My Life in Books from 2024

One more reading year begins!

Before going back the usual posting routines, here is my post with some questions answered by titles of books I've read in 2024. I've been doing this funny Q&A for some years now, an original idea by Christine, who I believe might not be blogging anymore...

🌝My life in books - 2024 🌝

Describe yourself:

Born to be BAD, Sherrilyn Kenyon

How do you feel:

Locked in Silence, Sloane Kennedy

Describe where you currently live:

Mercy Street, Mariah Stewart

If you could go anywhere, where would you go:

A Passage to India, EM Forster

Your favorite form of transportation:

Green Rider, Kristen Britain

Your best friend is:

Mystery Magnet, Gregory Ashe

You and your friends are:

Circle of Friends, Maeve Binchy

What's the weather like:

Natural Disaster, Erin Mclellan

What is life to you:

Better than the Movies, Lynn Painter

Favorite time of day:

The Violet Hour, Katherine Hill

Your biggest fear:

Losing Control, Jen Friedrich

How would you like to die:

Ready, Lucy Monroe

What is the best advice you have to give:

Never Lie, Freida McFadden

Thought for the day

Only and Forever, Chloe Liese

Your soul's current condition:

Safe and Sound, Phillipa East

📚 Happy reading!📚

2025 TBR Challenge Signing-Up

Hello everyone...

The new year is here, one more year for the adventure of reading!

As I've done in previous years, I'm signing-up again for the TBR Challenge, hosted by Wendy, the Super Librarian!

Here is the page on Wendy's blog with all the information:

https://wendythesuperlibrarian.blogspot.com/p/tbrchallenge-2025.html

Nevertheless, from Wendy's blog, to summarize:

What is the #TBRChallenge?

Your mission, should you choose to accept it: once a month pull a dormant book out of your TBR pile and read it. On the 3rd Wednesday of the month, talk about that book.

Participation is as easy as being on social media!
If you're on social media all you need to do is use the #TBRChallenge hashtag - there's no need to sign-up and your participation can vary throughout the year.You can use this hashtag on any day, at any time - but we're still going to concentrate on the 3rd Wednesday of every month to kick our commentary into high gear. The idea is to have at least one day a month where we can always count on there being book chatter.


Sound good? Of course it does! So what are the themes for 2025? So glad you asked!

January 15 - New Year, Who Dis? (suggestions: a debut, a new-to-you author, character looking for fresh start)
February 19 - Previously, In Romance... (suggestions: part of a series, author you haven't read in a while, Old School)
March 19 - Rizz (If you're old like me, this is slang the kids are using for "charisma" - I'm thinking playboys, rakes, heroes that have charm for days....)
April 16 - Location, Location, Location (interesting settings, unusual historicals etc.)
May 21 - Older Couple (self-explanatory)
June 18 - Road Trip (suggestions: couple traveling together, character who recently moved/relocated)
July 16 - Back in My Day... (suggestions: historical, Old School, I might go with a book that was published when I was in high school or college 😭)
August 20 - Do the Hustle (suggestions: single moms trying to make ends meet, work-related struggles, shady characters with ulterior motives / agenda).
September 17 - Friend Squad (self-explanatory)
October 15 - Here There Be Monsters (suggestions: monsters, Gothic, paranormal, fantasy, romantic suspense - humans being the biggest monsters of all quite frankly....)
November 19 - Change of Plans (suggestions: the character who has a wrench thrown in the works - sudden custody of kid(s), time travel, death in the family, accident, dystopia, left at the altar etc.)
December 17 - Celebration! (suggestions: weddings, parties, masquerade balls, holiday stories)

Happy reading to everyone!

2024 Book Statistics

Hello! 

😺2024 is finished and another list of books too. 😺

I love to start writing down titles before the year is over, so I can start planning things to read, often so some titles don't get forgotten and for me it's an incredible joy all my time dedicated to books, whether it's buying, reading, writing about them or just doing plans!

Therefore, as I've done in previous years, here is my already traditional post of statistics and favorite books. Most of them aren't books published in 2024, though. 

Apparently, according to a register I've done in a GR group, I've read 146 books which were published before 2021. Having read 218 total, this means I've only read 72 "recent" books and published in 2024 even less than that...

Statistics!

😺In 2024 I've read 218 books, more in October (22) and less in February (15).

