Book Review: Wonder by R J Palacio (NO SPOILERS)

Title: Wonder

Author: R J Palacio

Goodreads Summary: My name is August. I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse.

August Pullman wants to be an ordinary ten-year-old. He does ordinary things. He eats ice cream. He plays on his Xbox. He feels ordinary - inside.

But Auggie is far from ordinary. Ordinary kids don't make other ordinary kids run away screaming in playgrounds. Ordinary kids don't get stared at wherever they go.

Born with a terrible facial abnormality, Auggie has been home-schooled by his parents his whole life, in an attempt to protect him from the cruelty of the outside world. Now, for the first time, he's being sent to a real school - and he's dreading it. All he wants is to be accepted - but can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, underneath it all?

Rating: 5/5 stars

Review:

(I’m keeping this spoiler free because I don’t want to spoil it for anyone)

This book was gorgeous. So, so gorgeous. I tried to not find out too much about the novel before I went in but I did start with high expectations – something I really don’t like doing – because I had just heard so many good things about this novel. But I was still not disappointed in it at all. The prose was really lovely and the story was just as beautiful as it was important. I would recommend this book to anyone, no matter their age or background, because I think it is both something that people should be aware of as well as the fact that it is told in a style that can be appreciated by the masses. This is a novel that will tear your heart out, but not also from heartache but also because sometimes it was just really wonderful and touching. I turned the last page with tears streaking down my face.

If I was to give one critique about the book, it would be the fact that I felt like the multiple perspectives, at times, were a bit useless and something off-putting. The reader is first introduced to the story through the eyes of the main character – Auggie – and just as I was beginning to really get into his story, it changed point-of-view. I felt really jarred from it and didn’t quite want to let his story go yet. Despite this, I did find that it really helped the story at some points, giving the story more depth by added more voices to tell it. Basically, it was good and it wasn’t. Sometimes, I felt like it really added to the story. Other times, I felt like the perspectives were useless and/or boring and didn’t need to be included. I do think that if you can, get your hands on the copy with the added Julian chapter. I found that I strangely loved it.

All in all, I absolutely adored this book so, so much and I need you all to read it. I feel like this should be a book that should be used in schools because of its easy prose and the fact that it explores bullying. One of the easiest 5 star ratings I’ve given.

Have any of you read Wonder by R J Palacio as well? What were your thoughts? Love it, hate it? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time,

Jess, xxx

November Wrap Up

Okay guys, it’s that time of the month again – wrap up time! I think I did fairly well this month considering it’s been NaNoWriMo month (Side note: Did any of you participate? Did you win?) and I spent a good lot of my time either writing or thinking about writing, haha. But I did fit a good lot of reading in as well. I read 9 books, which are as follows:

#1: The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss

So, I love, love, love the Kingkiller Chronicles. I only read it earlier this year and absolutely fell in love with it. It quickly became one of my favourite series. And then I found out Rothfuss was coming out with a novella about Auri (AKA one of my favourite characters from the series) and to say I was excited was an understatement. But maybe due to the fact I went in with high expectations or that it doesn’t follow a normal novel structure, I’m not sure, but I found that I wasn’t overly impressed with this little novella. The writing was just as gorgeous as Rothfuss’s standard, and I found it interesting to be given more insight into Auri’s life, but I just felt like it wasn’t what I wanted from this short story. I had been hoping that it would give more information about Auri’s past, which I am really interested in knowing. But it was more like “A Week in the Life of Auri”, which was interesting but not what I wanted. I know this has gotten a lot of mixed reviews for it but I would say that to any fan of the Kingkiller Chronicles should definitely give it a shot. It’s only a small little thing and it’s good in some ways, just know that I don’t think it’s for every fan. I gave it 3/5 stars.

#2: Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

As you may know from last month’s wrap up, I have been trying to complete the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series as well as the Heroes of Olympus series. This marked the end of the PJO series and I honestly loved it. I thought some things could have been done a tad better but I just felt like it wrapped everything up really nicely, but also left a nice space for the HOO series to carry on from. I can’t really say much without spoiling anything, but to recommend that anyone who hasn’t read this series definitely should. Don’t be fooled by the fact that it is a middle grade series, it’s good for all ages and it is fantastic. I gave it 5/5 stars.

