Monthly Round-Up: February 2012
Now that are extra day is over, time for the monthly round-up. :)
Despite February being a shorter month, I managed to read quite a bit (for me). The last week of February was my Reading Week which means I had a week off from school which is what allowed me to read so much (even though I really should have been doing homework. This past week has been hell trying to get everything done at the last minute, ugh.)
Starting this month, I've decided to make a slight tweak to my Monthly Round-Up posts. Instead of JUST posting a list of books I've read this month, I'll also be posting a list of books I've reviewed. I have a lot of months where I'm catching up on reviews of books I've read the month before, or I've read a lot of books in a certain month that I didn't get around to reviewing during THAT particular month.
Books Reviewed (click on the links to be directed to my review)
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Where She Went by Gayle Forman
Hospital Time by Amy Hoffman
The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo
Cereus Blooms at Night by Shani Mootoo
Underdogs (Wolfe Brothers #1-3) by Markus Zusak
A Little Wanting Song by Cath Crowley
Bigger Than a Breadbox by Laurel Snyder
What I Was by Meg Rosoff
The Everafter by Amy Huntley
Crash Into Me by Albert Borris
Sapphire by Katie Price
Trumpet by Jackie Kay
Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers
The Mystery of Grace by Charles de Lint
The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis
Definitely reviewed more than I originally thought I had this month. I'm still not caught up in my reviews yet, but I'm slowly getting there. March should be pretty busy, so I'll have plenty of time to completely catch up then.
Books Read:
1. Getting the Girl (Wolfe Brothers #3) by Markus Zusak
2. Feminist Practice and Post-Structuralist Theory by Chris Weedon
3. A Little Wanting Song by Cath Crowley
4. Bigger Than a Breakbox by Laurel Snyder
5. What I Was by Meg Rosoff
6. The Everafter by Amy Huntley
7. Sapphire by Katie Price
8. Crash Into Me by Albert Borris
9. Trumpet by Jackie Kay
10. Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers
11. The Mystery of Grace by Charles de Lint
12. The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis
13. The Wavering of Haruhi Suzumiya by Nagaru Tanigawa
14. Little (Grrl) Lost by Charles de Lint
15. Redemption in Indigo by Karen Lord
16. This is Shyness by Leanne Hall
17. Feeling Sorry For Celia by Jaclyn Moriarty
18. The Dust of 100 Dogs by A. S. King
Number of books read so far this year: 33
Favourite Read: Definitely A Little Wanting Song by Cath Crowley. I loved loved loved the characters and the writing and was mesmerized by the whole thing. Australian YA really took the cake this month though as other notable reads were This is Shyness and Feeling Sorry For Celia. I also really ended up enjoying Redemption in Indigo and Trumpet.
Most Disappointing Read: This wasn't exactly disappointing because I didn't think I'd like it in the first place, but Sapphire was definitely my least favourite read. Crash Into Me was probably the most disappointing because while I didn't think I would fall in love with it, I was hoping to LIKE it and I really didn't.
For the books I acquired this month I put it behind a cut. When you click on the cut, you'll see why. :P
Books Acquired This Month:
I REALLY misbehaved this month. So much for getting through the TBR. So many of these were Bargain Books though -- there was a huuuge shipment of bargain stuff at work in the middle of January (so big that we still have at least a dozen or so boxes stuck in the back because there's no room on the shelves for them.)
Blood Red Road by Moira Young
I actually already own an ARC of this that I got ages ago, but I finally decided to just invest in a finished hardcover copy. This is partly due to the fact that I'm not at all fond of the new paperback design. It's sort of growing on me, but I still much prefer the hardcover. :)
Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
Paranormal romance is really not my thing, but I keep hearing everywhere that this is PNR for people who don't like PNR. Colour me interested. This was one of my many bargain finds ($5,99 for the hardcover).
The Passage by Justin Cronin
This book has caught my eye since it was first released in 2010. I also really love the design on the hardcover edition. At $9.99 for the hardcover, I couldn't resist.
The Fetch by Laura Whitcomb
Whitcomb's first title A Certain Slant of Light has gathered a bit of a cult following, so when I saw her sophomore effort in the Bargain Section ($6,99 for the hardcover) I decided to give her a go (even though I've heard this title isn't as good as ACSoL).
Crash Into Me by Albert Borris
This book had caught my eye when it was first released, so when I found it in the Bargain section I scooped it up. I've already read it, and as I mentioned above really didn't like it. Ah well, you win some and you lose some.
Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev
Another title that's caught my eye since it was first released. I love the idea of all of Shakespeare's characters living together. Another bargain find: $5,99 for the hardcover.
Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson
Sanderson seems to have a pretty devoted fanbase so I've always wanted to check out his stuff. This is a standalone book which I think makes it a decent place to start, the cover is gorgeous, and it was only $4,99 for the hardcover.
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
This is an ARC I nabbed from work a few weeks ago. It's gotten some fairly favorable reviews, so even though it's a part of the onslaught of Dystopian YA I decided to give it a try.
The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis
As I wrote in my review, I picked this up because it was an abandoned ARC (it was shipped from Random House Canada to someone at the store I work, but that employee had no longer been working there for awhile.) I thankfully really enjoyed this one!
