October Reading Wrap-Up: Thrills and Chills!

Hello everybody, and welcome back to another reading wrap-up in this edition of The CW Torch. As you all know, at the end of every month, I tell you all what I have read this past month. And actually, the month of October was a really good reading month for me. I read a total of four books in the month of October, which seems to be the going rate for me of books read per month. However, I did start reading one more book, but I think I might put that one in the DNF pile, because I'm just not connecting with it. As for the books I did read, most of them were all highly rated, so as you can see it was still a very good reading month for me. The books I read in October were; The Witches of the Glass Castle by Gabriella Lapore, 1984 by George Orwell, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, and A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas. The book I didn't end up finishing was Fallen by Lauren Kate. Most of these books were either very long or dense novels with heavy topics, so the fact that I was able to fit in four books this month was definitely an accomplishment. Two of the books I read, I've always wanted to read, but never had the chance to pick up. Those were 1984 and The Kite Runner, but I'm glad I was finally able to pick them up, because I enjoyed both immensely. However, with every good book comes a bad book or one that I wasn't that into, and that was unfortunately, Fallen. I will go into more detail of why I liked or didn't like these books in my reviews. So, without further ado, let's get into the review portion of this wrap-up!

The Witches of The Glass Castle by Gabriella Lapore

If you didn't know already, I am a reader for Oftomes Publishing, a small independent YA publishing company based in the UK. Oftomes was founded by Booktuber Ben Alderson, who is coming out with his very own book in December. Every month we receive a book for free from this publishing company in return for an honest review. We can put our reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, and any form of blog we have, whether that be Youtube or online. October's read-along pick of the month was The Witches of The Glass Castle by Gabriella Lapore. This book is very special to Bookuber BenjaminOfTomes, he's talked about it on multiple occasions on his Youtube channel, and I was very excited when it was chosen for October's read-along. I won't go into too much detail about this book, because I already have a blog post that contains my full review. Which you can check out in the link above.

Plot:

The Witches of The Glass Castle by Gabriella Lapore is about siblings Mia and Dino, who find out they are Witches. They are forced to go to a boarding school of sorts, for the summer to learn how to control their powers. The school is called The Glass Castle, because it is protected by a glass barrier that rejects any evil magical being. Mia is extremely excited about these newfound powers, while Dino is struggling to deal with them. While at the school, strange things begin to happen when the siblings run into a few Hunters, some of whom are good and others very bad. There is a whole lot of betrayal, romance, magic, and evil in The Witches of the Glass Castle. At the same time the siblings try to figure out who they are as witches, and what their meaning in this world is.

What I Liked:

-I really liked most of the characters in this novel, including Benny Blue and the brother Dino.

-I found myself enjoying the romance between Mia and Colt, mainly because Colt was absolutely hilarious. I seem to like dark and funny characters in most of the stories I read.

-I loved the brother and sister relationship between Mia and Dino, I feel like we don't often get brother and sister relationships in Young Adult novels. But, I felt like this was a really good representation of the brother and sister bond/relationship. It really reminded me of the relationship I have with my own brother.

What I Didn't Like:

-The writing style took me some time to get used to, there was a lot of dialogue and random switching of character perspectives. Which made reading this book a little bit more confusing, than it needed to be.

-I felt like the magic system lacked in this story, even though this is a story about witches. I was missing that aspect of being at a boarding school, because it really wasn't a boarding school Mia and Dino were going to. It was more so a house, where the witches were under the care of a very old witch, basically learning how to control their powers on their own. And some of the spells didn't really make sense to me, I felt like they needed more explanation of how they worked.

-Mia kind of bothered me throughout the story, and I found that she was somewhat of an unreliable protagonist.

Final Rating:

All in all, I really did like The Witches of the Glass Castle, it reminded me quite a bit of The Secret Circle by L.J. Smith. It was the perfect book to kick off the month of October, and a very quick read. I ended up giving this book a 3.75 out of 5 stars, because I did have a great time when reading it. But, there were a few issues I did have with the book, mostly with the magic system. If you want my full detailed review, definitely go ahead and check out that review on my blog. I would recommend this duology if you are looking for something Witchy and fast-paced for these cold Fall months.

