3 Month Reading Check In
January
Apprentice to the Villain - Hannah Nicole Maehrer
⭐⭐⭐⭐
I absolutely loved this one (as well as the first book, Assistant to the Villain). I am eagerly awaiting the third book, which comes out in August. ‘Apprentice to the Villain’ has a perfect blend of action, humour, romance (yearning!), world building and an intriguing plot. It feels truly unique to me, definitely haven’t read a romance like this – it’s hard to describe… it’s like an adult romance spin on fairytales? Had me giggling to myself and kicking my feet, A+.
February
Chain-Gang All-Stars - Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Posted a review for this one on my Instagram, but I’ll recap here. This was a very different read for me, and I’m glad that I read it. It’s hard for me to put my thoughts into a review, as I felt I needed to sit down and thoroughly discuss this book with someone. It really solidified my thoughts (and helped me articulate my thoughts) on prison abolition and police brutality. I enjoyed the style, pacing and mix of POVs. I think there were some references that went over my head as this book is set in America and references American laws and culture, however it’s not hard to apply the content to an Australian context.
Unravel Me + Ignite Me - Tahereh Mafi
⭐⭐⭐
These were just nostalgia reads for me, and I thoroughly enjoyed them. I don’t particularly love the writing or pacing, but I have grown attached to the characters and romance, so I almost always revisit the original trilogy yearly. I decided to skip the first book (Shatter Me) as it’s definitely the weakest and I wasn’t in the mood.
March
The Hunger Games trilogy - Suzanne Collins
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
In preparation for ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’, I re-read The Hunger Games trilogy. I have read this series countless times (just kidding it’s around 27 times) and I think each time I read it, I love it more. I haven’t read them for quite a while, so I found I felt differently this time round. I think my understanding of the series has grown, and I can appreciate Katniss and her journey in a different way than 11-year-old me did. The climate of the world we live in today also amplifies the series’ message and themes, and it hits harder.
Sunrise on the Reaping - Suzanne Collins (spoiler free review)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
It’s so hard to have coherent thoughts, having only just finished the book. But I loved it, so much. I think this added so much to the original trilogy and answered questions I always had, but never thought I’d get answers to. For a book you already know the ending to, there was lots of surprises and twists - nothing is how it seems (heavy on themes of propaganda!). I feel somewhat a fool for believing what the Capitol had led us all to believe happened in Haymitch’s games. Definitely a must read if you’re a fan of the original series, and I recommend a reread of all 4 books if you haven’t read them recently.
The Heart Principle - Helen Hoang
⭐⭐
I loved the first two books in this series, but this one let me down. The first half was fantastic - I was enjoying the romance, the set up, the difficulties that the main couple were going to face, the humour etc. but then things completely changed. The romance faded out and the struggles that Anna faced were so heavy and so sad, that it wasn’t a fun rom-com anymore. I didn’t expect the tone change at all, so I was really surprised. What I thought was a romance turned into a book about depression, care giving and family issues. I really liked the autism representation and felt for Anna, as a late-in-life diagnosed autistic person myself. This aspect was overshadowed for me due to the heavy nature/themes that I wasn’t expecting. Definitely wouldn’t read this if you’re looking for your usual lighthearted/chessy/rom-com-y romance.
Percentage of reading goal complete: 30%
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