For an overview of the first half of the year, click here.
It’s official, I’ve read 23 books this year, which is a fantastic result considering my previous couple of years… Here’s a quick overview of the ten books I read from July through December!
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JULY 2021
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[☆ ☆ ☆ ☆] Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram
As someone who also grew up between two cultures, this book was extremely relatable. And as a bonus, I could learn more about Iran and what live is like there. Although it was a bit exhausting to read the story from Darius’ perspective, I still really enjoyed myself.
[☆ ☆ ☆ ☆] A Heart in a Body in the World by Deb Caletti
Love how the story unfolded little by little. A powerful, important book, especially in the current modern time. Maybe a little slow here and there, but inspirational and motivational nonetheless.
[☆ ☆] Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
I really REALLY didn’t like the writing style. I thought I’ll get used to it eventually, but unfortunately, that never happened. There are too many weirdly specific descriptions. The way the dialogue was written also wasn’t for me. It’s also repetitive, and on top of all I couldn’t connect to the characters. I liked the plot idea though; the concept is very intriguing. I think this would work much better as a movie or a short tv show for me.
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AUGUST 2021
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[☆ ☆ ☆] On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
This one simply wasn’t for me. I’m probably too straightforward and/or too impatient to enjoy a poetic writing style. I also felt extremely disconnected from the characters. That being said, I understand why people like it, and just because I didn’t connect with it doesn’t mean it’s a bad book. I loved parts of it, and there were many beautifully written paragraphs.
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SEPTEMBER 2021
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[☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆] The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
I read this book for the first time in January of this year, so this is the first re-read already. Finally, I was able to annotate because I bought a physical copy! Loved it just as much as the first time. I think this will be my comfort read for a long time.
[☆ ☆ ☆ ☆] The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
This story is written in verse, so I was a bit concerned as it’s not something I’m familiar with, but I had zero trouble with it. It’s very straightforward and easy to follow. There are many gorgeous quotes, and although I wasn’t interested in all aspects of the story, I still loved reading it.
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OCTOBER 2021
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[☆ ☆ ☆ ☆] Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune
Even though The House in the Cerulean Sea quickly became one of my all-time favorite books, I went into this story with no expectations. I think TJ Klune really shines when it comes to characters; they feel very warm and welcoming. Unfortunately, I wasn’t sold on the character development of our main character in this book, and I only liked some parts of the plot. But overall, I loved returning to this enchanting story every time I opened the book again. Also: Hugo gets a 5/5 from me. What a gem.
[☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆] Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
My second re-read of this book. I last read it six years ago – time really flies… Since the sequel was coming out this month, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to dive (heh...) back into the world of Ari and Dante, and I enjoyed my stay just as much as the other two times. Still an all-time favorite!
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NOVEMBER 2021
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DECEMBER 2021
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[☆ ☆] Aristotle and Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Saenz
It’s not like I expected this book to be as good as its predecessor, I really didn’t. But wow. What a letdown still. I was bored half of the time and really had to push myself to finish it. It was too repetitive, had too many unnecessary new characters, the protagonist felt very different from before, the plot seemed to be all over the place, and, worst of all, I just didn’t feel anything while reading. I’m kinda sad that I didn’t like it. However, it doesn’t change my love for the first book, that one is still one of my all-time faves!
[☆ ☆ ☆ ☆] The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation Vol. 1 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
My first light novel ever. This one is hard to rate, mostly because I already know the story well, seeing as I fell completely in love with it this year through other formats. So, I’m not going into this unbiased. While I enjoyed this first volume immensely, I do have some issues, mostly regarding the pacing (not enough action, too much background information) and the writing style (a lot of telling and not enough showing). Also, a book with 350+ pages to only be divided into seven chapters is not ideal, at least not for me. That being said, I love the humor, I LOVE THE ILLUSTRATIONS – A BIG SHOUTOUT TO THE ILLUSTRATOR, I love the main characters, I love the side characters, I love the plot, I even love the more casually written parts with multiple exclamation marks and whatnot, and thus, I could never rate it anything less than 4 stars!
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Just as I expected after my midway-post, I took it slower in the second half of the year when it came to reading books. I was aiming for one book per month on average, which I exceeded a little bit. If I can keep this pace for 2022, I’ll be very satisfied!
If you've heard of writer's block, get ready for reader's block. You want to read. You have time. You know what to read; you have a pile of books ready to be read. You cannot sit still and focus enough to do so or you can't even open the book.
My brother was born a soft whistle:
quiet, barely stirring the air, a gentle sound.
But I was born all the hurricane he needed
to lift - and drop- those that hurt him to the ground.
andulkaphoto
yousharknotpass
kianamaiart
ellievsbear
germansingergirl
origamiaround
