February Wrap-Up

Can you believe February is over?! I almost thought I’d got my dates mixed up, I know it is a shorter month but this seems ridiculous, especially considering the size of my TBR, but shoot for the stars, am I right?

Red Queen (Red Queen #1) by Victoria Aveyard 🌟🌟🌟🌟

This is the third time I read this book, but every time it just gets better and better. Red Queen is the first book in a YA fantasy trilogy set in a world where people are segregated into two groups. The ruling class, the silver bloods, have special abilities, while the working class, the red bloods, are just regular people. However, our red blood protagonist Mare finds herself trying to survive in the silver court when she awakes a latent power. As I always mention, this has one of the best plot twists and even though I’m pretty familiar with it now it still gets to me ever time I read it. Another thing that’s really interesting in Red Queen, and something that I forgot, is that Mare is a very flawed protagonist. I won’t say much more but I will probably have a series review up sometime in the future.

Glass Sword (Red Queen #2) by Victoria Aveyard 🌟🌟🌟🌟

This is my second read (which you can see on GoodReads now!) and I loved it just as much as last year. As the second book int he series this one is a lot quicker, but there are some points which are a little dull. There are a lot of things that need to be done to work toward the final book and I think you can see that here. I love the character development, after all the treachery of the first book there a lot of bridges to mend, but also sone that are burned. I finished it the day of the release of King’s Cage, meaning I read over half of this book in one day and, I’m kind of exhausted, but I hope we get to see more of the villain in the final book.

King’s Cage (Red Queen #3) by Victoria Aveyard 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

*chanting* King’s Cage! King’s Cage! King’s Cage! *chanting*

So, as it turns out, this isn’t a trilogy. My bad. I don’t know if it was just me that thought that, but anyway, as you may be able to tell I am buzzing from this book. You know I love the prince (guess, which one!), well, there was plenty of him. You know I love multiple POV’s, well, we got not one, but two new POV’s. Not only did we get those but they both came from characters that I hated and now love, so bravo Victoria Aveyard because I can be a stubborn reader, when it comes to where my loyalties lie. I won’t say exactly who they were, just in case you think it’s a spoiler but I will say that they were hilarious, and made a nice change from Mare. There were a lot of character depth, and development, and I’m even more in love than a was before. Bring on book 4! Oh, and make sure you read the acknowledgements, sounds a little odd, but true me on this one.

A Gathering of Shadows (Shades of Magic #2) by V.E Schwab 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Eeeek! This really was the perfect books to read after the fabulous King’s Cage, because by some miracle it was right up there. Even though it really isn’t been very long since I read the first book int his YA fantasy series I forgot how it just drags you in and doesn’t let you go. I’m really not much of a binge reader, despite what it must look like, I dip in and out of a couple of books, except this one where I just lay in bed all morning to finish the last 250 pages because I just couldn’t leave it alone. Somehow this books takes all of those fabulous first book elements and makes them a hundred times better. And, thank god I’m too lazy to binge read series’ so now I only have a few days to wait for the final book.

A Bone to Pick (Aurora Teagarden #2) by Charlaine Harris 🌟🌟🌟

I’m surprising myself with how much more I’m enjoying these books the second time around. In this second book, Roe finds a human skull in a house she inherits from a friend, and is plagued by this mystery. I don’t want to say that she is intent upon solving it, because I feel that in this book the mystery just seems to happen around her, which is a really unique way of writing a murder mystery, it definitely reminds me a lot of Agatha Christie. In regard to the rating, I always stick to my original ratings, and for whatever reason I only gave it 3 stars, but if I were to re-rate it, A Bone to Pick would definitely get that extra star.

The Wide Window (A Series of Unfortunate Events #3) by Lemony Snicket 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Picking up any one of these books is like taking a step back to my childhood, but that’s not the only reason why they’re so great. In The Wide Window the Baudelaire’s are taken to live with their Aunt Josephine, the woman who is literally afraid of everything. Even though this one is a little formulaic (and the last one in the series to be so) Snicket still keeps it interesting and fresh enough to keep you from being bored. There are defiantly no dull moments, making it, I think, a little more action packed that the previous books, and from the moment we meet Captain Sham it really is all stations go. As always Snicket satisfies us with an open ending, gently leading you the next book without forcing you there.

