July '19 wrap up and ARC August
Good morning bookworms! It’s time for the July wrap-up!
So, I read 9 books in July, which was great!! The Reading Rush definitely helped as I pushed FOUR books over the line that week.
|
Book |
Author |
Series |
Format |
Rating (/5) |
Cover |
| Call It What You Want | Brigid Kemmerer | Paperback |
4.5 |
 |
|
| Memento | Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff | The Illuminae Files #0.5 | Paperback |
4 |
 |
| Shadow and Bone | Leigh Bardugo | The Grisha Trilogy #1 | Paperback |
4 |
 |
| White Cat | Holly Black | Curseworkers #1 | Hardcover |
4 |
 |
| Red, White and Royal Blue | Casey McQuiston | Paperback |
4.5 |
 |
|
| Kissing Tolstoy | Penny Reid | Dear Professor #1 | eBook |
3.5 |
 |
| The Tea Dragon Festival | Katie O’Neill | The Tea Dragon Society #2 | Graphic Novel eBook |
4 |
 |
| The Kiss Quotient | Helen Hoang | The Kiss Quotient #1 | Paperback |
4.5 |
 |
| Freshmen | Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison | Paperback |
4 |
 |
Top read for the month should have been The Kiss Quotient, but I’ve actually been thinking about Call It What You Want by Brigid Kemmerer much more often… so I may need to adjust my rating!!
I am going to do the ARC August challenge! This means that during the course of August, I will be catching up on as many ARCs as I possibly can, or really just trying to make a dent in them. So, this is the list of my current ARCs (overdues are marked with an *, older than 3 months are marked with an ^):
? Physical copies:
- DEV1AT3 *^ – Jay Kristoff (thanks Jay)
- We are Blood and Thunder *^ – Kesia Lupo (thanks Bloomsbury)
- StepSister *^ – Jennifer Donnelly (thanks Hotkey)
- The Bride Test * – Helen Hoang (thanks Allen and Unwin)
- Toffee * – Sarah Crossan (thanks Bloomsbury)
? Digital copies:
- Rainbow Brite * – Jeremy Whitley and Brittany Williams (thanks Netgalley)
- The Gamer’s Guide to Getting the Girl * – Kristine Scarrow (thanks Netgalley)
- Ever Alice * – H. J. Ramsay (thanks Netgalley)
- Postcards for a Songbird – Rebekah Crane (thanks Netgalley)
- She’s Got Game – Laura Heffernan (thanks Netgalley)
- Crown of Coral and Pearl – Mara Rutherford (thanks Netgalley)
- Jack of Thorns – AK Faulkner (thanks Netgalley)
- Spin – Colleen Nelson (thanks Netgalley)
- Eclipse the Skies – Maura Milan (thanks Netgalley)
- Brightfall – Jamie Lee Moyer (thanks Netgalley)
- Seeker – Kim Chance (thanks Netgalley)
- The Tea Dragon Festival – Katie O’Neill (thanks Netgalley)
- Just Lucky ^ – Melanie Florence (thanks Netgalley)
- Shadow Frost ^ – Coco Ma (thanks Netgalley)
- Friend or Fiction ^ – Abby Cooper (thanks Netgalley)
- Orpheus Girl – Brynne Rebele-Henry (thanks Edelweiss)
- Mooncakes – Suzanne Walker, Wendy Xu (thanks Netgalley)
- Chasing the Shadows – Maria V Snyder (thanks Netgalley)
I’ve actually been really slack… I only wrote 2 mini reviews, and 2 other reviews for the ENTIRE MONTH. I mean, I’m slowly catching up on tags, but discussion posts have been out the window, and I haven’t even done a recommendation post for ages either.
Surprisingly, I had an all-time high with stats though… so who can figure this insanity out? Not me.
We had an A-Z of Top 5 Tuesdays, and I was really surprised that I managed to hit every letter. J, X, Y and Z were my hardest ones though!!
My fave post of the month was probably my Book Ending Summer: Bookcation post though. I had so much fun writing it, it made me want to do more of those fun kids if posts more often!
So, there were some pretty amazing posts out there this month!! These are some of my faves that I saw:
- Siobhan @ Siobhan’s Novelties talked about the importance of mental illness representation in books, and just, WOW! What an amazing post!
