At the start of the year, my best friend Ely, and I picked 5 books that we wanted the other to read in 2020. It was a fun way that we could force each other to read books that have been on our tbr for a while or we’ve wanted the other to read for a while. You can check out my tbr and the books that Ely picked for me to read. 

So today we thought we would do a mid-year check-in. Show what we have read, what we thought? What we are planning to read next? You can check out Ely’s check-in now as well. 

I’ve read two books from the books that Ely picked for me so far. But one of them was quite big so I feel pretty okay with that. I’ve also really loved both books that I’ve read. 

Ghosts of the Shadow Market by Cassandra Clare and Various: I don’t know why I hadn’t read this one yet. I had my copy from when it came out but I just hadn’t picked it up. But I’m so glad that I finally did. I enjoyed most of the stories in this one. It’s one of her best anthologies and captured the world in a different light. I loved that we got to see a different side of the world, from different characters and their perspectives. It was this great combo that includes characters from all her series, along with different timelines. This kept the stories fresh and interesting. 

I loved that Jem was also such a focus in these series. I miss him so much. And it was great that we got to see him over such a massive span of time. I love seeing these interactions, his emotions and I loved that blanks were filled in on time that we missed. 

Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes: I adored Girl Against the Universe. It was an excellent novel that does focus on mental health. It’s not a love fixes all kind of novel but explores how those around can help you in a way that you never thought. Maguire and Jordy were adorable and I love them so much. They were both such interesting characters. Maguire was such a perfect protagonist. She was really easy to get along with, even though she wasn’t always likable. Her character arc was fantastic and I loved seeing her grow.