On Rereads: Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine and Jackaby series by WIlliam Ritter

On Rereads is a monthly feature on My Thoughts Lit where I talk about the books I reread during the month. It's an opportunity to share some new thoughts on a book I read before and usually to prepare for a new release. For the foreseeable future I plan to do one reread a month so I want to share my thoughts on these books the second time around. This a little bit late for July but I've been super slow on my rereads lately (and well reading on the whole but shhh!!!)

All the amazing books are coming out in the next couple months, amiright? In particular, there are some great sequels and series enders coming out in February, many of which are on my most anticipated books of the year. So to prepare I am reareading the books in their series. As usually these are my audiobooks for the month. But here is my thoughts on these rereads....

Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine
(Amazon / Goodreads / Audible / My Review)

I love this series so much, you guys! It constantly surprises me but how complex and engaging it is. I had an ARC of the second book in the series, Paper and Fire, which I read over the 4th of July weekend so in preperation I of course had to read the first book in the series to refresh my memory. And as usually with my rereads, I listened to the audiobook.

Usually with rereads I am excited to read them because I forget little details about the book and I need a refresher but that was not the case with this book. I remembered so much about this book. I mean, I may have remembered too much. There were moments where I wanted them to just go right to the exciting and action-packed parts at the end of the book. It also made the book a little less mysterious. But that doesn't mean the book was ruined. Honestly, I liked it just as much as I did the first time around. It's such an atmospheric and complex book with so many different elements that I did pick up a few things that I may have missed the first time around.

But I think that maybe that was because I loved the audiobook. I was so excited to listen to it because the world is so atmospheric and that usually translates really well to the audio format for me. And it was absolutely the case here. The book had a really great immersive quality with the audio format. Not to mention that this is a book with a diverse cast of characters and the narrator did a good job establishing them. Some of the accents weren't perfect but he did a good job with the characterizations, especially with Jess.

On the whole, this was a great reread. I'm so glad I took the time to listen to the audiobook and refresh my memory before I read Paper and Fire. Mostly, I'm just glad for the time to get back into this world and experience it again.

The Jackaby Series by William Ritter

Jackaby -  (Amazon / Goodreads / Audible / My Review)
Beastly Bones -  (Amazon / Goodreads / Audible / My Review)

I mean you all probably know that I am super obsessed with this series if you have been around awhile. Both Jackaby and Beastly Bones were on my favorites of the year lists last year and the year before. I expect no different for Ghostly Echoes which I am about to start tonight.

So naturally I needed to have what is becoming my annual reread of Jackaby. And while I did still really love it, I laughed and was thoroughly entertained, I'm not sure three years in a row is the best thing to do when it comes to a mystery. Some of the suspense was lost as I remembered so much of the book that I wasn't as impressed with the plot development. It wasn't just me seeing the foreshadowing and clues anymore, it was me just going through the motions. But none of the charm was lost. So much of this series is about the humor and fun which was not lost in my reread.

In contrast, with Beastly Bones I remembered very little of the book. There is just something about second books that I just forget all about them. I of course remembered the big stuff but not the little details so it was a really nice refresher before Ghostly Echoes. I also think on that note, that much of the storyline from Ghostly Echoes was introduced in the beginning of Beastly Bones so it will have a good flow within the series for me.

Plus I do really like the audio for this series. I think Nicola Barber does a fantastic job with the series. She totally gets the tone and humor of the series. From the absurdity that is Jackaby, to the effervescence and inquisitiveness that is Abigail, to the sarcasm and exasperation of Jenny. She even does a great job with Charlie and Hank Hudson. I'm a big fan of her as an audiobook narrator and this series on the whole.

Have you read Ink and Bone or The Jackaby series? Did you reread in preparation for their sequels? Have you done any rereads lately? What books? Do you like doing rereads or not? Tell me why. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

On Rereads: Fantasies with May Sequels

On Rereads is a monthly feature on My Thoughts Lit where I talk about the books I reread during the month. It's an opportunity to share some new thoughts on a book I read before and usually to prepare for a new release. For the foreseeable future I plan to do one reread a month so I want to share my thoughts on these books the second time around.