Muse and Reverie by Charles de Lint
During my reading week I went to Toronto, which meant that I HAD to go to World's Biggest Bookstore. This is one of the many items I ended up leaving with. De Lint hasn't knocked me over with anything of his that I've read but I still like him enough to keep trying. This was in the bargain section at WBBS for $6,99 (for the hardcover).
The Returning by Christine Hinwood
This book has recently caught my eye for two reason: 1) it's a recent Printz-Honour book, 2) it's been blurbed by both Megan Whalen Turner and Melina Marchetta, two authors I LOVE. It's gotten lukewarm reviews, but I'm determined to like it (or to at least try). :P
Feeling Sorry For Celia by Jaclyn Moriarty
I forget when Moriarty first caught my eye but I've been seeing her pop on "Best Aussie YA" lists, and I've come to love a lot of Aussie YA authors/titles, so I decided to see what I could find. I found this first book in Moriarty's Brookefield/Ashbury series (though you don't need to read them in order) for $4,99 at WBBS.
Redemption in Indigo by Karen Lord
Bought this for calico_reaction's Theme Park book club. It was the pick for the month of February.
The Dust of 100 Dogs by A. S. King
I really enjoyed Please Ignore Vera Dietz and have been wanting to check out this title ever since. I probably shouldn't have bought this but I ended up doing it on a whim anyway and ended up reading it on the bus ride home from Toronto.
The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo
Already read this in January and really enjoyed it, so I wanted to own my own copy. :D
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya and The Sign of Haruhi Suzumiya by Nagaru Tanigawa
I read these forever ago and while it isn't my favourite series or anything I wanted to complete the set (I own the rest of the series.) They also look super cute on my shelf (so colourful!)
The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May and June by Robin Benway
Back in 2009 I read Benway's debut Audrey, Wait! (which I bought in the bargain section too actually...) and thought it was pretty cute. I bought this on a whim as well, but I really like the cover and the idea of three sisters being named after summer months (don't ask.) It was also in the bargain section for $5,99 for the hardcover.
Scarlet by A. C. Gaughen
This book caught my eye months before it was released. It's gotten mostly favourable reviews from bloggers I trust so I went ahead and bought it.
Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley
Seeing as A Little Wanting Song was my favourite read of this month it goes without saying why I picked this up. Doesn't hurt that I love the cover too.
Total Books Bought: 20
Eep! Thankfully I've already read 8 of these.
Phew. So much for behaving on my book-buying habits. But when I see so many good deals I can't resist. :D I hope February was a great reading month for you all too. :)
Despite February being a shorter month, I managed to read quite a bit (for me). The last week of February was my Reading Week which means I had a week off from school which is what allowed me to read so much (even though I really should have been doing homework. This past week has been hell trying to get everything done at the last minute, ugh.)
Starting this month, I've decided to make a slight tweak to my Monthly Round-Up posts. Instead of JUST posting a list of books I've read this month, I'll also be posting a list of books I've reviewed. I have a lot of months where I'm catching up on reviews of books I've read the month before, or I've read a lot of books in a certain month that I didn't get around to reviewing during THAT particular month.
Books Reviewed (click on the links to be directed to my review)
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Where She Went by Gayle Forman
Hospital Time by Amy Hoffman
The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo
Cereus Blooms at Night by Shani Mootoo
Underdogs (Wolfe Brothers #1-3) by Markus Zusak
A Little Wanting Song by Cath Crowley
Bigger Than a Breadbox by Laurel Snyder
What I Was by Meg Rosoff
The Everafter by Amy Huntley
Crash Into Me by Albert Borris
Sapphire by Katie Price
Trumpet by Jackie Kay
Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers
The Mystery of Grace by Charles de Lint
The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis
Definitely reviewed more than I originally thought I had this month. I'm still not caught up in my reviews yet, but I'm slowly getting there. March should be pretty busy, so I'll have plenty of time to completely catch up then.
Books Read:
1. Getting the Girl (Wolfe Brothers #3) by Markus Zusak
2. Feminist Practice and Post-Structuralist Theory by Chris Weedon
3. A Little Wanting Song by Cath Crowley
4. Bigger Than a Breakbox by Laurel Snyder
5. What I Was by Meg Rosoff
6. The Everafter by Amy Huntley
7. Sapphire by Katie Price
8. Crash Into Me by Albert Borris
9. Trumpet by Jackie Kay
10. Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers
11. The Mystery of Grace by Charles de Lint
12. The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis
13. The Wavering of Haruhi Suzumiya by Nagaru Tanigawa
14. Little (Grrl) Lost by Charles de Lint
15. Redemption in Indigo by Karen Lord
16. This is Shyness by Leanne Hall
17. Feeling Sorry For Celia by Jaclyn Moriarty
18. The Dust of 100 Dogs by A. S. King
Number of books read so far this year: 33
Favourite Read: Definitely A Little Wanting Song by Cath Crowley. I loved loved loved the characters and the writing and was mesmerized by the whole thing. Australian YA really took the cake this month though as other notable reads were This is Shyness and Feeling Sorry For Celia. I also really ended up enjoying Redemption in Indigo and Trumpet.
