So I set myself a challenge to read 25 books last year, I actually only read 20 books but hey, I can try again this year! I thought I would just list the books I read and put a few of my thoughts about each book. Here we go! Please bear in mind that everything I've written is my personal opinion and if I didn't like a book, it doesn't mean that you won't like it!
Light by Michael Grant
Light is the sixth and last book in the Gone series - which is what I was reading towards the end of 2016. It was a truly amazing book and a great end to the series. I can't really say much without spoiling everything, but it has a diverse cast of characters (white people, black people, Asian people, gays, lesbians, you name it! We're all there) and there is so much character development throughout the six books. They are full of violence though, so they are not for the faint of hearted.
The Art of being Normal by Lisa Williamson
Wow, this book was amazing. The message it gives is so important and it is not one to be missed off your too read list!
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
This was such an interesting read. It it a retelling of Cinderella, but she is part cyborg and lives in this corrupt town. I thoroughly enjoyed it and cannot wait to read the rest of this series, I haven't managed to get round to it yet though.
The Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas
(Including books:- The Assassins Blade, Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight, Heir of Fire, Queen of Shadows, Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn)
My new favourite book series, I'm shocked that I only picked it up last February. Celena Sardothien (I've totally mis-spelt that I'm sorry!) what a brutal character! I really enjoyed this series, it has so many badass female characters in it I don't even know who to pick as my favourite. Although what does slightly annoy me is that there is the typical "which boy do I pick" plot point which is a trope in YA which I find super annoying, but overall that didn't ruin the story too much for me. It is an excellent series that I do not want to end in October!
Vivian versus the Apocalypse by Katie Coyle
This is another book that has a really interesting concept. Vivian suddenly wakes up to find that her parents have gone in the prophesied rapture and now the people who are left run riots. It's full of twists and turns and things are not what they seem.
Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard
(Including books:- Red Queen and Glass Sword)
These two books disappointed me. They were very generic and you could tell where the story was going. It's not that they were terrible books, they just followed plot points that have all been done before and there wasn't really anything original that it brought to the genre.
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
I really don't remember much of this book other than it was split between a lot of characters POV and that the ending was really badass. It was exam season when I last read it so I will probably have to go back and re-read it at some point to fully enjoy it.
A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J Maas
(Including books:- A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mist and Fury and A Court of Wings and Ruin)
I feel so conflicted with this series because I absolutely love the world and most of the characters, but the main character is such a wimp. There is so much world building and imagination and thought put into them and the story really goes in a different direction than you think it does. It is a beauty and the beast retelling but in a way that hasn't really been done before. Despite my hatred of Feyre, it is still a better Beauty and the Beast story than the 2017 live action remake.
Lies we tell Ourselves by Robin Talley
This was a really interesting read because it focuses on a girl struggling with racism and being one of a few black students to bravely attend a white school in the name of civil rights. However it also focuses on two girls falling in love. Something I do not really like though is that the book sort of follows the "I don't like that I'm gay so I'm going to be really mean to my love interest" trope which I find doesn't make a stable relationship in books, but I guess a black white relationship at that time was bad enough, never mind two women in a relationship.
One of us is Lying by Karen M McManus
The Breakfast club meets Cluedo, that is the way that I would describe this book. Five students go to detention but only four come out alive. They were the only people in the room so one of them must have committed the murder. The story of this book was very cliche, however I loved the characters in this book, and although they are going through the extreme, they go through a lot of troubles that a lot of young people go through, which was nice to read through.
I, Eliza Hamilton by Susan Holloway Scott
I really enjoyed this book. A lot of people know Alexander Hamilton's story from his point of view due to the musical, however it was very interesting looking at what Elizabeth Schuyler had to go through at the time too. It was such an enjoyable read, whether you are a fan of Hamilton or not, and I think the cover of this book is stunning!
The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
This was a refreshing read from the typical dystopia book that we all read. It's one that doesn't really follow the hunger games formula and was a truly enjoyable book. I am looking forward to potentially completing the series this year.
