Top Ten Tuesday

do you know what’s an absolute gift upon this crumbly planet? Audiobooks.

They are also thorough lifesavers and I will legit turn into a thankful, teary egg thinking about how much audiobooks have changed my life. (And no @ anyone saying audiobooks “don’t count as reading”. They do. Being read to is still the ACT of reading.) I’ve already listened to 8 audiobooks this year! That’s 8 out of 51 reads.

So today is basically just a huge

audiobook appreciation post!!!

I’ll also give you my favourite audio recs at the end because I am kind like that. I also can’t find photos I took of my headphones and audiobooks aghhhhhh. Someone pls tell me to label my photos better so I can find them again.

 

Top Ten Tuesday | audio freebie

1. I’m an auditory learner instead of a visual one, so audiobooks = lifesavers.

Which feels odd, because my life is literally BOOKS. Which are traditionally very visual things. But I’ve always found that I absorb and remember things that I hear better. (Ex: I was basically failing science in highschool until I had my textbook read out loud. Then I got As.)

So audiobooks are a giiiift to my brain. And look I’ll NEVER stop reading books with my little eyeballs — I love words on pages too — but audiobooks have got me through complicated high fantasy that I wouldn’t have been able to enjoy otherwise.

 

2. Which leads me to…audiobooks can make *huge* books less daunting.

Because I’m not holding 900 pages with my delicate wrists, thanks, sir. I wouldn’t have read Game of Thrones myself, ok? I just…I wouldn’t have. But audios meant I got through them and got super obsessed in a few months. AND THEN GOT LEFT ON A CLIFFHANGER THANKS, GRR MARTIN, YOU ARE SO UNFAI–

 

3. you can make them go super fast

Once I spent all day listening to an audio and then paused it while someone spoke to me. I was all: “Why are you speaking so slow???” Because I HAVE MY AUDIO ON AS FAST AS IT CAN GO.

I have three emotions and they are: confused, hungry, and fast. I like things to go fast.

(Also the faster the audiobook is, the less dramatic pauses or emotions the narrator can put in. 😂 Sorry but I want the story, not your feelings, dude.)

 

4. Multitasking!

Look, one day I’m going to go missing, and I request that someone come dig me out from under a pile of unread books that fell and crushed me. So audiobooks mean I can read + DO ALL THE THINGS. Exercise. Mindless jobs. Chores. Travelling. Pretending to sleep.

10/10 to attempting to read while sleep.

0/10 is good for you but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

 

5. have you met British narrators.

Like why would I listen to you when I could listen to Steve West reading The Scorpio Races or Strange the Dreamer. BEAUTIFUL VOICES ARE AUDIOBOOKS’ CROWN AND GLORY.

Also, I’m totally terrible but…I can’t stand Australian audiobooks narrators.😂 R.I.P my loyalty to my own country.

 

6. Dramatised audios are practically a movie in your head.

I wish there were more like Illuminae! It has sound affects and music and it’s the best thing ever. I grew up listening to the dramatised audios of Narnia too. (They had some “behind the scenes” section and apparently they all just tromped around in cornflour for the “snow” scenes hahaha.) Also full cast narrations? LOVE full casts.

 

7. Audiobooks can double as *your friend*.

AWWWW. THIS IS SO PATHETIC. But literally, if you’re lonely = audiobooks will talk for 10 hours straight in your ear and will not shut up. Perfect friendship.

 

8. I like them for rereading too!

Rereading on a different medium somehow makes me absorb the story better? And it keeps it fresh! Plus I can listen to an audiobook and keep reading physical books, so I don’t feel bad about rereads haha. For some reason I also like to know what’s coming in the audio? But I also don’t like listen to audios when there’s a brutal chapter-cliffhanger but I have to stop and then I cAN’T SKIM FASTER TO SEE IF MY FAVE LIVES. #suffering

 

9. You learn how to pronounce things.

Hi, I may or may not be able to pronounce anything. Ever. (I say LAS-AG-NA instead of lasagne. I legit pronounce the silent g. Leave me…just…just go.) Also this is super handy with fantasy names when you highly suspect an author has rolled their face on the keyboard for name inspiration.

Funniest things: when you go to write the review and are just spelling all the characters phonetically and dying inside. You should read my Game of Thrones reviews. I didn’t even GET CLOSE with any of the spellings, lmao. I got Jon tho. And Rob. Bless those two.

 

10. They provide so many comedic moments for you to laugh softly at or quietly die of shame.

Like shout out to that one time I was listening to Nevernight and accidentally pressed play without my headphones on. The audio proceeded to yell “…AND THE DEFLOWERING OF VIRGINS…” and my family turned very very slowly to look at me.

Also: when you crack up at a hilarious part while out on a walk. Hi yes *waves* nothing to see here, world.

Or: when you get so so into an audiobook and then someone taps you on the shoulder to ask you something and you jump FIVE MILES OUT OF YOUR SKIN. I nearly screamed, I swear. Don’t talk to me while someone is d y i n g because I am too.

 

But before you go! Let me give you some recommendations of my favourite audiobooks to try! I use Overdrive.com when I can, or I get them from audible (usually when I can sign up for half price haha).

 

omg Illuminae has full-cast + sound effects and the whole trilogy is brilliant! I’ve never even read Gemina/Obsidio with my eyes haha. I just flicked through for the illustrations.

Literally Steve West is just the best narrator ever. 10/10. This will make you want to live in Thisby and die in Thisby. Puck is narrated by Fiona Hardingham who I love too!

Again full cast! I love them ALL but Kaz and Nina’s narrators are my favourites (Jesper’s is actually to slow lmao thank goodness for 2x the speed).

I didn’t love TRC’s narrator at first…but he grew on me and now I can’t do anything but love them. 😍 Again, never read The Raven King with my eyes! Only audio!

