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Fangirl's January


It's one of my 2019 resolutions to do regular blog updates so here's what we're going to do. Every month I'll do a compilation of all my reads for that particular month, and I'm putting this out here to hold myself accountable. I'll let Satan take my soul if I don't follow through, that's how committed I am :) ... I sure hope Satan's cute.

1. Queen of Air and Darkness - Cassandra Clare

Started my year right y'all. Queen Clare can ask me to jump off a cliff and my highly self-obsessed, narcissistic self will actually do that. That's how perfect this book is. I loved the fact that there were so many characters from TMI throughout. I LOVED THE ENDING, and I'm barely holding myself back from spoiling anything for anyone who hasn't yet read it.

I didn't particularly care for the main couple though. Back when Lady Midnight came out, I really did think they were great, but not so much anymore. There were other great relationships though, ones my stone-cold heart ships.

Fangirl Rating: 5/5

2. Becoming - Michelle Obama

It's kinda easy to forget that Presidents and First Ladies are human too. That there is more to them than making laws, giving speeches and all that jazz. This book helped me understand that. How human they are. How seeing the White House or Nelson Mandela or the Queen of England for the first time can stun even Michelle Obama, like the rest of us. And how much they're sacrificing for this job. Of course, we all agree that politicians can't be trusted and they only work for themselves, but they do give a lot. Their privacy and any sense of normalcy in their lives are completely deleted as soon as they step into the spotlight. It's like being a celebrity except that you get hated on a lot, lot more.

And the amount of work that goes into the job. I mean, it's just one human being in charge of a whole nation, and perhaps it is a bit much. And perhaps we should give them a lot more credit for what they do, day in and day out.

Overall, it was a fun yet insightful read, with Michelle Obama's lighthearted and straightforward prose making it a page-turner.

Fangirl Rating: 4/5

3. Six of Crows - Leigh Bardugo

I LOVED IT! I did not know how much I liked heists and anti-heroes and grim sassiness and KAZ BREKKER, until I read Six of Crows! And I was also delighted to read an epic fantasy book that did not involved the overthrowing of the government, or the 'lost crown prince-princess' or The Promised/ Chosen One. Like, every other high fantasy novel I've read so far included overthrowing of the current political system. But this book is about a group of thieves carrying out an impossible heist and basically working within (or well, outside of it, if we're getting technical. They are thieves after all) the political framework, with no intention of overthrowing the evil king/queen and installing The One or making it democratic, as is the case with many a fantasy novels I've read. Not to say that I don't enjoy a good revolution, but the change was refreshing. I didn't know I needed this until I read it.

Fangirl Rating: 5/5

4. Let's Talk About Love - Claire Kann

Okay so I have mixed feelings about this one.

As much as I appreciate the ace rep and the black girl rep, I didn't quite like how it was done. Like yes we need more ace books. But I didn't really connect to any of the characters, didn't really know what the plot was about besides the romance, and didn't ship the main couple at all. Like their chemistry seemed to be non-existent. The love interest, Takumi, seemed to have like no personality at all. The protagonist's best friend, Feenie, was plain aggressive. Like for no reason, at times. I won't get into details, but I didn't like her very much.

I liked how the book tried to explain asexuality, and how there can be varying shades under the spectrum, and how Alice was trying to find her place among that, and how she was trying to stay true to herself. But again, it felt like everything was being put together. Like I do appreciate the effort, but it wasn't quite what I was expecting.

Fangirl Rating: 3.5/5

5. Crooked Kingdom - Leigh Bardugo

I LOVED IT. I am in absolute awe of Leigh Bardugo and the Grishaverse. I am honestly overwhelmed by the intricate detailing that went into each character and the plot, that I don't quite know how to put my feelings into words.

Also, reading this book was hard. It was terrifying to go through the pages wondering if they can pull it off this time. If Kaz really was one step ahead. What if they fail? What if one them died?

All I can say, without spoiling anything, is that the Six of Crows duology is a brilliant piece of work. I'm 100 percent here for these secretly soft anti-heroes and how they try to sass their way out of everything. I am definitely adding the Shadow and Bone trilogy to my wishlist, and anything else Bardugo writes.

Fangirl Rating: 5/5

And that's all of my reads for January. I've challenged myself to read 65 books this year, and I think I'm off to a good start so far. Let me know if you've read any of these, and tell me what you think if you have!

P.S. Taking book photos without having any actual props is hard work mate.

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