Tag: Leila Meacham

2019 End of Year Survey

2019 was a solid reading year for myself, if not as great as I was hoping it would be. However, I did get to read some amazing books and find new favorite authors so I can’t complain too much. I can’t wait to look back on everything that I’ve read over the past year!

If you wish to participate in the survey, please link back to the original creator – Jamie @ The Perpetual Page Turner.

2019 Reading Stats

Number Of Books You Read: 64
Number of Re-Reads: 2
Genre You Read The Most From: Fantasy

Best in Book

Best Book You Read In 2019?

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Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

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Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?

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Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?

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Best series you started in 2019? Best sequel of 2019? Best series finale of 2019?

Favorite new author you discovered in 2019?

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Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

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Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

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Book You Read In 2019 That You Would Be MOST Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

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Favorite cover of a book you read in 2019?

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Most memorable character of 2019?

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Jude is a total badass and no one can say otherwise.

Most beautifully written book read in 2019?

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Most Thought-Provoking/Life-Changing Book of 2019?

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Book you can’t believe you waited until 2019 to finally read?

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Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2019?

“By you, I am forever undone.” – The Queen of Nothing

Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2019?

Book That Shocked You The Most

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OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)

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Jude and Cardan… I think it’s pretty easy to see how I feel about this book.

Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

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Morrigan and Hawthorne crack me up with their friendship. She’s cynical and he is Mr. Get-Into-All-of-the-Trouble.

Favorite Book You Read in 2019 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

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Best Book You Read In 2019 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure/Bookstagram, Etc.

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Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2019?

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I will always go for the moody and brooding guys, especially ones with a bit of darkness in them like Nathaniel.

Best 2019 debut you read?

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Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

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Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

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Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2019?

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Hidden Gem Of The Year?

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Book That Crushed Your Soul?

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Most Unique Book You Read In 2019?

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Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?

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Your Blogging/Bookish Life

New favorite book blog/Bookstagram/Youtube channel you discovered in 2019?

I have done a terrible job keeping up with the bookish community this past year. Maybe that’s why I was affected by so many reading slumps – I wasn’t keeping myself hyped up.

Favorite post you wrote in 2019?

If You Liked That…Read This: Historical Fiction Edition

Favorite bookish related photo you took in 2019?

Ummm, I did not take one. Oops!

Best bookish event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events,  etc.)?

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to make it to BookCon this past year but I was able to participate in the blog tour for Songs from the Deep!

Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2019?

Probably when I finally reach over 1000 followers on my blog. I don’t really promote it a whole lot so it’s been nice to see it grow so much this year.

Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?

My reading life took a bit of a hit this year from going into so many random reading slumps, which has really affected my will to actually post regularly. It’s something I’m really hoping to not have an issue with this coming year.

Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?

The 5 Most Disappointing Books of 2019

Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

Top 5 Audiobook Recommendations

Best bookish discovery (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?

I don’t think I really have one this year.

Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?

Hahahahahaha… Nope, didn’t finish either of one. Epic 2019 fail.

Looking Ahead

One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2019 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2020?

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Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2020 (non-debut)?

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2020 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

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Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2020?

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One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2020?

Keep away from the dreaded reading slumps and try to consistently blog post.

How did you reading year go in 2019? What was a book that surprised you the most? Did you read a hidden gem of a novel? Did any books disappoint you? Please leave a link to your reading survey in the comments below!

November/December Wrap-Up: Reviews, Reading Challenges, etc.

My reading life in 2019 didn’t end on as great of a note as I was hoping for. I have struggled the past few months with being able to sit down and concentrate on reading for long periods of time. I can’t determine if this is a side effect of work having been extremely stressful or what, but I really hope it doesn’t continue into this year. I want 2020 to be a great year for reading. With that being said, I did still get to read some really good books over the past couple of months which is always nice!

