For 2022, I decided to do the alphabet reading challenge. Overall I read 30 books, including 26 for the actual alphabet challenge and four ‘bonus books’ with specific types of titles. I finished the challenge before the end of the year, and I had such a great time completing it.
I was using a template created by shadowbooker on Instagram to track the challenge. There are a lot of great reviews, templates, and content over on their page to check out too!
Check out my previous alphabet challenge post if you want to see what I read for H-N. For this post I’ll be sharing what I read for titles beginning with the letters O-U.
O is for One Of Us Is Lying
A geek, a jock, a criminal, a princess. A murder. Who would you believe?
One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus is a gripping young adult mystery that will leave you guessing until the end. When social outcast and school-gossip Simon drops dead in detention, attention shifts to the other people in the toom. Bronwyn, Cooper, Addy, and Nate all witnessed what happened. Someone’s guilty of murder. Can you figure out who?
One of Us is Lying has a truly shocking end, and is perfect for anyone who’s a fan of big twists and murder mystery tales. I became suspicious of pretty much everybody at some point, but I didn’t see that ending coming! It was such a brilliant twist to finish off a thrilling story. There’s also a show on Netflix currently based on One of Us is Lying that’s well worth the watch.
P is for Pine
Pine, by Francine Toon, is a Gothic style horror story which will send shivers down your spine. If you’re looking for a chilling ghost story, this is a good place to start. The story is set in small village to the north of Scotland, and focuses on a girl called Lauren and her Dad, Niall. With ghosts, a missing teenager, and plenty of mystery, this book is really compelling.
I have to admit I read this story quite early in 2022, and now don’t remember very many details. I made some notes on the story, and have the memory of enjoying it so much that I read it in a few sittings. With that, I’d recommend picking it up if you want a good modern Gothic tale to get stuck into.
Q is for (The) Quiet at the End of the World
The Quiet at the End of the World by Lauren James is a young adult dystopian novel. Following a global pandemic that made everyone infertile, Lowrie and Shen are now the youngest people on the planet. They spend their days uncovering artefacts from life before the pandemic, and try to learn about how people lived in the past. Their world’s are turned upside down when something is revealed which may hurt not only their families, but the rest of the population.
This story wasn’t what I expected and I absolutely loved it. There were some shocking twists and reveals which I still think about now months after finishing the story. I couldn’t put this one down! If you want a fairly quick read full of great characters (including some cool robots), or a unique apocalyptic tale, then this one’s for you. It’s surprisingly uplifting.
R is for Red Queen
*Mild spoilers for Christina Henry’s Alice series*
Red Queen, by Christina Henry, is the second book in the ‘Alice’ series. It’s a grim parallel novel of Alice in Wonderland, with the characters being based on the original Alice in Wonderland characters, but with a wildly different plot. In Red Queen we follow Alice’s adventure now that she’d made it out into the land outside of the city. Expecting to find open fields and a place populated with people, Alice and Hatcher instead finds themselves confronted with a sea of ash. Feeling hopeless, the pair push on with their journey, determined to find Hatcher’s long-lost daughter.
The ‘Alice’ series is dark and twisted. It turns the sweetness of the original story into something sinister. If you’re looking for something a bit sick that will really suck you in, I’d recommend starting this series (begin with Alice). It’s brilliant, horrific, and full of as much magic and strangeness as Lewis Caroll’s tale.
S is for Sour Candy
Sour Candy is a novella written by Kealan Patrick Burke. The story follows a man named Phil, who after a strange encounter at a shop finds himself the prisoner of a small child. To everybody else they look like a regular father-son duo, but Phil’s beginning to worry that he’ll never be able to escape…
This book is creepy as hell and I loved every moment of it. It’s quick enough to be read in one sitting too, which is something I always love in a book. If you want an excellent horror story that will have you on the edge of your seat, definitely get yourself a copy of Sour Candy.
T is for Those You Killed
Those You Killed by Christopher Badcock is a chilling tale about facing your inner demons. When Elwood Cathis is alone and having heroin withdrawals at Lake Chance, he begins to see things. Strange things that couldn’t possibly be there. At first he thinks it’s all in his head, a side effect of trying to get clean. But what if it’s not? What if the spectres haunting the isolated house are real? And what if they’re coming for him?
This was the first book I read in 2022, and it was a perfect one to start the year with. I got really into it, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves a good haunted house horror.
U is for Unsettled Ground
Unsettled Ground, written by Claire Fuller, is a work of contemporary literary fiction. The story starts with the death of the mother of 51-year-old twins Jeanie and Julius, and the twins are suddenly faced with losing their family home. As secrets about their mother begin to unfold and the twins try to go on without her, things start to feel hopeless.
This wouldn’t be my usual choice of reading material, but I’d seen a few reviews and thought I’d give it a go. I rented this book from Libby (an app which you can connect to your local library to find free reading materials), and I’m glad I did. It was good to try something different, and the story definitely left a lasting impact.
Thank you for reading my book-blog!
If you’re interested in finding out about the rest of the books I read as part of the alphabet reading challenge, keep an eye on my page. Part 4 is coming soon, and you can read part 2 (H-N) here.
You can also see more of what I’m reading over on my socials. Find me on Instagram, and Goodreads. Subscribe below for posts straight to your inbox!
Lauren's Stories and Book Reviews 