January Wrap-Up | aka; My First Wrap-Up!

Hiya everyone! Today I will be ‘hosting’ my first ever wrap-up! I’m super excited for this! However, I have no idea what a wrap-up is supposed to look like, so bear with me here. 😂 Anyways, let’s get into it!

Novels I Read (In order)

Journey to the Center of the Earth By Jules Verne: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 out of 5 stars) I really enjoyed reading this classic! It took me 6 months to finish, so I was really happy that I was FINALLY able to mark it as ‘read’ on goodreads. It is 100% worth the read guys! You can read my review for this book here!

This Train Is Being Held By Ismee Williams: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (3.75 out of 5 stars) I finished this book relatively fast, and I did enjoy it! It’s a cute YA romance that has an almost all latinx cast, which was super cool to see! You can read my review for This Train Is Being Held here.

(eARC) A Pho Love Story By Loan Le: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (3.8 out of 5 stars) This was my first ARC!! I received an eARC for this novel via Netgalley. Thank you Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me with a copy of A Pho Love Story! It was good, but too long. Overall, I do recommend you read it! You can read my review here!

A Song Below Water By Bethany C Morrow: ⭐⭐⭐ (3.5 out of 5 stars) I wanted to love this book so much! However, it was incredibly confusing, and even boring at times. I found myself not liking the characters that much, except for Effie, Wallace, and Tavia, they were the best! I wanted to love it, but I just couldn’t get into it. I still think it’s worth the read if you love fantasy though. And it does have some searing social commentary! Review to come!

Graphic Novels and Manga read (I doubt this is in order…oops)

Blue Flag Volume 1 By Kaito: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5 out of 5 stars) This was an incredibly powerful and stunning manga. I highly recommend you read it if you’re trying to get into reading graphic novels and manga.

Something Is Killing The Children Volume 1 By James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera:⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 out of 5 stars) This was a very intriguing horror story. Although thrillers aren’t necessarily my favorite genre, I still enjoyed reading it!

(eARC) The Disability Experience: Working Toward Belonging By Hannalora Leavitt and (Illustrator) Belle Wuthrich: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 out of 5 stars) This was a very educational and inspiring read, that I highly recommend you take a look at! Thank you Netgalley and Orca Book Publishers for an eARC of this book!

Ao Haru Ride Volume 9 By Io Sakisaka: ⭐⭐⭐ (3 out of 5 stars) The art style is phenomenal, but the storyline in this volume was just okay.

(eARC) Rebel Girls Lead: 25 Tales of Powerful Women By Rebel Girls: ⭐⭐⭐ (3 out of 5 stars) This is more of a non-fiction educational book with pictures versus a graphic novel. I decided to settle on three stars only because I had previously read the two other books by the same author titled ‘Goodnight Stories For Rebel Girls’ which were amazing! In this one however, a lot of the art and stories where repeated, so I didn’t necessary learn anything new. If I hadn’t read the other books beforehand, this would have surely been a 5 star read! Thank you Netgalley, Rebel Girls, and Publishers for an eARC of this book!

(eARC) Dryfoot By Jarred Lujan, Orlando Caicedo, and Warnia Sahadewa: ⭐⭐ (2.5 out of 5 stars) Since Dryfoot is an ARC, I won’t say much about it. However, it was simply not my cup of tea. Thank you Netgalley and Diamond Book Distributors for providing me with an eARC of Dryfoot!

(eARC) Feelings By Manjit Thapp: ⭐⭐ (2 out of 5 stars) Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy reading Feelings. It was okay. The art was beautiful though! Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with an eARC of Feelings!

Let’s just say there weren’t many this month 😆

Total Number Of Books Read: 11

Total Number Of Posts Published: 10

Average Rating: 7/10 or 3.5 out of 5 stars

• Cherry @ Letters To The Lost celebrates 50 followers with an ‘Assumptions About Me’ post!
• Sophie @ Me and Ink talks about 30 Graphic Novels she wants to read.
• Ahaana @ Windows To Worlds does a blog tour stop for the novel Glimpsed by G.F. Miller.
• Mary @ Tea Time Lit explains her love for A Cuban Girl’s Guide To Tea and Tomorrow By Laura Taylor Namey through a wonderful review!
• Em J @ Tea For Teens gives us 5 Study Tips
• Ursa @ Ursa Reads tells us about their 2021 reading goals, as well as provides a re-cap of her year in 2020
• Alice @ Love For Words talks about bookmarks in the most creative and hilarious way ever!
• Hal @ HD’s Reading Life does a fun Wondrous Winter Book Tag!
• Amani @ Amani’s Reviews talks about how The EX-Talk is perfect for fans of podcasts and enemies to lovers.
• Livia’s @ Livia’s Literary Corner tells us the 5 reasons as to why we should read Jade City!

