January is always a pretty good reading month for me, and I'm very happy with how this one turned out. I read 12 books, and I gave all of them three stars or more! If the rest of 2016 goes like this, it'll be AMAZING.
As great as this month was, though, there were so many books that I wanted to read that I just couldn't make time for, especially since a couple of the books I did read took longer than I thought they would. I know I'll get to most of them next month, and I'm sure I won't enjoy them less for having waited a few weeks, but it's a little bit disappointing.
BOOKS I READ:
A New Hope: The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy by Alexandra Bracken: This book is pretty much a novelization of Star Wars Episode IV with some extra details added in, but it didn't quite follow all of the events of the movie in order. The story was split into three sections, each with a different perspective: first Leia's, then Han's, then Luke's. Very enjoyable. ★★★★ - Goodreads review - Around-the-Year Challenge Week 1: A book you meant to read in 2015, but didn't
Through the Dark by Alexandra Bracken (The Darkest Minds #1.5, #2.5, #3.5): I loved all three of the stories included here, and while I'm sad to finally say goodbye to one of my favorite series, I'm very satisfied with how things ended both in the final book and in the final novella. I can't say much about this because I'm at risk for spoiling not only this, but the entire series, but this was a great book. ★★★★★ - Goodreads review
Silhouette of a Sparrow by Molly Beth Griffin: This was a lovely, quick read about finding who you want to be and following those dreams. Thanks to Avery @ thepagesarebookining for recommending this book and letting me borrow it! ★★★★ - full review
READING STATS:
BLOG STATS:
As great as this month was, though, there were so many books that I wanted to read that I just couldn't make time for, especially since a couple of the books I did read took longer than I thought they would. I know I'll get to most of them next month, and I'm sure I won't enjoy them less for having waited a few weeks, but it's a little bit disappointing.
BOOKS I READ:
A New Hope: The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy by Alexandra Bracken: This book is pretty much a novelization of Star Wars Episode IV with some extra details added in, but it didn't quite follow all of the events of the movie in order. The story was split into three sections, each with a different perspective: first Leia's, then Han's, then Luke's. Very enjoyable. ★★★★ - Goodreads review - Around-the-Year Challenge Week 1: A book you meant to read in 2015, but didn't
Through the Dark by Alexandra Bracken (The Darkest Minds #1.5, #2.5, #3.5): I loved all three of the stories included here, and while I'm sad to finally say goodbye to one of my favorite series, I'm very satisfied with how things ended both in the final book and in the final novella. I can't say much about this because I'm at risk for spoiling not only this, but the entire series, but this was a great book. ★★★★★ - Goodreads review
Silhouette of a Sparrow by Molly Beth Griffin: This was a lovely, quick read about finding who you want to be and following those dreams. Thanks to Avery @ thepagesarebookining for recommending this book and letting me borrow it! ★★★★ - full review
A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen: My first required school reading of 2016. I enjoyed it much more than I was expecting to, especially considering most of the other things I've had to read for that class this year. ★★★½ - Goodreads review
The Rise of Big Business, 1860-1910 by Glenn Porter: (Note: I read an earlier edition of this book than the Goodreads page includes. I recently acquired this edition, and there don't seem to be many changes.) One of my reading resolutions for 2016 is to read at least one American history book every month, and since this is a very short book about a topic I'm interested in, I thought it would be a good place to start. I'm very glad I read this incredibly engaging book. ★★★★★ - Goodreads review
Ten Thousand Skies Above You by Claudia Gray (Firebird #2): Book 1 of this series, A Thousand Pieces of You, was one of my favorite books of 2015, so I knew I was going to love this one as well. I'm happy to say that it even exceeded my expectations! ★★★★★ - full review - ATY challenge Week 2: A book set in a different continent
Passenger by Alexandra Bracken (Passenger #1): Yes, I did read three Alexandra Bracken books this month. No, I don't regret anything except the fact that I now have to wait an entire year to read another new one. This wasn't quite as incredible as I hoped it would be, but I had ridiculously high expectations, so I still loved it. ★★★★½ - full review
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon: Firstly, can all books be this diverse? Please? This was a beautiful book, and while it didn't blow me away, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I read it in a day, and I can easily see myself rereading it in the future. ★★★★ - Goodreads review - ATY Challenge Week 3: A book from the Goodreads Choice Awards 2015 (winner or nominated)
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon: Firstly, can all books be this diverse? Please? This was a beautiful book, and while it didn't blow me away, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I read it in a day, and I can easily see myself rereading it in the future. ★★★★ - Goodreads review - ATY Challenge Week 3: A book from the Goodreads Choice Awards 2015 (winner or nominated)
Ash by Malinda Lo: I love retellings. I love Cinderella. I love LGBT+ books. So obviously, I had to read this. While it didn't impress me as much as I'd hoped, and I was pretty much indifferent for most of the book, I'm still glad that I read it. I also really want to see more books like this in the future. Once again, thanks to Avery @ thepagesarebookining for recommending this and letting me borrow it! ★★★ - Goodreads review
Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor (Daughter of Smoke & Bone #2): After the second half of Daughter of Smoke & Bone, I was prepared to be incredibly underwhelmed. I don't think I've ever been so delighted to be wrong. This book didn't quite have all of the things that I loved in the beginning of the first book, but I'm still incredibly happy with where this went. ★★★★½ - Goodreads review - ATY challenge Week 4: A book by an author you discovered in 2015