BEST AUDIO. It’s done by Christian Coulson who is also Tom Riddle in Harry Potter, I think!? But like he just does Monty so well I CRY.

Two narrators and I actually genuinely teared up because they told the story so emotionally in places ajfdsakld. This book is my favourite too btw.

Epic fantasy = always better on audio for meeeeee. And this narrator was SO perfect for Locke. Love!!!

This is narrated by Lin Manuel-Miranda so I don’t need to say anymore. 10/10

 

 

This trilogy is (a) the best because HOLLY BLACK and also (b) they’re narrated by Jesse Eisenberg!!! He does Cassel perfectly.😍

Wait why am I recommending this. IT WILL MAKE YOU BAWL. Also the Scottish accents. 😭

just me announcing I’m trash for this series on every format lmao (I’ve read ebook, physical and audio). But such good narration!

STEVE WEST OK. Also Laini Taylor books are gorgeously lush with the prose and having them read out loud is a magical treat we all deserve. A+++++

 

do you listen to audiobooks very often? tell me your favourites! and do you like them for any of the same reasons as I listed??? or do you struggle to focus on listening?

 

You know what? I have a total love/hate relationship with standalones.

I mean, hi, look at them. They are gorgeous self-sustaining complete little packages that stand on their own and don’t need no man. I respect this. And they have so many positives: you don’t have to worry about following a whole series, cliffhangers, having an awful sequel, or remembering what happened in each book between years of waiting. Standalones are nice to us.

And yet there is 100% chance if I like a standalone that I will fling myself into a galactic void while shouting, “BUT I NEED MOAR.”

I also struggle to move on from things I like. Who could have told. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Let me tell you about 10 standalone novels I desperately wish had sequels.

I would bribe authors with toast to write me these books. And who doesn’t like toast, right?! This is a foolproof plan. You could totally convince me to write a lot of things for toast, btw, just in case you need that information.

WILL WORK FOR BREAD

 

Top Ten Tuesday | Standalone Books That Need a Sequel

 

* also I’m 16% sure I wrote a post like this in the past? but I CAN’T FIND IT in my archives so let’s just hope I don’t mention all the same books twice lmao I am functional.

1. THE SCORPIO RACES

Because of course I’m going to say this like a creature who is deeply in love with all Stiefvater words. UGH I LOVE THEM. I would also be totally down to have this book in Finn’s perspective. But otherwise, I just wasn’t ready to leave Thisby? It’s like, fine, take care of the emotional needs of Puck and Sean — but what about me, hm???? Don’t leave me????

 

2. AUTOBOYOGRAPHY

Again, I love this book so much it hurts. It perfectly balances cute fluffy scenes with dorky lines that make you bust out smiling — but also absolutely heart-wrenching and heart-wrecking scenes that left me in my own salty dead sea. I had a lot of personal-connection feels about this one too. Moments when I really related and I just 😫💛 It doesn’t need a sequel  (the ending filled my soul) but I’m just saying…I want one.

I do not like letting go ok.

 

3. AN ENCHANTMENT OF RAVENS

I’ve rapidly found I am addicted to faerie stories. I will take 9 thanks…no no wait! NINETY-NINE. I just particularly love this one for how Isobel is so no-nonsense and Rook is a soft leaf who occasionally threatens a teapot. It was so visual and sensory too. I heart. (I’m not actually sure what would happen in the sequel? Just that I would be done for one.)

 

4. ARISTOTLE AND DANTE

Apparently we are getting a sequel?! But I’ve heard exactly nothing about it since it was rumoured to be happening, so kind of just wanting for this to BUST OUT OF THE WOODWORK AND SAVE OUR LIVES.

 

5. HERE LIES DANIEL TATE

My opinion on this book’s ending continues to be “!!!!!!!!!!!🤯!!!!!!!!!!!” And I won’t give you any spoilers but aRHGSOGH. I fully need a sequel and I need closure and I need to know what the heck Daniel’s real name is. He spends the book in this elaborate con, pretending to be this long-lost-kid of a rich family. So he goes by Daniel, but that’s not his real name. I just want to know. It’s bothering me.

 

6. BONE GAP

This wish is purely for the selfish reason that I loved this world of cornstalks and honeybees and soft magic that might not even exist if you don’t know where to look… And, ok fine: the story stands perfectly as is. But I just want more because I need this book to ABSORB ME.

It’s so beautiful ughhgh that’s not legal.

 

7. DARIUS THE GREAT IS NOT OKAY

This book was literally like taking a trip to Iran to find TRUE LOVE FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS for the first time. Darius and I had a great time, ok. We bonded. We grew. We’re bffs also. There was a lot of delicious food too.

But actually shoutout to Darius’ incredible character arc and how he made peace with himself in this book. I desperately want to see him now that he’s home and what will happen next?! I want to see him THRIVE in senior year and also explore more of his queer identity because that was only a soft thread in this book.

 

8. A LIST OF CAGES

It’s been twooooo years since I read this and I need a reread desperately (I am forgetting details eep). But look, this book? I love it. It’s so painful which, arguably, all the good books are. But it is split between Adam (I think he’s 18?) and Julian (14) and tbh Julian went through HELL. I want to know what happens to him next. I want to see my son thrive. I’m cryyyying.

 

9. BOOMERANG

Need for sequel? LEVEL: DESPERATE. It was such a frikkin’ stressful book with my ship and, while I loved the ending, it just made me have the “ok but what’s next” feeling…which is the worst feeling. Because I’ll never know what’s next?!?? I’ll always just be here. THINKING. Wishing. Hoping these stupid loveable boys are ok forever. emotionssss.

 

10. EMERGENCY CONTACT

I’m cheating! But is it even a Top Ten Tuesday if I don’t sort of cheat with the prompts!?

I most desperately want a prequel of Sam and Penny!! In highschool…with back flashes to their childhoods. But like particularly Sam because this kid had a messed up childhood and I want to see him tumble up into the baking-loving-skinny-anxious-disaster he truly is. And I want to read Penny, as a younger teen, writing precocious works and being 1000% done with humans.

