Author: thebookishcurmudgeon

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Reviews

Book Review: Murmur by Emily Israd

Book: Murmur by Emily Israd

Rating: 3/5 stars

 Goodreads Synopsis:

Hannah Sterling can change into a bird.

Or at least, she could until this past summer. When the Sickness takes away her shapeshifting ability, Hannah finds herself grounded—maybe for good.

But there’s no time to worry about that. Life in Jessup, Oklahoma has started heading south, fast. A student is killed, a biker gang is on the prowl, and the man Hannah’s father just hired is seriously giving her the creeps.

Meanwhile, Jack Corbin is having problems of his own. Life as the local miracle healer isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and Jack’s strange power seems to be drawing clients and danger in equal measure.

With the darkness closing in, Hannah and Jack need to take hold of their powers to protect the people they love.

It’s going to take every ounce of luck—and magic—to get out of this one alive.

Review:

I received a copy of the e-book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Thank you so much Emily for sending me a copy of your book.

I liked Murmur. The characters are very likable and the plot is paced well. I actually had a hard time putting the book down. A really hard time because Emily left little hooks at just the right moments. Once you thought you’d reached a good stopping point something new would come to light.

The story starts with Hannah learning she is Sick. This means she is either going to lose her ability to shift or gain new abilities. No one really knows as this Sickness is so rare, but they’re assuming the worst. So right away we have a conflict, a conflict Hannah can do nothing about. I found that conflict a strong motivator to keep reading in order to learn more about the mysterious Sickness and how Shifters were viewed in the town.

The only issue I had with the book was that it felt like a few plot threads and details just got lost. I expected a character to have a lot more importance than they did and was wondering where they went (admittedly this is on me as the reader as the character did serve their purpose). Characters got or saw information and then one or all either completely forgot about it or it didn’t really resurface. I found one of these instances quite distracting, but it wasn’t a deterrent to continue reading.

Overall the story is interesting. The characters were fully developed and as I said likable. I enjoyed the family dynamic of the Sterlings and the Corbins. The friendships were fun and well written. Will and Finn are total show stealers and I hope to see more of them in the series.

While the story does come to a solid conclusion I still had a few questions and would like to continue the series.

Categories
mini reviews Wrap Up

September Wrap Up

I had some big reading plans for September, and can you really blame me after the great month I had in August?

Unfortunately the weather has been doing some crazy things here and I’ve been suffering a lot of headaches and they’ve been bad. So, I didn’t get a lot of reading done.

Books Read in September

Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff : 4 stars
Kinslayer by Jay Kristoff: 3 stars
Murmur  by Emily Israd (kindle): 3 stars
Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas (audiobook reread): 5 stars
Queen of Shadows by Sarah J Maas (audiobook reread): 5 stars

Mini Reviews

Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff : I quite liked this book. The characters were likable and the world intriguing. There was a lot of world building/set up, which was handled well, but I did struggle a bit to keep up as I’m not that familiar with steampunk. Overall a good read, but dense.

Kinslayer by Jay Kristoff: This book had me often asking “why is this here? What is the point of this?” We get an influx of new characters/POVs and they all end up on their own paths. So while the new characters and plot twists were interesting it felt like reading several side quests. I honestly couldn’t tell if the book was still Yukiko’s story (and I liked her plot thread the least). However, the other plot lines were good and how everything came together made it worth the read.

Murmur  by Emily Israd: I was sent a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. You can read the full review here (I will put a link here when it’s posted). I quite liked the book. The story was interesting. The characters were fully developed and likable. The friendships were fun and well written. Despite feeling as if a few details were being completely dropped/ignored the whole story and resolution of the mystery were done well.

Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas:  This was the book that made me fall in love with the Throne of Glass series. I loved it even more this time around.  There was so much character development and the stakes get even higher.

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J Maas: I also loved this book even more this time around and it’s my favorite of the series.  Everything really starts to come together in this book. Maas did an excellent job weaving together and balancing all the different character POVs .

 

Still Reading:
Endsinger by Jay Kristoff
Kingdom of Ruins by D.C. Marino  (kindle)
Escaping from Houdini by Kerri Maniscalco

Summary:
Book(s) I enjoyed the most: Heir of Fire and Queen of Shadows.  I am loving Escaping from Houdini.


