Insanity

These books were insane for two different reasons. The first one was insane because it should have been amazing but failed miserably to impress me. The second one was insane because it 's written by Darren Shan and he's certifiable, in the best way possible of course.

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter
The first book of the Goddess Test series, young adult fantasy
2 STAR RATING

This book was not on my reading radar at all. I'm always hesitant to read the first book of a series but I already read enough series and don't need to get sucked into another one. Thankfully, I didn't really like this book and am not interested in reading any more of it. All of the characters except Kate's mom were completely boring and predictable. I found myself bored with every chapter and was ecstatic when I reached the end. The story had the potential to be amazing but was bogged down by horrible pacing and generic bland characters. I wish I felt differently about this book but I can't wait until it fades from my memory that I ever read this book in the first place.

Zom-B Family by Darren Shan
The ninth book of the Zom-B series, young adult horror
3 STAR RATING

As always, this series is insane. Becky just cannot catch a break. She gets betrayed, tortured, and has to kill people she cares about. If I were her, I would have given up a long time ago. I absolutely love her because she's so strong. She carries all of the insanity of these books on her back and makes me care and come back for more. I would say that I hope things get easier for her in the next book but I know for a fact that's never going to happen. 

So cute

I'm slowly making my way through this list from Entertainment Weekly. It's "50 Books Every Kid Should Read". And since I'm a kid at heart, I decided to go ahead and read them all.

Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban
A picture book about a little badger who only eats bread and jam
3 STAR RATING

There isn't too much to say about this one. It's a cute story to read to kids who are very picky eaters. It helps them see that eating different things can actually be fun and delicious. I didn't really want to read this children's series before and this one book will satisfy my minimal curiosity for it. I now have a new recommendation for parents looking for a cute, fluffy story to read to their children. 

No Soup for You!

I hate when a book ends the complete opposite of how I wish it had ended. I had such high hopes for the finale of the Burn for Burn trilogy :(

Ashes to Ashes by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian
The final book of the Burn for Burn trilogy
2 STAR RATING

How could this have happened? The first book was good and made me want to read more. The second book blew my fucking mind and had me screaming from how amazing it was. Then this book, the final book of the trilogy? This is what you give me. I am not a happy camper right now with that bullshit ending. It jumps into a melodramatic showdown between Mary and her "victims". And then, everyone moves away. You never fully find out what happened to Mary. The last chapter is told from Lillia's POV and basically gives the cliff notes on everyone's life. I wanted major details. How did Reeve and Kat deal with what happened on prom night? I don't give a crap how their lives turned out. It doesn't go with what I wanted to happen anyway. Reeve and Lillia should have ended up together, at least. They were my end game from the very beginning. It sucks to end this series on a low point but I'm sure there are people how loved this ending and I'm happy for them. I just wish I could feel the same way.

House of Night series finale

I have conquered another series that I thought would never finish. It feels like I've been reading it forever. It started out strong but over the years, my interest has dulled. Hopefully I can keep this trend going and finish even more series this year to make room for new ones.

Redeemed by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
The last novel of the House of Night series
3 STAR RATING

The final battle between the good guys and the bad guys hardly lives up to all the hype. This book definitely fell short of my epic expectations. I wanted a bloodbath. I was expecting more main characters to die off, not just one who ends up getting a happy ending anyway. That's not to say that I wanted a depressing close to a beloved series. I just wanted more out of it. It seemed dull and lifeless compared to other books in the series. The conclusion of Neferet was less than thrilling. She's basically been the main bad guy since book one and her demise is written in only a fee sentences. I had to go back and reread the last chapter just to make sure I wasn't missing anything. Despite my disappointment with the finale, I did enjoy the book and I'll look back on this series with fond memories. I've laid another one to bed :)

Saga Vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughan
A graphic novel about two star crossed lovers fighting for their lives
4 STAR RATING

This was great. I can't believe I waited so long to read this. I finished it in one day and I'm all too excited to read more. It was so original and weird. I didn't have anything to compare it to and that's a good thing. I hope my intrigue doesn't disappear by the time I read the next chapter. 

Winning streak

Two books?! Two books that I absolutely loved reading back to back? It doesn't get any better than that :)

The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey
A horror novel about a very special young girl
4 STAR RATING

That ending just about killed me, but in the most awesome way. It was so bleak yet still hopeful. I liked all the characters but Melanie was my favorite by far. Her POV was so compelling. I almost wish that the entire book stayed in her perspective but I liked hearing from the other characters too. I wasn't sure what this book was actually about and I think that helped me enjoy this book even more. I'm sure I would have expected something entirely different than what I ended up reading. It's so weird and unique and cool. Everyone should read this book.

Attack on Titan Vol. 14 by Hajime Isayama
A manga series about humans defending themselves against monsters called Titans
4 STAR RATING

Again, I'm not sure what was going on in the book but I know that I liked it. This new bad guy is giving me goosebumps. I'm pretty sure that he got a main character killed. I cannot wait until the next book. I know it's only going to get even crazier for the Survey Corps.