Books Read

  • The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw – physical book, 4/5 stars, BOOK REVIEW
  • The Queen of Nothing (The Folk of the Air, #3) by Holly Black – physical book, 5/5 stars
  • Supernova (Renegades, #3) by Marissa Meyer – physical book, 4/5 stars,
  • Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor, #2) by Jessica Townsend – physical book, 5/5 stars
  • Songs from the Deep by Kelly Powell – physical ARC, 4/5 stars, BOOK REVIEW
  • Somerset by Leila Meacham – physical book, 5/5 stars
  • Devils & Thieves by Jennifer Rush – physical book, 3/5 stars

Total Books Read: 7

Overall in 2019: 64

Reading Challenge Updates

POPSUGAR

  • A book with a plant in the title or on the cover – Somerset
  • A book that makes you nostalgic – Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow

Goodreads Challenge

Total:64/75

Previous Total: 57/75

Blog Posts

Book Reviews

WWW Wednesday

Discussions/Misc.

Did you get a lot of reading done in November and December? Were you able to read all of the books on your TBR? Did you read any new favorites? What book did you like the least? What do you plan on reading in January?

WWW Wednesday – December 11th, 2019

Welcome to WWW Wednesday which is currently being hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words. It’s really just a place to do little update on what all you’ve been reading lately. Anyone is welcome to join, just leave a link to your post in the comments and be sure to give the appropriate credit to Sam!

The Three W’s are:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

  • Iron Gold (Red Rising, #4) by Pierce Brown – audiobook
  • Romanov by Nadine Brandes – audiobook, buddy read
  • Supernova (Renegades, #3) by Marissa Meyer  – physical book

No progress really in my audiobooks. I tried to listen to Iron Gold on the plane on my way to Charleston, but I had such a terrible headache at the time that I couldn’t focus. I hope to listen some more though this week.

I’m almost halfway through Supernova and loving it so far. I really enjoy how things really amped up in this finale with everyone’s plans slowly unraveling. I cannot wait to see what is going to happen next to our superheroes. If this ending wrecks me, I may never be able to recover… #ProtectMax

What did you recently finish reading?

  • Somerset by Leila Meacham  – physical book
  • The Queen of Nothing (The Folk of the Air, #3) by Holly Black – physical book

Can I just say that I absolutely adored both of these books? Because I did. Somerset left me in tears at the end, which is exactly what I was hoping for. It really made me want to reread Roses, which I may do in the near future. And The Queen of Nothing was such a a good ending to the trilogy. It really left me wanting more and it’ll be interesting to see if Black continues to write novels set in the same universe as this one and her other books. I think it’s great how she’s been doing that and still connecting them all in little ways. I just want more!

What do you think you’ll read next?

  • The Last Magician (The Last Magician, #1) by Lisa Maxwell – physical book
  • Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor, #2) by Jessica Townsend – physical book
  • The Bear and the Nightingale (Winternight Trilogy, #1) by Katherine Arden – physical book

What are you currently reading? What books did you finish this week? What are you planning on reading next? Have you read any of the books on my list? If so, what did you think of them? Leave a link to your WWW Wednesday post in the comments below!

WWW Wednesday – November 20th, 2019

Welcome to WWW Wednesday which is currently being hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words. It’s really just a place to do little update on what all you’ve been reading lately. Anyone is welcome to join, just leave a link to your post in the comments and be sure to give the appropriate credit to Sam!

The Three W’s are:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

  • Iron Gold (Red Rising, #4) by Pierce Brown – audiobook
  • Romanov by Nadine Brandes – audiobook, buddy read
  • Somerset by Leila Meacham  – physical book

I’ve made very little progress with my audiobooks this week, as work has been super crazy busy. However, I am flying out to Charleston tomorrow to visit a friend for the weekend, so hopefully I’ll be able to do some listening during the flights. I’m so close to finishing Romanov and I can’t wait to put this boring book behind me for good. Then I’ll really be able to put my focus on Iron Gold. 

