2nd Quarter Book List 2016 — Karlee Bradbury

Shamefully, I only read seven books this quarter. I've been in a bit of a reading slump. Although I have to say, it wasn't the fault of the books I was reading. The ones I did get around to were really good. And one was the kind of good that keeps you thinking about it when you are away (usually at work) and itching to pick it back up again.

As a result, my favs list of the quarter will be smaller than usual. But here they are, followed by the full quarter list.

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

I've had this book on my tbr list since it was first released in 2014. I just innately knew that I would love it. Do you ever have books like that? Ones that you read the synopsis for and immediately know that you are going to connect with it in a really positive, enjoyable way?

If not, I wouldn't worry too much. I'm probably the complete weirdo in this scenario.

Anyway, though it took me a while to get around to reading it, guess what? I really did enjoy Red Rising! A lot, actually. The story is set on the planet Mars, many centuries in the future after it has been colonized by earth. The citizens are divided by class, and those classes are denoted by colors, usually pertaining to the type of work each citizen performs within their society. So Golds are, of course, the elites. Whites are the religious sector. Blues are aviators. Yellows are scientists and doctors, and so on and so forth until you get to the reds, the lowest and largest group of citizens on Mars, the ones who's backs are holding up the rest of society.

Darrow is a red, and as such, he toils underneath the soil of Mars his entire young life, along with his family and his new wife. When his wife is unjustly executed, Darrow joins the resistance and makes it his mission to topple the ruling class from within. But first, he must become a Gold, and beat them at their own game.

Red Rising was a fun, fun read and I will be starting the sequel, Golden Son, soon.

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas

I reread A Court of Thorns and Roses right before this one was released. I remembered liking most of it, but absolutely loving the last hundred pages or so. ACOMAF did not disappoint. In fact, I loved it so much more than ACOTAR and I've loved it more than any other book I've read so far this year, and we are halfway through 2016.

I'm not gonna write a synopsis here because it is a sequel and if anyone hasn't already read ACOTAR I wouldn't want to spoil anything for them.

But, can I just say, Rhysand. RHYSAND. Rhy. Sand.

On a scale of one to ten, I had actual dreams about this book. So this one gets an eleven.