Everything I Read in October | WRAP UP

I totally forgot that a wrap up was a post I needed to write so here I am, at 7pm after work, writing this. I’m also listening to Christmas music because it’s almost my favorite time of the year. It was below 65 today and it was glorious. October is finally over so here’s all the things I read in the last month:

• The Grownup by Gillian Flynn

This year I realized how much I love Gillian Flynn’s books. I read Sharp Objects and Gone Girl and loved them both. I decided to give this short story a chance because it was all they had by her at my library. It was SO good. I’m not huge on short stories but this one is worth the read, especially if you want something short and spooky.

My rating: ★★★★ out of ★★★★★ (4/5 stars)

• Why I March: Images from the Woman’s March Around the World by Emma Jacobs

I got this at my library because I wanted to buy it when it came out but couldn’t. It’s essentially just pictures from the Women’s March but I sat and read all the protest signs and it was lovely. I don’t quite know how to rate a book that’s only pictures but I liked it!

My rating: ★★★★ out of ★★★★★ (4/5 stars)

• the Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang

I got a bunch of graphic novels from the library and I loved this one the most. The illustrations are gorgeous and the story is the cutest thing in the world.

My rating: ★★★★ out of ★★★★★ (4/5 stars)

• Carrie by Stephen King

I wanted to get in the spooky mood so I read Stephen King’s first novel, Carrie. I wish I had read the book before the movie. I knew what was going to happen and the movie didn’t seem to differ much. Glad I can say I’ve read Stephen King now though!

My rating: ★★★ out of ★★★★★ (3/5 stars)

• the Library Book by Susan Orlean

Ugh, I loved this book so much. I really wish I had my own copy because I loved it so much. It’s about the Los Angeles library fire, the mystery of it all, and the history of libraries as well. I learned so much from this book and her writing is impeccable. There’s some passages from this book I just want to read over and over again because they’re so good.

My rating: ★★★★★ out of ★★★★★ (5/5 stars)

• Aphrodite Made Me Do It by Trista Mateer

You can read my review for this book here.

My rating: ★★★★ out of ★★★★★ (4/5 stars)

• Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

I really wish I could give this five stars and obsess over it like everyone else is. I just couldn’t get into it. I was bored most of the time and I barely wanted to pick it up when I had time to read. Personally, I don’t think enough happened in this book for me. It’s not bad writing and the story itself isn’t bad, but the pacing wasn’t my favorite and I struggled with it because of that.

I also don’t agree with people saying this is an “adult Harry Potter” (lol I think Stephen King said that) but to me, it’s not. Just because it has magic in it doesn’t make it comparable. Also, I was kinda thrown off that this entire book essentially about drug use and selling? lol

My rating: ★★★ out of ★★★★★ (3/5 stars)

• To Drink Coffee with a Ghost by Amanda Lovelace

I read this at like 11pm last night because I couldn’t sleep. It wasn’t my favorite work by her but I think that’s just because I couldn’t relate to it. It’s not bad by any means — Amanda is a great writer and I think if you’re grieving, you’d find immense solace in this book.

My rating: ★★★ out of ★★★★★ (3/5 stars)

 

and that’s it! I read 8 books in October. What did you read this past month? I’d love to know. 🙂

 

Find any of these books as your local bookstore!

 

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I read TEN books this month? | September Wrap Up

Yes, you heard that right! I managed to read ten entire books this month. This is above my average (it’s around 4) and I’m so excited to be reading again! Let’s get into all the books I managed to read in the month of September.

1. Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell + Faith Erin Hicks

I read this at the very beginning of the month and I absolutely ADORED it. It’s the perfect Fall read and I totally plan to read it again. I ended up giving this book five out of five stars. I have a review here for anyone who is interested in knowing more! ★★★★★

Edition I read: Paperback

Page Count: 368 pages

Date Read: September 5th, 2019

Find it at your at local bookstore!

2. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

I decided to pick this up on audio because last month, I listened to Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn and really enjoyed it. I’ve always heard about Gone Girl and I know people love this book so I wasn’t worried about not liking it. I’m new into thrillers and I found this book SO entertaining. The audiobook is magnificent. I ended up giving it five out of five stars. ★★★★★

Edition I read: Audiobook

Page Count: 415 pages

Date Read: August 28th-September 5th

Find it at your at local bookstore!

3. Mary Ventura and the Ninth Kingdom by Sylvia Plath

I decided to listen to this on audiobook since it’s like 40 something minutes long and to be honest, I don’t remember a thing. I did enjoy it, though? I ended up giving it three out of five stars. ★★★

Edition I read: Audiobook

Page Count: 48 pages

Date Read: September 4th

Find it at your at local bookstore!

4. Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky

I’ve never had so much fun reading a book. I wrote an entire review for this release, so here’s the link. I loved it and gave it a solid four out of five stars. ★★★★

Edition I read: E-book (arc copy)

Page Count: 720 pages

Date Read: August 26th-September 7th

Find it at your at local bookstore!

5. If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

So many people love this book but I just wasn’t feeling it. While it’s atmospheric and the characters are somewhat interesting, the plot bored me to death. I also found it kind of predictable. I gave it three stars! ★★★

Edition I read: Hardcover

Page Count: 368 pages

Date Read: September 8th-September 12th

Find it at your at local bookstore!

 

 

6. The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

I cracked open this book the moment I picked it up from the bookstore. I got it on release day and absolutely devoured it. I found this one way more entertaining than the first one! It might be an unpopular opinion, but I like it more than the first. If you want to know more of my thoughts, here’s my review! ★★★★★

Edition I read: Hardcover

Page Count: 422 pages

Date Read: September 12th-September 14th

Find it at your at local bookstore!

7. Tunnel of Bones by Victoria Schwab

This was another one of my audiobook picks this month and it was so good! It’s a newer release so I’m shocked I got it at my library so quickly but it was lovely. I can’t wait for the next book! ★★★★

Edition I read: Audiobook

Page Count: 304 pages

Date Read: September 8th-September 14th

Find it at your at local bookstore!

8. Kingdom Of Ash by Sarah J. Maas

 What a finale. I’m so sad that these books are over. I’ve been reading them as they released and it’s been one hell of a ride. I’ll miss Chaol, Dorian, and Aelin so much. Until I read it again! I gave this book five out of five stars. Absolutely excellent. ★★★★★

Edition I read: Hardcover

Page Count: 984 pages

Date Read: September 16th-September 18th

Find it at your at local bookstore!

9. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

I’m so glad I finally got to reading this book. It’s on my Fall TBR so I planned to read it but wow, it was amazing. I love Angie Thomas’ writing so much and I already have On the Come Up checked out from the library. This should be required reading. I, of course, gave it five out of five stars. ★★★★★

Edition I read: Hardcover

Page Count: 444 pages

Date Read: September 19th-September 22nd

Find it at your at local bookstore!

10. Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell

I have a lot of feelings about this book but I can’t really put them into words right now. I might write a mini review but as for now, know that I did love it but I just have minor issues with it. I missed Rainbow’s writing so much and reading this was such a relief. It was the writing I love dearly and also, Simon and Baz. I ended up giving it four out of five stars. ★★★★

Edition I read: Hardcover

Page Count: 984 pages

Date Read: September 25th-26th

Find it at your at local bookstore!

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I Won the Reading Rush! | July Wrap Up

The Reading Rush is over and I’m so sad but at the same time, I feel so accomplished. I read a total of NINE books this year! This is the first year that I’ve actually won all the challenges. It’s so exciting because I haven’t been reading much this year and I just read nine books in one week. I love this readathon for this exact reason. Even when I haven’t been reading or don’t feel like reading, it always puts me in the mood to finish a good book! Here’s all the books I read, some ratings, and what challenges I matched them with. Let’s start off with what my TBR was originally!

Here’s my original TBR. Did I stick with it? No..

