Reading Wrap Up For April – July
Hello! Welcome to my blog! Today I will be talking to you about the books I read between the months of April and July! It’s been a crazy few months, so I’m excited to finally talk about the books I’ve read recently.
April
This Shattered World & Their Fractured Light by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
Okay, so this series had been sitting on my TBR shelves for like six years. It survived so many rounds of purging, and I’m glad it did. I really enjoyed these books. They are part of a trilogy, and I was very satisfied with the third book. Some say you can read them stand alone stories, but I highly disagree with that statement. It’s a series, read it as such.
I read these as audiobooks, and decided to finally pick them up because I wanted something a little different from what I normally read. I next to never read anything sci-fi, so it was refreshing in that aspect. I loved how all of the books were connected, and how the finale was so swoon worthy. The main characters were all funny, or charming, or broody, or honestly just needed to catch a breath. I don’t have a favorite, I loved all three for different reasons.
I read these as audiobooks, for free, off of the Libby app!
May
In Conclusion, Don’t Worry About It by Lauren Graham
This was the only “book” I read in May, because it was a very insane month (we bought a house and moved into it!). However, the timing in which I chose to read this was…perfect. The ten year anniversary of me graduating from high school was the day I read this, and it unexpectedly brought on some emotions. How, when you are a teenager the future is wide and unknown. Anything can happen.
My horrid GPA in high school didn’t define me, every day after I took off my cap and gown did. Everyone is so scared to live a disappointing life, or an empty life with nothing to show for when your ten year reunion shows up.
Suddenly, you’re adult.
Suddenly, you’re paying your own bills.
Suddenly, you notice your parents are getting older, and how there will be a time where you will exist, and they will not.
Suddenly, you only have one more year of your twenties left.
Time is the one thing we can’t beat. It’s the one resource we can never get more of. We have to use our time wisely.
Lauren Graham will forever be one of my favorite celebrities of all time, she always keeps it real.
I read this as an audiobook, for free, on the Libby app!
June
Brownies and Broomsticks by Bailey Cates
This book was something completely different from what I normally read. June was the month where I started the month living somewhere completely different from the previous month. I wanted to get back into reading, and knew I needed something different to get the ball rolling. I have never read a cozy mystery before this book, and I’m so glad I took the time to do it. It was fun, and refreshing, and it absolutely got me into reading again.
This book is a part of a series, and it was a little bit witchy. Not large amounts of it I usually prefer, but it got the job done. I don’t know how cozy mystery writers manage to keep a topic like murder so light and manageable, but they do! It was a little weird, but easy to go along with because aesthetic.
I read this as an audiobook, for free, using the Libby app!
Bone Crier’s Dawn by Kathryn Purdie
This was the second and last book to the Bone Grace duology. I got the first book from Owlcrate back when I had the subscription. This second book was better than the first, but some of the character relationships felt forced, or rushed right at the end. I feel like this duology would have benefited from being longer. I do like the world Purdie made, and I’m always a fan of reading about sisters. These books are also spooky enough to read in the fall as well!
I read this as a physical book from my TBR pile.
Gallant by V.E. Schwab
Listen, I loved this book so much. I still thinking about it today. Schwab’s voice is so easy to read, and I didn’t want this story to end. This book is start and finish same day worthy. It’s spooky, has a sense of mystery, and keeps you invested the entire time. If you like Neil Gaiman’s CORALINE (2006), ghost stories, and monsters, you will really enjoy this book. I highly recommend it, and it’s absolutely one of my favorite books of this year.
I read this as a physical book from my TBR pile.
The Last Legacy by Adrienne Young
If you liked this author’s duology of FABLE, you’ll like this book for sure. It takes place after the second book, but also works as a stand alone story. I recommend you read the duology first, but it’s not needed.
This story has a completely different vibe from the duology, which made it fun to read. I had this love hate relationship with the toxic family dynamic. I liked how the main character, Bryn, handled her toxic family in this book. It was realistic, and also clever.
I read this as an audiobook, for free, using the Libby app!
You’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Thao
Bravo to Thao for an absolutely outstanding debut novel!
This book was clever, and sad, and a beautiful way to represent grief. I was completely invested from the very beginning. I really liked watching Julie’s mental journey throughout her grief. The back and forth that happens, and the pacing of how others around her process their grief. The touch of magic is what caught my eye, and it was so well done. This book is sad, but also have moments of love, and laughter, and healing. It was stunning, and I highly HIGHLY recommend you give it a shot.
I read this as an audiobook, for free, using the Libby app!
July
The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black
I read this on whim. I had no idea it was connected to the CRUEL PRINCE world. Mostly because I didn’t pay attention enough, or look into it when it came out. It was a good stand alone story with queer rep that I was delightfully surprised to see. I will always love Holly Black’s dark tone, more traditional faerie style when it comes to her books. The only thing I would want different is this book to be longer, and to dive more into some of the side characters. I really liked them, and just wanted to see more development and spend more time with them. Other than that, it was an enjoyable experience. Hopefully in the near future I can prioritize more of Holly Black’s writing.
I read this as an audiobook, for free, using the Libby app!
Better Together by Christine Riccio
You know, I have been active follower of Christine since 2016. When her channel was very active, and she was a pillar in the bookish online community. I never read her first book AGAIN, BUT BETTER – but when I learned what her second book was about (BETTER TOGETHER), I kept it on my radar. I picked it up on a whim, and was surprised by how much I loved it. Going in, I was hoping I would like it at least – wasn’t expecting to completely love it and want more at the end.
