Áine Reads

Hi! I'm Áine, I'm 17 and I enjoy reading. 

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The Coffee Readathon TBR

This month I am participating in The Coffee Readathon. I’m nervous about this as I’m starting back to school this month so I don’t know how much time I’ll have. All book descriptions are from Goodreads.

LATTE - read a hyped book

I picked Exciting Times by Noaise Dolan for this prompt.

Ava moved to Hong Kong to find happiness, but so far, it isn’t working out. Since she left Dublin, she’s been spending her days teaching English to rich children—she’s been assigned the grammar classes because she lacks warmth—and her nights avoiding petulant roommates in her cramped apartment. When Ava befriends Julian, a witty British banker, he offers a shortcut into a lavish life her meager salary could never allow. Ignoring her feminist leanings and her better instincts, Ava finds herself moving into Julian’s apartment, letting him buy her clothes, and, eventually, striking up a sexual relationship with him. When Julian’s job takes him back to London, she stays put, unsure where their relationship stands. Enter Edith. A Hong Kong–born lawyer, striking and ambitious, Edith takes Ava to the theater and leaves her tulips in the hallway. Ava wants to be her—and wants her. Ava has been carefully pretending that Julian is nothing more than an absentee roommate, so when Julian announces that he’s returning to Hong Kong, she faces a fork in the road. Should she return to the easy compatibility of her life with Julian or take a leap into the unknown with Edith?

ICED COFFEE - read a summer read

I picked Summer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn Bowman.

Rumi Seto spends a lot of time worrying she doesn’t have the answers to everything. What to eat, where to go, whom to love. But there is one thing she is absolutely sure of—she wants to spend the rest of her life writing music with her younger sister, Lea. Then Lea dies in a car accident, and her mother sends her away to live with her aunt in Hawaii while she deals with her own grief. Now thousands of miles from home, Rumi struggles to navigate the loss of her sister, being abandoned by her mother, and the absence of music in her life. With the help of the “boys next door”—a teenage surfer named Kai, who smiles too much and doesn’t take anything seriously, and an eighty-year-old named George Watanabe, who succumbed to his own grief years ago—Rumi attempts to find her way back to her music, to write the song she and Lea never had the chance to finish.

TURKISH COFFEE - read a book written by an author of middle eastern origin

I picked Of Curses and Kisses by Sandhya Menon for this prompt.

For Princess Jaya Rao, nothing is more important than family. When the loathsome Emerson clan steps up their centuries-old feud to target Jaya’s little sister, nothing will keep Jaya from exacting her revenge. Then Jaya finds out she’ll be attending the same elite boarding school as Grey Emerson, and it feels like the opportunity of a lifetime. She knows what she must do: Make Grey fall in love with her and break his heart. But much to Jaya’s annoyance, Grey’s brooding demeanor and lupine blue eyes have drawn her in. There’s simply no way she and her sworn enemy could find their fairy-tale ending…right? His Lordship Grey Emerson is a misanthrope. Thanks to an ancient curse by a Rao matriarch, Grey knows he’s doomed once he turns eighteen. Sequestered away in the mountains at St. Rosetta’s International Academy, he’s lived an isolated existence—until Jaya Rao bursts into his life, but he can't shake the feeling that she’s hiding something. Something that might just have to do with the rose-shaped ruby pendant around her neck… As the stars conspire to keep them apart, Jaya and Grey grapple with questions of love, loyalty, and whether it’s possible to write your own happy ending.

ESPRESSO ROMANO - read a book with a unique plot

I’ve picked Wildcard by Marie Lu.

I won’t put the description as it’s a sequel. 

CAFE CREMA - read a book with less than 750 ratings on Goodreads

I picked Here is The Beehive by Sarah Crossan. 

Ana Kelly can deal with death. As an estate lawyer, an unfortunate part of her day-to-day is phone calls from the next of kin informing her that one of her clients has died. But nothing could have prepared Ana for the call from Rebecca Taylor, explaining in a strangely calm tone that her husband Connor was killed in an accident. Ana had been having an affair with Connor for three years, keeping their love secret in hotel rooms, weekends away, and swiftly deleted text messages. Though consuming, they hide their love well, and nobody knows of their relationship except Mark, Connor's best friend. Alone and undone, Ana seeks friendship with the person who she once thought of as her adversary and opposite, but who is now the only one who shares her pain -- Rebecca. As Ana becomes closer to her lover's widow, she is forced to reconcile painful truths about the affair, and the fickleness of love and desire.

CAFE CON LECHE - read a book written by a Latinx author

I have picked We Set The Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia. 

At the Medio School for Girls, distinguished young women are trained for one of two roles in their polarized society. Depending on her specialization, a graduate will one day run a husband’s household or raise his children, but both are promised a life of comfort and luxury, far from the frequent political uprisings of the lower class. Daniela Vargas is the school’s top student, but her bright future depends upon no one discovering her darkest secret—that her pedigree is a lie. Her parents sacrificed everything to obtain forged identification papers so Dani could rise above her station. Now that her marriage to an important politico’s son is fast approaching, she must keep the truth hidden or be sent back to the fringes of society, where famine and poverty rule supreme. On her graduation night, Dani seems to be in the clear, despite the surprises that unfold. But nothing prepares her for all the difficult choices she must make, especially when she is asked to spy for a resistance group desperately fighting to bring equality to Medio. Will Dani cling to the privilege her parents fought to win for her, or to give up everything she’s strived for in pursuit of a free Medio—and a chance at a forbidden love?

