Review: Klara and the Sun – Kazuo Ishiguro #SciFiMonth

Klara and the Sun is a science fiction novel written by Kazuo Ishiguro. The story explores the perspective of Klara, an AI also known as an Artificial Friend (AF), who is highly observant and fascinated by human behaviour.

WHAT I LIKED

This is the second novel I’ve read by Kazuo Ishiguro, the first being Never Let Me Go, which I loved and highly recommend. So when I saw he had written another dystopian science fiction novel, I was very excited. I love how Ishiguro is able to blend science fiction and dystopian elements into literary fiction, which he has done again in Klara and the Sun.

From the first few pages of Klara and the Sun, I was immediately transported into Klara’s world and perspective from the point of view of an artificial intelligence eager to learn about human behaviour. I found myself caring about Klara and the other AFs in the store very early on, while not even knowing very much about what exactly they were. I wanted to know more and felt compelled to keep reading to find out more.

Klara in particular is a very endearing character. I particularly enjoyed reading her curiosity about human behaviour and her trying to comprehend why people act in certain ways. I think Ishiguro was able to convey really well the perspective of an artificial intelligence who doesn’t fully understand the nuances of human emotions and communication.

Much like Never Let Me Go, the reader learns about Klara’s world in dribs and drabs, a slow building revelation. The world is similar to our own, but something is different and off about it and keeps the reader wondering throughout. This was what I enjoyed the most about Never Let Me Go, so I was pleased that Ishiguro had written this book in a similar way.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE

Unfortunately, there was a lot I didn’t enjoy about this book from the second half onwards. While the first half was intriguing for the reasons I described above, I felt the plot lost its way in the second half and wasn’t nearly as engaging.

It took far too long to reveal exactly what some of the key dystopian elements of the story were, with some just outright not explained at all which left me feeling unsatisfied. A lot of what was going on in the world was very vague, which is fine at first, but I kept reading in the hope more would be revealed and it never was.

I also didn’t enjoy the direction Klara’s story took in the second half of the book. Certain things I was expecting to happen to Klara by the way the (very predictable) plot twist was going didn’t transpire, which felt anti-climatic. One of the final scenes in the book also made absolutely no sense to me and seemed completely absurd for a science fiction novel. It annoyed me so much I probably would have stopped reading if I wasn’t so close to the end.

VERDICT

I went in with very high expectations for this book, but unfortunately I only rated it 2.5/5 stars in the end. The first half was a solid 4, but unfortunately the second half was very disappointing and the plot didn’t go in a direction that I enjoyed reading. I found myself comparing the plot to Never Let Me Go frequently, which I feel was executed much better overall.

2020 Reading Goals: Wrap-Up

So it’s a bit late, but here is my wrap-up for my 2020 reading goals:

GOAL #1: READ 50 BOOKS

Unfortunately I didn’t achieve this goal, but I did make it to 40 books, 2 more than I read in 2019. Although I spent nearly five months of the year furloughed due to the pandemic, I found it really hard to motivate myself to read anything during lockdown. I was lucky to finish two books a month. Strangely, it was only when I went back to work in July when I started to read a lot again. I don’t mind that I haven’t achieved this goal though, 50 was an ambitious target, and I still read more than last year.

GOAL #2: READ MORE HISTORICAL FICTION

In the end I read four historical fiction novels:

Beloved – Toni Morrison
A Thousand Splendid Suns – Khaled Hosseini
The Confessions of Frannie Langton – Sara Collins
The Rules of Magic – Alice Hoffman

It wasn’t quite as many as I was hoping, but did I read one more than I did last year.

GOAL #3: PRIORITISE BOOKS I ALREADY OWN

Books I read that I already owned before 2020: 13/40

Library/borrowed books: 18/40

New books: 9/40

I’m quite pleased with how I did with this goal. Although I ended up reading more library books than anything else – I started a new job as a library assistant early on in the year and took advantage of my much more frequent access to the books there – I still read more books from my own shelf rather than buying new books. I definitely want to continue this goal going into 2021.

