2017 WRAP-UP | BOOKS #11-16

Hey guys! Guess who's fallen so far behind on her wrap ups for this year? Yep, me. I considered just ignoring a good chunk of books, but that'd be giving up. Instead, I'm gonna try and spend the next few weeks writing them all up. Apparently I've only wrapped up 10 books for this year, but I've actually read 42 so this'll be fun. Without further ado!

#11: King's Rising by C.S. Pacat

What a conclusion to this series! I stand by the statement that each book in this series surpasses the previous one, so this one was the best. It was tense and satisfying and worth sticking it out for. It's a slow burn finale but Pacat already made me care so deeply for the characters that I didn't even mind. 4/5 stars

#12: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

This was actually a re-read but I love this book so much, I'd read it again many more times. I actually did a non-spoiler review here you can check out for my longer thoughts but in short, this book is one of my favs of all time. 5/5 stars.

#13: The Shining by Stephen King

I finally read a Stephen King novel! He's one of those authors that just everyone should read at least one of his books, because he has so damn many! I actually started reading this last year and only finished in the early months of 2017 after putting it down for awhile. It was a bit too long-winded (something King is known for) and could've shaved 100 or so pages but all in all, was quite enjoyable. I wish it had been a bit scarier though. 3/5 stars

#14: History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera 

This book is heavy. I mean, if you know the premise, you go in expecting heavy. It really successfully explores human relationships and dealing with grief without trying to romanticise it or ignore how messy and complicated the situation is. I found the MC hard to connect with, though, so it didn't quite 'wow' me in the way I thought it might, but a book I appreciate nonetheless. 3.5/5 stars

#15-16: American Gods & Monarch of the Glen by Neil Gaiman

I thought I'd just include both of these since the second is just a short story that follows American Gods. But anyway. I really love Neil Gaiman and this novel really sees him going all in and throwing as much mythology as he can into one story. It's impressive and whimsical and so perfectly Gaiman. It's not a story to be rushed because of the way he writes, but it's a treasure nonetheless. The Monarch of the Glen just feels like a very extended epilogue to the story and while it was nice to read, it didn't feel entirely necessary. American Gods: 4/5 stars. MotG: 3/5 stars

Alright, first catch-up wrap up done. Still a few more to go, haha. Let me know if you've read any of these books and what you thought of them!

Until next time!

- J, xxx

September Wrap Up!

Hey guys!

So, after a really successful reading month in August, September was pretty bad. But I mean, I told you it was going to happen (also October is looking like it will be pretty much the same). So, I read 3 books. Wow. So impressive, Jess. Haha. University is a lot of fun, kids. Especially when I'm taking an extra class. Anyway, I still read stuff so let's get to the wrap up!

#1: A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis [Goodreads Link]

Speaking of uni, that's what I read this one for. I think I mentioned in my last wrap up that class I'm taking on cultures of death and grief but yeah, it's a really interesting class! And we get to read some really great stuff and this was 100% one of them. It's kind of a memoir from C.S. Lewis (yeah, that guy who wrote Narnia!) in regards to how he deals with and mourns the death of his wife and there's quite a beauty in his tragedy. He just writes with really lovely prose. I was also shocked by how self-reflective he could be in his grief. It feels odd to rate a book like this but I did end up giving it a 4/5 stars.

2: Princess in Waiting by Meg Cabot [Goodreads Link]

Continuing my journey trying to read the Princess Diaries series, I picked up this instalment and I have to say that it lacked a lot of the charm that the previous books possessed. I've said many times that I don't particularly love this series but the books are easy and accessible reads and they have a nice humour to them but this book felt really flat. It's basically Mia whining for the whole thing and I ended up putting the audiobook on 2x speed just to get through it quicker. I ended up giving it 2/5 stars, mostly because the last scene was pretty adorable.

#3: The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas [Goodreads Link]

I have said many times how much I love this series and in the lead up to the release of the fourth instalment, I felt like it was time to pick up this collection of prequel novellas. Of course, not all the stories were as interesting but as a whole, the book was really enjoyable. I possbly would have enjoyed it more had I not been trying to rush through it to get to Queen of Shadows but oh well. I love Celaena so much as a character and it was really interesting to see snippets of her life before the main story of the series. I also kind of regret reading it because how the last story concludes just tore my heart out (even though I obviously knew it was coming). I gave it 4/5 stars.

Well, there we go! I only narrowly missed adding Queen of Shadows to this wrap up but you can all look forward to a full discussion coming your way ASAP. I have A LOT of things to talk about.

So, how did you all go in the month of September? Did you have an awesome reading month or did you have a bit of a lull like I did? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time!

- Jess, xxx

(delayed) August Wrap Up!

