Book Boos: May

10 The Hunt by Oscar de Muriel. (Audio) I'll be honest, I was a little confused with this one. The description said it was a short story *with* a preview from another novel, but the short story seemed lacking to me. I dunno. It was fine?

9. Jackaby by William Ritter. (Audio) A lot of reviews for this say it's Sherlock plus Doctor Who and, for me, it was fine, but not super exciting. I liked the inclusion of some supernatural and I liked the two main characters, but I was never super drawn into the mystery. I think it was my fault, not the book's. 

8. The Elite by Kiera Cass. (Audio) Quite entertaining, but also has the feeling of just drawing out the story. Not that I minded. I really like America and Maxim and this world they're in. Books one and two are very Bachelor, but as they go on, the contestants are narrowed down and we get to know more about them. Cass does a good job of letting us know Maxim's thought process for keeping so many girls around even though the book is in first person through America's eyes. 

7. The Siren by Kiera Cass. (Audio) I enjoyed the character of the ocean in this book, that was really cool. I liked the characters and plot in this story, but it gets a little repetitive at times. It worked really well as an audio, though! 

6. The One by Kiera Cass. (Audio) My favorite out of the series so far! Even though Mere's waffling on her decisions can get a little annoying, it all makes so much sense that I didn't really mind. If anything, I wanted more of her and Maxim! Mere is a great character, I love how committed to her beliefs she is. 

5. Followed by Frost by Charlie N. Holmberg. (Audio) You know it's a good reading month when I book I raved about on twitter places 5th! This book is so wonderful and reads sort of like a fable. It's about a young woman who is cursed to be as cold as her heart and the journey she takes as she just tries to survive. It's a really special story and I hope you read it!

4. And I Darken by Kiersten White. (ARC) This book is epic. There are some AMAZING characters, especially Lada, the most spitfire female character I have ever read, maybe. A lot gets set up in this book, which is partly why I describe it as being epic. Sometimes backstory and set up like that reads as boring, but definitely not in this book. I enjoyed reading about the characters' childhoods because it gave so much understanding to how they ended up being as teenagers. I can't wait for book two in this series! 

3. The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater. (Print and Audio) I can't say enough that this was a really good reading month because my head literally exploded at the end of this one and it's still 'only' third. I'll be honest, though: I 1) should have reread books 2 and 3 and 2) I kind of feel like I'm back in high school english class wondering if I'm the only one not sure about the ending. Stiefvater writes such beautiful books, though. Man! She just gets better and better. It's a treat. 

2. The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye. (ARC) This book was on my radar very early on based solely on the cover and I was thrilled to be granted access to an e-ARC. It's the story of two magicians fighting to the death in Russia in order to be the Imperial Enchanter. It has adventure, romance, and magic, that is described so wonderfully that I was reminded of Night Circus at those times. Fun fact: I have a shelf on my bookshelf of Russian books and I'm excited to have this on there, as well. Definitely read this one, y'all! I really really liked it! 

1. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas. I already reviewed this right after I finished, when I was still riding the emotional high, but even now, weeks later, I am still completely in love with this book. Like, actively in love. I can't stop listening to the songs that inspired it, I can't stop looking at fan art, I can't stop making fan art, I can't talk about it without gushing, and sometimes, when I get home at night, I just kind of look at the stars because they remind me of the Night Court. Obviously start with book one, A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES, which was my favorite YA book the year it came out, but that was all just a set up for this one, which is truly magical.

Book Boos: April

This is what I read in April!

6. THE DARK DAYS CLUB by Alison Goodman. (Audio) I am in love with this cover! Isn't it gorgeous? I think this was an example of missing a little of the essence of the story because I listened to the audio version. I enjoyed it, but I found it difficult to figure out what the point of the story was. What I mean is that I kept listening and enjoying, but I wasn't sure to where the story was going and where and what the climax was. 

