4. Book review!
For this round of books I’m reading I have jumped straight into all things Sarah J. Maas. I started with Throne of Glass in part 5 and after finishing the Throne of Glass series I have currently moved on to the Court of Thorns and Roses series…more about that next time. Some of my favorite books I’ve read so far are hands down All The Things They Cannot See in part 1 of my book reading series, The Book Thief in part 2, The Nightingale in part 3, and The Winter Chronicles in part 4.
Onward with more good reads! Here are the books I’m reading lately:
“The life you live, the hate you feel—it’s poison. I can drink it no longer.”
Synopsis: 6 unlikely street criminal friends, all under the age of 20 set off to penetrate a highly guarded country with intentions of freeing a man who is imprisoned there for millions of dollars. This book was slow starting and a little hard to follow for me. Part of the reason I didn’t love it is because I wasn’t invested at all in the man they were risking to free. Why would you put all of your friends at risk for a suicide mission regardless of the price? I wouldn’t do it. I loved the individual characters of this book, but they constantly find themselves in life threatening quandaries only to be saved by some last minute miracle. Again and again and again. I didn’t love it. Don’t think I’ll read the sequel, but I would like someone to tell me how it all ends. ;)
My Rating: 3 Stars!
“She’s impossible to hate. I’m very good at hating people, and even I find it difficult. I really have to put my heart and soul into it.”
Synopsis: This was a fun detour from my recent rabbit hole of fantasy/young adult novels I’ve been reading. The book opens with a commotion outside of an extra curricular school function for parents when someone at the event dies. With the exception of that dark mystery shadowing the book, it’s actually a really funny portrayal of the different school parents we typically run into, their personal problems, and how they all mesh together. As the book jumps from character to character I kept trying to figure out WHO the person might be at the end that is dead and believe me, the book gives you plenty of reasons to believe it could be ANY of the parents. I loved this!
My Rating: 4 Stars!
“It was a freedom that she was still working for, because even though she’d tasted it only for a heartbeat, it had been the most exquisite heartbeat she’d ever experienced.”
Synopsis: This is NOT my normal type of book and I’ve been avoiding the series purely because I think the cover art is so corny, but here I am and GASP! This one was even better than the first. There is magic, there are kingdoms, there are assassins and monsters but I’m in too deep now. Must read them all!
My Rating: 5 Stars!
“I see her slipping away, bit by bit, because you shove her down when she so desperately needs someone to help her back up.”
Synopsis: Third installment of the Throne of Glass series. This is so stressful. I want to be Celaena Sardothien. I love the Heir of Fire because we finally get some details about her past. We get to learn about what happened to her parents, why it happened, and why she’s running from it. It’s not until she’s forced to face it all that we get to see her come into her own with a glimpse of what she has the capability of becoming.
My Rating: 5 Stars!
“The wicked will tell us anything to haunt our thoughts long after.”
Synopsis: I can’t say much more about this series without giving it all away. But I finished this, equally loved it and have joined the long list of Throne of Glass fans eagerly awaiting the next installment.
My Rating: 5 Stars!
“You stand for what is right, Lina, without the expectation of gratitude or reward.”
Synopsis: I love historical fiction that teaches me something I really knew nothing about and this book was written by the author who gave us Salt To The Sea, which I also loved. In Between Shades of Gray, Lina and her family is deported from Lithuania by the Soviets during WWII and sent to work camps by train. I learned a lot about extermination of Jews during that time period, but had no idea Stalin had his own genocide going on as well. This was eye opening and beautifully written and heart wrenching. I love Lina’s family and I want to be her friend.
My Rating: 5 Stars!
What are you reading!?!
(Full Disclosure: Links to books above follow my Amazon affiliate links.)
Natalie says
I LOVE Moriarty and have read everything she’s written! Gonna check out Between Shades of Grey.
Mama Kat says
What has been your favorite of hers? Big Little Lies is the first I’ve read by her!
Kimberly says
So i would probably read number 2 because I do judge books by their cover. Yes. I know. I shouldn’t but I totally do and that cover really draws me in and your review has me sold on it. And if Stephen King’s on the cover endorsing it – well damn it all. Bam.
Honestly, I am stuck reading a horrible book and it is horribly long. Like really really long. I have this thing where I must finish a book once I’ve started it. It’s my thing. I am. NOT. A . QUITTER. If I see you ever starting to read it, I will kindly hint (Don’t do it Kat.) Gah. I won’t get this time back. Son of a…
Mama Kat says
Is it Anna Karenina? I forced myself to read that when it made Oprah’s book of the month and I can’t even remember what it was about at this point. Just that it was incredibly long and I was determined to finish it. I rarely give up on a book, but I will. There are just too many good ones out there to waste time trying to stay committed to something terrible. QUIT!!!
Emily says
Interesting list! I think I would enjoy reading Big Little Lies.
Mama Kat says
It’s a good one for sure!
Andrea says
Big Little Lies is one of her best! I’ve been curious about shades of grey, might have to get that – although I feel like I have to space out WWII novels so I don’t get too depressed..
Mama Kat says
I noticed when I recapped my favorites throughout the year, many of them are WWII based and I space them out too because they pack such a heavy punch. Maybe that’s why they stick with me well after I’ve read them. I really try to avoid them after a period in high school where all I read were WWII books. I need more fluff in my life.
Stephanie JEannot says
Big Little Lies sounds like it might be a really good book. I am in the midst of a few books myslef but maybe that will be my next one.
Mama Kat says
I even passed it along to my Mom and I’m pretty picky about the books I recommend to her!
Karen and Gerard says
So glad you enjoyed The Throne of Glass series as well as Between Shades of Gray and Big Little Lies. I’m pretty sure I recommended all these, including book review videos! Read on!
Mama Kat says
Such great reads! Sarah J. Maas is amazing!