Tag: reading wrap up

Best and Worst Series of 2022

M.T.Wilson @ The Last Book on the LeftLeave a comment

This tag was originally created by Mara from Bookslikewhoa and seemed like a fun way to look back at the series I’ve read this year!

What is the best series that you caught up with this year that is still a work in progress?

I didn’t actually manage to catch up with any series this year – I’m always behind!

What is the best work in progress series that you are still catching up with? OR What is the best completed series that you are still catching up with?

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon. I loved the first book and the prequel novella and will definitely be catching up on the rest next year.

What was your favourite first book in a series this year?

The Councillor by E. J. Beaton. I absolutely loved this book. There’s no word yet on when the sequel will come out though.

What is a first book in a series you read this year that you think should have just been a standalone, not a series?

I don’t think I’ve read any books this year that fit this.

What is your most over-hyped series of the year?

Not got any of these this year either.

What is a series that you DNFed this year?

The Bone Witch series by Rin Chupeco. I read the first book last year and was considering continuing this year but I didn’t get round to it and I think I will probably not be continuing this series.

What was your favourite series finale of the year? OR What was your least favourite series finale of the year?

My favourite series finale of the year was Thronebreakers by Rebecca Coffindaffer.

What was the biggest cliffhanger you had in a series this year?

King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo ended with some pretty dramatic twists!

What is your favourite spinoff series you read this year?

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim, which is set in the same world as the Spin the Dawn duology.

What is your most anticipated next book in a series that you read this year that will come out next year?

I’ve not read any that are out next year.

What is your most anticipated series to catch up with next year based on what you read in that series this year? OR What is the series you’re most excited to stay caught up with next year based on what you read in the series this year?

I really want to finish the Bladesmith duology by Tricia Levenseller.

What is your favourite series that you finished this year?

The Aurora Cycle. I didn’t enjoy the last book as much as the previous two but overall, it was a great series.

What is your favourite episodic series of the year?

I’ve not read any.

What is a series that you finally bailed on after holding onto it for a long time?

I hold onto series for eons and I don’t think there’s any I’ve given up on this year. They sit on my TBR for eternity.

What is the series you were most surprised that you liked this year?

The Atlas Six. I wasn’t sure it would be for me but loved it.

What is the series that you meant to catch up with or finish this year that you didn’t?

So. Many. Series. Shades of Magic, to name one.

What is a series you finished this year that you think is greater than the sum of its parts? OR What is the series you caught up with this year that you think is greater than the sum of its parts?

This is an interesting question but I don’t think I have any that fit.  

What series have you enjoyed this year? Chat with me in the comments!

End of Year Book Tag 2022

M.T.Wilson @ The Last Book on the LeftLeave a comment

I can’t believe 2022 is nearly over. December seems to have flown by! Today I’m doing the End of Year Book Tag. The tag was created by booktuber Ariel Bissett.

Are there any books you started this year that you need to finish?

I’m currently reading Make You Mine This Christmas and definitely want to finish it by the end of the year. I’m halfway through The Wolf of Oren-Yaro but I think that may end up being a DNF as I just don’t think the book was for me. I also still need to finish Harrow the Ninth but I think I may pick that up again in the new year.

Do you have an autumnal book to transition into the end of the year?

No but I am reading a Christmas book which feels very seasonal.

Is there a new release you’re still waiting for?

I don’t think there are anymore releases on my radar to come out this year.

What are three books you want to read before the end of the year?

I’m not that fast a reader so I won’t manage three. I want to finish Make You Mine This Christmas and I’m hoping to fit in The Last Tale of the Flower Bride which I have an audio ARC for.

Is there a book you think could still shock you and become your favourite book of the year?

I’m really intrigued by The Last Tale of the Flower Bride. It’s the kind of book that I’ll love or I won’t, so I hope it becomes a surprise favourite.

Have you already started making reading plans for 2023?

Yes, but I’m a mood reader so I rarely manage to stick to those plans! I’m terrible at finishing series so the series I have in progress are high up on my list for next year.

Have you done the End of Year Book Tag? Feel free to share your post in the comments.

