Book Review: Cress by Marissa Meyer

Title: Cress Series: The Lunar Chronicles Book 3 Author: Marissa Meyer Published: February, 2014 by Macmillan Amazon Goodreads Synopsis:  Rapunzel’s tower is a satellite. She can’t let down her hair—or her guard. In this third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army. Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker—unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice. When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can.

This series keeps getting better. It's such a fantastic and interesting Science Fiction series with interesting characters, a creative world, and lots of action and adventure.

First and foremost, the best part of this series is the characters and this book didn't let us down with our old favorites and some awesome new characters. Cinder and Iko were back and fantastic! Iko had some great parts in this book that made me laugh. We also got to catch back up with Dr. Erland who I found so interesting in Cinder. We also got to spend a lot more time with the wonderful Captain Thorne. I liked him in Scarlet but I LOVE him in Cress. He is still his hilarious and sarcastic lovable roguish self but he is also a delightful romantic lead. He made me laugh, he made me swoon, he was WONDERFUL! Then we have our new characters. Most notably we have the title character Cress, who is just adorable. She's energetic, easy-going, and this badass hacker who has a great character development throughout the book. We also get to spend more time with Jacin Clay (do you say it like Jason or like Jake?) who is a Lunar guard. He is so intriguing to me and I'm not exactly sure where his allegiance lies and why he does the things he does. I'm excited to learn more about him in Winter. I am also excited to learn more about Princess Winter. We get to meet her in Cress and she is totally cuckoo. I know she is going to be absolutely hilarious and I love the dynamic between her and Scarlet.

My other favorite thing about this book was the romance. The two relationships that were introduced to in the previous books were there growing and developing but the real romance was between Thorne and Cress. I absolutely loved them together. They seem to have the most solid relationship. They both really cared for one another and needed one another. It wasn't at all insta-lovey and grew deeper and more serious as time went on and they spent more time together. Their romance made me swoon and smile throughout the entire book. But all the relationships are great, whether they are romantic and otherwise. There is so much witty banter and great friendships developing in this team of unlikely heroes.

And just like the previous books the world-building continues to be subtle and interesting. We are never overwhelmed by details about this interesting and unique future society. What I liked about Cress is that as the series starts winding down we get more questions answered than asked. I love a big reveal and there is more than one in this book. Part of what is built into this world and what makes it really different is the post-modern princess idea. Marissa Meyer always plays with the classic fairy tale stories that serve as the basis and adds a Sci Fi twist. I am not as familiar with the Rapunzel story as I am with the previous two but the moments that I did recognize were so creative they made me smile and laugh. But postmodern princesses also flip the damsel in distress trope on its head. These are some strong female characters and despite the romances they develop, they don't need a man to save the say. Even Cress who is a self-proclaimed D. I. D. turns that idea around and is a hero.

As far as the plot goes, we continued to build on the story that was previously begun in the first two books in the series. And while it does have the independent story of Cress, it didn't feel as much like its own entity like Scarlet did. It felt more like Cress' part in the larger story of Cinder.  There were also so pacing issues for me as the books started out strong with lots of action and then devolved into another travel montage that you know I'm not a fan of. That being said there was so much more action and mystery in Cress than either of the two books and when things did escalate they did so quickly and were incredibly thrilling. I spent most of the last 100 pages of the book with my mouth agape shouting "NO!NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!" Things took a very dramatic turn in this book and I cannot wait to read Winter and see how this series goes.

I give Cress a 9 out of 10

I definitely recommend reading if you like Science Fiction, Fairy Tale Retellings, or for books with lots of humor and romance. Have you read Cress? What are your thoughts? Leave me a comment and of course... HAPPY READING!

Liebster Award!

Wow! I got nominated three times last week for a Liebster Award! The Liebster Award is rewarded to up and coming blogs that currently have less than 200 followers. The German word, Liebster is translated in English to: Sweetest, Kindest, Dearest, Etc. So it is an honor to receive this award!! 

