See the predicament I've been in for the past few months is that for the first time in like forever, I'm actually reading MORE books than I can write reviews for. Since the reviews are slow coming, I thought it might be a good idea for me to do a wrap up at the end of a month featuring all the books I completed in that month and a few sentences about what I thought about each briefly. It'll help me to a) feel a bit better about being so sucky at writing reviews and b) help me remember what my thoughts about said book were even though I've started to get pretty good at updating Goodreads for that.
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July was actually a fabulous month for me in terms of reading. Which wasn't that surprising because I had a lot of time off for myself and to just lounge around at home in my sweats doing whatever. So I ended up reading a grand total of 14 books. And yeah, three of them were graphic novels and one was practically a graphic novel so they did go by a bit faster but even discounting those, I read 10 books which is far more than what I usually read on average in a month (four to six).
3 out of 5 stars
Completed July 6 2014
I picked this book up on a whim. It was last-minute, I was walking out of the library and I saw it just there and thought I might as well. It's a Lonely Planet book so it's directed toward travellers but really it's just a pretty random book with some things that are useful to know - not specifically FOR travellers but just in general (like how to open a beer without a bottle opener and how to hold chopsticks the right way) - and other things that are just plain weird. If you're looking for a book with SERIOUS travelling tips, maybe look somewhere else. But if you have maybe an hour or two to spare and want to pick up something that might come in handy one day, this is the book for you! It's a fast read with some rather interesting facts and the illustrations are cute. So there you go.
I picked this book up on a whim. It was last-minute, I was walking out of the library and I saw it just there and thought I might as well. It's a Lonely Planet book so it's directed toward travellers but really it's just a pretty random book with some things that are useful to know - not specifically FOR travellers but just in general (like how to open a beer without a bottle opener and how to hold chopsticks the right way) - and other things that are just plain weird. If you're looking for a book with SERIOUS travelling tips, maybe look somewhere else. But if you have maybe an hour or two to spare and want to pick up something that might come in handy one day, this is the book for you! It's a fast read with some rather interesting facts and the illustrations are cute. So there you go.
5 out of 5 stars
Completed July 7 2014
I've already reviewed this book as it was a review copy and one that I should've finished way way back but like I said in my full length review, I did really enjoy this book! It's a short read but it packs a lot in. The Truth About Alice is a powerful story about bullying and rumours and it made me think a lot about our actions and why we do the things we do and if there is a good answer, a good reason for why you would ever bully someone and ruin their life. It was a quick read and though there were some bits I didn't like very much, I thought overall this was a great book that delivers its message across nice and clear.
I've already reviewed this book as it was a review copy and one that I should've finished way way back but like I said in my full length review, I did really enjoy this book! It's a short read but it packs a lot in. The Truth About Alice is a powerful story about bullying and rumours and it made me think a lot about our actions and why we do the things we do and if there is a good answer, a good reason for why you would ever bully someone and ruin their life. It was a quick read and though there were some bits I didn't like very much, I thought overall this was a great book that delivers its message across nice and clear.
4 out of 5 stars
Completed July 8 2014
Somehow this book managed to fly by my radar even with all the rave reviews. How, I have no idea but let me just say that I am happy I made the decision to pick it up. Victoria Schwab has created such a fantastic and intriguing world here. I admit, it took me a bit to catch on but when I finally got everything figured out, it was amazing. The story is gripping and intense and just really, really fascinating. I did feel the end was a bit rushed but all in all, this was a pretty solid first book to a series! Am definitely looking to reading The Unbound very soon (which I hear is even better).
Somehow this book managed to fly by my radar even with all the rave reviews. How, I have no idea but let me just say that I am happy I made the decision to pick it up. Victoria Schwab has created such a fantastic and intriguing world here. I admit, it took me a bit to catch on but when I finally got everything figured out, it was amazing. The story is gripping and intense and just really, really fascinating. I did feel the end was a bit rushed but all in all, this was a pretty solid first book to a series! Am definitely looking to reading The Unbound very soon (which I hear is even better).
