March Books

Do you ever have those months where you just seem to keep picking blah books to read? This month was one of those for me, I picked up a couple of books that just did not click. I think because of that I was a bit slow in reading this month and only completed 3. Although this meets my monthly goal I was hoping to get 4-5 books read this month.

City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments #5) by Cassandra Clare

This book was so stressful and kept me on the edge of my seat! In a good way of course. Even though I have read this book before I still found myself extremely worried for characters in precarious situations. If you love fantasy and witty relationships I strongly suggest you pick up this series!

Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson

This was The Mary Sue Books and More Club pick of the month. This wasn't my vote for the month of March but I am determined to branch out of my normal reading habits by reading the books picked by this book club, even if I'm not overly excited for them.

This story was very interesting to start out with, much different from what I normally read. I was not expecting this to take a turn into fantasy part way through the story, but the development kept me interested for a while. However, that interest started to wane toward the end of the book. I found that the way conflicts were resolved was a little disjointed and worked out too conveniently for the characters. It also bothered me that the love story we were lead to believe was THE love story dissolved so quickly without much hurt feelings.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children #1) by Ransom Riggs

This book ended up being disappointing to me as well. I feel like this is similar to the Percy Jackson series in that it is a YA that doesn't translate well to adulthood reading. I was intrigued at first with the original concept, but quite frankly I was bored by the end. In fact I didn't even finish the last few chapters.


Did you read any disappointing books this month?
Don't forget to follow me on Goodreads to keep up with my ever growing to-read list!

Allons-y!

February Books

You guys, I have been on a reading kick this past month. I completed five books during February, two more than my monthly goal! I've picked up a few stories this month that I absolutely could not put down. Let's get into it, shall we?


Daughter of Smoke & Bone (Daughter of Smoke & Bone #1) by Laini Taylor

GUYS. I had NO idea what I was getting into with this book. The description on Goodreads was a bit vague, but the reviews were really high so I decided to try it out. I ended up downloading this ebook to read during my Honeymoon and I finished it book SO FAST. This story is firmly planted in the realm of fantasy, although it was quite different from the fantasy I usually read. I actually gave this book 5 stars on Goodreads, and that is a rare occurrence for my first time reading a book. I am so excited to continue this series and see where it leads.


City of Glass (The Mortal Instruments #3) by Cassandra Clare

Onwards with The Mortal Instruments! We finally get to see the central city of the Shadowhunters and along with it comes mystery, drama, and an intense battle. I really enjoyed how the story continued in this book and it kept me extremely intrigued throughout.


The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Another book that I downloaded for the Honeymoon and ended up giving 5 stars! I have been wanting to read this book for a while, even though historical fiction isn't usually my bread and butter. I LOVED this book! First of all it is narrated by Death. Count. Me. In. I'm really glad I read this as an ebook instead of an audiobook due to the writing style and some pictures that were included for reference. This story ripped my heart out by the end, however it was a sweet kind of pain. It didn't make me love the book any less and I really enjoyed how the author drew me in and connected me to all the characters.

I have not seen the movie based on this book, but I plan on watching it soon!

City of Fallen Angels ( The Mortal Instruments #4) by Cassandra Clare

Unfortunately most book series have at least one book that is just a bit lacking in the story. For The Mortal Instruments the fourth book was that slump for me. This part of the story just seemed to drag on with frustrating emotions. IF CHARACTERS WOULD JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER EVERYTHING WOULD BE FINE! However, that would make the story a bit boring wouldn't it? Even though it was a struggle to get through this one I looked forward to reading the next book as I knew it got better (I have read book 1-5 previously).

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
This was....interesting. The premise for this book was extremely original I thought. Set in a normal Earth world, with just a twist of fantasy. I had high hopes for this book with it's seemingly original idea, but I ended up a bit disappointed. This story dragged on for days.....there was a lot of build up to an event that took up a very small portion of the book. Good story idea, bad execution in my opinion.

Do you have a Goodreads account? Let's be friends!

Allons-y!

January Books

Hello all! How is everyone doing with their 2015 reading goals?

This past month was a little lighter on reading due to wedding preparation and festivities, but now that the craziness is over let's get back to it!


City Of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments #2) by Cassandra Clare

The second book in The Mortal Instruments was just as exciting as the first! I am really enjoying re-reading this series and am looking forward to the unread 6th and final book!

Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1) by Merissa Meyer

This past month I joined a book club on Goodreads that is run by some fabulous readers of The Mary Sue (If you haven't checked out this website yet, I highly recommend it!). The book club is appropriately named The Mary Sue Books and More Club and they select monthly books based on a poll of 10 member suggested books. Their very first book choice was Cinder and I ended up really liking it! It is very YA in the way the story develops, with obvious foreshadowing and comparison to classic fairy tales. Despite that (which many people did not enjoy about the book) I found it to be an interesting world and I have deciding to continue reading the series. Stay tuned for further reviews :).

Now that life has slowed down a tad I plan on having at least 3 books in my reviews each month. I also plan on reading more stand alone books that are not part of series. I tend to read a few books at once and it can be hard to keep track of the stories when all of them have a continuing series.

What are you reading this month?

Allons-y!

December Books

Happy New Year everyone!!!

Most people set new years resolution or goals around this time of year, so let's talk about my book goals/successes in 2014 and my new goals for 2015.

Back in August of 2014 I found myself in a huge reading rut. I wasn't interested in pursuing new books or reading much more than a chapter a day. To remedy this I decided to join Goodreads to start tracking the books I read and as a way to find new books. I have now used the website for 5 full months and I must say, I truly enjoy it! It's a great way to track all of the books I want to read, keep up with favorite authors as they publish new material, and set goals for how many books I want to read. Since I started tracking in August I challenged myself to read 25 books before the end of the year, equaling out to 5 books a month. I usually have at least 2 books that I am reading at a time, a physical book that I read at home and an audiobook that I listen to while I'm at work. I am happy to say that I successfully reached my goal of 25 books! However, some months were a bit lighter than 5 completed books. To clarify, I count a book as read in the month I complete it. For example, if the date I completed reading the book was in November I count it as a November book, even if I started in October.

To kick off 2015 I decided to set my reading goal as 36 total books for the year, or 3 books per month. Since this will be my first full year of keeping track I wanted to set a goal that was reachable in order to not discourage myself by falling short. I plan on increasing the number of books I read each year.
If you have any books suggestions on what I should read this year, comment below!


Now, onto the books I read in December!
With Chrismas festivities in December and upcoming wedding festivities in January (EEK!), this month was a bit light on reading.

Wild: From Lost To Found On The Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed

I have been looking forward to reading this book ever since the movie was announced! I don't usually read memoirs, but this ended up being an extremely enjoyable break from my typical genres. I loved how Cheryl's adventure was about someone who was completely inexperienced in the activity they wanted to do and didn't let that stop them. I haven't had a chance to see the movie yet, but I highly recommend this to anyone who feels a little lost in life (but don't we all).

City Of Bones by Cassandra Clare

This is the first book in The Mortal Instruments series and it was the first and only book to be adapted into a movie in 2013. I decided to re-read this series as the sixth, and final, book came out in May of 2014 and I have heard nothing but great things about it! This series is great for anyone who loves a little fantasy, action, and confusing romance. The rest of the series will be popping up in my posts over the next few months!

What are you reading this month? Comment below!

Have a wonderful January!
Allons-y!