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.

Review: The Raven King (The Raven Cycle #4) by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: The Raven King

Series: The Raven Cycle #4

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Genre: Fantasy/Realistic Fiction/Paranormal

Age group: Young Adult

Pages: 438 (Hardcover)

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Publication date: April 26th, 2016

**The below synopsis may contain spoilers if you have not read The Raven Boys, The Dream Thieves or Blue Lily, Lily Blue. My review beneath is spoiler free**

Synopsis from The Raven King's Goodreads page


Nothing living is safe. Nothing dead is to be trusted.


For years, Gansey has been on a quest to find a lost king. One by one, he’s drawn others into this quest: Ronan, who steals from dreams; Adam, whose life is no longer his own; Noah, whose life is no longer a lie; and Blue, who loves Gansey… and is certain she is destined to kill him.

Now the endgame has begun. Dreams and nightmares are converging. Love and loss are inseparable. And the quest refuses to be pinned to a path.


I was so scared going into this book from what we learn throughout this series. This book came out a month ago, and it took me an entire month to build up the mental state in order to sit down and actually read it.
Maggie Stiefvater is an author that I would literally read her grocery lists, she's that amazing. So even though I was so scared, I knew that I would absolutely love whatever would happen in this book.
I found this book to be nowhere near as dark as I was expecting, which I was very happy about. I personally am not a large fan of the final book in a series being extremely dark and depressing, so I was very content with how this book was written. It did have its dark parts and people, but overall the book was not what I would consider to be depressing.
I love the characters in this series so insanely much, and I just love them all so much more after reading this book. All of the characters in this book lined up perfectly with who they were and who they have been throughout this entire series, and they all grew into very different people in the end, but in a good way. (I'm so looking forward to re-reading this series and seeing how much of a baby everyone is in the beginning compared to the end).
The storyline in this book was very all over the place, but in a good way. The whole series has been leading up to one single realization and find, and I feel that they way it was written and the way it was portrayed could not have been any better.
A lot of this book I found was very repetitive, but I also feel that it was necessary in order for the series, and this book specifically, to go where it needed to go. Other than being repetitive, the writing style in this was flawless - as is per usual for Maggie Stiefvater. Her writing is so beautiful and it flows so well, and it is amazing to read. (Especially for an aspiring author like myself, reading her writing makes me passionate about words and characters even more than I already am).
I cannot emphasize enough how much I love this series, and how much I want everyone to read at leas the first book. These books are amazing and I can't believe this series is over. Four years of my life have been waiting for the final book, and I am so content with how this series ended. Although, there was a slight hint of another series at the end of this book...Hopefully we will get more about the raven boys and about Blue Sargent!
Overall - ★★★★★

May 2016 Book Haul

This month was pretty hectic for me. I really badly sprained my ankle the first weekend of May, I had my grad dinner/dance, and I travelled to New York City for five days, so I haven't been updating as much (sorry everyone!). I did get a few books this month though, and I'm very excited for all of them!


This month I got:


Young adult

1. The Raven King (The Raven Cycle #4) by Maggie Stiefvater
2. The Young World by Chris Weitz
3. Legacy of Kings by Eleanor Herman
4. Love and Other Foreign Words by Erin McCahan
5. The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow
6. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

A to Z Bookish Survey

This tag was created by Jamie from The Perpetual Page Turner. I've done a few tags now, and I'm really starting to love doing them! This one is called the A to Z Bookish Survey tag.

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Author you’ve read the most books from:

Cassandra Clare! I think I've read almost every single book she has published, multiple times. I'm a die hard Cassey Clare fan, and I always have been.

Best Sequel Ever:

I'm only going to count the sequels in a duology, because I have too many favourite sequels. Either Eona by Alison Goodman or The Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake, they were both absolutely amazing and I loved every second of both of them.

Currently Reading:
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Drink of Choice While Reading:
Either water or  lemonade, or hot chocolate if I want something hot.

E-reader or Physical Book?
Physical book, always. I've never owned an e-reader or anything like that, I just love the feel of the pages in my hands too much.

Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Actually Dated In High School:

Gansey from The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. No doubt there at all.

Glad You Gave This Book A Chance:
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. It had been sitting on my shelf for the longest time, and the trilogy is my all time favourite trilogy ever. (Beside The Infernal Devices, of course).

Hidden Gem Book:

We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates. I had to read this last month for an essay for class, and it was an amazing book!

Important Moment in your Reading Life:

When I started by bookstagram and my book blog last year, they really changed who I was as a reader and who I was as a person. Making them made me even more enthusiastic about reading and writing, and they helped me to meet so many more people than I could have without them.

