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[ID] => 2033
[post_author] => 1
[post_date] => 2021-08-05 19:00:48
[post_date_gmt] => 2021-08-05 17:00:48
[post_content] => [vc_row][vc_column width="5/6"][vc_column_text]Hello again friends and welcome to my reading wrap up for july!
It's been a while since I've done a monthly Wrap Up but I want to get back into it. A Wrap Up is a great motivator to get more pages in each month.ย Creating them also makes me reflect on the books I read.
So how did I do in the month of July? I would say so-so. The best "excuse" for not having read that much is fun. During my Summer vacation I went on two trips with my friends and my boyfriend which meant two weeks of minimum reading time. I ended up reading 7 books but I was all over the place, to be honest. At one point, I had started 5 different stories because I changed books in-between journeys. Traveling definitely complicates things when you're a mood reader!
Without further ado, here is my Reading Wrap Up for July:[/vc_column_text][vc_separator][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/6"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height="20px"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/4"][vc_empty_space height="20px"][vc_single_image image="2053" img_size="medium" alignment="center" onclick="link_image"][/vc_column][vc_column width="3/4"][vc_column_text]Alanna by Tamora Pierce
Alanna's life goal is to one day become a knight. To fulfil her dream, she takes her twin brother's place as a squire in training. Alanna goes by Alan in the castle, as she hides her gender and is taught hard lessons about life, honor and friendship.
It's incredibly hard to rate this book since I'm sure I would have liked it as a kid. As an adult, I'm just not feeling the characters. They're annoying, have weird moral compasses and are, understandably, quite childish. I've also never really been a fan of knights so once again, I'm not the ideal reader for this book. Why did I pick it up then? It was my friend's favorite series as a kid so I wanted to try it out. I will not continue this series myself but if you know any young readers around 10-12, I think Alanna would be a fun adventure for them.
My rating: 2/5
Goodreads rating: 4.2/5
Pages: 274
Genre: Medieval fantasy, magic, knighthood, middle grade
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height="50px"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/4"][vc_empty_space height="20px"][vc_single_image image="2035" img_size="medium" alignment="center" onclick="link_image"][/vc_column][vc_column width="3/4"][vc_column_text]Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas
In the sixth instalment of Throne of Glass, Chaol and Nesryn travels to Torre Cesme. Their mission: to heal Chaol's wounds and ask the royal family of Antica to aid their war preparations. Here, Nesryn is reunited with her family and Chaol finds comfort with the gifted healer Yrene. They have to tread lightly though, in a tense atmosphere of political intrigue and royal drama.
As part of my readathon (or group buddy read if you will) I finished the sixth ToG book. I was pretty skeptical going in since this book focused heavily on Chaol - a character I have never liked. I very much stand by my opinion of him as an annoying and hypocritical character. This book could also easily be 200 pages shorter BUT the story was better than I had anticipated. Nesryn Faliq became a new favorite and the ending gave me hope for an epic encounter in the final book. A mediocre read but one that made me curious to see how this will all end.
My rating: 3/5
Goodreads rating: 4.3/5
Pages: 660
Genre: Fantasy, magic, Fae, paranormal, romance, young adult[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height="50px"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/4"][vc_empty_space height="20px"][vc_single_image image="2038" img_size="medium" alignment="center" onclick="link_image"][/vc_column][vc_column width="3/4"][vc_column_text]The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang
Lady Crystallia is the it girl of Paris in a time of grand palaces, servants and arranged marriages. Her friend and dress-maker, Frances, cannot receive her deserved credit though because the connection would reveal that Crystallia is actually the crown princeย in costume.
This graphic novel was so cute! Besides a great story and wonderful historical settings, the rep was amazing. Both main characters were actually sympathetic and I wanted nothing but a happy end for them. The art style was different and oh my god, the dresses. I want to order all of them!
