Reading Wrap Up: January to March 2017

Initially I wanted to do a monthly reading wrap up but I haven't been reading much this year so I scrapped the idea. Last year I picked out 3 random books per month and talked about them. I'm just going to do a quarterly collective wrap up and talk about five books I liked For this quarter, I managed to read 15 things. It's a low count considering the pace I was going through last year but still good. Here are the top six that I enjoyed, in no order.

I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest (young adult, mystery, contemporary)

It took me a long time to pick this one up because of the mixed reviews. It's either high praises or low points for this but I'm glad I picked it up. The subject matter was bleak, but it was discussed in a way that it only focused on one aspect and used the situation to build up on it. I guess the one focus aspect is also the book's weakness because there is content that can be explored even further, but it would change the tone of the book. This also features graphics of the princess so it feels like reading a comic.

The Geek Feminist Revolution by Kameron Hurley (essays, non-fiction)

The essays were really good. It mostly relates around the things she knows in her environment regarding feminism but the writing is understandable and easy to relate to. I really liked the bit about how society dictates how we have been perceiving women (an example of this that she mentioned was word association) and that we should be changing the narrative, to be inclusive and empowering other women as well.

The One Hundred Nights of Hero by Isabel Greenberg (graphic novel, fantasy)

Isabel Greenberg has launched herself into my auto buy authors because of this graphic novel. It's funny and sassy, and the illustrations look great. The story doesn't conform to the norm, and she really brings the whole tale in a cycle, which is realized at the end of the book.

Unboxed by Non Pratt (young adult, contemporary)

This book was extremely short but the author manages to convey everything she wanted to say in those pages. There is a lot of emotions involved, and although the ending can be a bit of a cookie cutter ending, it was a good fast paced book to read.

Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick (humor, memoir)

If you love Anna Kendrick, chances are you're going to love her book. This has plenty of anecdotes that gives the reader a preview of how Kendrick used to be before she was launched into fame, as well as her entering a different kind of world once she was established as a star. Work wise she talks about her first Broadway performance, down to Twilight and her award nominated turn for Up in the Air. The book is funny and doesn't take itself seriously.

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman (short stories, fantasy)
Loki = god of sass. I've always been intimidated by Neil Gaiman as an author. Everybody loves his works, and to read and not enjoy a prolific author's work is...well, hard. So he's on my 'must-read but finding it really hard to' author list. Norse Mythology does not disappoint. I like how the stories entwine, and starts from the beginning up to the end (Ragnarok). Some of the stories are familiar, but nevertheless a enjoyable read.