 Thank you so much to Danielle at Thee Daily Prophet, Kristen at Pretty Little Pages, and Elizabeth at Redhead Reader. You three are the sweet ones. In the immortal words of Sally Field, "You like me, you really like me." It's very sweet to be considered and I decided after the third time, I should probably go ahead and accept the honor and the challenge.

 THE RULES: 

- List 11 facts about yourself.
- Answer 11 questions chosen by the person who nominated you.
- Ask 11 new questions to 11 new bloggers. They must have less than 200 Bloglovin followers. (You cannot renominate the blog that nominated you.)
- Go to their blog and inform them.

MY FACTS:

- I grew up in a small town in upstate New York. It was great to have room to play and explore and it
is honestly a beautiful part of the state with rolling hills and lakes but it was also incredibly dull.
- I am the second of three kids and a classic middle child. Not only am I the diplomat who is always willing to compromise but I am also often desperate for attention.
- I am 6'2" and the tallest person in my immediate family. I know this because my Dad often makes me stand next to him to compare. I am only slightly taller than him.
- I went to Syracuse University and decided to go there because of their basketball team. My senior year of high school they won the national championship and that weighed very heavily on my pro-con list when deciding what college to attend.
- I work for an environmental non-profit organization but never considered myself an environmentalist. I didn't really see environmental issues as pervasive as they are until I graduated college.
- My favorite color is purple and I am absolutely obsessed with it. My friends harass me because I am usually wearing purple and will refuse to buy something if I can't get it in purple.
 - I have an irrational fear of aliens. It started when I was a kid and my older brother would torture me with an ET doll and then as a teenager it got worse after seeing Mars Attacks. People are always trying to get me to watch things with aliens in it to break me of this fear but it never helps.
-I lived in Providence, Rhode Island for six years where I developed a pretty serious obsession with Colonial American History and the American Revolution. I spent a lot of time in Boston and the surrounding areas visiting historic sites much to my friend's chagrin.

- I love maps. I think they are so cool and so pretty. I used to joke with my friends that I was going to wall paper my house with maps. Recently I decided that they would make the perfect souvenir so now when I go anywhere on vacation I buy a map and then hang it on my wall.
- I have a talent for voices. If I'm watching a cartoon or a commercial I can almost immediately tell who the actor doing the voice is. I can even connect voice actors to other characters they have done. It's actually kind of annoying and makes it hard for me to suspend disbelief when I realize who the actor is.
- I thought I was a dog person until I owned a cat. Dogs are too much work. Dogs require that you walk them and play with them. Cats just want you to pet them and play with them for like an hour a day. Plus when you actually own them you realize they are truly affectionate. Now I love all cats, but mostly my cat Eponine.

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS FROM NOMINATING BLOGS: (I picked a few from each)

1.) If you could have dinner with one character from your favorite book, who would it be? Why?
My favorite book is The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova and Dracula is a character in that book. So clearly I would have dinner with Dracula, as long as he agreed not to eat me. I'd ask him to explain vampires, his origin story, and all the historical events he witnessed.

2.) Do you prefer paperbacks or hardcover?
Paperbacks. I like my books to be more portable. I take public transportation to work so I like have books that are smaller and lighter to carry. Plus you can fit more in a bookshelf.

 3.) Which author would you be best friends with? Why?
Leigh Bardugo. I like her sense of humor and I think we have similar interests. If we were best friends we would watch Game of Thrones together, visit Russia, and she'd let me read Ruin and Rising before it gets published.

4.) You get one week to do whatever you want. Money isn't an issue, and there are no consequences for what you do. So what do you spend your week doing?
I would go on a cross-country road trip to visit all the family and friends I haven't seen in forever and the landmarks I've always wanted to visit. But I wouldn't drive myself. I'd hire a chauffeur so I could read the whole time. I know that's kind of a lame answer but despite the fact that there won't be consequences I'd rather not go on a crime spree.