All these books mean 76214 pages. The more and less months match the ones I've mentioned above.

Of all the books read, 97 were by known authors to me and 121 by new authors, which is a novelty this year, I think I don't have many years where the new authors is higher than the known ones.

The first book of the year was Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte, in the middle was The Prince's Poisoned Vow by Hailey Turner, and the last one was Lover Arisen by JR Ward.

Of all the books I read, I loved only 3, liked 119, thought 89 were so-so, I didn't enjoy much of 13 and 3 were no god at all. I've also started to DNF more conscientiously and this year I've DNF'd 5.

The genres I've read:

Contemporary (56)
Historical (18)
Fiction (24)
PNR (28)
LGBT (36)
Thrillers (12)
Non-fiction (4)
Fantasy/SciFi (14)
YA (4)
Other (2)
Historical Romance (20)

Some of the PNR books were chosen because they were paperbacks that had been long in the pile. I wonder if my genre choices, with this in mind, will change next year...

😺I've purchased 58 books, spending around 549,18€. I spent more in November and less in May, when I didn't buy books at all.

Books are more expensive, that is a fact! Not having much choice of where to buy doesn't help either. There are some authors and/or books that I still want to own in paperback format, but.... perhaps the future will really have to be an even more selection of these, and more investment in ebooks...

Books Read!

😺I gave 5 stars to only three books in 2024. 

I think I'm becoming even pickier, and as you all know, probably from your experience too, we change and our tastes too, and if one of my annual reading goals is to read books that still appeal but which have been in the pile for a long time... well, that certainly might reduce the chances of them being as enjoyable as I want. Hope is on, though!

With big TBRs, it's a challenge to read books with apparently great premises and blurbs right away...

😺Favorites 

The Queen's Starfire Throne by Hailey Turner
The Name the City Forgot by João Tordo
A Modern Witch by Debora Geary

Disappointments

Wolf's Nanny by Layla Silver
Firethorn by Sarah Micklem
The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller

Best in general:

The Queen's Starfire Throne by Hailey Turner.

It was quite the adventure, with a mix of steampunk and fantasy and romance. I suppose many would label it "romantasy", but to me it was the third installment of an epic trilogy which proves not only the author's skill but her wonderful imagination. The world building is vast and complex and the romance that made me interested in this so rewarding and captivating. This one will stay with me, even if I forget details.

Worst in general:

The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller.

Really disliked this one, mostly because no character was likable, and I simply couldn't stand their behavior and choices. If not for a buddy read, I'd have DNF'd it.

😺This is a brief summary of my year.

I've accomplished my main goals, surpassed the number of books I had planned on reading and I've read several things I got at the library too. In 2025 I'm hoping to read many more books which have in the pile the longest, let's see...

😺Happy new year and happy new reading to go along with it! 😺

Mini-Comments, again

Here is the second post with mini-comments...

Lover Arisen by JR Ward is the 20th installment in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. There was a time I defended and loved this series in a way that, now, makes me see how "obsessed" I was with the world building. Everything was great, even doubtful elements. In this story, when things are clearly reaching the end of the arc, I'm not as blind to the flaws and I no longer feel that drive to know what happens.
Balthazar and Erika aren't bad protagonists, and I love the wold building and the characters (and their interactions) as much as ever, but the path taken by the author feels very unfair. I also dislike the enemies that currently have a role in the series, and I abhor the fact the main villain has a voice and that there are so many pages from their POV.
Plot wise, there isn't much to say, because the true value of this series was in the world the author created and in the characters, who brought everything to life. I will always cherish some of the books in a special way and I might read other books but yes, to me, who have read all 20 of them, the first 5 or 6 had the true magic, that's for sure. What a pity the romance and the characters' interactions are no longer the only point of interest. I mean, there has always existed a villain, but to me it was never really important. Now, things are different and I feel a little sad...
Grade: 6/10

Beloved Imposter by Patricia Potter is an historical romance which has been in the shelf for many years, and the fact the setting is medieval probably put me off a little. Now I've read it, I must say I was positively surprised and this tale of a young woman (an original I'm sure) who doesn't want to marry a lecher and decides to run away to find a solution, did captivate me. I also liked that her family and the hero's were enemies but, as always. things find a way to be solved. The romance was actually quite well paced and I was entertained by all the things that took place.
This is the first book I try by the author but now I even feel I need to read the rest of this trilogy, which will feature the brothers of the male protagonist. The writing does feel a little dated, but unlike many other books, this story felt well balanced between plot and romance, and the protagonists weren't in love at first sight nor were they doing things they shouldn't when anyone could see. I actually found it refreshing to have an historical romance story where the characters fall in love before they get intimate. Perhaps it's only my impression... there are some details that, of course, feel a little less achieved, but my overall idea is a positive one.
Grade: 8/10

Mini-Comments

In order to finish the year with correct personal registers, this post and the next will feature mini comments with the last books of 2024.

