July 2017 Wrap Up!

This is our July wrap up! If you're not sure what a wrap up is, check out our June one here to get the gist of it!

Annalise:

In the month of July, I read seven books: A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas, 84, Charring Cross Road by Helene Hanff, The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom, One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus, The Haters by Jesse Andrews, The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli, and Soulmates by Holly Bourne.

A Court of Wings and Ruin: Over the last week and half of June and the first week of July, I marathoned this triology (one that possibly will be including spinoffs!), and fell into the deep, dark rabbit hole of Sarah J. Maas’s writing. The best way I can describe this book is the famous Ron Weasley quote: “You’re gonna suffer, but you’re gonna be happy about it.” I did a full review of these books here that delves into all of my thoughts and feelings! I gave this book a 4/5 stars.

84, Charring Cross Road: I read this slim volume as a transition out of the ACOTAR world, and absolutely adored it. After the lovely Ellie let me borrow her copy, I sat down with a bag of coconut chips (highly suggest, by the way) and read it. Such a sweet story about friendship and the power of generosity even in the toughest times. The whole book is a combination of nonfiction letter sent between Marks and Co. Bookshop in London and Helene Hanff about bookish things, rare tomes, and love, for over two decades. I gave this book a 3.75/5

The Time Keeper: This book is one of the many books that Mitch Albom has published, all of which are smaller stories, but pack one hell of a punch. This book made me ball my eyes out (granted, I am a very emotional person), but is definitely the most quote worthy book that I read this month. Lent to me by a coworker, this piece about humanity, time, and the choices and impacts our lives make is a must read. Albom has a way with words and a knack for intelligent, creative, and heartwarming stories. I will definitely be reading more of his writing in the future. I gave this book a 4.5/5 stars.

One of Us is Lying: This was sort of an impulse buy when Ellie and I had last gone book shopping. I had been eyeing it ever since it came out, but decided against getting it - until I got in line, and realized: nope, I want that one. A murder-mystery combined with “The Breakfast Club”, this book was a fun and gripping combination of high school drama and Sherlock Holmes. A very similar atmosphere to Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda with the added element of death, I read this book over two days and really enjoyed it. While it wasn’t hard hitting like The Time Keeper or emotionally scarring like A Court of Wings and Ruin, it was a joyous ride nonetheless. It was a perfect vacation read, and tied up in a way that was pleasant and real. Definitely a ideal book if you’re transitioning into darker stories, or murder mysteries! Overall, I gave this book a 3.5/5 stars.

The Haters: I had been hoarding this book since September of last year, and finally decided to bring it on vacation with me. I read Me and Earl and the Dying Girl last summer and enjoyed it enough that I felt like picking up Andrew’s second novel. While I liked the premise more, and I thought that it was a good story with interesting and honest characters, I don’t think that this book was for me. The humor was too brash and immature, and the dysfunctional family-friendship thing was a little too odd to appeal to me. Plus, as with Andrew’s first novel, his narrators like to break the fourth wall, which isn’t my favorite thing when reading. I also felt that I had such a hard time relating to and even enjoying the characters, even though they were a nearly-lovable crew of outcasts. While I did read it in a day, it was simply because I was bored and it was a quick read. However, I don’t regret reading it. I loved the music aspect and you can tell that Jesse Andrews is really passionate about that. I think that Andrew’s has a really peculiar writing style and voice for his characters, but overall, it just wasn’t for me. I gave this book a 2/5 stars.

The Upside of Unrequited: I received this book in the April OwlCrate box (a wonderful bookish subscription box if you’re looking for one!) and was happy. Not overjoyed, not disappointed, but happy. While it’s an unpopular opinion, I wasn’t super impressed by Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda. It was very cute and fun, but I didn’t think that it was all that it was hyped up to be. Hence why when I received this book, I was happy to give it a try, but I probably wouldn’t’ve picked it up on my own. But then I read it, and thank god for OwlCrate, because I adored it. So, so, so much more than Simon and found myself really loving Molly and her family, and Reid (the cutest love interest I’ve seen in a book for a while). This book played with my emotions and was such an amazing follow up to Simon. Becky Albertalli really hit it home for me with this one and it is a book I will be keeping and cherishing on my shelf forever. I gave this book a 4/5 stars.

