Angharad's May Reads

May was probably the slowest reading month for me. After completing A Court of Mist and Fury, I entered a huge reading slump and I'm still not completely out of it. I'm just focusing on reading books I know I will enjoy. In the month of May, I got a tattoo dedicated to the Night Court and Becky and I got sent some amazing arcs from some very kind publishers. I completed ten books in total.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

(by J.K. Rowling)

I continued with my reread of the Harry Potter series. Despite now being the grand old age of nineteen, my love for these books hasn't faded. I loved them as much as I did when I first read them. I cry at the same parts every time, it's so annoying. Also, who has seen the new cast members for the Cursed Child play?? Aren't they wonderful? Anyway, I gave each of these 5/5 stars.

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A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

What can I say? This book was everything to me. I found my home in the Night Court with Rhys and his inner circle, I was so happy when Feyre escaped from an abusive relationship and all the new characters were a breath of fresh air. I love the world Sarah has created and I really can't wait for the third book to be released. Feyre and Rhysand are proof that two people can love each other desperately and yet still maintain a healthy and equal relationship. Despite only giving ACOTAR two stars, I gave this one 5/5!

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

I decided to come out my comfort zone and read a summery, contemporary. Everyone immediately consults Morgan Matson for this genre so I decided to check out this one. It follows the story of Emily who after discovers her best friend, Sloane has left town but she has left Emily a list of things to do throughout the summer. It's a story of friendship, self-confidence and love. I did enjoy it but I only gave it a 3/5 stars purely because I'm just not a summery, contemporary person. (I suck, I know!) (Full review here)

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Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas

This one has been sat on my shelf for a long time and as I was doing my daily staring-at-shelf-thing, I decided to pick it up. I completed it in one sitting, no lie! It tells the story of a bunch of teenagers who go away on holiday only to discover one of their number, Elise has been brutally murdered. Our protagonist, Anna, is the main suspect but could she really have been involved in killing her best friend? This book will blow your mind and then set it on fire. So many twists and turns, I would definitely recommend it and I rated it 5/5 stars!

Girls on Fire by Robin Wasserman

When I saw both the cover and the description to this book, I immediately bought it on Amazon, received it the next day and read it in one sitting. That sounds good, right? Nope. Not today, Satan. I really didn't like this book. I rated it one star out of five and I definitely wouldn't recommend it. It follows the story of Hannah who after meeting 'bad girl' Lacey, basically becomes her puppet. Lacey changes Hannah's name and makes her a completely different person. This book has no plot, no meaning and was a definite waste of my money. Full review here!

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This Savage Song by V.E. Schwab

We were kindly sent this book by Titan Books in exchange for an honest review which we have posted here. This story follows what the world would look like if monsters were born from violence. Our two protagonists, Kate and August, find themselves coming together against a threat yet being very different people. It's brilliant, it's thrilling and it's out now so go and get a copy!

Cruel Reality by C.J. Whitley

We were sent this novel by its author in exchange for an honest review. It follows the story of Mike and Kay, two of three hundred British people who have been kidnapped only to be made to star on a deadly, reality television show where they must fight other camps to the death. It has a lot of elements from The Hunger Games and Lord of the Flies. Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me. Mike was a very sexist character and when he wasn't being sexist, he was being very pompous. Kay had little character, she just spent her time running around behind Mike. This book wasn't for me however I think it could have been better if it was cut in half, there were far too many filler pages.

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Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow

We were kindly sent this novel by the publisher in exchange for an honest review which I will be posting fully on the blog soon. We follow Charlie as we meet her in a rehabilitation centre after she tried to commit suicide. With the help of some other girls there, she is eventually released into the outside world. She finds a job, learns how to cope and faces her past. She meets some people along the way that remind her good people do exist. It was a heartbreaking book but it was necessary. My heart ached for Charlie and I was so proud of her. 5/5 stars - make sure you check it out when it is released on September 6th.

