Hi everybody, welcome to my August wrap up! And also, my first post back after my blogging break! It’s fun to be back 🙂 Without further ado, let’s wrap up August, shall we?
The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary (Re-Read)
The Flatshare is one of my favorite books that I read back in 2019 and I thought it was the perfect time for a re-read! I still really love this one. It’s funny and sweet but also quite hard-hitting in some parts as it deals with some heavier topics like gaslighting and abusive relationships. It’s a delicate balance, but it works well and makes for a powerful read.
Rating: 4,5 stars
Dear Aaron by Mariana Zapata (Re-Read)
This is my second re-read of one of my all-time favorite reads and I’m happy to say it still hits all the spots. This is a slow-burn (VERY slow-burn) pen-pal romance. The first 60% or so are told completely in letters and chat logs and the two characters only meet in person until like 75%. So yes, it’s very slow-burn but despite the fact that I would have loved a bit more romantic scenes, I also at the same time adored the slow and steady and powerful build-up of Ruby and Aaron’s relationship.
Rating: 5 stars
Quicksilver by Callie Hart (Fae & Alchemy #1)
I’ve been seeing this romantasy hyped all over social media for a few weeks now, and I wanted to find my next romantasy obsession, so I thought I’d give this one a try. And my thoughts in a nutshell: this wasn’t a perfect read by any means (it’s quite tropey, the buildup of the romance could have been smoother and the pacing in general felt off) but despite its flaws, I ATE IT UP. The world is fun and intriguing and the ending had me shocked and I’m definitely looking forward to book 2!
Rating: 3,5 stars
The Road of Bones by Demi Winters (The Ashen #1)
WELL, I MAY HAVE FOUND MY NEW FANTASY OBSESSION. This is the Viking-inspired romantasy I wanted and more. While the first 20% or so honestly had me struggling a bit, once our main character Silla sneaks into the wagon of the notorious Bloodaxe Crew to travel the dangerous Road of Bones, I WAS HOOKED. This was a rollercoaster ride that had it all: a sunshine main character that felt so real and had the best character journey ever, a lovely found family of badasses, multiple POVs, an intriguing world with unique creatures (vampire deer!!), romance, steam, banter, secrets, shocks, betrayals and revelations. Highly recommend.
Rating: 4,5 stars
Kingdom of Claw by Demi Winters (The Ashen #2)
EVEN BETTER THAN BOOK ONE! This had everything that made book 1 great, but with so much more too: we get a new POV as Saga Volsik’s POV is added and not one but TWO amazing romantic plotlines, but we also meet new characters, learn more about beloved (and less beloved) old characters, and the world gets so much bigger and intriguing. Only downside is that I thought this was a duology but it’s not as it’s actually part of a 5-book series and book 3 isn’t out yet so now I have to wait, ugh!
Rating: 4,5 stars
Top Ten Tuesday
Ten Favorite Books from Ten Favorite Series
WWW Wednesday
Here are my top 3 highlights from August:
Chrissy Costanza – If Looks Could Kill
Still obsessed with Chrissy Costanza’s solo work and so excited for her album coming out soon!
Charli XCX ft Billie Eilish – Guess
Marianas Trench – Down To You
While I watched quite some TV this month, a lot of it was unfortunately a bit underwhelming. Also, I am SO BUMMED that The Acolyte is cancelled after 1 season. It had so much promise and the actors deserved so much more.
The Umbrella Academy Season 4
Meh. Seasons 1 and 2 were so amazing. Season 3 was okay-ish, but season 4 was just… a mess. Things were not consistent and did not make sense. So this is just a sad way to see a beloved tv show come to an end.
Emily in Paris Season 4 (Part 1)
Is Emily in Paris the best show out there? No. But it’s not trying to be. This is just a fun show that doesn’t take itself too seriously and just brings the cheese and the drama and the fun and I am here for it.
A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder Season 1
This was an okay adaptation. But… I liked the book better. Book Pip felt a lot smarter, while show Pip just felt reckless and discovering things by putting herself in dangerous situations and getting lucky. I guess they wanted more drama for the TV show? Also, the one book-thing I wanted them to remove from the show, namely the dog-plotline, was still in there. So, meh, not a fan.
August has been a great month. It started out with a bachelorette party and a wedding and ended with 3 weeks off from work, which has been an amazing break with a balance of fun (little trips here and there) and productivity (doing chores and work at home that needed doing).
THINGS THAT MADE ME HAPPY THIS MONTH:
- My brother’s wedding! It was a perfect wedding: the venue was beautiful, the weather was super nice, the food was delicious and my brother and sister-in-law both looked happy and gorgeous. Also, I did a speech and it went very well! A major accomplishment for this shy little bookworm 😉
- I had 3 weeks off from work (I’m in week 3 now) and we did so many things: went on a trip to Hasselt in Belgium (which was a lovely city I hadn’t visited yet), went to the movies (It Ends With Us, which had very problematic marketing but was a nice movie overall), had a friend date and lots of trips and chilling with just me and the husband and enjoying the nice weather.
- I feel like I beat my reading slump and I’m definitely happy about that!
THINGS I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH:
- The ‘BER months are starting and I am quite happy about that (especially October and fall season and Halloween season!)
- Getting my full blogging groove back, hopefully!
How was your August? What did you read? What did you listen to and what did you watch? What are you looking forward to in September?
I love Mariana’s books! But I don’t know now if I will read Quicksilver. I have become very picky with my romances
Mariana’s books are so good!
I totally get it about Quicksilver. I was very entertained and enjoyed it, but I’m not sure if it’s a book I’d recommend either as it did have some flaws…
Hooray for the ‘BER months. They are my favorite too! Our time has come! 😀
IT IS FINALLY TIME 😀
Welcome back! I’m glad your brother’s wedding went so well and you’re enjoying your time off from work!
Thanks so much!
I watched A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder too! I liked it, but I haven’t read the book. Congrats to your brother! I hope you’re having a good September.
Thanks so much! I’m glad to hear you liked A Good Girl’s Guide. I think I made the mistake of comparing it too much to the book, if I hadn’t done that perhaps I would have enjoyed it more.