5. HEARTLESS by Marissa Meyer. (ARC) Another beautiful cover. I'm totally dig the Queen of Hearts and this story of her before becoming the Queen was pretty cool. I do think I need to reread it, though. I was really into the beginning and then really into the end, but by then, my ARC was expiring and I had to read super quickly. 

4. THE NEST by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney. This was like a less funny Liane Moriarty book where the stories of several people all come together. A little different here because it's the story of a family so, of course, they fit in together, but their dysfunctions were pretty entertaining. Also, another stunning cover. April was the month for beautiful covers!

3. SIX OF CROWS by Leigh Bardugho. (Print/Audio) Putting this in the 3rd spot is a tough one. I am obsessed with this cover and the characters and the story, but it was up against some tough competition this month. Sometimes I think about this book and I just get distracted loving on the cover. True story. 

2. AT THE EDGE OF SUMMER by Jessica Brockmole. (ARC) I LOVE Brockmole's books and her writing style. She tells beautiful stories, often through letter form, that take place in the near past. Her writing really comes alive on the page because she paints such a beautiful picture for the reader. Her books make you cry, but they also make you happy. They're so lovely! 

1. CAPTIVE PRINCE by C. S. Pacat. I added this book to my "To Be Read" list when Sarah J. Maas was in Australia on her book tour and raved about Pacat and her book. I ordered all three later when Maas finished book three and raved about the series. I remember her saying how it was for "mature audiences!!!!" which also piqued my interest. So, yes, this book is hardcore with the sex and the violence, at times, but it has some of the best world-building and plot construction that I've ever read! It was totally outside of my normal reading niche, but I am SO glad I read it and I hope you will, too!

Book Boos: March

And...still catching up...

4. WINK POPPY MIDNIGHT by April Genevieve Tucholke. (ARC) This month's books should really be "Tied for 1" and "Tied for 2", but I don't make the rules...oh wait, I do. Anyway, enjoyed this book with three very unreliable narrators. I haven't had a chance to reread it yet, but I think it'll be even better the second time through. Also, check out that cover!

3. THE HUSBAND'S SECRET by Liane Moriarty. (Audio) I love Moriarty's books because you're into the story because the characters are interesting and you just read and read until, all of a sudden, all of those little details start to fit into place and things come together for an epic conclusion. (One note: if you're new to her books, I'd recommend BIG LITTLE LIES first- Loved that one!)

2. REBEL OF THE SANDS by Alwyn Hamilton. (ARC) I was really obnoxious when this book came out because I was so excited about it and wanted everyone to read it. It's one of the best debuts I've ever read, a story that feels fresh with concise, but descriptive language. Really amazing! Also, those main characters! Ahhh!

1. A GATHERING OF SHADOWS by V. E. Schwab. (ARC) A DARKER SHADE OF MAGIC is a top five book for me and I was beyond excited for book two in the series. It's incredible how Schwab progresses the story, but changes its tone (she has said herself that book one is heavy on plot and book two on characters), yet keeps it as brilliant as the first book. Most of the action in AGOS takes place at a magical tournament and those parts were some of my favorite. I also really love the addition of Alucard who is a very interesting character. This series is AMAZING and you really should read it asap.

Book Boos: February

Yeahhh, I know it's May, but I still want to tell you what I've been reading!

5. WHERE'D YOU GO, BERNADETTE by Maria Semple. (Audio) I liked parts of this, but overall, it just wasn't for me. I couldn't get into the varying pieces of story that were supposed to give clues into the mind of Bernadette. I know a lot of people love this book, though. 

4. GLASS SWORD by Victoria Aveyard. (ARC) I was lucky enough to host an event where Victoria Aveyard and Sophie Jordan did a book signing, which was awesome! Victoria signed my books "Scarlet (Guard)", which is a nice touch! I like this series and enjoyed this book overall, but I think I was more into book one when Mare was in the palace rather than running and finding and figuring out the powers people have. (SLIGHT SPOILER ALERT) I think this would have been higher had there been more romance with Cal. Sometimes I just need more romance. And by sometimes, I mean always. 

