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Hello Hello! How are you?
It’s already Wednesday which means it’s time for me to jump back on the blog and to talk to you about the books I’m currently reading, those I’ve just finished and those I plan to read next.
I’ve been struggling with my health conditions this past week, but thankfully I’ve had my books to help me along the way! Keep on reading to find out more.
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
For the Trope-ical Readathon organised by Jenny and Rob, I am currently reading this beautiful book and loving it so much! It’s not a very long book and I’m less than 100 pages from the end, so I might be finished by tonight. I like the historical fiction elements in this story, but also all the information about apothecary remedies and poisons. I’m really enjoying the dual timeline and the three different POVs, and the writing style is really nice. It’s an interesting and enjoyable read, and I feel a big plot twist coming along, so I can’t wait to read more of it!
Sadie by Courtney Summers
I’ve also just started this unique mystery story which has a few different POVs but also most importantly is written in podcasts. We also get Sadie’s POV alternating with the search for her since she has gone missing after the murder of her younger sister. I have wanted to read this book for literally YEARS and I’m so glad that I am finally getting around to it. I’m about 100 pages in so far, so not much, but I’m already really enjoying it. The podcast sections are so intriguing and I also like reading from Sadie’s POV. I can’t wait to read more and find out what happens next!
A Court of Thorns and Roses (#1) by Sarah J. Maas
If you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time, you’ll know that ACOTAR is one of my ALL TIME favourite series and I’m currently rereading it with Candyce from The Book Dutchesses, so we can continue on with Nesta’s book, which neither of us have read despite owning for a while now. I remembered a lot of things from this book, but it’s the small details that I had forgotten and that I’ve been really enjoying discovering again. I’m in love with this series and with this world, and it’s funny reading it back and still rooting for Tamlin to start with (even though I know what happens next and Rhysand isn’t in the picture yet!). I’m really looking forward to continuing this series with Candyce and finally reading A Court of Silver Flames! By the way, I also don’t like the newer covers and I’m so glad that my original trilogy and novella are all with this kind of older cover!
Death on the Nile (#18 Hercule Poirot) by Agatha Christie
The last book on my currently reading list is one I’ve been listening to on audio during my commute to and from work. I could have sworn that I had listened to the whole thing previously but apparently I didn’t because it’s not marked as Read on Goodreads, so I must not have finished it! I’m about 30% in already and really enjoying the story again. I saw the new film when it came out (I think last year?) so I remember the story fairly well and know how it will end, but I’m enjoying the journey and seeing Poirot put all the clues together! This might end up being my second favourite Hercule Poirot book from the series!
Every Heart a Doorway (#1 Wayward Children) by Seanan McGuire
Every Heart a Doorway was the first book I finished for the Trope-ical Readathon and it was also a reread for me as I wanted to get back into the series to continue it this time. I read it for the first time about 2 or 3 years ago and did enjoy it, but gosh I enjoyed it so much more this time. I think I definitely needed to wait for the right moment to read it and since my reading tastes have leant a lot more towards dark and spooky books in recent years, it’s come around again at the perfect time. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this series that I already own, and moving on to the rest in quick succession! I gave this one 4.5 stars and used it to fulfil the Found Family Trope!
Je suis fier de toi and La vie, après (#4-5 Irena) by Jean-David Morvan
Last week, I finally got around to picking up the final two books in this WWII graphic novel series about Irena Sendler, a Polish woman who worked tirelessly before, during and after the Second World War to get Jewish children out of the Warsaw ghetto in Poland and to safety into Catholic families around the country. I started this series a year or so ago and it took me ages to get back to it, but it was well worth my time. This graphic novel series is honestly so inspiring but also heartbreaking. It reminds us all that it is important to remember all the bad that happened throughout this time so we don’t make the same mistakes, but it’s also pivotal to remember all the good that happened, and the heroic people who saved so many others. I’m so glad I found this series and I think everyone should read it to find out more about this absolutely incredible woman. I gave both of these books 5 stars and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole series.
