Chased By My Imagination: August Wrap-Up.

Wednesday, 31 August 2016

August Wrap-Up.

This month didn't turn out to be so great, as I only managed 4 of the 7 chosen reads. However, I very much put this down to moving into my new flat, work, and the huge amount of social events I had going on! I'm not very annoyed at myself, because I'm trying to become more relaxed about how many books I get to read in a month.

'City Of Bones'; Cassandra Clare. This book has been a pretty big source of contention for a lot of readers, with accusations of plagiarism and bad writing flying all around the Goodreads review list, as well as sentiments of love and devotion for the series too. Casting all of that out of my mind, I found I enjoyed this book and see great potential, though couldn't really get into Clare's character work (Magnus Bane aside). 3.5/5 Stars.
'The Book Of Lost Things'; John Connolly. I had high hopes for this book, especially as it came so highly recommended by a lot of bloggers. It turned out to be a hugely enjoyable read too, with clever, dark twists on classic Fairy Tales. I love symbolism and hidden meanings, so enjoyed deciphering what everything meant. I wish that MC David had been a bit more likeable so that I could truly root for him but all in all, a great read. 4/5 Stars.
'The Girl With All The Gifts'; M.R. Carey. This is my favourite read of the month without a doubt, and a strong contender for the 2016 top spot! Wow! Carey wrote well and crafted not only an engrossing, heart-pounding story but some interesting characters, each with their own sense of morality and what is right. I loved the multiple POVs and look forward to reading more work from Carey in the future! 5/5 Stars.
'Burial Rites'; Hannah Kent. This was the perfect end to a pretty hectic reading month, and as the first Historical Standalone I've read in a while, I loved it! Well-researched, a hauntingly beautiful story, and multiple characters that are both well-crafted and multi-faceted, the only complaint I had were the similar names that left me wondering who was who at a couple of points in the book. 4.5/5 Stars.

This month I have read four books for Pretty Deadly Review's Backlist Challenge, bringing my yearly total so far to thirty two. This month's reads were:

- 'City Of Bones' by Cassandra Clare

- 'The Book Of Lost Things' by John Connolly

- 'The Girl With All The Gifts' by M.R. Carey

- 'Burial Rites' by Hannah Kent.

This month I have read zero books for Falling For YA's Netgalley & Edelweiss Challenge bringing my yearly total so far to twelve.

This month I have gained zero points for Novel Heartbeat and Writer Grrl Reads' Prequel & Sequel Challenge, bringing my yearly total so far to forty four.