Queen of Books: 12/31/18

Monday, 31 December 2018

NOVEMBER + DECEMBER '18 WRAP-UP

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Also, it's time for a combined wrap-up of November and December which is also the last blogpost of the year.

December was insane with college finals and lots of homework. I had so much work that, that was all I did. Then, on my way back home for winter break, I spent about 11 hours in the airport cause my flight was cancelled and then I had to go get another flight and that one was so much later. Basically, I was at an airport from about 12:30 PM to 1:30 AM. My flight left at like 11:30 PM and I then got home at 2:30 AM.

I had a good Christmas and I may do a haul but I'll see how I feel later on. I'm planning some 2018 Wrap-Up posts which will be up in the coming week!

Anyways...

Time to talk about the books I read this month.

PHYSICAL BOOKS

The first book I read was Survive the Night by Danielle Vega. This was a book that I originally planned to read in October but I didn't have time. It was a pretty good thriller but I didn't feel too attached to any of the characters and I disliked many of them which made the read less enjoyable. I did a mini review on this book and rated it 3 Crowns.

The second book I read was Mortal Arts by Anna Lee Huber. This is the second book in the Lady Darby Mystery Series. I really like this Adult Mystery Series as it has a female front and center in a historical center. I rated it 4 Crowns.

The third book I read was Shadowsong by S. Jae Jones. This is yet another sequel and in this case I liked the first book a lot better than the second. Shadowsong focused more on Liesl and the world above which I didn't like as much. I wanted to see more of the Goblin King who we didn't get to see very much. I rated it 4 Crowns.

The fourth book I read was The Perfectionists by Sara Shepard. I love the TV show, Pretty Little Liars, but the books were not my cup of tea. This series by the same author, seems to be more up my ally. I really liked it and liked some of the girls in the book better. I rated it 3 Crowns.

The fifth book I read was The Odyssey by Homer which was for one of my classes. This was my second time reading it and I did enjoy it though as always, the language is difficult. I rated it 4 Crowns.

The sixth book I read was A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro. I have waited so long to read this book and I have no idea why. I enjoyed it a lot. This is a Sherlock modern day 'retelling' with two main characters, Charlotte Holmes (a descendant of Sherlock Holmes) and Jamie Watson (a descendant of Watson). I loved how Charlotte is similar to Sherlock and yet is her own person. I rated it 4 Crowns.

The seventh book I read was Winterspell by Claire Legrand which was a reread for me. I love reading at least one winter/holiday themed book before Christmas every year and this year was no exception. I enjoyed this as much as the first time I read it and rated it 4 Crowns again.

The eighth book I read was To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo. I bought this right after it came out and didn't ever get around to it. I ended up loving it. The banter between the two main characters was hilarious and I loved the slow enemies to lovers trope which is one of my favorite tropes. I also loved that it was about sirens and these were the kind of evil sirens that a lot of YA authors shy away from. I rated it 5 Crowns.

The ninth book I read was The Last of August by Brittany Cavallaro. I loved this second book of the Charlotte Holmes series though Charlotte bothered me a little bit more in this book especially in the way she kind of messed with Jamie a lot. I'm hoping a lot of it works out in the next book. I rated it 4 Crowns.

AUDIOBOOKS READ

The first audiobook I listened to was The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh. This is the sequel to The Wrath and the Dawn which I loved to much. I never managed to get to the books in their physical form. I really enjoyed getting to continue the story of Shahrzad and Khalid and it was an amazingly beautiful story. I highly recommend the audiobook versions. I rated it 5 Crowns.

The second audiobook I listened to was Legendary by Stephanie Garber which is the sequel to Caraval. The audiobook versions of these books are so easy to listen to and they completely immerse you in the story. I loved getting to read a story with Tella's perspective as she's almost the complete opposite of her sister who's point of view was focused on in Caraval. I also liked getting to know Dante and getting to see a new character, Jacks. I loved it a lot and rated it 5 Crowns.

ARC'S READ

NONE

REVIEWS IN NOVEMBER + DECEMBER:

Mini Reviews: Mystery, Horror and Thriller Edition

WEEKLY WRAP-UP:

10/29 - 11/11

11/12 - 11/18

11/19 - 12/9

DISCUSSIONS/OTHER:

Short Nanowrimo Announcement

September + October '18 Wrap-Up

FAVORITE COVER OF THE MONTH:

NEW FICTIONAL BAE'S:

Khalid from The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh

Jacks from Legendary by Stephanie Garber

Dante from Legendary by Stephanie Garber

Jamie Watson from A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

Prince Elian from To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

NEW FAVORITE FEMALES:

Shahrzad from The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh

Donatella from Legendary by Stephanie Garber

Kiera Darby from Mortal Arts by Anna Lee Huber

Charlotte Holmes from A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

Princess Lira from To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

NEW FAVORITE BOOK RELATIONSHIPS:

Thomas and Audrey Rose from Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

Pity and Max from Gunslinger Girl by Lyndsay Ely

Khalid and Shahrzad from The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

Charlotte and Jamie from A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

Lira and Elian from To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

TV SHOWS I WATCHED THIS MONTH: