Hey Readers!

It is the end of December and almost the end of the holiday season. With the holiday season came a lot of family events, cleaning, and the end of my school term… this resulted in having less time to read and to blog but I was able to finish up my year with some great reads. And while I wasn’t able to blog as much as last month, I was able to get a little bit of blogging done this month as well.

Here are some of those posts that you should check out if you missed them:

A review I posted about a book Atria Books was kind enough to send me, a historical fiction/thriller novel that was an ode to storytelling.

A review of a beautiful magical realism story of a boy raised by wolves, full of hope and whimsy.

A list of what I was lucky enough to receive for Christmas!

Now for an overview of the books I read this month:

 Once Upon A River by Diane Setterfield

This was an atmospheric fantasy, mythology, folklore, and an homage to storytelling all wrapped up in one novel. This was my first Diane Setterfield novel and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It had as many twists and turns as the river at the heart of the novel.

 The Oyster Thief by Sonia Faruqi

This was Monsters and Stranger World’s second book pick. It is almost a retelling of The Little Mermaid, but with our male lead character turning into a mermaid instead. With the themes of ocean conservation, the first fantasy novel set fully under water was an enjoyable read but not my favorite.

 Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance by Ruth Emmie Lang

This was my favorite book of the ones I read this month. This tale of a boy raised by wolves filled my heart with hope and love. The writing is gorgeous and the story filled with whimsy. I immediately handed my copy to my mother to read the minute I was finished.

*bonus book I’m currently reading*

 Elantris by Brandon Sanderson

I am about half way through Elantris, Brandon Sanderson’s debut fantasy novel. While I am enjoying it, it is obvious it is a debut novel. It is harder to get through and has an overwhelmingly political plot. For someone who enjoys politics this is a great story but if one is looking for more fantasy this may not be the pick for you.

 

What books did you round out the year with? Stay tuned for a 2018 wrap up post where I’ll talk about all of the things I did this year and all of the books I read!

– Hannah