I ended up reading three of the books on my TBR. I know, kind of embarrassing… BUT WHO CARES! I read nine books anyway. From the books on my TBR, I ended up reading:

• Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation by Ari Folman

This was my first read for the Reading Rush and I finished it at midnight at the beginning of the week. I ended up giving it five stars so that completed the “Read a five star book” challenge! I also used this for the “Read a book in the same spot the entire time” challenge. OH, I think I also used this book for “Read a book with purple on the cover” because it looks like someones wearing something purple on the cover!

• Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune by Roselle Lim

This was my second read which I first all in one sitting on the first day. I ended up giving it 3 stars because it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting but I didn’t hate it. This completed the “Read a book with five or more words in the title” challenge.

• Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

I literally loved this book even though the “couple” in this book don’t meet until the very end. I ended up giving five stars because Rainbow Rowell is everything and is only able to write five star books. This completed the “Read an author’s first book” for me!

Now, for all the books that weren’t on my TBR, but I still read them!

• Book Love by Debbie Tung

This book was so cute! I enjoyed every minute of it so I obviously ended up giving it five stars. This was just to get to seven books in a week!

• She Must Be Mad by Charly Cox

I decided to listen to this on audiobook since I had it saved on Hoopla and it’s very short. I liked it but ended up giving it three out of five stars! This was just another read for fun.

• Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren

AH. I loved this book so much. Hazel was such a fun character to read and their dynamic was the cutest. I can’t say I’m a big fan of the ending though. This would’ve been five stars but I just didn’t like where the book ended. I didn’t need that epilogue either! I ended up giving this book four out of five stars. This was just another book for fun!

• Sea of Strangers by Lang Leav

I’ve always loved Lang Leav’s poetry but this book just didn’t do it for me. I liked it a lot less than her other books so I ended up giving it three out of five stars! Again, it was just another book to get to seven books in a week. It didn’t complete any other challenges!

• Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Vol. 1: The Crucible by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa

I needed to finish two challenges near the end of the readathon so I used this graphic novel to complete both. It completed the “Read and then watch a book to movie adaption” and “Read a book with a non-human main character” I ended up giving this graphic novel only three out of five stars because it was nothing stellar and I didn’t enjoy the writing at times.

• The Kiss Quotient (The Kiss Quotient, #1) by Helen Hoang

Last but not least, I read another romance! This book was so fun to read and I truly enjoyed the entire thing. I’m definitely going to be picking up more Helen Hoang after this. I ended up giving it a four or 4.5 stars! This was just another book I read for fun. 🙂

Now for the books I read AFTER the Reading Rush!

• Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren

Lastly, I finished off July by reading yet ANOTHER Christina Lauren book! I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this book so I will be posting a review for it closer to the release date! As for now, it feels like a solid four star read for me!

 

What did you read this month? I can’t believe I read TEN whole books this month! It feels good to be reading again. 🙂

 

 

June Wrap Up | 2019

GUESS WHO’S FINALLY READING AGAIN? I finally picked up several books this month and finished them. I’m so excited to finally be able to talk about books I just read so let’s get into it!

 

• We Are Lost & Found by Helene Dunbar  ★★★★★ (5) /  ★★★★★ (5) stars

I absolutely loved this book. I read it with Amber (I’ll link her Booktube & Instagram here) and it was so fun. I knew I was going to love this book but wow, I ended up loving it more than I thought. I will have a full length review up closer to the release date. The actual date of the post will be on my blog soon! Just check under the “Upcoming Reviews” tab!

• the Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood ★★★★ (4) / ★★★★★ (5) stars

So glad I ended up getting to this book. I’ve been wanting to read this feminist classic for so long but never got around to it until now. I was supposed to be reading this for the Feminist February book club but I had to discontinue it due to personal stuff in my life that happened that month. I ended up really enjoying it.

• Autoboyography by Christina Lauren ★★★ (3) /  ★★★★★ (5) stars

Listen, I had really high hopes for this book. So many people told me it’s their favorite book and how wonderful it is but I just didn’t get it. I’m going to be posting a review soon! I promise.

