July 2018 Wrap Up!

We each read quite a lot in July! With vacations and working overtime, however; we didn't hit the teens like we did in June (so sad). But, we still each read a lot and have some wonderful books to tell you about! So here is what we read!

Annalise:

In July, I read nine books this month, which was a little bit less than I was hoping to, but better I have been doing (besides June, which was an oddity)! This month I read: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling, The Great American Whatever by Tim Federle, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling, I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson, Tuesday's with Morrie by Mitch Albom, An Enchantment of Ravens by Margret Rogerson, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, The Distance From You to Me by Marina Gessner, The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansson, and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling.

Harry Potter: As you already know, this summer I've started my reread of this lovely series. I was so happy to be able to get to read three of the seven this month, and am hoping to finish it off by the end of August. Harry Potter has always been the perfect summer series, I love digging myself into the Hogwarts hole! This has been an awesome season for rereading, and I have found myself falling in love with some of my favorite books all over again. I, of course, gave them each 5/5 stars.

The Great American Whatever: This book was hilarious. Federle has a very specific writing style that is incredibly enjoyable to read from, and Quinn was a fascinating perspective to be living in. There was a lot going on: a tragic incident, this constant concept of filmmaking (which when the story switched into screenplay formatting, it was not only bizarre, but awesome, and I really adored it), and a real pressure on the changing of friendships and relationships. It was an ultimate teenager read that focused on the fluctuation of life and growing into yourself. But fundamentally, this book was joy simply because of its humor. Federle can transmit jokes just as well as if he were standing in front of you with a microphone. I really loved this read and I gave it 3.75/5.

I'll Give You the Sun: This book was a lot darker than I thought it was going to be, but the surprise of it really swept me off my feet. I completely understand why this novel won the Printz award in YA literature. The prose was beautiful, and the story followed so many different threads that wove together in fascinating ways. Nelson had storylines that were all over the place, not only in their timeline (which the way this book alternated between Noah at 14 years old and Jude at 16 I found to be incredibly effective and novel), but also in the way that they came together at the end. This book astonished me, and ultimately I really enjoyed it. The sibling aspect was palpable, and I completely understand the relationship, and the ending wrapped up in way that was realistic but also good. I gave this book a 4-4.25/5 stars.

Tuesday's with Morrie: Every book that I read by Mitch Albom makes me cry. It's hard not to when he writes with such beautiful prose that is amazing in its simplicity, and the stories that cross the line between philosophical nonfiction and popular novels that really blows me away every time. This one was no different. You fall in love with Morrie from the first page, and are by his side until the very last. I never mark up my books, but this one I took the liberty to, underlining single phrases to whole paragraphs. It's a book that is heavy, it deals with death, as do most of Albom's books, but in a way that is manageable. Morrie is the person that we all want to be around, and having him in book form is something wholly special. I recommend this book to everyone. I gave this book a 5/5 stars.

An Enchantment of Ravens: This book I got for a steal off of BookOutlet, which is one of the only reasons I picked it up. I was very curious to see how this book compared to A Court of Thorns and Roses - which is a book with a very similar premise, although it came first. While this book did differ from ACOTAR, in a lot of ways too, my biggest problem with it was that I felt like I didn't get to see the relationship between Isobel and Rook really develop. There is basically an info dump at the beginning of one of the earlier chapters briefly describing this budding relationship between Isobel and Rook, but I wish that I had seen it all go down compared to such a quick paragraph and then the expectance that we, as readers, just are immediately invested in the relationship. While I liked Isobel as a character, I found Rook to be pretty one dimensional. There were some interesting aspects, such as Isobel's little sisters and the way that the magic system worked, especially the idea of a Fair Folk's flaw. Not to mention, the writing style really worked for me. I knew going into this book that it's slimness (it just barely reaches 300 pages) might be a downfall. I wish that everything in this world was just a little bit more. I gave this book a 3.25/5 stars.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society: This book! I absolutely adored it. I've been eyeing it for a while on my mom's bookshelf, and then finally, minutes before leaving for vacation, I made the split decision to add it to my list and read it. This was one of the best decisions I've ever made! The characters were absolutely stunning, and the plot was amazing - it had it's darker moments, but ultimately it was looking at some of the positive aspects of war time. Juliet was hilarious, and her relationship with Sydney and Dawsey are both delectable (one being hilarious and the other being adorable). Not to mention Isola, Kit, Elizabeth, and so many more - the surrounding cast was just as fabulous. This is a quick read, the letter format something I enjoyed immensely, and it really pulled me through every emotion ever. I loved this book. I gave it a 5/5 stars.

