I HAD COVID-19…here’s what I read during quarantine

Hey everyone! Hope you are all well. 

I had a rough start to the new year. I found out I had contracted COVID-19 right after New Year’s, which resulted in me having to quarantine for two weeks. Thankfully, I am full recovered and was released out of quarantine yesterday. I am also happy to say no one that I live with contracted the virus at any point during those two weeks. 

PSA: My contracting the virus is very indicative of how contagious it can be. While I am lucky my case was mild, you never know, so if you are living in an area susceptible to the virus, be careful!

That said, my two weeks in isolation yielded a lot of time to read, which I certainly took advantage of. I wouldn’t say I went absolutely crazy, but I did start and finish an impressive four books in that time period. I’m treating this as a wrap up of sorts; I’ll list the books, give my rating and brief thoughts, and leave a link to my non-spoiler review if I have one. I will say that overall, it was a very high quality group of books. Let’s get into what I read!

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The Cousins // Karen M. McManus 

Rating: 4.75/5

Overall Thoughts: While this wasn’t my favorite Karen M. McManus, I found this to be a really interesting family mystery novel. I would not go into this expecting a thriller or typical McManus pacing, as it is certainly a slower-moving story, but I was pretty invested all the way through. 

Non-Spoiler Review

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A Sky Beyond the Storm // Sabaa Tahir

Rating: 5/5

Overall Thoughts: I was very impressed from this conclusion, but I am not at all surprised that I loved it so much. Sabaa Tahir is an excellent writer, and this series is one of the best I’ve ever read. The first two books in this quartet are certainly my favorites, but this was a very intense, well-constructed conclusion. I loved it. 

Non-Spoiler Review

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The Guest List // Lucy Foley

Rating: 5/5

Overall Thoughts: This was my favorite read of the four books, and that is saying a lot. I read a conclusion in one of my favorite series, a new release from a favorite author of mine, and a sequel to a book I really enjoyed, yet this one is my favorite of the bunch. I found Lucy Foley’s writing and story to be so incredibly addicting; for such a slow, unraveling thriller, this was easily one of the most impressive page-turners I’ve ever read. 

Non-Spoiler Review

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Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow // Jessica Townsend

Rating: 3.5/5

Overall Thoughts: By far, this is my least favorite book I read in quarantine. I actually went into this sequel with very high expectations, as I really enjoyed book one and I’ve seen nothing but love for this series as a whole. Ultimately, I think I’ve just phased out middle-grade a bit. While I felt this book was a filler installment, I think my main reason for not loving it is that I do not connect with middle-grade books as much anymore. This is now the fourth middle-grade sequel (in series I’d previously liked) I’ve read in the past year and been pretty disappointed by. All that said, this was enjoyable and entertaining enough; I will likely not be continuing on with the series, though.

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Thanks for stopping by 🙂 Make sure to stay safe and healthy! 

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