July Wrap Up (2025)

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And I'm back with my July Wrap Up (2025)! 

Going into this month I think I was three books behind schedule, which is definitely a good start. But, I pulled my socks up, came up with a plan, and got reading. I was even on track at certain points in the month! But alas, I still remain one book behind my Goodreads reading challenge (when will this torment end?)

But, I have lots of books to share with you guys today, and good news- I'm no longer reading the Earthsea Quartet or A Series of Unfortunate Events series! Finally! 

Anyway, enough rambling on. I hope you enjoy my Wrap Up. 

1. My Friends, by Fredrik Backman 

I did mean to write a review for this, because I loved it so much, and I wanted to share it all with you, but the Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag reigned supreme when it came to this review. 

I might still, to be honest, I only finished it at the start of July, so I still have all my thoughts sitting close to my chest at the moment, so keep an eye out for that. 

Although My Friends was very much a slow burner, the writing was impeccable as always, and I loved the way these characters just felt like characters at the start, and then you suddenly start feeling so much for them, all at once, as the story rolls along. 

2. Clementine: Book One (Clementine #1), by Tillie Walden 

3. Clementine: Book Two (Clementine #2), by Tillie Walden 

4. Clementine: Book Three (Clementine #3), by Tillie Walden 

Since the release of Clementine: Book Three got pushed back, I've been eagerly waiting for June to roll around so I could marathon the first two novels and finally read the third with them. 

With Volume Three, our heroine is on pretty good footing- excuse the pun- with friends, a cat, security and a person to spend the rest of her days with. Until that person is thrust away from her, never to return. Clementine feels that there's no hope to return to the happiness that she once had, until she's shown the way to another potential family, and another life entirely. But at what cost?

Clementine: Book Three brings about a well-rounded finale to a beloved series of mine, and I'm satisfied with the ending. 

5. Global, by Eoin Colfer

I picked this up in Middlesborough, I think (during our Whitby holiday) and recognised it immediately. Global is written by Eoin Colfer, who also wrote Illegal, which I read a couple of years ago, and loved. Of course I had to have it. Of course I loved it just as much as Illegal. 

Global jumps between two protagonists, Sami and Yuki, in two entirely different places in the world, but both in an equally desperate economic disaster. Sami and his grandfather live in a village along the indian ocean, and are daily risking their lives, trying to gather enough fish to sell to survive, all the while waiting anxiously for the next monsoon. Yuki lives in the far north of Canada, where warming temperature is melting the ice, and endangering the polar bears. Yuki is determined to do something to help. 

Both stories are gripping and fast-paced, and I read the entire thing in one afternoon (probably because it was a graphic novel, but it was still good.)

If anyone knows of any other Eoin Colfer graphic novels, I would love to read them. 

6. Before I Die, by Jenny Downham 

At this point in the month I was struggling with deciding what to read next. I wanted to read something I would enjoy, but also didn't want to take an age to read it, because of the ever looming Goodreads Reading Challenge. Cue Before I Die: one of my favourite fast reads, when I'm in the mood for a sad book that I knew I would enjoy. Before I Die is about more than just a girl dying of cancer. It has a message that I think is very important- to take what you want and never let go. Tessa is dying- there's no getting around that- but she has a list, and a promise to herself: she's not going to die until all ten things on the list are done. 

Before I Die is an emotional, powerful book, and it is always a pleasure to pick it up again. 

7. The Grim Grotto (A Series of Unfortunate Events #11), by Leminy Snicket

8. The Penultimate Peril (A Series of Unfortunate Events #12), by Lemony Snicket

These books have been a long time coming. I think I put them off for two months, maybe. But July, for me, has been my catch up month, where I promised myself that I would finish everything I'd been working for, for seemingly forever. 

Even though you can't tell, because the Earthsea Quartet is four short stories, all in one book, I was alternating the A Series of Unfortunate Events series, and the Earthsea novels, so I didn't get disinterested in either series. 

I honestly think what was stopping me from finishing this series was the start of The Grim Grotto. It starts by descriping the water cycle, and maybe I just wasn't in the mood to read that, in the extremely wordy style that's accustomed in the ASOUE series. Once I got past that, I started gaining speed, and managed to knock out each of these in five days or so. 