I think, reviewers are extra critical of online creators who become authors because they don’t want to put aside what they were before: just readers. I mean, I’m not going to sit here and pretend I’m not hesitant to read books of creators I admire, because it takes me a while to get there. Christine is only the third creator’s book I’ve read so far, but I’m hoping to change that in the future.
I related to the main characters so much with story, and I wasn’t expecting that all. Not many people have experienced the things the main characters have, and I am one of those people who have. It was completely wild. I also appreciate the bisexual representation too! That’s always nice to see.
I loved this book, and I can’t wait to read it again.
I read this as an audiobook, for free, using the Libby app!
A Shadow in the Ember by Jennifer L Armentrout
The only physical book I read in July! This is the first book in the spinoff series of FROM BLOOD AND ASH, and it lived up to my hype and expectations. I love Armentrout giving us powerful female protagonists with supportive romantic partners. It’s so healthy in general.
I’m glad I ended up loving this book, because sometimes when you read a spinoff book in a series it’s difficult to “accept” the new voice of a new main character. It was so easy to follow Sera, and even though she has some growing to do (as all characters should in a story) I think she’s going to turn out epic. I think this is going to be a trilogy, but I could be mistaken. The second book for this spinoff series is going to come out in November (so I guess I better get a move on and finish my current read haha).
I read this as a physical book from my TBR pile!
The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass
The thing I love about reading to audiobooks through more is, I am unable to set a solid TBR. Like, I have multiple TBR lists on there, but you can only enjoy things that are available. Which makes the experience unpredictable and fun. I have a spooky TBR list on there, and at the time this book was the only one ready to be checked out. So, basically on a whim, I checked it out and started listening immediately.
It was alright. I feel like I wouldn’t have read it if I actually paid attention and read the summary of what the book was about. I didn’t realize until after I started reading that one of the main characters is a dead teen school shooter.
This was also a more plot driven book, which is fine, but it also meant I didn’t really care about the characters that much. The ending was kind of weird too.
So, it kind of worked as a spooky book, but that’s pretty much it. I didn’t bother getting physical copy, because I already know I’m never reading this book again.
I read this as an audiobook, for free, using the Libby app!
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
I’m going to have so many favorite books from this year, and it makes me so happy! This is absolutely going to be one of them. I read it as an audiobook from start to finish during one of my work shifts, and it was absolutely better than I thought it was going to be. I put off reading this book for years, and I have no idea why I did. It was perfectly spooky, and I loved the family dynamic of this book. It is going to be a book I’m going to read many times over the course of my life, just like Coraline (also by Neil Gaiman). This is a book I 100% recommend to everyone and everyone, and one you should pick up soon now that spooky time is FINALLY approaching for 2022.
I read this as an audiobook, for free, using the Libby app!
Horrid by Katrina Leno
Oh my gods, everyone, I finally read this “mashed potato book”! For those who don’t listen to the “Books Unbound” podcast: a “mashed potato book” is a book you keep putting off because you KNOW it’s going to be amazing, and you’re just “waiting for the right time to enjoy it”. It’s weird thing us readers do sometimes. Instead of just diving in and getting it read, we get overexcited or intimidated to read certain books. THIS BOOK I kept putting off until “an October”, but then THREE Octobers had passed and I ended up not reading this book. I finally just decided to read as many spooky books I could in July, and made sure this was on that list! Reading spooky books in summer to prepare for autumn.
Because I’ve read Leno’s work before, I know for a fact that I was going to love his book. She did not disappoint, and oh my gods THAT ENDING. I YELLED when I read the ending. It was so twisted, and messed up, and quite honestly I’m surprised the Publisher allowed her to write it since YA is *technically* supposed to be teenagers. I’m not complaining, because I loved it a lot.
This book is spooky, dark, has elements of mystery, family secrets, and is poetic as fuck (without it being in verse format). I’m a big fan, and you should absolutely read this in the autumn time if you want to get in the spooky mood.
I read this as audiobook, for free, using the Libby app!
Hocus Pocus & The New Sequel by A.W. Jantha
Ok so, this was not a serious read in the slightest. I just want to make that clear. I LOVE the original movie, I’ve watched it a couple times this year already and it’s not even spooky season yet. The first half is literally the movie in book form. Next to no differences made. Might as well just watch the movie and then read the second half of the book. To be quite honest, I liked the new sequel better than the original story. I thought they did a great job with it. It’s basically the same story formula, and has the same amount of cheesiness as the first one. Just better with characters in general in my opinion. Generally, people say that this book was a “failure”, but I enjoyed myself. And for those of you wondering, no, Hocus Pocus 2 will not be based off this book. It’s a completely different story line. I may do a blog post reviewing all Hocus Pocus content. We’ll see.
I read this as an audiobook, for free, using the Libby app!
A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee
This was a book I had started and stopped a couple times before committing. It had nothing to do with the story, but my mood. I’m a mood reader, so sadly my mood determines what I read and when I read it. I am glad I put it off until I was in a spooky mood, though. This dark academia stand alone was perfect to get into the spooky mood. It had old buildings, tragic histories, echoes, ghost stories, and death. Throw in some girl love, and it was very enjoyable to read. I liked not truly knowing who to trust in the book, even the main character made me wonder a few times. If you’re wanting a school focused, dark and twisted tale – I recommend giving this one a try.
I read this as an audiobook, for free, off of the Libby app!
What I am currently reading is pictured down below! You will see this in my August Reading Wrap Up! It is the fourth book in the FROM BLOOD AND ASH series, so be sure to look up the first book (and not this one) so you’re not spoiled!
Thank you for reading!
I will be back with another bookish blog post soon!