Books I Read in February

Here is my really late update on all the books I read in February. I unintentionally stepped away from my blog for over a month, but I really want to reawaken my love for blogging. So here's hoping that talking about books will spark my interests...

99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne - This book follows Darcy as she teams up with her longtime crush, Tom, to renovate her grandmother's home. I have been looking forward to this book ever since I devoured The Hating Game (which I read twice in the span of 48 hours). Unfortunately I couldn't get into the plot or connect with the characters, overall this was just an average read for me.

An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson - This book centers around Isobel, an artist, who paints portraits of faeries. The autumn prince, Rook, takes her away to stand trial, after she paints him with a mortal flaw, revealing his weakness. This was a reread for me, and unfortunately this was a book that didn't age well the second time around. I still really enjoyed the writing style and the world building, but I wish the romance had more development.

Bloom by Kevin Panetta and Savannah Ganucheau - This graphic novel follows Ari and Hector as they meet at the bakery Ari's family owns. I really enjoyed this graphic novel, it's a heartfelt story about a struggling business, two boys falling in love and discovering themselves. I also loved the art style and felt the characters and the storyline developed well.

Truthwitch by Susan Dennard - This is the first book in the Witchlands series, and this installment focuses on Safi, a truthwitch in hiding because her magic is a coveted ability. My goal was to reread the entire Witchlands series in February before jumping into the latest installment, Bloodwitch. So obviously I failed at that, but I enjoyed this book the second time around, I especially loved the friendships and the world building in this series.

Tea Dragon Society by Katie O'Neill - This graphic novel follows Greta as she becomes entwined in the care of tea dragons (think tiny dragons that all have personalities relating to different types of teas). This was such a cute and quick graphic novel that I absolutely became enchanted in. The art style is beautiful and the concept of tea dragons is so unique and adorable.

The Austere Academy by Lemony Snicket - This is the fifth installment in A Series of Unfortunate Events. Over two years ago, I reread the first four books in the series in anticipation of the Netflix series, and since the show is now complete I want to return to my reread of this series. I really like this installment in the series, it was really nice to see an environment where the Baudelaire's could make friends, and I like that this installment starts to set up an arc for the rest of the series.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline - This book is set in a future where people's whole lives have turned to virtual reality. This is a book that I have been meaning to read for years, after hearing nothing but good things about. I really liked the world that the author created and the various nods to the 80s, but this book didn't live up to all of the praise. I wasn't a huge fan of the writing style and I really liked Art3mis, but I didn't like that her character is viewed entirely through the male gaze and I wish that she had been given a chance to shine on her own.

And those are all the books I read in February. Since the month is winding down I'll be sharing the books I read this month within the next couple of days and I hope to finish at least one more book before the month is up. - Jessica

Books I Read in January

I started the year off really well and read 9 books and one short story. Here's what I read and some of my thoughts and opinions on them...

This Cruel Design by Emily Sudeva - This is the second book in the This Mortal Coil trilogy, which is a Sci-Fi series surrounding genetic coding. I don't read a lot of Sci-Fi, but this series makes me want to change that. Sudeva's series is complex and thought provoking. I really enjoyed this installment, and I like how the story has developed and I've formed a deeper attachment to the characters.

The Cruel Prince, The Lost Sisters, and The Wicked King by Holly Black - These are the first two books in The Folk of Air Trilogy, which is set in a faerie world from the perspective of a human girl. The Cruel Prince was my second favorite book I read last year, there are so many twists and turns and I became extremely invested in the characters. I've been itching for a reread since the end of last year, but I held off until the beginning of the year, so that I could reread it closer to the release date of the second book. I also read The Lost Sisters for the first time, which is a short story that was published in October, that is supposed to be read between the first and second book. I was really disappointed with The Lost Sisters as I feel it didn't add much to the plot between the two books. I feel that it functioned more as supplementary material to keep readers engaged before the publication of the second book rather than anything else. Finally all those pages led up to The Wicked King, which was spectacular. Holly Black took all the creative world building and tension from the first book and turned it up. I need the third book to come out already.

If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio - This book follows seven college theater majors after one of them mysteriously is found dead. This book was recommended to me because of my love for Vicious, and I noticed a few similarities in the way the stories are told, but the plots are completely different. I really enjoyed this book, I listened to the audio and I like how it brought the Shakespeare sequences to life.

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black - This book is set in a human town that has strong Faerie attachments and follows the twins, Hazel and Ben, after a Faerie in a glass coffin escapes. This was my second time rereading this book, and after the four years between the readings I had forgotten so many elements. I was incensed to reread this book after my book hangover because of The Wicked King and because there are some elements in this book that tie into The Folk of the Air trilogy. I really enjoyed this book the second time around, but because of my obsession, I mostly read this book with eyes for The Cruel Prince. 

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan - This book follows Lei as she is captured from her home and is forced to serve the Demon King as his concubine. I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand the world has a lot of potential, the representation of f/f romance is so important, and I admire how the author tackled the subject of sexual abuse. But I struggled with understanding the main character, I do intend on picking up the sequel when it's released, because I think this series has a lot of potential.

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas - This book follows Bri, an aspiring rapper, as she tries to break out in the music industry, while her family struggles financially. I really enjoyed Angie Thomas' follow up from The Hate U Give, which is one of my favorites, and I like how this book takes place in the same setting as THUG. I really like how Angie Thomas is still tackling issues that black people experience in this book, and I love how this book had so much representation.

Pax by Sara Pennypacker - This is a middle grade book that follows a boy and his fox, after a war tears them apart, and their attempts to reunite. This is a really sweet story of friendship and the bond between humans and animals. I don't read as much middle grade these days, but I still really enjoyed this read. 