I’m about halfway through Somerset and absolutely loving it so far. It’s been a few years since I first read Roses, and I’m really enjoying diving back into the family sagas of the Tollivers and Warwicks. However, I’m reaching the period when the Civil War breaks out and I’m already expecting my heart to do some breaking. I definitely better keep some tissues nearby for when the tears begin to fall. If you enjoy wonderful historical fiction novels, I highly suggest picking up Leila Meacham’s books.

What did you recently finish reading?

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  • The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw – physical book

I really enjoyed this story, but mostly because Ernshaw is such an incredible writer. I still can’t believe this was a debut novel, as it certainly doesn’t read that way. I’m even more excited to pick up her latest book because I can only imagine it being even better than this one.

What do you think you’ll read next?

  • The Last Magician (The Last Magician, #1) by Lisa Maxwell – physical book
  • Valiant (Modern Faerie Tales, #2) by Holly Black – physical book
  • Supernova (Renegades, #1) by Marissa Meyer – physical book

What are you currently reading? What books did you finish this week? What are you planning on reading next? Have you read any of the books on my list? If so, what did you think of them? Leave a link to your WWW Wednesday post in the comments below!

WWW Wednesday – November 13th, 2019

Welcome to WWW Wednesday which is currently being hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words. It’s really just a place to do little update on what all you’ve been reading lately. Anyone is welcome to join, just leave a link to your post in the comments and be sure to give the appropriate credit to Sam!

The Three W’s are:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

  • Iron Gold (Red Rising, #4) by Pierce Brown – audiobook
  • Romanov by Nadine Brandes – audiobook, buddy read
  • The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw – physical book

I’ve finally crossed over the halfway point in Romanov. Unfortunately, the plot is still very slow and I find myself not really feeling engage enough to want to listen to it. I’ll finish it eventually but I’m not sure it will still be by the end of this week.

I’m about halfway through The Wicked Deep and I’m really enjoying it so far. There were a few interesting reveals that have piqued my interest especially, so I’m excited to see how that will affect the story moving forward. I’m hoping the pace will pick up soon because of it.

What did you recently finish reading?

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  • Songs from the Deep by Kelly Powell – physical ARC

I was surprised by just how much I enjoyed this book. It was engaging and the writing style was fantastic. I’m really excited to be a part of the blog tour for it and you will be seeing my review posted this Friday. Can’t wait to share my love for this story with you all!

What do you think you’ll read next?

  • The Last Magician (The Last Magician, #1) by Lisa Maxwell – physical book
  • Valiant (Modern Faerie Tales, #2) by Holly Black – physical book
  • Somerset by Leila Meacham – physical book

What are you currently reading? What books did you finish this week? What are you planning on reading next? Have you read any of the books on my list? If so, what did you think of them? Leave a link to your WWW Wednesday post in the comments below!

My November TBR

I know I’m a little late this month getting around to posting my TBR, but work has been insane lately and I just haven’t had the time until the past couple of days to get back to all of you beautiful friends. I do think I plan to be doing a person read-a-thon this weekend but I’m not committing fully to it yet until closer. You just never know what’s going to come up, you know? Like tonight, I don’t plan on getting much reading done because… IT’S TIME FOR THE MANDALORIAN!!!! That’s right, my Star Wars obsessed butt is going to be glued to the television after work. No one bother me, k thanks. 😉

Anyways, I’m pretty far behind on my Goodreads Challenge and so I’m going to aim pretty high for the remainder of the year. Luckily, I have plenty of vacation time coming up to really focus on my reading. Let’s just hope I don’t dive into a reading slump any time soon.

