book blog

✨️new year new reading goal✨️ I mostly read christian historical romance but I'm trying to branch out

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Last year I read 30 out of my 50 book goal, so this your I'm shooting for a more reasonable 40 in 2024.

Don't follow if you don't like christianity

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Book 1/40

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

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Book 30/50

I loved this one, it's an alternate ending where Fanny is pressured into marrying Henry Crawford. I've never read the original but I've seen 3 different screen adaptations and I really do think Fanny deserves better than the original.

I found this book because the author is on tumblr, definitely check her out if you like Jane Austen :)

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Book 29/50

My cousin recommended this. :)

I wasn't too sure about it at the start but I wound up really liking this book. I have the next on hold but it's going to be a couple months before I get it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

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Book 28/50

Loved it!

Basic premise is there's been a massive pandemic which has wiped out 98% of human life. I'd say it's too on-the-nose but this was published in 2013. Teen protagonist has to travel cross country with her 10 yo brother to their grandpa and uncle. Super interesting (end of the) world building. Lots of gore and decomposing people and descriptions of that sort. It doesn't bother me but if it were a movie I definitely wouldn't watch it 🤢

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Book 27/50

When I started this one I couldn't remember where it was recommended or what the premise was, but just about a few pages before everything went wrong I connected the dots on it being the wild swans/ the six swans fairytale.

I love retellings so this was great especially for me. Rich, intense plot with interesting characters. I love it when there's lots of little details that all make sense once you reach the end and see the big picture, and this is definitely that kind of book.

I'm not left with an urgency to read more of the series but I expect I'll get to the next eventually.

Content warning: rape and multiple incidents of sexual harassment. :/ Wish I had known going in. It's intense

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

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Book 26/50

Didn't have high expectations going in honestly but I loved this book! Pretty straightforward gender swapped Jane Eyre. Full disclosure I haven't read the original but I've watched a few adaptations and this seems to follow the plot pretty well. John's backstory is slightly changed and the husband in the attic is different than the original 🤫 but aside from that it was pretty spot on. I really loved Mrs Rochester's letters and journal entries for giving insight to her character.

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Book 25/50

Didn't love this one as much as the first 2 mark of the lion books. I think it's just that the characters didn't resonate with me very well. Still better than a lot of books to be fair.

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Book 24/50

Great sequel. I forgot to get a review written promptly and now I can't remember the details 😅

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Book 23/50

I was trying to think of a fitting joke along the lines of "this family tree is a circle" but then realized it's just the title of the book 😂

So basically the book is following several people's stories over the course of a couple years, and almost every character is part of these 2 big families that have been intermarrying for decades. You just need to put aside how weird that is to enjoy the reading lol

I really liked most of the plot lines and it felt good when everything turned out for favorite characters 🩷

I actually cried over poor little Brian 🥲

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Wouldn't feel right writing a review and not mentioning that the book ends with a racist joke + n word 🫤 it really soured it for me. I'm glad I saw it mentioned on here so I knew it was coming at least.

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Book 22/50

My second book I've read from L M Montgomery.

I really enjoyed the character of Jane. I liked how all she really wanted were simple freedom and being allowed to be productive. I was surprised by how much time the book covers without feeling rushed.

I normally read ebooks but I'll have to pick up a physical copy at some point for my girls to read in a few years.

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Book 21/50

So. Heavy.

But that aside, it was a really good book. Set in Rome, roughly 40 years after Christ. Main protagonist is a late teens christian girl who is a slave of a Roman family.

Lots of awful Roman society, some characters getting better and some getting worse as the story progresses.

I'm pretty sure I read this like 10 years ago but I couldn't remember the plot so it didn't hinder the experience.

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Book 20/50

Couldn't wait to start this one as the lady of the rivers was so good.

It's definitely gripping just like the first in the series, and I love learning about this time period.

The characters were not very likable, lots of ambition above all else even when it hurts loved ones. I suppose that would be true about most any royal families in a time when you have to fight for control of the crown.

Overall I liked the book, and I plan to eventually get to the next in the series.

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Book 19/50

I've never read anything by Philippa Gregory before now but now I wish I had lol

This is such a good book, just the right pace so I was always looking forward to getting back to it. I even stayed up late reading.

Fiction woven around historical facts is practically tailor-made for me 😄

I have a couple books I need to get to before my library loan runs out but I'll be reading the next in the series asap

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Book 18/50

This was recommended to me by a friend.

My favorite parts were all the descriptions of the circus. Unfortunately I didn't much like the protagonists and therefore wasn't really into the romance aspect. Aside from that it was pretty enjoyable but I don't feel any desire to read more by this author.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

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Book 17/50

This was my camping book this year 🏕

Pre-revolutionary colonial setting, we-broke-up-years-ago-but-have-matured sorta plot. I liked it.

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Book 16/50

This one was really cute and reminded me of when I was super into fairytales as a teen 😊

The plot is snow white but as a western, in place of a wicked queen we have an actress, a Texas ranger for a prince, and retired cowboys for the dwarves

I used to really like Karen Witemeyer years ago and it's nice to see she's still making good books 🩷

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