A LATE JUNE READING WRAP UP
It's July, which means we're officially into the second half of the year. Can you believe it?? And we've spent more of this year indoors because of the pandemic, and because I live in the U.S. I'll most likely spend the rest of the year in quarantine because PEOPLE. It's fine, I'm fine, everything's fine...
I've been buying and reading a lot during quarantine because what else am I supposed to do? I've created a bookstagram and twitter for bookish thoughts. although there's not much to see on either one. But I love following other people post and talk about books, even I haven't read them yet or never will. Books in general are just comforting.
"Kaz Brekker, a 17-year-old infamous thief known throughout the streets of Ketterdam as "Dirtyhands", is promised a very large sum of money to rescue Bo Yul-Bayur, a Shu scientist, from the Ice Court in Fjerda. Bo Yul-Bayur has discovered jurda parem, a lethally addictive drug that greatly enhances the powers of the Grisha, people with magical abilities. However, the Ice Court is the most highly protected place in all of Fjerda, and Kaz can't infiltrate it by himself; he needs a crew. He recruits a group of criminals and misfits who each bring a different skillset to the heistThe task isn't easy, so in order to win, they'll need to work together and put trust in each other."
I bought a box set of this duology over a year ago and I'm honestly surprised I've held off so long on reading them. But now I have, and it's not a moment but a movement. So many people are still hyped about this book and its sequel many years after their publication and honestly, it's well deserved.
The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue - Makenzie Lee 5/5
"Henry “Monty” Montague was born and bred to be a gentleman, but he was never one to be tamed. But as Monty embarks on his Grand Tour of Europe, his quest for a life filled with pleasure and vice is in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy. When one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt that spans across Europe, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores."
This, along with the Six of Crows duology, was a highly anticipated book and I had high hopes for it. And it didn't disappoint! I thought it would just be a cute friends-to-lovers story, which it is, but it also had social commentary on racism, sexism and homophobia. I found myself constantly smiling while reading this.
Crooked Kingdom - Leigh Bardugo 5/5
"Kaz Brekker and his crew of deadly outcasts have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn't think they'd survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they're right back to fighting for their lives. Double-crossed and badly weakened, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz's cunning and test the team's fragile loyalties."
This is the sequel to Six of Crows and it was even better than the first book. The characters in this duology are so good. I'm a fan of character driven books with really flushed out characters and this duology certainly gives me that. I basically read this in one day and then immediately looked for fanfiction because I couldn't let go.
Pride - Ibi Zoboi 5/5
"Zuri Benitez has pride. Brooklyn pride, family pride, and pride in her Afro-Latino roots. But pride might not be enough to save her rapidly gentrifying neighborhood from becoming unrecognizable. When the wealthy Darcy family moves in across the street, Zuri wants nothing to do with their two teenage sons, even as her older sister, Janae, starts to fall for the charming Ainsley. She especially can’t stand the judgmental and arrogant Darius. Yet as Zuri and Darius are forced to find common ground, their initial dislike shifts into an unexpected understanding. In a timely update of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, critically acclaimed author Ibi Zoboi skillfully balances cultural identity, class, and gentrification against the heady magic of first love in her vibrant reimagining of this beloved classic."
I love me a retelling, and I love everything that has to do with Pride and Prejudice. I loved that this wasn't just a copy and paste retelling. Zuri, our Eliza, is a writer so there were poems scattered throughout the book and I enjoyed reading them.
Wink Poppy Midnight - April Genevieve Tucholke 3.5/5
"Wink is the odd, mysterious neighbor girl, wild red hair and freckles. Poppy is the blond bully and the beautiful, manipulative high school queen bee. Midnight is the sweet, uncertain boy caught between them. Wink. Poppy. Midnight. Two girls. One boy. Three voices that burst onto the page in short, sharp, bewitching chapters, and spiral swiftly and inexorably toward something terrible or tricky or tremendous."
This book is hard to describe, and it's one where you should go into it not knowing anything. I certainly didn't know anything and honestly, after reading it, I didn't know what to think. I did like the writing, it made the story more interesting than I think it would have been if written differently.
Four Dead Queens - Astrid Scholte 2/5
"Seventeen-year-old Keralie Corrington may seem harmless, but in fact, she's one of Quadara's most skilled thieves and a liar. Varin, on the other hand, is an honest, upstanding citizen of Quadara's most enlightened region, Eonia. Varin runs afoul of Keralie when she steals a package from him, putting his life in danger. When Varin attempts to retrieve the package, he and Keralie find themselves entangled in a conspiracy that leaves all four of Quadara's queens dead. The two decide to join forces, endeavoring to discover who has killed the queens and save their own lives in the process. When their reluctant partnership blooms into a tenuous romance, they must overcome their own dark secrets in hopes of a future together that seemed impossible just days before. But first they have to stay alive and untangle the secrets behind the nation's four dead queens."
This one was a struggle to get through. The premise was interesting but in the end, it was just an okay read. Even though the characters were on the run, and had to figure out who killed the queens, I felt nothing towards them. There was no sense of urgency and the characters themselves weren't memorable. Reading this made me realize that I don't really like kingdom books. It reminded me of the Three Dark Crowns series, which I completed, but I was also just eh about. I vlogged during the week I read this, along with Stars Above.
Stars Above - Marissa Meyer
A collection of short stories set in the Lunar Chronicles universe. I love The Lunar Chronicles and I have such fond feelings towards those books. I was genuinely sad when I finished reading this book because its the last one in the world that I hadn't read yet and now I have no more to read.
The Ballad of the Songbirds and Snakes - Suzanne Collins 3/5
"In the Capital, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. But the odds are against him. He's been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined -- every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute... and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes."
This was another book I struggled with, and was ultimately disappointed by. I was so excited to read this and it just didn't do much for me. I was interested in the Games and once that part of the book was over, I found myself not really caring. I also don't really get the point of the romance? I feel like it could have been written as a platonic relationship and it'd be the same. I also vlogged while reading this.
Overall, June was a good reading month. It's mid-July now and I've read some pretty great books as well so I'm hoping this will continue on for the rest of the year.
iscelle robee
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