Sunday 1 May 2016

Angharad's April Reads



April was a good reading month for me, however because I was away for majority of it, I read a lot of iBooks. Not my favourite thing to do but when you're travelling, lugging 10+ books around with you is kind of a challenge. 
My original reading challenge for this year was 50 books but I've already read 36 so I'm probably going to have to bump it up a bit. I was blessed/cursed as a fast reader (blame my mum.)



Falling into Place Amy Zhang - 4/5 stars
This book tells the story of Liz Emerson as we find out why she chose to drive her Mercedes off the road and try to kill herself. The story is arranged in 'snippets' from Liz herself, her friends, her teachers and other people but overall, much like 'The Book Thief' by Markus Zusak, it is narrated by an omniscient presence. TW: SUICIDE


Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein - 3.5/5 stars
Code Name Verity is a historical fiction novel that takes place during World War II. The story follows two best friends who crash land in Nazi-occupied France. 

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell - 2/5 stars
A light-hearted romance taking place in an office. Lincoln O'Neill is giving the task to monitor the employees emails but by doing so, he soon finds himself falling for Beth as she has frequent conversations with her friend, Jennifer. 

The Reflections of Snow White by David Meredith - 1.5/5 stars
What happens after happily ever after? This tells the story of Snow White, trying to come to terms with the death of her husband, Charming and the upcoming marriage of her daughter.

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson - 5/5 stars
This novel tells the story of Lia, a girl struggling with an eating disorder and we meet her as she discovers the death of her friend, Cassie. This book is full of beautiful writing but trigger warning for eating disorders. Please be careful.

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir - 5/5 stars
An Ember in the Ashes is set in a world under the Martial Empire. As the synopsis states, defiance is met with death. The book switches between Laia, a girl whose world gets turned upside down when her grandparents are killed by Masks (masked soldiers) and her brother is taken prisoner. 


The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury - 4/5 stars
A retelling of Aladdin but with a lot more women. Zahra, a jinni stuck in a lamp for hundreds of years is finally released but this is a world where magic is forbidden and Zahra's very existence is illegal. 

The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma - 4/5 stars
Described as 'Orange is the New Black' mixed with 'Black Swan.' It is a psychological thriller mixed with paranormal mystery and follows two girls: Amber, who is currently at a Juvenile Detention Center and Violet, a ballet dancer with huge ambitions.

The Ballroom by Anna Hope - 4/5 stars
Set in an asylum at the edge of the Yorkshire moors during 1911, The Ballroom tells the story of two patients, John and Ella as they meet during the weekly ballroom dance. We also follow Charles, the asylum doctor with unbelievable beliefs.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah - 5/5 stars
The Nightingale tells the story of two sisters during World War II. It spans from 1939 and continues until the end of the war, documenting the events that occurred in a Nazi-occupied France.

The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater - 3/5 stars
The final instalment in the Raven Cycle series. The story follows a gang of friends as they hunt down a dead Welsh king. The series deals with their individual friendships, romances and everything psychic and magical.

Harry Potter 
& the 
Philosopher's Stone
Chamber of Secrets
Prisoner of Azkaban
Goblet of Fire - 5/5 stars
Beginning my reread of my favourite series with my new editions. Harry Potter is my all time favourite fictional character, my brave prince! 


What did you guys read this month?
Let us know in the comments


2 comments :

  1. Wow, the new editions of HP look great! Every now and then I pick up a random Harry Potter book and start reading... but I feel like I need to do a chronological re-read one of these days of all 7 books. Also, been ages since I've read a YA series... thinking of starting An Ember in the Ashes... hopefully it won't be too much for a YA novice like me... (except for HP of course... HP ALWAYS)

    Feel free to check out my blog at A Simple Digest.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I totally agree. I wasn't planning on getting the new editions but I just couldn't resist. I've randomly picked up the Deathly Hallows just to torture myself with certain chapters.
      I'd definitely recommend An Ember in the Ashes and I hope you enjoy it. Let us know!

      Oh, and your blog is beautiful. Thank you for sharing it with us x

      Delete