March Wrap-Up

    Hello everyone!  God I wish it would just STOP SNOWING.  Don't get me wrong, I'm really pumped to have a three day weekend, but I'm in Spring mode now so I'd appreciate it if the weather reflected my desires.  That and I've been itching to do some cleaning and honestly, I don't think anyone ever feels like cleaning during a nor'easter.  Anyway, I was only able to finish two books this month with all the school work I had to finish lately, but they were at least two of my most anticipated reads of the year.

(goodreads.com)

    A Conjuring of Light by V. E. Schwab:  THIS BOOK.  I've been dreading the end of this series because I fell in love with it HARD when I started it a few years ago and I just don't want to let go of any of these glorious characters.  In this final installment of the Shades of Magic trilogy, we find Kell and Lila thrust into a battle to save Red London from the clutches of the evil Shadow King (tell me that premise doesn't sound like an epic fantasy adventure?)  We learn a lot more about the overarching conflict in this book and how it came to pass, based on mini inklings leaked from the first two books.  We also get to learn way more about Holland, which I LOVED.  He is such a conflicted character and I really liked the way Schwab took the time in her last book to really flesh him out so that readers can see him as more of a grey area character (no pun intended) than a common "bad guy."  This book also didn't have such a fast pace like the previous book, but I liked the change of scenery.  I appreciated the fact that it ended the way I would have wanted it to and the way I had subconsciously pictured it ending in my head.  My only qualm with this book is this: devoted readers of this series will know that Schwab has been hinting at and feeding us subtle information about the origins of poor Kell since the very first book and I was hoping that we might finally find out where he actually came from or who his true parents are.  We get SO CLOSE in this book to finding out the truth, but unfortunately never see the light.  I understand why Schwab did what she did for Kell's character development, but COME ON.  WE WERE SO CLOSE.  Oh well I guess...  I was so sad (in a good way) when I finished this, but I definitely think this is one of those series that I'll be re-reading again and again for the rest of my days.  A solid and well-deserved 5 out of 5 stars (despite my disappointment).

(goodreads.com)

    The Song Rising by Samantha Shannon:  Can we just take a minute to marvel at the glorious cover for the special edition that I specifically ordered?!  IT'S PURPLE AND ORANGE.  It's way better in person, but I can't believe people would prefer the newer cover design to the originals.  I just can't.  I literally just finished this one yesterday and HOLY CRAP things are getting real.  Now that it was announced that there would be seven books in this series, I feel like it's going to take forever for it to finish.  This book picks up directly following the events to the previous book; Paige has claimed the Under-throne, Jaxon Hall has disappeared, and Scion has plans to wage war on the Citadel and its Unnatural citizens.  A lot happens in this book, but it takes awhile to get there.  I'm not going to lie- the first half of this book dragged a lot.  I had almost no desire to continue, but my hope that it would pick up towards the middle kept me going and I wasn't disappointed.  We get to leave London in this book, which I found fascinating.  I had always been curious to see what it was like outside of London in the world where Scion has slowly been taking over.  There are a lot more mentions of the free world in this as well, so I hope we get to see more of that in future books.  The ship that is Paige and Warden took on a little water in this book.  I'm not as confident in their relationship now as I was before, but we'll see how it pans out.  They are in the middle of a war, so obviously tensions are high.  I'm curious about her tarot reading and how that prediction will play into later books.  I ended up giving this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

    I'm really pleased with the books I was able to get to last month and this month looks really good in terms of how many I'll be attempting to read and the genres I've chosen.  After the depressing subject matter in Shannon's book, I need a little more fantasy in my life.  Let me know if you've read either of these two books and what you thought or let me know what you plan to read this month in the comments.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

August Wrap-Up

    Hello everyone!  I'm actually doing a wrap-up on time for once!!  I've also finished most of the books that I promised I'd read this month, so I'm feeling pretty accomplished right now.  I'm taking huge strides into being an actual adult.  I'll be starting more courses next week since it's officially September (where did August go?!) so I feel comfortable in my 3 book limit.  My next post will dive into the books I hope to read this month and I'm already excited about my prospects.  Here are the three books I read in the month of August.

