Also, something I've noticed that I do is I rate higher on Goodreads than I actually feel. I'm always like "Oh the author worked really hard they deserve appreciation." It takes me a lot to give a small amount of stars to a book and I think I need to work on this. I always want to be nice and I really never want to offend somebody for working so hard. However, I think I'm too nice sometimes. It becomes a question of whether I'd rather be nice or honest. It's one of my least favorite things about professional bloggers or booktubers because they often are paid to say nice things. It's totally understandable, but I really do want to be honest about my feelings for books. I just don't want to be mean either. This will be something I'm working on this year and I know it will be a struggle. Sorry nothing really resolved there, just some thoughts I have.
My Favorites
5. Captive Prince Trilogy by C.S. Pacat
"Damen is a warrior hero to his people, and the rightful heir to the throne of Akielos. But when his half brother seizes power, Damen is captured, stripped of his identity, and sent to serve the prince of an enemy nation as a pleasure slave.
Beautiful, manipulative, and deadly, his new master, Prince Laurent, epitomizes the worst of the court at Vere. But in the lethal political web of the Veretian court, nothing is as it seems, and when Damen finds himself caught up in a play for the throne, he must work together with Laurent to survive and save his country.
For Damen, there is just one rule: never, ever reveal his true identity. Because the one man Damen needs is the one man who has more reason to hate him than anyone else…"
Overall a very enjoyable series. It's a lot of smut, but it's good smut. Was definitely a guilty pleasure when I raced through these books in a matter of days. The world building is amazing and instead of reading for the smut I was also reading because the story was so addicting. They're easy to read, but very mature content.
4. Rereading Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
I'm not going to post a summary because if you don't at least know what Harry Potter is about then please leave. I still can't believe it whenever I meet somebody who hasn't read them. They're incredible and such a staple in life for me. I reread them all during the summer and I will 100% reread them sometime in the future. I'm currently in Edinburgh, the birthplace of Harry Potter (I will do a post about all the Harry Potter sites I visit eventually!) and this world is honestly my favorite place to visit.
3. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
Summary (taken from Goodreads):
"Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.
Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two."
Sarah J. Maas is an amazing writer. Her world building skills are supreme and she has the ability to create beautiful relationships and character development. This is the second book in A Court of Thorns and Roses so read that first! While the Throne of Glass series was my favorite series of all time, this book may have just topped that. It's more mature so younger readers if you're not comfortable with mature themes in the relationships, this is probably not the series for you! It's so good though and one of the most addicting books ever I think. I'm so freaking excited for the third A Court of Wings and Ruin!
Small little blurb thought/worry that you can totally skip: Throne of Glass was my favorite series but I haven't read the most recent book in it and it came out in September! I know, I'm ashamed. The third book, Heir of Fire, was incredible though and when the fourth came out, while it was still really good, it wasn't as good as Heir of Fire and was a little bit of a let down. The one that I haven't read is the fifth and I'm scared it'll also not be as good. I'm also worried she's stretching the series too far to make it six books. This brings me into ACoTaR, it's supposed to be six books as well... The first two are superb, but again I'm worried they'll stretch too thin. It hasn't happened yet so it might not happen and she'll do it amazingly, I'm just concerned. Nothing's worse than when a great series or tv show gets stretched out too much and it turns bad (thinking about Supernatural tbh). I'd rather it end on a good note than go to far...
2. I Am the Messenger by Marcus Zusak
Summary (taken from Goodreads):
"Ed Kennedy is an underage cabdriver without much of a future. He's pathetic at playing cards, hopelessly in love with his best friend, Audrey, and utterly devoted to his coffee-drinking dog, the Doorman. His life is one of peaceful routine and incompetence until he inadvertently stops a bank robbery.
That's when the first ace arrives in the mail.
That's when Ed becomes the messenger.
Chosen to care, he makes his way through town helping and hurting (when necessary) until only one question remains: Who's behind Ed's mission?"
Marcus Zusak is an incredible writer. The Book Thief is also amazing so I wanted to try his other work. There were no regrets. It was a different type of story and more mature than The Book Thief, but I think Marcus Zusak succeeded astronomically in this other genre. Reflecting on this book I think I want to reread it, the ending was awesome and I want to understand it more. Loved this book so much, its ranking is arguably higher... Actually I just switched it. It was originally placed number three, but it was too good.
1. It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
Summary (taken from Goodreads):
"Lily hasn't always had it easy, but that's never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She's come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up - she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily's life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.
Ryle is assertive, stubborn, and maybe even a little arrogant. He's also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily, but Ryle's complete aversion to relationships is disturbing.As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan - her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened."
Colleen Hoover is known to do easy and fun romance books, but this one's more than that. A word of warning is it's cheesy and the characters feel a little too posed and clichéd. It's supposed to be a cheesy romance like that though in the beginning. The true meaning of this book comes through later though and was built up so well. This was my favorite book of 2016. It might not be an all-time favorite, but I think it was the best of the year that I read. It's one I think about a lot too and recommend to so many people. I think it's best to go into this book a little oblivious as to what it's about because it helps you get the largest impact.
Honorable Mentions
Blood for Blood by Ryan Graudin
"For the resistance in the Third Reich, the war may be over, but the fight has just begun. Death camp survivor Yael, who has the power to skinshift, is on the run: the world has just seen her shoot and kill Hitler. But the truth of what happened is far more complicated, and its consequences are deadly. Yael and her unlikely comrades dive into enemy territory to try to turn the tide against Hitler’s army, and there is no alternative but to see their mission through to the end, whatever the cost.