Night of Cake & Puppets by Laini Taylor (Daughter of Smoke & Bone #2.5): I don't even know what to say about this. Words can't contain how CUTE this was! If you like Mik and Zuzana from the main trilogy, this is a must-read. ★★★★★ - Goodreads review
Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor (Daughter of Smoke & Bone #3): Not so much a fan of this one. There were individual scenes that I loved, but overall, I didn't really care. ★★★ - Goodreads review
Reread this month:
- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: Read for school. Check out my Thoughts on Required Reading for details. First read: ★★★★★; Reread: no rating
- A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett (Discworld #32): The next book in my seemingly never-ending quest to read ALL the Discworld books. Fascinating, as always. First read: ★★★★; Reread: ★★★★
READING STATS:
- Total books: 12 new, 14 including rereads
- Longest book: Dreams of Gods & Monsters, 613 pages
- Shortest book: Night of Cake & Puppets, 100 pages
- Favorite book: Ten Thousand Skies Above You
- Least favorite book: Dreams of Gods & Monsters
- Diverse reads: 4 (Silhouette of a Sparrow; Passenger; Everything, Everything; Ash)
- Nonfiction: 1 (The Rise of Big Business: 1860-1910)
- Comics/Graphic Novels: 0
BLOG STATS:
- Most viewed post: Book Review: Passenger by Alexandra Bracken
- Most commented-on post: Thoughts on Required Reading
I need to read A Night of Cake and Puppets - love those two and I've read the trilogy already. Such good books! Yay for reading so many books this month. I read 15, which is really good for me. We'll see how February goes. haha
ReplyDelete-Lauren
www.shootingstarsmag.blogspot.com
NIGHT OF CAKE AND PUPPETS IS SO WONDERFUL!! The entire novella is just one warm fluffy happy feeling. I think the two best options are to either read it immediately because you NEED it in your life (trust me) or to save it for a rainy day because it's pretty much guaranteed to cheer you up.
Delete*applauds you* I haven't read any of those books, but I'm starting Days of Blood and Starlight today. *nods* I read fourteen books in January, which kept me just on track for my Goodreads goal, but it was also a disappointing month for me in that way because I took an entire week off from reading. Which was really like falling off the wagon for me, and I hate it when that happens. *slinks off to sulk*
ReplyDeleteBut I'm glad you had a good reading month! :) I really need to read A Thousand Pieces of You and Ten Thousand Skies Above You. They've been on my TBR pile forever. Passenger is also really high on my list.
My February TBR is already high enough to bury me. *hides*
A week off from reading? And you still managed to read fourteen books? Can you share your amazing reading secrets please? There have been months where I take a week off from reading if the rest of my life is busy, but unless I pack in a bunch of comics, I only read maybe three books those months.
DeleteA Thousand Pieces of You, Ten Thousand Skies Above You, and Passenger are ALL so good! I can't wait to hear your thoughts when you get to them.
I'm already behind on my February TBR. I think if I tried to stack all the books, they'd fall on me and I'd be flattened. But really, how much of a problem is a huge TBR? I think I'd have more of a crisis if I had too little to read.
lol. I spend a lot of time reading? I make sure I prioritize it, and I try to schedule in 2-3 reading hours a day, if not more. Somedays (or weeks, as with January) I fall off the bus and don't read anything. And then some days I eat three books so it makes up for everything. *shrugs* It's a matter of stealing all the little moments you can and cutting stuff out of your schedule that isn't as important as reading.
DeleteI can't wait to read them! *attacks the library*
Tbh, I find huge TBRs inspiring, and I always try to keep mine as big as possible. Like you, I would probably have trouble if my TBR got too short. *cries at the thought* I'm a little behind where I wanted to be for February, but I also think I'm catching up. So we'll see what happens. :P
2-3 reading hours a day sounds glorious. I do that when I have time, but there are too many days that that doesn't happen.
DeleteI always have a giant list of books that I want to read, which I like, but this is one of the first times that there's been SO many books that I want to read AND have a physical copy of that I think "I MUST READ THAT IMMEDIATELY!" and then I can't decide. What a great problem to have.
Ooh I was the same about Dreams of Gods and Monsters and also Ash. Just pretty meh to both? I was sad about Ash because usually I LOVE retellings, but it hardly felt retold? It just felt like the same-old Cinderella story, albeit with diversity (which was great) but yeeeah. I need a bit more. AHHH I NEED TO READ SOME BRACKEN SOMETIME SOON.
ReplyDeleteAlso congrats on a good reading month! I'm the opposite and I had a rather boring reading start to the year. Blah. But February has had 4 and 5 stars from me so far, so it's looking up! :D
Thanks for stopping by @ Paper Fury!
My thoughts exactly on Ash! Pretty good, but not really what I wanted. I'm VERY excited for you to read some Bracken! Definitely put those books at the top of your list when you want something with a great cast of characters.
DeleteI felt the same way about Ash, and while I loved the first two books in Taylor's series, I couldn't even finish the third. I'm looking forward to Passenger, while trying not to get my expectations up unrealistically high.
ReplyDeleteI did consider not finishing Dreams of Gods & Monsters, mostly because it was just SO LONG and it usually felt like nothing was happening, but I was too invested in a lot of the characters to let them go. Passenger was great, but my expectations were probably a little bit too high. I forgot how much explaining has to be done to create such an intricate world, so some parts felt a bit slow.
DeleteAlmost every one of them I'd like to read!
ReplyDeleteHappy February!
I loved so many books in January that I'm sure you'll enjoy at least some of them. Happy reading, and happy February!
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