November Wrap Up

Hoohoo, lovelies!

It’s time for the monthly wrap up! November was a weird month for me. How did it treat you?
There wasn’t much happening, but I’ll tell you below in a bit more detail.

WHAT HAPPENED IN MY LIFE

To sum it up very quickly: not much. November was mostly just work. On my days off I cleaned almost obsessively, I somehow found a new love for cleaning and especially dusting. My room is tidy, the bathroom is shiny and I forgot. Nothing else is new.

BOOKS I READ

With Dagger and Song by Helen Scheuerer
Curse of the Cyren Queen #2

An empty crown. A perilous journey.
Will she answer when darkness calls?
Against all odds, Roh survived the harrowing Queen’s Tournament, but now something far deadlier awaits her: a formidable quest for the three magic birthstones of Saddoriel.
The gems have been scattered across the realms – and only when Roh retrieves them can she take her place as queen. But surrounded by hostile companions and tormented by the dangerous secret she carries, Roh begins to realise that the pursuit of power may prove more destructive than she ever imagined.
Nothing can prepare her for the nightmares that fester in the shadows of Akoris, a fanatical cyren territory, or the twisted games of its cunning leader…
Can Roh win the first birthstone without sacrificing everything she holds dear – and without losing herself?

I loved this book so much! Even more so than the first one in the series. It had everything I needed: action, tender scenes, character development, more world building. I also loved the writing style and if you haven’t, please pick this wonderful fantasy series up! You can read my review for book one, A Lair of Bones, here and the review for With Dagger and Song here.

Runaway by Anabelle Stehl
Away #3

Von einem Tag auf den anderen ist in Miriams Leben nichts mehr, wie es war: Nicht nur muss sie eine schwerwiegende Entscheidung treffen – ihre Familie entzieht ihr daraufhin auch noch jegliche Unterstützung und bricht den Kontakt zu ihr ab. Um weiterhin ihr Studium in Berlin finanzieren zu können, nimmt Miriam mehrere Jobs gleichzeitig an. Doch je mehr Zeit vergeht, desto schwerer fällt es ihr, das Lernen, die Arbeit und ihre Freunde unter einen Hut zu bringen. Und dann ist da auch noch Elias, der sie vom ersten Moment an mehr fasziniert hat als jeder andere Mann zuvor – der in ihr aber niemals mehr als die Freundin seiner kleinen Schwester sehen wird. Oder doch?

Ich liebe einfach die Away-Reihe von Anabelle Stehl sehr. Jedes Buch hat eigene Themen, mit denen die Charaktere sich auseinandersetzen müssen und oft auch zu kämpfen haben. Die Autorin scheut dabei nicht vor gesellschaftlichen Debatten zurück und gibt ihren Charakteren fundierte, gut recherchierte Hintergründe und Persönlichkeiten. Auch Runaway fand ich wieder super. Anabelles Schreibstil gefällt mir richtig gut und meinetwegen könnte die Reihe einfach weitergehen. Die Berliner Clique ist mir doch sehr ans Herz gewachsen!

All For the Game by Nora Sakavic (reread)

#1: The Foxhole Court
#2: The Raven King
#3: The King’s Men

Neil Josten is the newest addition to the Palmetto State University Exy team. He’s short, he’s fast, he’s got a ton of potential—and he’s the runaway son of the murderous crime lord known as The Butcher.
Signing a contract with the PSU Foxes is the last thing a guy like Neil should do. The team is high profile and he doesn’t need sports crews broadcasting pictures of his face around the nation. His lies will hold up only so long under this kind of scrutiny and the truth will get him killed.
But Neil’s not the only one with secrets on the team. One of Neil’s new teammates is a friend from his old life, and Neil can’t walk away from him a second time. Neil has survived the last eight years by running. Maybe he’s finally found someone and something worth fighting for.

I still love this series so much! Calling it my comfort read would be weird maybe but it really is. These books are all kinds of fucked up yet they are so incredibly good and I love them so much that I could reread them at least once a month. The characters are what really make the All For The Game series, once you grow attached to them, there is no going back. I don’t know how to speak coherently about the series, my thoughts are all over the place, too, but I feel like bursting with so. Many. Emotions.

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

War-torn Germany. Four young people. Four dark secrets.
They come from different lands but each of them is hunted, and haunted, by tragedy, lies … and war.
As thousands of refugees flock to the coast, desperate to escape the advancing Red Army, the paths of four young people converge. All are hoping to board the Wilhelm Gustloff, a ship that promises safety and freedom.
Yet not all promises can be kept.

I was sucked into the story SO fast. The short chapters made it super easy to get to know the characters quickly and to get a feel for the story and atmosphere. I loved the writing and how the characters were written, there was depth and so much that was clearly there, even between the lines. This was an absolutely fantastic book and you can read my full review for Salt to the Sea here.

Lore Olympus Vol. 1 by Rachel Smythe

Scandalous gossip, wild parties, and forbidden love—witness what the gods do after dark in this stylish and contemporary reimagining of one of mythology’s most well-known stories from creator Rachel Smythe. Featuring a brand-new, exclusive short story, Smythe’s original Eisner-nominated web-comic Lore Olympus brings the Greek Pantheon into the modern age with this sharply perceptive and romantic graphic novel.

I started this on webtoon a while ago but since I don’t really enjoy reading digitally, I dnf’ed it. Lucky for me, the book was released in November and I could continue the story. I really, really liked it. I’m not sure I love the art style but I definitely enjoyed it. The characters were great, both the way they were written and how they interact with each other. Especially the female characters were great! And Hades. Him, too.

WHAT I BLOGGED

• With Dagger and Song by Helen Scheuerer | Review
• Why you should read The Gilded Wolves series by Roshani Chokshi
• Books with Elements in the Title | Bookish List
• Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys | Review

BLOG POSTS I’VE LOVED

• Review: Jade Legacy by Fonda Lee by Becky @ Becky’s Book Blog
• Review: If this gets Out by Sophie Gonzales & Cale Dietrich by Marie @ Drizzle and Hurricane Books
• 10 exciting YA Books about celebrities by Marie @ Drizzle and Hurricane Books
• Saying Goodbye to one of my favourite authors: An Empire of the Vampire Review by Hollie @ Hollieblog
• Rezension: The Girls I’ve been von Tess Sharpe von Jill @ Letterheart
• Interview mit Autorin Anabelle Stehl von Elizzy @ Read books and fall in love
• 10 Dinge, die ich beim Schreiben meiner ersten Trilogie gelernt habe von Anabelle @ Stehlblueten
• 13 books with unexpected Story Structures by Sabrina @ Wordy and Whimsical

How was your November? Have you read any great books? What thing made you happy?

Until next time,