January 2016 Book Haul

At the end of every month, I usually have a massive (or at least a fairly large) list of all of the books I received and bought for myself during that month. This year, I really want to try and decrease (or at least put a fairly large dent into) my TBR pile. The best way to do this, in my opinion, is to read waayyy more than I buy. I'm not on a book buying ban per se, I just want to buy much, much, MUCH less then I read every month.

With that in mind, I got two new books this month. The Queen of the Tearling I ordered in December and I got it in January, and I had a giftcard so I bought Seeker for myself this month.

Adult:

1. The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen (Hardcover)

Young Adut

1. Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton (Paperback)

January 2016 Wrap Up

Hello all! This year I really want to read at least 60 books, so that means I need to read at least 5 books a month. I'm SO glad to say that I was able to read, well, 5 books in the month of January!

I read:

• ★★★★.5☆ My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories
• ★★★★☆    Blankets by Craig Thompson
• ★★★★☆    Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
• ★★★.5☆☆ Nothing by Janne Teller
• ★★★★☆    The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

I had started My True Love Gave to Me in 2015, and I finished it the first day of 2016, so it was technically my first read of the year. There were a few short stories in it that I didn't really enjoy, but I loved many more than I wasn't a fan of. The whole book was very winter-y and sweet, and I loved it. I have a full review here if you want to read my thoughts on each individual short story in the book.

I read a graphic novel, Blankets by Craig Thompson, as my second read of the month. The artwork in it was stunning, even though it was in black and white. It was the largest graphic novel that I have ever seen, being longer than 500 pages. I enjoyed the graphic novel, and I found that the characters were very memorable. I liked how the art was drawn, and how every square inch of paper was used, without any extra unneeded space taken or used. I gave the artwork, and the story, four stars each.

The third book I read this month was Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. I picked it up on a whim while on winter break, and I really enjoyed it. It was the first adult dystopian book I have ever read, and the difference between young adult dystopian and adult dystopian astounded me, but in a good way. I loved how the adult genre focusses more on the characters and what they go through then the world and how it got there. Seeing so many different characters' perspectives usually worried me and threw me off the book at the beginning of the story, but once I picked it up and really started reading it, I really enjoyed it. I have a full review here if you want to read more of my thoughts on this book.

The fourth book I read this month was Nothing by Janne Teller. I was really looking forward to this book, and sadly I found myself slightly disappointed by it. I was hoping for a relatively lighthearted book about a group of kids who try to help their friend find the meaning of life, and of everything in it, through things that are important to them. This book did have that, but instead of finding this book to be lighthearted and emotional, I found the children to be slightly disturbed and more concerned about getting back at each other for making them give up their worldly possessions then about their friend. In the synopsis of this book, it sounded like they were going to be very young children, and that their friend who couldn't find meaning in anything was very sad and depressed, but instead they were seventh and eighth graders, and their friend was making fun of them and laughing at them for believing that life has meaning. I honestly found this book to be very dark and heavy, which was nothing like what I was expecting, and I still don't really know if I am super happy or sad about that. I have a full review of Nothing that can be found here if you are interested in reading more of my thoughts on this book.

The fifth and final book I read this month was to start my challenge for myself for this year. I really want to read more classics, so I am trying to read at least one classic book a month, in order to diminish that TBR pile. This month, I ended up reading The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling. I absolutely loved the movie adaptation of this book when I was little, so I had very high expectations for it reading it now, and I'm so happy to say that I loved it. I found the book to be very different from the movie, obviously, but I mean that in a good way. I really was able to see the characters in completely new perspectives, and see how they were originally imagined to be. I enjoyed the differences between the movie and the book, and it was a very short, enjoyable read to finish off the first month of the year.

Top Ten Tuesday (8): Adult Books I Need to Read in 2016

I have so, so many books I want to read this year, but some I want to read a lot (or a little) more then others. These are the top ten adult books I need to read in 2016:

1. Voyager by Diana Gabaldon (Outlander #3)
2. Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon (Outlander #4)
3. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
4. Red Rising by Pierce Brown
5. The Rook by Daniel O'Malley
6. The Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
7. You by Caroline Kepnes
8. All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
9. The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
10. P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern

Review: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Title: Station Eleven

Author: Emily St. John Mandel

Genre: Dystopian

Pages: 333 (Paperback)

