Best of the Bunch ~ July 2014

Best of the Bunch is a monthly meme hosted by Always Lost in Stories on the last day of every month. The aim of this meme is to share the best book that we have read in that month and give it our Best of the Bunch award.

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Books read in June:

The Princess and the Soldier ~ 2 stars

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling ~ 5 stars

The Fall by Bethany Griffin ~ 5 stars ~ My Review

Neverland by Anna Katmore ~ 3 stars ~ My Review
Odeful by Jennifer Recchio ~ 3 stars ~ My Review
Twisted Together by Pepper Winters ~ 4 stars ~ My Review

Lead by Kylie Scott ~ 4 stars ~ My Review
Off Guard by Marian Tee ~ 2 stars
Rising by Holly Kelly ~ 2 stars ~ My Review

The Fires of a Nightmare by Chelsea Lynn Charters ~ 2 stars ~ My Review
The Gospel of Loki by Joanne M. Harris ~ 5 stars ~ My Review
Swan Prince by Erin Lark ~ 4 stars ~ Review to come

Beauty's Beast by Amanda Ashley ~ 1 star ~ Review to come
She by Jessica Bell ~ 4 stars 

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo ~ 4 stars ~ My Review

The Witch of Duva by Leigh Bardugo ~ 4 stars 
The Tailor by Leigh Bardugo ~ 3 stars
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell ~ 3 stars ~ My Review

Four Houses by Victoria Scott ~ 5 stars ~ My Review
Kissing Shakespeare by Pamela Mingle ~ 2 stars ~ My Review
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke ~ 3 stars ~ Review to come

And the Best of the Bunch winner of July 2014 is...

The Fall by Bethany Griffin

Kindle Edition, 400 pages

Publication: October 7th 2014 by Greenwillow Books

 

Madeline Usher is doomed.

She has spent her life fighting fate, and she thought she was succeeding. Until she woke up in a coffin.

Ushers die young. Ushers are cursed. Ushers can never leave their house, a house that haunts and is haunted, a house that almost seems to have a mind of its own. Madeline’s life—revealed through short bursts of memory—has hinged around her desperate plan to escape, to save herself and her brother. Her only chance lies in destroying the house.

In the end, can Madeline keep her own sanity and bring the house down? The Fall is a literary psychological thriller, reimagining Edgar Allan Poe’s classic The Fall of the House of Usher.

As a huge Poe fan I couldn't help but love this mysterious, ghostly and fantastic retelling of it. It's written in a very original format. It might not be for everyone but I thought it was amazing. And oh so creepy!

Honorable mentions go to:

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
My favorite book so far. Yeah, I haven't read them all yet. I'm working on it!

Twisted Together by Pepper Winters

The last book in this brutal but incredible trilogy. I'll miss these characters so much! I need more Q!

The Gospel of Loki by Joanne M. Harris
Ah, this book was sublime! And my second favorite this month.

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
I was obsessed with this book when I was reading it. I LOVE this world!

Four Houses by Victoria Scott
This is only a short story but holy shiiiit, it was beautifully descriptive and eerie and gorgeous!

What was the best book you read this month?

Let me know!

Best of the Bunch ~ June 2014

Best of the Bunch is a monthly meme hosted by Always Lost in Stories on the last day of every month. The aim of this meme is to share the best book that we have read in that month and give it our Best of the Bunch award.

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Books read in June:

Hard as a Rock by Mina Carter ~ 3 stars 

Witches: The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem by Rosalyn Schanzer ~ 4 stars 

The Guard by Kiera Cass ~ 3 stars

Charles Darwin and the Mystery of Mysteries by Niles Eldredge and  Susan Pearson ~ 4 stars 

Unravelling the Mysteries of Ancient Places by Brien Foerster and others ~ 4 stars

Straw into Gold by Gary D. Schmidt ~ 3 stars

Phantom's Dance by Lesa Howard ~ 5 stars ~ Review to come

Curses and Smoke: A Novel of Pompeii by Vicky Alvear Shecter ~ 5 stars ~ My Review

Exquisite Captive by Heather Demetrios ~ 5 stars ~ Review to come

Only Pretend by Nora Flite ~ 2 stars
The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter ~ 3 stars
The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan ~ 4 stars

Dirty Angels by Karina Halle ~ 4 stars ~ My Review
Play by Kylie Scott ~ 5 stars ~ My Review
Play Me by Blue Ashcroft ~ 3 stars ~ Review to come

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll ~ 3 stars

And the Best of the Bunch winner of June 2014 is...

