Review: A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas (Re-read)

★★★★★

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This is a non-spoiler review, but it will have spoilers for ACOTAR (fair warning). Just like ACOTAR, this was my 3rd reading of A Court of Mist and Fury, with the last one being about 3 years ago. This one is without a doubt, my favourite book in the series. It turns out that my taste in books hasn’t changed at all and this was still very much a 5 star read for me. This book had so much more going for it than ACOTAR, it had more depth in every aspect from character development, relationships, world-building, and just general tension, angst, and events. It absolutely hooks you in from the very first chapter, and doesn’t even release its grip after you finish it. 

Let’s start with the addition of the new characters; Cassian, Azriel, Mor, and Amren. I absolutely adore them all. They are all so unique, but all work so well together. Learning about each of their backstories, as well as Rhysands, and how they became the family that they are is truly one of my absolute favourite aspects of this book. The banter between the inner circle, and how they’re so comfortable with each other gives much of this book such a homely feel to it. 

“He thinks he’ll be remembered as the villain in the story. But I forgot to tell him that the villain is usually the person who locks up the maiden and throws away the key. He was the one who let me out.” 

Sarah J Maas

The main focus of this book is Feyre, how she is dealing with the events from Under the Mountain, and her personal development as a Fae. The treatment of PTSD, and highlighting the importance of having people around you who understand and are there for your well-being is so prevalent in most of this book. Feyre learns so much about how she has changed, physically and mentally from before the events under the mountain, and she realises what she deserves and DAMN I’m here for it. Because Tamlin, Ianthe and even Lucien (poor Lucien), acted like such trash. Their treatment of Feyre, their continuous exclusion of her and their inability to see that she was obviously struggling really bothers me. Every time I read this book, their actions make me queasy. And don’t for ONE second tell me that Tamlin never, not once, woke up to Feyre vomiting, like excuse me. No. 

I have always loved Rhysand as a character, but never more than in this book. Not only do we get to understand who he is, but we learn about his history and the lasting effects of what he had to do Under the Mountain. He is exactly what Feyre needed, and it frustrated me how long it took her to realise that he was a good guy, and was doing what he could to help her because he FULLY understands how she feels. He didn’t need to be connected with her to understand the darkness inside her from what she had done. It’s just, so much more complex than ACOTAR in every way and I really loved it. 

“To the people who look at the stars and wish, Rhys.” Rhys clinked his glass against mine. “To the stars who listen— and the dreams that are answered.”

Sarah J Maas

Getting to see more of Prythian and this world is another wonderful part of this book. Here we get to learn about the Night Court, we get to understand how courts differ more than just whether they’re Spring, Summer, Dawn, etc and the choices that the High Lords can make. We get Velaris, we get the Court of Nightmares and we get an introduction into the Illyrians. Just, so good. Plus, the writing definitely felt improved from the first one. 

This book had a lot of brilliant development in it, for the characters, relationships, the main plotline (which I won’t get into because spoilers), political tensions, and the world as a whole. If you loved this book, if you hated this book, I’d love to hear your thoughts/rants and opinions! Got spoilery stuff ya want to rant about? Feel free to send me a message on Insta, you can find me at @kell_read!!

Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses By Sarah J Maas (Re-read)

★★★☆☆

This was my third reading of A Court of Thorns and Roses, and my feelings and opinions on it haven’t changed much at all from the second reading, but my initial thoughts were quite different. So let’s get into this (spoiler-free) review! 

First and foremost, I always enjoy the whole Beauty and the Beast retelling-vibe. I also thought that the world-building was pretty great. You get enough in this first book of the series to get a feel for the world, but to leave some things to be found out in the later books which I really like. And honestly, the last 100 pages are so good, they’re darker and they’re raw and I really enjoy them. Every time, I forget how much better this series gets the longer you get into it. 

