What I've Been Reading Lately {11.4.16} ~ ***The Starry-Eyed Revue***

So, I haven't been posting much lately. Like, not much at all this week, which is becoming a pretty normal thing. And when I have posted, it's been an obligatory promotional post for a book I received for review. But that's not to say I haven't been reading...because I have. A lot. So I'm going to try to catch you up on just what I've been reading lately with this post. More on why I've gone to this format here. I'm going to separate these into categories because that's just what works best for me.

Without further ado, here's what I've been reading lately...

F A N T A S Y | S C I - F I

Archivist Wasp - What a strange, strange book. I liked it. It was like nothing I've ever read before. Well, that's not quite true. I felt like it drew from many other sources but was just so unique in execution and lack of romance that it felt all new. But it's definitely one of those stories that's not going to be for everyone. 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Frost Like Night - Eh. I really enjoyed the first book, but the rest of the series just didn't keep the momentum of Snow Like Ashes. Or it just lost me along the way. Like, I was listening, but in that far off way you listen to a teacher lecture, not really taking in anything. This book just could not hold my attention. It wasn't bad and it ended well, I suppose, but I was still kinda bored? I don't know...I didn't love the second book either so I guess I was just really hoping for more from this finale. Also, I should have read the previous book because I kept getting details and characters confused. :( 🌟🌟🌟

Ivory and Bone - I could tell from the beginning - even on audio - that I wasn't going to enjoy this, and yet I forced myself to finish the book. I love Pride & Prejudice. I love retellings. I even loved the setting -- there were mammoths for crying out loud! And yet I did not like this book. Maybe because of the setting, I expected more than just romance. I did appreciate the scheming and the retelling aspects and the gender-swapping of a favorite story, but it was just so very dull and boring and maybe I actually did fall asleep in the middle of it and that's how I managed to make it to the end? Ugh. Remind me to go with my gut next time... 🌟🌟

Lotus and Thorn - Why is no one talking about this book? It was awesome...full of intrigue and kickass women and boasting of a post-apocalyptic world that felt genuine and realistic. AND it's a retelling of Fitcher's Bird by the Brothers Grimm. And so far, it seems to be a stand-alone, which I love because it kind of ends on the perfect note. 🌟🌟🌟🌟

The Marked Girl - It's never a good sign when the whole time you're listening, you're thinking When is this going to be over?. There was nothing inherently wrong with this novel. It was just another case of nothing really new here mixed with I'm so boooored. Which is sad when I'm essentially using an audiobook to stave off boredom while I'm working. :( 🌟🌟

The Forgetting - Wow. I was already feeling the love for this author after my re-read of Rook, but Sharon Cameron has solidified her place as a favorite. I just love that feeling when I'm reading, like I know I'm missing something, but I can't quite put my finger on it, only to be surprised again and again. Plus, she writes some of the BEST ships! I am really going to make a point of checking out her backlist titles ASAP. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Bitterblue - I've had the HC of this book on my shelf since it released. And yet, I haven't been able to bring myself to read it, until now...and only because my library finally got the audiobook version. And basically my feelings boil down to one thing: if the author wasn't going to give us any more of a resolution than this, why even bother writing a third book? I mean, it was fine...political and a little bit romantic with just a touch of fantastical, but it's not I was hoping for from the end of this series. Obviously, I would have appreciated a lot more time with Katsa and Po, but I understood that this was Bitterblue's part of the story. And that's all well and good, except why do I still feel like I'm waiting on the next book? From now on, whenever I get the urge to revisit this world, I'll just pretend only the first two books exist. 🌟🌟🌟

S E A S O N A L R E A D S

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown - Vampire stories are not among my favorites these days, but this one I have to read or listen to it this time of year...every year. If not more often. It's creepy. It's seductive. And holy cow, that kiss! 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Blood and Salt - Ugh. I hate when I don't realize a book is the first in a series until I get to the very end and there aren't any more pages to turn. Especially a book about a cult that most definitely reads like Romeo & Juliet meets Children of the Corn. Not quite as creepy as I'd hoped, but there's definite potential here. 🌟🌟🌟

The Scorpio Races - Pretty soon, I'm going to run out of alternate editions to review on Goodreads, as many times as I've re-listened to this book. This was my annual 1st of November re-read but my 8th time overall. And every single time, I'm ready to start over the second I'm finished. SEAN AND PUCK GIVE ME LIFE!!! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

C O N T E M P O R A R Y

Interference - Politics, Texas high school football, and Jane Austen. Those are three things I never thought I'd want to read about in the same book, but here we are. I loved First and Then which was a Pride & Prejudice retelling that also involved football. Because of that, I gave this book a chance, being that it's an Emma retelling, which is my second favorite Austen novel. And I kind of adored it. I also really loved the small town atmosphere...how no matter how long you're gone, it'll always feel like home. 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Not much in the way of contemporary these last couple of weeks, and gasp, NO historical romance. What has become of me?!? :P Have you read any of these? What did you think? Find any new titles to check out? ;0)

So, what do you think about this new format of mine? It took a long time to get this post together, but it was a lot less time than trying to review each of those books individually, especially now that I've got the format down and can add to it with each new read/listen. It's actually made "reviewing" kind of fun again because I just jot down my immediate thoughts and move on.

Until next time! Happy reading!