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2025 book log
120
items Join me on my quest to read 125 books in 2025!
I've read some great ones (some not so great 😅). There's been laughter, tears, frustration - the whole shebang!
Would I recommend all the books I've read? Definitely not. Check the reviews and make your...
First book of the year - started off with a bang!
⭐5/5
📚Words of Radiance
✒️Brandon Sanderson
(The Stormlight Archive #2)
The storytelling and character development in this book were just 👌. Kaladin and Bridge Four forever have my heart, and I'v...
Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson
Book 2/125
📚 Lies Within the Darkest Tower
✒️ Tessa Cole
⭐2/5
🌶️2/5
- Why choose
- FMC in disguise
- Fae
I love a "FMC in disguise" trope which is the only thing that made me keep going.
Entertaining, but in need of an editor.
Also how dumb ar...
Lies Within the Darkest Tower by Tessa Cole
3/125
📚Grave Matter
✒️Karina Halle
⭐3.5/5
🌶️3/5
- gothic romance
- dark academia
- prof x student
- obsessed hero
A really good suspense/thriller/sci-fi novel. The romance didn't really add much to the story imo, but the overall concept was gre...
Grave Matter by Karina Halle
4/125
📚Beach Read
✒️Emily Henry
⭐4/5
🌶️2/5
- friends to lovers
- tortured hero
- rom com
A cute one from EH. Nothing revolutionary but had a good time. Loved the sarcastic banter between the characters. Laughed, cried - the whole shebang.
Beach Read by Emily Henry
5/125
⭐5/5
📚Dungeon Crawler Carl
✒️Matt Dinniman
-litRPG
-talking cat
-snarky dialogue
This book was a wild ride. Completely absurd, over the top, and hilarious. Teenage boy humour, but in the best possible way ("your mum" jokes will forever be ...
Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
6/125
⭐3.5/5
📚One Of Us Is Dead
✒️Jeneva Rose
-murder mystery
-multiple povs
-desperate housewives
I wish the characters were a bit more fleshed out but the audiobook narration made up for it - the voice actors were fantastic, esp Olivia. That wo...
One of Us Is Dead by Jeneva Rose
7/125
📚The Other Brother
✒️Tierney Page
⭐2/5
🌶️4/5
-musician mmc
-ex's brother
I love Tierney's booktok account; she's got a great sense of humour and a hilarious way with words. This book was was a flop though. No chemistry, no character consis...
The Other Brother by Tierney Page
8/125
📚Soul Code
✒️Blake Black
⭐4/5
🌶️2/5
-why choose
-slow burn
-stalking
This book had some crack in it, istg.
Extremely slow burn and won't be for everyone, but I couldn't put it down.
Hot, obsessive nerds - what more could a gal want?
Is...
Soul Code (Coded Connections Duet #1) by Blake Black
9/125
📚Mind Code
✒️Blake Black
⭐2/5
🌶️3/5
-why choose
Was this sequel written by the same author?
A complete contrast to the 1st book.
The story didn't make sense and the characters were inconsistent. I was boreeeed.
Could've cut out 75% of this...
Mind Code (Coded Connections Duet #2) by Blake Black
10/125
📚Glorious Exploits
✒️Ferdia Lennon
⭐3/5
-Historical fiction
-Greek mythology
A tragic story about humanity and brotherhood, told with a modern Irish twist. The audio narration was fantastic.
An interesting concept, but it was sold to me a...
Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon
11/125
📚Black Cake
✒️Charmaine Wilkerson
⭐4/5
-family issues/secrets
-historical/modern day
This book hit on a lot of topics - racial inequality, environment, sexuality, and many more. It was quite a lot crammed into one story but it was done wel...
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
12/125
📚Carl's Doomsday Scenario
✒️Matt Dinniman
⭐5/5
-litRPG
2nd book following Carl and Princess Donut's (mis)adventures and it's just as good as the first.
This series has crack in it, istg. It's unhinged and it speaks to my soul. Godbless w...
Carl's Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman
13/125
📚When Breath Becomes Air
✒️Paul Kalanithi
⭐3/5
-memoir
-medicine
-illness
Don't mind me, just crying in my car on the commute to work.
Paul seemed like an incredible man, his story both sad and hopeful. There's no happy ending to this one...
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
14/125
📚Deep End
✒️Ali Hazelwood
⭐5/5
🌶️3/5
This is an Ali book through and through. You know what you're getting and it's exactly what I wanted. Possibly her best yet? Not as kinky as I expected it to be based on some reviews but that's a-okay. ...
