Tag: reading

January 2021 Wrap Up

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

So my big news this month is that I’ve had the first dose of the covid vaccine! I’m in the clinically extremely vulnerable category because the medication I take suppresses the immune system, so I’m in one of the first groups to get the vaccine. I’ve spent most of the last 10 months stuck at home so this first step to getting back to some kind of normality feels like such a relief! The vaccine won’t be as effective for me as other people as I’m immunosuppressed so I will still need to carry on shielding for a while even when I’ve had both doses, but it’s reassuring to have some protection at least.

Links take you to my reviews!

A Dark and Hollow Star by Ashley Shuttleworth ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – It took me a while to get into this one but by the end I loved it! The world is so detailed and the characters are brilliant.

The Frozen Crown by Greta Kelly ⭐⭐⭐ – This political fantasy had plenty of intrigue, and while it seemed like it might be a bit predictable, there were some big twists at the end! Even so, I didn’t love it as much as I’d hoped.

Blood & Honey by Shelby Mahurin ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Having loved Serpent & Dove, I was a bit nervous about reading this one, especially considering the mixed response, but I actually really enjoyed it.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – This book was recommended to me by a friend and I’m so glad I read it! I found it quite easy to read for a classic, and I was totally absorbed in the story of the four sisters.

My first new book of the year was An Illustrated History of Notable Shadowhunters and Denizens of Downworld by Cassandra Clare with beautiful illustrations by Cassandra Jean. Somehow this managed to pass me by when it came out a few years ago? I didn’t know it existed until a few weeks ago! I’m really not sure how that happened. I preorderd Gut Feelings by C. G. More which is a novel in verse about chronic illness, which I am really looking forward to reading, but I have a feeling may be a bit of an emotional read for me. My preorder of A Vow So Bold and Deadly by Brigid Kemmerer also arrived and I’m excited to see how the series ends!

I spent December and the beginning of January doing some planning and worldbuilding for my Arthurian legend retelling. I needed to redraw my map and add in some places. But now I’ve started work on the second draft and I’ve edited 10 chapters so far (out of 52…).

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

WWW Wednesday: 27 January 2021

M.T.Wilson @ The Last Book on the Left5 Comments

I am so glad it is Wednesday, we’re halfway through the week! I’ve been feeling really tired so I’m looking forward to the weekend.

This weekly meme is hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words.

The three W’s are:

What did you recently finish reading?

What are you currently reading?

What are you going to read next?

RECENTLY FINISHED – Blood & Honey by Shelby Mahurin

A lot of people seemed to not enjoy this one but I actually really liked this sequel! I loved how it delved further into the consequences of using magic and expanded the worldbuilding with the addition of the blood witches and werewolves. You can read my full review here.

CURRENTLY READING – Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

I’ve read a lot of fantasy lately so I fancied a change. One of my dearest friends sent me a copy of Little Women recently and I felt in the mood for a classic so decided to give it a go. I’m a bit more than halfway through and loving it. Louisa May Alcott brings the four characters to life so wonderfully on the page.  

NEXT READ – ?

I haven’t decided what to read next! I’m generally a mood reader so I will see what takes my fancy when I have finished Little Women, as I expect it will take me a few more days to finish it.

What are you reading at the moment? What are you looking forward to reading next? Chat with me in the comments!

Top 10 Tuesday: New-To-Me Authors I Read in 2020

M.T.Wilson @ The Last Book on the Left28 Comments

Today’s Top 10 Tuesday is all about new authors I discovered in 2020! While I read quite a few books by favourite authors last year, I also found some new authors that I want to read more from!

Top 10 Tuesday was originally created by The Broke and the Bookish, but has now moved to That Artsy Reader Girl. If you’re interested in taking part click here.

Elizabeth Acevedo – I got into novels in verse a few years ago and The Poet X was really good so I want to read more of Elizabeth Acevedo’s books.

Tricia Levenseller – The Shadows Between Us was an unexpected favourite from me last year. I haven’t read any of the authors other books but will definitely be looking out for them now.

Kiersten White – I absolutely love Arthurian legend so I was really excited when Kiersten White’s retelling came out. The Guinevere Deception was my first time reading her work but she’s had a lot of other books published that I haven’t checked out yet.