Soulmates: I had been eyeing this book for awhile when I finally went ahead and got it on Book Depository (since her books are only sold in the UK! But are totally worth it). After reading her novel The Manifesto On How to Be Interesting, I was pumped to try this one. And for a cheesy romance based off of anti-cliches, turned thriller in a proby-government kind of way, into an emotional piece that train wrecks you 600 pages later - I actually really enjoyed this book. The story basically asks the question: what if meeting your soulmate was literally the worst thing ever? It was fun, which seems to be the theme of the month here, but it was! I had all the elements of a big screen film, and the characters were just what you wanted them to be. Holly Bourne has a wonderful way of including social issues in her work (although this one not so much - it was also her first novel) and a talent for creating real teenagers. Quoted “As British as Bridget Jones”, this book is a whirlwind for all the Brit fanatics out there, a daydream for anyone who's ever wanted to date a musician, and a pleasure for even the most cynical of readers. I highly suggest this book if you’re looking for a good time. Plus Bourne’s writing is some of my favorite! I gave this book a 3.75/5.

Ellie:

This month, I read 6 books. The Princess Saves Herself in This One, Chasing Jupiter, The Sky is Everywhere, The Nest, To All the Boys I've Loved Before, and PS I Still Love You. I was in a romance mood this month, and everything I read ended up having some love aspect; whether it be romantic or familial love.

The Princess Saves Herself in This One by Amanda Lovelace:

This collection of poems has the tagline, "the story of a princess turned damsel turned queen", and I have never stumbled upon a more accurate tagline in my reading career. This collection is divided up into 4 sections: princess, damsel, queen, & you. The sections all focus on different times and feelings that Lovelace has experienced, and the poetry is all captioned with the most beautiful title-like sentences. (The dedication is also to Harry Potter, so I knew I'd love it no matter what!). The 'you' section might've been my favorite because it spoke to triggering topics that are not typically mentioned in recent works. 5/5 stars.

Chasing Jupiter by Rachel Coker:

Set in the late 1960's, this family based novel ends up being a beautiful romance! Scarlett takes care of her entire family, primarily her younger (autistic) brother Cliff and her grandfather. She carries the weight of the world on her shoulders, and has moments of weakness that are extremely relatable. Scarlett & her love-interest Frank form bonds over Cliff, peach pies, and flying to Jupiter. The two become fast friends & confidants, and the novel ends with them acknowledging and exploring their love, with a sneak peek into their happiness further down the road. (Twas an ending that was strange, but one I ended up accepting as the author's choice! (I mostly just liked how they helped Cliff the most!)). 2.75/5 stars.

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson:

This novel follows Lennie as she learns how to live without her sister Bailey (spoiler alert, Bailey is dead). Bailey's old boyfriend (actually, fiancé) (also, Bailey was pregnant when she died) (it's sad) Toby hangs around Lennie's home, and they spark up a "we-miss-Bailey" inappropriate romance. Then, Lennie falls for new-boy Joe, who's smile makes Lennie forget that she is now an only child and that her sister will never see Toby again. This novel also showcases Lennie's writing abilities, as letters and snippets of conversations to and with her sister are found all about town on wrappers, newspaper scraps, and sheet music. I liked the idea of this, but Lennie was a little too sex-crazed for my taste? That being said, I did love the notes Lennie left around town. 2.5/5 stars.

The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney:

"The Nest" is a trust fund set up for 4 siblings by their rich, and now dead, father. The four siblings (the oldest over 50 and the youngest newly 40) have lived their lives expecting the money from the Nest, and when there is a possibility it won't come, their lives turn upside down and they begin to panic. The reader can follow these eccentric four and their families as they surround themselves with the ideas of life without the nest-and as they try to navigate life's natural twists and turns. With the quick interruptions of supporting characters stories that leave you desperate for works full of their lives, The Nest becomes a novel that you wish would never end (but one where you just cannot wait to find out what'll happen next!). 3.5/5 stars!

To All the Boys I've Loved Before & PS I Still Love You by Jenny Han:

WOW. That's all I have to say, really. These first two novels to the Lara Jean trilogy are simply perfection. The romance aspect is supported with beautiful, intricate plot points that are not romantic, and left me satisfied with the physical content of the novel. I also 100% recommend Shug and the Summer I Turned Pretty novels by Jenny Han, they are both geared for younger teen audiences but still hold so much value and wonderful stories. These two, however, have taken money out of my wallet and will surely take more as I buy the third novel, but have replaced my twenties with pure excitement over books! These are beautiful and wonderful, read them. 5/5 stars.

#MonthlyWrapUp