December Wrap Up

Hey.

Hey there, you. I realized that it is quite a ways into January, and that I haven’t posted my December wrap up until now, but in my defense…

Nah. I’ve got nothing. But, I do have an explanation for my extreme tardiness: I’m just really irresponsible.

I typed this up in December, when I was in Colorado, but I was busy spending time with my family, so I couldn’t make a thumbnail, and then time passed and school started, and all these other things started happening and I’m, like, really really really sorry. But, fun fact, initially I made a video for this blog post. Yes, a video, as in I filmed it and edited it. All that jazz. But then I thought, "Huh, is it really a good idea to put myself out there on the internet like that, for total strangers to see? No, not really." So I took it down two minutes after posting it. So no, unfortunately you won't be seeing any videos from me any time soon. At some point you may, just not today. So, I decided to post a boring old written wrap up. If I'm being honest, blog post me is a lot wittier and funnier that video me (who am I kidding, I'm not witty and funny) Video me is awkward and cringey. 

But you don’t want to hear my excuses and distractions. I’ll just get to the wrap up.

I was having a little trouble getting into reading in December. I did finish five books, but it was a difficult task. I don’t think that it’s a reading slump, exactly, I’ve just been quite busy with school and extracurriculars. Nevertheless, I was able to finish those books.

The first book I finished in December was Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas, which is the fifth book in the Throne of Glass series. That ending might have killed me. Come on, Sarah, haven’t these characters been through enough? I need the next book, and fast. I cannot recommend this series enough.

The next book I finished was Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. I watched the movie and really liked it, and my friend has been pressuring me to read it, so I finally gave in. I really enjoyed this book. The writing style was great, the plot was entertaining, and I love how the author included media like pictures in the book. But the movie was very, very different from the book. The characters didn’t match up, and there were things that happened in the movie that didn’t happen in the book, and vice versa. I would have liked the movie to stay as close to the book as possible. Then again, I say that for every adaptation.

Next up is Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. This has been on my TBR list for a while, and it had a holiday-ish theme, so I thought it would be a good book to get me in the Christmas spirit. I really like it, and I picked up the sequel, so I can get to that a little later. This book is about Dash and Lily, total strangers who bond over writing to each other in a red moleskine notebook and leaving it around the city for each other to find. This was a quick, fun read that I really enjoyed. I would really recommend it.

The next book I finished was Royal Tour by Amy Alward. This is the second book in The Potion Diaries series. As with Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares, this was just a really fun, lighthearted book. I will say that this one has more action than the first one does, but that makes it really good and exciting. The ending was great, and the story was amazing. I’m really excited for the next book to come out.

The last book I read in December was We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. I can’t even begin telling you how great this book was. So I’ll just include a mini-review instead, to make up for the fact that I was so late in posting this!

This book is beautiful in every way. From the characters, to the plot, to the ending, and the cover. It's about love, loss, family, and life. We Were Liars is a truly life changing book.

The Sinclairs are an esteemed family. They own islands and have trust funds. Life is good for them, or so it seems. Beyond the surface of black pearl earrings and boating trips, they are broken. Cadence Sinclair-Eastman, especially. Her father left, and an accident left her with pretty much no memory of Summer Fifteen on the island her wealthy grandfather owns. She suffers from awful migraines and is seen as fragile and breakable. She feels alone. When she finally returns to the island two years later, everything is different. She isn't sure if that's a good thing.

I loved this book so much. The beginning is a little bit slow moving, but once Cadence starts remembering events from Summer Fifteen, it gets exciting. The ending is heartbreaking, and I cried for a solid ten minutes. Thank god I was in the seclusion of my bedroom, because no one should have to see Ariana crying over a book. It isn't pretty.

All in all, I really recommend this book. Especially if you want to get into the mystery/thriller genre. This book leans more to the mystery side, but trust me, I was left on the edge of my seat more than once.

That was actually quite short (minus the mini-review) Although I have posted more than usual these past few months, so that’s good. Thanks for reading,
-Ari

Side note: I’m editing this and head-banging to Miss Jackson by Panic! At the Disco. That is all.