April Wrap-Up

I think April was the month in which everything sort of settled down and my new reality became routine. By now we all got used to staying at home and waiting for everything to get normal again. (I’m not all too convinced „the normal“ we had before Covid-19 will be possible though. The world will have changed after this…) Anyway, we wore – and still do wear – masks when we go outside, we only spoke on the phone with our loved ones and we became pretty efficient when it comes to buying groceries at the supermarket. *lol*

The good thing is that the restrictions and our curfew were loosened slightly with beginning of May so it is allowed to meet family members and friends that live in another household! YAY! (To my chagrin my library and our kindergarten still remain closed… for now at least.)

So because of all that I had way too much time to read and didn’t only finish 5 books but also fell into the webcomic rabbit hole. And I regret ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! *lol* Seriously, those cute and fluffy webcomics were a balm for my soul and kept me sane! I’m going to introduce them in this Wrap-Up as well, but I refrained from using pictures because the creators/artists protect their work and we’ve to respect that. 😉 This said you can find them all on tapas and look them up if you’re intrested in reading them. At the moment they are for free. XD Okay, enough of my babbling and right to my monthly wrap-up!

Books read: 10 (5 books & 5 webcomics) 

Pages read:  1.959 (I didn’t count the webcomic pages here because it’s pretty hard to gauge their amount. Suffice it to say: It were A LOT of pages! *lol*)

Average rating: 4,00 (Considering how much I read this is a pretty good rating. Guess April was a hell of a reading month. XD)

Books that were on my reading list:  2 (1 from 2019 and 1 from 2020, I need to read more books from my lists! T_T)

April Reads:

          

     

The Hate U Give:

This is such an important book and I really think that schools should put this on their reading lists. Angie Thomas wrote a book that tackles quite a lot of different and touchy subjects yet it still manages to convey its message. I really liked how she played with prejudices and the subjective opinons of her characters. XD If you want to know more about „The Hate U Give“ you can read my full review here!

Stalking Jack the Ripper:

I finally found out what all the hype is about and I have two words for you: Thomas Cresswell! *lol* This said I really enjoyed „Stalking Jack the Ripper“ and I’ll definitely continue to read this series. I’m always ready to dive into a fictional world that features a sexy Sherlock Holmes kind of guy and boy, is Thomas the jackpot! 😛 Plus I liked the bits and pieces of historical background that were woven into this. Made it even more enjoyable. XD If you click on the link above you can check out my review.

Wildcard:

I was soo sceptical when I started to read this. Don’t get me wrong I liked „Warcross“ well enough, but it didn’t blow me away the same way it did with other readers. You might say I had a few issues. *lol* Anyway, „Wildcard“ was such a surprise! I really loved to read this and the characters as well as their motivations were great! There were quite a few twists I didn’t see coming and that only made me enjoy this even more. 😀

EYES ON ME:

This was the webcomic that started it all. (Aside from „Heartstopper“ of course! I’ve been following that one for ages. 😛 ) Anyway, I found this on goodreads and fell down the webcomic rabbit hole! And it swallowed me whole! *lol* Those two are so cute and I really hope that we’ll get more pages soon! If you like a shy boy meets forthright guy story this will be the one for you!

R.U. Screwed:

Gosh!!! I love this one! Howie and Sooch are the cutest thing ever!!! ❤ Okay, admittedly this webcomic was very frustrating at first because Howie is gay and Sooch is as straight as they come and due to that there was a lot of angst in the first few chapters, but boy does it get better with time! This webcomic really grew on me and by now I’m so hooked that I can’t wait to find out what’s going to happen next! I NEED MORE!

#muted:

The art in this is STUNNING!!! I love kandismon’s drawing style and her characters are so adorable as well. Moreover they are relatable as hell! I mean Jasper works at a library and meets Kai – a boy who doesn’t speak. The artist conveys so many emotions with Kai’s facial expressions alone and this is nothing but amazing! Also all the characters in here are queer af and I live and breathe for it! 😀 Love my two super soft boys!

Ghost Lights:

This is a webcomic made by a German artist and it’s great! I love that there isn’t only a love story but also a huge mysterious plot that’s revealed bit by bit! Noah and Robin kind of remind me of Ronan and Adam and the magical aspect of this only intensified that feeling. And as always the art is a sight to behold! 😉

A Darker Shade of Magic:

I read this book super slowly because I never wanted it to end! Of course my attempts to draw it out were thwarted by the awesomeness of V.E. Schwab’s writing style. There came a point I couldn’t put this down anymore and before I even knew it, it was already over. T_T  This book!!! I loved all the characters, especially Holland and the dark magic in this was EVERYTHING! ❤ So dark and twisted. Ahh what a pleasure to read! If you want to know more you can read my review here!

Still Me:

This was the third and last book in the „Me Before You“ series and even though I loved the first one and liked the second one, the third one just didn’t do it for me. Did I hang on every word and did I finish this 469 pages book in one week? Yes, I did. Did I get all the answers I was hoping for? Nope. Unfortunately not, if anything I was left with even more questions and I really wasn’t happy about that. I wanted closure and what I got was a bunch of new storylines and unfinished business(es). >_< Not my kind of book but maybe you’ll like it more?!

