Hopeless Magic

Book 30 of 2017 is Hopeless Magic from the Star-Crossed series the by Rachel Higginson.

I read the first book from this series a month ago and enjoyed it enough to want to read the second book.

After finishing this arduous read with a whining teenage girl and her band of merry teenage men chasing her along with the "once you have sex you are bonded for life" message, I was glad it ended. There will be no more reading from this conservative non-subtle instruction on how young women cause trouble by speaking their minds and should think carefully of who they will marry because he owns you forever.

It. Was. Painful.

This had to have been written by a middle aged suburban housewife who wished she had never married her boring muggle husband.

1 spoilt Omaha teenage victim out of 5.

Should I read this? No. The first book ends implying more lies ahead in this book but nothing does.
What did I learn? First books in a series should be standalone.

A Brief History of Seven Killings

Book 61 of 2015 is A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James.

This is the first time that I have read a Man Booker Prize winner as soon as it won and I don't think I'll be doing that ever again.

This book was written in an interesting way. The voices were distinct and I've not see that done this well in a while.

The problem is that I was sick of the rape and killings in the fifth chapter. The rest was awful.

Was I supposed to me shocked and challenged by that? If so, I was just bored.

Just because the words are strung together well, does not mean this is a good book to read.

3 confronting black references out of 5.

Should I read this? If you like literature for the sake of it then maybe.
What did I learn? Literature should still offer something to people who aren't snobby book types.