VIETNAMESE  ICED COFFEE - read a book set in Asia

For this prompt, I picked Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen

When eighteen-year-old Ever Wong’s parents send her from Ohio to Taiwan to study Mandarin for the summer, she finds herself thrust among the very over-achieving kids her parents have always wanted her to be, including Rick Woo, the Yale-bound prodigy profiled in the Chinese newspapers since they were nine—and her parents’ yardstick for her never-measuring-up life. Unbeknownst to her parents, however, the program is actually an infamous teen meet-market nicknamed Loveboat, where the kids are more into clubbing than calligraphy and drinking snake-blood sake than touring sacred shrines. Free for the first time, Ever sets out to break all her parents’ uber-strict rules—but how far can she go before she breaks her own heart?

BLACK COFFEE - read a classic book

For this, I picked Mary Poppins Comes Back by P. L. Travers.

I won’t put the blurb as this is a sequel. 

IRISH COFFEE - read a book with a sassy/fiery character

I took this prompt literally and decided to go with Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander.

An approved textbook at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry since publication, Newt Scamander's masterpiece has entertained wizarding families through the generations. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is an indispensable introduction to the magical beasts of the Wizarding World. Scamander's years of travel and research have created a tome of unparalleled importance. Some of the beasts will be familiar to readers of the Harry Potter books - the Hippogriff, the Basilisk, the Hungarian Horntail ... Others will surprise even the most ardent amateur Magizoologist.

PUMPKIN SPICED LATTE - Spooky/Witch/Autumnal Read

For this, I picked A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro. 

The last thing Jamie Watson wants is a rugby scholarship to Sherringford, a Connecticut prep school just an hour away from his estranged father. But that’s not the only complication: Sherringford is also home to Charlotte Holmes, the famous detective’s great-great-great-granddaughter, who has inherited not only Sherlock’s genius but also his volatile temperament. From everything Jamie has heard about Charlotte, it seems safer to admire her from afar. From the moment they meet, there’s a tense energy between them, and they seem more destined to be rivals than anything else. But when a Sherringford student dies under suspicious circumstances, ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Jamie can no longer afford to keep his distance. Jamie and Charlotte are being framed for murder, and only Charlotte can clear their names. But danger is mounting and nowhere is safe—and the only people they can trust are each other.

And that’s my entire TBR for this readathon. I’m so excited to complete it!

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Disneymovieathon TBR

This month I am participating in The Disneymovieathon. I’m really excited about this one because High School Musical is one of my favourite Disney originals! I’m on the science kids team. All book descriptions are from Goodreads.

Read a book that is pink or glittery

I’ve picked The Babysitter’s Coven by Kate Williams. The entire cover isn’t pink but there’s a lot of it throughout. 

Seventeen-year-old Esme Pearl has a babysitters club. She knows it's kinda lame, but what else is she supposed to do? Get a job? Gross. Besides, Esme likes babysitting, and she's good at it. And lately Esme needs all the cash she can get, because it seems like destruction follows her wherever she goes. Let's just say she owes some people a new tree. Enter Cassandra Heaven. She's Instagram-model hot, dresses like she found her clothes in a dumpster, and has a rebellious streak as gnarly as the cafeteria food. So why is Cassandra willing to do anything, even take on a potty-training two-year-old, to join Esme's babysitters club? The answer lies in a mysterious note Cassandra's mother left her: "Find the babysitters. Love, Mom." Turns out, Esme and Cassandra have more in common than they think, and they're about to discover what being a babysitter really means: a heroic lineage of superpowers, magic rituals, and saving the innocent from seriously terrifying evil. And all before the parents get home. 

Read a book set in space

I picked Gemina by Jay Kristoff & Amie Kauffman for this prompt. I really enjoyed Illuminae by them. 

Hanna is the station captain’s pampered daughter; Nik the reluctant member of a notorious crime family. But while the pair are struggling with the realities of life aboard the galaxy’s most boring space station, little do they know that Kady Grant and the Hypatia are headed right toward Heimdall, carrying news of the Kerenza invasion. When an elite BeiTech strike team invades the station, Hanna and Nik are thrown together to defend their home. But alien predators are picking off the station residents one by one, and a malfunction in the station’s wormhole means the space-time continuum might be ripped in two before dinner. Soon Hanna and Nik aren’t just fighting for their own survival; the fate of everyone on the Hypatia—and possibly the known universe—is in their hands. But relax. They’ve totally got this. They hope.

Read a romantic book

I picked Frankly in Love by Davd Yoon. I’ve had this on my TBR for a while and really want to get to it. 

Frank Li is a high school senior living in Southern California. Frank's parents emigrated from Korea, and have pretty much one big rule for Frank - he must only date Korean girls. But he's got strong feelings for a girl in his class, Brit - and she's not Korean. His friend Joy Song is in the same boat and knows her parents will never accept her Chinese American boyfriend, so they make a pact: they'll pretend to date each other in order to gain their freedom. Frank thinks fake-dating is the perfect plan, but it leaves him wondering if he ever really understood love - or himself - at all.

Use a random number generator

I got Date Me, Bryson Keller by Kevin van Whye when I used the number generator. This is a new book on my TBR. 

Everyone knows about the dare: Each week, Bryson Keller must date someone new--the first person to ask him out on Monday morning. Few think Bryson can do it. He may be the king of Fairvale Academy, but he's never really dated before. Until a boy asks him out, and everything changes. Kai Sheridan didn't expect Bryson to say yes. So when Bryson agrees to secretly go out with him, Kai is thrown for a loop. But as the days go by, he discovers there's more to Bryson beneath the surface, and dating him begins to feel less like an act and more like the real thing. Kai knows how the story of a gay boy liking someone straight ends. With his heart on the line, he's awkwardly trying to navigate senior year at school, at home, and in the closet, all while grappling with the fact that this "relationship" will last only five days. After all, Bryson Keller is popular, good-looking, and straight . . . right? Kevin van Whye delivers an uplifting and poignant coming-out love story that will have readers rooting for these two teens to share their hearts with the world--and with each other.