5.) If you could read one book for the rest of your life as many times as you wanted, which one would you pick? Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I have read this book so many times and never get sick of it. It has all the feels, is funny, and complicated enough that I get something new out of it every time.

 6.) What made you want to blog?
 I read The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo and wanted to talk about how much I loved it. I don't have a lot of friends who are as dedicated to reading and want to spend forever talking about the books so this was a great way to do that. Then this fall I read a book I hated and wanted to explain why I hated it so much. I had forgotten about my blog so I revived it and then ended up finding this awesome community.

7.) What about blogging do you find the most challenging?
 Keeping up with the trends. Since getting involved with the book blogging community I have felt pressured to read the newest and most popular books. The urge to be up on a trend or read something new can be stressful at times and it sometimes makes me feel uncool if I haven't read something everyone else has. This also leads to pressure to read ARCs and books before they are even released. Book bloggers can be such hipsters sometimes!

8.) If you could live in any book world, where would you live?
 Hogwarts. Seriously who doesn't want to attend Hogwarts, be sorted by the Sorting Hat, learn magic, play Quidditch. I assume that my Hogwarts letter got lost in the Owl Post.

9.) If you could be any book character who would you be and why?
Cath in Fangirl. I love her friends and then of course there's Levi to look forward too. I feel like I had a similar freshman year of college and as much as I don't want to go back to those days, I'd still like to be Cath.

10.) If you could have the privilege to kill any book character without any consequences who would you rid the world of?
This may come as a surprise but I would kill Emma Woodhouse from Emma by Jane Austen. I HATE her as a character. She's obnoxious, self-centered, and gets involved in things she shouldn't get involved with. She's a life-ruiner, she ruins people's lives. And spoiler alert... in the end she wins! Emma Woodhouse should lose and I will make her lose!

11.) What is your favorite song currently?
I am totally obsessed with the Katy Perry song Dark Horse. I listen to that song on the regular!

QUESTIONS FOR MY NOMINEES:

1.) If you were down to your last $3 what would you spend it on? (You have to spend it!)
2.) Do you prefer to read the book or watch the movie first?
3.) When it comes to trilogies what book do you usually like the best? Which one do you usually like the least?
4.) What book did you absolutely hate and why?
5.) If you met a book genie who offered you three book wishes, what would they be?
6.) What book have you never read and are so ashamed about it that you have considered lying about having read it?
7.) If you were trapped on a deserted island what fictional character would you call to help rescue you and why?
8.) If you were trapped on a desserted island, what dessert would your island be made out of?
9.) What is the best place you have ever been on vacation?
10.) If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
11.) Coffee or tea? How do you take it?

MY NOMINEES:

Becca at Pivot Book Reviews
Violet at Paper Worlds & Swirls of Ink
Lindsay at Broke Book Girls
Rinny and Kimmy at Opinionated Cupcakes
Kaylie at Potterhead Reviews
Justine at Paperback Heart
Melissa at Bookmark Dragon
Stormi at Books, Movies, Review Oh My!
NicoleLynn at PopCrunchBoom
Stephanie at Her Reviews of Books, Movies, and Everything
Mary at Reading and Running

Thanks to the lovely ladies that nominated me and I look forward to seeing the responses from the eleven blogs I nominated! Post back your link so I can read your responses! HAPPY READING! 

Realease Day ARC Review: NIL by Lynne Matson

Title: NIL Author: Lynne Matson Published: Macmillan, March 4, 2014 Amazon Goodreads Synopsis: On the mysterious island of Nil, the rules are set. You have exactly 365 days to escape—or you die. Seventeen-year-old Charley doesn’t know the rules. She doesn’t even know where she is. The last thing she remembers is blacking out, and when she wakes up, she’s naked in an empty rock field. Lost and alone, Charley finds no sign of other people until she meets Thad, the gorgeous leader of a clan of teenage refugees. Soon Charley learns that leaving the island is harder than she thought . . . and so is falling in love. With Thad’s time running out, Charley realizes that she has to find a way to beat the clock, and quickly, in this thrilling debut novel by Lynne Matson.

