December Reading Wrap-Up & January TBR

Well, 2017 came around awful quick, didn't it? On the one hand it feels like a whole new year; a fresh start. And on the other hand it feels exactly the same as last month; and the month before. Anyone else feel a bit like that? With a new year comes new things, and I can assure you that I have lots of exciting plans for this blog; including a makeover, and lots of new content! And, as you can see, in some instances; new titles. Previous posts in this monthly series were titled "What I'm Reading In X//Books I'm Reading In X." But I wanted something a little snappier, and I came up with it just in time for the New Year! So, without further ado, let's take a look at the books I read last month!

I was so excited to read Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy. I'd actually bought the book when it was first published; three years ago. But I only picked it up off my shelf to read when I bought Bridget Jones's baby, and decided I ought to read Mad About The Boy first. Turns out, Mad About The Boy actually comes after Bridget Jones's Baby; a fact I didn't find out until after I'd read them both, in the wrong order. Oops? Oh well. I didn't actually enjoy Mad About The Boy nearly as much as I expected to. It just didn't feel like the Bridget Jones I remembered; from secretly reading the first two novels when I was about twelve. A disappointment, then. But onto the next...

Rating: ***

Now, Bridget Jones's Baby I did enjoy! This installment felt like the real Bridget. It had me laughing, cringing, and nodding along as I read it; unlike Mad About The Boy. I really enjoyed this one; I just wish it had been a little longer! 

Rating: ****

Ayden's Choice was possibly one of the best books I read all year. The only thing that let it down was occasional grammatical/spelling errors. It really frustrates me when there are any errors in a published novel, because what are proof readers for?! I won't say more; you can read all of my thoughts in this review! 

Rating: ****

This book was sent to me as part of the #mkbparty package, along with The Lie Tree and Fangirl. I ran a poll over on my Twitter asking which book I should start with, and you all said Beautiful Broken Things. And I'm so glad I started with this one. It was such a fantastic read, that left me feeling quite emotional at the end! A beautiful YA novel; I highly recommend it if you're a fan of the genre.

Rating: ****

I really didn't expect to like The Lie Tree. I don't usually like the sci-fi/historical fiction genre; which is where this novel seems, loosely, to fit. So I went into this with a bit of a closed mind, to be honest. But I was soon drawn into the world created by Frances Hardinge, and I found that I could not put this book down. It was fast-paced, exciting and creative. Like nothing I've read before, and I actually really enjoyed stepping out of my comfort zone with this one!

Rating: ****

I finally finished the audiobook I started months ago! In fact, I started it so long ago I had to listen to it from the beginning again, because I'd totally lost my place. This was a fantastic novel; exploring the disappearance of young girls, and an agony aunt's involvement. It had such a huge plot twist at the end, that I did not see coming, and I was left reeling! A brilliant, immersive read, and I particularly enjoyed the audiobook; the readers were fantastic!

Rating: ****

I read some wonderful books in December, then. I guess I picked my TBR's well, that month! Let's see what I've picked for January, then, shall we? 

Last month, I managed to read six books. But it was a struggle, and only achieved with the help of an audiobook to be honest. For my 2017 GoodReads Reading Challenge, I'm aiming to read fifty-five books this year. So, if I can average five books a month, I should be a month ahead of myself by the time November rolls around! These are the five books I'm planning to read this month...

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena

Mother, Mother by Koren Zalickas

The Passenger by Lisa Lutz

Nocturnal Animals by Austin Wright

What Light by Jay Asher

What have you read lately?