My Gentle Giant:

This webcomic is just sweet! There didn’t happen a lot yet except of that Jun and Aki became friends so this is a slow burn. They blush really nicely though and they are super adorable! I can’t wait to see more of the artists work! This just started and is a relatively new webcomic so I’m hoping to get more soon! 😉

How was your April? Are you a fan of webcomics too? Did you read any of the books I read and if yes did you like them? What was your favourite book last month and what were you up to? Do you have any recommendations? How’s the current situation at your country? Is it getting any better? Talk to me and let me know!

And as always: Stay healthy and take care! ❤

*hugs’n’kisses*

The Sassy Library Fox

March Wrap-Up

Okay, not gonna lie here, March was a tough month. Not only book wise but also life wise. You might say one led to the other. When COVID-19 hit my country everything came to a standstill and our lives changed rather drastically. From one day to the next I stopped commuting to work, set up a home office and tried to work from home as best as I could. With a little kid that’s constantly around me because kindergarten is closed too and with my hubby on top of that March was quite a trying and exhausting month though.

I constantly found myself falling into bed right after work and was no good for anything. Thankfully my kid is still taking naps because damn I needed them badly too. *lol* Since the situation in Austria didn’t get any better (at least not up until now) I’ll be on short-time work from now on. So there’s that. More time to take care of my family, to cook for them and hopefully also more time to read and to blog? XD You can always dream, right? Now that my reading slump is over I’ll hopefully read more again.

One thing is for certain though: Now that I’m spending so much time at home my flat is super tidy. I swear it probably was never as clean as it is now! *lol* Or well, maybe it was when I moved into it 6 years ago and scrubbed literally EVERYTHING! 😛

On a side note: There happened something super amazing in March (understatement of the century!!) and I just need to gush about it, so please bear with me! *lol* It won’t take long, I’ll just mention that for some weird, crazy and completely unfathomable reason I ended up being number 99 in the Goodreads Global Top 100 of ALL FREAKING TIME! THANK YOU GUYS SO DAMN MUCH!!! I can’t even… AKDFASDFJASKDFJSAKFSJDFKASJFD! Okay, that’s it, I’m fine. *faints*

Anyway, enough of my weirdness and musings and right back to the few books I actually managed to read last month! XD

Books read: 6

Pages read:  1.642 (Not as great as February but considering that I was in a slight book slump due to work and COVID-19 this actually isn’t all too bad!)

Average rating: 4,00 (That’s quite okay I suppose! I expected „The Death Cure“ to pull the rest of the books down, but apparently my other two 5 paws reads saved the rating. *lol*)

Books that were on my reading list:  1 (from 2019, boy I really need to finish some of my books!! >_< )

March Reads:

         

       

Akairya:

Abrianna Leaming was so nice to give me a free copy of her book and I enjoyed it immensely! 😀 Yes, it might have taken me way too long to get to it but once I did I kind of rushed through it. This was a great fantasy middle grade book and if you like dragons, magic and elfs this might be the perfect book for you. 😉

Clockwork Angel:

Ahh it felt so good to be back in this world! I wanted to reread this series for ages and I finally started with the first book! What can I say? I still love Will, I still adore Jem and Tessa is as great as ever! All those bookish discussions, the characters and their interactions. Amazing! If you want to read my full review on this masterpiece you can do it here!

The Death Cure:

I kind of expected not to like it and unfortunately I was proven right. I really enjoyed the first book but from „The Scorch Trials“ on this series just didn’t make any sense. (at least not for me) In the last book there was no aim and no purpose, the characters would say one thing and do another and urgh… that kind of irked me big time. This felt so aimless that I just couldn’t give it a better rating. Truth be told, Minho and Newt were the only reason I kept on reading and that definitely wasn’t enough! >_<

Thank God I’m Fired:

Another review copy from an author I appreciate and hold in high regard. 🙂 You might say Sandeep Pawar is an own voice when it comes to IT topics and to say he’s a funny voice would be a huge understatement! I really enjoy his books because they aren’t only fun but also show the human side of IT and this in a very entertaining way. So if you’re interested in this sort of thing, search no more. Sandeep already delivered. 😛

The Last Olympian:

Ha! I loved this! Uncle Rick once again proved why he is a genius and one of the best authors to read when it comes to Greek Mythology! This was quite action packed and definitely held my attention until the very last page! A worthy final for a great series! I wish I could read „The Heroes of Olympus“ now but unfortunately my library is still closed. T_T So for now I’ll just have to wait. (Dang! I wanted to read about Nico di Angelo so badly!! He’s my precious son and I love him to pieces! ❤ )

The Summer Palace:

I can’t believe I waited 3 years to read this! But then again I can and boy, was it worth the long wait! *lol* I loved this short story so much and it was everything I ever wanted for my two boys! ❤ This was the ending I would have loved to read when I finished „King’s Rising“ and it made my heart sing with joy! I just love, love and LOVE Laurent and Damen! They are everything! XD

How was your March? Did you manage to read more books than I did or were you in a reading slump as well? Are your libraries closed too? And if yes, where do you get your books from now? How’s the current situation at your country? And the most important question: Are you still healthy and okay?!