It’s been actual months since I read this AND I’M STILL THINKING ABOUT IT.

 

what standalones did you finish and think “nooo i need more?!” any of mine on your list too? or do you think standalones are too rare as is?

As much as I love YA books, I would probably fall over and die if I was in one.

There are a few that I could cope with, maybe even thrive in…like that one where a girl gets locked in the library? Ha you try prying me out of there, you wishful thinker. But on the whole, I’m pretty sure I’d die in the first few chapters.

I love stabby books ok. I love the murdery ones with epic action scenes (PARKOUR!) and wily plots and characters who have personalities sharper than glass. I adore the books about dark magic being dredged from witching ponds and something creepy clawing holes in the trees. Oh, the characters are being eaten by a ghost? A demon? The gods of the underworld? Lovely! Bring me seven.

But, look, me??? in these books??? It would not go well.

So today I want to be practical and honest with you and…

I’m listing 10 books I’ve read this year and judging whether I’d survive vs die if I was in them!

This is also me twisting the Top Ten Tuesday prompt of “Characters I’d Like To Switch Places With” because I’m a rebelllll…without a cause. Truly. I’m just a rebel who gets confused and eats a sandwich to cover it.

 

1. WHEN THE SKY FELL ON SPLENDOR

I just finished reading this one and it’s basically Stranger Things with mathematical spirals (like those Nautilus shells) and it was soooo good! 6 kids witness “something” crash landing from space and they lose 6 hours of their lives. ALIENS aRE COMING…or are they?

➸ WOULD I SURVIVE? ✗
I’m going to give it a solid NOPE, friends!!!! Look all six of the teens get through waking up with burn marks and odd abilities, like making electricity frizz. But I would be the one who electrocuted them self on a toaster the following day. I have this sort of luck.

 

2. SIX OF CROWS

I may or may not have 93898 books on my TBR that are screaming for my attention while I am reading this for the, um, third time. But look you can’t PROVE I’D DO THIS. It’s just a suspicion. However, I’m (maybe) midway through the scene where Kaz gets smacked in the face in an alley (does he deserve this? yes) and how he’s all like “If you can’t walk through the Barrel unafraid, then you have no business being alive there.” Ummmm, soooo…about that.

➸ WOULD I SURVIVE? ✗
No….? Not even a little. Like Nina would protect me, I’m sure of that. She would feed me waffles and I would love her and honestly it’s a pretty cosy story right there yes let’s ditch Matthias. Also Wylan would probably be kind to me?? Jesper would forget I was there. Kaz and Inej would leave me for dead.

 

3. THE FOXHOLE COURT

I reread this series this year (you know I’m beginning to think I am to blame for my TBR problems??? A wild concept) and my heart collapsed with all my emotions for this series. AGH. I LOVE IT. However it is about a very aggressive sport (kind of like hockey x lacrosse) and Neil gets beaten up by team mates, rival teams, THE MAFIA, his FAMILY, etc etc. Andrew wallops him with an exy bat on page one. Do you see what my verdict is about to be?

➸ WOULD I SURVIVE? ✗
lmao let’s not flatter me at all. I actually am athletic in that I run (5:30am every day for 5.3kms!) but I have no skill or ability with a ball. I used to play soccer with a bunch of older kids when I was about 13. I got run over once. Just…mowed me down. I do not Sport.

 

4. THE BRILLIANT DEATH

Aka welcome to one of my new surprise favourite novels! I adored this one. It has genderfluid magicians and Teo can turn people into objects and Ceilo can turn them self into anything from the wind to a mouse. Also Italian mafia and the most tangled loveable angsty romance?! YES. TO IT ALL.

➸ WOULD I SURVIVE? ✓
I think I would. If you gave me the ability to change people into music boxes… ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Seems great. Also I’d love to be a cloud for a while. Also Teo and Ceilo are both aggressive Mum-friends and they’d take care of my fragile carcass.

 

5. THE GILDED WOLVES

This book was beautiful and I loved the characters and I still am not very sure what it was about. It’s set in a magical version of 1800s Paris and Severin is pulling off a scheme/heist to reclaim his family name. If I joined his team, it would go pretty much like so:

Severin: I have explained the intricately detailed plan. Any questions?
Me: *raises hand*
Me: ya…what the heck

➸ WOULD I SURVIVE? ✗
No, I think they’d lock me in a puzzle box and forget where they put me. And I, who cannot math, would never get out of the puzzle box.

 

6. EMERGENCY CONTACT

Basically this is the story of two anxious teens struggling to remain human-shaped while in college when everything is complicated and messy. Sam works in a coffee shop and bakes. Penny writes and freaks out about everything. Together? They are anxious, but FASTER, because they drink caffeine together.

➸ WOULD I SURVIVE? ✓
Heck yes, finally a story where I’d thrive. I am both fond of baking and writing and I am basically Penny and Sam combined. My name would be Senny and I would be an Anxious Disaster and it would be great.

 

7. A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY

Basically the Beauty and the Beast retelling of my HEART. Harper is a impulsive Gryffindor and Rhen is just Tired™…and also turns into a monster occasionally. I particularly loved the castle too, which magically put pastries on your table and was always warm and cheerful…you know, while the world was going to absolute hell all around it. I’d let everyone do their thing trying to save the world and I’d just eat pastries and find a library.

➸ WOULD I SURVIVE? ✓
YES. But due to being a wily Slytherin. But I would have a Good Time.

 

8. QUEEN OF AIR AND DARKNESS

This was one heck of a finale. It’s nearly 900 pages…so that means they’ve crammed a LOT of Shadowhunter battles, sneaking around, plots and ploys, and terrible twists into this book. Am I obsessed??? Do I love it??? Absolutely yes. I am HEART EYES for this book. (Also I was so exhausted when I finished lmao. I didn’t even write a review straight away. I took a nap.)

