Wrap Up: October 2022

Hi readers, here’s my wrap-up for the month of October!

5 stars:

Two amazing middle grade books, Yesterday Crumb is officially one of the best books I’ve read this year. I wasn’t convinced by Spirit hunters initially, but it evolves so well.

4/3 stars:

A lovely cozy mystery by one of my favorite author, Colleen Gleason, Tomes, scones and crones is the first in a new series. Stolen remains is the second volume in The lady of Ashes mystery series, but it’s not as good as the first one. Any old diamonds is a lovely M/M historical fiction. Another first volume in a series is Lady of devices, with a great MC and a steampunk setting.

2/1 stars:

The worst books for me were Doll house and Terre spettrali: both of them full of errors, and some of them keep repeating throughout the book, really annoying. I gave 2 to Cuore d’inchiostro (Inkheart) and Dead mountain only for the respect I have for Brendan Fraser and for the Dyatlov group. L’uomo dei sussurri (The whisper man) was boring, and Silver in the blood has a really interesting setting, but the two female MC are so YA they’re sometimes embarrassing.

How was your month? Have you found a new fave?

Wrap up: July 2022

I know, I’m a little late with the wrap up of July, I’m sorry. You can find the wrap up of August here.

During July I read a total of 11 books, but be prepared, a lot of them were 1 star only.

5 stars:

Granny’s got a gun is a funny cozy mystery featuring a Granny that is also a retired CIA agent. The lost ones is an outstanding gothic historical fiction and you can read the review here on the blog the next week.

3 stars:

First in a historical vampire fiction, As vital as blood is really good, as it’s Spirits of the storm, about a mall haunted by children’s spirits. I can’t say that I enjoyed the short story that gave the collection its name, but there are other stories really good in La banconota da un milione di sterline.

2 stars:

The cat of Amontillado is a “retelling” of the tale written by Allan Poe, but the title is the only thing they have in common. Miss Marple nei Caraibi (a Caribbean mystery) is great for the setting, but it’s also racist.

1 star:

And this was my reading recap for July, I forgot to write the one about September too, shame on me.

Wrap Up: August 2022

Hello readers!

I know I forgot to post the wrap-up for July, I’m sorry, I was already on vacation, I promise I will post it in the next few days!

Here’s what I read during August (click on the cover for the plot):

5 stars:

I wasn’t expecting to love L’imprevedibile viaggio di Harold Fry (The unlikely pilgrimage of Harold Fry) so much, but it’s a heartbreaking story. Same for Lady of ashes, a great historical fiction about a female undertaker in Victorian London.

4 and 3 stars:

My dad visited Iceland this year, and brought me this beautiful book about Aurora Borealis. Do you know that I’m obsessed with Van Gogh right? L’uomo e la terra (The man and the earth) is a wonderful book about the exposition in Milan. I thought that L’isola del tesoro (Treasure island) was more adventurous, but I’m glad I’ve finally read it.

1 or 2 stars/DNF:

The sisters brothers and Devil in the darkness are the books I didn’t finish. Only The power of Poppy Pendle gains 2 stars, the other books are so bad I immediately unhaul them from shelves.

And that was my reading month, hope yours was better than mine!

Wrap up: June 2022

Hello readers, sorry for the delay, I had busy days at work!

In June I’ve read 12 books with 2 DNF, a record even for me.

4 stars:

I can say that Chad Nicholas can write a really good thriller/horror book, having already enjoyed Nightmare written by him. His stories are really dark and twisted, be aware.

3 stars:

If you have a cat, you can easily relate to the poems of I could pee on this. So hilarious.

Are you terrified of dolls like me? Demonic dolls is the book for you!

Philippe Daverio racconta Van Gogh: I was expecting more from Daverio, this book is just a general portrait of the artist.

2 stars:

3 great covers for 3 predictable books: Reign of Shadows is a dystopian/romance retelling of Rapunzel; Knock knock is a ghost story totally ruined by the prologue; The heir of Hawksclaw tried too hard to be gothic/scary, without success.

1 star/DNF:

I wouldn’t talk about each of these books, I know some are very popular, maybe it was just a bad reading month for me. You can check the GR page by clicking on the cover.

And that was my reading month, hope July will be better!

Wrap up: May 2022

Hello readers and welcome to another wrap up! Sorry if I’m late, I have so much work to do right now.

