It's a Season for Reading! - Mini Reviews

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It's a Season for Reading!

Here's a list of books that I've read since August 2017...

and yes.. I am a 24 year old that still reads books that are made for teenagers. There is no shame... Or is there??

 

If you don't know that I enjoy reading, do you even really know me? Since I've had more free time lately to dedicate to some recreational reading, I've had a lot of fun enjoying some easy to read/romantic/young adult novels. I know that this genre is not everyone's cup of tea, so I do apologize for a reading list that isn't incredibly mature. I will be mentioning quite a few books, so I won't be going into crazy detail with each one, but I will give a brief synopsis of the book and/or my opinion of it. Despite this list, I want you all to know that I do enjoy books other than YA fantasy/fiction... but who doesn't like some cute love stories and adventures!? I'm a sucker for it! Don't judge me.

                          Books I've Finished   

The Lie Tree- Frances Hardinge  

• I actually wrote an entire blog post on this book. If you want to check it out, here is a direct link  http://keepingitwilson.blogspot.com/2017/11/what-would-you-lie-for-review.html

 What Light- Jay Asher  

• This book is actually written by the same author who wrote 13 Reasons Why. I haven't read that book, but I did watch the Netflix series. I'm almost surprised because What Light was such a fun/quick/quirky romantic young adult novel, and it is hard to compare it to 13 reasons why. Overall I really enjoyed this book. It followed a girl named Sierra who's family owns a Christmas tree farm. Each winter they travel from Oregon to California to sell their trees. The first problem though is that their farm isn't doing very well, so her life is suddenly turning around. Despite the business of the season, she somehow finds some romance, but it isn't necessarily with whom everyone would probably want her to be with (UH OH!!). I won't say more, so I don't ruin it! 

The Silver Witch- Paula Brackston 

• I really loved this book, and I really want to check out another book from this author. This novel is a stand alone, but looking at the other novels from Paula Brackston, she tends to write a lot about witches. The book mostly follows Tilda Fordwells who after losing her husband decides to move to a welsh cottage in the middle of nowhere. After a while, she realizes that she is affecting the electricity around her and she is having visions (YIKES!). The book also follows Seren who is a witch/Shaman in a totally different time period. Despite the time period difference, they are both located in the same area of Wales. The book follows Seren's and Tilda's perspectives as well as the connections they have to each other. Paula Brackston's writing is easy to read, and it is beautiful. The way she writes is very descriptive and she makes it really easy to picture the world that she is creating. Plus, who doesn't like a little bit of fantasy in their life?

   The Selection- Kiera Cass 

• So the books listed below in this section other than Siren are all part of the Selection series. If you are a hopeless romantic like me, you will love this series. Kiera Cass created a believable post-apocalyptic world that is easy to understand. She also does a great job at creating really great characters that are easy to relate to. Her books are ones you can read in one day if you want, and they have enough drama and young romance (nothing too steamy) to keep your little romantic heart happy.  This series follows a girl named America (not the most creative of names) who is a normal teenager until the selection occurs. Pretty much prince Maxon needs a wife, and its like the bachelor situation but not so gross. In the world that Kiera created, citizens live within a 8 caste system which determines your title, job, money, and who you can marry. America's family are fives and they are musicians/artists. The book starts with America having a romantic relationship with a six which is a super big no no.  As they are about to save for marriage, the selection begins. The selection in more detail is where the prince chooses a wife within a controlled group of 35 girls who are all from different castes. To me it all sounds like a hot mess... of estrogen. Despite the story line that you've probably hear of in many other novels, I still don't think this is a series you want to miss out on.

The Elite- Kiera Cass   

• (LOOK @ Selection) 

 The One- Kiera Cass  

• This is the last book that is following America's perspective specifically! :(  

The Heir- Kiera Cass 

• The Heir and The Crown are still in the selection series, but they actually follow a different character within a similar situation. I felt jipped at first when I checked these books out because I loved America's character. Despite my initial feelings, I decided that these books are still really cute, and there's a nice little turn of events at the end. I would tell you more about the last two books, but it would seriously ruin the whole series.  Let's just say it involves a girl coming of age who has to make a decision? Pretty sure that describes quite a few of the books out there, but you get the point.  