My rating: 4.5/5
Goodreads rating: 4.3/5
Pages: 283
Genre: Graphic novel, LGBTQ+, young adult, historical, romance[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height="50px"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/4"][vc_empty_space height="20px"][vc_single_image image="2039" img_size="medium" alignment="center" onclick="link_image"][/vc_column][vc_column width="3/4"][vc_column_text]The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
This rom-com kicks off with an explosive case of food poisoning for an entire wedding party. Being the only two people who avoided the evil fish, Olive and Ethan are sent off on a honeymoon to fill in for the bride and groom. They don't particularly like each other but the Hawaiian sea breeze has quite the impact on the pair.
This story was pretty unrealistic but it was an entertaining read nonetheless. It felt like "watching" one of those easy-going but a bit over the top Jennifer Aniston comedies. I wasn't a big fan of the main characters but the drama was fun, the obstacles ridiculous and Olive's family was everything.
I havent' read a Christina Lauren book that could match Josh and Hazel yet. It remains my favorite rom-com as you can see in my appreciation post: 10 of my highest rated books.
My rating: 4/5
Goodreads rating: 4/5
Pages: 400
Genre: Romance, contemporary, adult, traveling[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height="50px"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/4"][vc_empty_space height="20px"][vc_single_image image="2041" img_size="medium" alignment="center" onclick="link_image"][/vc_column][vc_column width="3/4"][vc_column_text]Towards Zero by Agatha Christie
I went into yet another Christie mystery knowing nothing about it. This time though, I was surprised to realize that the detective wasn't one I knew. Although nothing can compare to Hercule Poirot himself, this story came close. I have read countless Agatha Christie novels and it was quite refreshing with a new beginning.
Instead of starting at a gathering followed by a murder, we were introduced to each character months before the main plot began. They were all suspicious and full of secrets - which I adore. A lovely surprise that I really enjoyed.
My rating: 4/5
Goodreads rating: 3.9/5
Pages: 301
Genre: Mystery, thriller, murder, historical[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/4"][vc_empty_space height="20px"][vc_single_image image="2040" img_size="medium" alignment="center" onclick="link_image"][/vc_column][vc_column width="3/4"][vc_column_text]Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
Much can be said about Cassie Clare's books but my conclusion isย entertaining. Clockwork Princess is the third and final book in the Infernal Devices trilogy and what a ride it has been. I wasn't completely on board with the ending, it felt wrong to me, but I understand the idea. Also, love triangles are the worst and this was a huge element throughout the series. I tried to remind myself that the book is from 2013 - the very era of triangle drama. It didn't always excuse the cringe though.
Luckily, the characters made up for most of the exaggerated angst and awkwardness. They were wonderful and I became quite attached to them. I hope to either see or hear more of them as I continue to explore the Shadowhunter universe.
My rating: 4/5
Goodreads rating: 4.5/5
Pages: 567
Genre: Fantasy, paranormal, romance, historical, young adult[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/4"][vc_empty_space height="20px"][vc_single_image image="2042" img_size="medium" alignment="center" onclick="link_image"][/vc_column][vc_column width="3/4"][vc_column_text]Chasing Cassandra by Lisa Kleypas
Although Tom Severin is a self-made gentleman containing very few emotions, he wants Cassandra. Unfortunately Cassandra wants a love marriage, which means real feelings - something that Tom has deemed impossible. Page by page, Cassandra teaches Tom about a world beyond logic and engineering. A world of literature, passion, jealousy, compromise and love.
Towards the end of the month, I was in the middle of multiple books. My reading wrap up for July would look very different if I had finished all of them. My final (completed) book is part of a popular historical romance series called The Ravenels. Now, it was my own mistake to pick up book six first but luckily it wasn't confusing and I can easily continue the series from the beginning.
I was not a fan of her naive personality but Cassandra and Tom Severin made a wonderful and fun couple to follow. One being a dreamer, the other a logical creature. Obviously, this caused bumps on the road but also the opportunity to learn from one another. The romance was perfectly balanced - neither too steamy or too cheesy.
My rating: 4/5
Goodreads rating: 4.1/5
Pages: 384
Genre: Historical, romance, adult[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="5/6"][vc_separator align="align_left"][vc_column_text]That concludes my reading wrap up for July 2021. It might not have been my greatest reading month but I'm completely fine with it this time. Fun with friends in the sun and relaxed mornings? I had a pretty good vacation! In August I begin my internship at my local library. It should be a huge motivator for reading and I will share some of my new inside knowledge soon.
