March 2014 Wrap-up [spoiler free!]

March was an amazing reading month for me! Perhaps my slump is over?

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1. Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn. This book was a perfect post-holiday read; just what I needed to get me over the hump of the "Well, it is no longer Christmas/New Years, but spring has yet to arrive and I am stuck indoors" blues. While it is, indeed, a holiday and/or Christmastime book, Dash and Lily's Book of Dares is full of warm and fuzzy moments, quirky characters and witty dialogue that merge together and capture your heart, no matter the time of year.

David Levithan, I think I'm in love with you.

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2. Asylum by Madeleine Roux. Uh, hello gorgeous cover. I will admit, it was the cover that tipped the purchasing scale in its favor, as the book itself does not have the best ratings on Goodreads - and for good reason. The characters were not very well developed and the story was bland and a bit too difficult to get into. I did really like the creepy parts of the story: when they went exploring in the old, abandon rooms of the Asylum, for example; which, combined with the be-autiful cover, were probably the only things that saved the rating from going down any farther. I will probably pick up the second book, Sanctum, just to see what happens next.

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3. Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King. Such a quirky, fun read! Everybody Sees the Ants is another coming-of-age story about a boy who flees into the depths of his own imagination in an attempt to escape his not-quite-perfect life. A.S. King's writing is very reminiscent of John Green; crass and crude whilst remaining extremely witty and enjoyable. I really liked Lucky's character and enjoyed his progression from a kid who was content with just trying to get by, to someone who was able to accept the things he could not change and worked to change the things he could.

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4. Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge. Another drool-worthy cover. There were a few problems with this book—Nyx's indecisiveness, the confusing plot—but I loved how original and fresh the story was, despite it being a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. The parts of the book that featured the different rooms in the house were some of my absolute favorites and I adored the gothic, rustic feel of the characters and setting. The ending was a tad confusing (which has been the main complaint of Cruel Beauty reviewers), but I think I managed to grasp a well enough understanding of what happened and am really, very impressed.

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5. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter #3) by J.K. Rowling. I have been keeping up with my 2014 Harry Potter challenge pretty well so far; reading at least one book a month! The Prisoner of Azkaban was always one of my very favorites.

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6. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi. It's about time, eh? I have heard nothing but amazing things about this series on Booktube and in the blog-o-sphere, so I figured I would finally pick it up and give it a try. While I have yet to really connect to either of the main characters, the world is so complex and the story so unique that I found myself unable to put the book down until it was finished. I am very eager to get my hands on the next installment, though I currently have no idea when that will be. Curse you, book-buying ban!!

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7. Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan. A 24-hour bookstore? Sounds like my kind of haunt! This book, while not really possessing any sort of fantasy or paranormal aspects was, in a word, magical. I really enjoyed the setting(s) and characters; Clay, our narrator, in particular. The programing and Google bits were very confusing, but the rest of the story was quite inspiring and I am now adding Mr. Penumbra's to my list of fictional bookstores/libraries I would like to visit!

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8. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Graphic Novel) by Ransom Riggs and Cassandra Jean. I finally picked it up!! For months I have been on the verge of purchasing this book during my many expeditions to Barnes & Nobel, but each time I decided that it would be a waste of money, seeing as I already read the book (and then reread it earlier this year). But, alas, my resolve is not very strong and it was bound to happen eventually. I have seen Cassandra Jean's work featured on Cassandra Clare's Tumblr and, wow, is it beautiful. After reading this graphic novel, I am definitely on the look-out for some of her other books, which includes Beautiful Creatures.

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March Stats:

▫ Read 7.25 books

▫ Read 2,374 pages


GR's 2014 Reading Challenge (Progress):

▫ Read 18 of 70 books
▫ Currently 1 book ahead of schedule

Upcoming Releases:

▫ Gilded Ashes (Cruel Beauty novella) by Rosamund Hodge -- April 1, 2014

▫ Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige -- April 1, 2014

▫ Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins -- April 8, 2014

▫ Breakfast Served Anytime by Sarah Combs -- April 8, 2014

▫ The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith -- April 15, 2014

What did you guys read this month? Are there any April releases you are looking forward to? I, for one, cannot wait for Rebel Belle!

Teaser Tuesday [March 25]

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. All you have to do is grab your current read, open to a random page, and share two teaser sentences (that don't give too much away).



Today's teaser, courtesy of Veronica Rossi:

"Then she saw something roll downhill as if it had been bowled toward her. It hit a bump that shook loose a pale mask, and now she saw clear blue eyes and a nose and white teeth and black hair, tumbling over the dirt and trailing red."

— Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi (page 149)

BOOK HAUL [March 2014]

1. The Nightmare Dilemma (Arkwell Academy #2) by Mindee Arnett
2. Uninvited by Sophie Jordan
3. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Graphic Novel) by Ransom Riggs and Cassandra Jean
4. Half Bad by Sally Green
5. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
6. #16thingsithoughtweretrue by Janet Gurtler
7. Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill
8. Every Day by David Levithan
9.This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith
10. Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

NOT PICTURED:

11. Panic by Lauren Oliver
12. It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini



Obviously my book-buying ban is not going very well. What did you buy this month?

✿ TAG: Spring ✿

The "I Love Spring" book TAG was co-created by mysecretbookclub and Helene Jeppesen of Youtube.




1. How is Spring where you live?

Ohio does not seem to know what "spring" is. We usually have extremely cold weather throughout February and then, in March, the temperatures will hit extremes; ranging from below freezing to the 60s.

2. Most anticipated book release this Spring?

Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins—which is a new novel/series from the author of Hex Hall—and City of Heavenly Fire, the sixth and final book in Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments series.

3. Show us a book cover that makes you think of Spring:

The new Anna covers are gorgeous and Isla and the Happily Ever After's cover, with the soft greens and blue, make me think of spring.

4. Where are you going to read this Spring?

In my room, probably. My bed is right next to a window, so it is very relaxing to just sit and enjoy the sounds/smells of outside whilst getting lost in a good book. Reading outside does not happen often, but that is also an option. :)

5. Find a cover with the sun on it!

Found one, peeking over the fence and flowers.

6. What are your favorite Spring reads?

I do not have any one book that I associate with spring, but contemporary and dystopian do seem to be my genre(s) of preference.

7. Find a book with many different colors on it:

You've got your pinks, purples, whites, blues, browns, blacks and grays. Pretty colorful cover, I'd say!

How is spring where you live? Are there any books you are looking forward to this season? Let me know in the comments!