Well, it's the end of the first month of my crazy reading challenge for the year. As I said before, I am doing both a personal TBR challenge where everything I read is either something I own but haven't read or something someone has recommended to me (or I received as a review copy and needed to get done). With a goal of 100 books for the year and a goal of eight books per month, I'm happy to say I achived this goal for January.
If you are interested in full reviews of any of these books (which I might do anyway), please let me know.
For my January Wrap-Up, I have read 8 books this month. These include:
The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka-- A historical fiction/ group memoir about the Japanese women who were "picture brides" to men in America right before World War II. Told in eight short stories, everything is told from the collective "we" perspective, from their trip across the Pacific to their first nights with their husbands, to dealing with children, and finally to being forced into the internment camps during the war. It is a powerful and depressing book, but an important one, especially in today's political climate.
A Winter's Promise by Christelle Dabos and translated by Hildegarde Serle-- This book is a historical fantasy set in a world after most of humanity has been destroyed by something called "the Rupture." We follow Ophelia, a young woman with the ability to "read" the history of an object and it's owners simply by touching it and the ability to pass through mirrors, as she is betrothed to a young man from the far north. After going to live in her new home, she discovers a court of powerful enemies and a world wrapped in lies. She struggles to survive this new world while also learning the truth about her betrothal. This is an amazing book. It reminded me a bit of Pride and Prejudice and I cannot wait until the second book is released in May 2019!
I Am the Storm by Tash McAdam-- In a world where the government hunts down anyone with telepathic abilities, fourteen-year-old Sam is trying to hide his rare technopathic talent. But when a routine doctor's appointment puts him on the government's radar, he is forced to flee. This sparks the resistance's interest and young Selena is sent into the city to try to save Sam or kill him before the government can capture him. I really liked the concept of the story and was excited to read it, but the actual narrative did not grab me and left me disappointed. :( This book was given to me by NetGalley. You can find my full review with spoilers (sorry) here:https://kntellmeastory.blogspot.com/2019/01/i-am-storm.html
The Little Price by Antoine de Saint-Exupery-- This is considered a classic and I'm glad I finally got to read it. We follow the narrator's story of a young boy who leaves his planet and explores the cosmos, meeting various adults and asking why they act the way they do. This is considered a Moral allegory and spiritual autobiography and I can see why. It takes a few reads to fully grasp and the meanings can change with different ages.
Summer Wars (manga) by Mamoru Hosoda-- I have the complete edition. This story follows Kenji Koiso as he agrees to help his classmate, Natsuki Shinohara, with her grandmother's birthday only to learn his job is to pretend to be her boyfriend. After her extensive family is introduced, a virus called Love Machine is released in the digital world of OZ where Kenji works. This AI virus steals the identities of users and brings chaos to both the digital world and the physical one. Kenji and Natsuki's family are the only ones who know the truth behind Love Machine and they are the only ones who can stop it. I love this manga. I love the anime movie based on it. This is one of the best stories of family, action, and young romance I have seen in a long time. Highly recommend!
The Ghost in the Shell volume 1 by Masamune Shirow-- a manga and anime classic, this story follows a robot called Major as she and her team combat terrorists in futuristic Japan. As the threats increase, however, Major encounters another robot or AI entity who claims to be a naturally evolving digital being, thus meaning it's life is as valid as a humans and should be protected by the same laws. Major is left to question what it means to be human and have a soul. I enjoyed this manga, though I feel like I missed a lot of things because I'm not familiar with some of the symbols and philosophies used in it.
Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco-- a historical detective novel set in Victorian London, this book follows seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth as she tries to pursue an education as a forensic medical examiner in a world where science is not a proper field of interest for a young lady. She is drawn into the Jack the Ripper case, though, as her uncle examines the bodies of the young women who fell victim to the serial killer. She has to prove her ability as a woman, deal with her uncle's other apprentice, Thomas, and prove her uncle's innocence while still being a proper young lady as her father wishes. This is a very good who-dunnit story, though I did guess the twist about halfway through (curse you TV crime shows!). I liked the characters and the playful annoyance-romance between Audrey and Thomas enough that I can forgive the insta-love in this case. This book can get a bit gruesome, but it's a great read for anyone looking for a fun mystery.
Narhwal's Otter Friend (A Narwhal and Jelly Book) by Ben Clanton-- a cute picture book following ocean friends Narwhal and Jelly as they meet Otty the Otter. This is a cute picture book that I received from NetGalley.
Finally, I got about 80 pages into Fearless by Sarah Tarkoff. This is an advanced copy from Harper Collins (thanks btw) and it is the second book in the Eye of the Beholder series. So far . . . I'm not impressed. Not much is really happening yet, the narration style gets on my nerves, TEEN ANGST!, and it reminds me a lot of the Uglies series. I'll try to finish it this week but right now, I'm not in any hurry to finish it. :(
Moving on to February's TBR, I'm going to try to read the following books within the month.
Watch Us Rise by Renee Watson and Ellen Hagan (I have a copy from NetGalley and this is to fulfill the POPSUGAR challenge of reading a book by two female authors.)
Black Widow: Forever Red by Margaret Stohl (POPSUGAR Read a book you meant to read in 2018.)
Love by Toni Morrison (POPSUGAR Read a book with "love" in the title.)
Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken (POPSUGAR Read a book with a two word title.)