Deep End by Ali Hazelwood
15/125
📚The Graham Effect
✒️Elle Kennedy
⭐2/5
🌶️2/5
Too many characters and unnecessary cameos, not enough time spent on character development. The FMC had more chemistry with the MMC's best friend?
Ended up skimming the last 25%.
A shame becaus...
The Graham Effect (Campus Diaries, #1) by Elle Kennedy
16/135
📚Chain-Gang All-Stars
✒️Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
⭐3/5
-dystopian
This is a difficult one to rate and review. It's hard to sympathise with murderers, but it really puts into perspective the world of incarceration. We're not far off from the...
Chain Gang All Stars - Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
17/125
📚Keep Me
✒️Sara Cate
⭐3/5
🌶️3/5
-marriage of convenience
-enemies to lovers
Both MCs were really brash and hard to like, but got used to them after a while.
Didn't really feel the chemistry but did quite like the premise, which kept me g...
Keep Me by Sara Cate
18/125
📚Forget Me Not
✒️Julie Soto
⭐3/5
🌶️2/5
-2nd chance
-grumpy x sunshine
This was cute, though I think I liked the wedding planning aspect of the story more than the romance itself. They hardly spoke to each other in present day so felt more...
Forget Me Not by Julie Soto
19/125
📚From Here to The Great Unknown
✒️Lisa Marie Presley, Riley Keough
⭐3/5
Lisa and Riley's story seems to resemble that of many nepo babies. It's sad that addiction and suicide is such a common theme in celebrity memoirs.
Like most life stori...
From Here to the Great Unknown by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough
20/125
📚The Plight Before Christmas
✒️Kate Stewart
⭐2/5
🌶️2/5
-2nd chance
I seem to be in the minority but this just wasn't for me. The characters are in their late 30s but act immature. MMC was a dick in all the flashbacks and you're telling me...
The Plight Before Christmas by Kate Stewart
21/125
📚Love to Loathe Him
✒️Rosa Lucas
⭐2/5
🌶️2/5
-Enemies to lovers
What's a girl gotta do to get a decent romance around here? I've had 2 weeks of flops.
This had potential at the start but then just started going downhill real fast. Both MCs...
Love to Loathe Him by Rosa Lucas
22/125
📚James
✒️Percival Everett
⭐4/5
-retelling
This wasn't an easy read but an important one. It's hard to think that this was a reality for so many and the echoes of that time are still affecting people today
I do wish I'd read Huck's story be...
James by Percival Everett
23/125
📚The Book That Wouldn't Burn
✒️Mark Lawrence
⭐3/5
This was a nice story with an interesting concept. I loved how the mysteries came together in the end. The pacing was all over the place though, and it didn't need to be as long as it was. T...
The Book That Wouldn't Burn by Mark Lawrence
24/125
📚Tempt Me
✒️K.A. Tucker
⭐3/5
🌶️3/5
I enjoyed this book while I was reading it, but in retrospect I don't even know what I liked about it. I don't really like naive and "innocent" characters, and the FMC was definitely that. It did hook me,...
Tempt Me by K a Tucker
25/125
📚Break me (#2 in series)
✒️K.A. Tucker
⭐3/5
🌶️3/5
*Spoilers*
I don't really know why the MMC was so upset? Didn't he literally say they need to step back and break it off?
3 stars for Ronan and Connor alone. Wanted more of them and wish t...
Break Me by K a Tucker
26/125
📚First-Time Caller
✒️B.K. Borison
⭐4.5/5
🌶️2/5
This was delightful. A fun little rom-com with Sleepless in Seattle vibes - I could see it being turned into a modern adaptation. The plot was quite predictable but it didn't take away from my...
First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison, Paperback
27/125
📚Pen Pal
✒️J.T Geissinger
⭐2/5
🌶️3/5
This wasn't marketed well. For a book titled "pen pal", the letters were a miniscule, inconsequential part of the plot. Calling the FMC "bunny" all the time was also kinda cringe.
I will say, the voice ...
Pen Pal by J.T. Geissinger
28/125
📚All Systems Red
✒️Martha Wells
⭐4/5
For a story about a robot named "Murderbot," this was surprisingly wholesome and fun. Loved experiencing the world and human nature through the eyes of a sarcastic, apathetic, non-human entity.
Wish it ...
