Mid-Month Reading Wrap-Up (Bonus Blog)

January is about half over already, and I’m quite proud of how much I’ve read so far. Thankfully I have enjoyed most of the books I’ve read. Here’s a quick overview of what I’ve read along with the dates I read them:

1. The Great Hunt by Wendy Higgins (1st-3rd): A high fantasy in which a kingdom is being terrorized by a great beast. The king offers up the hand of his eldest daughter and heir, Princess Aerity, to any hunter who can slay the beast. I gave it a 6.5/10 and do plan to review it.

2. The Hearts We Sold by Emily Lloyd-Jones (4th-5th): An urban fantasy which follows a girl named Dee who lives in a world where demons exist and make deals with people. Dee trades away her heart for money, and must spend two years working for the demon. I gave it a 9/10 and I do plan to review it.

3. The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon (5th-7th): A cotemporary romance told from the alternating perspectives of Natasha and Daniel. Natasha is a Jamaican immigrant whose family is about to be deported, while Daniel is the son of Korean immigrants who are pressuring him to go to Yale and become a doctor. The two have a meet cute and fall in love during the span of a single day spent together. I don’t plan to review this one, but my quick thoughts are I found both characters’ individual storylines compelling. However, I didn’t enjoy the romance. Overall, I’d give it 8/10.

4. The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert (8th-10th): An urban fantasy which follows protagonist Alice. She’s moved around her entire life and is the granddaughter of a famous fairytale author. After her mother is kidnapped by characters from her grandmother’s fairytales, Alice and her classmate, Ellery Finch, set out to rescue her. I gave this book 8.75/10 stars and I do plan to review it.

5. Perfection by Merphy Napier (10th-14th): A dystopian that follows protagonist Ashton who lives in Perfection, the last inhabited place on earth. When she turns eighteen her perfect life is turned upside down when she learns a dark truth about her home and what lays beyond the wall surrounding Perfection. I plan to review this book and gave it 8.5/10.

Books I Did Not Finish:

1. The Great Pursuit by Wendy Higgins: This is the second book in the Eurona duology (with The Great Hunt being the first). I had intended to review the duology for the blog. I read approximately 60 pages of this book before putting it down out of disinterest. Normally I would give a book more of a chance, but given I already didn’t much care for the first book, I didn’t have high hopes my enjoyment level would improve.

Currently Reading:

1. They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera: This is a contemporary book that follows two main characters, Rufus and Mateo. They live in a world where you are notified by phone of your impending death on your “End Day.” I expect to finish the book either tonight or tomorrow.

Some Stats:

Pages Read (Not Including They Both Die at the End): 1,942

Average Rating: 8.15/10

What books have you read this year? Let me know and I’ll see you again on Saturday with a book review!