Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

I started the first two books of this Gemma Doyle series in 2015 and am looking forward to finishing the series with The Sweet Far Thing for week 4.

Here is the Goodreads summary:

IT HAS BEEN A YEAR OF CHANGE since Gemma Doyle arrived at the foreboding Spence Academy. Her mother murdered, her father a laudanum addict, Gemma has relied on an unsuspected strength and has discovered an ability to travel to an enchanted world called the realms, where dark magic runs wild. Despite certain peril, Gemma has bound the magic to herself and forged unlikely new alliances. Now, as Gemma approaches her London debut, the time has come to test these bonds. The Order - the mysterious group her mother was once part of - is grappling for control of the realms, as is the Rakshana. Spence's burned East Wing is being rebuilt, but why now? Gemma and her friends see Pippa, but she is not the same. And their friendship faces its gravest trial as Gemma must decide once and for all what role she is meant for.

I'm finally finishing this series! I thought I had started it in 2015, but looking back, turns out I started it in 2014 haha All my reading kinda blurs together...

I'm using this book for week 15 A book set in the past. It takes place in 1896, so definitely more than 100 years ago. I keep forgetting how far into the 21st century we are now, so when I first saw that it took place in 1896, I was like, "Phew! Just made it by a few years!" Then I realized, no, it made it by about 20 years haha I am lame.

I am currently 39% of the way through (I'm reading this on my ereader because it is a beast of a book). These books keep getting longer and longer. But that's okay, because I like them =) I keep thinking I'm near the end, because there's already so much going on, that I'm like, "It's gotta be wrapping up soon, right??" but then when I check the percentage, it's like, "...I'm not even halfway through yet???" haha

I read the first 2 book last year and plan to read this one at some point this year. How are you liking it so far?

Sarah wrote: "I read the first 2 book last year and plan to read this one at some point this year. How are you liking it so far?"

I find that I'm really interested in the girls' lives at school and London, and how they use magic to make it better and get up to mischief, but I find myself bored by all the stuff happening in the realms right now. I'm about 70% of the way through now.

I read this whole series this year, but I'm using this book for week 39: A previous suggestion that didn't make it onto the list - specifically 'A book with a cover that puts you off'.

If it hadn't been the last book in a series I'd already started, by an author I like, recommended by other people, I would not have chosen to read a book with a cover picture that is a close-up of the back of a corset. It makes it look like a mills and boon type romance and those are not my kind of thing.