May 2016 Wrap Up

As I said in my book haul for this month, it was VERY hectic. The first weekend of the month I was touring my future university (I'm SO excited for this fall!) and I ended up badly spraining my ankle. I could barely read or post on my instagram or blog, so it was rough. Just as I got off of crutches, I had my graduation dinner/dance, and then that week I left for New York City for five days. I've caught up on all my school work, I'm prepared for the fall, and my school work is starting to wind down as exams are approaching. So I'm back!


This month I read:

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

The first book I read this month was Burial Rites by Hannah Kent. I picked it up last month, and it really intrigued me, so I figured I would give it a go right away! I really enjoyed the story, although I found it to be very slow at times. The story line was very depressing, as it is about a woman who has been sentenced to death, but I also found it to be sweet and light-hearted at times. The novel was very well written, and the descriptions and the characters were wonderful to read about. I personally found the ending to be very abrupt as well, but I know that it was planned to be that way. I really enjoyed this novel, and I know that I'll be re-reading it eventually.

The second book I read was The Shock of the Fall. I have been wanting to read it for quite awhile, and I'm glad that I picked it up this month. This story was also very depressing at times, but I feel like this story could not have been written any other way. I loved how the main character described their life and how they wrote their story. The novel felt like it was being told by someone who was describing their life, not by an author who had created it from nothing. I really loved the writing style as well, and although it was sad and depressing, I feel like it teaches the reader a lot of valuable life lessons.

The next book I read was The Darkest Part of the Forest. I LOVED this book, but I don't feel as though it was worth a full 5 stars. There was a little something missing for me, which is why I gave it a solid 4.5. This book is amazing for so many reasons. The characters are perfectly written, the setting was wonderfully described so that it feels like you are right there, and it is not only a fantasy book, but it is a stand alone fantasy book, which never happens. I loved how the ending tied everything up just enough but also still leaves a lot of things to the imagination, and I love how everything in the story worked so well together. I have read two of Holly Black's books, and I have loved both of them to a very high level. I'm looking forward to reading more by her!

The classic I read this month was my next read, The Great Gatsby. I needed to read this for class, and I really enjoyed it! I loved how all the characters connected (even though some were in very bad ways) and how the ending was beautifully tragic. I loved reading this book, as the chapters were shorter so it was an easy, power-through read.


I can't really say much about my next read because it's the fourth and final book in the series, but I can say that it was AMAZING. The Raven King is probably one of my all time favourite books ever, and it made me feel all of the things. I have a full spoiler free review, with more of my (relatively) coherent thoughts which you can find here.