Monthly Wrap-Up: July 2024

It's been rough around here. I still feel like I'm in this weird reading slump, but I have found that the only thing my mood can tolerate right now is graphic novels, comic books, and manga, so that's what I've been reading. I read 8 books, which sounds impressive, but it's really not. Lol. That's a total of 1428 pages, which is about 400 pages more than the previous month, but it is still on the lower side of my pages read per month this year.

• 1 was a collection of short stories, 4 were manga, and 3 comic books
• All 8 were part of a series
• I started 1 series but finished 2! Yay!
• All 8 were finished copies, no ARCs this month (though technically I do have 2 on my Currently Reading shelf, but I haven't finished either because slump... still 🙃)
• 3 were physical books and 5 ebooks
• 2 were 5-star books, 5 were 4-star books, and 1 was a 3-star book
• All 8 were traditionally published
• 1 was by a new-to-me author and 7 were by authors I've previously read
• 3 were adult books, 4 YA, and 1 middle grade book
• All 8 were fiction books
• 4 were urban fantasy and 4 were medical science-y
  

Finish the Series #33: I'm Counting This

Look at me on a roll this month! Lol. Although I was a little iffy about marking this one as finished... but I'm gonna do it. It's my challenge and I make the rules 😆

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #378: Slowing Down...

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Book Date and Unleashing Reads.

Sunday Post #412: Nothing But Simming

Welcome to The Sunday Post hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer, where I talk about what is going on in life and the blog, and show you all the bookish things I got that week!

The Olympic Book Tag

I saw this tag over at a GREAT read and I thought it was a very timely tag to do right now. Lol. I guess the Opening Ceremonies started yesterday? Idk. Lol. I'm not gonna lie, I don't really follow the Olympics because I don't sports...

BUT I do know that they were started back in Ancient Greek times to maybe possibly honor Zeus... I'm actually not sure, but I like Greek mythology, so! Lol. Anyway, this fun tag was created by Shannon at It Starts at Midnight, and I did borrow the images below from her because I thought they were very cute!

Review: The Vanishing Deep by Astrid Scholte

Title: The Vanishing Deep

Author: Astrid Scholte

Genre: YA, high fantasy, sci-fi, thriller, mystery

Publication date: March 2020

Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Source: Purchased paperback

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Synopsis: Bestselling author Astrid Scholte, returns with a thrilling adventure in which the dead can be revived... for a price.

Seventeen-year-old Tempe was born into a world of water. When the Great Waves destroyed her planet five hundred years ago, its people had to learn to survive living on the water, but the ruins of the cities below still called. Tempe dives daily, scavenging the ruins of a bygone era, searching for anything of value to trade for Notes. It isn't food or clothing that she wants to buy, but her dead sister's life. For a price, the research facility on the island of Palindromena will revive the dearly departed for twenty-four hours before returning them to death. It isn't a heartfelt reunion that Tempe is after; she wants answers. Elysea died keeping a terrible secret, one that has ignited an unquenchable fury in Tempe: Her beloved sister was responsible for the death of their parents. Tempe wants to know why.

But once revived, Elysea has other plans. She doesn't want to spend her last day in a cold room accounting for a crime she insists she didn't commit. Elysea wants her freedom and one final glimpse at the life that was stolen from her. She persuades Tempe to break her out of the facility, and they embark on a dangerous journey to discover the truth about their parents' death and mend their broken bond. But they're pursued every step of the way by two Palindromena employees desperate to find them before Elysea's time is up--and before the secret behind the revival process and the true cost of restored life is revealed.

My rating: ★★★☆☆

To survive these twenty-four hours, I needed to become the storm, not succumb to it.

I have been loving reading Astrid Scholte’s books. I recently discovered them, and it is thanks to them that I have entered my high fantasy era. I used to not very much, but lately, that’s all I’ve been wanting. One thing I love about her books is that two of the three I read are standalones! That is SO rare for high fantasy! But also, they’re just so easy to read. A lot of high fantasy books have complicated names and words, but I appreciate that Astrid Scholte’s books have easy-to-pronounce words. What can I say, I am a simple girl. Lol.

Review: Vampiric Vacation (Sinister Summer #2) by Kiersten White

Title: Vampiric Vacation

Series: Sinister Summer #2

Previous book in this series: Wretched Waterpark

Author: Kiersten White

Genre: Middle Grade, mystery, humor

Publication date: September 2022

Published by: Delacorte Press

Source: Borrowed from library

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Synopsis: The spooky summer adventures of the Sinister-Winterbottom twins continue in another gothic mystery: can Theo and Alexander solve the secret of the Sanguine Spa in the little Transylvania Mountains?