• Vengeful by V.E. Schwab ★★★ (3) /  ★★★★★ (5) stars

I’m kind of sad about this but I didn’t love Vengeful as much as I loved Vicious. I might write a review for it so I’m not gonna give all my thoughts but it didn’t feel like a solid sequel to me. It felt more like a companion novel.

 

 

May Wrap Up 2019

May is finally over! May felt so much longer than it was this month. I swear it’s been month for more than 31 days, right? So, it’s time to share with you everything I read in the month of May. I finished two books this month which isn’t a lot but they both were really good!

• Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor 4.5 stars out of 5

I really enjoyed Muse of Nightmares but there was just something missing in it for me. I have a feeling this is because I hadn’t read Strange the Dreamer in a really long time but I still really enjoyed it.

1. Vicious by V.E. Schwab 5 stars out of 5

God, I love V.E. Schwab. Her writing never fails to amaze me and I always find myself falling in love with her characters. I didn’t not know what this book was about whenever I started it but I managed to binge read it all in one sitting because it was that good. I can’t wait to read the sequel.

Right now, I’m currently reading the Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood and Priory of the Orange Tree by Samatha Shannon!

 

What did you read this month?

 

Goodreads Reading Challenge Update

Good afternoon! I thought it would be interesting to give you all an update on my Goodreads reading challenge. It’s half way through the year (OOF. Already?) and I haven’t been reading much but hopefully it’ll pick up!

So, at the beginning of the year, I pledged to read 50 books this year. I would say that’s an average for me but recently, I’ve been reading a lot less. I have no idea why — maybe it’s just college keeping me busy. Last year, I think I read 36 books and my reading challenge was 35. That’s pretty low for me so I wanted to aim higher this year but I’m pretty far behind on the challenge.

If you’re interested in seeing my year in books for 2018, here’s a link.

Right now, I’m at 13 books out of my pledged fifty.  So, I’m seven books behind and only 26% through. I’m not entirely too mad because I’ve enjoyed most of the books I’ve read this year. I don’t have a TBR set for this year either (just a little one I’m not paying attention to, really). I really want to finish fifty books this year so hopefully I can overcome this slump!

 

So, here’s all the books I read so far this year! I have a review for so many of these which is exciting. I’m going to list these books and my ratings below. There will also be links for all the books I read as well. All my ratings are out of five stars.

• Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh  ★★★★
• Song of the Dead by Sarah Glenn Marsh [REVIEW]  ★★★★
• This Will Be My Undoing by Morgan Jerkins [REVIEW]  ★★★★★
• Becoming by Michelle Obama [REVIEW]  ★★★★★
• Saga Vol. 9 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples [REVIEW]  ★★★★★
• Again, But Better by Christine Riccio [REVIEW]  ★★★★
• What Makes Girls Sick & Tired by Lucile de Pesloüan [REVIEW]  ★★★
• City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab  ★★★★
• Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid [REVIEW]  ★★★★ 1/2
• Where I End & You Begin by Preston North [review coming]  ★★★★
• The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah [REVIEW]  ★★★★ 1/2
• Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor  ★★★★ 1/2
• Vicious by V.E. Schwab  ★★★★★

 

April Wrap Up | 2019

So, I didn’t have the best reading month ever in April. I read a total of two books but I enjoyed them both so I’m excited to talk about them!

 

• Where I End and You Begin by Preston North ★★★★

I was sent an e-arc of this book through Netgalley and ended up reading it shortly after. I flew through this book in the very beginning of April (I think about 3 days) and really loved it. It wasn’t what I was expecting and I didn’t think it would stick with me but it did. I will have a review going up for this book closer to the release date! This was also one of my On My Radar books so I’m so thankful I got to read and review it!

