April 2017 Reading Recap

Hello folks, it’s time for monthly reading recap. This month I read three books for the first time and reread three books. Let’s start from the books I read for the first time. I honestly thought I could only read 2 new books this month, but I managed to put one other book into my list.

1) Frostblood by Elly Blake (2.7★)

I honestly think that I should take a pretty long break from YA fantasy, excluding some series that I’m currently following of course. This book is just so full of YA tropes that I get bored. Also there are some parts that cringe-worthy and I just really don’t like it. That being said, if you never read any YA fantasy before, you might like this book more than I do. The story and the writings are pretty good, but in my opinion it doesn’t really has anything special. Read my full review of Frostblood here.

Purchase Frostblood from: Bookdepository.

2) Japanese Tales of Mystery and Imagination by Edogawa Rampo (4★)

This book is so interesting! It gives a little bit of Edgar Allan Poe as the writer intended it to be, but it still have that specific nuance of Japanese literature. Some stories are leaning more towards creepiness, and the others leaning more towards the mystery. If you like mystery and a bit weird stories that gives you the heebie jeebies, I definitely recommend this book to you. My favorites short stories in this book are: The Human Chair (you might know this story if you’re fond of Junji Ito’s works),  The Red Chamber, and The Traveler’s With The Pasted Rag Picture.

Purchase Japanese Tales of Mystery and Imagination from: Bookdepository | Periplus (Indonesian only)

 3) Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner (5★)

I have finally found my second 5 stars read this year. Goodbye Days tells a story surrounding the death of people we love and how we have to handle it and it does not sugarcoat it. It feels real, and reminds me of when I lose people I love when I was in High School and College. I am grateful that there’s a book like this for younger people who lose their loved ones. I love this book and I highly recommend it. Read my full review here.

Purchase Goodbye Days from: Bookdepository.

I also managed to fit them into some prompts of Pop Sugar Reading Challenge this year:

1. Goodby Days - A book that’s published in 2017

2. Frostblood - The first book in a series that you’ve never read before

3. Japanese Tales of Mystery and Imagination - A book you bought on a trip

Now onto my rereading in April. I read these three books because the next installment of both series are coming out on May 2nd (OMG IT’S SO CLOSE!). Both series are written by two of my favorites authors, and I can’t wait to read the next installment. Without further ado, here are my rereads in April:

A Court of Thorns and Roses (2★) and A Court of Mist and Fury (5★) by Sarah J. Maas

You know I’m a huge fan of SJM works, so it’s really not surprising at all that I reread these two in April. I never fond of ACOTAR but ACOMAF is one of most favorite book ever, so of course I’m excited about ACOWAR. I'm currently still writing down all my theories and predictions of what would probably happened in ACOWAR. The closer it gets to the release date the more nervous I am. So I do this to distract my overwhelming emotions and anxiety.

Trials of Apollo: The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan (4★)

I’m excited to see my dad Apollo a.k.a Lester and can’t wait to read The Dark Prophecy. Especially because Leo Valdez and Calypso will be the central characters in this book, so of course I’m rereading The Hidden Oracle. This book really makes me respected Uncle Rick more, the diversity in it, the way Uncle Rick handle the abusive parents topic in this book that really easy to understand by middle-graders who reads this book, just made me adore him more.

And that’s it. Those are all the books I read in April. Though I wish I could read more books in May, I don’t think I could do it. Not because I’m super busy, but because I’m pretty sure I would be in a really bad book hangover after I read ACOWAR. But, I will try my best to get out of that book hangover (if it happens) and read other books. Wish me luck, and see you on monthly recap next month!