#3: The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx

I major in Sociology at university so I was bound to pick this up one day. I have always agreed with a lot Marx had to say and this was no different. It wasn’t actually much of anything new than I had read before, but it definitely showed him delving a bit more into his theories and I really enjoyed that. I gave it 4/5 stars.

#4: Wonder by R. J. Palacio

I actually have a full review coming of this one very soon so keep your eyes peeled. But in short, I absolutely adored this book. It explores important themes of bullying and self-identity and is equal parts heartbreaking as it is heart warming. I would recommend it to anyone. I gave it 5/5 stars.

#5: Young Avengers Vol. #1: Side Kicks by Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung

So, I read the 2013 run of the Young Avengers a couple of months ago and just fell in love with the characters. There isn’t much more on them so I thought I’d check the run that I probably should have started with: the first one. These comics are a great introduction to the characters and they’re really fun, as well. I enjoyed the 2013 run just slightly more, but I loved these a lot as well. I gave it 4/5 stars.

#6: Young Avengers Vol. #2: Family Matters by Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung

As a continuation from the last one, this one was also wonderful but I felt like it was trying too hard to complicate the story. It seemed as if it was adding too much to the plot to make it more complex and give it more depth, but it just seemed a bit overdone. Despite this, I still loved a lot about it and, as I’ve said before, I really adore the characters. So I still gave it 4/5 stars.

#7: Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

I absolutely adore the movie adaptation of this novel, so, on a whim, I bought it the other month and I didn’t waste too much time in picking it up. It ended up being quite different from its movie counterpart but still a good book. Of course, it’s basically Cinderella but just slightly different so it’s not like the story is any sort of surprising but I still enjoyed it a lot. It was really fun and the all the magical creatures were so wonderful. I do feel like the story lacked a bit of depth and the climax fell a bit flat so I only gave it 3/5 stars, but I would still definitely recommend it, especially if you enjoy the movie.

#8: The Goblin Who Stole a Sexton by Charles Dickens

I read this little short story as a part of the A Very Dickens Read-a-Long, which I heard about the day before it started and couldn’t say no to it. I actually haven’t read any of Dickens’ novels, despite having about three of them on my shelves but I thought this would be a good way to start. Also, I’m really excited for all the Christmas themed reads for December. But as for the novel, it’s clear that Dickens was a master at what he does. He really knows how to tell a good story and lay a heavy message on it, despite its short length. I gave it 3/5 stars.

#9: A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray

This is another novel I have a review lined up for (I was literally halfway done writing it when I went to go write this wrap up instead). But to quickly summarise how I felt about it, I enjoyed it but felt like it had more potential than it showed. The premise for it was really interesting but I felt that it got too caught up in the romance elements of the book. It was still good and I’m excited for the rest of the series, but it wasn’t as good as I’d hoped it’d be. Also, the cover is absolutely beautiful. I gave it 3/5 stars.

So, that’s all I got done for this month. I’m about 150 pages out from finishing a Dance With Dragons by George R. R. Martin, which I’d really hoped to be able to include in this wrap up (since I have been reading it since April) but then I got caught up with trying to finish NaNoWriMo. But I’m proud of how many books I got through this month considering how much writing I have been trying to do. I’m hoping for a good December month, though, with all the Christmas-y reads.

Oh, just on that point, I will be participating in both the A VeryDickens Christmas Read-a-Long (which I already mentioned and has already started) as well as the Harry Xmas To You Read-a-Watch-a-Long-a-Thon (which, wow, that is long to say), which are both awesome events happening in December. I’ve linked info for both there so you should all check them out and join in the fun.

How did your Novembers go for reading? Good, bad, or were you caught up in NaNoWriMo like I was? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time,

Jess, xxx

October Wrap-Up!

Hey, guys! Sorry for being so quiet lately. My uni schedule is super crazy right now. I'm currently writing this wrap up in between study but I didn't want to post it 2 weeks late like in September. I've still got a few assignments to go for the year and I'm undertaking the NaNoWriMo challenge so who knows whether I will manage to get more active here, oops. But anyhow, I only read 7 books this month but considering how busy I've been, I'm really pleased with that.

#1: The Maze Runner by James Dashner 
I read this because I really wanted to read it before seeing the movie which has been just released (which I really liked FYI). I thought this book was alright but the characters were quite dull and there was a lot of issues I had with the story. It's got such an interesting concept behind it but I don't think it was executed as well as it could have been. I still want to give the rest of the series a shot but I don't think this book was amazing. I gave it 3/5 stars.