- Kathy @ Pages Below the Vaulted Sky talks about the best kind of heroes, and TBH, I am all here for this post!!
- Kal @ Reader Voracious started a series where she talks about the trials and tribulations of going self-hosted!! This is a FOUR part series, so I’ve just linked the first post, but you can click through to the others once you’re there.
- Cassie @ Let’s Get Galactic gives you some hot tips if you’ve ever considered starting your own #bookstagram account!
- Sophie @ Beware of the Reader wrote a discussion post on what age is ‘too old’ to read YA (and as a mid-30’s person who DOES read YA and MG too, I loved it)
- Olivia @ Purely Olivia talks about the TRUTH behind blogging!! (all our secrets are there!!)
- Taasia @ Librae Paints Pages compiled THE GREATEST list of top 50 books to read during summer. Seriously. There is something for everyone, and an amazing mix of genres, as well as backlist vs new release books too. If you cannot find something on here to read, then you must have read them all already (in which case, kudos to you, friend).
In July I traveled for work for a week. I took an outrageous NINE books with me, but I did read almost 3, and you know, it’s good to have options when you’re a mood reader like I am!! (Also, thank goodness for checked luggage!!)
I also saw Spider-Man: Far From Home TWICE at the cinema. I really liked it, even though it was a bit predictable, and I’m interested to see where this all goes now that it felt more like Sony had put their Spider-Man stamp back on the series.
Speaking of things that I watched… I watched the new season of Veronica Mars. And I LOVED it. Right up until the last 10 minutes. And… I’m still not over the ending.
I don’t really consider myself a pop-music fan (and there’s nothing wrong if you do), but I grew up listening to a lot of Linkin Park, Jimmy Eat World, Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance (I am what happens when an emo-kid grows up), and I’ve become more indie-rock as I get older, my current (still-together) fave band if The Wombats, and I listen to a lot of Aussie hip-hop as well… but can I just say that I am LOVING the new Taylor Swift stuff? I mean, I really liked 1989 and reputation, but there’s something about the upcoming album that has my inner unicorn screaming to be freed. The Archer is great, but I just super love You Need to Calm Down so much. And the film clip is the best. (I’ve spent a LOT of this month watching it…)
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dkk9gvTmCXY&w=560&h=315]
So, a pretty … uneventful month!
What did you do in July?
27 Comments
Elysa
The new Taylor Swift stuff is so good! It’s hard to be sad or upset listening to it, and I definitely want to live in that trailer park in the video.
I’m so glad you share your favorite posts because I needed the #bookstagram one.
Meeghan reads
Yes!! I would also live in that trailer park?! I mean, if I had to live in a trailer park, that one is #goals!!
And you’re so welcome!! Cassie’s whole theme is basically rainbows and unicorns!! I hope you like her post!!
Becca Leighanne (Bex)
It looks like you had such a good reading month!
Meeghan reads
Thanks Bex!! Yeah, I’m happy with getting through 9 books!! ?
devouringbooks2017
So I’ve gotta check out ARC August because I’m basically already planning on reading almost all ARCs in August, so I am doing Netgalley’s Reviewathon and that challenge would probably be cool. I already read Shadow Frost and LOVED it, just so you know 🙂
ALSO I DIDN’T REALIZE THE NEW SEASON OF VERONICA MARS WAS ALREADY OUT!!
Meeghan reads
Yes!! Definitely join us for ARC August!! The more the merrier, and I am also doing the Reviewathon with Netgalley too!! They complement each other very well!!
Also, I still can’t talk about VM… ?
devouringbooks2017
OMG I hope Veronica Mars wasn’t bad! So for these challenges where do I post my answers?
Meeghan reads
If you go here: https://readsleeprepeat.org/2019/07/06/announcing-arc-august-2019/ you can sign up for ARC August (it’s actually open until the end of the month) and then you just say what you plan on reading on any of your blog posts! Or in the comments of the sign up post!
devouringbooks2017
I think I already signed up actually! I am on the list. I vaguely remember doing it a while ago. But what about for the challenges? Like the book cover challenge?
Meeghan reads
There’s challenges?? How have I missed this?? (Also, I can’t find it anywhere?!)
devouringbooks2017
Let me see if I can find it and link it.
