This month was a really good reading month for me, as I read 13 books.  Links are to my reviews on Goodreads!

Beauty and the Beast by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve
Beauty and the beast by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont
The Rose and the Dagger by Reneé Ahdieh
As Old As Time by Liz Braswell
Beauty and the Beast: Lost in a Book by Jennifer Donnelly
Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Gauntlet by Karuna Riazi
Royce Rolls by Margaret Stohl
American Street by Ibi Zoboi
Disney’s Alice in Wonderland Graphic Novel by Alessandro Ferrari
Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
The Elven Tales by Fabi Ghittoni– Fabi was kind enough to send me an eBook copy after problems with the retailer.
Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
The Cure for Dreaming by Cat Winters

Pages read: 4,584
Beat the backlist books read: four
Library books: eight
Own books: three
ARCS: two

In the month of January, I read 16 books, 13 full-length novels, and three novellas.  Some of my reviews are linked to Goodreads so this post isn’t a mile long.

A List of Cages by Robin Roe 📚📚📚📚📚-
Disclaimer: Robin Roe was extremely kind in sending me a final copy of her debut!
This book was my most anticipated January release. I have never been left speechless by a book before, and I say this in the best way possible. I had tears in my eyes when I was reading it. This book means so much to me as I have never been able to see myself represented in a book before. I also read this book in one sitting. It is told from two points of views, and it works so well due to how the stories of the two main characters fit together. First of all, I have never been able to connect to characters the way that I connected with both Adam and Julian. While Adam has ADHD and I have ADD, I could really relate to the struggles he went through in his life living with ADHD, and how his ADHD was treated. I truly loved Adam and almost all of the characters in this book. The characters had such an authenticity to them that isn’t always found in fiction. My heart just broke for Julian with everything that he went through, I have never experienced anything that Julian experienced in terms of the abuse that he suffered. There was one way that I was able to relate to Julian and that is his struggles with school work because of his various learning disabilities, while all of his teachers didn’t bother to even try to remotely help him and to understand why he struggled, I was fortunate to only have one teacher who didn’t bother. I also loved the small romance in this book and how it fit so perfectly with the plot. The brotherly relationship between Adam and Julian was so heartwarming, and reading a book from the point of views of males was so refreshing. This book is the most authentic work of fiction I have ever read. It is so beautifully written, it is an emotional roller coaster that will break you in the best way possible. I can not recommend this book enough, and I definitely think everyone needs to read it.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini 📚📚📚📚📚- I really enjoyed this book and how Amir’s story and life come full circle. I loved how friendship was such a prominent theme in the book, and I loved learning more about life in Afghanistan while I was reading this book. Both the book and the story were really eye-opening. While “The Kite Runner” is fiction, it read like non-fiction and it made a really unique reading experience.

The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon 📚📚📚📚- There was only one thing that I didn’t really like about this book and that is the insta-love. Other than the insta-love, I really enjoyed this story and the characters, especially Natasha. Natasha had this awesome “I’m not giving up attitude.” I also loved how she was in her own little world everytime she put her headphones on. I also really loved how Daniel wanted to find his own path in life and not the life that his parents planned for him. I felt that the ending was rushed, but at the same time it was an ending that I didn’t see coming and was definitely surprised by it. Overall, this book was fun and enjoyable to read.

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco 📚📚📚

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit 📚📚📚📚📚-I read this book so long ago, and just re-read it today. There are a few things I learned from this book, immortality can be either a gift or a curse, it’s what you make of it. Another important lesson that I learned from this book and it is from one of my favorite passages is, “Life’s got to be lived, no matter how long or short…You got to take what comes. We just go along, like everyone else, one day at a time.” I guess when I was younger, I didn’t really quite understand this book. Now that I have re-read it, I understand it so much more, and I truly love this book.

The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness-Before I can give this a proper rating and proper review, I have to read the actual book, either ebook or physical book. This was my first time listening to an audiobook and I felt like I couldn’t retain the information as well as I would be able to if I read the actual book.  One thing that I was able to pick up on, which I absolutely loved is how diverse the characters are. I can’t wait to read the actual book so I can give this book a proper rating and review.

