I wasn't blown away by this graphic novel, I felt like the plot line was very jumpy and I was struggling to follow parts of it.
The random human girl who joined team with Vampirella seemed very odd and sudden.
The sexualisation of Vampirella is also unreal. It was a little disturbing how much the woman in this graphic novel have been sexualised. It's clearly aimed at a male audience, but it could have been far much better. I should have gathered by the cover, but I tried not to judge based on that alone.
Pretty disappointed.

I really enjoyed the first part of this book. The end of the book was a bit slower and less interesting. Overall, there were some fantastic elements in this book, and reading this 5-6 years ago would have been brilliant.

2018 was a pretty good year for reading for me. I wanted to read one book a week for the whole year and whilst some weeks I didn't manage that, I did manage to read 80 books by the end of the year so I'm really happy with that.

This year I mostly read Fantasy, Urban-Fantasy, Crime, Paranormal-Romance and Comics. There were a few other genres dotted in, but it's been a pretty good year for reading. I started re-reading quite a few of my favourite series from the past that I never got around to, and started several new series too.

I'll give you my favourite highlights of the year, and gloss over the bad parts because they can be forgotten for now.

Favourite Fantasy
1. Hero at the Fall by Alwyn Hamilton
The Rebel of the Sands series just went from strength to strength and I found myself falling in love with the last book. So much action.

2. Uprooted by Namoi Novak
This was only the second audiobook I had ever listened to and I wasn't initially sold on the storyline, but then I got dragged in and could not stop listening. This made the dreary days trudging out in the rain, walking for miles at work so worth it because I was transported to another magical (if slightly horrifying world) whilst I was doing it.

Favourite re-reads:
1. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell.
Something about this book is always going to connect to me and my younger self, and re-reading for the second time I just fell in love so much more.

2. Loyalty in Death by J. D. Robb.
I absolutely love the In Death series and have just properly started to re-read for the first time in a few years. It had been so long since I read this book that it felt like an entirely new book, but I loved every second when I got back into it. The female characters and the plot-lines in these stories are just fantastic.

Favourite Paranormal-Romance/Urban Fantasy

1. Silence Fallen by Patricia Briggs
Mercy Thompson series is one Urban-Fantasy series that has grown from strength-to-strength. There was so much about the latest instalment that I did not expect and I just fell in love.

2. Alpha and Omega by Patricia Briggs
It seems Patricia Briggs stole the limelight this year and really triumphed over every other UF/Paranormal book I read. Although this one is a short-story/novella, it really deserves it's place in the top two books I read. The relationship that developed between Anna and Charles was founded here and they had such an initially fantastic storyline that I can't forget this novella.

Best General Fiction
1. This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay
This was such a great novel: funny, sad and heart-warming all at the same time.

2. Everyday Sexism by Laura Bates
So many points about gender that I hadn't thought of, so many horrifying statistics about young girls being harassed. Reminds me that I need to read more feminist literature.

3. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
This was a book was one that I thought was going to be one of the many over-hyped and over-rated books of the year. However, I very much enjoyed it and thought there were so many fantastic elements to the book.


Goals for 2019
- Read more books by female authors
- Read more feminist literature
- Read more historical literature (now I'm no longer studying history)
- Read more classics (like 2 instead of 1)
- Enjoy reading and try and read more as always!

Specific books I want to read:
1. Work like a Woman by Mary Porter
2. A History of the World in 21 Women by Jenni Murray
3. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
4. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte
5. What Happened by Hilary Clinton
6. Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh
7. The Power by Namoi Alderman
8. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Overall Rating: 3.5 Stars

Six of Crows I picked up on audible after getting fed up of the first Grisha series. I got into the book quite quickly but was rather confused by all of the different characters and what was happening initially. By the end of the book I was getting really into the storyline and I am eager to read the next book. However, the disconnect between the first half and second half prevents me from rating the book higher than 3.5. Overall the audiobook style was really good and the differences that the narrator managed between voices really added to the feel of the book.

Things I liked:
The characters; there were lots of great personalities in this series: Kas, Matthias, Nina, Inej.
They all had their own qualities that made them likeable and dislikeable. However, they had very strong personalities and had storylines that continuously evolved and changed. I became more invested and attached as the story unfolded. I also think listening to the audible version was really good because I got a sense of character style through the voice acting. I would definitely recommend the audiobook version for that reason alone.

