Monthly Wrap-Up | December 2018

Morning, book fam!

Who else feels drained from the holidays? I’ve been getting in some solid 10-hour nights, but I still feel exhausted. So I am glad I’m still on my work break, or I couldn’t function properly. Hopefully, for my new year’s resolution, I’ll get back into the blogging swing. I’ve missed talking with all of you.

But Christmas turned out great, and New Year’s Eve just set off a great new start to 2019. Is anyone freaking out over the number of books we need to buy and read this year?

Finally, I able to tackle some of my backlist titles. And I just squeezed in one more book so I could complete my 2018 Goodreads Challenge, which I thought I wouldn’t. I’m happy to finish out the year with these great reads!

Archenemies by Marissa Meyer

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½

I had low expectations for this sequel. I wasn’t sure if I’d like it, or it’d somewhat disappoint me like Renegades. But Archenemies does the opposite. I loved reading it. And I got sucked back into this intriguing world. Nova is such a complex character who blurs the lines of hero and villain. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

 

Shadow and the Bone by Leigh Bardugo

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Is this book written by the same author who masterfully crafted Six of Crows? At first, I doubted that. But obviously, it is. Her writing style vastly changed from her first series to her second, and I prefer the latter. However, I’m captivated by the world and the magic system. I just want the pacing to be a tad bit faster.

 

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½

I think I’m one of the few readers who enjoyed reading the second addition in the GrishaVerse than the final one. I feel the world building and the characters—particularly Alina, who annoyed me in Leigh’s debut novel—greatly improved, and I was able to connect with them. But Sturmhond stole the scene! You can hear my fangirling squeals from here.

 

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My ship didn’t sail. And no, it isn’t the abusive one, even though the Darkling is appealing. I hoped for a better ending, but I rather enjoyed how Leigh wraps up the series. But I wanted a bit more for the finale though. But I’m excited to read King of Scars.

 

The Lost Sisters by Holly Black

⭐️⭐️⭐️½

I haven’t hated two characters more than I loathe Taryn and Locke. However, this novella gives you insight into why she betrayed her twin sister, Jude. But does that perspective change my opinion of them? No. I still want them to burn.

---

My haul is much larger than what’s shown below, but I don’t feel like listing all the 12 books I received for Christmas. 😅 I’m still digging myself out of the holiday crash. But my TBR pile is what’s getting me excited. I was able to snag some of my most anticipated reads. 2019 is looking great.

• Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare
• Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff
• The Dragon’s Wing by Tate James
• The Tiger’s Ambush by Tate James
• The Viper’s Nest by Tate James
• Evermore by Sara Holland

---

For the last 2 months, I’ve been struggling with this blogging slump, where I wasn’t reaching out to my fellow bloggers. So I may not have been around lately, but I have read your posts though. Here are my favourites of December!

❄️ Kayla, from Books and Blends, inspired me to read the Lost Sisters. I hesitated with that novella because I cannot stand Taryn for what she did to Jude. Her review perfectly shows why Holly’s work is worth reading. Definitely check out her review.

❄️ Dana, my evil twin from Dana and the Books, shows off her best and worst reads of 2018. I always love reading her lists. And I have to agree with her on War Storm.

❄️ I’ve seen a lot from Jenn at Jenniely. But we’ve just started following each other. I love her work though. For one of her Blogmas posts, she discusses which books of 2018 met or not reached the hype. Do you agree with her choices? (Woman, you need to read Lifel1k3! It gets so much better at the end!)