Another month is coming to a close, and it’s time to show you guys what I read this month! I’m changing up my haul layout a little: if I have a review for the book, you’ll be able to click the STARS for the review link! (Titles will still take you to Goodreads.)
I think this may have been my worst reading month all year. I think doing back-to-back-to-back readathons at the end of July messed me up, plus I get seasonal depression at the end of every summer (I hate summer—#sorrynotsorry—and I’m ready for it to end) which didn’t help matters.
That said, I still managed to read 15 books, almost all of which were ARCs, so yay for a pretty successful #ARCAugust! Now I’m just hoping my reading picks up drastically in September…
August Reads…
EMOJI KEY:
? = Book-Tube-A-Thon
? = #ARCAugust
? = POC rep
? = LGBTQ+ rep
1. Next Year in Havana — Chanel Cleeton ★★★★★ ???
2. Heretics Anonymous — Katie Henry ★★★★★ ????
3. Bad Man — Dathan Auerbach ★★★☆☆ ???
4. Sadie — Courtney Summers ★★★★★ ??
5. City of Ghosts — Victoria Schwab ★★★★★ ?
6. Clockwork Prince — Cassandra Clare ★★★★☆ ??
7. Something Borrowed, Something Blood-Soaked — Christa Carmen ★★★☆☆ ?
8. To Be Honest — Maggie Ann Martin ★★★★★ ??
9. Rule — Ellen Goodlett ★☆☆☆☆ ???
10. Gerald’s Game — Stephen King ★★★☆☆
11. Toil & Trouble — Jessica Spotswood & Tess Sharpe ★★★★★ ???
12. The Siren and the Specter — Jonathan Janz ★★★★★ ?
13. Heir of Fire — Sarah J. Maas ★★★★★
14. Keeper of the Bees — Meg Kassel ★★★★★ ?
15. Afterimage — Naomi Hughes ★★★☆☆ ?
Other Reviews Posted this Month…
Escaping From Houdini
The Opposite of Innocent
Mirage
Summer Bird Blue
Devil in Ohio
Our Stories, Our Voices
Sparrow Hill Road
A Conjuring of Light
Movies Watched this Month…
- Tusk — ★★★ 1/2
- Life After Beth — ★★★ 1/2
- Mulan (sixty billionth rewatch) — ★★★★★ (forever)
- To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before — ★★★★★
My Favorite Non-Review Posts of the Month…
Books Still On My “Must Read” List—and a Poll!
How I Make (or Break!) My Reading Moods
Blog/Social Media Shout-Outs!
New Blogging Goals!
Series I Need to Continue/Finish (with an update!)
My Favorite Posts from OTHER Bloggers This Month…
Kaleena @ Reader Voracious: How to Decide Which Reviews to Post On Your Blog?
Liza @ DuskAngelReads: Ultimate ReadAThon Guide!
Shealea @ That Bookshelf Bitch: 10 Spreadsheet Hacks to Step Up Your Blogging Game
Annemieke @ A Dance With Books: Do I Read the Books I Haul?
Taylor @ NerdNarration: #SundayShelfie — Check Out My Brand New Shelves & Series!
STATS:
AVERAGE RATING FOR THE MONTH: 4.1/5
FORMAT: 47% PRINT, 47% EBOOK, 6% AUDIO
PERCENTAGE OF AUGUST TBR COMPLETED: 50% completed, 11% in progress,
39% not attempted
41 Comments
Thanks for including the ReadAThon Guide!! ??
You’re welcome! ♥
You still did great! Last month was my worst reading month for me (summer is so busy, all the time!). Looks like you had some awesome reads! I can’t wait to be able to read Toil and Trouble. 🙂 Good luck next month and happy reading!
Aw, thank you Alyssa! i’m sorry August wasn’t a great reading month for you either. Something about summers, man! I hope you love Toil and Trouble though and that you have an amazing month of reading ahead of you in September 🙂 Come on, fall!!
You did read some great books! I did awful this month as well. I’ve been so busy with my older son starting school next week and moving. I also am doing a beta read and have 2 more beta reads lined up…all on top of a proofreading job I begin this week. Life gets in the way sometimes?
Thank you! Aw, I’m sorry it wasn’t a very good reading month for you. 🙁 That sounds like that would keep anyone super busy!! At least you were still doing awesome productive stuff, though, so don’t feel bad! <3
That’s very true! I just hope September is better?
Awesome wrap up! 🙂 Hopefully September will have more awesome books!
Thank you! <3 Happy reading this month!!
I loved Sadie too!! ?
It was so good! I feel like I’m still reeling from that ending! <3
I love your emoji key!!! What a great (and adorable) idea. Also, I see that you loved Next Year in Havana – it’s one that I’ve been back and forth on reading. Should I go for it?
