Another year has begun, filled to the brim with books! What a great way to start off the year!
With the way it's going so far, I might even surpass last years challenge! Although only time will tell.
Here's what I read in January:
With the way it's going so far, I might even surpass last years challenge! Although only time will tell.
Here's what I read in January:
by Rowena Cory Daniells
509 Pages
Book two of The Outcast Chronicles; the thrilling story of Imoshen, Tobazim, Ronnyn and Aravelle, continues. The story follows the fate of a tribe of dispossessed mystics. Vastly outnumbered by people without magical abilities, they are persecuted because ordinary people fear their gifts. This persecution culminates in a bloody pogrom sanctioned by the king who lays siege to the Celestial City, last bastion of the mystics. When the city falls, the mystic leader negotiates their surrender and her people are exiled from their homeland.
King Chald has banished the mystics. Their leader, Imoshen, hopes to find a new home for her people but first they must reach port. Fearing they will be waylaid, robbed and murdered, Imoshen offers a reward for living mystics.
When he arrives in port, Tobazim discovers the mystics’ ships have been stolen and merchants are charging exorbitant prices for supplies. Meanwhile, Ronnyn and his family are kidnapped by fishermen eager for the reward.
Whether the ships are ready or not, on the first day of winter all the mystics must leave. Those who remain behind will be hunted down and executed. Time is running out for Imoshen, Tobazim, and the children.
I'm really loving this series. I would've read them all back to back, but I couldn't find them anywhere in the city and had to order them in (Just got in book 3) Once I picked up the book, I couldn't put it down. It is a tragic tale of a people being destroyed because others don't understand them and fear them. Which is a shame because the T’en have a really amazing culture (⚥). Although it can border on barbaric sometimes, it's still less barbaric than that of the True-men culture, where I just feel sorry for everyone.
I would say that this is one of the best series that I have read in a while
by Brandon Sanderson
386 Pages (12:14 Hours)
Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics. But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his wills.
Nobody fights the Epics...nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, they spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them.
And David wants in. He wants Steelheart - the Epic who is said to be invincible. The Epic who killed David's father. For years, like the Reckoners, David's been studying, and planning - and he has something they need. Not an object, but an experience.
He's seen Steelheart bleed. And he wants revenge.
I've been a big fan of Brandon Sanderson for a long time (well, more like a Wheel) and I thought I had read most of his stuff, but then I found out that he wrote a few YA series and they happened to be on sale on Audible and I needed more books to listen to, so it was win-win. And Sparks (!) it was amazing!
Not only is the story really, really good, but the voice actor was spectacular! He really made me me feel like I was part of the book. I got swept away by the combination of author and actor.
I loved the main character, David. He was cheery and silly and had the best horrible metaphors. They were terrible, but always made sense in a weird way and I often found myself giggling in the grocery store as I listened.
Not only is the story really, really good, but the voice actor was spectacular! He really made me me feel like I was part of the book. I got swept away by the combination of author and actor.
I loved the main character, David. He was cheery and silly and had the best horrible metaphors. They were terrible, but always made sense in a weird way and I often found myself giggling in the grocery store as I listened.
Mitosis (Reckoners #1.5)
by Brandon Sanderson
96 Pages (1:04 Hours)
From "New York Times" bestselling author Brandon Sanderson's action-packed novel "Steelheart" comes "Mitosis," a short story set in the world of The Reckoners series, exclusively available in the digital format.
Steelheart may be dead, but Epics still plague Newcago and David and the Reckoners have vowed to fight back.
This was actually the short story that tipped me off to this new series. It was free on Audible and I realized it was part of a larger series when I started to listen to it.
It was a great follow up story to Steelheart and shows what is happening in the aftermath of the first book. Same author, same actor, another great story (!)
192 Pages
In the world of Mouse Guard, mice struggle to live safely and prosper amongst harsh conditions and a host of predators. Thus the Mouse Guard was formed: more than just soldiers that fight off intruders, they are guides for common mice looking to journey without confrontation from one hidden village to another. The Guard patrol borders, find safeways and paths through dangerous territories and treacherous terrain, watch weather patterns, and keep the mouse territories free of predatory infestation. They do so with fearless dedication so that they might not just exist, but truly live. Saxon, Kenzie and Lieam, three such Guardsmice, are dispatched to find a missing merchant mouse that never arrived at his destination. Their search for the missing mouse reveals much more than they expect, as they stumble across a traitor in the Guard’s own ranks.