#2: Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
Okay, I already did a full review of that here (spoilers!) so I won't talk a lot about this a lot but man, I just adored this book! Favourite of the series so far. I gave it 5/5 stars.

#3: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
So, I read Anna and the French Kiss (the first in this companion series) a few months ago and I was pretty disappointed by it. It wasn't horrible but nowhere near the level of awesome I'd been anticipating after what I'd heard about it. Although I still wanted to check out the other books because maybe they were better and that was definitely the case with this one. I felt like the characters were just more well-rounded and the story was better. Also, some of the scenes near the end were honestly so gorgeous. I ended up giving it 3.5/5 stars.

#4: An Abundance of Katherine's by John Green
Man, I really wanted to like this but I just couldn't. I read TFiOS by John Green (which I adored) almost two years ago now but I had never picked up any of his other novels. On recommendation from one of my friends, I decided it would be good to do so with this. Sadly, I was so disappointed. I found the novel, as a whole, really flat and boring and I had a huge disconnect to the main character. Granted, I have heard many people say this is their least favourite Green novel so I still plan to check out the others. I gave it 2/5 stars.

#5: The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
Okay, so I have decided that I want to try and finish the Percy Jackson and the Olympians and the Heroes of Olympus series before the end of the year. I read the first two in this series about 2-3 years ago and have no idea why I never picked up the others. Luckily for me, my brother owns the entire series so I have easy access to them. I really loved this one! It brought so many new elements into the story and wasn't afraid to delve into darker stuff when it needed to. I had also forgotten how funny Percy's commentary is. I ended up giving this 4/5 stars.

#6: The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
I felt like the start of this novel dragged on a bit but about a third of the way through it picked up and got really interesting. I loved the idea of the ever changing, magical Labyrinth! There was a really gorgeous scene at the end that I can't actually say what it was because spoilers but for those who have read the book, the thing with Grover! The really important thing! Ah, it's so difficult to mention anything but the point I'm getting at is this book was wonderful and fun and also genuinely heartwrenching for the last 60 or so pages. I gave it 4/5 stars.

#7: Grace's Guide: The Art of Pretending to Be a Grown-Up
So, I am a huge fan of Grace Helbig so this was a must get for me! I actually ended up listening to the audio book because I found out it was narrated by Grace herself and thought it would just add a bit more of her touch to it. I definitely think listening to it was a good idea! Self-help books aren't really my thing so I think having it in audio form made it more enjoyable than reading it (not to say it was a bad book but the genre is not something I'm huge on). It was a fun read filled with witty and pun-y humour that is so Grace. It was also nicely insightful. It probably also appealed to me as I am right in the targeted age range for this novel. I would definitely recommend that you be at least 17-18 before picking up this novel because I think a younger audience won't appreciate it as much (although Grace's humour would still be enough to like about it). I gave it 3.5/5 stars.

So, there you have it. Not my best reading month but it was good enough. How did you guys go in October? Did we possibly read any of the same novels? And since the year is nearing its ending, how are you all doing with your reading challenges, if you had them? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time!
Jess, xxx

September Wrap-Up!

Hey guys!

Yes, I know. I'm a bit late with this wrap up, seeing as we are already halfway through October, but I just remembered this morning that I hadn't done it yet. I read 11 books in September and I'm quite proud of myself for keeping my reading up so well. October isn't going as well because I have a lot of assignments due but we'll see how it pans out at the end of the month. But now, back to September!

#1: Shades of Earth by Beth Revis

So the first book I ticked off this month was the conclusion to the Across the Universe series. This series consumed me heart and soul for a good while there. It's definitely not the best series I've read but it is really addicting. I found this third book to be my least favourite of the series but I still loved it a whole lot and found it a fitting conclusion (even though I was quite annoyed at one particular part of the ending but I won't mention it because spoilers). I would definitely recommend this one to sci-fi lovers! You won't regret it! I gave it 4/5 stars.

#2: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Having put up my review for Heir of Fire the other day, it seems a bit odd discussing the first book in this series afterward but that shows how organised this blog is. I absolutely adore this series, although this book was definitely not the best. It is a good read but when put up against the rest of the book in the series, it dulls in comparison. It's still a fun ride and sets up what is quickly becoming one of my favourite series. I gave it 4/5 stars.