➸ WOULD I SURVIVE? ✗
I’m going to say no…because I would be that one background Shadowhunter who gets eaten by a sea demon or sacrificed to raise the dead, you know? But there is a chance I’d survive if I got adopted into the Blackthorn clan. They adopted Kit!!! He was useful though. I am not…so useful…but I could like keep Dru company since she got ditched a lot. We can babysit Tavvy together. Leave me with the 13yo and the 7yo, sure that’s fine.

 

9. THE WICKED KING

If you haven’t gifted yourself the life enhancement of reading the Cruel Prince series…then what are you doing?! Vicious mind-games and wickedly beautiful faeries?! Schemes. MAGIC. Poison. Love. Jude basically doesn’t sleep for 300 pages as she spins her schemes and threatens (or kisses) Cardan. I am freaking obsessed with these books.

➸ WOULD I SURVIVE? ✗
nooooooooooooo…!! But I would die grateful for getting to even be there!! Which I think is like 500% the problem with mortals in faerie land in the first place. I’m a cliche statistic. But I don’t even care because IT’D BE GORGEOUS AND MURDERFUL. Although I do want to point out that I never sleep…so that works for me! I’d guard Jude while she naps.

 

10. THE BOY WHO STEALS HOUSES

Look it is now officially ONE MONTH TO GO until my second novel hits the shelf so will I ever shut up about it??? Nope. Let me squeeze it subtly into aaaaall my posts like the proud creature I am.

Anyway! My book has two sides, aka Sam’s life of being on the run, stealing houses, doing petty crime, watching Avery naively do Larger Crime and freaking out about it. Then we have Sam in the De Lainey house…which is like 7 kid stumbling up and arguing and eating popcorn and general big family shenanigans.

➸ WOULD I SURVIVE? ✗✓
I claim BOTH. Because I would die stealing houses and trying to pull off crime without crying. (Note: Sam and Avery and I would all just cry. Those boys are very heartfelt thieves.) But anyway, I’d handle the De Lainey household just fine because, ha!…I have big family experience and I know how to hide food so your brother doesn’t eat it. Big family survival tactics are not to be undervalued.

tell me what your current read is (or a book you’ve read recently) and do you think you’d survive in it?! would you survive any of the ones I’ve listed?

 

I acknowledge the fact that I am about as romantic as a potato.

But as I get older and more feeble (I’m twenty f i v e), I do have way more soft squishy feelings for romances in books than I used to. I have tropes I am so so softly fond of. I have ships I will lowkey die for. I often find myself in the midst of reading a slowburn romance and muttering, “Just kiss, you child onions.” I also like writing my little squishy romances…!

I know it’s popular to proclaim your book boy/girlfriends and such, but honestly??? If I “fall in love” with a character, I either want (a) to protec them, (b) to be them, or (c) for them to protec me????? Like yes, thanks, I love you, Lila Bard, would you pls take care of everyone who’s ever annoyed me. Thanks so much.

But HEY. It’s February, which is such a notorious month for talking about romance…so I’m going to show up to the party this year with…

and obviously list some of my favourite ships along the way (!!!!)

ugh look at me and all these FEELINGS what is this how ancient am I

 

Top Ten Tuesday | Favourite Couples In Books

This is just downright cute because it starts with two people absolutely proclaiming there is “Nothing” “Going On” “Between Them” “At All”. Whatever you sayyyyyyy. And they usually are working so so hard to keep up the “fakeness” that they actually end up being a 100% better boy/girlfriend than anyone else.

Like is anyone a more dedicated boyfriend than Peter K “faking” it for Lara Jean???

And o h   h e l p — in The Caged Queen it was an arranged marriage and Roa stood there telling herself there was NO WAY she’d fall for Dax, the tyrant’s son. Ever. She is using him. This is fine. She is only cuddling up to him a night because her feet are cold. This is…fine.

 

 

  

This one is also the DEATH OF ME. When both characters are very very clearly in love but…neither side admits it, so they both sit there thinking…”No they do not ((insert sad sniffle)) love me at all….do they even see me????”

YES YOU LITTLE FROZEN REFRIED BEANS. THEY’RE PINING AWAY IN THEIR CHAPTERS TOO.

It also can come with this heartbreaking bittersweetness when one side doesn’t think they deserve to be loved. So they keep to themselves. They want the best for the other (as well as being frightfully jealous) and they almost don’t say anything ever…

…UNTIL THEY DO.

 

 

  

Alright you see me hopelessly self-promo-ing A Thousand Perfect Notes, but it took me sEVEN Y E A R S in Azkaban to get published ok, and so let me force you all to behold my cover all the time. But that aside: I wrote an entire romance based on the fact that August just kept feeding Beck until he associated her = with good food = good times. I think she Pavolov’s Dogged him.

And Words On Bathroom Walls is criminally underrated but Adam literally turns up to bake lasagna for his wished-for-girlfriend.

Lastly, hi, to my disaster kids, Sam and Penny. Who I love so much and who met over coffee and donuts and then later, Sam had a panic attack and fainted from heat stroke because he wouldn’t change out of his aesthetic black jeans and Penny had to scrape him off the road. These two. Aw.

 

 

   

Maggie Stiefvater is my QUEEN of slowburn romance. And it’s arguably one of the best tropes out there, because instalove feels so insipid, but slowburn is just this agonising s t r e c h of learning someone and waiting for them and building up tension.

So here for it being 300pages before they even hold hands. Bless.

 

 

   

I do want to acknowledge that this trope can be written as super problematic and harmful…which is not !!! what I’m here for !!! No thanks.

