June Reading Wrap Up

Target: 5

Read: 5

Phew! I can’t believe I actually managed to reach my monthly goal. I wish I’d read more though since five just seem like a really small number to me. However, as much as I want to say that I’ll read more next month that’s not going to be the case as I have some personal commitments to deal with. So for now, let’s talk about the books I read in the month of June. 

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

This is book 2 in the Red Queen series and follows Mare Barrows as she tries to keep herself safe while trying to find others like her—red bloods with silver abilities. With Maven becoming King, Mare has little chance of standing up to him without an army of those just like her. 

I finally read the next part of this series and I’m glad I did. I especially enjoyed Cal’s role in the book and it made me love him all the more. The fact that he’s trained for war only added to his appeal. My hatred for Maven only increased as I progressed through the book and I applaud the author for making such realistic characters. 

If you haven’t read this book already, I urge you to give this series a try, though I’m sure most of you have already read it, but if you haven’t, then give it a shot because you’re not going to regret it. 

Little White Lies by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

This is book 1 in the Debutantes series and follows Sawyer who lives with her mother and is estranged from the rest of her relatives, until her grandmother finds her and offers her to come and live with them as it might give Sawyer a chance to find her biological father along with money to pay for college. With a tight lipped mother, Sawyer has no choice but to accept the contract and so begins her story with three of her other cousins and together they work through secrets, lies and betrayals to find the truth about Sawyer and her father, and much, much more.

I really enjoyed this book and it was my favorite book of the month. This author has done a remarkable job in every aspect of the story. She has added the perfect blend of drama and comedy. I absolutely loved the relationship dynamics between Sawyer and each of her relatives. I would be writing in detail about everything I loved about this book in my review, but for now all I want to say is that go out and buy this book immediately. If you’re looking for a light, cozy mystery with a splash of comedy then this is a must read. 

Only When I Sleep by E. V. Lind

This is a standalone novel and follows the story of Beth and Ryan. Beth is on the run from an abusive ex-boyfriend while Ryan is an injured war veteran who thinks that he doesn’t deserve anything good in life after what he went through. When he comes across Beth, he knows he wants nothing to do with her, but Ryan’s mother has other plans and urges Beth to come and live with them. Things take a turn for the crazy when Beth starts hearing things happening inside the house. With spirits roaming the house and her ex-boyfriend on the lookout for her, Beth and Ryan—with their hearts bringing them together—have no choice but to work together to survive the horrors that await them.

I did not find this book as interesting as I thought it would be. It read like a light horror and the events taking place were dull. This might be the author’s debut novel, I’m not sure, but I think there’s a lot of room for improvement in terms of writing style and plot. This book could’ve been a whole lot dramatic and packed with emotions but it really wasn’t. 

Though I was disappointed by this book, if you guys enjoy a light horror romance, then feel free to give this book a try. You never know, you might just like it. 

Zack by Cheyenne McCray

This is book 1 in the Armed and Dangerous series with the main characters being Sky and Zack. Sky and Zack used to be together when they were young but Zack broke up with her out of the blue and left. Ten years later he returns and he only has one thing on his mind and that is to make Sky his once again. Sky, on the other hand, hadn’t forgotten what Zack did to her and when he returns, she vows to not let her heart get broken by him again. But when their worlds collide in the form of an investigations, old passions ignite and Sky fears that she would be losing her heart to Zack again and this time there would be no coming back. 

I was looking to read an interesting romance but this did not cut it. The author seemed to put a little too much emphasis on a certain part of the woman’s body which kind of ruined things for me. Not to mention, that I felt bored through about seventy percent of the book. There are some steamy scenes, so if you guys are interested in reading those, then you guys can give this book a shot. For me, it wasn’t as interesting.

Early to Death, Early to Rise by Kim Harrison 

This is book 2 in the Madison Avery series and follows Madison as she tries to change the system governing the laws of light and dark. By recruiting a bunch of rogue reapers, she thinks she can change the system but as she learns more about her new powers Madison realizes that things are not as simple as she thought they were and unless somebody supernatural comes and helps her she would cease to exist, and this time permanently. 

