Before the New Year™ officially begins, I thought I’d do some mini reviews of the books I’ve read while on hiatus (not that I’m off my semi-hiatus, but I’m gonna try to post regularly again, and see how it goes). 

I read 4 new books (not including my assigned books for school, but I’m not going to review those) which I’m going to be reviewing. I re-read books 1-4 of the Throne of Glass series (reviews: 1,2,3,4), and will post my reviews for Empire of Storms and The Assassin’s Blade when I re-read them (then Tower of Dawn when I finally read that!). I also re-read Beyond the Rising Tide, which was as amazing as the first time (find my review here). I read My Lady Jane, and you can read my review for that here, along with why it did not live up to the hype.

So, without any further ado, here we go!

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180 Seconds by Jessica Park

My Rating: ♥♥♥

180 Seconds was a really good book. It follows Allison, a girl who is more than a little closed off from the world, and Esben, who is super outgoing and a social-media celeb. The meet when Allison is roped into a social experiment that Esben is doing, where they basically just keep eye-contact for 180 seconds.
The emotions in this book were raw and relatable, and I even got a little misty eyed at parts. Although the plot and outcome of the book were predictable, I really didn’t mind at all. I knew what I was getting into when I picked up this book, and it gave me exactly what I expected.
Although the main characters (Allison and Esben) were very nuanced, the rest of the characters did feel a bit two-dimensional, which made the whole book a teensy bit less enjoyable, but for the most part I didn’t mind.
Overall I’d say this book is worth the read, especially if you like this kind of story.

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Room by Emma Donoghue

My Rating: ♥♥♥

I watched the movie Room before I read the book (I know, I know, I should have read the book first), but honestly reading the book and watching the movie were two completely different experiences. For one, I sobbed throughout the entire movie (both my first time watching it and then when I watched it again after finishing the book), and I only got a little misty eyed once during the book.
The book definitely went into more detail (and had some plot points that the movie skipped) and gave an even more in-depth view into Jack’s mind and how he dealt with the events that took place. That being said, it gave the book more of a juvenile voice which could be a little annoying and confusing at times.
Do I think the book was worth the read? Yes.
That being said, in this case I do think it’s okay to skip the book and just see the movie.

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City of Thieves by David Benioff

My Rating: ♥♥♥♥

City of Thieves was a whirlwind from beginning to end. It follows Lev and Kolya, two war prisoners and strangers to each other, who are given the task of finding eggs during the Nazis siege of Leningrad in exchange for their lives. As they embark on this seemingly impossible journey, they have some crazy adventures and build a friendship.
This book was really interesting, and I found myself unable to put it down. It was pretty crude (which fit in with the setting, but was a little over-the-top at points), but also had some heartfelt moments.
This was the first real war story I read (I’ve read one since), and I was actually surprised by how much I liked it. I would recommend this to anyone who likes war stories, or anyone who wants to try reading one.

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In 27 Days by Alison Gervais

My Rating: ♥♥♥♥

In 27 Days was a complete cover buy for me. I hadn’t seen the book or author anywhere before, and I knew nothing about the story. That being said, I have read Wattpad books before, and I have never been let down by one that has made it through the publishing process.
In 27 Days did not disappoint.
The concept behind this story is a girl is given a chance to go back in time by 27 days to save a boy who has committed suicide. She doesn’t know him that well, but decides to take the deal anyway and try to save his life.
The story itself is pretty predictable (even the ending, which really tried to be surprising), but it was really cute and such a feel good story. The characters were likable and the story was compelling. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a fast, fun book to read!

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Thanks for reading! Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them? Let me know in the comments below!