I always forget how much I love graphic novels and how much joy and entertainment I get out of them. I decided that I'd like to read more of them this year and add more types of media to my reading. I decided to start off with Mouse Guard, since I've been meaning to read it for a long time. It's hard to reconcile so many adorable creatures in such a horrid and intense story. This is not a story for children as it involves treason, wars, getting eaten and many other serious issues. It's really quite in depth and very good. I'm looking forward to reading the next one.
Firefight (Reckoners #2)
by Brandon Sanderson
From the #1 "New York Times" bestselling author of Words of Radiance coauthor of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, and creator of the internationally bestselling Mistborn Trilogy, Brandon Sanderson presents the second book in the Reckoners series: Firefight, the sequel to the #1 bestseller Steelheart.
They told David it was impossible--that even the Reckoners had never killed a High Epic. Yet, Steelheart--invincible, immortal, unconquerable--is dead. And he died by David's hand.
Eliminating Steelheart was supposed to make life more simple. Instead, it only made David realize he has questions. Big ones. And there's no one in Newcago who can give him the answers he needs.
Babylon Restored, the old borough of Manhattan, has possibilities, though. Ruled by the mysterious High Epic, Regalia, David is sure Babylon Restored will lead him to what he needs to find. And while entering another city oppressed by a High Epic despot is a gamble, David's willing to risk it. Because killing Steelheart left a hole in David's heart. A hole where his thirst for vengeance once lived. Somehow, he filled that hole with another Epic--Firefight. And he's willing to go on a quest darker, and more dangerous even, than the fight against Steelheart to find her, and to get his answers.
The Emperor's Soul (Elantris)
by Brandon Sanderson
175 Pages (3:55 Hours)
A heretic thief is the empire’s only hope in this fascinating tale that inhabits the same world as the popular novel, Elantris.
Shai is a Forger, a foreigner who can flawlessly copy and re-create any item by rewriting its history with skillful magic. Condemned to death after trying to steal the emperor’s scepter, she is given one opportunity to save herself. Though her skill as a Forger is considered an abomination by her captors, Shai will attempt to create a new soul for the emperor, who is almost dead.
Probing deeply into his life, she discovers Emperor Ashravan’s truest nature—and the opportunity to exploit it. Her only possible ally is one who is truly loyal to the emperor, but councilor Gaotona must overcome his prejudices to understand that Shai’s forgery is as much artistry as it is deception.
Brimming with magic and political intrigue, this deftly woven fantasy delves into the essence of a living spirit.
When I decided to look up and see if there were any other Brandon Sanderson books that I didn't know about, I came across this little gem. This was a great short story, and although it took place pretty much in one room, it was always interesting. As Shai learned about the Emperor, she finds that she understands him more and more. The job becomes less of the price of freedom and more of a challenge for herself to see not only if she can actually complete the soul, but if she can help shape the man she now knows he can be (!)
596 Pages
Karigan G'ladheon had been a Green Rider, one of the king of Sacoridia's elite magical messengers. In the messenger service she had been caught up in a world of deadly danger, and though she had defeated the Eletian who cracked the magical D'Yer Wall—which had protected Sacoridia for a thousand years from the dark influence of Blackveil Forest, and Mornhavon the Black's evil spirit imprisoned within it—she had nonetheless been tainted by his wild magic.Exhausted in body and spirit, Karigan had returned to her home in Corsa. But Karigan's determination was no match for the Rider's call. Ghostly hoofbeats echoed in the deep regions of her mind, and she returned to the court to find the Green Riders weakened and diminished. Rider magic was becoming unreliable, and she herself was having ghostly visions of Lil Ambriodhe, First Rider, and founder of the Green Rider corps. But why was she appearing to Karigan? And would Karigan be able to seek the help of a woman who had been dead for a thousand years? First Rider's Call is the thrilling second novel of the Green Rider series.
I wasn't hugely impressed by the first book in this series, so I'd been putting off reading the sequel. But boy am I glad that I decided to pick it up. It was really great! Much better than the first one. I guess some series take a few books to really hit their groove.
There was a lot happening in this book, the riders were losing control of their powers, the evil creatures were attacking the outlying kingdom towns, the Wall was being to break down, even the horses (^..^) were acting strange. Karigan begins to see ghosts and starts to figure out what might be happening.
I couldn't put this book down. I wanted to know what was going to happen next and I wasn't disappointed. I've already picked up the next book!
