January & February Wrap Ups

Hi. I'm sorry, I did it again. It's March 1st and I haven't even posted my January wrap up. I'm not dead, I swear, it's just that time flew by and before I knew it, it's March. Well, no worries, because today, I am bringing you both my January wrap up AND my February wrap up!

If if February spelled feb-ROO-ary when we pronounce it feb-YOO-ary? The English language, everybody.

Anyway, let's get started! I read a grand total of seven books in the month of January, a number which I am very proud of. And we will go in order of which I read them.

The first two books I read this month were Love Fortunes and Other Disasters by Kimberly Karalius, and it's sequel, Love Charms and Other Catastrophes. I ordered some books off of BookOutlet in December, and I got these two in that order. I just thought they looked like a fun read, and come on, those covers! My hunch was 100% correct! These books were quick, fun reads that I really enjoyed. I really recommend these two books, so go check them out!

The next book I read was Girl Online: Going Solo by Zoe Sugg. I read the first two books quite a bit ago, and wasn't really planning on finishing the series, but I decided to give it a go. The series is quite predictable and cliche, but I enjoyed it, because I usually enjoy cliche books. I also love how this series talks about anxiety and mental illnesses, because I think that topic is really important, and people aren't informed enough. All in all, if you want something your eleven-twelve year old self would enjoy, I would give these books a try.

Next up we have With Malice by Eileen Cook. Just a heads up, this is going to be one of those reviews where it's kind of deep and meaningful, or as I like to call it "Let's Get Emo! Starring Ariana"

So rarely does a book leave me breathless. Sure, they can leave me crying or dumbstruck, not able to sit up after I turn the last page, but With Malice was a thrill ride with each passing word. Actually, "breathless" doesn't really describe it. It was more like a hurricane.
It spins the story of a girl, Jill, who was in a car accident that killed her best friend, Simone, on a trip to Italy. But everything is not what it seems (ignore the Wizards of Waverly Place reference) Lots of people think that Jill killed Simone on purpose. But with Jill's memory of the trip completely blank, she isn't sure what to believe. All she knows it that she would never kill Simone.
There were so many factors in this book that were utter genius—the characters, the setting, and not to mention the plot twists and developments in the investigation that left me gasping and wondering. The ending of the book was written to perfection, with no Ts uncrossed and Is un-dotted.
I love how the author included some forms of media into this book. It really added to the fact that this was a possible murder investigation, and didn't let me forget it. It also showed me how much the media impacts everyone point of view. I realized (shamefully, may I mention) that if I had not read the story from Jill's POV and heard her side, I would have made rash assumptions about her. From the blogs about her to the statements her classmates made, even to the nitty gritty stuff like the pictures the media used, they made her out to be a certain way, that I don't doubt most of us would agree with. It really opened my eyes to the influence that the media has on us.
I would definitely recommend this book, because it was just really thrilling. If you want to get in to this genre but have an aversion to the mystery/thriller genre because you're afraid that it's going to be too intense and scary (trust me, I thought that, too) I would read this book. It doesn't have any "scary" aspects to it. It's just suspenseful in the sense that you're constantly trying to figure out who dunnit amid all the evidence and events taking place.
With Malice is the kind of book we need more of. You don't really see this type of stuff in YA. It's a shame, really, because this type of writing is so amazing and fresh.

Next we have Between Shades of Grey by Ruta Sepetys. I loved this book beyond words. We read it as a book club book in my English class, and I finished it within the first week (I wasn't supposed to but shh) It was so eye opening and intense. Of course, every part of WWII was important, and the last thing I want you to take this as is disrespect, because I don't mean any at all, but people often overlook the lives of other people (who weren't Jewish) who were severely affected by WWII. It makes me sad to know what everything that was done by Stalin and the Soviets isn't common knowledge, but I'm so happy that the author was able to write such an amazing book that draws attention to that fact.

Then we've got These Vicious Masks by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas. Again, this was a quick read that was really interesting, so I really want to read the next book when it comes out.

Lastly, we have The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson. I really like her work, and all of her books amaze me, so it was no surprise that I loved this one, too. It was fun and interesting, and the author never let the plot slow down or get boring, which I think is important when writing a book like this. Go check it out!

And that is all for January, on to February!

First up, we have The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. I know that I say a lot of books are my favorite, but I promise, this one is the true winner. It was just so good and raw, and I regret not getting into it sooner. I loved this book, and even though it may be older, it's pure gold (see what I did there)

Theeen we have The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin. I'm sorry, but I just have to say something about that title: it's interesting, really, but the word "unbecoming" is strictly an adjective. It should not be used as a verb. Okay, I'm done.

Honestly, I don't know what to say about this book. I didn't hate it. I didn't love it, either. I kind of have a problem with the bad-boy "love interest," because he's kind of a jerk. But all in all, if you've been wanting to read this, then go ahead. It's alright.

Then I finished book one and two of the Charlotte Holmes series, and I have to say, I really enjoyed it. It interests me, from the fact that it's a Sherlock Holmes retelling, to the crimes, and to how the Holmes in the story is a girl. I loved it a lot, so if you like mysteries that like to keep you thinking, read this series. And also, how lucky is it that when I finished A Study in Charlotte, I found out that the second book, The Last of August was coming out four days later. This has happened to me twice now.

The last book I read in Feb-ROO-ary was Free to Fall by Lauren Miller. The concept of this book sounded...strange to me. I've heard of these types of books ever so often, with society relying on technology until eventually, it tried to take them over, but I never really gave much thought into picking up one. I'm glad I did. It was funny and scary all at the same time, which only added to it's charm. I really liked it, so if you're into those types of books, go check this one out!

And that, my friends, is it for today. I'm so, so sorry for not posting something sooner, but life likes to get in the way of my plans. Thanks for reading,
-Ari