2019 Round-Up and 2020 Goals

2019

I had a mixed year in 2019. My reading goal for the year was 100 books, which I hit back in July, but I kind of fell into a reading slump after that. Reviews and blogging quickly fell by the wayside and it was December before I knew it.

Goodreads Year in Books

2020

It’s the start of a new year, and my reading picked up again at the end of December so I’m optimistic with my reading goals for this year.

  • Read 150 books
  • Read at least 75 books bought prior to 2020
  • Read 50,000 pages in 2020
  • Post here at least three times a week
  • Read at least three kindle unlimited books a month
  • Review all books read

Did you meet your goals for 2019? What are your goals for 2020?

Monthly Round-Up: June 2019

June is over, and we are officially half way throughout the year. I can’t believe we’re already in July, in my head it still feels like March.

I read 11 books in June, but I’ve only published five reviews. I’m planning to post reviews this week for a few of them, and then hopefully stay on top of July’s books.

What I Read

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A Face in the Crowd – This was my first approval on NetGalley. This was a really interesting story that made me think about the situation Lucy was in, and how I’d react in a similar situation.

The Honeymoon – This was a book that I wanted to like, but couldn’t get past my issues with the characters to connect with the story properly. I have seen reviews from other bloggers who enjoyed it, and I think I would have without my general dislike for romance.

Dead Inside – I bought this after seeing all of the reviews. I really liked the story, and have already pre-ordered the next book in the series.

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Degrees of Guilt – I absolutely loved this book. I was hooked and read the entire book in one sitting. Watch this space for my full revew.

55 – I enjoyed this, but I felt as though it didn’t live up to it’s full potential. It was a really interesting idea that I thought could have been explored more.

Ten Little Astronauts – I really liked the idea of this book, a classic Agatha Christie-esque murder story, but set in space. Sadly this didn’t live up to my expectations. It was shorter than expected (the end was about 60% through the book) and didn’t really explore the story or build up tension.

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The Sunday Girl – This was my first blog tour, and a really intense read. I’m already waiting for the next book by Pip Drysdale.

The Perfect Betrayal – I adored this book. The ending blew me away, and I’m recommending this to anyone who will listen to me.

Find Me – I didn’t connect with this story. I’m not a fan of stories, in any form, that flick between two time periods, and this didn’t engage me enough to make up for that.

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The Closer I Get – I bought this after seeing a lot of reviews on the blog tour. I’m not quite sure what I think about this, and it will definitely be something I’ll re-read to look for anything that I missed.

Nightflyers – This was a short story that I thought could have easily been a full length novel to develop the characters more, and build up more suspense, but was still an enjoyable read.

Plans for July

I’m feeling pretty ambitious for July, I already have a list of ten books that I want to read in the next fortnight.

Work is promising to get more busy this month, rather than less, but that’s made me more determined to set aside time for reading. I’ve signed up 24 in 48 later this month so I’m hoping that will give a nice boost to my reading goals (mostly it’s an excuse to spend the entire weekend reading).

How are your reading goals going so far? Do you have any exciting plans for July?

May 2019 Round-Up

May is over and we’re almost in summer. This year is going so fast.

I didn’t have a great reading month in May. I only read eight books,

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I got some bad family news in May, which wasn’t completely unexpected but still pretty devestating. As a result my mental health has been up and down for the last couple of weeks.

I’m aware that I stop reading as much when my mental health starts slipping so I’m starting fresh in June. I have some books I’m really excited for, and a few ideas for blog posts.

How was your reading month? What are your plans for June?

April 2019 Round-Up

It doesn’t feel like it’s been a month since I was last doing this, yet here we are in May. I finished twenty books in April, not as many as I hoped, and I didn’t manage to complete either readathon, but twice as many as March.

Books Read in April

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The Passengers – John Marrs

Nine Perfect Strangers – Liane Moriarty

A Whole New World – Liz Braswell

We Were Liars – E. Lockhart

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Murder Games – James Patterson & Howard Roughan

Pet Sematary – Stephen King

As Old As Time – Liz Braswell

Twisted – Steve Cavanagh

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The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley










The Humid – Russell Cordner

Circe – Madeline Miller

The Chalk Man – C. J. Tudor

The Hunting Party – Lucy Foley

Quality DNA by [Martin, Beth]
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Quality DNA – Beth Martin

The Lights – Nathan Kuzack

The Rumour – Lesley Kara

A Midsummer Night’s Dream – William Shakespeare

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Demon Seed – Dean Koontz

Legend

The Bad Mother

I Am Not a Serial Killer


I still have reviews for some of these to be published over the next week or so. I’m also still trying to decide the best way to do my monthly round-up.

May Goals

I haven’t finished any of the books from the Avengers Readathon yet, and there are a couple of books that I’m really excited to read this month. Otherwise I’m planning on having a less structured month and reading whatever I’m in the mood for.

I’m only 20 books away from my Goodreads Reading Challenge for 2019, so I’m hoping I might be able to complete that this month.


What did you read in April? What are your reading goals for May?

March Round Up

March was a really busy month at work, so I didn’t read as much as I would have liked. I finished ten books in March, and DNF’d two.

Read

Solaris – 2/5 stars
This sounded interesting, but I felt like it didn’t really go anywhere.

Sphere – 3/5 stars
This was an interesting idea, but I thought that parts of it were rushed, and the end was disappointing.

The Detainee – 2/5 stars
I liked the idea behind this book, but it felt like it was just building to the next book in the series, and I don’t care enough about any of the characters to want to carry on reading.

Her Last Move – 3/5 stars
This was a standard crime thriller, enjoyable, but nothing special

The Halloween Tree – 3/5 stars
This is the first Ray Bradbury book I’ve read, and it was fun, if quite strange.

Lost Boy – 4/5 stars
This was a wonderful retelling of Peter Pan and I loved reading about Jamie before he became Captain Hook.
Read my full review here.

I Thought I Knew You – 4/5 stars
This was another great read. I’m not sure if books dealing with rape are becoming more common, or if I’ve read more of them recently but this was really interesting.
Read my full review here.

Take Me In – 2/5 stars
I wanted to like this, but I just couldn’t connect with the story.
Read my full review here.

Witness – 4/5 stars
This was a good thriller. There was a lot going on to keep you interested.
Read my full review here.

In Bloom – 2/5 stars
Parts of this were funny/enjoyable but it didn’t really have a plot.
Full review to follow this week

Did Not Finish

Beartown – I accidentally placed a hold for this on Libby so I thought I’d try it, even though it’s not something I’d usually read. I thought the first chapter was quite gripping, but then the focus and description afterwards was all about hockey and I quickly lost interest.

Repressed – I didn’t realise that this was a romance when I borrowed it, and I found a lot of the descriptions and scenarios too annoying to continue with the book.

This Month

I’m doing two readathons this month so I’m hoping to read at least 22 books. I also got my first review copy in the post this morning so I’m going to be reading that as soon as I can.

Best Books I Read in February

Silent Child

Cover of Silent Child by Sarah A. Denzil

This was a big release on Audible a couple of years ago now, and I finally bought it at the start of the month.

Emma’s son returns ten years after he went missing, but doesn’t say a word. Emma tries to reconnect with her now teenaged son, and discover what happened to him during the decade he was missing.

This was a good mystery with an eerie feeling. You can guess some of the twists, but it’s still a compelling story.

The Guilty Ones

Cover of The Guilty Ones by Joy Ellis

This is the 4th book in the DI Jackman series. In this DI Jackman’s sister-in-law travels to London to kill herself. Jackam and the team investigate whether somebody forced her to commit suicide.

This is a psychological thriller with a lot going on. It’s full of suspense and twists that keep you hooked until the very end.

Richard Armitage is an excellent narrator and I would highly recommend listening to the audio version. I’m already waiting for book 5 in the series to be added.

One of Us is Lying

Book Cover of One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus

One of Us is Lying starts as your typical ‘The Breakfast Club’ story with five high students from different social groups in detention. When Simon is killed during the detention, the other four students soon become murder suspects.

This is a really interesting plot, and was also well written. It kept my attention to the very end of the book. I like stories in which very different personalities are put together and develop relationships, as it makes you root for the characters and you get much more invested in the relationships.

I’ve already bought Two Can Keep A Secret to add to my TBR pile.

Evil Has a Name

Cover of Evil Has a Evil Has a Name. An Audible original

This is the story of The Golden State Killer and his capture.

I’m a huge fan of crime dramas and true crime. It was fascinating to listen to the story of the investigation but parts of it were very disturbing to listen to.

I recommend listening to this, but be aware of the fact that there are some disturbing details.

The Perfect Child

Book cover of the Perfect Child by Lucinda Berry

Hannah and Christopher have always wanted a child but were unable to have one. When Christopher treats an abused and abandoned child he thinks she will be the perfect addition to their family. Hannah’s not so sure, but nothing she says will convince him otherwise.

This is a really good read, but also creates an uncomfortable feeling. I couldn’t put this down, and there are a few twists throughout the book to keep you guessing.

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

Book Cover of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

Each day Aiden Bishop will wake in the body of a different party guest and repeat the day of Evelyn Hardcastle’s murder. He has eight bodies to solve the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle.

This is a great story, and definitely worth the hype. It’s a gripping mystery and it’s fascinating to see how Aiden’s character changes with the different bodies he inhabits.