Read a book you changed your mind about

I picked Normal People by Sally Rooney for this prompt. When I read it the first time, it took me a while to realise I was actually enjoying it because I found it strange to be honest. Now, it’s one of my favourites of the year. 

Read a book in a day

For this prompt, I’ve decided to listen to Quidditch Through the Ages on audiobook because it’s so short. 

Read a polarising book

After googling what this meant, I’ve gone with Conversations With Friends by Sally Rooney. Most people say you like one or the other, so I’m interested to see which I prefer. 

Frances is twenty-one years old, cool-headed, and darkly observant. A college student and aspiring writer, she devotes herself to a life of the mind--and to the beautiful and endlessly self-possessed Bobbi, her best friend and comrade-in-arms. Lovers at school, the two young women now perform spoken-word poetry together in Dublin, where a journalist named Melissa spots their potential. Drawn into Melissa's orbit, Frances is reluctantly impressed by the older woman's sophisticated home and tall, handsome husband. Private property, Frances believes, is a cultural evil--and Nick, a bored actor who never quite lived up to his potential, looks like patriarchy made flesh. But however amusing their flirtation seems at first, it gives way to a strange intimacy neither of them expect. As Frances tries to keep her life in check, her relationships increasingly resist her control: with Nick, with her difficult and unhappy father, and finally even with Bobbi. Desperate to reconcile herself to the desires and vulnerabilities of her body, Frances's intellectual certainties begin to yield to something new: a painful and disorienting way of living from moment to moment.

And that’s my entire TBR for this readathon. I’m so excited to complete it!

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July Wrap Up

Here is every book I read in July. I read 23 books. 16 physical books, 4 audio books and 3 ebooks. 

A Court Of Wings And Ruin by Sarah J. Maas - 4/5 A Court Of Frost & Starlight  by Sarah J. Maas -  4.5/5 A Man Called Ove by Frederik Backman - 5/5 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - 5/5 The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - 5/5 Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins - 5/5 Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins - 5/5 The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes by Suzanne Collins - 3.5/5 A Good Girls Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson - 4/5 Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson - 3/5 House Of Salt & Sorrows by Erin A. Craig - 3/5 Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer - 2/5 Black Enough by Ibi Zoboi - 4/5 Mr. Salary by Sally Rooney - 4/5 Mistletoe & Murder by Robin Stevens - 5/5 The Miserable Mill by Lemony Snicket - 3/5 Survivor by Tom Hoyle - 3.5/5 The Challenge by Tom Hoyle -  4/5 Gregor and the Code of Claw by Suzanne Collins - 5/5 The Silence of The Girls by Pat Barker - 4/5 Illuminae by Jay Kristoff & Amie Kauffman - 4/5  Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer - 3/5 The Girl Who Came Home by Hazel Gaynor - 4/5

Those are all the books I read last month! If you’ve read any of these, tell me what you thought of them! 

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Reading Rush TBR

This month I am participating in The Reading Rush. I’m really excited about this one! All book descriptions are from Goodreads.

Read a book with a cover that matches the colour of your birth stone

For this prompt I picked Survivior by Tom Hoyle. I was born in May and so my birthstone is Emerald. 

When the first person on the Ultimate Bushcraft adventure holiday mysteriously dies, it's a tragedy. But when the second, and third die ...it's no longer mysterious: it's suspicious. Who can you trust when everyone left alive is a suspect? Who is the murderer? As the numbers dwindle, the chances of survival plummet ...Staying alive has never seemed so guilty.

Read a book that starts with the word “The”

I picked another Tom Hoyle book here. The Challenge. I’m pretty sure I attempted this before and was severely creeped out.  

The Challenge by Tom Hoyle, bestselling author of Thirteen, is a gripping adventure thriller about an online game gone wrong. Ben's been grieving for his best friend, Will, who suddenly disappeared from their tiny village a year ago. But when twins Sam and Jack begin at the school, things start to look up. Cool, good-looking and popular, they draw Ben into their world and introduce him to The Challenge. What first appears to be a fun internet game quickly turns sinister as Ben's tasks become wilder and more dangerous, starting to raise questions over Will's disappearance. But once you're involved with The Challenge, it's very hard to get out.

Read a book that inspired a movie you’ve already seen

Here, I picked The Miserable Mill by Lemony Snickett. I loved the film and the series for these books. 

Dear Reader, I hope, for your sake, that you have not chosen to read this book because you are in the mood for a pleasant experience. If this is the case, I advise you to put this book down instantaneously, because of all the books describing the unhappy lives of the Baudelaire orphans, The Miserable Mill might be the unhappiest yet. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are sent to Paltryville to work in a lumber mill, and they find disaster and misfortune lurking behind every log. The pages of this book, I'm sorry to inform you, contain such unpleasantries as a giant pincher machine, a bad casserole, a man with a cloud of smoke where his head should be, a hypnotist, a terrible accident resulting in injury, and coupons. I have promised to write down the entire history of these three poor children, but you haven't, so if you prefer stories that are more heartwarming, please feel free to make another selection. With all due respect, Lemony Snicket

Read the first book you touch

I haven’t actually picked a book for this prompt yet but I can confirm that it’s just going to be a book that is already on this TBR because I’m already being overly ambitious as it is.

