Heart Full of Ink: 2017

End of the Year Survey: The Books I Read in 2017

8:30 PM

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life―a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.

*Summary from Amazon

Review

It's often been said that comparison is the thief of joy and that idea definitely applies to Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. I liked the book but not as much as Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom. I know that if I'd read Shadow and Bone and the other books in the Grisha trilogy before I read the Six of Crows duology I probably would have liked it more because I wouldn't be comparing Bardugo's 2012 self to her 2015 and 2016 self. Since I can't go back in time, I guess I'll just have to deal with having read Six of Crows first.

My sister and I have a similar taste in books and both recommended Bardugo to each other at the same time. The difference was that I was suggesting she read Six of Crows, and she thought I would enjoy Shadow and Bone. If you decide to read Bardugo's books, which I highly recommend, you should without a doubt read them in order. I know the Six of Crows duology, while set in the same universe as the Grisha trilogy, follows different characters and can technically can be read first the way I did, but I think you'll find it more enjoyable to read them in the order they were written. I liked reading Shadow and Bone because I learned more about the country of Ravka and the Grisha powers as well as met new characters such as Mal. While I still love the characters and plot of Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom better, reading Shadow and Bone let me see how much Bardugo has grown as a writer. I predicted the plot twist in Shadow and Bone but she was able to pull the wool over my eyes in Six of Crows.

I gave Shadow and Bone 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. I'm currently a little over halfway through the next book in the trilogy, Siege and Storm.

Three Dark Crowns Review

7:18 AM

Summary of Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born: three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions.

But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose…it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins.

*Summary from Amazon

Review

Have you ever craved a food but then been disappointed with its taste once you finally eat it because it didn't live up to your expectations? That's what happened with me and Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake. The premise had such promise! The idea of three sisters each with their own magical powers competing to be the next queen sounded exactly like the type of book I enjoy reading. When I first came across a description of the book on Goodreads, I eagerly added it to my never ending TBR and was delighted when it was the book in my monthly Owlcrate box. Imagine my dismay when I found characters making decisions which made me hate them and a predictable plot.

While reading this book, I found myself more interested in the magic than the characters. I think this is due to the fact that while their powers are cool, the sisters themselves have extremely little to no backbone and allow themselves to be pushed around like queens on a chessboard. Additionally, there is completely unnecessary infidelity which made me strongly dislike one of the characters. Blake did a good job of creating a interesting world and magic system, but her characters definitely are not up to par in my opinion.

As a writer, I know how difficult the plot of this book must've been to write. I can and do admire Blake for her writing skill and her attempt to write this sort of book. However, as a reader, I also enjoy a good plot twist that this book unfortunately isn't able to deliver.

I ended up giving Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake 2 out of 5 stars on Goodreads, though a 2.5 is probably more accurate. Needless to say, this book wasn't my cup of tea and I have no plans to continue with the series.

#WIPjoy Wrap Up #3

1:12 PM

Crooked Kingdom Review

3:49 PM

Summary of Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

Kaz Brekker and his crew have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn't think they'd survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they're right back to fighting for their lives. Double-crossed and badly weakened, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz's cunning and test the team's fragile loyalties. A war will be waged on the city's dark and twisting streets―a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of the Grisha world.

*Summary from Amazon

Review

Have you ever finished a book series and immediately wanted to read it again because oh my goodness it was wonderful? Or have you ever wished you could erase your memory of a book series so you could read it for the first time all over again? It's not often I feel this way (reading the Harry Potter series when I was growing up was the last time I felt it), but Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo made me want to do both.

Crooked Kingdom is the sequel to Six of Crows and most definitely lives up to first book's reputation. The heist in this book is more psychological than the one in Six of Crows, but is still full of twists and turns that keep the reader guessing. I fell in love with all the characters in the first book and was thrilled to read more of their stories in second book. The development of Jesper and Waylan's relationship was especially adorable to read. I found Inej and Kaz's slow moving relationship to be realistic for both of them. Nina and Mathias will always have my heart though (I'm a sucker for the enemies to lovers trope, and I 100% will go down on this ship). Bardugo does an excellent job of tying up the loose ends.

Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom is officially my favorite duology. My only real complaint was I know not all the characters could have a happy ending, but oh my goodness, Bardugo, you broke my heart! I had to hold back tears in front of my students when I was reading it during silent reading time. I gave Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo 5 out of 5 stars.

Buy from Amazon

More Happy Than Not Review

9:54 AM

Summary of More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

In the months after his father's suicide, it's been tough for sixteen-year-old Aaron Soto to find happiness again—but he's still gunning for it. With the support of his girlfriend Genevieve and his overworked mom, he's slowly remembering what that might feel like. But grief and the smile-shaped scar on his wrist prevent him from forgetting completely.

When Genevieve leaves for a couple of weeks, Aaron spends all his time hanging out with this new guy, Thomas. Aaron's crew notices, and they're not exactly thrilled. But Aaron can't deny the happiness Thomas brings or how Thomas makes him feel safe from himself, despite the tensions their friendship is stirring with his girlfriend and friends. Since Aaron can't stay away from Thomas or turn off his newfound feelings for him, he considers turning to the Leteo Institute's revolutionary memory-alteration procedure to straighten himself out, even if it means forgetting who he truly is.
Why does happiness have to be so hard?

Review

I made it my goal to read more diverse books in 2017, especially own voices authors. More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera fits the bill on both accounts. It's a book which promotes the idea that we as humans need to remember the good and bad in life because it makes us who we are.

