2015 has been a really productive reading year for me so far! I managed to read 11 things this month, two of which were graphic novels and one of which was an audiobook. Onto the books...

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. LeGuin
Book One of the Earthsea Cycle
3.5 out of 5 stars.
A Wizard of Earthsea is regarded as a fantasy classic, and it reads like one. If I'd read this before having read a lot of other fantasy books, perhaps my reading experience wouldn't have felt somewhat redundant. There are a lot of really powerful moments, and times where Le Guin's somewhat distant and poetic writing style flourishes, but most of it felt quite slow. Overall it was good and did a great job imparting its themes on the reader, though some of the elements I expect from novels seemed to be lacking a bit - or at least seeming to be as any originality it might have once had has been mixed into numerous fantasy books over the years to the point of being cliché.

The Crown Conspiracy by Michael J. Sullivan

Book One of the Riyria Revelations Series

3 out of 5 stars.

This was a lot of fun! It's quite a straightforward and simple story, so it doesn't offer much in terms of originality or characters with a lot of depth... but for what it is, it's pretty great. Probably a good read for anyone looking for a fun fantasy adventure without all of the density that can come with these sorts of books, and also those inexperienced with fantasy and hoping to change that. Looking forward to continuing this series as I've heard the books get better as you go along.

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
4 out of 5 stars.
Brown Girl Dreaming is an award-winning memoir written in verse. It follows Jacqueline's experience as an African American child growing up in the 1960's/70's in America. I really enjoyed this but I think I would have loved it even more if I’d been able to read it when I was a part of its target audience, which seems to be children. The ending in particular was really moving and wraps up everything quite beautifully. Overall a really quick and enjoyable read.

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

Book One of The Bone Season Series

5 out of 5 stars.

This was a reread, and I had to give it the same glowing rating that I originally gave it when I read it in 2013. Even though I already knew how this book ended, I had to stay up all night reading this to get to the end. The Bone Season certainly isn’t perfect, but just works SO WELL for me. (I also forced my mom to read this, and she also loved it. We have quite different tastes in books but we do agree on some rare books.) Part of my reason for rereading this was so that I could write a review, since I didn't the first time I read it... but I realized I never wrote a review because all I can do when talking about this book is incoherently gush about it. So...

Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh
3.5 out of  5 stars.
Hyperbole and a Half is a collection of blog posts from Allie Brosh, who mixes really simple illustrations and text to discuss random topics... whether it be stories about her dog or her experience with depression. It was loads of fun! I think it could have been organized a bit better than it was - perhaps if the stories had been presented in a more chronological fashion it would have felt a little less scatterbrained. We get some stories from Allie's childhood and some from adulthood, but they're all mixed around haphazardly. Very entertaining though and I'd certainly recommend it if you've ever stumbled across one of Brosh's posts and enjoyed them.

The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon

Book Two of The Bone Season Series

4 out of 5 stars.

Part of my reasoning for rereading The Bone Season was because its sequel, The Mime Order, was coming out. As much as I loved The Bone Season, you

know I had to preorder this and read it ASAP. This was a pretty great sequel, though I wasn’t invested in this as much as I had been with The Bone Season. I found this a bit predictable, and I didn’t think it had the same level of readability to me that The Bone Season had - where even though you know what’s going to happen, it’s still a thrill ride. Nonetheless a pretty great sequel and an ending that leaves you NEEDING the next book.

Avempartha by Michael J. Sullivan
Book One of the Riyria Revelations Series
3 out of 5 stars.
This sequel to The Crown Conspiracy was pretty equal to the first book, in my opinion. I think there were some improvements in the writing, but this still felt like a 3 star book to me. There were some very predictable parts and the characters are still a bit distant, even though I’ve now been with them for almost 700 pages. Nonetheless, I’ve heard fantastic things about the rest of the series and can’t wait to continue this. Just need the next book to hurry up and arrive in the mail!

Seriously… I’m Kidding by Ellen Degeneres

2.5 out of 5 stars.

Guess who tried listening to an audiobook! Me, obviously. (Who else would it be?) Unfortunately, not my cup of tea. This was a pretty quick one, but it felt kind of pointless. This book was a little all over the place... and as much as I like Ellen, wasn’t a huge fan of her narration. I kinda felt like she read it, for the most part, as if she didn't care which made me feel like I shouldn't bother caring either.

