October-November Mini Reviews

I’ve decided I don’t like writing full reviews of books (even in 200 words or less), because the more I feel like I have to be a critic, the more critical I feel toward books. I’d rather just read books and enjoy them, then post some thoughts on them afterward. Here’s a bunch of books I read in October and November.

Carnival of Souls, by Melissa Marr

Melissa Marr weaves interesting worlds, and this one was no exception. The story was definitely intriguing, and it was a quick, enjoyable read. The conflict within the romance was fine at first, but as things progressed and I learned what Kaleb did in order to “keep” Mallory, I was pretty turned off. I also didn’t like that everyone was keeping Mallory in the dark the whole time – even the people who had no reason to lie to her! This wasn’t a favorite but I’ll probably read the next one anyway.

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Beautiful Redemption, by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

The conclusion to the Caster Chronicles! I was curious how this book would play out, considering the end of Beautiful Chaos, and they did a great job at making things interesting for Ethan. It was an enjoyable, satisfying ending to the series, but I have to say that I think it could have been better. There didn’t seem to be much urgency or threat in this book, even in the scenes that were supposed to be! It was like right when a struggle started, there was already an easy way out, which I found disappointing. But at least it was a pleasant conclusion.

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Days of Blood and Starlight, by Laini Taylor

Of course, Laini Taylor didn’t disappoint! This book was a lot more intense (and bloody) than Daughter of Smoke and Bone, but it kind of had to be. Her lyrical, breathtaking prose returned, and the story kept me intrigued. I also loved that Zuzana played a nice sized role in this book as well. She’s such a fun character! Karou and Akiva both had a pretty tough time in this story, but they both grew and learned a lot about themselves, which I really enjoyed. Can’t wait for the next one!

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Through to You, by Emily Hainsworth

I find alternative/parallel universes quite fascinating, so I was pretty psyched to read this book. Unfortunately, it didn’t really satisfy. I couldn’t really empathize much with Cam, and almost gave up about a third of the way through. I didn’t always find that the way Cam and (alternate) Viv acted toward one another was realistic, which I found frustrating. I also found it weird, and didn’t like, the way the story of Cam and Viv was woven. It’s like he was mourning her desperately, but then decided she was a shitty person after all based on this alternate version of her, and ends up going after some other girl instead, even though HIS version of Viv seemed like a great person. I know I’m not explaining it well, but blah. I didn’t like that.

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Unspoken, by Sarah Rees Brennan

This was my first Sarah Rees Brennan experience and I very much enjoy her style! I loved the atmosphere created in this story, and Kami is absolutely charming, clever, and enjoyable — most of the time. The idea of Kami and Jared being connected in one another’s minds all their lives is fascinating, but once they met in person I didn’t like the way they acted toward one another. Some things just seemed off. Other than that, however, this was a great mystery and I am very much looking forward to the next book in the series.

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Lovely, Dark and Deep, by Amy McNamara

Yeah, it took me a long time to warm up to Wren. For the first 100 pages or so, I couldn’t really sympathize with her, because she just seemed extremely emo but wouldn’t even tell me why. The further I got in, however, the more I was able to relate to her. The choppy writing style did feel annoying after a while (like, after the first few pages), but it wasn’t enough to stop me from reading. I mean, I don’t have much more to say about this one. It was okay, but nothing earth-shattering.

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Anna Dressed in Blood, by Kendare Blake

Okay, technically I finished this in December, but I listened to the majority of it in November, so it still counts. Also, if you are planning to read this book, I highly recommend NOT listening to the audio, because the narrator was pretty horrible in my opinion. The story, however, was fun to listen to, and I liked the casual, “normal” language Blake used for Cas’s voice. Anna was such a great character, and I really enjoyed the twists that came along with her story. The rest of the characters were so-so. I do want to read Girl of Nightmares now though!