January is already over, and we are left in the couple’s month. Speaking of which, it remains me that we are only a week away from the last 50 Shades of Grey movie. Guess who’s not going to be near a theatre in the premier day? This girl! I might go watch it but after all the rush. Changing the subject, January was not a great reading month for me. I got myself stuck in a reading slump, and I’m still gathering the strength to unwind from my life while lost between pages. I read 3 short stories by Portuguese authors because I could ditch them in half an hour. And I also need to read more Portuguese authors. It’s great to read what is hot right now, but I should know authors from my country.

Although there was one story that made a bigger impact. When you read something that reflects a different culture is like travelling without leaving home. And during my degree in Architecture, I had a class where we talked a little about Macau and how the city started to evolve. I found it to be very interesting and I started to become curious about that asian Las Vegas. By chance one of the stories was set there, and when I got to the last page, I wanted to read a book set in Macau. The culture and lifestyle, when the city is oriented to casinos and gamble, should be an interesting read and an open door to another reality.

Even though what I just said, I was still in a reading slump. I didn’t want to pick up any book. I read a couple of pages of 1984 by George Orwell, but a book like that should be enjoyed and not rushed through. I needed the right mood to read. Then I listened to By Your Side by Kasie West and most of my problem were gone. It wasn’t an amazing book but was what I needed. A cute, fluffy and simple romantic story that starts with a girl trap in a library. The book surprised me but left me full of romance for the next weeks. Which gave me the will I needed to pick up Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs and start reading the last book in the Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children series – uhh… biggest title ever! I’m still not in the right mood to read, but I know this is not going to last for too long.

Since I haven’t been reading, I haven’t been buying books either. So this month, I don’t have any to haul, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have enough books I want to talk about. I thought this was going to be a small post. Turns out, I was wrong and you’re going to see why.

I’ve reached the conclusion that I’m crazy about flower and plants on covers. And when I saw the In a Summer Season* cover (by Elizabeth Taylor) my heart just jump out of my chest and landed on the screen. I found it in the bargain section of Book Depository*, which is great. And by the synopsis, it wouldn’t be a book that I probably would pick up, but I can’t avoid buying it. Came on, look at that cover and tell me it’s not beautiful!

Another cover crush is The Vegetarian by Han Kang. The English cover is pretty, but the Portuguese one is to die for. Next time, I’m near a bookshop I’m going to buy this book. The story starts off with a woman deciding to become vegetarian and from that, it’s just pure madness. Terrible nightmares, violence, and a bunch of things that leaves me clueless for what to expect from this book. I’m sure it’s not for everyone’s taste but for a pretty cover like that, I can give it a try.

Lately, my mind is only programmed for two mindsets, flowers and sci-fi. I found myself attracted as a magnet and I can’t help it. Since the flower themed books are out of the way, now it’s time to talk about sci-fi. My must-read-it-now book is Sleeping Giants by Sylvian Neuvel without a doubt. The hardcover is total goals and I have a soft spot for robot-themed stories. Here’s the thing, I’ve seen all five Terminator movies countless times to know that cohabitate with robots is a really bad idea. And I’m pretty sure that if one day I’m in the same room as a full body robot or a humanoid I’m more likely to crap my pants. Although, I love a good robot story either if it is the bad guy, the good guy or just a machine. Therefore, when someone tells me that there is a book about a little girl that falls into a giant metallic hand that is buried on Earth and no one can explain what it is, what’s the purpose, and how it got there, I need to read it. No questions asked.

Sometimes I even like to read samples of some books to see if they interest me in any way. Which was the case of Scythe by Neal Schusterman. The book sounds really good. The first chapters don’t tell much about a book, but I was hooked from the first sentence so this better be good. This book had a fair share amount of publicity on booktube, although it never grabbed my attention. Now that the second book in the series is out, Scythe has raised from the ashes to make more victims. I can’t wait to get my hands on this book and finally know how Citra and Rowan’s story ends.

Since I’m determined to get an overdose of sci-fi and be surrounded by it all the time What’s Left of Me by Kat Zhang was caught up in my radar. Two girls, one body. Each one of them can control it until one of them starts to fade away. Although she isn’t gone and the only person that knows that is her sister. But they are determined to do anything for a chance of her to regain control over the body even if the society doesn’t approve it. I have no clue what to expect from this book, but two girls and one body sound like a book right up my alley.

I have many more books that I could include in this wrap-up, although they already have a post dedicated to them. I’m talking about my most anticipated books of 2018. Every book on that list is a danger for my bank account and you should definitely check it out. With all this book chat I’m still clueless about what I might pick up in February. Right now my mission is to get out of this reading slump so I can clear my TBR and buy more books.

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