July 2022 Wrap Up

M.T.Wilson @ The Last Book on the Left2 Comments

What happened to July? And half of August? The time has disappeared and I’m only just posting my July wrap up! Things have been busy the last few weeks. We got an adorable new tortie kitten called Ember who is very sweet with a healthy dose of trouble. The weather here in the UK has been incredibly hot and I do not cope well with hot weather so the last few weeks have been a bit of a struggle. I am very much looking forward to autumn!   

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – It took me a while to get into this one but I ended up really loving it! I enjoyed Elizabeth Lim’s first duology so I had high hopes for Six Crimson Cranes. Despite struggling a bit with the first half, things picked up in the second half and there were some fantastic twists and action!

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi (audiobook) ⭐⭐⭐ – When I started reading this book I really thought it was going to be a new favourite. I loved the imaginative worldbuilding and enjoyed the interactions between the main cast. However, I had mixed feelings about the plot and the tonal shift at the end was a bit jarring and just didn’t work for me sadly.

Since I finished all of the Agatha Christie books on my shelves, I picked up a new one recently – The Mystery of the Blue Train. My Goldsboro edition of Fevered Star also finally arrived. They shipped it to my old address (even though my new address was on the order!) but they were very quick to respond to my email and send out another copy to the correct address.

I have slowly been getting back into writing again but have been finding it quite difficult with the brain fog that comes with long covid. I’m now on the second chapter of my WIP and hopefully I will continue making progress with it!

What books have you enjoyed this month? Chat with me in the comments!

June 2022 Wrap Up

M.T.Wilson @ The Last Book on the Left7 Comments

Hello everyone! June has been a busy month for me so I haven’t had loads of time for reading but I did finish two audiobooks, and I’ve nearly finished reading Six Crimson Cranes. We went for a day trip to Cambridge for my birthday and went punting on the river which was fun.

The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah (audiobook) ⭐⭐⭐ – This book was a magical adventure and I wish I had loved it more. For some reason, I just didn’t click with it. But it is a great book and I’m sure lots of other people will love it.

Breathe and Count Back From Ten by Natalia Sylvester (audiobook) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – This is my first 5 star read of the year! I have been working on my review for this book and trying to find the right words to describe how it made me feel. This book is stunningly written and I felt such a strong connection to it. Breathe and Count Back From Ten is about a disabled protagonist, written by a disabled author, and Natalia Sylvester really captured the experiences, feelings, and emotions of being disabled so well, it was deeply relatable for me. Full review coming soon!

I’ve been trying not to buy too many new books, but it was my birthday this month so I did get a couple of new ones – Gideon the Ninth and Harrow the Ninth. Gideon is one of my favourite books so I’m so happy to have this book on my shelves now, and I’m excited to read Harrow.

What books have you enjoyed this month? Chat with me in the comments!

March 2022 Wrap Up

M.T.Wilson @ The Last Book on the LeftLeave a comment

I can’t believe it’s already April! March was a bit of a blur. I have still been busy with sorting things out in the new house so reading and blogging has taken a bit of a back seat. It’s starting to come together and feel more homely as we unpack and get our furnishings sorted.

You Truly Assumed by Laila Sabreen (audiobook) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – This contemporary YA novel follows three Black Muslim girls who create a blog after a terrorist attack causes a rise in Islamophobia. This was a great read and I really enjoyed following the stories of all three of the main characters, seeing how each of them was affected by what happened and how they came together to create a space to express themselves and create a community. You Truly Assumed is a powerful novel and an excellent debut. The three narrators were great as well so I’d definitely recommend the audiobook.  

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon (audiobook) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Having loved The Priory of the Orange Tree, I was excited to read this one. The Bone Season is very different from Priory and, at first, I wasn’t sure if this book was for me. However, I became more and more invested, and ended up loving it. When I started this book, I didn’t think it was likely I would carry on with the rest of the series. Now I’ve finished it though, I will definitely be continuing. I’ll be posting a full review soon!

