Top Ten Books I've Read So Far In 2015

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme held over at TheBrokeandtheBookish.

This week's topic is: top ten eight books i've read so far in 2015.

8. Red Queen - Victoria Aveyard

I really ejoyed this book! It was gripping and fun to read through. I really liked the characters and the plot. I enjoyed how the love triangle wasn't the main focus of the novel. The hype was a bit too strong, there were quite a few flaws, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. My review here.

7. The Blood of Olympus - Rick Riordan

I was somewhat disappointed in BoO because it was the finale to one of my favorite series but I still loved this book so much. It was fun and entertaining and I cried so much. My review here.

6. Slammed - Colleen Hoover

I love slam poetry so I really enjoyed this book. I didn't really get into it until the last 100 pages but ohmygosh I cried so much in those pages. Definitely recommend!

5. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

I had to read this for school and I wish I had read it sooner! It's a wonderful classic romance.

4. Hopeless - Colleen Hoover

Hopeless was so intense and amazing, I couldn't put it down. My review here.

3. It's Not Summer Without You - Jenny Han

It's Not Summer Without You is the second and my favorite of the Summer trilogy. It hit me real hard with the feels and I cried throughout the entire novel (which is always good).

2. Ready Player One - Ernest Cline

Ready Player One blew me away. I've never been a huge fan of science fiction but wow this was amazing. It was action-packed, exciting, and unique. It was one of those books that I couldn't stop thinking about after I finished it. My review here.

1. These Broken Stars - Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

It's been 5 months since I've read These Broken Stars, and I still think about it. It's a wonderful blend of sci-fi and romance, though very romance-heavy. There is so much hype surrounding this novel, but it's hype well deserved. If you haven't read it, what are you doing? Go read it now. My review here.

What are your favorite reads of this year?

February Wrap Up

This month I read 5 books and 1 novella.

The first book I read last month was Hopeless by Colleen Hoover. This was my first Colleen Hoover book and I was very pleased. The story was incredibly intense and nothing like what I expected. My only problem was that I couldn't really connect with Sky so I gave it 4.75/5 stars.

Next I read This Night So Dark and This Shattered World, #1.5 and #2 of the Starbound series by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner. I gave them both 4/5 stars. The novella was very interesting and provided a connection between the first and second books. This Shattered World wasn't as good as These Broken Stars but it was still enjoyable.

The next book I read was Mindy Kaling's Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? I haven't read nonfiction in a very long time so this was a bit new to me. In the beginning I got a little bored but overall the book was interesting, well written, and comedic. 4/5 stars

I had to read Hamlet for school and I didn't really like it. It definitely wasn't horrible, but I found the plot to be boring at times and the characters annoyed me. 3/5 stars.

The last book I read in February was Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. Technically I finished this March 1st but since I read the majority of it in February, I'm going to include it in this wrap up. Ready Player One is the first legitimate science fiction novel I've read and I loved it. It was fast-paced, action-packed, intriguing, and funny. The plot was and world building was incredibly and I loved the characters. 4.5/5 stars. Full review here.

Until Next Time,
Hana

 Follow me on Bloglovin'

Ready Player One | Book Review

Title: Ready Player One

Author: Ernest Cline

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Random House NY

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction

Pages: 374 (Hardcover)

Average Goodreads Rating: 4.31/5

My Rating: 4.5/5

It's 2044 and the world has gone to shit. All the environmental problems we ignore today have gotten worse and there is an energy crisis going on. In this world, everyone uses OASIS, an online virtual reality where people can escape from their boring lives without ever having to leave their home. When the creator of OASIS dies, he creates a contest in which the winner will win his entire fortune. For 5 years after his death, no one has been able to figure out his puzzle, until Wade Watts does. 

I really enjoyed this book. It was action-packed, fast paced, and unique. Ready Player One is the first legitimate sci-fi books I've read, the others being mostly dystopian. 

What I liked most was the world in which the story takes place. The OASIS is such an interesting, boundless place. It's a world where anything and everything happens. Cline did a great job with the world building. It was a little hard to understand at first and having the first 70 pages be only world building didn't help. I think it would have been better to space those 70 pages between plot, but I eventually understood it. 

The "Hunt" was a great plot device that allowed the story to keep progressing. There was always something happening, some problem to be solved. There was never a dull moment.

The characters were all very unique and I loved the unconventionality of them. They're not the typical young adult characters and I really enjoyed that. They kept the book from becoming too dark and added light-hearted humor.

I was fascinated by the social conscience of this book. Normally when technology is an important factor, books romanticize it and ignore all the bad qualities. However, Cline repeatedly talks about the degradation of society and reality through the use of the internet and online world. He doesn't fail to acknowledge that while the OASIS is a spectacular place, it also forces people away from human interaction, something very relevant in today's world.

My only problem was the romance. I felt the two characters had no real chemistry. Yes, Wade has had a crush on Art3mis for many years, but they never had any real conversations that were explored in the book. There were many "montages" in the book stating that they talked a lot and went on dates, but it failed to provide the connection one feels when two characters are in love.

Despite, the romance I really enjoyed this book. It's a bit difficult to get into but definitely give it a try!

Thanks for reading!

Hana

 Follow me on Bloglovin'