GOAL #4: READ MORE SEQUELS

These were the sequels I read in 2020:

The Calling – David Gaider (Dragon Age #2)
Lyra’s Oxford – Phillip Pullman (His Dark Materials #3.5)
The Obelisk Gate – N.K. Jemisin (The Broken Earth Trilogy #2)
The Stone Sky – N.K. Jemisin (The Broken Earth Trilogy #3)
Siege and Storm – Leigh Bardugo (Shadow and Bone, #2)
Ruin and Rising – Leigh Bardugo (Shadow and Bone #3)
The Deck of Omens – Christine Lynn Herman (The Devouring Gray #2)
The Rules of Magic – Alice Hoffman (Practical Magic #0.5, a prequel, but I still think it counts since I read book one first)
A Closed and Common Orbit – Becky Chambers (Wayfarers #2)
Starsight – Brandon Sanderson (Skyward #2)

10/40 books read were sequels, not as many as in 2019, but I’m still happy with how many I read.

GOAL #5: COMPLETE A SERIES

I completed three series from start to finish this year:

Broken Earth trilogy – N.K. Jemisin
Shadow and Bone trilogy – Leigh Bardugo
The Devouring Gray duology – Christine Lynn Herman

I’m really glad I decided to finish these series – I needed to read The Broken Earth trilogy without large gaps between the books as I would have been completely lost with the vast amount of lore in the series that I probably would’ve forgotten if I left it too long. I was also really on the fence about finishing the Shadow and Bone trilogy as I didn’t particularly enjoy the first book, which I read in 2019, but I ended up loving the last two books. I also read The Devouring Gray duology one after the other and they flowed really nicely together, so it was like reading one really long novel.

How did you do with your reading goals for 2020?

Review: A Closed and Common Orbit – Becky Chambers #SciFiMonth

A Closed and Common Orbit is the second novel in the sci-fi series Wayfarers by Becky Chambers. The story follows two characters: the first is a former ship AI who finds herself in an illegal human-like synthetic body, as she tries to navigate a new world outside the ship. The other character is Pepper, a former child slave as she tries to survive and escape the planet she’s been trapped on her entire life. The story references events that take place in the first book The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, but the book can be read as a standalone.

WHAT I LIKED

I really enjoyed the two separate timelines, it was different to the way the first book was written but it was so interesting to see the similarities and differences in the experience of an AI previously shackled to a ship discovering the outside world and a young girl formerly imprisoned inside a factory who had never left the building, doing the exact same thing.

The protagonists, Sidra and Pepper, were both so well written. Sidra figuring out the complexities of social interaction and adjusting to having a body rather than being inside a ship felt so realistic. Pepper navigating her trauma both as a child in the flashbacks and an adult in Sidra’s chapters was also extremely well done. I thought Sidra struggling with not being able to see behind her, being used to having cameras everywhere on a ship, and subsequently standing in the corners of rooms was such a clever little quirk to add in, not something I’ve seen before in stories where an AI gets a body. I loved seeing the two characters develop, and I was very satisfied with the way their arcs ended.

I also really enjoyed the supporting characters, Owl, Blue and Tak. Chambers is so good at creating unique, fleshed out characters. Even though the book was less than four-hundred pages long, by the end I was really emotionally invested in all the characters and their relationships to one another.

I loved the little moments where the crew from The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet were mentioned, it was brief enough to keep this book as its own story, but still nice for those who had read the first book (which I strongly recommend doing!).

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE

I only really have one significant criticism: I had some difficulty visualising a lot of what the alien species looked like, particularly Tak, who is an important character, for the majority of the story. Admittedly, this is partially my fault as it has been a year since I read the first book and I had forgotten a lot of the descriptions, but I can imagine it would be confusing for people who start the series with this book. A small paragraph with the basics whenever encountering an alien race or a even glossary at the back could have been helpful. Apart from that, there really wasn’t anything else I didn’t like.

VERDICT

Overall, I would rate A Closed and Common Orbit at 4.5/5 stars, Becky Chambers is a very talented writer and her Wayfarers series is something really special within the sci-fi genre. This book has easily become a firm favourite of mine, and I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Record of a Spaceborn Few.

This review was written as part of Sci-Fi Month 2020, hosted by imyril at One More and Lisa and Dear Geek Place. Click the banner to find out more about the event!

Banner artwork is by Tithi Luadthong from 123RF.com.

August 2020 Wrap-Up

I managed to read a lot more than I was expecting in August, it’s funny how I barely read at all during lockdown when I had all the time in the world being furloughed, but now I’m back working I’m suddenly reading more than I have in a year.

I’ve also been feeling a bit burned out with fantasy and sci-fi, so I’ve been taking a break from reading them this month to focus on other genres, particularly historical fiction as one of my goals for this year is to read more of that genre.

