July Wrap-Up!

Hello everybody! It’s been awhile since I’ve done one of these but, I was a bit inspired by Alex (readersgonnaread) to do this. She did one on her blog (link to post) and it made me finally able to want to post one of these. I usually just update all of you with my current reads and mini reviews of the books on my bookstagram (another link) but haven’t posted a wrap-up anywhere since December, I think.

For those who didn’t know, I don’t read a whole ton during a month so don’t be expecting a huge list.

Also, this is mostly spoiler free, aside from the fact that there may be some spoilers in the synopsis of sequels for previous books.

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Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Crown of Midnight

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Release Date: August 27, 2013

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

ISBN: 9781619630628

Page Count: 418

Synopsis:

An assassin’s loyalties are always in doubt but her heart never wavers

Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become the King’s Champion. But she is far from loyal to the crown. Though she hides her secret vigilantly, her deadly charade becomes difficult when she realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. No one is above questioning her allegiance—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.

Then, one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena’s world shatters, she will be forced to decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie … and whom she is willing to fight for.

Mini Review:

If any of you have read Throne of Glass, don’t bother hesitating to pick up this book. Throne of Glass definitely wasn’t left on my list of favorite books; it wasn’t even close. But, this book made up for all of what I wanted but did not get in Throne of Glass. There’s more Chaol, more Dorian and even some new characters! This book will make you laugh, cry and even smile at times that you shouldn’t. You may also want to try your hardest to resist throwing the book across the book. Overall an amazing book!

4.5/5 stars 

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Weird Girl and What’s His Name by Meagan Brothers

Title: Weird Girl and What’s His Name

Author: Meagan Brothers

Publisher: Three Rooms Press

Release Date: October 13, 2015

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

ISBN: 9781941110270

Page Count: 336

Synopsis:

In the podunk town of Hawthorne, North Carolina, high school geeks Lula and Rory share everything—sci-fi and fantasy fandom, an obsession with old X-Files episodes, and that feeling that they’ll never quite fit in. Lula and Rory have no secrets from each other; after all, she knows he’s gay, and he understands why she worships the mother that walked out on her. But then Lula discovers that Rory has not only tried out for the football team, but has been having an affair with his middle-aged divorcee boss. With their friendship disrupted, Lula begins to question her very identity, and when she disappears in the middle of the night, Rory is left to survive on his own.

Mini Review:

This book was my first LGBTQ read and it definitely didn’t disappoint! It was a super fun read about two teenagers confused about their lives and desperate for love. Doesn’t sound so fun but, you get to go on this great adventure with Rory and Lula as they figure out who they love, meet new family members and overall goof off. A lot of us readers are complete geeks (as are the main characters in this book) and we also have blogs. I found myself relating to the characters so much and I bet all of you will too! And, you will more then likely want to binge watch The X Files after reading this.

3.75/5 stars

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After by Anna Todd

Title: After

Author: Anna Todd

Publisher: Gallery Books

Release Date: October 21, 2014

Genre: New Adult

ISBN: 9781476792484

Page Count: 582

Synopsis:

Tessa is a good girl with a sweet, reliable boyfriend back home. She’s got direction, ambition, and a mother who’s intent on keeping her that way.

But she’s barely moved into her freshman dorm when she runs into Hardin. With his tousled brown hair, cocky British accent, tattoos, and lip ring, Hardin is cute and different from what she’s used to.

But he’s also rude—to the point of cruelty, even. For all his attitude, Tessa should hate Hardin. And she does—until she finds herself alone with him in his room. Something about his dark mood grabs her, and when they kiss it ignites within her a passion she’s never known before.

He’ll call her beautiful, then insist he isn’t the one for her and disappear again and again. Despite the reckless way he treats her, Tessa is compelled to dig deeper and find the real Hardin beneath all his lies. He pushes her away again and again, yet every time she pushes back, he only pulls her in deeper.

Tessa already has the perfect boyfriend. So why is she trying so hard to overcome her own hurt pride and Hardin’s prejudice about nice girls like her?

Unless…could this be love?

Mini Review:

So this was actually my second and a half time reading the book. I read the Wattpad version last summer and started reading through my physical copy of the book back in January with my friend Pearl (BiblioPearl). But halfway through our little read-along, Pearl counted the book as a “Did Not Finish” and I felt too discouraged to continue reading it. But, in July I decided to pick it back up, starting from the beginning, and fully read the novel. This book is definitely meant for older ages (16-18+) seeing that a good quarter of the book is sexual interactions. Anna’s writing isn’t the best but, she did start out as a Wattpad writer so we can’t blame her.

3/5 stars

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So, those are all of the books I read this month! Not many but I had fun reading all of them!

Until next time, Happy Reading!