Some Books I Read Over The Last Few Months

My reading habits in 2019 were severely inconsistent, but I just wanted to write a few mini reviews for the last several books I read this year to kickstart me into this year. I hope to read more, but I’ve been hesitant about deciding my reading goal for this year until I see how it goes for a few weeks!

The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo ★★★★☆
This book told an intricate story, a historical fiction book layered with mythology and folklore. I loved the atmosphere of this book, the mystery, and the characters. However, the romance threw me off a bit, and while this book was interesting the pace did get slow at points.  

Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys ★★★★☆
I enjoyed this book a lot, I always find Ruta Sepetys books quick to read and easy to get through, and while this is not my favorite of hers I still found it a good read. Though the historical aspect of it, about a girl in 1950s New Orleans and the daughter of a prostitute, I found to be handled a little idyllic? While I still enjoyed this, it’s not one of my favorites of hers.

A Pale View of Hills by Kazuo Ishiguro ★★★★★
How does one even review this? I read this a few months ago but the story feels so delicate in my mind, and all I can say is that Kazuo Ishiguro has a way with unreliable narrators and non-linear story lines and it HURTS.

All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews ★★★☆☆
This book is difficult, because I know objectively it was great, but I just didn’t feel very much toward it. It was written beautifully, and the family dynamics were heartbreaking, but in the end, I just didn’t enjoy this that much.

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo ★★★☆☆
Gotta be honest, I didn’t love this book! Maybe this book is just a brand of darkness that I don’t vibe with, but I just wasn’t into it. I found it slow and difficult to get through, though I did think Alex was a fantastic character.

Vicious by V.E. Shwab ★★★★☆
I really enjoyed Vicious! I loved how it was a game of villain against villain, of selfish motivations and morals. But I love how I felt sympathetic to these characters, and I’m interested in seeing what happens in its sequel, Vengeful.

Hatch by James Stevens ★★★☆☆
A friend lent me this, and it was an easy, fun book. The writing left something to be desired, but otherwise it was a fun, adventurous read.  

The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater ★★★★★
I’ve also been rereading the Raven Cycle before my read of Call Down the Hawk, and I forgot how much I love this series. Reading it again with knowledge of the whole series made all the bits and pieces of it a lot clearer. And, as always, these are some of my favorite characters and it was wonderful to revisit them.