Never Lie by Freida McFadden was my first try with this author's work. I got this book at the library because I knew many friends had enjoyed the author's work. It's the story of Ethan and Tricia, a couple who stumbles on a house which was supposed to be ready for them to visit. The previous owner was a famous psychiatrist who went missing, and Tricia doesn't feel well staying in, but the snow won't allow them to leave, plus there is no network. 

In terms of vibe and atmosphere, this was certainly an intriguing novel, and the short chapters made the reading experience very easy. I can see why readers like the books if they are all this way. However, I must say that, to me, the plot was presented in a way that was a miss because some things probably would have required more development, a more established process. Beside, something I keep criticizing in romance novels, and which in mysteries isn't as negative, ended up being so here: this story makes no sense and even feels poorly executed because it's in first person. It should not be.

Grade: 5/10

Gravity by Tal Bauer seems to be a single title about two hockey players who meet at the all star weekend that often takes place in the North American league, featuring players from the Us and Canada (if I got that right). Brice and Hunter play for very different teams, had never played together before, but somehow mesh perfectly and are the unsurpassed stars of the weekend.
The fact they are attracted to one another certainly helps in making their connection a smooth one and there's a very slow build up to them expressing precisely that. Well, Brice does and Hunter is so surprised he can't react, and this seems to affect them more than it should. When they go back to their teams, their performance isn't as great and Brice's team, a lot better financially, decides to hire Hunter, to get their "magic" once more. Of course, things can't be that easy if they like one another and should not admit it, but I liked how the author played this out. 
This is the second book I try and I think the formula is this: things start slowly and beautifully, and after a certain point it feels as if everything descends into cheesiness. This means it's mostly good but could be so much better.
Grade: 8/10

Happy New Year!

What is the meaning of life? What are we doing here?

In a world with so many problems and wars and people being less than decent...

One needs to find beauty and kindness and warmth, otherwise negativity would bring us all down even before we were to have a chance...

Therefore, I want to wish you a better new year, with health and love to make things easier in life.

I want to wish you all patience, to endure the things which will be less good.

I want to wish you a world with peace.

(and, of course, time to read books!!!)

Happy New Year!

2024 TBR Challenge Summary

The year is almost over. It does seem too convenient to keep repeating "time flies" but clichés exist because they are often the best way to express something realistic. Sometimes it does seem some days take too long, other times the day is not enough...

Anyway, the year is ending and that means one more TBR Challenge, hosted by Wendy, the SuperLibrarian, has been finished. 

As I have done in recent years, here's a little summary of my choices to wrap up the year.

My list:

January: Maggsie McNaughton's Second Chance by Frances Maynard 6/10

The protagonist decides to giver her life a new chance by starting a new job but, as she had done in the past, she gets herself in several mix ups anyway, especially when she starts telling herself she will prove she is improving and that will get her something she desires. Will she be able to learn about her past mistakes and be wiser now?

February: A Reason for Hope by Kristin von Kreisler 7/10

The heroine finds herself in a position she never imagined and she decides she needs to do something about it, even if it means being scared and needing Hope, the dog who is there to help those who went through some kind of trauma. In the way, perhaps she will learn to trust and love...

March: Spacer's Cinderella by Adria Rose 8/10

The heroine manages to be part of a project she was dreaming of, so she can learn enough to help her how planet surviving. In the process she discovers the man she could fall in love with was not only her new boss, but also someone who had the knowledge to help.. but at what price?

April: The Marquess Who Love Me by Sara Ramsey 5/10

After many years, and problems, the hero comes back home to take over his estate, and he decides to get revenge on the woman he was in love with and that he thinks betrayed him. Of course things aren't that simple and while he tries to put his plan into action, he finds love doesn't die that easily either...