All Systems Red by Martha Wells
29/125
📚The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook
✒️Matt Dinniman
⭐5/5
3rd book in the series. Really loved this one. Saw people say the mechanics of the level were tedious, but I thought it was quite fun. I'm excited to see where the story goes - possibi...
The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook by Matt Dinniman
30/125
📚We Used To Live Here
✒️Marcus Kliewer
⭐3/5
This was definitely an eerie read, but I didn't understand what the fuck was going on. I was invested in the story and did enjoy it, but I was waiting for an explanation. Did I miss something or w...
We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer
31/125
📚Shattered Glitter
✒️Blake Black
⭐3/5
🌶️2/5
-rh
Not a literary masterpiece but fun nonetheless. I'm excited to see how the author handles the reveal between Nova and Alaric. Not sure if it's still supposed to be this big twist as it was v...
Scattered Glitter by Blake Black
32/125
📚Artificial Condition
✒️Martha Wells
⭐4/5
Delightful. Kevin R. Free does a wonderful job narrating this series. Love the dry sense of humour of the non-human characters and excited to see more of ART.
Still wish the books were longer.
Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
33/125
📚Homeseeking
✒️Karissa Chen
⭐4/5
A heartwrenching story spanning 70 years about friendship, love, family, and making impossible choices.
Loved the storytelling in this and I always appreciate when a fiction novel can teach me something ab...
Homeseeking by Karissa Chen
34/125
📚Insatiable
✒️Leigh Rivers
⭐3/5
🌶️4/5
-enemies to lovers
-forced proximity
-2nd chance
This was okay. Almost DNFed at 20% but it got interesting. I preferred the Kade from flashbacks - him becoming a killing machine in 2 years was unreali...
Insatiable by Leigh Rivers
35/125
📚Wild Side
✒️Elsie Silver
⭐3/5
🌶️2/5
The wrestling aspect was a little cringe and I feel like the MMC didn't have the personality for it.
I'm not enjoying this series as much as her other ones. Not sure what it is about it exactly.
Wild Side by Elsie Silver
36/125
📚Disobedient Pawn
✒️Brooklyn Cross
⭐2.5/5
🌶️1/5
-rh
-slow burn
If you ignore the confusing punctuation and lack of character development, then this was okay. I liked the FMC and I do like a slow burn rh so I'm willing to give book two a c...
Disobedient Pawn by Brooklyn Cross
37/125
📚The Unrequited
✒️Saffron A. Kent
⭐4/5
🌶️4/5
-Age gap
-Student x prof
-Taboo
Loved how unapologetically toxic this story was. I wanted to hate Layla but ended up loving her beautiful, messed up mind and rather unhinged behaviour.
The Unrequited by Saffron A Kent
38/125
📚The Favorites
✒️Layne Fargo
⭐4/5
🌶️1/5
Messy, toxic, and scandalous. Very Tayor Jenkins Reid coded. Loved the part-documentary format - kept the pages turning. The characters weren't the most loveable but I guess that was the whole point....
The Favorites by Layne Fargo
39/125
📚The Anxious Generation
✒️Jonathan Haidt
⭐2/5
Although I do agree with the core concepts of this book, I didn't like the delivery of it.
Not a fan of the holier than thou attitude.
Also felt very opinion based and biased, with little to no ...
The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
40/125
📚Promise Me Sunshine
✒️Cara Bastone
⭐5/5
🌶️1/5
A lovely, wholesome story about love, friendship, grief, and learning to live again. This was deeply romantic even though the romance was almost a subplot.
I really enjoyed it.
Need more frie...
Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone
41/125
📚Say You'll Remember Me
✒️Abby Jimenez
⭐2/5
🌶️1/5
This was a miss for me. Insta love and trying too hard with the tiktok humour. The characters weren't even together for the majority of the book and I felt no chemistry between them whatsoe...
Say You'll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez
42/125
📚Thank you for Listening
✒️Julia Whelan
⭐3/5
🌶️1/5
I love Julia's audiobook narrations and was excited to finally get this out on libby. It was more women's fiction than romance. Not bad but not amazing. I liked seeing the world of audiobo...
Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan
43/125
📚The Gate of the Feral Gods
✒️Matt Dinniman
⭐4/5
Probably my least favourite of the series so far but still a blast nonetheless. Started off great, lost me a little in the middle but then picked up again and ended with a bang
I will say thi...
