A Month of Great Books

I'm so happy that Show us Your Books day is finally here with Steph and Jana!! This month was an awesome reading month for me. Almost all of the books I read had me completely engaged, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend any of them depending on a person's taste in books. :) I am finally feeling like I might actually finish Erin's book challenge...the only book that I have left to finish up is The Count of Monte Cristo, and I only have 17 hours left of it on Audible (which is actually only 9ish at 1.85 speed!!!)..so that's totally doable in the next 20 days, right?! :)

I've noticed that I have been giving a lot of 4 star ratings this year and I'm not really sure why. I haven't rated a book 5 stars yet in 2017 even though I've read some fantastic books. It seems like there has always been one thing holding me back from a full 5-star rating, and I'm okay with that, but I'm hoping for the BOOK OF THE YEAR to drop into my lap any day now. lol. Honestly though, reading a lot of 4-star books isn't the worst thing in the world. I am enjoying my reading life immensely. I think I just need to wait to read TJR or Louise Penny's new book and that'll be 5 stars for me, I hope ;) So much to look forward to in books this year. :)

The Girl Before by J.P. Delaney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was just what I needed at the time: a book I could not put down. It grabbed me right from the start. It was interesting reading about two different characters who had similar lives in some ways. There were a couple of twists that I didn't see coming at all. I was generally creeped out and on-edge the whole time I was reading this. I know that it will be great on the big screen whenever it gets made (the rights have already been purchased).

The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
(read for #ownbooks #diversereads category of MMD Reading for Growth; read for Erin's book challenge 6.0 category: homonym in the title) 

I was unable to put this book down and finished it in a day. I loved the characters and their teenage but also adult-like problems. The plot moved quite quickly and the relevance of the issues was quite intense. I really enjoy books that are told from multiple perspectives (this reminded me a little bit of (A Little Something Different, but so much better). This book really made me enjoy the genre of YA after leaving it for awhile. I can't wait to read her other book, Everything, Everything and I have it lined up for April because my new favourite Facebook book club is talking about it next week.

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was on my radar for awhile, but I knew I wanted to wait until all three books were released to start reading them. I read about 85% of this book quite quickly and then I sort of put it down for a couple of weeks. I'm not sure why?! I really liked the writing and the world that is created here. It is unlike anything I've read lately, but yet it sort of reminds me of something and I can't quite place it. When I finished this book, I felt like a lot happened but it wasn't overly complicated. Schwab just sort of immerses the reader Overall, this was a great start to this trilogy. I can't wait to see what happens next and I'll be reading the next book next month when it comes in from the library. If this is your kind of genre, I think this series will turn out to be really enjoyable. I am rooting so hard for Kell!

A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

(Read this for Erin's challenge 6.0 - category: Time Travel) 

This book had some very cute moments and I enjoyed the time travel aspect and the setting. It fell a bit flat for me and I'm not too sure why. The ending was enjoyable though.


Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a quick read for me and I absolutely loved the writing. The emotions that Mohsin Hamid were able to convey in this book were very real, and this book absolutely made me think about migration in a light that I hadn't before. I don't think this will be a favourite of mine necessarily, nor will I re-read it, but it opened my eyes to something that I think is quite important in our present day and for that I am grateful. If migration/immigration is something on your mind at all, you might want to give this book a chance. It is not very long but it is extremely powerful.

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

(Read this for Erin's challenge 6.0 - category: Book by your favourite author) 

I put off reading this book for years because I had read the first little bit of it and found it to be quite boring (a lot of the Internet agrees with 2012 Heather). However, this time, it came to me at the right time. I had just heard a fellow J.K. Rowling fan talk about how much she'd liked this book on the WSIRN podcast, and I already had it lined up for Erin's challenge (and had put it off for 3 months). I did quite enjoy the writing in this book, and I felt that the plot moved along quickly enough (and there were certainly enough characters!) to keep me interested. However, I can see how this book wouldn't be for everyone. It would not have been one I would have enjoyed 5 years ago, and there was a LOT going on and a lot of everything going on with every character. It was a much easier read than I was anticipating though and overall I am so glad that I forayed into J.K. Rowling's work beyond Harry Potter. I do really love her writing, and I am antsy to go and read HP again sometime this summer. Note: for people who are NOT fans of Harry Potter (are there any? lol j/k), this book is absolutely NOTHING like it in any way, so it might be worth your time if that has ever held you back from trying it ;)

CURRENTLY READING:

Only 16 more hours left in my audiobook of The Count of Monte Cristo (it's starting to get a bit intense!)
This is How it Always Is (this book is SO amazing so far!!!)
Everything, Everything - discussing this in online book club later this week :)

What have you been reading lately?! Anything good to recommend?? I think I have enough library holds to carry me through until May but I can't wait to get into some fun spring and summer books!!!