| January Reading Roundup! |
The first month of the year has come to an end and it was quite a cold dreary month filled with stormy weather. I did my best to beat the "January blues" by having lots of cosy evenings and there's nothing better than curling up on the couch with a fluffy blanket wrapped around me, and delving into the world of a good book whilst the wind is howling against the window. January was a good reading month as I managed to read six books, so in today's reading roundup post I'll be sharing what I read last month...How I rate books:
1 Star = I didn't enjoy this book at all but it wasn't so bad that I couldn't finish it.
2 Stars = Parts of the book were ok but overall it wasn't my cup of tea or I've read books that are much better in the genre.
3 Stars = I loved or really liked parts of this book but on a whole, it was just average. I wouldn't re-read the books that I give 3 stars to but I would definitely finish the series if it were a series.
4 Stars = I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I would definitely re-read it but I wasn't as invested in it as some other books.
5 Stars = I absolutely loved this book! It doesn't necessarily mean it was flawless, there could be parts that were slow or that I wasn't too keen on but on a whole, I loved the characters as well as the world, and the book had me thinking about it throughout the day.
1) Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll:
My Rating: 2 Stars
I'm fond of reading psychological thrillers every now and then but I wasn't overly impressed by this book. The whole plot is centred around an event that took place when the main character Ani was in school. It's not revealed to the reader what the incident was so it was filled with suspense.
However, my issue with the plot was that it dragged on for a bit too long and there was quite a negative attitude towards the main character about the incident throughout the whole book. And by the time the incident was divulged I was left wondering why the attitudes were so negative towards the main character. I thought she was in the wrong before the revelation because the people around her seemed to be embarrassed that she was involved. It probably won't make sense unless you've read the book because I can't say much without spoiling the whole thing. There were some relevant issues raised in the book but overall, for me, it was a bit of a flop.
My Rating: 1 Star
I didn't really enjoy the first book in this series so I wasn't going to bother to read the second book. However, there was a buy one get one half price offer on in Easons so I decided to give the second book a go. I was pleasantly surprised and I thought her writing style had improved and there was a bit of substance to the plot. I was really excited to read the third book as I was expecting her writing to further improve but I was left feeling drastically disappointed.
I thought the book was very juvenile and what I perceived from these novels, or at least from the first and third book, was that Zoe Sugg does not remember what it was like to be a teenager. That might've been how teenagers acted in the early '00s but it certainly isn't how teenagers act from 2010+, or at least that's now how myself and my peers acted anyway. I would recommend this book for 9-10-year-olds but considering the characters are 16 I don't think that's her target audience. There are so many other good light YA contemporary books that are easy to read like the ones I mentioned in this reading roundup or this reading roundup post as well as the one I've mentioned below. This book just wasn't for me, unfortunately!
I didn't really enjoy the first book in this series so I wasn't going to bother to read the second book. However, there was a buy one get one half price offer on in Easons so I decided to give the second book a go. I was pleasantly surprised and I thought her writing style had improved and there was a bit of substance to the plot. I was really excited to read the third book as I was expecting her writing to further improve but I was left feeling drastically disappointed.
I thought the book was very juvenile and what I perceived from these novels, or at least from the first and third book, was that Zoe Sugg does not remember what it was like to be a teenager. That might've been how teenagers acted in the early '00s but it certainly isn't how teenagers act from 2010+, or at least that's now how myself and my peers acted anyway. I would recommend this book for 9-10-year-olds but considering the characters are 16 I don't think that's her target audience. There are so many other good light YA contemporary books that are easy to read like the ones I mentioned in this reading roundup or this reading roundup post as well as the one I've mentioned below. This book just wasn't for me, unfortunately!
3) A Court Of Thorns & Roses & 4) A Court Of Mist & Fury by Sarah J Maas:
My Rating: 5 Stars
I don't even know where to begin with this series, it was overwhelmingly beautiful! Would you believe these are the only fantasy books I've ever read besides the Twilight series? And I couldn't have picked a better series to reintroduce myself to the genre! Both books were easy to read and filled with lots of exciting action so if you're looking to get into the fantasy genre then I'd highly recommend this series!
Parts of the second book were a little bit slow and I'm finding the same thing with the S J Maas book I'm currently reading, but when the action takes place it makes up for those slow parts because she manages to make those scenes enthralling and they will have your heart racing. This series is a beauty and the beast retelling so there's lots of romance elements as well as fantasy. There are two books in the series so far and I eagerly waiting for the third book to come out in May!
