Tag: amyleighreads

Book Lists

5 Books I Want to Read Update

by amyleighreads2 Comments on 5 Books I Want to Read Update

Back in January I posted about 5 books I really wanted to get to in 2019 and now that we are halfway through the year I thought I would post an update! I have actually read 4 out of 5 of the books and I had a few mixed thoughts/feeling about them. They are all relatively hyped book and I genuinely thought I would love them all but that wasn’t the case…

Skyward by Brandon Sanderson

I was very much invested in the characters and the plot in this book. The battles and the simulation were exciting and precarious. There were definitely rumblings of political schemes in play so I can see it really evolving and expanding a whole lot more in the books to come! Some of the flight jargon and manoeuvrings slowed me down and bored me a little but the overall plot and storyline was very captivating to read!

My Rating: ⭐️4.5/5 stars

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Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan

The premise of the book is really unique and I like the eastern cultural influence that is written into the story. The different clans and the different castes really added a layer of complexity to the plot that I enjoyed immensely. I was very much engaged throughout the course of this book as the stakes were always extremely high.

My Rating: ⭐️4.5/5 stars

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The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

The overall premise I found highly original and engaging and the magic system was unlike anything I’ve ever read before. Definitely enjoyed the majority of my reading experience however, I’m a little bummed I wasn’t as in love with the story as much everyone else seems to be.

My Rating: ⭐️3/5 stars

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Circe by Madeline Miller

I enjoyed the sort of historical aspect with all of the gods, titans, demigods and monsters and how they came to be in this book, but it was fleeting and the story dragged a little.I found I didn’t really form a connection to any of the characters and by the end of it I honestly really didn’t care. There wasn’t any sort of build-up of anticipation and the ending was a little too open ended for me.

My Rating: ⭐️2/5 stars

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Reviews

Sawkill Girls Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on Sawkill Girls Review

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

38139409Sawkill Girls is about a town that is located on an island called Sawkill Rock where for the last 120ish years girls have gone missing and none have ever been found. The book follows the perspectives of three girls who live in this town; Marion who has just relocated to Sawkill Rock after her father passed away in a car accident, Zoey who has lived here for a few years now with her father who is the police chief and Valerie whose family have always lived on Sawkill Rock.

This was actually pretty trippy. I was a little lost for around the first 100 or so pages. There wasn’t really a lot going on at the start but I found I wasn’t really engaged in the story until like the last quarter or so of the plot.

I loved Zoey’s character the most. I found her to be super relatable. I love that she already had this established idea of what had happened to Thora and she wouldn’t let anyone talk her out of it or accept that she just simply disappeared.

I didn’t really like Valerie a whole lot. She was a super bitch at the start and the fact that she is complicit but then is kind of given a redemption arc that I felt wasn’t really justified. I get that she was really held hostage by her family and their circumstances but I didn’t feel like she was empathetic at all until she started getting feelings for Marion.

Marion kind of got on my nerves as well. I mean her sister befriends this girl and two minutes later goes missing and your only real friend is telling you that she thinks this girl and her family is behind everything and you go on a walk with her through the woods by yourself late at night and then make out with her? Her reasoning for everything just didn’t sit right with me I guess.

Other than that I actually really enjoyed my experience reading this book. It was super unique and a little bizarre but I was definitely intrigued enough to read on. I loved how strange everything kind of was and it got really weird but I was into it and I liked not being able to predict what was going to happen next because I can honestly say I’ve never read anything close to this storyline at all.

⭐️4/5 Cool mix of fantasy and horror!

Updates

Library Books Update

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on Library Books Update

img_3875I’ve still been perusing my local library around once a week but my previous library haul lasted me like a full month and a half of reading. I have been trying to get through all of the books I currently own but haven’t gotten around to picking up yet so I’ve been trying not to borrow too many books… though after I finished Red Sister by Mark Lawrence last month (which was a library book), I immediately knew I had to continue on with the series! So when I seen my library also had a copy of Grey Sister I had to go in and scoop it up and I will definitely be getting through it this month! I still haven’t had a chance to get to Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson even though I have been highly anticipating reading it, but I have finished Uprooted by Naomi Novik and Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan (which were also library books), so I’m definitely still on track with my library book goals!

