I LOVE reading. I think I’ve been a bookworm ever since I could remember... wanting to go to the mall, only because I wanted to go to the bookstore — it’s the one stop we always had to make. No matter what country we're in.
I don't normally read during school semesters, but now that I've graduated, I have all the time in the world to read anything and everything I like. Which has been... amazing.
My favorite genres are mystery, and in the last few years, thriller. I love a good murder mystery, a whodunnit puzzle, and a thrilling plot twist. Basically anything that keeps you up at night—literally, because I tend to start books right before bed, and then end up staying all night because I can’t put the book down...
So here’s a little summary of everything I read this month!
I tried venturing out of my mystery/thriller genre towards the end of the month because I wanted something a little less... dark and sinister for a breather... LOL
One By One - Ruth Ware
Rating: 4.3/5
I loved this book. It was so much fun and so thrilling—I literally read it in one night (exhibit A of what I was talking about above ⬆️). For a plot that is definitely over used in the mystery and thriller genre, I felt like Ware made it quite unique with the way she told the story. I don’t think there were any details about the killer that Ware hid away from the reader, and yet, when we find out who the killer is, it’s still quite a shock.
The beginning was a little slow, and it took me a while to get used to the changing point of views, but it became really fun and exciting as the story progressed. There’s just something so sinister about the way the characters and events are presented. My heart was definitely beating the entire time.
100% recommend!
In a Dark, Dark Wood - Ruth Ware
Rating: 2.9/5
Whenever I find an author I like, I tend to do a reading spree of their books until I get tired / bored of the way they write. So, here’s another Ruth Ware book...
Honestly, this book was quite forgettable (because I honestly can’t remember much about it as I’m writing this...) But I think it was still a fun read, overall. It was quite predictable and much slower than Ware’s other books. The plot is definitely interesting, and her characters, again, quite sinister. I just feel like there were some plot holes, the pacing was slow, and quite predictable. Nothing more I could say here...
If you do want a good Ruth Ware book, though, I recommend The Woman in Cabin 10. Now that’s a thrilling read.
A Peculiar Combination - Electra McDonnell
Rating: 3.2/5
I used to love reading historical fiction books, and kind of fell out of it. So I wanted to dip my toes back into the genre with this book. It’s historical fiction, with a touch of mystery. I’m not the biggest fan of romance—like at all—but even though this had some romance in it, I didn’t mind it. The romance wasn’t the main point of the story, so I appreciated that it wasn’t the main issue for the main character.
I thought the plot was fun and interesting. I’ve never really read anything like it before, and it’s set in the WWII era, which I’ve been really interested in learning more about (watching lots of documentaries, and hoping to read more books based on real-life stories and situations). I don’t think this was an amazing read, but it was good and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I know a sequel is coming out soon, and I’ll definitely be reading it.
Shades of Magic trilogy - V.E. Schwab:
A Darker Shade of Magic
Rating: 3.25/5
A Gathering of Shadows
Rating: 3.2/5
A Conjuring of Light
Rating: 2.75/5
I read V.E. Schwab’s The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and loved it. It’s not my typical kind of book, but I just loved how sweet, but also thought-provoking the story is. So, I thought I’d try out Schwab’s other well-known series: the Shades of Magic series.
All in all, the trilogy was alright. I think the first book was the best, the second book honestly didn’t do much for me... and the third book... well, I guess it was a good way to tie up the trilogy. I’m not too into world-building books, so I can’t say about others, but this one was just fine. I felt like there were many details and events that Schwab wanted to include, that some parts of the book just felt rushed (including background (but important) details about the fictional worlds, the powers people held, different characters’ motives and relationships, etc.) I felt like some details and events were “skipped over” to make room for more important parts of the plot, which I can understand... but I also felt like there were some parts she could have excluded and the story could have continued just fine.
I wish Schwab could have told us more about the characters’ back stories a little more, especially in the 2nd book. We did get some explanation, but not much. And I’m not sure why... because I feel like there were so many questions left unanswered about these characters back stories (that they themselves also didn’t know...) The character development was definitely there, but I felt like it was a much more plot-driven trilogy.
I heard there is a sequel trilogy coming out (Threads of Power) set 7 years after the events of A Conjuring of Light. It seems interesting... not sure if I’ll read it though.
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