Hey guys! I hope everyone had a productive reading month, and that February will be equally so. I wasn’t expecting a lot, as I had exams this month, but I still managed to finish the books I wanted to read the most. January wasn’t a great reading month for me, as I only read four books, but I’m still happy with that!
So without further ado, here’s my monthly wrap-up and February TBR.
Wrap Up: So I’ll be putting full reviews up on my GoodReads for each of these books, but I’ll share my general (spoiler free) impressions with you today!
A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult
Publisher: Bloomsbury Childrens Books
Publication Date: May 2nd 2017
Pages: 699
Rating: 4.53/5
Synopsis: Looming war threatens all Feyre holds dear in the third volume of the #1 New York Times bestselling A Court of Thorns and Roses series.
Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin’s manoeuvrings and the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit – and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well.
As war bears down upon them all, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords – and hunt for allies in unexpected places.
In this thrilling third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling series from Sarah J. Maas, the earth will be painted red as mighty armies grapple for power over the one thing that could destroy them all.
Reviews: Chic Nerd Reads / Novel Knight / The Book Corps
Stores: Indigo / Barnes & Noble
Other Links: ACOTAR Wiki / SJM Bio / SJM Wikipedia
My rating: 3/5
My thoughts: I really had a good time reading this one! I liked the progress of the plot and I loved the characters as much as I did in the first books. I had a lot of hopes for this book and to be honest I was just a little let down. A little too much of it was focused on the relationships, to the point where it was borderline a romance novel. Despite this, I did enjoy myself and like the book as a whole, it just didn’t live up to all my expectations.
Passenger by Alexandra Bracken
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Science Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: January 5th 2016
Pages: 496
Rating: 3.83/5
Synopsis: Passage, n.
- A brief section of music composed of a series of notes and flourishes.
- A journey by water; a voyage.
iii. The transition from one place to another, across space and time.
In one devastating night, violin prodigy Etta Spencer loses everything she knows and loves. Thrust into an unfamiliar world by a stranger with a dangerous agenda, Etta is certain of only one thing: she has traveled not just miles but years from home. And she’s inherited a legacy she knows nothing about from a family whose existence she’s never heard of. Until now.
Nicholas Carter is content with his life at sea, free from the Ironwoods—a powerful family in the colonies—and the servitude he’s known at their hands. But with the arrival of an unusual passenger on his ship comes the insistent pull of the past that he can’t escape and the family that won’t let him go so easily. Now the Ironwoods are searching for a stolen object of untold value, one they believe only Etta, Nicholas’ passenger, can find. In order to protect her, he must ensure she brings it back to them—whether she wants to or not.
Together, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by the traveler who will do anything to keep the object out of the Ironwoods’ grasp. But as they get closer to the truth of their search, and the deadly game the Ironwoods are playing, treacherous forces threaten to separate Etta not only from Nicholas but from her path home… forever.
Reviews: The Guardian / New York Times / Perpetual Page Turner
Stores: Indigo / Barnes & Noble
Other Links: Alex Bracken – Wikipedia / Passenger Series / Alex Bracken Bio
My rating: 4/5
My thoughts: So I loved this book! The characters are incredible (I have a particularly soft spot for Nicholas), and I love the plot and the time travel. I’ve been going back and forth between four and five stars for this one, but I settled on four because I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending, and also the whole parent-not-telling-child-the-truth-and-kid-being-put-in-danger-because-of-it story has been done to death.
Caraval by Stephanie Garber
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Publication Date: January 31st 2017
Pages: 407
Rating: 3.95/5
Synopsis: Remember, it’s only a game…
Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval—the faraway, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show—are over.
But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.
Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. Nevertheless she becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic. And whether Caraval is real or not, Scarlett must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over or a dangerous domino effect of consequences will be set off, and her beloved sister will disappear forever.
Welcome, welcome to Caraval…beware of getting swept too far away.
Reviews: NPR / Kirkus Reviews / The Book Smugglers
Stores: Indigo / Barnes & Noble
Other Links: Caraval Wiki
My rating: 3.5/5
My thoughts: This is a great book; I love the idea of a magical performance that’s a little too easy to get swept up in. I really enjoyed the descriptions of the game, as well as learning just how elaborate it truly is. My only real problem with this was a lack of character development and a lack of characterization in general. I don’t really feel like I know the characters any more than I did when I started.