Publisher: Harper Collins Canada

Publication date: September 9th, 2014


Synopsis from Station Eleven's Goodreads page


An audacious, darkly glittering novel set in the eerie days of civilization's collapse, Station Eleven tells the spellbinding story of a Hollywood star, his would-be savior, and a nomadic group of actors roaming the scattered outposts of the Great Lakes region, risking everything for art and humanity.
One snowy night Arthur Leander, a famous actor, has a heart attack onstage during a production of King Lear. Jeevan Chaudhary, a paparazzo-turned-EMT, is in the audience and leaps to his aid. A child actress named Kirsten Raymonde watches in horror as Jeevan performs CPR, pumping Arthur's chest as the curtain drops, but Arthur is dead. That same night, as Jeevan walks home from the theater, a terrible flu begins to spread. Hospitals are flooded and Jeevan and his brother barricade themselves inside an apartment, watching out the window as cars clog the highways, gunshots ring out, and life disintegrates around them.
Fifteen years later, Kirsten is an actress with the Traveling Symphony. Together, this small troupe moves between the settlements of an altered world, performing Shakespeare and music for scattered communities of survivors. Written on their caravan, and tattooed on Kirsten's arm is a line from Star Trek: "Because survival is insufficient." But when they arrive in St. Deborah by the Water, they encounter a violent prophet who digs graves for anyone who dares to leave.
Spanning decades, moving back and forth in time, and vividly depicting life before and after the pandemic, this suspenseful, elegiac novel is rife with beauty. As Arthur falls in and out of love, as Jeevan watches the newscasters say their final good-byes, and as Kirsten finds herself caught in the crosshairs of the prophet, we see the strange twists of fate that connect them all. A novel of art, memory, and ambition, Station Eleven tells a story about the relationships that sustain us, the ephemeral nature of fame, and the beauty of the world as we know it.


I picked Station Eleven up on a whim, after seeing how many other bookstagrammers and book bloggers had loved it. I wasn't 100% into the idea of the book, because I'm a bit past the dystopian/end-of-the-world genre in books now, but I absolutely love all things Shakespeare, so I figured I would give it a go.
The first 150 or so pages of the book I found very slow, and I found it difficult to understand how everything connected to become the dystopian story that I had expected. I also found the alternating perspectives to be confusing, because it would alternate between quite a few different characters in each chapter, with no heading saying when it was switching perspectives. I have no problems with alternating perspectives, I just found that when it suddenly switches, without warning, between more than four completely different characters and time periods, that it gets slightly confusing it you aren't paying attention to every single word.
After the first 150 pages though, I found the story picked up quite a bit. I started enjoying and getting used to the alternating perspectives, and found the story to be very refreshing.
I really enjoyed how this story was more of a end-of-the-world story opposed to a dystopian. Dystopians, to me, are books that there has been a collapsed society and a new, crazy government has taken over with insane, strict rules, whereas an end-of-the-world book is just that the government has collapsed, and everyone just does what they want. I enjoyed how this story was more centered around survival and loss opposed to violence and world building. I found that it allowed the characters to grow more on their own, so the reader is able to see the differences in them, and how their new world and experiences have changed them as a person.
I found the characters to be refreshing, and each of them very different. There are a few characters that were minor that I had grown attached to and wish there was a bit more of them in the book, but I also enjoyed how some characters were moving in and out of the story the whole time.
I loved the setting of the story, being in Canada, because I have never read an end-of-the-world/dystopian book that takes place in Canada, which was refreshing and interesting to me.
If you want something a little different, or something that feels like a dystopian book without any of the government building or fighting you are used to, I highly recommend this book.
Overall - ★★★★☆

January 2016 TBR

I wasn't planning on making a TBR for the month, but I feel like I know exactly what books I plan on reading, so why not!

For the rest of the year, I may or may not be making a TBR list for each month, because I never seem to be following them...but we'll see what happens, and take it month by month.

In January, I plan on reading:

1. My True Love Gave to Me (Already read it - you can read my full review here)
2. Blankets by Craig Thompson
3. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
4. Nothing by Janne Teller

I'm planning on reading AT LEAST 5 books each month, so I'm leaving one spot open for any book that I just have a sudden desire to pick up. Hopefully I'll get all these read this month, which I feel like I can do. Hope everyone has a fantastic reading month!

Top Ten Tuesday (7): YA Books I Need to Read in 2016

Since it's a new year, with new goals and new books (and my first Top Ten Tuesday of the year! :)), I figured I should compile a list of the top ten YA books I need to read in 2016. I didn't get anywhere near as much reading done as I wanted to last year, so I have a lot to do this year.