Just Finished:

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black (and I loved it!)

Kinds of Books You Won’t Read:
Anything with a lot of romance or a very adulty-type romance. I like lighthearted, YA much better than steamy.

Longest Book You’ve Read:
Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon, at 947 pages.

Major book hangover because of:
Looking for Alaska by John Green. It was such an amazing book the first time I read it, that all I wanted to do was re-read it.

Number of Bookcases You Own:
5, with boxes in my closet, as well as stacks everywhere throughout my room.

One Book You Have Read Multiple Times:
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, it's a book that can always get me out of a bad slump.

Preferred Place To Read:

My bean bag chair, my dad's armchair, the couch, or my bed. Pretty much anywhere I can, but I prefer the comfiest places.

Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you’ve read:

"Live in the present, remember the past, and fear not the future, for it doesn't exist and never shall. There is only now." -Christopher Paolini, Eldest. This series was one of the series that really got me into reading and into writing, and it always helps me to try and believe in myself when I need to.

Reading Regret:
Not getting into more classics when I was younger. I've been collecting them for so long, and I've barely read any of them.

Series You Started And Need To Finish(all books are out in series):
I still need to read The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater to finish the series. Also, I just have to read the final book in the Under the Never Sky series by Veronica Rossi.

Three of your All-Time Favorite Books:
I'm keeping Harry Potter out of this, because obviously it's one of my all time favourite books, ever.

1. TID and TMI by Cassandra Clare (I just can't pick, I love them all too much!)

2. Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor

3. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Unapologetic Fangirl For:

Cassandra Clare anything. Movies, books, fandom stuff. If Cassandra Clare writes 3000 books in the Shadowhunter world, I will read all of them. Multiple times.

Very Excited For This Release More Than All The Others:

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor. Ever since I finished the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy I've needed MORE from her. I'll read anything she writes. I'll read her grocery lists.

Worst Bookish Habit:

Buying more and more and more and...more books before I have even put a dent in my TBR pile.

X Marks The Spot: Start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book:

Just One Day by Gayle Forman.

Your latest book purchase:

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black and Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch.

ZZZ-snatcher book (last book that kept you up WAY late):

Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater. I read that book super late into the night, and I regret nothing.

May 2016 TBR

I was so insanely happy with the amount of books that I read last month, and I really want to keep the pace up this month and really start to cut down on my massive TBR pile. I also have insanely awful luck and sprained my ankle a few days ago, so I'll be lying down and hopefully reading a lot this month!

This month I plan on reading:

     1.   Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

I bought this book last month because I saw it on the list of books that were recommended for us to read for our essays for my English class. It kept calling me so I figured I would pick it up! I already read it, but I will discuss my thoughts on it in wrap up at the end of the month.

     2.   The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer


I also picked up this book last month, and I've been meaning to read it for awhile. It looked like a relatively fast read, so I thought I would give it a go this month and see how it is.


     3.   The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black


I've wanted to read this book for awhile, and I am really in the mood for a fantasy type book without the long series. This is a standalone fantasy book (which you NEVER see) so I'm definitely going to read this one this month!

     4.   The Raven King (The Raven Cycle #4) by Maggie Stiefvater

I never got to buy this book last month, and it is definitely happening this month. It's one of my most anticipated reads of 2016 so I need to get to a bookstore and read it ASAP!

     5.   The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson

My book club was planning on reading this book last year for one of our reads, but we ended up not reading it and reading another book instead. I've been meaning to read it ever since, and since I saw it for super cheap last month I bought it, and I really want to get to it this month!

     6.   The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

One of my goals for this year was to read at least one classic a month in order to slowly cut down on my classic TBR pile, and since I need to read this one for English class this month, I figured I would count this one as my classic for the month!

April 2016 Wrap-Up

This month was actually an awesome reading month for me, which I am pleasantly surprised with! School is really picking up, but I still managed to read a total of 7 books! I read every one on my TBR as well, expect for The Raven King, as I haven't gotten it yet.


