June 2015 To-Be-Read List!

Goodbye reading slump and hello summer full of reading! Now that I'm back in the swing of things and it's warmer outside, I've been doing a lot more reading lately, and I can't wait to do even more! I'm book hungry! So here's the list of book I'm hankering for this month! (All links lead to the books' respective Goodreads pages)

The One - by Kiera Cass
I'm terrible at finishing series that I don't want to end, but since the next book in the series, The Heir (which is sort of a spinoff?), just came out, I feel like I just need to bite the bullet and plow through the series. And so far, I've really loved it and can't wait to read more and find out what happens next to America Singer.

Throne of Glass - by Sarah J. Maas
It is about time that I just on the Throne of Glass bandwagon.  I've heard nothing but good things about this high fantasy young adult series and I don't know why it's taken me this long to start reading it, but it's gonna happen! I feel like I'm really going to love this series so I'm excited to delve into this world.

Shadow Kiss - by Richelle Mead
Oh Vampire Academy, how I love your cheesiness and teen angst. It's been almost a year since I finished Frostbite, the second book in the series and I want to read the third installment before I completely forget what happened beforehand. Also, this happens to be my sister's favorite book series and after a lot of begging to finish the series soon, I'm caving. That doesn't mean it's not good, it's just that, as mentioned earlier, I'm terrible at finishing series. It's my fatal reading flaw, I think. Anyways, this is a great, fast-paced series that's perfect to satiate my reading appetite this summer.

Under the Never Sky - by Veronica Rossi
If I magically finish all of the other books in my TBR (I'm a slow reader, guys. It's my second fatal reading flaw, what can I say), then I'm gonna try to read this dystopian young adult book to round out my June reading. This is another series that I've seen a lot of other readers and bloggers alike fall in love with, so I thought I'd give it a go, too. It doesn't look like it'll be too hard of a read since I've heard you kind of fly through it and it's less than 400 pages, so I can't wait to jump into it this month or next month.

I know it's not a terribly long list, but I didn't want to set too big of a reading goal in case I get busy this month or something along those lines. Anyways, those are the books I hope to read in June! Feel free to leave a comment down below on what books you're planning to read this month!

The Witches of Glass Castle

Title: The Witches of Glass Castle
Author: Gabriella Lepore
Series: The Witches of the Glass Castle (#1)
Pages: 242 pages (paperback)
Published: September 2011 by Book Guild Publishing

Summary: Mia’s life is thrown through a loop when she discovers her family secret — that she and her brother Dino are witches. After they are sent away to study their craft, they begin down a path that will change their lives forever.

Suddenly thrust into a world where handsome warriors command the power of nature and people’s thoughts and actions can be manipulated at will, Mia and Dino struggle to navigate their own allegiances and do what they know to be right when everything around them seems beyond their control.

My Thoughts: This book starts off at a run, that's for sure. That didn't take away from the book itself, though. I actually found the beginning to be cinematic in detail, and I wish it had been like that all the way throughout the book, but it got kind of choppy after that.

One thing that really annoyed me was that the Hunter vs. Arcana relationship wasn't explained in full detail. I wanted a background story on their histories and why the Hunters detested the Arcana so much. Also, what is the purpose of the Arcana and Hunters? Is one to forever be the predator? Do the Hunters actively seek out Arcana to kill when not residing in the Glass Castle? Much confusion. No explanation. Headaches abound.

The characters were highly entertaining, though. Mia, Cold, and Dino's mood swings gave me a bit of whiplash, but I didn't mind it too much. Them along with Kizzy and Blue were probably what made me enjoy this book as much as I did. Their dialogues were believable and the banter oh goodness I absolutely loved the banter. I found myself laughing out loud even when the characters seemed to be in danger because the book wouldn't go too far along without there being something lighthearted about.

And I think that's why I gave it three instead of two stars. It wasn't really attention grabbing and the world wasn't fully fleshed out whatsoever, but the book didn't take itself too seriously and I can appreciate that. It was a goofy, fun, quick read.

The Witches of the Glass Castle had it's ups and downs and I'm glad that I finally got around to reading it especially after I saw it recommended on one my favorite booktubers', Benjaminoftomes', Youtube channel. However, in the end I don't really think I'll be rereading this one and as of right now I don't think I'll continue on with the series, either.
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Burned

Title: Burned
Author: Ellen Hopkins
Series: Burned duology (#1)
Pages: 532 (paperback)
Published: April 2006 by Margaret K. Elderry Books

Summary:
It all started with a dream. Nothing exceptional, just a typical fantasy about a boy, the kind of dream that most teen girls experience. But Pattyn Von Stratten is not like most teen girls. Raised in a religious -- yet abusive -- family, a simple dream may not be exactly a sin, but it could be the first step toward hell and eternal damnation.

This dream is a first step for Pattyn. But is it to hell or to a better life? For the first time Pattyn starts asking questions. Questions seemingly without answers -- about God, a woman's role, sex, love -- mostly love. What is it? Where is it? Will she ever experience it? Is she deserving of it?

