2014 Favourite Reads Part 2

Check out part 1 here.

This is my wrap up and favourite reads from the second quarter of the year(April-June). I know in my first part I did a video and said I was going to make it a video series, but honestly I don't have the time to make this post into a video nor the space to film in front of my book shelves. So you're getting written. Deal with it. :)
Between April and June I read 62 books. Which brings my total books read as of June 30th to 120. That's a lot. And of course I'm very happy with that amount. I also have done a lot of re-reading this quarter. Well more than I should be doing with the size of my TBR. But I really don't care. If I'm in a mood to read a book I'm not going to deny myself the read. Most predominantly I've been making my way through the Harry Potter audio books. I re-read the books pretty much every year but this is the first time through on audio and I'm really, really enjoying them. Also with the much anticipated release of the eighth book in the Outlander series I had to pick up the first book, Outlander(which is my favourite book ever) and start a re-read of the series(my favourite series ever). It's been five years since I last read it and I'm quickly making my way through the massive books again. I'm falling in love with Jamie and Claire all over again. As well as getting extremely excited for the TV show to start next month. Have you seen the guy playing Jamie? Good God he's delicious.
Anyhow, getting way off topic. I think my average star rating for this quarter is a little lower than last quarter. I've read a few books that I was really excited for that ended up disappointing. And haven't been as generous with my 5*'s(not counting re-reads).
So here are my favourite, 5*'s that I read in April, May and June. With a few pretty solid 4*'s in there too.

Dorothy Must Die was easily one of my most anticipated releases for the year and thankfully it did not disappoint. It is a gruesome, thrilling and magical spin on the Wizard of Oz. I was fully invested from page one. Dorothy is a spectacular evil tyrant. Well Amy is an unexpected heroine. She's very down to earth and I could relate to this loner girl from a trailer park in small town Kansas. What I also loved about DMD was the play on good and evil. All the characters we love from the original are just awful and terrible well the "evil" characters from the original are now seen as the good guys.  There's also only a tiny hint of a romance. So for once that takes a seat way in the back and the reader can just sit back and enjoy Amy's journey through Oz.

Hey, look, another JLA book makes my favourites. Surprise! So of course when my drug dealer(the postman) delivered my crack and like any good addict there was no waiting before I devoured this book. Especially because it was a new genre for JLA. We know her for her awesome paranormal romances and new adult. This one my friends is a stand alone thriller. And man does it pack in the suspense. But don't worry, there's a hot guy too. I think it's literally impossible for JLA to write a book not packed full of swoon. I really enjoyed Sam's POV. Not only is she turning into a totally different person than she was five days before the book starts, but JLA gave her a great voice to experience this mysterious story through. Than there's Carson. Oh Car. When JLA said he was her most swoon worthy guy so far she wasn't lying. Car is near perfect. *dies of swoon* JLA does her job brilliantly when she wrote Don't Look Back. I was absolutely suspicious of EVERYONE. At some point throughout reading I was 100% sure it was one person or another. My mind was changed every few pages. I even thought it was Car at one point. And well there might have been booking throwing involved when I got there. How dare JLA put me in a position to suspect Car! That's just mean. If you are a little weary of picking up Don't Look Back because it's something totally new from JLA. Don't be. JLA packs in the suspense, secrets and swoon. She always knows where to hit her reader and it's one the reasons she's quickly become one of my favourite authors.

To say I became obsessed with the Marked Men series a few months ago is probably a little bit of an understatement. In case you guys haven't noticed, I love me some good NA. So well looking for some books to pick up Samantha recommend Rule. So I picked it up and devoured it. Then I picked up Jet and Rome the next day. And then I impatiently waited for Nash to be released. These companion books each follow a different guy and their romantic interest. The guys are all friends. Their tattoo artists, a rock star and an ex-solider. They are decked out in ink and piercings and are intense and a little scary looking(on the outside) but inside are teddy bears with some mood swings. And God did they all capture my heart. I've literally contemplated going to find a popular tat shop to hang around. Haha. But the ladies are also kick-ass and independent. They don't let these tough guys order them around. In fact it seems to be the guys getting their hearts broken by these tough ladies. The stories are sexy, sweet, dramatic and intense. And have made me re-think my idea of the ideal bad boy.  

I really don't know what I can say about these graphic novels that hasn't already been said. There is so much hype surrounding them. And rightly so. I'm not a graphic novel veteran. So I don't have much to compare them too. But I LOVE them. The story. The art work. The dialogue. The characters. All the things. There's very mature content in them, but I think that's what makes the story even more believable. I'm a massive sci-fi fan/reader, so Saga is the perfect read for me. It follows a couple and their forbidden relationship. Their species have been at war for years and they are on the run with their child. Of course they come across hilarious and dangerous situations that bring along new characters at every turn. There's seriously absolutely no fault to these books expect that I still have to wait on three more volumes. I LOL'd so much. And when I was finished there was some book hugging involved. 

I know Breakable has been a miss for a lot of fans of Easy but I actually loved it a little more. I was so interested and intrigued with Landon/Lucas in this companion novel. Easy left me wanting to know more about this mysterious guy and his childhood. And we totally get it in Breakable. Told from alternating chapters, there's the Landon years which is his childhood and than the Lucas chapters which is his POV from Easy. In the Landon chapters you get to see how he became Lucas. How the much the Landon years affected and changed him to the Lucas years. It was heartbreaking yet inspiring. And than there's the Lucas chapters. *sigh* Right off you see his immediate infatuation with Jacqueline. And I admit that some of his actions might come off a little stalker-y but he was just falling for her. We've all done silly and non-advisable things in the name of love. Anyhow, this just made me love Lucas even more.  

Oh the long awaited finale finally arrived. I actually wasn't that excited for it. I didn't remember anything that happened in the previous books and really didn't care. But I didn't want to be spoiled so I read some re-caps and jumped into this mammoth of a book. And well I should know by now that Clare does not disappoint on series enders. TIM are nothing compared to the TID in my opinion. I absolutely love TID. But TIM are fun. My problem is that I strongly dislike both Clary and Jace(Ugh! Jace!). Anyhow, what I loved about CoHF was that it wrapped everything up nice and clean for the TIM crew but it also got me extremely excited for TDA series. I love how Clare brought in those characters, very seamlessly, and made me want to continue on in this world even when I was feeling uninterested. Even more so it brings in TID and those characters that are still wrapped up in the Shadowhunter world and ongoing saga perfectly. We got answers we were promised and we got a satisfying ending but with a promise of more to come.   

Another series ender to a series a love so much. What was awesome was that Chapters sent out my pre-order over a week early. So I had it in my hands before the world and if you think I was waiting, well than you don't know me. I ate this up in one sitting but than realized very quickly that I was going to have to wait a week to discuss it with anyone. Damn. I was expecting a lot with this finale and I had full faith in Bardugo delivering. Without giving spoilers, I will give you my thoughts through my facial reactions. :) :/ :****( :O :O :( :) :S :**( :D <3
If you have not started the Grisha trilogy than I don't know what you've been doing with your life. Go and buy the whole trilogy because you will not be disappointed. Bardugo has created a mystical Russian inspired world full of magic, power and mystery. Where the villain is so dark and power hungry but so alluring that you're actually rooting for him to conquer Alina's heart. Or was that just me?

Happy reading!

Brittany