In November 2019 I managed to read a total of 20 books.
I read far more this month than I expected to which I think was in part thanks to the Beliveathon which I read 11 books for. And it was a pretty good reading month for me. Let's hope December is just as good.
I read far more this month than I expected to which I think was in part thanks to the Beliveathon which I read 11 books for. And it was a pretty good reading month for me. Let's hope December is just as good.
Audiobooks -
Malamander by Thomas Taylor
Narrated by Alfie Allen
Length - 5h 05m
Star rating - 4 stars
I listened to the audio of this and it was great, the narrator really brought it to life and I felt like I was walking around Eerie-on-Sea with the characters. It was a great level of creepy and cute. Herbie and Violet were a great pair and I am looking forward to more adventures with those two.
York 2: The Clockwork Ghost by Laura Ruby
Narrated by Adam Verner
Length - 9h 08m
Star rating - 4 stars
While not quite as good as book one this was still an enjoyable middle book. I listened to the audio and the narration was very good. The characters are still engaging and I love the mystery elements. It didn't answer many questions which was a shame but hopefully the third and final book will rectify that.
The Whispers by Greg Howard
Narrated by Joe Jameson
Length - 6h 18m
Star rating - 2 stars
I am sorry to say that I was let down by this book. I listened to the audio while cleaning my spare room and honestly had I been trying to read it I probably wouldn't have finished it. I get what the author was trying to do but for me it totally missed the mark. One star book but I'll give it an extra one purely for the narrator who did his best with a bad book in my opinion.
Narrated by Alfie Allen
Length - 5h 05m
Star rating - 4 stars
I listened to the audio of this and it was great, the narrator really brought it to life and I felt like I was walking around Eerie-on-Sea with the characters. It was a great level of creepy and cute. Herbie and Violet were a great pair and I am looking forward to more adventures with those two.
Narrated by Adam Verner
Length - 9h 08m
Star rating - 4 stars
While not quite as good as book one this was still an enjoyable middle book. I listened to the audio and the narration was very good. The characters are still engaging and I love the mystery elements. It didn't answer many questions which was a shame but hopefully the third and final book will rectify that.
Narrated by Joe Jameson
Length - 6h 18m
Star rating - 2 stars
I am sorry to say that I was let down by this book. I listened to the audio while cleaning my spare room and honestly had I been trying to read it I probably wouldn't have finished it. I get what the author was trying to do but for me it totally missed the mark. One star book but I'll give it an extra one purely for the narrator who did his best with a bad book in my opinion.
Rebel Rising by Beth Revis
Narrated by Rebecca Soler
Length - 9h 53m
Star rating - 4 stars
I really liked learning more about Jyn and her backstory in this book. We pretty much get everything and it adds so much to her character. The audio performance was wonderful, I really like the way Rebecca Soler narrates the books she works on and with the Star Wars books it worked especially well with the added special effects too.
Novels -
Length - 121 pages
Star Rating - 5 stars
I had so many memories while reading this book and I loved it. It was one of my childhood favourites and though you can definitely tell by the language that it was written a long time ago (1928) I still think it reads well and is very enjoyable. They're just cute feel good stories.
Length - 631 pages
Star Rating - 5 stars
Review found here
The Umbrella Mouse by Anna Fargher
Length - 284 pages
Star Rating - 4 stars
I wasn't expecting this book to be as emotional as it was but I was crying in the first few chapters. I think this book was perfect for introducing kids to the impact war had on everybody and that things weren't always as straight forward as good and bad. The illustrations throughout were also really beautiful.
Ever Dark by Abi Elphinstone
Length - 128 pages
Star Rating - 4 stars
This took me longer to read than it should have done purely because I found the font to be so small. But it was really good and a nice introduction to her new series. Smudge was adorable and I enjoyed her a lot. It definitely helped me get excited for Rumblestar.
Length - 368 pages
Star Rating - 5 stars
Abi Elphinstone has done it once again. She creates such wonderful, detailed, rich worlds and Rumblestar is no exception. This was a wonderful story about finding your courage and opening your heart to others and it was simply wonderful.
Heidi by Johanna Spyri
Length - 295 pages
Star Rating - 4.5 stars
I still enjoy this book but I think I don't love it quite as much as I did when I was a kid. A little of the shine has worn away over time however I still love the story and the spirit of it.
Explorers on Black Ice Bridge by Alex Bell
Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim
Abi Elphinstone has done it once again. She creates such wonderful, detailed, rich worlds and Rumblestar is no exception. This was a wonderful story about finding your courage and opening your heart to others and it was simply wonderful.
Heidi by Johanna Spyri
Length - 295 pages
Star Rating - 4.5 stars
I still enjoy this book but I think I don't love it quite as much as I did when I was a kid. A little of the shine has worn away over time however I still love the story and the spirit of it.
Explorers on Black Ice Bridge by Alex Bell
Length - 384 pages
Star Rating - 5 stars
I absolutely adored this, it's one of my fave middle grade series. It has a clever plotline, characters you become invested in and the most amazing wintery feel. It's clever, entertaining and has such a wonderful heart to it. 5 stars everytime.
Length - 392 pages
Star Rating - 4 stars
It This was a surprisingly easy and pleasant read. Maia is a lovely character and has many endearing qualities. Her strength and determination is very appealing. I thought the magical element was done really well and was an interesting take on it. Edan was also lovely and my buddy readers and I were all definitely fans of his ;)
The Conspiracy of Magic by Harriet Whitehorn
Length - 320 pages
Star Rating - 4 stars
The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black
Length - 305 pages
Star Rating - 4 stars
This whole series has been a really enjoyable romp. I love Jude and Cardan and all of the characters are solid and I enjoyed reading about them. Politics were good as always though I felt there was something missing. Perhaps it all wrapped up a little too quickly and easily? But despite this I absolutely had fun reading it and was pleased with it overall.
Length - 304 pages
Star Rating - 3 stars
While I did enjoy this overall I found it to be one of the weaker middle grades I have read recently. I liked Roar and the plotline well enough but struggled with the characters. I found Arthur adorable but Rose was very unlikeable. She was cruel and mean unnecessarily and never apologised for it. Had it not been for her I think I would have enjoyed it more. I would have loved to see Arthur develop his own self confidence away from his twin.
A Darkness of Dragons by S.A. Patrick
Length - 416 pages
Star Rating - 5 stars
This was marvellous! The characters were amazing and I was rooting for them all, the plot was clever and kept me guessing the whole way through and the whole thing was just a pleasure to read. I cannot wait to read more of Patch, Wren and Barver's adventures. Very much one of my new favourite middle grade series.
The Sky Weaver by Kerri Maniscalco
Length - 400 pages
Star Rating - 4.5 stars
This might actually be my favourite of the series. I really liked Safire from The Last Namsara and was so glad we got a book which focuses on her. Her strength and personality really shine through and I adore the interplay between her and Eris. The story really wove well with everything and I like how this one involved all of the other characters to some degree as well.
Batwoman: Elegy by Greg Rucka
Length - 192 pages
Star Rating - 4 stars
Usually I am a Marvel girl but I've been watching the CW Batwoman show and wanted to see if the comics were any good. While there are some big differences, as there usually are, overall I really liked it. I want to read more with Kate Kane as I really like her sass and attitude.
Looks like you had a fantastic reading month. I still need to get my hands on The Queen of Nothing to see how the trilogy ends! I hope you're able to read a lot during December as well.
ReplyDeleteI really did. It was nice that most of them were great too! Ooo enjoy when you do, it was a fun read and a good ending to the series imo.
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