Read a book completely outside of your house

For this, I’m going to be reading Mistletoe & Murder by Robin Stevens. Christmas in July and all that jazz. I’m going a trip during the Reading Rush so this will be the book I pick up then. 

Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong are spending the Christmas hols in snowy Cambridge. Hazel has high hopes of its beautiful spires, cosy libraries and inviting tea-rooms - but there is danger lurking in the dark stairwells of ancient Maudlin College. Two days before Christmas, there is a terrible accident. At least, it appears to be an accident - until the Detective Society look a little closer, and realise a murder has taken place. Faced with several irritating grown-ups and fierce competition from a rival agency, they must use all their cunning and courage to find the killer (in time for Christmas Day, of course).

Read a book in a genre that you’ve always wanted to read more of

I’ve picked The Silence of The Girls by Pat Barker for this prompt. I’ve heard great things about it and I haven’t read anything like it before so I’m very excited about it. 

The ancient city of Troy has withstood a decade under siege of the powerful Greek army, which continues to wage bloody war over a stolen woman—Helen. In the Greek camp, another woman—Briseis—watches and waits for the war's outcome. She was queen of one of Troy's neighboring kingdoms, until Achilles, Greece's greatest warrior, sacked her city and murdered her husband and brothers. Briseis becomes Achilles's concubine, a prize of battle, and must adjust quickly in order to survive a radically different life, as one of the many conquered women who serve the Greek army. When Agamemnon, the brutal political leader of the Greek forces, demands Briseis for himself, she finds herself caught between the two most powerful of the Greeks. Achilles refuses to fight in protest, and the Greeks begin to lose ground to their Trojan opponents. Keenly observant and coolly unflinching about the daily horrors of war, Briseis finds herself in an unprecedented position, able to observe the two men driving the Greek army in what will become their final confrontation, deciding the fate not only of Briseis's people but also of the ancient world at large. Briseis is just one among thousands of women living behind the scenes in this war—the slaves and prostitutes, the nurses, the women who lay out the dead—all of them erased by history. With breathtaking historical detail and luminous prose, Pat Barker brings the teeming world of the Greek camp to vivid life. She offers nuanced, complex portraits of characters and stories familiar from mythology, which, seen from Briseis's perspective, are rife with newfound revelations. Barker's latest builds on her decades-long study of war and its impact on individual lives—and it is nothing short of magnificent.

Read a book that takes place on a different continent than where you live

For this final prompt, I’ve picked Gregor & The Code of Claw by Suzanne Collins. This is the final book in the Underland Chronicles and I’m so excited to see how it ends. 

Everyone in the Underland has been taking great pains to keep The Prophecy of Time from Gregor. Gregor knows it must say something awful but he never imagined just how awful: It calls for the warrior's death. Now, with an army of rats approaching, and his mom and sister still in Regalia, Gregor the warrior must gather up his courage to help defend Regalia and get his family home safely. The entire existence of the Underland is in Gregor's hands, and time is running out. There is a code to be cracked, a mysterious new princess, Gregor's burgeoning dark side, and a war to end all wars.

And that’s my entire TBR for this readathon. I’m so excited to complete it!

[ainereads]

June Wrap Up

Here is every book I read in June. I read 25 books. 20 physical books, 4 audio books and 1 ebook. I’ve also decided not to link these to Goodreads because I do not have the patience for that. 

Copycat by Alex Lake - 3.5/5 Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins - 5/5 Strange Star by Emma Carroll - 4/5 Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince by Daniel Radcliffe - 5/5 New Moon by Stephenie Meyer - 3/5 Ready Player One by Ernest Cline - 4.5/5 Anna K. by Jenny Lee - 4/4 Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff - 4/5 The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas - 5/5 Tilly & The Lost Fairytales by Anna James - 5/5 Clueless: One Last Summer by Amber Benson - 4/5 City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare - 3/5 City Of Glass by Cassandra Calre - 4/5 The Cruel Prince by Holly Black - 3.5/5 These Witches Don't Burn by Isabel Sterling - 3.5/4 The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige - 4/5 Yellow Brick War by Danielle Paige - 4/5 The End Of Oz by Danielle Paige - 5/5 Dorothy Must Die: Stories by Danielle Paige - 4/5   Dorothy Must Die: Stories Vol. 2 by Danielle Paige - 3/5  Dorothy Must Die: Stories Vol. 3 by Danielle Paige - 4/5  A Court Of Thorns & Roses by Sarah J. Maas - 4/4 Aurora Burning by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff - 5/5 A Court Of Mist & Fury by Sarah J. Maas - 5/5 Enchantée by Gita Trelease - 3/5

Those are all the books I read last month! If you’ve read any of these, tell me what you thought of them!

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Every Single Book I Have Bought In Quarantine

Yes, I am now broke. This is a very long list.

A Court of Mist and & Fury by Sarah J. Maas

A Court Of Wings & Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Tilly & The Lost Fairytales by Anna James

Stalking Jack The Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

A Study In Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterlin

A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder by Holly Jackson

Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson

The Illuminae Files by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Clueless: Senior Year by Amber Benson

Clueless: One Last Summer by Amber Benson

Heartstopper Vol. 3 by Alice Oseman

The Dorothy Must Die Series by Danielle Paige

The Babysitters Coven by Kate Williams

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Anna K by Jenny Lee

The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes by Suzanne Collins

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

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Mid-year Book Freakout Tag

Thank you @ireadtosurvive for the tag!

Best book you’ve read so far in 2020: I think I’d go with Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson. I love books about books so this ticked all the boxes for me. 

Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2020: Mockingjay, 100%. This was my first time fully reading this book (shocking, I know) but I loved it. 

