Category: wrap up

Ah, February. The shortest month of the year. While there have definitely been plenty of ups and downs this month, I can only pray that the current downs in the world can only go up in March. I can only pray that love and peace will always win the day.

It sometimes feels a little trivial focusing on what I’ve read and such when there’re far greater things happening around me. I don’t know if you feel the same way. But I suppose we all need a little something to escape the darkness where we can. If stories can do that for you, I hope you find some solace in such a post like this.

What did I read this month?

It’s been a pretty decent read this month, and I’ve hit some of my goals towards reading different books including 2 graphics novels and 1 memoir.

Most surprising: The Maid surprised me on so many levels because it really wasn’t so much about the mystery after all (review here). It was about the protagonist’s journey and her unique voice/perspective that drove the story forward in the aftermath of a suspicious death at the grand hotel she works at. I absolutely adored the prose and felt like Molly was someone I wanted to see the world as. Reading the end was bittersweet because I didn’t want to let her go!

Hype is real: It’s hard when a book with so many expectations on it doesn’t meet those expectations which kind of ruins the whole experience. Fortunately, Only A Monster wasn’t like that at all, far surpassing what I thought the story would be (review here). Love triangles (one I actually liked) and a potentially vast world full of monsters within our own made for a very entertaining story I can’t wait to continue in the sequel.

Nonfiction shoutout: I came into Things I Should Have Said with minimal bias. I don’t really follow celebrity things like that and feel everyone deserves to give their story. Memoirs can be hit or miss for me, but I thought this was a great conversational story actress Jamie Lynn Spears divides into different parts of her life, focusing on family and faith. There really isn’t much about Britney in here besides the context of growing up with her in the same family. I’m happy I got to listen to this as an audiobook.

Most nostalgic: There’s nothing better than the Lunar Chronicles series reaching its 10th anniversary this year with its first book, Cinder. Perfect timing to read the graphic novels Wires and Nerve focusing on Cinder’s android bestie, Iko, with plenty of appearances from the rest of the gang. The world was great to enter into again, although it definitely needs to be read after the rest of the series.

Buddy reads: Thrillers is our thing here at DTRH and Elevator Pitch is no exception to this. Fives and I went on a fun journey with this story from renowned Canadian author (woot woot!) Linwood Barclay. Let’s just say I would hesitate when getting into an elevator after reading this. Full buddy review will come out next month!

Most Improved: I guess this is like the Participation ribbon in gym class? At least it’s something, right? The Crown of Gilded Bones (review here) was a vast improvement from its sequels and I suppose that’s why it’s rated better because there’s a comparison present. Is it the best piece of fantasy I’ve read? I can’t really say that, but will I continue to read the series? I’m sure some of you know by now I’m a glutton for punishment when it comes to these books.

Ratings:

5 Drink Me Potions

• The Maid by Nita Prose

4 Drink Me Potions

• Only A Monster by Vanessa Len
• Wires and Nerve (volume 1 and 2) by Marissa Meyer

3.5 Drink Me Potions

• The Crown of Gilded Bones by Jennifer L. Armentrout
• Things I Should Have Said by Jamie Lynn Spears
• Flirting with Forever by Kendall Ryan
• Elevator Pitch by Linwood Barclay

2.5 Drink Me Potions

• The Rumor Game by Dhonielle Clayton and Sona Charaipotra

Current reading list

• The Lost Dreamer by Lizz Huerta
• The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley
• The Making of Biblical Womanhood by Beth Allison Barr

TBR list

• Being Mary Bennet by JC Peterson
• The Iron Sword by Julie Kagawa
• House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas

And that wraps up February! Next month will be a long and busy one for me so we will see how reading goes. There are plenty of amazing reads coming out so stay tuned for our monthly anticipations post!

Stay safe everyone! And may we stand in love and solidarity with one another 🇺🇦

First wrap up of 2022! This month has felt really long for me. Getting sick (which sucks more than I remember since it’s been so long) and slow days at work (which is fine since I’m getting my full strength back) just make the days feel different, you know?

There were things to celebrate though so I have to be thankful for that. My birthday passed and it was quiet and lovely with my family. We are also celebrating Lunar New Year this weekend. A little less festive than non-pandemic years but I can only be grateful we’re all well.

With regards to reading, as part of my 2022 reading goals, I’ve been trying to diversify my reading a little bit more whether in genre or medium. So this is what I’ve been up to this month.

What did I read this month?

Most outstanding: I normally don’t love sad stories but there’s just something about You’ve Reached Sam (review here) that gripped me from the start to give it a try. I listened to this as an audiobook and that probably made the experience even better, although tears were just sporadically coming out while I was working.

ARC shoutout: These Deadly Games (review here) releasing SO soon on February 1st was thrilling with its edge-of-your-seat games that had the protagonist making the hardest decisions. I was so lucky to have gotten an ARC and I’m glad it didn’t disappoint.

