Monthly Wrap Up: August 2022

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Hi everyone! It’s time for another monthly wrap up. This month’s been pretty busy for me, I’ve been balancing spending time with loved ones with my blog and time for myself. Still, I’ve had a really amazing month – I’ve been on holiday with my family, had some really lovely days with my boyfriend and been to some fun parties with my friends, all the while hitting new milestones on my blog! I’m really excited to see what else the future holds.

This month was actually a really great reading month for me, which I’m very surprised by! I didn’t think I’d fit in much reading what with everything else but I managed to read seven books, which I’m really proud of – it’s actually my best reading month this year so far! I started this month strong with some cute contemporaries but you’ll soon see that I ended up adding in some more variety later on, with three additional genres!

See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Thoughts: This was the perfect start to my August reading! I really enjoyed this, I went into it with really high expectations (largely due to how much I loved Today Tonight Tomorrow) but it lived up to them! I found the time travel aspect really interesting and I loved reading the connection between Barrett and Miles blossom. The character development was also amazing and I really appreciated the focus on family in this too. I’d definitely recommend picking it up!

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Rating: ✯✯✯✯

Thoughts: Historical fiction is not a genre I would usually reach for, but I’ve heard so many great things about this and felt like trying something a little new! I really enjoyed this, I thought the characters in this were really amazing, they really made the book, and I loved the focus on family too. I also really liked the dual timeline in the first part, which certainly kept me reading! This is such a great summer read that I’d really recommend.

A Pho Love Story by Loan Le

Rating: ✯✯✯✯

Thoughts: This was such a cute read! I thought Linh and Bao were both really interesting characters and I loved how creative they both were. The setting also really stood out to me – I thought having the two competing Vietnamese restaurants as the backdrop to the story was really cool, and I appreciated how big a role family and friends played in this. If you love loveable characters, sweet romances and anything food, I’d definitely recommend this!

The Girl’s Guide To Summer by Sarah Mlynowski

Rating: ✯✯✯

Thoughts: If you’re looking for a fun, quick read this summer then this could very well be it! I really liked this, it was really easy reading (I read it in a day) and I loved reading about two best friends backpacking across Europe – getting to see a little bit of each place was so much fun! I also found the romance the main character had was super cute. With that being said, I have to say this one didn’t have much depth to it (admittedly there were anxiety and acrophobia storylines but I don’t think either was given the attention it deserved or properly executed) and the friendship itself was quite toxic. Still, if you’re just looking to be whisked away this summer I think you’d enjoy this!

The Trial by Laura Bates

Rating: ✯✯

Thoughts: I decided to take a break from my contemporaries with this and honestly… I ended up regretting it. The main redeeming quality was the important discussions surrounding sexism, although I also liked the pace, tension and action. Other than that, though, this was a big miss for me. I didn’t think enough thought went into developing any of the characters and honestly, it was just a little too unbelievable in places. I also thought the reveal wasn’t nearly dramatic enough, and that the ending was just too open ended for my tastes – I would have really appreciated an epilogue. With all that being said, I’d recommend saving yourself the time and not picking this one up – there are so many amazing thrillers out there worth the read and for me, this wasn’t one of them.

Tag, You’re Dead by Kathryn Foxfield

Rating: ✯✯✯✯

Thoughts: After reading It’s Behind You last year and loving it, I went into this with really high expectations – and I’m pleased that it met most of them! I really enjoyed this, I thought the characters were all really interesting (even if I didn’t like all of them) and there was some great character development. I really enjoyed the mystery behind Rose’s ghost and the action and pace too, particularly in the second half of the book. With that being said, I did correctly guess both the murderer and the person behind Rose’s game, so this did lack the element of surprise for me. Still, I’d really recommend this!

Six Of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Thoughts: I’ve been meaning to read this for what feels like forever, and I’m so glad that I finally did! I didn’t think it could top the Shadow And Bone trilogy set in the same universe but I was pleasantly surprised. I loved this book so much, I thought the world-building was absolutely phenomenal and the characters were all so amazing. I thought the pace was also just right and I loved the action! What really sealed this as a five star read, though, was the author’s incredible writing style – they’re so talented! I genuinely can’t recommend this book enough.

Have you read any of these? What books did you read during August? Let me know in the comments!

I hope you enjoyed this post!

Ceri

33 thoughts on “Monthly Wrap Up: August 2022”

  8. Amazing reads..I love your writing style it’s very engaging, I now really want to read “See you yesterday” you’ve convinced me. Thanks for sharing.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  14. You read a good number of books last month! I’m quite intrigued by Tag, You’re Dead because I love mysteries and A Pho Love Story sounds so sweet. It’s a shame that The Trial wasn’t that good, but it sounds like you read a lot of other great books.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  15. You’ve shared some really great sounding books which after reading your reviews, I’ll defiantly be checking them out. What an amazing month of reading you’ve had, I wish I could read more than one book within a month – I lack the concentration for sure. Thank you so much for sharing with us lovely Xo

    Elle – ellegracedeveson.com

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  17. Pingback: The Fall Bucket List Book Tag – Read And Review It

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