So, I was pretty good with reading this month, but then slacked on actually posting my reviews… It was also unfortunate that 4 of the books I read this month, I didn’t like, so I couldn’t review them anyway. The end of the month got a bit hectic with the End-of-School rush beginning for not just BOTH of my jobs, but also my own graduate school workload. As such, I took a bit of a hiatus for the sake of my mental health! Consequently, half of May will also look similar, as this rush will not end until the middle of May… Here’s to little sleep and lots of stress!
So here are the stats for this month:
- Review Posts: 3 out of 9
- Other Posts: 3
- Books Read: 11 out of 16 (including 2 DNF and 2 I finished, but disliked)
- Bookstagram: 1
- Goodreads Challenge Progress: 7 new (32/100 total)
- A to Z Reading Challenge Progress: 1 new (14/26 total)
- Popsugar Challenge Progress: 4 new (21/50 total)
Books Read:
I do not include books that I DNF or couldn’t rate 3+ stars
Barriers by Patrick A. Skelton
5 Stars. This is the first book in the Solar Flare Trilogy, a dystopian/post-apocalyptic Sci-Fi series. The sun was wounded, and as such, it is sending devastating solar flares to the Earth, scorching all not under the Barrier system. Unfortunately, the Barriers are controlled by the government and Big Money, and they have their own agenda… Can Nathan save his son Ian before the next flare hits?
Legion of Mono by C.D. Tavenor
5 Stars. SUCH A GREAT SHORT STORY! In this extremely short fantasy story, Mono, a military commanding officer must lead the last of his forces against the overwhelming enemy intent on destroying their home. Quick and action-packed, I read this story in less than an hour, and I HIGHLY recommend it to any war/fantasy fans out there!
Sugar: A Novel by Kimberly Stuart
5 Stars. With a strong characters and a natural-feeling romance, this was a great book. A pastry chef, Charlie, moves to Seattle to work as the head pastry chef in an exclusive restaurant that her ex owns (and begged her to join). Little does she know that she will also be the co-star of a reality cooking show. Can she maintain worklife, showlife, and her budding romance with the local diner cook before it all crumbles in her hands?
The Childless Ones by Cam Rhys Lay
5 Stars. This was a really interesting novel, interweaving an urban fiction reality with a complex fantasy story written by the reality’s main character. Jack, the author in the novel, attempts to cope with his insecurities–including his difficulty having children–through his writing. Review coming soon!
V World by Nick Berry
4 Stars. In this futuristic sci-fi, humans have forsaken the Real-world (r-world) for their “perfect” virtual worlds, leaving their bodies behind. But something is amiss when Alex’s v-world begins to kill off its inhabitants. Can she work with the machines to get her world back before it is completely destroyed?
The Wicked King by Holly Black
5 Stars. The sequel to The Cruel Prince (review here), I actually enjoyed this book more than the first. I felt like the characters were much more developed and consistent, the plot structure was cohesive and unpredictable, and I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IN THE THIRD BOOK! Review coming soon!
Rift by Andrea Cremer
4.5 Stars. I chose to read this book due to my OWLs, and it was one of the only audiobooks currently available at my library that started with the letter “R” (for my Defense Against the Dark Arts exam). But it turned out to be really exciting! A bit of romance, a dollop of intrigue, and a LOT of war, I found this Scottish novel to be a great read. It is one of 2 prequels to Andrea Cremer’s Nightshade series, and I will definitely be continuing!
Bookstagram:
Only 1 bookstagram this time! Unfortunately, 2 of the books that I disliked/DNFed were physical copies, which would have made great bookstagrams… But, I also have physical copies of Khargaroth: A Tale of the Great Onion Knighthood by Mark B. Frost and Andrew Bunny, The Fire He Started by Sarah Connor, Lingering by Melissa Simonson, The Unknown Hero by Isaac Phillips, AND The Story of Evil by Tony Johnson! So, you guys can be on the excited lookout for a bookstagram of ALL of those too, soon! Looks like May is going to be a beautiful month!
Books to Read in May:
Unfortunately, I still have not caught up to my monthly schedule… So, once again, I have a large list… Eventually, I will catch up and have only 10 books max each month! My optimism is dwindling slowly, though… Positive vibes are appreciated! 🙂
- Finish Khargaroth: A Tale of the Great Onion Knighthood by Mark B. Frost and Andrew Bunny
- Finish The Fire He Started by Sarah Connor
- Finish Insynnium by Tim Cole
- Lingering by Melissa Simonson
- The Unknown Hero by Isaac Phillips
- Heroes of the Siege by Tony Johnson
- Crossline by Russ Colchamiro
- Sleepwater Beat by Kathrin Hutson
- Orphan’s Price by NAK Baldron
- The Duchess of the Shallows by Neil McGarry and Daniel Ravipinto
- He Wrote in Red by Mary Stein Myers
- Adventures in Amarant by J.D. Bowens
- Wrathborne by K.R. Doroc
- The Coordinate by Marc Jacobs
- The Blade Witch by Nygel Oglesby
Other Posts:
All of my other posts dealt with the OWL Magical Reading Challenge that occurred this month! If you are unfamiliar with what that is, here is my original post.
I also included updates along the way of which exams I completed: Update 1 and Update 2
And finally, here is my OWL Magical Readathon Wrap-Up, where I discuss which exams I completed and what books I used!
The Book Dragon 
I enjoyed Sugar as well!
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Oh yay! What did you like specifically about it?
And do you have any other romance recommendations? I’m easing myself into the genre 😁
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