Summer Reading: Fiction Wrap Up

I read books two and three in the Neopolitan series by Elena Farante, I only have one more book to go in this saga and I can’t wait. I am planning to write a review of the series in general as I see them almost as one big book, due to how they follow on from one another and show a lifetime of stories within one series (The Story of a New Name / Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay).

The other series I continued was A Court of Thornes and Roses sequel, A Court of Mist and Fury which was not as good as the first book but still worth a read. It is a fantasy book loosely based on the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale.

As it was summer, I obviously read some young adult beach reads. I started to read Anna and the French Kiss which was predictable and cliché but even so I read the ‘sequel’ Lola and the Boy Next Door. I would describe them more as companion novels to one another as Anna appears in both but the focus is obviously on Isla during the second book. I look forward to reading the third and final book in the trilogy, Lola and the happy ever after soon.

On a similar trend, I read The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson. I have read Matson’s book, Amy and Rogers Epic Detour which was a sweet book and was happy I read The Unexpected Everything as I thought it was much better. The plot and the characters were more relatable to me and I can see myself re-reading this book. Obviously these books are quite young but I enjoy reading them during summer to chill and not always have a strenuous book to read.

I’ve always loved short stories. I think if done effectively they can be more effective than length novels. Don’t get me wrong, some long books are worth it! But I enjoy the way an author can captivate, develop and change characters quickly and keep the reader engaged even over a short period of time. Firstly, I read Department of Speculation about the breakdown of a relationship, as well as how it began and progressed all within letters and less than 200 pages. Next I read a few young adults novels, one about a boy with a face disfigurement who goes to school for the first time, Wonder, which was a sweet and funny and everything the hype said about it. Finally, I read Highly Illogical Behaviour which was about Solomon who is agoraphobic and an unlikely friendship with Lisa. I have reviewed this book here.

As shown by my previous post, Summer Non Fiction Wrap, I have been trying to read new genres this summer. Another genre I introduced myself to was thrillers. I read two books; the first about a lost girl which involved different perspectives across time (The Girl in the Red Coat) followed by a more grown up novel about a woman who turns into a vigilante after her husband is murdered, the main character is interesting to say the least (Woman of the Dead).

I was also read some more controversial topics, and young adult is good at keeping with the times. I read The Art of Being Normal which is about a transgender teenager struggling with who he wants to be and how to be normal. It was interesting introduction to the young adult genre but I feel more could be done in future novels which are less predictable.

Unfortunately, this month there were some books I just didn’t enjoy as much as I thought I Would. For example, Ice was a good story about a couple who move to a Swedish island and follows their life transitioning to self-sufficiency and how the seasons change the atmosphere dramatically. However, I felt this novel was quite slow and difficult to get into personally.

Also Tender, the characters were so self - centered and I didn’t really care what happened to them. I feel that this may have been the point of the story but even so I found it frustrating to read.

Fiction Wrap Up Overview

      1.     The Story of a New Name/

2.     Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay – Elena Farante

3.     A Court of Misty and Fury – Sarah J. Maas

4.     Highly Illogical Behaviour – John Corey Whaley

5.     Anna and the French Kiss/

6.     Lola and the Boy Next Door – Stephanie Perkins

7.     The Girl in the Red Coat – Kate Hamer

8.     The Unexpected Everything – Morgan Matson

9.     Tender – Belinda McKeon

10.  Department of Speculation – Jenny Offill

11.  Ice – Ulla-Lena Lundberg

12.  Wonder – R. J. Palacio

13.  The Art of Being Normal – Lisa Williamson

14.  Woman of the Dead – Bernard Aichner