bookwise鈥檚 Year in Books

What did you read this year?

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2024

18,020

pages read

books read

bookwise

Shortest Book

pages

Longest Book

550

pages

Average book length in 2024

353

pages

Most Shelved

2,905,597

people also shelved

Adam Undercover, The Presidium Files by Aaron Foster

Least Shelved

658

people also shelved

bookwise鈥檚 average rating for 2024

4.1

Highest Rated on 欧宝娱乐

4.48 average

bookwise鈥檚 first review of the year

it was ok

This book had good potential and an overall decent plot but could have been executed much better. The crazy advanced technology was the best part, and the mission and action were pretty good too. Biggest problem was probably how common some of the elements were (i.e. secretive agency that works with but isn鈥檛 part of other bigger intelligence agencies and works for common good, the book literally says, 鈥淭he Trivindico has done so much good and st ...more

叠翱翱碍奥滨厂贰鈥橲 2024 BOOKS

The Library of Lost Things by Laura Taylor Namey

it was amazing

A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh

it was amazing

Didn't See That Coming by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

it was amazing

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen

it was amazing

This Train Is Being Held by Ism茅e Amiel Williams

Love Requires Chocolate by Ravynn K. Stringfield

really liked it

Even If It Breaks Your Heart by Erin Hahn

it was amazing

bookwise鈥檚 last review of the year

it was amazing

A Song to Drown Rivers is a beautifully written and captivating tale about love, war, and sacrifice; about a woman tasked with using her wit and beauty to topple an enemy kingdom, all while navigating danger, potential war, and every difficult decision - but between her heart and the good of an entire kingdom, in the end, what choice does she really have?

I absolutely loved A Song to Drown Rivers, and I loved the well-written characters, emotional A Song to Drown Rivers is a beautifully written and captivating tale about love, war, and sacrifice; about a woman tasked with using her wit and beauty to topple an enemy kingdom, all while navigating danger, potential war, and every difficult decision - but between her heart and the good of an entire kingdom, in the end, what choice does she really have?

I absolutely loved A Song to Drown Rivers, and I loved the well-written characters, emotional writing, twists and turns filled plot, and most of all, the forbidden romance.

Xishi and Fanli's story was as devastating as it was beautiful.
It was so bittersweet and heartbreaking to know that they belonged together, but may never have a chance to be together, because no matter what happened, Xishi would have to leave Fanli behind and travel to Wu. But that made every sweet, even slightly romantic scene between them all the more precious....like when Fanli excepts a matching bracelet from her, or when he gets all possessive and worried about her when she's injured, and he's trying to take care of her while fending off attacks. *swoons*.
Everything was so emotional, from when they spent time together during her training to when they parted ways as she went to Wu.

But her time in Wu was just as engaging, and the plot was constantly filled with twists and turns. I was afraid to put the book down as Xishi navigated the court and it's advisors. It became apparent that she was a strong and brave FMC, and so much more then just her beauty.

This is also where Fuchai, the King of Wu, is introduced. He's written as a tormented boy, given a throne he doesn't want, and unsure of who to trust in his own court. I wish he was written as more "evil", because I felt bad for him, but I also couldn't deny Xishi's need for vengeance and the cruelty of his actions.

The fast pace of this book definitely made it engaging, but it also made it so I had no sense of how much time had gone by. Maybe it was just me, but ten weeks seemed to pass by just as quickly as two years, and I wish there had been more of a difference.

The ending though, was so defined, so final, so matter of fact, and shocking in every way. I can't believe I didn't cry at all (so unlike me!), but I was just too rendered speechless and unable to do anything but keep reading. It's devastating, yet oddly fitting. There's no doubt that this is how the tale was meant to end, but it doesn't erase all the emotions that come with the ending (all the emotions that set in after I flipped the last page and put the book down and took a moment - or a lot of moments, to process everything I'd just read).

Final thoughts: A Song to Drown Rivers exceeded and defied my expectations in every way and I'm so glad I got a chance to read and review this book. It's one I could never forget and I don't think I could recommend this book enough!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for giving me an ARC of this book. All thoughts are my own.

Find more of my reviews and connect with me on my blog ! ...more

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