Every month, I cycle through an obsession with a number of books I convince myself I will read, then inevitably end up abandoning because of x,y,z reasons. Sure, I still read, but it usually ends up as a pick from my pre-existing library, or something free off of the Internet (because I’m a student, and though I wish I could spend 18$ per every new, fresh hardcover fantasy release, I can’t.)
So, without further ado, I present a segment of my blog which I will dedicate solely to the books I have been interested in reading. Maybe I’ll read them, maybe I won’t. Maybe they’ll end up just as segments on this blog, but OH WELL.
The initial promise of an academically fuelled supernatural suspense mystery kept me hooked, but it ultimately landed in a plot achingly similar to Twilight — despite the promises of witchcraft and magic, this book didn’t cast a spell over me.
SYNOPSIS: Deep in the stacks of Oxford’s Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.
I read this book a while ago, but I hadn’t the urge to properly review it until now. It’s been stewing in my mind for quite some time now, as I haven’t quite been able to let go
Pic from Goodreads.
of it — I think that, ultimately, this book let me down. It was actually a real tragedy, as the premise was fantastic. I have no idea how I stumbled upon this book, but I think it was through some sort of ‘Halloween-and-witch-books-you-should-read’ article on Bustle. Initially, I really liked the book. Until the Edward Cullens came barging into the plot, disbanding my enjoyment. Womp womp.
So, why didn’t I fall for the magic of this book? I could essentially boil it down to two reasons, which I’ll make clear below.
notabooktuber 