My self-imposed wait is over and so is the world's... Happy Book Birthday, NIL!

 I was immediately drawn into NIL for its concept. Waking up naked on a mysterious island that you only have a year to escape from or you die. I was always a huge fan of the TV show Lost and was excited to read a book that was similar to the show. I won an ARC of this book in the first #NILtribe giveaway back in December but I do monthly themes on my blog so I couldn't read it right away. I wanted to wait until closer to release day and decided to do a whole theme around island adventures and escapes. And boy is that exactly what NIL was, an island adventure and escape (I mean escape in every sense of the word). 

What this book does a great job of doing is setting the tone of being trapped on a (mostly) deserted island. The world-building was great and didn't at all feel overwhelming. I really felt like I could visualize this beautiful and terrible island and the society the kids had created.  It is part fear, part confusion, and part pleasure. There were moments of pure elation followed by moments of gut wrenching sadness. Lynne's writing and the plot really does a great job of helping the reader feel that dichotomy. The writing and the island lulls you into a false sense of security and then rips your heart out. It's a fickle beast who loves to remind you that life and time is precious. The island is as much a character as anyone else in this book. It is the real villain of the story. The other characters refer to the island as a she and speak about her with a sense of fearful respect and that's exactly what it deserves.

And besides the mysterious island, there was a host of interesting and diverse secondary characters that I was totally intrigued by and loved reading about. But I also loved our main characters and narrators Charley and Thad. I immediately connected with Charley and wanted her succeed. She is 6 feet tall and loves maps, I mean that's me! But she's also resourceful, intelligent, and strong in a subtle kind of way. What I liked most about her is that she has these critical thinking skills that no one else seems to have. She really wants to try and figure out the island and how to escape from it. We are constantly reminded that there is no luck on the island, but Charley doesn't look at escape as fate. She views it as a problem with a solution and tries to find the solution scientifically. Then there was Thad. He is an amazing leader, funny, and kind. He thinks about others before he thinks about himself. He also really feels the contradictory nature of the island and treats her as the one in control. I loved the romance between the two of them. I have heard a lot of people refer to it as insta-love but I didn't really feel that way. There was an instant attraction but their love seemed to grow over time and I totally see why Charley likes him. Their relationship was so sweet and it made me swoon and gush many times.

The plot and pacing was great as the book seemed to flow in a consistent and interesting way. Everything built to an amazing conclusion that totally surprised me. But what interested me the most was that even though the island is mysterious and I had so many questions and wanted explanations for what was going on, I never really seemed to try and solve or predict these answers. I do wish we had received a lot more answers about the island. The characters bring up a lot of questions about what the island is, where it came from, why they were there, and whether or not it is all for a reason but very few of these questions are really answered. I have so many unanswered questions! But despite this fact when everything was all said and done I was so satisfied by how thrilling and wonderful this book was, I had no regrets!

I give NIL by Lynne Matson a 9.5 out of 10

 

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of YA Thrillers, the TV shows Lost of Survivor, or is looking for something different to read. If you ask me NIL is a must read and one of my favorite books so far this year. Have you read NIL? What were your thoughts? Leave me a comment and of course Happy Reading!

Top Ten Tuesday: Popular Authors I Have Never Read

 A weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Today's category is to list the top ten popular authors we have never read. Define popular? Get Kristen Chenowith over here to explain it to me. I understand that she knows all about popular (get it?). So I took the tact of generating a list of "classic" authors that I have never read. If you follow my blog you know that I try to read a classic novel each month that fits my theme. Despite the fact that I enjoy classics there is a substantial amount of well-known and popular authors that I have never read.