Curses and Smoke: A Novel of Pompeii by Vicky Alvear Shecter

Published May 27th 2014 by Arthur A. Levine Books

When your world blows apart, what will you hold onto?

TAG is a medical slave, doomed to spend his life healing his master's injured gladiators. But his warrior's heart yearns to fight in the gladiator ring himself and earn enough money to win his freedom.

LUCIA is the daughter of Tag's owner, doomed by her father's greed to marry a much older Roman man. But she loves studying the natural world around her home in Pompeii, and lately she's been noticing some odd occurrences in the landscape: small lakes disappearing; a sulfurous smell in the air. . . .

When the two childhood friends reconnect, each with their own longings, they fall passionately in love. But as they plot their escape from the city, a patrician fighter reveals his own plans for them -- to Lucia's father, who imprisons Tag as punishment. Then an earthquake shakes Pompeii, in the first sign of the chaos to come. Will they be able to find each other again before the volcano destroys their whole world?

Honorable mentions go to:

Phantom's Dance by Lesa Howard

The Phantom of the Opera, dude! <3

Exquisite Captive by Heather Demetrios

F-A-N-T-A-S-T-I-C

The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan

David Levithan never disappoints. I devoured it. Also, it's so cute and little!

Play by Kylie Scott

Mal. Oh, Mal! Let me play with you!

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What was the best book you read this month?

Let me know!

Best of the Bunch ~ May 2014

Best of the Bunch is a monthly meme hosted by Always Lost in Stories on the last day of every month. The aim of this meme is to share the best book that we have read in that month and give it our Best of the Bunch award.

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Books read in May:

Verity Hart Vs The Vampyres: Part Three by Jennifer Harlow ~ 3 stars ~ My Review

Sweet Phantom by Elizabeth McCoy ~ 3 stars

The Boy Who Sneaks in my Bedroom Window by Kirsty Mosely ~ 1 star ~ My Review

Eternal Flame by Alyson Noel ~ 3 stars

Verity Hart Vs The Vampyres: Part Four by Jennifer Harlow ~ 3 stars ~ My Review

Last Second Chance by Caisey Quinn ~ 3 stars ~ My Review

Unhinged by A.G. Howard ~ 5 stars ~ My Review

Verity Hart Vs The Vampyres: Part Five by Jennifer Harlow ~ 5 stars ~ My Review

Castle in the Air by Diana Wynne Jones ~ 5 stars ~ My Review

Carswell's Guide to Being Lucky by Marissa Meyer ~ 4 stars 

The Little Android by Marissa Meyer ~ 5 stars 

Poison Princess by Kresley Cole ~ 3 stars ~ My Review

The One by Kiera Cass ~ 3 stars ~ My Review
Destruction by Sharon Bayliss ~ 2 stars
Storm Warning by E. Lee & C. Quinn ~ 5 stars ~ Review to come

Perfected by Kate Jarvik Birch ~ 2 stars ~ Review to come!

Winterspell by Claire Legrand ~ 4 stars ~ Review to come!
The Jewel by Amy Ewing ~ 3 stars ~ Review to come!

The Other Side of Anne by Kelly Stuart ~ 3 stars
The Dutchman's Pipe by David Saunders ~ 1 star

And the Best of the Bunch winner of May 2014 is...

Castle in the Air by Diana Wynne Jones

Howl's Moving Castle #2

Published August 7th 2001 by Greenwillow Books (first published 1990)

In which a humble young carpet merchant wins, then loses, the princess of his dreams.

Far to the south of the land of Ingary, in the Sultanates of Rashpuht, there lived in the city of Zanzib a young and not very prosperous carpet dealer named Abdullah who loved to spend his time daydreaming. He was content with his life and his daydreams until, one day, a stranger sold him a magic carpet.

That very night, the carpet flew him to an enchanted garden. There, he met and fell in love with the beauteous princess Flower-in-the-Night, only to have her snatched away, right under his very nose, by a wicked djinn. With only his magic carpet and his wits to help him, Abdullah sets off to rescue his princess....

As you can see I read a lot of books. I must say this month wasn't the best ever but I read at least some really great books! Also, I'm a bit behind on reviews as you can see but I will try to post them as soon as I can!
Castle in the Air was the best! I loved every part of it. I was so surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I didn't think I'd find it as good as Howl's Moving Castle but I did! Yay!

Honorable mentions go to:

Unhinged by A.G. Howard
This sequel to Splintered was fantastic. I love love love loved it!

Storm Warning by E. Lee & C. Quinn
This book kind of left be broken (in a good way!). It's cute and funny and really great!

Winterspell by Claire Legrand
Yes, it's just as amazing as it sounds!

What was the best book you read this month?

Let me know!