July Wrap Up

Its the 1st of August, and so its time to wrap up everything I read, and everything that happened in July.  Last month was another pretty uneventful month as we are all still inside, but I did manage to read some great book nonetheless.  I also became so much more active over on my bookstagram, which is one of the reasons why I haven’t posted in two weeks.  Hopefully in August I can find a good balance!

Another reason I haven’t posted is because I was getting a little bored of writing the same things and having the same format every time, so because of this I have done something a little different for this month’s wrap up.  It isn’t too far away from how I usually do them, but it was enough for me to really get me excited about posting and eager to try and be a little more creative with my posts in the future.

So here is my July Wrap Up!

July was another amazing reading month for me in terms of the actual books I read, as they were all four star reads or higher, something which never happens.  I also read two books that were over 500 pages long, which is quite an accomplishment for someone who religiously shies away from big books.

My first book of the month was one I read mainly because of the recent TV show adaptation, and one that I thought was a really good read in the way that it made me think and the complex but gorgeous story it told.  It is a very character driven novel that poses some very thought-provoking questions about family, and I am definitely now interested in checking out more of Celeste Ng’s books.

I adored being back in this world and returning to V. E. Schwab’s writing, getting to explore these characters further whilst also watching the world of Red London and the whole universe of these books expand.  Whilst this book definitely did suffer a little from second book slump, it was still an enjoyable story that has made me even more excited for the conclusion.

I read this book in a single day, which should be a sign of just how good this story is.  Elizabeth’s Acevedo’s writing is some of the most beautiful I’ve ever read, and I adored the way she was able to make me feel so many things throughout the course of this story.  I just can’t sing the praises of this book enough!

This was definitely my favourite book of the month, and possibly my favourite Shadowhunters book, as I fell in love with the Blackthorns, Emma and everyone else we followed in this one.  It was the perfect mix of moments between characters and action, allowing the book to have the perfect pace whilst also making it impossible to not adore these characters and the relationships between them.

This is the sequel and concluding novel to The Devouring Grey, one of my favourite books of last year, and so I loved returning to Four Paths and to all of our characters, all of whom I adored just as much as I did in the first book.  I definitely preferred The Devouring Grey, but this was still a really enjoyable read filled with twists and turns and action that kept me reading well into the night.

Towards the end of this month I also choose to take part in The Reading Rush, a yearly readathon hosted by Ariel and Raeleen.  I shared my very ambitious TBR the weekend before, and was super excited to give it a go for the first time, but unfortunately it just didn’t work out.

The first few days started out super well, as I was reading quite a bit and even managed to read Clap When You Land in a single day, but as the week went on my motivation began to fade, and I started to realise that I may have pushed myself too far.  Not only did I plan to read much more than I ever normally would in a single week, but I also went back to work the week of the rush, and so I was often too tired by the time I got home to pick up a book.

Therefore, come Friday evening, with two busy days ahead of me, I decided to just call it quits rather than to push myself further as I never want reading to become a chore.  Whilst I would have loved to have aced this read-a-thon, I knew it would be a lot better for me to accept that I was putting too much pressure on myself by trying to complete it.

I hit 100 followers on WordPress this month!  I am so insanely grateful to anyone who reads my little corner of the internet, even more so for those of you that keep coming back, and so I am hoping to get back into regular posts that I am super proud of into August rather than the absence of July.

Taylor Swift dropped an album this month, which is something I don’t think anyone was expecting, and of course I am in love with it!

I started watching The Office US, and I am officially hooked.  I’m already on season three and would not be surprised if come the end of August I’ve watched it all.

I also started not one, but two bullet journals this month, one that acts as your usual planner bullet journal and one that I am using to track my reading.  I am loving using them both so much, and am planning on hopefully sharing how I use my reading one in the near future.

How was your July?  What books did you read this month – which was your favourite?  Do you have any reading plans for August?

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