Elizabeth Lim – The gorgeous cover of Spin the Dawn is what drew me to Elizabeth Lim’s first book and I absolutely loved her writing style so can’t wait to read more.

Shelby Mahurin – After all the hype around Serpent & Dove, I caved and read it and I’m so glad that I did!

Brigid Kemmerer – A Curse So Dark and Lonely is another book that I read because of all the hype and ended up loving. Brigid Kemmerer has previously written contemporary books but I haven’t read any of them.

Lori M. Lee – I wasn’t sure if I would like Forest of Souls but I ended up loving it and am so excited for the sequel!

V. E. Schwab – One of the biggest fantasy authors around at the moment, and I hadn’t read any of her books until last year. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue was such a phenomenal book, I’ll definitely be checking out more of her work.

Zoraida Córdova – I was lucky enough to get an eARC of Incendiary which was my first time reading one of Zoraida Córdova’s books.

Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff – I really can’t believe I hadn’t heard of Illuminae before last year. It instantly became one of my favourite books and I’ve loved every book I’ve read by this duo so far.

What new authors did you read in 2020? Are there any you’re excited to read for the first time in 2021? Chat with me in the comments!

Top 10 Tuesday: Books I Meant to Read In 2020 but Didn’t Get To

M.T.Wilson @ The Last Book on the Left18 Comments

This week’s Top 10 Tuesday is all about books I had planned to read last year but didn’t end up getting round to.

Top 10 Tuesday was originally created by The Broke and the Bookish, but has now moved to That Artsy Reader Girl. If you’re interested in taking part click here.

Unravel the Dusk by Elizabeth Lim – I read Spin the Dawn last year and planned to read the sequel in 2020 as well. I will definitely be reading it this year though.

The Midnight Star by Marie Lu – I loved the first two books in this series, but for some reason haven’t read the last book yet, which I really need to rectify soon!

Blood & Honey by Shelby Mahurin – I have to say, I was kind of putting this one off since I’ve seen a lot of mixed reviews. I loved Serpent & Dove and I really didn’t want to be disappointed with the sequel! But I am now reading this one at the moment and hope to finish it soon.

Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead – I started reading the Vampire Academy books a while ago and liked the first two books so I would like to continue with this series at some point.

The Deck of Omens by Christine Lynn Herman – I really need to read this book before I completely forget what happened in The Devouring Gray!

Star Daughter by Shveta Thakrar – This book came in a Fairyloot box and I’d planned to read this as part of their readalong, but Illumicrate had a readalong at the same time and I couldn’t read both books.

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna – I got this as an early finished copy in Fairyloot’s June box last year and was really excited to read it, but didn’t want to read it too early and have to wait ages for the sequel. So I planned to read it at the end of 2020 but just didn’t end up getting to it. I’ll be reading this one soon for sure!

A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab – I’ve been meaning to get into V. E. Schwab’s books for ages since there is so much love for them.

Furyborn by Claire Legrand – I bought this at YALC back in 2019 and can’t believe I still haven’t read it yet.

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard – This has been sitting on my Kindle for so long! I plan to read this every year but just never end up picking it up.

What books did you mean to read last year but didn’t get to? Are you planning on reading them this year instead? Chat with me in the comments!

WWW Wednesday: 13 January 2021

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

It’s that time of the week for WWW Wednesday! This weekly meme is hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words.

The three W’s are:

What did you recently finish reading?

What are you currently reading?

What are you going to read next?

RECENTLY FINISHED

A Dark and Hollow Star by Ashley Shuttleworth – I found the first half quite slow, but got much more into it in the second half and ended up enjoying it a lot more than I thought I would at the start. I loved the worldbuilding and characters. You can find my review here.

The Frozen Crown by Greta Kelly – I only just finished reading this book last night and it ended on a massive twist! While I liked it, I didn’t love it, but I haven’t decided yet what star rating I’m going to give it. I’ll be posting a review soon.

NEXT READ – Blood & Honey by Shelby Mahurin

I’ve seen so many mixed reviews for this book, and since I loved Serpent & Dove, I’ve been a bit nervous about reading this one because I really don’t want to be disappointed! I’m hoping it will be good!

