July Monthly Wrap-up and August TBR

If you have been following my blog for a while now, you’ll know that July has been a rather busy month for me at work and it proved itself up to its very last day. The number of patients who visited us doubled this month, and this affected my other duties as the clinic’s most tenured member. I had to take home some of my work (aka reports) because I just can’t seem to finish them while I’m at work, and it decreased my reading time.

On happier, less stressful side of things, our family celebrated my nephew’s first birthday and christening recently, which was a ton of fun. He’s very fascinated with dinosaurs so his mom and my brother-in-law set up a dinosaur themed christening reception. I wasn’t able to take many pictures because my phone’s battery got drained halfway through the event, but here are some that I took just before my phone shut down.

My reading time woes aside, I think I still had a wonderful July. Here’s a quick snapshot of what the month has been for me:

Books I’ve finished:

🍂 Sweet Black Waves by Kristina Pèrez (Young Adult Fiction // Series, Fantasy, Re-telling)

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐ 1/2  // Review: “Sweet Black Waves” Kristina Pèrez

I really enjoyed this book despite the little problems I had with it, mainly its slow pacing in the middle and unrealized secondary character. It’s the first book in what is to be a trilogy so I’m sticking. I mean, hey, this book got me at Tristan and Iseult re-telling.

🍂 Ghosted by Rosie Walsh (General Adult Fiction // Contemporary, Romance)

My rating: ⭐⭐ // Review: “Ghosted” by Rosie Walsh

This is one book I really wanted to love but just couldn’t. I thought it was interesting as it centered around the topic of ‘ghosting’ so I went on and requested it from Penguin’s First to Read reader program. The first few chapters were okay, but as it progressed it just became tedious. This book ultimately failed to live up to its promise.

🍂 Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win by Jo Piazza (General Adult Fiction // Women’s Fiction, Political Satire)

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ // Review: “Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win” by Jo Piazza

Now, this book is the total opposite of Ghosted for me in that I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did. Jo Piazza took some of the most important issues we all face in our regular lives and weaved it through her narrative. Though, I have to say, the best part of this book is the titular character herself, Charlotte Walsh. I don’t have any political ambitions (why would I put such stress on myself?!?) but I saw a lot of myself in her – determined, flawed and conflicted – and that’s something that is so rare for me, so this book really earned its gold stars.

Books I’ve started:

🍂 Wait For Me by Caroline Leech (Young Adult Fiction // Series, Historical Romance, WWII)

I borrowed this from the library at the start of July and had to return it because my 21-day loan was up. I was already 63% into the story and I really want to finish it because I enjoyed what parts of it I finished. I’m second in line for it though, which translates to about a 2-week wait.

🍂 The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis (General Adult Fiction // Historical Mystery, Prohibition, mid-70s)

Have you noticed I’ve been on a historical fiction kick lately? Well, I certainly have though I didn’t really notice it not until I was reading them one after the other.

I’m already about 70% through The Masterpiece and I’m loving it. I think I can finish it today, or maybe tomorrow, and have the review for it up by Sunday. That’s all tentative though as my work week is only starting tonight.

July Book Haul:

I kind of splurged on books this month. My local bookstore was celebrating it’s anniversary and they had this massive sale. 20% to 70% discount anyone? So, of course, yours truly broke out her wallet, picked up a basket and filled it. I’ve already read three of these five books, (bought their e-books first because I just don’t want to wait!) but still wanted physical copies so I’m pretty happy to get them on discounted prices.

I also bought a couple of second hand mass market paperback of books from the In Death series. They are hard to find, owing to the length and the age (is that the right term?) of the series, and I made it into a sort of treasure hunt for myself. It’s fun sifting through secondhand books and finding gems. Here’s a photo of my July haul (featuring my hand).

Book hauling and lifting are valid forms of exercise!!!

August TBR:

I have a couple of books lined up for this month, almost all of them releasing on the same day (a reason to freak out, I know) so I’m really going to try to get my act together and carve some reading time.

A Touch of Gold (Annie Sullivan)
Publisher: Blink/HarperCollins Christian Publishing
Release Date: August 14

 

 

 

 

See All the Stars (Kit Frick)
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster
Release Date: August 14

 

 

 

 

The Learning Year (Pam McGaffin)
Publisher: SparkPress/Ingram Publisher Services
Release Date: August 14

 

 

 

 

Darius the Great is Not Okay (Adib Khorram)
Publisher: Dial Books/Penguin Publishing Group
Release Date: August 28

 

 

 

 

White as Silence, Red as Song (Alessandro D’Avenia)
Publisher: Thomas Nelson/HarperCollins Christian
Release Date: September 4

 

 

 

 

I’m hoping that August eases up a bit work-wise. I could really use a break, honestly. Anyway, I think that’s it for me today.

💗💗💗

How’s your July been and what are you planning to read this August?