It's with a real boy that Pattyn gets into real trouble. After Pattyn's father catches her in a compromising position, events spiral out of control until Pattyn ends up suspended from school and sent to live with an aunt she doesn't know.

Pattyn is supposed to find salvation and redemption during her exile to the wilds of rural Nevada. Yet what she finds instead is love and acceptance. And for the first time she feels worthy of both -- until she realizes her old demons will not let her go. Pattyn begins down a path that will lead her to a hell -- a hell that may not be the one she learned about in sacrament meetings, but it is hell all the same.

My Thoughts: I was completely sucked into this book from beginning to end. Oh lawdy, within the 3 or 4 months that this book takes place, Pattyn goes through one heck of a roller coaster. I mean there's abuse, being shipped off to the dessert, cougars, guns, first loves, and cattle ranching. What else do you need, am I right?

A lot goes down in this book, especially in the last hundred or so pages. I read most of it within a couple of days because I simply couldn't put it down. Ellen Hopkins has this magical way of writing that is so lyrical and beautiful that you don't feel like you're reading a lot but you feel like you're just kind of flying through the scenes. Whenever I feel a reading slump coming on or I want something I can get engrossed in, I often find myself reading one of her books.

And this one was a doozy, let me tell ya. I really enjoyed not only the fast-paced nature of the book, but also the setting and the characters. I don't think I've ever read anything that was based in Nevada, but wow it sounds gorgeous. Pattyn loves the rural area where she's sent to live with her aunt, and you end up loving it, too. I also enjoyed reading from Pattyn's perspective. She wasn't passive in her narration and you grow so close to her that when something bad happens, it makes it raw and so much harder to read about.

My biggest set back with this book, though, was the dialogue. It seemed a little forced, like it was added as an afterthought in some places. But when it was there to move the plot along, it felt right. As much as I enjoyed this book, the dialogue did take me out of the story a little when it became jumpy thus making the story a bit choppy, too. Not only that, but some characters seemed to just blend into the background never to be seen again after they've served their purpose (I'm lookin' at you Justin and Derek).

But like I said, this was a very enjoyable read and I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking to try out one of Ellen Hopkins books or just wants an emotional roller coaster of a read. I'm absolutely looking forward to reading the next installment of this duology, Smoke, because now I'm invested and I need to know what happens next!
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Austenland

Title: Austenland
Author: Shannon Hale
Series: Austenland (#1)
Pages: 196 (paperback)
Published: May 2007 by Bloomsbury USA

Summary: Jane Hayes is a seemingly normal young New Yorker, but she has a secret. Her obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, is ruining her love life: no real man can compare. But when a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-crazed women, Jane's fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become realer than she ever could have imagined.

Decked out in empire-waist gowns, Jane struggles to master Regency etiquette and flirts with gardeners and gentlemen;or maybe even, she suspects, with the actors who are playing them. It's all a game, Jane knows. And yet the longer she stays, the more her insecurities seem to fall away, and the more she wonders: Is she about to kick the Austen obsession for good, or could all her dreams actually culminate in a Mr. Darcy of her own?

My Thoughts: A short but sweet, easy read that's perfect for the beach. I was dying to read this book after I saw the cute and hilarious movie adaptation of it (which I absolutely fell in love with) so when I saw that it was only $1.49 on BookOutlet.com I had to snatch it up!
 
Now here's the thing, usually when I've seen the movie version and then read the book, I'll have slightly higher expectations than if I just read the book then see the movie (because the book is almost always better than the movie. Almost). However, since I loved the movie Austenland so much, I thought "this book must be an absolute delight!"
 
Well, it was pretty good, but it did not reach "absolute delight" status. Even though it's a relatively short novel (only 196 pages) I still found that it dragged at some parts, like when the ladies would sit and play whist or when Jane would be wondering why she was even at Austenland in the first place, I would find myself skimming a little. And then there were parts that felt like they were too choppy, like when at the beginning of each chapter it would describe her exes and how they broke up or whenever there was a segue between scenes.

This did not detract from the reading experience too much, though. I did enjoy it a lot for what it was. As a novel, it didn't take itself too seriously and was very cute, short, sweet, and to the point. The characters were as well fleshed out as they could be for a book under 200 pages long although I wish there were a few more character descriptions sprinkled in there, and Jane grows immensely from beginning to end. She goes from swearing off men entirely to letting her life, including the romantic aspects, run its course, taking her wherever it may.
 
I mean at first she completely questions the Austenland experience but when you reach a little over halfway through the book, she's turning over a new leaf. She figures that as long as she's at this Austen-inspired resort/getaway, she may as well live life how she wants instead of letting life just happen to her, which was quite inspiring!
 