3. THE SMELL OF OTHER PEOPLE'S HOUSES by Bonnie Sue Hitchcock. (ARC) Charming book about several characters in 1970s Alaska and how their lives all fit together. 

2. TRUTHWITCH by Susan Dennard. I had such high hopes for this book and was so excited that they all came through for me. I subscribe to Susan Dennard's newsletter, which is filled with amazing writing advice and she uses her own books as examples a lot so it's cool to now have her finished product. Also, she is BFF with Sarah J, Maas and their YA existence is basically my wish for my friend Abbie and I. :) Anyway, I love the world-building in this book and, of course, the two main female characters! It's a little tough to keep track of some stuff in the beginning, but I found that it made the book better because 1) it wasn't dumbed down for the reader and 2) it's going to make the reread more enjoyable.

1. UNHOOKED by Lisa Maxwell. (ARC) First of all, look at that cover! Gorgeous! The margin between one and two this month was so slim that I ended up giving UNHOOKED the top spot because I know Lisa Maxwell and she is really great about visiting the bookstore I work at and signing stock as well as doing events. I also picked this as number one because her character of the Captain is so memorable and awesome! I really enjoyed this retelling of the Peter Pan story because little things we always thought we knew were changed up and retold. Very clever!

It's Sarah J. Maas's World And I Desperately Want To Live In It

So, I finished A COURT OF MIST AND FURY.

I had mentioned in my last post, "Overwhelmed," that if the book continued how it was going about 70% through, it was on its way to becoming my favorite book of all time. Well, drum roll please...

A COURT OF MIST AND FURY is most definitely my new all time favorite book*.


Borrowing a little from my mostly spoiler free Goodreads review, I loved so many things about this second installment in the ACOTAR series. I was incredibly emotional the entire time I read it, finding myself needing to reread certain passages because they hit so hard. So many seemingly simple lines were just perfect, where they both moved the story along and brought emotion.

I found myself incredibly invested and emotional while reading about Feyre and life post Amarantha. I, like Feyre, desperately wanted things to go back to how they had been before her time Under the Mountain. We get glimpses of her old self, but PTSD keeps her from moving on in her life. It keeps her up at night and she has real, physical reactions to her memories of being tortured by Amarantha. She is truly haunted by what happened Under the Mountain and her internal dialogue of trying to work through those feelings was written so well.

Feyre's interactions with both old and new friends was also written incredibly well. Maas has created a large group of characters who all have a backstory, a life, and their own goals and purposes. The characters are explained from Feyre's point of view, but Maas expertly shapes them to be layered characters who never just serve as stage fillers. I loved how strong these bonds of family were, both biological and found.

A bonus for me is the spotify playlist Maas provided and the details of a few of the songs and how they fit into the story. Beethoven's 7th Symphony is an extremely emotional piece and its inclusion warms my heart. I played it in orchestra once and started tearing up while playing that 2nd movement. Another song that I'll never listen to in the same way is Florence and the Machine's "Cosmic Love". Add it to the long list of songs that make me cry when I hear them.

I took the stars from my eyes, and then I made a map
And knew that somehow I could find my way back
Then I heard your heart beating, you were in the darkness too
So I stayed in the darkness with you

CHILLS!

The Night Court is definitely where I would want to live in Prythian. After I finished ACOMAF I couldn't help but look around my mundane living room and sigh. I have long connected more with the nighttime and stars than the bright and sunny daytime hours.

Without giving anything away, the ending of ACOMAF was so incredibly amazing. It knocked my socks off in that "Oh no, [this] is going to happen..OH WAIT OMG NOPE NOPE NOPE SARAH J. MAAS IS A MASTER STORYTELLER!" And now, we have to wait until 2017 for book three. Literally the only negative thing about ACOMAF...besides that it wasn't twice as long.

