Saturday, January 30, 2016

Wrap-up #3 | January + Mini Reviews

Hello everyone! January is pretty much done with, at least for me it is in terms of reading. This new year is off to a great start! I basically lived in bookstores this month tallying up 28 books for January. That's quite a bit considering it's not even my birthday yet! Haha :) I read some amazing books and then I read some that I wasn't really impressed with. 


(Some of the ratings may have changed after I had more time to think and analyze each book)

Joyride by Anna Banks ***
This was a sweet book. I just didn't relate to it like I thought I would, being that the main character, Carlotta, is latina, but there wasn't enough character development or background story for me to relate to her. Arden was an awesome co-main character whose dad is a big d-bag but he made up for his dad's disgusting personality.

All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven *****
What a beautifully written book! I couldn't put this book down, it was that good. These were typical teenagers trying to find their place in the world. My heart hurt so much for Theodore, it took me back to my high school days and made think if I knew anyone like him, and while I knew of some, luckily it didn't hit home. Violet was easily relateable, your usual goody-two shoes on the outside, but a confused, lonely girl on the inside. Their friendship was so awesome and I envied it, even to the end. They were the perfect balance to one another. This became my first five star rated book of 2016.

My Kind Of Crazy by Robin Reul *****
This was easily one of the funniest, most heart-warming books I have read so far. I absolutely adored Hank Kirby and his dry, sarcastic sense of humor. While this book reminded me of Rainbow Rowell's Eleanor and Park, this book definitely held its own in the end. These two misfits get together randomly and engage in a fun friendship,both trying to hide from their family life by depending on each other. My Kind Of Crazy doesn't come out until April 2016 but make sure you look out for this one!

Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout ****
I was in the mood for a good mystery/suspense read after having read a few fluffy, cute books. I've read the first book in Armentrout's New Adult series like White Hot Kiss and Wait For you, both of which I really liked, but this was my first young adult read of hers. While it didn't keep me on the edge of my seat (I was able to predict whodunnit early on), it did its job of keeping me hooked and I finished it fairly quickly. I definitely want to get into her Lux series.

I Will Save You by Matt De La Pena ***
It was hard to come up with a rating for this one. Initially, I didn't really enjoy the book as much as I wanted to, but after letting it sink in, I realized this book was a mind twister. It made me think, it made me question a lot of things and I couldn't get it out of my head for the longest time. I gave it a three because though it was beautifully written, almost poetic to me, I had a hard time following the story. In the end I decided I want to give this a re-read to give it more fair rating.

Never Never Part Three by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher ****
I quickly fell in love with Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher's Never Never short series when it first came out. It's funny and suspenseful. I won't spoil it for any one but I will I don't think it ended on the best of notes, but I'm satisfied with it. I wish they would continue but I understand they have probably more important pressing matters. 

How To Love by Katie Cotugno ***
I was in the mood for a cute, fun, quick read and this one hit the bill perfectly. It took me a while to finish it because I wasn't enjoying it too much at first but ended it pretty quickly. 

The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West ***
I read West's other young adult books Mind Games and loved it! I still have yet to read the sequel, Pivot Point but this one was cute. It was a little annoying but I enjoyed it in the end.


Welp, there you have it folks, just some of my thoughts on this month's books. Didn't really have time to write up a well thought-out reviews, but hopefully February will be better, it is my birthday month after all! :) I will have somewhat of a TBR list for next month so look out for that. I also will be participating in a Reading Challenge for February. Have a great weekend and happy reading!!




Friday, January 15, 2016

Update New Year Read-A-Thon

Hello, everyone! So, it's just over a week after the New Year Read-A-Thon challenge and suffice it to say, I failed. With a big, fat F. I try, I really did, I just got distracted by everything else going on around me that I just gave up and vegged on other books instead.

I started reading Marie Lu's The Yong Elites as part of my resolution to read outside of my comfort zone. I was actually enjoying the book, but when it comes to fantasy, I think, it's the kind of book you have to focus on and pay special attention to. I don't have that kind of time on my hands too often so I put it down and will save it for when I have down time.

This brings me to another point. I don't usually like making TBRs because I almost always fail at them. I'm a fast reader but I'm a mood reader, too. Sometimes I'm in the mood for a cute, easy read, other times I want to read about murders and blood. I never know. And it's usually never in-between with me.

But anyways, I've read four pretty awesome books so far and I'm a few chapters into a book I won at a festival last holiday season. It's pretty interesting so far and I can't wait to get into it some more. I hope your new year is off to  great (reading) start! Happy reading :)

Review: My Kind Of Crazy by Robin Reul (ARC)




This easily became one of my favorite books so far this year. I won this ARC late last year and was excited when I finally received it in December. I wanted to get it read closer to the release date, but I needed something to read so I picked it up not really knowing what to expect.

This book is funny, heartwarming, gut-wrenching... it just made you feel all the feels. I was reading this first thing in the morning (even if it was just a page or two), I read this at work, I read this during my lunch break, I mean, I was glued to this book. I loved Hank and how witty he was. I felt for him and his family. Even Peyton quickly became one of my favorite characters. Their friendship was relatable and I loved how they were together. 

I will say, that at first, it was similar to Rainbow Rowell's Eleanor and Park, but as I delved deeper into the book, I forgot all about it and this book just took over. It's original, it's cute and it's something that will stick with me for a long time.

Friday, January 1, 2016

New Year Read-A-Thon

Very quickly, I wanted to share the books for this week's Read-A-Thon.

The challenges are:
1. Read a first book in a series.
Cinder by Marissa Meyer.

I've had this on my TBR list for quite some time now. I've heard nothing but good things about the series so I wanted to get all the books so I can marathon them and now I finally do.

2. Read a standalone.
My Kind Of Crazy by Robin Reul.

This is an ARC I won. I believe it's a standalone though the author did say there could be a sequel. But as of now, this is the one I'm sticking with.

3. Finish a book you put down.
Actually, Cinder fits into this one as well. I attempted to read this book two times before but for some reason I couldn't get past the first three chapters.

4. Read a book you've had on your TBR for a while.
See #1.

5. Read from an author, series or genre that's new to you.
The Young Elites by Marie Lu

I'm not a fan of fantasy at all, and other than the Harry Potter series, I haven't read any. I've heard great things about Marie Lu's books so I decided I'm going to give this a shot.


What are you guys reading to start off the new year? Hope you all have a beautiful day full of reading, family and food! And maybe football like me :) happy reading, everyone!!