5 out of 5 stars
Completed July 13 2014
I really should have picked this book up sooner. I have no idea why I didn't because it turns out that all the positive reviews it got are very well deserved! I'm not much of a high fantasy person but this book makes me want to go and read all the high fantasies now! The writing was beautiful - very lyrical and poetic. I loved the inclusion of politics because it added so much more to the romance between main characters Kestrel and Arin which I have to say wrecked me with feels. I need that sequel now. Like, right now.
4 out of 5 stars
Completed by July 16 2014
More like a 3.5 stars for this book so I was faced with the decision to either round up or down. I decided on a four instead just because I think it's leaning more towards a four for me than a three. But honestly when I started this book, it was more like a two. I really just wasn't interested and the writing, while very beautiful, made me feel very disconnected from the story. In the end though, the characters and the setting just totally captured my heart. This definitely was the armchair adventure I was looking for. It kinda reminded me of Under the Tuscan Sun which I haven't read but have seen the movie for. And you know what? If this book were made to a movie, I would gladly see it as well.
3 out of 5 stars
Completed July 20 2014
I didn't like the first book of this trilogy very much but I saw this and I needed a contemporary so I thought, why not? There were still things that bugged me like Belly who was still annoying in this book and truthfully, I'm still not sold about the love triangle going on. BUT I can't help it when there's kissing and cutesy stuff. I just melt and die from feels. I can't help it okay? I'm not a monster. I like cute, sweet stuff. I'm still not totally sold on this series but I have started enjoying it a bit more and though I do know generally what happens in the last book, I think at this point, I might as well just read it and finish another series.
5 out of 5 stars
Completed July 20 2014
I'm rereading the entire series this summer (or at least, I'm planning to) so of course, I had to start with the first book. Though I've only read the entire series once, I have read this book two times prior so this was my third time reading it and honestly, I think I could reread it a bunch more times. It was a lot of fun to be back into the world of Harry Potter and ahh, just so much love for this book and this series. Really entertaining - it definitely was a lot funnier than I remembered! J.K. Rowling has a really enjoyable and easily readable writing style and though sometimes I felt like the chapters ended a bit awkwardly, I just have so much love for this book and all the characters that it really did not matter.
I'm rereading the entire series this summer (or at least, I'm planning to) so of course, I had to start with the first book. Though I've only read the entire series once, I have read this book two times prior so this was my third time reading it and honestly, I think I could reread it a bunch more times. It was a lot of fun to be back into the world of Harry Potter and ahh, just so much love for this book and this series. Really entertaining - it definitely was a lot funnier than I remembered! J.K. Rowling has a really enjoyable and easily readable writing style and though sometimes I felt like the chapters ended a bit awkwardly, I just have so much love for this book and all the characters that it really did not matter.
3 out of 5 stars
Completed July 24 2014
This was a book I was really looking forward to which is no surprise because I love anything historical fiction and this, especially, sounded like such a treat. And it was! There are a lot of great things about this book but I have to say that the focus on art and feminism was what I liked the most about it. And plus the era was totally up my alley - I love books set during 19th century and early 20th century England. It was a bit long however and it took a while for things to really get started. Vicky, the main character, was also a bit ridiculous at points, like does she not think anything through? But yeah, this was a pretty good book and Will was so cute.
This was a book I was really looking forward to which is no surprise because I love anything historical fiction and this, especially, sounded like such a treat. And it was! There are a lot of great things about this book but I have to say that the focus on art and feminism was what I liked the most about it. And plus the era was totally up my alley - I love books set during 19th century and early 20th century England. It was a bit long however and it took a while for things to really get started. Vicky, the main character, was also a bit ridiculous at points, like does she not think anything through? But yeah, this was a pretty good book and Will was so cute.
3 out of 5 stars
Completed July 25 2014
I hadn't read a graphic novel in such a long time so when I saw this, I immediately decided that I needed to have it. While I wasn't super impressed by this, I did really really enjoy it. Anya is really funny and also very relatable with her struggles of fitting in and body image issues. The drawings were also really beautiful but I did feel like everything moved rather quickly. Maybe it was just because I'm not used to graphic novels but I didn't feel like I was allowed a lot of time to just take things one by one if that makes sense. It did feel a bit rushed for me particularly at the end but I enjoyed it. I maybe won't buy it but I think it's good for a one time read.