Talk to me and let me know!

Also on a last, rather serious but still optimistic note: Stay healthy and take care! ❤ We can get through this and if we stick together we’ll come out of it stronger than before!

*hugs’n’kisses*

The Sassy Library Fox

January Wrap-Up

I guess January was a fairly normal reading month for me. Five to six books seems to be my normal amount per month so I can’t complain. I feel like I was super lazy though. *lol* I recently discovered the series „Lucifer“ at the library and since they have the first three seasons I decided to borrow them from there. (Yeah, I don’t have Amazon prime if that’s what you were thinking. XD)

So a lot of my usual reading time actually went into watching „Lucifer“ instead of reading the hell out of my books. (With a kid you only have limited free time and you’ve to choose wisely how you spend it. ;P) Thus less time for reading. >_<

Apparently I still got some reading done (mostly at night) and here I am with my 6 January books. (Something tells me February will be even worse because it’s a much shorter month…) Also can someone tell me that I finally need to get my „Nevernight“ groove on!? With all those library books that need to be read I didn’t pick it up for ages, which is bad because I actually liked the beginning.

Anyway, let’s stop complaining and head to my statistic! 😉

Books read: 6

Pages read:  1.903 (6 books and 1.903 pages is actually a pretty decent start for 2020! 😀 )

Average rating: 4 (Funny, I think I never had an even number without a decimal before. *lol*)

Books that were on my reading list:  3 (2 from 2019 and 1 from 2020! Yes, you read right!! I actually already read one of the books that’s on my 2020 list!! XD I’ll rock this list!! I’m sure of it! XD)

January Reads:

       

       

Stealing the Wind:

Don’t judge me! I barely read any smut last year so I kind of craved it at the beginning of 2020. *lol* And as smut goes this was actually a pretty fine book. „Stealing the Wind“ was the first book in an m/m mermen series and I was surprised about the focus on the plot. The beginning was rather strange but once the story accelerated I found myself enjoying this immensely. So if you ever wondered how mermen do the nasty live together this might answer your questions… thoroughly! 😛

One Day in December:

This book was such a surprise!!! It was on My Book List 2019 because someone recommended it to me last year and I can’t thank that person enough! This was such a sweet love story. Yes, there were some things I wasn’t okay with but the issues were addressed (which is more than I can say for other books) and the ending was absolutely beautiful and perfect! If you want to read more about this book you can do it here!

The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy:

I absolutely loved this! Feminism, strong women, decent reps, mystery, dragons, adventure… the list of what this book had to offer is long! 😉 It might have been a brick of a book but buy was it fun to read it. Also Monty and Percy had a cameo and they are still as adorable as they were in „The Gentleman’s Guide“! I can’t wait to read book 3! XD

Green but for a Season:

It was about time I tackled this short story. I always wondered how Aimeric and Jord ended up together, but unfortunately this book didn’t really deliver what I hoped for. Their love story was only a small part of the storyline and this just wasn’t enough for me. On the positive side, this had a lot of info about young Laurent and how he became the person he is in „Captive Prince“. So there’s that!

The Upside of Unrequited:

This was a typical Becky Albertalli book and it definitely made me feel all the fluffy feels. ❤ There were some things I didn’t like about the book though so it actually got 3,5 paws rounded up to four. If you want to read more about my issues with „The Upside of Unrequited“ you can do it here.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban:

Harry Potter! Do I have to say more? *lol* Once again I was amazed by all the details I missed when I read it for the first time. There are so many things that make sense now! Also Lupin is the best DADA teacher they ever had and I love him to bits and pieces! Plus I realized that „Movie Snape“ and „Book Snape“ are two very different people! And if you ask me „Book Snape“ just can’t be redeemed! There I said it! XD

How was your January? Did you read awesome books and if yes, what was your favourite? Which series are you addicted to? Did you watch „Lucifer“ too and what did you think of it?

Talk to me and let me know!

*hugs’n’kisses*

The Sassy Library Fox

October Wrap-Up

I actually thought that October would be a horrible reading month for me but judging by the figures I was way better off than I initially though. Which is kind of crazy if you think about all the action I had in October. >_<

My little one a had very severe otitis media and such a high temperature that I was worried sick! She even had to take antibiotics for a week and for a few horrible hours we thought that she might have to stay in hospital! Thankfully the medicine kicked in and she recovered rather quickly. Which was basically the only good news I received throughout all of October.

Well, that and the Frankfurt Book Fair. Of course, there was a series of mishaps while we spent our time in Frankfurt, but in general we had a really nice stay. XD To travel with me is always rather chaotic and I guess my bestie just figured that out too. *lol* (Seriously, from malfunctioning elevators and room cards up to a bus that never showed up and a map that mislead us basically everything was represented. *shakes head*)

Despite the odds everything turned out kind of okay at the end of October though. Well, for October at least. I’m here typing this at the beginning of November with an inflammation of two of my wisdom teeth and a laryngitis on top of it. And before you ask: No, I can’t talk right now! I feel like Arielle! Completely and utterly voiceless! >_<

Fortunately I can still write which is basically the only thing that keeps me sane right now. That and the knowledge that I’ll get my wisdom teeth removed at the end of November which might once again affect my reading schedule. But enough of all that horrible news! Let’s think about good things like my statistic for this month! 😉

Books read: 6

Pages read:  2.701 (As it seems I finally managed to get my Netflix addiction under control and therefore read really long books! *lol*)

Average rating: 4,17 (Even more picky than last month! :P)

Books that were on my reading list:  4 (1 from 2018 and 3 from 2019)

October Reads:

       

       

The Cruel Prince:

I loved this book so much! ❤ If you want to know how real faeries are done, search no more! You found the right book! Ruthless, cunning, cruel and wicked are the words that describe it best! 😉 This was definitely my favourite read of October and the only book that got five paws from me! So yes, the hype is real! If you want to know more about „The Cruel Prince“ you can read my full review here!

Crazy Rich Asians:

I really enjoyed this one even though there were moments I couldn’t believe what I was reading. Like seriously! The people in this book are filthy rich and how they spend their money is just crazy, but then again the book is called „Crazy Rich Asians“ for a reason. *lol* To be honest, I didn’t like about 75% of the characters in this book but the other 25% were so nice that they made up for it. XD

What If It’s Us:

This book was so great because it was realistic! If you want a fluffy and sweet romance this might be the wrong story for you. Ben and Arthur’s love story is very honest, a little bit sweet and most of all very relatable. They fall in love, they struggle, they try to make it work and they deal with their problems and insecurities. I really appreciated „What If It’s Us“ because it was so mature and unique. 🙂

The Titan’s Curse:

Uncle Rick did it once again! XD I love his books because they are always entertaining and a lot of fun! This book was way darker than the first two though and I’m pretty sure that it will only get even darker from now on. It’s like with the HP series, the older the characters get, the more serious the books become. Still, I love Percy and his defiance! Give me more! ❤

The Stickman’s Legacy:

Now that was quite a read! *lol* One of the longest books I finished this month and a very interesting one at that! I might have had some issues with the pacing but overall I really enjoyed it. If you want to read my detailed and very confusing review you can do it here!

The Poppy War:

I’ve been warned that this book would be tough to read but no warning could have ever prepared me for the last third of „The Poppy War“, because damn there happened quite some heavy stuff! >_< And Rin! Woah! Don’t even get me started about Rin’s transformation! There’s no review for this yet, but be ready for one of my super long and very detailed essays! *lol* The Poppy War definitely deserves it! 😉

How was your October? Did you read many books? Did you visit the Frankfurt Book Fair as well? Which kind of genres did you read and did you like them? Any creepy book recommendations for next year?

Talk to me and let me know!

*hugs’n’kisses*

The Sassy Library Fox

September Wrap-Up

Remember when I said August was my worst reading month? Oh, well, scratch that! *lol* I think September was even worse. I might have read more books than in the month before, but two of them were only 38 and 112 pages long, so they were short stories instead of real books and it looks way more than it was. XD

Despite everything 3 of them were on on My Book List 2019 though and I’m happy to announce that I’m finally ticking off the books that are on my list! *lol* It only took me 9 months to get there but I think I can handle it now. Haha!

I guess it’s good that I stopped procrastinating and if I continue this way I might even be able to read at least 20 of those 40 books! Which truth be told, would already be some sort of achievement for me. *lol* Last year I was off way worse so I’m definitely improving! Well, by my standards at least. ;P

I don’t know if October will be even worse, but at least I’ll have a good reason to read less because if everything goes according to plan I’ll be at the Frankfurt Book Fair on October 19th!!! XD I’m so pumped and I can’t wait to go there. Maybe I’ll even dress up in a HP uniform because they have a huge Cosplay Event going as well. ❤ Ahh I’m so ready for this!!!

Anyway enough of my musings! Let’s move on to my statistic instead!

Books read: 6

Pages read:  1.775 (Urgh! 147 pages less than last month. I blame it all on Netflix, „Glee“ and „The Blacklist“. *lol*)

Average rating: 4,5 (I’m getting more picky again. XD)

Books that were on my reading list:  5 (2 from 2018 and 3 from 2019)

September Reads:

   

   

Interview with the Vampire:

It was about time I finally picked this up and I’m so glad that I put it on My Book List 2019! If not I probably still wouldn’t have read it and this really would have been such a shame. I mean I watched the movie about a thousand times (Young Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise?! Just too delcious and yummy to resist! *lol*) Anyway, I really enjoyed to read IWTV and I was happy to get some background infos that were lost in the movie! If you’re interested in reading my full review you can do it: here!