The Emperor’s Blades by Brian Staveley
Book One of the Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne Trilogy
4 out of 5 stars.
I’m working on a full review for this one, so keep your eyes peeled! I thought this was one of those fantasy books that just reads really easily, but it doesn’t sacrifice world-building to do so. The world Staveley created is a pretty cool one, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it expands in the next installments. This follows three POVs, all belonging to the children of an emperor who is murdered at the beginning of the novel, though it’s rather unbalanced and mostly focuses on the two sons and the training they’re going through away from home. If you’re not a fan of coming-of-age, training sequence stories, this probably isn’t your thing considering it’s basically two of those in one. Again, full review coming with more of my thoughts!

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

2 out of 5 stars.

Talk about a disappointment… I thought The Song of Achilles would be exactly my cup of tea, and boy was I really wrong. This was painful for me to get through. So much eye-rolling and "Do I have to keep reading this?" I thought this would be fantastic. Lyrical writing? Representation of non-hetero relationships? Mythological retelling? Count me in! Unfortunately, this just came of as a really annoying romance with uber flat characters. It left me feeling so betrayed that I didn’t want to read anything afterwards because of trust issues. *shakes fist at book*

Saga Volume 4 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
4 out of 5 stars.
I don't know why I always think it's a good idea to read the next installment of this series while I'm at the library. Trying to hide what I'm reading whilst kids are frolicking around is REALLY AWKWARD especially when BOOM random depiction of oral sex comin' at ya.
Anyway, this is probably as good as the other volumes, which I typically give 5 stars, I've just been a little less generous with my star ratings recently. The story-line was good, the art is fantastic as always, and Ghüs is THE CUTEST THING OF ALL TIME. Still my favorite graphic novel series. Can only recommend to mature readers, however.

Those were all of the books I read in February! It was a pretty productive month, especially considering this was the month where I got a new full-time job which was a pretty massive change. Hopefully I'll be able to keep reading loads in March despite my now busier schedule. In terms of my to be read list for the next month, I'm hoping to read the four books I just picked up from the library, which you can see here, and the 3rd and 4th book in the Riyria Revelations.

What was the best book that you read this month? Did you have any really disappointing reads?

Fantasy and nonfiction abound! Let's get into the fourteen books and novellas that I read in the month of January.

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

Book One of the Falling Kingdoms Series

2 out of 5 stars.

This was a reread for me, and unfortunately my thoughts after reading this a second time were drastically more negative than my experience with Falling Kingdoms the first time around. The world-building was very poorly done, the characters were impossible to connect with and Rhodes very lazily relies on romantic tension anywhere she sees it is possible to do so... at times making some of her characters act out-of-character to do so. For more of my thoughts, I wrote a review on Goodreads that you can check out if you wish.

A Shadow in Summer by Daniel Abraham

Book One of the Long Price Quartet

3 out of 5 stars.

A Shadow in Summer is an adult fantasy novel with a lot of potential. I enjoyed reading it, though I was a little let down with how Abraham used some of the creative concepts he'd come up with in this series... or, more accurately, how he didn't use them. In this series we have these creatures called the "andat" who are essentially concepts that exist within the world which can be captured by people called "poets" who can then control the andat for their ends, often for the good of a city or country. This wasn't explored as much as I would have liked, but I enjoyed the story nonetheless and did continue on with the series later in the month.

Rebel Spring by Morgan Rhodes

Book Two of the Falling Kingdoms Series

2 out of 5 stars.

The purpose of rereading the first book in this series, Falling Kingdoms, was to refresh my memory so that I could continue onto Rebel Spring since it was very kindly gifted to me last year by a subscriber. Unfortunately I ended up liking this as much as the first book, meaning not very much. The same problems I had with Falling Kingdoms cropped up in Rebel Spring, and as much as I would hope otherwise I don't think this series is going to make any huge improvements. Not sure that I'll be bothering to read any of the later books in the series.

Mitosis by Brandon Sanderson

#1.5 of the Reckoners Trilogy

3 out of 5 stars.

