Showing posts with label monthly wrap-up. Show all posts
Showing posts with label monthly wrap-up. Show all posts

Thursday, July 6, 2023

Month in Review: June 2023

  


This was supposed to be posted last Saturday, but apparently Blogger decided to just not publish my scheduled post and I just realized it, so... here we are, a bit delayed!

June went by so ridiculously quickly, I'm still feeling lost about what's going on this year. Honestly, time is genuinely flying lately. Does it feel that way for anyone else? Nothing exceptionally exciting has happened this month for me, which is honestly probably for the best, haha. Growing up, I was never really a summer person and preferred winter, but I feel like lately I've been enjoying the brighter days (well... somewhat brighter days now that LA seems to slowly be moving out of the consistent gloom) and calmer vibes, even if nothing else in my life has really changed. Do you enjoy summer? (Probably a dumb question because most people enjoy summer, but not all!)

In reading news, I read some fantastic books in June! I caved and read an early ARC of Thornhedge (I usually wait until closer to a book's publication date, which is in August!) and absolutely loved it, and I also really enjoyed getting into John Milas' The Militia House. Min Jin Lee's Pachinko was also a great historical fiction that made me really want to get back to more historical fiction this year. I read a lot of other great books as well, and I'll list all those below, as well as my usual roundup of posts from the past month. I've been a bit behind in blogging in general and am a little disappointed by the number of reviews I managed to get up, but once again a new month brings hope that maybe I can stay on top of things and get back into things (even though this delayed post isn't the best indicator of a great start, haha!). There are a lot of awesome July releases that I have to write reviews for, so hopefully I'll start having those up soon!

How was your June? What books did you read? Let me know in the comments and feel free to link your own wrap-ups (or any posts, really!), and I hope you all have a wonderful July!


# books read: 11
   

The Militia House by John Milas
Source: NetGalley | Format: eARC
Thoughts: This was an awesome military horror that hit all the right notes for me. Super atmospheric, eerie, and with an ending that I loved. 

Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher
Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC
Thoughts: I love T. Kingfisher and this novella only continues to show me why!

Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig
Source: NetGalley | Format: eARC
Thoughts: This felt like a very classic Chuck Wendig horror, full of super creepy elements, complex and well-developed characters, and a plot that is full of twists and turns. 

The Sun and the Void by Gabriela Romero Lacruz
Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC
Thoughts: I have such mixed feelings on this one! It had a strong start that I felt was very promising, but I felt my interest waning a bit as the story progressed and things just felt like I'd read them before. It's very info-dumpy, but it also has a rich world and background, so a bit of a mix there. I'll probably still read the sequel and go from there with deciding whether I want to continue the series or not. 

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
Source: Purchased | Format: Paperback
Thoughts: I'd been meaning to get to this book for years and I'm so glad I finally did. This was an incredible multi-generational story. 

The Cloisters by Katy Hays
Source: Purchased | Format: Hardcover
Thoughts: Hm, this had all the right ingredients to be a new favorite, but the execution didn't quite work for me. It was still a pretty enjoyable read, but there were a few too many things that just didn't flow or quite make sense.

Savage Crowns (Savage Rebellion #3) by Matt Wallace
Source: Publisher | Format: Paperback
Thoughts: This was a wonderful conclusion to a really enjoyable trilogy. I've really enjoyed these books and am sorry to see that it's over!

The Rise and Reign of the Mammals: A New History, from the Shadow of the Dinosaurs to Us by Stephen Brusatte
Source: Library | Format: Audiobook
Thoughts: This was a fascinating book about the history of mammals and their evolution from beginning until now. Highly recommended for anyone even remotely interested in the topic–Brusatte does an excellent job of sharing complex ideas in approachable ways.


Gothikana by RuNyx
Source: Library | Format: Audiobook
Thoughts: This was a dark romance I'd seen mentioned a lot, so figured I'd check it out. I loved the setting and had a good time with it, though probably not a favorite. I just saw a couple days ago that it's been picked up by Tor's new imprint, Bramble, so congrats to RuNyx!

Boy Parts by Eiza Clark
Source: Library | Format: Audiobook
Thoughts: This was... messy? I think if you really liked Maeve Fly you'd like this, but the protagonist is somewhat less likable and it makes it a little harder to get invested in the story. I almost DNF'd this a lot, but curiosity got the best of me. It's a worthwhile read, but it's a little disgusting at times and made me feel pretty weird whenever I listened to it. That being said, I think it's supposed to do that, so kudos to it for succeeding!

