2015 Book Round-Up

Happy New Year, everyone! I didn't read as much as I would have liked in 2015, but I still found some wonderful books throughout the year. So, I decided to join in on the recap fun and post my own favorites of 2015, plus throw in my 2016 current to-read pile and anticipated reads. I'll link to my own reviews on the favorite list and goodreads links on the unread ones. Onward!

Nikki's 2015 Favorites

• I read Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi before I started this blog, so I never got a chance to review it here. I can tell you though that the Shatter Me series is one of my absolute favorites. Mafi's writing is poetic and beautiful and Juliette, the main heroine, is an incredibly inspiring young woman. It's a YA dystopian read that I would highly recommend!

• Cinder by Marissa Meyer is also one I read before the blog. I'm a sucker for fairy tale re-tellings, and I loved the imaginative, new world in this series. It's futuristic and compelling and there's lots of adventure. I haven't gotten a chance to read through the whole series, but I've heard only good things about the last book, Winter. I would also highly recommend it!

• My review for The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski is here. Kestrel is an amazing character that is the epitome of badass princess trope.

• My review for Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen is here. I'm more of a fantasy than contemporary reader, but I'm always first in line for Sarah Dessen novels.

• My review for The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh is here. I loved this novel, an Arabian Nights re-telling, and I absolutely can't wait for the sequel in 2016 because there are so many questions I need answered.

• My review for Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo is here. This novel was hilarious, intricate, complex which made for a very entertaining ride.

• My review for A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas is here. This novel was massive and packed with great writing, romance, and adventure.

Nikki's 2016 To-Read Stack

And this is just currently—it'll triple by the end of the year!

• Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier 

• Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

• All I Know: Wonderings and Reflections on Growing Up Gracefully by Carrie Hope Fletcher

• The Sin Eater's Daughter by Melinda Salisbury

• The Rose Society by Marie Lu

• Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman

• Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

• An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Nikki's 2016 Anticipated Reads

• Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

• A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir

• A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

• Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi

• The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh

• The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski

• Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

• Assassin's Heart by Sarah Ahiers

And that's a wrap! Look out tomorrow for a new review. I got an ARC of one of the above 2016 anticipated reads! Here's to 2016.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo | Spoiler free review

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone... 

A convict with a thirst for revenge. 

A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager. 

A runaway with a privileged past. 

A spy known as the Wraith.

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums. 

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes. 

Kaz's crew are the only ones who might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first.

Rating: 4.5/5
Genres: YA, Fantasy, Adventure, Romance

I have a love-hate thing going on with novels and why-didn't-I-see-that-coming twists. Like Harry Potter being a horcrux? And having to "die" in order to destroy it? I don't think I'll ever get over those two especially. And I'm adding more to that list because Six of Crows was so clever it made me feel inadequate. But then again Kaz, the mastermind main character, just has a way of inspiring that in people.

But seriously, this book is a delicious, layered cake of twists and turns and complicated yet organic relationships that make it so fun to read. It's easy to lose yourself in the smooth pacing and suspenseful moments that lure you in for more. The world-building is pretty solid as well, but I've heard that Bardugo had a whole other series to practice on beforehand. The Grisha Trilogy, from what I've gathered off of other bloggers, is set in the same or similar world. Either way, it's done well in Six of Crows.

And I can't believe I'm saying this, but I really enjoyed the multiple points of view. Each character has such a distinct voice and unique story that I was somewhat grateful we got a glimpse into all of their heads. It really allowed a personal connection to grow between book and reader. The best way I can explain this is that it almost felt like there were no minor characters. Which, in many cases could go horribly wrong, but in this case it just worked. It's like when your favorite supporting character upgrades to a series regular and you go with it because you're just so excited you'll be able to see their face more. You get me? It was just nice to read, okay.

My only complaint is that I really think this book could be a standalone—at least it had the feel of one. The epic quest plot came pretty much full-circle, with just a few loose ends that alluded to sequels, and I think it could have been great even if those lingering questions were taken out. To put it simply, the ending felt kind of forced, but I can still see all the connecting dots that led to it.

So, I'll leave you guys with this: if someone demanded a one word definition for Six of Crows, I would pick "thrilling." If anything, Bardugo knows how to capture her readers with memorable characters. And maybe, in retrospect, using that word is a bit worrying since most of the characters are young, gang members who have killed lots of people, but I'll take what I can get. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a captivating adventure tale with terrific characters and who is comfortable with a good amount of violence.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black | Spoiler free review

Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown's gates, you can never leave. 

One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.

Rating: 3/5
Genres: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance

There were enough unanswered questions and wishes for more information that while I enjoyed this novel, I still wanted more. The plot Black had in mind fit very well for a stand-alone, but there was potential for more—especially because of how little the characters developed but how intense some relationships between them became. Which isn't to say that development needs to happen for relationships to work, but people naturally change, learn more about themselves and others, and that's how relationships become stronger. So it was all a bit jarring and a whole lot of skeptical.

The pacing and scene cuts first of all were awkward—I felt like there were more background and flashback scenes than there were present ones. It could be an exaggeration since I didn't actually count the number of present and past scenes, but it's still an issue if it felt like it dragged that much. The traveling that happened felt more like aimless wandering even though there was a destination in mind. And strangely enough, even with all that, it still seemed too rushed. Things would slow down, then pick back up going twice as fast in present scenes. It's all a bit hard to explain, but expect some pacing issues if you read it.