It had been ages since I'd read Steelheart, the first book in this trilogy, and with the impending release of its sequel Firefight, I thought it would be wise to pick up this little short story. It takes place in-between the two novels and, while it isn't necessary to read, was fun and did help me get reacquainted with the characters and the world.

Gender Hurts by Sheila Jeffreys

3 out of 5 stars.

I read a couple of nonfiction books in January, this being the first. Gender Hurts is a radical feminist analysis on transgenderism and its social consequences. It does what it sets out to do, and I did think it was an important contribution to modern day feminism. I did find that Jeffreys was rather insensitive, particularly towards the transgender people she was analyzing, which will likely alienate a lot of readers. Most reviews of this on Goodreads are either 1-star or 5-star, receiving the same treatment as radical feminism overall in present day, which is typically the receiver of much hate - but still staunchly defended by those who agree with its ideals. An enlightening read.

Firefight by Brandon Sanderson

Book Two of the Reckoners Trilogy

3.5 out of 5 stars.

I've been waiting a year to finally get to read this sequel, and it didn't quite live up to what I'd been hoping for. Mostly because at the time I hadn't been getting along with YA books, as evidenced by my feelings towards Falling Kingdoms, but I was hoping Sanderson would be able to pull me out of my YA slump. I still enjoyed this, though I did feel it was a bit predictable and some parts were anticlimactic towards the end. Still a really fun and quick read.

Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center by bell hooks

5 out of 5 stars.

More feminist nonfiction! This was my first book by bell hooks, and I have to say it was flawless. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in feminism or anyone who currently identifies as a feminist but hasn't yet read this. hooks has a very accessible writing style and does an impeccable job of pointing out the flaws in the feminist movement and putting forth ideas of what feminism as a movement should be if it has any hope of success. Lots of genius insight and I know I'll be coming back to this in the future.

The Ice Dragon by George R.R. Martin

3.5 out of 5 stars.

I picked up this little book from the library and read it in one sitting. There's not much to say about this one - it was a really enchanting "children's" story about a girl and her ice dragon that left me wanting more.

Are Prisons Obsolete? by Angela Y. Davis

4 out of 5 stars.

The last nonfiction book of the month was Are Prisons Obsolete? which is essentially Angela Davis' plea for the abolition of the prison system. I found this to be really enlightening in terms of the history of prisons as well as what they've become over the years and the possible horror of what they could become. I thought Davis made a pretty good argument in this book, though I wish it had been a bit longer.

A Betrayal in Winter by Daniel Abraham

Book Two of the Long Price Quartet

3 out of 5 stars.

The sequel to A Shadow in Summer, A Betrayal in Winter was pretty equal in my mind. I still felt like there was a lot of untapped potential, although Abraham's writing did improve in this second book. I own the last two books in this quartet and do plan on reading them, but I'm not feeling like I need to rush to do so. This is an okay fantasy series, I just hope Abraham can offer something new in the last half.

Night of Cake and Puppets by Laini Taylor

#2.5 of the Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy

4.5 out of 5 stars.

I wasn't originally planning on reading this companion novella, but I felt a need to pick it up when I saw my library had it and boy am I glad that I did! This was a really excellent novella - 100% romance oriented - but it followed two side characters from this trilogy that I really liked and this novella made me love them even more. This is essentially the story of Mik and Zuzana's first date, which is quite a tale. This was a joy to read and, as always, Laini Taylor's writing is impeccable. 

Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor

Book Three of the Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy

4 out of 5 stars.

At last, I have finished the Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy! This wasn't my favorite of the trilogy, but it was a decent end to a pretty great series! I think one of the main downfalls of this final book, and the trilogy as a whole, was how much Laini Taylor was trying to do. There was a lot of jumping between POVs that worked well at times and sometimes put too much strain on the story. There were some aspects of the ending where massive things were revealed that had been previously unknown and it seemed more like Taylor was trying to set up a story for another book/series rather than focusing on ending what she already had. This made the ending a bit convoluted, though I can't say it wasn't somewhat satisfying.

Fairest by Marissa Meyer

#.5 of the Lunar Chronicles

1 out of 5 stars.