Have you read any of these books or are they on your TBR? Let me know in a comment below. As always, you can also reach out to me on my social media profiles here:[/vc_column_text][vc_separator align="align_left"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/6"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_btn title="My Goodreads" shape="square" color="vista-blue" align="center" button_block="true" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.goodreads.com%2Fuser%2Fshow%2F20684449-books-by-kimi|title:Goodreads|target:%20_blank|"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_btn title="My Instagram" shape="square" color="vista-blue" align="center" button_block="true" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fbooksbykimi|title:Instagram|target:%20_blank|"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_btn title="My Twitter" shape="square" color="vista-blue" align="center" button_block="true" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.twitter.com%2Fbooksbykimi|title:Twitter|target:%20_blank|"][/vc_column][/vc_row]
[post_title] => Reading Wrap Up for July
[post_excerpt] => Traveling definitely complicate things when you're a mood reader and my July pages felt it. I had fun during my Summer vacation so I'm definitely not mad about it - but I sure was all over the place with titles this month. Here is my messy list of completed books for the month of July.
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[post_modified] => 2021-08-28 23:14:42
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Reading Wrap Up for July
Hello again friends and welcome to my reading wrap up for july!
It’s been a while since I’ve done a monthly Wrap Up but I want to get back into it. A Wrap Up is a great motivator to get more pages in each month.ย Creating them also makes me reflect on the books I read.
So how did I do in the month of July? I would say so-so. The best “excuse” for not having read that much is fun. During my Summer vacation I went on two trips with my friends and my boyfriend which meant two weeks of minimum reading time. I ended up reading 7 books but I was all over the place, to be honest. At one point, I had started 5 different stories because I changed books in-between journeys. Traveling definitely complicates things when you’re a mood reader!
Without further ado, here is my Reading Wrap Up for July:
Alanna by Tamora Pierce
Alanna’s life goal is to one day become a knight. To fulfil her dream, she takes her twin brother’s place as a squire in training. Alanna goes by Alan in the castle, as she hides her gender and is taught hard lessons about life, honor and friendship.
It’s incredibly hard to rate this book since I’m sure I would have liked it as a kid. As an adult, I’m just not feeling the characters. They’re annoying, have weird moral compasses and are, understandably, quite childish. I’ve also never really been a fan of knights so once again, I’m not the ideal reader for this book. Why did I pick it up then? It was my friend’s favorite series as a kid so I wanted to try it out. I will not continue this series myself but if you know any young readers around 10-12, I think Alanna would be a fun adventure for them.
My rating: 2/5
Goodreads rating: 4.2/5
Pages: 274
Genre: Medieval fantasy, magic, knighthood, middle grade
Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas
In the sixth instalment of Throne of Glass, Chaol and Nesryn travels to Torre Cesme. Their mission: to heal Chaol’s wounds and ask the royal family of Antica to aid their war preparations. Here, Nesryn is reunited with her family and Chaol finds comfort with the gifted healer Yrene. They have to tread lightly though, in a tense atmosphere of political intrigue and royal drama.
As part of my readathon (or group buddy read if you will) I finished the sixth ToG book. I was pretty skeptical going in since this book focused heavily on Chaol – a character I have never liked. I very much stand by my opinion of him as an annoying and hypocritical character. This book could also easily be 200 pages shorter BUT the story was better than I had anticipated. Nesryn Faliq became a new favorite and the ending gave me hope for an epic encounter in the final book. A mediocre read but one that made me curious to see how this will all end.
My rating: 3/5
Goodreads rating: 4.3/5
Pages: 660
Genre: Fantasy, magic, Fae, paranormal, romance, young adult
The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang
Lady Crystallia is the it girl of Paris in a time of grand palaces, servants and arranged marriages. Her friend and dress-maker, Frances, cannot receive her deserved credit though because the connection would reveal that Crystallia is actually the crown princeย in costume.