Most Disappointing Read: This wasn't exactly disappointing because I didn't think I'd like it in the first place, but Sapphire was definitely my least favourite read. Crash Into Me was probably the most disappointing because while I didn't think I would fall in love with it, I was hoping to LIKE it and I really didn't.
For the books I acquired this month I put it behind a cut. When you click on the cut, you'll see why. :P
Books Acquired This Month:
I REALLY misbehaved this month. So much for getting through the TBR. So many of these were Bargain Books though -- there was a huuuge shipment of bargain stuff at work in the middle of January (so big that we still have at least a dozen or so boxes stuck in the back because there's no room on the shelves for them.)
Blood Red Road by Moira Young
I actually already own an ARC of this that I got ages ago, but I finally decided to just invest in a finished hardcover copy. This is partly due to the fact that I'm not at all fond of the new paperback design. It's sort of growing on me, but I still much prefer the hardcover. :)
Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
Paranormal romance is really not my thing, but I keep hearing everywhere that this is PNR for people who don't like PNR. Colour me interested. This was one of my many bargain finds ($5,99 for the hardcover).
The Passage by Justin Cronin
This book has caught my eye since it was first released in 2010. I also really love the design on the hardcover edition. At $9.99 for the hardcover, I couldn't resist.
The Fetch by Laura Whitcomb
Whitcomb's first title A Certain Slant of Light has gathered a bit of a cult following, so when I saw her sophomore effort in the Bargain Section ($6,99 for the hardcover) I decided to give her a go (even though I've heard this title isn't as good as ACSoL).
Crash Into Me by Albert Borris
This book had caught my eye when it was first released, so when I found it in the Bargain section I scooped it up. I've already read it, and as I mentioned above really didn't like it. Ah well, you win some and you lose some.
Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev
Another title that's caught my eye since it was first released. I love the idea of all of Shakespeare's characters living together. Another bargain find: $5,99 for the hardcover.
Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson
Sanderson seems to have a pretty devoted fanbase so I've always wanted to check out his stuff. This is a standalone book which I think makes it a decent place to start, the cover is gorgeous, and it was only $4,99 for the hardcover.
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
This is an ARC I nabbed from work a few weeks ago. It's gotten some fairly favorable reviews, so even though it's a part of the onslaught of Dystopian YA I decided to give it a try.
The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis
As I wrote in my review, I picked this up because it was an abandoned ARC (it was shipped from Random House Canada to someone at the store I work, but that employee had no longer been working there for awhile.) I thankfully really enjoyed this one!
Muse and Reverie by Charles de Lint
During my reading week I went to Toronto, which meant that I HAD to go to World's Biggest Bookstore. This is one of the many items I ended up leaving with. De Lint hasn't knocked me over with anything of his that I've read but I still like him enough to keep trying. This was in the bargain section at WBBS for $6,99 (for the hardcover).
The Returning by Christine Hinwood
This book has recently caught my eye for two reason: 1) it's a recent Printz-Honour book, 2) it's been blurbed by both Megan Whalen Turner and Melina Marchetta, two authors I LOVE. It's gotten lukewarm reviews, but I'm determined to like it (or to at least try). :P
Feeling Sorry For Celia by Jaclyn Moriarty
I forget when Moriarty first caught my eye but I've been seeing her pop on "Best Aussie YA" lists, and I've come to love a lot of Aussie YA authors/titles, so I decided to see what I could find. I found this first book in Moriarty's Brookefield/Ashbury series (though you don't need to read them in order) for $4,99 at WBBS.
Redemption in Indigo by Karen Lord
Bought this for calico_reaction's Theme Park book club. It was the pick for the month of February.
The Dust of 100 Dogs by A. S. King
I really enjoyed Please Ignore Vera Dietz and have been wanting to check out this title ever since. I probably shouldn't have bought this but I ended up doing it on a whim anyway and ended up reading it on the bus ride home from Toronto.
The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo
Already read this in January and really enjoyed it, so I wanted to own my own copy. :D
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya and The Sign of Haruhi Suzumiya by Nagaru Tanigawa
I read these forever ago and while it isn't my favourite series or anything I wanted to complete the set (I own the rest of the series.) They also look super cute on my shelf (so colourful!)
The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May and June by Robin Benway
Back in 2009 I read Benway's debut Audrey, Wait! (which I bought in the bargain section too actually...) and thought it was pretty cute. I bought this on a whim as well, but I really like the cover and the idea of three sisters being named after summer months (don't ask.) It was also in the bargain section for $5,99 for the hardcover.
Scarlet by A. C. Gaughen
This book caught my eye months before it was released. It's gotten mostly favourable reviews from bloggers I trust so I went ahead and bought it.
Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley
Seeing as A Little Wanting Song was my favourite read of this month it goes without saying why I picked this up. Doesn't hurt that I love the cover too.
Total Books Bought: 20
Eep! Thankfully I've already read 8 of these.
Phew. So much for behaving on my book-buying habits. But when I see so many good deals I can't resist. :D I hope February was a great reading month for you all too. :)