Koko Takes a Holiday (EBK #1)
by Kieran Shea
Five hundred years from now, ex-corporate mercenary Koko Martstellar is swaggering through an easy early retirement as a brothel owner on The Sixty Islands, a manufactured tropical resort archipelago known for its sex and simulated violence. Surrounded by slang-drooling boywhores and synthetic komodo dragons, Koko finds the most challenging part of her day might be deciding on her next drink. That is, until her old comrade Portia Delacompte sends a squad of security personnel to murder her.
This book was recommended to me while I was perusing for new books at Chapters. She told me it was like an awesome action movie, but with a female protagonist. I was sold! Sadly, the book did not live up to my standards. Yes, it is like an action movie, but one where I didn't like any of the characters. I appreciated that some of the side characters were diverse (⚥) and interesting, at least until they killed all of them off.
The story was written in present-tense and it was really disconcerting. I think what pissed me off the most was that the secondary character, Flynn, who suffers from Depressus (#), an incurable depression that ends with people committing mass suicide. Not only do all of these people give up and kill themselves, they're encouraged to do so and it's made into a grand event. Koko is convinced that Depressus isn't real and that Flynn just needs to "live a little" to fix himself. The worst part is that it works! As someone who lives with a mental illness, I was furious at this. I was furious at the whole handling of mental illness in this book.
Needless to say, I will not be reading the sequel.
Miss Scarlet's School of Patternless Sewing
by Kathy Cano-Murillo
352 Pages
Sometimes to find your life's true path, you have to stray outside the lines . . .
Scarlet Santana is never happier than when creating fabulous fashions for women of all shapes and sizes. Now, after years of hard work, she finally has the chance to live her dream and study under the hottest designer in New York. To raise money for her move, Scarlet opens an after-hours sewing school in a local record shop, teaching a type-A working mom whose rigid parenting style is causing her family to unravel and an enigmatic seamstress with a mysterious past.
But as stitches give way to secrets and classmates become friends, the women realize an important truth: There is no single pattern for a good life. Happiness is always a custom fit.
This was my first TBR book of the year! It was actually to go on last years TBR list, but I already had too many books on it. That's how long this has been sitting unread on my shelf. (⚥)
I've been doing a lot of sewing lately, so I thought this book would be a good fit and it was!
It was really good! Although it was pretty predictable in the end, it was a great journey to get there. I really do love books about women coming together and helping each other out. It was also super positive when it came to loving ourselves as we are and bringing out the best in ourselves.
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (Inheritance #1)
by N.K. Jemisin
427 Pages
Yeine Darr is an outcast from the barbarian north. But when her mother dies under mysterious circumstances, she is summoned to the majestic city of Sky. There, to her shock, Yeine is named an heiress to the king. But the throne of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is not easily won, and Yeine is thrust into a vicious power struggle.
This was a really neat book. I really liked the premise of it. The siblings and children of the Sun God have been beaten and now reside as playthings for the Royal Family of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. By their commands, the godlings (⚥) are forced to do whatever the royal family wishes. But when Yeine comes to court, instead of controlling them, she befriends them.
The games that the royal family and the godlings are playing, both revolve around her and she must figure out what side she'd on and how to deal with all the plots and save her home and people.
I was surprised to find out that this was the first book in a series. I'm very interested in finding out what happens next.
Books that I am currently reading
Crossroads of Twilight (The Wheel of Time #10)
by Robert Jordan
556 of 704 Pages (23:18 of 26:04 Hours)
A Treasury of Royal Scandals
by Michael Farquhar
94 of 324 Pages
Sanctuary (The Outcast Chronicles #3)
by Rowena Cory Daniells
168 of 559 Pages
by Brandon Sanderson
96 Pages (1:04 Hours)
From "New York Times" bestselling author Brandon Sanderson's action-packed novel "Steelheart" comes "Mitosis," a short story set in the world of The Reckoners series, exclusively available in the digital format.
Steelheart may be dead, but Epics still plague Newcago and David and the Reckoners have vowed to fight back.
This was actually the short story that tipped me off to this new series. It was free on Audible and I realized it was part of a larger series when I started to listen to it.