The top ten young adult books I need to read in 2016 are:

1. Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare
2. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
3. The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater (The Raven Cycle #4)
4. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
5. Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes
6. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh
7. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
8. Legend by Marie Lu
9. Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
10. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

There are so many amazing books coming out this year, and so many more that I was planning on reading  in 2015 but I just didn't have the time to read, so this year is the year to catch up! Hopefully, 2016 will be good to me!

 

 

 

Review: My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories

Title: My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories

Authors: Rainbow Rowell, Kelly Link, Matt De La Pena, Jenny Han, Stephanie Perkins, David Levithan, Holly Black, Gayle Forman, Myra McEntire, Kiersten White, Ally Carter, Laini Taylor

Edited by: Stephanie Perkins

Genre: Contemporary/Fantasy

Pages: 336 (Hardcover)

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Publication date: October 14th, 2014

Synopsis from My True Love Gave to Me's Goodreads page

If you love holiday stories, holiday movies, made-for-TV-holiday specials, holiday episodes of your favorite sitcoms and, especially, if you love holiday anthologies, you’re going to fall in love with My True Love Gave To Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by twelve bestselling young adult writers, edited by international bestselling author Stephanie Perkins. Whether you enjoy celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah, Winter Solstice or New Year's there's something here for everyone. So curl up by the fireplace and get cozy. You have twelve reasons this season to stay indoors and fall in love.

Since My True Love Gave to Me is a collection of short stories, I decided to review each story individually, because some I loved more than others. Overall though, I loved this book. It was very Christmas-y and wintery, and every single story was so different from the ones before it. I loved how they were all so different, yet they still all had something in common. I gave this book an average of 4.5/5 stars, and I really loved it as a whole.


1. Midnights by Rainbow Rowell
    Anything and everything that Rainbow Rowell writes, I always absolutely love, and Midnights did not disappoint. The only thing not completely positive I have to say about it is that I wish it was a complete story, instead of a short one, because I found that so much was happening in such a short period of time. I understand that it is to do with New Years every year, but I still wish that we could have seen what happened to everyone throughout each year, even a little, because I feel like I would have connected to the characters, and felt more towards them, if I had seen a little more into their lives. Overall though, I loved the characters, the witty conversations, and the idea of the story.
Overall - ★★★★★


2. The Lady and the Fox by Kelly Link
    I have mixed feelings about this particular short story. I found it to be more of a ghost story than a holiday one, although I understand the idea behind it. Personally, I found that I couldn`t connect to the characters and I found them to be drastically changing throughout the short story. I feel that if it was longer, the character development would make sense, as we would see what they were going through, but in such a short story, I feel like they were becoming completely different people every few paragraphs. Also, I find that our main character falling in love with someone who was essentially a ghost (was he a ghost? it never specifically tells us) to be extremely unrealistic. I personally wouldn`t run outside and kiss someone I saw sneaking around the property if I only saw him once when I was little.
Overall - ★★★.5


3. Angels in the Snow by Matt De La Pena
    I really enjoyed Angels in the Snow, because I was able to relate to the characters. Feeling confused about the future, about who you are, what you should do in your life. Taking a chance, and doing something that you feel uncomfortable with is all a part of growing up. I enjoyed the character development, and how we saw so much in such a short story, but it still making sense and not feeling like they were being pushed to develop. I really enjoyed how both characters pushed themselves, and each other, out of their comfort zones, and how chance and Christmas can bring two people together.
Overall - ★★★★


4. Polaris is Where You'll Find Me by Jenny Han
    I have mixed feelings about this story as well, but I still really enjoyed it. Throughout the story, I mostly felt sorry for the main character, and I felt that she was a little flat. As the story progressed though, I saw her grow up and become more confident in herself, even if it was just a little. I think that the reason I enjoyed the story so much though, was the ending. I loved how she knew what she wanted, and found a way to get it, and I also loved how the story left on such a climax. Who does she pick?
Overall - ★★★★


5. It's A Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown by Stephanie Perkins
    I absolutely LOVED this story. I knew I would as soon as I saw that Stephanie Perkins wrote it. Her writing is always so witty and charming, and her characters are so wonderfully written. I would honestly read her grocery list. I loved how the story opened up right at a very important part of the two characters` lives, and how it was the deciding moment of the story. The characters were funny, flirty, and sarcastic, which is how I love all of her characters to be. They were both similar, yet different, and they were adorable together. Her characters always make me smile and giggle, and this story was no different.
Overall - ★★★★★