During May I’ve participated in the Star Wars Challenge organized on Instagram that required books over 200 pages, so I’ve read fewer books than usual.

5 stars:

I already love another series by C.J. Archer (The ministry of curiosities) so I was excited to begin The palace of lost memories. It’s original and captivating.

I bought Un delitto al circolo polare (Murder at the polar circle) at the secondhand shop, the creepy snowman on the cover has won my curiosity. It was really good.

4 stars:

Murder at the Fitzwilliam is the first volume in a historical fiction series featuring murders in famous museums all over the UK, with a strong female co-protagonist who is also an archeologist. Perfect!

How colorful is the cover of Rainbow Grey? Laura Ellen Anderson is so good at writing fantasy middle-grade books!

2 stars:

Horrorstor has a beautiful cover and “project” but half of the plot was like an episode of SuperStore, not scary at all. This is my last attempt with Hendrix. Il bacio del Diavolo (The vampire Narcise) is erotica, and I didn’t like the genre, but I won a copy years ago, so I gave it a try. Sweep was so depressing with an MC not likable at all. I’ve loved the first quarter of The sun Down motel, and then stop.

1 star:

Both of them are full of characters, different POVs, and plots to confusional and intricated. Click on the cover for the GR page.

And that was my May in reading, how was yours?

Wrap Up: April 2022

Hello readers!

In April I’ve read 11 books with 1 DNF, and I managed, thanks to a readathon, to read some of the older (means I bought them years ago) books on my shelves.

5 stars:

It is always a great pleasure to come back to The ministry of curiosities, and that’s why I savor every volume. Beyond the grave wasn’t an exception. Next, we can find a great surprise, the first book an author sends to me through Instagram, you can find the review of Swallowed by a secret here.

Il tempo delle rose (Time to smell the roses) is the last volume in the Hermux Tantamoq series. I can’t express how much I love this mouse and his adventures.

The storyteller by Dave Grohl is a work of art, especially if, like me, you’ll listen to the audiobook version narrated by Grohl himself. There’s music too.

2 stars:

I can’t hide the disappointment after reading Mortal arts, it was so different from the previous The anatomist’s wife. The girl of fire and thorns is a typical YA, nothing more, and Son Goku is the original story and legend of Son Goku who inspired manga like Saiyuki or Dragonball. I no longer appreciate books like Death, the devil and the goldfish, but I gave it a try since was on my TBR for years.

1 star + DNF:

So similar to Wintersong, insta love, an illness of the Trolls that is exactly like mine, I save only the cover of Stolen Songbird. I’ve waited years to read Delia’s shadow, and didn’t like at all. The female characters are useless, the plot is boring, by again, great cover. The rib from which I remake the world is the DNF of the month, didn’t like, didn’t comprehend it, didn’t get involved by the characters.

How was your reading month?

Tell me in the comments!

Wrap up: March 2022

Hello readers and welcome to another wrap up!

In March I’ve read a total of 12 books, with a DNF, as usual.

5 stars:

Jeremy Ray as quickly became one of my fave authors. Petrified women is a piece of art, I can’t recommend it enough.

E a mio nipote Albert lascio l’isola che ho vinto a Fatty Hagan in una partita a poker has the longest title I know. Super funny and entertaining.

4,5 stars to The golden key simply because is really strange and incredibly sad. But there’s a happy ending, perfect to shed a tear or two.

4 stars:

I’m participating in an Agatha Christie challenge on Instagram, and Giorno dei morti (sparkling cyanide) was my read for March.

Another great short story by Jeremy Ray, My mother’s eyes. I’ll also add that all his stories began with a page dedicated to the trigger warnings you’ll find in that story. Very thoughtful.

I love reading non-fiction books about weird/macabre topics, and Tomb raiders was funny and interesting.

Look how colorful the cover of The sapphire library is!! Love it! This is definitely my cozy series, love the characters, so happy to have discovered it!

3 stars:

Can we all agree that the cover of The time of green magic is special and wonderful? It reminds me of the works of Miyazaki, unfortunately, the plot isn’t really engaging.

One for sorrow is a middle grade set in 1918 with the outbreak of Spanish Influenza. A lot of things are happening even now with the Covid epidemic, it’s sad and hurtful.

2 stars/DNF:

Il castello di Otranto (The castle of Otranto) is weird and sometimes just absurd.

