January 2020 Wrap-Up

This has been a really good reading month for me. This is mostly due to me still looking for work having only been in the Netherlands for 2 months.

In total, I completed 9 books, putting me one book ahead of my goal of 100 books for the year.

The books I read were:

1. De droomebewaker - Thea Stilton

This is a simple Dutch reader that I picked from the library to help me learn some of the language. I actually really enjoyed it as it has loads of pretty illustrations.

2. The Poppy War - RF Kuang

This is an adult fantasy with a strong female lead who defies all odds. I loved it and highly recommend it for fans of YA fantasy looking for that step-up into something a little more mature.

3. A Very Large Expanse of Sea - Tahereh Mafi

Super surprising. I loved this and read it on one sitting. You can check out my review here.

4. Lipstick, Lies and Dead Guys - Jennifer Fischetto

A random book I had on my Kindle. This is the start of an Indie paranormal romance series with reminds me a little of an old tv show called Tru Calling. I enjoyed the humorous writing and might even get the next ones in the series on Kindle Unlimited.

5. Stepsister - Jennifer Donnelly

This is a fairy-tale inspired novel about one of Cinderella's stepsisters and her story after Cinderella finds the prince. I really enjoyed this unique take on a known fairy tale.

6. The Faerie Guardian - Rachel Morgan

The first in South African author Rachel Morgan's self-published fantasy YA series. I am not going to lie. I thought it was a little generic at first, but then the plot twist kicked in and I was hooked.

7. Air  Awakens - Elize Kova

Another Kindle read. I didn't like this, though it is well-written. The main character literally had four men pining after her by the middle of the book and it was just too annoying to continue the series.

8. We Rule the Night - Claire Eliza Bartlett

I loved this fantasy about two girls finding their place in a male-dominated war setting. While it's clearly inspired by modern warfare, the fantasy elements are awesomely integrated. Highly recommended.

9. Agent of Chaos - Kami Garcia

This is the first of two X-Files Origin novels. I got them for the nostalgia and didn't really expect it to be as good as it was.

I hope to manage this many books this month too! I am also going to be focusing more on reading completed series I own so that I can start clearing space on my bookshelves.