After leaving Fathoms of Fun, the kids are on their way to the next odd summer destination their aunt has chosen for them. This time, they find themselves dropped off at the Sanguine Spa in the "little Transylvania Mountains". There they meet the owners: Mina, her mysterious little sister, Lucy (who is extremely pale, can't go in the sunlight, and has an affinity for hanging upside down from the ceiling), and their intimidating guardian, the Count.

When the Count sends all the children in the spa on a scavenger hunt, the Sinister-Winterbottoms use the excuse to snoop around and discover that this spa may be more than just eerie--it might also hold clues to what happened to their parents. When Wil starts to show vampiric symptoms, the twins resolve to investigate what's really going on at the Sanguine Spa.

The second book in the Sinister Summer series continues the adventures of the Sinister-Winterbottoms and their aunt who never saw a discount vacation destination she didn't love.

My rating: ★★★★☆

I have loved Kiersten White’s middle grade novels—they are just so silly and fun! I really enjoyed Wretched Waterpark, so I was very much looking forward to reading this book! And overall, I liked it!

One of my favorite things about the book was the setting. Sanguine Spa...

Finish the Series #32: It's Been Rough

The last time I finished a series was in April, so it's been rough, ya'll 😅 However, I finally finished another one recently! Yay! Although I have noticed that a lot of the series I've finished this year are NOT series I started before 2024, which is typically my goal. But they are series I've had on my TBR for a minute, so I'll take it! Lol.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #377: I Tried...

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Book Date and Unleashing Reads.

Sunday Post #411: Finally!

Welcome to The Sunday Post hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer, where I talk about what is going on in life and the blog, and show you all the bookish things I got that week!

Review: League of Liars by Astrid Scholte

Title: League of Liars

Series: The League of Liars #1

Author: Astrid Scholte

Genre: YA, high fantasy, mystery, thriller

Publication date: February 2022

Published by: Putnam

Source: Borrowed from library

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Synopsis: In this fantasy thriller, four teens charged with murder and the illegal use of magic band together to devise the ultimate jailbreak.

Ever since his mother was killed, seventeen-year-old Cayder Broduck has had one goal--to see illegal users of magic brought to justice. People who carelessly use extradimensional magic for their own self-interest, without a care to the damage it does to society or those around them, deserve to be punished as far as Cayder is concerned. Because magic always has a price. So when Cayder lands a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to apprentice under a premier public defender, he takes it. If he can learn all the tricks of public defense, the better he'll be able to dismantle defense arguments when he's a prosecutor. Then he'll finally be able to make sure justice is served.

But when he meets the three criminals he's supposed to defend, it no longer seems so black and white. They're teenagers, like him, and their stories are... complicated, like his. Vardean, the prison where Cayder's new clients are incarcerated, also happens to be at the very heart of the horrible tear in the veil between their world and another dimension--where all magic comes from.

My rating: ★★★★★

"They all have a story," Graymond said with a sweep of his arms, raising his voice over the racket. "Are you ready to listen?"

I loved this book more than I thought I would! I’m not much of a high fantasy reader, but there is just something about Astrid Scholte’s world-building that I just love. One thing I loved about Four Dead Queens, which was the first book I read by this author, was the world and how it was divided into four starkly different quadrants. And the world in League of Liars was equally as intriguing. There is this type of magic in this world called edem that lives in the shadows, and when used it can call forth things from the past or future. But the use of this magic is illegal because it’s unpredictable and usually always leads to disaster... of the death variety.

Review- Behind the Horror: True Stories That Inspired Horror Movies by Lee Mellor

Title: Behind the Horror: True Stories That Inspired Horror Movies

Author: Lee Mellor

Genre: Nonfiction, adult, horror, true crime

Publication date: July 2020

Published by: DK

Source: Borrowed from library

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Synopsis: Uncover the twisted tales that inspired the big screen's greatest screams.

Which case of demonic possession inspired The Exorcist? What horrifying front-page story generated the idea for A Nightmare on Elm Street? Which film was based on the infamous skin-wearing murderer Ed Gein?

Unearth the terrifying and true tales behind some of the scariest Horror movies to ever haunt our screens, including the Enfield poltergeist case that was retold in The Conjuring 2 and the serial killers who inspired Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs.

Behind the Horror dissects these and other bizarre tales to reveal haunting real-life stories of abduction, disappearance, murder, and exorcism.

My rating: ★★★★☆

I’ve been really getting into nonfiction books in recent years. One subgenre I discovered I really enjoyed is nonfiction books that discuss horror movies. I love horror movies, so it would make sense that I enjoy this genre of books. This book, as the title suggests, talks about horror movies and the true stories that inspired them. It was wild because there were some movies I didn’t even realize were inspired by true events!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #376: It's Time to Get Out of This Reading Slump

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Book Date and Unleashing Reads.

Sunday Post #410: Heatwaves and Slumps, But at Least I Got Good Books

Welcome to The Sunday Post hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer, where I talk about what is going on in life and the blog, and show you all the bookish things I got that week!