New release you haven’t read yet, but want to: Sticking to the Hunger Games theme, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. I’ve heard mixed reviews but I think I’ll enjoy it. 

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year: I never keep up with new releases, but I’m really looking forward to The Cousins by Karen M. McManus which is coming out near the end of the year. 

Biggest disappointment: An Abundance of Katherines by John Green. Enough said.

Biggest surprise: The Dorothy Must Die seires by Danielle Paige. It was waaay better than I was anticipating (which I’m currently finishing off)

Favorite new author (debut or new to you): Taylor Jenkins Reid. I really loved Daisy Jones & The Six as well as Evelyn Hugo. 

Newest fictional crush/newest favorite character: Kal from the Aurora Rising series by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. Boy has my whole heart

Book made you cry: Anna K by Jenny Lee. That ending really got me. 

Book that made you happy: Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend. I love a good middlegrade. 

Favorite book to film adaptation you saw this year: I think Harry Potter is the only film that has a book so, I’d have to go with that but we won’t talk about the author. 

Most beautiful book you’ve bought or received this year so far: These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling. I love the colours. 

Book you need to read by the end of the year: All the books that are still on my 2020 TBR.

People I want to see do this tag: anyone who comes across this and would like to do it. 

[ainereads]

May Wrap Up

Here is every book I read in May. I read 23 books. 20 physical books and 3 audio books.

Thirteen by Tom Hoyle - 4.5/5

The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket - 3/5

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins - 5/5

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green - 4/5

Gregor & The Marks Of Secret by Suzanne Collins - 5/5

Hearstopper Volumes 1, 2 & 3 by Alice Oseman - all 5/5

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling - 5/5

Clueless: Senior Year by Amber Benson - 3/5

Spiders by Tom Hoyle - 5/5

American Royals by Katharine McGee - 5/5

City Of Bones by Cassandra Clare - 4/5

Girl Online: Going Solo by Zoe Sugg - 3.5/5

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid - 5/5

Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige - 4/5

Who Runs The World (The XY) by Virginia Bergin - 2/5

Catwoman: Soulstealer by Sarah J. Maas - 4/5

Wonder by R. J. Palacio - 5/5

The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton - 5/5

The Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket - 3/5

The Wide Window by Lemony Snicket - 3.5/5

The Knife Of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness - 4/5

Those are all the books I read last month! If you’ve read any of these, tell me what you thought of them!

[ainereads]

June TBR

So, I’m not participating in any readathons this month but I did put together a bit of a TBR. I hope you enjoy. All of the book descriptions are from Goodreads. 

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

I don’t really think this needs an explanation, but this is my first time fully reading this part of the series and I’m so excited. I recently got The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes too. 

Strange Star by Emma Carroll

They were coming tonight to tell ghost stories. 'A tale to freeze the blood,' was the only rule. Switzerland, 1816. On a stormy summer night, Lord Byron and his guests are gathered round the fire. Felix, their serving boy, can't wait to hear their creepy tales. Yet real life is about to take a chilling turn - more chilling than any tale. Frantic pounding at the front door reveals a stranger, a girl covered in the most unusual scars. She claims to be looking for her sister, supposedly snatched from England by a woman called Mary Shelley. Someone else has followed her here too, she says. And the girl is terrified.

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

I don’t think this needs an explanation either but I’m looking forward to continue on with this series. 

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines--puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. But when Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade's going to survive, he'll have to win--and confront the real world he's always been so desperate to escape.

Tilly & The Lost Fairytales by Anna James

Tilly Pages is a bookwanderer; she can travel inside books, and even talk to the characters she meets there. But Tilly’s powers are put to the test when fairytales start leaking book magic and causing havoc . . .On a wintery visit to Paris, Tilly and her best friend Oskar bravely bookwander into the land of fairytales to find that characters are getting lost, stories are all mixed-up, and mysterious plot holes are opening without warning. Can Tilly work out who, or what, is behind the chaos so everyone gets their happily-ever-after?The second enthralling tale in the bestselling PAGES CO series.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

I don’t think I could’ve picked a better time to finally read this, due to everything that is currently going on in the world. 

Anna K by Jenny Lee

Meet Anna K. At seventeen, she is at the top of Manhattan and Greenwich society (even if she prefers the company of her horses and Newfoundland dogs); she has the perfect (if perfectly boring) boyfriend, Alexander W.; and she has always made her Korean-American father proud (even if he can be a little controlling). Meanwhile, Anna's brother, Steven, and his girlfriend, Lolly, are trying to weather an sexting scandal; Lolly’s little sister, Kimmie, is struggling to recalibrate to normal life after an injury derails her ice dancing career; and Steven’s best friend, Dustin, is madly (and one-sidedly) in love with Kimmie. As her friends struggle with the pitfalls of ordinary teenage life, Anna always seems to be able to sail gracefully above it all. That is…until the night she meets Alexia “Count” Vronsky at Grand Central. A notorious playboy who has bounced around boarding schools and who lives for his own pleasure, Alexia is everything Anna is not. But he has never been in love until he meets Anna, and maybe she hasn’t, either. As Alexia and Anna are pulled irresistibly together, she has to decide how much of her life she is willing to let go for the chance to be with him. And when a shocking revelation threatens to shatter their relationship, she is forced to question if she has ever known herself at all.

Clueless: One Last Summer by Amber Benson

Cher, Dionne, and Tai set off for one last summer of footloose and fancy-free fashion and fun before college starts! The class of 1997 has left Bronson Alcott High School for good, and as the weather heats up, Cher and besties Dionne and Tai head off for their last summer vacation adventure together before, ugh, REAL LIFE!