The best thing about this novel is the vampiric world Black made up. The biting and turning process is different than the usual ones we see in novels, and the small pieces of the vampire world discussed also make it unique. The influence it had on the present human world was intriguing and creative as well; Coldtowns are an interesting concept, and I'm still not completely sure how I feel about them. But it seemed like it was a cool setting to play with since it was fun (but a bit horrifying) to read.

Lastly, I wanted to talk about Tana. She was a well-flushed out character, and we were given lots of scenes to understand how her personality came to be, but there wasn't much change that happened past that. So I wish we could have seen more of how Tana changed after all that happened, especially after the last chapter, but I still appreciated her character. She's loyal to her family and friends, tries to be tough on the outside but is scared at heart, and that's something I've always found appealing in a character. It really shows the perseverance of a person, and I'm always interested in how an author spins that character trait in their own way.

Overall, the creativity and the Black-style of flowing and magical writing helps the novel tremendously, but there were a lot of other aspects that were lacking. I would recommend this to anyone who wants a new take on the vampire genre.

Senior Year Update

Long time no see! Sorry for the complete lack of updates or reviews. I'm going to try and change that, but honestly going from summer time to school time is a big adjustment—especially since it's my senior year. I'll try to use my weekends for reading and reviewing, but overall things will just be a lot slower. Oh, the curse of education—I can't do the things I love because I'm trying to earn a degree that will hopefully allow me to earn money doing the things I love. It's a little twisted, but that's life. I'll be posting one review this weekend thanks to Labor Day break, and then things will take off a little from there. Hope you all have a relaxing holiday! Or if you're not in the US, then I hope you still have some time to relax.

Nikki

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh | Spoiler free review

Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi's wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch...she's falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend. 

She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all.

Rating: 4.5/5
Genres: YA, Fantasy, Romance, Historical Fiction

First of all, I have to appreciate and gush about the diversity in this novel. While I love fairy tale retelling/inspired stories, I recognize that the most popular ones are from Western Europe, the capital of historical colonization. Their stories are great and all, but that's partly because we're so used to them due to Europe prioritizing their culture over others. There are so many beautiful, creative fairy tales/folk tales around the world, and they deserve just as much attention. So, The Wrath and the Dawn is heavily inspired by One Thousand and One Nights (or what we more commonly know it as: Arabian Nights) in a way that is new-ish to the YA community, and it's amazing.

Going a little deeper, the writing is phenomenal. When you have a storyteller for a narrator, it's pretty obvious that the language needs to be smooth, poetic, but not too over the top. It's a tricky balance, but Shazi's voice was exactly how it should be, with a little more sass added in for character purposes. Actually, when I really think about it, several characters had some sassy element to their personality; the only difference was whether it was based on confidence, cleverness, or arrogance. And you can definitely tell the difference, which showed how strongly developed and unique Ahdieh's characters were. (Also sarcastic, take-no-shit characters are my weakness which made this novel heaven on earth, really.)

Something else I really appreciated in the book was that while there were a couple different points of view, they were always minor but necessary. Shazi still had full reign of the narration, but sometimes there were some outside scenes that needed to be done since there was so much happening both in and outside of the palace. I kind of thought of it like The Hunger Games movies; although the novel was told from Katniss' view, which meant the movie should focus solely on her, I really enjoyed the small, independent scenes they included with President Snow. It gave us a little more perspective into The Capital outside of Katniss' view, which made it personal to the viewer, and it was always to benefit the plot and theme. It all shows how when an author/producer has a complete understanding of the novel, they are always aware of how a scene becomes useful whether it's for plot, character development, or theme.

And while a lot happened plot-wise, there was so much more set up for the next book (which is killing me because I need to know what happens). To be honest, I'm a bit unsure as to how it will all be able to fit into a duology (or a two-book series). There's a lot of layers happening and a lot of people making plans, so I'm very interested in how it will all play out in the sequel. I trust the author, however, so I'll be eagerly awaiting what's next for Shazi and the gang.

Overall, The Wrath and the Dawn was beautifully written, culturally refreshing, and incredibly captivating—there was always some foreshadowing, adventure, suspense, or romance happening, but it was never over-stimulating. If you pick up this book don't expect to put it down for awhile.

Photo Challenge Update

Thanks to a vacation with barely any wifi, I got way off track for the challenge, so I've decided to scrap it for this month. I did manage to read 3 books on vacation, however, so I should have some more reviews posted soon!

Nikki

July Book Photo Challenge | Set One

I couldn't decide between these three books—their titles are all so unique. I just reviewed A Court of Thorns and Roses, but I have not read the other two. I've heard good things about The Wrath and the Dawn and The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, but I'm saving them for a vacation this month.

The humor in Anna and the French Kiss is so natural and witty thanks to her vibrant characters, and I will always love it for that. This book feels like when you meet someone who clicks with you right away.

My True Love Gave to Me is the perfect thing to get you into the holiday mood, or just make you happy when you need it. Christmas in July anyone?

Decided to do all three for some 4th of July spirit. I would recommend all of these books except for The Queen of the Tearling and Seriously...I'm Kidding since I have not read those two yet. But, once again, I have heard good things about them. The Bone Season and Unravel Me are excellent fantasy/paranormal YA fiction, while Dessen writes YA contemporary. My first review on this blog was of Saint Anything.

This is actually a graphic novel, but it's so amazing I had to include it. I'm not normally one for horror stories since they don't appeal to me in a storytelling way, but I love the short stories in Through the Woods. "A Lady's Hands are Cold" was my favorite one.

(You can find the challenge here.)