November Wrap Up & December 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 November Wrap Up and my TBR for the month of December!

Okay, compared to the atrocity that was my October wrap up, November wasn't too bad. I only had my TBR set at five books, and one of them I had already started! Out of the 5 I managed to complete 4 of them (with one being a continuation from October and another just tipping into the boundaries of December.) To be quite honest, I'm relatively proud of that because whilst there has been so much going on in my life with preparing to up and move and prepping for a new job starting in January, things have been quite casual on the reading front and you know what? I'm alright with that. I also attempted (barely) NaNoWrimo this month and whilst I think I only wrote 5000 words (if that) that took up my first week. All in all, I don't think I did horrifically. I know I owe publishers and authors reviews for books long past but you're just going to have to be a little more patient with me and I'll get to them as soon as I can! This month unfortunately I had to DNF a book, which is always a shame but there were just too many elements getting on my nerves for me to complete it, but more on that later. In terms of my Goodreads reading challenge, I currently stand at 67/50 books, meaning I am 22 books ahead of schedule and only 8 books away from my new target of 75 books! Whilst this could be manageable, with everything that is going on I can't see myself reading 8 books this month. We'll have to see, but perhaps I'll lower it down to 70. 3 books is manageable right? So without further ado, lets see what books I read this month and my opinions on them!

1. Truthwitch by Susan Dennard (5/5 stars)
Overall, if you like inventive uses of a magic system, swashbuckling princes, empowering female leads, a bond of friendship that topples any currently written and action, then this is definitely a book for you. Truthwitch has been one of my most anticipated realises and I have to admit that it completely blew me out of the water. It constantly surprised me, intrigued me and left me emotionally crippled at times. But then again, which good book doesn't? This is not a book you are going to want to miss out on. Don your swords, and prepare for a thrilling and mind-blowing adventure to unfold. The Witchlands await.


2. The Light that Gets Lost by Natasha Carthew (2/5 stars/DNF)
Going into this book I first noticed the very unusual writing style and just by reading the first few chapters I already found the story to be slightly disjointed. For a book set in Cornwall, the characters all seemed to sound like stereotypical hillbilly's. It just wasn't working for me. The inner demon was getting ridiculous and old, and there was just too much shrugging and 'whatever's to make this interesting for me. It was such a shame too because the premise of this book sounded awesome, but unfortunately it just did not deliver in the way it should have. The only reason I have it 2 stars instead of 1 was the fact that something about it kept me intrigued. I think it was the extent to find out what was going on, and even in the end that diminished. For me, this was a DNF book, but perhaps I'll try it again in the future with more of an open mind.

3. Winter by Marissa Meyer (5/5 stars)
This novel really exemplifies everything that this story stands for, and readers will truly admire everything Meyer has done to conclude this journey. It is without a doubt that this novel is clearly one of my favourites of the year, perhaps even the novel to beat.Readers will definitely not be disappointed with how well Meyer has crafted her conclusion to this stunning series. It is with deep sadness that I have to say goodbye to this series because it is definitely one I am going to miss being a part of. The world, the characters, everything that has made this series what is is. You can definitely expect me to revisit these books sometime in the near future!

4. The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands (4/5 stars)

This book took me so much longer to read than it deserved and this was no way the fault of the book, because every time I picked it up to read, I kept devouring it quicker than I could turn the pages. This is a middle grade novel that has much darker and underlying themes than you would expect. It's writing is beautifully fluid, the characters are memorable and dramatic and the plot is very hands on and gripping. There were some elements I had issues with, more specifically how rushed some of the adrenaline filled scenes felt but all in all I still thoroughly enjoyed it. My heart went out to the main protagonist and I look forward to reading more! If you like murder, mystery and alchemy with a hint of religious cults then this is definitely for you. Think Rick Riordan meets Dan Brown. It's phenomenal.

So those were the 4 books that I managed to read in the month of November! As for December, with more preparing to move, an induction week at the school I start my new job at and Christmas, it's going to be pretty hectic so hopefully I can find sometime to read! This month I'm aiming to find some books that either have a wintery feel to them or remind me of the festive season. Expect mostly contemporaries with some added extras thrown into the mix! So without further ado, here are the books that I'm anticipating to read in the month of December!

• Snow like Ashes by Sara Rasasch

• My True Love Gave to Me Short Story Collection edited by Stephanie Perkins

• Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn

• Their Fractured Light by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

• Beautiful Broken Things by Sara Barnard (ARC)

• What We Left Behind by Robin Talley (ARC)

So those are the books that I am aiming to read some of in the month of December. Once again, I know it's adventurous considering everything I have going on, but but here's hoping I get some of them done at least. 

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?