Reading Wrap Up: August 2020

Once again, this month has flown by. I am in awe that it is already September. Before we know it, 2020 will be over and we an start 2021 with a clean slate!

I also wanted to use my platform to remind all my readers that election day is just a few weeks away, so make sure that you are registered to vote! Depending on which state you are in, the deadline may be coming up fairly quickly. Also be sure to check out where your polling place is if you are voting in person, and if you are using an absentee ballot make sure you fill out the application and give yourself plenty of time for it to get delivered.

Now, let’s get into what you came here for, this month’s wrap up!

Stats:

Books read: 15
Physical books read: 7
Audiobooks read: 8
DNFs: 1

5 stars: 2 books
4.5 stars: 1 book
4 stars: 3 books
3.5 stars: 2 books
3 stars: 2 books
2.5 stars: 1 book
2 stars: 1 book
1 star: 1 book
no rating: 2 books

Mini-Reveiws

As usual, I will be mentioning the books in the order I read them. For a full review, click the title of the book and you will be redirected if there is a review published!

Girl Gone Viral by Alisha Rai / 2.5 stars – I loved the mental health representation in this book, but the romance felt really forced and I didn’t really care too much for the characters or if they got together. I enjoyed the author’s first novel, The Right Swipe, much better.

Cilka’s Journey by Heather Morris / 3.5 stars- This was a solid historical fiction. I thought this would be a Holocaust story like The Tattooist of Aushwitz, but it followed the main character at a Russian gulag, not a Nazi concentration camp (so the cover is misleading because Aushwitz is pictured on it). The main character in this book, Cilka, was a real person and the author did some things in this book her family didn’t approve of, so that also brought my rating down.

The Honey-Don’t List by Christina Lauren / 3 stars- This was my least favorite Christina Lauren book to date. This book wasn’t super romance heavy like their other books were and was definitely more serious. Which is fine, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea and wasn’t super memorable.

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan / 4.5 stars- I loved this one so much! This world was inspired by Malaysian culture and was just so rich and vibrant. The romance was super precious, and I am looking forward to book 2!

Mexican Gothic by Siliva Moreno-Garcia / 3 stars- This was the first horror novel I’ve read, so I’m not sure if it was the book or genre that left me feeling pretty neutral. The book definitely had a slow start, and then all of a sudden so many things started happening, leaving it hard to follow along. I also felt like the ending was really drawn out.

The Betrothed by Kiera Cass / 1 star- I… I just don’t really have words. I can’t believe this even got published.

Incendiary by Zoraida Córdova / no rating- I unfortunately DNF’d this book at 35%. After The Betrothed, I really wanted a fast paced, adventurous fantasy and this wasn’t doing it for me. The world was super cool though, so if you are looking for a slow burn this may be a good one for you!

The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams / 4 stars- This was a super fun read that was also filled with important topics! The author discusses toxic masculinity in a funny and relatable way that didn’t feel too cheesy. I was bothered by a specific side character, which brought my rating down.

You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson / 5 stars- If you were skeptical about the hype like I was, let me tell you, this book deserves it! I absolutely loved this story set in a small town and the romance was so precious. This was definitely one of my favorite contemporaries of the year!

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord / 4 stars- This was another adorable YA romance I would highly recommend! This story is set in NYC and follows two teens who are in a Twitter war over a stolen recipe. It was super short and quick but I guarantee will leave you smiling.

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir / 5 stars- This book has been everywhere lately, and rightfully so! This world is so fascinating and the characters were so precious. There were so many twists and turns that I never knew where the story was going. I can’t wait to read book 2 soon!

Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge / no rating- I learned a lot from this book! However, at times it felt like it was a bit info-dumpy, although since it’s non-fiction maybe that’s to be expected? If you are looking to further educate yourself, this is a great book to add to your repertoire.

Beach Read by Emily Henry / 4 stars- This was another super cute romance! I really enjoyed reading it, although right now I am having a hard time remembering all my thoughts on it. But this is a fun romance that definitely also deals with some baggage these characters are going through.

Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory / 3.5 stars- Can you tell I like reading romance during the summer? This was one of my favorite Jasmine Guillory books so far! The romance was different than others I read because the couple gets together early on in the story and follows their relationship journey, rather than the story focusing on how they became a couple. I really enjoyed it!

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer / 2 stars- This is a book I feel like everyone has to read at some point in their life. Unfortunately, it was not for me. Bella and Edward have the epitome of an unhealthy relationship in pretty much every aspect. Bella is also maybe the dumbest character I have ever read about. Also, do I need to mention this book glorifies stalkers?

Leave your wrap-ups in the comments below! I would love to read them!

Happy reading!