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.

August TBR

    Sorry it's taken me so long to get to my TBR for this month, but this past weekend was super crazy!  Boston Comic Con was awesome and I'd do it again in a heartbeat, but after three packed days and a lot of walking around the city, I was totally spent.  I definitely needed the 10 hours of sleep.  Unfortunately, I also had no time to read, so it looks like my August TBR may be a bit small in comparison to last month, (since August is already half way done).  Here are the books I'll attempt to get to this month.

(goodreads)

    Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson:  I think I've been working on this book for at least two months now, but I'm determined to finish it!  This book is the first in a lengthy series about a society where certain people can bend metals to manifest extraordinary powers.  These people are rare and most reside with the noble class, whereas the lower class Skaa citizens are treated as slaves.  A rebellion is brewing, led by a Skaa rebel named Kelsier, who is also a Mistborn, someone who possesses the power to wield all metals.  Vin, his young apprentice, gets thrown into the mix as we follow her journey from Skaa street urchin to rebel spy.  I'm about 70% finished and I'm really enjoying it so far.  I'll definitely be adding more Sanderson books to my to-read pile.

(goodreads)

    The next book I'm planning on reading is Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch.  I think I had planned on getting to this one last month, but ended up running out of time, (story of my life).  Someone recommended this series to me after I read A Court of Thorns and Roses because the setting revolves around kingdoms separated by seasons.  The kingdom of Winter has been conquered and enslaved and Meira, a surviving refugee, has taken on the task of retrieving Winter's lost magic and restoring her kingdom back to glory.  This looks like a fun YA Fantasy series and I've been looking forward to starting it for awhile now.  The third book, Frost Like Night, comes out in September, so I'm hoping to get caught up before then.

(goodreads)

    The last book I will hopefully get to before the end of this month is Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling.  This book is actually a published screen play for the theatrical eighth installment of the Harry Potter series and follows the gang and their children almost 20 years after the events of The Deathly Hallows.  I'm surprised at myself for not immediately wanting to read this because I bought it like two weeks ago, but I've been having trouble bringing myself to open it.  I have to read Snow Like Ashes before this because it's a library book that has a due date as opposed to a book I already own, so I will eventually get to this, hopefully within the next few months, but maybe not this month, due to the lack of time.

    So there you have it, my lackluster attempt at a TBR list.  Let me know if you've read any of these books and what you're planning on grabbing next month.  September is a big month for new book releases and I'll be doing a post soon about the books I'm most looking forward to next month.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.