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The character development, and development of the relationships and relationship dynamics throughout the book I also think is excellent. In the beginning, Feyre was pretty damn annoying. It was frustrating being in her head, but honestly, by the end of the book she was much more interesting and maybe it was the fact that she went through SO much at the end that she was a way better POV. As she loosened up at the Spring Court, and formed connections with Tamlin, Lucien, Alis and even Rhysand, she became more interesting. 

Lucien and Rhysand are still my two favourite characters from this book. They are funny, witty and just way more dynamic than the predictable and a bit boring Tamlin. Tamlin is painted as ‘swoon-worthy but I really do find him boring and predictable. The dialogue between Feyre and Lucien is probably the most interesting part of the first 60% of the book to be quite honest. Lucien backstory never gets easier to read, it always makes me so sad. Maybe it’s because we get more information about Lucien than Tamlin, which is why I like him so much more? I don’t know. Tamlin seems like he’s just a bit self-serving? It’s interesting. Also, let’s just say, don’t take Rhysand at face value. This book only hints at the depth and layers of these characters and the world which you really only get into in book two. 

Don’t feel bad for one moment about doing what brings you joy 

Sarah J Maas

But, compared to the other books in the series, this one is seriously lacking. It definitely sets up the world and the characters for so much potential, but on it’s own, it falls short. Elain and Nesta are interesting characters, Elain is sweet but oh so very useless, and Nesta is icy and brutal. I will be very very interested to read a book from her POV to hopefully get a bit deeper into why she is how she is, because honestly, at the beginning of this book her words and actions are inexcusable. She is definitely better when we encounter her later in the book, but still. Doesn’t make up for her initial behaviour.

Let’s finish this mess of a review by saying it’s hard to review a book impartially when you have read the next ones… Honestly though, if you read this and don’t vibe with it that much, PLEASE try to read the next one. This is my least favourite book in the series and it honestly gets SO much better! If you’ve read this book, or the series, let me know what you think of it!

Review: The Iliad by Homer (translation by E.V. Rieu)

★★★★☆

— Okay so I do go through the main plot of the Trojan War, so I guess there are spoilers? But also, this story is over 2000 years old so if you don’t want to know the main events of the Iliad don’t read this review —

The start of my relationship with the Iliad didn’t go so well, which is why I have only now just finished it and didn’t read it all throughout my three-year Ancient History degree or honours year. In 2018 I picked it up for the first time, I struggled, I put it down after the damned Book 4 catalogue of the ships and never read anymore. I pretty much just gave up on it. I left it in my ‘currently reading’ on Goodreads for over a year until I took it off, knowing I wasn’t going to pick it back up. 

In August last year (2020), I thought to myself, this is dumb, it’s time to pick the Iliad back up and give it another try. You’re older and wiser now (lol), you can do this. So I picked it up, I got back into it (I skipped the catalogue of the ships though), and then about 50% of the way through, I put it down and didn’t pick it back up for months. Every now and then I’d pick it up, read a section and then put it down. Until about a week ago. I picked it up, and I started reading it. And I kept reading it, and I finished it in about 4 days. Maybe I wasn’t in the right headspace, or maybe I just kept wanting books that I didn’t have to focus so much on, or maybe the second half of the Iliad is just way better than the first half (that’s what I reckon), because honestly, I loved it. 

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So, after all that! After trying to read it for literally YEARS, I ended up loving it. It’s weird. So let’s get into this! The Iliad, by Homer is an early epic poem from Ancient Greece. It is believed to have been written down for the first time in the 8th century BCE, but would have been a well-known tale by then. It was initially part of the rich culture of oral poetry in Ancient Greece before being written down. This concept of oral poetry would have meant regions may have adapted and changed parts based on their city and culture which is such a fascinating phenomenon. There is also the idea that Homer was not actually one person but a whole bunch of people, but that is definitely something for another day. 

