Guys. Once again, I feel like I’m apologizing for being absent for so long. It’s never intentional, but life gets in the way sometimes and the last few months have been hectic.
So, what should I post next? Books and ratings for my reads so far this year? Reviews from August? My current update for books on my shelves? I’ve got so much I want to talk about and having trouble finding my footing.
Any suggestions for a new meme or topic you’d love to see more of, comment below. I implore you to help a girl out. Love you, awesome nerds.
Whelp. I was so determined to be back to regular posting and was so excited. Then, last Monday, I took a spill down the stairs and dislocated my shoulder. It’ll definitely be a recovery process and today I finally feel okay enough to type this out. 2023 has definitely already thrown some curveballs at me, and I really just can’t wait to not be in pain and to be able to sleep without a sling on. But, baby steps. Wanted to update y’all and let you know that I’m okay. I’m not disappearing again, and hopefully I can get back on here and post some more reviews, I need to finish up January- I read 12 books in January, and finished one in February so far, though I know that number will increase since I’m not allowed to go back to work until the 21st of this month.
Hope everyone is doing well, I hope you’re all hitting your reading goals, and life goals so far this year. Let’s make the rest of the year great! I know I’ll be much more appreciative of having both arms functional again.
Alright, time to post a few more reviews, because I’m up to 12 books this month and have only posted 4 so far, so here goes reads 5-7!
(Reread) 5/5 for this beauty, read number 5, read 1/9-1/14
Because my first review of this book was beyond terrible, here I go again.
I cannot begin to explain my love for this story. Brown does not hold back when it comes to exploiting all of life’s hardships and showing that time and time again, life throws you curve balls and no matter how hard you hit rock bottom, there’s always something more that life can take from you.
This is not a happy book. It’s brutal and ruthless and if you want something that will make you smile for any measure of time, this isn’t it.
Darrow is such a kickass hero and I absolutely love his progression, though, again, it’s all hardship. He only progresses because life continues to deal him bad cards when all he really wants is to avenge his wife.
Parts of this book are like hunger games but so much worse and it’s mind-boggling.
I love the setting, I love the writing, I love the world building and the unique characters. I cannot wait to read the next book!!
5/5 for this lovely little book. Read number 6, read 1/14-1/17
Aside from Percy Jackson, it’s been a while since I’ve read a Middle Grade book, but I’ve been dying to read this for a while now and I’m so glad I finally did. I thoroughly enjoyed this from start to finish.
It was such a pleasure reading about Sophie and Howl in book form. I loved the book even more than I had anticipated and I was so worried I’d be comparing the book and movie too much, but I didn’t and still have such a love for the movie, and now I get to love the book.
I understand some of the changes made from the book to the movie, but I loved seeing the story in its original form. I would have loved to have read this in elementary school, young Lauren would have loved this story. But I can still appreciate it as the wonderful story it is, and for that I am thankful.
I’ve already got the second book on my shelf and will definitely be getting ahold of the third, cannot wait to continue with this world.
4/5 for this beautiful book. Read number 7, read 12/28-1/18
Man, what a read. I ended up reading through the second half of the book in one sitting, I just had to find out what happened to Kya and how everything played out.
This was a beautiful tale about someone’s true, unabashed will power in every aspect of life. Kya had to fend for herself at such a young age and it seemed every time something good came into her life, the tides of life swept it away from her. Yet she still turned out to be such an incredible young woman and I just felt her story so much, it resonated so deep for me.
Yes, her life is one in a million in the regards of how it turned out and no, it definitely would not happen the same way for many others. But Kya had so much strength and determination and despite being so walled off from others, she still managed to hold her head high and to love.
Picked this up about a week ago, I’ve been dying to read it and it’s just been sitting on my shelf. Enjoying it so far, it’s got some action, a headstrong MC, and space travel!
Picked this one up at the library because I’ve had my eye on it for a while, excited to dive in!
I’ve finished a lot this month, so this last week I finished Tilly in Technicolor, Project Hail Mary (again), Empire of Storms(also again), and Best Served Hot. Tilly in Technicolor will be out on August 15th 2023, and Best Served Hot will be out February 21st 2023. So keep your eyes peeled, reviews to come for more books in the next few days.
