August Wrap Up

I opened my GoodReads account today, preparing myself to feel guilty. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised! This month I've managed to complete seven books, plus there are two books that weren't included on my June/July wrap up, even though I finished them at the end of July.

Sweep in Peace (Book 2 of the Innkeeper Chronicles) by Ilona Andrews

3/5 Stars on GoodReads

Dina DeMille doesn’t run your typical Bed and Breakfast. Her inn defies laws of physics, her fluffy dog is secretly a monster, and the only paying guest is a former Galactic tyrant with a price on her head. But the inn needs guests to thrive, and guests have been scarce, so when an Arbitrator shows up at Dina's door and asks her to host a peace summit between three warring species, she jumps on the chance.

This is a sequel story, and was reasonably good. It didn't blow me away, and in parts just felt like a filler until the next story. However, how these books is written is v cool. Ilona Andrew's releases this series chapter by chapter on their website, so technically, if you kept on top of things, you could read along at the same time. The genre is half fantasy, half sci-fi.

Marked in Flesh (The Others book 4) by Anne Bishop

3/5 Stars on GoodReads

'For centuries, the Others and humans have lived side by side in uneasy peace. But when humankind oversteps its bounds, the Others will have to decide how much humanity they’re willing to tolerate—both within themselves and within their community...'

There are many parts of this book series I find it really hard to wrap my head around. The 'Others' characters just seem really simple at times, and the main character can be a bit wishy-washy. I know the point is that the world is  extremely different from our world, but it seemed a bit too much at times. I will keep reading the series, but it's not one of my favourites.

The Guest Cat by Tikashe Hiraide

4/5 Stars on GoodReads

'The Guest Cat, by the acclaimed poet Takashi Hiraide, is a subtly moving and exceptionally beautiful novel about the transient nature of life and idiosyncratic but deeply felt ways of living. A couple in their thirties live in a small rented cottage in a quiet part of Tokyo; they work at home, freelance copy-editing; they no longer have very much to say to one another. But one day a cat invites itself into their small kitchen.'

Such an interesting read! I loved the writing style, and obviously, I'm a big fan of cats!

The Bride (The Boss book 3) by Abigail Barnette

4/5 Stars on GoodReads

The Stranger (The Boss book 0.5) by Abigail Barnette

4/5 Stars on GoodReads

And I Darken by Kiersten White

5/5 Stars on GoodReads

What if Vlad the Impaler was a girl?

'No one expects a princess to be brutal. And Lada Dragwlya likes it that way. Ever since she and her gentle younger brother, Radu, were wrenched from their homeland of Wallachia and abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman courts, Lada has known that being ruthless is the key to survival. She and Radu are doomed to act as pawns in a vicious game, an unseen sword hovering over their every move. For the lineage that makes them special also makes them targets.'

This book was so interesting to read. A great plot, interesting characters with great development, and a historical basis as well! Loved it.

Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harrari

5/5 Stars on GoodReads

'100,000 years ago, at least six human species inhabited the earth. Today there is just one. Us. Homo sapiens. How did our species succeed in the battle for dominance? Why did our foraging ancestors come together to create cities and kingdoms? How did we come to believe in gods, nations and human rights; to trust money, books and laws; and to be enslaved by bureaucracy, timetables and consumerism? And what will our world be like in the millennia to come?'

A very interesting non-fiction book about the evolution and development of the human race.

The Ex (The Boss book 4) by Abigail Barnette

4/5 Stars

The Baby (The Boss book 5) by Abigail Barnette

4/5 Stars on GoodReads

AN EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER

GoodReads Update: 63/100 read

2016 Reading Challenge:

A book and it's prequel - Queen of Shadows by Sarah J Maas (January) Assassin's Blade tbr soon!

A Book Written by a Celebrity - Gangsta Granny by David Walliams (January)

A Graphic Novel - River's of London: Body Work by Ben Aaronovitch (January)

A Book Set in Europe - My Sword Hand is Singing by Marcus Sedgwick (February)

A Book Set in the Summer - Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour (February)

A Book Based on a Fairytale - The October Daye Series by Seanan McGuire (February)
A Political Memoir - I am Malala (I think this counts!) by Malala Yousafzai (March)
A Book With a Blue Cover - Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare (March)
A Book Set on an Island - Feverborn by Karen Marie Moning (March)
A Book Published in 2016 - Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs (March)
An Autobiography - How to be a Woman by Caitlin Moran (April)
A Book Under 150 pages - Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell (April)
A Book Finished in the Day - Into the Woods by Kim Harrison (April)
A Book With an Unfamiliar Culture - Ms Marvel by G Willow Wilson (April)
A Book You Haven't Read Since High School - The Crysalids by John Wyndham (April)
A YA Best seller - The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard (April)
A Science-Fiction Novel - Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman (May)
A Dystopian Novel - The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancy (May)
A Book Written by a Comedian - Moranifesto by Caitlin Moran (June)
A Book of Poetry - The Princess Saves Herself in This One by Amanda Lovelace (June)
A Book Set in your Home State - A Darker Shade of Magic by VE Schwabb (June)
A Romance Set in the Future - Saga Volume 1 (June)
A Book that's guaranteed to bring yoy joy - Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (July)
A New York Times Best Seller - Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (July)
A Murder Mystery - The Curse of Tenth Grave by Darynda Jones (July)
A Book translated to English - The Guest Cat by Takashi Hiraide (August)

2015 challenge continuation...

A Book I was Supposed to Read in School (I read all the books I was supposed to when I was a student in school - I've now read this as a teacher) - Gangsta Granny by David Walliams (January)

A Book Based on a True Story - Burial Rites by Hannah Kent (March)

A Book that made me cry - The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater (May)