But in the midst of the chaos, Yael’s past and future collide when she comes face to face with a ghost from her past, and a spark with a fellow rider begins to grow into something more. Dark secrets reveal dark truths and one question hangs over them all—how far can you go for the ones you love?"
This is the sequel and finale to Wolf by Wolf so read that first it's also superb! This was more mature and I remember loving it when I was reading it because the relationships are believable, but I've honestly forgotten a lot that happened during it. It made my honorable mentions though because I thought the series was amazing and a worthwhile read!
The Rook by Daniel O'Malley
Summary (taken from Goodreads):
"'The body you are wearing used to be mine.' So begins the letter Myfanwy Thomas is holding when she awakes in a London park surrounded by bodies all wearing latex gloves. With no recollection of who she is, Myfanwy must follow the instructions her former self left behind to discover her identity and track down the agents who want to destroy her.
She soon learns that she is a Rook, a high-ranking member of a secret organization called the Chequy that battles the many supernatural forces at work in Britain. She also discovers that she possesses a rare, potentially deadly supernatural ability of her own.
In her quest to uncover which member of the Chequy betrayed her and why, Myfanwy encounters a person with four bodies, an aristocratic woman who can enter her dreams, a secret training facility where children are transformed into deadly fighters, and a conspiracy more vast than she ever could have imagined."
This book is something different and refreshing. It's odd and also hilarious at times. Myfanwy is an amazing character and a strong female lady too! There's powers and it was done so well that it's believable that it exists in the real world. I forget where I saw this book recommended to me but it was some kind of list about amazing books. There's a sequel to The Rook, but I don't think I'm going to read it because I enjoyed the ending of this one so much and don't feel a need to continue it. I don't want it to get messed up in my head either.
Zenith: Part 1 by Lindsay Cummings and Sasha Alsberg
Summary (taken from Goodreads):
"There is darkness sweeping across the stars.
Most know Androma Racella as the Bloody Baroness: a powerful mercenary whose reign of terror stretches across the Mirabel Galaxy. To those aboard her fearsome glass starship the Maurader, she’s just Andi, their captain and protector.
When a routine mission goes awry, the all-girl crew’s resilience is tested as they find themselves in a most unfamiliar place: at the mercy of a sadistic bounty hunter connected to Andi’s past and a harrowing betrayal.
Meanwhile, on the far side of the galaxy, a ruthless ruler waits in the shadows of the planet Xen Ptera, biding her time to exact revenge for the destruction of her people. The final pieces of her deadly plan are about to fall into place, unleashing a plot that will tear Mirabel in two.
Andi and her crew embark on a dangerous, soul-testing journey that could restore order to their ship—or just as easily start a war that will devour worlds. As the Marauder hurtles towards the unknown, and Mirabel hangs in the balance, the only thing certain is that in a galaxy run on lies and illusion, no one can be trusted."
Okay so this was originally just the first part in the book that was made into an e-book but it got picked up by a Harlequin and will be published as a full book in August! I also know that a lot of this version has been changed and the book that's coming out will be a little different. It's still the same premise, just published all as one book now. From what Sasha's told me about it so far it sounds like it'll be amazing! I'm so excited for this sci-fi and I'm honestly not going to say anything more about it, but it's one that you should all seek out when it officially comes out.
Blurbs About Other Books
Night by Elie Wiesel
I feel like I need to reread this. I really enjoyed it but looking back it feels like it needs a reread to appreciate it more. The Holocaust must never be allowed to be forgotten because it's painful and sad, it needs to be remembered so history can't repeat itself.
The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy
A book my thoughts turn to occasionally, it reminded me of one of my grandparents' experience with aging. It's short and interesting and since I related to it I think it affected me more. Tolstoy writes some incredibly long books, but I think this is a good introductory to him.
Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
I enjoyed reading it but I think it was hyped up too much for me. Looking back it feels like a stereotypical sci-fi book that didn't make me feel much.
Morning Star by Pierce Brown
I absolutely loved the first book and that emotion carried into the second book for me since I read them one after the other. The third book was good, but not as impactful as the first one was. While I constantly recommend Red Rising and talk about it, I never think about Morning Star much. I might just need to reread the whole series.
A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir
Loved the first, but this one was disappointing. It felt way too much like a filler book where not much happened. Still looking forward to the third because I can see the second being just a build up and connector towards it. A Torch Against the Night Review
The last two 5th Wave books by Rick Yancey
It took me forever to read these. I think I assumed they'd be some more clichéd sci-fi books but they surprised me. They were quick reads and overall very good. Just not favorites of mine.
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
I rated it five stars and it was really good, but didn't make my favorites list. Can't explain why because I enjoyed everything in it, but I have a feeling about it that it wasn't as good as I think it is. No idea what I mean by that, but it was overall a worthwhile read. Dark Matter Review
The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
Really really good. However, I've seen the movie so many times and loved the movie that I knew everything that was going to happen. It's a little too good of a book to movie adaptation because I know the movie so well that I felt I knew the book too well. Because of this the mystery and suspense were lost to me. I couldn't tell if it was really predictable and I think it skewed my judgement. I want to read Red Dragon and Hannibal in this series too. The show Hannibal is amazing too fyi.
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