Hi, hello friends! I’m so excited to be back posting regularly – thank you so much for your patience during my leave of absence! With university now over, I can focus on my four loves: ice skating, animal crossing, content creation and, of course, reading! During my time off from posting, I managed to reach my Goodreads goal of 80 books! I’ve read some wonderful books during this time, so I thought it would be a lot of fun to showcase my top 5! Think of this as a mini end of year wrap up – but here’s hoping more books get read before the end of December! Without further adieu, and in no particular order, let’s go!
- Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim
I absolutely adore this book, so much. To me, it’s the perfect fantasy. It has interesting characters, a compelling plot, and a magic system that just makes my heart happy. I think it’s the perfect blend of relationships, friendships, family and adventure, and it’ll satisfy even the toughest of fantasy critics. To put it simply, this book was absolutely magical. I genuinely couldn’t put it down while reading it, and I know our readers here at teatimelit will feel the same way. I have to thank Cossette for recommending it to me (and her lovely review that she wrote for the blog, which you can read here) – without her I wouldn’t have picked it up for a while! While I wait for book two, it’s time to reread and hunt down the Fairyloot edition for my collection…
Links for Six Crimson Cranes: Goodreads | TheStorygraph | Bookshop | IndieBound
- A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey
This book means a lot to me, which is why it’s a strong contender for my favourite book of the year! Set in a place that is so close to my heart, A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow is simply magical in the best way. It’s cozy, comforting and wholesome – all while being emotional, vulnerable and authentic. I loved everything about it, and it’s so hard to put into actual words why. Being able to read a book that captures a place you love so perfectly brings the most warming and comforting feeling. Whenever I feel longing for Winchester, I know I can pick this book up and feel the winter chill and transport myself into the depths of the highstreet. I wrote a full review of the book which you can find here, and that might put into better words why I simply love it so much! I definitely want to reread it before the year is up.
Links for A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow: Goodreads | TheStorygraph | Bookshop | Indie Bound
- You and Me on Vacation by Emily Henry
This is another teatimelit favourite, and for good reason! You and Me on Vacation is funny, charming, and unforgettable. I think it might be up there with being the perfect romcom – it has everything fans of the genre will love. With compelling characters, heartwarming moments, and summer sun that will leave you sunburnt just from reading, You and Me on Vacation is an absolute joy. I’m a massive fan of Emily Henry’s other book, Beach Read, and her new book is one of my most anticipated reads of 2022. She’s just such a wonderful writer, I can’t wait to continue following her career. YAMOV just proves that her writing gets better the more that she writes, and it honestly will leave you with a book hangover. I know I personally read it very quickly, and couldn’t find a rom com to read after that hit the same. Truly, this book is absolutely wonderful, and if you haven’t picked it up yet you definitely should. For more convincing, I wrote a full review of the book here.
Links for You and Me on Vacation: Goodreads | StoryGraph | Bookshop | Indie Bound
- You’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Thao
Where to even begin with this one, I have no clue. I am still so emotional about this book, and it’s been months since reading it. This book destroyed me, truly. Shout out to Cossette who had to listen to my live texts, but my goodness I was a mess. This book is hard hitting, vulnerable and emotional, all while being wholesome and sweet at the same time. It’s a bit of a rollercoaster, which will have you ugly crying at 1am (speaking from experience here), and belly laughing well into the night. I honestly adored this book, and I know you will too. Cossette recently wrote a review for it which has gone live on the blog – you can find it here!
Links for You’ve Reached Sam: Goodreads | TheStorygraph | Bookshop | Indie Bound
- From Lukov With Love by Mariana Zapata
We all knew this was coming, didn’t we? This book is what inspired me to start learning how to figure skate, and I’m so glad it did because I am obsessed with it. I love Zapata’s books, but this has to be my favourite. Following two pairs skaters, we see how their enemies-to-lovers relationship blossoms as they train and prepare for competition season. This is such a fun, interesting sports romance that just makes my heart so happy. I am honestly so thankful for it, because without it I wouldn’t have impulsively decided to start ice skating! It’s also a slow burn, which Mariana Zapata is the queen of, which just adds to the appeal. Honestly, I reread it recently and I can already feel myself gravitating to it again soon.
Links for From Lukov With Love: Goodreads | TheStoryGraph | Bookshop | IndieBound
And there we have it! Five of my favourite books from my Goodreads reading goal! Be sure to let me know below what some of your favourite books are too – see you all next week!
