gentlewomen Witches and I am looking forward to reading this book- witches, enemies to lovers and pirates sounds pretty good to me.

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas

This book actually covers two of my prompts: My favourite trope which is enemies to lovers, and Highest rated. I know this book has been on loads of my TBRs but hopefully I will get around to it this month.

King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

This prompt was a random letter generator which gave me K and I am very excited to be getting back into the Six of Crows/Shadow and Bone world.

Dance of Thieves by Mary E Pearson

This covers the prompt of big book. I remember when I got this book I was really excited to read it with the cast of outsiders type plot but I just haven’t gotten around to it yet so maybe this month I will.

It Sounded Better In My Head by Nina Kenwood

This was my chance prompt, I picked a book title from my jar where I have all the titles written on pieces of paper and this was the book that I got. I honestly don’t know much about this book.

Down Comes the Night by Alison Saft

This was for the prompt buildings on the cover. I had so much trouble finding a book for this prompt, I am obviously not drawn to books with buildings on the front.

Hunting Party by Lucy Foley

I chose this book for the random emoji prompt, I got a sunflower and this book is bright yellow so that is why I chose it. I am reticent about this one because I tried to read her other book, The Guest List, and I got 50 pages in, put it down and so far I haven’t picked it back up again so I don’t know if I will enjoy this book or not.

That’s it for my TBR this month! Have you read any of these book? What did you think of them? Let me know!

Monthly Wrap Ups

October Wrap-Up!

Happy Monday bookish people! It is the first of November and that means it is time to share with you my wrap up for the month of October.

October was once again a really busy month for me, I officially started my PhD course and I have had to sort lots of things out in preparation for my Masters graduation while also dealing with some issues with my health. It has been a long feeling month that is for sure, but we are now in November and I am feeling great about reading and the books I have chosen (my November TBR post will be going up later today!).

So, in October I was planning on reading lots of spooky books and mysteries and… well, I didn’t do as well with my TBR as I’d hoped. I wasn’t feeling the books I had on my TBR when it came time to read them and then now – the first day of November I am really in the mood to read them. That is very annoying.

Anyway, let’s get into what I did and didn’t read in the month of October!

October TBR and Thoughts:

  • A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik – I did not read, I was very excited this book was finally on my TBR but I just didn’t get a chance to pick it up.
  • Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody – another book I was so excited for but didn’t get around to.
  • Act Your Age Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert – I didn’t read this one but it has been moved to this month’s TBR…
  • Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco – I NEED to get around to reading this soon but I didn’t manage it in October
  • City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab – I did read this one, I actually read this entire trilogy this month
  • Cream Buns and Crime by Robin Stevens – I also read this one
  • The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton – I did not read this one
  • Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff – I’ve heard such good things about this one but I haven’t read it yet
  • Good Girl Bad Blood by Holly Jackson – I didn’t get to this one
  • Legendborn by Tracey Deonn – I’m disappointed I didn’t get to this one it was the perfect month for it
  • Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder by T A Willberg – This is the one I’m now really in the mood to read so I’m just going to do it, I’m going to read it in November
  • Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia – I am so scared to read this because I heard it’s classed as a horror so I didn’t read it in Ocotber
  • Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo – I did not read this one
  • Once Upon A Crime by Robin Stevens – I did read this one
  • One Of Us Is Lying by Karen M McManus – I did not read this one
  • People of Abandoned Character by Clare Whitfield – I didn’t get around to this one but I am very excited to read it soon
  • Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price – I did not read this one
  • Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch – I didn’t read this one
  • Take A Hint Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert – I didn’t read this one
  • The Devil Makes Three by Tori Bovalino – Another book I was too scared to read
  • The Painted Dragon by Katherine Woodfine – it turns out this book is from a series and I don’t have the first ones in it and I’m not sure if I need to read them first
  • The Winterhouse Mysteries by Ben Guterson – another book that it turns out is in a series and I didn’t read because I don’t have the first few to read before this one
  • The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava reid – I did not read this one

So, out of my TBR I read five of the books which isn’t great but it isn’t awful either. Outside of my TBR I also read the first three books in the Araminta Spook series by Angie sage which takes my October total to eight books. Considering everything that has happened this month I’m pretty happy with that total. Although I definitely plan to read more in November so we will see how that goes.

That’s it for my October wrap-up I hope you all enjoyed it! Let me know how you all did with your October reading.