March Wrap-Up

The Sun Is Also A Star ~ Nicola Yoon

Started: February 20th 2019

Finished: March 3rd 2019

Rated: 4

Likes: The perspectives of other things (The waitress, fate, hair, etc.), poetic vibe, not cringe cute love moments

Dislikes: Insta-love, very cringe sometimes

Notes: One of the best parts of this book for me were the perspectives of other things. It was such a unique addition and it made the story a lot better in my opinion. I never realized how much I wanted to know the history of objects or perspectives of those side characters, like Irene or Daniel's dad.

Becoming ~ Michelle Obama

Started: December 27th 2018

Finished: March 4th 2019

Rated: 5

Likes: If I had to be specific out of the everything I loved about it, probably learning her story. I also loved learning about how her and Barack met.

Dislikes:

Notes: Seriously, everyone needs to read this book. If I wasn't so against required reading in school, I would say this should be required in school.

Throne of Glass ~ Sarah J. Maas

Started: February 8th 2019

Finished: March 5th 2019

Rated: 4.5

Likes: Characters, Plot, The mystery behind the wyrdmarks, element of magic

Dislikes: Slow pacing at first, very confusing and took me a while to understand

Notes: GroupReads group on Goodreads. Chaol & Dorian with Celeana (ships), Nehemia, Fleetfoot (oh my gosh a dog)

Descendent of the Crane ~ Joan He

Started: March 6th 2019

Finished: March 11th 2019

Rated: 5

Likes: Plot, Characters, Twists

Dislikes: The very beginning of the book

Notes: Received an arc from Net Galley for an honest review.

Expected Release: April 2nd 2019

The reason I didn't like the very beginning of the book was because it started in a peculiar spot and it confused me because I didn't know what was happening or who was who. It wasn't my favorite way to start out a book.

Ten Thousand Skies Above You ~ Claudia Gray

Started: March 11th 2019

Finished: March 15th 2019

Rated: 4

Likes: Characters, plot, twists!

Dislikes: Slow parts

Notes: Found myself skimming the parts I didn't care about, I was for sure plot chasing

This month definitely started out strong compared to last month overall. However my motivation to read continued to decrease as the month went on. I was dealing with my own personal issues that ended up really blowing up at the end of the month. I'm hoping that I can grow from these issues that have since, somewhat, been resolved. Here's hoping to April is a good reading month.

Ten Thousand Skies Above You ~ Claudia Gray

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The characters and the plot has me hooked. I must know what happens in this time-traveling-dimension-switching-Firebird-love-triangle story. I rated the first book 4.5 stars

Ever since she used the Firebird, her parents invention, to cross into alternate dimensions, Marguerite has caught the attention of enemies who will do anything to force her into helping them dominate the multiverse—even hurting the people she loves. She resists until her boyfriend, Paul, is attacked and his consciousness scattered across multiple dimensions.

Marguerite has no choice but to search for each splinter of Paul’s soul. The hunt sends her racing through a war-torn San Francisco, the criminal underworld of New York City, and a glittering Paris where another Marguerite hides a shocking secret. Each world brings Marguerite one step closer to rescuing Paul. But with each trial she faces, she begins to question the destiny she thought they shared.

Based on the reviews I've read of this book, I think I may have an unpopular opinion: I liked the first book better than the second. However, the plot twists in the second book were better than the first. I also found myself skimming this book more than the first one, they were just parts I weren't as interested in.

I still really enjoyed the characters, even Marguerite who did make some questionable decisions. I liked Theo a lot better in this one, which if you've read the first book, makes a lot of sense. This book had me questioning the entire plot and what was actually best for the characters, but by the end I definitely had my standpoint decided. Because the end had me HURTING immensely, my mouth dropped open within the final pages. In a way, it was kind of predictable, but I so badly didn't want that to happen that I pushed it out of my head. Despite that, the ending was the best plot twist so far.

I'm having a really difficult time giving this book a review because most of the things I want to say about it, I want to connect back to the first book and I don't like writing spoiler free reviews.

I'm excited to see what the third book has in store and I've heard that it's the best in the trilogy, I hope I agree with the people who've said that.

Descendent of the Crane ~ Joan He

Received an arc from Net Galley for an honest review.

Expected Release: April 2nd 2019

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I read the description for this book and I was hooked. I put the release date on my calendar and prepared myself to wait. But I ended up not having to wait. I put in a request for an arc on NetGalley, fully expecting not to get it, but I am very grateful that I did. This is my first ever arc and my second (If you don't include Michelle Obama's audiobook) five star read of 2019.

Tyrants cut out hearts. Rulers sacrifice their own.

Princess Hesina of Yan has always been eager to avoid her responsibilities of the crown and dreams of an unremarkable life. But when her father, the king, is found dead, she's thrust into power. Now that she is the queen of a surprisingly unstable kingdom she has the power to take to trial the one thing on her mind; Her father didn't naturally die, he was murdered and the killer is someone close to her. Hesina's court is packed full of dissemblers and deceivers eager to use the king's death for their own political gain, each as plausibly guilty as the next. Her advisers would like her to blame the neighboring kingdom of Kendi'a, whose ruler has been mustering for a war. Hesina is determined to find her father's actual killer and does something desperate: she gets aid from a soothsays - a treasonous act, punishable by death, since magic was outlawed centuries ago. Using the information provided by the sooth, she finds Akira, a brilliant investigator who's also a convicted criminal with secrets of his own. Hesina is unsure whether she can trust her own family and the future of Yan is at stake, can Hesina find justice for her father? Or will the cost be too high?

I can't get over how much I love this book. I bet I'm not the only one that struggles to express emotions after reading something that makes you full of them. Everything about this book is amazing and it deserves so much more than what I will say about it. The characters all have so much depth, I felt connected to all of them. The backstories and relationships between all of them are so delicate but deep. None of the relationships felt forced, they were pure and real, like Hesina and her mother or her (blood) brother. The world was also very intricate and I built up Yan in my head with all the details I was given within the book, it was as beautiful as it was written to be even though it was falling apart at the seams as the book went on. There were magical family secrets and twisted political games that were intriguing and irritating all at the same time. However the one thing that really made me mad, in the best way, were the plot twists. There were things I never expected to happen and right after reading one, another one happened! It was almost too much (it wasn't, but it had me triggered a lot).

There was really only one thing I didn't like about the book and it was the very very beginning. It seemed the beginning started out abrupt and I was very confused about what was happening and who was who. It seemed like an odd place to start, but of course that's my own opinion. Once I understood what was happening and who everyone was, I started on the path of a phenomenal book.