I thought this book would be just as good as the first one but I don’t know why I couldn’t get into it. It had everything, nice plot, action, adventure, drama, comedy, but for some reason I couldn’t get into it. I’m sure you guys would enjoy reading this series if you haven’t already and I do recommend this book to everyone. 

May Reading Wrap Up

Target: 8

Read: 4

To say this was the worst reading month would be an understatement. I’m embarrassed to even talk about it because I read a total of four books. Only four! I wanted to read more, I really did but life had to get in the way and I do have other things that take up my time which made it difficult to focus on reading. So with the shortest wrap up of the year so far, here are the books I read in the month of May. 

Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff

This is book 1 in the series of the same name by Jay Kristoff and follows the long and sordid story of Gabriel de Leon as he is taken prisoner by the enemies. Story unfolds within a story as Gabriel is forced to recount his past—the events that made him who he was and in all of that the search for the Holy Grail. 

Let me be honest here. I’ve never felt overwhelmed by a book before, but this book made me feel exactly that. Not only due to its size but the amount of detail and description given as Gabriel recounts his past. There’s so much to the story that one can easily get lost in its depths. 

This book took me the majority of the month to read and finish, hence why I wasn’t able to meet my monthly goal. I often felt lost and kind of drifted off while reading this book because I felt there was just too much packed into it. However, one thing which I absolutely loved was the formatting of this book, and the story overall was really interesting and I would highly recommend it. 

Lead Me Not by A. Meredith Walters

This is book 1 in the Twisted Love series and follows Aubrey who is a counseling student in college and has suffered a huge loss in her life and is studying counseling in order to help people and stop history from repeating itself. Maxx comes with his own set of demons that he has no choice but to fight, but does his best to appear in control to the rest of the world. 

But when a chance encounter has lust and attraction bubbling to the surface between Aubrey and Maxx, there’s little anyone can do to come between them. Aubrey knows that having a relationship with Maxx is not a good idea but she is unable to control her heart’s desires. And Maxx… let’s just say when Maxx Demelo wants something, he damn well gets it. And right now he wants Aubrey Duncan. 

This book along with the others that A. Meredith Walters has written are exceptionally close to my heart simply because they tickle my thirst for psychology and all things related to it. And as someone who has worked with people suffering from addiction, this book really hit home. A. Meredith Walters has done an amazing job with fleshing out her characters and giving them flaws that one sees around them. I would highly recommend this book to everyone and all the books written by this author, as everybody needs to have a knowledge and understanding regarding mental health and issues. 

In My Dreams I Hold a Knife by Ashley Winstead

This story follows Jessica Miller who is going to her college reunion party with six other people who in college were inseparable. However, a murder and a false accusation forces the estranged group to come together and try to figure who among them is the murderer. 

Jessica Miller is out to prove that she had turned her life around and was now the best and most sought after person, however, with memories threatening to invade her perfect persona, Jessica might just realize she’s not as perfect as she led herself to believe.

My, oh my! This book was my absolute favorite of the month, so you’ll be seeing a review of it soon. But wow, this book was just stunning. From the plot, to the characters, to the pacing, everything was perfectly executed. The plot twist at the end and the way the writer keeps you guessing who the murderer is makes this an epic read. 

Head on to your local bookstores or to Amazon and purchase this book ASAP. Everyone needs to read this book. It’s that amazing! 

The Opal Deception by Eoin Colfer

This is book 4 in the Artemis Fowl series and follows our group of fairies and trolls and other supernatural creatures along with our child mastermind Artemis Fowl, who is planning to steal a popular painting in order to become the youngest thief in the world. However, with supernatural enemies vying for revenge Artemis’ plans might just have to take a back seat as he fights for his life while trying to bring a criminal pixie to justice. 

I’ve already read the first three books in the series and this book was a re-read for me as I had not read the other books when I read this one the first time, so now I’m reading them all in order and plan to get to the rest of the books soon. 