1.) Daphne du Maurier
I love Gothic literature and Wuthering Heights is one of my favorite books and yet I have never read anything by Daphne du Marier. Rebecca and My Cousin Rachel are both supposed to be fantastic and they both sound similar to The Portrait of a Lady.

2.) Fyodor Dostoyevsky
I recently took a quiz where Dostoyesvsky was revealed to be my classic author soul mate and I've never read any of his books... #awkward! Plus his books are philosophical and take a deeper look at humanity and Russia. I should probably read him.

3.) Leo Tolstoy
Clearly I need to read the Russian Masters. One of my really good friends LOVES Anna Karenina and has been harassing me for the past 8 years to read it. She even gave the book to me as a gift one year. The length intimidates the crap out of me but it's another book about doomed love so if I do anti-love next February Anna Karenina. 

4.) Thomas Hardy
I read two books recently that mentioned Tess of the d'Urbervilles and it's a tragic Gothic Romance which as previously stated, I love. It seems like a book I would have read but haven't. It's been recommended to me many times and I've never read it.

5.) Ernest Hemingway 
This surprises most people, but I was never really required to read Hemingway in school so I never picked anything from him up. His books are definitely the kind of books that I would enjoy, I don't know why I've never anything from him, I just haven't.

6.) Kurt Vonnegut
Vonnegut writes Historical Fiction, SciFi, and Parodies all rolled into one. However his most famous book, Slaughterhouse-Five, is about being kidnapped by aliens. I have an irrational fear of aliens (I know what you're thinking, "but I thought you liked Sci Fi?" Don't ask). Plus the pretentious nature of Vonnegut turns me off a little bit, people really like him though.

7.) Ray Bradbury
Bradbury is a Science Fiction writer who is one of those classic dystopian authors similar to Orwell and Huxley. But again one of his best known books is about aliens, so I get slightly turned off from his writing. I have wanted to read Fahrenheit 451 though. Maybe for Banned Books week.

8.) Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Of his two most famous books one is magical realism, One Hundred Years of Solitude, and one is a tragic love story, Love in the Time of Cholera. Both are books that I would probably enjoy and have been on my TBR pile for quite some time. I've heard great things about his work and need to get around to reading them.

9.) Agatha Christie
I love a good mystery. Agatha Christie is probably the mother of modern mysteries. She is definitely one of the most popular mystery writers. I've wanted to read something by her for a very long time and just never have. I almost put And Then There Were None on my list of island adventure/escape books for this month.

10.) Margaret Atwood
It seems weird to put an author who is still alive and writing on this list of classic authors but she's another one similar to Bradbury and the others who set the tone for modern dystopia. I've heard excellent things about her writing and I've read a few book similar to her style. Next month my theme is dystopia and I am reading The Handmaid's Tale. 

So those are the ten popular popular "classic" authors that I have never read. Shameful, I know! Have you read any of these authors or books? Are there any that you wouldn't recommend? Leave me a comment and of course... HAPPY READING!

Book Review: This is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz

Title: This is How You Lose Her Author: Junot Diaz Published: Amazon Goodreads Synopsis: On a beach in the Dominican Republic, a doomed relationship flounders. In the heat of a hospital laundry room in New Jersey, a woman does her lover’s washing and thinks about his wife. In Boston, a man buys his love child, his only son, a first baseball bat and glove. At the heart of these stories is the irrepressible, irresistible Yunior, a young hardhead whose longing for love is equaled only by his recklessness--and by the extraordinary women he loves and loses: artistic Alma; the aging Miss Lora; Magdalena, who thinks all Dominican men are cheaters; and the love of his life, whose heartbreak ultimately becomes his own. In prose that is endlessly energetic, inventive, tender, and funny, the stories in This Is How You Lose Her lay bare the infinite longing and inevitable weakness of the human heart. They remind us that passion always triumphs over experience, and that “the half-life of love is forever.

