Recent Reads

I've read sooooo many books since the last time I did a post. So here goes! 

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo 

First off, this is one of the most beautiful books I have ever seen. Ever. Look at that crow and the way there is a castle in his feathers. Look at the red stained pages that you have to peel apart. SO BEAUTIFUL.

If you haven't read anything by Leigh Bardugo, you're missing out. She is honestly one of the best writers of our time. Crooked Kingdom is the sequel to Six of Crows, so you have to read that first. It's  like Ocean's Eleven in Russia with magic. Leigh Bardugo seriously creates some of my favorite characters. This series takes place in the same world as her Shadow and Bone series, so you have to check those out as well. I seriously can't describe this series, it's just so good. My copy hadn't come in the mail by the time I left for work, so I snuck into the new books rack and started reading it as soon as I got to work, and on breaks. 

The Body Finder Series by Kimberly Derting 

Years ago I read the second book in this series because I loved that pink cover. It had enough recap that I was able to keep up. I decided to read the rest of the series and loved it. It's about a girl named Violet who has always been able to find bodies. They all carry an echo, whether that be a smell or a sight. The thing is that the killers carry that same echo. Violet uses this unique gift to find killers, and ends up working for a special unit of the FBI. These books are full of romance and suspense, and I just loved them. 

There were a few times that I found myself getting really stressed out because these books take place in high school and do a really good job of depicting what life in high school is like. I was brought back to a little bit of high school drama like when girls are flirting with my man right in front of me. I loved it though because that reminder of being there was just what I needed for my own writing. 

I was reading one of these online at work, and when I went home I wanted to finish them. But, in the time between leaving work and getting home, the website had gone down while Violet was in the serial killers house! So I had to buy a copy to see what happened. 

The Siren by Kiera Cass 

I liked the Selection Series by Kiera Cass, so I was intrigued by this book. Apparently it was self published first, and then after Kiera blew up, she edited this story and published it traditionally. 

While I loved the premise of the story, girls who would have died in the ocean signing a hundred year contract to work for the Ocean and bring her bodies to feed her once a year, I was really underwhelmed with this book. The conversations with the Ocean were my favorite part. She's this breathing living thing, and she brings life by taking a few. 

The romance in this story was too sappy and perfect. At one point the main character Kahlen mentions that she loves the jitterbug. Then a cute guy she met in the library literally walks up to her and is like, 'hey, I love the jitterbug.' 

Come. On. 

Too perfect. 

He should have liked a different kind of dancing. 

I wouldn't read this book again. 

The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan

I went into this book thinking it would be about mermaids. Instead it was about the Irish legend of selkies, or seal women. In this book, a girl who is teased and despised her whole life because she's different, always has a fascination with seals. It turns out that she has the power to remove the selkies from these seals. These woman crawl out of their seal skins and are the most beautiful women ever. She uses this power to get revenge on the women who have never accepted her. 

The writing in this book is beautiful. It's from multiple points of view, and you get to see what happens on this island over multiple generations. You see what it was before, and what the consequences are. It's very literary and beautiful. However, the book stressed me out a lot. I hated seeing all the men on the island cheating on their wives. The ending is really unique though and I liked it. This is definitely a story that is going to stay with me for a long time. 

Son by Lois Lowry 

This is the fourth book in the Giver quartet, and it's definitely my second favorite. The second and third book in that series take place in worlds very different from the Giver. While they were interesting, I wanted to see more of the Giver's world. Son is told from the point of view of Gabriel's birth mother. She's a fourteen year old girl, and the book follows her journey to find her son. The book takes you back to the world of the Giver, but also goes to all the other worlds in the other books. I absolutely loved this book and it's so beautifully written. If you read The Giver you have to read Son. 

The Devil You Know by Trish Doller

I was pulling books for a creepy display for Halloween, and this one came in for me. My display was full, and I loved the cover, so I decided to take it home. I hated this book. It was super underwhelming, and it was obvious the entire time where it was going. The only thing I liked was the descriptions of Florida. I haven't read many novels set there, so it was cool to see the landscape. I do not recommend this book. 

All American Girl and Ready or Not by Meg Cabot 

For being a huge Meg Cabot fan, I haven't read all of her books. After discussing my love for her, my coworker suggested I read this series since it's her favorite. It's about a girl named Sam who is goth, loves ska, in love with her sister's boyfriend, and is good at art. When she skips her art class one day, she ends up saving the President from an assassination attempt and instantly becomes famous. On top of that, she finds out that the cute guy in her art class is the president's son. It's a hilarious, light hearted book filled with lists and nineties references. 

I love the sequel just as much. In it, the president's son invites Sam to come to Martha's vineyard for Thanksgiving. She interprets this as him asking her to have sex with him, and the whole book is just miscommunications and hilarity. I honestly want my future daughters to read these one day just because of the way that Meg Cabot approaches sex. She shows that not everyone is doing it, and that's perfectly fine, among other things. Meg Cabot for the win once again. 

The Killer in Me by Margot Harrison 

In this book, every night when Nina goes to sleep, she sees into the mind of a serial killer. She's seen him her entire life, watched him grow up and knows his life. Nina tries to warn his victims, but no one listens to her. Finally she decides to take things into her own hands and goes to the desert where he lives to stop him and expose him. But when she gets there, things aren't what they seem, and Nina wonders if she imagined everything. 

This was a great book with twists I didn't see coming and I'm still thinking about it. 

What have you been reading?