May: Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy 7/10

A naive heroine and her group pf friends are discovering new adventures and what it means to be a mature person while at university. But with growing up there are also responsibilities and challenges, and some might be too hard to deal with. Friends should be there for all occasions, though...

June: Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops by Jen Campbell 7/10

This non fiction book is a collection of funny, or silly, comments and situations booksellers have heard or have lived through in bookshops. Interaction with the public is always a game of patience and, perhaps, amusement, as proven by the examples used.

July: Magic's Pawn by Mercedes Lackey 6/10

Fantasy can be great or not but I had high hopes for this world and by this author, which many readers love. The protagonist's adventure into becoming an adult who has a task to perform and who needs to wise up wasn't as smooth as it could be, however.

August: Protecting What's Mine by Lucy Score  8/10

The author has been hyped in the recent times, and she does have a kind of formula. Still, this story about a woman who is starting over in a small town and now needs to deal with a lot more people, a lot more closely than before is quite cute, especially if it includes he man she is falling in love with...

September: The Violet Hour by Katherine Hill  3/10

A dysfunctional family having boring and sometimes annoying inner thoughts proved to be quite a disappointment. The author likely aimed for literary reflections but this was only an exercise in frustration and unnecessary situations.

October: The Distant Hours by Kate Morton  6/10

I was eager to read this tale, which promised a specific type of environment. However, the protagonist's investigation into the lives of two sisters who live in an old castle felt forced, and the mystery associated with their intertwined lives didn't have enough sparkle, to me.

November: The Outsider by Penelope Williamson 7/10

The protagonist, who is part of an Amish-like community, finds and restores to health an outsider, who has the fame of not being a good man. As the recovery continues, they talk and start respecting one another. From there to love is one small step but there are obstacles in their way...

December: The Christmas Dress by Courtney Cole 7/10

The heroine comes back to Chicago after the death of her father. She now needs to manage an old building and deal with the tenants... there are difficulties in her path but also new friends, a possible new love and old stories to finally solve, all around the Christmas spirit...

Some notes:

→ I would say my average wasn't great but I like the idea of trying things to suit the themes as best I can, and that might mean some books will not be as great as I would have preferred;

→ The majority of my choices were contemporary books, which kept the trend of my current preferences; 

→ Eight choices were by new authors to me;

→ Five of the books were in paperback format, the others were ebooks;

→ All my choices had been in the pile for more than one year, at least. Most of them even more than that. Thus, I think it's a personal success to choose and read them, and it's 12 more books out of the pile...

Happy reading, and until next year's challenge!

Jenny Colgan - Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop

Christmas comes early--far too early--to McCredie's little Old Town bookshop in Edinburgh. It's summer, but an American production company has decided that McCredie's is the perfect location to film a very cheesy Christmas movie. After all, who can resist the charmingly narrow historic street with its Victorian grey stone buildings and warmly lit shop windows?
Carmen Hogan, the bookshop's manager, is amused and a bit horrified by the goings-on, but the money the studio is paying is too good to pass up. She uses the little windfall from filming to create new displays and fend off a buyout offer from an obnoxious millionaire who wants to turn McCredie's into a souvenir shop selling kilts made in China and plastic Nessies. Still reeling slightly from a breakup, Carmen's not particularly looking forward to the holidays. But just as snow begins to fall and the lights of Christmas blink on, all sorts of lovely new possibilities present themselves...for McCredie's bookstore, and for Carmen herself.

Comment: I enjoyed reading the first book in this series in 2021 and now I've finally decided to read the sequel, even more so since it's a Christmas related story and it is Christmas season!

In this story Carmen has been doing her best working at mr McCredie's bookshop and she has spent lovely times with Oke, although they are taking things very, very slow. However, a huge misunderstanding makes them have an argument and Oke happens to have an offer for a project in his country, Brazil. As they spend time apart, neither wants to forget about the other, but does distance really play a bigger role than what anyone could imagine? At the same time, the shop is having problems, again, and Carmen's sister Sophia is ready to go back to work and will hire a nanny, who will need Carmen's basement area... will Carmen be able to find a new place, right on time for Christmas and will she save both the shop and her relationship with Oke?

I will confess right away that I barely remembered anything from the first book. I had a general idea and I knew the protagonist's name but in terms of secondary elements, I only remembered things as I read along. However, I will also say that my idea of the previous book was that it had been a much more positive one - or I had that impression - and this sequel felt a lot more depressing for what it is meant to be a Christmas themed story...