Review: Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte

Title: Four Dead Queens

Author: Astrid Scholte

Genre: YA, high fantasy, mystery

Publication date: February 2019

Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Source: Borrowed from library

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Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Keralie Corrington may seem harmless, but in fact, she's one of Quadara's most skilled thieves and a liar. Varin, on the other hand, is an honest, upstanding citizen of Quadara's most enlightened region, Eonia. Varin runs afoul of Keralie when she steals a package from him, putting his life in danger. When Varin attempts to retrieve the package, he and Keralie find themselves entangled in a conspiracy that leaves all four of Quadara's queens dead.

With no other choices and on the run from Keralie's former employer, the two decide to join forces, endeavoring to discover who has killed the queens and save their own lives in the process. When their reluctant partnership blooms into a tenuous romance, they must overcome their own dark secrets in hopes of a future together that seemed impossible just days before. But first they have to stay alive and untangle the secrets behind the nation's four dead queens.

An enthralling fast-paced murder mystery where competing agendas collide with deadly consequences, Four Dead Queens heralds the arrival of an exciting new YA talent.

My rating: ★★★★☆

Lately, I have been on a high fantasy kick and honestly, I think I have this book to blame 😆 It was just so good!

Review: Outlaw Rising (Parse Galaxy #0.5) by Kate Sheeran Swed

Title: Outlaw Rising

Series: Parse Galaxy #0.5

Author: Kate Sheeran Swed

Genre: Adult, sci-fi

Publication date: March 2022

Published by: Spells & Spaceships Press

Source: Amazon Freebie

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Synopsis: Secretly, Sloane Tarnish has always admired her outlaw of an uncle, and his tales of not-so-legal adventures across the galaxy–but she never thought she'd be asked to help with one of his heists.

When Uncle Vin shows up on her med school campus with a plan to steal a chip full of Fleet intelligence–and the baffling idea to have her play a key role in the scheme–Sloane's got her doubts. Uncle Vin doesn't seem to realize that her top skills involve the kind of shots you drink, not the ones you fire.

But Vin's convinced the Fleet's got plans to install empirical rule across the free galaxy, and that this data could stop them before they can begin. When a bunch of rogue delivery drones start taking shots at her–and not the liquid kind–she has to figure he's onto something.

To prove it, all she needs to do is steal the data key from the middle of a Fleet ball... and right out from under the Commander's nose.

Too bad she's got absolutely no idea what she's doing...

Outlaw Rising is the prequel novella to the Parse Galaxy space opera adventure series.

My rating: ★★★☆☆

When her outlaw of an uncle comes to her med school to recruit her for one of his heists, Sloane isn’t sure her skills are going to be of any help. Unfortunately for her, she is thrown headfirst into this scheme when rogue drones start freaking shooting at her and she has to think quickly and help her uncle along the way.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #375: Only Cells at Work

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Book Date and Unleashing Reads.

Sunday Post #409: Halfway There...

Welcome to The Sunday Post hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer, where I talk about what is going on in life and the blog, and show you all the bookish things I got that week!

Top 10 Most Anticipated Books of the Last Half of 2024

There are so many books coming out in the last half of this year that I'm really looking forward to. I am SO excited for these!

Top 10 Favorite Books of 2024 (So Far)

Since we are just past the halfway point of the year, it is the perfect time to talk about my favorite books of 2024 (so far)!

2024 Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag

We are halfway through the year which means it's time for one of my favorite tags! Yay! Last year I smooshed together the questions from the original tag created by Ely and Chami with the revamped version from Jesse the Reader, and I decided to use the same combo I used last year. I honestly don't remember what questions I left out from either place, but this post isn't lacking questions, let me tell you that. Lol.

Monthly Wrap-Up: June 2024

I had my best reading month in May, but in June I had my worst one 😫 While I technically read 6 books, it was only a total of 1053 pages, which is literally 2000 pages LESS than the previous month 😭 I thought I was going to escape the year without having a reading slump, but no such luck 😢

• 2 were novels, 2 graphic novels, and 2 manga
• 4 were part of a series, 2 were standalone
• I started 2 series this month and finished zero 🫠
• All 6 were finished copies, no ARCs this month (though technically I did start 1 but haven't finished it because slump 🙃)
• 4 were physical books and 2 ebooks
• 4 were 5-star books, 1 was a 4-star book, and 1 was a 3-star book
• 5 were traditionally published, and 1 was indie published
• 3 were by authors I've previously read, and 3 were by new-to-me authors
• 2 were adult books, 2 YA, and 1 middle grade book
• 4 were fiction books, and 2 were nonfiction
• 1 was horror, 1 urban fantasy, 2 medical science, and 2 books about books (yes, that's a genre lol)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #374: Another Re-read?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Book Date and Unleashing Reads.