I've never been good at writing real reviews of books. I usually just gush for awhile and say "I loved it!" a lot. So it's difficult for me to put into words why this book is my new favorite. I guess it's because I was invested for every single page, I was emotional for every scene, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since I began it. But it's more than that, too. It's because of the world, the characters, the plot. I was inspired by this book, both artistically and mentally. In my last post I mentioned having huge, open receptors for art lately and that's how reading this book felt. It felt like my synapses were waiting for it. A COURT OF MIST AND FURY is a perfect fit for me.



Okay, I lied. I can't not write some spoilers.... 

SO WARNING...SPOILERS BELOW!!!!!

The evolution of Rhysand and Feyre's relationship was so beautiful, so real, so perfect. I loved how he tried to stay away, but the bond called to him and he helped how he could and so began her healing. And her healing took time. It wasn't overnight. She was so broken after ACOTAR and Maas gave her the time to heal and breathe. It was beautiful. And Rhys was a good friend first. Patient, kind when he needed to be, saucy when that would help, and forceful when she needed it. He encouraged her to be a better version of herself and let her live.

The slow burn of Rhys and Feyre getting physical was so hot that I think the book should come with a bucket of ice water. And it's not that I was just flipping pages, hoping to get to the sex scenes, it's that Maas made their relationship progress slowly, but surely. As Feyre warmed up to Rhys, so did I. (That's a lie. I've loved him since he showed up in the Spring Court and saved her.) But, through the eyes of our wonderful main character, I saw how he was an integral part of helping Feyre rebuild herself. And once they do connect physically, it's Ah-mazing!

The complexity of the plot was a lot of fun in general! It was fun to read about Feyre discovering her new powers and how they would play into story. And can we please talk about that ending and the perfect set up for book three!? OH. MY. GOD! 

XO,
SVR

*Okay, okay, I still completely love A GREAT GATSBY, A DARKER SHADE OF MAGIC, and THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE. Don't worry!

Book Boos: January

I am dreadfully behind on my book reviews seeing as how it's late February and I still haven't done my January post. I've started 2016 off a bit slower than I had hoped, especially since I had planned on a quiet January. We had a couple of AWESOME author events at work and I pushed those books up in my queue and then it was like high school all over again with my not finishing them before the 'test'. Luckily, unlike high school, I have been enjoying all of these recent choices.

6. CITY OF ASHES by Cassandra Clare (Audio). Stop reading if you don't want to know a spoiler...Please explain to me how it is okay for Clary and Jace to lust after one another now that they know that they are related. And I did look ahead and know that in the next book they find out it isn't true, but that doesn't matter. The second you tell me someone is my brother, I am no longer attracted to them. 

5. TELL THE WIND AND FIRE by Sarah Reed Brennan (ARC). I loved the premise for this one: a world of magic divided into Light and Dark that centers on a young woman who has managed to cross from one side to the other. One of the characters was so fascinating in the beginning, but lost me a little as the plot moved on. It actually made me feel like this was to be a series and things would be worked out later...but is it? Is it a series? 

4. THE SELECTION by Kiera Cass (Audio). Pleasantly surprised by this book that is very Bachelor-like where America is chosen to compete for the heart of Prince Maxon. She's already secretly in love with a boy back home and joins the competition merely to help her family. I really liked Maxon and his scenes with America were definitely my favorite. Looking forward to book two!

3. Game. Set. Match. by Jennifer Iacopelli. You guys! A book about tennis! A good book about tennis! I loved this book because the author either is definitely a tennis fan or did some great research. My only complaint is that I wanted more sexy time, but maybe in book two?? 

2. THIS SAVAGE SONG by Victoria Schwab (ARC). Of course I loved this because Victoria Schwab is a wizard of words and this book is about monsters who use music. HOW COULD I NOT LOVE IT!? It's really good and I can't wait for more people to read it. 