My Illumicrate exclusive edition of Gallant by V. E. Schwab arrived! No spoilers yet while people are still getting their boxes, but I will be sharing pics on my blog soon.

What books have you enjoyed this month? Chat with me in the comments!

Books I Enjoyed Most in 2021

M.T.Wilson @ The Last Book on the Left2 Comments

Today I wanted to share some of the books I had the most fun reading this year! Some of these may overlap with my Best Books post, and some won’t, because some of the best books aren’t necessarily the ones I enjoyed the most. Some of the best books are the best because they are so well crafted, they have an important message or are particularly memorable. All the books in this post are the ones I had the most fun reading in 2021!

Lore by Alexandra Bracken – As someone who loves Greek mythology, I found this book a really fun read, especially as the plot very much has Hunger Games vibes. It’s a fast-paced standalone and I had a blast reading it.

Crownchasers by Rebecca Coffindaffer – I don’t think it’s much of a surprise that another of my choices for this list also revolves around a competition. Contest plotlines just provide that fast, thrilling and suspenseful feeling I love from a story. The protagonist’s voice is fantastic as well, with plenty of snarky humour.

The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones – This perhaps seems an odd choice but I genuinely really enjoyed reading this one. Although there were some darker elements, the dead goat was brilliant and made me smile so much while I was reading.

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Books I Want to Read in 2021 – did I read them?

M.T.Wilson @ The Last Book on the LeftLeave a comment

At the beginning of the year, I made a post about some of the books I wanted to read this year. The question is – did I read them?

There were many series I wanted to finish, and while I didn’t finish all of them, there are quite a few I ticked off my list – The Dark Artifices by Cassandra Clare, Cursebreakers by Brigid Kemmerer, Gone by Michael Grant, Bone Grace by Kathryn Purdie, The Young Elites by Marie Lu, and The Blood of Stars by Elizabeth Lim. There are some series I am part way through reading and wanted to continue, and made progress with Throne of Glass, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and Serpent & Dove, but didn’t get round to the next Camelot Rising book.

I also set a goal to pick up more debuts rather than reading the same authors all the time. I definitely discovered some great new authors and books, including A Dark and Hollow Star by Ashley Shuttleworth, Malice by Heather Walter, Queen of Coin and Whispers by Helen Corcoran, and The Unbroken by C. L. Clark.

Other books I planned to read and did – A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab, The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon, Crownchasers by Rebecca Coffindaffer, The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd Jones, And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie.

Books I didn’t get to – Furyborn by Claire Legrand, Legend by Marie Lu, The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness, Legendborn by Tracy Deonn, The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna, Blazewrath Games by Amparo Ortiz, Persuasion by Jane Austen.

It was interesting to look back at what I had planned to read this year and see how many I ended up reading. I discovered other books during the year that I hadn’t planned to read. I’m definitely a mood reader so don’t always stick to TBRs, but I am pleased that I managed to read quite a few of the books that were on my list at the beginning of the year.

Were there any books you planned to read this year but didn’t get to? Chat with me in the comments!

June 2021 Wrap Up

M.T.Wilson @ The Last Book on the Left2 Comments

I am very late with my June wrap up! Things have been very busy for me lately and I’ve been finding things very stressful. Work has been absolutely manic and we’ve also been house hunting and really struggling to find somewhere. We think we’ve found somewhere so crossing fingers we get it because that would be a massive relief. Although I’ve still then got to think about packing everything up! Hopefully I will be able to get back into blogging a bit more regularly again soon but I’ve just been really struggling to cope with everything recently.

Unravel the Dusk by Elizabeth Lim ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – I loved Spin the Dawn and Unravel the Dusk was an excellent sequel. This book seemed a bit darker and I loved that. Elizabeth Lim’s writing pulled me in once again.

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – I felt a bit of a reading slump coming on with everything in life being so hectic, so decided to reread an old favourite. It’s been years since I read this series!

Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston – DNF at 74% – This book just wasn’t for me. It’s written in third person present tense and I found it really difficult to read, I just couldn’t get into the style. I also found it very slow paced and didn’t feel compelled to keep turning the pages. I probably should have DNF’d it right at the start but I so rarely DNF and it had such good reviews, I was hoping I would get into it more, but sadly I didn’t.

