I’m a pretty terrible reader, but I’d like to show representation for others like myself! The fact that I read five books is a wonder and something I’ve rarely accomplished since the middle-grade slivers I consumed as a child. Regardless, it was a decent reading month and I’ve been trying to determine if I’m too nice to books or if I’m just reading things I like. Perhaps I’m too much of a contrarian. Alas. These are my reads of this month.
The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater (The Raven Cycle, #2)
When I found out that the audiobooks for The Raven Cycle were available for free on Spotify, I took it upon myself to begin this beloved series. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t too familiar with this series before picking it up, but since reading this second installment, my love for it has solidified. I read the Six of Crows duology last year and I think part of why I loved it so much was because of the found family trope. I’m thrilled to say that this series is another pinnacle of that trend — much to my and many others’ delight.
I’d recommend this series to fans of YA, specifically fantasy/paranormal, tangled with bits of romance and complex character relationships. This series is marketed as teen romance and while it is about teens and involves romance, I would consider it more of a fantasy (specifically paranormal). You can read my full review by clicking this picture or here! (4.5 stars.)
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
While still somewhat of a youngin at eighteen, I’m in the process of determining if I’m ready to graduate from YA into the great big world of adult fiction. I’ve always tipped my toes in that pool (barring the erotica), but this year I’m planning to explore more than I ever have before (still barring the erotica — not my thing!). Marking my first adult fiction read of the year, this was decent and an easy enough read. I’m slowly growing more familiar with mystery/thrillers, and I think I’m enjoying them. I’ll admit, I’m finding it a little hard to get to the bottom of my conclusions lately, but that’s part of why I started this blog.
I’d recommend this book to readers of mysteries, thrillers, suspense, and the like. For all of my thoughts, click the picture or here for my full review! (3.5 stars.)
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (Shadow and Bone, #1; Grishaverse, #1)
After watching the Netflix adaption of this story last year, my immediate reaction was not to pick up this trilogy and follow Alina Starkov and instead explore the story following my favorite part of the show — the Crows (the second mention of SoC…clearly someone’s obsessed). When I finished Crooked Kingdom, I found out that there was yet another series (The King of Scars duology) in this universe involving characters from both the Shadow and Bone trilogy and the Six of Crows duology. With this knowledge, I decided it’d only be right to read the Shadow and Bone trilogy before carrying on into the final duology.
I’ve heard mostly underwhelming reviews about this book, but I found it to be enjoyable enough and believe it deserves more credit. To read more on that, you can click the picture or here for the full review! (3.5 stars.)
The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo (Grishaverse Companion)
When I was a kid, I was a total sucker for A Series of Unfortunate Events. I loved that it had a world unto itself and that Lemony Snicket had gone above and beyond in crafting a mysterious timeline and puzzling history to it that he simultaneously explored and mystified with companion novels.
With this in mind, I had high hopes for a companion novel to one of my other favorite fictional worlds. When I started it, though, I wasn’t impressed. Despite my initial doubts, I’m glad to report a favorable review of this short story collection! I’d recommend this book to both fans of the Grishaverse and newcomers alike. It’s a stunningly illustrated collection of unique yet vaguely familiar fairytales that I’d recommend to fans of fantasy. Read my full review here or click the picture! (4 stars.)
Gallant by Victoria Schwab (ARC – Publication Date: 3/1/2022)
Synopsis from Goodreads: Olivia Prior has grown up in Merilance School for girls, and all she has of her past is her mother’s journal—which seems to unravel into madness. Then, a letter invites Olivia to come home—to Gallant. Yet when Olivia arrives, no one is expecting her. But Olivia is not about to leave the first place that feels like home, it doesn’t matter if her cousin Matthew is hostile or if she sees half-formed ghouls haunting the hallways.
Olivia knows that Gallant is hiding secrets, and she is determined to uncover them. When she crosses a ruined wall at just the right moment, Olivia finds herself in a place that is Gallant—but not. The manor is crumbling, the ghouls are solid, and a mysterious figure rules over all. Now Olivia sees what has unraveled generations of her family, and where her father may have come from.
Olivia has always wanted to belong somewhere, but will she take her place as a Prior, protecting our world against the Master of the House? Or will she take her place beside him?
February was a pretty good reading month for me! I’m considering starting a series where I revisit some staples of 2010s YA fiction (such as dystopians like Hunger Games and Divergent, contemporaries I never got around to like John Green’s work, etc.) since I’ve already begun with The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater and Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. I’ve noticed a resurgence in some of those books (The Selection by Kiera Cass, Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi, etc.) due to BookTok that gave me major flashbacks to old-school BookTube. This trend is super interesting to me, considering even I’ve looped back to some of these titles.
Have you read or plan on reading any of the books I’ve mentioned? Did you like any of these titles? Why or why not? What books have you read this February? What does your March TBR look like? Let me know in the comments below!
Little Bit of All That 