August Wrap-Up + September TBR

I can't believe summer is coming to a close... It went by so fast :/ Anyway, here's what happened in August.

Books Read:
- Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst
- Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

Currently Reading:
- Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco
- Spells and Sorcery by S. Usher Evans

Haul:
- BookItCon haul
- Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
- Phantom Limbs by Paula Garner (thanks for trading with me, Nori!)
- Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow

Reviewed:
- Kids of Appetite by David Arnold (4.5 stars)
- Carry On by Rainbow Rowell (3/3.5 stars)
- Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven (4.5 stars)

Other Posts:
- Claudia reviewed The Geography of You & Me by Jennifer E. Smith (DNF)
- Hogwarts House Identity Crisis
- BookItCon Recap + Haul

Challenges:
- Since I wasn't able to do a lot of reading this month (if you couldn't tell), I'm definitely not going to be writing wrap-up posts for the ReadThemAllThon or ARC August... although I did manage to read Of Fire and Stars for ARC August (review probably not going to go up until October though). And I got my Cascade Badge for the ReadThemAllThon! Although I didn't end up crying (and it wasn't my original choice for the badge), I expected to cry while reading Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo, so it still counts, right? RIGHT? (I'm desperate)

September TBR

It's going to be an extremely busy month for me, so I doubt I'll be able to read all of these, but if I can manage it, I'm hoping to read the following:

1. finish the books I'm currently reading (2)
3. The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee
4. Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake
5. Bright Smoke, Cold Fire by Rosamund Hodge

How was your August? What are your reading plans this month?

On Monthly TBRs

Hi everyone! As it is the beginning of the month, I thought I would discuss monthly TBRs. I always seem to set a monthly TBR, but 90% of the time, I just don't follow through. So I thought I'd briefly (and I do mean very briefly) talk about why I set a monthly TBR, and a few problems I always seem to have.

Why We Do It:

The main reason why I think we set monthly TBRs is for motivation. A lot of us have goals for reading. Whether we are participating in the Goodreads challenge, simply like to be consistent readers, or want to stay on schedule with our review output for the month, we usually need to have some way to motivate ourselves to stay on task.

Problems:

Mood Reading - I know this is true for me, and I'm sure this is true for a lot of other people as well. Sometimes, we're just not in the mood for a particular book or genre. Or we're in the mood for a very specific type of book. For example, a few months ago I just really wanted to read a book in the vein of Rebel of the Sands. There were plenty of other books on my TBR, but something in my brain told me I had to read it. So I did. It's hard to explain where those feelings come from, but because of this inability to pinpoint it, I think it's all the more difficult to counteract these moods and actually read the books we initially planned on reading.

Life - This is obviously vague, but sometimes life just gets in the way. I know I'd rather be reading a lot of the time, but naturally life will continue to go on whether we chose to be living our own or living through someone else's (although those lives will pick up where we left off), so we sometimes don't always have the time to read as many books as we initially planned. My life always seems to get in the way. I know that I probably could make more time for reading, but I rarely ever meet my reading goals for a month (and I barely scrape by on my Goodreads yearly reading challenges).

July TBR

Can you believe it's already July? I definitely can't! Anyway, I'm hoping to read a bunch of books this month:

1. How to Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather
2. Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst
3. The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
4. I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
5. The Telling by Alexandra Sirowy
6. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (reread)
7. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
8. Everland by Wendy Spinale

What are your reading plans for July?

June TBR

Now that summer's nearly here, I'm really excited to catch up on some reading! Here's what I'm planning on reading this June :)

1. Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin ✓
2. For the Record by Charlotte Huang ✓
2. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
3. How to Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather
4. I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
5. Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor
6. Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor
7. Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst
8. The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

What are your reading plans this June?

January TBR

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! *throws confetti*

I don't have a huge TBR for this month, but there are a bunch of books releasing this month that I cannot wait to dive into, as well as a few ARCs and other books I need to catch up on.

1. Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

TRUTHWITCH IS FINALLY HERE!!!!! *runs around the room screaming* OMG YOU GUYS HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS BOOK... (Actually you probably do.) EXCUSE MY INTENSE FANGIRLING BUT I CANNOT CONTAIN MYSELF RIGHT NOW. *SQUEALS*

2. Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

3. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

4. Revenge and the Wild by Michelle Modesto (ARC)

5. Seven Black Diamonds by Melissa Marr (ARC)

6. Melophobia by James Morris (for review)

October TBR

Currently Reading:

I'm currently reading Heir of Fire, and I love it even more than Crown of Midnight, so the series has only been going up for me. I am so excited to finish Heir of Fire and finally get into Queen of Shadows. I am also (sort of) currently reading Air Awakens by Elise Kova and Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, but Heir of Fire and Queen of Shadows are my priority right now because Queen of Shadows has been out for a month and people are going to be more lenient about spoilers.

