January 2021 | What I’ve been reading

Well, 2021 has started on a high when it comes to reading. Lockdown 3 has meant a reasonable amount of free time, outside of the necessary homeschooling, particularly at the weekends when the weather has been against us, and the stay at home message fully in force.

So I’ve started my year of reading well. Three physical books and four Kindle books. Four 5 star reads which I absolutely loved, though one was a re-read from 2020. A whole lot of magic in the book choices for the month too, which I have thoroughly loved and taken a lot of solace in the escapism of these books.

I’ve set my Goodreads challenge for 60 books this year. 10 more than last year’s target, and I feel like I’m off to a good start.

1 | Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood | Sarah J Maas

5/5 stars | This was a reread from 2020 when it was first released and honestly it was just as good the second time around as the first.

It follows Bryce, a half far, half human girl living in Lunathion. Her best friend dies and the mystery of her murder leads her to working with Hunt, a fallen angel. It’s fantasy meets crime fiction with diverse characters and a twisting plot.

So much happens in the 700+ pages and although I could remember key plot points, it still had plenty to learn and discover across the plot. It will make you laugh and have you sobbing in tears. Highly recommend if you enjoy New Adult and fantasy reads.

2 | The Impossible Girl | Lydia Kang

3.5/5 stars | Kindle Unlimited | This wasn’t entirely what I was expecting though I’m not sure what I thought it was going to be either. It’s a good, relatively simple story, set in period New York, following Cora who has two hearts. A secret that puts her life at risk especially in her line of work as a resurrectionist (grave robbing). There are a few twists, though they are reasonably predictable. The characters are likeable for the most part and the story engaging if just a bit simplistic. The ending was good for the book with the right amount of closure.

3 | The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue | V.E.Schwab

5/5 stars | I was recommended this by an Instagram friend and of course have seen it across bookstagram with rave reviews. Once again V.E.Schwab creates a beautiful story that is both engaging and thought-provoking book.

Addie is 300 years old after making a deal with the darkness. But she is also forgotten about the moment she is out of sight. Her story is about her life and how she works her curse, how she leaves a mark on the world.

It is poetic and compelling, an addictive read. Addie is likeable and provokes sympathy, while you fall in love with her and Henry. The ending is perfect, and I think I read the last 100 pages with a lump in my throat knowing that the story was climbing to an inevitable climax which still broke me heart.

4 | Vox | Christina Dalcher

4/5 stars | I said at the end of last year that I probably wouldn’t read any thrillers this year, but I bought this for 99p on Kindle and to be honest didn’t really read too much on what it was about after seeing dystopian. Possibly not a top choice of read in a global pandemic, but I actually thoroughly enjoyed this book and read it pretty quickly as it’s easy to digest and addictive.

It’s set in the not so distant future when women are completely oppressed in America, with wrist counters to control how much they speak. Capped at 100 words. It follows an ex-scientist in linguistics who is asked to help with a cure for a brain injury.

I loved the science aspects and it was pretty realistic in terms of how this dystopian era came about and the oppression of women according to twisted bible terms. I could really relate to it.

My only downside was yet another affair which seems to be a thing with thrillers which I don’t hugely like, but otherwise this was an excellent, thought-provoking book on genders.

5 | Sorcery of Thorns | Margaret Roberson

5/5 stars | I was recommended this book by Rachael, again, and she really does have the best recommendations. I adored this book. It’s libraries, meets sorcery, meets slow hate to love romance, which was all just brilliant. Margaret Roberson has woven a great story, similar to Spellbreaker, that I read in December and loved, but more in-depth and epic. I loved the Grimoires, and absolutely placed myself owning them, the twist on the traditional book fully captivating my imagination.

Elisabeth is an apprentice warden to the great librariea which hold grimoires, living books that can transform into monstrous maleficts. When someone starts breaking into the libraries and releasing maleficts and Elisabeth getting the blame for a death, she starts to investigate the truth, meeting Nathaniel, the evil sorcerer.

The main character Elisabeth is likeable enough, though naive to begin with, however is is the point of her character as she develops a lot across the book. However Nathaniel and Silas stole the book for me, particularly Silas, who is perfectly sarcastic and witty with some of the best lines in the book.

The plot is well paced, with lots of suspense and twists, with a perfect ending. Highly recommend for magic lovers. I also found this of 99p on Kindle so keep an eye out for it, though it is absolutely worth paying full price for.

6 | The Devil and the Dark Water | Stuart Turton

4.5/5 stars | This book really doesn’t fit in any particular genre, mixing thriller, crime fiction, and historical fiction into one really very intricate book. Like The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, this book has a brilliant and very unique plot that will have you on the edge of your seat.

Set in the 1600s onboard the Saardam boat, a demon is tormenting the crew and passengers, and there is only so much time left to save everyone on ship. It’s mystery meets magic in a small space, while trying to work out who and why they are being followed, and who will cut a deal to save themselves.

I really loved this book. The characters are great and feel real, while the plot is well paced and exciting, with enough action but without being overly complicated. Being a mix of genres, I think this is a book for almost anyone.

7 | The Once and Future Witches | Alix E. Harrow

5/5 stars | More magic in a book but with a witching twist set in the 1800’s. The women, the suffragists, of New Salem want to be able to vote, until a mysterious tower is seen and three sisters try to bring back witchcraft.

This book is magic wrapped in fairytales, nursery rhymes and folklore. I loved the sisters, particularly identifying with Bella and Agnes. There is a great deal of diversity within the characters which was really refreshing, including a transgender character which I thought was a nice addition to the plot. The additions of spells at the beginning of each chapter and the stories interspersed with the main plot added even more depth to the book, making it feel even more real.

This is a book of female empowerment, of sisterly love, and witchcraft being for good. It has moments of heartstopping angst and action, sweet moments of love, and laugh out loud conversations. The ending was perfect, sort of expected, but also not at all, and Alix E.Harrow’s writing will have you consumed with the characters and all that they face. I hand on my heart think this is one of the best books I’ve read.