December TBR

This month I kind of didn’t want to give myself any expectations simply because I feel like I am on the cusp of a reading slump. I’ve been going so well with my reading in the last few months that I’ve started to unconsciously set this standard that I should be hitting and feeling very disappointed if I don’t reach this arbitrary number. So I have decided that December I am not going to focus on anything in particular I will just be picking up whatever books I want! I will list all of the books I have on hand that I haven’t read yet, if I get to them great, if I just end up re-reading a whole lot of books from my collection, that’s fine as well!

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I’m curious…

img_5494Even though I made my thoughts on Jude perfectly clear in my review for The Wicked King I cant help but be curious as to how the story will continue. I think I said in that review that I wouldn’t be reading the next book when it comes out but…. I bought it anyway! When an author creates a character that could bring out so much emotion in me I have to kind of honour that and at least finish the series. It’s not only Jude, I just think I’m not a fan of the Fae in general. The ACOTAR series is probably the only exception but I haven’t liked any other series about faeries so far in my reading life. I would like to see how she manages to get out of her current predicament and what Cardan will do to her. Enemies to lovers is one of  my favourite tropes and so far they haven’t really succumbed to their feelings for one another, so I’m intrigued to find out how that plot point will progress. From what I remember these books are pretty quick reads so I guess I will give Holly Black one last chance to redeem herself in my eyes!

Mood Reading/Reading Slump

Over the course of the last few months I haven’t been giving myself a strict TBR and just picking out the books that I feel like reading at the time. Mood reading has been great because I feel like I’m not forcing myself to read books that I am not really feeling at the moment or reading just for the sake of finishing my TBR for the month. I didn’t like what I was feeling if I didn’t end up reading all the books I set for myself and it wasn’t an enjoyable experience for me. I started to feel disappointed in myself for not reading the books I was supposed to even though I wasn’t in the mood for them and it just really soured certain books for me because of that. So when I made the decision to just mood read and try not to be as strict on myself I actually flourished. I think it was the second or third month after that I completed 18 books (which is a personal best for me). I realised how much better this system was for me and when the quantity of books just kept getting high and higher it started to be all about the numbers. Once again if I don’t finish 14-18 books in a month, all of those feelings started creeping back in. It’s gotten to the point now where I don’t feel like reading anything and this month was probably the least amount of books I’ve read in a very long time. I’ve started to become more aware of what I am doing to myself and I have decided to give myself a pass for December. If I only read one book or if I read another 18, if I read a ton of new releases I’ve been putting off or if I reread multiple books from my collection, its no big deal. Reading is something I do because I love it and I think I just need to take a step back and remember that!

Five Dark Fates Review

35391237._SY475_After the battle with Katharine the rebellion has fled back to Sunspool to recoup. Jules’s legion curse has been unbound after her mother’s death, leaving her out of her mind. Arsinoe has been keeping her quiet using her poisoner and low magic skills. Mirabella has disappeared and Katharine’s reign over Fennbirn still remains intact but it’s tenuous at best.

I thought all of the character development that occurred throughout the series really shone in this book. Just seeing how different the triplets are from one another yet still there is that undercurrent feeling of love and hope between them. I think that is what Mira is banking on when she ends up abandoning the rebellion and trusting Katharine not to kill her, also why Arsinoe doesn’t want to believe that Mira defected. They say time and time again that it would be easy to kill each other yet when it comes down to that moment they always pause and hesitate. The dead queens are really the ones who do all of the killing, Katharine is merely the vessel that they have been using to further along their plot to take over Fennbirn.

The previous books did such a good job establishing the world and the overall tone of the series that this book just launched straight back into the plot. Even though it has been over a year since I read the last book it was very easy to fall back into this world. The characters are all so distinct and varied and the plot was defined and easy to follow along with. The fantastical elements were incorporated quite organically into the story line and it was very engaging.

I thought the ending was very fitting for the series. I wasn’t able to predict anything that was going to happen and I was left feeling very fulfilled. It definitely didn’t blow me away by any means but I highly enjoyed my experience reading it!

⭐️4/5 stars action packed, fast paced, fitting ending to this series!

Buzzwordathon Wrap Up

Yesterday was the last day of the Buzzword Readathon hosted by BooksandLala on Youtube and I honestly did better than what I anticipated. I ended up completing two books last week that fit the prompt for this round. I finished Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte & Five Dark Fates by Kendare Blake. Both were books I have been highly anticipating so I am happy that I got to them but I was also a little disappointed I didn’t end up reading any other books in the week. I will definitely be participating in future rounds of the Buzzwordathon, it was a very chill readathon with not a whole lot of rules, just try and best stick with the prompt and do your best!

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