Hey guys! Man, I am so late with this. I was doing a good job of blogging regularly and then Uni sweeped in and took ALL my time! I've managed to find a little break to quickly write this out. I won't make any promises to try and get back to regularity but I doubt I will until I'm done with this semester (I'm taking an extra class and it is hell tbh).

But anyway, to the wrap up! Some of these, you've already seen me talk about before because I talked about them in my Booktube-a-thon wrap-up so apologies for the repetition. Thanks to reading mostly Audiobooks and short stuff, I actually ended up reading quite a bit!

#1: Falling Kingdoms Morgan Rhodes [Goodreads Link]

I did a full review of this book here so I won't talk a lot about it but I thought there was a lot of potential here but there's just so much more I wanted out of this book. I did still enjoy it but, as a whole, there was a lot that felt underdeveloped that I hope will be more fleshed out in the following novels. I gave this book a 3/5 stars.

#2: Runaways Vol. 1: Pride and Joy by Brian K. Vaughn [Goodreads Link]

This was a really fun and solid first volume to a comic series that I think has a lot of potential. The characters are really compelling and it gave me a similar vibe to the new Young Avengers (which I loved a lot, if you didn't know). I gave it 4/5 stars.

#3: No Matter the Wreckage by Sarah Kay [Goodreads Link]

This book was honestly beautiful. I'm not a big poetry reader so to have enjoyed this one as much as I did is a huge testament to it. Would 100% recommend. I gave it a 4/5 stars.

#4: Runaways Vol. 2: Teenage Wasteland by Brian K. Vaughn [Goodreads Link]

I wish I could say I enjoyed this one as much as the first volume but I was left sorely disappointed by it. The plot barely developed and there wasn't enough of fun and enjoyability in the rest of it to keep me entertained. I gave it 2/5 stars.

#5:  Runaways Vol. 3: The Good Die Young by Brian K. Vaughn [Goodreads Link]

Whatever lull that occurred in volume 2 disappears in this volume and it comes right back to the quality and energy of the first volume. I enjoyed it so much more. I gave this 4/5 stars. (These are such quick reads so I'm sorry I don't have much to say about them.)

#6: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller [Goodreads Link]

Oh man, tear my heart to pieces and then leave it to die. That would've been less painful than this book. But it was pain in the best way. I've been wanting to read this for so long. I didn't think it was quite as good as I wanted it to be but it was still really, really good. The first 100 or so pages were essentially perfect in my books. It dragged a bit in the middle but I was just so invested in the Patroclus and Achilles that I loved even the slow moments. I hope to write a full review one day to get out all my feelings. I gave it 4/5 stars.

#7-9: The Princess Diaries, book #1-3 by Meg Cabot [Goodreads Link] 

I decided to just give a bulk review of these because they're so short. I absolutely adore the movies of these books and have wanted to give the books a go for ages. Once I realised the audiobooks for these were on Overdrive, I had to give them a shot. And since they were audiobooks, it was way easier for me to read them. I particularly enjoyed these first 3 books because they were narrated by Anne Hathaway and it was perfect. They're really easy, quick reads and they're just a lot of fun and humour. Basically, they're not anything to be taken too seriously and I think it's harder to read them as an older person (because it really is like being in a 14yo's head) but they're still pretty great either way. I gave them all 3/5 stars.

#10: The Death of Ivan Illyich by Leo Tolstoy [Goodreads Link]

This was a required weekly reading for one of my Uni classes so I wasn't really expecting much (also, it's quite short). But I was actually pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It essentially follows the day-to-day of a man dying but it's so interesting. I gave it 4/5 stars.

#11: The Egg by Andy Weir [Goodreads Link]

This is such a cheat to be included. The story is 4 pages. But it was really good and blew my mind a bit for such a short piece. I gave it 4/5 stars.

#12: In Real Life by Cory Doctorow & Jen Wang [Goodreads Link]

This book was a major case of setting my expectations way too high. I've tried to avoid doing this too much but I just couldn't help it with this one. I kept seeing so many people giving it good reviews so who could blame me for expecting some level of epicness? And by no means was this book bad, it's just I had been lead to believe it would be so much more. It was really interesting, the art was really pleasing to look at and the MC was very relatable but I just couldn't deem what everyone else had found so outstanding from this graphic novel. I gave it a 3.5/5 stars.



So, there we go! 12 books! Not too bad if I do say so myself. Don't expect a wrap up anywhere near this long for September, though, haha. Also, I won't be doing a September TBR because it just seems arbitrary at this point.

Anyway, I'm sure you all don't want to be asked about what you read in August so, what are you guys reading at the moment? Anything good or are you having to push yourself through it (hopefully not!)? I've just started Queen of Shadows and I'm trying to savour every moment :P Let me know what you're reading in the comments!

Until next time!
- Jess, xxx

July Wrap Up!

