January 2016 Wrap up

I don't write monthly wrap ups regularly and that is something I want to change this year! So far, I'm doing well with keeping up my resolutions  to write more on this blog, especially since I had exams this month. In the end, I managed to read two comics and four books! This counts for 9% of my Goodreads challenge, I'm on track!

1. Rat Queens, Vol. 2: The Far Reaching Tentacles of N'rygoth by Kurtis J. Wiebe

This was the first thing I picked up this year and I liked it so much better than the first one, which at the time didn't impress me. Maybe I liked it better because I knew more of what to expect. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.

2. Saga, Volume 2 by Brian K. Vaughan

The second volume of Saga, I liked way more than the first one, as well. I believe I both were kind of a right book/comic at the right time! 4 stars as well!

3. Royal Assassin (Farseer Trilogy, #2) by Robin Hobb

I Royal Assassin quite a lot! I even wrote a review! I gave this one once again 4 out of 5 stars! Check out the review here.

4. Shadow and Bone (The Grisha, #1) by Leigh Bardugo

Loved this one! 5 out of 5 stars! Check out the review here!

5. Siege and Storm (The Grisha, #2) by Leigh Bardugo

This second book in the trilogy was amazing which I was happy to discover! 5 our of 5 stars! Check out my review here!

6. The Japanese Lover by Isabel Allende

This book was a loan from my grandmother and I had it in my possession since the summer months. I finally got to it and I really liked it! I have read several of Isabel Allende's books but it has been a few years. I was happy to read her most recent novel and to know that I still love her writing! 4 out of 5 stars.
I read this book in Dutch which is probably why it took me so long to finally pick it up, but I'm really glad that I did!

I also started reading Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo but I had to put it down in order to study for an exam. Since my examinations ended, however I've been feeling kind of slumpy. I'm hoping to change that as soon as possible but before that I'm probably not continuing with this book and watch Netflix instead.

Have you read any of these books? And what did you think of them? Let me know down below! I would also really like to know the books you read this month! Furthermore, if you would like a review of any of the books mentioned, let me know down below as well!

Royal Assassin (Farseer Trilogy #2) by Robin Hobb

Fitz has survived his first hazardous mission as king’s assassin, but is left little more than a cripple. Battered and bitter, he vows to abandon his oath to King Shrewd, remaining in the distant mountains. But love and events of terrible urgency draw him back to the court at Buckkeep, and into the deadly intrigues of the royal family.
Renewing their vicious attacks on the coast, the Red-Ship Raiders leave burned-out villages and demented victims in their wake. The kingdom is also under assault from within, as treachery threatens the throne of the ailing king. In this time of great danger, the fate of the kingdom may rest in Fitz’s hands—and his role in its salvation may require the ultimate sacrifice.

-- Goodreads.com description --

Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb is the second book in The Farseer Trilogy. I enjoyed this book way more than I enjoyed Assassin's Apprentice, the first book in trilogy. I heard a lot of mixed and great reviews of The Farseer Trilogy and I heard amazing things about the trilogies after that by Robin Hobb so I decided to read them all. I didn't think Assassin's Apprentice was all that great, every time I put it down, I didn't feel the desire to start reading it again, which for me, says a lot about a book. In the end, I put it down for more than a month and read the last hundred pages or so in two days. I really liked the ending, ultimately, Assassin's Apprentice started really slow, but the ending was great, so I decided to continue on. I heard from almost every reviewer that Royal Assassin a very slow paced book and that Fitz is depressed for the first half of the book and therefore annoying. I do have to say that the main character, Fitz really annoyed me at times in both books. I like the secondary characters so much better than Fitz, which is why I enjoyed Royal Assassin more than Assassin's Apprentice despite its length because we get to see a lot more of my favourite secondary characters, like Patience and Lacey, Verity and Kettricken, Shrewd, the Fool, Burrich and Chade. I don't like Fitz all that much but this was remedied by all the secondary characters that were better developed than in the first book. Nighteyes, a new character was fantastic as well! I didn't like Molly at all, and Regal is the only character I hate, but you're meant to hate him. I really LOVE how Robin Hobb developed all the characters. The critique that it should have been shorter, I cannot deny, but I didn't mind it all that much. It could be that I didn't put this book down for in order to read others because the month of January is full of exams and Royal Assassin never gave me the feeling that I needed to know what happened right this instant. Which under the circumstances was ideal.

I didn't mind Fitz being depressed, if I didn't hear a bad review about that, I would hardly have given it a second thought. Royal Assassin could have been shorter but I didn't mind it that much either. I actually really enjoyed it, especially because of the secondary characters and their development, we even kind of get an origin story of the Fool which was confusing as was to be expected, but I loved every part of it. All things considered I gave Royal Assassin 4 out of 5 stars. I didn't mind the length all that much, however, only the last 150 pages were action-packed and I was a little bit disappointed because of that, it kind of felt like a missed opportunity to me. However, I really want to read Assassin's Quest quite soon, in fact I already ordered it last week. If you are interested in reading The Farseer Trilogy, than I recommend you pick it up, just keep in mind that the books are slow and only the endings are action-packed.

Have you read Royal Assassin or other Robin Hobb books? Or are you planning to pick them up? Let me know down below!

November TBR

This is a very ambitious November TBR, I'm hoping to read at least half of them, so without further ado, I will reveal my November TBR.

1. Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb

2. Four by Veronica Roth

First of all, I started reading Assassin's Apprentice in the beginning of October, however, with all the books I was required to read for university, I wasn't able to finish it. I hope to finish this one early on in November, though.

Four by Veronica Roth is a loan from a friend, so I need to read it so I can return it. I was also hoping to read it in October but the universe had other plans for me.

I did get till page 282 in Assassin's Apprentice, so it shouldn't take me too long to finish it.

3. Cockroach by Rawi Hage

4. Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald

The next two, I'm also required to read for my Canadian Literature class, so far I've already started Cockroach (I'm currently at page 114), and I need to finish it before the fifth of November, so that won't be a problem.

Fall on Your Knees, is a very long book and I don't really know what it is about, so I'm hoping I will like it because otherwise it will undoubtedly cause another reading slump. I need to finish this one before the 26th of November, and I will finish it!

5. Winter by Marissa Meyer

I've pre-ordered Winter, so I hope I will find myself reading this one quite soon! So excited! But also sad that this will be the last book in the series...

6. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo 

7. The Sin Eater's Daughter by Melinda Salisbury

I actually really wanted to start reading Shadow and Bone when it arrived in the mail, however, I thought I should finish the books I was reading at the time first. I can't decide if I should start this before or after reading Winter. We'll see!

The Sin Eater's Daughter is also a loan from (the same) friend, and just like Carrie, she hasn't read this one yet. I need to finish her books before the end of the year, not because she really wants them back but because I feel that I shouldn't take months to read three of her books. We don't see each other regularly but we do need to return each other's books sometime.

8. Moon Called by Patricia Briggs

This one is definitely wishful thinking, however, I've been wanting to pick this one up for a while, so it might happen. I like having a lot of choices, so that's why I included this one in my November TBR.

I'm hoping to read the first five books on this list, all the rest will be a bonus!

Which books are on your TBR? Let me know down below!!