I didn't realize I read so many books this month. It was a great reading month for me! :)
Vanish by Sophie Jordan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
There's just something about dragons that I find absolutely fascinating! And I think that is what I love most about this series. It's just so different from all the other fantasy/paranormal books I've read. This was one of those great fast-paced reads that I finished in just a couple days. It was a bit predictable at times, but I can look past that. Can't wait til the last one comes out!!!
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Once again Jim Dale did such an amazing job with this audio book. His impersonation of Professor Umbridge was spot on! There's so much darkness and despair in the this book, especially within Harry, but I absolutely LOVE the humor in this book as well. Fred & George are just hilarious!!!
Gregor and the Marks of Secret by Suzanne Collins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Wow, this book went by fast! I really liked this installment of the series. I'm really starting to like Ripred -- his character just cracks me up. :) This book ended with such a cliffhanger and I'm very anxious to see how it all ends!
Gregor and the Code of Claw by Suzanne Collins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was my favorite book in the series! I absolutely LOVE Ripred. I was laughing out loud so many times with all of his sarcastic comments. There was also a lot of sadness and death in this one. I'll say one thing for Suzanne Collins - she sure doesn't shy away from killing beloved characters! :( I loved seeing Gregor's growth through this series. And I love that he was always about what is RIGHT. This was a great ending to the series and I definitely wouldn't mind if Suzanne wrote more about the Underland. :)
The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
Although I wasn't a huge fan of the Iron Fey series, I was still very interested in reading this installment because I really loved Ash & Puck. Unfortunately I was majorly disappointed. I knew Ash was dark and brooding, but I didn't expect him to be quite so .... bland. Even in his point of view I didn't get any sense of who he really was or what he was feeling, which made it hard for me to care. I found I had to force myself to pick up the book and read -- never a good sign. I would've liked it more if it was from Puck's point of view. At least he is funny and entertaining. I know plenty of people who have loved this series, but I guess it just wasn't for me. :/
Destined by Aprilynne Pike
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Loved this book! I thought it was a great ending to the series. This one picks up right where the last one left off and there isn't a lot of "recap" that happens often with series, but luckily I remembered everything from the previous books. I love Aprilynne Pike's writing style -- it fits the beautiful fae world she created so perfectly. I wasn't crazy about the whole love triangle/square thing, but all in all I loved the story. I also really liked the "alternate ending" the author added. It was a little bittersweet but also made things seem more "real". Too often books end with "and they lived happily ever after" but this seemed very fitting to me.
Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I first read this series maybe two years ago and really enjoyed it. I decided it was time for a re-read and to go through it with my 8 year old daughter this time. This book is pure magic and I loved seeing Fablehaven for the first time through my daughter's eyes. It was so hard to put the book down at night and not continue reading on my own! :P
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Absolutely amazing! JK Rowling is my hero. I am just so amazed at her incredible talent for writing and weaving stories together. I love all the glimpses into the past in this book, getting a glimpse into the life of the man who would become Lord Voldemort. The ending is so heavy and heartbreaking, but at the same time I LOVE the story of friendship between Harry, Ron and Hermione. Such a beautiful, trusting friendship and I just feel like I know these people intimately thanks to Rowling. Although I've read these books several times, they never fail to touch me. And listening to them this time around has made it even better! The final book will be very bittersweet!!
Everneath by Brodi Ashton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Soooooo good! I absolutely loved this love story. I'll admit, it took a little bit for me to get into the book. There were so many new "terms" about the Everneath that I knew nothing about so it was a bit of an adjustment. And it took a bit for me to get used to the past and present timing. But once I got past all that I could not put the book down. It pulled at my heartstrings and I am DYING to read the rest of this series!
Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I thought this was a really cute story! I loved Jordan's character -- she was a tough football girl with a bunch of tough guy friends and I loved seeing her turn "girlie". I loved her friends -- they were all such great characters. I also really loved the football aspect of it and I found I couldn't put the book down. The one thing I didn't like was that there was a lot of swearing -- more than I'm really comfortable with.
The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I listened to this one on audio and I have to say, the narrator was AMAZING! She read with so much passion and was the perfect voice for Lennie. I really felt as if I were listening to a friend tell her story. And speaking of the story -- beautiful! I loved all the imagery the author used and the tone of the book. There were times I wanted to shake Lennie, but I loved watching her growth and watching her figure out who she was without her sister and who she wanted to be. Overall all a great story, but there was a lot of swearing and some crude moments that put a damper on it for me.
Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was the perfect ending to the series. Sophie is such a great character and her sarcasm and jokes during dire situations had me laughing out loud. Love, love, love her! I want to re-read this series now that they are all out because I feel like I forgot so much in between each book.
