The end of summer is nigh and that means it’s time to wrap up the 20 Books of Summer challenge. The good news is I read 28 books over three months, so I hit that target, but only 13 were from my list (I DNFed another two) and I only managed to post 8 reviews in total. How past me reviewed everything she read, I don’t know.

On my list and reviewed:

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Book of Gothel by Mary McMyne ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Windsor Knot by S.J. Bennett ⭐⭐⭐

Not on my list and reviewed:

The Ends by James Smythe ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cackle by Rachel Harrison ⭐⭐⭐

Hothouse Earth by Bill McGuire ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dead Water by C.A. Fletcher ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

On my list, read but not reviewed:

Links go to Goodreads.

Ithaca by Claire North ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I will review this one in the next few days. Story of how Penelope and her maids kept the island of Ithaca going during her husband’s absence. Was a great choice to have Hera narrate this, with her disdain for mortal men and the other gods, but a soft spot for the last queens of Greece.

Aurora’s End by Amie Kaufman + Jay Kristoff ⭐⭐⭐

This trilogy was nowhere near as good as the Illuminae Files, however the time loop in this final instalment was one of the high points.

My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Outcast, slasher-film obsessed Jade wishes a serial killer to her town and then a Final Girl turns up. Glad I finally read a SGJ book, will consider others.

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Just lovely, and I loved how it tied in with The Glass Hotel.

Book Lovers by Emily Henry ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Enjoyable romance, I liked the editor and literary agent characters.

The Deepest of Secrets by Kelley Armstrong ⭐⭐⭐⭐

These are really getting a bit repetitive but I enjoy them!

The Cat Who Saved Books by Sōsuke Natsukawa ⭐⭐⭐

Not my favourite Japanese Cat Book.

Coward by Tim Clare ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Really good exploration into anxiety and one man’s search for a cure.

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Becky’s books are always like a friendly hug.

Her Majesty’s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson ⭐⭐⭐⭐

An urban fantasy for Brits of my generation!

 

Not on my list, read but not reviewed:

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Maybe my favourite book of the year? Game dev, friendship, grief and disability with a big helping of nostalgia.

The Trees by Percival Everett ⭐⭐⭐

I am not really sure I understood what this was trying to do and I didn’t find it as funny as everyone else. Very odd book.

Together We Burn by Isabel Ibanez ⭐⭐⭐

If matadors fought dragons, enjoyable enough but I was on the side of the dragons.

Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I fear Ali Hazelwood might be a one trick pony, but this was cute

Stuck With You by Ali Hazelwood ⭐⭐⭐

The most disappointing of her STEMinist novellas…

Below Zero by Ali Hazelwood ⭐⭐⭐⭐

…and my favourite STEMist novella. I liked all the space geekery.

Nick and Charlie by Alice Oseman ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Read this after binging on the adorableness of Heartstopper.

Eve by Una ⭐⭐

A dreary disappointment. But it did fulfil Popsugar’s palindromic title prompt.

The Secret of Life by Howard Markel ⭐⭐⭐

Very dry history of Watson, Crick and Franklin. Gave it a bonus star for trying to give Franklin proper credit.

My Killer Vacation by Tessa Bailey ⭐⭐

Not my sort of romance!