It was around this time that my life got a little busier, which means that I didn't have as much reading time as before. Here are the books I read during May and June this year.
MAY
FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM - ILLUSTRATED EDITION BY J K ROWLING
Newton (Newt) Artemis Fido Scamander was born in 1897. His interest in fabulous beasts was encouraged by his mother, who was an enthusiastic breeder of fancy Hippogryphs. Upon leaving Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry, Mr Scamander joined the Ministry Of Magic in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. After two years at the Office for House-Elf Relocation, years he describes as "tedious in the extreme", he was transferred to the Beast Division, where his prodigious knowledge of bizarre magical animals ensured his rapid promotion.
Find my full review on my blog.
RATING: 5/5
HUSH, HUSH BY BECCA FITZPATRICK
A SACRED OATH
A FALLEN ANGEL
A FORBIDDEN LOVE
Romance was not part of Nora Grey's plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how hard her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch comes along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Patch draws Nora to him against her better judgment.
RATING: 4/5
BEASTKEEPER BY CAT HELLISEN
Sarah has always been on the move. Her mother hates the cold, so every few months her parents pack their bags and drag her off after the sun. She’s grown up lonely and longing for magic. She doesn’t know that it’s magic her parents are running from.
Deep in the forest, in a crumbling ruin of a castle, Sarah begins to untangle the layers of curses affecting her family bloodlines, until she discovers that the curse has carried over to her, too. The day she falls in love for the first time, Sarah will transform into a beast . . . unless she can figure out a way to break the curse forever.
Find my full review on my blog.
RATING: 4/5
CROWN OF MIDNIGHT BY SARAH J MAAS (eBOOK)
From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.
Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.
Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie... and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.
RATING: 5/5
JUNE
THE GOBLIN AND THE STOLEN RING BY JULIET BOYD (eBOOK)
Sprout is a goblin. A young goblin. Young goblins often get into scrapes. That’s probably all you need to know, because who doesn’t like to read about others getting out of tricky situations, especially when they’re goblins?
When Sprout witnesses a Biglander stealing his ma’s ring, at a time when he should’ve been looking after it, he knows he has to get it back. Aided by his uncle Long Tooth, he makes a plan. Even though this task will take him out of The Forest of the Hooting Owl, a place that only forest dwellers know is there, because it is hidden behind a veil of magic, he is determined to succeed. He has to get into the Biglander’s house and retrieve the ring. His ma’s happiness depends upon him.
Find my full review on my blog.
RATING: 5/5
SIX OF CROWS BY LEIGH BARDUGO
Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price–and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone…
Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.
RATING: 4/5
THIS BOOK IS GAY BY JAMES DAWSON
Lesbian. Bisexual. Queer. Transgender. Straight. Curious. This book is for everyone, regardless of gender or sexual preference. This book is for anyone who's ever dared to wonder. This book is for YOU.
There's a long-running joke that, after "coming out," a lesbian, gay guy, bisexual, or trans person should receive a membership card and instruction manual. THIS IS THAT INSTRUCTION MANUAL. You're welcome.
RATING: 5/5
READY PLAYER ONE BY ERNEST CLINE
In the year 2045, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines, puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. When Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade's going to survive, he'll have to win—and confront the real world he's always been so desperate to escape.
Find my full review on my blog.
RATING: 5/5
Until next time....
Keep smiling