February Top 5

It's time for another top 5 post. Where in the world did February go? Anyways, I've been in a bit of a reading slump lately. Which hasn't made a whole lot of sense to me, because I finish books thinking I loved them and then I sit down to write reviews and realize I didn't connect with them as much as I thought I had. So I thought for once choosing my top five from the month would be easy. And then I went back and looked at my list - and yeahhhh....this list was far from easy. I had to cut 3 books that I loved so much. But enough about my personal pains - here's the top five books I read in February (in no particular order) -

1. Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

I was in emotional pain when I had to set this down and go to work. This book just blew me away. It was everything I'd ever want out of one night, or one boy. And Cath Crowley's writing style stunned me. This whole book was such a testament to art, humanity, and living in the moment. Read my review here. 

2. Blood Red Road by Moira Young

I've had this book on my shelf since July. Why it took me this long to read it, I haven't got a clue. Now that I've read it, I can say, I'm impressed with Moira Young. It blows my mind how it seems to draw on different stories and historical events, yet it still feels completely original. Read my review here. 

3. Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

I fell in love with Born Wicked so quickly. Finn is now close to the top of my list of book boyfriends and I love the girl power in this book. It's a great start to a series that promises to become something even larger. Plus, it's one of those books that I threw after I finished. It got me going. Read my review here.

4. Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

This book. Is. Amazing. I've always loved Robin Hood and this re-telling surpassed all expectations I had. Every aspect of this book was incredible - the writing, the pacing, the relationship dynamics, the characterizations, and the way that Gaughen puts women back into history. Awesome. Read it. Read my review here.

5. Starters by Lissa Price

I'm so impressed with this book. I'm still thinking about it. I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did, and I think that's because I couldn't fathom how the premise could be executed. But I started reading and never looked back. I was sucked in immediately. Price definitely pulled off writing about people renting other's bodies and still telling a fantastic story. Read my review here.

What were your top reads this month?

Blood Red Road - Moira Young

Synopsis: Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a dried-up wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms. The Wrecker civilization has long been destroyed, leaving only landfills for Saba and her family to scavenge from. That's fine by her, as long as her beloved twin brother Lugh is around. But when a monster sandstorm arrives, along with four cloaked horsemen, Saba's world is shattered. Lugh is captured, and Saba embarks on an epic quest to get him back.
Suddenly thrown into the lawless, ugly reality of the world outside of desolate Silverlake, Saba is lost without Lugh to guide her. So perhaps the most surprising thing of all is what Saba learns about herself: she's a fierce fighter, an unbeatable survivor, and a cunning opponent. And she has the power to take down a corrupt society from the inside. Teamed up with a handsome daredevil named Jack and a gang of girl revolutionaries called the Free Hawks, Saba stages a showdown that will change the course of her own civilization. (From Goodreads)


Somehow every epic story and empire has been rolled into one book. How does Moira Young make it work? I have theories, but really, I couldn't exactly say. It starts out kinda Wild West, then it turns into a bit of pirating, then there's some Roman empire-ness, some Robin Hood, and even some Napoleonic things made it in there. Everything is a contradiction somehow (ex. Hopetown - is actually a place overrun with vagrants and lowlifes) and the things you think you can predict are actually surprising. I kept trying to put labels on this book and then I gave up - I don't know what it is - other than a heroic journey. 


The language of this book is off putting at first. I almost set it aside after a few pages because I wasn't really in the mood to plow through the language of a girl who is uneducated (only one character in this book even knows what a book is). But I've heard so many fantastic things about this book that I kept going. I wasn't into it when Saba leaves Silverlake to find Lugh and it actually took me until she meets a couple while trying to cross the desert (known as the Sandsea) that I was actually like - Ok, now we're talking. From that point on, this book fits every definition I have of amazing. 


Except the worms. I could have done without the worms. There are some giant worm things, that were the only things that I felt were a little too unrealistic for this world. 


But the characters are great -they're hard to get to know at first because Saba is so closed off in general and the language takes a little wading through - but once they are around for awhile they're really colorful and quite fascinating. Saba's relationship with her younger sister is really cool to watch. I expected it would follow a certain timeline - and it didn't. Saba herself is so unpredictable that even when you think she's softening, she does something that just makes you think - why did I even think she was soft?


This is the first in a trilogy. It actually ended with a bit of closure for me, so I wouldn't necessarily need the rest of the books - however, I'll definitely keep reading this series because I love the characters and the world so much. Plus, I'm really excited to see what other stories or empires she can put Saba through.