Olivia @ Purely Olivia
I’M SO HERE for Taylor Swift’s new album!! I’ve loved all of her albums in this past, but this one is my exact aesthetic and I’m a really big fan of all the songs she’s released so far. I can’t wait to hear the rest of the album in just three weeks! *screams*
I also read Red, White, and Royal Blue this month! It was such a cute, funny, and heartwarming read. <3 Thank you so much for mentioning my post in here, I'm glad you liked it!! I hope you have the most amazing August.
Meeghan reads
Yes, I’m super keen for more Taylor. I think Reputation was probably more my aesthetic, but the fluffy rainbows are still doing it for me!! ?
How cute was RWRB?! I still need to write my review of it, but it’ll be up soon.
I loved your post, so I was happy to share it!! ?
Sofii @ A Book. A Thought.
OMG, you’re so organized! You have to give me some of that magic.?
I’m so glad you had a great month, 9 books is INCREDIBLE!
Adding Call It What You Want to my TBR just for you ?
I hope you enjoy your readings and have an INCREDIBLE August! You have many good ARCs ahead ?
Taylor is always a queen, I love her so much ?
Meeghan reads
Sofii!! I hope you get to Call It What You Want soon!! I really liked it. ??
J.R. @ Eternity Books
You had a pretty great month!! You’re so lucky that you managed 9 books! I don’t know how many I read, but I don’t think it was that much lol. Also, good good good luck with your ARC’s this month! I hope August is spectacular for you ?
Meeghan reads
Thanks JR!! Hoping you have an amazing August as well!!
Veronika @ Wordy and Whimsical
I love Taylor Swift, and I cannot wait for her new album, so I’m happy you’re loving her new music. 😀 I really need to read Call It What You Want – I loved Letters to the Lost and More Than We Can Tell, so I’m hoping this won’t disappoint either.
I went for a week-long vacation in July within my country, Hungary, and really enjoyed myself there. I brought three books with me… and didn’t read either of them haha. I was a bit mad at myself for that, to be honest, especially because I could have always accessed my ebooks, so I shouldn’t even have brought any physical copies, smh. Great post, Meeghan! 🙂
Meeghan reads
No!! I took my iPad with me (which has access to all my ebooks) and I didn’t even take it out of my suitcase!! It’s always better to surround yourself with books (in my opinion)!!
I’m so glad you had a lovely holiday. Next time we come back to Europe we are planning on visiting more of eastern Europe. We went to Czechia and Austria last time (Vienna was the furthest east we went), but I want to go to Hungary and Croatia, Romania, Greece, Russia, Slovakia, Belarus and Poland next time. Budapest is high on my want-to-see list!!
Veronika @ Wordy and Whimsical
I’m all ?? to the places you mentioned – especially Russia is one I’d love to see. I loove Vienna so I hope you enjoyed it there – I’m planning to go back around November/December for their Christmas fair, because it’s always so pretty. And I really like Budapest – I don’t live there, but it’s close-ish and I’ve communed there for school since I was 6.
Meeghan reads
Oh we were at Vienna just before Christmas! We went to the palace and they had all the Christmas market stalls set up out the front and it was beautiful!! I would totally come back to Europe for another white Christmas. It was so different to our Christmas here in Australia ?
may
ahh so glad to see you enjoyed call it what you want, it was so adorable and sad and i just loved it!! looks like you had an amazing reading month, i hope august is just as great for you and omg look at all those arcs, good luck getting through them and i hope theyre all great reads!! ?
Meeghan reads
Thanks May!! Yes… I think I might have requested a couple too many ARCs!! ?
Kathy @ Pages Below the Vaulted Sky
Omg you had such a good month with books!! I’m curious to see what you think of Brightfall! I’ve been trying to figure out how to get an ARC because it’s not releasing in North America this year. And I totally know what you mean with the new Taylor Swift songs. I loved how sexy and dark Reputation TS was, but I’m *really* loving the more positive, rainbow vibe of her new era. 😀
Meeghan reads
Brightfall is on Netgalley! I think I got an email from the publisher as well if you want me to find it for you?
Kathy @ Pages Below the Vaulted Sky
The Netgalley version isn’t available to North American users, apparently. ? And no no, it’s okay! I don’t know if we’re supposed to share publisher contacts and I don’t want to get you in trouble! I’ll try emailing Jo Fletcher Books and see what happens. 😀
Meeghan reads
Good luck!!