May Wrap Up

Not quite as epic as last month, but still a good one. I read 24 books, and there were 3 DNFs. I finished my Spring Bookish Bingo challenge last night (wrap up post for that to come. 

 

May's books

 

Inalnd - Kat Rosenfield - 2 Stars - Review

The Orphan Queen - Jodie Meadows - 4 Stars - read not reviewed

Tempest Rising - Tracy Deebs - 4 Stars - Review

Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell - 5 stars - Review

The Idea of Love - Patty Callahan Henry - 3 Stars - Review

The Awakening & The Struggle (Vampire Diaries volumes 1 & 2 ) - LJ Smith - 5 stars - review

Dark Triumph (His Fair Asassin 2) Robin LaFevers - 4 stars - Review

Saving Francesca - Melinda Marchetta  - 3 Stars - Review

Stormwalker - Allyson James - Review

Delicate Monsters - Stephanie Kuehn - 2 Stars - Review

The Many Lives of Ruby Iyer by Laxmi Hariharan - 1 Star - DNF- Review

A Darker Shade of Magic - VE Schwab - 5 Stars - Review

The Walls Around Us - Nova Ren Suma - 5 Stars - Review

Black Dove, White Ravem - Elizabeth Wein - 2 Stars - DNF - Review

The Secrets We Keep - Trisha Leaver - 2 Stars - Review

Demonkeepers (Nightkeepers 4) Jessica Andersen - 5 Stars - read not reviewed Everything Everything - Nicola Yoon - 5 Stars - Review

Incite (Ignite 2) Erica Crouch - 1 star - DNF - Review

Red Queen (Red Queen 1) - Victoria Aveyard - 2 Stars - Review

The Witch Hunter - Virginia Boecker - 3 Stars - Review

The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things - Anne Aguirre - 5 Stars - Review

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before - Jenny Han - 4 Stars - Review

Resistance is Futile - Jenny Colgan - 3 Stars - Review

Even in Paradise - Chelsea Philpot - 4 Stars - Read not reviewed

Cold Burn of Magic - Jennifer Estep - DNF - barely managed 10% so didn’t rate.

The Heir (Selection 4) Kiera Cass - 1 Star - Review

A History of Glitter and Blood - Hannah Moskowitz - 2.5 Stars - Review

The Assassin’s Blade (Throne of Glass novellas) Sarah J Maas - 5 Stars - Read not reviewed.

 

Best Books this month

Everything Everything, The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things, Even in Paradise, The Assassin’s Blade, The Orphan Queen, A Darker Shade of Magic, The Walls Around Us.

 

Worst Books This Month

The Red Queen, The Heir, The Secrets We Keep, Cold Burn of Magic, Incite

 

Honourable Mentions

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, Gone With The Wind, Delicate Monsters

 

And A Book Haul Photo

 

 

 

Original post: sunsetxcocktail.booklikes.com/post/1177105/may-wrap-up

Review: A History of Glitter and Blood

Review:

I received a copy from Netgalley.

I was really excited when I got the approval email from Chronicle for this title. I have heard lots of good things about this particular author. Though I don't quite know what to make of this particular book. When I first started reading it, the tone of the story was faintly amusing. Though when I went back to it about a week later...the whole thing was very confusing. 

The world building and the characters are certainly unique...but...I just don't get it. I could barely keep uo with what was happening, the plot felt all over the place and I just couldn't connect to anything. I felt like I had walked in on a really good story with a really good joke and missed the punch line. I nearly DNFed several times but kept going thinking maybe if I need more everything would make sense. 

It didn't. I liked the differences of it, and there were plenty of times where it made me grin. I'm not even sure if it was meant to be intentionally humorous or not. By the time the end came I was still confused as hell. 

It wasn't necessarily a bad book, I can certainly appreciate as I said, the quickness and uniqueness. It was rather dark and violent in parts, and the sex thrown in was surprising as well. Didn't bother me personally, but I was surprised as the book is recommended for 14+. Its not particularly graphic and what I did like was the diversity in it. Its not just hetro sex that's implied. So plus points for that. 

