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Allyson's Reading Challenge - 50 books
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Wishing you the best of luck Allyson & happy reading!
Susy wrote: "Wishing you the best of luck Allyson & happy reading!"Thank you!
1. Four Weeks, Five People by Jennifer YuDates read: 1/31/18-2/7/18
Rating: 2 stars
I wanted so badly to love this book as much as I loved the concept of it, but unfortunately it fell short. Most of the characters were interesting enough, but their individual stories weren't explored enough for me. Honestly Andrew was the most interesting, but his story came to an unresolved conclusion. Mason was pointless, since his issues were not addressed enough throughout the story, he was really just there to make mean comments every once in a while. And I really feel like Clarisa seems to be the only one to have really made strides toward dealing with her mental illness. Overall I just feel like it was a little bit of a letdown on all fronts.
A-Z Challenge (F)
PopSugar Challenge (#16)
2. Milk and Honey by Rupi KaurDates read: 2/7/18-2/9/18
Rating: 5 stars
This is something I had been wanting to read for a while now, and I'm so glad I finally got around to it! I'm not normally too big on poetry, but this was truly a work of art. Every word was so intense and so beautiful, I really felt every emotion. Highly recommend!
A-Z Challenge (M)
PopSugar Challenge (#37)
February Challenge - Library Lovers Day
3. The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi KaurDates read: 2/10/18-2/11/18
Rating: 5 stars
PopSugar Challenge (#14)
February Challenge - Library Lovers Day
You are doing great! Hoping March is a great month for you.
Blagica wrote: "You are doing great! Hoping March is a great month for you."Thank you! The end of February was crazy (I got married) but hopefully I can get back on track in March!
Allyson wrote: "...The end of February was crazy (I got married) but hopefully I can get back on track in March!"That is so cool! Congratulations Allyson!!
Congratulations on the wedding, Allyson! Good luck with your reading goals :)
A book is a dream that you hold in your hand. I hope that April brings you many more five star reads. Hope you are enjoying being a wife =)
4. Between the Blade and the Heart by Amanda HockingDates read: 3/27/18-4/24/18
Rating: 4 stars
Between the Blade and the Heart follows Valkyrie in training, Malin, struggle to balance her family, her future job, and her relationships, all while unearthing a secret that could unravel her entire world. I really enjoyed the first 3/4 of this novel. I thought the story was unique and entertaining. I loved the fact that this is a world where supernatural beings don't have to hide from humans, and everyone lives together seemingly harmoniously. The only thing I found issue with was the last fourth of the novel. It felt really rushed to me, and a little anticlimactic. (view spoiler) But other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the story, and am excited to continue it!
A-Z Challenge (B)
PopSugar Challenge (#12)
“Reading brings us unknown friends� While the warm weather is coming I hope you make some new friends in May! You are doing great keep it up!
5. Warcross by Marie LuDates read: 5/11/18-5/14/18
Rating: 5 stars
A-Z Challenge (W)
PopSugar Challenge (#7)
6. Lies You Never Told Me by Jennifer Donaldson Dates read: 5/14/18-5/17/18
Rating: 4 stars
[I received a copy of Lies You Never Told Me from ŷ giveaways in exchange for an honest review.]
Lies You Never Told Me follows the lives of two teenagers, Elyse and Gabe, as each navigates a pool of lies and deceit. Elyse struggles with suppressing feelings for her new drama teacher, while Gabe deals with keeping his feelings for a new, strange girl under wraps from his crazy ex-girlfriend. Both tales twist and turn, told through each point of view in alternating chapters.
I did not have many expectations going into this novel, as I had not seen much press for it, and was unfamiliar with the author. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how much this story intrigued me and captured my attention. To put it lightly, this book was like Pretty Little Liars on steroids, extremely captivating, but also incredibly creepy. Gabe's story was relatively unoriginal (I've seen it done many times before in books and movies), but Elyse's was a new, real, and terrifying story. I felt so much for her, to be clouded in the woes of first love and feel like what you're doing is right even when it isn't. Her story was relatable, even though few have gone through that exact situation.
Honestly, I feel a little dense for not picking up on the twist ending sooner ((view spoiler)), but I think I was so engrossed in the story that I wasn't really thinking about figuring out the mystery. Though the ending was mildly unbelievable ((view spoiler)), it was still pretty disturbing, and I had trouble sleeping right after finishing the book last night. Overall, I enjoyed it, and you will probably find me recommending it when it officially releases.
A-Z Challenge (L)
PopSugar Challenge (#34)
“I have always imagined paradise will be a kind of library.� I hope you find a corner in Paradise with some great books!!
8. Paper Princess by Erin WattDates read: 5/23/18-5/28/18
Rating: 4 stars
This was basically the novel version of crack; you know it's bad for you, but you just can't stop haha!
