July Wrap Up // Reading, Rushed

Whoa. July? Who is she? Clearly we don’t know her, since she came and went so quickly.

Seriously, I can’t believe the summer is winding down (sorry, someone had to say it)! Every August I say that I’m ready to welcome in the ~hygge~ fall weather, and every November I regret saying that.

I’ve definitely slowed down this month, but picked up steam in the second half during the reading rush to come out on top with a total of 11 books read! Strap in, because this wrap up miiiight be a little lengthy.

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Take a Hint, Dani Brown: This one was super cute! Not as great as Chloe Brown in my opinion, but still a great addition to the Brown sisters books. I’m so excited for Eve’s! Read my full review here.

American Royals: This was a HUGE surprise, and probably one of my favorites of the month!! I couldn’t wait to keep reading this one, and am itching for the gorgeous sequel to come out in a month. Full review here.

Camp: This was probably one of my most anticipated and I purchased it soon after learning about it in June. It was…good?? I definitely enjoyed it and read it in two sittings, but it had some elements that were a bit iffy for me. My full review goes into more detail!

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Fence Vol. 1, 2 & 3: A cutie!! I flew threw this and quickly picked up the next two. I learned so much about fencing, who woulda thought? We love an angsty sports romance, and this one definitely delivered.

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin: If the rich world and awesome characters aren’t reason enough for you to pick this one up, do it just for the gorgeous cover!! This one flung me right back into a YA fantasy kick, and I am forever grateful. Full review here!

The Kiss Quotient: I am SO damn happy that I decided to read this for the reading rush!! I found it at Half Priced Books for $7.99 and just couldn’t not. It was so adorable and the representation was a breath of fresh air in the romance genre.

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The Bride Test: So after I finished The Kiss Quotient, I changed around my reading rush tbr to squeeze this one in. I liked the first book a bit better (are we seeing a theme here?) but this was also pretty great and a solid 4 stars. I can’t wait for the third book in this series!

Howl’s Moving Castle: ALSO a reading rush pick!! I haven’t seen any Studio Ghibli movies (I know, *gasp*), and I was motivated to read this so I could finally watch the movie. I LOVED this!! Howl is my new fictional crush and I will hold onto him forever.

The Black Flamingo: This one was pretty great! I read it in only two sittings. I can see how it’s objectively a great book with some really important themes: sexuality, race, identity, masculinity, etc. I definitely enjoyed it, though I don’t know if I’ll ever have a strong desire to reread!

Spin the Dawn & Unravel the Dusk: This was the last book that I finished for the reading rush, and it was alright! I picked up the sequel immediately afterwards and honestly kind of regret buying it – I just can’t find the motivation to read it! Maybe I’m reading-fatigued, or maybe I’m just not into it. The option to DNF is floating around my head, but ugh, we’ll see!

Love, Victor: How could I have forgotten this one in June?! I watched this pretty much the day it came out, and I really enjoyed it. A super cute show with super cute characters! Obviously there were some issues with cheating, misleading characters, etc., but I thought this was overall a cute story and will be eagerly awaiting the second season.

Hamilton: Sooo…Disney+ decided to bless us this month?? I was lucky enough to see this live two summers ago, but wow was the original cast absolutely stunning. I thought this was breathtaking – getting to see their expressions up close and fully take in the story in a more movie-esque form was just wonderful.

The Expanse, Seasons 1, 2, 3 & 4: I didn’t expect this. I didn’t plan for this. I didn’t regret this. My boyfriend visited and got me hooked on this show, and now I’ve watched all of it. And I mean, like, all 46 40-minute episodes. Sorry, reading!

folklore: Do I even really need to explain my obsession with Taylor Swift and this album? No? Okay, good. (Also, I did the folklore book tag, find it here!)

No Pressure: I don’t super vibe with rap, in all honesty. I just am not badass enough, I guess. BUT, I do love Logic. I find that his music has a lot more…music…?? I don’t really know how to word what I’m trying to say. I just really like him, and I’m enjoying this swan song.

Swish & Flick: This podcast is a ton of fun. Our four hosts are huge Potterheads and have made it their mission to go through each chapter of Harry Potter and break it down, bit by bit. I like to listen to these lovely ladies while in the shower or doing other mindless tasks, and they never fail to make me laugh!

Michelle Obama Podcast: This came out a few days ago and you best believe I listened immediately!! I love Michelle Obama and will forever look up to her, and this first episode even featured Barack! SUCH an icon that I will stand forever.

It’s been a little overwhelming this past month just because I followed so many people at once, and have been trying to keep up with all the content! However, I’ve been starting to keep track of blog posts/bloggers that strike a chord in me:

Caitlin from Caitlin Althea posted a guest post on BOOKATHON recommending some amazing books set in non-western countries:

Kaya at A Fictional Bookworm created a great discussion post on why we need more OwnVoice authors and reviewers in the book community, as well as some OwnVoice books to check out:

May from Forever and Everly posted about her love of book bloggers and suggestions for how people can do better to support their blogger friends:

And finally, Sumedha from the wordy habit shared a great guide to supporting bloggers and blogger friends for all non-bloggers out there:

Sooo…I discovered WebToon this month?? How have I never heard of this glorious site before?

Castle Swimmer: This. THIS!!! This comic is actually the cutest, sweetest thing I’ve ever seen and I would die for Kappa and/or Siren. I fell in love with this after episode one and binged them all quickly after. I think this is my favorite WebToon comic as of now, and I hope one day it gets published in physical form.

Lore Olumpus: Probably the most iconic WebToon comic, I just had to try this one. I think the graphic style is really neat and I love how many episodes there are, since I fly through them so quickly! My appetite is insatiable, what can I say.

Clearly I didn’t get to some of the books I hoped to read in July, like City of Brass and Loveless. But, I’m making it a priority to read those this month!! As you can tell, it’s going to be a heavy fantasy month for me – A Song of Wraiths and Ruin did a great job of getting me back into a fantasy kick and now I just want to read allll the fantasy!!

Well, that’s my July Wrap Up! I hope you guys got done all of the reading you were hoping to, and I’d love to hear about what you read and what you’re looking forward to in August!! xx