It has been a long time since I updated my blog and most of that has been due to a drop in confidence, a battle with my own self-esteem, that I think many of us can understand and relate to. Some has been attributed to my reading slump and disappointing book choices but there have been a few fantastic novels that have helped me through the year. Strong characters, brave women and creative fictional worlds to escape into.

The previous year was very difficult but I would like to share with you the books that kept me going. I adored them!
Holly Black has really captured my heart with this series. Jude, the heroine, is strong and brave and uses her fear to drive herself forward, towards her great ambition of wanting power in a world where she is seen as weak and useless and is taunted for being a human mortal. She faces many challenges, one of them love, one she shouldn't feel but can't help. This series, I think, is right up there with my favourite books next to Cassandra Clare and Sarah. J. Maas. It is a simple writing style, but with a twisted plot and  jam packed with precious moments I wish I could read for the first time again. Jude shows vulnerability and strength, she makes mistakes and tries to right her wrongs, she is ruthless yet loyal and cares deeply for her family and the few friends she has. I understand a few people struggled with the violence and raw descriptions in this book, but if we don't highlight real world cruelty in novels, where can we do it? It is important to not only have nice, fluffy stories about charming heroes and brave girls but to talk about brutal realities of war, uncomfortable situations and tackle taboos.

The Poppy War encounters these situations. This is a harsh time set in a fantasy world that has struggled to survive several previous wars. It has created a dark and ruthless place to live where people turn a blind eye to abuse and awful treatment of girls that are usually married off for money and power. The only way out of this terrible lifestyle is to study for a school that takes only the best for martial arts training and may perhaps show promise in a certain magical ability that many fear.

This lifestyle is equally brutal and unforgiving and the war we are thrown into is dark and awful and, at moments, sickening. Ultimately, The Poppy War is an amazing book and I couldn't stop reading it. I don't often read Sci-fi as it's not my preferred genre and I haven't always had the patience to read many books by Brandon Sanderson even though I know he is greatly talened. But I gave this one a go and wow! The Skyward series is fantastic. I have already read it's sequel and I equally adored it.

Spensa is a well developed character that I would love to be best friends with. I can't wait to unravel the mysteries surrounding her and the abilities she is learning to control and the larger threat that is looming over the human race....of what is left of the human race anyway. What I loved more than anything is that it wasn't full of all the technical jargon that usually puts me off this genre. It wasn't hard to understand and M-Bot, the delightful AI robot with the sassy attitude, helps to keep things light in moments of tension. Everyone needs an M-Bot and i need book three to come out now. Below are a couple of books I thoroughly enjoyed, ones that kept my chin high between the reading slumps and the disappointing choices I made last year. Have you read any of these books? Did you enjoy them? What were your favourite reads of 2019?