The extra leap day was also much appreciated! I was able to read seven books. I finished a series, reread an old favorite, and learned new things from school books. I'm super excited to wrap up this month and talk about everything I read.
I really enjoyed this series and this ending. I love the clever writing, the tangled web of a plot, and how it all (mostly) came together in the end. I must say, though I enjoyed it, the way the series ends did leave me with more questions than answers. It had more of an open ending than I expected it to have. I also found it hard to get invested in the new characters that were only just introduced in the final installment. However, while this finale wasn't my all time favorite, this series overall is so good! It's one I can't wait to reread when I have children someday!
Rating: ★★★
Rating: ★★★
I had to read this book for a history class. I had never heard of it before, but it's such a powerful account of life in a concentration camp during the holocaust. It's an incredibly short book. I finished it in a single day. Despite how brief the account is it will surely stick with me for a long, long time. It's graphic, detailed, and brutally honest. This has to be required reading for everyone!
Rating: ★★★★
Rating: ★★★★
This book is one of the most perfect pieces of literature I've ever read. This was my second time reading through it, but it was so so so much better the second time. I was able to pick apart the little details of the story. I loved the characters, the intricately woven plot, and I was able to fully appreciate the beautiful writing. I loved it so much! You can read my full reflections on this book in my full review linked above, but it's definitely going to be one I'll return to many more time in the future!
Rating: ★★★★★
This was a sweet collection of love stories and marriage advice. It was easy to read and perfect for getting in the mood for Valentine's Day. While the advice that's given is nothing groundbreaking or surprising, and while I didn't agree with every single thing the author said, there are some helpful reminders that can be helpful for any couple. I found the section on dating and breakups to not be entirely applicable to my stage of life, but the wedding planning section gave me a sense of peace as I've been working on planning a wedding. This is more of a book meant for skimming, not reading all the way through. It's best to skip the the parts that best apply to you and your relationship.
Rating: ★★★
Rating: ★★★
This was another school book for a course I'm taking on Irish history. This is a collection of primary documents surrounding the subject of the Irish famine. It's hard to review primary documents, so I won't say too much about it. However, I did learn a lot about the famine I had no idea about before. It was an incredibly tragic event of history with so many more layers than one might initially think. I would recommend this collection if you are at all interested in Irish history.
Rating: ★★★★
Rating: ★★★★
I was in the play of A Tale of Two Cities when I was in middle school. I never read the book, but have always been familiar with the story. The book for some reason had always intimidated me. I decided to pick it up in February to brush up on the story and to knock off another Dickens book off of my list. There were one or two places where I thought the story dragged, but other than that I really enjoyed it! Dickens tends to be very wordy, however, I love his stories so much! This one is definitely one of his best!
Rating: ★★★★★
Rating: ★★★★★
I'm sad because I so wanted to love this and join all the hype. I thought it would be a book that would remind me of my old love for Young Adult, but unfortunately this was not for me. I enjoyed the Beauty and the Beast aspects, but the way it was retold was very lackluster. The characters were very two dimensional to me. There was no strong development of Harper's past, so I didn't sympathize with her struggles when she was torn between the two worlds. Harper annoyed me because she was a very basic "I'm not like other girls" Young Adult main character. Rhen and Grey were not developed much better. There was also no chemistry between the love interests, in my opinion. I think the author was going for a hate-to-love trope, but it felt more like indifference-to-forced-love. I know a lot of people love this book, and I see the potential. The execution was just not for me at all.
Rating: ★★
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What did you read in January?
4 comments
You've definitely piqued my interest with your review of The Shadow of the Wind.
ReplyDeleteI've read Night by Elie Wiesel, but since I was still scarred from my class on Stalinism (and a specific book therein) . . . I was reading very shallowly and quickly intentionally. I don't see how people can bear to study or even think of the Holocaust, I think most people can't really fathom it, its so different to learn specifics than merely reading stats in a textbook.
In the same vein, while I love Celtic history and want to learn more about Ireland, I'm going to have to tread carefully during the famine history, if I can manage it at all.
You should definitely pick up The Shadow of the Wind! It's incredible!
DeleteThe Holocaust is definitely not something people study for fun, but it's something that's so important to never forget. First hand accounts are much more hard hitting than a textbook, that's for sure!
The Famine is another hard historical event to read, but it's interesting to learn the details.
Happy reading!
I'm so sad to hear A Curse So Dark and Lonely didn't work out for you, I had heard so many good things about it :(
ReplyDeleteBut I'm glad that you enjoyed most of these other books! I used to read A Series of Unfortunate Events when I was younger, and I've been wanting to revisit it soon. ;)
Wishing you happy reading in March! <333
Yeah I was disappointed that I didn't like A Curse so Dark and Lonely too. If you pick it up I'd love to hear your thoughts!
DeleteI hope you're reading is going well in March too!