Sophomore Year is Greek to Me by Meredith Zeitlin 📚📚📚
It Wasn’t Always Like This by Joy Preble 📚📚📚

Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson 📚📚📚📚- My favorite thing about this book was the friendship aspect.  Another thing that I loved was the character development with the main character Emily.  I was really impressed by how much she grew, I think the list that her best friend left her is the primary reason for her growth.  The romance was cute too, and it wasn’t insta-lovey.

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh 📚📚📚📚📚- There is nothing about this book that I didn’t like, I loved everything about it.  I loved how there were stories within the story, they were a unique addition.  I loved Shahrzad’s (Shazi’s) Aladdin retelling.  Speaking of Shazi, I loved her and how if she was afraid she didn’t show it.  I loved Khalid too, and in a way felt bad for him.  I really loved how the relationship between Khalid and Shazi developed, it wasn’t rushed or insta-love, it took time.  I loved how I could see that Shazi and Khalid really grew to love and care for each other.  The romance was deep and beautiful and I really loved it.  The side characters in this book are amazing too, I especially loved Jalal and how he was witty but in a charming way.  At first, I was suspicious about Despina, but I really grew to like her, and I loved the friendship she and Shazi developed.  One thing that I can’t get over is how beautiful this book is, and I can’t wait to see how the story ends.

The Moth and the Flame by Renee Ahdieh📚📚📚📚
The Crown and the Arrow by Renne Ahdieh📚📚📚
The Mirror and the Maze by Renee Ahdieh📚📚📚📚
A Whole New World by Liz Braswell 📚📚📚

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller 📚📚📚- Disclaimer: I am fully aware that members of the LGBTQIA+ community were hurt by this book, and their feelings are 100% valid.
Disclaimer 2: I have yet to finish reading the Iliad and the Odyssey, however, I know enough about the story that I was able to read this book. 

It was clear to me that Madeline Miller did thorough research about ancient Greek culture and the Trojan War (The 10 Year War) itself.  I really appreciate when authors take the time to research the culture and history they are writing about.  The relationship between Achilles and Patroclus was written beautifully, and their relationship was historically and culturally accurate as homosexuality was normal in ancient Greece.  I really wanted more out of the relationship with Achilles and Patroclus, and I felt the battle between Achilles and Hector fell flat.  Other than those minor things, I enjoyed this book.

The Color of Water by James McBride 📚📚📚📚📚- I first read this book the summer before my freshman year of high school and I wanted to read it again. This book is two stories in one and told in alternating chapters. I really loved this book. I also love how McBride wanted to know more about who he is and when I was reading this book I felt that he struggled with his identity a little bit. The story of his mother is heartbreaking due to some of the things that she went through growing up. Everything that Mrs. McBride went through in her life makes her such a strong woman and amazing mother. I really appreciate this book.

This month was actually a decent reading month for me, I read six books and I also surpassed my Goodreads reading goal!  I’m also behind schedule in my fall reading challenge, however, I am not too worried about it. The last two books I read this month were definitely my favorites.

Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️- I really loved this book.  The writing was charming and very creative.  There was a lot of magic in this book, and it was so different from the magic in books that I have read before.  I found Alice to be such beautiful character, colorless, in a world of color.  There was an adventure in this book, and I feel that Alice really grew during it.  At first, I thought that Oliver was really annoying, however as the story went on, he grew on me, and I loved how his and Alice’s friendship developed on their way to finding Alice’s father.  If there is one thing that this book could have done better, it could have explained how the magic worked in more detail.  Overall this book was a lot of fun to read, and I felt like I was on the adventure with Alice and Oliver.