I would certainly read something else by this author, and even though there were a few things I liked, I think in the end this book was just not for me. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Chronicle Books for approving my request to view the title.

Original post: sunsetxcocktail.booklikes.com/post/1177091/review-a-history-of-glitter-and-blood

And with finishing The Assassin's Blade, Spring Book Bingo is complete.

 

Original post: sunsetxcocktail.booklikes.com/post/1176549/post

Review: The Heir (Selection 4)

Review:

 This is a long, ranty review and does contain some plot spoilers. 

 

In spite of their silliness, I found myself really enjoying the Selection books. The characters drove me up the wall. By the last book I was completely hooked. So I was really excited to hear of the Next Generation new books. 

 

Only to find The Heir was awful. America Singer might have been a mooney eyed moron and one of the biggest Mary Sues I've come across, but at least she was a likable character. The same can not be said for her daughter.

 

Eadlyn Schreave is possibly the most selfish, obnoxious spoiled bitch I have ever come across in YA fiction. Bratty beyond belief. To be fair though, I can see a few points on where this girl is coming from. She's the first female heir to the kingdom who is going to become Queen in a monarchy run land. I can't even begin to imagine the pressure that build. She is forever going on about it. Going to be queen, going to be queen, no one can understand me, blah blah blah. Doesn't give her the license to be an entitled little madam who seems to think the sun rises and sets on her. 

 

When the novel starts, the cast systems have gone but not everyone in the general public are managing to cope with the new status. There's civil unrest and problems relating to this. So what do the monarch do? Let's have a Selection to take their minds off their problems! They'll be so distracted by watching the pretty princess make her choices from 35 suitors everyone will forget there are people starving and people who desperately need jobs!

 

Again, to be fair to Eadlyn, she was pretty pissed off about the Selection. She’s independent, she doesn’t need or want a husband at this stage in her life. She won’t be defined by finding a prince through the Selection. Of course mom and dad pressure her into it and she reluctantly agrees, thinking she can probably drive them all away. Meanwhile, she’s insanely jealous because her beloved twin brother has found love with the Princess of France. She can’t seem to get it that he’s found someone he loves more than her. (Prime example of her selfishness. This comes into play a major part towards the end of the novel).

 

Marlee from the first three books now lives in the palace and has two kids of her own, Kile (which was such a stupid and unpronounceable name he became Kyle when I was reading) a bookish type who seems to for no reason I can see rub our erstwhile princess the wrong way. She’s a bitch to him. And his 15 year old sister Josie. Josie is a bit bratty, you get the impression she worships Eadlyn, but cause she’s annoying and is forever playing with Eadlyn’s tiara collection, Eadlyn treats her like absolute shit.

 

[spoiler]

She also treats her maid like shit as well. The maid has a fiancé/boyfriend who is studying to be a chemist. Eadlyn can’t seem to grasp the fact that the boyfriend is smart and studying to be a chemist and the maid is well…folding laundry for a living and how does that work between the two of them? Pretty damn insulting. She doesn’t get why the maid is pissed at this. Things like this pop up during the novel which made me hate Eadlyn all the more. When the Selection starts at the suitors have been selected at one point they go out on a float in a parade out of the palace and into the general population. Not everyone is thrilled or pleased to see them. Eadlyn is heckled and things are thrown at her. She can’t get it. While it can’t be pleasant at all to have rotten fruit and eggs thrown at you, it’s the impression she gives that she thinks because she’s a princess (who’s going to be queen) that everyone must love her that makes it very hard to have any sympathy for her.

[/spoiler]

 

Somehow, Kile winds up in the Selection. (You had to see that one coming from a mile away) The Selection boys aren’t such a terrible bunch. A fair number of them are fairly decent people. There’s plenty of drama while Eadlyn tries to figure out how to get rid of them, events and “dates” and more eye rolling (from me the reader).

