July wrap-up

Happy August! I'm writing this in the middle of a heatwave, not ideal but I can't help myself because I'm so excited to tell you all about my reading last month. In July I read a grand total of... NINE BOOKS!!! This is the most books I've ever read in a single month, and so it was a massive achievement for me! And most of the time I didn't feel like I was forcing myself to read fast either, I was just really enjoying all my books. So grab yourself a tea (or in my case, a very cold drink) and settle down because this one's gonna be a long one.

---

The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

Suzanne Collins

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

"It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games."

So I technically started this book in June, but I was only halfway through it when July rolled around. And of course, I loved it. I know I'm late to the train on reading all The Hunger Games books, but I saw this film when it came out last year and I was a big fan of the story, the new world lore and the characterisation of a young President Snow and the exceptional new character: Lucy Gray.

Like most people, I'm first and foremost a Lucy Gray stan, which means I'm a Snow hater, but ESPECIALLY in the book. It actually shocked me how terrible his thoughts are throughout the entire story, from being mean to Sejanus to constantly thinking that he owns Lucy Gray, I was beyond shocked - and I hated him with a passion. And I think that's part of what makes this story so interesting: we don't like the main character. He's not a morally grey anti-hero, he's quite literally the villain in this story and all the others. And the fact he gets everything he wants in the end is disgusting... but the irony of Katniss and mockingjays coming back to haunt him is oh so sweet. I buddy-read this with a friend, and I'm pretty sure 70% of our comments were about despising Snow! 😂

But aside from that, Suzanne Collins is brilliant where she always is. The world is fantastically built and incredibly described, and you can tell she really thought about the evolution of the games from this book, going 74 years back from the original trilogy. Removing the glossy finish of celebrity victors, fancy parties and games filled with technology really reminds you the brutally disturbing truth of what The Hunger Games are. 24 kids killing each other in a tiny arena only with weapons feels a lot more violent than them hiding in forests and being attacked by muttations and fake fire. Maybe it's my age too - I was quite young when the original trilogy came out - but watching and reading this new story was an eye opener for me, allowing me to think much more critically about the politics of this fictional world.

I could go on about this for so much longer, but I've got 8 more books to talk about so I'll finish up now. Lucy Gray is an icon, I love the Covey, the plot is fantastic and shows the true rise of a villain. Can't wait for the next book coming out next year!

A Universe of Wishes

Various Authors

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"From We Need Diverse Books fifteen award-winning and celebrated diverse authors deliver stories about a princess without need of a prince, a monster long misunderstood, memories that vanish with a spell, and voices that refuse to stay silent in the face of injustice."

Last month I wrote a full review on this short story anthology, which you can check out here but overall I really enjoyed it. My enjoyment levels definitely varied, with some stories being amazing, and others less so, but overall I felt there was a really strong grasp on world-building and imagery, making these fantasy lands beautiful places to travel to in my mind. All the authors were so creative with their storytelling, which was refreshing to read when nowadays books are advertised by tropes and often begin to feel like imitations of each other. I purchased this book for the Shades of Magic short story by V. E. Schwab (I'm a Rhylucard stan, ok) but was so pleasantly surprised by the other stories and how much I liked the book as a whole. Definitely worth a try, whether you're a short-story enthusiast or simply want to dip your toe into the format.

Evidence of the Affair

Taylor Jenkins Reid

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (reread)

"'Dear stranger…' A desperate young woman in Southern California sits down to write a letter to a man she’s never met—a choice that will forever change both their lives."

A post-holiday slump led me right back to one of my favourite novellas ever: Evidence of the Affair. I spoke about this in my 2023 wrap-up, but essentially it's the story of two strangers' lives becoming intertwined due to their spouses having an affair. The whole story is told through letters sent back and forth between the four characters and it makes it feel really personal and raw. It's definitely an emotional book, but what comes from sadness is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. It's touching and tear-jerking at times, all whilst being written in that beautiful style exclusive to Taylor Jenkins Reid (not to be dramatic, but I think she might be my favourite author ever). I just love this book and it's such a good 60-minute palate cleanser for when you need it. Unfortunately it's only available on Kindle, but it's also only 99p. So if you have the means to, I would 110% recommend it!

Summer People

Julie Cohen

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"A love that can't be stopped. A secret that will change everything..."

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the month (maybe even the year), I did not expect to love this book as much as I did. This contemporary literary fiction centres around a fictional island off the coast of Maine, the residents who have lived their whole lives there, and the wealthy Summer People who come to vacation for a season every year. Vee used to live on the island, but 20 years ago she left and now she's back... as a Summer Person with her rich husband. Things are awkward between her and her ex-best friend Sterling. But things get even more awkward when she starts to fall for Sterling's wife, Rachel.

This was honestly the perfect summer read. I loved the burning chemistry between Vee and Rachel and was rooting for them the whole time. But furthermore, each character was fully three-dimensional, morally complicated and they all had secrets and internal battles. Things got revealed, true personalities came out and it lowkey got messyyyy as the plot developed - but it was in the best way possible. I actually loved all the characters, even Sterling and Mike (Vee's husband), who seem like stereotypes on the surface but are so much more than that. But the thing I loved most of all was the writing style. The romantic way everyday life is described felt reminiscent of Taylor Jenkins Reid. Although not quite the same, I still loved it and I loved feeling so immersed in this island and its people. I expected literally nothing from this book (it cost me £2!) but it surprised me in the best way and it's definitely one I'll recommend to lots of people from now on!

Good Girl, Bad Blood

Holly Jackson

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

"Pip Fitz-Amobi is not a detective anymore. But she will have to break that promise when someone she knows goes missing."