Anyways, this book is just as interesting as the previous books. And I love just how smart Artemis is at such a young age. I wish I was that smart and analytical. I really enjoyed Holly’s character and how she and Artemis work together to bring Opal down. Everything was just fantastic and I know the rest of the books in the series would be just as exciting. 

So there we have it. These are the four books I read in the month of May. I really wish I could’ve read some more as I feel really disappointed in myself for not reaching the goal. However, I will try harder next month and hopefully will be able to read more. 

March Reading Wrap Up

Target: 9

Read: 7

I really wanted to reach my reading goal for this month but unfortunately I failed yet again. There were a couple of books that took me a little longer to finish, even though I wanted to finish them ASAP. But as it is, I still managed to read seven books and these are the books that I read. 

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

This is book 2 in the Unearthly series by Cynthia Hand and this follows the story of Clara who finds out a lot more things about herself and her purpose and ultimately has to make a choice between the boy she loves and the boy she’s destined to be with. Along with it, she has to protect herself as well those she loves from a Black Wing who is eager to seek revenge. 

I found this book lukewarm at the most. Other than a boatload of teenage angst and Clara constantly complaining about her life and the guy she’s supposed to be with, nothing much happens. I thought there would be a final showdown or something with the villain but it doesn’t even come close to that. Other than the story leading up to her mother’s death nothing much happens. 

However, the loss of a parent was described extremely well and it was something I could relate to, as I felt pretty much the same way Clara did after her mother died, so hats off to the author for nailing that on the head. But, on the other hand, I’m glad to have read the book and can’t wait to read the final book and finish the series. 

A Dawn Most Wicked by Susan Dennard

This is a prequel novella of the Something Strange and Deadly series by Susan Dennard and it’s about Daniel Sheridan and how he’s trying to do the best he can for the woman he loves who happens to be none other than his best friend Cassidy Cochran, all the while trying to save the fate of Sadie Queen, the ship which is destined to retire. Throw in a bunch of ghosts and a healthy serving of drama and you have yourself an intriguing novella. 

This book was fun. It was short and full of action, which wasn’t something I was expecting. I thought it’ll be just about Daniel doing his best to take care of Cassidy and their love story, but it was so much more than that. 

Moreover, I fell in love with the writing style of the story. Susan Dennard really knows how to coin metaphors and use them in the best way possible. I read some pretty creative metaphors in this novella and it only makes me look forward to reading the rest of the books by her because I want more of her unique writing style. I honestly wish I could write like her, but that’s never going to happen so might as well just read her books to satiate my thirst. 

If you’ve read the Something Strange and Deadly series by Susan Dennard then give this novella a chance if you haven’t already because you’re not going to regret it. 

Emerald Green by Kerstin Gier

This is book 3 in The Precious Stone Trilogy by Kerstin Gier and the final book in the series and I’m so glad I finally got the chance to read this book and finish this series as I make sure to only read by an author every year as I want to read different authors. But I finally got to finish this series and I must say this series has become one of my favorite. 

Like the previous two books before this, we follow Gwen and Gideon as they try to understand the events of the past and present by traveling through time and try to figure out the poetic prophesies that can lead to death. Add in broken hearts and passionate kisses with a ghostly pet and a whole lot of tears and laughter, and you have a masterpiece that is this book. There’s a lot more I want to say about this book but it’ll make this already long post even longer, so if this book becomes a favorite of the month, then I’ll give more details about my thoughts when I do a review of this book. 

I loved, loved, loved this book! This book had danger sprinkled throughout the pages along with a healthy dose of humor which made this an all time favorite. I love Kerstin Gier’s writing style and the way she presented this concept of time travel. It’s a work of art and I can’t wait to get started with the rest of her books. 

Castles in Their Bones by Laura Sebastian

This is book 1 in a new series titled by the same name by Laura Sebastian and follows three princesses Daphne, Sophornia and Beatriz who have been raised to take over the countries currently independent in the continent of Vesteria. Their mother, Empress Margaraux has planned it down to the last detail and she will make sure no one messes with her plans. However, the princesses barely follow the plan they’ve been raised to follow since childhood when they start to see the big picture and realize that perhaps the continent of Vesteria would not do well under their mother’s rule and so against their better judgement, they do what they were told not to do. 