The Distance From You to Me: This book was a lot more than I thought it was going to be. It is ultimately a journey of womanhood. Despite the love aspects, McKenna's journey is about coming into her own and showing that she is capable. One of my favorite aspects of this novel was her strength, but that she had tangible weaknesses. Sam's point of view was also incredibly interesting, but even though he got his own POV, I felt that this story was really about McKenna and her journey. This book was also the perfect summer read, but it wasn't cutesy and simple. The way that Gessner describes the terrain of the trail, the way that she pushes these two into the extremes, she doesn't hold back. It was a very real story, I could feel every aspect of it. I also felt that the ending was well done, and focused on the core of the story instead of altering each of the character's journey for the other person. I really appreciated this. I gave this book a 3.75-4/5 stars.

The Queen of the Tearling: Kelsea is one of the most badass heroines in all of YA, and her story is one that I will be following to the very end. The writing in this book was really pretty amazing, and the way that Johansson created characters, especially through showing and not telling was perceptible in a way that made it almost seem like you were watching a movie. The politics of this story was fascinating, and I can't wait to see the world expand in the next two installments. One thing that particularly caught my eye in this novel was that there was no love interest. Kelsea is coming into her own, and she doesn't need a man to do it. While I enjoy a good romance to any high fantasy novel, this was a refreshing aspect that I am curious to see where it goes. I will be continuing on this series, fascinated by its magic, its realms, and the characters that live there. I gave this book a 4/5 stars.

Ellie: Here's what I read!

Because You'll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas: I have had my eye on this series starter for around two years now, as it is written entirely in letter format (and we all know how much I love letter formatting). Moritz and Ollie communicate through letters because they can never meet in real life-if they do, one or both of them will die. Ollie has an electricity sensitivity that makes him have seizures when he comes in contact with electricity, and Moritz doesn't have eyes and has a pacemaker-which runs on electricity. There was a twist at the end that connected the two boys, and the way this twist was developed was the novel's only redeeming quality. I had hyped this book up in my mind, but as I read it, I was disappointed by the lack of realistic plot and the awkwardness of the character interactions. I didn't like this book, and I will not be continuing the series. 2/5 stars.

The Chaos of Standing Still by Jessica Brody: Ryn has been living the past year with an unread text message on her phone-one from her dead best friend. When she finds herself stuck in an airport during a blizzard, she meets a boy-Xander, and they accidentally swap phones. This leads, understandably, to many adventures, as they find themselves playing games, exploring the airport, and making new friends to pass the time. Ryn also has a habit of googling every question she has, and we see flashbacks to her time with her therapist and her times with her dead best friend. I read this book on the Fourth of July, and it ended up being better than I expected! The relationship was cute, the friendship was heartfelt and heartbreaking, and I enjoyed the weird illuminati conspiracy subplot! 3.75-4/5 stars.

Geekerella by Ashley Poston: Elle is a quirky teen who is obsessed with a Star Trek-esque TV show-and her dad started a Comic Con like convention for it before he passed. Elle lives with her step-mother and evil step-sisters (because obviously her mother is dead and obviously everyone else in her family has to be mean). She gets in contact anonymously with the teen star who will be playing the main character in the TV show's remake, and romance via text ensues. Long story short, there's drama and romance and it is just another modern-day Cinderella retelling. 3/5 stars.