No seriously though, this book was so cheesy and silly, but for some reason, I just couldn't stop reading it. It's like The Bachelorette level guilty pleasure, in book form. While this was thoroughly entertaining, I kind of hate that it's marketed as a young adult book. Yes, it is about teenagers, but they're certainly not doing normal teenage things. Page one and we're finding out that she's stripping to pay her bills while pretending to her school that her mom is still alive. Definitely not the normal YA novel. Being 27, I didn't mind the graphic 50 Shades of Grey-esche sexual situations and sexual references, but I think it's a little much for teenagers.
A-Z Challenge (P)
PopSugar Challenge (#22)
9. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay KristoffDates read: 7/10/18-7/12/18
Rating: 5 stars
I seriously could not put this book down! Incredible!
Told through instant message conversations, emails, and surveillance footage, Illuminae follows exes Kady and Ezra on their journeys aboard the spaceships Alexander and Hypatia after their home planet is invaded. I originally picked this novel up solely because of the way in which it was written. I was interested in seeing if it would actually (a) make sense and (b) be interesting and entertaining. I was more than blown away by the results! After the first maybe 30-50 pages I was completely hooked! And I actually really enjoyed the format. Recently I've been so busy that it's been hard to find time to just sit down and read, so the brevity of many of these conversations and memos was great since it allowed many opportunities to sit the book down temporarily if I needed to. That being said, I made it through the book in just over 24 hours, so I obviously didn't stop too often, but it was just THAT good.
"In space no one can hear you scream." That's very much the vibe that this novel gives. Not only are they being chased by one of the invading ships determined to finish the job, but obviously there has to be an on-board issue as well. Oh, and don't forget the malfunctioning Artificial Intelligence! This had all the making of an Alien movie, and I loved it! Strongly recommend to all the Sci-Fi lovers out there.
A-Z Challenge (I)
PopSugar Challenge (#18)
10. Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay KristoffDates read: 7/12/18-7/19/18
Rating: 5 stars
While I was initially saddened by the fact that Gemina didn't primarily follow Kady and Ezra, it didn't take long for me to get over that since Hanna Donnelly was so badass. Seriously, love that girl.
Taking place simultaneously with what the events happening in Illuminae, Gemina follows Hanna, Nik, and Ella while they attempt to save the jump station they call home from a group of invaders. From looking at most of the ŷ reviews, it seems that most people didn't like this one as much as Illuminae, but I loved this one just as much as I did the first book. Once again, the characters are great, the story feels just like an Alien movie, and the twist, (view spoiler) Just incredible.
A-Z Challenge (G)
PopSugar Challenge (#3)
11. Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay KristoffDates read: 7/19/18-8/5/18
Rating: 5 stars
Obsidio continues the intertwined stories of Kady, Ezra, Hanna, Nik, and Ella, adding Kady's cousin Asha and her it-didn't-end-on-good-terms-ex-boyfriend Rhys to the picture. Back on Kerenza, Asha and the other survivors of the Biotech attack have been smack dab in the middle of a war zone, trying to survive and plan how exactly they are going to prevent Biotech from killing them all when their jump gate is once again functioning. A continuation and resolution of the events in Illuminae and Gemina, Obsidio is a wonderful ending to a down-right astonishing trilogy.
First, let me start by saying that this novel absolutely wrecked me. I was sobbing so much, that I even captured the attention of my husband away from his video game (but only long enough for him to get me some tissues). I felt so connected to these characters, characters that I clearly have nothing in common with since I don't (a) live in space (b) have any badass hacking or fighting skills and (c) have never had to deal with losing almost the entirety of my home and family. But oh my god I felt every bit of what they were going through. Surprisingly (or maybe not so surprisingly), I actually felt the most connection to Asha. Her character took me completely by surprise. Unlike Kady, Ella, or Hanna, she has no special abilities, she's just a pharmacy intern, but she honestly was one of the most courageous characters. And don't even get me started on AIDAN. How I can feel such love and compassion for a mass-murdering, psychopathic, artificial intelligence, I'll never know.
The story was once again phenomenal, though more Star Wars-esque this time than Alien, making it all the more wonderful. About midway through, I started preparing myself for the deaths that would come, (view spoiler).
Overall, this was truly one of my all time favorite series, I don't think I will ever fully get over this story and these characters.
A-Z Challenge (O)
PopSugar Challenge (#27)
2025 Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Suitors and Sabotage (other topics)Obsidio (other topics)
Obsidio (other topics)
Gemina (other topics)
Suitors and Sabotage (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Cindy Anstey (other topics)Jay Kristoff (other topics)
Amie Kaufman (other topics)
Cindy Anstey (other topics)
Jay Kristoff (other topics)
More...
1. Four Weeks, Five People by Jennifer Yu 2/7/18
2. Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur 2/9/18
3. The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur 2/11/18
4. Between the Blade and the Heart by Amanda Hocking 4/24/18
5. Warcross by Marie Lu 5/14/18
6. Lies You Never Told Me by Jennifer Donaldson 5/17/18
7. The Girl from the Well by Rin Chupeco 5/22/18
8. Paper Princess by Erin Watt 5/28/18
9. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff 7/12/18
10. Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff 7/19/18
11. Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff 8/5/18
12. Suitors and Sabotage by Cindy Anstey 8/8/18