Sunday, December 31, 2017

Newfangled 52 - December Edition



Christmas has come and gone and this year is finally winding down. This year has had it's ups and downs in life as well as in books. Some were really great and others not so much. But in the end, I managed to read 96 books this year,


Not quite as many as last year, but still pretty good.
Anyhoo, here are the last books I read this year:


by Kiera Cass


64 Pages

While America Singer's heart was torn between Aspen and Prince Maxon, her friend Marlee knew exactly what she wanted—and paid the price.
Revisit the captivating world of Kiera Cass's #1 New York Times bestselling Selection series in this digital original novella. Told from Marlee's point of view, this all-new 64-page story returns to the fateful Halloween when Marlee and Carter were discovered, and reveals how that night—and Prince Maxon—changed their lives forever.

The great thing about having an online library card is that I can finally read all those short stories that all my favorite authors write. That includes all of The Selection short stories (that all somehow seem to be exactly 64 pages). This one was probably my favorite, because who doesn't love Marlee? I'm still glad she managed to find her happily ever after.



by Jay Kristoff


125 Pages

Your blood-red skies are filled with smoke. Your bleach-white histories with lies. You walk sleeping. Wake senseless. Breathing deep of toxic blooms and forgetting all that has gone before.
But I remember.
I remember when two brothers waged bloody war over the right to sit in their father’s empty chair. I remember when orphaned twins faced each other across a field of crimson and steel, the fate of the Shima Shōgunate hanging in the poisoned sky between them.
I remember when a blind boy stood before a court of storms and talons, armed only with a thin sword and a muttered prophecy and a desperate dream of saving the world.
I remember when the skies above Shima were not red, but blue. Filled with thundeabler tigers.
I remember when they left you.
And I remember why.
Let me tell you, monkey-child.

This short story takes place before the Lotus Wars series and I wasn't sure I was going to like it. But the more I read of it, the more I enjoyed it. The character's are not as lovable as the original series, but then again I didn't have 3 books to fall in love with them either. It is interesting to see how the world ended up as it did, due to choices that these characters made eons before the books.



by Kiera Cass


64 Pages

Before America Singer met Prince Maxon . . . 
Before she entered the Selection . . . 
She was in love with a boy named Aspen Leger.
Don't miss this digital original novella set in the captivating world of Kiera Cass's #1 New York Times bestselling Selection trilogy. This brand new 64-page story begins just after the group of Selected girls is narrowed down to the Elite and is told from Aspen's point of view.

This story was okay. I never really liked Aspen all that much, so I didn't feel like I got much out of it. It's pretty much just a retelling of the story but from an observers perspective. Not nearly as interesting, but an okay story none the less.



by Kiera Cass


64 Pages

Before thirty-five girls were chosen to compete in the Selection...
Before Aspen broke America's heart...
There was another girl in Prince Maxon's life...
Don't miss this thrilling 64-page original novella set in the world of the New York Times bestselling novel The Selection.

This tiny blurb about this story makes it seem like this other girl is a big plot point in the story, but she's really not. She's pretty much just a friend that they try and force on him as a love interest, but he's just not interested. Mostly it's a story about him getting ready for the Selection to start and not knowing how to feel about that. I actually liked this story quite a bit.



by Glen Cook


318 Pages

She is the last hope of good in the war against the evil sorceress known as the Lady. From a secret base on the Plains of Fear, where even the Lady hesitates to go, the Black Company, once in service to the Lady, now fights to bring victory to the White Rose. But now an even greater evil threatens the world. All the great battles that have gone before will seem a skirmishes when the Dominator rises from the grave.

This was my RBA for the month. It wasn't nearly as good as the second book was and it took me forever to read. There was a lot of boring parts, but the few interesting parts made up for it. I really like Croaker's relationship with The Lady and could read about it all day. She totally made the book for me. I like to read more about her. 


by Brandon Sanderson


59 Pages

A fascinating new novella in Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere, the universe shared by his Mistborn series and the #1 New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive. 
Sixth of the Dusk, set in a never-before-seen world, showcases a society on the brink of technological change. On the deadly island of Patji, where birds grant people magical talents and predators can sense the thoughts of their prey, a solitary trapper discovers that the island is not the only thing out to kill him. When he begins to see his own corpse at every turn, does this spell danger for his entire culture?

This was another interesting short story by Brandon Sanderson. I have absolutely no idea how all his books fit into one big Universe, but I will gladly keep reading until I find out. This was a neat concept about times changing, especially with technology, and how it is beginning to upset the balance of the World. Quite neat indeed.


by J.C. Nelson


97 Pages

As the right hand woman at the Fairy Godfather’s Grimm Agency, Marissa Locks has a grip on all things magical. If only she could get control of her own not-so-charmed life…
For most people, waking up after a night of partying next to a dragon, sporting a tattoo with a mind of its own, would be a new low. For Marissa, only the tattoo is new—and, unfortunately, it’s not the weirdest part of her day. The Agency has been called in to stop a string of messy murders, a problem that’s turning into a disaster of biblical proportions, and Marissa’s been assigned to the case.
One of the archangels from Paradisia is attempting to switch teams, and he’s willing to use as many souls as it takes to pay his way. With Grimm contractually bound to clean up the chaos, Marissa must find a way to keep the former cherub from completing his rampage. But between fighting an angel gone bad and battling the magical compulsions of her new Fae tattoo, Marissa’s definitely facing the worst hangover in history…

I loved these books, so I was super hyped to find out that there was another one, even if it was a short story that takes place in between books. I would gladly keep reading stories about Marissa and her friends. They have the perfect about of humor, action and sass that I like in an urban fiction story. 



Alright, so now that we've covered this month, how about we take a quick look back at my year in books



Not too shabby if I do say so myself. And I didn't do too badly with my RBA (Recommended By Adam) 






6. Deathless (Leningrad Diptych #1) - Catherynne M. Valente 





11. Equal Rites (Discworld #3) - Terry Pratchett



I didn't finish The Kingdom of Gods yet, but I did read a whole extra book for this, so I'm going to call it even.


Books that I am currently reading

by Rohinton Mistry
65 of 603 Pages

by Sally Armstrong
122 of 320 Pages

by N.K. Jemisin
109 of 613

by Brandon Sanderson
1243 Pages (52:27 of 55:02 Hours)

by Katherine Arden
96 of 333 Pages

I almost managed to finish Oathbringer before the end of the year, but there just wasn't enough time. Ascent of Women is going slow, since it's super depressing, although quite interesting at the same time. A Fine Balance is on a hiatus until I can get my e-reader to work again. But there are always more books to read, and I'm going to do just that.

See you next year
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