Dayna鈥檚 Year in Books

What did you read this year?

Go to previous year

2024

3,755

pages read

books read

Dayna

Shortest Book

141

pages

Scythe / Thunderhead / The Toll by Neal Shusterman

Longest Book

1,600

pages

Average book length in 2024

469

pages

Most Shelved

6,583,892

people also shelved

Least Shelved

4,464

people also shelved

Dayna鈥檚 average rating for 2024

3.7

Highest Rated on 欧宝娱乐

4.56 average

Dayna鈥檚 first review of the year

really liked it

Another solid in the series!!

Really enjoyed it. Admittedly, it was a little draggy the first 3/4 of the book, had to go on a short break on it sometimes, but the plot was still intriguing enough for me to be curious to see what unfolds.

I think it's the thirsty hoe in me but after that first few chapters with Rowan? Zaddy.... I love me a morally grey character...a muscular alpha male that is not afraid to be the villain in order to follow his vis Another solid in the series!!

Really enjoyed it. Admittedly, it was a little draggy the first 3/4 of the book, had to go on a short break on it sometimes, but the plot was still intriguing enough for me to be curious to see what unfolds.

I think it's the thirsty hoe in me but after that first few chapters with Rowan? Zaddy.... I love me a morally grey character...a muscular alpha male that is not afraid to be the villain in order to follow his vision and morals.... cutting out evil corrupt scythes and basks in his persecution... so hot... I was looking up fanfic after this lmao.... forgive me....

I really did enjoy the friendship of motherxdaughter with Citra and Curie... ugh... Curie is so mother slay (view spoiler)

As usual Neal's writing dotted with humor was funny and engaging, and I really enjoyed exploring the political world of schythedom, and the method of gleaning Citra chose.

While I don't buy nor care for the "romance" between rowan and citra (zero chemistry and investment), I did enjoy the introduction of our new character Greyson. TBH his unsavory arc was so meh and kinda boring and slow, although some parts were quite funny (the fake legally rebellion clubs lol), i enjoyed his toll monk era more. the great resonance moment LOL the buildup and it all makes so much sense

I really liked the chaos that was the last few chapters, absolute and pure chaos i love it. The buildup to it all. the self-sacrifice, the "he drowned exceptionally well" was my favourite line of the whole book LOL.

I really think the thunderhead's build up thought process over all the events, its reflections and decisions it eventually make make so much sense and it was well-fitting. totally waranted and deserving. And I am so interested to see how this new world plays out in the next book!!

As usual, it's all about the plot and there is not really any room for well-fleshed out characters or agency, multi-faceted emotions that deal with complex emotions or trauma or whaeves. It's pure world building and over-arching state of humanity.

I love it.
...more

顿础驰狈础鈥橲 2024 BOOKS

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

it was amazing

Dayna鈥檚 last review of the year

it was ok

SCREAMS AND THROWS BOOK OUT OF THE WINDOW

My God that sucked. As an audiobook it made it slightly easier to get through, even then the voice actors grated me so much. Especially Elysia- her voice was also so fluttery and panicky and victimising, she sounded she was talking like a leaf and into the pillow, self-pitying, broody and constantly whinning and seeking for validation. I get that it is the point to a certain extent, but it made every sente SCREAMS AND THROWS BOOK OUT OF THE WINDOW

My God that sucked. As an audiobook it made it slightly easier to get through, even then the voice actors grated me so much. Especially Elysia- her voice was also so fluttery and panicky and victimising, she sounded she was talking like a leaf and into the pillow, self-pitying, broody and constantly whinning and seeking for validation. I get that it is the point to a certain extent, but it made every sentence hard to listen to.

Good god, why is this a bestseller and so highly praised? The plot sucked so bad, the characters sucked so bad. Lol I figured out the plot twist a mile away but i did not put 2 and 2 together cos i thought the events were chronological (they weren't).

What summarises the book well is this extract:
"it's a shame you didn't know her then- she was the most interesting person I've ever met. Most people aren't alive, you know? Not really. Sleepwalking their way through life, but Elysia was so intensely...alive. It was hard to take your eyes off her."

Johnfelix turned his head back to the painting and gazed at Elysia's naked body.

"So beautiful"

I looked back at Elysia's body, but where Johnfelix saw beauty, I saw only pain. I saw only self-inflicted wounds and scars of self-harm.

It's a story about how multiple men thrust upon their wildest fantasies onto a woman and make her less than human, she becomes some commodity. For some, she's a manic-pixie-dreamgirl who's larger than life and gives joy and hope and spring and #notlikeothergirls, because she can never be damaged goods, and is a goddess. For others, she is the mascot of trauma, beautiful trauma like a beautiful butterfly with a broken wing for spectators to ogle at.

I was like, wait, Theo ain't nuts is he? He can't be the deluded white knight crazy right? The author would not do that, he would not choose such a bad and horrible plot device. Welp.

All things considering, it was a fun thrashy read, digestible as an audiobook format. 1/10 for the voice actors, 1/10 for the plot. 6/10 for thrash reading

...more

What did you read this year?