It was a great follow up story to Steelheart and shows what is happening in the aftermath of the first book. Same author, same actor, another great story (!)
by David Petersen
In the world of Mouse Guard, mice struggle to live safely and prosper amongst harsh conditions and a host of predators. Thus the Mouse Guard was formed: more than just soldiers that fight off intruders, they are guides for common mice looking to journey without confrontation from one hidden village to another. The Guard patrol borders, find safeways and paths through dangerous territories and treacherous terrain, watch weather patterns, and keep the mouse territories free of predatory infestation. They do so with fearless dedication so that they might not just exist, but truly live. Saxon, Kenzie and Lieam, three such Guardsmice, are dispatched to find a missing merchant mouse that never arrived at his destination. Their search for the missing mouse reveals much more than they expect, as they stumble across a traitor in the Guard’s own ranks.
I always forget how much I love graphic novels and how much joy and entertainment I get out of them. I decided that I'd like to read more of them this year and add more types of media to my reading. I decided to start off with Mouse Guard, since I've been meaning to read it for a long time. It's hard to reconcile so many adorable creatures in such a horrid and intense story. This is not a story for children as it involves treason, wars, getting eaten and many other serious issues. It's really quite in depth and very good. I'm looking forward to reading the next one.
Firefight (Reckoners #2)
by Brandon Sanderson
416 Pages (11:37 Hours)
From the #1 "New York Times" bestselling author of Words of Radiance coauthor of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, and creator of the internationally bestselling Mistborn Trilogy, Brandon Sanderson presents the second book in the Reckoners series: Firefight, the sequel to the #1 bestseller Steelheart.
They told David it was impossible--that even the Reckoners had never killed a High Epic. Yet, Steelheart--invincible, immortal, unconquerable--is dead. And he died by David's hand.
Eliminating Steelheart was supposed to make life more simple. Instead, it only made David realize he has questions. Big ones. And there's no one in Newcago who can give him the answers he needs.
Babylon Restored, the old borough of Manhattan, has possibilities, though. Ruled by the mysterious High Epic, Regalia, David is sure Babylon Restored will lead him to what he needs to find. And while entering another city oppressed by a High Epic despot is a gamble, David's willing to risk it. Because killing Steelheart left a hole in David's heart. A hole where his thirst for vengeance once lived. Somehow, he filled that hole with another Epic--Firefight. And he's willing to go on a quest darker, and more dangerous even, than the fight against Steelheart to find her, and to get his answers.
Holy Sparks (!) another one of these? Yup, here's book 2 of this series, still read by the amazing actor. This book starts to get deeper into what actually happened to bring on Calamity and the changes it wrought. Matters aren't as cut and dry as everyone once thought they were, now there are even more question to be answered. Can the Epics be good or does their power corrupt absolutely?
I really love the set of of Babylon Restored. It's really quite beautiful, especially after the Steel city of Newcago. The city has been flooded, and people live in the tops of high-rises, but fruit trees have begun to grow everywhere and they glow in the dark and give people a surplus of food and hope.
The next book in the series comes out next month and part of me want to run to the store on release day and buy it, but the other part of me wants to wait until it's recorded so I can keep living in the story the same way.
by Brandon Sanderson
175 Pages (3:55 Hours)
A heretic thief is the empire’s only hope in this fascinating tale that inhabits the same world as the popular novel, Elantris.
Shai is a Forger, a foreigner who can flawlessly copy and re-create any item by rewriting its history with skillful magic. Condemned to death after trying to steal the emperor’s scepter, she is given one opportunity to save herself. Though her skill as a Forger is considered an abomination by her captors, Shai will attempt to create a new soul for the emperor, who is almost dead.
Probing deeply into his life, she discovers Emperor Ashravan’s truest nature—and the opportunity to exploit it. Her only possible ally is one who is truly loyal to the emperor, but councilor Gaotona must overcome his prejudices to understand that Shai’s forgery is as much artistry as it is deception.
Brimming with magic and political intrigue, this deftly woven fantasy delves into the essence of a living spirit.
When I decided to look up and see if there were any other Brandon Sanderson books that I didn't know about, I came across this little gem. This was a great short story, and although it took place pretty much in one room, it was always interesting. As Shai learned about the Emperor, she finds that she understands him more and more. The job becomes less of the price of freedom and more of a challenge for herself to see not only if she can actually complete the soul, but if she can help shape the man she now knows he can be (!)
by Kristen Britain
Karigan G'ladheon had been a Green Rider, one of the king of Sacoridia's elite magical messengers. In the messenger service she had been caught up in a world of deadly danger, and though she had defeated the Eletian who cracked the magical D'Yer Wall—which had protected Sacoridia for a thousand years from the dark influence of Blackveil Forest, and Mornhavon the Black's evil spirit imprisoned within it—she had nonetheless been tainted by his wild magic.Exhausted in body and spirit, Karigan had returned to her home in Corsa. But Karigan's determination was no match for the Rider's call. Ghostly hoofbeats echoed in the deep regions of her mind, and she returned to the court to find the Green Riders weakened and diminished. Rider magic was becoming unreliable, and she herself was having ghostly visions of Lil Ambriodhe, First Rider, and founder of the Green Rider corps. But why was she appearing to Karigan? And would Karigan be able to seek the help of a woman who had been dead for a thousand years? First Rider's Call is the thrilling second novel of the Green Rider series.