The Iliad tells the tale of the last year of the Trojan War, which had been raging for 9 years prior to the beginning of this book. The Trojan war started because Paris, the son of Priam the king of Troy, abducted Helen, the wife of Menelaus who was the brother of Agamemnon, king of Mycenae. Now obviously, Menelaus wasn’t okay with his wife being whisked off (voluntarily or against her will is also a topic for another day, and one that is still highly popular in discussions of the Trojan War), and so he pretty much rallied all the blokes he could from as many cities as possible to help him get Helen back. A lot of fighting happens, and the Iliad ends after the body of Hector (who has been killed by Achilles in response to Hector killing Patroclus) is returned to his family and wife. So that’s a simplified summary of the 10-year war. 

To the book! It was always so interesting reading this and remembering that this would have initially been spoken, not read. I absolutely loved keeping that in my mind whilst I read it, especially when passages were repeated and the use of epithets. You can only assume that these were features to keep it easier to memorise and relay to a crowd of people listening! The translation by E.V. Rieu was so wonderful, it was easy to read but didn’t feel to modern or jarring. I thought it really brought the story to life in a compelling way. 

I am not a fan of war books, I never have been and probably never will be. The fact that this documents the last year of the Trojan War wasn’t a good omen for me. I wouldn’t say that this is a traditional war book though, and honestly, the Greek gods are absolutely my favourite part of this. They are so vindictive, jealousy prone and downright human. They made me laugh so many times, they had childish feuds and are honestly just the most dysfunctional family you could imagine, and I am here for it. If you’re on the fence about it, read it if only for the part that Hera calls Artemis a ‘shameless bitch’ lol. 

The grief Achilles felt for the death of his closest friend and love, Patroclus, was palpable through the words. It was so raw, and the fact that he was wailing and displaying his grief in quite a feminine way was really interesting. The physical lament of pulling at hair and clothes was a tradition commonly observed by grieving women, so having Achilles, the greatest warrior of the Achaeans lamenting Patroclus in that way must have been a very explicit decision. I really would like to one day have my Ancient Greek abilities good enough that I could read this in the Greek. Anyone who thinks they weren’t lovers obviously hasn’t read the Iliad. I wouldn’t want my ashes to be buried in the same golden urn as someone who was just my super close friend. 

It’s hard to review a book that has over 2000 years’ worth of legendary history woven into it, but I thought it was such a great read (well definitely the last 50%). Reading how the citizens of Ancient Greece would have been living their lives in regards to their belief in the Greek gods is so incredibly interesting. How an arrow will go straight as long as you remember to sacrifice a young lamb in honour of Phoebus Apollo, as seen in Book 23 or if they have a favourite mortal, they will ferry them to safety without being asked. The complete incorporation of the Greek gods in the lives of every man and woman in this book is so striking. 

They’re my main thoughts and feelings about the Iliad, but I’m sure I’ll keep talking about it for a long long time, especially since I’d like to read different translations of it. I can’t wait to sink my teeth into the Odyssey, and also Stephen Fry’s Troy. Have you read the Iliad? Which translation was it and did you enjoy it?? Lemme know! ❤️

Review: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

★★★★★

Putting words down for how I feel about this book, how it made me feel reading it, is proving to be an incredible challenge. It is intriguing, dazzling, beguiling, wondrous, mesmerising and whimsical. It was soft, gentle and absolutely nothing like how I imagined it, and I am so incredibly glad.

“You may tell a tale that takes up residence in someone’s soul, becomes their blood and self and purpose. That tale will move them and drive them and who knows that they might do because of it, because of your words. That is your role, your gift.”

Erin Morgenstern

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The book is about a circus, which isn’t really anything like a circus. It all began with a challenge, a girl named Celia and a boy named Marco. This challenge has rules, but Celia and Marco don’t know them, and it takes them many years to fully understand the stakes upon which they are battling. However, it is the most thoughtful, gentle and elegant challenge, with each move made with purpose and intention. There was no action in this book, it was an incredibly slow burn and the romance is subtle, yet fits in perfectly with the book.

It was written out of time, with the beginning of each chapter probably in a different location, day or year than the one before. Its disorienting, like the entrance to the circus; you don’t know where you are, or where anyone is but you know if you keep going, you’ll be in the circus. The writing was so spellbinding, just as the magic in this book. It’s impossible to describe my feelings about this book, its soul is the circus, and the circus is nothing without those making it what it is. The Rêveurs were such a wonderful idea, and I will be a Rêveur for this book, forever. 

