January Wrap up!

January started off to be a very good reading month for me. Normally I'm always a little behind, especially since my goal is only 40 books for the entire year, so it means I can slack a little and watch crappy Netflix films. Anyhow, this month I've surprised myself by reading Ten books. Two of those were DNF's, but the other 8 I read right through until the end.

Here is what I read:

The Precious Stone Trilogy by Kerstin Gier - 4.5/5

I loved this trilogy. It was such a fun, quick series and I loved the characters of Gwendolyn, Lesley and Gideon. There were a few errors with translating and the pacing wasn't perfect in Emerald Green, but I had the best time reading it. A great way to start the new year!

Point of Retreat by Colleen Hoover - 3.5/5

I loved Slammed so much and thought it should've been a standalone, but I was eager to continue on. However, Point of Retreat was a really messy, cliché piece of fiction and I was just read upset that I had decided to read it because it's affected the way I see Slammed. I still love Colleen Hoover though and I'm thoroughly looking forward to the release of Confess.






Tempt Me by Isabel Morin - 3/5

I somewhat enjoyed this book, but there was a lot of work needed to improve it. There were grammar and spelling errors in the book that stood out, the characters were a little flat and the ending wasn't satisfying.








Three Amazing Things About You by Jill Mansell - 5/5

I loved this book so much. It was a gorgeous read that opened my eyes to life and how short a lifespan can be if you don't live it to the fullest. The writing was beautiful, the characters were very real and flawed. My only slight critique would be the insta-love for one of the characters, other than that it was pretty perfect.






A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Mass - 4.5/5

I received an ARC copy of this from the publishers and de
spite not liking Throne of Glass, I really loved A Court of Thorns and Roses. It was a beautiful, action pact fantasy novel that had me compelled from page 1. I didn't want to put it down and the fact that it did that shows just how good a book it is. I seriously can't wait for you all to meet Tamlin because he is everything you'd want in a Book Boyfriend. Or Book Husband.




Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins - 4.5/5

I really enjoyed this book. It was a super fun read with witches, vampires, werewolves, shape-shifters and faeries. Paranormal has really become a favourite genre of mine lately and I cannot stop reading it. I am currently reading the sequel, Demonglass and I can say that I'm not enjoying it as much as Hex Hall.

 

Books I DNF'd

 

 

 

 

How many books did you read this month?

Let me know in the comments.



Review: Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Title: Hex Hall

Author: Rachel Hawkins
Genre: YA Paranormal
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Published: March 2nd 2010
Page Number: 323
Rating: 4.5/5

Summary:

 

Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father—an elusive European warlock—only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.
By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tag-along ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire student on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.

As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.

Review:

I wasn't too sure what I was to expect as I went into this book. I love anything to do with Witches and magic, but Young Adult Paranormal isn't exactly a favourite genre of mine. Until Recently. All I want to do is read Paranormal books and this one was absolutely perfect. I felt like I was reading a less cheesy version of a Disney Channel Movie.

Normally I wouldn't compare movies to books, but if you did like the Disney Channel movies Twitches and Halloween Town then you'd definitely like this. It's a fun, quick read with pure action. The main character Sophie is a fresh voice in YA Paranormal. She's spunky, but also very vulnerable and I connected with her so much.

Rachel Hawkins' writing was pretty much flawless and she definitely knew her characters. My absolute favourite was Jenna, Sophie's Vampire best friend and roommate. Jenna was hilarious and the book would not have been the same without her in it, even in parts that she weren't in you could tell that there was a presence missing.

Through the journey of self-discovery, secrets and love, Hex Hall really packs a punch into your gut. Romance is scarce, but that's what built this book up.

I just loved it and I'm so pumped to read books 2 and 3, Demonglass and Spellbound.