This graphic novel was so cute! Besides a great story and wonderful historical settings, the rep was amazing. Both main characters were actually sympathetic and I wanted nothing but a happy end for them. The art style was different and oh my god, the dresses. I want to order all of them!
My rating: 4.5/5
Goodreads rating: 4.3/5
Pages: 283
Genre: Graphic novel, LGBTQ+, young adult, historical, romance
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
This rom-com kicks off with an explosive case of food poisoning for an entire wedding party. Being the only two people who avoided the evil fish, Olive and Ethan are sent off on a honeymoon to fill in for the bride and groom. They don’t particularly like each other but the Hawaiian sea breeze has quite the impact on the pair.
This story was pretty unrealistic but it was an entertaining read nonetheless. It felt like “watching” one of those easy-going but a bit over the top Jennifer Aniston comedies. I wasn’t a big fan of the main characters but the drama was fun, the obstacles ridiculous and Olive’s family was everything.
I havent’ read a Christina Lauren book that could match Josh and Hazel yet. It remains my favorite rom-com as you can see in my appreciation post: 10 of my highest rated books.
My rating: 4/5
Goodreads rating: 4/5
Pages: 400
Genre: Romance, contemporary, adult, traveling
Towards Zero by Agatha Christie
I went into yet another Christie mystery knowing nothing about it. This time though, I was surprised to realize that the detective wasn’t one I knew. Although nothing can compare to Hercule Poirot himself, this story came close. I have read countless Agatha Christie novels and it was quite refreshing with a new beginning.
Instead of starting at a gathering followed by a murder, we were introduced to each character months before the main plot began. They were all suspicious and full of secrets – which I adore. A lovely surprise that I really enjoyed.
My rating: 4/5
Goodreads rating: 3.9/5
Pages: 301
Genre: Mystery, thriller, murder, historical
Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
Much can be said about Cassie Clare’s books but my conclusion isย entertaining. Clockwork Princess is the third and final book in the Infernal Devices trilogy and what a ride it has been. I wasn’t completely on board with the ending, it felt wrong to me, but I understand the idea. Also, love triangles are the worst and this was a huge element throughout the series. I tried to remind myself that the book is from 2013 – the very era of triangle drama. It didn’t always excuse the cringe though.
Luckily, the characters made up for most of the exaggerated angst and awkwardness. They were wonderful and I became quite attached to them. I hope to either see or hear more of them as I continue to explore the Shadowhunter universe.
My rating: 4/5
Goodreads rating: 4.5/5
Pages: 567
Genre: Fantasy, paranormal, romance, historical, young adult
Chasing Cassandra by Lisa Kleypas
Although Tom Severin is a self-made gentleman containing very few emotions, he wants Cassandra. Unfortunately Cassandra wants a love marriage, which means real feelings – something that Tom has deemed impossible. Page by page, Cassandra teaches Tom about a world beyond logic and engineering. A world of literature, passion, jealousy, compromise and love.
Towards the end of the month, I was in the middle of multiple books. My reading wrap up for July would look very different if I had finished all of them. My final (completed) book is part of a popular historical romance series called The Ravenels. Now, it was my own mistake to pick up book six first but luckily it wasn’t confusing and I can easily continue the series from the beginning.
I was not a fan of her naive personality but Cassandra and Tom Severin made a wonderful and fun couple to follow. One being a dreamer, the other a logical creature. Obviously, this caused bumps on the road but also the opportunity to learn from one another. The romance was perfectly balanced – neither too steamy or too cheesy.
My rating: 4/5
Goodreads rating: 4.1/5
Pages: 384
Genre: Historical, romance, adult
That concludes my reading wrap up for July 2021. It might not have been my greatest reading month but I’m completely fine with it this time. Fun with friends in the sun and relaxed mornings? I had a pretty good vacation! In August I begin my internship at my local library. It should be a huge motivator for reading and I will share some of my new inside knowledge soon.
Have you read any of these books or are they on your TBR? Let me know in a comment below. As always, you can also reach out to me on my social media profiles here:
