Hey everyone!! I hope you guys are doing great! I’m back today with the form for my 400 followers Q&A and my 3rd take on The Liebster Award.
I was tagged for the award back in January by the amazing Jane @ Blogger Books, and in total Rukky fashion, here I am finally doing it 8 months later. Many thanks to Jane for tagging me!! These questions are pretty reflective, so we’ll see how it goes.
But first, be sure to fill out my 400 follower Q&A form so I can do a Q&A!! (it’d be really sad if I get only 3 questions lol) I do have some feedback questions at the start, but none of it is required except the one where you ask me your questions. But I’d appreciate it if you gave your feedback as well! Thank you guys so much! The link is above, and I will include the form itself embedded at the end of this post.
Hey guys and welcome back! Today is the 7th day of 2020 and life is finally getting back to normal. Yesterday was the first day of school again, and to be honest, I kind of missed having classes and assignments. I know. I can barely believe that I even thought that myself. But of course, when assignments properly start, I’m going to be wishing for another break once again.
Anyways, today I’m going to be wrapping up my 2019 reading year.
To help wrap up my past reading year, I’ve decided to do Jamie’s End of Year Survey with a twist. Instead of answering all her questions (46!!), I’m going to pick a handful to answer, and also do a wrap-up my way. Initially, I was going to do 2 different posts, one with the survey and the other with my wrap-up, but that’s going to be repetitive, so I’ll be combining both.
This is probably going to be rather long, so without further ado, let’s get started!!!
2019 Reading Stats
Number of Books Read: 98
Number of Re-Reads: 3
Genre You Read the Most From: Mystery/Thriller/Suspense
I didn’t make it to 100 books. But that’s okay. Because I got to 98, which is still a pretty good number and I’m really proud of myself for making it that far.
The re-reads were The Fixer and The Long Game, both by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, and Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter. The first two were great, and I loved re-reading them. The third one was a little cringey, and I can see why it appealed to a Younger Rukky, but it was not for Current Me.
Lol, no surprise. Mystery/Thriller/Suspense was by far the genre that I read the most from, with Fantasy coming in second, and Contemporary in third.
I made a little pie chart to break down my reading even further, and I’m so relieved that it turned out looking okay.
if it’s a little fuzzy, I apologize!
I also did another chart showing my year in books by rating, so here you go:
I like how most of my books were 4 or 3 stars. The books were either mediocre or pretty good, just not super great, and I’m happy with that. I think it also shows that I’ve figured out what books work for me, and what don’t, and so hopefully next year, this will have much less 2 or 1 star books.
I did have a couple of DNFs (Did-Not-Finish), and most of them, I plan on trying to re-read another time, while some I absolutely did not like.
For Blanca and Roja, Ninth House, and Blindsighted, I don’t think i was in the right mood when I picked them up, so I was really bored and impatient with them. These are the ones I plan on picking up some other time.
Marshall Law just wasn’t for me. I got it for review from Reedsy, but I didn’t like it and never finished it.
Captive Witness was disappointing, because I loved Nancy Drew once upon a time, and when I picked this up, I couldn’t get over how old fashioned it was. I was cringing so much, and decided to stop so that I wouldn’t ruin all my great memories of reading all the various series.
The Perfect Husband was a nightmare. I am so done with that book. Usually, when there is extra stuff going in books, especially in thrillers and mysteries, I just skim past and move on. But this book had stuff in pretty much. Every. Single. Chapter. I can’t believe I got to 74%. SEVENTY-FOUR, guys. And you’d think that they don’t have time for any of this extra drama, and so called “romance” when the MC is being hunted by a pure 100% psychopath. But no, they can’t stop their “love” for five seconds.
So yeah. 3 of them, I might try later, 2 of them were just not for me, and 1 of them was a true nightmare. But I’m still pretty glad that I only had 6 DNFs the entire year.
This was more of a political thriller, but I still loved the mystery of who was behind the attack. I’m also a huge fan of any book with “secret agents” and Mary and Stone were amazing and made me love the story even more.