Add this to the "I hated this book!" list. I don't feel as if this added anything to the series and it wasn't even remotely entertaining to read. I've enjoyed the other books in the series mostly because they're fun, quick reads... but I found Fairest to be a chore to get through. Maybe readers who actually like Levana's character in the series to begin with will like this, but I personally don't see the appeal. Levana's character was awful, and I don't know if this novella was meant to make me feel sympathetic about her... but you can't make me feel sympathy towards an evil, flat character by showing her being bullied by an even flatter character. None of this was realistic and finishing this was a ridiculously difficult feat. At least I got this from the library instead of paying for it.

Elantris by Brandon Sanderson

3 out of 5 stars.

This definitely read like a debut novel from Sanderson. It has all of the elements I've seen in his other books, but they're much less polished than his newer works. I felt the concept of Elantris was interesting but the novel was so drawn out and hesitantly presented that it was hard to keep interested in the plot or the characters. An enjoyable read, but I would say it pales in comparison to his other works and in the vastness of the fantasy genre, this doesn't really stand out.

Overall it was a pretty productive reading month! 

What was your favorite book read in January?

December was the month of dragging myself out of a long reading slump... and I managed to read four novels and one graphic novel! It was a pretty good reading month overall. Onto the books!

The Killing Moon by N.K. Jemisin

Book One of the Dreamblood Duology

4 out of 5 stars.
I'll have a full review up for this book soon, but I must say... The Killing Moon and its sequel were my favorite reads of December, and possibly my favorites for the past few months. Jemisin creates a really interesting world in The Dreamblood Duology, and has filled it with realistic characters and heartbreaking stories. The Killing Moon focuses on themes of power, corruption and love. It was absolutely beautiful. Highly recommend for fantasy readers looking for a new world that doesn't follow the terribly typical Western Medieval template haunting the fantasy genre.

Sovereign, Volume One by Paul Maybury and Chris Roberson

3 out of 5 stars.
I've done a full review of this graphic novel if you'd like to check it out! Sovereign is a fantasy graphic novel that follows multiple characters during the time of a Convergence - an event that strengthens the power of the magic-bearers in this world and the daemons of the Unreal. The art style wasn't my favorite and I had a hard time connecting with the characters as we were forced to jump around too much and the volume itself doesn't offer enough time with the characters to make up for these jumps. I don't think it was that memorable, and I'm not sure I'll continue with future volumes... but it was entertaining enough in the moment.

The Shadowed Sun by N.K. Jemisin

Book Two of the Dreamblood Duology

4 out of 5 stars.
Like I said with The Killing Moon, this was one of my favorite books of December. While this has quite a different feel from The Killing Moon - taking place ten years after the events of the first novel and following new characters - I loved it just as much. I'd definitely recommend picking up this second book in the duology if you pick up the first. The experience of reading them is very different, but ultimately very rewarding! I will say though, as a warning (skip this if you are afraid of vague spoilers), there are mentions of sexual assault/rape in this book so if you can't bear to read about it, you may be wise to stay away from this one. I do think it was handled well enough, however. Jemisin isn't clumsy about it at all.

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

3 out of 5 stars.
Good Omens was one of those books that has been on my shelf for ages because everyone seems to love it. I finally decided to pick it up and was underwhelmed. While the humor was great, it didn't flow well enough with the story and it seemed one of the two, humor or plot, had to be sacrificed every now and again for the other to survive. It seemed to balance both well in the beginning, but everything took an odd turn and it just felt a bit messy for the rest of the novel. I still enjoyed it, but I was a bit let down that I didn't like it as much as everyone else does.

City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett

4 out of 5 stars.
I was highly anticipating City of Stairs after hearing so many trusted folk raving about it. Luckily, unlike with Good Omens, I wasn't disappointed! This standalone fantasy novel does an impeccable job at worldbuilding - I'm not sure how Bennett managed to sneak so much information past me while I was reading. The cast of characters is intriguing, the magic and religion are mysterious, and once it gets going the plot never seems to slow down. I did have some issues with it, and didn't connect with this as much as I did with the previously mentioned Dreamblood Duology, but definitely an entertaining read.

What did you read in December?

I read seven things this month - four novels and three graphic novels. Onto the wrap-up!

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood (Persepolis, #1-2) by Marjane Satrapi
4 stars
I recently discovered the wonder that is the graphic novel section of my local library, which remains glorious despite its small selection. There were some graphic novels I'd been interested in, but volume one wasn't available... so I ended up getting the Persepolis duology. These were books I'd been interested in, but never interested enough to actually go out and buy them. With all of the conflict happening in the Middle East right now, it was a good time to pick these up.