What are you reading at the moment? What are you looking forward to reading next? Chat with me in the comments!

Top 10 Tuesday: Most Anticipated Releases for the First Half of 2021

M.T.Wilson @ The Last Book on the Left30 Comments

Yet again there are so many new releases I’m excited for! Here are 10 of the ones I’m most looking forward to coming out in January-June 2021.

Top 10 Tuesday was originally created by The Broke and the Bookish, but has now moved to That Artsy Reader Girl. If you’re interested in taking part click here.

Lore by Alexandra Bracken

From the No.1 New York Times bestselling author of The Darkest Minds comes a high-octane story of power, destiny and redemption. A lifetime ago, Lore Perseous left behind the brutal, opulent world of the Agon families – ancient Greek bloodlines that participate in a merciless game every seven years. A game that is about to begin again…

For centuries, Zeus has punished the gods with a game called the Agon, which turns them mortal for one week, and at the mercy of being hunted by those with godly ambitions. Only a handful of the original Greek gods remain, the rest replaced by the mortals who killed them and ascended.

After her family’s sadistic murder by a rival bloodline, Lore escapes and vows to repay her parents’ sacrifice by doing one thing – surviving. For seven years, she has pushed back dark thoughts of revenge against the man responsible for their murder, a man by the name of Wrath who has attained unimaginable power. Except for one week, every seven years. A week that is fast approaching …

When Lore comes home on the first night of the Agon to find Athena gravely wounded on her doorstep, the goddess offers her an alliance; they have a mutual enemy, after all. But as the world trembles under the force of Wrath – a god with the power to destroy all of humanity – will Lore’s decision to bind her fate with Athena’s come back to haunt her?

I have loved anything to do with Ancient Greek mythology since I was a kid so this book sounds right up my street.

A Vow So Bold and Deadly by Brigid Kemmerer

Emberfall is crumbling fast, torn between those who believe Rhen is the rightful prince and those who are eager to begin a new era under Grey, the true heir. Grey has agreed to wait two months before attacking Emberfall, and in that time, Rhen has turned away from everyone—even Harper, as she desperately tries to help him find a path to peace.

Meanwhile, Lia Mara struggles to rule Syhl Shallow with a gentler hand than her mother. But after enjoying decades of peace once magic was driven out of their lands, some of her subjects are angry Lia Mara has an enchanted prince and magical scraver by her side. As Grey’s deadline draws nearer, Lia Mara questions if she can be the queen her country needs.

As two kingdoms come closer to conflict, loyalties are tested, love is threatened, and an old enemy resurfaces who could destroy them all, in this stunning conclusion to bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer’s Cursebreaker series.

Even though I didn’t love A Heart So Fierce and Broken as much as A Curse So Dark and Lonely, this is still one of my most anticipated releases this year. I have no idea how the story is going to end but I have a feeling it will break my heart.

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

The start of a bold and immersive West African-inspired, feminist fantasy series for fans of Children of Blood and Bone and Black Panther. In this world, girls are outcasts by blood and warriors by choice.

Sixteen-year-old Deka lives in fear and anticipation of the blood ceremony that will determine whether she will become a member of her village. Already different from everyone else because of her unnatural intuition, Deka prays for red blood so she can finally feel like she belongs.

But on the day of the ceremony, her blood runs gold, the color of impurity–and Deka knows she will face a consequence worse than death.

Then a mysterious woman comes to her with a choice: stay in the village and submit to her fate, or leave to fight for the emperor in an army of girls just like her. They are called alaki–near-immortals with rare gifts. And they are the only ones who can stop the empire’s greatest threat.

Knowing the dangers that lie ahead yet yearning for acceptance, Deka decides to leave the only life she’s ever known. But as she journeys to the capital to train for the biggest battle of her life, she will discover that the great walled city holds many surprises. Nothing and no one are quite what they seem to be–not even Deka herself.

If I remember correctly this book was originally due to come out in 2020 but was one of many releases pushed back by the pandemic. I got an early finished copy in a Fairyloot box which I was very excited about since the premise sounds so good, but haven’t got round to reading it yet!

