Biannual Book Review

Hey guys! It has been a hot minute. I don't know about y'all but 2020 has been pretty difficult for me. One thing that has helped me is to read! It's so nice to take a break from this world or gain a different perspective. I have read quite a bit so I am going to lump these into three categories: Comfort, Interesting, and Not My Fav. (Since there are a lot, I won't comment on each book.)

Let's get started!

Comfort

• Murder on Orient Express by Agatha Christie
• My first Agatha Christie book. Woohoo!
• A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
• Skyward by Brandon Sanderson
• The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
• Holy Crap! Sanderson can build these ultra-realistic fantasy worlds and wrap you in. This series is THICK so be prepared (like 1,000 + pages). But I really recommend them. 
• Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
• Yep, I reread Harry Potter. This was actually my first reread of the series! Of course I loved it. I particularly enjoyed books 4-7 this time.  
• Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson
• Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling 
• Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
• Order of Phoenix J.K. Rowling
• Half Blood Prince J.K. Rowling
• Trouble is a Friend of Mine by Stephanie Tromly
• Honestly, this isn't the most fancy literature, but I really enjoyed it. 
• Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
• Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson
• I LOVE this series so much!!! This was my 3rd time reading Truly Devious, 2nd time reading the Vanishing Stair, and 1st time on The Hand on the Wall. I own the physical copies of this series. That's how much I love them
• The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson
• The Hand on the Wall by Maureen Johnson
• The Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
• I sped through the Charlotte Holmes series so quickly! I loved the character development. It isn't often that we see a toxic, codependent YA romance evolve into a healthy, one. This was a great Sherlock spin off .
• The Girl Who Reads on the Metro by Christine Feret-Fleury
• I have NO idea how I found this little book, but it was amazing. Juliette inspired me to take the reins on my life and be brave. To heck with all the maybes!
• The Last of August by Brittany Cavallaro
• The Case for Jamie by Brittany Cavarallo
• A Question of Holmes by Brittany Cavallaro
• Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
• Oh man, the Percy Jackson series. One of the hallmarks of my childhood. I needed an easy, reliable series, and this went above and beyond. I had forgotten how hilarious and relatable Percy is. Such a great series.
• Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
• Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
• Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
• The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
• The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ
• I love this scripture so much. I think this was my 5 or 6 reread. It brings me so much peace. I know the Book of Mormon is true. I am proud to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
• Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus
• Wild Card by Marie Lu
• This book is cheesy and heavily inspired by Ready Player One. AND I still loved it. I wasn't a huge fan of Emika, but I'm a sucker for all things Japan.
• City of Ghosts by V.E. Schwab
• I figured out a couple chapters in that this was a middle school book, but it was an enjoyable read. I want to visit Edinburgh now.

Interesting

• Fences by August Wilson
• I read this play for English, and it was so good. I think it's important to read pieces from other people's perspectives to help you understand their struggles. Through this play, I understand the African American community more.
• Scythe by Neal Shusterman
• WHOA! This book was a trip. I felt very similar while reading Fahrenheit 451. It was interesting to be in this book's world for a while.
• Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
• Man, this book was wild. Bradbury was pretty spot on for how we would become dependent on electronics. Really made me evaluate how much time I spend on my phone. This was the first Classic I read on my own!
• How to Read Literature like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster
• Okay, call me a nerd, but I enjoyed reading this book for English. It shifted my view of reading Classic books COMPLETELY. I understand a lot more now, and Foster does an excellent job of entertaining while teaching.
• Lord of the Flies by William Golding
• This was another book I had to read for English. It brought a lot of questions and considerations to my mind on human nature.
• Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
• Another trippy book. I read this right before we started quarantine. It FREAKED me out. It was crazy to be reading about a global pandemic while it was happening in real life. The writing is beautiful, and I really recommend it. Though you may want to wait till after quarantine ends lol.
• Being Mortal by Atul Gawande
• Even though this was a book about aging and dying, I liked reading it and I am grateful to be more knowledgeable about it.
• How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell
• And yet, another book that changed my perspective. This was a collection of stories and advice on how to be more mindful of your time, energy, and environment. It wasn't a traditional self-help book, but I loved it. I think I will purchase it.

Not My Fav

• Othello by Shakespeare
• I'm glad I read this, but I probably won't read it again. Othello annoyed me. If he would have just TALKED to Desdemona, things would have been different.
• The Naturals by Jennier Lynn Barnes
• The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert
• I wasn't able to get too far into this books because of the language. Just didn't connect to the plot or characters either.
• The League of Delphi by Chris Everheart
• War Cross by Marie Lu 

Alright! I will update y'all in December with the second half of this year's reading. Don't worry. You'll hear more from me before then.

Stay Tuned!

Addi <3