April/May Wrap-Up

So after really thinking about how I want to do my end of the month wrap-ups, I have decided to eliminate telling you about books that I read for tours for now. I will tell you books that I read from the library or books that I buy myself. This may change but I read a lot for tours, and just decided it was too many to include in my wrap-ups.

So I did not get up an April Wrap-Up, so this wrap-up will include April and May books that I read, starting with my April books...

I have attempted a few of R.L. Stine's books in the past, and I haven't really been a super fan of any of his books. There were some that I thought were entertaining, and then others that I thought were downright disappointing - like this one. I gave Haunting Hour 2 stars. It's a collection of short stories, and I didn't rate any higher than 3. I just overall wasn't a fan of this collection. I did not review this book, but you can see my individual ratings for the book here.

I thought this was a cute story - and I even went and watched the Netflix series to see how it compared. I grew up loving everything to do with Spirit, and I honestly thought that, although different, this book really lived up to what I expected based on my love for the original Spirit. I would definitely recommend this book, and you can see my review here. I read an ARC of this story, and I gave it 4 stars.

Now for the books that I read in the month of May, and because I wasn't in school I read significantly more.

I am a huge fan of anything to do with Jack the Ripper. I have been slightly intrigued and obsessed with the Jack the Ripper story. So, when I get the opportunity to read books that are based on the story, I jump at the chance. I loved how the plot, and the characters, and I thought it was interesting how the author chose to end the story, keeping true to the actual Jack the Ripper facts. This is another book that I would recommend, especially if you are a fan of historical fiction or enjoy reading Jack the Ripper retellings. You can read my review here and I gave this book 5 stars.

I have not had the chance yet to read the original version of Legend by Marie Lu, but I decided that I wanted to read the graphic novel version first for two reasons. It was quicker, and I wanted a quick read when I read this book, and also because I am trying to read more graphic novels. I did not review this book - if I do review Legend, it will be the original version. I gave this version 4 stars.

Before picking up this book, I was intrigued by the concept of a female Captain Jack Sparrow, and I was so thrilled to discover that the statement was true. I really enjoyed reading a book about Pirates - there aren't that many YA books that feature pirate main characters. I cannot wait to read the sequel. I gave this book 5 stars, and you can see my review of the book here. I would highly recommend this book also.

So the reason that I picked up this book was because it was told in verse. I love reading books told in verse, and haven't for some time. I liked reading this book, but at the same time, I felt it was very slow and boring at certain points. Overall, it wasn't bad, but I wasn't thrilled with the book the way I wished I had been. I ended up giving this book 3 stars. I chose not to review this book.

So after being disappointed by Under the Mesquite, I really wanted to read another verse book, and that is how I ended up stumbling upon this book, which I enjoyed reading. This book was slow, but it was interesting. It was about a girl who was from Japan, trying to fit into America while suffering from migraines and feelings of betrayal, leaving her friends back in Japan to deal with the aftermath of a tsunami. Again, I chose not to review this book, but I did give it 4 stars.

The final book that I read in May was this book by Kasie West. I am a huge fan of Kasie West's contemporary novels, and was super excited to finally read this book. As much as I enjoyed reading this book, it was somewhat of a letdown from her other stories. This is the first of her books that I did not give a 5-star rating. I ended up giving it a 4-star rating. I wasn't as excited with some of the events in the novel, and would have rather them not have been involved in the novel at all. Again though, I did enjoy the book. I am still going to read all of Kasie West's contemporaries, but as far as this book is concerned, I wasn't as thrilled with it as the rest. I chose not to review this book, and I would still recommend this book.