The Last 10 Book Tag

I seem to be in a blogging mood recently but I'm a little at a loss when it comes to potential topics to talk about. But you know what's always fun? That's right: tags! It's been forever since I last did one and I definitely wasn't tagged by anyone to do this, but when I saw The Last 10 Book Tag around on booktube, it sounded fun and I wanted to try it. So here we go!

1. The last book you didn't finish?

I quite often start books and then stop when I can't get into them, but I don't count those as not finishing because I know I'll read them eventually. I do have some books that I mark as dnf and I know I won't ever finish them, but those are very rare. In fact, I think I only ever dnf-ed four books, the most recent one being The Hook Up by Kristen Callihan. Another book I can think of that I started but didn't finish and, to be honest, probably won't ever finish is Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard. I actually quite enjoyed Red Queen when I read it but when I started Glass Sword, I just wasn't really interested in the story or the world anymore, so I don't think I will ever finish that series or that book.

August and September 2018 Wrap-Up

I definitely forgot how to do monthly wrap-up posts, but I felt like giving it a try again for August. And then, like the professional blogger I am, I forgot to post it until September was already over as well, so here we are with a combined wrap-up for August and September!

I read seven books in August and a grand total of one book in September, which leaves me with 37 books total read this year and on track for my reading challenge. Yay me! While I didn't discover any new all-time favorite books in the past two months, I'm still very happy with what I read. Except for one, all books met my expectations and even the rereads were still as good as the first time around.

Review: The Chase (Briar U #1)

The Chase
by Elle Kennedy

Series: Briar U #1

Genre: New Adult, Romance

Publication date: August 6, 2018

Published by: Elle Kennedy Inc.

Ebook, 377 pages

My rating: 2/5 ★

Everyone says opposites attract. And they must be right, because there’s no logical reason why I’m so drawn to Colin Fitzgerald. I don’t usually go for tattoo-covered, video-gaming, hockey-playing nerd-jocks who think I’m flighty and superficial. His narrow view of me is the first strike against him. It doesn’t help that he’s buddy-buddy with my brother.

And that his best friend has a crush on me. And that I just moved in with them. Oh, did I not mention we’re roommates?

I suppose it doesn’t matter. Fitzy has made it clear he’s not interested in me, even though the sparks between us are liable to burn our house down. I’m not the kind of girl who chases after a man, though, and I’m not about to start. I’ve got my hands full dealing with a new school, a sleazy professor, and an uncertain future. So if my sexy brooding roomie wises up and realizes what he’s missing?

He knows where to find me.

Before I get into my review of The Chase, I want to start by saying that the Off-Campus books (the companion series to this one) are some of my favorite New Adult reads. I love them because they don't overdo the NA stereotypes and generally manage to tell entertaining, if somewhat unlikely tales of college love. They are centered around a group of hockey players, and although I love sports novels, those types of books often tend to be the most filled with annoying tropes of them all. But while the Off-Campus books definitely had the *super popular hot athlete blah blah* stereotypes, I felt like it never went too far. 

So with all of this love for the companion series of The Chase, I was super excited for this book and 100% ready to love it just as much. Even more so because Summer and Fitz are both characters that were previously introduced and I was ready to root for them. Unfortunately, The Chase turned out to be a disappointment for me.

Mid-Year Reading Update

2018 so far has been a bit of a weird year for me with regards to book stuff. Mostly, it feels different because I've taken a big step back from the online book community. My blog has been neglected for a long time, so it's not really news on here. But I also haven't been active on my bookstagram ever since I moved into my own apartment at the beginning of the year, and that has been a big change although I'm not sure whether for the better or the worse. 

The good news is, I'm still reading! Even if I don't share my experiences online so much anymore, I haven't stopped being an avid reader. And as kind of a catch-up post, I thought it would be nice to have a look at what I've read so far this year.

Review: Everless

Everless
by Sara Holland

Series: Untitled #1
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Publication date: January 4, 2018
Published by: Orchard Books
Hardcover, 361 pages
My rating: 3/5 ★

In the land of Sempera, the rich control everything - even time. Ever since the age of alchemy and sorcery, hours, days and years have been extracted from blood and bound to iron coins. The rich live for centuries; the poor bleed themselves dry.

Jules and her father are behind on their rent and low on hours. To stop him from draining himself to clear their debts, Jules takes a job at Everless, the grand estate of the cruel Gerling family.

There, Jules encounters danger and temptation in the guise of the Gerling heir, Roan, who is soon to be married. But the web of secrets at Everless stretches beyond her desire, and the truths Jules must uncover will change her life for ever ... and possibly the future of time itself.

Everless was a typical 3-star read for me. Not bad in any way, but lacking something to make me really fall in love and get engrossed with the story. It takes place in a world where time is your currency and it is drawn from the blood. Our protagonist Jules grew up at an aristocratic estate called Everless before she and her father had to flee. Now she is going back to work there in order to earn time to save her father's life.