January 2017 Wrap-Up

It’s my first reading wrap-up of the year! I’m quite pleased that my first wrap-up of 2017 is going to be good, because i’ve had a very successful reading month! I’ve gotten around to a lot of books that i’ve wanted to read for a long time, and enjoyed them all from the most part. I’m starting the year off on a high with reading and i can only hope that this continues. Here are the books that i read in January 2017!

The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon
The first book that i picked up was Nicola Yoon’s second YA novel, The Sun Is Also A Star. To Say that Everything Everything made me fall in love with this author is an understatement. It was one of my favourite books of 2016, so obviously her newest release in November 2016, The Sun Is Also A Star was high up on my priority list. I cannot believe i waited two whole months to read it. I adored this story of two teenagers meeting and falling in love on one of the most tragic days of their lives. It was a nice, diverse twist on a YA novel and i cannot praise it enough. I have a full review HERE if you’re interested to read my thoughts. It definitely got my year off to a good start!

Hold Still by Nina LaCour
The second book that i got my hands on was Hold Still by Nina LaCour. This has been on my shelf for a few months and i’d wanted to pick up a Nina LaCour novel since meeting her at YALC last summer. This story was a lot more heart breaking than i imagined it to be. But the addictive writing was teamed with some wonderful illustrations and diary entries that i absolutely loved. It has made me want to pick up everything else that LaCour has written and devour it in one fluffy YA sitting. I also have a full review of Hold Still HERE.

Asking For It by Louise O’Neill
Asking For It has been on my radar for quite a long time, to be honest since it was released back in 2015. The premise of the novel is rape and sexual assault, something that’s not an easy read at all. The main character, Emma, is the victim of rape and struggles to come to terms with the assault in the following months. It was an interesting read by all accounts, the voice from the protagonist was different and gave a good perspective on what happened. However, i have a lot of mixed feelings about this story. More about my feelings can be read HERE.

This Raging Light by Estelle Laure
There was a lot (A LOT) of hype around this YA contemporary when it was first released last year. I picked up my copy back in summer and let it sit on my book shelf for a while. I was dragged in by the hype and as usual, didn’t read synopsis when it comes to YA novels. The story is about Lucille and her sister Wren, and the awful situation they’re left in when their parents up and leave without warning. It covers some topics of mental health and relationships among other things. I enjoyed this novel as it was a fast read and an easy ‘break’ book. Once again, my full thoughts are in THIS review.

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
I have my full review of this going up in the next few days, but i finished this book a few days ago and still cannot stop thinking about it. The true story of Randy Pausch’s last few months of life is so impactful it’s hard not to think about his life lessons over and over. The Last Lecture is one of the most powerful books i’ve had the pleasure of reading in my life and i cannot recommend it enough. I think everyone would take something from reading this book, and everyone will have a different opinion of it.

I also managed to start Nevernight by Jay Kristoff this month, however anyone who knows me will know that i don’t really do high fantasy too well. I want to stretch myself and finish it in the next few months, but it’s definitely a book that will have to be read a little at a time.