What I like most about this book are the relationships between the main character Aaron and his love interests. The fact that both relationships are flawed makes them all the more real. The relationship Aaron has with his girlfriend Genevieve is comfortable and easy but not fulfilling and he knows he's letting her down too. His relationship with Thomas is exciting but heartbreaking for Aaron. As a reader, I want Aaron to find happiness in at least one of his relationships, but Silvera does a good job of giving a realistic portrayal of the trials and tribulations of love in a contemporary romance.

Because More Happy Than Not is a contemporary romance, I was thrown off by the science fiction turn the book takes with the presence of the Letero Institute which can erase specific memories. Other than the Letero Institute, there is no other indication of science fiction in the setting. The setting is basically present day but with the ability to change people's memories. This felt wonky to me, especially in a contemporary romance. I know authors like to blend/twist/reshape genres together. Personally, when I pick up a contemporary romance that's all I want. I don't want random science fiction mixed into it. Maybe Silvera was going for magical realism (which I don't particularly care for), but in any case it wasn't my cup of tea. Either put the entire story into a science fiction setting or keep it all contemporary romance.

All in all, I like the message of acceptance that the book promotes and am glad to have read a book with a diverse LGBTQ narrator. I would give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.

Saga Review

5:06 PM

The Bitter Side of Sweet Review

6:31 AM

Summary of The Bitter Side of Sweet by Tara Sullivan

Fifteen-year-old Amadou counts the things that matter. For two years what has mattered are the number of cacao pods he and his younger brother, Seydou, can chop down in a day. This number is very important. The higher the number the safer they are because the bosses won’t beat them. The higher the number the closer they are to paying off their debt and returning home to Moke and Auntie. Maybe. The problem is Amadou doesn’t know how much he and Seydou owe, and the bosses won’t tell him. The boys only wanted to make some money during the dry season to help their impoverished family. Instead they were tricked into forced labor on a plantation in the Ivory Coast; they spend day after day living on little food and harvesting beans in the hot sun—dangerous, backbreaking work. With no hope of escape, all they can do is try their best to stay alive—until Khadija comes into their lives.

She’s the first girl who’s ever come to camp, and she’s a wild thing. She fights bravely every day, attempting escape again and again, reminding Amadou what it means to be free. But finally, the bosses break her, and what happens next to the brother he has always tried to protect almost breaks Amadou. The old impulse to run is suddenly awakened. The three band together as family and try just once more to escape.

*Summary from Amazon.com

Review

It's important to read books you normally wouldn't pick up on your own. If you only ever read what interests you, you'll rarely be challenged by new ideas. The Bitter Side of Sweet by Tara Sullivan is not a book I would've chosen to read of my own volition, but I found it to be engaging and eye opening.

I became an advisor for a Global Scholarship program at the school I teach at so I'm making an effort to read more books focused on global issues, which led me to reading The Bitter Side of Sweet. It's not the type of book I'd usually try to read, but Amadou's story drew me in and wouldn't let me go. Amadou's struggle between survival and doing what's morally right was relatable and realistic.

In addition to the vibrant characters, The Bitter Side of Sweet also opened up my eyes to the harsh realities of some cacao plantations. I've visited a cacao plantation before, but was largely ignorant of the child slave labor that is used on some cacao plantations. The fact that we eat chocolate without any thought to the child slave labor that is sometimes used to harvest and produce it was a big wake up call.

Hot Chocolate Highlights: February 2017 Recap

4:02 AM

The Chocolate War Review

4:07 PM

Road Trip Playlists

1:56 PM

Summary of Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Amy Curry thinks her life sucks. Her mom decides to move from California to Connecticut to start anew--just in time for Amy's senior year. Her dad recently died in a car accident. So Amy embarks on a road trip to escape from it all, driving cross-country from the home she's always known toward her new life. Joining Amy on the road trip is Roger, the son of Amy's mother's old friend. Amy hasn’t seen him in years, and she is less than thrilled to be driving across the country with a guy she barely knows. So she's surprised to find that she is developing a crush on him. At the same time, she’s coming to terms with her father’s death and how to put her own life back together after the accident. Told in traditional narrative as well as scraps from the road--diner napkins, motel receipts, postcards--this is the story of one girl's journey to find herself.

Review

Quite a few people on YouTube have recommend Morgan Matson as a must read contemporary romance writer. When I saw Amy & Roger's Epic Detour on Audible, I decided to download it and listen to it during my daily commute.

I liked listening to this book on Audible because the story is about a road trip. The playlists that Roger and Amy created made me want to listen to those songs. I also enjoyed the descriptions of the different food they ate as well as the people they met.

The only two aspects of the book I didn't like were the age difference between Amy and Roger and some of the decisions Amy makes. Whenever there's a romance between an underage person and a person eighteen years old or older, it makes me feel uncomfortable. I also didn't like Amy's decision not to tell her mom she was going to take a different route (but that's the adult in me, if I'd read this book as a teen, I may have had a different opinion).

After reading Amy & Roger's Epic Detour, I most definitely plan to read other books by Morgan Matson. I gave Amy & Roger's Epic Detour a 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.

Heart Full of Ink

End of the Year Survey: The Books I Read in 2017

The Reading Quest

Shadow and Bone Review

Summary of Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Review

Three Dark Crowns Review

Summary of Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

Review

#WIPjoy Wrap Up #3

Crooked Kingdom Review

Summary of Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

Review

More Happy Than Not Review

Summary of More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

Review

Saga Review

Summary of Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

Review

The Bitter Side of Sweet Review

Summary of The Bitter Side of Sweet by Tara Sullivan

Review

Hot Chocolate Highlights: February 2017 Recap

The Chocolate War Review

Summary of The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

Review

Road Trip Playlists

Summary of Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Review

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