Mid-year 2019 books review wrap-up

I'm a little bit late with my 2019 middle of the year wrap-up but I thought it would be interesting to look back at how my reading is going so far this year, what some of my favourite books have been and what I've been enjoying and recommending.

1. My reading tally.I set myself the challenge of reading 180 books in 2019. I had a bit of a blip last year when I had a lot of other things going on and didn't have quite as much time as normal for reading. I also went through a spell of not particularly enjoying a lot of the books I picked up. I was determined that this year would be different and so far it has been! I've read 109 books between January and July (yes, I'm a fast reader!) and have discovered some absolutely phenomenal novels and new authors. There are lots more fantastic releases due out during the rest of the year and I'm once again head over heels in love with books.

2. My favourites.
Choosing favourites is always hard but I've narrowed it down to a top 5 (in no particular order). These haven't all been published this year but I'm picking from the titles that I've read in 2019.

Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas (published by Bloomsbury)
An incredible end to the Throne of Glass series. 980 pages of pure enjoyment from one of my favourite authors.

 

 

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer (published by Bloomsbury)

I'm loving the trend this year for fairy tale retellings. This is a brilliant twist on the traditional Beauty and the Beast story. Kemmerer's storytelling perspective is fresh and original and I loved this one. Read my full review here.  

 

 



Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly (published by Hot Key Books)

Another twist on a classic fairytale but this time it's an inventive take on what happened to the ugly stepsisters after Cinderella was whisked off by the Prince. A sheer delight to read and a book which made me so happy!

Read my full review here

 

 

 Viper by Bex Hogan (published by Orion Children's Books)

I am obsessed with this book! If I could only recommend you read one thing this year, then it would definitely be 'Viper' which has reignited my love for all things pirate.

Read my full review here

 

 



The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley (published by Harper Collins)

The only adult read to make my top 5 of the year so far. A murder mystery thriller which is reminiscent of a classic Agatha Christie who-dunnit. Kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.

Read my full review here

 

 

3. Book/Author obsession

This has been the year that I've discovered and become obsessed with everything Agatha Christie related. I've been devouring her books and every week have come home with huge piles of her novels from the library. My favourite so far has probably been Poirot's very first case, 'The Mysterious Affair at Styles' but it's hard to choose because I have enjoyed so many. I now only have about 16 still to read (which I'm madly hunting for) but I don't know what I'm going to do once I've finished! 

 

4. Book miss

I was excited about reading 'The Record Keeper' by Agnes Gomillion but I really struggled with it. I do like some science fiction but this was quite heavily rooted in the genre and it didn't spark a lot of enjoyment for me. I've since seen some really positive reviews of the book from other readers that loved it though, so I always think it's worth giving books a go and making up your own mind. You can read my full review here

 

5. Surprise hit 

I picked up 'A Sky Painted Gold' by Laura Wood without knowing much about it. I thought that the cover was pretty and it sounded like my kind of book. I was really pleasantly surprised about just how much I enjoyed it. It's a wonderful read for summer, set in Cornwall (which isn't far away from me), features a dreamy romance and has brilliant characters that leap off the page. Laura's new book, 'Under a Dancing Star' has recently been published, so I'm desperate to get my hands on a copy as soon as possible.  

Review: Viper by Bex Hogan

Publisher: Orion Children's Books
Published: 18th April 2019

Synopsis:
Seventeen-year-old Marianne is fated to one day become the Viper, defender of the Twelve Isles.

But the reigning Viper stands in her way. Corrupt and merciless, he prowls the seas in his warship, killing with impunity, leaving only pain and suffering in his wake.

He's the most dangerous man on the ocean . . . and he is Marianne's father.

She was born to protect the islands. But can she fight for them if it means losing her family, her home, the boy she loves - and perhaps even her life?  

Review:
I've had an obsession with all things pirate related ever since I first watched the film Cutthroat Island and saw Geena Davis as a take-no-prisoners female pirate, on a quest for buried treasure. If I hadn't become a librarian then maybe life upon the high seas would have beckoned! I tell you this because it helps to explain my absolute obsession with 'Viper' by Bex Hogan. A debut which has stolen my heart.

I loved, loved, loved, loved, loved it! A fantasy pirate adventure, it delivered everything I want in a book and more. It conjured up the salty smell of the sea, the tang of spilt blood and the taste of danger. It gripped and entranced me from start to finish and my only criticism is that it wasn't twice the number of pages, so that I could have prolonged my enjoyment. It's one of the BEST books I've read so far this year and one that I'm going to be begging everyone else to read too.

The first in the Isles of Storm and Sorrow trilogy (oh thank goodness that there will be more!), the story follows the main character of 17 year old Marianne. She is the daughter of the Viper - the deadliest Pirate Captain on the seas and the 'supposed' defender of the Twelve Isles. The Viper is as evil and ruthless as they come and although Marianne is his daughter, he has never shown her any love or understanding. He only knows how to punish and cause pain. Throughout the course of the story the father-daughter dynamic is explored in depth, as Marianne struggles to make sense of her relationship with him. One of the main elements to draw me into a book, is a strong female protagonist with a powerful narrative voice. Marianne was exactly that and I became very invested in her journey and what lay ahead of her.

There are some terrific secondary characters in the book too. One of my absolute favourites was Bronn, who was her childhood friend on-board The Maiden, until he became her father's most valuable assassin. There's also Grace, who is another female member of the crew and who veers hot and cold a lot with her emotions. Plus Prince Torin who it took me a while to warm-up too then suddenly became amazing about half-way through the book. Complicated relationships are actually quite a strong characteristic in the story, probably because everyone seems to be hiding something. Also, a word of warning. It might not be safe to get too attached to anyone because literally every character in the book is in danger at some point.

I thought that the world-building in the novel was particularly impressive. Each of the islands is unique because of it's setting and landscape, which is reflected in the people that live there. I felt like I could visualise each of them perfectly and I enjoyed the exploration of many of these as I found out more about them and their history.

Hogan interweaves lots of action and adventure into the story which is laced with traces of magic and blushes of romance. I hope we get to find out more about the magical mythology that was touched upon as I found this really intriguing. I have a feeling that there is lots more of that to come.

'Viper' delivered on every level and if there's one book that I want everyone to read this year, this is it. I'm so happy to see pirates emerging as a genre within YA novels as I will literally devour anything in this niche. Bex Hogan's debut though is certainly a novel that is hard to beat. I was beyond thrilled to find out that the second book in the series will be called 'Venom' but not so happy to discover that I've got to wait until 2020 for it to be released. Until then, I'd better dig out my pirate boots.