The sequel to the incredible A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, this book follows Pip as she investigates yet another case. Once again, Holly Jackson is superb at drawing out tension, sprinkling in clues, and constantly making you guess (and then doubt) whodunnit. I actually felt that this book was filled with more emotion than the first, and although the mystery wasn't quite as good, it was still pretty amazing. The ending was unexpected and crazy, the characters are loveable (some of them, anyway), and the plot is just so damn good. It's one of those books you can't put down!

So far, this series is 2 for 2. So I look forward to reading the third one, hopefully in September, and seeing if it lives up to its predecessors.

The Fragile Threads of Power

V. E. Schwab

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

"A triumphant return to the worlds of The Shades of Magic, The Fragile Threads of Power continues the stories of fan-favourite characters Kell, Lila, Rhy and Alucard, and introduces a new generation of magic, shadows and embers in the dark."

The sequel series to my new favourite fantasy trilogy - the Shades of Magic - The Fragile Threads of Power picks up seven years after the events of the last book. And despite the fact that I only finished that book a month before, I was so happy to be back in this world.

Genuinely, if you asked me to name my favourite fictional world, it would quite possibly be this one. To reiterate what I've said so many times: it's vibrant and full of life and magic, the multiple worlds are so cool, and I just feel like I can picture it so well inside my head. More than that actually - after 4 books I feel as though I've lived there. That's how good V. E. Schwab is.

But anyway, this book was the perfect time-jump long-awaited sequel. Schwab goes back and forth describing current events (with new characters) and then filling in the blanks of the last seven years. I was so happy to see Kell, Lila, Rhy and Alucard again, and I loved seeing how their lives had progressed since we saw them last. Rhy and Alucard's relationship was done so tastefully and carefully, with the entrance of the new queen - and their daughter Ren is too cute. I also loved one of our new main characters, Tes. Her "manipulating-threads-of-magic" power was incredibly cool and I just love how she joined the parts of the story together. I was sad to find out afterwards that she won't be a main character in the next book, however I'm excited to see the rise of another new main character. Kosika's chapters were less interesting to me (how is Holland back AGAIN??!) but I know they'll be important in the future. To be honest, it was that small issue with pacing that docked the book 0.25 stars. I just felt like sometimes there were massive blocks of chapters surrounding only one or two characters, when all I wanted was to get back to the action and my faves. But it was a brilliant book, and didn't feel like 650 pages at all!

The Heir

Kiera Cass

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

"Eighteen years ago, America Singer entered the Selection and won Prince Maxon’s heart. Now the time has come for Princess Eadlyn to hold a Selection of her own."

Book 4 of The Selection series, which you all probably know by now that I am not a fan of. At the beginning of this book, I thought I would be bored once again. Eadlyn began as an infuriating character - even more annoying than her mother - she was constantly spoilt, selfish, snobby and childish. I hated her. And from the very beginning I had also predicted her love interest - it was far too obvious. However, as the book progressed it began to surprise me. Eadlyn was still annoying but was learning some lessons, and she was connecting with more of The Selected men. I no longer felt sure I knew how it would end, which was a brilliant thing. And once I got to the end, at extreme surprise to myself and my best friend, I immediately raced to start the next book. It was somehow kinda good? Definitely the best book in the series so far.

The Crown

Kiera Cass

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"Eadlyn didn’t think she would find a real partner among the Selection’s thirty-five suitors, let alone true love. But sometimes the heart has a way of surprising you…"

The Heir was the best book in the series... until I read this one. Honestly I don't know what happened to Kiera Cass inbetween the original series and these sequels, but somehow the books just became 100x better! The Heir was actually a delight to read. Eadlyn's character development was obvious and refreshing - I began to actually like her! The Selected boys were lovely and developed characters, rather than just archetypes, and I liked how she had chemistry with them all, making it less easy to predict the ending. The political plotlines were also really good and interested me. Oh and also a quick note about the writing - it was SO GOOD?!! There were so many quotes that just hit me right in the heart, the exact opposite of my detachment to the original trilogy. About halfway through I began to ship our end couple, and I was so happy they ended up together (also it was not what I predicted in the previous book!) And I loved to finally see some LGBTQ+ rep in this series that was previously so lacking. To summarise, I was thoroughly impressed by The Crown - the best book in the series for sure!

Lore Olympus: Volume Six

Rachel Smythe

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

"Chaos reigns in Olympus as Zeus publicly declares Persephone a traitor and issues a warrant for her arrest. But Hades defies his brother's decree, sheltering Persephone in the Underworld - and as the pair spend more time together, they are able to speak openly about their pasts."

And of course, we have to end the month with a bit of Lore Olympus. This is currently the latest volume, so unfortunately I won't be reading any more until Vol 7 gets published in October. But as always, this was a pleasure to read. I've said it a million times, but I'll say it again: the art is beautiful, the characters are so fun and the overlapping plot lines help it feel fast-paced despite the central romance being a slow burn.

This volume in particular was really exciting to me because it's about the point at which I stopped reading the webcomic, meaning most of this was new to me. I loved the growing pressure on Apollo and the way no one cares about Zeus anymore (lol). Hera is a queen, Hades is ultimate husband material and I loved seeing Persephone lean into her anger - she's going to make such a good queen of the Underworld! Also it was funny to see Minthe get her just desserts 🤭

This volume set up some really big future plot points and now that I have no clue what happens next, I really can't wait to see everything progress!

---

Phew! So that was my July. I had an insane month, as you can see, and I basically loved every book I read - even The Selection ones! This has definitely been my favourite month of reading so far this year. Let me know in the comments what you read in July and what you plan on reading in August. Speaking of which... keep an eye on my Instagram because I have a slightly unusual plan for this month. To give you a clue... I didn't choose it. 👀

See you next month for an extra special wrap-up!

Em <3