I can't believe we're already in the new year, but somehow we are and I'd like to wish you all another Happy New Year! All of my end of year posts (most disappointing books, best books, reading stats, etc.) should be up in the next couple weeks, so stay tuned for those!
December was a crazy month for me, as I'm sure it was for many of you as well. There's always so much going on and so much to do, but with so little time to do it all in. That being said, it was also a nice month and I was able to see some family, read some good books, and do my best to enjoy life as it comes. It's been an extremely rough year and although I'm not someone who really tends to make resolutions or see the new year as a huge "fresh start," I'm trying to treat it that way a bit this year, haha. So here's hoping!
In book news, I read some great books in December! I also read some books I didn't love, but you can't win them all. I caved and read a March ARC (Empire of the Damned, I just had to check it out!), as well as made my way through a couple January ARCs to prepare, all of which were pretty solid. I tried to have a mix of books for review and just some more casual books to help get me through the stress of the month–and apparently it worked pretty well since I managed 14 books! I fell behind on blogging with everything else going on, but I'm hoping to get back on track in January.
How was your December? Were you ready for the year to end?? Let me know how your month was below and what you've been reading!
# books read: 14
Empire of the Damned (Empire of the Vampire #2) by Jay Kristoff ★★★★
Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC
Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC
Thoughts: This was a hefty ARC with the thinnest Bible-thin pages that took me a little while ot get through, but all in all a pretty solid sequel to Empire of the Vampire. I can't say this is my favorite Jay Kristoff book and it certainly has his trademark dramatic flair that can be hit or miss for people, but I've been generally curious to see where this story is going and look forward to the third book! My review for this will be up sometime in February closer to its publication.
The Longest Autumn by Amy Avery ★★★
Source: NetGalley| Format: Audiobook
Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands (Emily Wilde #2) by Hearther Fawcett ★★★★★
Source: NetGalley | Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley | Format: eARC
Thoughts: This was a perfect sequel that I loved so much! This has easily become one of my favorite series and it is one of the most enjoyable reading experiences lately.
The Longest Autumn by Amy Avery ★★★
Source: NetGalley| Format: Audiobook
Thoughts: I was so excited about this one and thought the premise was really promising, but unfortunately the execution fell a bit flat. The prose was beautiful, but the world and the characters didn't really grab me as much as I'd hoped. I still found the general world-building setup intriguing, but unfortunately it wasn't for me.
The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers ★★★.75
Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC
Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC
Thoughts: The writing in this one is gorgeous, and I'd recommend it to fans of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, The Starless Sea, and books of that nature. The story was a little thin and felt a bit disjointed at times, but overall an interesting story.
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir ★★.5
Source: Library | Format: Audiobook
Thoughts: This has been so hyped up over the years since its release and I've always been curious, so I finally got around to it and, sadly, I did not end up loving it as much as I'd hoped to. I get why some people love it, but I really struggled with caring about the characters and the story itself felt like something I'd read before (which I know sounds crazy since everyone says how weird this book is, but I didn't find it that weird??).
The Past is Red by Catherynne M. Valente ★★★★★
Source: Library | Format: Audiobook
The Past is Red by Catherynne M. Valente ★★★★★
Source: Library | Format: Audiobook
Thoughts: This was very Valente in style and I had a really great time with it. I have a review up for it as well, which I'll have linked below.
The Kingdom of Sweets by Erika Johansen ★★★★
Source: NetGalley| Format: eARC
The Kingdom of Sweets by Erika Johansen ★★★★
Source: NetGalley| Format: eARC
Thoughts: This was a very dark Nutcracker-inspired retelling that I found really unexpected and I ended up liking it quite a bit.
Lady Macbethad by Isabelle Schuler ★★★★
Source: Owned | Format: Hardcover
Lady Macbethad by Isabelle Schuler ★★★★
Source: Owned | Format: Hardcover
Thoughts: I haven't read all that many Lady Macbeth-focused stories, so this was a fun surprise at how much I enjoyed it. (There's another Lady Macbeth story coming out this year and I'm really excited for it now!)
The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting by Evanna Lynch (re-read) ★★★★★
Source: Owned | Format: Paperback
Source: Owned | Format: Paperback
Thoughts: I decided to give this a re-read because I loved it so much when I read it in 2022. I really love her insightfulness and musings on life, fulfillment, creativity, and so much more. Definitely a worthwhile read!
The Fae Princes (#4) by Nikki St. Crowe
Source: Gift | Format: Paperback
Palace of Shadows by Ray Celestin ★★★★
Source: | Format:
Source: | Format:
Thoughts: This was a Winchester house-inspired Gothic story that I really enjoyed. I have a review up for it already that you can find here!
The Fae Princes (#4) by Nikki St. Crowe
Source: Gift | Format: Paperback
Thoughts: I finally got around to reading this final (? I think) book in the series and it was so good! I've had so much fun with this series.
Riot Act (Crooked Sinners #3) by Callie Hart
Source: Library | Format: Audiobook
Source: Library | Format: Audiobook
Thoughts: Finally got around to finishing up this trilogy and all in all, I have to say it's pretty solid! I had fun with these ones.
Vicious Queen (Bonyard Kings #2) by Becca Steele
Source: Library | Format: Audiobook
Source: Library | Format: Audiobook
Thoughts: I'm not sure how I feel about this series, but it was one of those that I'd been recommended so much I just keep going, haha.
The Risk by S.T. Abby
Source: Library | Format: Audiobook
Source: Library | Format: Audiobook
Thoughts: I've seen this one raved about so often and with such intensity that I finally decided to check ti out, and unfortunately I don't think it's for me. I found it a little on the boring side for me and I'm not interested enough to continue the series.
DNF/To-Be-Finished:
None! (That I can recall...)
Posts:
Blog Memes:
Can't-Wait Wednesday:
12/6: The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years by Shubnum Khan & The House of Last Resort by Christopher Golden
12/13: Here in Avalon by Tara Isabella Burton & Exordia by Seth Dickinson
12/20: Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett & Divine Might by Natalie Haynes
12/27: Mislaid in Parts Half-Known by Seanan McGuire & My Friends by Hisham Matar
12/6: The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years by Shubnum Khan & The House of Last Resort by Christopher Golden
12/13: Here in Avalon by Tara Isabella Burton & Exordia by Seth Dickinson
12/20: Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett & Divine Might by Natalie Haynes
12/27: Mislaid in Parts Half-Known by Seanan McGuire & My Friends by Hisham Matar
I'm finishing up Emily Wilde today and I agree, it's sooo good, and I just love the characters. Congrats on reading so much last month!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to read Emily Wilde, I still have to read the first one but I have high hopes!
ReplyDelete