“The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not.”

Erin Morgenstern

I want nothing more than to experience a circus like this, and I know I haven’t done this book justice with this review, but it is truly impossible. The characters, every single one (and there were many), were fleshed out, unique, and utterly pivotal to the story. They were (almost all), morally ambiguous, which heightened the level of ‘realness’ to this. People aren’t purely good or bad, people make bad choices, and the actions of the characters in The Night Circus, were so incredibly believable within this dazzling world. I will have to shout out my two favourite characters, Poppet and Widget. They brought something to the book that no other characters did, it’s an indescribable quality, but it’s there nonetheless. 

From the first chapter, and the obvious link to William Shakespeares The Tempest, I knew I was in for a story about spirits and illusions, magic and performances, and that’s exactly what I got. This book is much like Le Cirque de Rêves, it is beautiful, mystifying, and unique, and only with you for a short while. This book will not be for everyone, there is no action, it is not fast-paced, and there is no steamy romance, but it is probably one of the most intricate books I have ever read, and I implore you to give it a try.

Review: From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L Armentrout

★★★★☆

Okay, I’m going to keep this spoiler-free, but its gonna be damn hard. This is a very tentative 4 stars, because honestly, I had more issues with this than I was anticipating. But I will start by saying that I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator did such a good job! I would definitely recommend listening to this book! 

That brings me to my first issue with this book, the writing. It started with this enormous info dump which I am going to assume takes up the first two-three pages. This was not a good experience when listening to the audiobook, especially because I couldn’t easily re-read it/ review it later when terms and people were mentioned. It was so bland to listen to and also just way way wayyyy too much information. Like, honestly. Build the world please. This book had so much potential, and I literally couldn’t tell you any noteworthy part of the world building?? There’s a big wall called ‘the rise’ (real original lol), and of course there’s small houses in the poor district, and the fancy big castle thing. That’s all I got. With the writing, there was so much repetition. SO MUCH. I found myself thinking, ‘we just heard this like 2 minutes ago, we don’t need to hear it again.’ So yeah, there was a few issues with the writing which put me off. The world grew later in the book, like, the last 30%, but before that, it was very two-dimensional and bland. 

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However, the book was a slow burn, and to be honest with you, I vibe with that. Obviously, I would have preferred that the world was built, and dimensions were added in that time, but also just getting to know the characters, the relationship dynamics and history of the people we’re reading about is something I enjoy. 

What a great segway into the characters. We are in the POV of Poppy for the entire book (and in first person too which shook me at the beginning), and oh my god. Poppy is so stupid. Sorry, she is not some amazing heroine, she is dumb. Yes, she took the initiative to learn how to defend herself (bless Viktor), but you’d think being forced to be ‘The Maiden,’ and literally not allowed to talk to anyone would mean that she would be a good observer?? That she would use her inability to talk to people to observe, and actually SEE what was going on around her. But no, she literally didn’t see anything that was right in front of her the whole time, and would be absolutely bamboozled when explained to her. I understand why she feels how she does, she’s kept isolated and alone for her whole life – but she doesn’t act like it? And!! She doesn’t use it to her advantage? I dunno, her POV was mostly enjoyable, but damn she could be slow. 

Then we get to Hawke. I’m not going to say a lot about him, because I don’t want to spoil anything, but I am disappointed. He is not the sexy, brooding but actually soft and sweet bad boy that we live for. The ending was really interesting, like the last 5 or 6 chapters were just wild, and it’s really set up the potential for an exciting sequel, but the VERY LAST SENTENCE literally left me with goosebumps, but not the good kind. Yes I was surprised with one or two aspects of the wild final 30% of the book, parts of it were SO obvious that honestly, I picked them up pretty damn early. 

