Books I Finished in June 2019

A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab

This was the final installment of a fantastic series that I read within a few months (mostly because I had to wait for the library to get them in) because I just had to know how it ended. Although I did enjoy this book as well, the first two in the series were definitely better. This one was a touch too long and certain developments with the characters were slight disappointments. Click the book cover for more.

Synopsis: The precarious equilibrium among four Londons has reached its breaking point. Once brimming with the red vivacity of magic, darkness casts a shadow over the Maresh Empire, leaving a space for another London to rise.
WHO WILL CRUMBLE? WHO WILL RISE? WHO WILL TAKE CONTROL? And an ancient enemy returns to claim a crown while a fallen hero tries to save a world in decay.

Educated by Tara Westover

While reading this book, I went through so many strong emotions; anger, frustration, disbelief, shock, sympathy, heart-wrenching sadness and horror. Tara Westover so wonderfully depicted a harsh reality with such beautiful writing. Click the cover for my full review.

Synopsis: Tara Westover was 17 the first time she set foot in a classroom. Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, she prepared for the end of the world by stockpiling home-canned peaches and sleeping with her "head-for-the-hills bag". In the summer she stewed herbs for her mother, a midwife and healer, and in the winter she salvaged in her father's junkyard. Her father forbade hospitals, so Tara never saw a doctor or nurse. The family was so isolated from mainstream society that there was no one to ensure the children received an education and no one to intervene when one of Tara's older brothers became violent.

The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

Isabel Allende’s works were recommended to me by a follower after I read One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez and was pretty lost. This book, The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende, is of a similar genre but a bit easier to read.

Synopsis: The House of the Spirits, the unforgettable first novel that established Isabel Allende as one of the world’s most gifted storytellers, brings to life the triumphs and tragedies of three generations of the Trueba family. The patriarch Esteban is a volatile, proud man whose voracious pursuit of political power is tempered only by his love for his delicate wife Clara, a woman with a mystical connection to the spirit world. When their daughter Blanca embarks on a forbidden love affair in defiance of her implacable father, the result is an unexpected gift to Esteban: his adored granddaughter Alba, a beautiful and strong-willed child who will lead her family and her country into a revolutionary future.

Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) by Sarah J. Maas

I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, I love the premise and most of the action and magic that is prominent. On the other hand, the love triangle and certain moments are out of place and annoying. Overall, I enjoyed but unsure if I will continue this series.

Synopsis: After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. If she beats her opponents; other thieves and assassins, in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom. Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

This book is for those that love books. In each carefully crafted word and sentence, you can see the author’s love of literature and words. Setterfield beautifully crafted so many passages with wonderful language and style that had me rereading just so I could feel the warmth in my soul over and over again as I read them.

Synopsis: The enigmatic Winter has spent six decades creating various outlandish life histories for herself -- all of them inventions that have brought her fame and fortune but have kept her violent and tragic past a secret. Now old and ailing, she at last wants to tell the truth about her extraordinary life. She summons biographer Margaret Lea, a young woman for whom the secret of her own birth, hidden by those who loved her most, remains an ever-present pain. Struck by a curious parallel between Miss Winter's story and her own, Margaret takes on the commission.

Books I’m Currently Reading

The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn

My dad recommended this book to me since we both enjoyed Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train so much. I only just started it but am excited to see where it leads!

Synopsis: Anna Fox lives alone—a recluse in her New York City home, unable to venture outside. She spends her day drinking wine (maybe too much), watching old movies, recalling happier times . . . and spying on her neighbors. Then the Russells move into the house across the way: a father, a mother, their teenage son. The perfect family. But when Anna, gazing out her window one night, sees something she shouldn’t, her world begins to crumble—and its shocking secrets are laid bare. What is real? What is imagined?

Books I Was Reading Last June - 2018

Only Human (Themis Files #3) by Sylvain Neuvel

I loved almost every moment of this series and was so happy with the way this final book ended the storyline of these wonderful characters. Overall, I'd recommend this series to as many people as possible. It was one of my favorites over the past few years and each individual book had something great to offer, which is often difficult to accomplish. Click the cover for more.

Synopsis: In her childhood, Rose Franklin accidentally discovered a giant metal hand buried beneath the ground outside Deadwood, South Dakota. As an adult, Dr. Rose Franklin led the team that uncovered the rest of the body parts which together form Themis: a powerful robot of mysterious alien origin. She, along with linguist Vincent, pilot Kara, and the unnamed Interviewer, protected the Earth from geopolitical conflict and alien invasion alike. Now, after nearly ten years on another world, Rose returns to find her old alliances forfeit and the planet in shambles. And she must pick up the pieces of the Earth Defense Corps as her own friends turn against each other.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

I wish I could say I fully enjoyed this book, I was hoping I would but I just did not. It was just so unrealistic, a young boy running away and surviving with an escaped slave, both of whom don’t know much about the real world. Especially with some of the unsavory characters they get involved with and yet still come out mostly unscathed.

Synopsis: A nineteenth-century boy from a Mississippi River town recounts his adventures as he travels down the river with a runaway slave, encountering a family involved in a feud, two scoundrels pretending to be royalty, and Tom Sawyer's aunt who mistakes him for Tom.

Windstorm: Sun Oracle Burning by Rosetta M. Overman

I almost always enjoy books on Greek mythology and this one definitely did the tales justice while also adding a unique spin and story line to keep things intriguing. Overall, I'd definitely recommend this book to those interested in Greek mythology and action mixed with a romance. The romance definitely does not overpower the rest of the story, so I'd say that's more of a secondary plot line. Click the cover for my full review.

Synopsis: Born to the God Apollo, Aello was raised with the privilege of a goddess, but knows her future is among the mortals of Gaia with her mother. Her upbringing doesn’t prepare her for the life and politics of royals or how cruel humans can be. Trapped with a brutal husband, Aello has little hope for happiness until a trip to Egypt brings her together with kindred spirits. But forces come together to destroy her and all she holds dear.

Vicious (Villians #1) by V.E. Schwab

I really enjoyed this book and the way it flashbacks from the present to about 10 years prior where 2 of our main characters start to dissolve their friendship due to an almost impossible circumstance. I definitely recommend this book to readers who enjoy a darker story, and characters who are twisted just enough. It was entertaining and compelling from the beginning to the end. Click the cover for more.

Synopsis: Victor and Eli started out as college roommates- brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interested reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordianary abilities. But when their thesis moves from academic to experimental, things go horribly wrong. Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to find his old friend, now foe. Who will be left alive at the end?

Mulan: Book 1 of the Warrior Princesses Series by Clarissa Cartham

This was a creative retelling of Mulan and I did enjoy this romance novel that features a strong and fierce warrior woman, rather than a damsel in distress. I enjoyed the new take on Mulan that Clarissa Cartharn took, especially since she based it more on the real tales of Mulan. There were a few issues I had with it, but overall enjoyed this quick read.

Synopsis: In a time where women were forbidden to join the military, Hua Mulan has no choice but to disguise herself as a man to stand in for her father. But one man discovers her secret and he is none other than the arrogant and hideously masked general of the Northern Qi Army, Shi Zan. Now the only way she can stop him from handing her head to the emperor is uncovering his secret. Who is the man behind the mask?