(goodreads.com)

    I FINALLY finished Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson!!  The first half of this book dragged on for soooo long with me, I didn't think I could manage it, but about half way through I changed my mind and soldiered on, with great results.  The second half of this book was full of action, intrigue and mystery that had me reading faster to see what would happen.  Surprisingly, there was a lot more court politics in this book than I had originally anticipated, especially after the first half taking place in the slums mostly.  Although the story was interesting, I didn't feel as connected with the characters like I have with other books.  I enjoyed Vin the most for her wit and determination, with Kelsier and Elend as close seconds, but everyone else seemed pretty forgettable.  The setting was all over the place during the second half so at times it was difficult for me to picture what was going on.  Overall I'll probably pick up the second book in this series, but not any time soon.  I gave this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

(goodreads.com)

    Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch: This book had been on my radar since I finished A Court of Thorns and Roses last year because of the seasonal kingdoms similarity.  Although I enjoyed the story (after getting through the first few chapters where nothing really happened) I wasn't really invested in it.  I thought all the characters were very unsure of themselves and Meira was the only one to really take any risks, and even then she blamed herself.  Her life goal seemed to be pleasing her Captain, which is a pretty lame existence to be sure.  I caught on to the "big secret" about half way through because it was somewhat predictable.  The setting was interesting, but again, not as much detail or charisma as there was in the description from ACOTAR.  The world building seemed lacking to me.  I had high expectations for this book that just weren't met.  I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either, so I just sort of feel "meh" about the whole thing really.  I  may finish the trilogy and I might not. I've heard mixed reviews about the second book, so it may take me awhile to get to it.  I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars.

(goodreads.com)

    This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab: I decided against reading Cursed Child until October because I want to be in more of a fall mood when I read it, so I chose this book instead and I regret nothing.  I knew that I would enjoy Schwab's writing because honestly, who doesn't, but this book surpassed my expectations tenfold.  I went into this not really knowing what to expect because the concept of the plot was so unlike anything I've read before or that Schwab has written about before.  I was actually somewhat hesitant to pick this up, but I'm so glad I did.  The world was similar to what I read in Tell the Wind and Fire in the sense that there are two halves of a whole city who are at war with each other, but that's really where the similarities stop.  There are monsters in this Dystopian world who come into being as the result of violent events.  The three types of monsters are the results of various stages of violence and each have different abilities.  Kate Harker's father runs and protects the prosperous area of the city while August Flynn's adoptive father assumes control of the dangerous zone.  These two teens come together to prevent a war and in the process come to discover what it really means to be human.  I wasn't sure where this book was going until the middle and then I could barely put it down.  The only thing I'm still on the fence about it the lack of romance.  The story really didn't call for it, but while I was reading I could tell that there was something there that wasn't being addressed and it KILLED ME, but I was still happy with the outcome of the story.  There will be two more books in this series, so maybe my prayers will be answered, but even if they're not, I'll be waiting patiently for the next Schwab book.  I ended up giving this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.

    So there you have it, those are the three books I managed to finish last month.  Let me know in the comments below if you've read any of these and what your thoughts are.  I also recently started writing book reviews at the library I work at, so if you're interested in reading those, I'll leave a link here so you can follow me there!  I'll be back soon with my September TBR, which I'm very excited about because there are a few highly anticipated releases coming out this month that I'm itching to get my hands on!  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

April TBR

    Hey folks!  As promised, I'm here to present you with my April TBR list.  I'm still keeping my goals pretty low because my classes are finishing up this month and I want to stay on track to finish the semester with honors, so I only have two (and a half) books to show you today.

    *I won't talk to much about A Gathering of Shadows, since I mentioned it in my last two blog posts, but I'm definitely way closer to finishing it than I was a few days ago, so hopefully it'll be done by this weekend so I can start on the other two!  I will say, it's getting good!!

(goodreads.com)

    Uprooted by Naomi Novik:  This book has been promoted as being a true fairy tale story, and I am SO in the mood for that!  I've been eyeing this book ever since I saw that we had it at my library, so I'm excited to finally pick it up.  This book is set in a quiet village bordered by a large forest, which houses dangerous creatures.  The Dragon, a mysterious wizard/demon/thing, protects the village from the dangers of the forest, but at a price.  He requires the sacrifice of a young girl to be his servant for ten years.  Agnieszka, (I'm going to have a hard time pronouncing that...), believes her best friend Kasia will be the chosen one, but when it turns out to be her, her whole life turns upside down.  I've heard almost nothing bad about this book, so I'm excited to see what it has in store for me.  I'm getting serious Beauty and the Beast vibes already, so I can't wait to dive in!