The Gate of the Feral Gods by Matt Dinniman
44/125
📚Spark The Flames
✒️Ivy Asher
⭐3/5
🌶️2/5
Started off strong but fell off. The FMC got repetetive and nothing really happened after the first few chapters. Also too many characters to keep track off.
Spark the Flames by Ivy Asher
45/125
📚One Golden Summer
✒️Carley Fortune
⭐4/5
🌶️1/5
This book felt nostalgic - Carley has a talent for capturing those perfect lazy summer vibes.
Every Summer After was one of those books that had stuck with me over the years so it was nice goi...
One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune
46/125
📚Rewind it Back
✒️Liz Tomforde
⭐4/5
🌶️3/5
One of the few series I've ever stuck with from beginning to end. Sad for it to be over but a great end for these interconnected standalones.
Loved Hallie and Rio. Sad he lost some of his loveable ...
Rewind it Back by Liz Tomforde
47/125
📚The Handmaid's Tale
✒️Margaret Atwood
⭐3/5
This story was written in 1985 and yet I can see society going in that direction more and more each day.
It's like the Right are using this as a fucked up manual.
Scary shit.
I "liked" the concep...
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
48/125
📚Dear Reader
✒️Tate James
⭐2/5
🌶️2/5
Tate's books have been a hit and miss for me and this one definitely fell flat. Felt rushed and not fleshed out enough.
Easy reading but probably won't continue with the series.
Dear Reader by Tate James
49/125
📚Silver Elite
✒️Dani Francis
⭐3/5
🌶️2/5
This was just okay. Easy reading but the pacing was off. I don't know if the "plot twists" were supposed to be that obvious, but none of the reveals surprised me.
I do see the hype, but it wasn't f...
Silver Elite by Dani Francis, Hardcover
50/125
📚White Rose Painted Red
✒️Blake & Elena Lawson
⭐2/5
🌶️3/5
Dnf at 78%
Couldn't finish it but I feel like I got far enough to count it towards the goal. Maybe not the best book to read on holiday, but nothing about it was memorable. It ...
White Rose Painted Red by Blake and Elena Lawson
51/125
📚Great Big Beautiful Life
✒️Emily Henry
⭐3/5
🌶️1/5
It was more women's fiction than romance. If anything, the romance seemed tacked on and it might've been better without
I did actually like the story within the story, even if the plot twi...
Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
52/125
📚Ultra-Processed People
✒️Chris van Tulleken
⭐4/5
A very interesting and informative book. Not a topic I would normally read about, but I jumped on the hype train.
I'm not likely to cut out UPFs completely after reading it, but I'm already...
Ultra-Processed People by Chris Van Tulleken
53/125
📚Atmosphere
✒️Taylor Jenkins Reid
⭐4/5
wlw
A love story about different types of love - romance, family, friendships, passions and ambitions.
I really liked the setting - space stuff ftw. Loved the characters though wish we got more of Gri...
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
54/125
📚Saving Five
✒️Amanda Nguyen
Don't like rating memoirs but this was good. Very reminiscent of Know My Name. I enjoy reading stories from brave, resilient, and inspiring women, especially about such heavy topics.
Crazy what SA victims have t...
Saving Five by Amanda Nguyen
55/125
📚Sounds Like Love
✒️Ashley Poston
⭐4/5
🌶️1/5
Another cute magical realism story from Ashley. Still not quite as good as Seven Year Slip but enjoyable nonetheless. Some really good characters and great side plots.
Tears were shed.
Will de...
Sounds Like Love (B&N Exclusive Edition) by Ashley Poston, Paperback
56/125
📚The House Of My Mother
✒️Shari Franke
Memoir
This book highlights the exploitative nature of family vlogging and using your kids for content.
I do think Shari is still a little blinded by her church and doesn't quite see how much it playe...
The House of My Mother by Shari Franke
57/125
📚Kill Joy
✒️Holly Jackson
⭐4/5
I don't usually read prequels but I love AGGGTM so thought I'd give this a ago.
A really fun premise for a novella and a good intro to some of the characters in the series. I can relate to Pip in this because ...
Kill Joy by Holly Jackson
58/125
📚The Wedding People
✒️Alison Espach
⭐5/5
Bit late to the party but I'm glad I finally read this. I can see why this book was so popular last year.
This was messy but in the best way - the story felt very real and honest.
Loved all the chara...
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
59/125
📚Problematic Summer Romance
✒️Ali Hazelwood
⭐4/5
🌶️2/5
Take a shot every time they say the word "problematic" and complain about the age gap.
