August Book Wrap Up

I managed to read a fair few books this month, but upon looking at my Goodreads challenge I’m behind?! AHHH. I was so smug, alas I have some catching up to do! I read 6 books this month, 3 were audiobooks and 3 were not.

I’m weirdly pleased that this month I have some books that aren’t 5 star? I think it’s because of this strange idea that someone who only gives positive reviews is somewhat less? I’ve talked before about why I don’t write negative reviews, but it boils down to the fact that I don’t continue reading a book that I don’t enjoy. Life’s too short you know? That doesn’t mean that I stop reading ones that I don’t LOVE, so here we have it. My August wrap up with books I loved and liked!

The Last Girl on Earth by Alexandra Blogier
Published by Delacorte Press on January 23rd 2018
Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction
Format: Audiobook
Goodreads

Raised among them.>

Li has a father and a sister who love her. A best friend, Mirabae, to share things with. She goes to school and hangs out at the beach and carefully follows the rules. She has to. Everyone she knows--her family, her teachers, her friends--is an alien. And she is the only human left on Earth.

A secret that could end her life.

The Abdoloreans hijacked the planet sixteen years ago, destroying all human life. Li's human-sympathizer father took her in as a baby and has trained her to pass as one of them. The Abdoloreans appear human. But they don't think with human minds or feel with human hearts. And they have special abilities no human could ever have.

Fit in or die.

When Li meets Ryn, she's swept up in a relationship that could have disastrous consequences. How far will Li go to stay alive? Will she save herself--and in turn, the human race--or will she be the final witness to humanity's destruction?

So The Last Girl on Earth didn’t quite hit the mark for me. I enjoyed the story overall but it wasn’t what I was expecting from the synopsis. It still was sci-fi, just about, so I enjoyed that. The narration was enjoyable, so overall I gave this 3.5-4 stars as it was an enjoyable reads at a distance.

Nyxia Unleashed by Scott Reintgen
Series: The Nyxia Triad #2
Published by Crown Books for Young Readers on July 17th 2018
Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction
Pages: 400
Goodreads

Getting to Eden brought Emmett and his crewmates one step closer to their promised fortune. But surviving Eden may be the biggest reward of all. Discover book two in the trilogy Marie Lu called, “a high-octane thriller.”

Emmett Atwater thought Babel’s game sounded easy. Get points. Get paid. Go home. But it didn’t take long for him to learn that Babel’s competition was full of broken promises, none darker or more damaging than the last one.

Now Emmett and the rest of the Genesis survivors must rally and forge their own path through a new world. Their mission from Babel is simple: extract nyxia, the most valuable material in the universe, and play nice with the indigenous Adamite population.

But Emmett and the others quickly realize they are caught between two powerful forces—Babel and the Adamites—with clashing desires. Will the Genesis team make it out alive before it’s too late?

I am so disappointed that I didn’t enjoy Nyxia Unleashed. The first one was amazing, it was Hunger Games in space! It was exciting and alluring. Sadly… Nyxia Unleashed missed the mark. I found myself skim reading just to finish it. Somehow at the same time so much was squashed in but also nothing much happened? It was a lot of build up and just lacked the urgency we got from Nyxia. Sigh. Anyway, full review will come at some point.

From a Distant Star by Karen McQuestion
Published by Skyscape on May 19th 2015
Genres: Science Fiction
Pages: 272
Format: Audiobook
Goodreads

When Lucas Walker inexplicably recovers from a terminal illness, everyone is astonished --except for his girlfriend Emma, who never gave up hope. However, as friends and family celebrate the miracle, Emma becomes alarmed: Lucas has changed. He speaks haltingly, can't recall past events, and even his own dog doesn't recognize him. Emma begins to suspect something is terribly wrong. What happened to the Lucas she loved? Does his strange behavior have something to do with the shooting light that fell into Lucas's backyard the night he recovered?

As the two set off on a road trip in search of the truth, the journey takes an unexpected turn. First they're shot at by unknown enemies and then helped by unlikely allies. Before long, Emma and Lucas are plunged into a desperate life or death race against time.

Packed with intrigue and emotion, FROM A DISTANT STAR is a riveting novel about loyalty and the power of love.

Okay so like Last Girl on Earth, this book surprised me but in the opposite way! I listened to this on Audible, and I enjoyed the narrator very much. However a few minutes in I was unsure if I was enjoying it, and almost gave up right there! There was a lot of talk about Cancer which was getting me down, and the main character was very repetitive in her thoughts. However, I persevered and ended up thoroughly enjoying this on, I’d recommend.

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan
Published by Jimmy Patterson Books on November 6th 2018
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Pages: 336
Goodreads

Each year, eight beautiful girls are chosen as Paper Girls to serve the king. It's the highest honor they could hope for...and the most cruel.

But this year, there's a ninth girl. And instead of paper, she's made of fire.

In this lush fantasy, Lei is a member of the Paper caste, the lowest and most oppressed class in Ikhara. She lives in a remote village with her father, where the decade-old trauma of watching her mother snatched by royal guards still haunts her. Now, the guards are back, and this time it's Lei they're after--the girl whose golden eyes have piqued the king's interest.

Over weeks of training in the opulent but stifling palace, Lei and eight other girls learn the skills and charm that befit being a king's consort. But Lei isn't content to watch her fate consume her. Instead, she does the unthinkable--she falls in love. Her forbidden romance becomes enmeshed with an explosive plot that threatens the very foundation of Ikhara, and Lei, still the wide-eyed country girl at heart, must decide just how far she's willing to go for justice and revenge.

TW: violence and sexual abuse.

AHHH I LOVED GIRLS OF PAPER AND FIRE. Full review is coming soon but honestly this book is wonderful. Amazing characters, amazing world building, amazing plot… amazing amazing! It’s dark with f/f love and you just need to read this. It examines difficult topics which are handled very well. Add this to your TBR!

The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air, #1) by Holly Black
on January 2nd 2018
Pages: 370
Format: Audiobook
Goodreads

Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

Jude was seven when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

As Jude becomes more deeply embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, she discovers her own capacity for trickery and bloodshed. But as betrayal threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

Okay so I’ve read The Cruel Prince before but this is the first time I’ve listened to the audiobook! Caitlin Kelly is an amazing narrator, each voice had a distinct tone so you knew who was talking at any given moment. It was enticing and enjoyable and I LOVED it even more. Now I can’t WAIT for The Wicked King!

Three Strikes by Lucy Christopher, Kat Ellis, Rhian Ivory
Published by Firefly Press on October 11th 2018
Genres: Young Adult
Pages: 320
Goodreads

Three Strikes is a collection of three dark novellas from three star YA authors.

The Darkness - Lucy ChristopherKasha has answered the advert for The Tribe. Now she sits writing alone in the darkness of the jungle. Is she the only one left? Then she spots a red light blinking at her from the darkness. Cat’s eyes? A camera?

The Twins of Blackfin - Kat EllisEvery evening Bo visits her best friend Sky’s grave. One night she hears a girl’s voice. Following it leads her to a journal and a crypt.

Matchgirl - Rhian IvoryA modern YA retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Match Girl. Busking, runaway Nia is mugged and left badly hurt in a tunnel. All she has is three matches, and she starts seeing pictures in the light... A story of grief, love and music.

Okay so Three Strikes is a little out of my usual genres but I REALLY enjoyed it! Three deeply compelling, dark tales that twist and snare the imagination. Three tales of love, loss, heartache and page turning mystery. Full review to come!

So that’s what I read in August! Have you read any of these? What was your favourite read of August?

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