#3: Black Widow Vol. 1: The Finely Woven Thread by Nathan Edmondson

So, this starts my small train of comic books. I worked at two Oz Comic-Con events in the month of September and bought a significant amount of comics (check out the pile here). And this comic was fantastic! It's my first Black Widow comic and it was a great place to begin. The story is really nicely paced, Natasha is really interesting to read about and the art was magnificent. I'm really pumped to read the rest of this run. I gave it 4.5/5 stars.

#4: Hawkeye Vol. 1: My Life As A Weapon by Matt Fraction

Another first! I haven't read any Hawkeye stuff before and I kept hearing raving reviews of this new Hawkeye run so I had to pick it up and boy, am I glad I did! For me, this comic holds up because of Clint Barton and Kate Bishop. The characters themselves and the relationship between them is wonderful to read and is a very central part of what makes this comic so great. Would definitely recommend if you're interested in reading some Hawkeye comics. I gave it 5/5 stars.

#5: Youngs Avengers Vol. 1: Style > Substance by Kieron Gillen

These characters don't have a lot of comics to their name but I kept hearing good things, so I picked the first two volumes up on a whim. I am so thankful for that decision. These comics are so wonderful in so many ways. I got so invested in the characters and I finished the whole run in a day. I just could not recommend it enough. I will say that it might be good to read the previous stories first (there isn't a lot) just for a bit of back story. That being said, I didn't and I still got my head around it. I gave it 4/5 stars.

#6: Young Avengers Vol. 2: Alternative Culture by Keiron Gillon

This one was even better than the first and I read it just as quickly. I gave it 4/5 stars. I gave it 4/5 stars.

#7: Young Avengers Vol. 3: Mic-Drop at the Edge of Space and Time by Kieron Gillen

My absolute favourite of the lot. I can't believe this series only got three volumes but I'm also glad it didn't run on for so long that I grew bored of it. It was a excellent conclusion, if not slightly heart-wrenching because of the last frame. I already wanted to go re-read the comics when I finished. I gave it 5/5 stars.

#8: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

This book was everything I wanted from the Throne of Glass series. I was feeling a little doubtful after book 1, but this book just blew me away. It was fast-paced and emotional and epic. I'm still in denial about what happened at the end of part 1 but I love how the repercussions of that were dealt with and still are being dealt with. Once again, I could not recommend this series more. I gave it 5/5 stars.

#9: Amulet Vol. 1: The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi

As you can see, this month was the month for graphic novels. I've been dying to read this book for ages now and I am so annoyed that I picked it up just before going on a book buying ban. Only because now I have to wait to read the rest of the series. This book was so unexpectedly interesting and dark for a middle grade novel. The art is also just stunning. I would definitely recommend this one! I gave it 4/5 stars.

#10: The Monk by Matthew Gregory Lewis

Well, this was definitely stepping out of my comfort zone a bit. I read this because I was actually meant to read it for a class earlier this year. I never finished it for the class but I did read half of it and got the urge to finish it (I hate leaving books unfinished). It was strange and creepy and everything you'd expect to see in a classic gothic novel and more. It's really interesting to read something like this although I can't say if I particularly liked or disliked it. I ended up giving it 3/5 stars.

#11: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon 

Okay, so I'm not going to talk a lot about this book because I posted up a full review/discussion of the book so if you want to know my thoughts on this book check that out here. I will say that I liked this book but it was not as fantastic as I was lead to believe. I had quite a few issues with it but I liked a lot of parts, too. I ended up giving it a 3/5 rating.

Okay, so there we go. I did have quite a good month of reading. Most of the books were 4 stars or more which is always nice. How many books did you read in September? Were any the same as mine? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time!

Jess, xxx

Top 5 Wednesdays: Female Characters

Hey, guys! So it's been awhile since I did a T5W but I couldn't pass up this week's topic and miss my chance to talk about my favourite literary ladies! I was supposed to post this yesterday but I got distracted and only wrote half of it up, oops. Also, these ones are in no particular order because that would be too difficult. Anyway, let's go!

#1: Hermione Granger, Harry Potter Series

I actually think Hermione was one of the first (if not the actual first) characters that I ever related to and admired. When I read this series as a child, I looked up to her so much. I loved that she was strong and intelligent as well as heavily flawed. I can't not mention her one discussing favourite female characters. 