November TBR

  • Somerset by Leila Meacham – physical book
  • The Last Magician (The Last Magician, #1) by Lisa Maxwell – physical book
  • The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking Trilogy, #1) by Patrick Ness – physical book
  • Neverworld Wake by Marisha Pessl – physical book
  • The Poppy War (The Poppy War, #1) by R.F. Kuang – physical book
  • Valiant (A Modern Faerie Tale, #2) by Holly Black – physical book
  • City of Lies (Poison Wars, #1) by Sam Hawke – physical book
  • The Candle and the Flame by Nafiza Azad – audiobook

What do you plan on reading in November? Is there a specific genre that you like reading during the holiday season? Have you read any of the books on my TBR?

My September TBR

Okay, I know I’ve been saying this for the last month… but I really mean it this time! I am going to buckle down and get some reading done this month. I’ve finally finished that freaking slow behemoth, The Priory of the Orange Tree, and I feel like a weight has lifted off my shoulders. Now that that book is over and done with and September is finally here, the reading gods are smiling down on me. So I can’t shame them now, can I?!

September TBR

  • First We Were IV by Alexandra Sirowy – physical book
  • The Gallery by Laura Marx-Fitzgerald – physical book
  • The Alice Network by Kate Quinn – audiobook
  • The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson – physical book
  • Somerset by Leila Meacham – physical book
  • The Trials of Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor, #1) by Jessica Townsend – physical book
  • The Last Magician (The Last Magician, #1) by Lisa Maxwell – physical book
  • The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking Trilogy, #1) by Patrick Ness – physical book
  • Heart of Iron (Heart of Iron, #1) by Ashley Poston – physical book
  • The Bear and the Nightingale (Winternight Trilogy, #1) by Katherine Arden – physical book

What do you plan on reading in September? Did you have trouble reading this summer? Have you read any of the books on my TBR?

My August TBR

So something happened in July that I never thought I would experience… I found myself getting tired of reading fantasy books. Now this situation occurred at the absolutely worst time, as I am in the middle of an adult fantasy read-a-thon. Talk about terrible timing, am I right? With that being said, I’ve decided to focus on some other genres such as historical fiction, middle grade, and sci-fi during August to help switch things up a bit and maybe help me get back on the reading track. Let’s see if I can actually finish an entire month without reading any YA or adult fantasy. I think this will be both a bit difficult but also really good for my reading health. Wish me luck!

August TBR

  • Morning Star (Red Rising, #3) by Pierce Brown – audiobook
  • The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough – physical book
  • First We Were IV by Alexandra Sirowy – physical book
  • The Oracle Year by Charles Soule – physical book
  • Aurora Rising (The Aurora Cycle, #1) by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff – physical book
  • The Gallery by Laura Marx-Fitzgerald – physical book
  • The Alice Network by Kate Quinn – audiobook
  • The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson – physical book
  • Somerset by Leila Meacham – physical book
  • The Trials of Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor, #1) by Jessica Townsend – physical book

What do you plan on reading in August? Do you ever find yourself getting tired of certain genres? Have you read any of the books on my TBR?

If You Liked That…Read This: Historical Fiction Edition

I am a sucker for a good historical fiction. I’m a bit of a history buff and so when I can get my hands on a book that can transport me fully into a different time and place, I’m a happy little clam. I know it’s not a genre for everyone, but hopefully you’ll give at least one of my recommendations a shot!

If You Liked The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah… Read Stars Over Clear Lake by Loretta Ellsworth

Both stories featured star-crossed lovers set amidst the backdrop of WWII, with The Nightingale being located in France and Stars Over Clear Lake is set in Iowa. I would put Hannah’s novel more in the literary historical fiction category, as it has won many awards. But what I really enjoyed about Stars was how it incorporated the local ballroom and big bands into the overall plot. I really feel like this is an underrated gem of a story.

If You Liked Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys… Read The Paragon Hotel by Lyndsay Faye

These two books focus on stories and eras that are fairly unique to the genre. I loved that they dive into fairly important issues, though completely different from one another. Both follow women that are sit fairly outside of the normal realms of society, one being involved in the 20’s New York mafia and the other growing up within a 50’s New Orleans brothel. I feel like The Paragon Hotel really takes some of the darker themes of Out of the Easy and dives deeper into them. It’s not a happy story, but so important in today’s world. Please be aware – The Paragon Hotel includes adult content.

