Consider the Wildflowers

January was a surprisingly busy month! I usually look forward to this quiet month and all of its downtime for reading, but this was the first time in years that this month had little to no downtime. But I don’t mind, as I was able to enjoy a ski trip with my family, I was getting back into the swing of things at work; and at the end of the month, I packed and moved into a new home. I am feeling refreshed at the start of February and am hopeful that I will get to spend more time reading this month. So here are the few books I read in January and my thoughts on them!

4/5 Stars

First, I reread Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Lightning Thief . The last time I read this book was probably fifth grade when I read the series for the very first time. Fifth grade me was absolutely in love with these books, and 25 year old me had a hard time remembering any of the plot! I remember being obsessed with them as a child, but I couldn’t remember anything about them. With the new TV show that premiered in December (I have so many mixed feelings unfortunately), I thought it was time to give this beloved series a revisit. I must say, I certainly understand why little me loved these books so much! I thoroughly enjoyed rereading this one. I love Percy as a narrator, and I think Rick Riordan has a writing style that is perfect for entertaining both adults and children. In some ways, it really reminded me of the tone of The Wingfeather Saga books (if you’re a fan of Percy Jackson, I recommend those books too!) I listened to part of this one on audible, and I read the other half. I really enjoyed the audio narration, so if that’s something you’re interested in, I highly recommend! I have a feeling I will be listening to most of this series on audible since they are a reread.

4.5/5 Stars

This book! Oh wow. This one was so good. I have thoroughly enjoyed this series so far (definitely tops the ACOTAR series for me), and this book further proved that to be true. There were so many twists and turns, and the thing I loved most was the puzzle of it all. The tunnels beneath the castle, the betrayals, the scheming. I don’t want to say too much and spoil it, but this book will definitely keep you on your toes! Just when I thought I understood one thing, something would change, and I would be left wondering where Sarah J. Maas was going to take us next. I have truly started to appreciate just how talented of a writer she is. Yes, I have always believed she is an incredible storyteller, but with this book I started to pay attention to her style and language. There are some incredible lines and literary devices that are the backbone to her riveting plots and memorable characters. I honestly feel like my middle school self again in some ways, as I am having so much fun diving into this series and waiting impatiently to see how all of the pieces are going to fall into place.

2/5 Stars

Ok. I am just going to lump this series together into one review because I don’t think it would be worth it to review each book individually. I just don’t have enough to say about each one, because if I’m being completely honest I didn’t really enjoy this series as a whole! I will say that I did enjoy the first book. I think I rated it 3/5 stars, and if you’re wanting something with great summer vibes, this first book is definitely worth it. I absolutely adored the setting–Cousins, a cute beach town where our main character, Belly (Isabella) stays each summer with her mother, her brother Stephen, her mother’s best friend Susanna (also known as Beck), and Susanna’s two sons: Conrad and Jeremiah The dynamic between the mothers is so sweet–I loved getting to see their adult friendship and how it reflected the friendship between the teenagers. Belly has grown up with these three boys–Stephen, Conrad, and Jeremiah–and in this first book, we’re seeing how their dynamic has changed as they have become teenagers. There are a lot of flashbacks in this book, which I really enjoyed! I loved getting to see the memories woven throughout so that we could better understand the characters. I felt the first book was very well done, as it had several plot lines that all intertwined. There are serious topics, such as cancer and divorce, that are intermingled with the issues of love and heartache as a young teen. As for the second two books–I rated them both 2/5 stars. I just did not enjoy them! I liked the second one a little bit better than the third, but overall I felt the plots were just kind of… pointless? I feel like this was a story that only needed to be one book, but that’s just me! I listened to all three of these books on audible, and I absolutely loved the narration! Even though these aren’t my favorite books by any means, they were very entertaining to listen to while I was at work. So that was great!

Oh, and I am excited to watch the show! I’ve heard great things about it.

February Hopefuls

Here are some of the books I’m hoping to read in February!

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

Normal People by Sally Rooney

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

Ski Trip Pictures 🙂

Happy Reading!

Taylor Blayse