The Girl in 6E by A.R. Torre

I went into this book not expecting to like it. I'm not a huge fan of erotica but this was also marketed as a thriller which I am a fan of. I was so pleasantly surprised. We meet Deanna who is a sex-cam worker with a troubled past. Not only that but she is unable to leave her apartment because if she does, she'll kill someone. Yeah, we all occasionally have to urge to kill somebody but Deanna has more than an urge. Upon meeting a client, she learns of his sick fantasies as he asks her to act as a young girl called Annie. Deanna must bury all her tendencies and help when she finds out that Annie is a real person and must be helped. It was fast-paced, it was informative about a career I knew nothing about and I loved Deanna. I would definitely recommend it and I flew through it. 4.5/5 stars!

Becky's May Reads

May was such a good month in terms of books for me! I read some books that I'd been highly anticipating, and the two of us received a few ARC's of some amazing books - more about those further down! I read twelve books throughout May, and because of this, I upped my Goodreads 2016 reading challenge from fifty to seventy. Since I'm still halfway through this goal, I'm thinking of increasing it again soon!

The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater

4/5 stars

The final instalment in The Raven Cycle, The Raven King concludes the adventures of Blue, Gansey, Ronan, Adam and Noah in their hunt for the Welsh King Glendower. I didn't rate this book as highly as the rest of the series as there were too many loose ends left in my opinion, however it was still an enjoyable read if you don't think about the last few chapters!
(Angharad posted a full review of The Raven King here).

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A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas 

5/5 stars

Well, I think I've been screaming about ACOMAF so much that everyone already knows my opinion by now, but just in case you don't... 
I absolutely love Sarah J Maas, and I think this is by far her best book. ACOMAF opens just a few months after where A Court of Thorns and Roses left off. We see Feyre struggling with PTSD after what happened to her in the previous book, and her growth from that point onwards is absolutely amazing. This book is all about character and relationship growth. Speaking of relationships - guys, lets talk about Feysand. I have never seen such a perfect couple (fictional or otherwise). Feyre's acknowledgement of the abuse she received from Tamlin and her pulling away from that into a healthy, equal relationship is phenomenal and is such an important, true to life message. 
(Read my full review here).

p.s. both Angharad and I genuinely loved this book so much that we got Night Court tattoos! If inking a reminder of a book onto your skin for eternity isn't proof that it's a good book, then I don't know what is. Here's my tattoo!

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The Rose and the Dagger by Reneé Ahdieh

5/5 stars

This was the perfect ending to a perfect duology. The Rose and the Dagger wasn't as fast-paced and action packed as The Wrath and the Dawn, however it was still an amazing book in it's own right and it wrapped everything up perfectly. Since I only read The Wrath and the Dawn a couple of months ago, I feel like I both started and finished this series very fast, however it'll always hold a place in my heart since I've given both of the books a solid five stars. 

Read my full review here.

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The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi 

3/5 stars

Although I found this to be a fairly enjoyable read, something about it just didn't quite click for me. There seemed to be quite a merging of genres and influences, and although I appreciate all of those genres on their own, I'm not sure how well they worked together as a whole. One aspect of The Star-Touched Queen that I did appreciate was the influences from Indian culture - there was even a little word glossary at the back, which I loved! However, the writing style was beautiful and as I say, overall I did enjoy this book. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what the author writes next, as her writing is just perfection! 

Read my full review here.

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A Gathering of Shadows by V. E. Schwab

4/5 stars

After reading A Darker Shade of Magic in one sitting, I knew that I'd love it's sequel just as much. A Gathering of Shadows goes at a much slower pace and the majority of the plot is building up to something that happens in the last quarter of the book, but the characters and relationships are built upon so well. It did feel just a little bit like it was the middle book of a trilogy (which, well, it is), but I still think it's a must read! There was also a disgustingly upsetting cliffhanger, so I need A Conjuring of Light now, please. 

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This Savage Song by V. E. Schwab

5/5 stars

V. E. Schwab's latest release, This Savage Song, is the story of Kate and August, who live in a world where violence creates literal monsters. We were sent this book by the publishers, Titan Books, and we both absolutely loved it. It's released on the 7th June and we'd definitely recommend that you take a look at it!

Read our full review here.

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Cruel Reality: Games of Life and Death by C. J. Whitley

We were sent this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. Cruel Reality is a book reminiscent of The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner and, to an extent, The 100. It follows the stories of Mike and Kay, two young people who are amongst 300 British citizens who've been kidnapped and awoken on a boat, with no idea what happened or where they're heading. They eventually arrive at a tropical island, and this is where the action starts. It was released on the 27th May, so if that sounds like your sort of thing, it's now available to buy! 

Unfortunately, this book just wasn't for me. I couldn't get on with Mike, the protagonist, and I need to have that relationship with a main character to enjoy a book. 

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Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys 

3/5 stars

Between Shades of Gray, set in 1941 and inspired by true events, follows the story of Lina and her family as they are taken from their home in Lithuania and transported to a Soviet work camp.

What I got most from this book was a newfound knowledge of the Baltic countries during WWII. Despite studying this era and event extensively throughout my education, I don't think I've ever been told anything about what Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia went through during the war or with the Soviet Union under Stalin. I appreciated the little history lesson, but at the same time I was dying for the characters and plot to be as good as the information, and unfortunately I just didn't think they were. Lina's story should've been heartbreaking, but I just wasn't feeling it - the writing felt very detached, which wasn't something I wanted when people were being tortured or starving to death. I want books like this to destroy me, to rip my soul to shreds and make me cry so much that my eyes are red for days afterwards because I rubbed them too much (I can confirm that books have made this happen before). Overall, a good book but it just lacked the ability to make me empathise with the characters.

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The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma

3/5 stars

The Walls Around Us was a quick, interesting read for me. It follows Amber, a girl in a detention centre, Violet, a talented ballerina, and Orianna, the girl who links the two of them together. I enjoyed this book but some parts of it were just too confusing, and I think if the paranormal aspect of the book had been played down, it would've been far better. I did enjoy the ending, though - it was so unique and unlike anything I've ever read before! 

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Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas

5/5 stars

I really got in the mood for dark contemporaries towards the end of this month, and Dangerous Girls satisfied my craving perfectly. This is the story of Anna, who is away for Spring Break with her friends, when one morning they find her best friend Elise stabbed to death in her room. Anna is immediately labelled as the prime suspect. I loved this book so much that I finished it in just a few hours - it drags you in and keeps you captivated throughout its entirety. The ending was absolutely perfect; I was so shocked by it but at the same time, so happy. I can't recommend this book enough! 

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Nevernight by Jay Kristoff 
5/5 stars

We were sent copies of Nevernight by the publisher, HarperVoyager. It is about Mia, a girl seeking revenge for the deaths of her parents, who goes to join the Red Church - a secret assassins guild. Mia's different from the other initiates though, as she is Darkin and can control the shadows. 
This book is by far one of the best I've read this year. I knew when I read about it that I had to have it, but I didn't realise just how perfect it would be. The plot, the characters, the twists  throughout, the Italian inspirations... Literally, this is such a perfect book. Plus, who doesn't want a cat made of shadows named Mister Kindly for a sidekick?
Nevernight is released on the 11th August in the UK and the 9th August in the US, and I'd 100% recommend that you go and preorder a copy of it now!

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The Girl with All the Gifts by M. R. Carey
2/5 stars 

The Girl with All the Gifts is the story of Melanie, a young girl who is locked in a cell, restrained, and escorted to her classes each day by guards who strap her to a chair, along with a group of other children. They have no idea why they're there, and for a while, neither does the reader. I just couldn't get into this book. I felt as though the beginning of it, which was set in the base where Melanie was originally held, was much more interesting than the rest of the book, which descended into a story very stereotypical of it's genre (I won't say too much about that as it gives away a plot point). I didn't care about any of the secondary characters, so when the chapters started being from their points of view rather than Melanie's, I wasn't enjoying the story at all. I feel as though I'm the odd one out here as lots of people do seem to love this book, so if it sounds like your style, I'd still recommend it! I'm afraid it just wasn't for me. 

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What have you been reading throughout May? Any recommendations? Let us know in the comments!