1984 by George Orwell

After reading The Witches of the Glass Castle, I picked up 1984 by George Orwell. I borrowed this book from my close friend, because she had really enjoyed it and recommended that I read it. We usually have the same taste in books, and this was something that I've always wanted to read. I'm really glad I finally read it, because I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. I had read George Orwell's, Animal Farm when I was in high school, and actually hated it. So, I didn't know what to expect with 1984, but after reading, it had exceeded all my expectations. It was also very relevant to what's currently going on in the world and in the United States.

Plot:

1984 is set in a "negative Utopia" version of the United States, a Utopia is a place where everything is supposed to be perfect. But in the case of 1984, everything is far from perfect, and more of a Dystopia than a Utopia. The Government, called Big Brother, is practically corrupt and extremely controlling of everyone's daily lives. Big Brother watches your every move, he sees all and here's all, however Big Brother is rarely ever seen. Except when these words appear on your television screens, "War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength." If you try to retaliate against Big Brother, the Thought Police will come after you, who can hear all of your thoughts even when you don't know you're thinking them. There are different ministries within this government system that control everything from; love, peace, truth, and plenty. But in fact, the ministries use the opposites of these believes, to torture you into only believing in one thing. And that's Big Brother. In this Utopia we follow our main character Winston and how he comes face to face with the Ministry of Love.

What I Liked:

-I loved the relationship between Winston and Julia, I actually found myself laughing out loud in the "hotel" scenes. For example, there was one moment when Winston was reading an essay to Julia, but she ended up falling asleep. I had almost fallen asleep in that section of the book, because I was confused and bored by the essay. It was funny to me that Julia ended up falling asleep, at the same moment I was getting tired of that section. I also felt like Julia was the only person who saw Winston for who he was, and understood him as a person. I thought Julia brought out the best in Winston.

-I really enjoyed the section when Winston was in the Ministry of Love, even though this was probably one of the most difficult sections to read.

-I thought the element of fear was used really well in this story, and extremely relevant to what's going on in the world today. It also reminded me of the current season of American Horror Story: Cult, and how the Cult is using their victims biggest fears to kill them.

What I Didn’t Like:

-The only thing I didn't really connect with, when reading this book, was the writing style. I believe that one of the main reasons why I didn't like Animal Farm, was because of George Orwell's writing style. I feel like George Orwell has a very dense, unique, and metaphorical writing style, which is always difficult for me to connect to. However, 1984 was a bit easier to understand, because it is so relevant to current national and international issues. The only problems I had trouble reading and understanding were the essay sections of the book, and when we were being introduced to what Big Brother was. But, that was honestly the only thing I didn't like about this book.

Final Rating:

I ended up giving 1984 by George Orwell, a 5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. I really did enjoy this book, which was very surprising to me, because I usually don't like these types of books. And because of how much I disliked Animal Farm. I'm glad I read it when I was older, instead of being forced to read it in High School. Because, I don't think I would've gotten the point of this book, if I had read it in High School. But, now that I am paying more attention to what's going on in the world, I can understand why it is such a loved and praised book. I would definitely recommend this book, especially during these times.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Just like 1984, I have always wanted to read The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. I just never got the chance to pick it up, and always put it on the back burner. So, I was so thankful when my friend let me borrow this book to read, because I ended it up loving it, almost as much as 1984.

Plot:

In The Kite Runner, we follow young Amir, who is the son of a Kabul merchant. Hassan, his servant and constant companion, is a Hazara, a despised and impoverished caste. We follow their friendship as young kids, which is soon torn by Amir's choice to abandon his friend, when Hassan needed him most. During a time of increasing ethnic, religious, and political tensions of the dying years of the Afghan Monarchy. Years later after leaving Afghanistan and making a new life in Fremont, CA, Amir journeys back to his home country. To try and right the wrongs he has made against the one true friend he only had.