6. Your Temporary Santa by David Levithan
    I was pleasantly surprised by Your Temporary Santa. It was cute, and a very good demonstration of what someone will do for the one that they love. I enjoyed how it was very different, and how, even though the 'temporary Santa' didn't even celebrate Christmas, he really did it to show his boyfriend how much he loved him. I wasn't completely in love with the story as a whole, and I do believe it had its faults, but overall it was very enjoyable, and very sweet.
Overall - ★★★★


7. Krampuslauf by Holly Black
    I absolutely loved this short story. It was so different from every other Christmas story not only in this book, but from every story I have read before. I loved how it was such an alternate Christmas, how it was about the Krampus instead of Jolly Saint Nick, and honestly, this was one of my all time favourite short stories that I have ever read. I found the characters to be so unforgettable, and so enjoyable, that they left me on the edge of my seat with what they would do next throughout the whole story.
Overall - ★★★★★


8. What the Hell have You Done, Sophie Roth? by Gayle Forman
    At the beginning of this one, I found the main character to be slightly aggravating, but that quickly changed. She seemed to be such a grouch, but as soon as Russell is pulled into the story, she changes completely. I normally don't like when a main character completely changes after a love interest is introduced, but in this case I feel that Sophie became more herself once Russell was brought into the story. I loved their banter, their quick conversations, and how they seemed to be so comfortable with each other from the get-go. This story seemed to be so realistic, and it was so comfortable to read, it was adorable. Both characters were so well written, developed, and so perfect for each other.
Overall - ★★★★★


9. Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus by Myra McEntire
    I enjoyed this story, but not as much as I have other ones in this book. I enjoyed the character development, and how the main character changed over the course of the story in order to become a better person, but I found that too much was happening in to little a time. I feel that in order for this story to be a little more enjoyable, it should have been a bit longer. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it, because I really enjoyed the humor and the suddenness of some of the aspects of the story, as well as how it showed that everyone should come together over Christmas, and celebrate together. I really enjoyed the lessons that this story teaches about Christmas, and the holidays.
Overall - ★★★★


10. Welcome to Christmas, CA by Kiersten White
    I really enjoyed this short story. I loved the characters, and how they kept you on your toes throughout the entire story. I loved how it wasn't a "typical" young adult romance story, how out main character was more concerned about herself, and getting out of her hometown. I personally love the stories that involve the main character being focussed on one specific thing their whole life, until they come to a large realization, and then everything changes, for the better. That's exactly what happened in this story, and it was wonderful.
Overall - ★★★★.5


11. Star of Bethlehem by Ally Carter
    I found this particular short story to be alright. I found that since everything about the main character was a mystery, it was impossible to be able to connect with her, and with everyone else in the story as well. I found the plot to be extremely far-fetched, until the very end of the story. I can understand where the author was coming from once I read the whole story, but because I had no idea who anyone was, or what their backstories were, it made it difficult for me to enjoy it.
Overall - ★★★.5


12. The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
    This story was probably my favourite short story of the whole book. I absolutely LOVE Laini Taylor's writing; it flows so beautifully and is so beautiful. You can tell how talented she is, and how much time she puts into her work. This story was so fascinating, and I loved every second of it. It was the only story in the whole book that took place in a different world and time period, and the beauty of the descriptions was so apparent in a whole other world being created in such a short story. This was amazing, and I would really love to see this short story become a full length book, so that we can see so much more of the people, and how everything that happened in this story came to be.
Overall - ★★★★★


My True Love Gave to Me overall:  ★★★★.5

2016 Reads

Last updated: April 29th, 2017


January

1. ★★★★☆.5   My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories
2. ★★★★☆      Blankets by Craig Thompson
3. ★★★★☆      Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
4. ★★★☆☆.5   Nothing by Janne Teller
5. ★★★★☆      The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

February

1. ★★★★☆      Never Always Sometimes by Adi Alsaid
2. ★★★★★      Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler
3. ★★★★★      Legend (Legend #1) by Marie Lu
4. ★★★★☆.5   Prodigy (Legend #2) by Marie Lu

March

1. ★★★★★      Champion (Legend #3) by Marie Lu
2. ★★★☆☆.5   The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom 
3. ★★★★☆      The Dark Days Club (Lady Helen #1) by Alison Goodman

April

1. ★★★★☆      King Lear by William Shakespeare
2. ★★★★★      We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates
3. ★★★☆☆      Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
4. ★★★★★      The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1) by Maggie Stiefvater
5. ★★★★★      The Dream Thieves (The Raven Cycle #2) by Maggie Stiefvater
6. ★★★★★      Blue Lily, Lily Blue (The Raven Cycle #3) by Maggie Stiefvater
7. ★★★☆☆      The Ghosts of Heaven by Marcus Sedgwick