The kind I love is when: they’re pitched against each other due to being on opposite sides of a war. Or they’re naturally in each other’s way. Or standing between each other and a goal. It’s just the whole “WILL THEY KISS?? WILL THEY STAB EACH OTHER??? WE DON’T KNOW” which I am fantastically fond of. Also it’s stressful because I secretly (shh) want my ships to be Okay In The End™ but with this lot you can never tell.

And what is a book if it doesn’t stress you out, hmm??

 

 

   

This one usually falls solidly in the category of WHOLESOME. And, hey, sometimes it’s nice to see two friends grow up and tumble into love (although staying friends is just as valid). Unless, of course, you are Julian and Emma and your childhood-friendship-turned-romance will literally ignite a monstrous curse. But anyway.

I also feel like these ships are more likely to last. They KNOW each other. It’s not a fleeting crush built on expectations. They’ve usually seen each other at their grimey worsts and what’s more romantic than seeing your crush covered in toast crumbs and with twigs in their hair and knowing they do gross things, like eat marmalade.

 

   

This is wholly brought to you by YGRITTE AND JON SNOW from Game of Thrones (shh no this isn’t YA but let me have it just for a second) because they are one of my life’s OTPs. Like Ygritte just flirts to make him so soooo uncomfortable. He is like so naive and innocent (lol not for long, this is GoT) and she’s THRIVING mocking him.

I swear every time this sort of pairing comes up, I get far too invested.

And I love Tanner from Autoboyography flirting with the pastor’s kid (hOLY HECK DO I LOVE SEBASTIAN AND TANNER) and Gabriel spending the whole time flirting with Nathan who is oblivious until he basically gets smacked in the head. By Gabriel. But you know. Romance is difficult, ok.

tell me your favourite romance tropes!?? do we have any in common? and like who are you most favourite ships of all ships?? (time to be mushy for a sec)

It’s that time of year when I dramatically fling myself upon the table and confess I am so so behind on my TBR pile.

And then at least four and a half of you kindest readers pretend to be shocked. The rest of you are just sighing and saying, “SURPRISE WOW CAIT.” Look, ok fine, all the time sometimes I collect more books than common sense. Other times they just manifest in my room. That’s not my fault. I swear the library books follow me home.

I also have realised I’m very bad at time-awareness and keep thinking I can do 3 hours of reading in 15 minutes. So odd that this doesn’t work????

I did a similar post to this in 2017 and listed 15 books I should’ve read! GUESS WHAT. Looking back?! I realised I have now read…6 of them. Lmao. Can someone just…roll my body into the sea? I’m 3/4 there already.

 

➸ ok last year I confess to procrastinating all ebooks because I’m SO SICK of reading on my iPod screen and turning a page every. five. seconds. (But I now have a kindle!! For the first time ever!!! So this should improve!!)
➸ I felt like a beaten egg in 2018 and my brain couldn’t handle epic fantasy. So my list of fantasies is very tol. It is yelling at me.
➸ I am scared of books over 400+ pages. WHEN WILL I GROW OUT OF THIS FEAR ERMGHSGHS.
➸ I get sent a lot of unsolicited ARCs and they mount up.
➸ SOMETIMES I’M SUPPOSED TO WRITE BOOKS MYSELF. THIS TAKES MORE THAN 15 MINUTES TOO. SO RUDE.
➸ If I go into a library, I walk out with 10 more books than I should have taken. My ARCs threaten a divorce.
➸ MOOD READER. Blame it for everything else.
➸ how do I read 200 books a year and yet I’m still behind?????

so onto a list of 10 books I should’ve read last year but…oh no.

[Top Ten Tuesday ~ Books I Meant to Read In 2018 but Didn’t Get To]

1. GODSGRAVE

I love Nevernight. Love it. I even reread it in preparation for tackling Godsgrave and then I just…didn’t.

Ok aside from the fact it’s huge and I was mentally exhausted last year, I know it’s going to absolutely murder my feels!! I KNOW IT’S BRUTAL. I have seen the piles of slain readers all over twitter and my thinking is: Wait till Darkdawn is out. Be killed ONCE by two books. That’s smart. I am smart.

 

 

2. BRIDGE OF CLAY

I actually got sent a surprise ARC of this!! which is…an intense honour. But I’m also frustrated, because I knew I’d need it on audiobook (saves me from getting overwhelmed at the fact it’s 170 years long) and I wish the ARC could’ve gone to someone who really wanted it.

I meant to read the ARC anyway but then I went away for a month too. Dude.

Also why is it so ugly. My bookstagram account is coughing up blood just from looking at it.

 

 

3. SCARLET TRILOGY

I got sent the whole series from Bloomsbury with the new covers and I HATE MYSELF RIGHT NOW. I NEEDED TO HAVE READ THEM. It’s just one thing lead to another and I turned into a tree and moulted leaves for 5 months and these books stayed unread.

I swear…this year??? is the year??? I become a human???

They’re also genderbent Robin Hood I think which seems fun.

 

 

4. NOT EVEN BONES

All I can say is…I have nothing to say. It sounds thoroughly like a ME book, with people who murder supernatural creatures and sell their body parts on ebay. Or ok fine it doesn’t say “ebay”. Maybe Etsy. I don’t know where the supernatural murderers hang out.

It fell prey to (1) wrong mood, and (2) being an ebook, excuse its poor soul.

 

 

5. YOU’LL MISS ME WHEN I’M GONE

This is like illness and sisters and CLASSICAL mUSICIANS and the list of reasons I should love it could reach up taller than me. And then slap me. But anyway. I actually even have the author’s second book as an eARC too lmao maybe I will read IT on time!! But this one is a bought one, so I feel slightly less guilty.

(Also the blue/green naked spine is AMAZING for my bookstagram rainbows. Shhh. I am not shallow.)

 

 

6. FOOLISH HEARTS 

I got this as an Owlcrate book! Everyone I’ve heard of who’s read it said, “Wow I didn’t expect to ADORE this so so much!!” Which leaves me promising 15 x a week I will read it too!!

Have I?!!! No!!!!