King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo - This book is the first installment in a duology surrounding Nikolai, from the Grisha verse. I strongly recommend reading the previous installments in the Grisha verse before diving into this book, because this book directly intertwines with the Shadow and Bone trilogy and features a character from Six of Crows. I absolutely loved this book, I love revisiting this world and the characters and getting to read from Nikolai's perspective. I'm already planning on rereading the entire Grisha Verse before the next book comes out so that I can fully appreciate the events of this book.

And those are all the books I read in January. I also started Peter Pan, which I'm slowly making my way through. There are quite a few February releases that I'm looking forward to getting to this month, particularly Bloodwitch, and I'm rereading the Witchlands series as we speak in anticipation ot reading it. - Jessica

January Snapshots

1 & 2. Corgi smiles.

3 & 4. I'm so obsessed with how pretty these books are. The first photo features the map of Hogwarts from the 20th anniversary UK editions, and the second photo is of King of Scars.

5. I'm constantly trying to go to all the different coffee places in Austin, this month it was Austin Java and Bougie Donuts.

Bookish Goals and Lists for 2019

This year I'm setting a reasonable goal of reading 120 books, I read 123 last year when my goal was 100, so I'm very confident I'll reach this number. This month I'm already off to a good start, I'm currently reading Peter Pan which is a book that I included on my TBR list from 2017, and a book that I've wanted to read for years. I usually write a list of books that I want to read at the beginning of the year, but I'm absolutely awful at getting to any of the books on the list, so this year I'm just going to plan as I go. Typically at the beginning of the month I run through a handful of titles that I'd like to read in the coming month. One day I hope to be organized enough to attempt to bullet journal all this information...

At the beginning of the new year I love to go through the list of new releases for the year and assemble some of the one's I'm most looking forward too. So here's some titles, I can't wait for...

Links (left to right): 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.

And those are only the books that have had cover releases, there's still The World of Throne of Glass, which I've heard has details following the conclusion of Kingdom of Ash, the final book in the Renegades Trilogy, and Vow of Thieves. And I'm still reeling over the fact that we are getting a sequel to Carry On, I distinctly remember that I was out in public when I saw the news for Wayward Son and I barely restrained screaming. I'm very lucky to have already read one of these books on the list, The Wicked King (which is amazing), and I also am making my way through an ARC of On the Come Up, that I got through work. Other than that, I can't wait for the other releases to come out. - Jessica

Favorite Books of 2018

In 2018, I read 123 books. Last year I started rereading books more, and I started listening to way more audiobooks. So many final installments in some of my favorite series came out, and I also discovered some new favorites. Here's a list of my top 10 favorite books I read for the first time in 2018.

1. Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas - This is the final installment in the Throne of Glass series. I have mentioned this book a lot on my blog, because the Throne of Glass series is one of my all time favorites (second only to Harry Potter) and I absolutely loved every aspect of this concluding novel. It's a very bittersweet feeling because I loved reading this series but I'm very saddened that this story has come to a close. 

2. Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare - This is the final installment in The Dark Artificies series. There's going to be a lot of final books on this list, and this is one of them. This book is a massive amalgamation of Clare's Shadowhunter universe, and I loved seeing every single piece from all the other books come together in this installment. I also really love how it set up my anticipation for the upcoming series about Ty and Kit, but also provided conclusion in other aspects. Of Cassandra Clare's three series set in this world, this is by far my favorite. 

3. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black - This is the first installment in the Folk of the Air Trilogy. This was one of the first books I read in 2018, but it stuck with me so much. I spent so much time thinking about the twists and turns in this books. Slow burn is my favorite element in writing, and this book is the epitome of the perfect slow burn. I love the dynamic between Jude and Carden and I need the final book in this series to come out already.

4. Vengeful by V.E. Schwab - This is the sequel to Vicious. I have been anticipating the release of this book for years and I'm so satisfied with the result. This book picks up five years after Vicious and I loved witnessing how the world expanded and the new problems the characters faced.     

5. Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor - This is the final book in the Strange the Dreamer Duology. Laini Taylor has the ability to create amazing and fantastical worlds, with the most whimsical writing. I love how this book expanded on the elements in Strange the Dreamer and how expertly the world expanded.

6. Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff - This is the final book in the Illuminae Files Trilogy. This is a series that I've been following since the release of the first book, and I'm so happy that I've read the final pages. This installment is action packed and I loved how the action came to a close. 

7. Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson - This is the first book in the Dance of Thieves Duology. This book is a spinoff to Pearson's The Remanent Chronicles, which is another of my all time faves, and I love how the two series converged in a way that wasn't vital for new readers to understand, but also allowed returning readers to appreciate. I loved the new characters in this book and I can't wait for the sequel to come out. 

8. Immortal Reign by Morgan Rhodes - This is the final book in the Falling Kingdoms series. I enjoyed how every detail accumulated to this book, and it's been a rewarding experience following these characters, Mangus and Cleo are my favorites and I'm happy with the ending they received.

9. Save the Date by Morgan Matson - This is the only contemporary book in this list, as I've gotten older I've read less and less contemporary and although there were several others that I loved (Anger is a Gift and A Very Large Expanse of Sea to name a few), Morgan Matson is my all time favorite contemporary author because she handles coming of age books with expertise. I especially loved and related to the sibling dynamic in this book.

10. To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Cristo - This is a stand alone novel, that was inspired by The Little Mermaid. This is another book that handled slow burn extremely well, and is such an incredible debut. This is a title that I listened to on audio and thoroughly enjoyed.

And those are my all time top 10 books I read last year. I have to give honorable mentions to Furyborn and Between Frost and Fury because I loved both books and I'm torn that I couldn't add them to this list.  - Jessica