Persepolis: The Story of a Return (Persepolis, #3-4) by Marjane Satrapi

4 stars

Both of the Persepolis volumes were fairly equal in my mind. The art left a lot to be desired. You can easily flick through the pages and see that Satrapi uses a very simple art style. I knew what I was getting into when I picked this up, so it wasn't really a problem, but it is worth noting. I didn't feel like I had a full understanding of the political conflict that Satrapi had been a part of, but I suppose as a memoir this is not supposed to be a history textbook. Overall I think these graphic novels combined make up a great coming-of-age story.

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson
3 stars
You can read my full review here.
The Kiss of Deception was getting a lot of hype over on Booktube, so naturally I had to pick it up. I was ultimately really let down, as this ended up being much more romance than high fantasy, the latter being what I had hoped for. The mystery that drew a lot of readers in made me feel more annoyed than anything, and I felt cheated on a lot of elements that Pearson introduced but never did anything with. I liked the writing style but was disappointed by the actual story that Pearson decided to tell. Not sure if I'll be continuing with this trilogy, but I wasn't left feeling like I needed to keep reading.

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

4 stars

Will have a full review soon.

I ended up reading The Way of Kings for the #augustofkings read-along with some Booktube friends. This is now the longest book I've ever read, if we're going to compare it to A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin.  The amount of world-building in this book was ridiculous (in a good way). I felt like this could have been much shorter - there were a lot of chapters that felt repetitive and didn't contribute much to the plot, character development or need-to-know world-building. I have a feeling the sequel, Words of Radiance, will be a lot better since it won't have the responsibility of being the foundation for a massive ten-book series.

The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas
3.5 stars
You can read my full review here.
In preparation for the release of Heir of Fire, I knew I had to finally read all of the Throne of Glass novellas. These don't contribute much of anything to the series in terms of plot - everything that happens in the prequel novellas is mentioned in later books and they're not crucial need-to-know events, as is typical with novellas. I really appreciated that The Assassin's Blade had an overarching story, even though it's a collection of five separate novellas, and I thought these novellas were a lot of fun overall.

Of Metal and Wishes by Sarah Fine

3.5 stars

Will have a full review soon.

For anyone looking for diverse YA, Of Metal and Wishes is a good place to start. I've read two books by Sarah Fine before, the first two books in the Guards of the Shadowlands trilogy, and really enjoyed them. Fine has a talent for addressing sensitive topics while maintaining a fast-paced story, and she pulled that off once again in Of Metal and Wishes. While this was a really quick and enjoyable read, the world-building was lacking and the story itself just wasn't that memorable. I respect Fine's attempt at addressing social issues like sexism and racism, and I also must give props to the publisher for resisting whitewashing the cover and keeping it accurate to the story. 

A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel, Vol. 1
3 stars
This was the other graphic novel I picked up at the library. I've watched the Game of Thrones TV show and read all of the A Song of Ice and Fire books, so I figured I might as well try out the graphic novels too. The art wasn't my favorite, which was disappointing as that was sort of the point of picking these up. The panels felt really busy most of the time and a lot of the characters didn't look all that different. There were some pages that consisted just of white dudes with long brown or red hair and similar faces. It was still enjoyable and I'll probably pick up some of the other volumes if I see them at the library.

What was your favorite book that you read in August?

I missed out on posting my June Wrap-Up, so here's all of the books I read in June and July!

Books Read In June...

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

5 Stars

Will have a review up closer to the release date (September 2nd).

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of Heir of Fire on NetGalley, and I simply couldn't resist reading it. I'll be rereading this in late August as part of the #ReadMaas Read-Along I'm hosting in honor of the official release of Heir of Fire. All you need to know is this book was amazing, and of the Throne of Glass series so far, this is the best. Amazing new characters, an expansive look at the world Maas has created, and a riveting plot. If you like YA fantasy, you must pick up this series!

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

3 Stars

Will have a review up for the entire trilogy on my channel soon.

