May & June 2021 Reading Wrap Up

Hey, guys!

These past two months have been hella busy, but that won't stop me from sharing my most recent monthly reads with you. In this wrap-up, I'll write a couple sentences for each book to generally tell you how I felt about each one. 

In May, I managed to read ten novels, two short stories, and I DNF'd two books as well. In June, I read ten novels and graphic novels. Again, these past two months have been so busy, but I've found some new beloved titles that I cannot wait to share with you all.  

May Reads: 

- The Witch Boy by Molly Knox Ostertag

    3 stars

Oh my goodness. This graphic novel was so wonderful. While it wasn't my favorite story, that's mainly because this first installment was setting up this brand new world, establish the magic systems, and the family that the book follows. Overall, this was just wonderful. I can't wait to read the sequel. 

- My Hero Academia Volume 1 by Kohei Horikoshi
    3 stars

Another introduction to a cool world. My Hero Academia blew up on book TikTok and I was particularly drawn to Jaysen @ezeekat's passionate rambling about this manga series, as well as the anime that is continually being released. I definitely need to continue reading this series. I'm properly intrigued.

- Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert 
    5 stars

Wow. Perfection. Talia Hibbert has every pocket of my heart. Her books always wow me. Dani's book, the second installment in the Brown Sisters series, will always be my favorite; but holy cow. I adore Evie so much. I cannot recommend this story enough.

- Heartstopper Volume 3 by Alice Oseman
    5 stars

Perfection. This was straight-up perfection. The Heartstopper volumes just keep wowing me. Please read these. 

- The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
    5 stars

If you've followed my content, you'll know that Madeline Miller is one of my all-time favorite authors and her novel, Circe, is one of my top favorite books as well. I've been putting off The Song of Achilles because I just knew it would wreck my soul. Oh, honey. I'm wrecked. If you know, you know. Please read this book. 

- Norse Mythology Volume 1 by Neil Gaiman & P. Craig Russell
    5 stars

I had no idea that this book existed, but I'm so glad I could dive in. This is the graphic novel version of Neil Gaiman's, Norse Mythology -- another one of my all-time favorite novels. This was absolutely fabulous and I cannot recommend it enough. The art was so beautiful, the representation of the stories was spot on and pretty much word for word, and it was just so great to read. 

- DNF -- All the Stars & Teeth by Adalyn Grace

I picked this book up to buddy read with a few of my friends on Instagram, but alas. This book was just not for me. I was instantly turned off by the writing style, I didn't enjoy the characterization, and the main character's personality just grated on my nerves. In this case, this book, unfortunately, faces the "Olivia is just gradually growing out of YA" effect. It's purely an issue that I have. I know that I have quite a few friends that adore this novel. 

- Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli & Aisha Saeed
    3 stars

This was another novel that my friends on bookstagram. I really loved this book. It had really wonderful representation (Jewish, Muslim, and anxiety) and it had some really fantastic conversations about religion, first loves, friendship, politics, and antisemitism. I learned a lot while reading this book and I cannot recommend it enough. I cannot wait until my husband-to-be has his own classroom because I am definitely buying copies of this book for his high schoolers. 

- Well Played by Jen DeLuca
    4 stars

Jen DeLuca is just a queen. I absolutely adored this book and the characters she's established in this series. While I still loved Well Met a smidge more, I still really loved how this story played out. I cannot wait to read the next installment.

- First Kill by V.E. Schwab 
    5 stars

I had to pick up this short story. V.E. Schwab has been promoting this story on her Instagram quite a lot since it is currently being adapted by some big names in the film industry as a TV series. I definitely wasn't disappointed. I cannot wait to watch this series. It's going to be phenomenal -- I'd also really love to just read the full novel or something if that were ever possible. 

- A Royal Affair by V.E. Schwab
    4 stars

I loved this so much. It was so wonderful to be able to get a glimpse into how Alucard and Rhys's relationship started. I definitely needed to dive back into the world of the Shades of Magic series. I miss it so much. 

- Rhapsodic by Lauren Thalassa 
    3 stars

Another book TikTok made me do it moment. This was such a fun read. I definitely went online and bought the entire series to marathon in August... It's going to be so much fun. 

- DNF-- Sabriel by Garth Nix

This one was recommended and gushed about by my friend and tattoo artist, Nevada. Please definitely check her out @nevada_buckley. 

This book made me incredibly uncomfortable. I didn't like the subtle comments about Sabriel's body and I didn't like the weird comments either. The pacing was strange and I just wasn't captivated by the story at all. 

- Hurricane Summer by Asha Bromfield

    3 stars

This book was really intriguing. I enjoyed the setting and the characterization. However, there was a lot of sadness. I finished the book feeling incredibly sad.

TW/CW: physical abuse, parental neglect, colorism, racism, sexism, emotional neglect, gaslighting, sexual shaming (based on gender bias), body shaming, rape (on-page), verbal abuse, parental abuse, cancer, death, alcohol consumption, drug use

June Reads:

- The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen

    3 stars

This book was a bit of a letdown. Once the 1/2 mark it, the pacing was really slow and the plot devices used weren't my favorite. I was expecting more spicy happenings, but it just fell short. I'm debating actually reading the sequel, but I'm not sure if I will.

- Heartstopper Volume 4 by Alice Oseman

    5 stars

Once again. These graphic novels are phenomenal. I cannot recommend them enough. I cannot wait for the next book!

- One Last Stop by Casey McQuinston

    4 stars

Holy cow. This book exceeded my expectations. I'm not one for books that dabble in time travel, but this had the best combination of time travel, 70s references, music, romance, and more. It was an honor to host a buddy read for this book on Instagram. 

- All the Feels by Olivia Dade

    3 stars

This book had some really great representation. I'm really glad I picked this up. I really didn't enjoy the first book, Spoiler Alert; but this one was so much better. 

- A Quick and Easy Guide to Queer & Trans Identities by Mady and Jules Zuckerberg

    5 stars

This is such an excellent guide! I really want to include this in my husband's classroom as well. I definitely recommend it!

- So You Want To Be A Viking by Georgia Amson-Bradshaw, Takayo Akiyama, & John Haywood

    3 stars

This book was included in OwlCrate Jr.'s June box. I wish this had been a thing when I was younger. I would have been obsessed!

- Witchy by Ariel Slamet Ries

    3 stars

This was awesome! I really want to continue on with the next volume. I love the concept and atmosphere, and I love that the magic is based on hair. 

- The Sprite and the Gardener by Rii Abrego & Joe Whitt

    3 stars

This was so precious and full of hope. I loved the art style and the colors so much.

- Neon Gods by Katee Robert

    4.5 stars

This was phenomenal and so much fun. I cannot wait for the Psyche/Eros story that the author is promoting. 

- Spy x Family Volume 1 by Tatsuya Endo

    5 stars

I loved this so much. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next volume. I'm hooked!

Stats:

Pages read 5,928

Average page length: 237

 My Average Rating: stars

Favorite: 3.06 stars

What did you read recently? Let's discuss this in the comments! 

Happy reading!

Olivia

~ Liv the Book Nerd ~ 

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