A Conjuring of Light (Shades of Magic #3) by V.E Schwab 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Favourite. Of. The Year. I’m just putting that out there right now, because as of today that’s where this book stands. If I had more stars then this book would be getting them. All of them. I’m not a binge reader, as much as that may surprise you, I just read little and often and quickly but I read this in two days. Two days. And if I didn’t have work, then I would have finished it within 24 hours, and I can’t tell you how long it’s been since I’ve done that. In case you didn’t know, this is part of a trilogy about four parallel Londons, each with varying degrees of magic, and the Antari, a special sort of magician, who can travel between them. ACoL took me everywhere, I laughed, I cried, and I was utterly and undoubtably captivated by it. I was a hot mess when I finished this book, and all I want to do is start this trilogy all over again. Victoria’s writing was absolutely phenomenal, not that that comes as a surprise to anyone, and grips you until the very last word. I guess the only thing left to say is anoshe.

 We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson  🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I’m still not sure what to even say about this book, but I couldn’t come up with a reason not to give it 5 stars. Considered to be a modern classic, We Have Always Lived in the Castle is told from the POV of eighteen-year-old Merricat, who lives with her sister, Constance and Uncle Julian after the rest of the family was killed by arsenic poisoning six years ago. The three live a somewhat charmed existence until the arrival of Cousin Charles, who Merricat is convinced is up to no good. Soon to be a film, this book is very lyrical and magical in unexpected ways, and I would love to read more from Shirley Jackson. I also found the afterward by Joyce Carol Oates really interesting and worth a read if it’s in your edition.

Ulysses by James Joyce 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I can’t believe that I’ve actually read this monster of a book. I didn’t put this on my TBR because it was for school anyway, but I’m so proud that I finished it I wanted to put it on my wrap-up anyway. Half of this I read on my own and the other half I read with the audiobook playing alongside which was a really good idea if you’re the kind of person who’s mind tends to wander. The basic plot is as follows, taking place over one day we follow Stephen, a young but poor graduate (sounds familiar?) and middle aged Mr Bloom as they wander Dublin for the day, finding themselves exiled from their homes. This may sound simple but Joyce does not rest on his laurels and literally throws every possible literary technique, every theme, every motif at you all at once. However, as difficult as this book may be the payoff is definitely worth it, and I can see my self re-reading this again someday.

The Miserable Mill (A Series of Unfortunate Events #4) by Lemony Snicket 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Next up I finished the next episode in the tragic lives of the Baudelaire orphans where, for some vague reason, they are sent to live, and work, in a lumber mill. Their guardian this time, is the incredibly mysterious Mr… or just Sir, and of course it’s not long before the nefarious Count Olaf make an appearance. This is my favourite so far in the series, and I have to say that Netflix did a really good job of adapting it, since it doesn’t feature in the Jim Carey film. Snicket really begins to play around with the story and you really feel like the world is opening up a little, even though the Baudelaire’s lives just get worse and worse. I always have seen this book as breaking away from the formula just enough to be fresh but keep you looking around every corner for Count Olaf.

The Mime Order (The Bone Season #2) by Samantha Shannon  🌟🌟🌟🌟

I definitely enjoyed this a bit more the second time around, probably because it seemed to go a lot quicker than before. This is the second book in an urban fantasy style series, in which certain clairvoyant people are hunted by the government. This book has a plot twist to rival Red Queen, and we all know how I live for that plot twist. The setting is pretty much completely new, though it’s easier to get into that the setting of the first book, but because of this there are some slow parts. However, anything that feels a little slow is more than made up for by the final few chapters, where all hell breaks loose. Long live the Black Moth.

Obviously my favourite book was ACoL, but what was yours? What did you read in the month of February?

Thanks for reading!

Victoria