January Wrap-Up/ February TBR

January Wrap-Up/February TBR

TKAMJanuary Books:


To Kill A Mockingbird
by Harper Lee – I read this one with my students in Freshman English, so that was fun.  It had been awhile since I’d read, probably high school, so it was fun to return to it.  I can definitely say that I liked it better this time around than I did the first time.

Keesha’s House by Helen Frost- This is another one I read in preparation of reading it with my students.  I must say I really enjoyed it.  It tackles some tough topics, but is written entirely in poetic form, so it is an easy read.  Typically, I don’t like poetry, but the sestina format that Helen Frost writes in flows very nicely and is easy to understand.

blood and saltBlood and Salt by Kim Liggett – This was a bit of an odd book. I was thrown off by the description of the book, which said it was a cross between Romeo & Juliet and Children of the Corn.  I thought it was good though.  Read my full review on it here.

Significance by Shelly Crane – If you are a fan of Twilight, you’ll love this book. But instead of vampires and werewolves, you get humans with extra abilities, which I think is so much cooler.  If you liked Twilight for the love story, this one is so much better.  Read my review on it right here.

Here are the books I plan on reading in February. I have to read at least four of them to keep up with my reading challenge goal.  I am in the middle of A Thousand Pieces of You and Finding the Sky right now, so that’s a start.  All of the synopses are from Goodreads.

 

Hello February 2016 Images

February Books:

A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Graya thousan pices

Cloud Atlas meets Orphan Black in this epic dimension-bending trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray about a girl who must chase her father’s killer through multiple dimensions.

Marguerite Caine’s physicist parents are known for their groundbreaking achievements. Their most astonishing invention, called the Firebird, allows users to jump into multiple universes—and promises to revolutionize science forever. But then Marguerite’s father is murdered, and the killer—her parent’s handsome, enigmatic assistant Paul— escapes into another dimension before the law can touch him.

Marguerite refuses to let the man who destroyed her family go free. So she races after Paul through different universes, always leaping into another version of herself. But she also meets alternate versions of the people she knows—including Paul, whose life entangles with hers in increasingly familiar ways. Before long she begins to question Paul’s guilt—as well as her own heart. And soon she discovers the truth behind her father’s death is far more sinister than she expected.

A Thousand Pieces of You explores an amazingly intricate multi-universe where fate is unavoidable, the truth elusive, and love the greatest mystery of all.

Why I want to read it: This book has been sitting on my TBR for way too long. No joke, it sitting there taunting me on my bookshelf for over a year, and I am FINALLY getting to it!! YAY!!

Ten Thousand Skies Above You by Claudia Gray:

Ever since she used the Firebird, her parents’ invention, to cross into alternate dimensions, Marguerite has caught the attention of enemies who will do anything to force her into helping them dominate the multiverse—even hurting the people she loves. She resists until her boyfriend, Paul, is attacked and his consciousness scattered across multiple dimensions.

Marguerite has no choice but to search for each splinter of Paul’s soul. The hunt sends her racing through a war-torn San Francisco, the criminal underworld of New York City, and a glittering Paris where another Marguerite hides a shocking secret. Each world brings Marguerite one step closer to rescuing Paul. But with each trial she faces, she begins to question the destiny she thought they shared.

The second book in the Firebird trilogy, Ten Thousand Skies Above You features Claudia Gray’s lush, romantic language and smart, exciting action, and will have readers clamoring for the next book.

Why I want to read it: This book just came in the mail two days ago. I need to finish A Thousand Pieces of You, which I am loving, immediately!!

Finding the Sky by A.M. Burns:

Dillon Smith is so ready for the school year to be over, because he’ll get some relief from the gang that’s been pressuring him to join them. Unfortunately, when he stops for a soda, he’s implicated in the gang robbing a convenience store. Given his late father’s association with the gang, even his mother doesn’t believe him when he says he wants no part of it, and she sends him to live with his Uncle Bryan for the summer.

On the way to his uncle’s house in the country, he and Bryan rescue a hawk that was hit by a semi-truck. They take it to some wildlife rehabbers living down the street, and they help open Dillon to experiences he never imagined.

When Dillon meets Scott, the son of the rehabbers, he falls in love, but the gang has a rough summer planned for him.

Why I want to read it: I found this book on NetGalley, read the description, and wanted to read it immediately. The main character, Dillon, is a male person of color, which in YA literature both of those things are hard to come by separately, so to come together is outstanding.  In addition, the book also discusses the topic of homosexuality, which I think needs to be talked about more in YA fiction.

Earth’s End by Elise KovaEarths-End-Cover-Only

A woman awoken in air, a soldier forged by fire, a weapon risen from blood.

Vhalla Yarl has made it to the warfront in the North. Forged by blood and fire, she has steeled her heart for the final battle of the Solaris Empire’s conquest. The choices before Vhalla are no longer servitude or freedom, they are servitude or death. The stakes have never been higher as the Emperor maintains his iron grip on her fate, holding everything Vhalla still has left to lose in the balance.

Book Three of the Air Awakens Series

Why I want to read it: If you haven’t read the first two books in the Air Awakens series, Air Awakens and Fire Falling, you need to do it immediately.  Elise Kova is a genius when it comes to writing YA fantasy.  Her genius and the first two amazing books in the series are exactly why I want to read Earth’s End

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. MartinGame_of_thrones

Summers span decades. Winter can last a lifetime. And the struggle for the Iron Throne has begun.

As Warden of the north, Lord Eddard Stark counts it a curse when King Robert bestows on him the office of the Hand. His honour weighs him down at court where a true man does what he will, not what he must … and a dead enemy is a thing of beauty.

The old gods have no power in the south, Stark’s family is split and there is treachery at court. Worse, the vengeance-mad heir of the deposed Dragon King has grown to maturity in exile in the Free Cities. He claims the Iron Throne.

Why I want to read it: I have loved the TV show since it started, and can’t wait to see what the books have in store. That, and my wonderful roommate and friend has been yelling at me about reading this series for about nine months now, so I decided it was finally time to get into it.

Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin

The year is 1956, and the Axis powers of the Third Reich and Imperial Japan rule the world. To commemorate their Great Victory over Britain and Russia, Hitler and Emperor Hirohito host the Axis Tour: an annual motorcycle race across their conjoined continents. The victor is awarded an audience with the highly reclusive Adolf Hitler at the Victor’s ball.

Yael, who escaped from a death camp, has one goal: Win the race and kill Hitler. A survivor of painful human experimentation, Yael has the power to skinshift and must complete her mission by impersonating last year’s only female victor, Adele Wolfe. This deception becomes more difficult when Felix, Adele twin’s brother, and Luka, her former love interest, enter the race and watch Yael’s every move. But as Yael begins to get closer to the other competitors, can she bring herself to be as ruthless as she needs to be to avoid discovery and complete her mission?

Why I want to read it: I am doing a read along of this book with Flying Through Fiction.  It starts February 15th, and I’m super excited about it.  I really think the next trend in YA fiction is going to be historical fiction, and that is exactly where Wolf by Wolf falls. I love historical fiction, and now that it is making its way into the YA world, I am super psyched about it!

What are you guys reading this month??

Happy Reading!

Erin

 

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