What I Liked:

-I loved the father-son relationship of Amir and his father, I thought it was very real and true of any father-son relationship.

-I loved our main protagonist, Amir, even though he was very unreliable at times. Especially in that scene where Amir and Hassan's relationship was torn apart. But, I still enjoyed reading from Amir's perspective, and loved seeing his character development from boy to man. It was a wonderful representation of a coming of age story.

-I really enjoyed getting to learn more about the Afghan culture, and the Farsi language. To be honest, I feel like we don't get to learn much about this culture in school. Mainly, because of the bad things that have happened in history, in regards to the United States vs. the Middle East. Anytime we learn about Afghanistan, it is always from the United States perspective, which is put in a negative-light most of the time. But, I really thought this book was very eye opening to a culture that I don’t know much about, and one that is so rich in culture and history.

What I Didn't Like:

-The only thing I really didn't like about this book, was again the writing style of Khaleed Hosseini. I felt like at times it lacked emotion, when we really needed that emotion. Especially in that scene when Amir decides not to help his friend. I thought that was a very emotional and pinnacle moment in Amir's life. But I felt like it was described in a very cut and dry sort of way. To me it was lacking vulnerability, when that was a very vulnerable moment in the young boy's life. But, that was really the only thing that bothered me in this book. There wasn't much I didn't like about The Kite Runner.

Final Rating:

I ended up giving The Kite Runner a 5 out of 5 star rating on Goodreads. Just like 1984, I'm glad I finally picked up this book, especially now that I'm older. My reading tastes are definitely maturing, and I don't think I would've understood the meaning of this much loved book, if I had read it when I was younger. I am definitely going to read the second book of this series, because The Kite Runner had such a huge affect on me. Not only emotionally, but it also made me want to read more diverse novels. Making me want to read more books on different cultures and races, a part from my own, and one's that I don't know much about. I would highly recommend reading this book, if you haven't already done so, because I know I'm a bit late in the game.

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas.

*May Contain Spoilers, if you have not read A Court of Thorns and Roses yet.*

After reading A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas on audiobook, I definitely needed to read A Court of Mist and Fury right away. I instantly fell in love with this world and our main protagonist Feyre, that I needed to know what was going to happen next, after the ending of ACOTAR. I was definitely not disappointed, even though A Court of Mist and Fury was extremely long and slow in the beginning.

Plot:

After Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches, she returns to the Spring Court, at a steep cost. Even though she is back with Tamlin, the Fae she thought she was in love with. She now has to deal with these new High Fae powers she has, while at the same time unable to forget the terrible deed she had to perform in order to save Tamlin's life. Not to mention, not forgetting the bargain she made with Rhysand, the High Fae of the Night Court. Bringing Feyre into this world of politics, passion, and dark power of the Night Court. When an even greater, evil power looms, she finds that she might have the power to stop it. But, has trouble doing so when so much else is left on her plate. From having to leave the Spring Court and her former lover, Tamlin, learning how to harness her powers, and figuring out how she wishes to shape her future.

What I Liked:

-Right off the bat, I was really interested in the representation of PTSD. Feyre dealt with a lot at the end of ACOTAR, from dying and coming back to life, killing Amarantha, and gaining new High Fae/immortal powers. I loved seeing PTSD in this fantasy, because that's something we don't get a lot in YA fantasies. Even though in this genre, most protagonists go through a lot of S***, that would probably have our characters suffer from PTSD. I thought Sarah J. Maas tackled this brilliantly, with our main character, and showed vulnerability with this bad ass character.

-Just like in A Court of Thorns and Roses, I loved the world building in the second book of this series. We were introduced to a new court, The Night Court, and it was something I wasn't expecting. I heard somewhere that ACOMAF was supposed to be more of a Persephone mythology retelling. So, when Feyre was brought to The Night Court, I thought we were going to get something extremely dark, terrifying, and undesirable. But, we got the complete opposite, with The Night Court being extremely beautiful, possibly even more beautiful than the Spring Court. The main reason why I love this series so much, is because of Sarah J. Maas' writing and world building. It makes it difficult for me to put the book down.

