Seriously I am really biased about these books.
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.
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Don’t trust the choices I have made. It began with a date, then a whirlwind relationship and I soon fell in love with them all. Yes, I am married to multiple books, I don’t regret anything. In fact, now I am going to shamelessly tempt you to the dark side to read them all.
So, this year I have been reading through any and every book that I could get my hands on, I don’t know why but I just have. Most of the time I just read a book that captures my interest completely but this time I thought to myself, “Why not give it a go?” and I have loved every bit of it.
Sure, I have gotten a few bad reads in between but then I got to read so many good books that it has been amazing. Now I did not want to be greedy so I will be sharing with you some of the absolutely wonderful books that I have read till now, maybe our choices could be different and these may not call you, but I urge you to give them a go at least. Trust me they are worth the adventure.
Let’s go grasshoppers!
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The Poppy War Novel by R. F. Kuang
Genres: Novel, Fantasy Fiction, Grimdark, Historical Fiction
ReadOmeter: 10/10 You must read or be haunted sad woodland creatures
Length: 544 pages
Rating: 4.1/5 on Goodreads
Game Of Thrones gave me an addiction that I could not run away from, I spent days going through the book without stopping, I fell in love with world but sadly the series isn’t complete and feels as though it will take a while to reach the end.
I tried many other series to bridge the gap while I waited but none of them were quite like GoT but then I came across The Poppy War series and my God did it deliver, it was everything. The lore, the writing, the world building, magic, and the characters. It was perfect. The best part? It was a completed series. I fell in love all over again.
Kuang built the perfect world with just three books. The characters were all so unique and interesting and they were wonderfully flawed. In so many books we come across characters that seem just too perfect but not here, they make mistakes like any of us. There are no plot armours and there are no winners. You get what you get.
What to expect?
Well, you are following the main character Rin as she tries to fit in a world that doesn’t want her. You’ll find war, shamans, snooty rich people, and a plot that doesn’t stop moving. You’ll find characters going through multiple struggles, falling apart and coming together all at once. You’ll find friendships that matter more than relationships and bonds that were unexpected. You’ll find an empire.
What to watch out for?
It’s dark. Fair warning, it’s not going to be sunshine and flowers in here. There are no heroes in war. So, you can’t enter hoping for Hogwarts in Kings Landing, that’s all I am going to say. Be prepared for a massacre but it’s well worth the ride.
Words that word right:
“War doesn’t determine who’s right. War determines who remains.”
“Children ceased to be children when you put a sword in their hands. When you taught them to fight a war, then you armed them and put them on the front lines, they were not children anymore. They were soldiers.”
“When man begins to think that he is responsible for writing the script of the world, he forgets the forces that dream up our reality.”
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The Song of Achilles Novel by Madeline Miller
Genres: Novel, Romance novel, Historical Fiction
ReadOmeter: 10/10 Come on, you gotta try this once
Length: 416 pages
Rating: 4.4/5 on Goodreads
Before you roll your eyes at the romance factor of this book let me tell you, I am not one for romances. In fact, I have spent a good amount of time avoiding them. The reason I fell in love with this book is because of it’s writing. But I am getting ahead of myself, let me go back to how I found out about this book in the first place.
Won’t lie, it was Instagram. This book was everywhere, pictures, posts, reels, and whatnot. So, I became curious, what was so special about this book? Then I saw it was romance and based on Homer no less and I cringed thinking about Homers work being improperly written. I avoided it for a while and even asked my friends if it was worth it but neither of them had read it, they cringe at romance more than me.
After some time, I came across this book once more, and I thought, “Why not give it a go?”
2 days and many sticky notes later, I was in love. This book is everything, I had read The Iliad, so I knew how it ends but it’s not about the end, it’s about how it all began. The writing in this book is so simple yet powerful, it leaves you lost for a while, and pulls on strings that you didn’t know existed.
The best part is Miller did not break down the essence of Achilles and Patroclus just to make things unnecessarily romantic. She stuck to what it was, an unexpected bond.
What to expect?
A relationship for the ages. Gods and flawed humans. Writing that flows through you and around you. A disappointed father, a lost son and a Prince who won’t give up on his friend. An angry Goddess and a cruel King.
What to watch out for?
This isn’t about the battles, so if you’re going in for that, you won’t find much of it. It’s about two boys who are lost and are stuck between what they want and are supposed to want.
Again, there are no hero’s here either. These are characters who are capable of being wrong and imperfect.
Go into it for the story, the bond, and the writing.
Words that word right:
“I could recognize him by touch alone, by smell; I would know him blind, by the way his breaths came, and his feet struck the earth. I would know him in death, at the end of the world.”
― Madeline Miller, The Song of Achilles“In the darkness, two shadows, reaching through the hopeless, heavy dusk. Their hands meet, and light spills in a flood like a hundred golden urns pouring out of the sun.”
― Madeline Miller, The Song of Achilles
“I am made of memories.”
― Madeline Miller, The Song of Achilles
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The Book Thief Novel by Markus Zusak
Genres: Novel, Young adult fiction, Historical Fiction,
ReadOmeter: 10/10 Seriously, are you doubting me?
Length: 584 pages
Rating: 4.4/5 on Goodreads
This book needs no introduction, it’s so well known. But I had decided to never read it, in my mind I had decided that it was too overrated. For a long time, I was stuck in a rut, I was unable to find a good book for a while then I decided to just pick this up and go for it when I found it on sale.
I am so glad I was proven wrong. This book was worth all the hype and more.
The first word that comes to mind when I think about this book is, different. This book is so different in so many ways, the way it is written, the way it is presented. It’s all unique. But I can think of no other way that it could be represented.
The way it flows from scene to scene, it is beautiful.
Throughout the story it is made quite clear, you are just a listener, this story is being narrated to you and you can’t help but listen. In most stories you become immersed into the world as though you are living it but not in this one, in this book it seems as though you are sitting in a room with an old friend who is telling you a story that he’s particularly fond of.
It’s about a girl who loves to read and looks for a family. It’s about the bonds the girl makes and the words that she weaves. It’s about death, a girl, and a family stuck in war. They are trying to survive, and their tale is worth the read.
What to expect?
Love, so much love and emotions. Beautiful characters and a narrator who keeps on giving. A melancholic tune that keeps playing in silence. A story that reels you in and keeps you hooked. Wholesome bonds and friendship. A character that chooses to keep on fighting.
What to watch out for?
This isn’t a fantastical adventure or a super powered human. This books talent lies in its simplicity and the relationships and attachments formed. So, if you want bloodshed, this isn’t your book. But, if you want a giant fluffy batter of sentiments, love, and stunning writing? This is the book for you.
Words that word right:
“Like most misery, it started with apparent happiness.”
― Markus Zusak, The Book Thief“Usually we walk around constantly believing ourselves. “I’m okay” we say. “I’m alright”. But sometimes the truth arrives on you and you can’t get it off. That’s when you realize that sometimes it isn’t even an answer–it’s a question. Even now, I wonder how much of my life is convinced.”
― Markus Zusak, The Book Thief“One was a book thief. The other stole the sky.”
― Markus Zusak, The Book Thief
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The best part about reading? You get to read over and over again. You get to fall in love over and over again. You get to pick your adventures, your worlds, and your characters. You get to disappear within so many different choices and feel so many different sentiments.
It’s a luxury that costs nothing but the effort of turning pages. All these books offer a different world, a different adventure, and the best part is, we get to choose.
Thank you for reading! Also, I sure do love support and coffees! 💜
