Hey, guys!
This month has been so wild! I managed to read and attempt to read over twenty books, graphic novels, and comics! I'm genuinely proud of myself because I attempted the Biannual Bibliothon and The Reading Rush!
This month's reading was a bit of a mixed bag. I read some really lovely books at the very beginning of the month, the middle was full of average and okay books, and then the end was sketchy with some highs and lows.
Granted, there were lots of fantastic books, but only a few 5-star books. Here are the books I read this month!
Stars Above (The Lunar Chronicles #0.5, 0.6, 3.1, 4.5) by Marissa Meyer
4 stars
via Hoopla Digital audio and personally purchased hardcover
I really loved this novella bind-up! I have a full review up, so if you're interested, please check it out {here}!
Call It What You Want by Brigid Kemmerer
4.9 stars
physical hardback personally purchased
| I really didn't know that I needed this book until I started it. This book was absolutely (practically) perfect. The characters, the plot, the discussions and themes, the hints toward the Robin Hood story-- everything was masterfully done. I'm so glad that I could read this. Brigid Kemmerer's contemporary/romance novels just keep getting better and better. I cannot wait to read more from her. She's absolutely a new favorite writer and an auto-buy author. I need more! |
Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuinston
5 stars
paperback personally purchased
I read this beautiful book for my book club and wow oh wow. I'm so mad that I waited to read this book because it was so beautiful, hilarious, and perfect. I really didn't think there was ever going to be a perfect debut, and then this book popped into existence. I need need need more. I need more books from the side character's perspectives, I need more bonus content -- I think I just need to read this again. It was just so fantastic! It deserves all of the hype and I hope you read it!
Teen Titan: Raven by Gabriel Picolo and Kami Garcia
3 stars
paperback personally purchased
I purchased this on a whim when I saw it available at my local Books-A-Million, and I honestly regret purchasing it. Within the next day, the graphic novel showed up on Hoopla via my library. Oh well! This was a really beautiful book. Gabriel Picolo is such a fantastic illustrator and artist. I've been following him on Instagram for years. He deserves all of the book deals and commissions. However, I really felt like the overall story lacked a depth that I would have hoped for. Raven is such a complex character and I feel like Garcia didn't do her justice.
Autoboyography by Christina Lauren
4 stars
borrowed from library
Let's talk about the babes that are Christina Lauren. They have yet to disappoint me! I absolutely adored this book! The romance was spectacularly done, the conflicts that the boys face are so beautifully done, and the focus on creating a story was so great. I definitely want more writer characters in my reading diet. This book was just phenomenal. I hate that I began by comparing it to Red, White, and Royal Blue, but I feel like I will be comparing any m/m romance to RW&RB from now on. The amount of depth and care that went into this novel was so wonderful. From the own voices bi representation and the evident research and experience that went into representing a queer Mormon character, this book was just plain fantastic. I absolutely recommend.
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The Biannual Bibliothon Wrap Up
The Steel Prince (Shades of Magic #1-4) by V.E. Schwab and Andrea Olimpieri
4 stars
ebook via Hoopla Digital
I really enjoyed these first 4 parts of the Shades of Magic series. I really loved the art style, the magical elements, and the story. V.E. Schwab has never disappointed. However, because this is the first part of a story, it wasn't as good as I know the entire story will be.
Night of Knives #1 (Shades of Magic #5) & Night of Knives #2 (Shades of Magic #6) by V.E. Schwab and Andrea Olimpieri
3 stars
ebook via Hoopla Digital
These two parts of the series were not as good as the first 4, but I'm sure if I had read them as the entire bind up I would have enjoyed them more as a whole. The problem with reading parts of a comic series is that sometimes you have to rate them as a complete work when they aren't. These were a nice continuation of the story.
Night of Knives #3 (Shades of Magic #7) by V.E. Schwab and Andrea Olimpieri
4.5 stars
ebook via Hoopla Digital
This was a great addition to the series. The cliff hanger has been killing me and I cannot wait for the final part of Night of Knives! I need more!
Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey
2.75 stars
borrowed from library
I was really hoping that I would enjoy this book, but I was just unimpressed and constantly cringe-ing. I really did not enjoy the romance. It seemed so early 2000s and just grosS. The romance was just not cute. The guy was clingy, overprotective, and easily angry. He didn't treat the main girl the way that he should and I just did not click with their relationship.
This book was just cringey and not for me. I really hated the romance, the characters, and the attempted sex scenes. It just wasn't a good time.
This book was just cringey and not for me. I really hated the romance, the characters, and the attempted sex scenes. It just wasn't a good time.
Heartless by Marissa Meyer
3 stars
hardback personally purchased
This was a bit of a letdown. If you'd like, please check out my full review {here}!