Those are all the books I plan on reading in June! 

[ainereads]

Journey-A-Thon TBR

This month I am participating in the Journeyathon readathon. I’m really excited about this one! All book descriptions are from Goodreads. 

HAROYELL - READ A FIRST BOOK IN A SERIES

For this prompt, I picked Thirteen by Tom Hoyle. 

Born at midnight in London, on the stroke of the new millennium, Adam is the target of a cult that believes boys born on this date must die before the end of their thirteenth year. Twelve boys have been killed so far. Coron, the crazy cult leader, will stop at nothing to bring in his new kingdom. And now he is planning a bombing spectacular across London to celebrate the sacrifice of his final victim: Adam. 

DUPRESSA - READ A SHORT BOOK

For this prompt, I robbed one of my sisters books. I went with The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket.

Dear Reader,

I'm sorry to say that the book you are holding in your hands is extremely unpleasant. It tells an unhappy tale about three very unlucky children. Even though they are charming and clever, the Baudelaire siblings lead lives filled with misery and woe. From the very first page of this book when the children are at the beach and receive terrible news, continuing on through the entire story, disaster lurks at their heels. One might say they are magnets for misfortune. In this short book alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, and cold porridge for breakfast. It is my sad duty to write down these unpleasant tales, but there is nothing stopping you from putting this book down at once and reading something happy, if you prefer that sort of thing.

With all due respect, Lemony Snicket

GARON - READ A BOOK FROM YOUR FAVOURITE GENRE

For this, I went with Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. 

I don’t really think this book needs an explanation. 

DENASA - READ A BOOK WITH A BLUE SPINE

For this prompt, I picked The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

GRAEVALE - READ A BOOK WITH A BLACK AND WHITE COVER

I picked the Dayrider team, which means I have the ability to use any book for one of the prompts. I decided to go with Gregor And The Marks Of Secret by Suzanne Collins for this one. 

Follow Gregor in the fourth enthralling adventure in Suzanne Collins' New York Times bestselling Underland Chronicles -- with gorgeous new cover art coming July 1st! In Book 4 of the bestselling Underland Chronicles, Gregor is drawn ever deeper into a brewing crisis. For generations, rats have run the mice out of whatever lands they've claimed, keeping them constantly on the move. But now the mice are disappearing and the young queen Luxa is determined to find out why. Gregor and Boots join Luxa on a simple fact-finding mission. But when the true fate of the mice is revealed, it is something far more sinister than they had imagined -- and it points the way to the final prophecy Gregor has yet to fulfill. His abilities are put to the test in this suspenseful, action-packed penultimate installment of Suzanne Collins's thrilling Underland Chronicles.

KARONIA - READ A GRAPHIC NOVEL 

I went with Heartstopper Vol. 3 by Alice Oseman for this one. 

In this volume we’ll see the Heartstopper gang go on a school trip to Paris! Not only are Nick and Charlie navigating a new city, but also telling more people about their relationship AND learning more about the challenges each other are facing in private… Meanwhile Tao and Elle will face their feelings for each other, Tara and Darcy share more about their relationship origin story, and the teachers supervising the trip seem… rather close…?

HALLOWGATE - READ A BOOK THAT FEATURES DEATH

For this, I decided to listen to Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix by J. K. Rowling.

I think this is another that doesn’t need an explanation. 

NIALAS - READ A 5 STAR PREDICTION

I was kind of suprised by my choice for this, but I’ve decided to go with Clueless: Senior Year by Amber Benson. 

Your favorite girls from Beverly Hills are back in an all-new adventure! It’s senior year and Cher, Dionne, and Tai find themselves in a bit of a crisis of self… Where are they meant to go, and what are they meant to DO after high school? Luckily they have all year—and each other’s help—to figure it out!

And that’s my entire TBR for this readathon. I’m so excited to complete it! 

[ainereads]

April Wrap Up

Here is every book I read in April. I read 16 books. 10 physical books, 5 audiobooks and 1 ebook. 

The Backstagers by James Tynion IV - 5/5 Every Heart a Doorway by Seanann McGuire - 4/5 One of us is Next by Karen M. McManus - 4/5 Girl Online: On Tour by Zoe Sugg - 3.5/5 Mary Poppins by P. L. Travers - 5/5 Twilight by Stephenie Meyer  - 3.5/5 Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín - 5/5 The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid - 5/5 The Maze Runner by James Dashner - 2/5 Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green, David Levithan - 4/5 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling - 5/5 The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend - 5/5 Gone by Michael Grant - 3/5 Normal People by Sally Rooney - 5/5 Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods by Suzanne Collins - 5/5 Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid - 5/5

Those are all the books I read last month! If you’ve read any of these, tell me what you thought of them! 

[ainereads]

Stay at Home Book Tag

This tag is originally by Princess of Paperback on Youtube.

No one tagged me to do this, I just thoroughly enjoy doing tags. 

Laying in Bed - A book you could/have read in a day 

The first book that comes to mind is Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins. A very underrated middle grade serious. I’ve read the first two books in this series and plan on reading the rest this year. 

Snacking - Guilty pleasure book

I would definitely say the Girl Online series by Zoe Sugg. It’s so bad that it’s good. 

 Netflix - A series you want to start 

I really want to start the Stalking Jack the Ripper series by Kerri Maniscalco. Everything about this series just sounds so amazing.  

Deep Clean - Been on your TBR for ages 

A book that’s been on my TBR for ages, and my current read, is Gone by Michael Grant. I’m really enjoying it, which I didn’t think I would. 