Number of books read: 6

Favourite book of the month: Beloved – Toni Morrison

The books:

Elizabeth is Missing – Emma Healey | mystery | ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I felt this book had a very accurate and relatable portrayal of what living with and having a relative with dementia is like. I really liked how the two timelines of Maud’s past and present were linked together throughout the story but I did feel slightly disappointed at the conclusion of the mystery, which is why it’s rated 3 stars.

Reasons to Stay Alive – Matt Haig | non-fiction | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a very important and informative book about the author’s experience of depression and anxiety that I think everyone should read, whether they are affected themselves or not.

Beloved – Toni Morrison | historical fiction/magical realism | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’ve had this book on my shelf for several years and I’m so glad I finally decided to read it. It’s beautifully written and I loved the magical realism elements incorporated into the story. I can’t recommend this book enough.

A Thousand Splendid Suns – Khaled Hosseini | historical fiction | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is another book I’ve had for a very long time. Having read and loved The Kite Runner, I knew going in I was going to love this one too. Hosseini is such a good storyteller and I devoured the book in just a couple of days.

The Confessions of Frannie Langton – Sara Collins | historical fiction | ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Another historical fiction I’ve had my eye on for a while. I loved Frannie’s character and it was clearly very well researched by the author but the plot just didn’t grip me enough to rate beyond 3 stars.

Everything Under – Daisy Johnson | magical realism | ⭐️⭐️

This was a book that from the blurb I thought I’d really enjoy, but it sadly didn’t live up to my expectations. It’s very well written, but I didn’t realise it was a retelling (no spoilers as to which) which is not something I typically enjoy, and I probably wouldn’t have picked it up had I known that.

What books did you enjoy reading in August?

2020 Reading Goals

This is long overdue but I’ve finally sorted out what goals I want to achieve for this year:

GOAL #1 – READ 50 BOOKS

This will be my most ambitious goal. Last year I managed to read 38 books, while juggling my dissertation and two jobs. Now I’ve graduated, I have more spare time on my hands but I’ve been battling a reading slump lately and I’m already falling behind. Fingers crossed I can get more reading done in the spring/summer.

GOAL #2 – READ MORE HISTORICAL FICTION

Last year my goal was to read more science fiction, which enabled me to discover new favourite series and authors. Despite studying history at university, I haven’t delved that far in to historical fiction. Possibly because it would have been a history overload?! Now I’ve graduated I find myself wanting to read more historical fiction to fill the void. The books pictured above are just some ideas of historical fiction I could read this year, a combination of books I already own and others I’ve been recommended. They are:

The Binding – Bridget Collins. Takes place in 19th century England.
Burial Rites – Hannah Kent. Set in Iceland in 1829.
The Librarian of Auschwitz – Antonio Iturbe. As the title suggests, it is set during the Holocaust and is based on a true story.
The Familiars – Stacey Halls. Involves the witch trials in Lancashire during the 1600s.
Alias Grace – Margaret Atwood. Follows a woman accused of murder in 19th century Canada.

GOAL #3 – PRIORITISE BOOKS I ALREADY OWN

One terrible habit I have is continually buying new books and neglecting the books I already own. I did a count of all the fiction books I own (187! A lot more than I thought) and then how many that are unread (109), which was a huge chunk of them (though to be fair, I only keep books I really like and donate the rest). There are books that have been sitting on my shelf for several years that are unread. So this year, I’m going to be paying more attention to my own bookshelf rather than the shelves at book shops and make an effort to try and read what I already own. I’ve started an ‘on my shelf’ category on my Goodreads account of all the unread books I own as of January 2020 and I’ll see at the end of the year how many I’ve managed to read.

GOAL #4 – READ MORE SEQUELS

This is the same goal I had as last year, as there’s still plenty of sequels I want to try and read. However, this year I won’t be listing specific sequels I want to read as that didn’t work out well for me last year.

GOAL #5 – COMPLETE A SERIES

This goal is kind of linked to my sequels goal in that I also have a habit of not finishing a book series. I don’t have a specific series in mind that I want to complete, but some ideas that I could achieve are the Mistborn trilogy, Shades of Magic trilogy or the Dragon Age tie-in novels.

What are your reading goals for 2020?

2019 Reading Goals: Wrap-Up

Hello! This post is extremely late and has been sitting half-finished in my drafts for weeks. Unfortunately, I began 2020 very unwell (not an ideal start to the new year) and haven’t felt up to blogging lately. I’m better now though, so here’s my very late wrap-up of my 2019 reading goals.