I don't even know where to begin with this series, it was overwhelmingly beautiful! Would you believe these are the only fantasy books I've ever read besides the Twilight series? And I couldn't have picked a better series to reintroduce myself to the genre! Both books were easy to read and filled with lots of exciting action so if you're looking to get into the fantasy genre then I'd highly recommend this series!
Parts of the second book were a little bit slow and I'm finding the same thing with the S J Maas book I'm currently reading, but when the action takes place it makes up for those slow parts because she manages to make those scenes enthralling and they will have your heart racing. This series is a beauty and the beast retelling so there's lots of romance elements as well as fantasy. There are two books in the series so far and I eagerly waiting for the third book to come out in May!
5) The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon:
My Rating: 3 Stars
This was a light and fluffy book that was easy to read. It's a typical boy meets girl and they fall in love in one day in NYC kinda story so there were a few cringe parts, but nonetheless, it was still a fun easy-to-read book! What differentiates this book from Zoe's is that the dialogue isn't juvenile and it represented real-life problems rather than just getting back together with "my rock-god boyfriend". It wasn't as good as Jennifer Niven's books but if you're on the lookout for a quick and easy read with a bit of substance then this is worth a read.
6) The Thousandth Floor by Katharine Mcgee:
My Rating: 3 Stars
The thousandth floor was quite unique to anything I've read before. Set in a futuristic NYC where the majority of the city is built inside a thousand-floor tower, we follow the lavish lives of the elite who live on the upper floors of the tower. It's essentially a futuristic Gossip Girl!
The story is told from a few of the characters' perspectives and I loved that because you're given a good insight into this alternate world. As a result of this, you get to experience different storylines within the main plot which made the book very diverse. There was also an element of suspense in it because the prologue at the beginning reveals that someone falls off the roof of the tower but we don't find out who it is until the end of the book.
I loved everything about this novel from the fascinating futuristic aspects to the characters {one reminded me of Chuck Bass - Yass!!} to the diversity of the book. However, there was one storyline that was very bizarre and it was the sole reason for my 3-star rating instead of 4. It was the storyline of an adopted brother and sister in love, and I just couldn't get on board with it. I believe that nobody should feel oppressed about who they love and everyone should feel free to love whoever they want. But loving someone that you were raised with is just unfathomable to me and I felt completely uncomfortable reading this storyline. Personally, I just found it a bit too strange but on a whole, the book is still worth a read! I'll definitely be reading the second book in the series because that ending..... Wow!
My Rating: 3 Stars
This was a light and fluffy book that was easy to read. It's a typical boy meets girl and they fall in love in one day in NYC kinda story so there were a few cringe parts, but nonetheless, it was still a fun easy-to-read book! What differentiates this book from Zoe's is that the dialogue isn't juvenile and it represented real-life problems rather than just getting back together with "my rock-god boyfriend". It wasn't as good as Jennifer Niven's books but if you're on the lookout for a quick and easy read with a bit of substance then this is worth a read.
6) The Thousandth Floor by Katharine Mcgee:
My Rating: 3 Stars
The thousandth floor was quite unique to anything I've read before. Set in a futuristic NYC where the majority of the city is built inside a thousand-floor tower, we follow the lavish lives of the elite who live on the upper floors of the tower. It's essentially a futuristic Gossip Girl!
The story is told from a few of the characters' perspectives and I loved that because you're given a good insight into this alternate world. As a result of this, you get to experience different storylines within the main plot which made the book very diverse. There was also an element of suspense in it because the prologue at the beginning reveals that someone falls off the roof of the tower but we don't find out who it is until the end of the book.
I loved everything about this novel from the fascinating futuristic aspects to the characters {one reminded me of Chuck Bass - Yass!!} to the diversity of the book. However, there was one storyline that was very bizarre and it was the sole reason for my 3-star rating instead of 4. It was the storyline of an adopted brother and sister in love, and I just couldn't get on board with it. I believe that nobody should feel oppressed about who they love and everyone should feel free to love whoever they want. But loving someone that you were raised with is just unfathomable to me and I felt completely uncomfortable reading this storyline. Personally, I just found it a bit too strange but on a whole, the book is still worth a read! I'll definitely be reading the second book in the series because that ending..... Wow!
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