This is the first book by Laura Sebastian that I’ve read—I do intend on reading the Ash Princess series by her as well but for this book, I really enjoyed everything. The plot, the characters, the ups and downs, it was absolutely stunning. I’m not sure which of the princesses I like best because they all have such admirable qualities. I admire the way Laura has fleshed out the characters and made them so humane and relatable. The pacing was perfect and I can’t wait for the next books in the series, I’m eager to know what happens next. 

I highly recommend checking this book out if you haven’t already, I’m sure you’re going to love it. And if you’re a fan of Laura Sebastian’s writing like I’ve come to be, then this book should definitely be on top of your TBR pile. 

If I Built a Car by Chris Van Dusen

This is a children’s book and I read this in order to fulfill a prompt for the reading challenge that I’m participating in for the year. 

As the name suggest, the book is about a boy who is describing the car he would build if he could and the car contains all sorts of cool and interesting features, like the ability to drive on both land and sea and even fly. The car also has the ability to provide you with whatever kind of food you desire and on top of that it smells fantastic! 

It was a cute book with really pretty and colorful illustrations. If you want a story for your little one, then don’t hesitate to pick up this book. 

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan 

This is book 2 in The Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan. This is the second series by him which I’m reading and book 2 didn’t fail to blow my mind just like book 1. I’m glad I finally got the chance to read the next book in the series which follows the story from Percy Jackson’s perspective as he finds himself in camp Jupiter with absolutely no recollection of his memories except for the memory of a girl named Anabeth, who we all know happens to be his girlfriend back at camp Half-Blood. 

The story follows a cast of new characters with Percy as they embark on a new quest in order to defeat the giants and stop Gaea from unleashing her evil plans on the world. And with Thanatos aka Death being locked up and the dead coming back to life, the stakes couldn’t be higher, especially with the clock ticking over their heads. Not to mention Percy’s amnesia really not doing him any favors. 

I really had fun reading this story, just like the previous books I’ve read by this author. It was an easy read and I was finished before I knew it, and I cannot wait to finish reading this series but I do have to wait as I want to read other authors and books this year, so let’s see if I get the chance to read any more books in this series. 

Rick Riordan has really done a fabulous job with this story, especially incorporating elements of Roman mythology which satisfied my thirst for knowledge. I got to read about new mythological creatures which I didn’t know of before, so that really added to the brownie points for this books. As always, this book was a fantastic read and I know the next books in the series will not disappoint me. 

Yolk by Mary H. K. Choi 

This is the first book I’m reading by this author and I first heard about this book on a YouTube channel known as Jamie’s Library, you can go visit her channel here.

I went into this book with no expectations, but I must say this book is crazy sweet. It’ll touch your heart and fill you with emotion in a way only a few books are capable of doing and no matter how you end up feeling towards the end, you just know that this book will stay in your heart for a long time to come. 

This book follows the story of two sisters who are living polar opposite lives. June is older and successful with a good job and a fancy apartment—or so it seems—while Jayne is the younger sister who is trudging through life making one bad decision after another. But when their worlds collide with a terrible news June and Jayne have no option but to come together and be there for one another no matter how much they don’t want to, and so begins a ride filled with tears and laughter, hate and love, lies and truth and it all comes down to family. 

The relationship dynamics is something the author did a very good job on, not to mention the writing style. I found it easy and interesting the way Mary H. K. Choi weaves her words. I want to read more of her books in order to better grasp her writing style. It’s easy and yet not so easy, so I’ll label it as interesting. The characterization and the plot was light and juicy, giving you a rainbow of flavors followed by an ending which leaves you with a smile and tears in your eyes with a heart filled with emotions. 

I highly recommend this book and I can’t wait to dive into Mary H. K. Choi’s other works and look forward to seeing her publish more books in the future. 

Well, there you have it. These are the seven books I read in the month of March. Have you read any of these books? If so, let me know in the comments what are your opinions on the books and also do let me know what you read in the month of March.