The next couple books I really want to get to on my list are Dating Dr. Dill and Winter’s Orbit, but I know there will be more that I read in there as well, I’ve been getting through a lot of ebooks and audio lately as well, which has helped! I’m already 11 books in.
Okay, so I actually loved this even more than I would have anticipated. One of the wonderful things about this series is that each can be read separately and is from an entirely different time period/ cast of characters and there’s something for everyone.
I loved the Wild West aspects of this one so much, I always loved learning about this time period in history class, and this gave it so many fun angles with added humor, and it was great.
I adored the cast of characters so much, Frank, Jane, and George especially. There were also characters I despised, but I loved that they were fantastically villainous characters.
Read number 4 for the year! 3/5 read 1/10-1/11
A big thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and of course Andrea Hannah for providing me with an eARC of this book. I am voluntarily leaving a review, all opinions are my own.
I wanted to absolutely love this book, I mean the cover is gorgeous and it sounds so good when you read the description, but it just fell short for me in some ways. I felt like the execution just wasn’t quite there for me, with some plot holes throughout and muddled character convictions.
It was interesting, and as things started to come together, I definitely enjoyed the last little chunk. But I guessed so much of it from nearly the beginning and it took away a lot of the experience of the book for me. It was dark and twisted though, and I know that many people will enjoy this book.
The one thing I liked the most was the friendship, the family bonds amongst the girls.
***This book is due to come out February 21st of this year! Keep your eyes peeled if it’s up your alley!***
Still got a few more reads to post (5 to be precise), so expect more reviews soon! What book(s) have you read this year so far? Comment below! ❤ -Laurenxx
4.5/5 for this NetGalley read! Read 12/24-1/3 Read number 2 for the year.
An enormous thank you to NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing, and of course, Camile Victoire for providing me with an eARC of this novel. I am voluntarily leaving a review, all opinions are my own.
First of all, if you’re looking for a beautiful tale of wistful circus performances, this isn’t the book for you. This is a dark, twisted tale set in a world that doesn’t seem too far off.
I enjoyed the world-building immensely and would love to see more of this world. It’s definitely got a lot about preserving our world and what we’ve got and not continuing down the destructive path we’re on.
This book is for anyone who’s a fan of dystopians and revolution. For anyone who enjoyed Maze Runner and Hunger Games, this fits in quite nicely.
This book contained so many little twists and turns, it kept me sucked in from the very beginning. I absolutely adored the story and absolutely cannot wait for another book to be in this world once again.
This book comes out January 31st of this year, and I honestly cannot recommend it enough. This was such a dark book though, be prepared if you do read it. Have you read any upcoming releases? Drop a comment!
Okay, so I’m ridiculously excited to be back to some regular posting, and with that comes continuing the memes I used to do on a regular basis! That means TTT once again and I am stoked. For those of you who don’t know, this meme started over at The Broke and Bookish and has since moved on over to the lovely That Artsy Reader Girl.
Complete at least one of my reading challenges. I’m participating in quite a few this year, The Nest’s 3 Degrees of Difficulty Challenge, a challenge my local library is hosting, a random one I stumbled upon online that I will have to track down and post here, and a couple others I’ve made for myself.
Read more of what I own. This has become a real issue for me in the last few years. When we moved this last year, I realized how many of the books I own have gone unread, and it’s time to read them or move on. No use lugging around more than 100 unread books.
Borrow from the library more. I frequent my local library quite often, I’ve got an amazing one for being in such a small town, and always check out a book, but I want to be better about reading what I check out. If it struck me as something I want to read, I need to seize the moment.
DNF books more. I’m all for DNF’ing a book if I’ve made it at least 100 pages in and I’m just not feeling it- there’s nothing wrong with a book not being a good fit at the moment. I’ve found that I go back to the book more often than not (days, months, sometimes even years later) and actually end up loving them most of the time. Tastes change, moods switch, and that’s okay. Life is too short to worry about finishing every book you pick up. Too many books, too little time.
