Books Via Ashley

Well, this was basically one of the hardest lists I've ever compiled. I read a plethora of good books this year. There were so many that were amazing, that I really enjoyed, and that I would highly recommend, but for this list, they had to have really made an impact (basically gotten a 5 and 4.5 star rating). It was extremely difficult for me to narrow them down to the Top 10, so I'm doing a Top 16 because it's 2016 and I'm just really awful at forcing myself to cut out books. And while I could just cut the list after #10, I loved numbers 11-16 just as much and didn't feel like it would accurately reflect my year without them. I didn't count any books that I'd read before and then reread this year. Also, while these are all books that I've read this year, though they weren't necessarily published in 2016 (though many were). My Top 16 Books of 2016 (in order): 1) The Female of the Species - Mindy McGinnis A gripping contemporary YA

I had to read 11 books this month, and I beat it by one! There were some new favorites this month, and I also finally started the Throne of Glass series, which I loved (currently reading #4 with #5 on hold at the library). 1) Elantris - Brandon Sanderson (4.5 stars) 2) The Forbidden Wish - Jessica Khoury (4.5 stars) 3) The Girl From Everywhere - Heidi Heilig (3.5 stars) 4) The Sun is Also a Star - Nicola Yoon (3 stars) 5) Half the World - Joe Abercrombie (4 stars) 6) Lady Cop Makes Trouble - Amy Stewart (3 stars) 7) Throne of Glass - Sarah J. Maas (4 stars) 8) Crown of Midnight - Sarah J. Maas (4 stars) 9) Heir of Fire - Sarah J. Maas (4 stars) 10) The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet - Becky Chambers (4.5 stars) 11) Truthwitch - Susan Dennard (4.5 stars) 12) This Is Where It Ends  - Marieke Nijkamp (2 stars) What did you read this month?

Crooked Kingdom - Leigh Bardugo *** This is the sequel to SIX OF CROWS, so SPOILERS ahead!*** Synopsis After risking everything at the Ice Court, the gang finds themselves double-crossed out of the money they were promised and Inej held hostage. Now back on the streets of Ketterdam, they find themselves up against impossible odds... But when you can't beat the odds, you change the game. Review Six of Crows was an amazing book: an Ocean's Eleven  type heist set in a rich fantasy world with a gang of six memorable and witty characters. Like, guys, I really liked Six of Crows. And rereading it this year made me like it even more. That's why I can't emphasize enough how much Crooked Kingdom blew my mind . In Crooked Kingdom, everything I loved about Six of Crows is taken and expounded upon and blown beyond my expectations. The plot is  tense . They come up with these insane plans, things go horribly wrong, and you're wondering, "How the hell

If you look on the right side of the page, under the Blog Archive, you'll see a list from Goodreads of the books I've recently finished. I'm excited about this because now you'll be able to keep up on what I'm reading, even if I haven't gotten the reviews out as fast as I'd like. Speaking of which, this month has been a doozy! In addition to Christmas preparations, I was sick for about two weeks, and thanks to some antibiotics I'm finally feeling better. The upside was I was able to read a bit more, but the downside was I was actually mostly sleeping and had no energy for anything. But I'm feeling better now and I've got LOTS of stuff lined up for the end of the year, and looking forward into 2017. I'm also proud to say that I just finished Book #99, and am now on Book #100 for 2016!!! It's so satisfying to reach that goal I set for myself. Keep on reading!

The Forbidden Wish - Jessica Khoury Synopsis Zahra is a powerful jinni, hidden away in a lost city for five hundred years, until one day she's found by a thief named Aladdin. Promised freedom by the jinni king if she completes a special task, Zahra finds herself falling in love with Aladdin. But love between humans and jinni is forbidden, with terrible consequences. Will she chose love or freedom? Review This is a wonderful retelling of Aladdin . Jessica Zhoury's vibrant writing drew me in, creating a lush, magical world populated with interesting characters and complicated history. The story is written as if Zahra is talking to her long-dead friend Roshana, who was once a powerful queen, and it works. Zahra is a beautiful character: fully sympathetic, strong and powerful, but with insecurities and regrets. She has lived a long time, seen kingdoms rise and fall, and struggles to redeem a love she once betrayed. Overall, Zahra fights to protects those she loves. Be

To me, November is always synonymous with 'gratitude', due to Thanksgiving and the approaching Christmas/holiday season. This month, I reflected on how thankful I am to be able to read. It blesses and enhances my life in an immeasurable way. It allows me to travel to distant lands, see inside someone else's mind, and have adventures, all while curled up on my couch. It inspires me to take action and to be a better person. My goal this year is to read 100 books. If I take a step back, how amazing is it that I can make--and most likely achieve--that goal? Reading and books are such an amazing blessing, and I'm grateful to have that in my life. I read 7 books this month, putting my total at 89. 1) Labirynth Lost - Zoraida Córdova (3.5 stars) 2) The Forgetting - Sharon Cameron (4.5 stars) 3) Six of Crows - Leigh Bardugo (4.5 stars) ( Reread ) 4) Crooked Kingdom - Leigh Bardugo (5 stars) 5) And I Darken - Kiersten White (2 stars) 6) Heartless - Marissa Meyer