SUYB: Fall Books

For real reviews, check out my Goodreads.  I'm writing this in real time and that's probably the best for brevity.  You're welcome for small blessings.

Also, Erin has posted her challenge topics.  I'm not sure I'll be participating because skool sucks, but I haven't decided yet.  We shall see.

Rating scale*:

1/5 - Hated it, didn't finish.
2/5 - Tolerated it on principle to finish, didn't like it.
3/5 - Eh, didn't love it, didn't hate it. Had some good parts/kept me interested/finished it on principle.
3.5/5 - I liked parts of it.
4/5 - I liked the whole thing.
4.5/5 - I liked it a lot, but not sure I'd read it again.
5/5 - I LURVED it and I'd read it again.

*Subject to change based on my mood, the phase of the moon, or other unpredictable variables.

Skimmers, stick with the bold text (TL;DR* parts).
PS. Possible spoilers included in reviews.





via GIPHY

Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy  4/5 (hard copy, own)

Ramona is a teenager who takes care of everything in her world.  Poor girl.  A solid coming of age story, even though Ramona needs to figure out the whole "Not my circus, not my monkeys" saying.

Winter by Marissa Meyer 4/5 (library, ebook)

The "Snow White" of the Lunar Chronicles.  I liked this book, but that could be because I was ready to be done with the series.  The ending with Cinder and Kai was weird, but that could have been me.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas   4.5/5 (Audible audiobook)

If you haven't heard of this book yet, you're living under a rock.  Solid book that discusses topics that are completely relevant RIGHT NOW.

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson  3.5/5 (Audible audiobook)

A mabillionty 45 hour fantasy audiobook I purchased because I wanted to get my credit worth.  It took about half the book for me to start getting into it.  Apparently, Sanderson is a world builder, which is cool and all, but it was tedious AF.  I almost considered getting the 2nd book in the series in physical form but I know there's no way I will actually read a tome like that.  Maybe once I get through the mabillionty hours of Outlander I have left, I'll consider it.

Stars Above by Marissa Meyer  3/5 (hard copy, own)

The Lunar Chronicles short stories.  This collection was ok, but nothing to really write home about.  Nothing from the short stories really did anything to enhance the main books, IMO.  If it hadn't been for YALL Fest, I would have probably passed on this one.

Fairest by Marissa Meyer  *3/5 (library, ebook)

This is Levana's backstory and I wasn't sold.  I was so not interested that when the library took this loan back from me when I was only 30 minutes from the end and I didn't even bother to get upset about it.  I would have requested it again, but there's a waitlist (8+ people) and #aintnobodygottimefordat.

In Progress:

Now that the semester is over, I'm hoping to actually make some headway through the non-audiobooks.

• The Fiery Cross (Outlander, #5) by Diana Gabaldon   */5 (Audible audiobook)
• It's 55.5 hours long.  I'm trekking along, but it sure feels like I'm also lost in the Appalachian mountains with them.
• The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood   */5 (ebook, own)
• This book is written very interestingly but the first half was moderately tedious for me.  Written well enough to keep me interested in though.
• Across the Nightingale Floor (Tales of the Otori, #1) by Lian Hearn   */5 (hard copy, own, reread)
•  I read these when I was 16/17ish and loved them.  I'm hoping the love remains.

On Deck:

• More Outlander
• I will finish this series, even if it takes me the rest of my life.
• More Tales of the Otori 
• I loved this series as a teenager and want to see if it still lives up to my expectations
• Something from my TBR list (whatever I can find from the library/Audible)

YAY for books!
*TL;DR = too long, don't read