This was a bit of a letdown. If you'd like, please check out my full review {here}!
DNF: The Cactus by Sarah Haywood
no rating
attempted audio and physical
DNF'd 50 pages in. This book was just not for me. I didn't like the main character or the writing style. It was just much too dry for my taste.
DNF'd 50 pages in. This book was just not for me. I didn't like the main character or the writing style. It was just much too dry for my taste.
Total Pages Read: 1,600
Total Challenges Completed: 5
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King of Scars (Nikolai Duology #1) by Leigh Bardugo
4.9 stars
hardback personally purchased
I adored this book. Granted, it's not as great as the Six of Crows duology or the Grisha trilogy but still very good. I loved getting the character expansions of Nikolai, Zoya, and Nina. They all have such wonderful personalities and such fascinating stories. I need more!
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The Reading Rush Wrap Up
Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu
4 stars
eARC provided by NetGalley
Such a lovely little audiobook! I loved the magical, witchy aspects that were the core of the world. I would really love a series that follows these characters. I wish that there had been a bit more of a length to the story. There's a great method of creating the paranormal world, but I just selfishly want more.
Overall, this was a really nice graphic novel. However, I felt like there was something missing.
The Lost Kingdom of Bamarre (The Two Princesses of Bamarre #0.5) by Gail Carson Levine
2.5 stars
audiobook borrowed from Hoopla
This was just a letdown. I felt like it was missing so much detail, action, and likable characters. I grew up absolutely adoring GCL's books. I still love her other books, but this one was just not my favorite.
Not to mention, I honestly did not like the narrator of the audiobook. She was not good at creating a voice for male characters. It was just comically bad. Her voices for younger characters were cringe-y and her voices for teens were just bad.
Just a let down for me. This could have been really wonderful with the political focus and the focus on family and love. I just really didn't like much at all about this book.
Not to mention, I honestly did not like the narrator of the audiobook. She was not good at creating a voice for male characters. It was just comically bad. Her voices for younger characters were cringe-y and her voices for teens were just bad.
Just a let down for me. This could have been really wonderful with the political focus and the focus on family and love. I just really didn't like much at all about this book.
DNF: The Spring Girls by Anna Todd
no rating
attempted audio and physical
| DNFd 15 minutes into the audiobook. I don’t like the writing, I’m wary about the premise, and the way the characterization was going was abysmally tragic. Little Women is one of my all-time favorite books and I don’t want to subject myself to someone ruining my favorite characters. No thanks. |
Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young
5 stars
hardback personally purchased
This by far was one of my favorite books of the month. I absolutely adore everything about this book. The characters were so fabulously developed, the world was so rich and beautiful, and the mythology, culture, and history from the Scandanavian world were so wonderfully woven throughout the story. I loved this book. I plan on writing a full review for this book soon!
This by far was one of my favorite books of the month. I absolutely adore everything about this book. The characters were so fabulously developed, the world was so rich and beautiful, and the mythology, culture, and history from the Scandanavian world were so wonderfully woven throughout the story. I loved this book. I plan on writing a full review for this book soon!
Freya by Christopher E. Long & Mike Dubisch
2.5 stars
borrowed from library
I wished that this little story was so much more. The art resembled the old-school comics with thick lines, gaudy color-schemes, and two-dimensional stories that came from intensely layered myths and lore. This could have been so wonderful, but it was just immensely bland.
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O'Connell
4 stars
borrowed from library
What a wonderful, relatable coming of age story. I loved the characters, their stories, their journies. The book was just so wonderfully frustrating. I became so passionate while reading this story. I just wanted the main character to break up with Laura Dean, I wanted Laura Dean to sod off, and I wanted the kids to COMMUNICATE with one another. So well done.
Evidence of the Affair by Taylor Jenkins Reid
4.75 stars
ebook through Kindle Unlimited
This was such a great short story. I loved the format of the book and the way that Reid developed the characters through their correspondence. She has the way of creating special, individualistic people that have their own voices and personalities. It was so cool to get to know these characters so well in just over 100 pages. I would have loved a full novel following the characters. Their stories were so addicting.
Maybe In Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid
3 stars
through Audible Escape subscription
At first, I was really engaged in this book. I really loved the format and the writing style. However, after I hit the halfway mark, I became pretty bored. I liked how the book was connected through the two different realities, but it was just a bit too repetitive. The repetitiveness made it quite slow and I became less and less interested in finding out what would happen at the end.
Audiobook: 4
e-ARC/e-Book: 5
Physical: 10
DNF: 2
Library: 9
I Own: 10
I Own: 10
What did you read in July? What was your favorite?
Happy reading!
Olivia
~Liv the Book Nerd~
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