GOAL #1 – READ MORE SEQUELS

In my original post, I set myself the challenge to read more sequels, in general and also with five specific books in mind. These were the sequels I read in 2019:

Home – Nnedi Okorafor (Binti #2)
The Night Masquerade – Nnedi Okorafor (Binti #3)
Saga, Vol. 2 – Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
Saga, Vol. 3 – Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
Waking Gods – Sylvain Neuvel (Themis Files #2)
Saga, Vol. 4 – Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
Hollow City – Ransom Riggs (Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children #2)
Shadowblack – Sebastien de Castell (Spellslinger #2)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter #2) [re-read]
Saga, Vol. 5 – Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter #3) [re-read]
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire – J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter #4) [re-read]
Saga, Vol. 7 – Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
Saga, Vol. 8 – Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
Saga, Vol. 9 – Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

This totals 15 sequels, which I’m really pleased about.

The specific sequels I had in mind to read were the following:

A Gathering of Shadows – V.E. Schwab
The Masked City – Genevieve Cogman
Caliban’s War – James S.A. Corey
Hollow City – Ransom Riggs
The Tropic of Serpents – Marie Brennan

Of these, I only completed one of these books (Hollow City), and I’m about a quarter of the way through Caliban’s War, but I’m taking a break from reading it. I’m very disappointed with myself for only finishing one, but it made me realise that setting very specific goals to read certain books just isn’t a good idea for me personally. I’m a big mood reader and forcing myself to read books that I listed several months previously rarely works and I usually end up indefinitely DNFing them until I feel like picking them up again (case in point with Caliban’s War). Therefore, for my 2020 reading goals I’m going to try and keep my goals more general and not list specific books.

GOAL #2 – NEW SERIES

This was a goal I was successful with. I set myself the challenge to start the Grishaverse, Discworld and Wayfarers series, which I did. In January, I read Shadow and Bone, which I had mixed feelings on but still intend to read other books in the series. In March, I read Going Postal from the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett, which I absolutely adored and I can’t wait to read more from the series. Finally, in November, I read A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers which I also really enjoyed and will be reading the next book, A Closed and Common Orbit, very soon.

GOAL #3 – READ AT LEAST 25 BOOKS

I completed this goal way back in August when I finished my 25th book, and by the end of December I had read 38 books. This is a big improvement on what I read in 2018, and I hope to read even more in 2020.

GOAL #4 – REVIEW BOOKS THAT I’VE READ

Technically, I did complete this goal, but I didn’t post as many reviews as I would have liked this year. I’ve still got a few posts sitting in my drafts which I need to get around to finishing and posting too, which I will be doing over the next few weeks. I’ll definitely be repeating this goal for 2020.

GOAL #5 – READ MORE SCIENCE FICTION

I’m pleased to say I read lots and lots of science fiction in 2019. Of the 37 books I read, 20 were science fiction. I really enjoyed delving into this genre, I discovered new series that I can’t wait to continue (Noumenon, Skyward and Wayfarers in particular) and read books that I probably would have never chosen in the past and ended up enjoying (Only Forward by Michael Marshall Smith stands out to me). Sci-Fi is now firmly one of my favourite book genres and in 2020 I will definitely be reading a lot more of it.

How did you do in your 2019 reading goals? Let me know in the comments!

Review: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet – Becky Chambers #SciFiMonth

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet is a sci-fi novel and the first in the Wayfarers series by Becky Chambers. It follows the lives of a crew of both humans and aliens on board the Wayfarer, a tunnelling ship, with each chapter focusing on different events on board as they travel towards the most important job of their careers.

WHAT I LIKED

My favourite part of this book was, of course, the characters themselves. I loved reading about all their differing personalities and how they fit in to the running of the Wayfarer. The characters I liked the most were Dr Chef, Jenks and Kizzy, though I really did warm to all of them by the end of the book. I like that all the characters had their own arcs within the story, and seeing the relationships between the characters change and grow. I particularly enjoyed learning the back stories of Rosemary, Corbin and Ohan and the events that unfolded in the book as a result of their backgrounds.