It was interesting being told what happened to Frank in bits and pieces, and what brought him to that beach. There was so much suspense, as things were slowly revealed and I liked that. The book wasn’t perfect in other aspects, but the suspense was really great.
This is a master thriller. It was honestly the first time that I’d been truly petrified and nervous, and anxious about how things would end in a book. It was a little over the top, and would probably be better as a movie than a book, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it.
I loved this. I loved the characters. I loved Kaz’s cunning ruthless and brutal, I loved Inej, Jes, Wylan, Nina and Matthias, I loved everything about it. Well, it was slow until the heist at the end, but I liked the build-up and relationships between the characters, and how we got to know them so well. This is honestly my top fantasy book of 2019.
This is a fantasy that I loved because of it’s worldbuilding. The way Allomancy was described, the way the Empires and cities felt so real that I could literally picture everything happening clearly, that was amazing. I loved the heist, and was shocked at how things turned out, but what I loved the most about this was how real, and possible, and well-thought out the world and Allomancy was.
I got a recipe for November Cakes. That’s honestly enough to bribe me into loving this book. But really though, I sincerely enjoyed the story. The happiness, calm, and peace that came after I finished reading it. The deadly but utterly beautiful horses. Puck and Sean fighting for what they want, what they love. It was really beautiful, and I’m so glad that Meegs pushed me to read this.
He’s grumpy. He’s strict. He’s mean. But underneath that tough exterior, Ove is hurting. And this book is about what caused it, and what happens when a new bustling family, with a fiery and delightful mother, moves in next door. I loved this because of the characters, and because the found family relationship that all the neighbors built with one another. Ove is also really endearing, and it was heartbreaking reading about everything that went wrong in his life. Even if it was fictional. This book made me so happy, because Ove learned to live and love again.
I may have loved this solely because the ending shattered my heart. But I’m also a big fan of coming-of-age novels, and this is one of them. At first, I didn’t like many of the characters, and I was a little annoyed, and maybe bored. But as the story continued, and the years passed, and the war dragged on, I began to feel for all these characters. I began to understand them, love them. And when that ending came, even though I knew, even though I’d been warned, it still shattered me when that happened. It’s a book that made me laugh, made me smile, made me cry. And I don’t think a book has ever done all three to me.
This was a great book about a woman fighting society’s sexist and racist views through a newspaper column in 19th century Georgia (aka the 1800s). Jo was a great main character, and I loved Old Gin, Noemi, and Nathan so much. She’s brave, she’s fierce, and she was risking so much to write her Miss. Sweetie column and using it to inspire change in her community. This was one my most anticipated books this year, and it did not disappoint.
I’ve already read the first book, A Darker Shade of Magic, and even though it was slow in the beginning, I loved the magic and the world, and I can’t wait to read the second book.
Best Sequel of 2019?
Vengeful by V.E. Schwab. This was such an awesome sequel, and I loved the new villains, as well as Victor’s search for a cure. The ending was really great, but I hope that there is still a 3rd book! Mitch, Syd, and Victor were so sweet together, and honestly, this book was just perfect.
Best Series Ender of 2019?
Nope, none. The only Series Ender I read in 2019 was The Queen of Nothing, and that was most definitely one of the worst I’ve ever read. I’m just really disappointed and salty about it.
Favorite new author you discovered in 2019?
My new top three authors that I discovered in 2019 are:
Maggie Stiefvater (The Scorpio Races), V.E. Schwab (Vicious), and Brandon Sanderson (The Final Empire).
Favorite cover of a book you read in 2019?
It’s a tie. I can’t pick one over the other! Both covers are just so beautifully gorgeous.
Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2019 to finally read?
One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus. I’d seen it in my library a lot, and I can’t believe that I never picked it up until earlier this last year. It was one of the first YA mysteries that I read, and I really loved it.
Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2019?