1. THE RAVEN BOYS by Maggie Stiefvater (Audio). This was a re'read' for me as I get ready for THE RAVEN KING to come out in a few months and it was awesome because I noticed so many little nuggets that Stiefvater sprinkled throughout that make so much more sense now. Her writing is so lush and complex and even though I hated the narrator's voice for Adam, I enjoyed every second of this book in audio form. Also, now may be the time for us to revisit when Serena and I tried to find Henrietta, VA:)

Missing Winter Reading List

Sure, we had a blizzard last week, but today it hit 60 degrees and, as a winter lover, I can't deal with that. When I was watching The Revenant (go Leo!) in the theatre I started to feel cold just from watching Leo's character deal with the cold on screen. So I started thinking, what better way to pretend like it's proper winter again than to read some books that will give me the same chilly feeling. So grab your scarves, and let's dig in!

OF SCARS AND STARDUST by Andrea Hannah. This was a sensational book about Claire, who heads home when her younger sister goes missing and she battles demons, both real and fake, to try to figure out what happened to her. The book takes place in the cold of Ohio and a lot of the plot occurs in the snowy fields in the town. 

SNOW LIKE ASHES by Sara Raasch. As a true winter lover, this book was filled with perfect imagery and lines about snow and the cold. Great adventure and love triangle, too. Bonus!

LIFE AS WE KNEW IT by Susan Beth Pfeffer. To be honest, this one might be a bit too cold, but I enjoyed the story so much that I just advise you to make some tea, grab a blanket scarf, and read read read! In this one, an asteroid knocks the moon closer to earth, which messes up everything and ends up (among many other things) causing a very long and intense winter.

SHIVER by Maggie Stiefvater. Soo much of the plot in this book relies on the temperature and, since it takes place in the very cold midwest, there are a lot of cold days. I love how Stiefvater included the temperatures at the beginning of each chapter. 

GAME OF THRONES by George R. R. Martin. Winter is coming! 

All right, get reading and let's bring winter back!

XO,
SVR

Book Boos: Best of 2015

Technically I'm 25 dates late on this post, but really, I think I'm good until 2017. So, without further adieu, my favorite books I read in 2015! Please look through all of the 101 books I read last year if you'd like.


Before I dive into last year's books, I have to mention two that I read at the very end of 2014 that had publication dates in 2015. They are incredible and I never want to waste a chance to talk about them.

A DARKER SHADE OF MAGIC by V.E. Schwab.

ALL THE BRIGHT PLACES by Jennifer Niven

Both of these books are completely special in very different ways. ADSOM is an adult fantasy book about a traveler, a thief, and four Londons. It is not to be missed and was one of the most original and non-cliched books I've ever read. ATBP is a YA fiction about two very different people who end up in a beautiful, but troubling relationship. I cried so many times reading this book and it is so so special.

Now, on to the 'real' contenders for 2015!

I had originally planned to rank these, as I do each month, but do you know how difficult it is to rank your top book from each month!? It's honestly near impossible. I think I have a favorite, but after that, it's basically a tie for the second spot. Man, I read some great books last year!

A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES by Sarah J. Maas. This is the book memes are made of. You know the ones,

“That moment when you finish a book, look around, and realize that everyone is just carrying on with their lives as though you didn't just experience emotional trauma at the hands of a paperback.” That is exactly how I felt when I finished this incredible book. I never thought I'd like a book about fairies, but Maas' world building and character development had me completely obsessed while plowing through the pages and now I am such a fan. I loved this book because I cheered for so many characters, not just the main one (who is awesome, by the way) and because so many of them were important to me, it made the entire reading experience that much more enjoyable. I can't properly express how much I loved this book, but in my literary world, it was life-changing.

AN EMBER IN THE ASHES by Sabaa Tahir. I first wanted to read this book because of its incredible title and I was so lucky to get an ARC that I devoured while on vacation in California. I read a lot of YA books so when one feels fresh and new and truly excites me, I'm a happy camper. I was a big fan of the plot of this book as well as the characters and can't wait to see where the sequels take them. One thing (out of many) that I liked about this book is that the stakes felt so high and real.