Read more than last year. Granted, I read 84 books, and that’s fantastic, but I want to strive to beat the previous year’s total each year, and I’ve been fairly consistent with that.
Go through my shelves. I did this a little bit this last year (okay, donated more than 3 huge boxes to the library) and I loved it. It felt so good to clear up some space and be able to rehome my books. I plan to do this majorly this year- I got a book stamp so I can stamp any I’m sure will remain in my library, and donate what I don’t want to keep. I want to have a more comprehensive list of my books.
Get my NetGalley ratio back to 80%. It’s at 75, so that won’t be difficult, I just need to make sure I stay on top of it and actually post my reviews in a timely manner!
Keep up with my BuJo. Most of my BuJo is my reading stuff, and I need to actually stay on top of it. I found myself struggling to get caught up time and time again because I’d just put it off. If I spend 5 minutes a day, I can keep up.
Don’t put books off. If I buy a new book and I’m excited about it, or if I get that library book I’ve been itching to read, I want to start it within 2 days. Otherwise, my mood might switch and then it’s just another book on my shelf unread and I hate that.
Post a review for every book I read. I was so good about it for so long, but found myself slipping because I was always trying to be so thorough with my reviews. If I at least get a short review posted, I can always go back and add more if I remember something else I need to say. If I’ve got nothing to work from, it’s so much harder for me.
First read of the year! Trying to actually get through some of my books that I own this year, starting with some Owlcrate reads or just books that have been sitting on my shelf for FAR too long. I’ve got so many books that I need to read, and this was a wonderful place to start.
4/5 stars for this beauty! 1/1-1/2
I’m so glad this was the first read of the new year for me. This was such a great fantasy read, I was sucked in almost immediately. The whole world within this story was fantastic and I absolutely adored the story from beginning to end.
I loved Violet and loved watching her really come into her own throughout this book. She felt human, despite her powers, and I liked that. The characters were so real and raw to me, even being in a fantasy setting, they didn’t feel like your typical fantasy characters.
I loved the world-building in this one and would love to learn more about the world. I cannot wait for a continuation of this series! This series is definitely on my list to continue when book two comes out! If anyone hears any news, feel free to let me know, otherwise I’ll be posting updates here!
Hello, friends! I’ve absolutely sucked at posting updates the last couple years. But one of my resolutions is to get on here and actually post some updates about my reading, reviews, challenges, all that good stuff!! I’m also planning to post some of my BuJo pages, so if you see any you’d like to see updates for, let me know!! Hope your new year is starting out well, I’ve been sick for nearly a week now, so hopefully this will pass. Love to everyone.
This year started off pretty well, I’ve actually done quite a bit of reading so far. We started off the year with a whole lot of packing- 3 moving truck’s worth. And then we spent quite a bit of time driving across the country to our new home in Kentucky. It’s been an adventure, for sure and we’re so happy to be here. But, here’s what I read in January of 2022:
1. Illuminaeby Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. FINALLY listened to the audio version and loved it, then listened to it again on our drive out here with my boyfriend so he could finally read this book. 5/5 on this read, as always.
REVIEW:
I’m writing this review all over again because I just absolutely love this book and even though it’s a re-read I think I fell even more in love with this book.
Kristoff and Kaufman are just absolutely genius when it comes to collaborations, this was such an incredible story and such a UNIQUE way to tell it. It’s got some of the most amazing writing because half the time you don’t even realize it’s such an odd format and you’re so into the story that you look down after reading for half an hour and you’ve flown through more than 50 pages because you’re just so engrossed.
The characters are amazing as well. Kady being the badass she was from beginning to end and seeing every side of Ezra and just… gahhh. They’re both so genuine! And then there’s AIDAN. Fuck, man.
This book just raises so many questions and brings up so much about humanity and it’s highs and lows and everything in between. The more I sit here and revel over everything that happens, the more I just want to read it over and over again. Literally, it’s that good.
And now I’m just rambling, but I LOVE this book.
2. A Kingdom of Flesh and Fireby Jennifer L. Armentrout. A solid 4/5 for me.
REVIEW:
This was a great continuation of Poppy’s story. I absolutely love her as a character and the world-building in this book was fantastic. I love these characters so much and getting to read their journey has been great.