Death and the harlot had the possibility to be a great historical mystery, but it’s really fatphobic.

I DNF The route of ice and salt on page 20. Nothing more to say.

And that was my reading month, how was yours?

Wrap up: February 2022

Hello readers and welcome to another wrap up!

My birthday was on 27th, I received a lovely steampunk rabbit music box!

Anyway, in February I’ve read 12 books with 1 DNF.

5 stars:

I’ve discovered A is for Arson through Instagram, and itìs fantastic, an historical fiction with an intelligent young woman and a super cute man and a mystery. And look at the cover! ❤

How a short story about a house plant can make you laugh, cry and change forever your idea of house plants? If it’s written by Jeremy Ray, apparently, my new favorite author.

4 stars:

How lovely is the cover of Assassinio sull’Orient Express?(Murder on the Orient Express) A great classic.

React is a short story with a great plot twist. The winter freak show is a great historical mystery/fantasy, really adventurous.

3 stars:

It was a dark and creepy night space up to really nightmares materials stories to WTF? are you kidding me? Stories. There’s no middle ground.

By the same author as React comes Driving in the dark, great cover but predictable.

2 stars:

Interviewing the dead was predictable and a little boring, but I’ve loved Carlyle’s daughter and her obvious crush.

My respect to The Queen, it was lovely to read about her, but the investigation and the mystery in The Windsor’s knot were terrible.

1 star/DNF:

I had to DNF The binding because the motivations of the characters to erase the memory were horrible.

This dark endeavor is a prequel of Frankenstein following the Frankenstein brothers, but Victor is a terrible character, it’s ableist and there’s violence against animals.

Look at me, giving Hamnet only 1 star, because if it’s about Hamnet, the son of William Shakespeare, I want to read about him, not his mother or his grandma. Very disappointing.

How was your reading month?

What do you plan on reading next month? Tell me in the comments!

Wrap Up: January 2022

Hello readers, sorry if I’m late for this wrap up, I totally forgot to post it!

In January I’ve read 11 books and 1 DNF, a super hyped book.

5 stars:

Did you know that there’s a book with some of the letters from Theo to Vincent, alongside letters from Jo (Theo’s wife) and Gauguin? In Italian is Verranno Giorni migliori, from a phrase in a Theo’s letter. An unmissable read if you love the Van Gogh brothers.

Once upon a haunted moor is a supernatural/crime/m/m book, lovely and creepy, and with remarkable characters.

My first read of 2022 was The Last photograph of John Buckley, a short story about a ghost in a photo, some secrets, and justice.

4 stars:

Devil may care is a spin-off/ sequel of Dracula, where the Harker, both Mina and Jonathan, need to investigate some dark supernatural circumstances. Very entertaining.

Il segreto di Greenshore (Poirot and the Greenshore folly) is a short story involving Poirot, very well crafted and planned, like you can expect from Agatha Christie. I’m participating in a Christie challenge this year on Instagram, if you are interested you can find the post here.

3 and 2 stars:

3 stars to Happily Ever awkward, that from the cover alone seems a sci-fi book, in reality, is a funny twist of the traditional fairytales, with the princess who wants to be kidnapped so she places an AD on a journal, to the prince who isn’t charming, or brave…

A historical fiction that is set during the great blizzard of 1888 of New York, rapidly became boring and predictable, I had great expectations from What the dead leave behind.

Another disappointment was Paola Santiago and the river of tears: I wasn’t a fun of Paola, and La Llorona appears at the end of the book, too late to save the plot.

1 star/DNF:

Three hyped books are fallen under my severe judgment: I’ve understood that I didn’t like the writing style of Schwab, so I had to DNF This savage song; The silence of the girls was a constant eye-rolling to Briseid; in Come una lady sfugge ai cannibali there’s a scene of a se*ual assault to a man, gratuitous and unnecessary; and I don’t want to talk about The devil and the dark water, is simply disgusting.

Remember that these are my opinions, if you liked the books above I’m happy for you!

And that’s all, have you had a good reading month? Tell me in the comments!

Best covers of 2021

Hello readers and welcome to the last recap post of 2021, showing the most beautiful, captivating, charming covers (for me) of 2021.

You can find the best books of 2021 here and the worst here.

These are all my favorite covers of 2021!

Did you spot one cover that catch your eyes?

Tell me in the comments!