To Read

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas || Prodigy by Marie Lu || Champion by Marie Lu

Unhinged by A.G. Howard || Golden Lily by Richelle Mead ||Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman

September TBR

I can't believe September is already here!! Summer went by so fast...Anyway, I have big hopes for this month in terms of reading, even though I will have a lot less free time because of my classes. Here's my TBR!

Books I'm Currently Reading and Want to/Need to Finish

I REALLY REALLY REALLY WANT TO FINISH THIS REREAD. I actually (surprisingly) like it a lot more the second time around, and want to finally read Crown of Midnight and Heir of Fire since Queen of Shadows just came out yesterday and everyone is spazzing out and running around as if their souls have been ripped out of there bodies.

(Also, I wrote that post about my thoughts on rereading, and even though I tried rereading Throne of Glass toward the beginning of the summer, my thoughts on rereading have vastly changed since then and I want to do an updated post.)

I'm 54 pages into this, and so far, I'm loving it!! The Grisha world is so intriguing and I literally just met the Darkling and really have not decided what I think of him yet. This is less of a priority at the moment because of my Throne of Glass catch-up but I am still really enjoying it and hope to pick it back up soon (and the sequels as well) since it's amazing and I also really want to read Six of Crows (Leigh Bardugo's new book), which comes out in a few weeks.

I found this book through some blogs I follow (and I also have chatted a bit with the author, Elise Kova, on Twitter a bit), and the premise really attracted me to it. I love Avatar: The Last Airbender, and the blog where I discovered the book said it was kind of like that. So far it's been pretty good, but it's not my absolute favorite. (Then again, I've only read 2 chapters so it's pretty hard to say for sure.) I'm really looking forward to continuing with the book and seeing the plot unfold.

This is an assigned reading book, and I already completed the other two assigned reading assignments (as well as all my other classes' summer assignments), so this is the only thing that stands in my way until my classes start back up again. I really enjoyed the book at first, but am worried that I'm starting to dislike it because the imagery is fantastic, but it's kind of overwhelming at times and I've been getting a bit confused. Hopefully I'll start enjoying it again, and if not, that's just too bad for me because I have to read it anyway.




September TBR ~ SEQUELS

I know I put Crown of Midnight and Heir of Fire on my TBR for the past few months, but I am DEFINITELY going to read them this month because the highly-anticipated fourth installment, Queen of Shadows, just came out yesterday and I don't want to be spoiled (and trust me, there are already plenty of spoilers starting to surface).

I absolutely adored Pushing the Limits and Dare You To, the first two books in the series, and am so excited to finally pick up Isaiah's story (especially since it's been sitting on my shelf for quite a while now and I haven't read much contemporary lately)

After reading Legend, I immediately bought the rest of the trilogy, but I got about 80 pages into Prodigy a while back and never picked it up again. I really want to wrap this series up so I can focus my attention on The Young Elites (and I also just loved the first book and want to know the rest of June and Day's story)

I really love retellings, and A.G. Howard's Splintered was a fantastic Alice in Wonderland retelling. I have had this book for a while now (like many other books), but I always seem to struggle to pick up sequels. So I'm hoping this one is a great continuation of the story, and I hope I finally pick a side in the love triangle because I still have yet to do so.

NEW RELEASES I WANT TO READ (There are so many other wonderful books coming out this month that I wish I had the time to read, but I guess those will just have to wait.)

I've actually never read a Wild West book before, but I have been dying to read an Erin Bowman book for a while now, and this book just sounds like so much fun and a new experience/genre to try out. I've heard such fantastic things about this book and really want to read it.

 

This book seems to be a favorite these days, and I've only heard the best of the best about this book. I unfortunately missed the opportunity to snag a copy when I was at BookCon back in May, but since summer's zoomed by, I can finally pick up a copy! I am so psyched for this book and really hope I get a chance to pick up a copy and read it this month.

I really really need this book. I've only heard the best about this book (like pretty much all of these books I've mentioned so far), but I think this is a really unique one. It's not every day that a book like this one comes out, and I think it covers really the really important topic of self-image and feeling good in your own skin. I could use some tips from Willowdean, and I have pretty much been wanting to read this book even before it got such high praise.