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Reading Goals & Books I Want to Read in 2021

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

It’s a new year so that means it’s time to set some goals! First, I’m going to set myself some reading and blogging goals for 2021 and then talk about some specific books I want to read this year.

Read 40 books

For my Goodreads Reading Challenge I’ve set my goal at 40 books this year. Last year I read 50 books which is a lot more than I’ve read in previous years, and I’m not sure if that’s a level of reading I’ll be able to sustain this year. So, I decided to set my reading goal a bit lower than that this year to something that I think will be a challenge but is also achievable. I don’t want to set a really high goal and be stressed trying to hit it.

Finish some series

I am really bad at finishing series. I read a lot of fantasy and sci-fi, a lot of which are series rather than standalones, but in the past, I’ve been really bad at picking up sequels, even if I really loved the first book. It’s something I need to try and get out the habit of! Some series I plan on finishing this year which I only have one book left: The Dark Artifices by Cassandra Clare, Cursebreakers by Brigid Kemmerer, Gone by Michael Grant, Bone Grace by Kathryn Purdie, Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor, The Young Elites by Marie Lu, The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn Herman, The Illuminae Files by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, and The Blood of Stars by Elizabeth Lim.

Discover some new debuts

I started doing this more last year and want to continue. For a long time, I would tend to just read books by all the same authors, which meant there wasn’t really much variety in my reading. In the last couple of years, I’ve been more actively seeking out new authors to discover, and especially debut authors. I plan on seeking out more diversity in my reading as well, and picking up more books by Black, LGBTQ+ and disabled authors.

Blogging goals

Last year I started to get more organised with my blogging and plan out what posts I wanted to write each month. So I want to continue doing that. But I also want to try and get even more organised and get a bit ahead with my posts and schedule them in advance, so if I’m busy or unwell, I know I already have some posts scheduled, and I’m hoping that will make blogging less stressful. I absolutely love blogging, but when I leave things to the last minute I hate feeling pressured to get something posted in time, especially for weekly memes.

Books I want to read in 2021

So in addition to the series I listed above that I want to finish, there are also some series I’m part way through that I want to continue reading – Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, Camelot Rising by Kiersten White, Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor, and Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin.

There are some new series I want to start too that I’ve been meaning to read for a while – Shades of Magic by V. E. Schwab, Empirium by Claire Legrand, Legend by Marie Lu, and Chaos Walking by Patrick Ness.

There are a few books I picked up last year that I haven’t got round to yet, so I’d like to read them this year – The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon, Legendborn by Tracy Deonn, Crownchasers by Rebecca Coffindaffer, The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna, The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd Jones, Star Daughter by Shveta Thakrar, and Blazewrath Games by Amparo Ortiz.  

I’d also like to read a couple of classics. I really enjoyed Emma last year so I’d like to read another Jane Austen. And I also want to read some more Agatha Christie.

Plus, there are some really exciting 2021 releases coming up so I’d like to read a few books published this year as well.

I’m a mood reader so I don’t really set myself a monthly TBR and if I do make reading plans, they often go out the window, but I’d like to get to as many of these books as I can this year.

Have you set yourself any reading goals? What books are you most excited to read this year? Chat with me in the comments!

Let’s Talk Bookish: Reading Resolutions

M.T.Wilson @ The Last Book on the Left3 Comments

2021 has arrived! And my first post of the year will be a Let’s Talk Bookish discussion. Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme hosted by Rukky @ Eternity Books and Dani @ Literary Lion. This week’s topic is Reading Resolutions and this was actually a topic I suggested, so let’s get stuck in!

Do you set reading resolutions in the New Year? Are they helpful?

I haven’t set myself any formal reading resolutions in the past. But I usually have a goal of a number of books I want to read and a general resolution to read more which has varying results!

This year though I think I might set some more specific goals, such as finishing or continuing particular series, and identifying some books that have been on my TBR for years that I really need to get round to.

I think resolutions can be helpful, and that’s why I’m thinking of setting some this year. Especially with a growing number of books I want to read and having more time to read at the moment, I feel like I’m just going to end up flailing around in a sea of books (literally and metaphorically).

Do you look back to see if you stuck to your goals?