Hey guys! I'm a few days late on this wrap up but I am so busy at the moment. I'm trying (and failing) to do the Booktube-a-thon but it's proving a bit harder than last year since I also have uni to contend with this time. Are you guys participating? How are you going so far? I've only just finished my first book *hangs head in shame*. 

But anyway, let's get onto the wrap up! I read an amazing amount in July. 16 books! 16!! That's the best I've read in a long while, but it also means this wrap up is gonna get a bit long!

#1: Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie [Goodreads Link]

So, as a kid, I used to LOVE the story of Peter Pan. I'm not naive enough to ignore, as I grew up, the more problematic elements of the story but I still adore the magic and wonder of it. So, this book was a little bit of a disappointment because of that. The magic was still there and the prose was beautiful (like, seriously, it was my favourite part of this novel), but I just couldn't ignore the problematic things and Peter frustrated me so much. I still enjoyed it but I ended up giving it 3/5 stars.

#2: Avalon High by Meg Cabot [Goodreads Link]

I wanted to enjoy this more than I did because I really love retellings of the Arthurian legend and this had the potential to be a nice take on the legend. Despite that, I was quite disappointed. The potential got lost in cheesiness and it all got a bit too ridiculous for me and I couldn't enjoy it anymore. I gave it 2/5 stars.

#3-9: Chronicles of Narnia Books 1-7 by C.S. Lewis [Goodreads Link]

I really can't be bothered putting each book down individually, but I read this as a part of the #24in48 challenge and by some miracle actually completely the whole series in that 48 hour timeslot. As a whole, I did enjoy this series. It's a classic tale full of all the magic and adventure you could want. My biggest criticism is that C.S. Lewis' own prejudices very obviously underpin a lot of the text which I was not a fan of. But if you ignore that, it's a lot of fun! Even if the ending was a bit of a disappointment. Individual ratings (chronological order)!

Magicians Nephew: 3/5

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: 4/5

Horse and his Boy: 2/5

Prince Caspian: 3/5

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader: 4/5 (favourite in the series)

The Silver Chair: 3/5

The Last Battle: 3/5

#10: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews [Goodreads Link]

I did a full review on this one here (no spoilers!) so I won't talk about it much, but I will say that I did enjoy it but don't think it quite lived to the hype. I gave it 3/5 stars.

#11: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater [Goodreads Link]

So, a few months back, I gave Stiefvater's other series a shot and read Shiver. In a nutshell, I didn't like it so I've been hesitant to try this series, even with the hype. But alas, I really enjoyed this one. It wasn't a perfect book but it was enjoyable and the story is really interesting, although the strength of this novel comes from the characters and Maggie's wonderful writing. It also has a really great atmosphere. I gave it 3/5 stars.

#12: The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater [Goodreads Link]

Having been pleasantly surprised by the Raven Boys, I jumped straight into book 2 and it just got better. I thought the story wasn't as strong (in regards to the overarching plot of the series) but the characters became more developed. They just feel so genuine reading them. I also just got my hands of book 3 so I'm super excited for it. But I gave this book 4/5 stars.

#13: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1: Legacy by Dan Abnett [Goodreads Link]

So, I bought this a while ago after hearing people constantly saying that this run of the GotG was far better than the new run but I don't think this volume lived up to that statement. It was entertaining but there just wasn't a lot of substance to the story or the characters which lessened the enjoyment. I gave it 2.75/5 stars.

#14: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: War of Kings by Dan Abnett [Goodreads Link]

Despite the disappointment of volume one, I still pursued to this next volume in hopes it would get better and thankfully, it did. The pacing got so much better and just, in general, these issues were a lot more entertaining. I flew through it and I can now see what people are talking about with this run. I gave it 4/5 stars.

#15: Captain America, Vol. 1: Castway in Dimension Z Book 1 by Rick Remender [Goodreads Link]

I love Captain America a lot so I'm sad that the first CA-centred comic series I read was such a mess. The story in this was so random and just took too many ridiculous turns. I gave it a very generous 2/5 stars.

#16: Captain America, Vol. 2: Castway in Dimension Z Book 2 by Rick Remender [Goodreads Link]

I don't have much to say. I wouldn't have read this had I not already bought it and they take very little time to read. This volume was even worse than the first. I gave it 1.5/5 stars only because there was little tidbits of good things. I won't be continuing this run.

So, there we go! I read a lot this month and I think it was equal parts good as bad, but nothing blew my mind this month (ie. no 5 star books). If you saw my TBR for July, you'll see that I read a grand total of one of the books I had planned to *sigh*. But oh well. I'm also getting closer to catching up on my Goodreads reading challenge. I'm still 14 books behind but it was wayyy worse at the beginning of July. Let's hope in August I can catch up completely!

So what did you guys read this month? Any amazing books? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time!

Jess, xxx