October Reads Wrap-Up

    Hi guys!  As promised, I'm bringing you my October wrap-up for all the books I read this month.  If you recall, I wanted to set my goal for ten books this month.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to meet that goal.  I only read 8 books, and I'm currently still reading one of them, so I finished 7, (I will be posting the review for that book once I finish it, so I'll update the blog this weekend).  I think I wasn't able to meet my goal because I stopped reading before bed, since I got sucked in by The Vampire Diaries.  That being said, I'm still pleased with what I accomplished and I'll refrain from setting my reading goals too high from now on, unless I really think I can handle it.  Anyway, here are the books I was able to finish this month!

(goodreads.com)

    Finnikin of the Rock:  I really enjoyed this book.  Being the first book in the series, there was a lot of world building and explanation.  I liked that there were alternative points of view for different characters as well as different voices for each character.  Although I think there was steady character development going on, it was frustrating to read at times.  The relationship between Evanjalin and Finnikin was also frustrating in the sense that I didn't always understand what was keeping them from being together until the middle of the book.  Lots of tension!  The beginning dragged for me, but after the first 100 pages, I was engaged.  There was a lot of traveling and not too much action in this book, so it definitely felt like the first book in a series.  The next book in the series follows Froi, who was sort of a slave and a thief in this book, so I'm interested to read something from his point of view.  I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars.

(goodreads.com)

    Graceling:  I liked the first half of this book more than the second, which I feel is really rare.  In most cases, the book picks up after the second half, but for me, in this case, it dragged.  I thought the premise was interesting and everyone told me to read this book, so I made it a point to put it on my list.  The characters were great, although I found Katsa to be a little annoying, but Po was definitely my favorite character.  I felt like the resolution happened too quickly.  After their initial encounter with King Leck, they kind of just ran away and hid from him for months, until Katsa killed him almost by accident.  In between, there was a lot of agonizing travel, but I did enjoy the part with the pirates, because who doesn't like pirates?  I just felt like the ending was a bit rushed and anticlimactic.  I ended up giving this book 3 out of 5 stars.  I may still read the other books because I've heard Fire is very good.  We'll see what happens!

(goodreads.com)

    Clockwork Angel:  I think this was, by far, my favorite book of the month.  I thoroughly enjoyed the premise and the world building was spectacular.  I also love this time period, (1800s London), so it was easy for me to picture and wrap myself into.  This book had everything from sword fights to sabotage to romance.  The only thing I didn't like about this book was Tessa.  She seemed a bit too helpless for my tastes, although she seemed courageous at times towards the end.  Will, however, can have his way with me anytime.  Jem and Tessa deserve each other because Jem is so sweet, but more of a wet blanket compared to Will.  Mysterious, but dull, whereas Will is a mysterious, sarcastic prick, more or less.  Although I favored Will over Jem, Will's attitude was atrocious!  I know it will be explained in the second book, but there really is no reason for him to be such a douche.  And Tessa didn't have to take everything so personally.  When all the characters were together, I loved it.  My hope was to want to read the Mortal Instruments series after this one, because I had difficulties getting into that series.  I think I accomplished my goal and I will pick up the Mortal Instruments series soon.  I can't wait to pick up the other two Infernal Devices books and read them!  I gave this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.

(goodreads.com)

    The Demon King:  This was a really good book!  Another recommendation from a friend that I'm glad I picked up.  At first, I wasn't sure if I was going to get into it because it started off a little slow.  After I passed the 100 page mark, I was hooked.  I thought the world was similar to others I've read about, so it was easy to picture.  I also like the way all the characters and the types of people living within this world interact and coexist with each other.  Wizards are feared, but rely on the Clan people to make their power sources, thus creating a balance.  However, much like in LOTR, "men are easily corrupted," so the High Wizard has the annoying queen wrapped around his putrid finger.  The queen was the most annoying character in this book, by far.  I wanted to strangle her the entire time, every time she opened her vapid mouth.  I liked Raisa because she seemed more independent and brave than her mother and sister.  I felt really bad for Han, almost the entire time.  Amon is BAE and Micah can suck it.  Overall, I'm curious to see where this series goes.  I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars.