City of Nightmares by Rebecca Schaeffer
Source: Library | Format: Audiobook
Thoughts: Hm, so this wasn't quite what I was expecting, but I still loved the creativity involved and I think Schaeffer really explored anxiety and truama/fear through the protagonist in incredible ways. I felt really seen and connected a lot


DNF/To-Be-Finished:
The Antiquity Affair by Lee Kelly, Jennifer Marie Thorne
This is really fun so far, but I just found myself not focusing on it as much as I'd like to be, so I took a break. I'm hoping to finish it this month, though!

The Company by J.M. Varese
This is the perfect gothic mystery and really reads like a classic, but it wasn't working for me at the moment. Still, I don't have much of it left so plan to finish it up this month as well. 



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Top Ten Tuesday:
Summer TBR Hopefuls

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Friday, June 2, 2023

Month in Review: May 2023

  

And somehow, it's June! How was everyone's month of May? It's been a weird year. I feel very lost this year for a multitude of reasons (especially since we've had exceptionally grey skies about daily since April?), so I'm really just trying to focus on being in the moment whenever I can and also trying to get lost in as many books as possible. I'm moving through books much more slowly than usual and have a harder time choosing books, but overall I do feel like I'm getting back into the groove a bit. 

Reading highlights from May include The Will of the Many, The Sword Defiant, and Maeve Fly! The Will of the Many is incredible and I can't stop thinking about it. The wait for the sequel is going to feel interminable and I'm so sad thinking about it, haha. I loved James Islington's previous trilogy, The Licanius Trilogy, and consider it one of my favorites, and now this new series is going to absolutely be a new favorite as well. I knew he was going to pull out something insane for the ending, and he did. 

Outside of books, my saving grace lately has been aerial! I just can't get enough of this new hobby (and I'm at that point where I'm starting to question if I could turn it into something more than just a hobby...) and I've loved how much it has helped me with my confidence and even just getting out of the house and interacting with more people, haha. I've been learning mainly aerial hammock so far, but I finally managed to take my first split silks class a week or two ago and had so much fun, so I'd like to pursue that more as well.

a flying snapshot

How was your month of May!? What books did you read? Let me know in the comments and feel free to link your own wrap-ups (or any posts, really!), and I hope you all have a wonderful June!


# books read: 9
   

The Will of the Many by James Islington
Source: NetGalley | Format: eARC
Thoughts: I loved this SO much. James Islington so far cannot miss with me. This was brilliant and just cements Islington as a favorite author. I cannot recommend this enough (or the Licanius Trilogy, which is also amazing!). 

The Sword Defiant by Gareth Hanrahan
Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC
Thoughts: Loved this new fantasy from Hanrahan! I enjoyed the slightly more classic fantasy style with the added darkness and unique take on some classic tropes. Highly recommended!

The First Bright Thing by J.R. Dawson
Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC
Thoughts: This was a really beautiful and thoughtful circus story that I think will be a big hit. I don't tend to love time travel and had a few issues with this one, but overall a really solid read that I'd absolutely recommend.

Maeve Fly by CJ Leede
Source: NetGalley | Format: Audiobook
Thoughts: This was so messed up and so brilliant. I loved it! My review is already up and I am dying for this author to write more now.

Camp Zero by Michelle Min Sterling
Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC
Thoughts: This doesn't have a lot of great reviews, but I really enjoyed it! It's definitely not for everyone and is on the slower side, but I thought it was really thoughtful and told an interesting story.

A History of Fear by Luke Dumas
Source: Library | Format: Audiobook
Thoughts: This was a very unexpected story. I was absolutely hooked for the first half of the book, but I felt things petered out a little bit by the end and it was a little predictable. That being said, still a really interesting story, if a bit repetitive at times. 

Saving Neverland by Abi Elphinstone
Source: Purchased | Format: Hardcover
Thoughts: This was a super cute Peter Pan-inspired story. It was majorly action-packed so it wasn't exactly for me, but I still really enjoyed it and will continue the series if there is more. 



Queens of Wonderland (Defender of Lore #2) by Gama Ray Martinez
Source: Library | Format: Audiobook
Thoughts: This was a great sequel to God of Neverland, and was just as fast-paced as the first book. I love this author's creativity and how they crafted this Wonderland. There's never a chance to be bored!

Island of the Lost: An Extraordinary Story of Survival at the Edge of the World by Joan Druett
Source: Gift | Format: Paperback
Thoughts: I love reading survival stories and have read quite a few by now, and unfortunately this was my least favorite. I felt as though there was too much detail in some areas and too little in others, and the author relied much too heavily on long quotes from journals/diaries. A fascinating story, but simply not my favorite telling.