 

 

 

• the Great Alone by Kristin Hannah ★★★★

I recently bought this book from BookOutlet and I decided that I would just read it on a whim. It’s set in the 1970s in rural Alaska so of course, I had to read it. I love reading books set in Alaska so I gave this one a shot and I loved it. I did have some problems with it which is why I gave it only four stars out of five. I do have an entire review on it up on my blog though so if you want to hear more of my thoughts, you can read them there!

 

 

 

 

So, that’s all I read during April! I know, it’s not a lot. I hope to read much more in May! What did you read in April? I’d love to know!

March 2019 Wrap Up

Ah, I’m finally reading again! I actually read enough to make a wrap up for this month. I don’t know about you but March felt like forever. It must’ve been because I read six books this month! I know it may not seem like a lot to some, but I’ve been going through a serious slump so this is enough for me. Luckily, I enjoyed them! Let’s talk about each one individually, shall we?

So, the first book I read this month was:

1. Becoming by Michelle Obama

I listened to this on audiobook and loved it. The audiobook is quite long but it was worth it. I’d listen to it while cleaning, driving to work, going to bed, etc. I eventually switched from audiobook to the physical copy near the end because it was so enticing and interesting that I just had to read it faster. I truly loved learning about her life and I wrote a mini-review about it. I’ll link it here!

Edition I read: both Audiobook and Physical copy

Date Started and Finished: March 2nd to March 5th

Rating: 5/5 stars ★★★★★ (How can I give the best first lady less than 5 stars?)

My Review | Goodreads Progress

2. Saga vol. 9 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

I finally got around to reading the latest edition of Saga and honestly, I’m shocked. I can’t believe there’s a year long hiatus until the next one. They really ended it like that, eh? I have a review for this as well! Don’t worry, there’s no spoilers 🙂

Edition I read: Physical Copy

Date Started and Finished: March 9th

Rating: 5/5 stars ★★★★★

My Review | Goodreads Progress

3. Again, But Better by Christine Riccio

I was lucky enough to request this arc on Netgalley and receive it the next day. I read most of this book in one sitting because it was so fun to read. I have a review going up a week before the release date so stay tuned for that! Unfortunately, I won’t share too much of my thoughts until then. But, for now, here’s my rating!

Edition I read: ARC e-copy that was kindly sent to me by the publisher through Netgalley 🙂

Date Started and Finished: March 4th to March 9th

Rating: 4/5 stars ★★★★

My review will be up on April 30th!| Goodreads Progress

4. What Makes Girls Sick and Tired by Lucile de Pesloüan

I received an e-arc of this from the publisher through NetGalley! I enjoyed this read but it was underwhelming. I think a lot more could’ve been added to it. To know the rest of my thoughts, I have a review here.

Edition I read: ARC e-copy that was kindly sent to me by the publisher through Netgalley 🙂

Date Started and Finished: March 13th

Rating: 3/5 stars ★★★

Review | Goodreads Progress

5. City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab

I was feeling in the mood for a middle grade novel and decided to finally pick up Victoria’s middle grade book. I ended up reading it all in one night and thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s also really cute for a ghost story lol. I don’t review middle grade because I’m an adult and I don’t read this critically. But, here’s my rating!

Edition I read: Library E-Book

Date Started and Finished: March 16th

Rating: 4/5 stars ★★★★

Goodreads Progress

6. Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

AH, I loved this book. I haven’t written a mini review for it yet but I’m going to. I enjoyed this book so much and I wasn’t expecting to. I don’t know why exactly but it was everything I love to read about. It’s set in the 70s, follows a rock band with two strong female band members and it’s told in a unique interview format. It’s a brilliant book. I’m so mad at myself for not picking up this ARC copy at work.

Edition I read: Hardcover

Date Started and Finished: March 18th to March 25th

Rating: 4.5/5 stars ★★★★★

Goodreads Progress

 

Have you read any of these books? If you have, let me know how you felt about them! I’d love to chat about these books. I’m so happy with my reading this month! It’s so much more than usual. Hopefully, April’s reading will be just as success. If only I can find a book as wonderful as Daisy Jones!

 

 

 

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