2018 Book Challenge Update: Part 1

Hi guys!

At the start of the year I set my reading goal to 30 books, 5 more than last year’s goal and 3 more than I actually managed to read last year. I thought it was about time I shared some of what I’ve read.

A Long Way to a Small Angry Plant | Becky Chambers — 4.5✨

I devoured this book on my commute to and from work and even as I write this eight months later, the vivid, heart-breaking, relatable complexity of the wide cast of characters sticks with me.

A Conjuring of Light | V.E. Schwab — 5✨

This book broke my heart in the best of ways. I finished it literally on the way to the airport to move to the U.K., foresaking the last prescious moments with my family to get this book read.

Book of Joan | Lidia Yukanavitch — 2✨

This book was beautiful and it’s stunning cover conned by jet-lagged, consumerist brain into buying it. Unfortunately, despite the beautiful cover and brilliant premise of futuristic Joan of Arc, I really disliked this book. There was too much focus on body horror for me, and the whole story felt quite disjointed. Yukanavitch raised some interesting issues in the book and I wouldn’t recommend you not to read it because I did enjoy some of the thematic elements however overall it just wasn’t for me.

Women & Power: A Manifesto | Mary Beard — 5✨

I devour anything Ancient World related and this bind up of two essays by renowned classicist Mary Beard was no exception. Certainly worth a read even if you have no previous knowledge of classics—her conclusions need only the context of the modern world to make solid sense.

This Savage Song | Victoria Schwab — 3.5✨

While I really enjoyed Augustus’ character and recognised the essence of Schwab’s style, I didn’t enjoy it as much as The Shades of Magic Series or Vicious-Vengeful. Perhaps this was because this is the first of her YA titles I’ve read. Still a solid and enjoyable book.

These are my first five books of 2018. Have you read any of them? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts below xx