GIRL ON THE TRAIN by Paula Hawkins. Another book I was lucky enough to get an ARC of, which was great for this one because I read it before any of the hype had started. I do think I'd have loved it regardless, but it's fun to read these unreliable narrator books before you've heard anything about them. I am becoming a bit of an anglophile so the setting was perfect and it was such a cool lot. I can't wait for the movie!

HAUSFRAU by Jill Alexander Essbaum. This book was devastating. And beautiful. Written by a poet, the story of Anna starts off very salaciously, but it quickly turns into a story of such despair that I wished I could just reach into my book and give her a hug. Some of the lines, especially the last one, are haunting.(One note: I also reread SHATTER ME by Taherah Mafi this month and, while SHATTER ME is one of my favorite YA books, I just had to include HAUSFRAU. So, I made up my own rule and didn't include rereads.)

IN A DARK, DARK WOOD by Ruth Ware. Hmm, another unreliable narrator, eh? I do love those. Ah, and another I read before it was published. (Very few bookseller perks, but ARCs are a great one!) Like GIRL ON THE TRAIN, this book takes place in the UK partly after the main character has awoken in the hospital, and mostly in flashback to being at her old friend's mess of a hen party. The big reveal wasn't as huge as in some other similar books, but the rest of it was so enjoyable that I felt like that wasn't the point.

THE MARTIAN by Andy Weir. I picked this up (well, I had the eARC) because I saw the trailer for the movie and it gave me such anxiety that I knew I had to read it first. (I'm not always a fan of that, I think it's often a great idea to see the movie first, then read the book!). But space is scary and I wanted to know what to expect. I AM SO GLAD I READ THE BOOK FIRST! The genius of this book is that the first part is so science/math heavy that I was having flashbacks of organic chemistry and starting to think I might have to give up...but that's when Weir changes things up and he had me 100% again. I was so invested with the Mark Watney character that I cried while reading the book and then cried for the entirety of the movie because I had such anticipation for the emotions I knew I would feel. Incredible. INCREDIBLE! 

THE QUEEN OF THE TEARLING by Erika Johansen. I'm still trying to figure this book out, to be honest, and as I make my way through the very different sequel, I'm having even more questions about the world Johansen has created. What brought this book to the top of my reading list in 2015 was the main character, Kelsea. I liked reading about her becoming queen and the choices she made and then how she deals with the consequences. (Side note: Isn't Emma Watson tied to the upcoming movie? That's going to be awesome!)

THE ROYAL WE by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan. This book was one of the most enjoyable reads of the entire year. It was very "ripped from the headlines", but it was also so well researched and the differences in the story from Wills and Kate kept it incredibly fresh. The story also had a lot of emotional depth, which also elevated it to the top of my list. (Now, I beg of you to buy this book because I really really really need a sequel!)

THRONES OF GLASS by Sarah J. Maas. Wow, two Maas books, but she writes such wonderful characters and stories that I had so far loved everything she has written. This is a great start to a series and Celaena is a spitfire of a main character.

VICIOUS by V.E. Schwab. I really liked how this book was written, with the present interwoven with the past from different times. The story felt so original to me and it was cool to read a story where I truly didn't know for whom to cheer. 

THE WITCH OF DUVA by Leigh Bardugo. This was just a short story, but I really really enjoyed it and its folk tale feel. It reminded me of The Tale of the Three Brothers in Harry Potter, not because its a similar story, but because it had that same magical feeling to it.

WOLF BY WOLF by Ryan Graudin. When your favorite authors all get excited for a book, just immediately put it on your to be read list. I read the ARC of this and almost couldn't believe it had been published only because it was like nothing I had ever read in the YA genre. An alternate history book where a teenage girl impersonates another girl in a motorcycle race to try to kill Hitler? Not a common type of plot, but I am so so so glad this book exists. It is beyond cool. 

So, there you have it! My top 12 books from 2015! Oh, and you might be wondering what my favorite book of the year was? Why, it was A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES! <3 p="">

XO,
SVR