If You Liked Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell… Read Roses by Leila Meacham

If you’re a regular to my blog, then you might be a little tired of me constantly mentioning Roses. But it is so worth it! It has such a sweeping romance story with a focus on family history and relationships, just like Gone with the Wind. I will say that it does go back and forth between early 1900’s Texas to the Present, spanning three generations. It’s such a great story and there is even a prequel, Summerset, that you can dive into afterwards as well.

What are some historical fiction novels that you would recommend? Have you read any of my recommendations? If so, what did you think about them?

Top 10 Longest Novels On My TBR

I think we all have those books on our bookshelves that are just so large, they’re intimidating and make us want to put off picking them up for as long as possible. I’ll admit that I am terrible about that unless it just happens to be a book that I’ve been dying to pick up (looking at you Throne of Glass series!). However, should we really be scared by those monstrous tomes? Or should we just say, “Let’s do this!”? Because who knows, they could turn out to be favorites that we enjoy spending the time to savor them as we read. And who doesn’t love that?!

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The Fiery Cross (Outlander, #5) by Diana Gabaldon

Total Pages: 1443

I actually have no excuse for not reading this one sooner. I tend to fly through these books pretty quickly, but I know that Brianna is becoming a main character in this series now and I really do not like her. She’s such a brat. Roger deserves so much better!… I have the biggest crush on Roger too, especially the tv show version.

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The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive, #1) by Brandon Sanderson

Total Pages: 1007

Honestly, I’m just so worried that I’ll love this series so much that I’ll binge all of the releases so far and then have to wait years for it to finish. That is always my biggest fear when starting a new series, especially adult fantasy ones. Y’all know they take foreverrrrrrrr!

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Trinity by Leon Uris

Total Pages: 912

I’m a sucker for anything about Ireland since it’s literally my favorite place in the world. So I know that I’ll eventually get to this book one day, but it’s just not a book that I need to pick up soon. This book gets a ton of praise and I believe a lot of people consider it a classic.

 

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Middlemarch by George Eliot

Total Pages: 904

I actually have this on my TBR right now. I plan to pick this one up by next month at the latest. It’s been on my bookshelf for like 4 years so I think it’s finally time to pull the trigger.

 

 

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The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

Total Pages: 827

Shannon can do no wrong in my eyes. And adding in dragons? Please, this book is going to freaking amazing. I definitely plan on picking it up fairly soon and I am already prepared to be blown away.

 

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Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel’s Targeted Assassinations by Ronen Bergman

Total Pages: 784

One of my goals this year was to get back into reading nonfiction more and I have always been interested in international affairs and history (hello, poli-sci degree here!).

 

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The Princes of Ireland (The Dublin Saga, #1) by Edward Rutherford

Total Pages: 778

Yeahhhhh, another historical fiction novel about Ireland. I told y’all that I’m obsessed! I might as well just quit my job and move there at this point.

 

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European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman
(The Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club #2) by Theodora Goss

Total Pages: 720

I absolutely adored the first book in this series and I only found out that the sequel was released a few weeks ago. I needs it!

 

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Dragonfly by Leila Meacham

Total Pages: 688

I’m kind of obsessed with Leila Meacham’s books. She always does such a great job creating epic stories that you don’t want to put down. I can’t wait for this one to come out this summer! I probably should go ahead and preorder it now…

 

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A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James

Total Pages: 688

I really only bought this book because Regan from PeruseProject talked about it once on her booktube channel. I honestly can’t even remember what it’s about… Oops. Somebody please stop me from buying so many random books.

 

What are some large books on your TBR that you’re too intimidated by to pick up? Do you read longer books regularly or do you push them aside first? Have you read any of the books on my list?