DNF/To-Be-Finished:
Infinity Gate by M.R. Carey
I started this one and it just felt like it was nothing but info dumping and hard science and I was not in the mood for it at the time. I'm hoping it evens out a bit, but as it is I'm not exactly feeling a rush to get back to it... even though I really want to read it, haha. 

The Company by J.M. Varese 
I am enjoying this one, but it's a slower paced story and actually reads more like a classic Gothic mystery, so I'll probably come back to it when I'm more int he mood for that. 



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Can't-Wait Wednesday:
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Friday, May 5, 2023

Month in Review: April 2023

 

It's been another weird, busy month. My reading slowed down a bit once again, but I'm really just trying to go with the flow these days. I am also flabbergasted that we are somehow already in May and it's stressing me out because there are things my husband and I planned to do at the beginning of the year that have been continuously delayed and now we are almost into summer (!?) and it's just baffling and I've given up on any semblance of control in my life lately. I don't really have much to share from the month of March, which is honestly probably a good thing, haha, because I don't know if my brain can really handle any more stress or anxiety these days. Books and aerial are the two things keeping me sane these days, and I have to say I am so grateful to have two hobbies that bring me so much joy and comfort. :)

Although I didn't get through as many books as I'd hoped to, I still read some great books in April. I finally managed a re-read of Master of Sorrows, a book I read a number of years ago and loved, as well as caught up with eh sequel, Master Artificer, and both books were fantastic. I am not ready for the third book in this trilogy and cannot wait for it! If you haven't checked out this fantasy series and like something pretty epic in scope, then you should definitely give it a read. I also really liked Justin Lee Anderson's The Lost War and am thrilled to have another new series to get excited about. As always, I've shared what books I read in April and all my blog posts as well below, so feel free to check those out. I didn't get as many reviews up as I'd hoped to, but I still got some reviews up for some pretty exciting releases that I had fun with. I've been behind on everything lately and I'm really trying to catch up. 

All that being said––how was your April? What books did you read? Let me know in the comments, and I hope you all have a wonderful May!


# books read: 8
   


Master of Sorrows (The Silent Gods #1) by Justin Call (re-read)
Source: Library | Format: Audiobook
Thoughts: This was a re-read and it reminded me just how much I loved this book! Definitely a top fantasy series for me.

Master Artificer (The Silent Gods #2) by Justin Call
Source: Library | Format: Audiobook
Thoughts: This is the sequel to Master of Sorrows and wow does it get intense. It's hard to believe sometimes how far this book comes just from the first page to the last page, and it's a journey well worth adventuring on.

The Lost War (The Eidyn Saga #1) by Justin Lee Anderson
Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC
Thoughts: This was such a fun start to a new fantasy! I'll have a review up later in May probably closer to its release, but put it on your TBRs if you're looking for an awesome new fantasy.

Paradise-1 by David Wellington
Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC
Thoughts: This was a crazy action-packed sci-fi horror/thriller that I had a fun time. I always love a good 'virus' in space premise.

The Thick and the Lean by Chana Porter
Source: NetGalley | Format: eARC
Thoughts: I had some mixed feelings about this one. I thought the general premise was really interesting and I definitely have my interest piqued most of the time, but it's that I had to sort of make myself read and I didn't really feel that invested in the story or the characters that much.

In the Lives of Puppets by T.J. Klune
Source: NetGalley | Format: eARC
Thoughts: This was a bit disappointing, if I'm being honest. I already posted a review where I shared my thoughts, but this one just didn't click with me like some of Klune's previous books did. 

Small Game by Blair Braverman
Source: Library | Format: Audiobook
Thoughts: This had an awesome premise, but I don't think it had the best execution and it was kinda weird, but it absolutely kept my attention and I had a good time, so.. not bad?

Wildblood by Lauren Blackwood
Source: NetGalley | Format: eARC
Thoughts: This book was all over the place. I loved certain aspects and thought it tackled some pretty intense topics, but it also really struggled with others. 



DNF/To-Be-Finished:
Lost Boy by Sassafrass Lowry
I might go back and finish this Peter Pan-inspired story one one day, but not anytime soon. This isn't quite what I expected it to be and the writing was just a little off for me to really be able to get into the story. I felt like there wasn't much explanation or things and it was all supposed to be inferred, which is fine as a general storytelling device, but I'm not sure it was really working in this case. 


Original Posts:
(other than reviews)

Blog Memes:
Top Ten Tuesday:
Self-Published Fantasy

Can't-Wait Wednesday:
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