Happy Reading📚

Reviews

The Wife Between Us Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on The Wife Between Us Review

*SPOILERS!*

34189556Was definitely very thrilling!

Vanessa’s husband of 7 years just recently left and divorced her already moving on to the next woman, who is like a younger version of herself.

I love how we are always misdirected in this book. It says it in the blurb to not make assumptions about this love triangle but of course I thought Vanessa was just another alcoholic housewife whose husband has left her and moved on to greener pastures. I was so invested in the storyline that I almost forgot that it was a thriller and when that first plot twist hit me I was thrown for a second. I connected more with Nellie than Vanessa initially when I started reading and then when I came to find out they are the same person it shocked me. It really made me stop and look back at what I had already read and see how it all pieced together.

All of the jumping between time periods was also very effective. I was easily able to follow along and again try to piece together Vanessa’s life and how everything managed to work out the way it did. The second half of the book really went in another direction that I wasn’t expecting. Seeing Vanessa’s motives shift quite suddenly from essentially sabotaging the wedding to wanting to save Emma and reading how almost manic she was really propelled the plot forward and made the book as a whole a lot more thrilling for me.

Vanessa’s arc over the course of the book was almost inspirational. There was already so much she had to overcome from her early twenties and everything that happened in college, then to seemingly find the man of your dreams and think that you are set for life only to have that fall through as well. I was happy that Vanessa decided to fight and not just give up and let Richard continue his ways with Emma.

I was very much engaged throughout the course of this book and all of the twists and turns kept me invested in the plot! I will definitely be reading An Anonymous Girl soon to see how it compares!

⭐️4/5 stars Fast paced, addictive, page turning!!

Reviews

Crazy Rich Asians Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on Crazy Rich Asians Review

*Spoilers*

7144OITcNMLReally enjoyed this book!

This book follows a plethora of characters but mainly revolves around the relationship of Nick and Rachel. They have been together for 2 years now and Nick has finally invited Rachel to his childhood home in Singapore for his best friend’s wedding and to meet his extended family. What Nick failed to mention to Rachel was that his family is very, very rich. They are among the upper echelon of families in South-East Asia and they don’t take well to outsiders trying to marry their way in.

I actually really enjoyed Rachel as our main female protagonist. She isn’t naïve and unsure of herself and will actually call people out and face them head on. I think she behaved very realistically and adjusted to the situation well. Money was never a factor in her relationship with Nick and even when she found out he was wealthy it still didn’t change how she felt about him. We do see examples in the book where certain characters are only in these relationships for the money like Kitty and not for love and it contrast nicely to how Rachel and Nick really are.

I was a little annoyed with Nick for not telling Rachel beforehand and giving her time to prepare. I think he was really the naïve one for thinking his mother and grandmother would welcome Rachel with open arms and not think she was just a gold digger. Had he prepared both parties for the meet and actually explained to everyone the situation and how he felt a lot of the drama that unfolded wouldn’t have occurred.

This book was rich (lol) in culture! I loved learning about all of the food and the mannerisms of these families and how everyone is connected. The addendums were a great learning resource and helped to give the book more depth and realism.

There are multiple different storylines that are running concurrently and I loved the way that they all weaved together into one. It didn’t just focus on Rachel and Nick it went a lot more in depth with the other family members and their own personal issues that have to deal with. It really showcases that money doesn’t solve everything.

I was highly engaged throughout the course of the book. There are a lot of characters in this book and at the start I had a little trouble keeping track of everyone and how they relate back to Nick; the family tree at the start really helped. As the book progressed I did manage to get my head around everyone and enjoy the plotting and scheming of this family!

⭐️4/5 stars Trashy, entertaining, family drama!