The first books I've read by this author truly impressed me and I still have a few on my TBR by her, which I'll get to at some point, but now I must wonder if her more recent work will always have this negative vibe, or this feel that something less sweet might be included. Of course this doesn't have to be an issue, but it's been noticeable and it does affect my easiness in appreciation the overall plot, even knowing there will be a happy end.

Carmen is once again worried about the bookshop and there's even a man who is buying all the local commerce establishments to turn them into gift shops. At least, it seems so after her friend Bobby goes through it. With her relationship with Oke going badly and her living situation at her sister's house in danger of ending, Carmen was a hard character to like in this book. To be honest, there were times I didn't like her that much and I can't remember if I already had this opinion about her in the other book before she started organizing her life, or if this is just a natural development in this second book.

Reading my comment on that other book, three years ago!, it seems I liked her as a heroine but here I didn't think the same. First, it's her apparent clueless attitude towards her sister's life and how she kept giving hints she was going to need Carmen's room for the nanny. Perhaps I'm being unfair and if it was with me I might not have seen it either, who knows, but the way this plays out, feels as if Carmen was being oblivious on purpose. It also added to the drama and there were times this didn't feel as if it would be a "delightful holiday" story as labeled.

Second, the whole misunderstanding with Oke was just... ridiculous. Again, it made things seem as if the previous story hand't already offered enough development in their relationship. It seemed more issues had to happen so this story could have filling and even made Carmen seem unfair towards Oke. I suppose I could say he wasn't honest with her either, but Carmen was made to seem the more aggressive one in the argument and, again, I wasn't too happy about her. I also kept thinking that, perhaps, my biggest issue is that, in fact, this book didn't have to exist! The author could have left things as they were in the first book and that would have been enough.

As the story progresses, of course we are supposed to see the change, the improvement, the "lessons" learned by talking to friends, by doing the right thing, by being part of a community while still having a business conscience... all realistic and mundane things, modern life related even, but the vibe was really a let down for me. When the end is close and everything starts to sound better and Carmen starts improving her social skills and starts trusting others and her instincts, it felt...a task was being fulfilled and the author was wrapping up things as expected.

The writing style is very recognizable Colgan's and that is why I still liked enough to consider this a positive experience but I was certainly not dazzled by the book. I liked several things I haven't mentioned, true, but the less good elements were more glaring to me to write about them, nevertheless.

When the story is finishing, Oke and Carmen are able to talk again and trust each other about their wishes and feelings but it felt it was a bit too late for what the relationship required. I mean, I know they end with a HEA but most of the book they were actually apart, so... this change didn't feel it was really well done. I liked how things improved with her sister and with the shop better, although nothing was sugary and over the top to make it seem unlikely. There were also some sweet scenes and the promised Christmas' spirit, true, but this book didn't win me over as much, no...

Grade: 5/10

Chelsea Field - Poison and Prejudice

When Izzy agreed to become an undercover poison taster, she didn’t anticipate that it might involve driving around the streets of Los Angeles with a corpse in the trunk.
Because the police asked her to.
She also didn’t think finding a body together could be considered a bonding experience until she met Connor’s family.
But fate delights in marking its territory all over Izzy’s expectations. And this time she’ll be caught between the powers of Homeland Security, an evil human trafficking ring, and the Taste Society all working toward different ends…

Comment: This is the fourth installment in the series featuring protagonist Isobel Avery, a young woman who has a specific gene which allows her to taste poisons and not die, making her perfect to work for a company that rents the services of their tasters but which also places Isobel in the midst of complicated situations...

In this installment, all seems to go as usual for Isobel, she is now working for Zachary Hill, a famous actor who separated recently and his ex happens to be a famous actress too. However, his ex dies and Isobel feels she should investigate, especially when she and her friends discover Zac and his ex might be involved with human trafficking through a charity foundation they created. As the clues pile up, they find out that there's something even more secretive going on than simple profiting, but will they learn how before Isobel is in danger, yet again?

I had to re-read my comments on the previous book and I'm glad to say that, as I hoped for, this fourth installment went back to be as funnily silly as the first books, and I certainly enjoyed Isobel's shenanigans a lot more here than in book #3. These mysteries aren't complex nor psychologically intense, but make for some cute and entertaining few hours.