#2: Celaena Sardothien, Throne of Glass Series

Having only recently read this series, it's been on my mind quite a bit. Especially in regards to how much I love Celaena! One of the big things I appreciate about her character is how much of a badass she is without having to disregard her femininity to do so. Her strength is shown both emotionally and physically. She is a kickass assassin who likes to wear dresses and look pretty. She is just so great.

#3: Sansa Stark, A Song of Ice and Fire Series

Okay, guys, let me tell you a thing. Sansa Stark is possibly one of the most underrated characters in not only this series, but just in general. She is a character I will die defending. At the start of the series, I was with a lot of other people. I did not like her for various reasons. But what so many people seem to ignore is how much she changes at the end of that book and for the rest of the series. She becomes strong and learns how to survive literally under the same roof as her enemy. She seems to go from bad situations to worse, but through it all she plays the game of thrones better than a lot of other characters.

#4: Rose Hathaway, Vampire Academy Series

The development we see Rose make from the start to end of this series is literally one of my favourite things I've ever read. She becomes almost a totally different person, and in the best way possible. Similar to Celaena (and most of the women on this list), I also love that she does not feel is necessary to dismiss her femininity to be the badass that she is. 

#5: Brienne of Tarth, A Song of Ice and Fire Series

This series is just filled with wonderfully complex female characters, which is a big reason as to why I love it so much. And of course, my absolute favourite has to be between Sansa and Brienne (don't make me choose, it won't happen). Brienne is possibly the complete opposite to Sansa but just as strong-willed for completely different reasons. She is constantly facing an uphill battle to get recognition for her talent but is ignored because she is too masculine then a woman 'should be'. I love that she sticks to her guns, never tries to change how she is and admire traditionally feminine things. Her character is honestly a gift.

So, there you go, guys! Who are your top 5 favourite female characters? Are any the same as mine? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time!

Jess, xxx

Review + Discussion: Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Heir of Fire

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Summary: Consumed by guilt and rage, Celaena can't bring herself to spill blood for the King of Adarlan. She must fight back...

The Immortal Queen will help her destroy the king - for a price. But as Celaena battles with her darkest memories and her heart breaks for a love that could never last, can she fulfil the bargain and head the almighty court of Terrasen? And who will stand with her?

Rating: 5/5 stars!

Review:

Okay, guys! I just put this book down about an hour ago and I need to discuss it. I'm keeping the non-spoiler section to a minimum because I want to get into the nitty-gritty of this book and also, it's somewhat difficult to not spoil anything of the series considering this is the third book. Anyhow!

This book was my favourite in the series by far! I loved Crown of Midnight and I wasn't sure if this would live up but man, it blew my expectations out of the water! The world grows so much more and we are given a plethora of information that gives so much more life to the story and the world and everything. And the character growth was out of this world. I just really could not recommend this book/series enough! This series is like a bridge between young adult fantasy and adult fantasy and increasingly epic. If that sounds like something you would like, go pick it up now!

I'm going to move on to the spoiler section now so please, if you haven't read these books yet, go do so then come back and discuss!

Review: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Title: Outlander

Author: Diana Gabaldon

Summary: The year is 1945. Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon--when she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient stone circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach--an "outlander"--in a Scotland torn by war and raiding Highland clans in the year of Our Lord...1743.

Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire is catapulted into intrigues and dangers that may threaten her life...and shatter her heart. For here she meets James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, and becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire...and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

Rating: 3-ish/5 stars

Review:

Okay, so I've given my rating an 'ish' because I'm really torn on what I want to give this book. I have a deep love/hate relationship with it. Firstly, I will say that I adored parts of this novel. It was a very interesting idea that Gabaldon presented and it was awesome to see how she didn't shy away from certain topics (ie. sex, gore etc.). Those parts, however, don't make up for the scenes I didn't like so much. I'm going to quickly go into spoiler talk but for anyone who hasn't read it, consider this before picking it up: it is a long book, it is probably not best for younger readers and understand that this book not only encompasses the events of the 1700's, but the values of the period as well. I wouldn't whole-heartedly recommend it, but I wouldn't discourage reading it, either.

Spoilers ahead!

Top 5 Wednesday: Series I Won't Finish

Hello again! Sorry I've been so slack with my updates. Uni is ridiculous at the moment. But I've taken a bit of time today to do this weeks T5W with series I don't plan to finish. I will say that a lot of these I haven't touched in probably 5 years and most are within the same genre (paranormal romance) which I used to love but, for the most part, can't stand anymore. So, without further ado, let's go!

