So despite July being an incredibly busy month for me (what with moving house, spending almost a week in Scarborough, and shooting three weddings amongst other things) I somehow managed to read nineteen books! I'll keep each synopsis brief so that this doesn't win a world record for the longest blog post in the history of forever.
A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir
5/5 stars
Thanks to HarperVoyager for the ARC! This was one of my highly anticipated releases of 2016 so I was so happy to be able to get hold of an ARC of it. It's the continuation of Laia, Elias and Helene's stories in An Ember in the Ashes - definitely a must read if you enjoyed the first book. Without giving anything away, I'd say this book was definitely mostly about Helene's story, and that's something that I would never complain about.
Read our full review here.
Thanks to HarperVoyager for the ARC! This was one of my highly anticipated releases of 2016 so I was so happy to be able to get hold of an ARC of it. It's the continuation of Laia, Elias and Helene's stories in An Ember in the Ashes - definitely a must read if you enjoyed the first book. Without giving anything away, I'd say this book was definitely mostly about Helene's story, and that's something that I would never complain about.
Read our full review here.
My Favourite Manson Girl by Alison Umminger
4/5 stars
My Favourite Manson Girl follows Anna as she researches the Manson family during a stay with her sister in Los Angeles. Surprisingly, I enjoyed this book a lot more than I expected to. I'd recommend it for those looking for a light contemporary read but with a twist to it!
Read our full review here.
Uprooted by Naomi Novik
4/5 stars
I've put off reading Uprooted for a long time as I was scared of disliking it - luckily, I loved it. All I will say is, if you're looking for a slow building fantasy with perfect character development and with allusions to Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy, this is the book for you.
I've put off reading Uprooted for a long time as I was scared of disliking it - luckily, I loved it. All I will say is, if you're looking for a slow building fantasy with perfect character development and with allusions to Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy, this is the book for you.
3.5/5 stars
We received ARC's of Frostblood in the July Fairyloot box. Ruby is a fireblood living in a world controlled by frostblood's, taken in by the rebels to learn how to control and use her power for good. I enjoyed Frostblood, and it reminded me a lot of the Snow Like Ashes series. The story and characters were compelling, however I didn't find that anything about it specifically stuck in my mind - I'm looking forward to seeing if the sequel is different in this aspect!
The Summer That Melted Everything by Tiffany McDaniel
5/5 stars
We were incredibly privileged to receive an ARC of this book from the author. This is Tiffany McDaniel's debut, and we both loved it beyond words. It's the story of Fielding Bliss, and what happens when his Father invites the devil to come to town, and he accepts the invitation. It's a story of racism, homophobia and religious extremism. It is a must read.
Read our full review here.
Read our full review here.
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
5/5 stars
After reading Gone Girl last year, I've been meaning to read the rest of Gillian Flynn's books ever since. I'm so glad I finally got around to it over the past couple of months, and I can easily say that Sharp Objects is my favourite.
After reading Gone Girl last year, I've been meaning to read the rest of Gillian Flynn's books ever since. I'm so glad I finally got around to it over the past couple of months, and I can easily say that Sharp Objects is my favourite.
Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
3/5 stars
Although I didn't like Dark Places as much as Sharp Objects or Gone Girl, it was still an enjoyable (if that's the right word to use) read, and the mystery was perfect as always with Gillian Flynn's books.
The Crown and the Arrow by Renee Ahdieh
2/5 stars
One of the short stories in The Wrath and the Dawn series, The Crown and the Arrow didn't quite do it for me. I didn't feel as though it added much to the story, although it did give a nice insight into how Jalal and Despina met.
The Walled City by Ryan Graudin
4/5 stars
This has been on my shelf for a while now, and I was pleasantly surprised by it. The Walled City tells the stories of Jin Ling, Mei and Dai - three teenagers trapped within the walled city, a dystopian-esque place based on a real neighbourhood that used to exist in Hong Kong. I've gone off dystopians recently but I really enjoyed the world and the characters of The Walled City, and thought that the multiple points of view managed to work together really well.
This has been on my shelf for a while now, and I was pleasantly surprised by it. The Walled City tells the stories of Jin Ling, Mei and Dai - three teenagers trapped within the walled city, a dystopian-esque place based on a real neighbourhood that used to exist in Hong Kong. I've gone off dystopians recently but I really enjoyed the world and the characters of The Walled City, and thought that the multiple points of view managed to work together really well.
The Moth and the Flame by Renee Ahdieh
2/5 stars
Another Wrath and the Dawn short story, and once again, I didn't feel as though it was necessary to the overall plot of the series.
Another Wrath and the Dawn short story, and once again, I didn't feel as though it was necessary to the overall plot of the series.
Ivory and Bone by Julie Eshbaugh
2/5 stars
We received Ivory and Bone in the June Fairyloot box. I put off reading this as I wasn't sure whether I'd enjoy it or not, and as you can see, I was disappointed by it. I didn't feel as though the plot or the characters did anything for me - I didn't really care about what happened to them and felt very disconnected from the storyline.
Read our full review here.
The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon
2/5 stars
The Bone Sparrow is the story of Subhi, a refugee born in an Australian detention centre. This book was beautifully written and very informative - I'd never heard of the Rohingya people and their plight until I read it - but I felt as though it was aimed at a much younger audience, and therefore, I couldn't get into it.
Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
5/5 stars
Read our full review here.
Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman
5/5 stars
I was a bit weary of reading Vengeance Road as I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy the Cowboy dialect used throughout, but I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It's a book about Kate and her quest for revenge when she finds her Father murdered, and what she discovers about him and her family along the way.
Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedwick
3/5 stars
Midwinterblood is almost like seven short stories put together into one full story - it's the story of two souls searching for each other across lifetimes when they are torn apart in each one. I enjoyed this book, but strangely felt as though it was aimed at a younger audience, despite it's almost scary undertones.
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
3/5 stars
I think probably everyone know's what Shiver is about, as I'm very late to the party here. I didn't really like or dislike this book - it did remind me far too much of Twilight, and I do think I would have enjoyed it more had I read it ten years ago.
I think probably everyone know's what Shiver is about, as I'm very late to the party here. I didn't really like or dislike this book - it did remind me far too much of Twilight, and I do think I would have enjoyed it more had I read it ten years ago.
Linger by Maggie Stiefvater
2/5 stars
The popular opinion seemed to be that Linger was better than Shiver, but I found this book even stranger than the first. Despite that, I'm still probably going to read the sequel as I'm too invested by now.
The popular opinion seemed to be that Linger was better than Shiver, but I found this book even stranger than the first. Despite that, I'm still probably going to read the sequel as I'm too invested by now.
The Foreshadowing by Marcus Sedgwick
3/5 stars
As with Midwinterblood, I enjoyed this book but felt as though the writing style was too simplistic for me. It's set during WWI and is about Sasha Fox, a girl who can see visions of the future, but only when that future involves death.
As with Midwinterblood, I enjoyed this book but felt as though the writing style was too simplistic for me. It's set during WWI and is about Sasha Fox, a girl who can see visions of the future, but only when that future involves death.
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
5/5 stars
Yeah, I re-read ACOMAF this month. So this is obviously 5 stars, as always, and no explanation is needed.
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What have you been reading throughout July? Let us know in the comments!
Yeah, I re-read ACOMAF this month. So this is obviously 5 stars, as always, and no explanation is needed.
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What have you been reading throughout July? Let us know in the comments!
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