New genre: I’m not much of a nonfiction reader but I said I wanted to try it out more. So I knew I had to start with the epic true crime compilation by the late Michelle McNamara, I’ll Be Gone in the Dark. While some don’t credit her enough for the capture of the Golden State Killer (a moniker she gave him), I think it wouldn’t have garnered the amount of attention into the investigation if it wasn’t for her. Full review on my thoughts coming out later this week!

Satisfactory expectations: While not all sequels or books from authors we love are what we expect them to be, You’ll Be the Death of Me (review here) and Aurora’s End definitely worked out for the better. I enjoyed them both in different ways. It may not have been LOVE but it was definitely a very strong like to have met the high bar I set for both.

Graphics!: I so rarely read graphic novels or mangas but I want to get back into it. I love good art, especially ‘cause I can’t draw at all, and appreciate those who do this for a living. Since I haven’t done a re-read in forever, Graceling the graphic novel was the perfect venture into this medium and it was beautiful. It captured the story even if it was rather fast-paced. What a wonderful way to revisit a story I loved.

Unrequited love trope: Is it bad that I really enjoy this trope? I love the angst of it, but I do hope it will end well eventually. Unbreak My Heart was a good one that filled the niche I was in the mood for while I was sick. Perfect comfort read – though I can’t say I absolutely love the guy after all he put our protagonist through.

Ratings

4.5 Drink Me Potions

• You’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Thao

4 Drink Me Potions

• These Deadly Games by Diana Urban
• Unbreak My Heart by Nicole Jacquelyn
• I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara
• Graceling (graphic novel) by Kristin Cashore & Gareth Hinds
• Aurora’s End by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

3.5 Drink Me Potions

• You’ll Be the Death of Me by Karen M. McManus

2 Drink Me Potions

• A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Current reading list

• The Crown of Gilded Bones by Jennifer L. Armentrout
  • didn’t I mention I’m a sucker of punishment?
• Only a Monster by Vanessa Len
  • Blessed ARC!
• The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik

TBR list

• The Maid by Nita Prose
• Wires and Nerves (graphic novel) by Marissa Meyer

That’s my January! I hope you had a good start to the new year (or at least better than I did).

How are you doing with your reading goals for the year so far? Have you read any of these books I listed above? I’d love to chat with you below!

I cannot believe we’re almost at the end of the year. Is it just me or did this year seem both really long and pretty short at the same time? Is that just me?

Either way, I hope November treated you all well. I feel like all I did was work, but I also got the chance to dye my hair and go to the orchestra reopening with a friend.

Reading wise, it’s been an okay month. I’m loving the audiobooks I’m getting into and it makes certain reading experiences so much more enjoyable! I’m happy I gave it a chance. In other news, my bookstagram reached a milestone and I hosted a giveaway there recently. If we’re not friends yet on that platform, I would love to make your acquaintance and follow you there as well!

What did I read this month?

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Most outstanding: These Violent Delights blew me away. This was a joint buddy read with Kaya @ A Fictional Bookworm and our reviews will be individually posted on our respective blogs tomorrow, so keep an eye out! I loved the history, the ingrained cultural aspects and the wonderful enemies to lovers romance. It has a little bit for everyone, and is deservedly a NYT bestseller.

ARC shoutout: A Psalm of Storms and Silence (review here) was an okay conclusion and follow-up to an outstanding first novel. I had higher hopes for it, but I am grateful I got to read it early.

Not my cup of tea: Last Chance Books and The Liars Beneath (review here) were both not what I expected or lacked crucial elements I wanted to see in the book. Might work for some people, but just not exactly for me.

New author alert: I really am enjoying Chelsea Bobulski’s All I Want for Christmas series and cannot wait to finish the rest of them in time for the holidays!

Anticipated sequels: I wanted to badly like While We Were Dating but something fell flat for me, particularly the characters. I missed the cute parts of a relationship and felt like it was only oozing sexual chemistry. Not that that’s a bad thing, but I just want a little something more, you know?

Ratings:

4 Potions

• These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

3.5 Potions

• All I Want for Christmas is the Girl Next Door by Chelsea Bobulski

2 Potions

• A Psalm of Storms and Silence by Roseanne A. Brown
• Last Chance Books by Kelsey Rodkey
• While We Were Dating by Jasmine Guillory

1.5 Potions

• The Liars Beneath by Heather Van Fleet

Current reading list

• All I Want for Christmas is the Girl in Charge by Chelsea Bobulski
• Not Here to Be Liked by Michelle Quach
  • currently adoring the Asian representation and the premise on feminism
• A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout
  • yes, I’m still on this one…

TBR list

• All I Want for Christmas is the Boy I Can’t Have by Chelsea Bobulski
• Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen
• The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
• Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz

That’s it for November! I can’t wait for Christmas and will definitely be sharing some Christmas-related things in December.