Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
LinkedIn
RedditI’ve been reading a lot lately and been thinking about how I could share what I’ve read and give reviews of each book I read every month. It’s something I haven’t done before and I thought it might be something you all enjoy.
Now I promise I will not be giving away spoilers but instead giving a spoiler free review of it all.
December was quite a busy month for us so I actually didn’t read as much as I would have liked. I had a lot going on throughout the month. Also, after finishing A Court Of Thorns and Roses Series, House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City Book 1,) and reading 3 books in the Blood and Ash series I was feeling a bit of reader burnout.
So this month I decided to take it a bit easier and focus on reading only between 9 pm and 12 am. This way I wasn’t spending all day reading like I was through November.
November’s Reading
Like I said I read a lot in November, and quite frankly fell in love with two authors in particular. Sarah J Maas and Jennifer L Armentrout. Fantastic authors who write amazing stories with some spice while also just taking you on an emotional roller coaster with twists and turns you don’t see coming.
ACOTAR
If you haven’t already read the A Court of Thorns and Roses series I highly recommend it. It’s fantasy with a great story about a Fae society and Kingdom that will take you through all the emotions.
It is absolutely adult fantasy not young adult fantasy and the spice just gets spicier as you move through the books. Just make sure you have tissues nearby because I think I cried at almost every single book.
The fifth book, A Court of Silver Flames, continues the story from a different perspective. First off, the spice ranking on this one is a 5 out of 5. Secondly, the story itself is actually pretty great and I personally believe that’s because we are dealing heavily in trauma recovery and self doubt. It was beautifully handled and written.
Crescent City Series
House of Earth and Blood is the first book in the Crescent City Series by Sarah J Maas. It’s her new series and let me tell you my interactions with this book. I picked it up and tried to read it in September and couldn’t get through the first couple of chapters.
There was a lot going on in this series that had me confused. One person I follow on #booktok literally put together a crime scene type board in order to keep all the characters straight.
It’s so worth it to push through though. The spice is pretty minimal compared to the books in the ACOTAR series, however there is absolutely some romance. Still an adult only read.
The story is like a modern day fantasy using modern tech and devices while having characters like the fae, vampires, and archangels. I call this a mystery fantasy crossover that just works really well.
The second book in the series, House of Sky and Breath, releases on February 15th, 2022.
Blood and Ash Series
Jennifer Armentrout is one of the best authors I’ve read and I freaking mean that. I am a picky reader, if a story doesn’t catch me within the first couple of chapters I’m typically out. I need to be hooked quickly or my ADHD will just check out of a book.
This series is just… chefs kiss. Just a beautiful fantasy story with perfect world building, character growth, and an emotional roller coaster. I typically read what’s on Kindle Unlimited or check out books from the Libby app. This series had me in it’s clutches to the point that I bought digital copies of the books just so I could keep reading.
The Book Order is:
The War of Two Queens (Release Date March 15, 2022)
Jennifer writes spice that is so unbelievably hot and the way women dream about sex. The way she writes her characters makes you fall in love with them and rage if something happens to them. I am seriously wishing I had a time machine just so I could read the next book in the series.
Also, if you are checking these books out with the Libby app, you might as well check them all out at the same time because the cliff hangers will leave you chomping at the bit for more. Just have them ready to go one after the other.
Book Hangover
After binge reading 8 books and a novella I felt the book hangover and I needed a break to just get my head straight. I spent about a week at the beginning of December just getting the stories straight in my head because they started to blur together.
Taking about a week to get over my book hangover was a good thing and then I decided to pick up an easy and smutty read for my first book in December.
Books I Read in December
Below are the books I read in December. Like previously I will not give any spoilers for any of these books. I enjoyed them very much and I will let you know which ones are filled with spice.
King of Battle and Blood
Like previously mentioned I started off the month with a smutty read. This was that read. This book was filled with smut and an easy story. King of Battle and Blood is a story about vampires, witches, and humans and the kingdoms caught in epic battles.
There was a bit of mystery, enemies to lovers, and it was super easy to read through in just a couple of days. If you like fantasy smut and an easy plot that doesn’t require a lot of brain power, this is a book you might enjoy. If you like a good plot and a range of emotions with your spice, skip this book.
Throne of Glass
The first book in the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas. Fantastic read, a little slow to start and the books get better in the series. I really enjoyed this first book. Spice level is minimal in this book but it’s filled with mystery, magic, and suspense that keeps the story moving.
Crown of Midnight (ToG #2)
The second book in the Throne of Glass series. This book was a bit slow for me but picked up at the end and had me reaching for the third book. Spice is minimal but the book is filled with adventure, mystery, and a lot of emotions. It wasn’t my favorite so far in the series but it’s a very necessary read to know what’s going on in the remainder of the series.
Heir of Fire (ToG #3)
The third book in the Throne of Glass series. This book was fantastic and I feel this is where this series really starts to pick up momentum. This book had me in tears a couple of different times and the character growth of our main character really starts to shine.
This book doesn’t have a lot of spice but the start of a connection begins and the tension is strong in this book. You’re introduced to new characters that deepen the story and start to bring things together.
Queen of Shadows (ToG #4)
In the fourth book in the Throne of Glass series our main character begins the process of facing her past and growing into who she is meant to be. We see friends reunited, evils revealed, and plans start to take shape. This book was a bit of an emotional roller coaster and I just couldn’t put it down.
Empire of Storms (ToG #5)
This is the fifth book in the Throne of Glass series and the last book I read in December. In this book our heroes start an adventure that eventually brings them all together. The spice starts to show up in this book with a few steamy scenes with our characters.
This book was pretty fast paced and filled with adventure, strong character development, and we finally get to see the majority of our characters come together. This book takes you through a roller coaster of emotions just like previous books in the series.
January Books
In January I plan on finishing the Throne of Glass series with the final two books and then I’ll read Assassin’s Blade which contains the 5 novellas featuring our main character with stories from before her adventures in the Throne of Glass series.
I also plan on reading Shadow in the Ember from Jennifer Armentrout which is the first book in her new Flesh and Fire series. I’ve heard some great things about this book and Jennifer Armentrout is one of my favorite authors so I’m sure it’s fantastic.
If I have time I also want to start the Air Awakens series which is 5 books. I found a recommendation for this series on BookTok and I added it to my list of books to read. It’s free with an Amazon Kindle Unlimited subscription if you also want to take a look at it.
Upcoming Book Reviews
Since reading is something I really enjoy doing I have plans to start sharing more on the books I read. Mind you, I like reading a couple of different themes. Sci-Fi and Fantasy are my first choices, though romance, young adult, and even some non fiction will slip in from time to time.
My plan is to do short posts like this with just a list of books I’ve read and a short review of my thoughts and then later post longer reviews of each book individually. Those reviews may have spoilers if involved in a series. I will always clearly mark which reviews may have spoilers if you haven’t started the series yet.
If you like these types of posts please share on Pinterest or on social media. In the near future MommyThrives will be going through a redesign where new categories will be added for easier navigation. Books and gardening are two of those new categories.
What books are you reading? Do you have any Fantasy or Sci-Fi recommendations? Let me know in the comments below. Follow us on Pinterest for more like this and pin this to your favorite book boards.
FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedInReddit