January Wrap Up

I got a ton of reading done this month I can barely believe it!  Part of the reason I got so much done is kinda sad (my depression reared it's ugly head again, ugh) but there is the upside of the amount of pages I poured through this month- and loved!  I mean, I did have a pretty high goal for myself this month and I (pretty much) managed to reach it.  If you remember my January TBR I planned to read eight books, and I finished six of those and then one I didn't plan to get to.  The only ones I didn't manage to finish were Bentwhistle the Dragon in a Chilling Revelation, though I'm currently a few chapters in, and Sword and Verse, which I just didn't feel like reading when the preorder finally came in.

1. Red Queen

I loved this book so much!  I couldn't have imagined that I would adore it so, and I'm desperately waiting for Glass Sword at this point.  I actually find myself thinking about this book pretty regularly, which really surprises me.  It was a great way to start off the month, even though it took me two weeks to read it.

2. Illuminae

I buddy read this book with Maryam Dinzly and it was so fun to do that!  On top of that, this book was amazingly fantastic and if you haven't read it you really, really should.  It took me about a day and a half to get through completely and I both savored every second and couldn't stop racing through it.

3. The Night Parade

This was such a surprisingly good read!  It's a cute little middle grade steeped in Japanese mythology, and I really, really recommend it.  Particularly, if you know a young reader; it's the perfect story to share among many generations.

4. A Thousand Pieces of You

I have some really conflicted feelings about this book.  On one hand it was super addicting, and on the other, it wasn't that deep and the romance was weak.  I do plan to continue this series, though, and I'm excited to do so.

5. Fairest

This one took me no time at all to read and I rather enjoyed it!  It's not super important to reading the rest of the series, but I think if you're a fan you'll enjoy it.  I do recommend reading it between Cress and Winter, if you're curious.

6. Beyond the Shadows

Oh goodness this book swept me away and gave me massive book hangover!  It's the final book in the Night Angel trilogy and things only got better.  I heard that Brent Weeks said he'd be writing another trilogy set in this world, and I really, really can't wait.

7. You Were Here

I'm actually writing this post before I've finished this book, but I'm not worried about finishing it.  So far it's been a really quick read and, while it's not as angsty as I think it's trying to be, I'm really enjoying it. The art really adds a level to the story that I'm enjoying.

I also managed to read several volumes of manga, and a couple graphic novels, too.  TV-wise I haven't watched very much, and hopefully next month I'll fix that problem.  I just haven't been motivated to do much more than read, and, honestly, I'm okay with that.

What books did you read last month?  Any you absolutely loved?  Let me know!

5 Star Book Review: Illuminae (The Illuminae Files, #1)

Authors: Amie Kaufman
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Jay Kristoff
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Edition: Hardcover
Buy Links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Book Depository
Goodreads Link
Rating: 5 Stars

THIS BOOK GUYS THIS BOOK!  This review won't have spoilers, but I'm more than willing to do a spoilery review because I have so many things to say about it!  I actually buddy read this book with the lovely Maryam Dinzly and you should definitely go follow her and check out her blog!  This was my first buddy read and I think it went really well!

Illuminae is about Ezra and Kady, who start the novel having broken up only a few hours earlier.  Well, as Ezra put it "You picked one hell of a day to dump me, Kades" since the novel begins with their home planet being invaded by a nefarious corporation and follows their journey/struggle to get to safety over the course of about one year.  As you may have heard/noticed, this isn't any regular sort of novel.  In fact, it's rather unconventional in a beautiful way.  The best way I can describe it is like reading a "found footage" film.

Because of this strange format I was worried I wouldn't connect to well with either the story or the characters.  But, I had absolutely no problem with this!  In fact, I would argue that this book actually made it easier to connect with both the characters and story since it felt so much more real than a regular novel.  Even getting only a small peek into Kady's mind, it didn't feel like an un-personal novel.  And, yes, there are a bunch of characters, but they're not all swimming around in your head.  They're easy to remember, perhaps because of all the unique situations they're in and the roles that they play.

Setting is a really big factor in this book, and while it wasn't cut and dry, I did almost feel like I was living aboard either the Alexander or the Hypatia.  It's not exactly vivid, but it's not a far reach from the sort of world we live in now.  Which, perhaps, makes the story even more unsettling.  I do think one could draw parallels between this book and the refugees from Syria if one was so inclined.

The biggest thing about this book was the sheer amount of twists I was unprepared for.  You go into the book expecting one page, then the next page has the world turning upside down, and the page after that suddenly everything's inverted.  It's such a pleasant ride!  And while there's a huge amount of heartbreak, there's also a huge amount of hope in this book.  

My recommendation: enjoy the ride and savor every moment, because an experience like this book comes around maybe once every few years.

Waiting on Wednesday: Illuminae

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