These books feature Isobel, a young Australian woman who is living in America after some trouble with her ex, and the dents he left her with to solve. By book four, she is now going on with her life so she can go back home one day, but she is now part of a small group of people, her boyfriend and his sister and mother, her neighbor, her roommate and few other secondary characters. I find these dynamics, always seen from Isobel's POV to be a good mix of silliness and captivating little scenes, and it's easy to want to see what new adventure Isobel finds herself in.

I actually like the way the author plans for these stories. It's true the mysteries investigated aren't anything special nor is this meant to be a complex plot, but the ideas are still fun enough to see exploited. In this book, the investigation is about a possible case of human trafficking, which is a very serious matter, and the way the plans thought by the villains were put into action made all sense. The fact this is a humorous type of mystery means there's a silly/fun side to how the investigation happens - I did laugh at one or two scenes - but it's still nice to think some things should be solved as well as in these books...

Isobel remains a very likable protagonist and her relationship with Connor is still ongoing. I think the romance in this installment clearly took second stage and the scenes between them weren't as vibrant, in fact it felt they were there just because they had to, but a couple of times I did feel they were at the same page. Now I think about the possibility of Isobel going back home ...perhaps she won't or things will be solved more easily than I think, in regards to this.

Considering the type of book this is, some situations are dealt with some lightness. I do wish this wasn't so, because I think there are subjects that should be developed in a more serious way, mostly the ones regarding the cases but knowing this doesn't diminish the ability to plan for a plot to make sense. I do like this part of the author's skills but some things are just too vague, too much left in the air. I'd like to see more obvious plans in place, in a way even regarding Isobel's life. Still, apparently there are two books yet in the series and I'll finish it at some point, perhaps what I envision for Isobel might happen in the meantime.

Grade: 8/10

Mini - Comments

I've recently read two more books I got at the library, by Portuguese authors, of which I don't have much to talk about. Thus, to leave only a register of having read them, here's a mini-comment on both.

Palavra do Senhor by Ana Bárbara Pedrosa can be literally translated as "Word of the Lord" and it's a fascinating fictional text from the POV of God, if God were to be explaining Himself to humans. The book isn't big and is divided into two parts, the first where God tries to explain some events from the Old Testament, the second His POV after seeing Mary for the first time and how she came to be the mother of Jesus.

Thinking of this as a fictional work, it was very interesting to read and the author has an incredible style to write (my first attempt at her work, she was unknown to me), very correct grammatically and with a clever use of vocabulary but also engaging. This isn't usually that well done, if the narrator is in first person but addressing the audience because it might lead into a cluttered text. Here, between the writing style and the small page count, this didn't happen. I think some situations should have been developed more and it should be said that the God who speaks seems to be the Bible God and not a... let's say, universal God, but... 

In terms of reading, it was quite engaging, as I've said. I'll check other things by the author if I find them at the library.

Grade: 8/10

Uma Terra Prometida by several authors is a small book with a collection of nine short stories by nine different authors. The goal was to write a story with the "refugee" theme, which is so contemporary nowadays... each story is individual and features different types of situations related to refugees.

It was also the first text I've tried by all these authors and, usually, short stories tend to be good ways for us to have an idea of an author's style, which certainly happened here to a point. I liked the stories as a whole, for the purpose of their existence: all embodied somehow the refugee status and used more or less visible clues to let us be aware of the refugees who were seeking help or why were they in this situation. None of the stories were melodramatic, all seemed to want to convey the idea in a simple way, and the reader should read between the lines.

All stores were based on real life events, even if only for inspiration, but any reader would easily recognize what the story is about and what could be the reason for it. There was one in particular I liked most, about a little boy who describes his life after bombs happen in his neighborhood. This story was the one that stayed with me, not only for the compelling writing but for the images it used.

Of course, in a book with nine stories, not all touched me the same way and one or two were actually a little disappointing and didn't seem to mesh so well with the others, and that's why my grade isn't higher. As for the idea and goal in creating this small anthology, very good.

Grade: 8/10

Merry Christmas!

Christmas is here, again.

Time flies and it's time again to enjoy the Christmas time with our families and those who are important to us. For me, no moment in the year should be without books, therefore I wish you all a good and peaceful time but also moments to spend with a book!

Merry Christmas, everyone!