Opal:

AKDFLASDFJSLKDFJASKDJAJ!!!! Do I even have to say more? *lol* It was sooo damn good to be back in Maggie’s world and I loved this short story so much! I’m basically Ronan Lynch and I love and adore Adam Parrish so yes, this was all sorts of amazing for me! ❤ It was really interesting to see them through Opal’s eyes and I love that little rascal to bits and pieces! XD Goodreads review

Wonder Woman – Warbringer:

This read like a movie and I really enjoyed it! The side-characters were amazing and I really would have liked to see this as a film adaptation. *lol* Unfortunately I saw the plot twist from miles away and I had the feeling that the MCs weren’t fleshed out enough. Despite all of this it was a quick and entertaining read though! So if you want to read all of my thoughts you can do it here!

The Color Purple:

An amazing classic that addressed a lot of touchy subjects. While I read the book I realized why it’s banned in some countries but if you ask me it’s a book that SHOULD be  read! Such an intriguing story about two sisters that live in two entirely different worlds, yet still continue to write each other throughout the course of many years.

A Court of Mist and Fury:

Do I even have to say that this was AWESOME!? *lol* This was a reread but I think I loved it even more the second time around. There are so many things I missed when I read it for the first time and my review is probably going to be super long. XD Chapter 54 though. *shakes head* No matter how old I become or how often I read ACOMAF this chapter will always get to me. ❤ *sobs*

Shadow Me:

Kenji Kishimoto is one of the best things ever and I’m so glad he finally got his own short story! This was everything I wanted it to be and I loved to get his POV! I always knew that deep down within him, he’s a very serious person, but boy, I had no idea how tough his life is. >_< This book made me want to give him a long, good hug and only caused me to love him even more! ❤ Want to read my thoughts? You can do it here!😛

How did you fare in September? Did you manage to read many books or did Netflix get in your way too? *lol* Which kind of books did you read and did you like them or not?! Are you going to the Frankfurt Book Fair as well? And if yes, will I see you there? XD

Talk to me and let me know!

*hugs’n’kisses*

The Sassy Library Fox

August Wrap-Up

Let’s just face the truth and get it over with: August was one of the worst reading months ever! *lol* T_T There was so much going on in my life that I barely managed to read anything and the 5 books I was able to read actually kind of managed to keep my sanity intact. XD

Considering it all it’s a wonder I even managed to read them! This month was just crazy… a funeral, a birthday, a hen night and a wedding. I really had it all. >_< (The latter three occasions were a lot of fun though, and a really nice reason not to pick up a book! 😛 ) Anyway, despite my problems to find some time to read, the books I eventually ended up reading were pretty awesome. Out of five there were three I gave 5 paws and two of them even happened to be on My Book List 2019!

Let’s hope it will continue this way! I was careful to borrow the books that are on my list and I’m determined to read as many of them as possible. I might not be able to read all 40 I initially put there, but I’ll be damned if I don’t get close to it. *lol*

So without further ado, here is my monthly statistic and summary!

Books read: 5

Pages read:  1.922 (*cringes* Bloody hell! This really gotta be the worst reading month I ever had. *lol*)

Average rating: 4,6 (Funnily enough those 5 books I actually read were all pretty awesome! XD)

Books that were on my reading list:  3 (1 from 2018 and 2 from 2019)

August Reads:

   

 

Vicious:

I could still kick myself for not reading this sooner! *lol* V.E. Schwabs story about Victor Vale and Eli Ever was one of the easiest 5 paws I ever had the pleasure to hand out! Morally grey characters, the question of good and evil, a friendship that turned into hate, danger, suspense! This book had it all! ❤ If you want to read my super excited review, you can do it here!

Red, White & Royal Blue:

I love this book with all my heart and I’m so glad I read it!! ❤ It was amazing and this even though I had a tough time getting into the writing style at first. Still, the longer I read the more I loved this and yes you can argue that there is too much poltics, you can say it’s unrealistic and sappy, but for me those are all reasons that made the book so perfect!! Alex and Henry are LOVE!!! And they gave me hope, so thank you for that Casey McQuiston. ❤ 😀 My full review!

Warcross:

I really wish I would have loved this more than I did. „Warcross“ got 3,5 paws from me and I rounded it up to four. So what happened? The plot was rather predictable and I think the world wasn’t explained enough. I would have wanted there to be more details and I kind of missed that special spark! I usually love Marie Lu’s books but unfortunately this didn’t really work out for me. I know I’ve an unpopular opinion but I can live with it. *lol* Still, I’m looking forward to „Wildcard“ and I’m sure Marie Lu will rock my socks! XD

Flutter:

This one was a really intriguing read and I never read anything like it before. If you like a little bit of romance that’s mixed with a dash of suspense and a pinch of mystery you should definitely give it a try. 🙂

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone:

It was so much fun to go back to Hogwarts and to start school with Harry, Hermione and Ron! ❤ I got really nostalgic while reading this and I’m planning to continue to read the entire series. I’ll do it slowly and I’ll savour every page! XD HP always feels like home and is such a comfort read. 😀 P.S: I’m still mad my letter never arrived!!! *lol*

How was your August? Did you manage to read more books than I did or was it a busy month for you as well?  XD Which books did you read and can you recommend me some of them? 😀

Talk to me and let me know! 😉

*hugs’n’kisses*

The Sassy Library Fox

July Wrap-Up

Well, as it seems July was a good month! 😀 I might have only read 6 books but they were HUGE and had lots of pages! *lol* For instance I never thought I’d read „A Tale of Two Cities“ but thanks to Caidyn and his offer to do a buddy read I finally managed to tackle this monster of a book! XD (Thank you so much for doing this buddy read with me!!)

