Books Via Ashley

This was a BUSY month, lots of work and other things going on! This month was quite varied with my reading. I read some AMAZING books, and some that were meh. Also read a few long books (600+ pages), but that was interspersed with some quick reads (~300 pages) A Court of Mist and Fury - Sarah J. Maas [reread] (4.5 stars) The Wicked Deep - Shea Ernshaw (4 stars) Isla and the Happily Ever After - Stephanie Perkins (3 stars) The Sun and Her Flowers - Rupi Kaur (4 stars) Daughter of the Siren Queen - Tricia Levenseller (3 stars) Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda  - Becky Albertalli (4.5 stars) A Discovery of Witches - Deborah Harkness (2.5 stars) One Of Us Is Lying - Karen M. McManus (4.5 stars) Obsidio - Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (5 stars) Okay, first off, Obsidio was AMAZING. It's the third in the Illuminae trilogy and holy cow... So many feels. I was on the edge of my seat while reading. Up until 3 am. The whole she-bang. I would HIGHLY recommend t...

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness Synopsis (from Goodreads) A richly inventive novel about a centuries-old vampire, a spellbound witch, and the mysterious manuscript that draws them together. Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell. Review First of all, this book would have benefited from being AT LEAST 200 pages shorter. There was just so much... stuff in the middle that really didn't contribute to anything. I felt like I ...

The Rogue Queen by Emily R. King *I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review* WARNING: Spoilers for The Hundredth Queen  and The Fire Queen ! Synopsis (from Goodreads) Despite the odds, Kalinda has survived it all: Marriage to a tyrant. Tournaments to the death. The forbidden power to rule fire. The icy touch of a demon. . . . Kalinda soon realizes that the demon has tainted her with a cold poison, rendering her fire uncontrollable. But the lack of control may be just what she needs to send the demon back to the darkest depths of the Void. To take back the empire, Kalinda will ally with those she distrusts—and risk losing those most loyal to her—to defeat the demon and bring peace to a divided nation. Review This book picks up right where the second book ends. For me, it was a little slow in the beginning and made it hard for me to get back into the world, but once that action got going I was drawn in. These books have ro...

The Queen's Rising by Rebecca Ross Synopsis (from Goodreads) When her seventeenth summer solstice arrives, Brienna desires only two things: to master her passion and to be chosen by a patron. . . . However, despite all her preparations, Brienna’s greatest fear comes true—the solstice does not go according to plan and she is left without a patron. Months later, her life takes an unexpected turn when a disgraced lord offers her patronage. Suspicious of his intent, and with no other choices, she accepts. But there is much more to his story, and Brienna soon discovers that he has sought her out for his own vengeful gain. For there is a dangerous plot being planned to overthrow the king of Maevana—the archrival kingdom of Valenia—and restore the rightful queen, and her magic, to the northern throne. And others are involved—some closer to Brienna than she realizes. Review Just a lovely, beautiful book. I really enjoyed reading it. It just kept growing and unfolding into a bi...

Well my book slump certainly ended... I also read a lot of shorter books this month. This month felt like it went by so fast, but also looking back it seems like the beginning of the month was so long ago! What is this weird time warp?! Anyway, I read 11 books this month! Sourdough - Robin Sloan (4 stars) The Hazel Wood - Melissa Albert (4 stars) Robots vs Fairies - Dominik Parisien [editor] (4 stars) Percy Jackson's Greek Gods - Rick Riordan (3 stars) The Demigod Files - Rick Riordan (3 stars) The Demigod Diaries - Rick Riordan (3 stars) the princess saves herself in this one - Amanda Lovelace (4.5 stars) The Radical Element - Jessica Spotswood [editor] (4 stars) The Queen's Rising - Rebecca Ross (4.5 stars) Women & Power - Mary Beard (4.5 stars) A Court of Thorns and Roses - Sarah J. Maas [reread] (4.5 stars) I was still on a slight Rick Riordan kick this month. There's just so much out there to read! And I liked reading some of the l...

February was kind of a crazy month. We traveled for a friend's wedding (which was so fun and lovely), and then upon our return home I was sick, got slightly better, then my husband got the flu and I also got sick again (though I had never really gotten better). So my energy level has just been really low. I also had a lot of books to read from NetGalley which I had procrastinated and then was trying to frantically read, but I was also kind of in a book funk this month. Nothing really satisfied what I was craving (not even sure what it is!), so I started a LOT of books, only to move on to something else. I'll go back to those books eventually, but I didn't finish them last month. However, in February I read 7 books! So that's something for being in a reading slump. The Blood of Olympus  - Rick Riordan (4 stars) The Sword of Summer  - Rick Riordan (3.5 stars) The Hidden Oracle  - Rick Riordan (3.5 stars) The Cruel Prince  - Holly Black (2.5 stars) Percy Jack...

Map of Shadows by J. F. Penn *I received free copy to review from the publisher in exchange for an honest review* Synopsis (from Goodreads) When her Grandfather is murdered under mysterious circumstances, Sienna Farren inherits his map shop in the ancient city of Bath, England. Once there, she discovers that her family is bound up with the Ministry of Maps, a mysterious agency who maintain the borders between this world and the Uncharted. With the help of Mila Wendell, a traveller on the canals, Sienna discovers her own magical ability and a terrifying place of blood that awaits in the world beyond. But when she discovers a truth about her past and the Borderlands begin to push through the defenses, Sienna must join the team of Mapwalkers on their mission to find the Map of Shadows – whatever the cost. In a place written out of history, a world off the edge of the map, Sienna must risk everything to find her father … and her true path as a Mapwalker. Review This book had ...