I’m cRYinG.

 

 

7. THE POPPY WAR

This falls in the same shame-pile as Godsgrave. It is EVERYTHING I know I’ll love. But my brain just wasn’t coordinated enough to accept that words on the page actually mean things. 2019 will be different. (SHE SAYS VALIANTLY BUT PROBABLY LIES.)

Also 100% of the reason I bought this was because of twitter freaking out how excellent it is! Just in case you want to know if you’re blogger-recommendations mean something. They do.

 

 

8. WE’LL FLY AWAY

Another ebook that is looking at me reproachfully while I scramble madly through my pockets for reasons to give. Although in my defence it’s also the title of this REALLY annoying hymn and every time I think of it, the hymn starts playing in my head round and round. That’s a carousel I need to throw msyelf off, necks broken or not.

Book: hi I am–
Me: I cAN’T LOOK AT YOU WHILE YOU’RE WEARING THAT

 

 

9. SKY IN THE DEEP

I think this came out in January, which makes no sense why I haven’t read it because everyone knows January lasts 17 years. But again: it’s fantasy. Otherwise it has like sUPER COOL female Vikings and I follow the author on instagram and she’s so nice!!

I love how nice authors always write the murder books.

I will read this one this year or DIE TRYING.

 

 

10. SAY YOU’LL REMEMBER ME

I’m not actually sure why I requested this one on Netgalley, but I DID. Then I wandered away like the hyperactive squirrel I am. It sounds like a contemporary I’ll love (not-really-bad-boys doing community service, for starters, is a huge yes after I loved Letters To The Lost so much).

Also I have, um, guilt issues, because the title is literally SAY YOU’LL REMEMBER ME and I freaking forgot it was on my kindle.

I need life help.

 

➸ HONOURABLE MENTIONS 

(because I hate myself apparently and this is a post of SHAME)…(But also I swear I’m going to read this entire list this year. I swear it grrr.)

          

confession time!! what books should YOU have read last year, but you didn’t??? and do you have interesting reasons or are you a deflated cornflake like me? (are any of mine on your TBR too?)

When it comes to convincing me to try a new author…dude, you will have zero problems at all.

I WANT TO READ EVERYTHING. Things keep getting in my way, however. Like the fact that there are only 365 days in the year (rude) and I can’t read all day anyway (ruder) and I’m expected to do other human things occasionally (so so rude wow).

Of course I have my old favourite authors and I’ll read everything they write and obsess over it completely (DID YOU SAY MAGGIE STIEFVATER) but the shiny prospect of finding new favourite authors???? Bring it.

I am so easily convinced to read new authors, eat more cake, and wear a red cloak so I can skip into the woods and eat wolves. (That seems how the story went??)

 

I discovered some marvellous authors in 2018 that I’d never read from before! I’m about to whack you with a list of them (but I’ll whack you softly because I’m secretly nice, despite my fearsome demeanour) and you are so welcome.

[Top Ten Tuesday: New-to-Me Authors I Read In 2018]

1. NATASHA NGAN

I confess to being one of the deluded marmots who was like: “OH THIS DEBUT AUTHOR IS GREAT!” after I read Girls Of Paper And Fire. But…ah no, she actually wrote other books before that. Including The Elites and The Memory Keepers. So what do I know? Nothing, Jon Snow. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ But I read GIRLS this year and ajfsdkald it was harrowing and powerful.

 

2. ELIZABETH MAY

Not only did I discover the stabby faerie goodness that is The Falconer…this author actually follows me on twitter and has said nice things about my book. afjksdlad my heart. Does that make me a lifelong fan?? Is my loyalty so easily bought???

UM, HECK YES.

(Also The Falconer contains a girl waging ware against 99% of faeries while falling in love with one AND it’s Scottish, steampunk, and she has a sassy pixie friend. What is not to love here.

3. KRISTEN CICCARELLI

FOREVER MAD THAT I DIDN’T READ THE LAST NAMSARA SOONER!! It’s so so good. Dragons! And the heroine is an absolute burnt crockery pot and she meets a marshmallow boy who she frequently has to save. She is very grumpy while she does this. It’s beautiful.

(Also there’s like rebellions and magical-stories and swords and things, but like: DRAGONS. That’s what’s important here.)

4. NORA SAKAVIC

Ok I couldn’t find a high enough quality author photo so instead = HAVE MY SOCKED FEET. And also my precious damaged boys from The Foxhole Court, who have anxiety and an urge to kill things and kiss on occasion and also hit things with sticks and call it sport. (I HATE SPORT. WHY DO I FREAKING LOVE THESE BOOKS.)

Literally my favourite things ever uggghghgh. I’m so obsessed.

Also there are THREE and I ate them whole in like A WEEK and there are NO MORE and I am lost.

5. COURTNEY SUMMERS

So also apparently this author has a heck ton of books…definitely more than FIVE. (This is as high as I can count, ok, I grew up a musician and we only needed to count to four mostly.) But the first one I’ve read of hers was Sadie and after it broke me into millions of pieces, I logically decided I need to read MORE. MUCH MORE.

2019 goals???

(But seriously, Sadie is about sisters and poverty, it’s about sexual assault and hunting for revenge, it’s about a girl with a stammer who’ll stop at nothing to find her sister. THE ENDING THOUGH. AJFDKSLAD.)

6. SARA WOLF

Again, she has toooons of books, but Bring Me Their Hearts was my introduction to Sarah Wolf and ooffph was this book just so super funny. It’s about witches who keep Heartless servants, aka bodyguards who need flesh to survive but will die for their witch master. Zera is just the SASSIEST Heartless ever and 10/10 will talk herself out of trouble. It’s just such a good fantasy romp, ok?! And I don’t talk about it enough!