I wasn't hugely impressed by the first book in this series, so I'd been putting off reading the sequel. But boy am I glad that I decided to pick it up. It was really great! Much better than the first one. I guess some series take a few books to really hit their groove.
There was a lot happening in this book, the riders were losing control of their powers, the evil creatures were attacking the outlying kingdom towns, the Wall was being to break down, even the horses (^..^) were acting strange. Karigan begins to see ghosts and starts to figure out what might be happening.
I couldn't put this book down. I wanted to know what was going to happen next and I wasn't disappointed. I've already picked up the next book!
Koko Takes a Holiday (EBK #1)
by Kieran Shea
400 Pages
This book was recommended to me while I was perusing for new books at Chapters. She told me it was like an awesome action movie, but with a female protagonist. I was sold! Sadly, the book did not live up to my standards. Yes, it is like an action movie, but one where I didn't like any of the characters. I appreciated that some of the side characters were diverse (⚥) and interesting, at least until they killed all of them off.
The story was written in present-tense and it was really disconcerting. I think what pissed me off the most was that the secondary character, Flynn, who suffers from Depressus (#), an incurable depression that ends with people committing mass suicide. Not only do all of these people give up and kill themselves, they're encouraged to do so and it's made into a grand event. Koko is convinced that Depressus isn't real and that Flynn just needs to "live a little" to fix himself. The worst part is that it works! As someone who lives with a mental illness, I was furious at this. I was furious at the whole handling of mental illness in this book.
Needless to say, I will not be reading the sequel.
Miss Scarlet's School of Patternless Sewing
by Kathy Cano-Murillo
352 Pages
Sometimes to find your life's true path, you have to stray outside the lines . . .
Scarlet Santana is never happier than when creating fabulous fashions for women of all shapes and sizes. Now, after years of hard work, she finally has the chance to live her dream and study under the hottest designer in New York. To raise money for her move, Scarlet opens an after-hours sewing school in a local record shop, teaching a type-A working mom whose rigid parenting style is causing her family to unravel and an enigmatic seamstress with a mysterious past.
But as stitches give way to secrets and classmates become friends, the women realize an important truth: There is no single pattern for a good life. Happiness is always a custom fit.
This was my first TBR book of the year! It was actually to go on last years TBR list, but I already had too many books on it. That's how long this has been sitting unread on my shelf. (⚥)
I've been doing a lot of sewing lately, so I thought this book would be a good fit and it was!
It was really good! Although it was pretty predictable in the end, it was a great journey to get there. I really do love books about women coming together and helping each other out. It was also super positive when it came to loving ourselves as we are and bringing out the best in ourselves.
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (Inheritance #1)
by N.K. Jemisin
427 Pages
Yeine Darr is an outcast from the barbarian north. But when her mother dies under mysterious circumstances, she is summoned to the majestic city of Sky. There, to her shock, Yeine is named an heiress to the king. But the throne of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is not easily won, and Yeine is thrust into a vicious power struggle.
This was a really neat book. I really liked the premise of it. The siblings and children of the Sun God have been beaten and now reside as playthings for the Royal Family of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. By their commands, the godlings (⚥) are forced to do whatever the royal family wishes. But when Yeine comes to court, instead of controlling them, she befriends them.
The games that the royal family and the godlings are playing, both revolve around her and she must figure out what side she'd on and how to deal with all the plots and save her home and people.
I was surprised to find out that this was the first book in a series. I'm very interested in finding out what happens next.
Books that I am currently reading
Crossroads of Twilight (The Wheel of Time #10)
by Robert Jordan
556 of 704 Pages (23:18 of 26:04 Hours)
A Treasury of Royal Scandals
by Michael Farquhar
94 of 324 Pages
Sanctuary (The Outcast Chronicles #3)
by Rowena Cory Daniells
168 of 559 Pages