This post is already over 1,500 words long, so I’m going to stop here. I think I’ve covered all the major questions, and if you’d like to see all the books I read last year, check out my 2019 Year in Books on GoodReads. I’ll probably be doing a Blog/Life Wrap-Up next, and I may do a Most Disappointing Books of 2019. Not sure yet, but keep an eye out for another wrap-up!
That’s it for this post! What was your favorite book of 2019? Have you read any of the ones mentioned above? What did you think? How many books did you read in 2019? Chat with me in the comments below!
Welcome to Top Five Tuesday!! Top Five Tuesday was created and is hosted by Shanah @ Bionic Book Worm. Check out her blog and see the list of topics for August here!
Today’s topic is: Top 5 books under 300 pages
I’ve actually read a considerable amount of books that were under 300 pages, but most of those were part of a series, or short stories. However, I did find some books that weren’t either of those two and were ones that I liked, and gave 3 stars or more.
This was a cute short novella with characters from two of my favorite series (when I was younger): Gallagher Girl, and Heist Society. It was fun to see Hale, Kat, and Macey, and how they worked together and used their rather different skills to fix the situation.
I’ve been talking about this book every single chance I get! It’s amazing, gruesome, very very thriller-ly, and would be awesome as a movie (just creepy. Like really creepy.). Though implausible, especially with that ending, it was still really great and I really really liked it!
This was a great book, with epic representation, and a very relate-able main character. I loved how Aza’s mental illness was portrayed, and she and Davis are so so cute. It was just a really great book.
This was okay at best. The plot is not exactly new, but it has a unique spin and I liked Bree’s background. Her personal life, and her struggles to be a good mom to Charlotte, and to get over her feelings for her ex Paul were a lot more interesting than the mystery. It was still an okay book, and the last one that I have that is under 300 so *shrugs*
This is only 4 pages over 300, so I shall use it as my 5th book anyway. This was great, but not much of a thriller. I had an idea about who the bad guy was when I was around 50% in, and by 70% I was convinced that I was right. I still liked the ending though, and the characters were great.
That’s it for this Tuesday! Have you read any of the books I mentioned above? Did you obsess over the Gallagher Girl and Heist Society series like I did when you were younger? Who do you prefer: Zach or Hale? What books have you read that were under 300 pages? Let’s chat in the comments below!
(Be sure to link to your Top Ten Tuesday and Top Five Tuesday posts so I can check them out!!)
It’s Thursday! Time for another book tag (my first in a long time lol). I was tagged by Xandra @ Starry Sky Books to do the Who Am I? book tag. I apologize Xandra, because you tagged me in April and I’m not getting to it until now.
Without further ado, let’s get started!
Question 1:
IF YOUR LIFE WERE A BOOK GENRE, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Contemporary. I wish that it was Thriller, but I’d probably be dead within a week lol . So definitely a contemporary, but without any romance…
Question 2:
WHAT VILLAIN FROM A BOOK DO YOU IDENTIFY WITH THE MOST?
A villain? I don’t think I identify at all with any actual real villain. An anti-hero: probably Kaz (Six of Crows) or Victor (Vicious). I probably am not super similar to them but a girl can wish!
Question 3:
WHAT PROTAGONIST ARE YOU MOST SIMILAR TO?
I am actually quite similar to Aza from Turtles All The Way Down. We both are kind of awkward, and not very comfortable in social settings.
Question 4:
WHICH BOOK DID YOU CONNECT WITH IN THE PAST THAT YOU NO LONGER DO?
Cross My Heart and Spy by Ally Carter. I originally loved the story when I was younger. I decided to re-read it a few months ago, and all the issues in it became very vivid to me. I’ve decided to not continue re-reading the series so that I don’t spoil the rest of it.
Question 5:
WHAT RECENT BOOK READ WOULD YOU LOVE TO BE A CHARACTER IN?
Six of Crows. I loved all the characters, and since Kaz is the leader, I have some guarantee that I’ll come out of any heist alive. I loved this book, and it is definitely going to be one of my favorite top ten books of 2019.