Nancy Drew and the Thirteenth Pearl by Carolynn Keene: Another Nancy Drew that I read with my mom! There's a cult, pearls, kidnapping, a trip to Japan, and so much intrigue and mystery. Loved it!

A Man Called Ove by Frederick Backman: This book was recommended to me by my grandmother, and since she got me hooked on Mitch Albom, I trust her recommendations! This novel follows a curmudgeon of an old man as he lives his life in the years following a traumatic incident. Obviously, he's a character with flaws, but as the story develops, so does his softie heart. The alternating chapters showcase the now and the time before the incident, and we see just how Ove became Ove. The side characters are so wonderfully developed and I have such a soft spot in my heart for them all. This book is the book for everyone, I highly highly recommend it! 5/5 stars.

The Great American Whatever by Tim Federle: Quinn is a greasy, gay teenage boy who is obsessed with filmmaking and mourning the loss of his older sister. We see him explore his sexuality and we watch him find his passion for screenplays again, after losing his 'business' partner, his sister. I liked how this novel had bits of screenplay formatting woven in, and I loved the small town feel, but I did have some problems. Quinn himself was very immature, and his character just seemed stuck in one mindset. His love interest wasn't all that lovable, and Quinn's best friend was hiding a pretty big secret from him for around a year. I thought this story was funny and dark all at the same time, but I definitely won't be rereading. 3/5 stars.

Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson: You've all heard me talk about this book at least 3 times, so let's just all agree that I love it and I will always reread it when I need a pick me up. 5/5 stars.

Emily of Deep Valley by Maud Hart Lovelace: I loved Emily! Emily is a year younger than Betsy, Tacy, and Tib, and we get to see her go through the year after she graduates high school. She struggles with anxiety and depression, but works really hard to help herself stay motivated and positive as she stays in Deep Valley while everyone else goes away to school. Emily is the most relatable character from the Besty-Tacy series, and I would love to know more about her. 5/5 stars.

Another Day by David Levithan: I didn't do my research before reading this, so I didn't know it was a different perspective retelling of Everyday. Considering I didn't love Rhiannon in the beginning, it's understandable that I didn't like her character any more now. I understand that we learned more about her motivations for things, and more about how confusing A's life was, but I was not a fan of this "sequel". 2/5 stars.

We Should Hang Out Sometime by Josh Sundquist: This is one of the funniest autobiographies I've read in a long time! Josh analyzes all of his past relationships to see why and how they failed, and asks the people involved what they thought. He does it in such a creative way, with graphs and charts, that really kept me interested! 3.75-4/5 stars.

They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera: This book was so sad! I knew that they were going to die, as it is blatantly stated in the title, but the thing that was so GOOD about it was that I kept thinking "well, maybe they don't die". The fact that I could still be questioning the plot and title of the book with 15 pages left is something so impressive and rare in a book, and I loved it so much. Rufus and Mateo learn that they're going to die, they go on adventures, and along the way they fall in love. 4.75/5 stars.

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo: OH MY GOD THIS BOOK. I knew it was going to be good and it still beat all my expectations! Kaz and Inej are just wonderful wonderful touch-sensitive people who need hugs, and Waylan and Jesper are the cutest little beans, and Nina and Matthias are just people in need of happy endings. They are ALL in need of happy endings. I am still so excited about this book, and I cannot stop talking about it! 5/5 stars.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Schafer and Annie Barrows: I really liked this book! Once again, I love a book written in letter format! The characters were created so lovingly and they were so well developed. Juliet's relationships with Dawsey, Sidney, Isola, Kit, and the absent Elizabeth were all so different but all so touching, and I am just craving more from these characters. I fell in love with the island of Guernsey, and I would love to sit on a stoop with Juliet and discuss all of the goings on of the island. I also just want to move to Guernsey and go to the society meetings, and walk down the island paths with potato peel pie. 5/5 stars.

I also read In Conclusion, Don't Worry About It by Lauren Graham, but since it was a 50 page speech, I am not counting it as a book for the year!

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