January 2018 Wrap Up

Hey there, book fam! How’s everybody doing this morning?If you’re starting your Wednesday with a fraction of the joy the mother of dragons Emilia Clarke exudes in the above clip, I’d say you’re doing just fine! And if you’re not, click this and try not to laugh. I dare you!

Now that everyone is in a good mood, let’s check out my January 2018 Wrap Up!

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JANUARY READS (Full RsTC):

1) A Short History of the Girl Next Door by Jared Reck – 4 STARS

I picked this contemporary up because of Karen Jo, and I’m so thankful that I did! Its’ neon cover and socially awkward MC lured me in with laughs, stud-poetry, and costumed-antics. And right when I felt all warm and fuzzy it swiftly sucker-punched me in the feels. This book with it’s raw and honest portrayal of grief brought me back to a very vivid time in my life and provides a needed — yet emotional — insight for the YA genre.

2) Yes Please by Amy Poehler – 3.5 STARS

Say whatever you want. Do whatever you like. Be whoever you are. These are the photo-enhanced segments (click the links to see) my spirit animal Poehler uses to break down her entertaining autobiography. Don’t let the rating fool you, this is a charming — and rather foul mouthed — glimpse into Poehler’s rise to fame and full of quotes I plan on pasting on inspiration boards. Cause that’s a thing. People do it.

3) ARC: S.T.A.G.S. by M.A. Bennett – 2.5 STARS

January wasn’t a great month for ARCs. Not only because I didn’t read a lot of them (my fault), but also because the one I did fell flat (not my fault). As someone that’s seen The Skulls a handful of times past embarrassing, this boarding school/secret society “thriller” seemed right up my alley. Unfortunately, too many details were given in advance and instead of adding to the mystery, it robbed me of the payoff.

4) Egomaniac by Vi Keeland – 2.5 STARS

If we were to play “one of these things is not like the other,” I think it’s safe to assume we’d all land on this tall glass of water. And while I’d love to tell you that this ab-tastic cover held a truly refreshing story inside, I can’t. It’s a quick read that’s more steam than story, but not a bad way to spend an afternoon.

5) Warcross by Marie Lu – 4 STARS

This YA sci-fi was read by like “90 percent of people ages 12–30 ” on my Goodreads feed, so I felt compelled to enter the game as well. As a non-gamer, I still found the plot interesting — yet somewhat predictable — and am excited to see where our rainbow-haired hijacker ends up in book 2. Plus, Lu’s vivid descriptions of Tokyo were so absorbing it single handedly pushed it at least 3 spaces higher up my bucket list.

6) Clipped Wings by Helena Hunting – 3.5 STARS

In efforts to read more of the books I already owned, I wrapped the month with a contemporary duology that had been sitting on my shelves for ages. Centering on two shielded and seemingly broken characters drawn together by their losses, this romantic read provides some fresh twists to the crowded genre and only received a lower score for falling over into a second book.

7) Inked Armor by Helena Hunting – 4 STARS

See #6 but add better character developments, a tatted cast of lovable side characters, and a conclusion worthy of your efforts.

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My January 2018 wrap up consisted of 7 books and an average star rating of 3.43, which is almost half a star lower than last month. Womp Womp…

At the end of the day, I got an ARC off the list and exclusively read books I already owned so I’m considering that a win! Have you loved/hated/meh’d any of these books? What books are you diving into in February?

And, as always, Happy Reading!