Hello everyone! Right now I’m in New York for BookCon and I’m so excited!! Who else will be at BookExpo/BookCon? What are you most looking forward to doing or seeing? Let me know in the comments!

---

AGAIN, BUT BETTER: This was not the book for me. The writing was disjointed and the story felt so autobiographical that it was really uncomfortable reading. My biggest issue, however, was the fact that the plot basically revolves around the main character falling for someone who is already in a relationship and that love interest engaging in some cheating. I can’t root for characters that I don’t like.  [review]  ARC provided by the publisher.  DNF @ 63%

NYXIA UPRISING: Such a great wrap-up to a really underrated sci-fi series! I’ve been a fan of these books since I was approved for an early review copy of the first one and I’ve enjoyed each book in the series tremendously! Scott Reintgen does an excellent job not only with his pacing and writing, but also by keeping the reader engaged throughout the story. These books are awesome and if you haven’t checked them out yet I highly recommend them! ★★★½

THE COLDEST GIRL IN COLDTOWN: My goal for this year was to read a couple of Holly Black’s previous books, and I was not disappointed! I thought this was a super unique take on vampires and I almost wish it was a series instead of a standalone. I also was digging the fact that the book takes place in Springfield, Massachusetts – which is where my mom and her entire family is from!  ★★★½

FINALE: These books are so damn good. I’m thankful Stephanie Garber decided to do a dual POV for this conclusion; I think it helped a lot with wrapping up the series. I love both Tella and Scarlett so it was nice seeing the climax and ending from both of their perspectives.  ★★★★★

 

MORE THAN WE CAN TELL: After reading and loving Brigid Kemmerer’s newest fantasy book, I wanted to check out some of her contemporary works. I think I had expectations that were too high as I was a bit let down by this book. I didn’t feel connected to either Rev or Emma, and therefore I didn’t connect to the story. I liked the plotline and the characters’ journeys, but didn’t feel as moved as everyone seems to have been by the story.  ★★★

THESE VICIOUS MASKS: This is a book that I had been wanting to reread for awhile now. The first time I read this, I enjoyed it, but felt like I would have liked it more had I not just finished Lady Helen. I put off reading the sequel until the whole series was finally punished and I’m so glad I did! As I had anticipated, I liked this much better the second time and appreciated it so much more. This is such a fun YA historical/paranormal book! ★★★½

THESE RUTHLESS DEEDS: Reading all the books in series back to back is so underappreciated. I started this immediately after finishing the first and it made all the difference; there was no time spent trying to figure out what was going out and what had happened in the previous book. I didn’t like this quite as much as These Vicious Masks, but I still really liked the story and the characters. This was a great sequel to a fun series!  ★★★

THESE VENGEFUL SOULS: There was a lot more going on in this book and I flew through the pages. This was a great conclusion to the series. I thought these books were unique and the concept intriguing: who doesn’t love an X-Men meets Victorian-era England plot? I definintely recommend this series to anyone who enjoys historical fiction or paranormal books with a good blend of mystery, action, and romance!  ★★★

STORM AND FURY: I never really got into The Dark Elements series – I was firmly Team Zayne and totally over the bad boy trope at that point – and so I was really excited when I learned Zayne would be getting his own story! I haven’t read a JLA book in awhile and I got nervous at first because I was having trouble getting into it in the beginning. Eventually, the story began to pick up and improve and I remembered why I love her paranormal stories so much!  ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley.  ★★★½

THE CANDLE AND THE FLAME: This was an excellent, beautifully written debut. The writing was absolutely gorgeous. I loved how diversely rich in culture and history the book was; the author’s descriptions paint a vivid picture for the reader. And of course any story featuring djinn is a story for me! I really loved all the different characters, relationships, romances, and the political intrigue featured in the story. I wish the book had been a bit longer because I would love to have seen what happens next!  [review]  ★★★★

OTHER

The ABC Book Challenge – I | A Game of Booksathon Reading Challenge | Top 5 Wednesday: Emerald Covers | The Ultimate Game of Thrones Book Tag | The ABC Book Challenge – H | The ABC Book Challenge – G | WWW Wednesday #20