#5: Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi

I've mentioned this one before but I thought I'd include it again. Despite how much hype this series has gotten, I just couldn't get into it. I actually really like Tahereh Mafi as a person but these books were just not my cup of tea. I've been told I should give the next book a shot as it's apparently leagues better but I honestly have no motivation to any time soon. So, it's going on this list!

#4: Hush, Hush series by Becca Fitzpatrick

I read this book when it first came out and I was into these sort of books and even then, I didn't think it was the most amazing book. But now, I have moved on from this genre and have little interest in continuing the series, despite owning the first two books in the series.

#3: Vampire Beach series by Alex Duval

I've actually read the first four books in this series but again, it's a genre that no longer draws me in and I never found the urge to finish this series to begin with.

#2: The Immortals series by Alyson Noel

This was possibly one of my least favourite series I have ever read. I read the first 3 or 4 books and the first one was okay but it got progressively more dull and ridiculous from there. I actually put this series down even when I was still into this genre. It was really not to my liking.

#1: House of Night series by Kristen and P.C Cast

This series just went for far too long. Unlike the other series, I stuck with this one for quite awhile. I read the first 6 books but I just couldn't force myself to go any further. The story stretched on too long, the main character had a new love interest every chapter, it became way too ridiculous and I just could not take it anymore.






Well, there we go! Please note that just because I didn't like these series, doesn't mean I judge someone who does like them. Everyone has their own tastes and these aren't mine.

What series won't you finish? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time!
Jess, xxx

August Wrap-Up!

What? August is already over? It feels like only yesterday I was writing up my wrap-up for July. This year is going way to fast!

But hey guys! Time for my August Wrap-up! Even though I started back at uni this month, I somehow had a better reading month than July. Heck, yes! Granted, a lot of my reads were super short novels (or novellas) so it is understandable. Anyhow. Warning: this is really long but without further ado, let's go!

#1: Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 1: Cosmic Avengers by Brian Michael Bendis

After seeing the new Guardians of the Galaxy movie, I just really need to check out the comics. I've only read two volumes so far (of the new run) but they're really cute and I'm keen to check out more of the older runs of these characters. I gave it a 3.5/5 rating.

#2: Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2: Angela by Brian Michael Bendis

I did enjoy this a lot more than the first volume. I thought Angela was a badass and the storyline was more interesting. I gave it a 4/5 rating.

#3: The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

Oh, man, you guys! This book was beautiful. This is the second book the Kingkiller Chronicles, following after the Name of the Wind. I will say that I did not enjoy this one as much as the first novel. The pacing was a bit weird and as a whole, I think it dragged out sections too much. Despite this, I mainly had these issues because the first book is near perfection in my eyes. So, I gave it a 4.5/5 rating. (Side note: I do have a review coming of this series that I just keep forgetting to write).

#4: The New World by Patrick Ness

This is the first of Ness' three novellas which accompany his Chaos Walking trilogy, which I reviewed here. This one is set before the events of Chaos Walking and it was really interesting to read about. I think explored a facet of Viola's character which never got explored enough in the series, which was her time before she landed. I would definitely recommend this read if you enjoyed the Chaos Walking trilogy. I gave it a 4/5 rating.

#5: The Wide, Wide Sea by Patrick Ness

This is the second of the Chaos Walking novellas. This one is set before the timeline of the main series, as well as in an unfamiliar setting. Of all the novellas, this one was my favourite. It's hard to really explain this without giving anything away, so just go and read it because it is beautiful. I gave it a 5/5 rating.

#6: The Snowscape by Patrick Ness

And the last of the Chaos Walking novellas is this novel. This was definitely my least favourite. It's set after Monsters of Men and follows familiar characters from the series. I felt I just couldn't really get into this one. The characters felt drier than they did in the series and the story was only mildly interesting. The best part was the last sentence, tbh. I gave it a 3/5 rating.

#7: Two Boys Kissing by David Leviathan

This book follows a handful of story lines that all seem to connect in some way or another to an event where two boys are trying to break the record for longest kiss. I thought this book was wonderful. My main complaint with this book is that it had a almost singular focus on gay men, instead of a broader inclusion of other aspects of LGBTQIA (except, of course, the transgender male character). This is basically my only criticism though. I adored the rest and gave it 4/5 stars.

