July Wrap Up
July has officially ended, and with that comes a round-up of everything I have read this month.
This was an intense reading month for me. I did my first ever reading experiment (which was so much fun) and went on vacation, which allowed me tons of time to read. All this combined led to a fat stack of books being read.
The reading experiment I completed this month was “Reading like my Zodiac Sign” (if you want more on this, click here). I also participated in Summerween! This is a readathon hosted by Olivia over at @oliviareadsalatte and Gabby at @gabbyreads and is dedicated to spooky and scary reads in honor of Halloween (but in the summertime). If you know me, you know that Halloween is my favorite holiday, so any excuse to celebrate is perfect for me. Since I am not in school right now, I have more time for fun reads and readathons, allowing me to try and chip away at my neverending TBR.
Now, let’s get into the stats and books for the month.
Stats:
Total Books read: 26
Total Pages Read: 8,300
Average Star Rating: 3.21
Books Read
Here is the list of every single book I read this month. Since there are so many books, I am not going to provide in-depth summaries of each title. Instead, I will provide one to two sentences describing how I felt reading the book or the “vibes” of the book.
Please note:
*This is not a recommendation list. If you would like to pick up any of these books, I highly recommend looking up trigger warnings since I will not be providing them. Many of the books listed contain topics and storylines readers may find triggering so please read with caution.
*I do not rate nonfiction (which includes memoirs), so if a book does not have a rating attached to it, that just means it is a nonfiction book. It is not a reflection of the book itself.
Hollywood Park by Mikel Jollett
no rating
Seeing how growing up in a cult affected Mikel’s life and decision-making was fascinating to read. The audiobook was great because Mikel himself narrates, so it feels like he is telling you his own story and processes, making the story more meaningful.
Milk Fed by Melissa Broder
4.5 stars
This weird, yet stunning exploration of femininity and sexuality works beautifully. The exploration of the different ways to be Jewish and the narrator’s complications with her body spoke to me. Even though I felt mildly confused through most of this book, I enjoyed my time with this novel and found myself not wanting to put it down.
Owl and Other Fantasies by Mary Oliver
5 stars
Mary Oliver has always been one of my favorite authors, and her exploration and clear love of nature shines through and makes me love her even more. I felt truly transported into the wilderness through her beautiful writing, metaphors, and symbolism.
Someone Who Will Love You in All Your Damaged Glory by Raphael Bob-Waksberg
5 stars
This weird, seemingly nonsensical collection of essays filled me with equal parts joy, dread, sadness, and healing. BoJack Horseman is one of my favorite TV shows, and the writing in the show is mirrored in this collection. The dark humor and odd situations spoke to me in every way. This silly little egg book is one of my favorites of the year (so far).
Rivals by Katharine McGee
4 stars
This series is like reality TV- entertaining with no substance. This third book in the series keeps that energy. This was easy to read and fun to listen while stuck in traffic.
Galatea by Madeline Miller
3 stars
Was this ridiculsly expensive for a Kindle version of a 32-page story? Yes. But, mother made content and I have no choice but to consume. This short story was good but highly unnecessary.
Sex Cult Nun by Faith Jones
no rating
I am a true crime junkie, and my niche is religious cults. I enjoyed the writing style; it translated incredibly well to audio. Having a first-hand account of this (still active) cult and the almost self-help tone worked with this book.
I Might Regret This by Abbi Jacobson
no rating
I think I would have enjoyed this less if I was not listening to the audio version of this book. But hearing Abbi’s struggles and experiences in her voice made me relate heavily to this essay collection.
To Write as if Already Dead by Kate Zambreno
2 stars
The concept of this novel was intriguing, but the execution did not pull through. The writing was very pretentious, which I liked but everything else was painfully boring.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
5 stars
This book deserves the hype it has gotten over the years. I did guess the major twist in this novel, but I can’t remember whether or not I have seen the movie so I can’t tell if I just remember the twist from the movie or if I just got lucky and guessed it. But, this is a fun book (well, as fun as murder and domestic mind-games can be).
The Nineties by Check Klosterman
no rating
I am a history buff, so a book about the nineties is perfect for me. I loved how the author was able to combine his personal experiences living in the nineties, and actual, historical events. This was very American-centric, which is fine by me because I am from the US, but having a broader scope would have been interesting.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
5 stars
I wanted to reread this book before watching the movie, and I am so glad I did. I loved this book last year, and I loved it as much the second time around. I annotated the book as well and that elevated the experience for me because I was able to really examine the book, writing, and plot.
