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August Wrap-Up

Yet another month has gone by, but I am not here to complain over how quick the year is going, I am here to discuss what books I read in August! August was an OK reading month, a bit slower than July but I still managed to read around 10 books. Want to know what I read, let's get started...

Number 1: Night Owls by Jenn Bennett

Night OwlsThis was a very entertaining read and was one of my favourite books of the year. The relationship between Jack and Beatrix was very raw and was not one of instant love which is a trope that I dislike. The rest of the characters were really well put together and were really enjoyable. I really enjoyed the writing and the plot and the use of mental health in this novel was done were well. 






Number 2: The Stereotypical Freaks by Howard Shapiro

The Stereotypical Freaks (Forever Friends, #1)This was a very different graphic novel for me as the ones that I had previously read tend to be sci-fi fantasy and this was contemporary. I really enjoyed it was the characters were really good and the use of music in the graphic novel was great. There was also a cast of diverse characters, I will happily continue this series as I really enjoyed this book. 






Number 3: The Scarlett Letter Manga by Nathaniel Hawthorne and Stacy King

Manga Classics: The Scarlet LetterI had heard bad things about this classic novel so when I saw there was a manga I thought that it would be a good way to get into classics. This was a way to do it as I did enjoy it although I did like it, it would have been nicer to have more colour in the manga. 








Number 4: Sunkissed by Jenny McLachlan 

Sunkissed (Ladybirds, #3)I picked this up on a chance that I might enjoy it as I won it from a Bloomsbury competition as I have been struggling through a reading slump for a while and I was surprised as I don't normally read what I consider fluffy contemporary books but this was so much more than that. The characters are so good and entertaining and the plot was really enjoyable and was so much more than a boy and girl falling it love. This was a really amazing book and I will continue with Pearl's story who's character I really liked in this book. 




Number 5: Remix by Non Pratt

RemixThis book set at a festival is the perfect summer read which follows two best friends throughout the entire novel. It follows Kaz and Ruby's trouble with boys, musicians and first times. It is a really entertaining novel which has interesting and diverse characters, written very well and with a plot that was surprising at times. It definitely lived up to the hype and was as good as everyone said it would be. 





Number 6: Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon 

Everything, EverythingThis was a very enjoyable book and I fell in love with it. I had been anticipating this book for a long time when I first heard about the premise and it lived up to the hype. Although the character cast is small all the characters are very enjoyable. Although the relationship is a little bit like instalove by the fact that she sees him in the window and he is "the one," as their relationship progresses you can see their intimate moments they care for each other and their relationship build. I also liked that Yoon was able to incorporate an Asain American/African American main character as I find it rare in YA literature and am a supporter of diversity in books. I did enjoy the plot but I did find the ending predictable near the end as I believe their was foreshadowing throughout the novel which can be guessed. I also really did love the trip to Hawaii as this was a way for Maddy and Olly to bond. I did like her writing and I did enjoy the way that she bought in Maddy's book reviews and dictionary entries in the story. I also really liked the entries like the pieces of writing as they really added to the story.

Number 7: I Knew You Were Trouble by Paige Toon 

I Knew You Were Trouble (Jessie Jefferson, #2)This was a very enjoyable read and was a light read like Sunkissed which I needed as I find that reading contemporary gets me out of a reading slump. I did enjoy this book but I did find that it was hard to get into a little bit as this is the second book in the series and you had to find your way around it and figure the book, after not having read the first. I did enjoy the characters and the writing was really good as I especially liked the use of the music throughout the novel and it definitely added to the overall story. I really liked this book and I can't wait for the third book in the series and I might actually read the first one before the third one comes out. 


Number 8: Concentr8 by William Sutcliffe 

Concentr8This was a big surprise of the month as I just picked it up on a whim as I had it on netgalley and it was quite short so I knew it would be quick to read. This was a very enjoyable read and it was also very interesting as I didn't know much about ADD/ADHD before and it was featured in this book so that was a unique property. The chapters were unique to the characters and the backgrounds were reflected in their writing which was a nice feature to the novel and you don't often see it. The novel also had little snippets at the beginning of each chapter which helped with the background to the story and the situation of the characters which I really liked. I also enjoyed most of the characters because I didn't feel like all the carbon copies of each other and I only disliked the character of the Mayor as I just found him annoying. Although I didn't understand what was going on from the beginning, I did enjoy the story. There were however some plot holes that I still don't fully understand and I do wish they would have been revealed at the end but they didn't so that was disappointing. This was a very good read and I would definitely recommend. 

Number 9: Longbow Girl by Linda Davies

Longbow Girl by Linda DaviesThis was a very fun read combining fantasy and adventure with real life in a very effective way. Although at the beginning of the novel I found it quite slow, the pace picked up especially when Merry starts to go back in time and her life is in danger. I liked the characters and I found that Merry as a character did develop over the course of the novel and it was nice to include a disability that doesn't define her in the novel and is hard to find in novels. The setting was nice especially as I don't tend to read books set in Wales. I really enjoyed this book and a review for this book will come soon...


Number 10: Pop Sonnets by Eric Didirksen 

Pop Sonnets: Shakespearean Spins on Your Favorite SongsThis book is definitely an enjoyable read as it is interesting to see well known pop songs into sonnets. This was a fun read and I would recommend to those of you who would like a entertaining read. 









Currently reading: The Secret Fire by C.J Daugherty & Carina Rozenfield 

The Secret Fire (The Secret Fire, #1)I am really enjoying this so far, it is a very fast-paced read as you just want to know what is going on with the story. I hope to read it by the end of month so fingers crossed. Review will be coming soon after I have finished it.








What have you read this month? Leave the reads in the comments below.

See you soon, 

Amy

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