April Wrap-Up!

Hello everyone! Welcome to another month. 2016 seems to be flying by so fast. I can't believe we're almost halfway through the year already.

April was a less impressive reading month for me. I only finished three and a half books. Life has been a bit hectic this month, so unfortunately my reading has taken the back burner for the moment. I'm trying very hard not to slip into a reading slump, but it's calling to me, I can feel it. Have no fear, I will triumph over this impending slump and I will trudge on. What's different about this slump is that I want to read, and I'm really enjoying the book I'm currently reading. The problem is that when I have the time to read, (which is not frequent) I suddenly find a million other things that catch my immediate interest. Though, when I do decide to pick up my book, I don't want to put it down. It really becomes a problem when I should be doing other things, like sleeping, or getting ready for work.

I plan on making May my review month. I finally got a new laptop so I will be catching up on all those reviews that I've been saying I'm going to post. I will do it! So, all of these books will be added to that list.

This month I read:

You by Caroline Kepnes - This book was really good. It was so unique. It's told in the second person (so it's 'You' rather than 'I' or 'They'). Second person is not a common form, it's pretty tricky and can sometimes be awkward unless done really well. Caroline Kepnes did it very well. The story is narrated by a stalker, so it's really unique in that it puts you in the head of a sociopath, while at the same time making you almost feel like the victim. It's just a very uncommon style that is very refreshing in a crime novel. It was a frustrating read, but in the best way possible. We all know how I enjoy my frustrating reads!

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge - Oh, this book. Yeah. It was okay. It is a Beauty and the Beast retelling, and Beauty and the Beast is one of my all time favorite tales. I had such high expectations for this book, which is my fault. I shouldn't have set the bar so high for it. The writing was good, the story was not. It fell very short, and was very confusing.

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken - I loved, loved, LOVED this book. It is so far my favorite read of 2016. It's the first in a trilogy about a disease that wipes out most of the population's children. The children who survive develop these abilities. They are considered 'freaks' and 'dangerous' and are hunted and locked up in these "camps" (read prisons). It is so good. I love it. I think I'm going to wait until I finish the whole trilogy before I write a review, but we'll see!

I'm currently reading Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken. Never Fade is the second book in the Darkest Minds trilogy. It is just as good as the first one. I have so many emotions about this series, you guys. I'm talking about ALL of the emotions. They're children, you guys. They are all babies, and they need to be protected at all costs.

I will also be starting A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin. I've read the first two books, ages ago, but will be restarting from book one, A Game of Thrones. I got an absolutely gorgeous faux-leather box set from my boyfriend for Christmas, so I'm pretty excited to read them. Yes, I realize Christmas was like 6 months ago, but they are so beautiful that I wasn't sure if I even wanted to touch them. However, I've decided that books are meant to be read, not collect dust.  Anyway, reviews coming soon! Until next time, happy reading!



TOTALS FOR APRIL - # Of Books = 3 (and a half) ; # Of Pages = 1558
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CURRENTLY READING: Never Fade (Book 2 of the Darkest Minds Trilogy) by Alexandra Bracken (page 340/507)
CURRENT PAGE TOTAL (for the month): 60 of 2,016 (280 pages were read in April)
CURRENT PAGE TOTAL (for the year): 9,283 of 24,192
TOTAL # OF BOOKS READ THIS YEAR: 18 of 52