The alien races and cultures in this book were some of the most detailed I have come across in science fiction. It’s clear Chambers spent a lot of time creating all the different species, making them very different to humans both physically and in terms of personality, and I really enjoyed reading about all the cultural differences among the crew. Also, the setting in general, particularly the division among humans as well as the political situation in the Galactic Commons was really interesting. I thought using Rosemary, someone not very well travelled, as the protagonist was a great way to introduce the numerous different cultures and political situations to the reader, and the explanations to Rosemary in the book made more sense this way and didn’t feel out of place.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE

There isn’t much I disliked about this book, and my only main criticism is that the book just didn’t feel long enough at 400 pages, bearing in mind that this is a standalone novel (although it’s part of a series, the other novels follow different characters in the same universe). As I was getting closer to the end, the knowledge that I won’t be reading about these characters again was disappointing. I would have loved to get to know the crew more on another mission in a direct sequel, but I respect the author’s decision to move on to other characters/stories.

VERDICT

Overall, the book was a really enjoyable read with several interesting twists and turns so I’m going to give it 4/5 stars. This book has been on my TBR for a long time now and I’m really glad I finally got round to reading it. I’ll definitely be picking up the next book in the series, A Closed and Common Orbit, very soon.

This review was posted as part of Sci-Fi Month, an event which takes place throughout November and is hosted by imyril at One More and Lisa and Dear Geek Place.

Image credit: Photo by Sebastien Decoret from 123RF.com.

Review: Skyward – Brandon Sanderson #SciFiMonth

Skyward is a YA Sci-Fi novel by Brandon Sanderson, the first in a series of the same name. The story is set on a planet a group of humans crashed landed on years ago while escaping the Krell, a mysterious alien race who continually attacks the planet, forcing the humans to live underground. The story follows Spensa, a teen with dreams to follow her late disgraced father as a pilot to help defeat the Krell, and the obstacles she has to overcome to get there.

WHAT I LIKED

I really enjoyed this book. The setting and history of the human/Krell conflict Sanderson has created is fascinating, and as the story progressed I found myself eager to learn more about what happened and how they ended up where they were. Nothing turned out to be what it seemed on the surface and that was something I really enjoyed about the book.

Spensa is a great protagonist, it didn’t take long for me to warm to her and I felt frustrated along with her when she was continually blocked from pursing her dream of being a pilot. I liked that she wasn’t perfect, and wasn’t automatically amazing at flying and said and did things which were wrong to do, it made her a more realistic character. M-Bot was a really entertaining take on an AI character, and I loved seeing his character develop throughout the story. I also really enjoyed the other character’s in the Skyward crew, even Jorgen by the end, who I found to be a really irritating character at first, and I quickly became emotionally invested in their survival.

The overarching mysteries surrounding who the Krell are and why they keep attacking the planet as well as what really happened to Spensa’s father were plotlines which kept me guessing right until the end, and the big twist and reveals were incredible and nothing I could have worked out myself. I love a book that can completely surprise me like that.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE

There is very little I didn’t like about this book. My only significant criticism was the middle of the book, which felt extremely repetitive with a very similar formula of the group training, a sudden Krell attack, something bad happening, then repeating again and again. However, I can understand why this was necessary and intentionally done for the reader to understand and question what later becomes a significant plot detail alongside Spensa and the rest of the team, though I did find it difficult to motivate myself to keep reading at times before I realised this. Apart from that though, there really isn’t anything else I can think of that I didn’t like.

VERDICT

Overall, I would rate this book 4.5/5 stars. I absolutely loved this book and I can’t wait to pick up the sequel Starsight, which, lucky for me, releases later on this month. If it wasn’t for the repetitiveness in the middle which made it difficult for me to keep reading, the book would have easily been a 5/5.

This review was posted as part of Sci-Fi Month, an event which takes place throughout November and is hosted by imyril at One More and Lisa and Dear Geek Place. There’s still time to sign up and join in if you’re interested!

Image credit: Photo by Sebastien Decoret from 123RF.com.

Autumn TBR

Autumn is finally here, my favourite time of year. I’ve decided to make a TBR post for this season as I have several books in mind that I definitely want to read over the next couple of months. I’m not sure I’ll get around to reading all of them, as I’m a big mood reader and I can easily get distracted by other books not on my TBR. Nonetheless, these are the books I want to read for autumn:

Neverwhere – Neil Gaiman. I’ve been intrigued by this book for years now but as soon as I saw the special edition illustrated by Chris Riddell, my favourite artist, I knew I had to have it. I’ve been holding off on reading it until October as I thought it would be a good autumn read.
Dracula – Bram Stoker. Of course everyone’s heard of Dracula, I thought October would be the perfect time to read a classic horror story with Halloween coming up.
Bellman & Black – Diane Setterfield. I discovered Bellman & Black after finishing Setterfield’s latest book, Once Upon a River. I thought she had only written The Thirteenth Tale prior to her newest book, so it was a really pleasant surprise and perfect timing to read a ghost story for Halloween.