Animal Crossing - A book you recently bought because of hype 

I think I’d have to go with American Royals by Katharine McGee for question. It’s probably the most hyped book on my TBR right now. 

Productivity - A book you learnt from or had an impact on you 

I’d probably say Turtles All the Way Down by John Green. I think it really thought me about what anxiety can be like for people, and I also think it’s John Green’s best book. 

Facetime - A book you were gifted 

I got the Illustrated Harry Potter’s for Christmas and they are probably the most gorgeous books I own. 

Self Care - What is one thing you have done recently to look after yourself?

Right now as I type I have a face mask on. I’ve also been sitting outside a lot, which is really nice and relaxing. 

BONUS - Name a book coming out soon

I’m so excited for the final Murder Most Unladylike book by Robin Stevens. The title hasn’t been released yet, but I cannot wait for it to be released. 

That’s all for this tag. Feel free to do it if you come across this post!

[ainereads]

Fanfic Tag Game

Thank you for tagging me @ireadtosurvive

It’s been a while since I’ve read a fanfic, but I still have some tropes that I love.

Slowburn or love at first sight

Fake dating or secretly dating

Enemies to lovers or best friends to lovers

“Oh no there’s only one bed” or long-distance correspondence

Hurt/comfort or amnesia

Fantasy au or modern au

Mutual pining or domestic bliss

Smut or fluff

Canon-compliant/missing scenes or fix-it

Alternative universe or future fic

One-shot or multi-chapter

Kid fic or road trip fic

Reincarnation or character death

Arranged marriage or accidental marriage

High school romance or middle-aged romance (adult)

Time travel or isolated together

Neighbours or roommates

Sci fi or magic au

Body swap or genderbend

Angst or crack

Apocalyptic or mundane

Tagging: Anyone who comes across this.

[ainereads]

O.W.L’s Magical Readathon TBR

Hello! I am very aware that it is the middle of this Readathon, but I thought I’d post my TBR anyway because I love TBRs for readathons. I decided to do all the prompts and then pick a career when it’s time for the N.E.W.T’s. It is my first time doing a readathon, and I’ve really enjoyed the experience so far. All book descriptions are from Goodreads. 

ANCIENT RUINS - A BOOK WITH A HEART IN THE TITLE 

For this prompt, I picked the audiobook for Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire.  

Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children No Solicitations, No Visitors, No Quests. Children have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere... else. But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children. Nancy tumbled once, but now she’s back. The things she’s experienced... they change a person. The children under Miss West’s care understand all too well. And each of them is seeking a way back to their own fantasy world. But Nancy’s arrival marks a change at the Home. There’s a darkness just around each corner, and when tragedy strikes, it’s up to Nancy and her new-found schoolmates to get to the heart of the matter. No matter the cost.

ARITHMANCY - A BOOK OUTSIDE OF YOUR FAVOURITE GENRE 

I picked The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid for this prompt, as I’m not a massive fan of historical fiction. 

Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now? Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career. Summoned to Evelyn's luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the '80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn's story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique's own in tragic and irreversible ways.

ASTRONOMY - READ THE MAJORITY OF A BOOK WHEN IT’S DARK

I chose Mary Poppins by P. L. Travers for this because it was pretty short. 

From the moment Mary Poppins arrives at Number Seventeen Cherry-Tree Lane, everyday life at the Banks house is forever changed. It all starts when Mary Poppins is blown by the east wind onto the doorstep of the Banks house. She becomes a most unusual nanny to Jane, Michael, and the twins. Who else but Mary Poppins can slide up banisters, pull an entire armchair out of an empty carpetbag, and make a dose of medicine taste like delicious lime-juice cordial? A day with Mary Poppins is a day of magic and make-believe come to life!

CARE OF MAGICAL CREATURES - READ A BOOK WITH A BEAKED CREATURE ON THE COVER

For this prompt, I chose Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend.

A cursed girl escapes death and finds herself in a magical world - but is then tested beyond her wildest imagination Morrigan Crow is cursed. Having been born on Eventide, the unluckiest day for any child to be born, she's blamed for all local misfortunes, from hailstorms to heart attacks--and, worst of all, the curse means that Morrigan is doomed to die at midnight on her eleventh birthday. But as Morrigan awaits her fate, a strange and remarkable man named Jupiter North appears. Chased by black-smoke hounds and shadowy hunters on horseback, he whisks her away into the safety of a secret, magical city called Nevermoor. It's then that Morrigan discovers Jupiter has chosen her to contend for a place in the city's most prestigious organization: the Wundrous Society. In order to join, she must compete in four difficult and dangerous trials against hundreds of other children, each boasting an extraordinary talent that sets them apart - an extraordinary talent that Morrigan insists she does not have. To stay in the safety of Nevermoor for good, Morrigan will need to find a way to pass the tests - or she'll have to leave the city to confront her deadly fate.

CHARMS - A BOOK WITH A WHITE COVER

I picked One of Us Is Next by Karen M. McManus for this prompt. 

Come on, Bayview, you know you've missed this. A ton of copycat gossip apps have popped up since Simon died, but in the year since the Bayview four were cleared of his shocking death, no one's been able to fill the gossip void quite like he could. The problem is no one has the facts. Until now. This time it's not an app, though—it's a game. Truth or Dare. Phoebe's the first target. If you choose not to play, it's a truth. And hers is dark. Then comes Maeve and she should know better—always choose the dare. But by the time Knox is about to be tagged, things have gotten dangerous. The dares have become deadly, and if Maeve learned anything from Bronwyn last year, it's that they can't count on the police for help. Or protection. Simon's gone, but someone's determined to keep his legacy at Bayview High alive. And this time, there's a whole new set of rules.