Les Marguerites de l’hiver (#2 Le château des animaux) by Xavier Dorison and Félix Delep
Another French graphic novel series I started a while ago and only just continued is Le château des animaux, which is a sort of satirical retelling of Animal Farm by George Orwell. I absolutely loved the first book I read last year, and when I saw this one sticking out of the shelves last week at my library, I snatched it up so quickly! I really enjoyed this instalment too. It’s a bit gory and violent (it doesn’t bother me, but the TWs are worth mentioning), but the art style is absolutely stunning and the whole way this story has been executed is really good. I’m enjoying this series a lot and I hope to read the third instalment when we get it ordered in the next week or so! I gave this one 4 stars!
Garden of Serpents (#3 The Demon Queen Trials) by C. N. Crawford
Last week, I was able to finish The Demon Queen Trials series that I literally devoured in the space of about 2 weeks. The minute I discovered this series on Bookstagram, I was absolutely hooked with the story, the world and the characters and I was so obsessed that I didn’t put it down until it was done! I might have stayed awake much later than my usual bedtime… Oops! This third instalment had lots of twists and turns and I had lots of “Oh my god! WHAT? Argh!!!” moments especially towards the end of the book. The author kept pulling surprises out of the bag, even up to the final chapter, so I’m glad none of it was predictable. I gave this book 5 stars and I’ll try to get a review of the series up on my blog sometime this month!
Ecoline by Stephen Desberg and Ana Teresa Martinez Alanis
Last night I was in a graphic novel mood so I picked out one of my French graphic novels from my library stack. This was a beautiful little story. Ecoline is a French farm dog whose father was hoping would follow in his footsteps and become a brave and determined guard dog. The only problem is that Ecoline likes to paint… This had such a wonderful premise! After a robbery gone wrong, Ecoline leaves her home at travels all the way to Paris in the hopes of becoming a famous artist. Along the way, she quickly makes some firm friends and ends up finding a nice studio to paint in and even guards the entrance to the animals’ of Paris’ very own “Moulin Rouge”. Lots of things happen in this book, but the main message is that friendship always prevails and the people who love you most will always be there to help you save the day. A unique and beautifully illustrated YA graphic novel which I gave 3.5 stars.
La bibliothèque interdite (#2 Les sortilèges de Zora) by Judith Peignen and Ariane Delrieu
And the last book on my recently finished list is another French YA graphic novel from my library. I started this series a couple of months ago and while it is not the most amazing and complex story out there, it is still enjoyable, and it has witches! Oh it also has a witch-cat-shapeshifter! I enjoyed this book, but as I said, it’s not mind-boggling. I honestly would have liked it to be a bit longer because it was quite short and finished rather abruptly. I know my colleagues in the youth section just received the third instalment of this series, so I’ll have to read it soon and just keep up with this series, because it’s an easy and enjoyable read. I gave this one 3 stars.
Queen Kong by Hélène Vignal
Now, I know that the cover kind of looks weird, and granted, it does. This is less one that I want to read and more so homework for work. In the youth section, my colleagues have heard a lot of good things about this particular book collection in which lots of really famous French authors write erotic stories for teenagers. So, okay, this is very much NOT my kind of read, but these books have received lots and lots of praise, and the head of the youth section wants us all to read a few of these books to get an idea and decide if we should buy them or not. So that’s what I’ll be doing sometime soon, please wish me luck! Oh and this particular book also apparently has very good bullying representation, so I just hope it isn’t too triggering.
One Last Stop by Case McQuinston
And the last book on my list for this week is one from my Trope-ical Readathon TBR which I’m hoping to start sometime this weekend, as it’s a long weekend for us in France! A few years ago, I read Red, White & Royal Blue by this author which I absolutely adored (I’ll really have to reread it soon!) and I thought this other book sounded so, so good when it released. It has taken me a while, but I’m finally close to picking it up and I have a feeling it’s going to have such a cute, funny and comforting story. I also really like the premise of this unique time traveling element, so I’m very excited to read more about that!
CHALLENGES UPDATE
And here are all the prompts I was able to complete for my challenges so far this month. Thanks to the books I just finished reading in the previous week, I managed to complete a total of 2 prompts from my various reading challenges list!
- Popsugar Reading Challenge, prompt 1: A book you meant to read in 2022 — Je suis fier de toi (#4 Irena) by Jean-David Morvan
- Popsugar Reading Challenge, prompt 34: A historical-fiction book — La vie, après (#5 Irena) by Jean-David Morvan
That’s all for now, I hope you enjoyed reading this post.
See you soon, stay safe,
Ellie xx