Anastasiya

Books Read 12-18 January 2024 || Book Reviews

I’ve finally caught up with all the reads up until 2023 and I can focus on this year’s books and reviews. I’ll be adding mini-reviews to this year’s books and so on because I actually have the time to do so. I’m going to try and catch up with these reviews as quickly as I can so I can go back to posting weekly instead of playing catch-up again.

January’s challenge was focusing on reading a few romance books and I’m sorry to say but most of the choices I made were poor!

Remember to check out the question at the end and leave a comment.

Disclaimer: All posts/reviews are based on my personal views and opinions.

Howl’s Moving Castle by diana wynna jones

Published: 1986

Source: Digital Library

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Pages: 308

Series: Howl’s Moving Castle (Book 1)

Rating: 5/5

I’ve watched the anime a couple of times and it just gets better every time! The book was amazing. There’s so much more detail to take in. I wanted to hug the book to my chest and never let go. The plot was original and all the characters added their spice to the story. Even the bad ones! This is a series I want to continue with.

Prompt: The Letter H

What Waits in the Woods by terri parlato

Published: 2023

Source: NetGalley

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 388

Series: Detective Rita Myers (Book 2)

Rating: 3/5

This was a slow-burning mystery novel with few thrills. I was hoping for more spine-tingling moments and tension but it turned out to be an average read. The author threw in a few red herrings and twists but none of them managed to change my perspective on the plot and the characters.

When Oceans Rise by robin alvarez

Published: 2023

Source: NetGalley

Genre: Fantasy, Retellings

Hours: 10h40m

Rating: 2/5

The premise sounded interesting, I’m getting more into retellings lately and it was available in audio format. What could go wrong? I tried and I tried but I couldn’t get myself to like it. This was already a lengthy audiobook so I was hoping for a good pace to keep the story moving, but it was so slow. This book handled a heavy topic but didn’t seem to explore it to its full potential. There were a few things I couldn’t wrap my head around, and it’s understandable, not being in the situation the main character was in, but still… Some things shouldn’t have been left to go on for so long. Then again, there wouldn’t have been much of a book, I guess. I struggled to place this book as a romance novel as well because of the themes used.

Prompt: The Letter H

It Ends with Us by colleen hoover

Published: 2016

Source: Digital Library

Genre: Contemporary

Pages: 386

Series: It Ends with Us (Book 1)

Rating: 4/5

I caved and picked a hyped-up book. Was it worth it? Not really… The story was packed with emotions and it was a tense book for the most part. This book focuses on an abusive relationship and might not be a good choice for sensitive readers. As a reader, you’re able to pick up on the red flags pretty quickly but the main character takes a while to wake up and by then, she’s already gone down the rabbit hole. While it’s good to see books address serious issues like this, I had a harder time wrapping my head around the unnecessary romance added as a subplot. Was it needed with everything already going on? Some of the characters were annoying and slightly underdeveloped which added to lowering my rating of the book. I don’t know if I want to read the next book in the series, but I’m still open to reading another book by this author to see if this will be someone I’ll keep supporting.

Prompt: January Romance books

Botanical Folk Tales of Britain and Ireland by lisa schneidau

Published: 2018

Source: Audible

Genre: Fantasy

Hours: 4h51m

Series: Folk Tales (Book 1)

Rating: 5/5

Folk tale books are slowly and surely becoming some of my favourite reads because it’s fascinating to learn about different beliefs and mythologies connected to certain countries and cultures. This book focused on folk tales of Britain and Ireland and there were interesting stories to enjoy. It’s a short audiobook that still gives enough details to lose yourself in while bringing you closer to nature, wherever you are in the world.

Christmas by accident by camron wright

Published: 2018

Source: Audible

Genre: Romance

Hours: 4h57m

Rating: 2/5

I struggled to find this book entertaining. This book was overly dramatic and if that was the idea, it was executed right. The jokes were cringy and the characters weren’t any better. This was bordering on torture. There was nothing I could take seriously with the characters. The narration wasn’t good with the narrator’s attempt at the male voices. This book didn’t have much going on to keep the story moving forward and the ending was pretty unrealistic.

Prompt: Red Cover

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