May Wrap Up and June TBR

So I thought I would start a little segment on my blog that I know is very popular around the book blogging community and that is to discuss what I read in the previous month and what I intend, or hope to read in the following month. So here goes nothing, this is my May Wrap Up and my TBR for the month of June!

Oh my goodness you guys, where on earth did May go?! It literally feels as if I was only typing up my wrap up for April just a few days ago. In terms of how busy I was this month, well I didn't find myself with as much work as I would have expected but I did find myself busy with job interviews and applications. They certainly kept me on my toes. I also had a lovely trip up to Edinburgh one week end with my girlfriend so I didn't really get a lot of reading done their either. Saying that though, I read a great amount of books this month and I thoroughly enjoyed a lot of them. There are a lot of awesome releases in June and I'm really excited to read the books I have on my TBR! This month I read a grand total of 7 books, the same amount as March and April! I am on a roll you guys. Can I aim higher for next month? This brings my total for my Goodreads challenge up to 33/50 books read which puts me at 66% of the challenge completed and 13 books ahead of schedule! At this rate I could happily take a month off and I'd still be ahead. Not that I'd do that though. So let's see what I read this month and my opinions on them!

1. Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life: Volume 1, Colour Edition by Bryan Lee O'Malley (4/5 stars)
Oh guys I loved this first instalment in which looks to be a very exciting and exhilarating series. I've read Seconds by Bryan Lee O'Malley and absolutely adored it. The story and the artwork was so colourful and I was excited to see this continue into this graphic novel as well. Now I've watched the movie adaptation of this graphic novel series (you know, the one with Michael Cera playing Scott) and I really enjoyed it. I thought it was funny, light hearted and adventurous. The graphic novels seem to be no different so I can't wait to pick up the second volume! I'm so glad I chose the colour version over the black and white one too, so much more of a pleasurable reading experience!

2. Simon vs the Homosapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli (5/5 stars)
Where to I even begin with my feelings on this book?! It was such a touching contemporary. There is so much I could say about this book in regards to the love of the characters, the realism of the plot ect. Overall this book was fantastic, it was emotionally gripping and tackles strong yet sensitive issues that face a large percentage of teenagers in the modern age. Becky Albertalli does an amazing job at creating a very pragmatic story in an unidealistic and yet familiar setting. The pace was timely and overall the novel was perfection.This is definitely a book that will make you crave more than just Oreos! You can read more of my thoughts on this book in my review here.

3. Remix by Non Pratt (4/5 stars)
Remix was a complete blast to read, it was witty, to the point and quite frankly was an extremely fun book to be absorbed in. Non Pratt is a genius UKYA author who targets her audience well and gives them something that both she and they can be proud to be a part of. Non is not afraid to discuss topics that often in Young Adult novels, authors tend to shy away from or try to bluntly navigate their way around. Drugs and sex are a prime example of this. I don't know how much more applause we can give her! In this way, Non for me is a very brutally honest and pragmatic author of YA literature and I believe that this is something she should be extremely proud of. An intense read for those readers who just want to explore and experience a little bit of freedom. You can read more of my thoughts on this book in my review here.

4. Legend: The Graphic Novel by Marie Lu (3/5 stars)

A pretty decent adaptation of Marie Lu's first book in the Legend series. The art was fantastic, exactly how I pictured the characters and the expressions were amazing. A few characters lacked a bit of depth and some elements of the story weren't involved, which made it feel extremely short but overall it was a quick and exciting read. I would only advise you read it however if you have read the book, otherwise you won't feel as enthusiastic about the relationships between the characters.

5. Talon by Julie Kagawa (4/5 Stars)

This book was a great introduction to what I can imagine is going to be a very successful and action packed series. Yes this book wasn't heavily packed with action scenes besides the ending, but I felt that a contemporary vibe introduction is exactly what the first book in this series required. The ending sets up the scene for book two where there is definitely more action for those readers who were clawing away for something more intense and suspenseful. Talon is just a fantastic read with all of the elements that a great book should have. You can read more of my thoughts on this book in my review here.

6. Rogue by Julie Kagawa (4/5 stars)

Definitely more of a 4.5 than a 4 star rating. Rogue was a very intense and action-packed rollercoaster of a book. One that messes with your emotions and at times leaves you breathless in suspense. The book was epic. So much more action and adventure. I loved it. The only thing that put me off making this a 5 star book was the love triangle. Up until now it wasn't a major issue but suddenly it's played a role on my enjoyment. It does however keep it extremely interesting! Also, Julie Kagawa knows how to kill her readers with those epilogues. I need the next book pronto. 2016 is just too far away. You can read more of my thoughts on this book in my review here.

7. The Best Kept Secret by Wendi Nunnery (3/5 stars)

This was a really lovely contemporary novel to review, even if I did have some problems with it along the way. The story was a journey of discovery. It touches on truths, the meaning of real friendship, the ignorance of struggle and the lesson that the best kept secrets are truly the ones that create an impact on us. For more details, check out my review which is scheduled to upload on June 2nd! Also I'm part of the blog tour for Wendi's book so keep an eye out for her guest post, it's all about her Top Ten Things To Know About Being a Published Author!

So those were all 7 of the books I read in May, but what do I plan on reading in June? Well I have a bit of travelling to do in the beginning of June so hopefully I can get a book or two bashed out on the train ride there and back! Apart from that I'm expecting to have more work as the schools are getting closer to the summer, and that is when supply teachers tend to be needed! I have a few ARC's incoming from publishers that I'd like to bash out as well as a few of my own books that I'm excited about! Here are the books that hopefully I will get around to in the month of June:

• Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas (Currently re-reading)
• Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas
• Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas
• The Accident Season by Moira Fowley-Doyle (ARC)
• After the End by Amy Plum (A re-read)
• Until the Beginning by Amy Plum (ARC)
• An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

So those are the books that I'm aiming for in my TBR for the month. There is a possibility as usual that I will end up straying from the path and finding something else to read. However, I'm determined to try and get the Throne of Glass series up to date in preparation for Queen of Shadows later this year. You'll notice I've also got a few ARC's in there. The lovely people at Harper360 are sending me an ARC of Until the Beginning. Book 2 in the After the End series, so I want to re-read After the End to refresh my memory! I've also received an ARC of The Accident Season from the lovely people at Random House Children's UK so I'm excited to get to that too!

Let me know in the comments below what books you read this month and one book you're looking forward to reading next month! Are any of you going to be reading one of the books I'm reading this month?