Sleeping Beauties: Vol. 1 by Stephen King and Owen King
3 stars
This was an enjoyable graphic novel. It was not really special, and I probably won’t continue on with the series, but I still enjoyed it.
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
5 stars
I loved this book, and I am so glad I finally read it. I can truly see this book's influence on the horror genre. The characters were fun and complex, and the plot was robust. But the setting is what made this book special. The cool thing about this book is that it’s a classic that doesn’t feel like a classic. It doesn’t feel boring or drawn out.
The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
3.5 stars
I had high expectations for this movie, but it didn’t meet those expectations. Although, it did remind me of an old slasher movie- entertaining but nothing substantial or ground-breaking.
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
3 stars
This was a very predictable mystery, but it was a quick read. This was nothing more than average though. And the twists were predictable. But it was overall a good enough time. I enjoyed it more than The Guest List, so, that’s a plus.
Misery by Stephen King
5 stars
I loved this book, and I have always loved this movie. I cannot believe that I haven’t ever read this book before. It was even better than the movie. I am so happy I finally got around to reading this novel.
The Verifiers by Jane Pek
3 stars
I really enjoyed the main character in this book, but other than that it was just average. This book didn’t do anything wrong, but it didn’t do anything extraordinary either. I liked it, but it is forgettable.
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
5 stars
This is another reread for me, but I am so happy I got to read this again. It’s one of my favorites, and I am so happy I was able to read this book again.
It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
2 stars
I knew I wasn’t going to like this book, and I was absolutely correct. The writing was juvenile, the characters were annoying and unappealing, and the plot was terrible. I genuinely do not know how this book is so hyped; this just was not the book for me.
Love in the Big City by Sang Young Park
3.5 stars
This was a really great exploration of young adulthood and sexuality. I think the translation made the writing and the stories feel a bit disconnected, which means I feel like the story won’t stick with me for very long.
Bangkok Wakes to Rain by Pitchaya Sudbanthad
4 stars
I found the writing in this book very pretty, the plot interesting enough, but it was kind of forgettable. I had never heard of this book and I am super glad I read it and experienced it. It was a really entertaining read.
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
4 stars
This book was incredibly confusing, but once I accepted the confusion I found this book really fun. It was a little too long, but it was unique, fun, and made my brain hurt (but in a good way). I still didn’t figure out what was going on but that didn’t make me enjoy it any less.
The Liminal Zone by Junji Ito
4 stars
While this wasn’t my favorite Junji Ito comic, I still found it enjoyable. The art was amazing (as always) and the stories were just as twisted.
Cults: Inside the World’s Most Notorious Groups and Understanding the People Who Joined Them by Max Cutler
no rating
If you like true crime podcasts and reading Wikipedia pages, then you will really enjoy this book. The audiobook was really great because it reads just like an extended episode of the podcast, ‘Cults’.
The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb
4.5 stars
This was an amazing read-it totally surprised me. I loved learning about music and the main character’s life while also figuring out a mystery. The ending fell a little short, but overall this was a really great read. The conversations surrounding race, specifically Black musicians, was fascinating.
Favorite Books from July
August Reading Plans
I have a small TBR for August, but for now, I am keeping my TBR secret because there is another reading experiment planned for the month. I am also planning to do a 24-hour readathon with random books from my TBR, so keep a look out on my Instagram for more details. I will be participating in the Tropeical Readathon (go Team Non-Fiction/Poetry). I have no set TBR for this readathon; I am just going to be fitting books I own into the prompts. I plan to be very chill with this readathon and not force anything. I will also be pariticpating in Polarthon to feed the polar bears! Again, I have no set TBR for this, I am just excited to see how many polar bears (each 100 pages read = 1 polar bear fed) I am able to feed in one month.
I move back to school this month so, I am going to try and do as much reading as humanly possible before the last week of August. Because I know that when school starts up I will have barely any time to read. So make sure you’re following my socials for all my reading updates.
Final Thoughts
This was my best month for reading (so far). I hope I am able to take this momentum into the upcoming semester. I was able to make a nice dent in my TBR and discover titles I had never even heard of. Most excitingly, I did my first ever large-scale reading experiment (which I am so proud of) and I cannot wait to do more.