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Christene Paula's Reading Challenge 2022
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27th Book
Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney
5.0⭐
352pages
Ebook
9/6
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Daisy Darker is a twisty mystery book that will compel you to read more about her mess up family stories. The title says it all, it's about Daisy's who was born with a broken heart! It's a nonlinear book, showing Daisy Darker'S past and present. There are clues as you go along the chapters but the revelations was unexpected and totally blows my mind!
What I love about this book is that the one liners highlights/quotes that really get to me.
"Families are like fingerprints; no two are the same, and they tend to leave their mark."
"If you can't find your way back to Happy, Navigate to the place you know as Less Sad."
"Sometimes the things that make one person sad are the same things that can make another person happy."
"The secret to having it all is knowing that you already do."
Alice Feeney did it again, so much love about this books. Teaches you lot of dark secrets and life lessons. I'll rate this book 5/5
28th Book
Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim
5.0⭐
454pages
Ebook
9/10
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Six Crimson Cranes is a magical retelling of an Asian Folklore! It's about Shiori's the free spirited and stubborn princess' adventure around Kiata solving the cursed put on her and his brothers by their stepmother! As she was trying to figure out the cursed, there she met her bethroned, Takkan, the strong and kind-hearted faceless lord of the third rank. I love his stories too like Shiori and Megari.
I totally enjoyed reading this book, I love the retelling and the world building, it will definitely brought you Kiata as well described by the Author. I can't wait to read Shiori's adventure to Ai'long the Dragons Kingdom together with her friend Kiki and Seryu, the Dragon prince on the next book. I'll rate this a 5/5.
29th,30th, and 31st Book
White Sand, Volume 1, White Sand, Volume 2, and White Sand, Volume 3 by Brandon Sanderson
3.5 ⭐
Vol 1 160pages, Vol 2 160pages, Vol 3 pages
Kindle/Graphic Novels
9/12, 9/13, 9/17
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
White Sand is a quick read of a magical and interesting story of Kenton, who has the ability to manipulate white sand at the cost of his water supply. The plot is not bad and the characters are interesting.
I wasn't really into graphic novel but this one gets to me when I saw who the author was. While it was not quite epic or satisfying as other masterpieces of Brandon Sanderson, the world building of the story is great and the character development is also good but I'm afraid it was confusing at first it was really fast paced that I was having a hard time understanding the story, though the artwork is not bad, I'm kinda also confused with the characters mostly at the first few pages. But I'll give it a 3.5⭐.
Oh and yes it's a free read on kindle unlimited! Maybe you might want to read. I'll definitely finished the series
32nd Book 
The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes by Cat Sebastian
3.5 ⭐
352pages
Ebook
9/21
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes is a super quick and light read. The Book started sooo good and exciting, Rob and Marian's exchanging of letters, that turns to Marian's attempt at kidnapping Rob, and now being a companions/murder and abettors lmao. However, Rob's secret wasn't that impactful/surprising that didn't even have an effect to the plot. I did enjoy the book enough until I didn't. I'll rate this book 3.5/5.
33rd Book
Uncharted Waters by Sally Hepworth
3.5 ⭐
49pages
Audiobook
9/22
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
A Life Changing Vacation, indeed!
Uncharted Waters is a quick read. It's the first book of the Getaway Collection. What I like about the story is that twas twisty and a low spice romance. Everything about that 7 day vacation happens really fast and kudos to that Captain having those fun games. Great plot and character development. Probably reading the rest of the collections
34th Book 
The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz
4.0 ⭐
320pages
Audiobook
9/27
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Plot has the crazy and twisty story. A mystery novel within a mystery novel. It's about a writer named Jacob, who's once a best novelist and currently working as a teacher on a creative writing when the one of his student shared the best story plot ever that is predictedly going to be one of the bestseller novels when published. And there it started when he learned that the student died and the book was never published then he decided to write a book using that plot. The book hits, but the there's a twist! Someone knew what he did.
The writing style kind of slowed me down at first but as I read through the chapter it was bearable. It was a plot-driven and the twist was unexpected. Totally loved the story. Rating it with a 4/5.
"Everyone has a unique voice and a story nobody else can tell. And anybody can be a writer.”