This book is probably the most perfect anti-love book that I read this month. The title says it all, it is a book about lost love. This is How You Lose Her is a series of short stories that revolve around Yunior, a young Dominican living in New Jersey who, despite his best efforts, cannot stay in a committed relationship for very long. He is not a particularly likeable protagonist. He is constantly committing the same mistake when it comes to relationships despite his claims of love. As the book goes on and you learn more about Yunior's past and you start to learn why he is the way he is, you end up unexpectedly sympathizing with him. 

I don't usually like short stories, especially a collection of short stories, because I find it hard to connect with characters that only exist for a short period, but this wasn't the case with This is How You Lose Her. Maybe because the stories were either about or involving a single character with many characters repeating throughout many stories including Yunior's family and girlfriends.  Or maybe it was because even though the stories moved around in space and time they held together as one cohesive story with a specific theme. Or maybe it was because of the writing style.

If you are unfamiliar with Yunot Diaz and his writing style, it is unlike anything I have ever read before and since. His writing is so honest and realistic. The characters being Dominican-American and speaking Spanish he uses a lot of slang and Spanish words and phrases that help the reader be immersed in the real lives of these characters. Even though I don't speak Spanish and often didn't understand what was being communicated the book was made better with these inclusions. I also experienced the audiobook of This is How You Lose Her which was narrated by the author himself. If you notice, I do that a lot. I think it really gives you a pure representation of the book and what the author intended to communicate. Plus, I liked that between each of the short stories there was Spanish music which was another great way to feel connected with the world being created.

That being said I didn't really enjoy this book as much as I expected. Despite the fact that it is probably the shortest book I read this month it felt long. I think that maybe I didn't connect enough with the plot and the story. I didn't feel much of an emotional connection until it was basically over. Or maybe I just unfairly compared it to the first Diaz book I read, The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao which I loved. Despite no real reasons to point to I feel like this just wasn't the book for me. It wasn't bad I just didn't love it.

I give This is How You Lose Her 6 out of 10

If you are looking for an interesting contemporary novel that isn't sweet and about love then check this book out. I also recommend this book if you are into short stories or novels where a series of seemingly unrelated stories end up connecting in the end. Have you read This is How You Lose Her? Leave me a comment with your thoughts and of course HAPPY READING!

March TBR- Island Adventure/Escape

I'm pretty excited for this month's theme. It has been a very long and icy winter here in Pennsylvania. I thoughts when I moved away from New England I wouldn't have to deal with New England winters, but the universe has a sense of humor and the polar vortex struck and struck hard. So I am official fed up with winter and need a little escapism. Therefore, this month I will be reading books that take place on tropical islands, books about adventure, and books about escape. I shall live vicariously through these protagonists! For more information on the books click on the title.

The Classic

Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
How it Fits the Theme: It doesn't get much more island adventure/escape than this book. It is one of the most classic stories about deserted island survival. The title character gets attacked by pirates, shipwrecked for seven years. This book IS the theme.

Recent Adult Fiction 

The Lost Sisterhood by Anne Fortier
How it Fits the Theme: It doesn't really. This book is a historical mystery about The Amazons, and I mean that in the Greek mythological sense of female warriors. I received an eARC of this book ages ago and it releases in March so I'm reading it now.




Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton 
How it Fits the Theme: When you think tropical adventures I hope that pirates come to mind. This book has been in my TBR pile since it came out five years ago. I love Michael Crichton and haven't read anything since I read Jurassic Park when I was twelve. 

Young Adult Standalones

Nil by Lynne Matson
How it Fits the Theme: This book inspired the theme. It is about a mysterious island that you have to escape from after 1 year or you die. I won an ARC of it back in December and the book releases in just a few days. I decided to work the rest of my books around this one because I am just that excited about reading it.