Love the premise. Love Maya. Conor - not sure about.
All in all, a good summer rom-com.
Could've ...
Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood
60/125
📚Rose in Chains
✒️Julie Soto
⭐5/5
🌶️2/5
Delicious, give me 14 of them right now.
What a delightful slowburn. Can't believe I have to wait for the rest of the trilogy.
Couldn't get enough of Toven - the yearning was 👌👌
It is a little dark...
Rose in Chains by Julie Soto
61/125
📚Shadow of the Gods
✒️John Gwynne
⭐2/5
Gods this was a slog to get through.
Too many characters, too many new terms. Didn't know wtf was going on half the time.
Only reason I finished it was because I had no other audiobooks available.
Thi...
The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne
62/125
📚Till Summer Do Us Part
✒️Meghan Quinn
⭐2/5
🌶️2/5
Started off fine, even got a few LOLs out of me but got old really quickly.
Tried too hard to be funny.
Felt very preachy - there is such a thing as TOO MUCH communication. Real people don'...
Till Summer Do Us Part by Meghan Quinn
63/125
📚Listen For The Lie
✒️Amy Tintera
⭐4/5
A fun little mystery, an excellent audiobook.
FMC was great - funny, sarcastic and unapologetic. Loved that for her.
Couldn've done with more tension and higher stakes, but all in all a very enjoyable ...
Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera
64/125
📚The Ghostwriter
✒️Julie Clark
⭐3/5
A good mystery, kept me guessing until the end, but ultimately left me just a tad dissatisfied.
Didn't care much for the characters other than Poppy.
Yet still had a good time.
The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark
65/125
📚Shield of Shadows
✒️Devney Perry
⭐3/5
🌶️2/5
Had a lot of potential, but missed the mark imo.
The pacing was off.
Spent a lot of time with different characters but feel like I don't know anything about them still
I was interested in the ...
Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry
66/125
📚Little Fires Everywhere
✒️Celeste Ng
⭐3/5
This was just okay. Story was interesting enough but didn't care for any of the characters.
Not sure why it won a choice award back in the day...
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
67/125
📚Broken Country
✒️Clare Leslie Hall
⭐3/5
This book had me hooked - the storytelling was wonderful, but I couldn't get behind some of the characters' choices. It was messy in a way I wasn't a fan of. It's me, not you.
Frank deserved better.
...
Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall
68/125
📚Liminal
✒️Marie Mistry
⭐4/5
🌶️2/5
A fun slow burn RH. Loved the premise and the world building. The FMC was great. Some MMCs were stronger than others.
This book actually got me in the feels a bit there at the end.
And the cliffhanger?? D...
Liminal by Marie Mistry
69/125 😏
📚Jagged Lies
✒️Evelyn Flood
⭐3/5
🌶️1/5
In a Why Choose sort of mood. This was a short one so didn't take long to read, but also didn't have enough character dev (problem with 200pg books)
Got hooked on the story tho so I am continuing w...
Jagged Lies by Evelyn Flood
70/125
📚Rogue Protocol
✒️Martha Wells
⭐4/5
Another fun installment in the Murderbot series!
Loved Miki and the interactions between the two robots. Murderbot's sarcasm is really refreshing and Kevin R. Free is doing a tremendous job bringing these...
Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells
71/125
📚Shattered Truths
✒️Evelyn Flood
⭐1/5
🌶️2/5
Wish I didn't waste my time.
First half dragged, second half felt rushed.
Nothing really happened and there was nothing to differentiate the MMCs - they all could have been one person...
Shattered Truths by Evelyn Flood
72/125
📚One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Againt This
✒️Omar El Akkad
⭐?/5
Not sure how to rate this.
It's such an important topic, and I understand El Akkad's frustrations, but I couldn't get past the flowery language and analogies.
This i...
One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar el Akkad
73/125
📚Face Off
✒️Chelsea Curto
⭐2/5
🌶️3/5
Disappointing. First woman in an all-men's team? The premise had so much potential!
What we got instead was constant reminders of how perfect the mmc was. Checked out after the 3rd time his charity work...
Face Off by Chelsea Curto
74/125
📚The Knight and the Moth
✒️Rachel Gillig
⭐4/5
🌶️2/5
Dark, gothic, and beautiful. This was a great story with amazing characters. The gargoyle was refreshingly charming.