DEFENSE AGAINST THE DARK ARTS - A BOOK SET AT SEA

For this prompt, I chose Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín. 

Eilis Lacey has come of age in small-town Ireland in the years following World War Two. Though skilled at bookkeeping, she cannot find a job in the miserable Irish economy. When an Irish priest from Brooklyn offers to sponsor Eilis in America--to live and work in a Brooklyn neighborhood "just like Ireland"--she decides she must go, leaving her fragile mother and her charismatic sister behind. Eilis finds work in a department store on Fulton Street, and when she least expects it, finds love. Tony, a blond Italian from a big family, slowly wins her over with patient charm. He takes Eilis to Coney Island and Ebbets Field, and home to dinner in the two-room apartment he shares with his brothers and parents. He talks of having children who are Dodgers fans. But just as Eilis begins to fall in love with Tony, devastating news from Ireland threatens the promise of her future.

DIVINATION - PICK A BOOK FROM A RANDOM NUMBER GENERATOR

I ended up getting Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan for this prompt. 

Will Grayson meets Will Grayson. One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two strangers are about to cross paths. From that moment on, their world will collide and lives intertwine. It's not that far from Evanston to Naperville, but Chicago suburbanites Will Grayson and Will Grayson might as well live on different planets. When fate delivers them both to the same surprising crossroads, the Will Graysons find their lives overlapping and hurtling in new and unexpected directions. With a push from friends new and old - including the massive, and massively fabulous, Tiny Cooper, offensive lineman and musical theater auteur extraordinaire - Will and Will begin building toward respective romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history's most awesome high school musical

HERBOLOGY - A BOOK BEGINNING WITH ‘M’

For this prompt, I decided on The Maze Runner by James Dashner. I didn’t have too many options to go off of. 

If you ain’t scared, you ain’t human. When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He’s surrounded by strangers—boys whose memories are also gone. Nice to meet ya, shank. Welcome to the Glade. Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It’s the only way out—and no one’s ever made it through alive. Everything is going to change. Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying. Remember. Survive. Run.

HISTORY A MAGIC - A BOOK FEATURING WIZARDS/WITCHES

Since this is the O.W.L’s Magical Readathon, I had to include Harry Potter somewhere. Although this is the third year, I went with Goblet of Fire since I had already read PoA last month.

I don’t think this needs any description. 

MUGGLE STUDIES - A BOOK FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF A MUGGLE

That, in Muggle terms, means a contemporary book. I decided to read Girl Online: On Tour by Zoe Sugg for this prompt. 

When Noah invites Penny on his European music tour, she can't wait to spend time with her rock-god-tastic boyfriend. But, between Noah's jam-packed schedule, less-than-welcoming bandmates and threatening messages from jealous fans, Penny wonders whether she's really cut out for life on tour. She can't help but miss her family, her best friend Elliot . . . and her blog, Girl Online. Can Penny learn to balance life and love on the road, or will she lose everything in pursuit of the perfect summer?

POTIONS - A BOOK UNDER 150 PAGES

I chose The Backstagers Vol. 1 for this prompt. 

When Jory transfers to an all-boys private high school, he's taken in by the only ones who don't treat him like a new kid, the lowly stage crew known as the Backstagers. Not only does he gain great, lifetime friends, Jory is also introduced to an entire magical world that lives beyond the curtain. With the unpredictable twists and turns of the underground world, the Backstagers venture into the unknown, determined to put together the best play their high school has ever seen. 

TRANSFIGURATION - A BOOK THAT FEATURES SHAPE SHIFTING

I picked Twilght by Stephenie Meyer for this prompt because, shock horror, I’ve never read this series. 

Once again, I don’t think this needs a description. 

That’s all for this TBR. I don’t know if it was the most conventional way to do it, so feel free to give some feedback!

[ainereads]

BOOK BLOG NEWBIE TAG

Hi! I’m Áine and this is my first post on this blog. I decided to do a tag to start off with. I hope you enjoy!

Why did you start this blog?

I decided to start this blog, mainly because I’m bored in quarantine. I also love books and reading and I thought this would be a good outlet to share my thoughts on the books I read. 

What are some fun and unique things you can bring to book blogging?

I have absolutely no idea, but we’ll have to wait and see. 

What are you most excited for about this new blog?

I’m most excited to connect with others who love to read and to maybe find some new favourites. 

Why do you love reading?

I love reading because I think it’s a great way to escape from the every day and to immerse yourself into something new. 

What book or series got you into reading?

The first books I really remember reading (and loving) were all of Jacqueline Wilson’s books. I loved Tracy Beaker and Hetty Feather growing up. I owned (and still own) almost all of her books, except for her newer novels. A special mention also has to go out to The Hunger Games, even though I still haven’t read Mockingjay. 

What questions would you ask your favorite authors?

The main one would be when’s the next book coming but also, why do all the good characters die?

What challenges do you think starting a blog will be the hardest to overcome?

I think keeping the motivation to actually post will be pretty hard, especially since I’ve never had a media outlet like this before. 

When did you start reading?

I probably started really getting into reading when I was 9 or 10, but I stopped for a while and got back into reading in 2018 when I made a Goodreads account. 

Where do you read?

I mainly read in my bedroom but sometimes when I’m feeling adventurous I go and sit out in my garden with a book. 

What kind of books do you like to read?

I tend to mainly read YA, but I do read some Middle Grade and Adult books too. I read mainly Fantasy and Contemporary, but I try to give everything a go. 

That’s all for now. I hope you enjoyed, and stick around for all that’s to come.