(goodreads.com)

    Gathering Darkness by Morgan Rhodes: This is the third book in Rhodes' Falling Kingdoms series.  I started this series a few months back and I was hooked from the start.  In the third installment of this saga, Prince Magnus is still reeling from the aftermath of the bloody confrontation with the rebels after his wedding to Princess Cleo.  Cleo has allied herself with the rebels and their leader, Jonas, has his own motivations for stopping the tyrannical leadership of King Gaius.  Prince Magnus's adoptive sister Lucia has been trying to control her ever-growing magic, but with little results.  The Watchers are watching over her, but for how long?  Everyone is looking for The Kindred: powerful pieces of elemental magic that could be the key to stopping the war, no matter who is in possession.  Everyone has their secrets and motivation to track them down, but who will win?  This is very much like a YA Game of Thrones.  Multiple perspectives, alternative plot lines, drama, intrigue, romance, power struggles, magic, betrayal, etc.  If any of that appeals to you, please go pick this series up immediately.  I'm literally addicted at this point.  I went and bought all the books in this series in hardcover just so I could read them before the fifth one comes out this December.

    So there you have it, my very short TBR for this month.  I'm desperate to put a huge dent in my TBR, but I think it'll have to wait until this summer when I have more time.  I'll be free to read as much as humanly possible come May, so I'm looking forward to doing a more in-depth TBR.  Have any of you read the Falling Kingdoms series?  How about V. E. Schwab?  Let's discuss in the comments!  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

March TBR

    Hello again!  Welcome back.  As promised, I've returned to give you my March TBR.  It's not impressive by any means, but they are books I'm looking forward to reading, so let's get started!

    The first book I'm planning to read, (or finish), this month is Prudence, which is book one in The Custard Protocol series by Gail Carriger.  I already went into some detail on this book in my previous post because I'm currently in the process of reading it, so you can check out my thoughts so far down below.  I am enjoying it so far, but I can't wait to get to the other two books on my list!

(goodreads.com)

    A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab came for me in the mail yesterday, after pre-ordering it MONTHS ago.  The cover art is just as stunning in person and I literally cannot wait to dive into this book.  For those of you who aren't aware, this is the second book in Schwab's adult fantasy series, A Darker Shade of Magic, which follows the adventures of a magician named Kell and his friend Delilah Bard through alternative versions of London.  This book takes place four months after the dramatic events of the first book and Kell is left attempting to return to normal in his home of Red London as the kingdom prepares for a magical competition amid dark powers rising from a long-dead alternative universe.  This is one of the most original fantasy series I've ever read and I'm seriously invested in these characters, so I can't wait to see what happens in this next installment.  I literally have no idea what's going to happen, so I'm excited to find out for myself!  I mean LOOK AT THAT COVER ART THOUGH.

(goodreads.com)

    Lastly, but not least, I have Lady Midnight by Cassandra friggin Clare FINALLY comes out this month.  This is probably one of my most anticipated books of the year besides A Court of Mist and Fury.  LADY MIDNIGHT COMES OUT IN 5 DAYS GUYS.  5 DAYS!!!  Shadowhunters are back y'all, and they are in Los Angeles for this one.  This new series takes place five years after the events of City of Heavenly Fire from The Mortal Instruments series.  Emma's parents have been killed and she's still trying to figure out how when a long-lost family member returns at a price to help the Fair Folk regain what was lost to them in the war.  I'm already thoroughly invested in the Blackthorns and their predicament, not to mention the lone Carstairs giving me the Jem feels all over again.  I just can't wait to immerse myself in more of this world.  It's honestly an addiction guys.  I think I need help...

    Those are all the books I'm going to try to attempt this month.  I'm hoping I can get to all of them.  I've been having trouble keeping up with my reading, but I will definitely be plowing through those last two as soon as I can.  Also, at this point, I believe we're a little more than half way through Shadowhunters, so I'll try to post a review/recap at some point before posting my wrap-up for March, but I'm not promising anything.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.