 The Crown- Kiera Cass  

• (Look @ description for The Heir.)  

The Siren - Kiera Cass 

• The siren is a stand alone novel done by the same author who wrote the Selection series. The main character is Kahlen who is a siren (under contract). This book involves more fantasy than Kiera's other novels, but it fits really well in this story. The plot is really unique and it is one that you don't see often. It has a hint of love, fear, death, shipwrecks, and a talking ocean. I had put together a list of questions to ask with this book because I was going to do a book review on this novel alone, but then I decided I had too many books to talk about. Check it out! It is seriously so cute and it tugs at your heart strings a little bit. This is also an easy book to read in a day.

Currently Reading  
 Have I given you too many books already? Whether you said yes or no... here are some more!! 

When Dimple met Rishi- Sandhya Menon 

• I'm about done with this one! Dimple is attending a summer college program and is surprised when a stranger tells her that she is his future wife... awkward. Let me tell you, she wasn't very happy about that statement at all....... or was she happy about it? Let's just say she would rather be working on her career, but there is definitely some chemistry between these two. It is also a really cute read! I'm excited to see how it ends and how Dimple and Rishi's relationship changes. This is another YA novel that just makes you smile with their crushes, tacky jokes, and funny perspectives on romance. 

 Book of Mormon 

• It's a classic, you should check it out! It's the Word of God!   

Warcross- Marie Lu  

• I haven't actually started this book yet because I just barely checked it out from the library, but I have heard from multiple people that this is a great book. Quick synopsis: Its about a bounty hunter/hacker who is tracking down Warcross players. In doing so, she is sucked into the game as a player/spy. Let's just say she gets into some trouble, and it looks like its going to have some secrets lying within!   

Spare and Found Parts-  Sarah Maria Griffin  

• I'm honestly not very far into this book at all, but it is a really cool concept. Here is a little snippet: Nell is a normal girl... except for the fact that she has a mechanical heart. In a world that is trying to be rebuilt she is living in the shadow of her father who created the bio-mechanical limbs. In the last bit that I read, her grandma gave her an ultimatum for her to create something of herself as well. It has started out slow so far, but I'm going to keep reading for a little bit and see how it turns out.

 

 

STOPPED READING

The Sun is also a Star- Nicola Yoon 

• I don't want to bash on a book that I know a lot of people like, but the way the book was written was really confusing. I got about 40 some pages into it and decided that it wasn't one   that I wanted to continue reading. What I did read was alright, but wasn't a story line that I wanted to continue. It was a book that followed multiple characters, allowing them all to have  their own chapters. With how far I got, I'm not sure if the character's  individual paths ever cross.

 You are a Bada**-  Jen Sincero 

• I had heard such great things about this self-help book, but honestly it wasn't my cup of tea. I am not always a fan of self help books though, and sometimes they take me a lot longer to read. I just felt like the writer was trying too hard, and I wasn't connecting with her and the way she was writing. Despite my review of it though, I know a lot of people love this book and have found a lot of self-help from it. I also didn't like the language, but I should have guessed that would be a part of it from the title. (My bad).

Are you all tired of my extremely long posts?! Sometimes I draw a blank on what I want to talk about, and other times I have way too many thoughts! Let's be honest though... I'm always passionate about reading some good books! Let me know what books you are currently reading, and what books you have read this season so far! Have you read any of the books on this list? Also, let me know if you have any recommendations! Heck, I might even mention them in my blog. Thanks!!

~Anna Wilson

P.s. I'm sorry that this post is coming out later in the week. I was about to post it and my whole formatting went wacky and I had to pretty much start from scratch! I did fix it though, and now it is here for y'all ! Hope you like it!!