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Publisher: Henry Holt Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: September 29, 2015
Pages: 462
Rating: 4.46/5
Synopsis: Criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker has been offered wealth beyond his wildest dreams. But to claim it, he’ll have to pull off a seemingly impossible heist:
Break into the notorious Ice Court
(a military stronghold that has never been breached)
Retrieve a hostage
(who could unleash magical havoc on the world)
Survive long enough to collect his reward
(and spend it)
Kaz needs a crew desperate enough to take on this suicide mission and dangerous enough to get the job done – and he knows exactly who: six of the deadliest outcasts the city has to offer. Together, they just might be unstoppable – if they don’t kill each other first.
Reviews: The Book Smugglers / Fantasy Book Review / The Guardian / Queen of Contemporary
Stores: Barnes & Noble / Indigo
Other Links: Wikipedia – Six of Crows / Wikipedia – Leigh Bardugo / Leigh Bardugo Bio
My rating: 4.5/5
My thoughts: This is great book; I love both crime and fantasy books, so this novel was a perfect match for me. I love Kaz, and the rest of the team, and the plot as a whole. I’m kinda still in shock from this one, but I’ll have a more in depth review up soon 🙂
This month I have some books left over from last month’s TBR, as well as some new additions!
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Publisher: Anchor
Publishing Date: March 28th 2006
Pages: 481
Rating: 3.8/5
Synopsis: A fascinating and absorbing thriller — perfect for history buffs, conspiracy nuts, puzzle lovers or anyone who appreciates a great, riveting story.
While in Paris on business, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon receives an urgent late-night phone call: the elderly curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum. Near the body, police have found a baffling cipher. While working to solve the enigmatic riddle, Langdon is stunned to discover it leads to a trail of clues hidden in the works of Da Vinci — clues visible for all to see — yet ingeniously disguised by the painter.
Langdon joins forces with a gifted French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, and learns the late curator was involved in the Priory of Sion — an actual secret society whose members included Sir Isaac Newton, Botticelli, Victor Hugo, and Da Vinci, among others.
In a breathless race through Paris, London, and beyond, Langdon and Neveu match wits with a faceless powerbroker who seems to anticipate their every move. Unless Langdon and Neveu can decipher the labyrinthine puzzle in time, the Priory’s ancient secret — and an explosive historical truth — will be lost forever.
The Da Vinci Code heralds the arrival of a new breed of lightning-paced, intelligent thriller utterly unpredictable right up to its stunning conclusion.
Reviews: The Guardian
Stores: Barnes & Noble / Indigo
Other Links: Wikipedia / Dan Brown’s Site
My thoughts: This one I actually already started listening to, I just need to finish it up this month!
Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Publisher: Orion Children’s Books
Publication Date: September 27th 2016
Pages: 536
Rating: 4.62/5
Synopsis: When you can’t beat the odds, change the game.
Kaz Brekker and his crew have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn’t think they’d survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they’re right back to fighting for their lives. Double-crossed and badly weakened, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz’s cunning and test the team’s fragile loyalties. A war will be waged on the city’s dark and twisting streets―a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of the Grisha world.
Reviews: Book Spoils / Read at Midnight
Stores: Indigo / Barnes & Noble
Other Links: Leigh Bardugo Wikipedia / The Grishaverse Wiki
Wayfarer by Alexandra Bracken
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Science Fiction, Historical Fiction
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: January 3rd 2017
Pages: 532
Rating: 3.91/5
Synopsis:
All Etta Spencer wanted was to make her violin debut when she was thrust into a treacherous world where the struggle for power could alter history. After losing the one thing that would have allowed her to protect the Timeline, and the one person worth fighting for, Etta awakens alone in an unknown place and time, exposed to the threat of the two groups who would rather see her dead than succeed. When help arrives, it comes from the last person Etta ever expected—Julian Ironwood, the Grand Master’s heir who has long been presumed dead, and whose dangerous alliance with a man from Etta’s past could put them both at risk.
Meanwhile, Nicholas and Sophia are racing through time in order to locate Etta and the missing astrolabe with Ironwood travelers hot on their trail. They cross paths with a mercenary-for-hire, a cheeky girl named Li Min who quickly develops a flirtation with Sophia. But as the three of them attempt to evade their pursuers, Nicholas soon realizes that one of his companions may have ulterior motives.