I love morally grey characters, I LIVE for a villain that is complex, but by the end of this book, I was just angry, frustrated, and frankly, incredibly uncomfortable. This book was a binge-read for me. It was interesting, and I wanted to keep reading and the last 30% of it kept me on my toes, but it wasn’t a 5 star read. I am SO conflicted. Honestly, it’s hard to review this without spoiling it, and it’s hard to give it a star review. I have probably contradicted myself a few times during this, and I can’t help it. I would LOVE to know your thoughts about this book! Please leave a comment, or message me on insta (especially if it’s about spoilers!) This was a wild mess, I’m sorry, but welcome to my brain!

Review: Theogony and Works + Days by Hesiod

★★★★☆

Theogony and Works + Days are both epic poems from the rich history of Greek epic poetry. They are dated to the 8th century BCE and credited to the greek poet Hesiod. Prior to being written down, these two epic poems were part of the oral traditions of Ancient Greece such as Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, and would have been written down later than their initial telling by Hesiod. 

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The Theogony, which comes from the Greek word ‘theogonia‘ meaning ‘birth [or generations] of the gods’ is aptly named since it is primarily concerned with describing how the universe came into being, and the genealogy of the titans, gods, monsters, nymphs, dryads, demigods and everything in-between. From chaos or chasm, came the Earth, misty Tartarus, Eros (the god of sexual love), Erebos, and Night. From them came Air and Day, starry Heaven, Mountains, Nymphs and the Oceanus. It all pretty much escalates from there. 

This founding myth of the creation of the universe is the cosmogony of Ancient Greece, and explains just how the universe came into being, and why things are. It’s honestly such an interesting read, I really enjoyed it. I loved the interconnectedness of the primordial gods to the rest of their offspring and beyond. Comments about how parts of the Theogony were from specific regions, and regional myths is so fascinating, and the fact that we have the knowledge that sections of the text would have been added in later blows my mind! This piece of work is over 2600 years old, and yet it can still be enjoyed in the modern day. 

The themes of power + violence, cycles of succession and family are so prominent in the work and are all interconnected within each other. These themes absolutely transcend time, with violence and power being hand in hand in our current political climate, although hopefully, we are on an upward trajectory away from that damaging time. Family remains as a massively important concept in the modern world, and it is often a device used in literary and cinematic works! This synthesis of such a massive variety of Greek myths and legends concerning gods and the universe needs to be appreciated more! 

The Works + Days though… not so much. This was definitely an interesting text, although not as enjoyable. It is very clearly split into different concepts which could only be read as a rule book of sorts. Sections such as myths and fables, works (evil is easy but virtue is hard), a calendar which tells the best time to plant + harvest crops, a calendar on when is best to travel by sea, advice on family management and a section at the end about days and basically which days to do things, and which days to not. It is definitely very intriguing, but not as fun to read. 

Works + Days is the first extant account of the concept of the ‘five stages of man’ which incorporates the Golden Age, Silver Age, Bronze Age, the age of heroes and the Iron Age which is the age of Hesiod’s life. It is a Greek creation myth which essentially traces back the history of man through five stages, or races until it gets to the current stage. We also get the earliest written account of Pandora and her pithos (yeah, it was a jar not a box, sorry). Essentially, Hesiod says that women are the punishment of man, and because Pandora spilled the contents of her jar, the world is plagues by illness and all sorts of evils. When Pandora was created, she was bestowed traits by the gods and goddesses of Olympus including the skills of weaving, a deceitful nature and shameless mind and lies and crafty words. From this alone, you can understand the general attitudes towards women in Ancient Greece. 

Not only that, but I really hated reading the section about how men are ready for marriage at around 30 years old, but women (basically still girls), are perfect five years after menstruation began. So for some, as early as 15/16 years old. It’s easy to gloss over uncomfortable and confronting views and beliefs from the ancient world, but it is SO important to acknowledge that there was real issues, just as there is today. It’s okay to read a piece of classical literature and be uncomfortable! 

