This month was probably the best reading month I have ever had. I read a total of 10 books (including one that I listened to on Audible), and ended up getting through about 1/4th of an 11th book.
1. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling *5 stars*
This was a re-read for me. Last year, I decided I wanted to re-read the entire series, so I’ve been slowly getting through them each month. I’ve re-read this series so many times, and this book has always been my least favorite, just because it’s so much darker than the previous four (don’t get me wrong, I love all 7 books, but if I HAD to pick a least favorite, this would’ve been it). However, re-reading it this time, I absolutely fell in love with it. I might even go so far as to say it’s become my favorite of the series. That could easily change though, after I read HBP and DH! I guess we’ll see! 🙂
2. Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott *4.75 stars*
I loved this book! It was so much fun! I’ve heard it described as a mix between The Hunger Games and Pokemon, and I would have to agree! There are a ton of similarities to the Hunger Games, but not so much that it’s a rip-off of it (I’ve heard some say that, but I completely disagree). I would definitely recommend this to anyone who liked The Hunger Games or Divergent.
3. Still Alice by Lisa Genova *5 stars*
This book was so hard for me to read. It was beautiful and heartbreaking on a level that I’ve never experienced before. Alzheimer’s is such a difficult disease to have to deal with, and I think this book did an absolutely amazing job of describing what it’s like for everyone involved. Since it’s told from the perspective of Alice (who has early onset Alzheimer’s), you get a glimpse at what it’s like inside the mind of a person developing the disease and it is just so, so heartbreaking.
4. The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken *3 stars*
I wrote an entire post over this book, which you can read here for a more detailed review. If you’re just interested in my overall thoughts – I liked it. It was okay, but I didn’t
like it anywhere near as much as I thought I would considering all the hype that’s been surrounding the series for the past couple of years. The pacing was extremely slow and there’s a lot that’s not explained very well which left me feeling super confused throughout a large portion of the book.
5. Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King *4.5 stars*
This was my first A.S. King novel and I will definitely be reading more of her work. I loved this book! It’s basically about a boy who’s been bullied for a large portion of his life and how he copes with it. It also has a slight magical aspect to it which I really enjoyed. “The world is full of assholes. What are you doing to make sure you’re not one of them?”
6. The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling *5 stars*
I don’t think I could ever give anything Harry Potter related less than 5 stars, but I honestly loved this! It was so fun to see what fairy tales would be like for wizard children! I also really enjoyed Dumbledore’s notes at the end of each story. Definitely a must-read for Harry Potter fans!
7. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare *4 stars*
I really liked this book. I would have given it 5 stars if it weren’t for that ending! Cassandra Clare is truly an amazing writer. She writes in a way that is just so captivating and addicting, which makes it nearly impossible to stop reading. Needless to say I flew through this book and I am really excited to continue on with the rest of the series!
8. The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson *4.5 stars*
I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson was my favorite book of 2014, so I just had to read this, and of course I will read anything else that she ends up writing in the future because she is fantastic! I loved this book. Not as much as I’ll Give You the Sun, but I still loved it. It’s about a girl who is coping with the sudden death of her older sister, so it is quite sad, but I think that just makes the story even more beautiful. Also, the main character plays the clarinet, and I used to play the clarinet when I was in high school, so I thought that was pretty awesome!
9. Hopeless by Colleen Hoover *4 stars* (Listened on Audible)
This book was insane. To say it took me on an emotional roller coaster would be a complete understatement. I actually might do a full review on this book because I have a ton of thoughts on it! I absolutely hated the first half of this book and honestly almost quit reading (listening) about 5 different times but I’m so glad I didn’t because I ended up really enjoying it overall. I just had a few concerns with the main character’s behavior at the beginning of the book. Other than that, I am obsessed with Colleen Hoover’s writing! It’s so addicting! I want to read all of her books now!
10. The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson *5 stars*
This was my favorite book of the month! It was so so so good! I will definitely be doing a full review on this book because wow! SO GOOD! (I can’t even form coherent thoughts, it was that good).
I also got about 1/4th of the way through Snow Like Ashes by Sarah Raasch. I’m still currently reading it and so far, I’m really enjoying it!
Perpetual Pages 