This is the first Monthly Reading Summary that I’ve made so let me note what it is that I’m highlighting with these posts. I am listing the books that I’ve read this month and the books I’ve DNFed, giving a link to reviews where I can, saying my mood in regards to the books I’ve read, and giving a rating for the books which is based on my preferences and tastes so take this with a grain of salt. Not only may my rating system be different to yours through a difference in opinion and scoring, but my ratings across genres are different as I expect and want different things in each genre. Maybe some day I will have a post all about how I rate books but for now just view my ratings as an extra tidbit that isn’t important in the grand scheme of things.

As I show each book I’ve read, I will give a spoiler free summary and acknowledge things I liked about the book such as narrative style, narrative voices and character building, exploration of themes and discussions surrounding such themes, and so forth. Hopefully, this will act as an aid for you should you wish to read some of these books. So, let’s get into it.

Overall mood this month – it started out unsatisfied; this isn’t to say the books were bad, but there seemed to be something missing from them for me. I would finish books and be unfulfilled, leading me to either think it wasn’t a great read or forgetting the plot as the days went by. This is part is connected to the weather and my inability to focus on a book in the humidity and heat (it is the peak of summer in New Zealand right now with high humidity and average temperatures in the mid-to-high 20s). Once a cool front arrived though, it seemed my engagement in reading and my enjoyment of the books increased, leaving me feeling hopeful for February’s reads.

Books Read:

The Girl From London by Olivia Spooner 4/5

An easy-to-read novel with elements of historical fiction and romance, accompanied by a tremendous tale of bravery, peril and strife. Great for readers wanting something light yet informative as it isn’t heavy on war detail yet still centres around WWII. Duel perspective split by decades but similar feelings and predicaments unite the protagonists, making the story flow well.

The Whispering Dark by Kelly Andrew 4/5

An immersive YA Dark Fantasy laced with Dark Academia and Gothic elements. Perfect for fans of A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid and Belladonna by Adalyn Grace. The friendships and communication within this novel really made it feel authentic to the university scene for me. Well paced with tension steadily building throughout the book, spiking at the right moments and creating great chemistry and emotional ties between characters.

Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare (DNF at roughly 75 pages)

An interesting idea with great promise. There was nothing wrong with the amount I read, I simply didn’t connect with it as I want to with my Fantasy reads. I have added this to my DNF list where I can try it again later in the year when I have less books waiting to be read. Perhaps the weather just didn’t agree with me while I read this.

The Only One Left by Riley Sager 4/5

A standard thriller with intrigue and layers to unravel. An isolated house falling apart, general unease surrounding characters and tensions within many relationships. Majority of the book felt very well paced and the plot developed as expected but the last 10% felt rushed and strange to me. I’m sure there are readers that love how the book turned out but I felt that it was an underwhelming read as a whole.

Everyone and Everything by Nadine J. Cohen 4.5/5

I love this story. From the circumstances we enter into to the development of the journey, everything feels authentic and true to a perspective haunted by trauma and mental illness, as is true to this protagonist. A truly beautiful read with my favourite form of narrative and a deeply emotive set of relationships and characters. Highly recommend to all.

Weyward by Emelia Hart (DNF at roughly 85 pages)

Again, I simply didn’t connect with this book. It’s a shame as this has an interesting set of narrative voices and characters connected through centuries, all wrapped up in a little witchy cottage exuding dark naturalism vibes. Another book to add to my DNF list (an autumn read for sure).

Currently Reading:

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

Currently 20 pages in and loving the dark academia and gothic vibes. This is reminiscent of the All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness in its mature supernatural fantasy elements and I am very keen to continue. It’s also akin to A Discovery of Witches as the prose is quite dense and slightly heavy with its wording. Fingers crossed I can finish it by the end of the month.