Only negative is that some of the plot points could've been more flesh...
The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig
75/125
📚Exit Strategy
✒️Martha Wells
⭐3/5
Still very much enjoying the series but it's starting to feel a little same-y. The books are starting to blend together.
Nice to be back with the OG squad, though.
'Bot is still the most relatable characte...
Exit Strategy by Martha Wells
76/125
📚We Are All Guilty Here
✒️Karin Slaughter
⭐4/5
This was my first Karin Slaughter novel and it did not disappoint.
Although I did guess the killer early on, there were a few twists and turns there that I didn't expect.
Got me in a crime/th...
We Are All Guilty Here by Karin Slaughter
77/125
📚Direbound
✒️Sable Sorensen
⭐1/5
🌶️3/5
I should've gone with my first instinct to dnf at 20% but the raving reviews swayed me to continue.
I don't think I read the same book as everyone else.
The FMC was truly insufferable and there were g...
Dire Bound by Sable Sorensen
78/125
📚The Bright Years
✒️Sarah Damoff
⭐4/5
This was a fantastic debut novel. Messy and real, with a lot of heartbreak and love and forgiveness.
Hit a little close to home with some of the themes and got me crying on my lunchbreak.
Might not be...
The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff
79/125
📚Not Quite Dead Yet
✒️Holly Jackson
⭐4/5
A really great premise with a very strong FMC.
Took me a while to get into the writing style and there were a few loose ends that I wish we got to see the aftermath of, but all in all a great read. K...
Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson
80/125
📚Crescent Kingdom
✒️Tessa Hale
⭐2/5
🌶️2/5
There hasn't been a single book by this author I've enjoyed - It's time for me to give up.
All a bit cringe and cliché really. Never understand the high ratings.
Crescent Kingdom by Tessa Hale
81/125
📚Edgedancer
✒️Brandon Sanderson
⭐3/5
Continuing my way through the Cosmere.
Lift was a character I was excited to read more of, but it was like she was trying a little too hard to be eccentric in this novella.
I'm still looking forward to ...
Edgedancer (Stormlight Archive Series) by Brandon Sanderson, Hardcover
82/125
📚Nesting
✒️Roisín O'Donnell
⭐4/5
This was a hard read but beautifully written. It's been a while since I've felt this anxious reading a book. Ciara was a very strong main character and I loved all the people helping her out.
Just wish some ...
Nesting by Roisin O'Donnell
83/125
📚Ever Marked
✒️J. Kearston
⭐2/5
🌶️1/5
Had a lot of potential at the start but fell flat
Love a techy FMC but her "innovative" tech didn't make sense.
None of the characters stood out and I'm getting tired of the insta-love in these books
...
Ever Marked by J Kearston
84/125
📚Wildest Dreams
✒️L.J. Shen
⭐4/5
🌶️3/5
I don't remember much from the first book so I was confused about the dynamic between some of the characters to start with, but I grew to love the relationship between the two MCs.
MMC's attitude towa...
Wildest Dreams by L.J. Shen
85/125
📚Heavenly Bodies
✒️Imani Erriu
⭐3/5
🌶️1/5
Some great banter between the two MCs. Enzo was an absolute babe. A classic slow burn, star-crossed lovers romance.
Not really interested in the 2nd book though.
The pacing was a little off and I f...
Heavenly Bodies by Imani Erriu
86/125
📚Dream On
✒️Jennifer Hartmann
⭐4/5
🌶️2/5
Came very close to a 5 star read but the last 20% seemed a little rushed.
Hartmann does a great job writing soft, heartwrenching stories about difficult topics - this one being no exception. Really ...
Dream On by Jennifer Hartmann
87/125
📚My Favorite Bad Decision
✒️Elizabeth O'Roark
⭐2/5
🌶️2/5
My least favourite of her books thus far. All the characters were annoying and had zero redeeming qualities. Seemed like a different author wrote it.
Not interested in continuing the...
My Favorite Bad Decision by Elizabeth O'Roark
88/125
📚Wild Card
✒️Elsie Silver
⭐3/5
🌶️3/5
Entire series was a bit of a miss for me but the Ex's Dad trope persuaded me to read this last book. Can't say I'm glad I did - it was all pretty mid.
Where was the chemistry??
Hopefully the tv adaptat...
Wild Card by Elsie Silver
89/125
📚Everything Is Tuberculosis
✒️John Green
This was a really great, informative book about a subject I knew nothing about.