7. MEGAN SHEPHERD

My very first read from this author is Grim Lovelies (which I keep typing “Grime Lovelies”??? But it’s ok, these little Parisian witches do take baths.) And it was FANTASTICALLY MAGICAL. It’s pretty and wicked and features the enchanted beasties that witches make in all the fairy tales. But what happens if the enchantment ends?! Or the beasties-as-humans are lowkey DONE with being slaves? It’s glorious. 10 more thanks.

8. MARK OSHIRO

Anger Is A Gift is an actual GIFT as well, thank you very very much book for existing. Also prepare to cry yourself a small salty dead sea. It’s brutally accurate with the anxiety rep (like you will ache with Moss) and, omg, the things these kids go through just to gET AN EDUCATION. They’re poor and black and queer and disabled…and this book is such an equally bitter and loving view into their lives. (Also excellent writing and characters you would die for. JUST EVERYTHING.)

9. MARGARET ROGERSON

AND HI, I LOVE FAERIE STORIES. And “love” is a little word which here means am obsessed with magical catlike fey who are curious about humaning but do it badly themselves and may yell at a teapot or kidnap a painter and then halfway through the kidnapping feel bad and pet her hair and let her save him from monsters.

Aka ROOK. I love Rook. I love Isobel (a human dealing with faeries and, tbh? Most likely to survive them all.) An Enchantment Of Ravens her first book so I’m not behind but SO excited for A Sorcery Of Thorns this year ahhhhhhhh.

10. K. ANCRUM

I LEFT THE BEST TILL LAST. Because ohhhhh wow where do I even start with one of my all-time favourite books?! The Wicker King just stole my entire heart. I read it twice last year and each time it was just…everything?!? It has soft messy neglected boys, and hallucination mental illnesses, and codependency and queer kids just trying to Do Their Best when the world lets them down. It’s dark. But hopeful. AND THE AUTHOR’S NOTE NEARLY MADE ME CRY.

(If I could only recommend one book from 2018…thiiiiis.)

did you find any new favourite authors in 2018?? have you read any of the ones on my list? (and do you try new authors a lot or stick to the old favourites?!?)

Did everyone read all the books they meant to last year?? No??? OK LET’S MAKE YOUR TBR PROBLEMS WORSE.

First of all you are so welcome, no need to thank me.

Second of all, I’m about to pile some deliciously incredible looking 2019 YA releases on your head. Unapologetically. I mean it’s not like any of us are ever going to catch up on our TBR piles as is, so let’s just make it worse and go down with a pile of books, hm?

There are so so many things to be excited about this year in the YA world…including how many diverse books are sitting atop the shelves, how BEAUTIFUL all the cover designs are these days omg wow, and how my 2nd books is coming out (and also how humble I am…so so humble).

so here are my highly anticipated 2019 YA books coming out from January to April

all covers link to Goodreads! And if you realise that you’re about to be broke this year is…not my fault.

 

Top Ten Tuesday | Most Anticipated Releases for the First Half of 2019

   

The Wicked King (#2) by Holly Black

I’M ONLY JUST DYING FOR THIS ONE NO BIG DEAL. I’ve heard the cliffhanger in this is…(excuse me)…wicked. So I’m terrified to start and also desperate. Rereading The Cruel Prince first though ahhhhh. MY FAVE.

The Curses (#2) by Laure Eve

I feel like the majority of the blogosphere didn’t love The Graces but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I adored it. I’ve been waiting YEARS for the sequel!

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokski

ok ok ok this has a found-family mischief squad and I’m pretty sure they’re going to find these magical artefacts less than legally SO I’M IN.

White Stag by Kara Barbieri

Goblin Kings and Norse mythology and a girl who probably is mean to a deer and hunts and eats it. Just guessing. I have an ARC of this and I LIKE GOBLINS.

Circle Of Shadows by Evelyn Skye 

Ok this is about a duo who are violent in a non-violent world…so I think they get into a lot of trouble. SOUNDS GREAT I’M IN. Also I loved her Russian series (and I’m on the blog tour for this eep!)

The Gutter Prayer by Gareth Hanrahan

Shhh I suspect this is actually adult fantasy but it has an orphan, a ghoul, and a cursed man who are out for revenge on their thieves guild so like YES. Also I love the title ha ha.

Stain by AG Howard 

Princess and the Pea retelling by AN AUTHOR I ADORE who brought us Splintered and Roseblood ahhhhh!! It also seems to have mutism rep so I hope it’s good!

The Girl King by Mimi Yu

I confess I only looked up the blurb just now loooool. The title is enough for me. But apparently this is two sisters who were in line for the throne, but their dad said “no! a boy must have it!” and they go on a murder rampage to get it back. Basically MOOD. Am here for this.

 

King of Scars by Leigh Barudgo 

I mean. MATE. Bring me an entire serious about Nikolai, the light of my life in the Grisha book, and I will just be here screaming happily foreverrrrr.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

I adore this author (particularly Letters To The Lost) and she’s also said kind things to me as a newbie green author myself ajdkflsad yes I’m that easy to win over for all of eternity. Anyway! This is fairy tale retelling and the guy is 18 eternally and also a wild beast. And if that’s not what it is to be a teen…what is. Acne forever.

The Music of What Happens by Bill Konigsberg

This seems like a really Quiet Contemporary™ about a summer and two boys and secrets. I believe this is #ownvoices queer too!

Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee

This is another Rick Riordan presents mythology tale! (Younger YA / MG) and AHHHH DRAGONS OK. It’s also a space opera with fox spirits and hopefully will be, downright, hilarious.

 

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

 

   

On The Come Up by Angie Thomas 

Ohhh this is going to be BRILLIANT. Like Angie Thomas has been a bestseller for nearly two years?! So we are in for another world changing novel I’m sure !!!

Just For Clicks by Kara McDowell

Bloggers and social media stars and SISTERS.

The Black Coats by Colleen Oakes

Girls getting revenge on men who wronged them? SAY NO MORE.