35th Book
The Dark One by Nikki St. Crowe
4.0 ⭐
219 pages
Ebook/Kindle Unlimited
9/29
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Dark One is way more spicier than the first book! Aside from the smut stuff of this book, the plot is getting better and better. I think betrayal would be the highlight of this one! I can't wait to read the third book, and how the Vicious Darling is on it. The ending is a mixed emotion for me, a good news for Pan and an anticipation for Winnie, Vane, and Crocodile coming on the picture (I guess). I'll rate this book a 4/5
BUDDY READ and TOPPLER⭐ Read in 2022
📚 TBR
October Buddy Read
--ARCs--
--Kindle/Bibliophiles--
--Challenge Corner BR--
36th Book
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
5.0⭐
272 pages
Audiobook
10/01
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Before the Coffee Gets Cold is a wonderful and beautifully written novel that takes you to your past before the coffee gets cold! It's a collection of 4 unique people and their emotional story that happens in a small coffee shop in that one special chair! I totally enjoyed reading this book, 4 long chapters but will give you too much life lessons particularly is that time is gold, the importance of time, of now your present and how it affect your future! I'll definitely rate it with a 5/5, I cried in between chapters will add this to my fave reads of this year!
37th Book
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
4.0 ⭐
112 pages
Audiobook/Ebook
10/02
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Legend of the Sleepy Hollow is a fun mystery read perfect for spooky season! I enjoyed the story even those heavy and quite deep superb descriptions (would be better if read in Audiobook with those eerie and gloomy Classics narrator). This was a fun book tagged in horror lmao. I'm still having a lot of thoughts about where Ichabod Crane is and what really happen that night. (view spoiler) Rated it with a 4/5.
38th Book
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
4.0 ⭐
162 pages
Audiobook/Ebook
10/03
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
We Have Always Lived in the Castle is a masterpiece of unreliable narration and of the eerie relationship between children and horror story. It's a short story of two sisters Constance and Mary Katherine living in the Blackwood Castle together with their invalid Uncle Julian, after the tragic death of their whole family. Charles, one of their cousin came to visit their house and Merricat didn't like it, and did something just to get rid of him on their house that leads to another tragic event that the villagers ridicule and bully them even more. (view spoiler)
I do loved the writing style of the author, and the way she keeps things in mystery. I'll rate it with 4/5.
Merricat, said Connie, would you like a cup of tea?
Oh, no, said Merricat, you’ll poison me.
Merricat, said Connie, would you like to go to sleep?
Down in the boneyard ten feet deep!
39th Book
Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker
4.0 ⭐
243 pages
Ebook
10/04
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mooncakes is a wholesome and a promising book! Twas a magical read about two childhood friends to lovers relationship. Nova, a witch with hard of hearing, and Tam, a binary werewolf. I totally enjoyed reading this. It was soooo good! The characters, the witchy season vibes, relationship, characters diversity and the illustration!
40th Book
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
4.0⭐
176 pages
Audiobook/Ebook
10/08
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Coraline has a great story and lessons. It is indeed a children fairytale with a scary twist. I loved the world in which the Author created and the characters. I already watched the film but the book was also great so far. I would definitely reread it someday.
41st Book
Gallant by V.E. Schwab
4.0⭐
334 pages
Audiobook/Ebook
10/11
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Gallant is a well written fantasy horror novel of a non-verbal girl that sees ghouls, Olivia Prior who grows up not knowing her parents and only left with her mother's journal that told her to stay out of Gallant, that there is danger and it is not safe for her to be there. She receives a letter that invites her to come home to come to Gallant, and as a curious child that didn't experience and feel the love of a family she then without second thought decides that she deserves to be there to feel how it is to have home to have family but then her curiosity gets everywhere that leads to a life changing event.
Though the plot is predictable, the writing style of the Author is great as well as the character development. It's a face paced book. Such a good read it is. I'll rate it with a 4.5/5
42nd Book
A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson
4.0⭐
248 pages
Audiobook/Ebook
10/11
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
A Dowry of Blood is an epistolary novel narrated by Constanta, a Romanian girl save by a nameless vampire lord in a brink of death, choosing to live than die. But is she really going to live? After hundred and thousands of years they met Magdalena, a Spanish woman with keen political wit, a strong and brave girl that became her sister for life. Then, they met Alexi, beautiful Alexi, a Russian man whose great love is the living world around him, a friendly and outgoing one. This novel is a lyrical and dreamy reimagining of Dracula's brides, a story of desires, obsession and emancipation.
