Skip to main content

Monthly Roundup: May 2017



Here I was, thinking that I wouldn't have as much time to read in May, with the two busy vacations that were planned this month, and yet I read eleven books. That brings my current total of the year up to 44! I actually changed my book goal on Goodreads. It was originally 80, but I moved it to 100 since that's obviously the track I'm on. I hope to beat my record of 101 from last year!

This month, I read a LOT of good books:
  1. To All The Boys I've Loved Before - Jenny Han (4 stars)
  2. A Court of Wings and Ruin - Sarah J. Maas (4 stars)
  3. Beneath a Burning Sky - Jenny Ashcroft (4 stars)
  4. The Hate U Give - Angie Thomas (4.5 stars)
  5. Defy the Stars - Claudia Gray (5 stars)
  6. The Hundredth Queen - Emily R. King (4.5 stars)
  7. Ensnared - Rita Spalding (2 stars)
  8. Leviathan Wakes - James S. A. Corey (4 stars)
  9. Flame in the Mist - Renée Ahdieh (3 stars)
  10. Illuminae - Jay Kristoff & Amie Kaufman (5 stars)
  11. PS: I Still Love You - Jenny Han (4 stars)
I started the Lara Jean series by Jenny Han and they are so cute and sweet and perfect for a light-hearted (and clean!) romance!

Sci-fi was a big theme this month too, with Defy the Stars, Leviathan Wakes, and Illuminae. ALL of those were seriously amazing.

My FairyLoot box came with Flame in the Mist (as I had expected). It was a good story, though some of the aspects of the book just weren't for me. I'll be posting a review soon!

The Hate U Give was this month's book club pick, and it was amazing. Go read my review!

I also started a Bookstagram account (an Instagram account about books). Go check it out @BooksViaAshley


In June, I've already got a nice TBR pile! I found the book Nevernight by Jay Kristoff on sale at the local bookstore, so of course I snatched that up because I've been wanting to read it for AGES. I'll also be getting a new book towards the end of June with my FairyLoot box! I think I know what it is, but it's always a surprise! Plus I'm waiting on a few holds at my library, including the sequels to a few books I read this month. 

I'll be in Africa for over half of June, with no internet! We'll see how much reading I get done, but I have a LOT stockpiled on my Kindle!

What did you read this month? What are you looking forward to?

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Monthly Roundup - January 2017

In January I read 6 books, which is keeping with the pace I need in order to read 80 books this year. 1) The Reader - Traci Chee (3 stars) 2) Wayfarer - Alexandra Bracken (3.5 stars) 3) Windwitch - Susan Dennard (3.5 stars) 4) The Underground Railroad  - Colson Whitehead (3 stars) 5) Behind the Throne  - K. B. Wagers (5 stars) 6) Queen of Shadows  - Sarah J. Maas (4 stars) I say that's a pretty good start to 2017! I recently started a new job, so posts have slowed while I rediscover the work/life balance, but overall I really enjoyed the books I read this month and would recommend them all (especially Behind the Throne !!! Gahh!!! Review coming soon!). My TBR pile for February is a mile long, but I'm especially excited for A Conjuring of Light,  the conclusion to the Shades of Magic  series by V. E. Schwab. I've also got the February Book Club pick, Daring Greatly  by Brené Brown, and I'll finally finish up Empire of Storms , the latest book in Sarah

Monthly Roundup: March 2017

Notice something different? I changed the layout of the blog! What do you think? There are a few kinks I'm still trying to work out, like now the sidebar is only visible from the menu button at the top left side of the page, but I'll figure it out ;) This month I read seven books! I'm now actually four books ahead of my goal for the year. I thought that with working, etc., I wouldn't have as much time to read, but I've also learned that you have to make time to read, which I do every night. It wasn't a *great* month for books, in terms of quality. There were a few books I had high expectations for and they didn't quite meet them, though I still enjoyed them! If you need a refresher for what the various star ratings mean, then you can check out the "Ratings Guide" at the top of the blog. Reviews are coming soon! Beyond the Savanna - Maryann Martinsen (2.5 stars) Empress of a Thousand Skies - Rhoda Belleza (3 stars) Norse Gods - Neil

Arcanum Unbounded

Arcanum Unbounded - Brandon Sanderson Synopsis A collection of Sanderson's "short" stories and novellas set in his Cosmere universe. Review It's no secret that Brandon Sanderson is one of my favorite authors. His writing is stupendous, his stories are incredible and his plot twists are mind-blowing. Rarely can I figure out exactly where the story is headed, but I am always exceptionally pleased when I get there! Sanderson isn't as known for his "short" stories. Probably because they aren't short. Two of them in this collection clock in around 40k words, which is approaching the line between a novella and a novel. A few of the stories ( The Emperor's Soul, Sixth of the Dusk, Shadows for Silence ) can be read with no knowledge of his other books, and would perhaps be a good introduction to his writing. Those ones you can get individually or are published in other anthologies. I myself had already read a few of the stories, but withi