August Wrap Up & September TBR (2020)

 Hey guys, this is Abi here,

And August is over! I don't say this often, but this month has really flown by! So, because of that, I'll be including my TBR for September in this post as well! 

Here's everything I did this month! 

Enjoy! 

August Wrap Up (2020) 

1. White Fragility, by Robin Diangelo 

This was very difficult to get through honestly. I felt like I had to read each page twice to grasp the concept. I wanted to DNF this at points, but because of what this book is about, and because I was determined to keep going and find out more about white fragility. The language was very hard to wrap my head around, which is why I found it so hard to get through. This won't be the last book I read on this subject hopefully, because you can't read one book and state that you are educated on this subject. 

2. Evernight, by Ross Mackenzie 

I'm usually very picky when it comes to picking up middle grade novels, mostly because I don't read them often (which is something I'm trying to change), but I saw the cover, read the blurb, and knew I had to have it. I'm so happy I picked it up. It was exactly what I was looking for, and the cover is gorgeous. Evernight is about Lara, an orphan who makes a living finding treasures in the sewers. When she stumbles upon a wooden box, she has no idea the adventures that await her, including a man with no shadow. I was blown away by how fleshed out the characters were, how fast-paced the story felt, yet how it didn't feel rushed at all. It's a standalone, so there aren't any more releases, but I'm eager to see what Ross Mackenzie does next. 

3. Under A Dancing Star, by Laura Wood

Honestly it was the beautiful cover that drew me in to this. It was on display in Waterstones, and all it took was for me to find out it's a Much Ado About Nothing interpretation story, and I was sold. Its also set in 1930s Italy, and Historical Fiction is always a genre that I like to delve into (I'm trying to read more from the genre). Under A Dancing Star is about Bea, who is being sent to Italy, in the hope that a summer there will straighten her out. Italy opens up a whole new world to Bea, including a charming young man named Ben, and when sparks fly, the two of them are issued a challenge: can they put aside their teasing and have the perfect summer romance? On one condition- they absolutely cannot fall in love. Under A Dancing Star was fantastic- fleshed out characters, the setting felt very authentic, and although the time period didn't feel that different from now, other times it was my favourite part. I loved this book so much, and even though it wrapped up pretty flawlessly, I wish I could have spent more time in this world.

4. The Prince and the Dressmaker, by Jen Wung

As I always do with these kind of cutesy LGBT graphic novels, I flew through this in one day. The Prince and the Dressmaker caught my eye during Kalyn Abridged's vlog on YouTube, and I couldn't stop thinking about it since then, so of course I had to order it. The graphics are excellent, the story is addictive, and it's perfect for when you're looking for a story that you'll love (and won't take you long at all. Highly recommend. 

5. Loveless, by Alice Oseman

As predicted by the whole world, myself included, I thoroughly enjoyed Loveless. Not only is there aromantic asexual representation, but it takes place in University, which is rare in YA. This felt like a breath of fresh air honestly, because I don't think I've read another book set in University for a while, and I don't think I've ever read a book with aromantic asexual representation, so this was a nice change. I hope they'll be more books with aro ace rep in the future. If you know any, let me know in the comments! 

6. The Lucky Ones, by Liz Lawson 

The Lucky Ones was in my anticipated releases post for April- June, and I was determined to get to it, if it took me a year. I hadn't read a book surrounding a school shooting since The Hate List a few years back, and because it's still relevant today, I decided to pick it up. And my god, this book hit me hard. It's a multi-perspective book about May, a girl that's about to go back to school, 11 months after the shooting that killed her twin brother; and Zach, whose mother is representing the killer in the trial. This book centers around their relationship, with May's survival guilt, and a whole bunch of other things that had me nearly weeping into my pillow at every chapter. Highly recommend. 

7. Vicious (Villains #1), by V.E. Schwab

8. Vengeful (Villains #2), by V.E. Schwab 

 
Okay, don't hate me: I preferred Vengeful a lot more than Vicious. I read the second book in less time, despite it being nearly double the page count. Vicious just felt really slow for me, except for the ending. I had the urge to put it down like every 10 pages, but Vengeful felt completely different. My one critique for book 2 is that I wish I'd had more of the original three, I genuinely forgot what they were doing because the book followed all the new characters for as long as it did. I do wish it was only a duology, but at the end, I could see some potential plot points that could be carried on to the third book. Other than that critique, Vengeful restored my faith in this series, and I will be continuing on to the next book. 

September TBR (2020)

1. Cinderella Is Dead, by Kalynn Bayron 

I'm currently about 100 pages into Cinderella is Dead, and I already know I'm going to love it. It's a really easy book to get into, and Sophia is a very like-able protagonist, because it seems like she's the only one with her head screwed on straight! Cinderella Is Dead starts two days before Sophia goes to the ball- where she will either be chosen to be married, or she will be forfeit- sent off to work for, basically nothing- or she will mysteriously disappear. This came out last month, and I really hope it gets the hype it deserves, because it doesn't feel rushed, everything is explained exactly right, the writing is decent, and the story is certainly compelling. Love it already. 

2. Stardust, by Neil Gaiman 

My book to mark a place from St Neots, (I went there on Saturday- they didn't have Nevernight). I was due to read Coraline or American Gods in September, so I decided to get acquainted with his books beforehand. Stardust is 194 pages long, and even though it's got mixed reviews on Goodreads, I'm intrigued as for whether I'm going to love or hate this. Aside from that, hopefully it should be a nice placeholder, for my Goodreads Reading Challenge (I'm 5 books away from my target at time of writing this.) I knew basically nothing about this book, and I want to keep it that way. I might write a review about this if I have enough thoughts, so keep an eye out.  

3. Rooftoppers, by Katherine Rundell 

I also traveled to St Ives (Cambridgeshire, not Cornwall) on that Saturday, and Rooftoppers caught my eye. I read The Wolf Wilder by Katherine Rundell in 2017, and absolutely loved it. I think it made my favourite books of 2017 and when I saw this, I immediately reached for it. Rooftoppers is about Sophie, who is on a task- to prove that her mother did not die in shipwreck, but is still alive. On the run with the authorities, Sophie finds Matteo- a boy who walks tightropes and lives in the sky. In a race across the rooftops, will they be able to find her mother, before it's too late? I'm excited for this, and I feel like I could finish it in 2 days, if it's as good as I think it will be (it's 277 pages long.) 

4. Midnight Sun (Twilight #5), by Stephenie Meyer 

Because of my excessive book buying, I didn't get to this last month. But, I only have 4 books in possession that I haven't read yet. So I kind of don't have a choice- it's back on the TBR! Aside from that, I think it'll make a good book for my trip to Boston from 11th-14th, (if I don't have a problem with any of the other three reads ahead of it.) I'm excited to pick this up because from what I've heard, it's not bad. 

5. Hunted, by Megan Spooner 

I honestly didn't know what to do for this fifth book. But I have Hunted as an audiobook on Audible, and it's been on there for a while. So I thought, why not stick it on with this month's TBR? It's a standalone, and on my Want to Read shelf on Goodreads, so that's a good enough reason for me. All I know about this is that it's a Beauty and the Beast retelling, and that's all I need to know. Hunted has been on my radar for a couple of years now, and it's high time I pick it up. 

Okay! That was a very long post, but I certainly enjoyed it! I hope you did too! 

That's all for today and I will see you all soon! 

Byeeee! 

-Abi xxxx