(goodreads.com)

    The Archived:  I was looking forward to reading this book because I loved V.E. Schwab's adult novels.  I didn't love it or hate it, to be honest.  I loved the premise and having Librarians be the people who curate the dead.  The beginning was slow for me and I was confused by the 2nd person journal entries.  They started to make sense after awhile, but not until about half way through.  I just didn't think they were necessary.  I also didn't really get the sense of character development or description in the first half of the book.  I thought Mac felt a little like a Celaena Sardothien type of character, but I liked her a lot more after she met Wes and they developed a cute friendship/love interest.  Wes was awesome, very dynamic and intriguing to read.  The twist at the end was great and I loved that the second half was a whirlwind of realizations.  I will most likely read the second book, but maybe not for awhile.  I gave this one 3.5 out of 5 stars.

(goodreads.com)

    Ink and Bone:  This book was another one that had grabbed my attention because of the premise, but I also didn't love or hate this book.  I had no idea that it was a regressed future society until about half way through.  Another slow start for me, but it picked up as soon as Jess got to Alexandria.  I wasn't a huge fan of the letters in between the chapters, (much like the journal entries in The Archived), but I understood why they were there and knew they had a purpose when they started revealing important information.  Regardless, I felt like I knew what was going to happen the whole time, and I'm not sure how I feel about that.  There is also a lot of diversity in this book, including race, sexual orientation and gender.  It was an interesting portrayal of the future, which isn't that far off from today, (the year was 2025).  This book definitely emphasizes the benefits and consequences of freedom of speech and ownership of books.  I thought it was interesting that the library was a place to be feared and served.  I thought the war zone in England against the Welsh was the most interesting and action-packed part of the book.  I was surprised to see a lot of death and suffering here, very reminiscent of the Holocaust.  It was tough to read at times, but very eye-opening.  I ended up giving this book 3.5 out of 5 stars as well.  I will be looking into the second book in this series, once it comes out.

(goodreads.com)

    The Raven Boys:  I liked this book, but I didn't love it until the second half.  Like most of the other books on this list, it didn't really grab me until half way through.  It wasn't slow in the beginning, per say, just not interesting I guess.  Before Blue meets the boys and after, there's a stark difference in her character.  I liked everyone a lot better when they were together.  Everyone had their own personality and they all really shined through.  No one overshadowed the other, unless it was on purpose.  I didn't quite understand or grasp the first time they found the woods and what was happening inside.  By the second time, I mostly understood, but it was still confusing and I had a hard time picturing it.  The realization about Noah and the whole thing with Adam and his father KILLED ME INSIDE.  Very raw, emotional stuff, but, although it was unexpected, it made the story that much better and gave it a little twist in the end.  Everyone had their own secrets and they propelled the story.  The fact that the ending left off on a cliff hanger bugged me because now I have to read the rest of it!  I didn't even realize it was a cliffhanger until I read the back of the second book.  Overall, I gave this one 3.5 out of 5 stars.

(goodreads.com)

    Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children:  Although this book was absolutely not what I was expecting, it was still really good!  Again, it started off slow for me and I actually wasn't sure if I would end up liking it, but I'm glad I stuck with it.  The book definitely picked up speed after Jacob and his father went to Wales and weird stuff started happening.  I started to put the pieces together about half way through, after he found the secret passageway.  Although this book didn't have a lot of world-building or character description, there were a lot of pictures and I found them both creepy and helpful.  I loved the children's different personalities and the way they help each other.  There are some twists in the story that I didn't anticipate, so that was refreshing to read.  The cover definitely betrays the true story within, so do not judge this book by it's cover!  It still has creepy elements, but this book isn't scary at all.  I would say that the book is simply "peculiar," as the title suggests.  I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars and definitely plan on finishing the trilogy.

    So there's my wrap-up for October!  Have you read any of these books?  What did you think?  Are any of these books on your TBR list?  Let's discuss in the comments below or shoot me a message on any of my social media platforms.  I'm always down for a good book discussion!  Next week I'll be introducing the books for my November TBR.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.