Hello all and happy Tuesday! Which is the new Monday since we all have to go back to work now (boo). Anyway as it’s now summer (unofficially) here’s a cheery list of my first ten reviews.
1. The Hazel Wood
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Did I really give this novel five stars? I don’t even remember it now 😂 maybe I was feeling generous as it’s my first ever review.
2. Blackbird
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I got this novel as a proof from YALC and it was ok, with its simple prose and short chapters. Made a quick read between study breaks at uni. Although I remember the blurb was nothing to do with the actual book.
3. The Fandom
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I was clearly more generous when I started blogging because this novel was terrible. I still can’t get over how many times I read the words ‘soft Scouse accent’ or ‘pixie grin’. 😳
4. Indigo’s Dragon
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Even in my generous years I couldn’t give this novel more than two stars. The author was lovely at YALC and I do feel bad but the novel really made no sense.
5. Rebel of the Sands
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I am still ridiculously proud of the photo I took for this review. My first ever Bookstagram post as well! And a fab read.
6. Pride and Prejudice
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Yessss. The second Austen I ever read but my all time favourite. Don’t ask me why I’m such an Austen fan, it really doesn’t go with the YA fantasy repertoire.
7. The Exact Opposite of Okay
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Mixed feelings on this one. On one hand, yas the message is great, on the other the protagonist says women who take STEM subjects are just uber dedicated to the ‘vagenda’, and yeah that makes me cross.
8. Children of Blood and Bone
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Ah we’re getting into those fab summer reads now. This one was right up there last summer, it was amazing.
9. Ace of Shades
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Can I have King of Fools now please?
10. Throne of Glass
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Tenth review and possibly my most controversial yet 😬 I was honestly not a fan. I’m reading the second one now and might DNF it, I’m really not into this series, as much as everyone else likes it.
Let’s Compare Notes
There are my first ten reviews! Since I’ve only been a blogger for a year they’re all quite recent actually. Have you read any of these books? What was your first ever review? Got a list of your own? Feel free to drop a link or opinion in the comments section!
Books, Life and Other Oddities 
Nice post! I’m so keen for King of Fools too. Looking back (even when I just used to rate books without writing reviews) I was a lot more generous with my stars than I am now 😂 This was such a fun post to do!
Here’s My TTT!
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Ah it’s strange! I wonder why 🤔 i just want to know what happens to Enne and Levi 😂 buuuut I have heard the ending is cruel 😬 thanks for the link!
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Nooo, really? Cruel!? 😱 Officially terrified and already crying!
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Yep 😬 good luck 😭
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Great list! I haven’t been able to get into Sarah J. Maas’s work either, so you’re not alone. I think it’s quite funny looking back at early reviews and seeing how generous we were, but I think it’s just a natural progression as a book blogger! The more you read, the more you realise how bad some of the early stuff you read was!
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Ah so glad I’m not the only one, everyone else is ready big on them 🤔 yeah other bloggers have said that too! Yeah! I Guess the more Reviews you write the more critical you become…
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As always I’ve read most of these! I was very meh on The Hazel Wood and like you I think I was too generous with The Fandom, I gave it 3 stars, it really should have been one or two! I loved Rebel of The Sands, The Exact Opposite of Okay and Children of Blood and Bone. Ace of Shades was also great, but King of Fools is even better, it’s out next Thursday, so not long to wait now! I feel so bad that neither Throne of Glass or Crown of Midnight have worked for you, this may be my first recommendation that hasn’t been a hit 😦
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Yeahhhhh the Fandom was interesting… Haha got to wait for the library to buy it and then have to wait until it’s available because I never get it first 😂 going to be a good few months yet! I actually think it might be 😳
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Yeah interesting is definitely one word for it. Ah that sucks, this is where I love Netgalley, I get to read books I’m excited for before they come out. This is a very sad moment but I suppose it had to happen at some point 😦
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I’ve read PRIDE AND PREJUDICE a couple of times and it’s always a fun read!
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
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It’s so good! I was very surprised to actually enjoy it tbh 😂
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I hope you’ll get to read King of Fools soon.
My TTT.
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Me too! Thanks for the link!
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I have so many of these on my TBR!
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Which ones?
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Tha Hazel Wood, Children of Blood and Bone, Ace of Shades, (the sequel of) Rebel of the Sands and I’ve been slowly making my way through Pride and Prejudice 😬
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How are you finding P&P? You do have to give it some time, it’s quite big and the print is small 😬 also the language takes a while to get used to. Ah all amazing books! Particularly Children of Blood and Bone and Traitor to the Throne, my favourite on that list 😂😂
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I liked the beginning, with all the sarcasm and wit but now it’s kind of dense 😬
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Ah fairs, I read it a while ago and don’t really remember if it got dense, have you met Wickham yet? His plotline is pretty good
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Yeah! I’m more than half way through and Elizabeth is just realizing she was prejudiced (winkwink)
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Yeah, I was def more generous on my first reviews as well. Also reading back those reviews now, I was a lot politer than I’d be now.
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Seems a lot of people were, funnily enough. Haha I think was too, at least slightly less savage when I didn’t like the book – tried to find the bright side 😂
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Pride and Prejudice is lovely. I need to make time to re-read it. Here is my Top Ten Tuesday.
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Ah me too! Thanks for the link 😁
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I don’t think I’ll ever give stars, except on Netgalley and Goodreads. It’s so hard to choose sometimes. Even your review here of The Exact Opposite of Okay makes me wonder if I ever want to read it. I have a degree in computer science because I like computers.
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It is hard! And actually my opinions change and I wonder why I gave them a certain star rating… Yeah me toooooo that line really annoyed me. A book aimed at impressionable young women should not bash STEM subjects, it’s only going to put them off more 😳
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I’ve never been a really big fan of Throne of Glass either, I thought it was okay but everyone else just got so obsessed with the series that I felt obliged to continue the series. I also love Pride and Prejudice, it is one of my favorite books of all time! 😄
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So glad I’m not alone haha. Yeah that’s what I feel too, it was just very disappointing tbh. Ah! Have you read any more of her books?
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I have! I just get bored after a while and then decide that it’s not worth reading like 7 books if I don’t enjoy them
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Yeah me too! And the last one is huge
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Right!?
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