The setting; Ketterdam reminded me of a fantasy Amsterdam and I love Amsterdam. It had the feeling of The Minaturist which is set in the Dam with all the burgermasters and the gangs and things. It was old world, but entirely new world at the same time.

The storyline in general; I much preferred this rescue/heist-esque mission compared to the original Grisha trilogy which was very much a war focus. This had more subtlety and plot twists that were less predictable.

Overall, I quite enjoyed Six of Crows. I wasn’t blown away but I have picked up the second audiobook as I’m keen to see where the storyline is going.

Crooked Kingdom was a rollercoaster of emotions and an absolute gem of a read. When I first started reading the original Grisha trilogy, [b:Shadow and Bone|10194157|Shadow and Bone (Grisha Verse, #1)|Leigh Bardugo|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1339533695s/10194157.jpg|15093325] I have to admit I was not blown away. When I picked up Six of Crows I enjoyed it more, but still wasn't blown away. However, by the time we got to Crooked Kingdom the story, the universe and most importantly the characters had developed so much.

Crooked Kingdom follows on from the events of Six of Crows but based back in Ketterdam. Crooked Kingdom in summary is the backlash to everything that goes down in the first book that involves lots of plot-twists, scheming-faces, laughter, tears and drama. It throws Kas, Wylan, Jesper, Nina, Mathias and Inej into a lot of trouble.

The main characters: Jesper, Wylan, Nina, Mathias, Inej and Kas are the strongest part of this book. They have such fantastic histories that have evolved and deepened from Six of Crows and the great thing about these backstories is that they drive their actions, behaviour and personality. There is definitely a strong relationship between their behaviour and their past and for me this is really important to interesting and connectable characters. You really understand what makes each of them tick, get into their minds, their thought processes and root for them throughout the story. I also think listening to the audible version enhanced my reading experience because there were several narrators who did a fantastic job of creating a different voice and style for each of the characters that mimicked the way they were supposed to behave and interact. So I would recommend the audible audiobook to anybody that hasn't read the book.

The second reason to love the characters so much was the relationships that developed between them between them. It was also what ultimately broke my heart in Crooked Kingdom. The relationships weren't all about love either; it was about friendship and camaraderie, betrayal, loyalty and identity. I don't want to dwell too much on these relationships without giving anything away but I have to say Jesper was my favourite character.

Behind the fantasy universe of Crooked Kingdom this story is about the persecution of minority group of individuals (the Grisha) for being different. It is about how certain ethnic groups raised their population on hatred of another. However, within this group of friends we had a clash of beliefs and identities that showed how individuals could be different and could challenge the status quo. There's also lots of fun elements: gun fights, gangs, magic, mystery, and so many fantastic plot-twists

(particularly thanks to the brilliant and devious mind of Kas)

. It means that Crooked Kingdom has so many great elements in one book.

I really, really enjoyed this book. I was listening to it every morning and every evening on my long drive to work and it made those trips so much more enjoyable. This is the quickest I've ever listened to an audiobook, so I think that alone speaks for itself. A fantastic way to start the reading year!

Queen Victoria: Daughter, Wife, Mother, Widow was an insightful look by Lucy Worsley into key moments of Queen Victoria's life. This non-fiction piece approached Victoria's life by using her diaries and key days throughout her life to build a picture of Victoria as a daughter, wife, mother and widow. It focused less on her achievements throughout her reign; her impact on the nation, her influence over the empire etc and focused on her as an individual and her family. The book followed Victoria from her birth (so this was before her diaries), to her coronation, to marrying Albert, to having her first child, to losing Albert and into her widowhood and death. I think this was a very appropriate and a more revealing approach to Victoria's life to understand how she acted as Queen and how events unfolded during her reign.

The novel painted Victoria as a very interesting individual; Worsley was not afraid to describe her as childish or needy. She also focused on Victoria's mistakes, such as the incident with Lady Flora Hastings who she accused of being pregnant (because of her distended liver which had a tumour on it that made her look pregnant). This was despite Lady Flora being an unmarried virgin; Lady Flora was subject to an intrusive and painful medical examination to prove she was not pregnant, and ended up dying shortly after. This scandal wrecked Victoria's public image in her early reign. This showed Victoria in a different light to her being revered as a long-reigning Queen and showed how she could have moments of cruelty and make mistakes like everyone else.

