2018 Wrap-Up | August

Before I get into how excited I am for my favorite month and season of the year, I suppose I should talk about the books I read, started, and hauled in August. After a sort of slumpy July, it feels so good to look back on the seven books I finished this month, especially since it’s on par with June. In other words, what a great summer of reading!

Now let’s get into it.

Books I Finished:

Foe by Iain Reid – First, I was thrilled when I heard the news that the world was getting a second book from Iain Reid. Second, I was impatient with having to wait a few months. Third, I was ecstatic when I was approved for a copy from NetGalley. Fourth, it did not disappoint. You can read my review here.

Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake – I purchased this book last month, and since fantasy has really been calling to me lately, I flew through it. I enjoyed the plethora of characters and the alternating points of view, as well as the concept, but a few things sort of made this book fall flat. A few of the scenes (I’m not being specific because, spoilers) were sort of heavy-handed in terms of shock value, while feeling unrealistic. I like when events of a book sort of double back to things that happened on earlier pages, but in a less conspicuous way. I understand that certain scenes or story lines are used to move the plot, but in TDC it makes later events too predictable. That cliffhanger ending, though!

Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz – I added this book to my bookshelf back in April, and WOW! It is so spectacular. Melissa de la Cruz’s writing is so spellbinding (😏) and the details she weaves into the story are phenomenal – AKA that ending!! I’ll definitely be continuing this series.

The Cast by Amy Blumenfeld – This book blew me away; I was so surprised by how much I loved it (the plot isn’t exactly one I seek out), and I definitely recommend reading it ASAP. I did a full review on it here if you’d like to know more.

One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake – If you are surprised to see the sequel to Three Dark Crowns on my list, that’s okay. TDC concluded with a cliffhanger that I couldn’t let go of, and many reviews of this series that I read indicated that the second installment was more exciting than the first. So I continued on, although my mediocre feelings toward the series never really changed. The third book, Two Dark Reigns, comes out on September 4th, and I’m really up in the air about whether or not to pick it up. Honestly, I’m pretty satisfied with the conclusion to ODT and would be content to just leave this series behind, but certain parts of the summary for the next book are pulling me in the direction of definitely reading it. I will say that I’m not in a hurry to get my hands on it, so who knows.

The Cold Cold Sea by Linda Huber – If I did a “Book that surprised you the most” in my Reading Challenge wrap-ups, this book and The Cast would have tied for that title. This is another book I highly recommend, and since I was part of the Blog Tour, you can read all of my thoughts here.

The Caseroom by Kate Hunter – The subject matter of this historical fiction novel is like nothing I’ve read before. My blog was a stop on the Blog Tour so you can read my review here (I recommend reading the book, too).

Books I Did Not Finish:

In terms of DNFing because I wasn’t enjoying a book, the answer is zero!

In terms of starting a book and just not finishing it yet, the answer is Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson. I am on page 106 and have been hooked since the first. I’m not really into the magic system, but I think I just need to get more used to it since I’ve never encountered a system like it before.

In terms of books I want to finish and have been leaving on the backburner(s), you can see the complete list on my Goodreads page.

Books I Added to My Bookshelf:

We Have Always Lived in the Castle (Penguin Orange Edition) by Shirley Jackson
Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Edd-Lodge
The House of Tides by Hannah Richell – This is the US title; the original is Secrets of the Tides
Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore by Matthew Sullivan
The Air You Breathe by Frances de Pontes Peebles – This was my Book of the Month selection.

Books I Am Not Keeping:

I planned on unhauling Three Dark Crowns, but it seems to have disappeared, so when I find it I will put it in a more obvious place and add it to my September Unhaul.

Speaking of September. 😏

As soon as the first of September hits, I am in full Fall mode. I deflect all messages of “Fall doesn’t actually start until the 22nd” because my love for this season is stronger than that kind of hate. With comfortable temperatures, still plenty of sunlight, changing leaves, and my birthday, there is no other time or month of the year that compares. I did have a pretty spectacular Summer this year, but I’m very ready for pumpkin spice candles (and lattes, obviously), cozy socks, and fresh Autumn breezes, so see you later, Summer! Oh, and in this house (blog), we don’t talk about what comes after Fall. I deflect messages related to that, too.

I hope you had a wonderful August, and no matter what hemisphere you are in, I hope you had a lovely overall season, too.

-Kelsey

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