December Wrap Up

Wow, can you believe the year is over?  It's kinda mind-boggling to realize that 2016 is practically upon us.  I feel like I'm still waiting for 2015, which was a big year for me.  Well, 2016 looks to be a good year, too, full of tons of new books that I'm eager to read.  This month I had a rather moderate goal to read five books, and I far surpassed it.  The first half of this month was some of the best reading I've done all year, and while I did hit a lull in the middle, I managed to pick myself back up just in time for January.

Of all the books on my December TBR the only one I haven't managed to read is White Night by Jim Butcher.  I love the Dresden Files, but this one just seems to be committed to not getting read.  I want to finish/catch up on the Dresden Files in the new year, so I will certainly be reading this, it's just a matter of when.  The rest of the books on my TBR have been read, which is awesome!

1. Cress

Cress was a  fantastic read, and I feel like I've talked this one up quite a bit lately, since it made such an impact.  My review for this has been published, so if you're curious to see all my thoughts, go check that out.

2. Shadow and Bone

I wasn't completely stunned by this one upon finishing, but I did think it was a very good book.  However, the more time that passes since finishing, the more I find myself thinking about it.  Shadow and Bone made an impact and really was a fantastic read.  I'll be finishing this series in the new year, hopefully, and also, hopefully, be reading Six of Crows.  If you're curious, my review has been published.

3. The Golden Braid

This was an ARC I really wanted to get to this month, and I'm so glad I finally did get to it.  It had a slow start, but by the end I was so wrapped up in it that I couldn't put it down.  It's the final (I think) book in a series I haven't read the rest in, but you can read them in any order, and I plan to at least read the first book in this series in the new year.  My review is here, if you want more in-depth thoughts.

4. Soundless

I love Richelle Mead, she's easily one of my favorite authors.  She was one of the first YA authors I ever read, actually, and I still love Vampire Academy to death (though I haven't finished Bloodlines...).  I picked this up, and while it's not her best work, it's also not a bad book.  I'd recommend it once all the hype/hate dies down.  My review is here.

5. Bentwhistle the Dragon in a Threat from the Past

This was a book I received from the author in exchange for an honest review.  He was actually kind enough to send me the whole trilogy, which I plan to read over the course of the next few months.  I rather enjoyed this one, though there were some flaws (particularly where the plot dragged in the middle).  Also, it should be noted that this is not epic fantasy, but urban fantasy, something I didn't realize until I started.  My review for this will be up on Tuesday.

6. Snow Like Ashes

This is the poor book that got caught up in my slow-down of reading in the middle of the month.  It wasn't a bad book, but I did have some problems with it that I addressed in my review (which will be up next Friday).  I do plan to read the sequel at some point in the new year, because overall, it was a good book.

7. Shadows Edge

Okay, so as of writing this post, I haven't finished this book.  But I'm practically done with it (100 pages left) and won't let myself go to sleep tonight before I finish.  So far, I absolutely love it, it's so much better than the first book, and there are so many awesome characters, and scenes, and moments.  Basically, this could be a five star book (it'll depend on the ending) but will for sure be a 4.5 star book.

I also managed to read quite a few graphic novels and manga this month, all of which I rather enjoyed.  I read volumes 8 & 9 of Noragami and volumes 1 & 2 of Blue Exorcist.  I also read volumes 4 & 5 of Hawkeye (volume 4 blew my mind) and volume 1 of Star Wars, which was also really, really good.

I tried to catch up on all the shows I was behind, but it just didn't happen, sadly.  I did manage to finally finish the fourth season of Once Upon a Time, and will start catching up on season five once I've caught up on Doctor Who (I have ten episodes left, or something like that).

How was your month?  What was your best read?  Can you believe 2016 is tomorrow?  Let me know in the comments!

Friday 56: Shadow and Bone

Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice.  Click here to join in on the fun.

Rules: Grab a book, any book.

Turn to page 56, or 56% in your eReader.

Find a sentence, or a few, and post it.

This week I'm spotlighting Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, a book that I took far too long to get to.

Here's the description taken from Goodreads:

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.

Shadow and Bone is the first installment in Leigh Bardugo's Grisha Trilogy.

From page 56 of Shadow and Bone:

"We'll only stop to change horses.  If we stop before then, you'll know something is wrong."

Fall Wrap-Up

Haha, well, I might be a little late on this one, since fall has long since passed at this point.  I wanted to continue the tradition of seasonal wrap-ups, though, and talk about my favorite reads from the last few months.  So, without, further ado, here are my favorite reads since this summer:

Horimiya Vol. 1

This is probably the only manga that's managed to catch me within the first few pages.  Thanks to my friend, M, who recommended it to me (and a few seconds later I ordered it) and got me hooked.  Absolutely adorable romance about two high schoolers with secrets.  I really recommend you pick this up.  Plus, volume two comes out in only a few weeks (I'm so excited!).

Cress

This was my favorite installment so far.  It totally blew me away, and just

rocked my world completely.  I recommend reading my review if you want to see me get all nostalgic for it.

Shadow and Bone

This one took me far to long to get to.  I loved it (though I didn't give it five stars) and am so glad that I finally picked it up.  Only holding off on buying the next book because of funds.

Hawkeye: Rio Bravo

Mind blowing amazing conclusion to an already amazing series.  I don't think anything else will be able to top this ending for quite some time.

You may notice that this is a rather short list, and while I read a ton of books that I liked, I haven't read that many that I absolutely loved and blew me away.  Which is a shame, and something I hope changes by the next time I do a wrap up.

Book Review: Shadow and Bone (The Grisha Trilogy, #1)

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Website, Facebook, Twitter

Edition: Paperback

Buy Links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Book Depository

Goodreads Link

Rating: 4 Stars

I have had a copy of Shadow and Bone since it came out in paperback.  Which is a crazy long time.  And not once did I bother to pick it up to even try the first page.  I would glance at it on my shelf, think how pretty it looked, and then say I would get to it later.  Well, the fates aligned and I picked it up completely on a whim.  I had no inclination of starting this book for a while still, but after all but deciding I would go to Book Con and seeing the author would be there, and also waiting for a book to arrive in the mail, I couldn't stop myself.  And do you know how fast I read this one?  24 hours.  Right after Cress.  So, yeah, it was crazy addicting, and I'm so glad to have been bitten by the reading bug again.

Shadow and Bone takes place in a fantasy world based off of Russia.  It follows Alina, a mapmaker for the First Army.  When she and her regiment cross the Unsea, a dark place that exists because of twisted magic, she learns she is one of the Grisha- those who have magic (of a sort; it's called "Small Science").  And not just any Grisha, but a Sun Summoner.  She's whisked off to court where she must learn to master her powers in order to save her world.

I will admit that this book started off slow.  I wasn't completely sold until she arrived at court, around chapter six.  It wasn't a bad story before then, but it was a bit cliched and the setting hadn't had time to cement itself.  Once things got going, though, it was all I could do to put it down and go to sleep.  I even managed to dream about this book in the hours between reading!  The plot moves quickly, and there wasn't anything unnecessary.  Every plot development advanced the story, and it could have been a trilogy all on its own, with the amount of things that happen.

The strongest aspect of the story is the setting.  Gorgeous!  And I mean it practically comes off the page.  It's a subtle world-building that relies on a few phrases, people's general idea of a romantic version of historical Russia, and a taste of magic in the writing.  Every once in a while I stumble into a book with a location I actually want to visit, and Ravka is one of those places.

As for the writing and characters, at first neither really stood out.  Once the ball got rolling, though, neither disappointed.  I look forward to continuing this series, and plan to pick up the rest of the trilogy very soon.