As Etta and Nicholas fight to make their way back to one another, from Imperial Russia to the Vatican catacombs, time is rapidly shifting and changing into something unrecognizable… and might just run out on both of them.
Reviews: The Eater of Books / The Perks of Being a Book Freak / Stories for Coffee / Kirkus Reviews
Stores: Barnes & Noble / Indigo
Other Links: Alex Bracken – Wikipedia / Passenger Series / Alex Bracken Bio
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: October 10th 2017
Pages: 290
Rating: 4.15/5
Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Aza never intended to pursue the mystery of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Russell Pickett’s son, Davis.
Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts.
In his long-awaited return, John Green, the acclaimed, award-winning author of Looking for Alaska and The Fault in Our Stars, shares Aza’s story with shattering, unflinching clarity in this brilliant novel of love, resilience, and the power of lifelong friendship.
Reviews: The Guardian / NYT
Stores: Indigo / Barnes & Noble
Other Links: Turtles All the Way Down – Wikipedia / John Green – Wikipedia / John Green Bio
Our Dark Duet by Victoria Schwab
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Publication Date: June 13th 2017
Pages: 510
Rating: 4.28/5
Synopsis: THE WORLD IS BREAKING. AND SO ARE THEY.
KATE HARKER isn’t afraid of monsters. She hunts them. And she’s good at it.
AUGUST FLYNN once yearned to be human. He has a part to play. And he will play it, no matter the cost.
THE WAR HAS BEGUN.
THE MONSTERS ARE WINNING.
Kate will have to return to Verity. August will have to let her back in. And a new monster is waiting—one that feeds on chaos and brings out its victims’ inner demons.
Which will be harder to conquer: the monsters they face, or the monsters within?
Reviews: Kirkus Reviews / The Illustrated Page / The Bandar Blog
Stores: Barnes & Noble / Indigo
Other Links: Victoria Schwab Wikipedia / Victoria Schwab Bio / Victoria Schwab Blog
Fire and Fury by Michael Wolff
Genre: Nonfiction, Politics, History, Biography
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Publishing Date: January 5th 2018
Pages: 336
Rating: 3.67/5
Synopsis: With extraordinary access to the West Wing, Michael Wolff reveals what happened behind-the-scenes in the first nine months of the most controversial presidency of our time in Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House.
Since Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States, the country—and the world—has witnessed a stormy, outrageous, and absolutely mesmerizing presidential term that reflects the volatility and fierceness of the man elected Commander-in-Chief.
This riveting and explosive account of Trump’s administration provides a wealth of new details about the chaos in the Oval Office, including:
— What President Trump’s staff really thinks of him
— What inspired Trump to claim he was wire-tapped by President Obama
— Why FBI director James Comey was really fired
— Why chief strategist Steve Bannon and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner couldn’t be in the same room
— Who is really directing the Trump administration’s strategy in the wake of Bannon’s firing
— What the secret to communicating with Trump is
— What the Trump administration has in common with the movie The Producers
Never before in history has a presidency so divided the American people. Brilliantly reported and astoundingly fresh, Fire and Fury shows us how and why Donald Trump has become the king of discord and disunion.
Reviews: The Guardian / The New Yorker
Stores: Barnes & Noble / Indigo
Other Links: Wikipedia
My thoughts: Okay so I just had to include this one. I’m just so curious about it! I think this will be the next audio book I’ll be listening to!
Emma by Jane Austen
Genre: Fiction, Classics, Historical
Publisher: Penguin Books
Publishing Date: May 6th 2003
Pages: 474
Rating: 3.99/5
Synopsis: ‘I never have been in love; it is not my way, or my nature; and I do not think I ever shall.’
Beautiful, clever, rich – and single – Emma Woodhouse is perfectly content with her life and sees no need for either love or marriage. Nothing, however, delights her more than interfering in the romantic lives of others. But when she ignores the warnings of her good friend Mr. Knightley and attempts to arrange a suitable match for her protegee Harriet Smith, her carefully laid plans soon unravel and have consequences that she never expected. With its imperfect but charming heroine and its witty and subtle exploration of relationships, Emma is often seen as Jane Austen’s most flawless work.
This edition includes a new chronology and additional suggestions for further reading.