My average rating was a solid 4 paws so I guess this already says enough about the fun I had while reading those amazing books! Unfortunately it’s kind of obvious that I once again didn’t really manage to read some of the books that happen to be on My Book List 2019. I’m horrible, I know! >_<

But hey, I’m getting better at following my book list. From the 5 books I’m currently reading 3 are actually on that list so there’s still hope, right? I got this! Or not!? *lol* Anyway, looking on the bright side of things I upped my reading challange for the third time this year and hopefully will be able to read those 70 books! Wish me luck! I’m sure I’ll need it. 😛

Okay, let’s head directly to my statistic and the short summary now!

Books read: 6

Pages read:  2.402 (And the amount of pages is finally going up again. I might have read one book less than last month, but they had plenty of pages! XD)

Average rating: 4 (I guess I was lucky with the books I chose for this month. ;-P)

Books that were on my reading list:  3 (2 from 2018 and 1 from 2019)

June Reads:

       

   

The Slow Regard of Silent Things:

This was a really beautiful book about a broken girl and the world she lives in. I know this is one of those books you either love or hate and I can say that it won’t be for everyone. I for my part enjoyed it immensely! It was intriguing to find out more about Auri and I loved to get a glimpse at her thoughts. If you’re a fan of „The Name of the Wind“ and are one of us „slightly broken people“ you’re in for a treat! 😉

Wintersong:

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS! „Wintersong“ was full of cunning faeries, German legends, sacrifices, music, darkness, frustration, anger and love! This was the perfect read for me and if you’re a sucker for a good faerie story, you’ll be more than just happy to dive into this world. If you want to read my full review you can do it here!

Obsidio:

I can’t believe this series is already over! I enjoyed this so much and I loved „Illuminae“ and „Gemina“. ❤ Obsidio was pretty good as well, it unfortunately didn’t reach the high level of angst, plot twists and nail gnawing I went through while reading the first two books though. XD Still, it was a great finale for an amazing series and AIDAN and Nik Malikov are LOVE!!! ❤ (Well, and basically every other MC as well! *lol*) If you dare to, you can find my full-blown enthusiasm here!

A Flight of Broken Wings:

This was a review copy and I enjoyed it immensely. A war between angels and humans, lots of political intrigue, an awesome bromance, two interesting MCs and fighting scenes that were off the charts! Nupur Chowdhury delivered a really amazing book and I was glad she gave me the opportunity to read it! =) Plus I adore Ashwin! XD My review.

A Tale of Two Cities:

I finally read it!!! YAY! Now I know what Will Herondale meant when he spoke about the book with Tessa! *lol* Dickens had a very interesting writing style though. The first few chapters I didn’t get anything, then it made more and more sense, and by the end of the book I was stunned into silence and thoroughly heart-broken. T_T What a journey! This really was a great classic and I can totally recommend it. 😉

Fruits Basket Vol. 23:

I’m still sad this series had to end but after 23 volumes it was no wonder that I eventually reached the final chapter. Plus it was such a wholesome and lovely ending as well! ❤ I’ll always love Kyo, Tohru and Yuki! And the entire Sohma clan for that matter! They were all amazing and unique characters and Fruits Basket will always have a special place in my heart.

How was your reading month? Did you read a lot of great books in July and if yes, were they as huge as the ones I read? *lol* Did you read any of the books I read? What did you think of them?

Talk to me and let me know! 😉

*hugs’n’kisses*

The Sassy Library Fox

June Wrap-Up

For once I’m actually surprised that I managed to read so much! *lol* Okay, admittedly two of those seven books were mangas but still! At least 3 of my seven books had more than 300+ pages and this is quite an achievement. Rating wise June apparently wasn’t an all too good month though.

Well, at least I only had one 5 paws read and this was „Fruits Basket Vol.22“! XD Either I’m getting extremely picky lately or I need to find a good book that’ll sweep me off my feet. I might be inclined to say it is the latter. 😛

Still, overall June was a very productive month and I’m glad I managed to get in a few pages every once in a while . (Obviously to find some time to review those books properly is an entirely different matter though. *looks at my kid, raising an eyebrow* *lol*)

Anyway! Before I head to the official wrap-up and my monthly statistic I want to mention two things WordPress was kind enough to point out to me: In the last 9 months I wrote 100 blog posts and got a total of 1.337 likes for them. Which is just: WOW!!!  Thank you all so much for following my blog and reading my posts! ❤ It makes me happy to be among so many talented and wonderful people and I really hope I’ll get to know even more of you over the years to come! 🙂

This said we can finally move on to my monthly statistic before I get all emotional again XD:

Books read: 7

Pages read:  2.060 (And the amount of pages is still sinking. 89 less than last month, but still 7 books. Weird. XD)

Average rating: 3.86 (Ohhh, as it seems I’m getting really picky now. *lol*)

Books that were on my reading list:  4 (2 from 2018 and 2 from 2019)

June Reads:

   

 

Leah on the Offbeat:

I had such high hopes for this and I guess that might have been part of the problem in the end. „Leah on the Offbeat“ was a nice and fast read but I had so many issues with the book and the topics it tackled that I just couldn’t give it more than 3 paws. I kinda hoped that it would be as fluffy as „Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda“ but that didn’t happen and I got a pretty unsatisfying bi rep instead. If you want to know why I was so unhappy you can read my full review here!

