January Book Reviews

It's time for the first book reviews of 2018! I haven't read as much as I would have liked this month, but I have been busy and been reading some big books. Let's get onto the reviews. Don't forget you can click on the title of the books in the other books category to be taken straight to my Goodreads review. (You can also follow me on Goodreads if you want to read all my full reviews.)

Best Books

The Wizards of Once- Cressida Cowell

My Rating: 5 stars

Likes:

• Xar and Wish. At first glance, they don't seem like the most likable protagonists, Xar especially. But they prove themselves over the course of the novel as they worked through problems and formed a friendship.

• Amazing world. It's very different from the world of HHTYD, which was great. It had all sorts of magical creatures, feuding wizards and warriors, and felt really deep.

• Excellent story. It was a great adventure and it cover a lot of themes. Belonging, family, right and wrong, karma. I like a story that's fun to read and makes me think.

• Left me wanting more. I want to add this book to my shelf, and I already think it's one of my favorite books of 2018. I want to know so much. Who is the narrator? What about the witch king? How are things going to end?

Dislikes:

• None!

Refuge for Masterminds- Kathleen Baldwin

My Rating: 5 stars

Likes:

• Lady Jane. She's a young woman with mind that reminds me of Sherlock. She sees people as pieces on a board and can predict what they'll do. Even though she's so smart, she's still a human. She has fears and worries and doesn't understand why the other girls love her as a sister. I loved her character.

• The sisterhood. All of Miss Stranje's girls are smart and awesome in their own ways, and together they form an almost unstoppable team. I love how they are encouraged to use their gifts instead of simply being proper young ladies, although they know how to do that as well.

• Engaging story. This is the third book in the series, and it continues to be well written and interesting. I just had to keep reading to see what happened next. It also had a slight steampunk feel I liked.

• This quote: "Miss Stranje never curses or uses strong language. She claims it is a device only employed by individuals with minds to weak to command suitably descriptive speech."

Dislikes:

• Nothing again.

Worst Books

Outbreak- Alexander C. London

My Rating: 3 stars

Likes:

• More Cahills. I can't help but like these kids. They have a real spark on the page and a great bond.

• Themes of redemption and second chances. Always nice to see in a book, because they're always powerful.

Dislikes:

• Not very. . . believable. In the book, Amy and Dan have to stop a virus from killing the world. The unbelievable thing? The virus makes people dance to death. I felt like that was too hard to believe, even if it might be true.

• Too much of a good thing. After four series and multiple specials, I think Scholastic needs to let go of 39 Clues. It's a good series. At least the first one or two were. Then they started going downhill. They need to stop while they're ahead before they really run into the ground.

The Bourne Identity- Robert Ludlum

My Rating: 3 stars

Likes:

• Jason Bourne. He was pretty cool. I liked how he had morals, and wasn't just a mindless killer. I'd talk more about him, but I don't want to spoil it, so I'll leave it at that.

• The interesting bits. This was a long book, but there were good parts. Chase scenes, shoot outs, some nicely written conversations. Those I liked.

Dislikes:

• So long. It was a like 500 page book, and not as interesting as I thought it would be. (I want to watch the movie to see if it's any better.) There was too much politics and banking discussions that slowed down the plot. Or maybe I just don't understand spy thrillers.

• Where was the thriller part? Like I said, some parts were great. But they were bogged down by a lot of other stuff. I wanted to be on the edge of my seat but I. . . wasn't. Disappointing.

Notable Mention

Oh, The Places You'll Go- Doctor Seuss

I read this book first as a kid, as I'm sure many of us did. But only when I received it as a graduation gift did I really understand what it's about. It's a story about life. About how things will go great and how they won't. About the good and the bad in life. And it really strikes a cord in me now. If you ever need some life advice, skip the self-help books and just come to this one instead.

Other Books

Sisters- Raina Telgemeier (3 stars)
The Thief and the Sword- Mike Maihack (3 stars)
Furthermore- Tahereh Mafi (4 stars)
The Quest to the Uncharted Lands- Jaleigh Johnson (4 stars)
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma- Trenton Lee Stewart (4 1/2 stars)
Pride and Prejudice- Jane Austen (5 stars)

Also, please continue to bear with as I keep playing around with my new theme. I haven't worked out everything yet, so it might look a little weird while I'm working.

Let's talk! What have you read this month? What sort of books do you want immediately for yourself? Have you ever come back to a book and found it had a different meaning than you thought? Tell me in the comments.