I read:

• ★★★★☆ King Lear by William Shakespeare
• ★★★★★ We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates
• ★★★☆☆ Brave New World by Aldous Huxley7
• ★★★★★ The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1) by Maggie Stiefvater
• ★★★★★ The Dream Thieves (The Raven Cycle #2) by Maggie Stiefvater
• ★★★★★ Blue Lily, Lily Blue (The Raven Cycle #3) by Maggie Stiefvater
• ★★★☆☆ The Ghosts of Heaven by Marcus Sedgwick

The first book that I completed this month was King Lear by William Shakespeare. It wasn't my favourite of his plays, but overall I enjoyed it and I thought that it was definitely one of his best. King Lear is a tragedy, but I still really enjoyed the extremes that some of the characters went to, as well as the humor in it. Shakespeare has a tendency to put a lot of dry, dark humor into his tragedies, and it always makes the play much more enjoyable for me.

The second book I completed was We Were the Mulvaneys, which I needed to read for my English class. I picked it on a whim, and I am so insanely glad that I did. Not only was the novel very detailed and the plot attention-grabbing and interesting, the novel also had many important messages and I think it is one of those books that everyone should read at some point in their lives. I have a full review here if anyone is interested in reading more of my thoughts on this book!


The third book I read, and the first book I fully read this month was Brave New World. I have many mixed feelings about this book, from the beginning all the way through. I found it to be very rushed and also lacking a lot plot wise, as well as making some of the characters just disappear at points and never bringing them back. The writing of the characters was great though, and the way that they spoke was just amazing to read. This book was enjoyable, but I'm glad it was only 220 pages. I feel kind of neutral about it, as I didn't particularly enjoy the whole book, but I also didn't not enjoy it. Some parts I loved, some scenes are some of my absolute favourites from a classic novel, but other parts I just couldn't stand, so therefore I gave it three stars.

I then powered through The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater, which was a re-read for me. I read it back in 2013, and I still loved every page of it. Maggie's writing is always amazing and intoxicating, and I love how she manages to string words together and create worlds and characters that are so unique but are also so relatable. The Raven Boys is an amazing book and I have absolutely nothing but the highest praise for it. Her characters are different while still being relatable, her stories are fascinating and heart-grabbing, and her characters' relationships are so beautiful to read about. I loved every second of reading this book, the first time I read it as well as this re-read. I have a full, spoiler free review of The Raven Boys here if you want to read more!

I also powered through The Dream Thieves, which is the second book in The Raven Cycle. I didn't love this one as much as I loved The Raven Boys, mostly because we didn't get as much Gansey as in the first one, but I still completely loved it. Maggie Stiefvater's writing is so beautiful and wonderful and I love it so, so, SO much. Her characters developed so much in this book, and we learned so much about all of them in such a short time. I have a full, spoiler free review up here if you're interested in reading more of my thoughts!

I then read Blue Lily, Lily Blue, the third book in The Raven Cycle. This one was probably my least favourite out of the first three, but it was still easily a five star book. The characters and the plot become darker, we start losing characters, and everything becomes more intense. I cant say too much about this book without having any spoilers, so I'll leave it at that! I also have a spoiler free review here if you want to read more of my thoughts!

I had high hopes going into the next book I read this month, which was The Ghosts of Heaven. I didn't know going into it that it was split into four different parts, of which I enjoyed some but not others. The first quarter of the book I was not a fan of, as it was in more of a poetry style. The second part I enjoyed, and the third even more so. The fourth part I thoroughly enjoyed, and it was what saved the book for me in the end and pushed me through to the end of it. The book was good overall, and I did enjoy it, but I personally feel that I will never re-read it as I don't believe that I would be able to find anything in it to make it worthwhile for me to re-read it.

April 2016 Book Haul

This month I got 18 books...kinda insane for me. Hopefully I can keep it down to a minimum next month. I got:

Adult:

1. Room by Emma Donoghue (Movie tie-in paperback edition)
2. You Had Me at Hello by Mhairi McFarlane (Paperback)
3. The Shock of The Fall by Nathan Filer (Paperback)
4. It Started with Paris by Cathy Kelly (Hardcover)
5. Burial Rites by Hannah Kent (Paperback)
6. The Promise of Stardust by Priscille Sibley (Paperback)
7. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North (Hardcover)

Young adult:

1. Envy (Luxe #3) by Anna Godbersen (Paperback)
2. My Beating Teenage Heart by C.K. Kelly Martin (Paperback)
3. The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson (Hardcover)
4. Zeros by Scott Westerfeld (Hardcover)
5. Ghosts of Heaven by Marcus Sedgwick (Hardcover)
6. Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini (Hardcover)
7. The Infinite Sea (The 5th Wave #2) by Rick Yancey (Hardcover)
8. The Here and Now by Ann Brashares (Hardcover)
9. The Accidental Highwayman by Ben Tripp (Hardcover)
10. The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black (Paperback)
11. Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch (Paperback)