Question 6:
HOW DO YOUR READING HABITS SHOW OFF YOUR PERSONALITY?
I like to finish a series once I start, or at least skim read all the books. I think that translates into my life because I do my best to finish everything I start.
Also, virtually 90% of the books I read are e-books, and I spend most of my time on the computer or online, so I guess the fact that I favor e-books is also why I like being online? (Probably the other way around actually 😂😂)
Question 7:
WHAT BOOK TAUGHT YOU SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF?
I don’t know. Books teach me different things every single day. I can’t really point out which book taught me something specific about me, but all books have taught me a lot of different things about myself and the world.
No pressure if you’ve already done the tag, or if you don’t want to do it. If you’d like to do the tag and I haven’t tagged you, go right ahead and be sure to link back so that I can check it out!
Hi friends! I hope you are having a fantastic Saturday! Today, I’m going to share with you my Monthly Wrap-Up for April 2019.
April has been a great month for me in terms of reading. I’m still ahead on my Goodreads goal, I managed to read a lot more books, and I’ve been catching up with my book tags! I also didn’t take any hiatuses, so that’s also very good! Let’s break everything down!
Books:
Covers are from Goodreads
This month was pretty good for me reading wise. I managed to finish 9 books, which is roughly two books a week which I think is pretty good. Click on the titles to visit my reviews.
Watching You by Lisa Jewell // ★★★★★ One sentence summary: A great mystery with twisted characters and a satisfying end.
Stalking Jack The Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco // ★★★★☆ One sentence summary: An engaging historical mystery with great characters, and an intriguing, yet predictable plot.
Into The Water by Paula Hawkins // ★★★☆☆ One sentence summary: A confusing, yet interesting book with a satisfying ending.
I Found You by Lisa Jewell // ★★★★★ One sentence summary: An intriguing mystery with a slow build-up and a great, yet predictable, ending.
No Exit by Taylor Adams // ★★★★☆ One sentence summary: An action-packed thriller with a determined, and courageous main character.
A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi // ★★★★★ One sentence summary: A cute contemporary romance with an important message.
Turtles All The Way Down by John Green // ★★★★★ One sentence summary: A painful yet amazing read with a great main character.(Review to Come)
I also had, sadly, one DNF. Blanca and Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore. I wasn’t in the mood for it, so I DNF’d. However, I may try to read this some other time.
Total Number of Books Read This Month: 9
Did Not Finish: 1
Tags:
Only two. I did a third one yesterday, but alas, it was already May 2nd. However I’ll sneak it on here anyway…
An announcement. Tomorrow’s post is going to be the last one that I’m doing for a while. May is going to be very packed for me, and I’m going to be taking a month long hiatus, starting from tomorrow, till June 10th. On June 10th, I’ll resume my normal blogging schedule! I might still visit blogs and answer comments so feel free to continue sharing!
I did my first discussion post in a looooonnngggg time (I know this discussion was posted on May 3rd aka yesterday, but I had to include it lol). This is my second one ever, and after the amazing positive feedback, I’ve decided to come out of my shell and do more of these! You can check that post out here.
I also reached 100 followers yesterday!!! YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!!! I’m so happy, thank you all so much, and be sure to check out my mini letter to you guys here ❤❤
That’s A Wrap!
So, April was a lot better for me compared to February and March. I got some more reading done, didn’t take any breaks, and kept up with my blogging schedule (mostly). I think I did more blog hopping as well. Once I’m back from my hiatus, I plan on discovering more new blogs, doing more discussions and interesting posts (because I know doing the same thing every week is boring and that you might be tired of this cause I honestly am), and definitely doing a lot more reading.
And that’s it for this wrap-up! Thank you guys so much for reading, and for helping me reach 100 followers! I’m glad that this was an awesome month, and I’m sad that I can’t be here for May. However, I do hope you have a great month, and I can’t wait to catch up once I’m back!
How was April for you? Did you get as much reading as you wanted done? Anything you’d like to share? Let’s chat in the comments below!
Eternity Books 