Ruin and Rising was the last book in the Grisha Trilogy - a trilogy I've loved since the first book came out in 2012. While I found Ruin and Rising to be a really entertaining installment, a lot of the characters I'd invested in over the course of the trilogy were essentially ignored in this book and met undeserving ends. The ending itself, and the lack of attention to certain important characters, has tainted this book for me. Some readers might like the ending, but I found it to be very dissatisfactory. 

The Mercy of Thin Air by Ronlyn Domingue

4 Stars

I've been making my way through Domingue's published works since reading The Mapmaker's War in late March and loving it. Of the three books she's released, this was the one furthest from my preferred genre. I did, however, really enjoy this. Domingue has a knack for character-driven stories with light elements of the fantastical or paranormal. In this book, our main character is a ghost - but that's not what the story is really about. As with all of her books, this does have a bit of a feminist bent. 

The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

5 Stars

Will have a review up for the entire trilogy on my channel soon.

I finally got around to reading the Mistborn trilogy, and boy am I glad that I did! This first installment was absolutely brilliant. Sanderson does an incredible job of introducing readers to an incredibly complex and intricate magic systems without causing confusion. I really had no complaints with this book other than that the ending was a bit more predictable than I had hoped. If you haven't started this series yet, do it! You won't regret it.

Books Read in July

The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson

5 Stars

After finishing The Final Empire, I had to keep going with Mistborn. Luckily this installment didn't have too much second book syndrome, although the slight change in story made for a bit of a different experience. While the first book is more of an adventurous heist novel, this is much more about politics. As such, we spend a lot of time watching characters going back and forth with plans as the political climate evolves. The pace is a bit slower for parts of this novel, but it's still enrapturing.

The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson

5 Stars

Despite being 700+ pages, The Hero of Ages manages to read like one big climax. Sanderson spent a lot of time in the first two books setting up stuff that would later be tied up in this novel, so there are constant reveals or plot twists - depending on how oblivious you are to his foreshadowing. I saw quite a lot of the reveals coming, some of which I had figured out in book one, but was still surprised by a few things and was happy to see resolutions being made even if they were predictable. The ending was perfectly fitting for the trilogy - I can't imagine the Mistborn trilogy ending in any other way. While I wish this had been less predictable, I can't blame this book for the hype that made me think this book would shock me. Highly recommend this series!

The Search for Wondla by Tony DiTerlizzi

3 Stars

I was highly anticipating reading this book after seeing some of the beautiful illustrations within its pages, but unfortunately discovered that the illustrations were almost all this book had to offer. The story didn't catch up with its own premise, and this book just felt meandering. For a book that's nearly 500 pages, you would think a lot would be happening... but instead we're left with endless chapters about the characters wandering around and doing nothing of real importance. The illustrations are undeniably beautiful - the writing just wasn't a match for them.

Moth and Spark by Anne Leonard

2 Stars

You can read my full review here.

I've been trying to get through this book for months. After highly anticipating its release earlier this year, I was lucky enough to win an ARC in a Goodreads giveaway. The synopsis ended up being quite distant from what this book was about, and the book itself could really seem to figure out what it wanted to be. It ended up being a flat romance with some random bits of magic and political intrigue lazily and inconsistently thrown into the mix.

The Falconer by Elizabeth May

2.5 Stars

Will have a full review soon.

If I had never read a book like this - meaning a paranormal/historical fiction novel with steampunk elements, I might have been able to enjoy this book more. That's not the case however, so most of this book felt like a puzzle whose pieces were taken from puzzles I've already completed. The main character was flat. The ending was a ridiculous cliffhanger that almost seems to end mid-paragraph, right when the climax starts. Overall, this was a disappointment. I can only recommend it to readers who don't hate endings that leave you hanging and who haven't read books similar to this before.

Saga Volume 3 by Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples

4.5 Stars

I hadn't picked up volume three simply because I didn't have the money to purchase it, but I visited my local library and realized that they had all of the volumes currently out! I read the entire volume at the library and really enjoyed it, despite having to hide the book several times as a little girl kept hanging out around where I was reading and these books are quite graphic. Just as entertaining and beautiful as the previous volumes.

I totally failed on this month's TBR, seeing as I only got around to one of the three books I'd 'planned' to read... but considering I also managed to finish a total of 10 books, I'm not feeling too ashamed.

