Books Via Ashley

I just got two new books in the mail that I'm SUPER excited about. And look how pretty they are! I like that their color schemes complement each other with the hints of pink and purple. Traitor to the Throne is the sequel to Rebel of the Sands, which I read last year and was one of my Top Books of 2016. Empress of a Thousand Skies is a highly anticipated new YA sci-fi book, AND it's the Books Via Ashley Book Club pick for March 2017! Because I moved around so much the last few years, and especially once I got a Kindle, I haven't really bought hard copies of books. Now that we're settled in to our apartment, I will slowly be adding to my collection again. As much as I love my Kindle, there's something about holding a book in your hand, the smell of paper and ink, that is so magical. I'm very excited to read these books! Save Save

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 b...

This year, I set a goal to read 100 books, and I beat it by one! It was a fabulous year for books: Lots of amazing new releases, new series, and much anticipated sequels. In grand total, I read 101 books this year: Wolf by Wolf - Ryan Graudin A Court of Thorns and Roses - Sarah J. Maas Trigger Warnings - Neil Gaiman Girl Waits With Gun - Amy Stewart Bands of Mourning - Brandon Sanderson Mistborn: Secret History - Brandon Sanderson Orphan Train - Christina Baker Kline The Miniaturist - Jessie Burton Modern Romance  - Aziz Ansari A Darker Shade of Magic  - V. E. Schwab ( reread ) Calamity - Brandon Sanderson A Gathering of Shadows - V. E. Schwab Fates and Furies - Lauren Groff Shadow and Bone - Leigh Bardugo The Lady Astronaut of Mars - Mary Robinette Kowall The Force Awakens  - Alan Dean Foster ( novalization )  Siege and Storm - Leigh Bardugo Ruin and Rising - Leigh Bardugo The Selection - Kiera Cass ( reread ) The Elite...

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 ...

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 ...

Ink and Bone - Rachel Caine Book 1 of the Great Library series Synopsis What if the Great Library of Alexandria had never been destroyed? In Jess Brightwell's world, it hasn't. Independent and above any nationality or people, the Library is present in every city around the world and rules all knowledge that's given to the people. Through Alchemy, information can be shared, but private ownership of books is forbidden. Jess comes from a family that runs a thriving black market book business. He is sent by his family to train to be in the library's service, but soon finds his loyalties tested, and comes to find that the Library has secrets of its own. Review I really enjoyed this book. I love books and libraries and alternate histories, and this has all three. In any good alternate history, the world-building has to be fantastic, and in this case it really was. It was interesting to see how the library's dominance and technology had changed the cours...