So June was my birthday month! And I ended up hauling quite a few books… The Mabinogion, Blade of Secrets, Days of Blood and Starlight, Dreams of Gods and Monsters, Truthwitch, The Ones We’re Meant to Find, A Feast For Crows and Queen of Coins and Whispers.

My King Arthur WIP is currently with beta readers, and I’ve had some feedback come through, so I’m starting making some plans for my next draft. But largely I’ve been having a break from that project and brainstorming a new idea I’m really excited about which is a Regency era inspired Gothic fantasy!

What books have you enjoyed this month? Chat with me in the comments!

May 2021 Wrap Up

M.T.Wilson @ The Last Book on the Left4 Comments

I’m on a bit of a semi-hiatus from blogging at the moment because life has been a bit hectic! Work is very busy and we’re currently in the process of selling our house and trying to find a new home, so a lot of my time is being taken up with house hunting!

The Unbroken by C. L. Clark ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – I found the pacing of this book a little bit slow but I loved the complex world building and characters!

A Vow So Bold and Deadly by Brigid Kemmerer ⭐⭐⭐.5 – I can’t believe this series is over! I enjoyed the final instalment, but the first book in the series is still my favourite.

Bone Crier’s Dawn by Kathryn Purdie ⭐⭐⭐.5 – There is a lot about this duology that I loved, like the magic system, but I just didn’t feel the romance and some of the scenes were a bit repetitive. The ending was pretty epic though! 

The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – I loved this book so much! The magic, world building and characters are all fantastic. There’s also chronic pain rep which I was so happy to see. Also, I never imagined a dead goat could become a favourite character, but there you go. More people need to read this book! 

I only bought one book this month – Kingfisher by Patricia A. McKillip. She’s one of my favourite authors and I didn’t know she’d written an Arthurian inspired book, so I just had to get my hands on it when I found out!

I finished the second draft of my WIP at the start of May! It came in at a whopping 100,000 words so it got a lot longer with that redraft. I’m currently reading through it at the moment, but it’s taking a while because I’ve been so busy.

What books have you enjoyed this month? Chat with me in the comments!

April 2021 Wrap Up

M.T.Wilson @ The Last Book on the LeftLeave a comment

I’ve not been blogging as much this month because life decided to get in the way of everything. I’ve been busy at work and we’re going to be trying to sell our house soon so we’ve been doing lots of cleaning and tidying, and it’s all just left me feeling a bit exhausted. So things might still be a bit quiet around here for a little while but I’ll still be posting and reading all your awesome posts when I can.

Links take you to my reviews!

Malice by Heather Walter ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – I was really excited to get an eARC for this book. It’s a Sleeping Beauty retelling from the perspective of the villain and I absolutely loved the world building and Alyce’s character journey.

Crownchasers by Rebecca Coffindaffer ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – I’ve read so much fantasy this year, that I really enjoyed reading a scifi book for a change. This YA space opera is so much fun, and I can’t wait for the sequel to come out!

Light by Michael Grant ⭐⭐⭐.5 – The final book in the Gone series. I have finally managed to make it to the end. It’s taken me eight years to read all six books. I have quite mixed feelings about this series, but I am glad I’ve finished it.

Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – I don’t generally enjoy short stories that much, but I like how these ones were connected and had a thread running through them, following Simon’s journey as he progressed through his training.

For once, I actually managed to keep up a book buying ban? I didn’t buy any new books this month. I did place a couple of pre-orders for special editions which won’t arrive until August/September, but other than that, I didn’t buy any books.

I successfully hit my 20,000 word goal for Camp NaNoWriMo, which I am really chuffed with! I am so nearly finished my second draft, so that’s quite exciting. I think I will definitely finish it in May. And then I just have to read through it again, since I edited a lot of the chapters out of order, I will need to read it through and make sure I’m happy with the order of everything and check for consistency errors.

What books have you enjoyed this month? Chat with me in the comments!