January Reading Wrap Up

The first month of 2016 was successful – I’m on track, and it is a miracle considering everything I had going on. I worked 10 days straight at one point, during which, I started AND finished an 850 page book. I think reading is slowly becoming my superpower though I still feel like I’m such a slow reader.

CINDER

Marissa Meyer / 2012

The Lunar Chronicles is a series I was drawn towards due to the amount of hype revolving around its last installment, Winter. I plan to read the entire series but since the first book left a lukewarm impression, I’m not sure when I’ll pick up the series again. Told from the perspective of a mechanic, and a human with robotic enhancements, it is a typical YA dystopian story. The downside, the mechanic Cinder herself hates her robotic parts which is ironic, considering she became a mechanic and is good at what she does…

Themes: YA, Dystopia, Science-fiction, Steampunk

YES PLEASE

Amy Poehler / 2014

The plan is to read more autobiographies this year, and the first one I picked up was Yes Please by one of the funniest women in comedy – Amy Poehler. Her book is thoughtful, insightful and funny. Yet it doesn’t try to be too funny, which is why I liked it so much. It had a lot of heart and I must admit, I got a little emotional when I read Seth Meyer gush about Amy.

Themes: Auto-biography, Funny, Comedy, Improvisation

OUTLANDER

Diana Gabaldon / 1991

This is the 850+ book was the most wonderful read. It was also a wonder I read this book so fast and it is a compliment to Gabaldon’s writing really. I flew past the chapters and I excitedly read all about the adventures Claire had! My enthusiasm was most likely evident in my Outlander post, and well, it hasn’t subsided yet so I’m most likely to pick up the second book soon enough.

Themes: Time-travel, Adult romance, Historic-fiction, Scotland

THE FIVE STAGES OF ANDREW BRAWLEY

Shaun David Hutchinson / 2015

After reading Outlander I was in a mood for something light and YA is always my go to genre in those moments. This book was alright, though the plot did flow a little hesitantly for me. The story was still emotional, and though I expected to cry, I actually didn’t, which is why I’m a little disappointed. Maybe the characters never really connected with me, maybe the end was solved too fast and maybe it bothered me a little, how Andrew Brawley “solved” his problems.

Themes: YA, LGBT, Cancer, Depression

PASSENGER

Alexandra Bracken / 2016

This was the most disappointing read this month, and not because it was bad, it was simply not what I expected. Hyped beyond hype, Passenger let me down a little because I didn’t connect with the characters. The plot was good, I actually enjoyed the time travel element, and I loved the diversity – I just wasn’t rooting for the main character. She seemed too together, too adaptable considering she was supposed to have stage fright – yet she never seemed like a fish out of water when portraying to belong in different eras. All in all, a better read than Cinder in a way, but more disappointing because of expectations.

Themes: YA, Science-fiction, Fantasy

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How many books did you read in January? What were your favorites? And which of these have you read or plan to read?