I usually try to do a few rereads a month to prepare for upcoming sequels. I had four on my list for May but I honestly only got to half of them. I'm still trying to decide if I want to push the ones I didn't read to June or to just say


The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh
(Amazon / Goodreads / Audible / My Review)

I loved this book when I read it last year. I was so impressed by the world, the plot, and especially the characters. I fell helplessly in love with Shazi, adored Khalid, and totally ship them. I was excited for the sequel, The Rose and the Dagger, to come out so I decided to reread this one to refresh my memory.

And boy did I need a refresher. This was, I think, the first book I read that was set in a high fantasy world inspired by the Middle East with magic that slowly came into the book but it wasn't the last. They all tend to blend together after awhile and so I needed to be reminded of the plot of the book. I honestly forgot so much. Well except how amazing Shazi is, that I remembered. And I loved the story again. Even though I knew how it would go, I still felt like the stakes were high and there was a lot of exciting moments.

But that being said, I didn't love the audio for this one. I have such a hard time with certain female narrators and what I assume is the way that they try and create atmosphere. The narrator here was one of the examples of what I don't like. She was just entirely too breathy for me and I even speeding it up didn't help much.

But I am really glad that I reread it. It was a great refresher for the series and I was able to dive right into The Rose and the Dagger knowing what had led to that point.

The Sin Eater's Daughter by Melinda Salisbury
(Amazon / Goodreads / Audible / My Review)

Hilariously, so this is going to be the total opposite of what I said above. Well except for this first point. I absolutely loved this book when I read it originally. I have it 10 stars and it actually pulled me out of a reading slump when I read it last winter. So with the sequel/companion coming out at the end of this month I was excited to reread it.

And yes, I do still like the story but I think this is a case where I should not have reread. For one thing, I remembered a lot of details about this book. It's not a super complex story. The main plot is about the character learning about the way things really are and then there is a bit at the end that will set up future books. One of the things I liked about this book this the first time was the mystery and the big reveals. Not having that here kind of made the story not as exciting.

There is also a lot of world-building. Like a lot, a lot. The first time around I really liked the way that this book combined religion, history, and politics to create a complex and engaging world. But this time I just wanted the plot to kick in. It just felt like a lot of exposition. It may have just been a case of timing. Good timing the first time around and bad timing this time around.

But despite the fact that I did like the audio. I felt like the narration did a good job of setting the tone of the story. There was a lot of mystery and confusion with it and the internal conflict of the characters were evident in their thoughts and manner of speech. If you are reading this for the first time and are a fan of audiobooks I would recommend this one.

Have you read the The Wrath and the Dawn or The Sin Eater's Daughter? Did you reread in preparation for their sequels? Have you done any rereads lately? What books? Do you like doing rereads or not? Tell me why.  Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

On Rereads: The Raven Cycle by Maggie Steifvater

On Rereads is a monthly feature on My Thoughts Lit where I talk about the books I reread during the month. It's an opportunity to share some new thoughts on a book I read before and usually to prepare for a new release and sequel. For the foreseeable future I plan to do rereads every month so I want to share my thoughts on these books the second time around.

All the amazing series conclussion are coming out this spring, amiright? So to prepare I am reareading the books in their series. In particular this month's rereads which are The Raven Cycle books. I can't believe The Raven King is coming out tomorrow! *hyperventilates* I have been waiting a year and a half for this book. I' mean, I've had it preordered for a year. I'm so excited and nervous. So I listened to the first three on audiobook to prepare. So here is my thoughts on these rereads....

The Raven Cycle by Maggie Steifvater

The Raven Boys -  (Amazon / Goodreads / Audible / My Review)
The Dream Thieves -  (Amazon / Goodreads / Audible / My Review)
Blue Lily, Lily Blue -  (Amazon / Goodreads / Audible / My Review)

I cannot put into words how good this series is. I love it on paper and I love it in audio. It's one of those series that defies genre characterization. Is it contemporary? Sure, maybe. Is it fantasy? Probably. But what subgenre? Supernatural? Maybe. But dubtful. Magical Realism? Most likely. But either way, it a beautifully written and atmospheric read with great character-driven moments, a insanely well-plotted story and  so much magic.  I love the way that the magic is coming in more and more as the series develops and I can't wait to find out what Maggie has in store for us in the final book. It's a series too that fits so well as an audiobook. The atmosphere of the series works great in the audio format and it makes for such an immersive listen