Even though it was cheesy as some parts, I still really enjoyed this cute book. I don't think I'll ever reread it, at least not in the near future, but I'm still glad that I had the opportunity to read it since I was so fond of the movie adaptation.
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Siege and Storm

Title: Siege and Storm
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Series: The Grisha (#2)
Pages: 435 (paperback)
Published: June 2013
(All links lead to the books' respective Goodreads pages)

Summary: Darkness never dies. Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land. She finds starting new is not easy while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. She can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.

The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her--or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.

My Thoughts: I absolutely loved the first book of Leigh Bardugo's The Grisha series, Shadow and Bone, so of course I went into this continuation of the series with kind of high hopes. In no way did I hate this book, but it just didn't soar for me and took me a while to really get into it because of the somewhat predictable storyline.

First of all, the chemistry between Mal and Alina just wasn't there like it was in the first book. I mean Sturmhond and Alina had more chemistry, heck even Alina and Baghra had more chemistry on the page than Mal and Alina. Mal just sort of fell flat for me. But Sturmhond was an amazing addition to this eclectic cast of characters. He was so fun to read and I couldn't get enough of his wit and banter with Alina throughout pretty much all of their shared scenes.

Speaking of Alina, her character development took off during this book. She went from a meek, quiet, and weak Sun Summoner who didn't really know what she wanted to do except run from the Darkling. She ends up being a kick-butt opinionated character and even though you're led to believe to that her new found attitude is due in part to her amplifier, I like to think that it's that (because it made for an interesting addition to the narrative) as well as Alina coming into her own and accepting her fate to save Ravka.

Alina with ambition is much more interesting than scared and running Alina. And I guess that's why Mal was so boring to me. His world is Alina. He lives and breathes for Alina. That's all well and good for the romance side of the story but when he seemed to become a plot device to give Alina a reason not to move on from who she used to be, I found it tedious. I wish instead of Mal's whining for days of old we could have at least seen more Grisha power awesomeness or maybe gotten more of an idea of what the Darkling was up to because dang I couldn't get enough of those aspects of this world.

And I think that may be why even though this book wasn't as well-rounded as I expected it to be, I still love this series and cannot wait to read the third book of the series, Ruin and Rising. The last three chapters of this book were the saving grace, honestly. I sped through that last section, read the novella The Traitor that was included with my edition of the book, and was left hungry and wanting to know what happens next! The crazy, action-packed climax was beautifully executed, had plenty of action, and had a killer cliffhanger, too.

I loved learning about the power dynamics and politics of the Grisha world as well as the world outside of the first and second armies, which is probably my favorite part about this series. The world building is so in depth, the history is so rich, and I mean... I need more I can't get enough of this world it's so cool. It's just such a wonderfully written world and I look forward to diving back into Bardugo's series soon!
My Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Yes, Please

Title: Yes, Please
Author: Amy Poehler
Format: Audiobook
Publication: October, 2014 by Dey St.
(All links lead to the books' respective Goodreads pages)

Summary: In Amy Poehler’s highly anticipated first book, Yes Please, she offers up a big juicy stew of personal stories, funny bits on sex and love and friendship and parenthood and real life advice (some useful, some not so much), like when to be funny and when to be serious. Powered by Amy’s charming and hilarious, biting yet wise voice, Yes Please is a book is full of words to live by.

My Thoughts: Amy Poehler is a friggin boss. An inspiring friggin boss. Ever since her Saturday Night Live days, she's been on my list of ladies I look up to, AKA my list o' heroes, and this book just completely cemented her spot on that list. Not only was she funny and a total hoot and a half, but she got deep, man. She's self-aware in a way that's refreshing but not at all egotistical or depressing, and it felt like she was writing as if you were in the room with her.

I experienced this book through the magical medium of CD audiobook. And if you were wondering, yes CD's still exist. They're still a thing. Anyways, I was dying to read Yes, Please for months but I heard that it was even better when read to you by Actual Amy Poehler plus guests via the audiobook. I rented the CD's and oh goodness was it amazing. Not only do you fully understand the tone of how she went about writing the book, but to hear the likes of Seth Meyers, Patrick Stewart, Kathleen Turner, and her own parents reading bits and pieces of the book made the experience just phenomenal.

I love comedy and I especially love strong female role models for comedy. I read Tina Fey's Bossypants a few years earlier and built a new appreciation for Fey as well as so many other comedy lady greats. I enjoy seeing what makes them tick or what it was like for them to make it in "The Biz." I mean, I don't need to know their greatest and darkest fears, but just getting to know their different view points and hearing the crazy stories of comeuppance in a male dominated game are not only entertaining but you can also learn from their experiences, as well.

Which is another reason why I loved this book. It was well done in so many ways and I was inspired to get out there and kick butt, take names, and not feel like I have to say sorry for things I shouldn't have to apologize for dang it. It was entertaining, funny from beginning to end, and not once did I feel anything but positive feelings when experiencing this book. In other words, it was a perfect car-listening audiobook and an even better book to get me into the audiobook game. I really hope to continue to follow Poehler's amazing career and I look forward to listening to even more audiobooks, too. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to re-watch all of Parks and Recreation for the millionth time.
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars