Book Boos: December 2017

I really packed in the shorter books in December. I do this partly because December is always crazy and my mind doesn't want to concentrate on more complex stories, but also because there are always several books I get 100+ pages into and set aside. I don't want to say I've read them, but those took time and I want it to count somehow...so, I read novellas and figure the average of the two counts as a full book.

1.  THE CITY OF BRASS by S.A. Chakraborty. (ARC). LOVED this one! Just enough fantasy where it's fun and exciting, but not too much where you're constantly wondering what you're not getting. I loved the setting as well as the characters.
2. DREAMER'S POOL by Juliet Marillier- Quite enjoyable story, but my only complaint is that I wanted more magic! I'm curious if more is introduced as the series goes on.
3. LULLABIES by Lang Leav. I love Lang Leav. She doesn't just do random line breaks and call it poetry.
4. THE END WE START FROM by Megan Hunter. I was intrigued by the sparse style this is written in and, while it definitely makes for a quick read and even works for the story, I found it a little clunky when trying to keep the characters straight. Also, with how the story ends up, it kind of makes me want to read the STATION ELEVEN type version of it.
5. THE QUEEN by Kiera Cass. The Selection series is just so easy and enjoyable and, while there are some questionable moments in this novella (tricks to see if she's the one?!), it was quick and fun.
6. THE WINTER OVER by Matthew Iden. (Audio). This was the perfect book to read during one of our cold fronts. It's set in Antarctica and the author does a good job making you feel the cold. I wasn't as into it in the last 4th, but I liked the first parts enough to make up for it.
7. A DARING SACRIFICE by Jody Hedlund (Audio). I finished this and then realized it was the 2nd in a series...but it's a companion to the 1st? I'm confused. I even enjoyed much of the story, but then it makes me wonder what I was missing and why I didn't realize it.
8. IN CALABRAI by Peter S. Beagle. (ARC). I love unicorns and wish one would appear in my back yard.
9. BREAKFAST AT TIFFANYS by Truman Capote (Audio). If you take out the horribly racists parts, this is a great story.
10. THE MOST WONDERFUL TALES OF THE YEAR by Audible Narrators (Audio). I enjoyed the narrators more than the authors:):)
11. GATHER 'ROUND THE SOUND (Audio). Fun collection from writers about the holidays:)
12. THE DEATH OF IVAN ILLYCH by Leo Tolstoy (Audio). I thought this was going to be something different when I started it and I was so bored. Sorry!
13. THE GREAT GATSBY by F. Scott Fitzgerald(Audio). Still epic.
14. THE ROYAL WE by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan (Audio)- This is one of those books where I literally would just read it forever. It covers a lot of years and after you flip that last page, you kind of expect it to jump another few years and let you know how the beloved characters are doing. I had originally read the ARC of this and was curious if much would be different...I didn't notice anything, though. I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone with royal wedding fever, anyone who loves British culture, and anyone who just loves a good (but complex) love story.
15. MILK AND HONEY by Rupi Kaur- I loathe this book so much. I know poetry is subjective and a lot of people love it, but I just can't. And normally I'd put all rereads in the last position, but not this month.

Book Boos: November 2017

6. A COURT OF MIST AND FURY by Sarah J. Maas. (Audio). I started relistening to this after a bad day at work and then found I couldn't stop. This book is still my favorite. Reminder that it's only in the 'last' spot because it's a reread.

5. BEYOND THE HIGHLAND MIST by Karen Marie Moning. This book was good, but it dragged a bit toward the end. I loved the "will they/won't they" that lasted for quite awhile and, for a romance, there were some excellent scenes!

4. SCYTHE by Neal Shusterman. (Audio). Another book where I enjoyed the beginning way more. There's a bit of a plot shift halfway through and I liked where it took the book, but I missed some of the earlier character connections when that happened.

3. NEVERNIGHT by Jay Kristoff. (Audio). This book is dark and brutal, but filled with memorable characters and an interesting premise. I really liked the main character as well as the training spot where much of the book took place. I've already purchased book two and can't wait to dive in!

2. ARTEMIS by Andy Weir. (ARC). I LOOOVVVVED THE MARTIAN. Going into this book, I knew not to expect the same, which is good, because it's not THE MARTIAN Pt. 2. It still has the fun science and intelligent, craft main character, but the stakes felt different. Yes, Jazz was working through problems that were life and death, but she was 'just' on the moon. It felt different. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it as I really did and it was a quick page-turner.

1. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane Austen. (Audio). I didn't know this was going to be my top read until I started writing this post. I know a trillion people will hate me for this, but I think I loved this book because I love the Keira Knightley movie so much. It's why I so often say to read the book after the movie: I already love the characters, but reading it gave me deeper insight and more scenes. And yes, Matthew MacFadyen is the only Darcy for me.