Anyway, I've decided to write more about books and give monthly summaries of what I have read. I'd like to write more detailed book reviews but, quite frankly, I'm lazy. So this is what you get. These overall impressions about books that I read once a month.
Also, please suggest books to me. I may spend just as much time trying to find books as I do reading some days. It's a constant struggle.
This month I made it through seven books plus one book I am going to most likely end up dropping because, well, I'll explain later.
An Ember In The Ashes
Author: Sabaa Tahir
Young Adult Fantasy, Dystopia, meh
I really hesitated about reading this book. I had a feeling of the sort of book it would be (your standard YA fantasy romance nonsense) but the "ancient Rome" reference plus some rave reviews made me give it a try. It was okay. I have read worse and I actually ended up finishing this one. It just has many of the issues that I have with this whole area in general. Love happens too quickly for no reason. Thankfully, the love isn't a main focus of the book but it is there and it is annoying if that sorta thing bugs you.
The other issue I have is the characters. There is a very interesting character who has some very cool stuff going on but she is sadly a secondary character. The male point of view is okay, he's interesting and engaging and didn't bother me, but the girl was just... ugh. Maybe because I am an only child I don't "get" her obsessive need to do ANYTHINGGGGGG to save her brother. But she just seemed foolish most of the time. I wish the above interesting female would have been the main and this stupid girl who made herself a slave would have just been thrown away. Boooooo.
Rating: 2.5/5 Read it if this is your thing.
The Novice
Author: Taran Matharu
Young Adult Fantasy, magic! dragons! or... pokemon! I dunno.
I read this book because it was like Harry Potter meets Pokemon and I am really glad I did. The main character was interesting and not annoying at all. The premise was (while not totally unique) really engaging. And I just really enjoyed reading about this world. It went by quickly, I read the book in two or three days, and I wasn't bored at all while reading it.
Yeah, there are cliches throughout the book and the whole "magic school" thing has been done to death but I am really kinda into that thing. Maybe it's because Harry Potter is what started my reading journey, maybe it's because that little bubble can just be nicely developed. I dunno. But it was a really great little book, though definitely geared towards the younger crowd.
Rating: 4/5 stars. A great young adult book, though a bit on the young side
The Knife of Never Letting Go
Author: Patrick Ness
Science Fiction Dystopia, Journey, Thriller, Gory
This book has been on my Kindle for three years. My Goodreads account says I started this back in March 2012. This isn't because it's a bad book, it's because it SOUNDED like a book I would't enjoy. Oh a boy goes on an adventure with his talking dog... so interesting. I wanted to read it because of the reviews but I just.... couldn't. I'd find another book and I would read it instead and now it's three years later and I finished the entire series in like a week and a half and I hate myself for taking so long to read it. Seriously.
The book is a lot more than it appears in the beginning. The world is so weird and interesting and alien yet familiar. The whole "you can always hear my thoughts" thing is addressed in such a way that it doesn't seem annoying. It is perfectly balanced between helping and hurting the main character. The book is so smartly done and I just found myself in love with it instantly.
Rating: 5/5 Read this book now I don't care what you're reading just do it.
The Ask and the Answer
Author: Patrick Ness
Science Fiction Dystopia this is a sequel to the last book just look there but I will add ~love~
This book is maybe better than the first one in the series. It really is. Which is rare. Even with the inclusion of ~love~ which made me dislike Catching Fire when compared to Hunger Games. Again the characters are great and the new conflict just adds a whole different level to the book. You really get to know the place you are in and see the growth of the characters.
This book was very dark and it isn't a happy book at all. But at the same time you just can't help but keep hope. You'll understand if you read it!
Rating 5/5 just buy both of the books when you get the first one
Monsters of Men
Author: Patrick Ness
This is the third of the last two books. I am not writing the genres.
Now, as much as I loved the first two this book sort of... lost a bit. The points of view change so quickly that I really didn't feel like I could get into it like the last two books at all. The vibe changed, the pacing changed, everything changed and I didn't enjoy it.
The story was still good. Though the ending was a bit "meh" and while the epilogue thing was great the actual ending made me very angry. I dunno. I feel like when you read this book just stop 90% in and make up your own ending. You'll be happier that way.
Rating: 3.5/5 DISAPPOINTMENT!!
A Head Full of Ghosts
Author: Paul Tremblay
Science Fiction? Horror, Thriller, this book should be more disgusting!
This books description sounded so good! Oooooh, a reality TV show about a family trying to get their young daughter to not be possessed when she really is just schizophrenic? Gimme the book! I love creepy weird things. I like being made uncomfortable. I like books that make me react.
This isn't that book. It was boring and so much of it just seemed pointless. It had so much potential to be AWESOME but was executed so poorly. I skipped so much of the "present day" stuff and just went to the past to read about the creepy sister who wasn't really even creepy. I dunno, maybe my expectations were wrong in this one. The narrator just didn't help things at all.
Rating: 3/5 stars If there's nothing else you wanna read I guess this is okay...
Pines
Author: Blake Crouch
Science Fiction, thriller, snooze
This book was just average. Nothing special about nothing bad about it. I feel like the entire three books could have been made into one book and 2/3 of the content of this guy cut out. The 10 episode series made off of this book is obviously the way it should have been done.
Watch Wayward Pines, don't worry about reading this. Not worth it.
Rating: 2.5/5 stars If you really love mystery go for it, but that's about it. Watch the show!
More Happy Than Not
Young Adult Drama Boring Why?
I need to stop reading these sort of young adult discovery books. I just don't care. I don't relate to the narrator and I find it boring unless there's a lot going on. And in this book there's not a lot going on. Let's play manhunt for 15 pages!!!
Rating: dropped at 25%
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