Alright everyone! I have many questions to get to! Many books to talk about! One or two things to complain about and many things to scream over! Basically, there’s no time for games. We must GO GO GO*.
*i’m practicing to become an Olympic coach bc if I do not have the skill to be an Olympian, at least I can coach my way to victory
Best Book You’ve Read So Far in 2024?
Just For The Summer by Abby Jimenez | Just For The Summer might not be the best book released in 2024, but it sure is my favorite book of the year so far. Abby Jimenez writes the final book in her trilogy that can technically be read as standalone, and yet this one takes on an emotional richness that simply can’t be replicated if you haven’t read the previous books. There are so, so many hard topics dealt with in this book. It adds layers of depth to Justin, to Emma, to all of their friends and families outside of the romance. And the connections to Part of Your World and Yours Truly??? Well, let’s just say I screamed. A lot. Glass almost broke. Anyways, I truly cannot praise this book enough, and it has cemented Abby Jimenez as an auto-read author for me in the future. Go read my review (linked above!) if you want more gushing!
We follow Justin and Emma, two people who have a curse: whenever they break up with someone, that person finds their One True Love immediately after. So Justin and Emma make a deal: date for four weeks, break up, and voila! Happily ever after! Or…is it?
Best Sequel You’ve Read So Far in 2022?
Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands | I really enjoyed Emily Wilde’s Encylopaedia of Faeries when I read it last year. This one was brilliant from the get-go, as I was already well acquainted with the characters and the world and Emily and Wendell’s strange (but wholesome) relationship. We get more Faerie lore, and less side character development. I very much adore Shadow and Poe also. Book 3, come quickly!
The first book follows Emily, a professor who wants nothing more than to retreat into the woods of A European Country I Cannot Remember* and finish her Encylopaedia of Faeries. And who else comes along to bother her in that state but her archrival, Wendell Bambleby??? And he’s not the only one who comes along…
*i’m really making a name for myself for being reliable huh
New Release(s) You Haven’t Read Yet But Want To?
I’m actually quite shocked at the amount of genres here.
Most Anticipated Release(s) For The Second Half of the Year?
I’m not sure if it’s a good or bad thing I’m not anticipating too many releases for the second half of the year. We’ve got a spin-off to the Ember in the Ashes series, a novella set in the world of Caraval, and a thriller by the author of Hidden Pictures. Please let me know if I should add more to my list!
Biggest Disappointment?
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden is a hugely popular thriller. The problem is, once you know that it’s a series, and once you generally know two of the major characters, you’re kinda screwed for the twists in this book. Add to the fact that I found Millie insufferable (she’s somehow so dumb and yet so cocky) and that Freida’s writing didn’t capture me and you’ve got yourself a loser folks!
The Housemaid follows Millie, who is hired to work for the ultra-rich Winchesters. Slowly, however, she realizes all is not right in their seemingly perfect household. Nina Winchester seems crazy, maybe even dangerous. Millie is faced with difficult choices as her life starts to get more and more insane.
Biggest Surprise?
So…you guys know how I’m always complaining that historical fiction and I are…not on the best of terms*? Well, I read The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell and…I almost take it back. I gave four whole stars to this book! It had some of the most beautiful writing I’ve ever read, and brought Italy and its characters to life with ease. Sure, not enough happened, but what did happen was engrossing enough to capture my attention and stay with me long after I turned the last page.
The Marriage Portrait is a retelling of the true historical story of Lucrezia, who was married at 15 and died nearly a year later under “mysterious circumstances”. Not-so-spoiler-alert: the husband probably had something to do with it.
*actually, i believe my language is usually more like “archenemies” and “whatever the opposite of lifegiver is”
Favorite New Author (New To You or Debut)?
I have read both The Wishing Game and The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer in 2024. I loved the former, disliked the latter, and yet would consider Meg Shaffer a new favorite author. Her writing is incredibly whimsical, and captures a magic that I haven’t experienced since reading when I was young. Her ideas are right up my alley, they feel so creative and magical and fresh. I can’t wait for whatever she puts out next!
Newest Fictional Crush/Ship?
J must stand for Just Right because both Jacob Maddox from Yours Truly and Justin (I forget his last name) from Just For The Summer are pretty much perfect. Their chemistry with Bri and Emma respectively is perfect. The way they treat them? Perfect. The way they express their love? Perfect. The way they communicate? You guessed it: Pretty much perfect.
Newest Favorite Fictional Character?
Um…everyone from the books above haha.
A Book That Made You Cry?
Just For The Summer by Abby-
Okay okay, I’ll pick a different book. Middle of the Night by Riley Sager is not my favorite Sager book (that honor belongs to The Only One Left). However, I do think it is his most emotional. It created a sense of emotional connection I rarely find in thrillers, and an ending so simplistically human that I couldn’t help but shed a tear or two.
Middle of the Night follows Ethan, who returns to the cul-de-sac he grew up in, with the neighbors he had when he was a kid, except one thing is missing: his best friend Billy, who disappeared when he was a kid. Ethan is the only one who might know what happened, and as signs of Billy keep appearing, Ethan must reckon with what happened that fateful night.
A Book That Made You Happy?
The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren is such a fun Ticket To Paradise, Anyone But You type of book. It was over-the-top! It was kinda funny! It was entertaining on the crazy rich family front! I just had a great time reading it.
This follows Anna and Liam, who have to pretend to be engaged during Liam’s super rich family’s excursion to a tropical island for a wedding.
Favorite Book-To-Movie Adaptation You’ve Seen This Year?
I really enjoyed the A Good Girls’ Guide To Murder TV show adaptation. I thought they did a great job laying out all the necessary plotlines, clues, and setup for future seasons. My biggest complaint is that I wished we had more Pip and Ravi screentime, considering that they’re one of my favorite ships of all time.
Most Beautiful Book You’ve Bought Or Received This Year?
I received the Litjoy edition of this book and it has really fun edges, endpapers, and foil designs! I’m actually currently reading it right now!
What Books Do You Need To Read By The End Of The Year?
all my previous years book tags!?
2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023
So that’s it! I tag all of you who might want to do this!
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