Flash Reviews | #3 | January 24 - February 6, 2016
9:39 PM
In January, I read 12 books for a total of 4774 pages. My average rating was 3.42 stars. Out of those 12 books, my favorite was most definitely Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin and my least favorite was Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella. I read all 8 of the books that were on my January TBR and completed 5 Popsugar challenge prompts.
010. The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson
A great conclusion to a really impressive trilogy. The characters make these books so special and that didn't change with the finale. A dynamic and healthy slow-building romance left me swooning and the inclusion of little Mula/Red Sparkle Stone was absolutely delightful. I took a half-star off for scattered and disjointed perspective changes and for wanting to spend more time in places where that time (because of filled-to-the-brim plot reasons) wasn't possible. You can read my full review here. ★★★★½
011. Moloka'i by Alan Brennert
While I thought that some parts of this book were dense and full of info-dumping, I was impressed with the scope of the story, overall. While it follows the life of just one girl with leprosy, Moloka'i is rich with history on what this disease meant for individuals throughout the years that this book encompasses. I appreciated the immense research that was put into this story and loved that it relied so heavily on well-drawn characters as opposed to a heavy plot (which just wouldn't have worked with the kind of story that was being told). You can read my full review here. ★★★★
012. Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
I continue to read this series for... some reason. I'm not completely against series that are incredibly formulaic but, in this case, I'm just over it. No chemistry between the main couple, an incredibly annoying and immature lead, a supporting cast that won't call her on her crap... I could go on and on. I will probably read the next book because I own it, but I won't continue on after that. You can read my full review here. ★★
013. Changeless by Gail Carriger
It took me a while to get back into this series after reading the first book last year, but it wasn't because of lack of interest. I love this world so much and the characters are too fun not to enjoy reading about. If anything, the sexy banter between Alexia and her husband is worth the read alone. I appreciated how Carriger expanded her world in this second book and, while I wasn't entirely compelled by the mystery, I loved the way it all played out. You can read my full review here. ★★★★
014. My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
I haven't written my full review for this one yet, because I did just finish it a little while ago, but I will sum up my thoughts briefly here. I wanted so badly to love this. I wanted to fall in love with the characters and the story and devour the series as fast as I could. As I finished, however, I felt... average. The writing style is extremely captivating and that is my favorite part of this book. Ferrante crafts sentences and images in ways that took my breath away. The two main characters are fine, and I did enjoy them, but I had a hard time getting a grasp on the (very large) supporting cast. The story, much like with Moloka'i, follows life and is light on plot. Sadly, I wasn't overly impressed and I'm not left with a desire to continue the series right away. You can read my full review (once it is posted) here. ★★★
Also, if you like music, this is a shout-out to my sister's blog, Not My Tune. I just helped her spruce it up and make it look more streamlined and less-Blogger-like. She has a lot of good thoughts on music and, yeah, go check it out.
012. Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
I continue to read this series for... some reason. I'm not completely against series that are incredibly formulaic but, in this case, I'm just over it. No chemistry between the main couple, an incredibly annoying and immature lead, a supporting cast that won't call her on her crap... I could go on and on. I will probably read the next book because I own it, but I won't continue on after that. You can read my full review here. ★★013. Changeless by Gail Carriger
It took me a while to get back into this series after reading the first book last year, but it wasn't because of lack of interest. I love this world so much and the characters are too fun not to enjoy reading about. If anything, the sexy banter between Alexia and her husband is worth the read alone. I appreciated how Carriger expanded her world in this second book and, while I wasn't entirely compelled by the mystery, I loved the way it all played out. You can read my full review here. ★★★★014. My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
I haven't written my full review for this one yet, because I did just finish it a little while ago, but I will sum up my thoughts briefly here. I wanted so badly to love this. I wanted to fall in love with the characters and the story and devour the series as fast as I could. As I finished, however, I felt... average. The writing style is extremely captivating and that is my favorite part of this book. Ferrante crafts sentences and images in ways that took my breath away. The two main characters are fine, and I did enjoy them, but I had a hard time getting a grasp on the (very large) supporting cast. The story, much like with Moloka'i, follows life and is light on plot. Sadly, I wasn't overly impressed and I'm not left with a desire to continue the series right away. You can read my full review (once it is posted) here. ★★★Also, if you like music, this is a shout-out to my sister's blog, Not My Tune. I just helped her spruce it up and make it look more streamlined and less-Blogger-like. She has a lot of good thoughts on music and, yeah, go check it out.
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