March Wrap-Up Post.

So this wrap-up post and the planned reads post are going to be done in the correct order this time! This is doubling as my '2014 "Real" Book Challenge Monthly Wrap-Up, hence the button above! I wasn't quite as successful this month as I'd hoped I would be with the book reading, I've been so busy with Uni stuff that I just haven't had the time until right at the end of the month to get through many books at all. Having had a look at my planned reads however, I've actually read 4/6 books I definitely wanted to (and I'm in the process of reading the 5th, 'Tithe') and 1/3 of the optional books! So, I don't think I did too badly after all! Phew!

1. 'Wolves'; Simon Ings: My first Goodreads 'First Reads' Giveaway win and a pretty good book. I felt the end was pretty rushed, and having been described as a Dystopian novel, the Dystopian element was missing from most of the book. That being said, I didn't hate it. 2.5/5 stars.
2. 'The Hotel Fakir'; Adam Smolka: My second Goodreads 'First Reads' Giveaway win. I thought this book was okay. It needed a lot of work, it was a bit too niche in terms of the Tango expertise required to read it, and the Government conspiracy plot concept became lost in all the dancing. 1/5 stars.
3. 'The Snow Child'; Eowyn Ivey: I loved this book, so much! Ivey is so talented, the setting, characters and concept were just wonderful. It was a very enchanting take on a sad and fairly popular Russian folktale. This is definitely now one of my favourite books. 5/5 stars.
4. 'Daughter Of Smoke & Bone'; Laini Taylor: Another great read, I knew I had to read it after I noticed how popular it was with other reviewers. I was not disappointed, Taylor is a very creative writer, and her fantastic imagination really shone through. I want to see more of Karou and Akiva though! 4.5/5 stars.
5. 'Chasing Sky'; Joss Stirling: I stumbled upon this one by accident and was excited to get into it because I hadn't seen anyone else review it before! It was a fantastic read, Stirling has a great grip on how to write a strong heroine, and I fell in love with the romance between her and Zed. This is Paranormal Romance done right! The dialogue between characters at times felt a little strange however. 3/5 stars.
6. 'The Telling Error'; Sophie Hannah: Another Goodreads 'First Reads' Giveaway win! I had mixed thoughts on this one, I really liked the writing flow and it kept me guessing the whole way through, with lots of twists and turns. The problem was, I didn't like any of the characters and so didn't feel attached to the characters whose lives could be ruined by a false accusation. Also, too many loose ends weren't tied up. 2/5 stars.

Six books in total, this is becoming a habit! Hopefully next month will be better! My planned reads for April will be up tomorrow, I look forward to sharing them with you. There's some exciting ones on the list!