#8: If I Stay by Gayle Forman

I can safely say that I probably wouldn't have picked up this book if it hadn't had been for the film adaptation which has just came out. After seeing the trailers everywhere and hearing people give it great reviews, I just had to pick it up. It's a short but still as emotionally stimulating as you'd expect. I felt I did want it to be longer, though, to perhaps give it more emotional depth. Also, I feel bad saying this but the romance in the novel was probably the least interesting thing to me. I found the stuff with her grandfather absolutely heart-wrenching, though. I gave it 3.5/5 stars.

#9: Across the Universe by Beth Revis

This is the first book in the Across the Universe trilogy and I'm so glad I finally read it! I have been meaning to pick it up for so long and then I realised one of my close friends actually owned it so I borrowed it off her. And wow, this book was awesome! The last 100 or so pages had me on the edge of my seat! Just go and read it now! I gave it a 4/5 rating.

#10: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Bejamin Alire Saenz

I have already posted a full review of this book here, but I will just mention that this book was so, so wonderful. I was really worried I wouldn't like it because I'd heard so many good things about it and didn't want to be that one person who doesn't but thankfully, that wasn't the case. Seriously, this book is so good. I would recommend it to anyone. It's also my favourite book of this month and in league for my favourite book of the year. I gave it a 5/5 rating.

#11: A Million Suns by Beth Revis

The second book in the Across the Universe trilogy and just as awesome as the first. I can't really discuss much without spoilers for the first novel, but I will say it had just as many awesome twists and turns in the story as the first. I'm currently waiting for the final instalment of the series to arrive and it's honestly killing me. I gave it a 4/5 rating.

#12: Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things that Happened by Alice Brosh

God, this was a laugh! I didn't realise this book was actually a graphic novel but I'm so glad it was. The illustrations really added to the humour. There isn't a really story to this book. It's basically a collection of hilarious autobiographical stories of the author's life. I will say that this book is more appreciated if you are an adult (it just seems more relatable then) but I think it'd still be funny to a young adult audience. I gave it a 4/5 rating.

#13: The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe

I don't often dabble into poetry. I find that I often find it hard to appreciate it as it was intended. Despite this, I had this on my kindle and had a sudden urge to give it a go. I found it creepy and eery and a really enjoyable read. The rhythm to Poe's writing is near perfect and makes it really nice to read. I will definitely be checking his other stuff out. I gave it a 4/5 rating.

#14: Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley

Phew! We got there! Last one for this month is Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley.  This novel is presented through a double narrative. The main story following a young boy, Cullen, in a deadbeat town of Lily, which is contrasted against the story of missionary trying to find reason in his faith. It's interesting to see how these two story lines finally converge but I also feel it felt a bit sloppy. I'd heard raving reviews about this book but I didn't seem to find it as wonderful as a lot of other people did. I still liked it quite a lot and I'm interested in checking out Whaley's other works. Also, on a side note, I don't know why but this novel really feels like it could be made into an interesting movie. Anyhow, I gave it a 3/5 rating.

Okay, there you go! Wow, that took awhile! I hope I can keep this reading pace up. I'm only 10 books away from my goal for this year so I might be able to get it knocked over in the next month.

How did you guys go this month? Did you read a lot or not much at all? What were your favourites? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time!

Jess, xxx

Tag Tuesday - Bookish Would You Rather

Hey, guys! I'm thinking of trying to make this a new thing I do. Every Tuesday I will try and do a book tag I've seen. Like my T5W, I'm probably going to miss weeks. I'm back at uni at the moment and that's why my posts have slowed down a bit so I'm trying to think of ways to give this place a bit more life, so here we go.

For the first week, I'm going to be doing the 'Bookish Would You Rather' tag which has been going around Booktube a lot recently. The tag originated on the Youtube channel RayKayBooks, and you can check out the original video here. Anyway, let's get going!

#1: Would you rather read  only trilogies or only stand alones?

Definitely trilogies. Recently I have been reading a lot of stand alones and I do adore them a hell of a lot, but I just enjoy getting to have a bit more of the characters and seeing the depth that a story can be given when allowed more than one book to tell it in.

#2: Would you rather read only female authors or only male authors?

Ahh, this is difficult! I have a lot of favourite authors from both genres. But I think just on principle I'm going to have to go with female authors. I think I'd be fine with that for the most part. Particularly with YA, as majority of the authors in that genre are female.

