2017 reading wrap up: series

2017 is almost over so I thought I'd start writing all of my reading wrap-up posts. I won't be able to just write one huge one, because let's face it - nobody has time to read that. 

So in 207 I've started quite a few series, and I also finished some of them, found some new and amazing favorites, while completely abandoned some others. 

Series that I enjoyed will get a thumbs up, and series that I didn't care for and therefore will not be finishing up will get a thumbs down.

​
1. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling.
(thumbs up)

This was my second time reading the series and I gotta say that I've noticed a lot more things that I did the first time around. that said I also noticed some mistakes and inconsistencies this time around as well, and found some things to be absolutely annoying. I really enjoyed all of them, but I think my favorite ones will remain to be #3 and #4 and #5. I love The Prisoner of Azkaban because it introduces so many new characters (two of which are my absolute favorites) and it also doesn't have Voldemot as the main focus which was a nice break. The Goblet of Fire broke my heart all over again and The Order of the Phoenix is just awesome all around and once again heartbreaking. My least favorite is gotta be the last one, as it just droned on and on and it was quite boring at some parts. Also reading this the second time around I found a new favorite side character - Fleur - I never realized just how good of a character she was. Definitely recommend!  

​2. The Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo.
(thumbs up)

I've jumped on many hype trains in 2017 and Six of Crows was definitely one of them. Luckily for me this "train" was a complete success. I enjoyed the story, the characters and the style of writing a lot. I thought that these two novels were very unique in the best of ways (which is very hard to find nowadays in YA books). I found 6 new very compelling characters to love and a new author to like. I am actually hoping to re-read this in early 2018. Definitely recommend!

3. The Shadow and Bone trilogy by Leigh Bardugo
​(thumbs up)

Since Six of Crows was such a huge success with me I decided to read another series by Leigh Bardugo, and I loved this trilogy just as much! I was very apprehensive to read it as I've seen many people not liking it, but I enjoyed it a lot and flew through it very quickly. Once again I found a new character to add to my favorites and I was very excited to read more about grisha powers discussed in Six of Crows. This trilogy however did have many pit falls of a typical YA novel, but it wasn't anything cringe worthy. And as opposed to many, many people who read these books I actually really loved the way it ended. Recommend!

4. Lorien Legacies (I am number 4) by Pittacus Lore
​(thumbs down)

I've only read the first book of this series, I am number four, and I was not impressed. Not even a little bit. I am actually surprised that there are so many books in this series because I was so incredibly bored reading this. There were so many cliche things in this book - I don't even have the patience to list them all. It was predictable, cheesy and just meh. I decided to abandon the series after book 1 and I never looked back at my decision. I wouldn't recommend. 

5. A cout of thorns and roses by S.J. Maas
(thumbs down)

Here is the series that I thought I'd love because Goodreads was raving about them. But it has taken me exactly one book and 27 pages of book 2 to realize that S.J.M. is not an author for me. So I DNF'd. I didn't hate the first book, but neither did I like it. I didn't care for any of the characters. I didn't care for overused plots and  very unoriginal...well everything. And I didn't care for all the smut in this book. To be honest the smut was probably the worst thing - as I got second hand embarrassed for the way S.J.M. writes her sex scenes. It's all growling and mating and other weird stuff. What are they animals?? I don't personally recommend, but I am in minority as a lot of people I know absolutely love this series. It's up to the personal preference. 

6. A darker shade of magic by V.E. Schwab
(thumbs down)

I should have mentioned that I have a lot of unpopular opinions here. I only read the first book and I liked it. But here is the thing - I was hugely underwhelmed by it. The ending was so blah to me that it made me lose all of the interest in the series altogether. I own book 2 but I never once had an urge to read it. Also I absolutely hate Lila Bard. Although I was very intrigued by the character of Holland. Maybe one day I will pick up the book 2? Probably not though... 

7. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer 
​(thumbs up)

I really enjoyed Cinder, liked Scarlet, absolutely adored Cress and was only okay about Winter. But overall I really liked The Lunar Chronicles. It had many compelling characters and many good messages to deliver. My absolute favorites are Cress and Thorne! Recommend!

8. The Infernal devices by Cassandra Clare
(thumbs down) 

Here is the deal - I read The Mortal Instruments first and this was so underwhelming comparing to that series. I know that a lot of people love this series more but I just don't see it. It was very ... boring. And I couldn't stand Tessa. Love triangles - bleh! There were so many parallels between characters from this and TMI that it just felt like same books with different names and in different time frame. I stopped after book 2 because I had zero interest in continuing the story. 

9. Wayward Children by Seanan McGuire (Every Heart a doorway)
​(thumbs down)

I've only read the first book, but I really, really didn't like it. Maybe it gets better after the first one, I don't know. Maybe I will read it someday and change my mind. But for now I just found way too many problems with the first installment. I wouldn't recommend. 

10. This savage song by Victoria Schwab 
(thumbs up/thumbs down)

I literally have love/hate relationship with this duology I really loved the first book. A lot. And then I really disliked the 2nd book. It just didn't ring true. It felt forced. It felt rushed. It felt stretched out and unfinished, and it had some serious plot holes. And I was prepared to love it, but oh well. 

11. Pretty little liars by Sara Shepard 
​(ummmmmmmmmmmm)

See that ummmm above? Pretty Little Liars is a guilty pleasure read for me. I love to hate it. I think it's so bad, yet so addicting!! So I read it. I stopped at Wicked I think, because I was starting to lose interest but I might pick it up again sometime soon. 

12. The Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson
(thumbs up thumbs up thumbs up)

My new favorite series of the year. Of forever. And ever. I have no words for how good these fantasy books are. I love them with all my heart and I think that Brandon Sanderson is an absolute genius. So many new characters to love. So many plot secrets and twist. Magnificent. ABSOLUTELY RECOMMEND!! 

​13. Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco
(thumbs down)

So you know when authors take ideas from other books without giving credit to the original source? Yeah. Charming and suave Cresswell is nothing more than a rip off from a Sherlock Holmes, at some moments word for word. No thank you. I only read the 1st one, but it was enough to know that I won't be continuing. I also figured the twist out from 20 first pages and it wasn't as thrilling as I hoped it would be. And the romance? Ugh. I don't recommend but many people love it, so it's a personal preference. 

I feel like I've had more thumbs downs than ups with my series this year. I will be more picky in 2018. 2017 was a year of figuring out what I like and what I don't like and I think that now I know which direction my reading will take in the next year.