Recent Reads (Show Us Your Books Link-up!)

Today Steph and Jana are hosting their monthly Show Us Your Books link up :) It's one of my favourite days to read blogs and the best day to get tons of great book recommendations!! I've spent some time this month cleaning out my Goodreads to-read list because I was feeling pretty overwhelmed at the 600+ "to-read" books...but I am looking forward to reading about what other people have enjoyed lately. I had another month of great reads, and here are my thoughts on them:

Winter (Marissa Meyer, 5/5 stars)

As expected, I absolutely loved this book. This was worth waiting for, and I really felt like all of my excitement about reading it was totally warranted. This series was probably my best discovery in reading this year, and the conclusion to it was phenomenal. I will admit that I was a bit surprised by some parts at the end, but I felt that overall the author wrapped up the series well and left space for any spin-offs in the future if she wanted to write them. I enjoyed being reunited with all of the characters and also seeing some characters work together that I was originally unsure about. I also really liked the conclusion of all of the different love stories :) I can't wait to re-read this book because I know I read it way too fast and didn't soak it up enough. I really hope we get to see this series someday on the big screen!

Little Women (Louisa May Alcott, 5/5 stars)

I listened to this one on audiobook and the narrator was great. It took me forever to get through it, because I had other print books on the go, but that doesn't mean I loved it any less. The stories of these girls growing up were so sweet and there were some very heartbreaking moments in the book, but I loved it. I really wish I had read this book when I was younger, but at least now I can recommend it to my daughters when they are teenagers ;) Honestly, I think I enjoyed it more now than I would have enjoyed it as a teenager.

Wonder (R.J. Palacio, 4/5 stars)

I had heard a little bit about this book, but I didn't realize I would like it as much as I did. Auggie is an incredible character. Funny, strong, smart, interesting, and at times a little bit oblivious. I really welcomed the narrator changes in the story too, and found that it was a unique way to hear different perspectives on how Auggie's condition affected the lives of those close to him.

The Ocean At the End of the Lane (Neil Gaiman, 4.5/5 stars)

I listened to this on audiobook and loved every single second of it. There were times when I found myself a little bit lost because I was drifting off listening to the words, but it was easy to keep up with. This was a great story about childhood friendship, childhood feelings and frustrations, and dreaming. I'd highly recommend the audiobook read by Neil Gaiman himself, although I'm sure this book would be great in print too.

Every Breath (Ellie Marney 4/5 stars)

I was initially drawn to this book after reading Hannah's review, and I was not disappointed. This is my favourite kind of YA read...a little bit of mystery, some friendship with the possibility of more, and some witty and fun writing. If you have any interest in Sherlock Holmes (or even if you don't - it's not really the same), you'd like this one!!

Bella's Christmas Bake Off (Sue Watson 3.5/5 stars)

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for a review. I liked this story, and it was a bit different than a lot of other Christmas stories (i.e. sappy Christmas stories) I've read. In a way, it was still missing something, but it redeemed itself at the end and it was a feel-good Christmas book, so if you're in the mood for that, I would check it out. All the talk of delicious Christmas food didn't hurt either ;)

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (Barbara Robinson, 5/5 stars)

This was a very quick read (as in, an hour or less) and is definitely a children's chapter book, but it was funny and sweet. I can't wait to read this one to Molly in a couple of years.

This month, I also re-read Mockingjay in anticipation of seeing the final movie tomorrow!! I'm glad I re-read it because there were some details that I had forgotten about! I think I will re-read the entire series in the new year. <3

Current Reads:

All The Light we Cannot See (loving it so far! Absolutely beautiful writing!)
Corpse Pose (for the Winter Book Challenge)
Poser (Also for the Winter Book Challenge)

What have you been reading lately? Head on over to the link up to check out some other great recommendations!!!