April Wrap-Up & May TBR

I managed to read 6 books in April. I'm hoping to read more in May, so I've set a few goals for this upcoming month... but first, let's get into what I read last month!

Saga Volume One by Brian K. Vaughn, illustrated by Fiona Staples
5 stars
Saga has gotten a lot of hype on Booktube lately, and for good reason. This first volume was wildly entertaining and the illustrations (it's a graphic novel, FYI) were phenomenal. I wanted to reread this as soon as I had finished, and I can't say I feel that way about a lot of books. Recommended for adult readers who enjoy fun fantasy/sci-fi. Emphasis on the adult, because this series has a lot of gore and sex and the illustrations do not shy away from showing that.

Divergent Thinking by Various Authors

4 stars

I was sent Divergent Thinking for review by BenBella Books, and will have a full review up soon. Divergent Thinking is a collection of essays from a dozen YA authors addressing various topics in the Divergent series, from the factions to the biology of fear. As with all anthologies, some parts were stronger than others. Recommended for fans of the Divergent series who are looking for more insight into some of the ideas the series encapsulates.

Saga Volume Two by Brian K. Vaughn, illustrated by Fiona Staples

5 stars

After reading volume one, I had to get my hands on volume two. While I liked volume two slightly less than volume one, it still warranted a five star rating. Seriously guys, PICK UP THIS SERIES. 

Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

5 Stars

With the release of the final book in this trilogy, Dreams of Gods and Monsters, being released this month, I felt a need to play catch up. I finally got around to reading this and I'm so glad that I did. I had given the first book in the series 4 stars, and had some serious issues with the ending... but none of those issues cropped up in this second installment. And it made the parts of the first book that I really didn't enjoy feel necessary. Taylor's writing was as dark and beautiful as ever, and while I didn't end up reading the third book this month, I'm hoping to read it soon. I'll be sad when this series is over, which is something I didn't expect after being slightly disappointed with the first book. 

Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture by Ariel Levy

4 stars

I've felt a need to read more feminist works this month, and this was the only book that I managed to finish. (I did get pretty far into others, but didn't end up finishing them in April.) This was recommended to me years ago and I finally got my hands on a copy and read it immediately. Because it was published around 10 years ago, it does feel quite dated and some of the references it makes feel irrelevant at this point in time (Is Girls Gone Wild still a thing? Because that was basically a whole chapter). I'd also wished it addressed more topics than it managed to. I do think that this is a good book for anyone who is looking to read more feminist works but are not familiar with a lot of feminist terms. Some feminist books read as very academic and inaccessible, but this was an easy read.

Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher

4.5 stars (rounded to 5 on Goodreads)

I'd been gifted Furies of Calderon for my birthday by Regan from PeruseProject, who has raved about this series for as long as I can remember. Seeing as I've yet to read anything she's recommended and not thoroughly enjoy it, I had to start this series. And it was glaring at me from my bookshelf. Ultimately I thought this was an incredible start to what I imagine is a fantastic series, and I'm really looking forward to reading the next books in the series. I would have had the second book finished by the end of April if I wasn't still, to this day, on hold for it at my local library.*sigh* Regardless, the world-building in this book is great, the characters set the stage for the developments of the next five books, and I thought the pacing was mostly well done - which a lot of people seem to disagree with for some reason. It didn't feel as long as it was when I was reading it, so if you're afraid of this book because of the size... just give it a go! 

I'm not usually one to make TBR lists, but this month I wanted to make some goals for myself...

May TBR

Dune by Frank Herbert

I'm currently reading Dune and will definitely be finishing it this month. Dune is a sci-fi classic that laid the foundations for later sci-fi works, so as someone who is trying to get into more adult sci-fi... this is a perfect place to start. I've really enjoyed what I've read so far! 

Academ's Fury by Jim Butcher

I'll be reading this whenever I get my hands on it. I'm 7th in line for it at the library, but if I don't end up with it soon I may just have to buy it... I'd also like to read the third book, Cursor's Fury, if I can get a hold of that this month too. My plan is to read as much as I can of the series ASAP. I'm not allowed to start any other big fantasy series (mainly Mistborn and The Kingkiller Chronicle) until I've finished the Codex Alera series. 

Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor

In the spirit of needing to finish series that I've started, I'm hoping to read DoGaM this month and have the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy finished. Not to mention the fact that it's much easier to evade spoilers if you read a book closer to its release date... Spoilers are a ticking time bomb and I'd like to avoid them at all costs.

Those are all of my set-in-stone plans for May! Let me know if you guys have read any of these books, or what you're planning on reading in May.

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