 

 

[spoiler]

One incident where one gets a little handsy and is thrown off. It baffles me that no background checks were done on these guys until well over half way through and an incident of almost violence prompts the king to be more thorough. There’s another fight. Again, the temperament of some of these guys through past police reports and things would have been seen before they ever entered the palace with a background check. More eye rolling.

 

[/spoiler]

 

 

Though again, to be fair to Eadlyn throughout the elimination process and the dates, she’s stuck more than a few times. If she dismisses the boys too quickly, she’s seen as cold and bitchy. If she kisses them, she’s seem as giving it up too easily. She’s still determined to hold onto her heart and refuses to just pick one for the sake of picking one. (One of the boys has an interesting proposal where this is concerned). Which is actually quite commendable. (Or would be if she wasn’t such a hateful bitch!).

 

A fair few of the Selected boys make getting through the book worthwhile. Though I was pleased to see more than a few of them, and even little Josie, call Eadlyn out on her shit and her appalling behavior.

[spoiler]

But the most awful part for her was when her brother’s delightful fiancé Camille visits. The girl is in the same position as Eadlyn. She’s going to be the Queen of France and has the same pressures on her. Camille is such a lovely girl. Eadlyn’s brother is clearly very much in love with her. What does Eadlyn do? Tries more than a few times to talk him out of marrying her. Tries to convince him to stay in Illea and find a girl there (of course so he won’t have to leave her and bugger off to France).

[/spoiler]

 

 

If this bit had come in the middle of the book I think I would have DNFed. Thankfully it was towards the end and I think I only had less than 80 pages or so left, so I stuck it out. In spite of boy drama, nothing is really resolved. Nothing really happens. Not until the last 30 pages and its family drama, not Selection drama.

 

This book was truly, truly awful. I’m really disappointed as I was so looking forward to it.

Original post: sunsetxcocktail.booklikes.com/post/1176021/review-the-heir-selection-4

Review:

Oh dear.  Major disappointment. I was so looking forward to this. What a load of crap! 

 

Full review to come.

Original post: sunsetxcocktail.booklikes.com/post/1174853/post

Review: To All The Boys I've Loved Before

Review:

I had a bit of a love/hate relationship with this book. 

 

For starts, the main character Lara Jean is incredibly immature for a sixteen year old girl. The thing that irritated me more than anything, was the fact that she still refers to her parents as "Mommy and Daddy". What sixteen year old does this?! Also, her BFF is supposed to be the bad girl of the school who has already lost the big V, drinks and parties and stays out all night, yet uses the word "beotch". What sixteen year old would not use the proper word? Bitch. Sorry for sterotyping, but I do not believe a girl with the reputation that the BFF has, would use the word "beotch". For fuck's sake! Even the 18 year old sister who's off to college in Scotland still calls the parents Mommy and Daddy. Urg. There were more than a few times when the bratty nine year old sister appeared to be the most mature character in the whole book!

 

Rant over, I did wind up actually really enjoying this, in spite of the things that annoyed me. I found Lara-Jean's love letters to be quite a unique way of dealing with the feels for boys she's had crushes on but doesn't get anywhere with. Until...shock horror! (sarcasm from me) the letters are sent out and the boys get them!

 

Including the boy she still really likes, in spite of writing him a letter to be over him. Which brings in the fake boyfriend. Is the fake boyfriend the new in thing for YA contemporary? I seem to have been seeing this a lot lately.

 

Peter, the boy who becomes Lara Jean's fake boyfriend was actually pretty fun. Maybe not the smartest boy in the world and he is more than a bit full of himself. But as the novel progressed, the relationship does develop and the characters become more likable. It was silly and rather unbelievable in a teen feel good movie way. Plenty of eye rolling and "oh come on!" moments.  There's a bit of drama towards the end.   

 

The family dynamic was cute between Lara Jean and her sisters and their Dad. Though it does have one of the biggest YA cliches - a deceased mother. The oldest sister is a bit of a bitch. The youngest is a brat. But they do seem to get along well. 

 

Over all, in spite of the very annoying things about this novel, it was a lot of fun. Didn't require much thought, and was a fairly quick read. And I am very pleased there is a sequel (which I have purchased a copy of) otherwise it was like...all that and then WHAT THE FUCK??? with that ending!!