Dune by Frank Herbert
5 Stars
Will have a full review up on my channel in the very near future.
I'd decided in my first quarterly wrap-up of the year that I wanted to try to get into more science fiction in the remainder of 2014. It was only natural that I start with a classic, and I'm so glad that I did! Dune is a masterpiece, and I'm so excited to get into more sci-fi. (I've even started watching Star Trek recently because I'm having Dune/sci-fi withdrawals and don't have access to the sequels! Not to mention the fact that my desktop wallpaper is still, weeks later, this gorgeous piece of Dune art.)

The One by Kiera Cass

2 stars

Have a full written review that you can read here.

I've had a pretty weird relationship with the Selection Trilogy, and I'm glad to say that it's over. I'd read the first two books last year, and awarded them 3 stars and wasn't blown away by them. The One was a massive let down, and I was more annoyed than entertained by this installment. The world-building was non-existent. The plot resolution was nowhere to be found. The character 'development' in numerous characters was either implausible or contrived. All in all, disappointing but I wasn't expecting much to begin with.

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
3 stars
After reading The One I was in the mood for a "meh" book. It's a weird habit of mine, but sometimes I just read books that I'm not expecting to love but find easy to read. Call it masochistic, if you will. City of Ashes was my pick to suit that mood, and it worked. I've been wary of The Mortal Instruments for awhile (they read like HP fanfiction to me, which annoys me endlessly) but with the oncoming release of the final installment, it was a good time to pick these books up again.

Amulet, Volume 1: The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi

4 stars

My brother turned 9 this month, and he had no idea what he wanted from anyone (SHOCKER! Normally he has 500 video games on his wishlist) so I, of course, decided to get him books. I chose the first two volumes of Amulet, and wanted to read them before I gifted them. They were enjoyable reads. The art was well done, the story was pretty standard and rife with tropes, but for what it is... it's very good. My brother read volume one and enjoyed it - not sure if he's read volume two just yet! (He's obsessed with Minecraft fanfiction or whatever that stuff is called...)

Amulet, Volume 2: The Stonekeeper’s Curse by Kazu Kibuishi
4 stars
Don't really have much to say about the second volume in contrast to the first, but I did really enjoy some of the characters introduced (or fleshed out) in this second installment!

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

4.5 stars (rounded up to 5 on Goodreads)

At the time I read A Monster Calls, I was in the mood to read but not to commit. This was a good book to pick up, because it's quite a quick read. The illustrations in A Monster Calls are beautiful, as is the lesson it offers up to the reader. I wasn't terribly blown away by the writing style or the plot, but again, the themes of this book hit home and it accomplishes what it seeks to accomplish. Definitely have tissues on hand if you decide to pick this up. Even if you're like me and you knew what would happen in the end, it's not going to keep you from crying your eyes out. 

The Chronicle of Secret Riven by Ronlyn Domingue
3 stars
Have a full written review that you can read here.
I was so excited to have been approved for an ARC on NetGalley of The Chronicle of Secret Riven, after having loved its predecessor, The Mapmaker's War. Unfortunately, as I stated in my review, the things that made The Mapmaker's War so great for me were lacking in this installment. While the character development was still great.. the story was lacking, the writing was indulgent, and there was too much of a disconnect between the two books. Still looking forward to the next book in the series, however.

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

3.5 stars

I decided to keep going with The Mortal Instruments series, and I haven't got much to say about the other installments. Of those that I've read at this point, this was my favorite... but only just. Hence the mere half star rating improvement.

The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson
4 stars
I needed a quick book to read in-between the third and fourth books of The Mortal Instruments, and I'd just found The Rithmatist in the bargain section of Books-A-Million... so naturally I decided to pick this up. It was just what I needed! Brandon Sanderson is obviously an excellent writer, so no real complaints here. It didn't get five stars because the plot felt a little standard and predictable, the world-building was slightly lacking and I wasn't blown away by anything that happened... but it was a solid book, all-in-all.

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

3 stars

Again, not much to say about another book from The Mortal Instruments. I had less of those pervasive "THIS IS JUST HP FANFICTION" thoughts, but the plot was so melodramatic that it didn't feel like an improvement at all. This actually gave me a bit of a book hangover, which made it hard to continue with the series. My plan to finish the series before the end of the month inevitably failed because of it.