Worsley balanced this, however by discussing Victoria's widowhood when she took control and acted in her own right as Queen. I am not sure we would have ever witnessed a strong Victoria had Albert lived and supported her throughout her reign. This is because Albert was very much a dominant presence in Victoria's era life, and Worsley delved into this without making the book solely about their relationship. I learnt lots about Victoria's relationship with Albert which was not framed as this perfect happy marriage and all consuming love that we always see. Worsley did not shy away from criticising Albert and pointing out how he actually failed in his duty to Victoria. Albert wanted to be king, when actually he was a prince; he was fulfilling the typical 'princess' role (princesses married for political allegiance and were supposed to support their husband and not rule) and he was not comfortable in this role. He wanted to be the man of the household and man of the marriage; only having a wife who was Queen of England made this impossible.

I also learnt that Victoria replaced Albert later in life with two different servants: John Brown and Abdul Karim. It was interesting to see how much Victoria depended upon this companionship and support. Especially when one considers John Brown was a alcoholic and a servant and Abdul Karim was a Indian servant (not respected at the time for his origin). These men seemed unlikely candidates for Victoria to associate herself with. The dynamic in this time meant that a relationship with a servant for a Queen (because she was a woman) was very taboo as women were expected to be above this behaviour. However, Lucy Worsley makes a good point that Kings were expected to be promiscuous and have mistresses and yet, for Queen Victoria the exact opposite was expected. The most interesting thing for me, was that I had never heard of either John Brown or Abdul Karim until I listened to Lucy Worsley's book. For two men who seemed to have a profound impact on Victoria's widowhood, they seem to have largely been lost in general discussions about Victoria.

Lucy Worlsey also focused on Victoria's relationships with her mother and then her own children. It can certainly be seen through this book that Victoria was not the typical 'motherly' figure one may expect. It may even be seen that the reason Albert encouraged her to have so many children was to keep her away from public duty and politics; so he could take over in her absence. It was a very interesting argument and one that I find particularly compelling. It became clear that Victoria became increasingly dependent upon her youngest daughter, Beatrice and had a great hold over Beatrice throughout her life.

The final point that I thought was particularly interesting, was Lucy Worlsey's focus on health. Health is not often at the forefront of historical works. However, she discussed Victoria's health throughout her life: her near-death experience as a teenager, the case of Lady Flora Hastings, the relationship Victoria had with her doctors, her experience of childbirth, the death of Albert, Bertie's struggle with typhoid. This was personally very interesting and provided lots of context to the way Victoria behaved and how her life was shaped by her overall health.

On a more personal note, this book, cemented my view that I shall never like Victoria as a Queen. I found her to be childish and needy at many points; from her dependency on Prime Minister Lord Melbourne and then Albert, and in later life her daughter Beatrice. She never seemed to be able to stand on her own. I do understand that part of this was related to her closeted upbringing and her position as a woman in Victorian England. However, I think Victoria's reign was a time of change and upheaval and that should not be ignored. She reigned for a very long time, and without Victoria's reign I am curious to know if we would still have a monarchy in England today.

Overall, I really enjoyed Lucy Worsley's approach to Victoria's life and the insights she provided across her long reign from birth to death. For anybody interested in British history, monarchy, life stories, Queen Victoria and women's history this book is definitely a recommendation. I think it provides a lot of good and balanced information about the woman behind the crown and how she functioned on a personal level. I really hope that Lucy Worsley writes more books like this as I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Daphne du Maurier is one of my favourite authors, so when I saw a cheap deal for The Scapegoat on Audible I snapped it up. The premise of The Scapegoat differs from du Maurier's other books as it strays away from focusing on a vulnerable young heroine, to two men. However, strong gothic themes, drama, mystery and core ideas surrounding identity are very much present in The Scapegoat as they are in Du Maurier's other classics like Rebecca and Jamaica Inn.

One of the things that du Maurier excels at is her character creation and focus on character identity. This book really plays with this idea of identity and is a little bit freaky. Two men, Jean and John meet in France and realise they are identical in every way (except for personality). They are unable to pass up the opportunity of spending a night getting to know each other and it descends into drunken debauchery. John wakes up, however, in a hotel room to find that Jean has fled and taken all of his things. John is then thrown into the life of Jean- who is facing his business collapsing, a sister who hates him, a drug addicted mother, a eccentric brother and sister-in-law, a pious daughter and a despairing wife. A very mixed bag of characters that drives this story. The plot is focused upon John taking over the life of Jean and delving into the shady past of Jean-de-Gaye.