What was your favorite read of September? Did you read all the books you planned to?

Categories
TBR

September TBR

September is my birthday month so I wanted to fill it with books I’ve been wanting to read and authors I love.

September TBR

This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab
Our Dark Duet by Victoria Schwab
Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff
Kinslayer by Jay Kristoff
Endsinger by Jay Kristoff

Not Pictured:
Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas (audiobook reread)
Queen of Shadows by Sarah J Maas (audiobook reread)
Kingdom of Ruins by D.C. Marino (kindle)
Escaping from Houdini by Kerri Maniscalco (9/18 release)
Vengeful by Victoria Schwab (9/25 release)

I am so excited to get to all of these.

What book are you most excited to read in September? What releases are you most looking forward to?

Categories
mini reviews Wrap Up

August Wrap UP

I read a lot of good books in August!

Continued Reading from July:
The Ship of the Dead (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #3) by Rick Riordan: 4 stars
To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo (kindle): 3.5 Stars
Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas (audiobook reread) : 3.5 stars
Prey by Michael Crichton (audio book): 1.5 stars

August Reading

Circe by Madeline Miller (buddy read): 5 stars
Illuminae by Amie Kaufamn and Jay Kristoff (audio/book combo read): 4.5 stars
Gemina by Amie Kaufamn and Jay Kristoff (audio/book combo read): 4.5 stars
Uprooted by Naomi Novik: 4 stars
Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff (buddy read): 5 stars
Summer Days and Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories Edited by Stephanie Perkins: 3.5 stars
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas (audiobook reread): 4 stars

Mini Reviews

The Ship of the Dead (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #3) by Rick Riordan: This book was probably the fastest moving book of the series. I wanted to read it but I had to put it down and had a hard time picking the book back up. Though once I did I didn’t want to stop reading. I felt like it was a good solid finish to the series. It had all the humor and action you expect from a Riordan novel.

To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo: I’d been wanting to read this one for a while. I really liked the world building/mythos of the story. However, at times it took a minute to see who was telling the story. I was also pretty ambivalent for about a fourth of the story, but I did end up invested and enjoying it.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas: This is one of my least favorite books in the series. Though going back and rereading it, having read the rest of the series, I enjoyed it a lot more this time around.

Prey by Michael Crichton: Oh this book…I’m so glad to have finished it. I didn’t find any of the characters likable, and the audio book narrator did NOT help. Several of the characters were whiny and for characters that were supposed to be really smart they did a lot of really dumb things.

Circe by Madeline Miller: This book was beautifully written. I laughed. I cried. I felt all the things. If you’ve been thinking about picking this up you should.

Illuminae and Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff: These books are so different from each other in terms of plot, but both amazing! The audio cast was incredible and the print format is really cool. I was really intimidated by the format so I decided to listen with the audio at the same time and it just added to it. In fact there are some details in the audio that are not in the print book and vice-versa. These books were amazing and if you haven’t read them you need to!

Uprooted by Naomi Novik: This book was completely different then I expected. It was good, a bit slow at first, but once the plot got moving I couldn’t stop reading. It was a very unique and enchanting read.

Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff: I definitely didn’t know what to expect from this book. It was actually quite different from Nevernight, but just as good. There are so many twists and while some predictable others are quite surprising. I can’t wait for Darkdawn.

Summer Days and Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories Edited by Stephanie Perkins: This was an anthology of 12 stories.I enjoyed most of them. The standouts for me were “In Ninety Minutes, Turn North” by Stephanie Perkins, “Inertia” by Veronica Roth, and “Head, Scales, Tongue, Tale” by Leigh Bardugo.

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas (audiobook reread): I enjoyed this one a lot more than the first time. That ending was the reason I originally decide to give the series one more book before giving it up.

Summary:

Book(s) I enjoyed the most: Illuminae and Gemina
Book(s) I enjoyed the least: Prey

Categories
#waitingonwednesday Reviews

#WaitingonWednesday: City of Ghosts

Six days!!! So it won’t be a long wait, but I just had to do a post. I can’t wait to get my hands on a finished copy of City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab.