-I absolutely adored Rhysand and his inner circle of The Night Court. While I did miss Lucien of The Spring Court, because we didn’t get much of The Spring Court in ACOMAF. I was far from bored with Rhysand's inner circle. I absolutely loved each and everyone's relationship with one another. But, what I loved most was Rhysand's inner circle's relationship with Feyre. I thought they really included her as their own, and made her feel extremely welcome. Even though they come from two different worlds. One thing I didn't like about Tamlin in ACOTAR, was that he kept Feyre hidden from everybody, in The Spring Court. She really only had a relationship with Tamlin and Lucien, but that was the complete opposite of The Night Court. I especially loved Feyre's relationship with Mor and Azriel, and loved how she could see right through Rhysand's friends. Stuff Rhysand might not have noticed, even though they have been friends for nearly 500 years.

-Lastly, I loved the romance between Rhysand and Feyre, which is surprising, because I thought I wanted Tamlin and Feyre to be together. I loved that it wasn't insta-love, and how their relationship developed over time. I mean things didn't start to get steamy, until close to page 500. But that didn't bother me, because it was well worth the wait. I felt like her relationship with Tamlin was more insta-lovey, but clearly that didn't work out all that great. I thought Rhysand was truly there for Feyre, and really wanted to teach her how to control her powers. When Tamlin wanted nothing to do with them, and shoved Feyre's powers in the corner. I also thought Rhysand made Feyre more human, by making her laugh in times when they both needed to laugh. I found myself loving Rhys more and more through the thick of the book, which I wasn't expecting.

What I Didn't Like:

-The only thing I didn't like about this book, was that I thought it was very slow in the beginning. There were a lot more politics involved in this book, making things not start to happen until around page 200.

-Oh and Tamlin, but we really don't have to talk about why I don't like Tamlin anymore.

Final Thoughts:

As you can probably tell, I hardly had any issues with A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas. I loved the book overall, only having issues with the pacing and Tamlin. I ended up giving it a 4.5 out of 5 star rating, which to me was surprising. Mostly because I wasn't sure how I was going to like Rhysand, but it's clear that I loved him. Like everybody else who has read this series. I am extremely excited to read the third and final book of this series, A Court of Wings and Ruin. I can't wait to see what happens between all the different courts, and to see what Feyre does to save her world. I am also really intrigued to see what Lucien will do to get Elaine, because of what we found out about them towards the end of the book. While I am excited about ACOWAR, I might read it on audiobook, because reading the physical book took me forever and a day to read.

DNF:

Fallen by Lauren Kate

The one book that I started and did not complete, was Fallen by Lauren Kate. I bought this book on sale via kindle a while ago, because the synopsis really intrigued me. I've been really into Angels and Demons, practically my entire life, but increasingly more recently because of Supernatural. But after 100 pages in, I wasn't connecting with this story, which I thought I would. I had actually started reading it over the summer, but then put it down. I tried picking it up again, closer around Halloween, but the same thing happened again. I have no idea why I couldn’t connect with it, when reading the book. But, after thinking about it, I really think it's because my reading tastes are maturing. I think if I read this book when I was in Middle School, around when it first came out. I definitely would've enjoyed it more, I know this series came out around the same time as Twilight. I enjoyed the Twilight Saga a lot, when I first read the series. But I know that if I read it now, my thoughts on it would change. And I honestly think that's what happened with Fallen, so this would be the first book I have to put in the DNF pile, in a while. Which is always hard to do, because I hate not finishing books. I always like to try to finish a book, even if I might not be enjoying it, to give it a fair chance. But, since this is the second time I've picked this book up, and didn't connect with it, I don't think me finishing it will happen.

Thanks for reading, my fellow Torches! Keep calm and stay warm!

TTFN,

Chynna Williams @The CW Torch