July Wrap Up

So we are properly in the second half of the year, crazy nah? Work has been so busy I’ve barely had a chance to acknowledge Summer’s existence and I see people online talking about Fall? All I know is that I’m hot, that’s it.

July was another good month bookwise. I think I could have gotten more reading in if I’d tried but I enjoyed just lazing about. Plus, with the heat it’s hard to sit in one spot to read, is it just me?

What I read

I decided for the first time in a long time to try to read a series. I don’t think I’ve read one since the Lisbeth Salander novels and that was waay back. One of my friends had lent me the All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness, three big ass books. It wasn’t my favourite series but it was solid and I did enjoy them. I’m really tempted to check out the TV series but again, the reviews are so mixed. We’ll see.

Told you they were big

I also was determined to get some Summer Reads in so I picked up Callie Browning’s, The Girl With the Hazel Eyes and Zara Raheem’s, The Marriage Clock. Both were sweet, light reads which I definetly needed after reading the books previously mentioned. My reviews for those will be up on my Goodreads page by the end of next week.

Pretty Covers 🙂

What I got

Insert *squeal* here. So you know I had to check out a booksale or two and get some lovely brand new secondhand books from Storyland books (I need to start earning some referral fees or be hooked up with an affiliate link by now methinks). From there I got:

• The Perfect Mother – Aimee Molloy
• One Day in December – Josie Silver
• Swimming Lessons – Claire Fuller
• Daisy Jones & The Six – Taylor Jenkins-Reid (She threw this one in for free!)

I got Patsy in my Decentred Lit subscription box/bag (review here) which I’m so excited to read. I was also lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of Rafi Mittlefehldt’s, What Make Us from Shenwei, founder of LitCelebrAsian. I hadn’t heard of it or the author but I was able to receive it because (a) I’m Jewish and (b) I took a chance and asked. I’m getting braver when it comes to requeting ARCS guys. I gotta switch things up and try new things.

Normally this is where I would write a few lines about feeling guilty about buying more books but, this month I actually gave away quite a few, about 20. Two co-workers of mine have daughters who are avid readers so I put together some book packages for them. I also gave away about another four or five to my younger sister’s bestie when she came over yesterday.

It feels nice to find some nice, new homes for my books. I have some more left in my donate/giveaway box which I’m hoping to take to the library soon to see if they’ll take them. I know there’s a whole process but I hope it runs smoothly.

I was a bit bummed because the annual Summer Reading Camp I like to volunteer at was cancelled this year. As stressful as the camp did get at times, it was an event I looked forward to and I missed the kiddos this year. Hopefully the Reading Clinic will have another event planned for later on this year. Either that I’m going to have to find a new project. Let the brainstorming begin.

That was me for July. As we’re in August let me just wish you all a Happy Pride Month, belated Emancipation Day and Independence day to come.

‘Til next time 🙂