Lost in the Clouds:

THIS BOOK WAS SO CRAZY! *lol* Half of the time I didn’t know what was happening and was confused as hell but I also wanted to continue and find out more so despite my utter bafflement I still enjoyed it? *bites lips and frowns* Well, it definitely was something new. Haha! Guess I can’t say more than that and this will have to suffice. XD

The Empty Grave:

All the while I read this book I was struggling with my feelings. On the one hand I wanted to read this so badly but on the other hand I didn’t want it to end. It’s always hard to finish a series and „Lockwood & Co.“ was one of those that never truly leave you. I’ll miss all of Strouds precious characters but it was a good ending to a great series and I can’t ask for more than that. Thank you Stroud! ❤ If you want to read my review you can do it on goodreads.

VOX:

This book made me realize that I need to steer clear of dystopian books for a while. *lol* Don’t get me wrong, the book was good but damn I hate injustice and all those dystopian books seem to have it aplenty. >_< In „The Power“ it were women that suppressed men and in „Vox“ it was the other way around and both scenarios made me angry af! XD So uh, no dystopian sci fi books for me. XD (At least for a few months…)

City of Ghosts:

My first Victoria Schwab book and I really enjoyed it! Since this was middle grade I’m really curious about her YA and adult books now though. I can’t wait to see what Schwab is going to do with a more mature setting so I’m totally ready to get lost in her other series. 🙂 „City of Ghosts“ definitely was a good start and caused me to crave for more.

Fruits Basket Vol. 21 & Vol. 22: 4 Paws &  

This series!!! OMG!! THIS SERIES!!! ❤ My heart is so full and so empty at the same time! I really could have read at least 20 volumes more! Natsuki Takaya’s characters grew on me and to finish this manga felt like saying goodbye to a beloved family member. I’ll miss them all so much and Vol.22 made me cry so hard that my vision was so blurry I could barely read. ❤ My only five paws read this month and it broke my heart. *sobs*

So what about you? Did you read any interesting books in June? Maybe even one I had in my wrap-up as well? If yes, what did you think of it? Did you like it or hate it? Can you recommend me a new fave?

Talk to me and let me know! =)

*hugs’n’kisses*

The Sassy Library Fox

May Wrap-Up

It took me ages to get to this but I’m finally writing my May Wrap-Up! If I wouldn’t have been ill over those last few days I most definitely would have posted it already, but life happened and the germs of my daughter happened so yeah, I’m sure you get the idea. *lol*

All I’m saying is that it sucks to be ill when there are 35 degrees (95) out there and you have to lie in bed with a fever. XD Anyway let’s not dwell on the bad things and rather go for the good ones!

For instance the simple fact that I managed to read 7 books in May! Okay, two of them were Fruits Basket volumes but still! This is one more than I managed to read in April so I count this as an achievement. ;-P Plus, I think I’m finally catching up on my review copies and ARCs which means my ARC ban will be dropped soon! YAY!

I guess with this good news we can move to my monthly statistic:

Books read: 7

Pages read:  2.149 (Interesting. According to my last Wrap-Up I read one book more but also read 290 pages less. XD)

Average rating: 4,14 (Am I getting picky again? *lol*)

Books that were on my reading list:  4 (2 from 2018 and 2 from 2019)

May Reads:

   

The Picture of Dorian Gray:

One of my all-time faves and a classic I’ve read about a thousand times. ❤ This time however I didn’t only read it very slowly but also made sure to write a proper review! I wanted to do this ever since I joined goodreads but I never had the time. XD Well, at least not up until now. 😉 So if you want to read an elaborate  review about one of my favourite classics you can finally do it here!

The Three Hares:

This was a review copy and a really nice change to the books I usually read. The genre is somewhere between adventure, mystery and middle grade and I enjoyed to dive into this world. For some reason I had the idea that there would be magic too but there actually wasn’t which was kind of funny and gave the story a touch of mystery. XD If you want to read more about Geoffrey’s book you can always read my goodreads review here!