Be sure to check out both the US and British editions of the book. They both look amazing! (I definitely ordered the British edition off of Book Depository.)

City of Ghosts is a Middle Grade* novel about Cassidy Blake, a young girl who can see ghosts. Cassidy and her best friend Jacob (who is a ghost) travel with her parents to Edinburgh to film their new show investigating haunted places.

I kept my description vague because I like to know as little as possible about a book, but if you’d like a more detailed description be sure to check out the description on GoodReads.

I was fortunate enough to win an ARC of City of Ghosts through an Instagram giveaway Victoria Schwab had.

Review:

I gave this book 5 stars.

I absolutely loved it!

Schwab crafted wonderful characters. I loved Cassidy and Jacob; their friendship is adorable.

Schwab also really captured Edinburgh. You feel as if you’re with the characters walking through the city. Admittedly I’ve been to Edinburgh and reading this book was like a brief visit back. I didn’t get to take a ghost tour, but this book more than made up for it.

This book was such a fun read and I can’t recommend it enough. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the series will have in store.

Will you be picking up a copy next week?

If you can’t wait to get your hands on this book and if you haven’t read The Archived Series by Victoria Schwab yet it would be a great read while you wait. You can find my review for The Archived on GoodReads.

*While a MG book, Schwab never “writes down” so you can definitely enjoy it even if you are older than the target audience.

Categories
TBR

August TBR

I can’t believe it’s already August. I want to try to get through a few summery books before the end of the month.

Continued Reading from July:
The Ship of the Dead (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #3) by Rick Riordan
To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo (kindle)
Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas (audiobook reread)

August TBR

Uprooted by Naomi Novik (I may have started this early…)
Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff (buddy read)
Circe by Madeline Miller (buddy read)
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas (audiobook reread)

If it’s a good month I’m also be hoping to read:
Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas (audiobook reread)
Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff
Kinslayer by Jay Kristoff

What book are you most excited to read this month?
I can’t wait to read Godsgrave! And I’m really enjoying Uprooted.

Categories
mini reviews Reviews TBR Wrap Up

July Recap (TBR/Wrap Up)

I decided to combine my TBR and Wrap Up Post for July.

July TBR

So for the month of July I again set out with a slightly ambitious TBR, a lot of it made up of the overflow from unread books in June.

Continued from June:

The Hammer of Thor (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #2) by Rick Riordan
War Storm by Victoria Aveyard

July TBR:

Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco
Summer Days and Summer Nights Edited by Stepahnie Perkins
The Pisces by Melissa Broader
Vicious by V.E. Schwab (group read)
The Ship of the Dead (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #3) by Rick Riordan
The Burning Maze (The Trials of Apollo #3) by Rick Riordan
To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo (kindle)
Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas (audiobook reread)

I was most excited to read Vicious and Hunting Prince Dracula.

Wrap Up:

I didn’t get to everything I wanted to read, but that’s not surprising. I make big lists because as a mood reader I need options.

July Wrap Up:

The Hammer of Thor (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #2) by Rick Riordan: 4 stars
My Plain Jane by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows (audiobook): 5 stars
The Pisces by Melissa Broder: 1.5 stars
Vicious by V.E. Schwab: 5 stars (ALL THE STARS)
Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco: 4 stars

Mini Reviews

The Hammer of Thor: Once this book starts it doesn’t stop. This is everything I expect of a Riordan book. It’s hard to put down, it’s funny, there’s action, and really great characters.

My Plain Jane (audiobook): I absolutely adored the narrator for this book. The story was a fun, spooky read. I haven’t read Jane Eyre, but now I definitely want to.

The Pisces: I really didn’t like this book. The protagonist was completely unlikable, as were most of (if not all) the other characters. The “romance” aspects of the book were cringe worth. I read this because it seemed interesting even though I knew I wasn’t the target audience, and while I really didn’t like it I felt compelled to read to the end to see how things were resolved.

Vicious: This book was amazing! Schwab’s writing was completely addictive. I hated putting Vicious down. I loved the characters and found Schwab’s use of dual timelines engaging and masterful.

Hunting Prince Dracula: The book has a great cast of characters and more complex mysteries. The superstitions and folklore at the heart of the mystery and the (well used) castle setting gave it an even creepier vibe then SJTR. I did have a few issues, but overall it was a great read.