*The Rise of Athens: The Story of the World’s Greatest Civilization by Anthony Everitt ⭐️⭐️⭐️-

Received for Review from NetGalley

There were things that I enjoyed about this book and others that I didn’t.  With the Rise of Athens, I felt like I was reading a textbook, and it was a slow read.  I loved learning about the history of Athens, there were a lot of interesting things.  I found it interesting how the Ionian Greeks didn’t want the Spartans to lead them, but instead wanted the Athenians to lead them (pg. 91), the Greek alphabet was first used in the eight century (pg. 214), The Oresteia is the only surviving Greek trilogy (pg. 220), and I thought it was really interesting how the Greeks invented the tragedy (pg. 220).  I really enjoyed reading about how Athens and Thebes, while not very friendly decided to go to war against Sparta together (354).  On the topic of war, there was a lot of it, and it seemed to get a little repetitive.  Despite my issues with this book, I still learned a great deal about Ancient Greece that I never knew before.

Short Stories from Hogwarts of Power, Politics and Pesky Poltergeists by J.K. Rowling ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️- How could I not love this? It was short but enjoyable and there were some things that made me laugh. I loved the description of Dolores Umbridge, “Dolores Umbridge may have looked like an iced cupcake, but she was anything but sweet.” I can’t think of a better description for her, the fact that she’s a former Slytherin explains a lot. The Chapter on Horace Slughorn proves that not all former Slytherins are bad or evil. The history of the formation of the Ministry For Magic and how Azkaban came to be was really interesting. While these stories are short, they pack in a lot of information.

*Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️-

Received for review from NetGalley

The elements of steampunk, among other things, made this book interesting.  For one, original editions of books are considered illegal, the main character Jess is a book smuggler for the family business.  Speaking of Jess, he wants nothing to do with the family business, and his father, in my honest opinion is a complete asshole.  There are these characters called burners, they’re  objective is to destroy books.  Everything in this book has to do with The Great Library of Alexandria.  The Great Library controls all reading material in other libraries around the world, meaning they decide what books are appropriate to read and what books aren’t.  There was a diverse cast of characters in this book, and they were all equally important to the story.  This book had a lot going on, which made it fast-paced and fun to read.  I can’t wait to read the sequel to see where the story goes next.

The elements of steampunk, among other things, made this book interesting.  For one, original editions of books are considered illegal, the main character Jess is a book smuggler for the family business.  Speaking of Jess, he wants nothing to do with the family business, and his father, in my honest opinion is a complete asshole.  There are these characters called burners, they’re  objective is to destroy books.  Everything in this book has to do with The Great Library of Alexandria.  The Great Library controls all reading material in other libraries around the world, meaning they decide what books are appropriate to read and what books aren’t.  There was a diverse cast of characters in this book, and they were all equally important to the story.  This book had a lot going on, which made it fast-paced and fun to read.  I can’t wait to read the sequel to see where the story goes next.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️-I don’t think I have ever read a book as beautifully deep as A Monster Calls, and I feel that everyone should read it at least once. I have read two other books where cancer is one of the central topics, but this is definitely the best one I have read. I did everything I could to not cry when I got to the end. And I loved the Monster and what he represented. A Monster Calls is the epitome of #AllTheFeels.

Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️–

Review contains spoilers

This book really is Everything Everything.  First, Madeline the main character is very endearing.  She has a rare immune disorder that makes her allergic to everything.  She also loves to learn and read.  Everything about Madeline’s life is extremely controlled by her mother, who just happens to be her doctor.  At one point, new neighbors move in, and she begins a friendship with the boy, Olly.  Their friendship eventually develops into a relationship.  I really enjoyed how both the friendship and relationship were written.  Maddy doesn’t have much human contact other than her mother and nurse Carla.  Maddy wants nothing more than to meet Olly in person, and Carla helps her do that.  As for other characters, I couldn’t stand Olly’s abusive father, and at times I even got annoyed with Maddy’s mother.  At times I found Maddy’s mother to be way too controlling, and this pushes Maddy over the edge to run away to Hawaii with Olly.

I love the artwork, and how a part of the book is written in little diary type entries.  The plot twist annoyed me to an extent, it just felt rushed, and I think it took away from the story a little bit.  I will definitely be reading this book again, it pulled on my heartstrings and was fast-paced.