So, overall, I enjoyed reading these two works! They give us SO much information on Ancient Greek beliefs and understanding of the world around them, and of general ideas of everyday life as a farmer. They are really interesting pieces, fairly easy to read and plenty of notes to supplement the reading as you go. I would definitely recommend reading these if you’re a fan of Greek Mythology and the ancient world!

Review: Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

★★★☆☆

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The fact that it was published over 200 years ago gave me some trepidation when I started it, especially since the only other experience I have of reading Jane Austen was during Uni which gave me plenty of resources, background, and support for understanding it! 

“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.” 

However, these worries were futile because although the witting style and vocabulary is definitely something to get used to, the characters and themes struck me as very universal! A young man who thinks he’s the best (and lets everyone know it), and couldn’t possibly understand why someone wouldn’t reciprocate his feelings could definitely be used to describe people in this day and age. A friend who is self-serving and self-absorbed and a handsome man who is inclined to open your eyes to the world. 

The relationships in this novel were dynamic, and I really enjoyed the contrasts Jane Austen made between our protagonist Catherine, and what would happen if this was a novel in which she was the heroine. It was such an interesting and engaging writing style, and although Catherine was indeed our heroine who endured a number of dissatisfying and embarrassing events, the parallels drawn between her and heroines of novels she so happily read were endearing!

“If adventures will not befall a young lady in her own village, she must seek them abroad.” 

– Jane Austen

Review: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab

★★★☆☆.5

This book was good, I love VE Schwab’s writing style, it is the most poetic prose that I’ve encountered in a long time. I’m a fan of stories that are gentle, and don’t have crazy battle scenes or fast paced action, but I never got really hooked into this like I thought it was. Maybe I was coming in with too high expectations since so many people have absolutely adored it and sobbed at the end and so forth. It just never demanded to be picked up and read. I could always put it down at any point. 

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I really enjoyed the beginning with Addie in France, I loved her grappling with the possibility of a pointless and static life (I feel that), and her initial meeting with the darkness. And then I didn’t enjoy it quite so much, but when Henry was introduced that definitely picked up the interest. He’s such an interesting, and to me, relatable character in so many ways. Also, a cat called Book will always make me happy. I really liked the ending, the last 5-10 pages I thought were such a great way to end the book, but also not really where I thought was going which was a good note to end the book. 

I don’t know, it was just missing something for me but I can’t really put my finger on it. Don’t get me wrong, overall I really enjoyed it, but it just isn’t 5 stars for me.

“What she needs are stories. Stories are a way to preserve one’s self. To be remembered. And to forget. Stories come in so many forms: in charcoal, and in song, in paintings, poems, films. And books. Books, she has found, are a way to live a thousand lives—or to find strength in a very long one.” 

VE Schwab

Most Anticipated Reads For 2021!

Hello and welcome to Kell-Read, I’m Kelly and this year it is my mission to become more well-read (see what I did there)!

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One thing to know about me is that I love to buy books, and then I don’t read them for a really long time. Let’s get into books that I already own that I HAVE to read this year. I guess this is kind of a way to keep myself accountable for my reading. Less screen time, and less time re-reading. Of course, not that there’s anything wrong with either of those two things, but it’s come to the point where I need to choose books more.

The first one is a book that I have been trying to finish for too long is the Iliad by Homer. I think it’s because of how different the writing style is to anything else I have read that is causing me to struggle through it. I feel like I can only read a few pages before I need to put it down, but I am determined to finish it this year. I’m reading the translation by E.V. Rieu, so I’m thinking a different translation might be a good idea when I inevitably reread it. I have the Robert Fagles translation which is in verse which I feel like would be a very different experience. If you have ever read a translation of the Iliad, I’d love to know which translation you read and whether you enjoyed it!

On the same theme I have the Odyssey by Homer on my TBR for next year! I have four different translations; one is the Robert Fagles edition and my most recent purchase was the Emily Wilson translation. It’s Emily’s translation that I am most excited to read since I have heard so much about. 

Another one in the Robert Fagles ballpark is his translation of the Aeneid by Virgil which I am VERY excited to read. I don’t know much about the Aeneid, so I think that’s going to be a bit of fun. 