3 out of 5 stars
Completed July 28 2014
Another good graphic novel! This one is a bit more serious and feels a lot more like an actual novel rather than a fun graphic novel. The writing was spot on and great and paired really well with the beautiful drawings. And again, there are some really great themes here about family and growing up and being a girl and relationships but I also don't see how all these fit into the idea of this graphic novel telling the story of this one summer that changes this girl's life and there's a horrible tragedy. First, I'm not even really sure WHAT the tragedy is even after finishing it and going back and second, why is this summer so "pivotal"? I don't get it, to me it just seems like any other summer and nothing really seems out of the ordinary. And I feel like there's just something I'm missing but I have no idea what! Like I'm pretty sure this book is intended to have a deeper meaning but I'm just totally lost on what that is. Like the last line "boobs would be cool"? What is that supposed to tell me??
5 out of 5 stars
Completed July 29 2014
Oh my god, I freaking loved this book! When it came out, I just KNEW it was the book for me. Like yes, London and being stuck with the boy you hate and we all know where this is going so seriously I don't know why it took me THIS long to read it. Julia, our main character, has hilarious narration and I really liked her as well! And London was perfect. Like thank you, Lauren Morrill for utilizing a beautiful setting to its full potential. And oh my freaking adljsaflasf FUCKING JASON. THAT BOY. This might be weird to say but oh my god, if that boy were real, I would 100% be nursing a big crush on him right now. He's funny and outgoing and CAN SING. OMG I'M DYING RIGHT NOW. DYING. AND HE'S A GINGER!! LIKE WHAT IS THIS?? THIS CAN'T BE?? And... that's it? I honestly can't find a fault in this book. I tried to so it'll maybe balance out my squealing and fangirling but really, I'm not getting anything.
5 out of 5 stars
Completed July 29 2014
I mean, is there anything I really need to say? Harry Potter is great and J.K. Rowling is a genius and I loved this book. Of course, there were a few things that I did notice that made me roll my eyes a bit at the sheer convenience (like at the end when oops, Dumbledore has to leave AGAIN) but J.K. Rowling does it in a way that actually makes logical sense so it definitely could seem like not a coincidence had it not happened in the previous book. And then things felt a bit rushed towards the end but I mean seriously, everything else was just great so these are just little details.
2 out of 5 stars
Completed July 29 2014
Truthfully I requested this book solely because it had Audrey Hepburn in the title and I love Audrey Hepburn. So maybe not the best reason for reading a book, right? I actually quite enjoyed myself at the beginning but as the story progressed, I just felt the story getting more and more implausible and Lisbeth, our main character, getting more and more self-centered and annoying and also a bit bored. Because nothing new was really happening. But then, we reached the last few pages and BOOM basically everything I was waiting for for the past two hundred pages happened but at that point, it was a little too late for me and only made the story seem even more implausible to me. And I also did find the constant name dropping to be a bit annoying and the fact that Adam Levine was an actual character in this book and posed with Lisbeth and everything made me laugh. A lot.
4 out of 5 stars
Completed July 30 2014
What a great graphic novel! I really, really enjoyed this. Satrapi's illustrations are wonderful and her writing is great. I liked how she brought a bit of humour to talk about some very serious and horrible topics. And I don't know... it was just really good. I don't know if there's anything more to say other than that. It was really good and I really liked it and I think you should definitely read it.
What a great graphic novel! I really, really enjoyed this. Satrapi's illustrations are wonderful and her writing is great. I liked how she brought a bit of humour to talk about some very serious and horrible topics. And I don't know... it was just really good. I don't know if there's anything more to say other than that. It was really good and I really liked it and I think you should definitely read it.
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And that concludes my July wrap-up. Tell me in the comments if you guys have read any of these books and what you thought and if you haven't read any of these books, tell me what you've read in this past month!
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