So we don’t have 26 books yet. I wasn’t under the impression I was going to read that many books in one month. Sorry if that was the vibe I was giving off. Just no. At least it gives these early books a chance to spend some time at the top.
Last year, I read over 130 books. I would like to at least hit that benchmark again this year. It might get pretty cutthroat around here trying to rank them.
The real pickle was between The Grace Year and Brimstone. The Grace Year may have won the bracket to become the top read of January. (Sorry for the spoiler.) But was it the number one read? Like, for realsies?
I tried to completely forget the bracket situation. I thought about each book and how I would present them to my best friend if she were asking about each one. How enthusiastic would I have been in telling her about them? Especially since I am far more critical than she is when rating books and classifying them as ‘good’.
So here it is, written in stone, as it were.
*Disclaimer: This list is completely subjective and based solely on my opinions. It is not meant to indicate that one book/genre is better than another. It is based on my personal preference and mood at the time of ranking. Please read my explanations for better clarity and take it all with a grain of salt.*
Putting these eight books through a bracket competition, the results might not match this order. (Total bracket spoiler ahead…again).
Hear me out.
While I absolutely loved The Grace Year, would I read it again? Probably not. It was an emotional roller coaster. Yes, the same can be said for some of the epic romantasy series I will read over and over. Brimstone is no exception! To me, it’s a different emotional drain. Fantasy is just that. What transpires in The Grace Year? Not fantasy. That cult mentality can and does happen. Sure, Brimstone grabbed my insides and twisted them all about, but in a good way that I will happily experience again. And most likely will in the last Fae & Alchemy book. For that reason, Brimstone is sitting at number one.
The Damned was better than I had expected. It didn’t come close to rivaling the top two. Sorry, Margot and Beelzebub. Maybe if you explored more of the Nine Circles, it would have boosted you up a bit. Stick in there though!
While Virgin Flyer is by far the cutest, sweetest, and most heartwarming romance I have read in a very long time, it is more of a palate cleanser for me. I crave the richness of fantasy drama. It was a narrow, dark, margin between this and The Damned.
Ruthless Heart definitely brought the drama and angst. It brought frustration and a whole lot of arrogant stupidity, as well. There is only so much of that broodiness I can take before it begins to eat away at my soul.
Starcrossed had its good points despite the fact that they were overshadowed by self-righteousness disguised as good deeds. Still had a great concept that I couldn’t overlook. I may not be a big fan of this book, but I would still recommend it.
A great concept is the only thing keeping Burning Alive from being at the end of the list. This book is the beginning of a series, and the foundation I had to read to understand and fully enjoy the rest of the universe..I hope.
Darkness Falls. I just wanted a good old-fashioned teen disaster movie in novel form. Instead, I got a long-winded journey that showcased the worst traits of the FMC. Where was all the suspense from Mother Nature trying to kill off humanity?
That is my story, and I’m sticking to it. Hopefully, within the next couple of months, I’ll have this list fully populated and then the fun can really begin. See which books survive and which get booted!