I was pleasantly surprised at how interesting the menial life of Jean-de-Gaye could be when you throw in the twist of an identical person having to come to grips with the life of another. It's a very interesting premise as I'm sure we've all wondered if we have a doppelganger out there and what would happen if we met them.

I would say that du Maurier creates some very unlikable characters in this - particularly Jean-de-Gaye himself. He's a smug, self-centered and rather egotistical man from what I read of him. However, I think the point of many of her books is not for you to like the characters but to delve into the human psyche - which is something I really enjoy.

The ending for me let this book down as I thought it was rather anti-climatic and not as enjoyable as du Maurier's other books. I did still really enjoy listening to this book, and I think the audible narration helped me to get into this book much more than I would have, had I read the book. I think for me this is a good novel, but not a timeless classic of du Maurier's that I'll return to. For anyone interested in mystery, doppelgangers and identity, I would recommend as a break from more modern literature. However, if you haven't read du Maurier's work I would start with Rebecca or Jamaica Inn.

This was a lovely set of short podcasts that range from 20-3o mins and is 5 episodes long. This series was put together for International Women's Day 2019 and has been something I've been meaning to listen to for a while. They are available through audible and free to listen to for audible subscribers.

Each "chapter" or episode has a theme:
> Ep. 1. To The Woman that Raised Me,
> To the Woman That Chose Me
> To the Woman that Changed Me
> To the Woman that I Am
> To the Woman Still to Come

Within each theme are a series of letters written by various artists, journalists, poets, and women in the media to other women. These are heartfelt, meaningful and insightful moments into women's lives. They look at a variety of issues from periods, to friendships, to motherhood, to women in warzones and other culture, to the women we want to be and the women who support us. Some of these letters were written by women I've been particularly interested in or following at the moment like: Juno Dawson, Pandora Sykes, Dolly Alderton and a variety of other women from different backgrounds who I hadn't heard of.

I really enjoyed these small snippets and they were a great way to pass the morning.

What an absolutely fantastic book! This is not just a book for people who love sports, or care about women's sport. In fact, I would say, the primary audience for this book is for people who do not like sport. This is because this book encourages all of us to go out and do something active. It challenges our stereotypes of sport, and our expectations. We shouldn't allow ourselves to be pigeonholed into a specific way of thinking. Especially as women, we should be celebrating our achievements, and each other. I think this book is really a lesson to us all to go out there, take what we want, and show that we can achieve.

This book really had it all. It had funny moments; enlightening and educational moments, but also serious and sad moments that actually made me cry. It really made me think about the world around us. Reading this book was an experience, and that's always what I want from a book.

I never used to be a huge fan of nonfiction books, and if I'm honest I didn't really see much personal value to them for myself. I wanted to use reading to escape. However, I've definitely been converted lately because I'm just learning so much, and to me that's the greatest pleasure in life.

Easily the best book I've read this year! Recommend it for everyone; men and women. I think it has lessons for us all on how we should approach sport.

And another one bites the dust...

This is my third Mariana Zapata book of the year (and third in a row), I have been on a major Mariana Zapata hype as I have just fallen in love with the characters and storylines she crafts. I was admittedly disappointed after Under Locke which I found massively troubling at times in the archetypes she created for her characters. However, Wait for It was a redeeming moment for Zapata and one I thoroughly enjoyed.

Wait for It had way more emotion and heart-string-tugging than I was expecting, which was absent from both The Wall of Winnipeg and Me and Under Locke for me. This helped this book to craft a better dynamic between the emotion, romance and humour that Zapata crafts in her storylines. This one was so much more than a romance-focused book, it was about family and the traumas family can go through in a way that I don't think I got from Zapata's other books. I absolutely fell in love with Di, Louie and Josh. The support and closeness between them all tugged at my heart-strings and had me near tears so many times throughout the whole book. I've seen a few 'single-parent' storylines across various films/tv/books etc and they always manage to get to me as you see how the 'parent' of the family puts everything on the line for their children. This was absolutely my favourite part of the book, when they had their moments of teasing and their raw emotional outpourings to each other. It was so heartfelt and genuine that I could not help but love it.

In all honesty, I would have been more than happy to just read a whole book about their family and the struggles that they went through. The romance for me was good in this, but definitely secondary in the grand scheme of the plotline.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one and will be picking up another Zapata book soon for sure as I just cannot get enough of her right now!