Mark of the Thief by Jennifer A. Nielsen (Personal TBR)
Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch (Personal TBR and recommended by a friend)
A Thousand Nights by E. K. Johnston (Personal TBR)
The Vampire of Maple Town by Kane McLoughlin (Personal TBR and a copy from NetGalley)
If you are interested in full reviews of any of these books (which I might do anyway), please let me know.
For my January Wrap-Up, I have read 8 books this month. These include:
The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka-- A historical fiction/ group memoir about the Japanese women who were "picture brides" to men in America right before World War II. Told in eight short stories, everything is told from the collective "we" perspective, from their trip across the Pacific to their first nights with their husbands, to dealing with children, and finally to being forced into the internment camps during the war. It is a powerful and depressing book, but an important one, especially in today's political climate.
A Winter's Promise by Christelle Dabos and translated by Hildegarde Serle-- This book is a historical fantasy set in a world after most of humanity has been destroyed by something called "the Rupture." We follow Ophelia, a young woman with the ability to "read" the history of an object and it's owners simply by touching it and the ability to pass through mirrors, as she is betrothed to a young man from the far north. After going to live in her new home, she discovers a court of powerful enemies and a world wrapped in lies. She struggles to survive this new world while also learning the truth about her betrothal. This is an amazing book. It reminded me a bit of Pride and Prejudice and I cannot wait until the second book is released in May 2019!
I Am the Storm by Tash McAdam-- In a world where the government hunts down anyone with telepathic abilities, fourteen-year-old Sam is trying to hide his rare technopathic talent. But when a routine doctor's appointment puts him on the government's radar, he is forced to flee. This sparks the resistance's interest and young Selena is sent into the city to try to save Sam or kill him before the government can capture him. I really liked the concept of the story and was excited to read it, but the actual narrative did not grab me and left me disappointed. :( This book was given to me by NetGalley. You can find my full review with spoilers (sorry) here:https://kntellmeastory.blogspot.com/2019/01/i-am-storm.html
The Little Price by Antoine de Saint-Exupery-- This is considered a classic and I'm glad I finally got to read it. We follow the narrator's story of a young boy who leaves his planet and explores the cosmos, meeting various adults and asking why they act the way they do. This is considered a Moral allegory and spiritual autobiography and I can see why. It takes a few reads to fully grasp and the meanings can change with different ages.
Summer Wars (manga) by Mamoru Hosoda-- I have the complete edition. This story follows Kenji Koiso as he agrees to help his classmate, Natsuki Shinohara, with her grandmother's birthday only to learn his job is to pretend to be her boyfriend. After her extensive family is introduced, a virus called Love Machine is released in the digital world of OZ where Kenji works. This AI virus steals the identities of users and brings chaos to both the digital world and the physical one. Kenji and Natsuki's family are the only ones who know the truth behind Love Machine and they are the only ones who can stop it. I love this manga. I love the anime movie based on it. This is one of the best stories of family, action, and young romance I have seen in a long time. Highly recommend!
The Ghost in the Shell volume 1 by Masamune Shirow-- a manga and anime classic, this story follows a robot called Major as she and her team combat terrorists in futuristic Japan. As the threats increase, however, Major encounters another robot or AI entity who claims to be a naturally evolving digital being, thus meaning it's life is as valid as a humans and should be protected by the same laws. Major is left to question what it means to be human and have a soul. I enjoyed this manga, though I feel like I missed a lot of things because I'm not familiar with some of the symbols and philosophies used in it.
Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco-- a historical detective novel set in Victorian London, this book follows seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth as she tries to pursue an education as a forensic medical examiner in a world where science is not a proper field of interest for a young lady. She is drawn into the Jack the Ripper case, though, as her uncle examines the bodies of the young women who fell victim to the serial killer. She has to prove her ability as a woman, deal with her uncle's other apprentice, Thomas, and prove her uncle's innocence while still being a proper young lady as her father wishes. This is a very good who-dunnit story, though I did guess the twist about halfway through (curse you TV crime shows!). I liked the characters and the playful annoyance-romance between Audrey and Thomas enough that I can forgive the insta-love in this case. This book can get a bit gruesome, but it's a great read for anyone looking for a fun mystery.
Narhwal's Otter Friend (A Narwhal and Jelly Book) by Ben Clanton-- a cute picture book following ocean friends Narwhal and Jelly as they meet Otty the Otter. This is a cute picture book that I received from NetGalley.
Finally, I got about 80 pages into Fearless by Sarah Tarkoff. This is an advanced copy from Harper Collins (thanks btw) and it is the second book in the Eye of the Beholder series. So far . . . I'm not impressed. Not much is really happening yet, the narration style gets on my nerves, TEEN ANGST!, and it reminds me a lot of the Uglies series. I'll try to finish it this week but right now, I'm not in any hurry to finish it. :(
Moving on to February's TBR, I'm going to try to read the following books within the month.
Watch Us Rise by Renee Watson and Ellen Hagan (I have a copy from NetGalley and this is to fulfill the POPSUGAR challenge of reading a book by two female authors.)
Black Widow: Forever Red by Margaret Stohl (POPSUGAR Read a book you meant to read in 2018.)
Love by Toni Morrison (POPSUGAR Read a book with "love" in the title.)
Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken (POPSUGAR Read a book with a two word title.)
Mark of the Thief by Jennifer A. Nielsen (Personal TBR)
Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch (Personal TBR and recommended by a friend)
A Thousand Nights by E. K. Johnston (Personal TBR)
The Vampire of Maple Town by Kane McLoughlin (Personal TBR and a copy from NetGalley)
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