This is a sad book release month for me. Although most are from exceptional authors, I’m too far behind in their respective series for these releases to excited me. The only one I’m super eager to read is the next Mythos Academy novel by Jennifer Estep. The good news? July can now be devoted to my TBR pile (woot!).
Which one are you excited for?
This month was a little slow in the review department. Between getting all four wisdom teeth pulled and then spending a week in a cabin lacking Internet access I think I lost a good two weeks worth of quality posting. I had planned on having posts scheduled while I was on vacation but the wisdom teeth thing was rather sudden and unplanned. In any case, what I lacked in quantity this month I think was made up by quality – three of the books listed are some of my favorites that I’ve read ever!
June’s Reviews:
(click the covers to read full review)
The 5th Wave (5/5 stars!)
The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey
Hex Hall (5/5 stars!)
Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
The Elite (4/5 stars)
The Planet Thieves (4/5 stars)
And my favorite pick this month:
The Deepest Night (5/5 stars!)
Although not many were reviewed, there was certainly not a shortage of books to read. So, here’s to an excellent month of reviews in July – happy reading!
This is a feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish that allows bloggers the chance to geek out about their favorite books. This week’s topic:
Top Ten Favorite Books Read So Far in 2013
This was actually a hard one for me, as I can’t remember the last time I read so many 4.5+ star books in such a short timeframe. My strategy of giving up all the “obligations” and focusing solely on the books that excite me has really paid off!
(click on the covers for full reviews)
#1 Gameboard of the Gods – 5/5 stars
Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead
This was probably my favorite so far this year. Mead really outdid herself.
#2 The Selection – 4.5/5 stars
The Selection by Kiera Cass
This book tickled me.
#3 Black Magic Sanction – 5/5 stars
This one was my favorite Harrison book so far. It’s always nice when a series gets better and better as it goes along.
#4 Hex Hall – 5/5 stars
I am kicking myself for not reading this sooner – I loved it!
#5 Hounded – 4.5/5 stars
I consider this a must-read for any urban fantasy fan.
#6 The Bane – 4/5 stars
The Bane by Keary Taylor
This is dystopian, and I’m really excited to see where the story goes next. It’s perfect for fans of Divergent and Partials.
#7 The Ghost King – 5/5 stars
The Ghost King by R.A.Salvatore
Just when I think this author can’t possibly produce another great novel, he dazzles me.
#8 Indigo Spell – 5/5 stars
Ugh, I can’t wait for the next one. These are SO good!
#9 Frost Burned – 5/5 stars
One of the best urban fantasy series ever – this one was no exception.
#10 The Deepest Night – 5/5 stars
This novel was beautiful, breathtaking, and romantic.
Such good reading this year so far! What books made your list?
Title: Perdition
Author: Ann Aguirre
Series: The Dred Chronicles #1
Genre: Science Fiction
Release Date: August 27, 2013
The Overview: The prison ship Perdition, a floating city where the Conglomerate’s most dangerous criminals are confined for life, orbits endlessly around a barren asteroid.
Life inside is even more bleak. Hailed as the Dread Queen, inmate Dresdemona “Dred” Devos controls one of Perdition’s six territories, bordered on both sides by would-be kings eager to challenge her claim. Keeping them at bay requires constant vigilance, as well as a steady influx of new recruits to replace the fallen. Survival is a constant battle, and death is the only escape.
Of the newest convicts, only one is worth Dred’s attention. The mercenary Jael, with his deadly gaze and attitude, may be the most dangerous criminal onboard. His combat skill could give her the edge she needs, if he doesn’t betray her first. Unfortunately, that’s what he does best. Winning Jael’s allegiance will be a challenge, but failure could be worse than death…
Nik’s Notes:
I actually mourned when I found out that Endgame was Aguirre’s last Sirantha Jax book. I enjoyed it so much that I’ve already got plans to read it again within the next year (and with the current size of my TBR pile, that is a huge commitment). I had no idea she was going to do a spinoff series, and I think I actually squealed when I found out. This author is fantastic, and must-read for any science fiction and urban fantasy fan. In all seriousness, this is the book release I am most excited about between now and the end of the year…she’s that good.
Click on the cover below to see a full review of the Sirantha Jax series. Although the featured title is of the final book, there are no spoilers and it’s more my impression of the series as a whole. Enjoy!
These are, in my opinion, the best of the best book releases in June. There aren’t very many teen books this month, which is a contrasts to the last few months where it seems like I was struggling to include a good fantasy. My favorite release is Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead, but as I’ve already read it, I am most excited to pick up The Human by Keary Taylor. Are any of them on your list?
This is the second month in a row that I’ve posted this feature, and I have to say it’s probably one of my favorites. Not only does it give you guys a chance to catch the reviews you missed, but it also allows me to reflect on all the stellar books I’ve been reading lately. I am now three months then to my commitment to only read the books at the top of my “must – read” list, leaving all of those “obligation” series for when there’s truly nothing exciting on my radar. I used to force myself through books that I wasn’t enjoying, but no more! Because of this, I haven’t enjoyed reading this much since I was a kid. Long story short, I’m not picking a favorite this month – there were too many good ones!
As a side note, I’ve also created a review archive with links to all the books I’ve reviewed since I started the blog (separated by genre, of course) which I will be updating periodically.
May’s Reviews:
(clicking on the covers will direct you to the full reviews)
Frost Burned: 5/5 stars!
Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
Fablehaven: 5/5 stars!
The Indigo Spell: 5/5 stars!
Walking Disaster: 4.5/5 stars
The Selection by Kiera Cass
The Selection: 5/5 stars!
The Spirits War: 4.5/5 stars!
Chill Factor: 2.5/5 stars
A Shadow in Summer: 5/5 stars!
The Darkest Minds: 3.5/5 stars
Dancing with the Devil by Keri Arthur
Dancing with the Devil: 2/5 stars
This also happened to be the month that all my blogging dreams came true: one of my reviews was shared by my all-time favorite author, Richelle Mead. My first instinct was to play it off as if this sort of thing happens to me all the time; but who am I kidding? It is seriously the coolest thing that’s ever happened to me and made all of the blood sweat and tears I pour into this blog worth every moment!
There you have it – my adventures in May! There were couple of books that didn’t quite work for me for various reasons, but on the whole, this was a stellar month of reading! I cannot remember the last time I read so many five-star books in a month. What books were at the top of your list?
The Obsessive Bookseller 