This book is well written so much that just reading the first line I knew right then that I will love this book. The way Constanta narrated their story is really good. The character development is noticeable all throughout. One of my fave read this month. I'll rate it 4/5.
cw: emotional abuse, sexual assault, sexual content, depression, self-harm, famine, plague, murder, and Blood
43rd, 45th Book
Saga, Volume 1 Saga, Volume 2 by Brian K. Vaughan
5.0⭐
160 pages
KIndle/Comixology
10/12
44th Book
The Chain by Adrian McKinty
4.0⭐
357 pages
Audiobook/Ebook
10/13
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Chain is full of suspense and a heart pumping read. A twisty turns of events happen to Rachel, a mother and a cancer survivor who happens to be link to so called "The Chain" in which your child is kidnapped and in other to get your child free, you have to kidnapped another child and so on the chain goes. Bad luck comes to Rachel as when she gets everything in order another problem comes her way. Dilemma after dilemma and it will test how far you would go in order to resolve it.
The character development on this book is so good. You'll get annoyed with them with their terrible decision making and how they handle situations but it will also let you ponder on things if you were on their situation (Hopefully never) what will you do, will you take risk to save the one you love, to save your family. It was such a good read. Absolutely a 4/5.
46th Book
The Last Housewife by Ashley Winstead
5.0⭐
385 pages
Audiobook/Ebook
10/16
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Last Housewife is just wow. What did I just read? It was dark and twisted! If you have trigger warning be mindful in reading this one. It was a mind blowin psychological thriller! It is a story of Shay Evans, her transgression about everything that happens to her and her friends when they met Don, father of Rachel one of her friend and then became the leader of a cult that focus on submission of women, power of men, desire and lust. The Last Housewife tells a story of how Shay takes her freedom by having blood into her hands. It's a story of feminism, power, and desire.
The author really did it! A beautifully narrated novel with glimpse of true crime podcasts story. This is my first book read of this author and will absolutely read her other books! without doubt it's a 5/5.
cw: Suicide, rape, physical violence, sexual violence, trauma, self-harm, misogyny, gender essentialism, drug use, submissive.
47th Book
Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson
5.0⭐
400 pages
Audiobook/Ebook
10/19
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Vespertine is a different fantasy book you used to read. It's a story of Artemisia a nun in training, who was possessed by a fifth order, one of the seven revenants. It tells how a unique and alone nun strives to control the spirit and save the people from another fifth order spirit who planned to kill more humans. The revelations about the revenant at the end was absolutely a good conclusion as to why she was named that way and how the other revenant react to her.
I absolutely enjoyed reading this book however the plot doesn't have that mind blowing twist but still it is so interesting, I wonder if this book will be a series it might be a good one meeting all the revenant might be great.
cw: abandonment, child neglect + abuse in past, brief mention of animal abuse, mention of animal deaths, blood depictions, anxiety depictions, talk of plagues, loss of a loved one in the past, mention of spiders, talk of suicide, death
2023 Series TBR(Series started on 2022 but did not finished...)
The Cruel Prince
Kingfountain
The Arrangement
Crescent City
Legendborn
The Never King
Morgan Dane
Heartstopper
The STEMinist Novellas Series
Before the Coffee Gets Cold
BUDDY READ and TOPPLER⭐ Read in 2022
📚 TBR
October Buddy Read
--ARCs--
--Kindle/Bibliophiles--
--Challenge Corner BR--
2025 Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
November 9 (other topics)The Power of Six (other topics)
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow (other topics)
Helltown: The Untold Story of Serial Murder on Cape Cod (other topics)
Monsters Born and Made (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Pittacus Lore (other topics)Colleen Hoover (other topics)
Margaret Rogerson (other topics)
Ashley Winstead (other topics)
Margaret Rogerson (other topics)
More...
Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell
4.0⭐
209pages
Ebook
9/4
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Pumpkinheads is such an easy, fun and sweet book! Perfect for Fall Season! It will melts your heart! It's about two friends, Josiah and Deja, who only see each other every pumpkin patch season! Josiah, who is MVP at work, shy and is crazy about this fudge girl. Deja, a happy go lucky girl who tends to sacrifice wants just to support her friend and accomplished their mission of the night!
This is a short graphic novel but it teach you a lot of things! What really got me is when you never let fate/destiny dictates your life but instead You and your choices in life got you to where you are now, I also love Deja's attitude towards things the "never give up" one but their are times that you should know when to give up battles that are not meant for you, but who knows that's when we learn our lessons right? Experience is the best teacher in life!
Love it "Your my friend for all season!" Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks did it like no other. So much love I'll rate it 4/5