These books are pretty spicy and I absolutely love that about them. Armentrout is such a great author and I love seeing her expand her universes from beyond the same sort of formular, her writing gets better as she goes. Definitely can’t wait to finish the series.
3.How Not to Fall in Loveby Jacqueline Firkins. 4/5
REVIEW: A huge thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book. I am voluntarily leaving a review, all opinions are my own.
This book was so cute. I loved Harper and despite her being blind to certain things, it felt real. Everything came together in a way that thrilled me, but there were some realistic bumps along the way.
I flew through this book in what would’ve been one sitting, but ended up being two. It was so cute, I had to know how it all played out.
I definitely want to check out other books by this author because I loved the way she writes. Overall, a very cute romance, and a very quick read.
4.The Love Hypothesisby Ali Hazelwood. 5/5
REVIEW: One of the best fake dating stories I’ve yet to come across. This book was so cute from beginning to end, I honestly can’t recommend it highly enough.
I absolutely loved Olive and loved watching her grow over the course of the book. I loved her friends. Anh especially and all the shenanigans she forced Olive into, especially when it came to Adam.
I flew through more than half of this book in one sitting because I had to know how it all played out.
5.The Vanishing Stairby Maureen Johnson. 4/5
REVIEW: What a ride. I definitely enjoy the mystery aspect behind these books and can’t wait to read the next one to see where it goes. This one progressed nicely over such a short period of time and I really want to know what happened to the added mysteries towards the end.
Stevie still isn’t my favorite character, but I did like her in this one more than the last, I feel like she’s grown a bit, but she’s still annoying at times- I wish she’d just tell people the damn truth more often, but I digress.
With how this one ended, I immediately went online and purchased the next one, so hopefully I’ll have it in my hands soon so I can see what happens next.
6 & 7:The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. 4/5 and 5/5
REVIEWS: HUNGER GAMES:
Boy, oh boy. I read this again for the first time in years as a buddy read with two of my absolute best friends, Ashley and Tiffany. I loved this even more than I thought I would and ended up finishing the book in two sittings. (oops)
I loved seeing how different this was from the movie after just having watched it a few days prior, and as always, the book is better. There are a lot of little moments of rebellion, certain things said or done by characters that are omitted from the movie and I feel like that takes away some of the oomph from certain moments. Haymitch’s character is toned down so much from the movies, but I feel like it was so important for him to sober up enough to help them throughout, seeing as that’s not his usual operating status; You can tell right off the bat when they start going at him that he realizes he may actually have a chance of seeing one of them make it through.
I love Katniss even more in the books, being inside her head as she goes through everything she does gives you way more insight as to why she’s making the decisions she does and I feel like that’s something they really couldn’t do in the movie.
I’m sad that they cut Madge out of the movie because her character is one Katniss actually thinks rather kindly of, and that’s big for Katniss.
There are so many details left out of the movie but this book really sets the stage for the rest of the series and gives you a good understanding of how much the people of Panem suffer on a regular basis at the hands of the Capitol.
Catching Fire: Another book that I had absolutely no problem plowing through. I contained myself more with this one because it’s my favorite, but still finished earlier than we had planned for our buddy read. Oops.
Yet again, I forgot just how much of the “little” moments were left out of this book- Madge yet again, Darius, and so much else. I loved getting to know some of the other victors from the other districts, even if they were in less favorable conditions.
The games in this book take up so little of the book itself, but the arena is beyond crazy with how it’s set up. And again, all the little things Katniss misses until it’s too late- like the watch at the beginning.
This series will forever hold a special place in my heart, it was one that really kicked my love of all things sci-fi and dystopian into gear and made me that much more of an avid reader. _______________________________________
Whelp. I read 7 books in January and all in all, it was a great moth of reading. Did you read any new favorites in January this year? I know, it’s going back a while, but this has actually been fun getting to reflect on what I’ve read so far this year. The Love Hypothesis is definitely a new favorite for me! That’s all for now. ~Bookschief_Managed
bookschiefmanaged7437.wordpress.com 