 

Cute, fluffy fun. 

Original post: sunsetxcocktail.booklikes.com/post/1174689/review-to-all-the-boys-i-ve-loved-before

Review: The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things

Review:

It took me a while to get into this one, but I was pleasantly surprised to find myself really loving it by the end. I'd seen a mixed bag of reviews on this one, so wasn't sure what I'd think.

 

I did find the main character, Sage, to be very judgmental at first. It seemed like she had something to criticize about everyone, when she herself was trying to be "perfect". You learn fairly quickly that she has something to hide. Something pretty bad happened she's trying to hide and move on with herself. Doesn't give her the right to be uppity and judgy though. At least not in my opinion. While she had a fair few annoying traits, one thing I did like was the post-its and the purple glitter pen. 

 

Sage is known throughout her school for leaving post its with positive messages that make people feel better about themselves. It was cute, and empowering. And does come back to play at a later point in the novel when Sage herself is struggling, in such a moving way it made me cry. 

 

The romance was new boy Shane was sweet, if a tad bit instalovey. He comes in all gruff and moody and by the end of the next day or a few days later he's opening up to Sage in a way he never has with anyone else before. It is a bit eye roll enduing, but its one of those rare cases where the character development is so good, it was easy (at least for me) to overlook. 

 

Both Sage and Shane have plenty of secrets they're trying to keep from each other. Sage is trying to make new friends, she's part of the environmental club, there's drama with her new BFF's asshole of an ex-boyfriend. The way all these different characters come together is so engrossing. The relationship between Sage and Shane in particular has its ups and downs and is rather romantic. The character development is pretty amazing. 

 

The drama takes a sharp turn and escalates towards the end. Secrets are revealed, there are big consequences to certain the actions of certain characters. I did feel the end was kind of glossy in a Disney movie sort of way. Kind of a little unrealistic but at the same time, it was moving (reading so many YA romantic contemporaries this year must be making me a big softie, I cried). 

 

Over all, a really good read. Something I can certainly see myself reading again and again. 

 

Original post: sunsetxcocktail.booklikes.com/post/1174687/review-the-queen-of-bright-and-shiny-things

I received a copy from Netgalley.

 

Putting this one on the back burner for now. Not rating because I haven't read enough to really rate it.

 

Not for me. Ten % in, just not connecting to anything. I don't particularly like the characters, though I do like the world building. I just don't like this book at the moment. I may come back to it at a later date, but at the moment, it's not working for me. Dnfing.

 

Thank you to Kensington Books for approving my request to view the title.

Original post: sunsetxcocktail.booklikes.com/post/1174376/post

Review: Resistance is Futile

Review:

I received a copy from Netgalley.

Who knew a book about aliens and mathematicians could be so funny? I'm not sure what it was about this book that appealed to me, as special snowflake heroines with red hair have been driving me nuts lately. I think it was partly because she's a mathematician and not a YA character and therefore didn't fall into the special snowflake trope. (Also, the Star Trek fan in me couldn't resist the title).

I was surprised at how funny it was. Not the sort of thing I normally read, I look for something different every now and again, and a lot of the time I barely had a clue what was going on. The maths and physics stuff was completely over my head. I think it helped tremendously that it had a great flow to the story telling, and a brilliant cast of characters. Characters ranging from quirky to stuck up to bossy to annoying to just plain weird. However, all mixed together and given the circumstances and plot, it worked. It worked really well.

And it was hilarious in parts. I found myself giggling a lot when reading this book. So even though the plot was a little bit complex, it didn't matter because its still a really fun, enjoyable book.

Also one of those impossible to recap even a little without being spoilery. Though I did find it got a little bit ridiculous towards the end. It actually didn't end at all the way I thought it would. Which was surprising. Kind of bittersweet.

Still, the whole thing was fun and a bit different. Really enjoyable.

Thank you Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for approving my request to view this title.

Original post: sunsetxcocktail.booklikes.com/post/1174270/review-resistance-is-futile