In particular, I love the characters in this series. I just love them so much. It is a series that is full of complicated and likable characters. The main cast of characters is probably five, well there are four people with perspectives. Actually, there are a lot of people with perspectives. Anyway, I digress. It's a large group of people in this book and they're all fantastic. My favorite is probably Ronan. He will never not make me laugh. Then Adam, who is adorably melancholy. (The Pynch feels were super strong in my reread). But I also love Blue and her fiestiness, and Gansey and his determination and kindness. The narrator of the audiobook does a great job with establishing each character. I love Adam's southern drawl that he ineffectively tries to stiffle. I love that you can hear the sneer in Ronan's speak and feel the sass in Blue's. I felt like the characters were coming to life.

But my favorite thing about this series is how well-plotted it is. Maggie does what I like so much with series where each book is self-contained with it's own antagonist and resolution but it builds up the larger story at the same time. But it is by no means boring, there are tons of surprises. I mean I remember the first time I read The Raven Boys and the twists just destroyed me. I did not see them coming. And here even though I did know they were coming, they didn't affect me any less. For one thing, I was kicking myself for not figuring some of them out way earlier. The clues are right there for us. Maggie does a great job of establishing those hints throughout the book. So when I was reading it this time I was picking up on those things. But also, I forgot so many specifics about the plot. I definitely needed a refresher so this was good.

And before I wrap this up, I have to rave about the audiobook for a second. I listen to my fair share of audiobooks and this one was really fantastic. It definitely became a new favorite, So much of my enjoyment of an audiobook comes down to the narrator. Which is often a personal preference. But I was a huge fan of Will Patton's narration. I think he did a great job of characterizations with the different accents and tones for the characters. Plus I think he also did a great job in establishing the world and tapping into that atmospheric nature of the writing. I'm expecting my copy of The Raven King to be a little delayed but I'm no longer mad because I loved the audio so much I plan to listen to it.

Have you read the The Raven Cycle? Are you dying for The Raven King? Did you reread in preparation for their series conclusions? Have you done any rereads lately? What books? Do you like doing rereads or not? Tell me why.  Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

On Rereads: The Winners Trilogy by Marie Rutkowski

On Rereads is a monthly feature on My Thoughts Lit where I talk about the books I reread during the month. It's an opportunity to share some new thoughts on a book I read before and usually to prepare for a new release and sequel. For the foreseeable future I plan to do rereads every month so I want to share my thoughts on these books the second time around.

All the amazing books are coming out in the next couple months, amiright? In particular, there are some great sequels and series enders coming out in February, many of which are on my most anticipated books of the year. So to prepare I am reareading the books in their series. As usually these are my audiobooks for the month. But here is my thoughts on these rereads....

The Winner's Trilogy by Marie Rutkowski

The Winner's Curse -  (Amazon / Goodreads / Audible / My Review)
The Winner's Crime -  (Amazon / Goodreads / Audible / My Review)

I am such a fan of this series. It's without a doubt one of my favorite YA Fantasies without magic. I love the world which seems to be loosely based on Ancient Greek culture. the characters, and plot development. The characters in particular are my favorite part of this series. Kestrel is always a character I think of when I want to mention "strong female protagonists" that are decidedly feminine. She doesn't want to be a soldier, she doesn't want to be a wife, she wants to be a musician or a strategist, a leader. I love Kestrel for that.

These books are so well-plotted with amazing plot twists and big reveals. One of the things I found really interesting the first time around is the amount of dramatic irony that came from seeing both sides of the story. I remember thinking how great it was that in a conflict you were rooting for both sides to win. But the second time around, while it was interesting to see that again, I did find myself kind of annoyed by the lack of communication and conflict that it caused. But I am really glad I reread it in preparation of the final book in the series. I think I could have gotten by without the refresher but it was fun to check back in with this world.

