September 2015 Wrap Up

Hey all, it's my favourite time of the month, the end! It's usually more stressful for school, but I absolutely love the feeling of a new start, and I love seeing all the books everyone got, and read, over the course of the month! This month, I read a total of 6 books, which I think is really good considering school started for me this month.

• Say You Will by Eric Walters ★★★.5☆☆
• Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider ★★★★.5☆
• Love and Other Perishable Items by Laura Buzo ★★★☆☆
• Shadow and Bone (The Grisha #1) by Leigh Bardugo ★★★★.5☆
• Siege and Storm (The Grisha #2) by Leigh Bardugo ★★★★☆
• Ruin and Rising (The Grisha #3) by Leigh Bardugo ★★★★★

Say You Will by Eric Walters was a bit of an impulse buy last month, being signed and being an Eric Walters book. I read a lot of his books when I was younger, and I wanted a nice quick contemporary read. Overall, it was a very cute, contemporary read. It is only 192 pages, with a larger font, so I was able to read it in one short sitting. It is known as a young adult book, but it seemed like it was for a younger age group then I had originally anticipated. I just had my prom this past school year, so I was able to connect with a few of the characters due to the stress from prom, but that's as far as I really was able to connect with the characters. It was a very cute read, and I will most likely read it again in the future when I need a pick-me up or if I just want a very short read to get me out of a slump.

I went into Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider with very high hopes, as I had read her other book, The Beginning of Everything, in 2013. And boy, were those high hopes reached. I was able to connect with so many of the characters, and I loved each and every one of them. It was beautifully written, and the plot was so compelling and grabbing, I read it in just two sittings. I have a full review under the review page of my blog, so check that out if you want more information!

I read Love and Other Perishable Items because it had been sitting on my shelf for over a year, and I needed a short book to get me ready for my Shadow and Bone trilogy buddy read with my lovely friend Yeldah (@beautiful.bibliophile on Instagram) It was an alright book, but I expected much more from it. I felt that a lot of the story was being dragged on and that even though it is a short book to begin with, it could have been even shorter in length. I laughed at a few points, and it does have a few good humour aspects to it, but I couldn't really connect with the characters.

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo was definitely the best book I have read this month (thus far anyways). It was the first fantasy book I have read in a few weeks, and I have really been missing my fantasy reads.

Shadow and Bone takes place in a very different world, where some people are born with powers and are called Grisha. They are seen by some as saints, and others as witches. The story follows a young Alina, as she discovers that she is actually Grisha, and her massive change in her life and what must happen to her, and what she must do, with her newfound powers. This book was beautifully written, the characters were all witty and lovable, and the world was absolutely to die for. I have a full review up on the review page of my blog if you want more info!

Siege and Storm wasn't quite as good as Shadow and Bone was for me. There was a lot more world building in the first one (which is to be expected when it's the first book in a fantasy trilogy) and I felt like this book was supposed to be a lot more about character development, which I didn't see as much of as I would have liked. Other than that, I loved the twists and turns the characters were forced to deal with, and the writing style was just as beautiful as the first one. Definitely worth reading this series!

I also read the final book in The Grisha trilogy by Leigh Bardugo, Ruin and Rising. And just, wow. This book had me sitting there with it in my hands for the longest time after I had finished reading it. It was the ending I had wanted, plus a lot more that I just loved. There was the right amount of closure, and everything worked out perfectly, in my opinion. I would really really love more about these characters, and I really hope that Leigh Bardugo will write more about them (*hint hint wink wink*) and soon. It was an amazing final book, and I will definitely be re-reading this trilogy many, many more times.