Bloom by Kevin Panetta and Savanna Ganucheau

Oh oh I’m SO freaking excited for this one! A soft queer graphic novel + set in a bakery but also with music + and the blurb says “illustrated baking scenes and blushing young love” which is enough to make me hurl myself into the future and sob over this book.

  

The Antidote by Shelley Sackier

Magic is illegal but a magical girl wants to save a sick prince?! EXCELLENT.

Enchantée by Gita Trelease

All I needed was: “Paris in 1789 is a labyrinth of twisted streets, filled with beggars, thieves, revolutionaries—and magicians…” and like SOLD. THANKS. I’m also on the book tour for the Aussie edition too eep!

Tarot by Marissa Kennerson 

Ok this sounds a little like a Tangled/Rapunzel retelling with witches in towers and fake paradises and, hopefully, some tarot cards or we shall riot quietly upon the shore, mate.

Immoral Code by Lillian Clark

It’s QUEER and there are HACKERS and what more do we even need to pitch a book as.

   

Crown Of Feathers by Nicki Pau Preto 

I barely know what this is about except SISTERS and PHOENIXES and MAGIC WARS and that’s enough for me. Also that cover wants to eat me, and I’d let it tbh.

The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons

Ok this stars lost princes and treasonous princes and gods and monsters and dRAGONS and a boy ticked off that being royal isn’t always glittery. Absolutely need.

Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte 

I’m just here for this TITLE. Also it has pickpockets, murderers, queens, and thieves and black markets. I also have an ARC which makes me very very happy.

The Afterward by E.K. Johnston

This appears to be an f/f fantasy with godsgems and unlikely heroes and I am LIVING for more diverse fantasy.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

        

   

The Fever King by Victoria Lee

Ok but this is about magic and immigrants and boys with wild abilities and it be queer and I’m here for it tbh.

The Last 8 by Laura Pohl

Usually this type of storyline (ya know, aliens attack…last teens on earth etc) doesn’t do anything for me. bUT. This is promises a bi/aro Latino protagonist by a Brazilian author and I just !!!

The Weight Of Stars by K. Ancrum

Only MY MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF THE YEAR!!! (Well, one of them.) afjdklsad I loved K. Ancrum’s debut, The Wicker King, and this is the same universe but with f/f space-loving girls and I’m hoping for the same unique formatting!

The Time Traveller’s Guide To Modern Romance by Madeline J. Reynolds

There’s no cover/blurb yet but the pitch is: “A Victorian-era boy travels to the future and must choose between the freedom to be with the modern-era boy who captures his heart and the fate of his family in the past.” And like woah yes thanks.

   

Dealing in Dreams by Lilliam Rivera 

It’s a bit sci-fi with girl gangs and street life and found-family and IT PRETTY. I have an eARC of this one!

Meet Me in Outer Space by Melinda Grace

An #ownvoices debut about a college student with an auditory processing disorder and YES FOR NEURODIVERSITY REP!

You Asked For Perfect by Laura Silverman

Hi hi hi this is like about an anxious overachieving top-of-school and violinist boy and, wow, mood. I believe it has queer/POC rep too!

The Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds

Time-travel and tragic romances and I’m like 99% sure this one is going to bREAK US ALL.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

     

Well this is just the all important month of…The Boy Who Steals Houses!

YES NO BIG DEAL. I’M JUST SCREAMING A LITTLE! This is my 2nd book and it’s about homeless brothers who make terrible decisions and how one tumbles into a big messy family and the shenanigans that ensue. It’s about wanting to be home, it’s about thievery and anxiety and pancakes. It has #ownvoices autism rep and it is Soft but will also break you. It’s the story of my heart ok. I can’t wait for you to read it!!

oh and yeah there are other books too this month I guess.

   

The Descendant of the Crane by Joan He

Stoked for more #ownvoices Chinese fantasies! And it has an unwilling queen tracking down a murderer in a lush court setting.

The Red Scrolls of Magic by Cassandra Clare

OK ALSO WHAT I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR FOREVERRRR. This is a Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood new series and AHH!! Everything Cassandra Clare writes = I love.

The Sword and the Dagger by Robert Cochran

Completely cliche title aside…this is about a Christian princess and a Muslim assassin and Genghis Khan and I AM KEEN.

Upon a Burning Throne by Ashok K. Banker

Indian-inspired fantasy with two disabled protagonists?!? YES.

   

This Book Is Not Yet Rated by Peter Bognanni

This just promises a soft funny found-family dysfunctional crew and I AM HERE FOR IT.

You Must Not Miss by Katrina Leno

Omg I just love this author so so much and she writes the best girls and I feel like this one is going to be so special.

How To Ask A Boy To Prom by S.J. Goslee 

Ok but yes to fluffy queer romcoms. AND it has the fake-dating trope!!

Hot Dog Girl by Jennifer Dugan

This includes a pirate, a hot dog, and a carousel operator and more fluffy f/f romcoms?! We are surely being blessed.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

      

link me to your anticipated reads list for 2019 if you want to! and which of these are you super excited for?? any that I’ve missed? are covers getting mORE GORGEOUS omg.

If you ask “Is this a kissing book?” while pointing to a YA novel, the answer is usually: yes.

Finding a YA book that doesn’t include romance AT ALL is pretty much like spotting a wild faun and convincing it to make tea for you and nOT sell your soul to a random witch. It happens. But only to a lucky few of us. The rest get sold to the witch. Smh. Look at the state of society today. Witches will buy anything.

Now the conversation about whether this is good or bad comes up a lot. Which is fair! We bloggers like to gloriously dissect everything (insert happy flail) but there are SO many valid points to both side of the argument. And so I’d like to present to you one of my very lovely INDECISIVE LISTS where I talk about both sides to the kissing books and also use the word “nomance” because no one said I can’t. And even if someone said to stop, I wouldn’t. Because NOMANCE IS A THING. LET ME LIVE.