Some of my goals for February include…

• Read the 5 novels on my February TBR
• Finish reading my list of eARCs
• Drink more water for 💫clear skin💫
• Complete my February buddy read novels

And that’s a wrap! Hopefully you enjoyed reading this very long post. Do check out the posts by the other bloggers I listed. Every blogger is unique and amazing in their own way! What was your favorite read of January 2021? Have a wonderful day! 💟

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Book Blog Newbie Tag

Wow Saniya, are you actually doing the book blog tag you’ve been putting off for a month because you thought you weren’t interesting enough to talk about….y e s . I am!

Hiya everyone! It’s me Saniya here to do the Book Blog Newbie Tag. This is my first tag, so apologies if I don’t do it properly. Anyways, let’s get into it!

Why did you want to start a book blog?

In August 2020, I was telling my mom about the most recent book I had read; Aristotle and Dante Discover The Secrets Of The Universe. At exactly 2:35 PM on a Sunday afternoon, my mom said, ‘Why don’t you just start a book blog?’ I’m sitting there thinking…A what. I had never heard of a book blog, and always associated blogging with ‘highly professional blogging connoisseurs.’ Which, by any standards, I was none of. However, I figured that since we’re in quarantine, I would have more time to spend on it. And thus, sunnysidereviews was born! (Well actually not really, I ended up officially publishing my website in December.) Fun fact, I didn’t know my blog was published until late December. So when I was going to publish it, I realized it was already out in the world….oops.

Where did the name ‘sunnysidereviews’ come from?

My blog name originated from my nickname. My real name is Saniya (pronounced san-ee-ya). Sunny is my nickname, so I decided to make that my whole aesthetic 😂. The reviews portion is pretty self explanatory. It comes from the fact that I review books! Or rather, am planning to.

This GIF remidns me too much of my blog pls not the Teletubbies I-

What can we expect from your blog in the future?

Wow, fabulous question! You can expect….

• Reviews
• Lists and Wrap Ups
• Discussion Posts
• Tips
• Challenges and read-a-thons
• and a bunch of other miscellaneous stuff!

P.S: Expect an author interview coming sometime this year. 😏 

Why do you love reading? Did you always enjoy reading?

I love reading because….

• It’s a great way to get off screens
• I love imagining stories in my head more than watching movies
• It’s fun!
• Yes this is a shallow answer please don’t come for me but, I would literally read the worst book ever if it had a pretty cover. (Okay maybe not the worst book, but you get the point.)

I’ve always enjoyed reading. As a kid I would join my local’s library’s book club during the summer. Reading allows me feel productive, and it makes me feel refreshed. So yeah I’ve always enjoyed reading, it’s a wonderful way to spend free time!

What are some fun and unique things you can bring to book blogging?

This is such a hard question to answer. I bring my opinions, and my personality. I might not be the most unique person out there, but I believe that no two people are the same. Therefore, no two book bloggers are the same. I guess I can also bring some fun and interesting content as well! I really cannot wait to bring some exciting stuff to all of you in the future!

Did any of you guys watch Barbie Life in the Dreamhouse as a kid 💀💀 

When and where do you read?

I will typically only read at night. I usually read in my bed, or on a sofa. It’s just so much better then reading in the morning. Mainly because I’m comfy, and I can read for a long time at night, *cue the all-nighters*.

What kinds of books do you like to read?

I enjoy reading anything contemporary related. I prefer character driven stories, and contemporary has a lot of those. Psychology, self help, and classical books are always nice to read from time to time as well.

What is your favorite book and why?

My favorite book is probably Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. It’s philosophical, character driven, and a contemporary, so it pretty much hits all the marks for me! 

Who is your favorite author?

To tell you the truth, I don’t really have a favorite author. Mainly because I don’t read too many series, so I don’t really read multiple books from authors. However, I am getting into Adam Silvera’s books. I hope to read his novel ‘They Both Die In The End’ soon!

What’s one pet-peeve you have?

A pet peeve of mine is when authors make a second book where the main couple break up, or where they break up at the end of the first book. WHAT WAS THE REASON?! I spent a good 5 hours of my life reading this book, for a sad ending?! (However, if the story was meant to be sad from the beginning, then I’m not upset.)

What is one book that has been on your TBR for ages?

This Train Is Being Held has been on my TBR since September. I really cannot wait to read it! I also want to read The Little Princess! It seems like such an adorable classic. (Not @ me buying six classical novels because they looked pretty. At least they were on sale though 😅)

How could you not want these beautiful books? (The photo isn’t mine by the way.)

What is your favorite show?

Ever since I was younger, I’ve always loved The Legend of Korra! It will always hold a special place in my heart. I also enjoy watching British dramas such as Bletchley Circle and The Crown. I’ve been meaning to watch The Bridgerton as well.

What’s a non-bookish fact about you?

Some non-bookish facts about me include….

• My hair has never past three inches below my shoulders (I honestly don’t know why. Every time I want to grow it long, I end up cutting it even shorter. 😅)
• I’ve been bullet journaling every month of my life since 2017.
• I’m super short. (No seriously, take your height, then deduct 6 inches and that’s my height.)

Alrighty, that is it for today! I hope you enjoyed this little tag I did. I tag anyone who wants to do this tag! If you end up doing this, let me know, I’d love to see it! Have a fabulous day everyone! 💛💙

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