Staying in the ancient world, we’re moving to Stephen Fry’s novels; MythosHeroes and Troy. I’ve had Mythos and Heroes on my shelf for way too long, at least two years I think and this year, my lovely boyfriend completed my collection with a beautiful hardcover of Troy. I love anything mythology, especially Greek, so the fact that I have left these two books unread for so long is truly despicable. Once I finish the Iliad then I feel like I’ll be able to read Troy. 

The trend continues with more ancient books including Theogony and Works and Days by Hesiod and the Constellation Myths. I have read snippets of all three of these works for either uni or work so it would be so lovely to sit and read each of these books. 

Next is probably one of my most anticipated reads for 2021 and that’s The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue by V.E. Schwab. Everything I have heard about this book has been nothing but praise, and the premise is SO enticing. 

Next, we have two books, Aurora Rising and Aurora Burning by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman. I have seen SO MANY people react to the ending of Aurora Burning that I was hesitant to read it considering the next one isn’t out Next, we have two books, Aurora Rising and Aurora Burning by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman. I have seen SO MANY people react to the ending of Aurora Burning that I was hesitant to read it considering the next one isn’t out. But my intrigue for what made everyone exclaim so passionately has won me over so I will be getting to these two this year. 

I have had a book by one of my favourite authors burning a hole in my shelf since it came out, and that’s Burn by Patrick Ness. I have read most of his books (I didn’t finish the Chaos Walking series, but I will one day I promise), and More Than This is one of my favourite books of all time so to say I’m excited to read this is an understatement… If anyone can tell me why I literally never read books that I am super keen to read for ages that would be awesome cause I do it to myself all the time! I am a notorious re-reader…  

I was given two books by Erin Morgenstern for Christmas this year (yay!) so on my TBR for 2021 is The Night Circus and The Starless Sea. These are two books that have been floating around in my peripheral for SO long, I have meant to pick them up time and time again, and finally, they’re in my hot little hands and will be read in 2021. 

Next. I have Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. This is a book that I have been meaning to read FOREVER, and this is finally the year. I picked up a super cute, second-hand edition of it and now there is no excuses. This is the same thing for Dubliners by James Joyce!

Finally, I have Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb. This is the first in the Farseer Trilogy, and once I heard Regan from PeruseProject rave about it this year, I knew I had to read it! I only have the first one so far, but soon the next two will be in my possession! 

That’s a total of 17 books which is absolutely doable! I am also a part of a Jane Austen Bookclub so each month I will be (hopefully) reading a Jane Austen book! All these things are keeping me accountable which I need, and honestly love. 

So that’s what I’m hoping to get through this year, and I am very excited to work my way through this list!! 

Welcome to Kell-Read! (It's like well-read)

I’m so excited to finally launch a blog after thinking about it for so so long! Welcome! 

Hello! Welcome to Kell-Read, a place where I’m going to write a bunch of stuff related to books, reading, and the general bibliophile life! 

Kell-Read, a play on well-read, is what I strive to be! I love reading, and I love writing about books I’ve read, and discussing them with like-minded people. I’m not often overly critical of books, and it isn’t often that I DNF or completely dislike a book! If I give a book anything less than 3 stars (which happens very rarely), I must have really REALLY disliked it. I am liberal in my star ratings, and I like to see the positives in every book I read.

I’m hoping that by starting this blog along with my Instagram, I will reach a wider group of people who love to read and chat about all things books. It’s also for me, to keep track of books that I’ve read, and my reactions + thoughts about them! I am notorious for forgetting plots, characters, and any thoughts about books I’ve read unless I’ve written them down, so this is me, holding myself accountable!

Here you’ll find TBR’s, reviews, discussions and a whole bunch of other fun stuff about what I’m reading, what I want to read, and all my thoughts and feelings!

So, welcome to my little book space, I hope you enjoy your time here! You can find links to my Goodreads which I keep updated, and my bookstagram! If you find it through this blog, let me know!

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