The Good Daughter:

I rarely read thrillers because they have a rather unnerving tendency to give me nightmares but this one was really good! It went in an entirely different direction than I initially expected but if there is one thing Karin Slaughter can do then it is to write thrillers that make you feel for her protagonists. And boy, did I feel for Charlie and Sam! >_<

One of Us is Lying:

I wanted to read this book for ages and therefore wrote it on my book list 2018. Yes, you read right: 2018. I don’t have to tell you about good intentions, do I? *lol* Anyway, this was a lot of fun to read and I loved to guess about the murderer! The fun part: I even found out who it was! XD If you’re a fan of murder mysteries with a little bit of teen drama and loved to watch Castle episodes I’m sure this is going to be fun for you too! 😉

A Court of Thorns and Roses:

This was a reread but I loved it so much!!! ❤ It was so good to be back in this world and I loved every single moment with my precious autumn leave, Lucien! No one writes faeries quite as entertaining as Sarah J. Maas and I can’t wait to continue my reread. Especially because ACOMAF is my fave book in the entire ACOTAR series! 🙂 I won’t gush about ACOTAR here because if you truly want to see my super long and epic gush feast you can do it right here!

Fruits Basket Vol. 19 & 20:

It makes me sooo sad to know that I only have 3 (by now it are even only 2) volumes left to read. I loved this manga as a teen and nothing changed! Those characters are just too precious and each and every single one of them is amazing in its own way! ❤ I wish there would be even more volumes but every series has to end and so I’ll be inconsolable once I finished the final page. T_T

So what about you? Did you read any interesting books in May? Which book made it into your faves and did your already read some of the books I mentioned in my wrap-up? If yes, what did you think of them? Did you like them or hate them?

Talk to me and let me know! =)

The Sassy Library Fox

April Wrap-Up

Another month has passed and I’m once again writing another Wrap-Up! Is it just me or are those months actually that short? *lol* I could have sworn I just wrote my March Wrap-Up and here I am going for April! XD Maybe I’m just getting old? No, nope, let’s not go down that road. Haha!

I’m as young as I feel which means I’m currently at the stage of being a pimply 17en year old teenager! *lol* (I might have a Peter Pan syndrome but pssst, don’t tell anyone! ;-P) Oh well, at least the pimply part is true. >_< Anyway, moving on!

To be honest, April was a rather slow reading month for me. I only managed to read 5 books and one manga but this is mostly due to the fact that my little one was ill again and that work was keeping me more than just busy. I swear sometimes it feels like I have 10 different jobs and that I fail at each and every single one of them. *hums the refrain of Meredith Brooks “I’m a bitch, I’m a lover”*

Despite everything life throws at me I’m still blogging, reading, working, taking care of my kid, doing the household and singing though. *lol* Oh, and I’m writing Wrap-Ups! Almost forgot about that one! ;-P

So enough of me and let’s move to my monthly statistic instead:

Books read: 6

Pages read:  2.439 (Is it just me or does the number of pages go down with every Wrap-Up post I write? >_<)

Average rating: 4,33

Books that were on my reading list:  4 (3 from 2018 and 1 from 2019)

April Reads:

   

 

The Sweetest Oblivion:

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC form the author and I’m so glad Danielle Lori thought of me before she released her book! Unfortunately it took me ages to get to it because my ARCs got out of control. *lol* I might have been late to read this mafia story but I definitely enjoyed it! So if you like your male MCs hot, possessive, dominant and unapologetic Nico Russo might just be the right man for you! ;-P If you want to read my full review you can do it here!

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo:

I have so much love for this book! My heart hurts just thinking about it! ❤ This was everything I ever wanted to read! Evelyn, her story and the bi rep! GAH! It was perfect through and through! I can’t even put into words how much I loved this, but of course that didn’t stop me from trying! *lol* Just in case you actually want to read my gibberish, here’s the link to my review! 😉

Gemina:

This book had me screaming „Bloody Hell!!“ at the top of my lungs! >_< I swear the last 200 pages didn’t only have me at the edge of my seat but also caused me to curse like a sailor! Mind-blowing! Fast-paced! Shocking! And oh so good are just a few words that come to mind! XD I thought Illuminae was the best book I read this year, well, scratch that! Illuminae’s got nothing on Gemina! 😛 Read the extent of my enthusiasm here!

It Ends with Us:

When I started to read „It Ends with Us“ I expected a typical romance story. What I got was something entirely different than I singed up for, but it was still a really well-written book. It was the first Colleen Hoover book I ever read and it definitely made me want to take a closer look at her other works. I’ll approach them with caution after reading „It Ends with Us“ though, because as it seems Colleen is an author who’s not afraid of taking on quite heavy and intriguing topics. XD

After You:

I was pondering between 3 and 4 paws here but in the end I decided to give it four. I think Jojo Moyes was very brave to write a book like that after „Me Before You“ and I certainly didn’t expect „After You“ to go into this kind of direction. Considering it all it was a very realistic approach though, and after the ending I’m very curious how everything is going to turn out in book 3.

Fruits Basket Vol. 18:

I swear this manga series is only getting better and better! ❤ Unfortunately this was already Vol. 18 which means there are only 5 volumes left. 😦 I don’t know what I’ll do once I finished „Fruits Basket“ but if anyone of you knows a smiliarly awesome series, please let me know! I’m all eyes and ears! 😛

So what about you? Did you read any interesting books in April? What was your favourite and did your already read the books I read? If yes, what did you think of them?

Talk to me and let me know! =)

The Sassy Library Fox