These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meghan Spooner
How it Fits the Theme: This is more adventure/escape and less island themed. I have heard this book called Titanic in space. I have wanted to read this book since it came out in December so I'm making the stretch and including it in this month's theme.

The Audiobook

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
How it Fits the Theme: This book is about a group of beauty pageant contestants who get trapped on a deserted island and have to fight for their survival. I love Libba Bray's writing style and I am really excited to read something else from her. She narrates the audiobook, which I love so I'm excited for that as well.




There you have it, the six books I have planned to read this month. I'm trying to be a little conservative because I had to push myself to finish all the books I planned to read for February and that's no fun. So I will read these six to start and if I need another book I will start another. What are you planning to read for March? Have you read any of these? Did you like them? Stay tuned for reviews and HAPPY READING!

February Wrap Up: Anti-Love

February has come to a close and it was a very interesting reading month for me. I learned a lot about the relationship between reading and blogging. I had my faith in love shattered, then I had it restored. I didn't expect to finish all the books I had planned but I surprised myself and read a few extras. When the dust settled I finished a total of nine books including one series and two standalones for my challenges. I also took part in the Book Blogger Love-a-Thon and met some great new blogger and deepened relationships with some others.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
The Lunar Chronicles Book 1
Rating: 8.5 out of 10
Full Review

My Thoughts: An exciting and really creative Sci Fi take on the Cinderella fairy tale. The characters are interesting, the world is exciting, the plot was thrilling and mysterious. It did suffer from a bit of First Book Syndrome but it was still a great read.

Three Princes by Ramona Wheeler
Rating: 5 out of 10
Full Review

My Thoughts: This was such an exciting concept and the writing was beautiful and poetic, but I couldn't connect with the characters and there was almost no plot. A book cannot be enjoyed on world-building alone. I should have DNFed this book and read something I enjoyed but I was stubborn. Never again!




Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
The Lunar Chronicles Book 2
Rating: 9 out of 10
Full Review

My Thoughts: Even better than the first book. There was more action and excitement, more humor and romance, more witty play on classic fairy tale tropes, and more SciFi world-building. This book made me fall in love with this series!




The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James
Rating: 8 out of 10
Full Review

My Thoughts: This book destroyed my view of romance and made all those classic novels I love seem like a superficial joke! I mean this in the best possible way. This book was definitely anti-love and was incredibly enjoyable with interesting characters, beautiful writing, and a unique style.

A Mad, Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller
Rating: 8.5 out of 10
Full Review

My Thoughts: This was a great piece of historical fiction that takes you into the Edwardian Era and the suffrage movement in England. It had a Titanic vibe and I loved the characters and the relationships. This book restored my faith in romance (that didn't last long!).





The Chase by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg
Rating: 8 out of 10 
Full Review

My Thoughts: A quick and fun beach read with interesting characters and tons of action. It had just enough humor and romance to keep me interested. I was expecting a little more mystery but the heist plot was fantastic!




Tsarina by J. Nelle Patrick
Rating: 8 out of 10
Full Review

My Thoughts:  A good historical fantasy that focused more on the historic aspect of the story than the fantasy. I enjoyed the characters and a world of grey where everyone wanted power and felt like they knew what is best for the country. The plot and pacing was great as the book built to a thrilling conclusion.




This is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz
Rating 7 out of 10
Full Review

My Thoughts: An interesting collection of short stories about failed love. The main character is not very likeable but as the book goes on and you learn more why Yunior is the way he is you begin to sympathize with him. I loved that the audiobook narrated by the author.



Cress by Marissa Meyer
The Lunar Chronicles Book 3
Rating: 9 out of 10
Full Review to Come

My Thoughts: This series keeps getting better and better. More exciting action, more fun and unique characters, more romance, and more creative science fiction twist on classic fairy tales. This is my favorite book in the series yet!


What did you read this month? Leave me a comment and don't forget to check out the full reviews of these books for more of my thoughts and information. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!