The Green brothers could literally write/talk about anything and I'd be sat. John did a fantastic job with this one.
Everything Is Tuberculosis by John Green
90/125
📚Blurred Lines
✒️Lauren Layne
⭐3/5
🌶️2/5
A cute little best friends to lovers number - one of my favourite tropes if done right. This one was okay but had a LOT of miscommunication which gets old fast.
It was a quick, easy read though, and...
Blurred Lines by Lauren Layne
91/125
📚Write Me For You
✒️Tillie Cole
⭐1/5
I was so ready for a sad story, but I couldn't get past the cringe.
The HEA chapters completely lost me and I ended up skipping them altogether.
For what was supposed to be a deep, profound story, everyt...
Write Me for You by Tillie Cole
92/125
📚If It Makes You Happy
✒️Julie Olivia
⭐4/5
🌶️2/5
A cosy, small town romance with perfect autumnal vibes. It very much read like a 90s rom-com in the best possible way.
Nothing new or revolutionary but definitely hit the spot 👌
If It Makes You Happy by Julie Olivia
93/125
📚The Devils
✒️Joe Abercrombie
⭐2/5
For a book that had a lot happening, nothing really happened.
I really wanted to like this, but it felt extremely repetitive. Half of the book was filler and at no point did it hook me.
Ended up skimming t...
The Devils by Joe Abercrombie
94/125
📚Metal Slinger
✒️Rachel Schneider
⭐1/5
🌶️2/5
Plot twists are only fun if they
Metal Slinger by Rachel Schneider
95/125
📚Fake Skating
✒️Lynn Painter
⭐3/5
🌶️1/5
Cute YA story but wish authors would stop using "Honey" as a pet name 🤢 gives me the ick every time.
Fake Skating by Lynn Painter
96/125
📚Blood Of My Monster
✒️Rina Kent
⭐3/5
🌶️4/5
It's been a while since I've read a Mafia romance and the Mulan-esque premise drew me in.
It did lack in areas and the FMC's decision-making was a little flawed at best, but I gobbled it up neve...
Blood of My Monster by Rina Kent
97/125
📚Lies of my Monster
✒️Rina Kent
⭐1/5
🌶️4/5
Aaaaaand that's enough of that.
The FMC turned into an idiotic doormat - couldn't believe she was written by a female author tbh.
Lies of My Monster: Special Edition Print - Rina Kent
98/125
📚Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil
✒️V.E. Schwab
⭐4/5
🌶️1/5
Toxic lesbian vampires? Say less.
The pacing of the story felt very slow to me but I was hooked pretty much throughout. Beautifully written. Very similar vibes to Addie LaRue.
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V. E. Schwab
99/125
📚A Photo Finish
✒️Elsie Silver
⭐3/5
🌶️3/5
My 10th Elsie Silver book! Not my favourite but still had a good time.
A Photo Finish a book by Elsie Silver
100/125
📚Careless People
✒️Sarah Wynn-Williams
A trillion dollar company being shady? You don't say.
Hard to rate this one.
Although I knew FB was toxic, I didn't realise the extent of it. Am I shocked? No.
I do think the author is missing some s...
Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams
101/125
📚Nocticadia
✒️Keri Lake
⭐4/5
🌶️4/5
Perfect time of year for a gothic dark academia romance.
Really enjoyed the plot and myseries in this one.
Nocticadia by Keri Lake
102/125
📚My Friends
✒️Fredrik Backman
⭐5/5
I'm not crying, you're crying.
Fredrik's storytelling in this book was incredible. I never knew where it was going.
Beautifully written with wonderful characters. Definitely will end up in my top 10 read...
My Friends by Fredrik Backman
103/125
📚The Travelling Cat Chronicles
✒️Hiro Arikawa
⭐3/5
Read this to complete a challenge. Not bad but not really my thing either.
I think a lot might've been lost in translation - it felt quite stilted.
The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa
104/125
📚Feathers So Vicious
✒️Liv Zander
⭐4/5
🌶️5/5
I can't in good conscience give this book 5⭐ because some scenes were unnecessary fucked up, but not gonna lie, I ate it up.
I went in blind, but definitely check TWs if picking this up - won'...
Feathers so Vicious by LIV Zander
105/125
📚The Bewitching
✒️Silvia Moreno-Garcia
⭐3/5
Perfect time of year for a witchy story. Took a while to get into but I ended up enjoying all 3 POVs.