Although I don’t set a specific TBR for myself, I do usually have some books in mind at the beginning of the year that I want to read, so I do like to look back and see how many of them I actually ended up reading. I also do track how many books I’ve read throughout the year and whether or not I’m going to hit my goal.

Do you ever feel pressured/stressed by these resolutions?

I think I’ve often been put off by the idea of having specific resolutions as I didn’t want to feel pressured by them. This year I think I’ll set some loose resolutions, but not be too strict with myself about it because I don’t want it to become a stressful thing.

Do you participate in the GoodReads challenge?

Yes! I have to admit I do get a bit obsessed with checking my progress and working out if I’m going to reach my goal in time. Sometimes I feel like it could potentially suck the fun out of reading when I’m always thinking about how many books I have left to read in the year. But at the same time, I do enjoy having a goal. I usually set something that is a challenge, but is still actually realistic, otherwise I would get stressed out by it.

Do you like setting reading goals or resolutions at the beginning of the year? I’d love to know what you think so chat with me in the comments!

December 2020 Wrap Up

M.T.Wilson @ The Last Book on the Left6 Comments

It’s the end of December and the end of 2020! I can’t believe this year is finally over. It’s been, well, not the best year for many reasons. But I can say that I read 50 books this year, which is way more than I’ve ever read in a year before, so at least that’s one plus to having been stuck at home so much.

I had planned to write a lot more blog posts this month but I ended up being super busy at work and had a migraine at the beginning of the month which took out a few days of productivity. But some good blogging news – I now have 400 followers! I can’t believe so many people are following my blog now. Thank you so much to everyone who reads, likes and comments on my posts. I love interacting with you lovely people.

So on to the final monthly wrap up of the year…

Aurora Burning by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – I loved Aurora Rising so much so I had really high hopes for this one. And while I did enjoy it, I did like Aurora Rising more. I hope we don’t have to wait too long for the next book…

A Storm of Swords Part II by George R. R. Martin ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – I read Part I in November and didn’t want to leave it too long before I read Part II as I didn’t want to forget what happened. There was a lot packed into this book and oh my gosh so many characters died. George R. R. Martin is ruthless.

A Court of Frost and Starlight ⭐⭐⭐ – This festive novella was a fun Christmas read but not much actually happened in it. There wasn’t much of a plot. So I didn’t love it as much as the other books in the series. I’m still excited for A Court of Silver Flames though.

I used up the last of a gift card I had to get Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas and The Camelot Betrayal by Kiersten White. The Illumicrate Daughter of Smoke and Bone box finally arrived so I got a beautiful hardback edition of one of my favourite books. I also got some lovely presents for Christmas – Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor, Little Women and a beautiful edition of Persuasion.

As I finished my WIP at the end of November I took a couple of weeks off writing to give myself a break from the project so I could come back to it with fresh eyes. I’ve been working on some world building things and have a few other planning bits I need to sort out before I can start work on my second draft.

Can you believe it’s actually the end of 2020? Did you read any good books this year? Chat with me in the comments!

I realised I don’t follow many of you lovely people on social media. So, if you’d like to connect with me, feel free to drop your handles/links in the comments. You can find me @mtwilsonwrites on Twitter and @m.t.wilsonwrites1891 on Instagram.

Top 10 Tuesday: Favourite Books of 2020

M.T.Wilson @ The Last Book on the Left30 Comments

I’ve read a lot of books this year and narrowing it down to just 10 of my favourites was so hard! So here are my favourite 14 books I read in 2020, in no particular order. Links take you to my reviews!

Top 10 Tuesday was originally created by The Broke and the Bookish, but has now moved to That Artsy Reader Girl. If you’re interested in taking part click here.

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo – I loved this book even more than Six of Crows! It was a brilliant conclusion to the duology.

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor – As I loved Daughter of Smoke and Bone, I had high expectations for this one, and it didn’t disappoint. Laini Taylor’s writing is just so magical, imaginative and captivating.

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff – I didn’t expect to love this book as much as I did, but it instantly became one of my favourite books ever.

Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff – This book was just so much fun and action-packed. I loved going on an adventure with Squad 312 and can’t wait for the third book to come out.

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