Aw, thank you! 😀 I just love breaking things down like that. And yes, I absolutely adored Havana. As far as recommending it, if you like books with a lot of political commentary, absolutely! It comes across as this sweet, romantic story, but when you start reading it, it’s actually very heavily focused on the political climate of Cuba in the 50s and today, as well as what it feels like to be an immigrant in exile from your home. It’s very poignant and sad at times, but the writing is stunning and there is just so much valuable commentary in there, especially given that it’s based on the author’s family’s own experiences.
Thank you!! That sounds absolutely awesome. Much deeper than I originally thought it was. I definitely think I’ll try it!
Yes, it was sooo much more serious and deeper than I expected, too! In a good way. 🙂 I hope you enjoy it!
*Sees you’re bothered by the 15 books you read and want to “drastically” improve upon soon*
*Looks down at my own list of 7 completed reads this month*
*Cries from comparison*
Lol I’m TOTALLY just kidding, but seriously girl give yourself a break you kicked some serious literary booty this month! You’ve been upgrading the blog, creating new memes, posting every day, reading AND reviewing more than most of us, all the while attending school and raising a little one.
TLDR? You did great this month! Dust that pressure right off your shoulders! 😉 <3
Oh and thank you SO much for giving my new meme some love! You’re the best booster ever! <3
Any time! ♥♥
Awww, nooooo lol! Please don’t feel bad, I didn’t even think about it when I worded it that way. I honestly think any amount of reading is amazing. <3 Hahaha and thank you so so much for the sweet words. You always know just what to say! ♥
Also hate summer and also happen to see it end!
*hate! Not happen! ?
I am sooo ready for it to be over lol!!
Aw, I enjoy summer! But autumn is a great season too! Mostly I don’t like winter…
Aww, winter isn’t my favorite, either. 🙁 I love fall most, then spring (despite the pollen that kills my allergies), then winter, and summer is my least favorite. I will say there’s something pretty miserable about winter once mid-January or so hits and the “holiday high” wears off…
15 books is still really good and I am SO PROUD of you for doing so well with your ARC August goals!
Thanks so much for linking my discussion post, too! xoxo
Aww, thank you! And you’re so welcome, love <3
15 books is an amazing number, I don’t think I’ll ever read that much in a month ? Your review for Toil and Trouble really put the book high on my tbr!
Aw, thank you so much! I really should have worded it better in my post because even though 15 is a little lower than my average, I honestly am so proud of anyone who reads even ONE book in a month, because you know, we live in a crazy world and it can be really hard to find the time/energy to read sometimes! ? Seriously. And thank you, that makes me SO happy to hear about Toil & Trouble. I hope you enjoy it ♥♥
I’m really looking forward to Sadie and Toil & Trouble. I’m saving both books for October because witchy/thrillers during that month are a given. I also really enjoy the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before movie. It’s just so sweet and exactly what I needed. I hope you enjoy September and that fall comes quickly for your part of the world!
Yesss, great plan! I hope you love them both. Sadie and T&T were both honestly top reads of the year so far for me. I’ll be shocked if they don’t make it into my “best of” list at the end of the year. And YES to what you said about TATBILB! It was such a wonderful sweet experience. Thank you Alicia! I hope September treats you well ♥
Your month looks like it was an amazing one!! Congrats girl!! I need to get on my Throne of Glass re-read! I’m falling behind. I am so happy you loved To Be Honest! I cannot wait to pick it up soon! <3
Thank you lovely!! I am enjoying the TOG series so much. I know I’ve gushed to you some about it but seriously, Heir of Fire was phenomenal and I’m so glad I decided to start the series this year.
Thanks for sharing my post. <3 You did super well on arc august!
I'm kind of done with Summer now too. Bring on Autumn (and October haha).
Any time! ♥ Aw, thank you!! Haha yes, agreed.
You might’ve read less during August but, girl, LOOK AT THOSE STARS.
Obviously you still had a brilliant reading month since you gave all the high ratings!
That’s true, I did have really high ratings in August! You’re right, thank you ♥ Sometimes I think I get caught up in the “how many” and forget to look at the “how GOOD”
Exactly! I found I did the exact same thing, which is why I’m going to change my wrap-ups a bit and start including those ratings, haha. I’m bound to read less from now on, so I still want to feel like what I’m reading is at least GOOD. :’)
I love ratings in wrap-ups so I am super here for this idea 🙂
Whoop!
Your worst reading month is still better than mine! Sorry to hear about your seasonal depression, though, and I wish you a fast winter and help things along. 🙂 You can send your extra summer here; we’d be happy to take it. Lots of great books this month. I’m pretty sure my TBR is weeping from all the extra pressure you’ve put on it. You should be ashamed. 😛
Aw, thank you, Sammie! Lol yes, I will happily send you the rest of this warm weather and usher in the cold, please! As far as your TBR goes, well, I *should* be ashamed, but I’m actually quite proud ??