Summary

Book(s) I enjoyed the most: Vicious and My Plain Jane
Book(s) I enjoyed the least: The Pisces

Still Reading*

The Ship of the Dead (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #3) by Rick Riordan
To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo (kindle)
Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas (audiobook reread)
(Forever Still Reading:)
Prey by Micheal Crichton
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
War Storm by Victoria Aveyard

*I don’t want to start The Burning Maze until I finish The Ship of the Dead. I also have no motivation to finish War Storm at the moment, but will come back to it.

What was your favorite July read? What August releases are you looking forward to?(*cough*  City of Ghosts *cough*)

Categories
mini reviews Reviews Wrap Up

June Wrap Up

So remember that super ambitious TBR list I had…

Well here’s how my reading for the month went.

Continued Reading from May:

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff (buddy read): 5 stars
The Dire King by William Ritter (buddy read): 3 stars
Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman  (audiobook): 3.5 stars

June Reading

So while I didn’t come close to tackling my ambitious TBR I did at least finish the Fox and Wit June Reading Challenge

Books Read in June

[A book with “blade” in title]
The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J. Maas (audiobook/reread) 3.5 stars
[A book w/male character narrator]
The Sword of Summer (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #1)  by Rick Riordan 3.5 stars
[A book that takes place in a library]
The Archived by Victoria Schwab 4.5 stars 
The Unbound by Victoria Schwab 5 stars
[A book with two authors]
My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows 4 stars
[A book about mental health]
Turtles All The Way Down by John Green 3.5 stars
[Book made into a movie]
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis (audiobook) 3 stars

Mini Reviews

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff: I absolutely loved this book from the get go. (Which made me nervous because that doesn’t happen often.) The footnotes were such a cool and unique way to world build. I absolutely love Mia and Mr. Kindly. I will be doing a more in depth review of this book.

The Dire King by William Ritter: This book was okay. I was just really disappointed in it. It still had the banter and the magic of the other books, but it had high stakes and a huge cast of characters and it just didn’t deliver.

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman  (audiobook): If you haven’t listened to an audio book by Mr. Gaiman stop what you’re doing and go try a sample. His narration alone is worth 5 stars. I think he did a great job, but I just enjoyed it. That’s more because of the myths themselves, not his writing.

The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J. Maas (audiobook/reread): I still don’t love this book. I liked it a lot more the second time around. The Assassin and The Desert was my favorite of the collection. I do not recommend starting the series with this one.

The Sword of Summer (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #1)  by Rick Riordan: This was good, but such a struggle to get through until about the half way point. It was definitely worth it and I’m really enjoying the rest of the series.

The Archived by Victoria Schwab: This book was so good after a few chapters I couldn’t put it down. I loved the twists and turns and though I figured most of them out Schwab always left a little seed of doubt in my mind. I actually have a full review posted on GoodReads.

The Unbound by Victoria Schwab: I LOVED this book. It had a different feel from The Archived, and I liked it more. If you enjoyed The Archived you need to read this one if you haven’t already.

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows: This book was really fun. It took me a while to get into the story. It follows 3 POVs, but once you get used to the world, and the story is set up, it’s great.

Turtles All The Way Down by John Green: I liked this book. It was a bit painful to read because of the anxiety, had it not been germ/health focused I’m not sure I’d have been able to read it. I also was expecting more mystery solving, so I was a bit disappointed. Overall a good read.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis (audiobook) : I know this is a beloved children’s classic and I know I enjoyed the series when I was younger, but I didn’t really have strong feelings about the book this time around. The narrator was good. I think it’s because at this point I knew everything that was going to happen so I just had to get through the story.

Summary

Book(s) I enjoyed the most: Nevernight and The Unbound
Book(s) I enjoyed the least: The Dire King*

*I was disappointed in how this series ended, but the book itself was disappointing as well. I’m treating the book as a separate entity.

Still Reading

The Hammer of Thor (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #2) by Rick Riordan
War Storm by Victoria Aveyard
(Forever Still Reading):
Prey by Micheal Crichton
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Categories
Reading Orders Sarah J Maas

Maas Monday (Throne of Glass edition)

So, if you’ve made your way here from Instagram or read my about me page you will know by now I’m a huge Sarah J Maas fan.
If you’re new then WARNING! I’m a Maas-ive fan of Queen Maas.
I did a reread of her A Court of… series via audiobook before the release of A Court of Frost and Starlight and really enjoyed that…even if I still haven’t finished A Court of Wings and Ruin, but since I’ve read that series several times it’s not a big deal…really…okay maybe a little.

Anyways…

Today I wanted to talk about the Throne of Glass series or TOG for short since I’m starting a reread of the series via audiobook today.

With the release of Kingdom of Ash later this year you’ve likely been hearing about it, some of you may have never read a Maas book. You may find yourself wondering what the fuss is about and if it’s even worth it. This post is for you and is more geared towards people who haven’t read the series.

First of all I would like to note that while her series are shelved as Young Adult, due to the character’s ages and later content I think of both her series as New Adult, feel free to disagree.

Back to the post…

If you’re brand new to the series you’re first question is probably:

What is this series even about?
It’s about a 18 year old assassin named Celaena Sardothien. (Oh and no you probably won’t be able to correctly pronounce anyone’s name properly though Sarah’s site has this guide which is helpful until like the third book *shrugs*.)  She was arrested and thrown into The Salt Mines of Endovier. The King of Adarlan decides to hold a contest of champions and of course his son Dorian decides to choose her as his contestant. She has to compete and win to earn her freedom.  And then the series just gets crazy from there.  (I’m keeping this vague because I don’t want to spoil anything.)

Is it worth it to read this series?

Short answer: YES!!!
Long answer: I would definitely say yes, but it is a maas-ive investment of time (okay guys I’m stopping I promise). It’s six books (will be seven in total) and a collection of short stories. And honestly I didn’t like the series until the third book, I love it now (and have reread a few of the books a few times), but again I had to read over 800 pages before I decided I really cared.
I didn’t like Celaena, I barely liked Dorian and Chaol (until book 2), but I was curious because I felt like I was being lead blindly through a maze and wanted to see what I was going to get when I got through all the twist and turns. So, I would say that yes, it was worth it. I am now completely emotionally invested in the characters.

Now if you’ve never read the series you maybe wondering what order to read them in and what the deal is with the the short story collection (The Assassin’s Blade) that I keep mentioning.

What order should I read them in?

There is a bit of a debate over how to read the series.
Queen Maas herself has weighed in. People say go with what Sarah says, choose chronological, but others say publication. I agree with book publication because the stories were in fact published separately digitally, but I digress.

If you want to go with what Maas says you will read: The Assassin’s Blade, Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight, Heir of Fire, Queen of Shadows, Empire of Storms, Tower of Dawn.

If you want to go by book publication: Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight, Heir of Fire, The Assassin’s Blade, Queen of Shadows, Empire of Storms, Tower of Dawn.

Now, you really can’t go wrong…unless you’re me *dramatic sigh*.

You do NOT want to go with the way I originally read them: Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight, Heir of Fire, Queen of Shadows, The Assassin’s Blade, Empire of Storms, Tower of Dawn.
Note: I didn’t start this series until last year, a few months before Tower of Dawn‘s release, and was scared there were spoilers in The Assassin’s Blade so I read it late and I didn’t want to miss out on anything in Empire of Storms.
Also, I probably would have abandoned the series if I had started with The Assassin’s Blade.

Whatever way you chose to read the series PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE read The Assassin’s Blade before Queen of Shadows you will thank me for this later, because you will miss Easter eggs and some major plot payoffs if you do not. Also, you will probably want some tissues handy because there probably (*cough* definitely *cough*) will be some tears.

Now I’m off to start my chronological reread (via audiobooks) and I’ll weigh in with my thoughts on that reading order when I’ve finished.

(And yes I do think you should definitely read TOG before ACOTAR.)

Have you read the Throne of Glass series? What’s your preferred reading order?

Categories
Wrap Up

May Wrap Up

So, I finished 7 books in May and am still working my way through a few I started.