The Penultimate Peril felt like the finale for this series, because you get re-introduced to a number of characters that the reader has met over the last 11 novels, except for the extremely chaotic ending that sends the hotel up in smoke. There are only a few select characters that either show up, or get a mentioning in The End, so I thoroughly enjoyed The Penultimate Peril, since it's mostly a review of all of the Baudelaire's woes and troubles since the series began. 

9. Earthsea: The First Four Books (Earthsea Cycle #1-4), by Ursula K. Le Guin

Honestly, thank fuck I finished this. I doubled with reading this and listening to the audiobook with each of the short stories for Earthsea, and it worked wonders for my progress. Each of the next three novels after A Wizard of Earthsea were captivating, entising and full of excitement. I fell in love with this vibrant world, interesting and flawed characters- because geenuinely, so much was packed into each story, each chapter, each page. 

I am aware that there are two more novels I have to read until I have fully completed the series, but I'm going to read those as and when I'm in the mood to read them- hopefully it's sometime this year. 

10. The End (A Series of Unfortunate Events #13), by Lemony Snicket

I'm going to start with this: The End has a completely different feel to the rest of the series. Like I said before, very few characters from the past 12 novels make it to the thirteen book. Kit Snicket is there, Count Olaf is also there, the Baudelaire parents are mentioned throughout, and the Quagmire triplets and Dewey are mentioned occasionally. That's it. Basically, the book starts with the Baudelaires and Count Olaf being ship-wrecked, and landing on a coastal shelf in the middle of nowhere. 

It's soon clear that everything washes up on these shores eventually, the place that the Baudelaires find themselves on. Including, their parents, right before Violet was born. A very big part of this book is Violet, Klaus and Sunny finding our more about why their parents were here, what they were like, as well as trying to find out more about the schism, amongst all the other secrets they've been trying to uncover for the majority of these books. 

It was very detatched to the structure of the other books, but I didn't have any issues with it, with the way it was written, and although I'll undoubtedly be thinking about it for at least another week, I was extremely satisfied with the ending. 

Thankyou Lemony Snicket, and the Baudelaire siblings, for your amusing and unfortunate story. It was a pleasure to read about your lives once more. To another seven years before I come across your books again! 

Okay! Those are all the books I read in July! I'm extremely happy to say that I'm finally free of all the series I've been stringing along (except for some books my colleague gave me to borrow...)

which I'm already reading now. 

As always, feel free to comment down below what you got up to in July, and we can chat about it! 

I hope you have a wonderful day and I'll see you all soon! 

Byeeeee! 

-Abi xxxx

This book possibly has the best blurb I've ever read (in my whole entire life). 

Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And I know I was meant to be posting a review of My Friends, by Fredrik Backman, but right now that's the last thing I want to post. 

And I'd rather write a long post about something I'm genuinely interested in, instead of trying to invoke enthusiasm into something I'm not. 

I have the whole night to do this, so let's get stuck in! 

~The Best Book You've Read So Far in 2025~

A number of books were contendors for this, including: The Wake Up Call, Sunrise on the Reaping, and Friday Black, but I think Rachel's Holiday edges those just a bit. 

Rachel's Holiday is the second novel in The Walsh Family series, centering around the three Walsh sisters as they navigate their hyper-active lives, working through issues and generally stumbling through life. I've heard each novel in this series is pungent, honest and empowering, and even though they're all as big as this, I'm determined to get to all of them. 

Rachel is the middle Walsh child, and this novel follows her to an addiction centre, though she's convinced her drug taking is exactly the same as everyone else's- normal. Over 600 pages or so, we see her in denial, convinced that this rehabilitation centre is just a holiday. Then she's chasing a guy, but over time we see her broken down by the people closest too, and then to the end of her stay, out into the bright world. 

Altogether this was such an amazing read, and I can't wait to sink my teeth into the rest of Marian Keyes' other novels. 

~Best Sequel You've Read in 2025~ 

Haven't actually read many sequels this year, given a lot of my chosen books have been re-reads so far this year, but I'm going to elect The Troublemakers, by Tamzin Merchant for this. 

The Troublemakers is the epic finale for the Cordelia Hatmaker trilogy, where her seabound father and Cordelia finally make their journey out to sea, after being reunited at last. After the first two books wrapped up everything that was going on; the maker families all working in harmony again, and magic about to be restored, I was curious as to what was left, but honestly, there was so much more to come. 