Six of Crows – Leigh Bardugo. I’ve wanted to read Six of Crows for years now, I’ve heard nothing but good things about it, it’s also part of my 2019 Reading Goals to read the Grishaverse. I’ve already read Shadow and Bone and I didn’t enjoy it much, but I think Six of Crows will be more my thing.
The Testaments – Margaret Atwood. I’ve been on the fence about picking up The Testaments. The Handmaid’s Tale is one of my favourite books and when Atwood announced a sequel, I was very apprehensive as I feel some books just don’t need a sequel. I’ve decided to buy it anyway and I’m hoping I won’t be disappointed.
The Priory of the Orange Tree – Samantha Shannon. The Priory of the Orange Tree has been on my TBR for a while now but I keep getting intimidated by how long it is, it’s definitely one of the biggest books I own. I’m determined to give it a try though.

Caliban’s War – James S.A. Corey. This is the sequel to Leviathan Wakes, which I absolutely adored, and is on my list of sequels to read in 2019.
A Gathering of Shadows – V.E. Schwab. Another book on my list of sequels to read this year. This has been on my TBR for a while now, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the story progresses.
The Masked City – Genevieve Cogman. This is the sequel to The Invisible Library, which I read a few years ago now. I may have to re-read The Invisible Library first though, as it’s been a long time and I can’t remember everything that happens in the story.

What books are on your Autumn TBR? Let me know in the comments!

August 2019 Wrap Up

I’ve never done a wrap up post before but since I was able to read more in August than I typically do in a month, I feel like it warrants a post this time round. I also completed my Goodreads Reading Challenge of 25 books this month, and I’m currently deliberating whether to increase it or just leave it as is. I’m not sure if I’ll get around to reviewing any of the books I read this month, so I’ll do some mini reviews below instead:

# of books read: 6
# of pages read: 1755
Favourite book of the month: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – J.K. Rowling

Shadowblack (Spellslinger #2) – Sebastien de Castell (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

This is the sequel to Spellslinger, which I read in summer 2018. I really, really enjoyed this book, just as much as I did the first which is always nice when reading a sequel. I’m really looking forward to picking up the third book in the series, Charmcaster.

Beware the Kitten Holy (Lumberjanes, Vol. 1) – Noelle Stevenson (⭐️⭐️⭐️)

This was one of two comics I read this month. I really enjoyed the art style as well as the characters and overall setting but the plot just didn’t grab me as much as I was expecting it to. I also think I would have enjoyed this more if I had read it as a teenager as I felt the writing was definitely aimed at younger readers.

Steal the Sky (Scorched Continent #1) – Megan E. O’Keefe (⭐️⭐️)

This book was chosen at the book club I went to and unfortunately it did not meet my expectations. I was expecting lots of steampunk after I checked it out on Goodreads before purchasing and was sadly disappointed. The world the author created was interesting, but I don’t think she described it or the magic system very well. I ended up rushing to finish it and it’s unlikely I’ll pick up the sequel.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter #2) – J.K. Rowling (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

I recently decided to start re-reading Harry Potter, a longtime favourite series of mine, for the first time in several years. I forgot how much I love CoS, I feel like Rowling really gets into her stride with this book and I ended up reading the last half of the story in one evening. The Deathday Party in particular is one of my favourite chapters of all time in Harry Potter and I’ll always be sad the party was never included in the film.

Dark Places – Gillian Flynn (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

I’m a big fan of Gillian Flynn’s writing, and Dark Places was the only book of hers which I hadn’t read. Overall I did enjoy it, and I particularly liked the twist at the end. But despite my high rating there were times when the story just got too dark and disturbing for me, and there were points where I did contemplate not finishing it, though my need to know how the story ends overcame any other feelings.

Saga, Vol. 5 – Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

As always, I really enjoyed Saga. The story is getting really interesting and dramatic and at times reading felt like I was watching a really good film. I particularly liked following the new groups that emerged as a result of what happened in Vol. 4 and how they interacted despite being on opposing sides in the war.

What was your favourite book that you read in August? What about your least favourite?