Books Read in May

A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J Maas: 3 stars
Stalking Jack the Ripper by Keri Maniscalco: 4 stars
The Crowns of Croswald by D. E. Night: 4 stars
King’s Cage by Victoria Aveyard (audiobook/reread): 4 stars
Rock-A-Bye Baby by L.R.W. Lee (ARC): 3.5 stars
Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Beck Albertalli (audiobook): 3 stars
Kill the Farm Boy by Delilah S. Dawnson and KEvin Hearne (ARC): 2.5 stars

May Mini Reviews

A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J Maas: I struggled with rating this one. I knew going into the book it was a bridge book and I thought it was a great bridge book. However, some of it just didn’t work for me. I did like seeing more glimpses of the Illyrian camps and the Inner circle and can’t wait to see what else the series has instore.

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Keri Maniscalco: I really enjoyed this book. I did figure out who “The Ripper” was extremely early, but Maniscalco had me hoping the other clues and misdirection were right (never have I wanted to be so wrong). I did get a bit lost in some of her descriptions, though I’m not sure if that’s on her or me since I studied abroad in London and kept trying to gain my bearings (and yes, I know somethings have changed). It is a great novel and I can’t wait to read more of the series.

The Crowns of Croswald by D. E. Night: Full Disclosure: I recieved a copy of this book from Stories Untold Press for an honest review (the full review can be found on my goodreads). This was such a fun story. I absolutely hate comparing things to Harry Potter (because it is done too often and for super tiny similarities), but this book held that same magic and I felt so nostalgic while reading it. That being said, this book is so unique and I absolutely loved the magic system. I want the next book NOW!

King’s Cage by Victoria Aveyard (audiobook/reread): I really enjoy the Red Queen Series, and this reread reminded me of that. Yes it feels like it drags at times, and yes I do prefer some characters more than others. I actually liked Evangeline a lot more this time around and Erin Spencer is probably my favorite narrator of the series. When I originally read the book I didn’t know there was a fourth book so I just didn’t know what to do with the ending. Now though I’m absolutely terrified to read War Storm since “anyone can betray anyone” and I assume that means Aveyard too.

Rock-A-Bye Baby by L.R.W. Lee: Full Disclosure: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. This is actually a prequel to Lullaby; however, you should read it afterwords. I really enjoy the premise of the books and the world building, there are just somethings that I don’t like about it (stylistically). If you’re unfamiliar with The Sand Maiden Series, I’m planning on doing a full series review.

Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Beck Albertalli: Oh goodness. I have heard nothing but good things about this book and I think that was the problem. I really didn’t know much about the book other than it was adorable, so the first scene of the book and the language just threw me for a loop. I don’t seem to enjoy contemporaries and I never liked high school drama so the odds were already stacked against it. I also figured out who “Blue” was way earlier than I think I should have so I kept getting frustrated with Simon. I really wanted to love this book, but for me it fell flat due to the predictability of the narrative.

Kill the Farm Boy by Delilah S. Dawnson and Kevin Hearne (ARC):One of my bookstagram buddies sent me a copy when she finished reading it. I still haven’t decided how to rate this book, but I’m leaning towards 2.5 stars. I have very mixed feelings about it. I will post my thoughts closer to it’s release date.

Summary

Book I enjoyed the most: This is a tie between Stalking Jack the Ripper and The Crowns of Croswald.

Book I enjoyed the least: Kill the Farm Boy. I had such high hopes for this novel.

 

Still Reading

I mentioned I was still reading some books I started in May, those are Nevernight, The Dire King, and Prey. So I thought I’d include my current thoughts.

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff: I absolutely love this, and don’t want to go into too many details because I will be posting a full review at a later date.

The Dire King by William Ritter: I quite like the Jackaby series, but I started liking it less and less as the series progressed. The best way to put it was thinking you got on a small roller coaster, but after the ride has started realized you’re on a really big one. I do really like the characters; I’m just not sure how this series is going to tie up nicely, let alone this book.

Prey by Michael Crichton: Do NOT pick this as your first book by Crichton. I’m listening to the audiobook and I think the big problem is the narrator, but I haven’t found any of the characters likable (except maybe Ricky) and at times they are just too stupid to live and often really annoying. I’m only finishing it at this point because it’s a “buddy listen” with my dad.

 

How many books did you read in May? What were your most loved and most disappointing reads?