MAY WRAP UP

This month was an extremely busy month for me and it felt a bit all over the place but I am happy I still managed to get to a few books. I participated in the Asian Readathon, as well as the #StarsStayHome Zodiacathon and loved the books I ended up reading.

I was hoping to read more books than last month but unfortunately I did not read as much as I wanted too. I sort of failed both readathons because I did not finish my reads in the specific time period for the Zodiacathon and I also did not complete all the prompts for the Asain Readathon but I still had fun and came across many wonderful books, which is what counts most for me.

Strange Weather in Tokyo
by Hiromi Kawakami

R A T I N G :

I read the book for the first time in last year and really enjoyed it. It was really cute and unlike anything I have ever read before. I reread it for the Asian Readathon and still feel the same way I did when I first read it. This book managed to make me tear up a bit and I just love the two main characters. I will always think of their special story.

The Empress of Salt and Fortune (The Singing Hills Cycle #1)
by Nghi Vo

R A T I N G :

The cover of this book is what attracted my attention when I first saw it. I was so excited going into this short story but I have to admit that I struggled getting into it a bit. In the end, I really enjoyed the story and think it is an important and memorable read.

A Very Large Expanse of Sea
by Tahereh Mafi

R A T I N G :

I have been wanting to read Tahereh Mafi’s books for so long but just never got the time to do so. This book is one that would be best to start with as it is a standalone and I have owned the copy for a while.

A Very Large Expanse of Sea had my attention from the beginning to the end. I loved and enjoyed it so much and it helped me learn and understand things better. It is such an impacting and educating read and I recommend it to everyone.

Full review will be coming in the next few weeks!

Love & Misadventure
by Lang Leav

R A T I N G :

I have been wanting to read the poet’s books for a really long time and I am so happy to have finally gotten to this book. Leav’s poems were enjoyable from the first one and I found a few I could really relate to. I really loved her writing style and am looking forward to get to her other books soon!

Spin the Dawn (The Blood of the Stars #1)
by Elizabeth Lim

R A T I N G :

This book was one of my most anticipated releases last year and Penguin Random House South Africa kindly sent me a review copy of it, which I am so grateful for.

I finally got to this book for the Asian Readathon and loved it just as much as I thought I would. The story is quite fast paced and you have to keep up with the speed a bit but that is what helped the book keep me on the edge of my seat. I was instantly swept away in the world of emperors and enchanters and magic. Spin the Dawn is such a wonderful book and I truly loved and enjoyed it with all my heart. The author has also became one of my favourites.

Full review will be coming in the next few weeks!

Emergency Contact
by Mary H.K. Choi

R A T I N G :

I decided to finally pick this one up for the Zodiacathon and was really looking forward to start reading it. A full review will be posted in the next few weeks as I still have to finish it when this blog post is out.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Stories
by Robert Louis Stevenson

R A T I N G :

Back in the sixth grade, our class had to read this book and I ended up really loving it. I was so intrigued by the mystery of it all and could not get enough. My little sister also had to read it for class a while back and she, just as I at the time, would not stop talking about it. As this book fits one of the prompts for the Zodiacathon, I decided to reread it because I could not quite remember all the detail.

This reread was so fun and I loved it just as much as I first did years back. I am a sucker for the mystery and darkness of the book and reading it motivated me to get back into classics a bit more. I, unfortunately, did not get to the other short stories in the edition I owned but am hoping to really soon.

Unravel the Dusk (The Blood of the Stars #2)
by Elizabeth Lim

R A T I N G :

Believe me when I say that I almost started crying when I saw that not only was I accepted for my first blog tour, but I was accepted for an advance copy of one of my most anticipated releases of the year. I absolutely loved Spin the Dawn and just could not wait, so I started this one a few days ago. I am almost halfway through and it is so action-packed and captivating thus far. Many thank yous to The Fantastic Flying Book Club and everyone involved for providing me with an eARC!

Full review and favourite quotes will be posted on the 3rd of July when it is my stop for the blog tour, so keep an eye out!

After a lot of thinking, I have decided to write full reviews only of the books I really want to talk about. Writing and formatting reviews for every book I read exhausts me quite a bit and it takes up the time I prefer to get to more books. I love blogging and everything that has to do with it but I have been wanting to spend less time on social media and a bit more time doing other things.

From now on, I will be talking a bit about all the books I have read during the month in a wrap up and then only post a few full reviews in the next month. I hope this will work a bit better.

If you would like to see what my thoughts are on the books I will be reading as I read them during the month, be sure to follow me on Twitter and Instagram.

Keep on reading, stay safe and never stop telling stories.