A whole new cast of characters, as well as some favourites from the first two books, and a quest to clear Cordelia's name after she makes a catastrophic mistake that gets her banished from her home. I'm eagerly awaiting Merchant's next novel, about the origins of Making. 

~New Release You Haven't Read Yet, But Want To~

THIS. 

Strangers in Time was my first choice in Whitby, but unfortunately the bookshop didn't stock it. But, I am determined to read this before the end of the year. If I get desperate enough, I have my anniversary voucher that I can obtain it from. 

Strangers in Time is basically about a bookstore owner, Ignatus, and two teenager, fighting to get through the horrors of the Blitz the only way they know how- by relying on eachother. If you want more in-depth details about this book, you can look on my Anticipated Releases post for April-June. 

This is David Baldacci's first historical fiction novel, and I am eager to see what I think of it. 

~Most Anticipated Release for the Second Half of the Year~

It's a book about a pensioner-that's also a murderer. Although she doesn't do that anymore. 

Until now. 

That's really all I think I need to say to be honest. 

~Biggest Disappointment~

I bet some of you are surprised by this choice, especially as I picked The Troublemakers as best sequel. But the minute I found out that Cordelia wouldn't be setting out to sea to search for her father, my progress dwindled significantly with this book. 

It all worked out in the end, her place to be was right there in London with her family, but I was expecting her to stowoway in a mystery boat with her friend Goose, and when that didn't happen, I was slightly disappointed. 

~Biggest Surprise~

Tbe Pieces of Ourselves surprised me so much. 

As soon as I got a little ways in, I could not put this book down. 

It tells the story of Flora, who after an 'incident' and a surprise bipolar diagnosis, has had to put her life on hold. Her only reason for getting up in the morning is her job at the hotel she works at. 

Until a mysterious guest arrives, and requests her help at discovering his grandmother's past- which has something to do with the hotel. 

As Flora and Hal start to uncover the secrets to his heritage, Flora is in a battle with herself- figuring herself out, finding out what her new 'normal' is- and in doing so, finding herself a little closer to Hal. 

I knew I would like this, especially after loving Theatrical so much, but I never expected to be clawing through every page, anxious to find out what was going to happen next. 

Maggie Harcourt is an author to watch, guys. 

~Favourite New Author (to you)~

Ursula K. Le Guin- Author of the Earthsea novels. 

Which I finish this very afternoon (The Earthsea Quartet I mean, so the first four books). 

Her writing is up there with Tolkein, to be honest. 

Her stories are full of adventures, dramatic fighting and escapes, great triumphs and devastating deaths. 

Such a wonderful storyteller- And I've only just started reading her work. 

~Newest Fictional Crush~ 

Only one that springs to mind is from a tv show, from the 90s. 

John Carter, from ER. Yes I'm aware that George Clooney was also in this show. But I'm seen this character grow from a clueless student, taking charge in a meltdown, and aspiring to be the best doctor he can be. I'm currently in Season 5/15 and I never want to slow down. 

~Newest Favourite Character~

Does tribute Haymitch count as a new character if I've technically met them before?

Well, I've never met him at this age, so I'm counting it. 

And Maysilee. And Wyatt. And young Wiress, Beetee, Mags and Effie. 

~Book That Made You Cry~

Easy. Tear-jerker every time. It may seem heartless, but I read this when I was something quick that I know I'll enjoy reading. Because the thing is, this isn't a book about a teenage girl dying of cancer. It's a book about living each day like it's your last. It's about taking what you want with both hands and not letting go until you have no choice. 

I will always cry during my re-read of this book, because it's a sad book. But it's also a powerful book.

Basically, Tessa has a list. Ten things, the first being sex. And she's not going to die until all ten are done. But the thing is, getting what you want doesn't always get you what you need. And sometimes the most unexpected things become important. 

I came across this book over a decade ago, in my secondary school library. It was a favourite from day one, and I think I've shed more tears over this book than all my other favourite tear-jerkers combined. 

~Book That Made You Happy~

This could be considered a happy book, but also a sad book. The reason this books makes me happy is because I know that there aren't many things that are a constant in life, but good friends, if they're the right ones for you, can last a lifetime. Everybody needs someone to be weird with, to feel they can tell them anything, and your friends are it. 

