July Wrap Up
Book Count: 10
Pages Count: 3,292
Star Count: 40/50
Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley
Rachel moved away from her home town a long time ago. A lot has happened to Rachel since then, but Henry, Rachel’s ex-best friend, knows nothing about it. When Rachel moves back into town, she tries her best to avoid Henry like the plague, but in a small town, that’s hard to do. When their lives collide once more, they reconnect but discover that they have their own problems to solve before they can truly become friends again.
The story and plot was excellent, which is why I awarded 3 stars, but how it was executed had room for improvement. I found it difficult to follow at times because of the writing style, and as a result I couldn’t get fully immersed in the story.
Stay tuned for the full review!
A Tragic Kind of Wonderful by Eric Lindstrom
Mel Hannigan suffers from Bipolar Disorder, but no one knows it. She hides it from the world because that’s easier. Her past resurfaces one day when a friend confronts her, and the truth is slowly discovered. A very realistic book about mental health - no sugar coating it. The author perfectly captured the pain of having bipolar disorder or anxiety and depression. You feel the pain for Mel who is drowning in her own mind.
My favorite part is the ending of this book. There was no happy ending, it was realistic with no promise of being cured from mental health, but more of an acceptance that things are going to be okay.
Coming Up for Air by Miranda Kenneally
Life is all about swimming for Maggie until she realizes high school is coming to an end and she hasn’t even stopped to enjoy it. Her best friend, Levi, agrees to help but then find themselves in a very sticky situation.
This book was absolutely adorable. I feel like the conflict was quite forced because when everything exploded towards the end, it seemed a bit dramatic on Maggie’s end. I wish she had been a big stronger instead of relying on Levi so much for her own happiness. But hey, I guess that’s just the nature of romantic contemporaries.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets &
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
I gave these 5 stars for obvious reasons. The writing, the world, the characters are everything to me. And nothing will ever change that.
Hufflepuff forever.
The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
Henry (Monty) Mantague is a High Lord’s son; a man that is bred to be societies utmost citizens and gentlemen...except he’s not...because he likes to party and drink and sleep with women.
An epic companion to My Lady Jane. Historical Fiction at it’s absolute finest, with bisexual main characters, pirates, crazy Frenchman, and stolen treasure. A fun and adventurous read full of comedy, historical fiction, and much needed diverse characters.
I See London, I See France by Sarah Mlynowski
DNF
(Did Not Finish)
I ended up DNFing this book. I heard a lot of buzz around this book because it was a cute, romantic, travel novel that was perfect for a quick summer read. Unfortunately, I could not stand the main character. She was so unbelievably daft and idiotic, I only got 20% through the book.
My main suggestion is: If you HATE contemporaries, don't even think about breathing near this one.
If your'e so-so on contemporaries, you should PROBABLY stay away.
If you're obsessed with contemporaries and it's all you read, proceed with caution.
Sherlock Holmes: Rediscovered Railway Mysteries by John Taylor
This was an audiobook for me (obviously, Benedict Cumberbatch narrated it so it was an easy pick for me) and let me tell you, it did not disappoint! I love the shorter mysteries of Sherlock Holmes and having the familiar voice of who I personally know to be Sherlock Holmes was all that more engrossing. The stories overall were phenomenal. I couldn't even tell that they were not written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle himself.
The Tower by Nicole Campbell
A group of three witches living in the “muggle world”, trying to get through the awkward years of being a teen while also being a witch. But then a tragedy happens, and they have to learn how to deal with grief as well as family, love, and their relationships.
The plot was amazing. I didn’t read much of the synopsis before I started this, so I went into it thinking one thing, and was completely upended halfway through. Overall though, this book was fantastic. It was fun and unique, and definitely a book you should read.
The plot was amazing. I didn’t read much of the synopsis before I started this, so I went into it thinking one thing, and was completely upended halfway through. Overall though, this book was fantastic. It was fun and unique, and definitely a book you should read.
To read my full review, click here!
When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon
An Indian-American teen, Dimple, living in her traditional parents world. She struggles to strive for her own dreams, when her parents want something completely different. When she thinks she’s convinced her parents to let her go to a coding summer camp, she soon realizes it’s all a set up with her future husband, Rishi; and he’s in on it.
I really enjoyed this book, not for the cute romance, but more so for Dimple’s character who is independent, strong-willed, and confident. YA novels need so many more of these to help empower young girls today, and more importantly, to show them it’s okay to be strong-willed!
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