Hoohoo, friends.
It is time for another wrap up. In October, I’ve read a total of seven books, two of them ARCs, plus three by Holly Bourne, an author I’ve come to love very much. And since I never know what to say, let’s get right to the books I’ve read…
Toxic by Lydia Kang ★★★★ (ARC)
What’s it about?
When Hana wakes up, she is all alone on a spaceship she calls home but has never seen more than her room of. She has been abandoned when the crew left because the ship is dying. And for that reason, another crew of people has been sent on a suicide mission to extract data about the ship. When the crew and Hana meet, a fight for survival begins.
What did I think?
I enjoyed this book immensely. The characters were amazing and diverse. They were all clever, but all in different ways and specialists on different fields. The story was really interesting as well, playing with AIs and the idea of living machines. The only thing I didn’t like was the romance, though that’s not the most important point. You can read my full review here.
The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White ★★★★
What is it about?
Elizabeth Lavenza joins the Frankenstein family at a very young age. She is adopted mainly to be a friend to the Frankenstein’s son, Victor, a highly intelligent, though very angry boy. They soon become inseperable and protect each other, no matter the cost. This gets more dangerous the older they get and the more Victor’s mind spirals into madness.
What did I think?
I wasn’t so sure about it all in the beginning. But I came to love all the differences that were made from the original story. And I also really enjoyed reading about Elizabeth and how she is adapting to changes in her life, and how she grows from a dependent girl to an independent woman who takes matters into her own hands. You can read my full review here.
Am I normal yet? ★★★★★
How hard can love be? ★★★★
What’s a girl gotta do? ★★★★★
by Holly Bourne
What are they about?
Evie, Lottie and Amber meet at a party and get on great instantly. They become close friends and found a club, the Spinster Club, where they discuss feminist topics. The first book is told from Evie’s point of view and tells about her life with OCD, the second book follows Amber to America, where she visits her former alcoholic mother and book three is about Lottie who starts a project against sexism.
What did I think?
I’m so glad I finally read this series. It is definitely one of my favourites! The three girls are amazing, each with unique character traits, each different but wonderful as a group. The books pick up topics such as feminism, sexism, family problems, mental abuse and mental illnesses. And Holly Bourne manages to do this in such a fun and realistic way. I just enjoyed these books so, so much.
The Burning Maze by Rick Riordan ★★★★
What’s it about?
This is the third book in the Trials of Apollo series, where we follow the god-turned-human Apollo/Lester on his quest to save the next oracle. He meets the third emperor and finds new friends and foes.
What did I think?
Again, I liked this book a lot. I just love Rick Riordan’s fun writing style. I loved meeting beloved characters again. The plot was not too different from book 1 & 2 in this series, but to be honest, I did not expect this. I also like Apollo as a main character more and more.
The Fandom by Anna Day ★★★★ (ARC)
What’s it about?
Violet is a mega-fan of the book & movie “The Gallows Dance”. When she is about to meet the actors from the movie at ComicCon, something goes wrong and she and her friends find themselves in the actual book. There, they soon realize that not everything always goes according to canon and that they need to survive, because if not they might hang and never get back into the real world.
What did I think?
Wow, this was wayyyyy darker than I thought it would be. And it was so good? Wow. Anna Day takes a fandom and instead of showing its dangers in the real world, she tells a bloody tale of (fan)fiction in the fictional work itself. This book made me think about my favourites and how I would fare if I’d get thrown into them (not well). I liked the characters and how they interacted with each other, how their relationships are constantly changing.
And that’s it. What did you read in October? Which book was your favourite?
Love,
Kat