Friends are the centre of this book, so I can't think of a worthier candidate for this category. 

~Most Beautiful Book You've Bought (Or Received)~

Technically I received this last September, but it's still in the space of a year, so I'm going with it. 

Just look at it. Absolutely stunning cover, there was no way I was going to pick anything else. 

Yes, I still need to read it, but it's going on the priority list for the rest of the year (along with a couple of other classics). 

~What Books Do You Want To Read By the End of the Year~

Off the top of my head, all my gifted books:

1. All of my Neil Gaiman books

2. Great Expectations, by Charles Dickins

3. Nicholas Nickleby

4. The Scarlet Letter

5. The House of Fortune, by Jessie Burton (which also includes a re-read of The Miniaturist)

~Favourite Book to Movie Adaptation You've Read Seen This Year~

I'm actually currently re-watching Heartstopper, just finished Series One, so I'm going to slightly change the question and select Heartstopper. I haven't seen Series Three yet, which is why I'm re-watching, but truly, the phrase 'absence makes the heart grow stronger' really is accurate in this case. 

It really is wonderful to be able to watch the Charlie and Nick story right from the start- and I know I'm going to just love Series Three. 

Okay! That is the Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag! *Phew*! Finally finished. 

I hope you guys like reading this tag, because that literally took me hours. 

Anyway, as always, I'm opting out of tagging, because I'm everyone who has a blog has done this tag, but of course, it's basically a tradition on here now. 

Feel free to comment your answers down below, and I'll see you all soon for my July Wrap Up (another long one, I've finished 9 books so far). 

Okay, I hope you have a wonderful day and I'll see you all soon! 

Byeeeeee! 

-Abi xxxxxxx

 

July TBR (2025)

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

Welcome to the first TBR for the second half of the year- and for once it doesn't feel like the time has gotten away- it feels like, because of the heat, it feels like July weather. 

I'm treating July as a catching up month. I want to finish all of the ongoing series' that I'm currently in the middle of, and start afresh in August. I'll be happy if I manage that. 

So without further ado, here's my July TBR. 

1. Global, by Eoin Colfer

I was originally going to have the Clementine graphic novel trilogy in place here, but since we're already a week into July, I've already finished them. 

I didn't even own Global a week ago, but I received it as an anniversary present in Lincoln on Saturday, and right now, I'm two books behind on my Goodreads Reading Challenge. So I'm calling in the big guns. 

Global is a survival graphic novel, following two children in a climate crisis, who are just trying to find a stroke of luck- and survive at the same time. Produced from the award-winning team that created Illegal, comes another moving graphic novel about climate change- and what it takes to change your luck- for the better. 

2. The Earthsea Quartet: The First Four Books, by Ursula K. Le Guin

I'm currently one story into this novel, and the plan for this is to read a story between the Series of Unfortunate Events novels'. As we all know, due to the screw up this book was for me back in June, this might not go to plan. Which is fine because, I'll be taking this book at my own pace, and taking all of it in. 

I thought that the four stories within this novel was the be-all-and-end-all The Earthsea Quartet, but it turns out there's two more books after this. This changes nothing. 

I know I'm going to love this award-winning, absolute legend of a series. 

3. The Grim Grotto (A Series of Unfortunate Events #11), by Lemony Snicket

4. The Penultimate Peril (A Series of Unfortunate Events #12), by Lemony Snicket 

5. The End (A Series of Unfortunate Events #13), by Lemony Snicket 

I really need to finish this series. End of. 

I'm convinced that The Grim Grotto is what's stopping me. 

Once I get past that, it's just a big wrap up to the end- we find out about the sugar bowl, the potentially-alive adult, the last safe place, and what's going to happen in the end. It's high time I followed the Baudelaire orphans to the end of their rope, and their story as a whole. 

And then I'll be re-watching the series again. 

If I somehow manage to read all of those, and have some time left, I'm going to pick three books at random (that aren't brand new) and just pick the book I want to read the most. 

That's highly unlikely though. 

Okay1 Those are all the books I want to read this month. I really hope I manage to finish all of these, because I desperately need a clean slate in August. 

Okay! I hope you have a wonderful evening and I'll see you all soon, with my review My Friends, by Fredrik Backman! 

Byeeeee! 

-Abi xxxxx