May

1. ★★★★☆      Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
2. ★★★★☆.5   The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer
3. ★★★★☆.5   The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black
4. ★★★★☆      The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
5. ★★★★★      The Raven King (The Raven Cycle #4) by Maggie Stiefvater

June

1. ★★★★☆      Resonance (The Fray Theory #1) by Nelou Keramati
2. ★★★★★      Signs Point to Yes by Sandy Hall

July

1. ★★★☆☆.5   More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera
2. ★★★★☆.5   The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton
3. ★★★★☆      Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver
4. ★★★★☆      This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity #1) by Victoria Schwab
5. ★★★★☆      Animal Farm by George Orwell
6. ★★★★★      Cracked by K.M. Walton
7. ★★★★★      Six of Crows (Six of Crows #1) by Leigh Bardugo
8. ★★★★☆.5   Mistborn (Mistborn #1) by Brandon Sanderson

August

1. ★★★★☆.5   The Well of Ascension (Mistborn #2) by Brandon Sanderson
2. ★★★★☆.5   Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin #1) by Robin LaFevers
3. ★★★★☆.5   The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy #1) by Marie Rutkoski
4. ★★★★☆.5   Dark Triumph (His Fair Assassin #2) by Robin LaFevers
5. ★★★★☆      The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma
6. ★★★★☆.5   The Winner's Crime (The Winner's Trilogy #2) by Marie Rutkoski
7. ★★★★☆.5   Mortal Heart (His Fair Assassin #3) by Robin LaFevers
8. ★★★★★      The Winner's Kiss (The Winner's Trilogy #3) by Marie Rutkoski

November

1. ★★★★☆      Antigoddess by (Goddess War #1) by Kendare Blake
2. ★★★★☆      Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2) by Leigh Bardugo

December

1. ★★★★☆      Soundless by Richelle Mead
2. ★★★★★      Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy (#1-#10) by Cassandra Clare

Books read this year - 55/50

December 2015 Wrap-Up

I read a total of 4 books in December, and am halfway through what will be my first read of 2016, which I'm perfectly okay with, because the holidays are a time for friends and family.


I read:

• ★★★★★ Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
• ★★★★★ Landline by Rainbow Rowell
• ★★★★★ Humans Of New York: Stories by Brandon Stanton
• ★★★★☆ A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

The first book I read this month was Carry On by Rainbow Rowell, and I loved every single page of it. Carry On is the seventh and final installment of the fictional series of Simon and Baz, a story that Rainbow Rowell created for Fangirl, also written by Rainbow. I loved each and every page of this amazing novel, and I just couldn't put it down. I've loved each book I have read by Rainbow Rowell, but I have to say, this one is by far my favourite. The characters were all amazing, and the storyline and setting were extremely well built, not to mention that it wrapped up every single loose end in the book. It was supposed to be a seventh book, but it didn't feel like it, which I am glad for. (Maybe there will be another? Maybe? Probably not...). If you want to hear more on my thoughts of this book, I have a full review up under the review section of my blog!

The second book I read this month, because of how much I loved Carry On, was Landline by Rainbow Rowell. I picked up Landline basically as soon as I had completed Carry On, because I was really in the mood for more Rainbow Rowell. It was probably my least favourite of her books, not that it was a bad book, it was amazing, but I cried so much while I was reading it, I don't know if I will read it again soon. It was such a sad, heart-wrenching book, that it was actually painful to read at times. The story line started off at a very sad spot, and it just kept getting sadder and sadder and harder for me to read as the story progressed, but I managed to finish it, and I absolutely loved it. Now that I know how it ends, I will be reading it again without a doubt, but just probably not anytime soon. I need a real pick me up after this book!

The third book I read this month was a photography book, so it wasn't much reading. I am in love with Brandon Stanton's "Humans of New York" Instagram account, and blog, and his first photography book, Humans of New York, so when I saw the second one on the shelf, I bought it without even thinking twice. It was the same idea as the first one, but with more stories of the people in the photographs, which I absolutely loved. It was an extremely easy to rate, five out of five star book.

On Christmas Day, since I was in the middle of a slight reading slump and since I had just gotten 5 new books for Christmas, I figured I should pick up something small, so I read Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. It was a very short, very light read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn't get the chance to watch a version of the movie this Christmas, so reading it, for the first time as well, made it a very enjoyable read.