What I read in this month’s Round Up!
Another super eventful reading month with a lot of strong reads. Coming off of a disappointing October, I made sure to start reading from day 1. I got myself into a lot of the books on my TBR while also satisfying my need for mood reads and picking up whatever interested me in the moment.
A lot of 4-5 star reads and an overall really enjoyable book month. Lots of books to get through, so I will be keeping my overviews short. I’ll start with short thoughts on books from my TBR, then my top 3 mood reads.
I read 16 books this month, and though I am extremely strict with my 5-star ratings as no book is ever a real five-star to me, I had quite a few that felt like initial five stars. So let’s crack on with this month’s round up.
Completed Books (in chronological order, Notable in italics)
Finished
- Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
- The Attic Child by Lola Jaiye
- The Last Man on Earth by Shae Sanders
- Only for the Moment by Kaylyn
- Act II: All or Nothing by Kaylyn
- Maybe in this Lifetime by Asia Monique
- The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennet
- A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
- Pretty Rings and Broken Things by Kat Singleton
- One Day by David Nicholls
- If You Love Me by Kimberley Brown
- Amid Clouds and Bones by Ella Fields
- The Text by Juli Hill
- Ace of Spades by Farida Àbike-íyímídé
- Who Asked You? By Terry McMillan
- Sia by Eden O’Neill
- The Girl with the Loading Voice by Abi Daré
- When I Think of You by Myah Ariel
I managed to finish four books from my TBR this month — three of which were from this month’s update — so I’m quite proud of myself. I’ve been leaning heavily on audiobooks this year, and they’ve made such a difference in helping me use my time more efficiently. I listen while I’m out and about or when my hands are busy, but I still make sure to carve out dedicated moments to sit with my Kindle and properly disappear into a story.
Black Cake and The Attic Child both made it into my “Best Books from My TBR” post this month, so feel free to check that out for my full feelings— they were strong reads.
I also read A Thousand Splendid Suns. I actually own the physical copy, but started with the audiobook for convenience. About 60% of the way through, I picked up the book to read along (like subtitles, honestly), only to realise I’d been listening to an abridged version that skipped huge chunks, so obviously I had to stop there and read my book. It does mean I missed a lot of the beginning, which I plan to go back and read properly. Even so, I loved the story — incredibly sad and deeply affecting — though I didn’t cry, which I was fully expecting to.
My mood reads this month were a mixed bag. Last Man on Earth was great fun, especially because a friend insisted I read it and we had the best time discussing it afterwards. Some of the other Black romances I picked up, however, were a bit underwhelming — which was disappointing since they were from authors I usually adore.
I read The Vanishing Half for book club, and it wasn’t quite the experience I’d hoped for. There were moments I really enjoyed, but others left me a bit meh. Without giving too much away, one twin decides to pass, and the other doesn’t, and we follow both their lives and their daughters’. It explores colourism and the realities of being dark-skinned in the ’70s and ’80s, which will always be deeply painful yet insightful.
I just wish we’d got more of Desiree’s story — her life after her sister leaves her — and less focus on her daughter. With the narrative jumping around non-linearly between characters, I often felt pulled away from what could’ve been a much stronger central storyline. I went in with high expectations and ended up slightly disappointed.
I read Ace of Spades (another recommendation from that same friend), and honestly, what a frustrating experience. It reminded me why I tend to avoid YA stories: teenagers are so often written as stupid in a way that doesn’t even feel true to actual teenagers. The characters’ decision-making and naivety just felt absurd given how glaringly obvious their situation was.
Ace of Spades is marketed as Gossip Girl meets Get Out, which is surprisingly accurate, and the premise is genuinely strong — but I don’t think the execution lived up to it. The story felt very juvenile, and I struggled to connect with the characters, especially the girl. It read more like “racism 101 for white readers” than a fully fleshed-out narrative of a Black experience.
I know it’s a thriller and we’re expected to suspend disbelief to some degree, but it simply didn’t land for me. That said, the final 20% really picked up, and I did enjoy the climax, which was the book’s saving grace.
I really can’t stand it when a book sounds like everything I adore, only to turn out to be the complete opposite. Amid Clouds and Bones — a standalone fantasy with an arranged-marriage, enemies-to-lovers plot? Inject it straight into my veins. That is my romance Roman Empire.
I knew the reviews were less than glowing, but it sounded like everything I would love, and I was so intrigued, I was convinced this would be a win. Alas… the story made no sense whatsoever. The characters felt poorly written and painfully juvenile. I really didn’t enjoy it. To be fair, it started promisingly, and the ending was quite sweet — those two redeeming qualities secured it a generous three stars.
You can find out how I felt about One Day in my book vs screen comparison, but that was also a great read!
I read The Girl with the Louding Voice and while it was a great book about a very real pressing issue rural, poor Nigerian girls face I was so disappointed to say I didn’t enjoy it very much at all. It didn’t resonate with me at all.
I also finally finished When I Think of You by Myah Ariel which I’ve been ‘reading’ for 9 months. I had a couple hours of listening time left on Spotify so I used it to finally finish the book. It has never taken me this long to finish a romance, and I’m surprised I didn’t DNF. A very boring book.
Finally, Who Asked You? has been an absolute delight so far — raw, unapologetic, deep, and hilarious, exactly what the blurb promised. It’s not the most polished literary work, but it tells a very real, very serious story in the way life is actually experienced. For that reason, Terry McMillan has done a wonderful job.
This was such an easy round up to do as so many books with so much to say, but I think that’s all the noteworthy thoughts from the 16 books I read this month.
As always, thank you so much for your support!
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See you next month!
Signed,