But as far as the audio goes, I didn't love it. So much of my enjoyment of an audiobook comes down to the narrator. Which is often a personal preference. Some of my favorite narrators could not work for you and vice versa. Unfortunately Justine Eyre, the narrator here, is not one of my favorites. She is just too breathy and raspy for my taste. Now sometimes that worked. I loved the way she varied the accents based on the cultures and I thought Arin's and the accents of the Herrani were fine, but her accent for Kestrel and the Valorians I did not enjoy. And so much pf what I love about this series is Kestrel so the fact that I hated the sound of her voice was problematic.

Have you read the The Winners Trilogy? Did you reread in preparation for their series conclusions? Have you done any rereads lately? What books? Do you like doing rereads or not? Tell me why.  Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

On Rereads: The Reckoners and A Darker Shade of Magic

On Rereads is a monthly feature on My Thoughts Lit where I talk about the books I reread during the month. It's an opportunity to share some new thoughts on a book I read before and usually to prepare for a new release. For the foreseeable future I plan to do one reread a month so I want to share my thoughts on these books the second time around.

All the amazing books are coming out in the next couple months, amiright? In particular, there are some great sequels and series enders coming out in February, many of which are on my most anticipated books of the year. So to prepare I am reareading the books in their series. As usually these are my audiobooks for the month. But here is my thoughts on these rereads....

The Reckoners Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson

Steelheart -  (Amazon / Goodreads / Audible / My Review)
Mitosis -  (Amazon / Goodreads / Audible)
Firefight -  (Amazon / Goodreads / Audible / My Review)

I am so freaking obsessed with this series. It will always hold a special place in my heart for being my first Brandon Sanderson book. The rest is history but this is the book that started it all. So with Calamity coming out I knew I needed to reread the first books in the series to refresh my memory.

It was honestly a really great choice because these books are so well-plotted with amazing plot twists and big reveals that I was reeling from even the second time around. I remembered a lot of the big stuff but small details had escaped me. Rereading it allowed me to come up with these super harebrained theories about how it will all end. I started Calamity a few days ago and one of my theories has already been proven wrong but this is Brandon Sanderson so I shouldn't be all that surprised.

But what I really liked about this reread was the audio. MacLeod Andrews, the narrator, is a genius. Steelheart is one of my all-time favorite audiobooks and he is a big part of that. Like all really good narrators he does a fantastic job of creating different characters. I love the way he creates David's awkwardness and humor, Megan's jaded snark, and Prof's turmoil and gruff caring. Plus Cody and Abraham! GAH! I had never listened to Firefight before so I was really excited to here the narration for it and wow, was it amazing! I'm reading Calamity but I like the audio so much that down the line I may listen to it too.

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Scwab
(Amazon / Goodreads / Audible / My Review)

This book, ugh, you guys. It's so good. It was my favorite book of 2015 and quickly became a new favorite when I read it last year. It's so freaking amazing. The world is so complex and compelling, the characters are interesting and likable, and the plot is so freaking engaging. I'm super excited for A Gathering of Shadows coming out in less than a week!

Usually with rereads I am excited to read them because I forget little detail about the book and I need a refresher. And that definitely happened here but I remembered a lot more than I thought I did. But because I knew what was coming I felt like I had less patience for the exposition. Now don't get me wrong, I love the world building here but I spent a lot of the beginning thinking "when are Kell and Lila going to meet? When are they doing to Red London? I HAVE FEELINGS!"

But I think that maybe that was because I didn't totally love the audiobook, which made me kind of sad. I was so excited to listen to it because the plot of this book is so amazing and engaging. But the audio slowed things down a little too much for me. The speed was just too even keeled. This is an action-packed book and the narrator had the same tone during exciting action scenes as it did for easy-going explanations. I like my narrators to set the tone for the book and this didn't really do  that for me. And I didn't love the different voices for the characters. Kell was good, Rhy was fun, the voices for Holland and the Danes was not great, but Lila did not work for me at all. It wasn't bad, I just didn't love it.

But despite the fact that I didn't love the audio, I am really glad that I reread this one. I am now totally ready for A Gathering of Shadow. I need more Kell, Lila, and Rhy in my life. *prepares to have mind blown and feels destroyed.*

Have you read the The Reckoners trilogy or A Darker Shade of Magic? Did you reread in preparation for their series conclussions? Have you done any rereads lately? What books? Do you like doing rereads or not? Tell me why.  Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!