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!

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    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.

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    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.

October TBR

    As promised, this will be my enormous TBR for the month of October.  October is probably my favorite month, not because of Halloween, (since I really don't like Halloween to begin with), but because this is the month when all the trees change color, pumpkin stuff starts happening and I can finally start wearing my chunky sweaters!  I will definitely mourn the day I finally have to put away my flip flops, but Fall is by far my favorite season, so it's worth it.  I'm currently snacking on a bag of candy corn that I bought myself earlier today because ADULTING.  October is also a good reading month, due to all the great opportunities to get into a cozy reading space, whether it's outside or inside.  Can't you just picture yourself, curled up on the couch with a blanket and an amazing Fall-themed Yankee candle, reading one of these books?  I know I can.  I will be attempting 10 books and 6 comic books this month, so hopefully I can make it happen.  A few of the books I chose work with the Halloween/spooky theme this month.  I have a feeling I'll end up reading over what I projected, but we'll see.  As always, I will be listing my comic books first, followed by regular books.

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    My first pick for comic books this month is Hellboy, Volume 1: Seed of Destruction by Mike Mignola and John Byrne.  I love the Hellboy movies and realized that I have yet to read the actual comic book it was based on, so I think it's time.  If you've seen the two movies, you'll understand what it's about, but for those of you who don't know, I'll provide a brief synopsis: The story revolves around a group of investigators and monster hunters known as the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense, a secret government program meant to rid the world of the evil that lurks in the darkness.  In 1945, during an expedition in Germany during WWII, this group of scientists and adventure seekers witnessed the opening of a portal to another dimension.  Due to a series of unfortunate events, the team discovers a stowaway after the portal is closed and adopts him as one of their own, despite the fact that he's a demon.  Hellboy must rid the world of evil while avoiding his destiny to destroy the world.  It's very dark and gritty, which I just what I need before Halloween.  Hellboy is a great character and he portrays that bad-boy, smart-ass, give-no-fucks bad ass that I like to see every now and then.  I've heard that Guillermo del Toro based his movies off of this comic arc, so I'm excited to read it!

(goodreads.com)

    I'm also going to be reading Hellboy and the BPRD: 1952, Volume 1 by Mignola, John Arcudi, Alexander Maleev, and Dave Stewart.  This obviously has a similar story line to the first one, but takes place after WWII in 1952.  This series follows young Hellboy as he explores the responsibilities that go along with being a member of the BPRD.  With a different team than the original I'm used to seeing and a different time period, this should be great.  New, but still familiar.

(goodreads.com)

    Shutter by Joe Keatinge, Leila del Luca, and Owen Geini was recommended to me by a customer at the comic shop that I work at.  I knew nothing about this series until I read the description and it sounded great!  A female explorer, Kate Kristopher, returns to her lost life of adventure after a family secret threatens to tear her world apart.  It claims to be Indiana Jones-esq with some urban fantasy thrown in there, so I'm not sure what to expect, but it sounded interesting enough to pick up.

(goodreads.com)

    I don't know why it's taken me so long to pick up a TMNT comic, but I'm righting that wrong NOW.  This one is called TMNT: Change is Constant, Volume 1 by Kevin Eastman, Tom Waltz and Dan Duncan.  I actually already started this series awhile ago and never finished, so I'm looking forward to picking it up again and actually getting to the end.  This series follows the turtles as they try to reunite with Raphael, who has been separated from his family since they had the accident.  He's been wandering the sewers with no real sense of purpose, so it's up to his brothers and Splinter to find him and become a team again.  I've never read about Raphael in a vulnerable situation, so this story line is really interesting to me.  I may expand and try other arcs from other publishers, (because the TMNT universe spans multiple publishers and arcs at this point).  I was looking into the Casey and April adventures, which seemed pretty interesting, but I'm still excited to see this take on the TMNT.

(goodreads.com)

    Alex + Ada by Jonathan Luna and Sarah Vaughn is another comic that was recommended to me by a patron at the comic shop.  This one I'm not as excited about, but I'm willing to try it.  From what I can gather, this series is about a human guy falling in love with an android robot he never wanted.  Other than that, I have no idea what this is about and I'm not even sure that I'll like it, but I'm willing to give it a try because I've heard great things about it.  I may end up loving it, so you never know!

(goodreads.com)

    The last comic book I plan on reading this month is one I've had my eye on for awhile, and that is Long Walk to Valhalla by Adam Smith and Matthew Fox.  I was drawn to this one initially because of the title and the obvious viking/Norse influence, but the cover art is STUNNING.  You have to look at it in person because there is some white background design behind the main cover art and it's breathtakingly beautiful.  This comic is about a boy named Rory growing up in rural Arkansas with an older brother with a mental disability and he doesn't have the best life.  When he crashes his car and a Valkyrie named Sylvia comes to take him to Valhalla, he walks through the memories of his life through the eyes of his brother and has to face the good and the bad things.  I honestly can't wait to read this book!

    Now onto books...

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    The first book on my list is Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta.  I'm actually already reading this book and I'm enjoying it so far!  This book follows a young man named Finnikin as he attempts to restore his homeland after a curse ruined it for the last ten years.  He's been in exile along with his mentor, Sir Topher, and they end up picking up a girl named Evanjalin, although she's not what she seems.  I enjoyed the premise of this book, so I'm hoping it only gets better from where I'm at right now.

(goodreads.com)

    I had been planning on reading Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs closer to Halloween because of the creepy cover.  I also heard they're making this into a movie, which is awesome!  This story is about a boy named Jacob and his journey to an island of the coast of Wales after a family tragedy.  He comes across an abandoned orphanage and all hell breaks loose.  I don't know if I want to know more about this book before I read it because I feel like it'll be creepy enough for me, but not scary in the sense that I won't be able to sleep at night.  Here's to hoping!

(goodreads.com)

     Graceling by Kristin Cashore has been on my radar forever, so I'm excited to finally pick it up and read it.  Katsa is out female main character and she lives in a world where people are bestowed with gifts of magic, called "graces," from the time they are born.  Katsa has been given the gift to kill, so she is an expert at killing people, which doesn't sound like the best gift.  This book is right up my alley, since I apparently have a thing for strong female assassin-like characters and romance.  I have heard nothing bad about this series, so I'm pumped to finally get to it!

(goodreads.com)

    The Archived by Victoria Schwab is on my list solely because I wanted to read something else by her, since I can't get my hands on A Gathering of Shadows.  The Archived is about a world where "Librarian" can actually read the memories of the lives of dead people, called "Histories."  When people die, they rest in the Archives.  "Keepers" like Mac are tasked with keeping the Histories inside the Archives.  Someone has been breaking in and altering the histories, so Mac has to solve the mystery before the Archives are destroyed.  This sounds like an interesting take on an alternative presence for libraries.  It also has a bit of a creepy twist to it, so I may read this closer to the end of the month too.

(goodreads.com)

    The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater revolves around a girl named Blue as she becomes involved with the Raven Boys, a group of boys from the local private school, as they venture on a quest that will take Blue with them and possibly cause they're demise.  Another dark book for Halloween with lots of death, ghosts and the promise of danger.  I'm not sure if I'll like this book or not, but again, it got great reviews from all the people I trust, so I'm willing to give it a shot!  Hopefully I've found a new series to latch on to.

(goodreads.com)

    Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine is another book about libraries.  It takes place in a world where the Great Library of Alexandria still exists and governs the entire world's knowledge and the personal ownership of books is against the law.  Jess is an avid reader and his parents sell and buy books on the black market, but once he attempts to join the library to act as a spy, his loyalties will be tested.  I'm interested enough in the premise of the story to give this a shot.

(goodreads.com)

    I've wanted to read a Neil Gaiman book forever, so I'm excited to actually put one on my list.  American Gods is about a prisoner who was just released from prison to find that his wife has died in an accident.  Shadow is approached on a plane by a Mr. Wednesday, who claims to be a former God and king of America.  Together they embark on a preternatural journey across the country that I can't wait to find out more about!

(goodreads.com)

    I've tried to read the Mortal Instruments series and couldn't get into it, but I've heard more good things about the Infernal Devices series that I'm willing to pick it up and give it a go, (although I will probably watch the Shadow Hunters series on TV when it premiers).  Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare introduces us to Tessa Gray in 1800s London as she searches the underworld for her missing brother, aided by the shadow hunters Will and Jem.  I'm actually pretty excited for this one, so maybe I can find more than one new series to get into this month!

(goodreads.com)

    The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima is another book recommended to me by a friend.  From what I understand, it follows two different perspectives, a reformed thief named Han and a princess named Raisa.  There are wizards and an amulet and magic and everything I love about fantasy, so I'm eager to get to this book.

(goodreads.com)

    Lastly, (I know, there are a lot of book here), I'm going to try to read The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.  I've wanted to read this book for a year now and the only reason I haven't read it yet is because SOMEONE took it out at the library and hasn't returned it in AT LEAST three months, which is blasphemous if you ask me.  As I've been waiting for it to come back, they still have a copy in large print that I may pick up just because I'm tired of waiting for that douche to bring the book back.  Anyway, The Night Circus is about Le Cirque de Reves and it's operations underneath the moon.  Two young magicians, Celia and Marco, compete in the areas of both magic and love.  I loved the premise of this book from the moment I saw the beautiful cover and I think it would be fitting to read it during the Halloween month.

    Ok, I think that's quite enough books for one day.  I didn't go into too much detail, for obvious reasons, but I'll do a more in-depth wrap-up at the end of the month.  I may even split it up again, one post for comics and then split the books down the middle and do a post each.  I may even read more than I listed here, so we'll have to wait and see.  If you have any book recommendations for next month, please don't hesitate to leave me a comment below or contact me via social media.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.