May Wrap-Up Post.

Okay so this month didn't quite go to plan in terms of reading the exact books that I listed for my challenges. I did manage to complete all my challenges (by the skin of my teeth) but not with the books I said that I would. Still, I have managed it and I did read 5/6 of the Netgalley reads that I promised that I would. Now this normally counts as my wrap up post for my '2014 Real Book Challenge' as well but I've actually only read Kindle books this month (something that will change next month). So without further ado, here are this month's reads and a catch-up on my Bookish Bingo challenge too.

Kindle Reads:

1. 'Herafter'; Terri Bruce. A pretty enjoyable start to a completely new author to me. Having been approved for the second in the series, 'Thereafter', I really wanted to read this one first. I'm glad I did though I had a few issues with it. 3.5/5 stars.
2. 'Deep Blue'; Jennifer Donnelly. I had read mixed reviews on this one but I actually really enjoyed it. Once I got past the first few chapters of rather extreme information dumping, I thought there were too many good points to ignore and look forward to the next one! 3.5/5 stars.
3. 'Cuckoo Song'; Frances Hardinge. What a creepy, original and enjoyable book! I had really looked forward to this one and was not disappointed. It was sinister, the plot well thought out and I loved the characters. 4/5 stars.
4. 'Thereafter'; Terri Bruce. I finally felt ready to return to the Bruce's world of the Afterlife and I'm really glad I looked past some of my reservations from the first book and went on! the second book was a lot better, it felt more focused and I was thoroughly impressed with the amount of research that must have gone into this one. 4/5 stars.
5. 'The Three'; Sarah Lotz. I had some mixed thoughts on this book. It was very different in style and structure to books I've read previously, and I found this confusing and frustrating at first. I did end up really getting into it though, I just wish the ending had been a little more conclusive. 3.5/5 stars.
6. 'A Red Tale'; Nicola Mar. I wanted to enjoy this book so badly but it started to go off track after the first few chapters. Characters seemed inconsistent and I didn't get very attached to them. As well as that, there were just far too many elements in this one and none of them felt completely tied up. 1/5 stars.
7. 'Shadow And Bone'; Leigh Bardugo. I have only just finished this one as I'm writing this, and I loved it! Why did it take me so long to read this book? A beautiful contribution to the fantasy genre with a wonderful setting, great characters and a perfectly built romance. 4.5/5 stars.

7 books this month! That isn't too bad right? Considering it's probably been the most stressful month at Uni! Still, I probably should have done a bit better. I'm particularly eager to read more physical books next month! Here is the next Bookish Bingo update!

New-to-you Author: The Three, Sarah Lotz.

A Romance: A Certain Slant Of Light, Laura Whitcomb.

Featuring Recovery: Cuckoo Song, Frances Hardinge.

Child Narrator: The Invention Of Wings, Sue Monk Kidd.

Set In the Caribbean: A Red Tale, Nicola Mar.

Has Been Made Into A Movie: The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins.

Spring Release: Thereafter, Terri Bruce.

Featuring Travel: Demolition Queen (Champagne, Murder & Chaos), Betsy Cook Speer.

Strong Parent-Child Relationships: The Fault In Our Stars, John Green.

Written By A Woman: Deep Blue, Jennifer Donnelly.

1st In A Series: Tithe (A Modern Faerie Tale), Holly Black.

Starts with S, P, R, I, N or G. The Poison Eaters, Holly Black.

A YA Book: Days Of Blood & Starlight, Laini Taylor.