Tuesday 23 April 2019

Top Ten Tuesday: The first ten books I reviewed on The Review Diaries

Top Ten Tuesday is a feature hosted by the fabulous Jana at The Artsy Reader Girl. You can join in with future topics here!

Ah those were the days! The ones when I first started blogging and frankly was not the best, but I was young and bright eyed and eager to share my love of the books with the world!
It's been nine years, and looking back I fear that I somewhat questionable taste in some of my first reads and reviews for the blog. But it's always fun to dig them out and see how far I've come. So without further ado, here are the first ten book reviews I wrote for this site!

Matched by Ally Condie
A weirdly strange dystopian that never managed to capture my heart enough for me to finish reading the trilogy. It was still enjoyable, and I can recall a few of the details of the story, but not enough to make me want to revisit it.
You can read my full review here.

From Notting Hill with Love... Actually by Ali McNamara
Gosh I still love this book. A pitch perfect romance that takes some of the best parts of my very favourite rom coms and weaves them into a truly stunning debut. It's been years since I last read this one, but I'm feeling super nostalgic now and want to go back for a re-read!
You can read my full review here.

Dark Road to Darjeeling by Deanna Raybourn
Deanna Raybourn still holds my heart for the best historical murder mystery novels I've ever had the pleasure of reading. This book marked a shift in the Lady Julia Grey mysteries, stepping away from the will they/won't they of the first three novels, and showcasing what life together looks like for Julia and Brisbane. I still love this book and I revisit it frequently.
You can read my full review here.

Entice by Carrie Jones
I have vague memories of a super cold setting, faeries, and some norse mythology thrown in, but I couldn't tell you anything more about this book. Oh, the covers are quite cool. Yeah, that's it.
You can read my full review here.

Strictly Shimmer by Amanda Roberts
This was a terrible decision. No matter how much I enjoyed Strictly Come Dancing, this book was a poor life choice. I hadn't quite worked out how to review a book that I didn't like by this point, so I mostly just got frustrated. Spoiler alert, despite my intentions, I did not go back and subject myself to the second book - in fact I've no idea if it was even published.
You can read my full review here.

Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel
Despite my better judgement and general vampire fatigue of the time, I actually enjoyed this vampire filled story. What I most remember about reading this one, was the feeling of sinking into a good story and becoming utterly lost inside it. It's not one I've revisited since, but I have fond recollections of reading it.
You can read my full review here.

New Cardiff by Charles Webb
I found the film (Hope Springs, starring Colin Firth) first and thoroughly love it, so I was intrigued to find out what the book was like. In answer, not at all like the film. A curious, fascinatingly written story, I found myself appreciating the book as its own entity and finished loving both.
You can read my full review here.

When the Duke Returns by Eloisa James
My love affair with Eloisa James was only really beginning way back when nine years ago. Thankfully it's still going strong, and her Desperate Duchesses series remains my favourite of all her works. Plus I love the UK covers.
You can read my full review here.

Entangled by Cat Clarke
A gorgeous debut novel I loved Clarke's writing, and have come back to her and her startlingly real stories many times over the years.
You can read my full review here.

The Girl with Glass Feet by Ali Shaw
This novel still makes me cry. All of Ali's do. It's beautiful, captivating, heart breaking, dark and twisty and filled with unexpected magic. It's a quiet novel that utterly ruined me, but I still think of it often.
You can read my full review here.

So there you have the first ten book reviews I posted on this site! I have to admit, it's been a blast going back and digging through my first few posts - working out which books I started with and what I remember of them. 

Have you read any of these? Let me know in the comments below!

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