JANUARY WRAP-UP!

Hello everyone! It seems like January was a never-ending month, but here we are at the end of it! Even if it was the longest month ever, I had a really good month, especially reading-wise. I have read quite a lot of interesting books, I did okay with my goals, mostly, and even on a personal level, it was pretty good. I got my third vaccination some days ago, and I felt a bit under the weather but nothing really bad, and aside from the beginning of the month, where work was pretty intense, all things run pretty smoothly, so yay!!!!
And I decided to make a little change to this kind of post from now on because I decided to keep track of my reading challenges and goals here, too, in the hope to be a bit more organized!

Books read: 18 +2 DNF
Physical books Vs ebooks: 5 vs 15
ARCs: 3

It is true that 2 out of the 5 physical books were graphic novels, but who cares? I have read 5 physical books, let’s hope it would be a new trend this year!

The Amazing Ones

My favorite two books this month were Daughter of the Blood and The Warrior’s Apprentice. These are two really different books, but they were amazing! We have some really amazing characters, in both of them, but while we have a really dark atmosphere in Daughter of the Blood, which is a hurtful book to read, in some ways, The Warrior’s Apprentice is more light-hearted. Mind me, it is not just fun in there, there are some really thought topics in there, and we have quite a lot going on. But the general atmosphere is way lighter in there. Anyway, both of them are amazing books!

The Really Really Good Ones!

Two out of three here are books that I enjoyed a lot, and that have a lot going on for them, but that I didn’t love as much as I was hoping. Mind me, both The Shadow of the Gods and The Grace of Kings are masterpieces in their own right. They are beautiful, they have so much in them, and they are really amazing. But I was hoping to fall madly in love with them, and this didn’t happen. But they are amazing all the same! And then we have A Traitor in Skyhold. My favorite in this series remains the first one, but this was pretty good and I highly enjoyed my time with it!

The Really Good Ones!

I am pretty satisfied because this month I managed to go back to some of the series that I have started, and so we have Shadow Rites, which was pretty good, but I think it is almost time for the author to finish it, at least in my opinion. Druid, Vices and A Vodka was fun, and it is the right book to take a little break from more demanding reading, I had a great time with it, even if I wasn’t so satisfied by the end. The other two, and the one above too, are Italian books. The first is a sort of scientific one, but for the dummiest of dummies, and it was precious, the other two are graphic novels. Funny and with some bright ideas in there!

Never Fall For Your Fiancee was highly predictable if we talk about the plot, but a delight to read. Funny, with good banter all around and good characters everywhere. Sisters of the Vast Black is the best book of this batch, to be honest. The idea is brilliant, nuns in space with living ships, it is just so amazing! And then we have Wild Sign, the last published book in the companion series of the Mercedes Thompson one, and it was a solid sequel. We get to know more about one of the characters that are ever-present in there but that usually is in the background, even if she was pretty important. I prefer the main series, but this one helps us to know more about some really intriguing characters, so no complaints here!

The Guilty Pleasure

I can’t really say much about this book, but this series has completely redefined my definition of guilty pleasure, really. On one hand, I can’t really say that this is a good series, there are too many bullies, too much meanness going around, and the authors are really too bad with their characters. Usually, I am not interested in any of these things. And I have really a hard time saying why anyone should pick up this series. Honestly. And yet, this is the sixth book, and I am quite compelled to continue it to see what we would get. The alchemy between the characters is something strong, and the whole is pretty compelling, once I start reading it is really hard to put down the book. It is also true that I would read the next one only because I am buddy-reading it. If not I would let this series drop because it is just too much. It is one of those cases in which you are going on and keep doing it, but you know it is not so good for you!

The SPSFC books

The DFNed Ones!

Both of these books are pretty amazing in their own right, but sadly they weren’t the right ones for me.

My Reviews:
–The Warrior’s Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold
–The Shadows of the Gods by John Gwynne
–Zenith by Arshad Ahsanuddin
–Above the Sky by Jenny Lynne

Series:
Finished: 1 (last volume published)
Continued: 4

So, this month I am really happy with my reading. On one hand, I have read some pretty amazing books, and on the other, I did well with my goals and challenges. I have read 5 physical books, and I did great with the series too, so yay! The only goal that it didn’t go as well as the other is the one about the non-fantasy books, because I have read only one, but at least it is something!
And then I checked out some boxes from the two bingo cards I am doing at the moment:

Timy challenge is fun, and I am having a great time trying to find the right book for the right prompt!! I used Daughter of the Blood for Family Tree, because we have a really complex and unique family in this book, and the theme is ongoing. Then for Dear Insecurity, I have chosen A Traitor In Skyhold because Hugh, our MC, suffers from anxiety and insecurity. So who is better than him?? For False King I have used The Grace of Kings because it is just the right book in the right place, really, and last I have used The Shadow of the Gods for the prompt Nobody Praying For Me.

And here we have my bingo card for BookForager challenge.

And what about you? And have you read some of the books I have mentioned? And how was your past month?? Let me know!!!

Happy reading!
S.