As far as horror books go, this wasn't very scary - more of a thriller/mystery with supernatu...
The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
106/125
📚Shadows So Cruel
✒️Liv Zander
⭐2/5
🌶️3/5
Not a fan of the last 20% of this book. There was no need for all that.
Having now finished the duology I've realised I still don't fully understand the magic system. Might just be me.
Shadows so Cruel by LIV Zander
107/125
📚In The Dream House
✒️Carmen Maria Machado
Usually love memoirs narrated by the author, but this narration made me want to dnf several times.
I didn't really like this book, regardless. The flowery prose was not for me and I didn't feel l...
In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado
108/125
📚A Forbidden Alchemy
✒️Stacey McEwan
⭐4/5
🌶️1/5
Had a reading slump - made the mistake of starting 3 different fantasy books at the same time. This one's been decidedly the best, but it still took me 2 weeks to finish.
Love the Colsons!
...
A Forbidden Alchemy by Stacey McEwan
109/125
📚Terror at the Gates
✒️Scarlett St Clair
⭐2/5
🌶️2/5
My god, this was boring. Didn't understand the plot nor the world building. I can't really tell you anything about the characters except that the MMC's personality (if I can call it that...
Terror at the Gates by Scarlett St Clair
110/125
📚Mate
✒️Ali Hazelwood
⭐3/5
🌶️3/5
For some reason this series doesn't do it for me like Ali's other books.
Loved it to start with but the pacing seemed off. I do seem to be more critical of books lately so could just be that.
Mate by Ali Hazelwood
111/125
📚Tourist Season
🌶️Brynne Weaver
⭐4/5
🌶️3/5
Had a good time with this one! Thought it was a standalone, so was getting worried about pacing and character development, but I'm glad the story's not over yet! Will be continuing with the seri...
Tourist Season by Brynne Weaver
112/125
📚Rain of Shadows and Endings
✒️Melissa K. Roehrich
⭐2/5
🌶️2/5
Reddit was raving about the Legacy series so I pushed through this first book, but I just don't get it. It was 700 pages of repetitive back and forth. The characters were awful...
Rain of Shadows and Endings by Melissa K. Roehrich
113/125
📚The Correspondent
✒️Virginia Evans
⭐5/5
Didn't think I'd be into a story told entirely by letters but here I am.
This was lovely. The characters were great. Even got a tear out of me.
I'd recommend the audiobook!
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
114/125
📚Arcanist
✒️Marie Mistry
⭐2/5
🌶️3/5
Considering how much I enjoyed the first book, I'm pretty disappointed. This one fell flat completely. It was all very underdeveloped and underwhelming.
Felt nothing for any of the characters except the...
Arcanist by Marie Mistry
115/125
📚The Names
✒️Florence Knapp
⭐4/5
A great novel exploring the "what ifs" in life - how something as simple as a different name could change the course of your life.
Amazing debut!
The Names by Florence Knapp
116/125
📚The Shattered King
✒️Charlie N. Holmberg
⭐5/5
🌶️1/5
Yess. This is what I'm talking about!
I've come to the realisation that slow-burn and yearning is what I long for in books, and this had exactly that.
Add an interesting magic system an...
The Shattered King by Charlie N. Holmberg
117/125
📚Clash of Claws
✒️Elizabeth Dear
⭐4/5
🌶️2/5
Doesn't matter that I've read this type of story 100 times before - give me a why-choose romance, with a badass heroine in an academy setting, and I'll eat it up every time.
Revolutionary? No. ...
Clash of Claws by Elizabeth Dear
118/125
📚Phantasma
✒️Kaylie Smith
⭐2/5
🌶️3/5
I personally don't get the hype. The writing was messy, the trials were boring, and parts of the story didn't even make sense.
I would've wanted higher stakes and tension.
Completely lost interest at ...
Phantasma by Kaylie Smith
119/125
📚Halfway to the Grave
✒️Jeanine Frost
⭐4/5
🌶️2/5
Saw this pop up on libby and decided to take a trip down memory lane. This series was my gateway drug to adult paranormal romance 15 years ago, so it holds a special place in my heart. The ...
Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
120/125
📚The Death-Made Prince
✒️Lisette Marshall
⭐3/5
🌶️2/5
I seem to be in the minority on this one but I just didn't really get it? Was confused a lot. The writing wasn't very clear imo.
The rune magic system was pretty cool though.
The Death-Made Prince by Lisette Marshall