Reviews: Bibliofreak / Common Sense Media / Huffington Post
Stores: Barnes & Noble / Indigo
Other Links: Wikipedia / Jane Austen Wiki
My thoughts: I’ve wanted to read this one for years. I’ve never read anything by Jane Austen, and I’ve excited to start this one.
The Grishaverse (series)
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Publishing Date: June 5th 2012
Pages: 358
Rating: 4.05/5
Synopsis: 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.
Reviews: Fantasy Book Review / The Guardian / Common Sense Media
Stores: Barnes & Noble / Indigo
Other Links: Leigh Bardugo’s Site / Wikipedia
Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Publishing Date: June 4th 2013
Pages: 435
Rating: 4.08/5
Synopsis: Darkness never dies.
Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land. She finds starting new is not easy while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. She can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.
The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her–or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.
Reviews: Tor / Kirkus / Dear Author / Good Books and Good Wine
Stores: Barnes & Noble
Other Links: The Grishaverse Wiki / Leigh Bardugo’s Site
Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Publishing Date: June 17th 2014
Pages: 422
Rating: 4.17/5
Synopsis: The capital has fallen.
The Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne.
Now the nation’s fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army.
Deep in an ancient network of tunnels and caverns, a weakened Alina must submit to the dubious protection of the Apparat and the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Yet her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the elusive firebird and the hope that an outlaw prince still survives.
Alina will have to forge new alliances and put aside old rivalries as she and Mal race to find the last of Morozova’s amplifiers. But as she begins to unravel the Darkling’s secrets, she reveals a past that will forever alter her understanding of the bond they share and the power she wields. The firebird is the one thing that stands between Ravka and destruction—and claiming it could cost Alina the very future she’s fighting for.
Reviews: Heart Full of Books / Kirkus / Book Addicts Guide / Stephanie’s Book Reviews
Stores: Barnes & Noble / Indigo
Other Links: Leigh Bardugo’s Site
My thoughts: After I finish the SoC duo-logy, I think I want to give these a go! If they’re anywhere near as good as Six of Crows was, I’ll love them 🙂
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (series)
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Penerbit Spring
Publishing Date: March 20th 2015
Pages: 355
Rating: 4.11/5
Synopsis: What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them… all at once?
Sixteen-year-old Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren’t love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she’s written. One for every boy she’s ever loved—five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control.
Reviews: Blushing Geek / The Book Monsters / Twirling Pages
Stores: Barnes & Noble / Indigo
Other Links: Wikipedia
P. S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han
Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publishing Date: May 26th 2015
Pages: 337
Rating: 4.17/5
Synopsis: Lara Jean didn’t expect to really fall for Peter.
She and Peter were just pretending. Except suddenly they weren’t. Now Lara Jean is more confused than ever.
When another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean’s feelings for him return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once?
In this charming and heartfelt sequel to the New York Times bestseller To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, we see first love through the eyes of the unforgettable Lara Jean. Love is never easy, but maybe that’s part of what makes it so amazing.
Reviews: Effortlessly Reading / The Young Folks / Writing My Own Fairytale
Stores: Barnes & Noble / Indigo
Other Links: Wikipedia
Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han
Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publishing Date: May 2nd 2017
Pages: 336
Rating: 4.21/5
Synopsis: Lara Jean is having the best senior year. And there’s still so much to look forward to: a class trip to New York City, prom with her boyfriend Peter, Beach Week after graduation, and her dad’s wedding to Ms. Rothschild. Then she’ll be off to college with Peter, at a school close enough for her to come home and bake chocolate chip cookies on the weekends.
Life couldn’t be more perfect!
At least, that’s what Lara Jean thinks…until she gets some unexpected news.
Now the girl who dreads change must rethink all her plans—but when your heart and your head are saying two different things, which one should you listen to?
Reviews: Really Late Reviews / Paper Trail Daily / A. J. Leigh
Stores: Barnes & Noble / Indigo
Other Links: Wikipedia
My thoughts: If I have time this month, I figured I’d throw some contemporaries into the mix! I’ve heard a lot of things about this series, and I want to see what I think!
Thanks for reading! I’m not sure how much I’ll get done this month but I figured I’d aim high. What are you guys reading in February? Like this if you enjoy these kinds of posts, and follow me for book reviews, hauls, recommendations, and other bookish thoughts.
xx Ella
p.s. If you have a blog, GoodReads, Twitter, Tumblr or Instagram and you want to follow each other, let me know!