#3: Would you rather shop for books at Barnes and Noble or Amazon?

As an Australian, this question isn't exactly that relevant to me. I'm going to say Amazon only because I do shop at their Kindle store every now and then but neither of these stores are my go-to bookstores to begin with so I could just as easily say neither.

#4: Would you rather all books become movies or TV shows?

Definitely TV shows! While there has been some amazing book-to-movie adaptations (LOTR is my favourite adaptation of a book ever), I do prefer TV adaptations as they allow the story to not be so condensed. Often in movies, a lot of what's in the books gets cut but that doesn't happen as much in TV and thus, the story remains more faithful. (Side note: this is also why I want someone to make Eragon into a TV series).

#5: Would you rather read 5 pages a day or 5 books a week?

Assuming this in the perfect world where I have the time to read 5 books a week, I would for sure do that one! I'm not a person who enjoys reading books slowly. When I find the time to read, I always try and read a few chapters at least. So, only being able to read 5 pages (thus, only 35 pages a week), I would actually die.

#6: Would you rather be a professional reviewer or professional author?

As much as I enjoy reviewing books, becoming a professional author has and always will be one of my dreams. I'd have to go with that one.

#7: Would you rather only re-read 20 of your favourite books or read only different books once?

Option 2, without a doubt. I'm a big fan of re-reading books, ngl. But the thought of being restricted to only having 20 books to read for the rest of my life is painful. I could not do it. Even if they were my favourites.

#8: Would you rather be a librarian or a book seller?

Hmm. This is difficult. I do like the thought of being a librarian and I don't like the idea of all the business-y stuff behind being a book seller but I still find it appealing. I'm just going to go with librarian because that's what my gut is saying. But I do often fancy the thought of owning my own bookstore/coffee shop.

#9: Would you rather read only your favourite genre or every genre but your favourite?

Okay, this was really hard so I just found a loophole. I'm going to say only read favourite genre because my favourite fantasy and tbh, fantasy has so many branches of it that I can sort of make so many books fit to it. You may be thinking I'm just wussing out of answering this properly and you would be right.

#10: Would you rather only read physical books and e-books?

Physical books. In the past year, I have started reading a lot more e-books, mainly because of convenience. But nothing will replace the enjoyment of reading a physical book and feeling the pages.

So, anyway that's the Bookish Would You Rather book tag. What would your choices be? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time!

Jess, xxx

Review: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz [No Spoilers!]

Title: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Author: Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Summary: Dante can swim. Ari can't. Dante is articulate and self-assured. Ari has a hard time with words and suffers from self-doubt. Dante gets lost in poetry and art. Ari gets lost in thoughts of his older brother who is in prison. Dante is fair skinned. Ari's features are much darker. It seems that a boy like Dante, with his open and unique perspective on life, would be the last person to break down the walls that Ari has built around himself.

But against all odds, when Ari and Dante meet, they develop a special bond that will teach them the most important truths of their lives, and help define the people they want to be. But there are big hurdles in their way, and only by believing in each other―and the power of their friendship―can Ari and Dante emerge stronger on the other side.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Review: 

In case you didn't notice in the title, this review will be without spoilers! So now we've covered that, let's talk about how absolutely wonderful this book was. It doesn't really have a solid plot (hence why I decided to keep this review spoiler-free) but it remains just as captivating without one that you barely notice the lack of it until you've finished already. This novel takes you on a journey within the lives of these characters, exploring family, love, identity and everything in between. 

I loved that Ari, the main character, was so flawed but I could still understand and empathise with him. I found his inner frustration towards himself something I could really relate to. Also, the importance of his family's story is one of the things I found most interesting. And possibly by extension of the family, the element of culture and identity that gets frequently discussed in the novel was so important and I appreciated how much focus it got.

The relationship between Ari and Dante literally makes my heart swell just thinking about it. There was such an authenticity to their friendship. I loved the ease they had with each other and the subtlety of their growth. It was just beautiful to read. Many of the other relationships were lovely as well.

I really did adore this book start to finish. It was a near perfect read for me. I read it so quickly (it is a very quick, easy read) that I actually didn't appreciate it's glory and the warmth and happiness it gave me until I was turning the last page. I would honestly recommend this to anyone. 

Have you guys read it yet? What did you think? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time!

Jess, xxx