That's all for my TBR! What are your reading plans this month?
~Alexandra

BookTubeaThon TBR

Hi everyone!  My friend recently told me about BookTubeaThon, and I thought it would be super fun to give it a try.  "The BookTubeaThon is a week long readathon hosted by Ariel Bissett [on BookTube]! A time for the BookTube community to all come together and do what we read best: consume books in massive quantities!"  I am not a BookTuber, but I still thought it would be a fun experience and really help me read more books this summer, since I have been dragging behind the past two months.  BookTubeaThon is happening from August 3 (today!) to August 9.  Now for the challenges:

1// Read a book with blue on the cover

I have been wanting to read this one for a really long time (since before it even came out!), but never got around to it.  I'm borrowing it from my awesome book-loving friend, so I really need to get it back to her ASAP.  And the cover is GORGEOUS and blue.

2// Read a book by an author who shares the same first letter of your last name

You have absolutely no idea how hard it was to find a book with an author whose last name begins with Y.  It was pretty much either The 5th Wave or… The 5th Wave.  I seriously had a ton of trouble finding a book to satisfy the challenge.

3// Read someone else's favorite book

The 5th Wave and Falling Kingdoms both satisfy this challenge.

4// Read the last book you acquired

5// Finish a book without letting go of it

For this challenge, I decided to choose The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway.  It is a super short read so it shouldn't be too hard to read without letting go of it, even if I do have to take a break from reading.  Also, I have been wanting to read more classics, so there's that aspect of it as well.

6// Read a book you really want to read

People always seem to talk about Shadow and Bone, and I want to know what they're all talking about!  The Darkling is always brought up in conversation, and even though the book sounds great in general, I want to know why everyone seems to love this character that is so bad.

7// Read seven books

The additional books to reach the seven book goal may change, but I have been wanting to read Looking For Alaska for a while (especially since I've seemed to enjoy every John Green book I read more than the last) and I also finally got my hands on a copy of Etiquette and Espionage, so I figured I'd give them a shot if I can squeeze them in this week.

Good luck to all those participating in Booktubeathon… And as Effie Trinket would say, "May the odds be ever in your favor!"
~Alexandra

August TBR

I should have a ton of free time this month, so I am really hoping to catch up on my summer reading goals.  In addition to a general TBR for this month, I am going to participate in Booktubeathon, which means that I will be trying to read seven books within the span of this coming week (August 3-9).  Here are the books I hope to (or in some cases, have to) read this month, not including the books I've chosen for Booktubeathon:

MUST READ: required summer reading

1. A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines
2. West with the Night by Beryl Markham
3. Mystic River by Dennis Lehane

WANT TO READ:

1. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

My cousin and brother both read this within the past few months and absolutely love love loved it (and I've only heard great things about it in general), so I just had to pick up a copy for myself!  I am so pumped to read this and hope it lives up to all the hype!


2. Throne of Glass or Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

I'm going to either reattempt my reread of Throne of Glass or just give up and continue on to the next book…

3. Because You'll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas 

I bought this a few months ago and have been meaning to read it.  And I haven't read many contemporaries lately, so it will be nice to throw one into the mix.

What are your reading goals for the month?
~Alexandra

July TBR

I will not have a lot of time to read this month, but there are a lot of books I want to read.  Although I have less time than I did in June (in which I only read 2 books), I am really hoping to read eight books.

1. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

I have not read any science fiction books in what seems like eons, so I am super excited for this one!  The book is pretty unique, told through all sorts of different files, such as reports, emails, and interviews, so I am also pumped to dive into a completely different style of writing than I am normally used to.

2. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

I have only heard great things about this series, and I am really excited to start reading them this month (and throughout the rest of the summer as well), leading up to the release of Leigh Bardugo's new book, Six of Crows, which sounds absolutely amazing.

3-5. Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight, and Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

I am determined to finish my Throne of Glass reread and finally catch up on Crown of Midnight and Heir of Fire.  I really enjoyed Throne of Glass the first time around, and hope that I still love the series just as much.

6. I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

I have been craving a contemporary read for a while, and I have also been meaning to pick this up for the past six months, so it is the perfect opportunity to finally read it.

7. A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines

I have some books that are required reading for the summer, and this one was on the list of required books to choose from, so I am hoping to get this one out of the way as soon as possible.  It seems like an interesting choice, but it is historical fiction (which is usually one of my least favorite genres), so I'll have to see how this one goes.

8. West with the Night by Beryl Markham

I am not usually a fan of memoirs nor autobiographies, but I am required to read a nonfiction book this summer, so I decided to read this one.  I am already somewhat familiar with her story because I read a MG historical fiction book based on her life, but I am curious to see what she herself wrote about her travels and experiences.

What are you planning on reading this month?

~Alexandra