July Wrap Up

July was the month that my reading really got back on track and I made some progress in destroying my TBR, took part in a read-a-thon, and really.... didn't tackle as many review books as I would have liked.

Circe and the Cyclops by Homer
This little black classic was a good place to start the month as it was incredibly easy to understand, and has even made me want to pick up the original source material. Kind of. I don't think I'm quite ready to read either The Iliad or The Odyssey. But maybe one day in the future.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
And then things went down hill. I so wanted to like this as I'd previously enjoyed Sharp Objects, but the characters of Nick and Amy made liking this next to impossible. I have never in all my life come across characters as annoying and deserving of everything that happened to them and I was so glad to finally finish this book. Because yeah: I finished it despite hating it. If it wasn't for the fact that I was drawn in by the mystery this would have received one star, but goddamn it did Flynn manage to reel me in.

Suicide Stitch by Sarah L Johnson
This collection of short stories was also a bit of a miss for me. My full review is here if you'd like to see my full thoughts, but simply put: some of the stories were good, the majority were just okay. I gave this two and a half stars, but rounded up to three because of Goodreads.

 

Feel Me Fall by James Morris
Thankfully, the next book I read I really enjoyed. Again, my full review is already up so I'll keep things brief. For such a short book this totally sucked me in and I became so invested in the story. There are a few twists and turns and the main character is very realistic, so I would recommend this if you're looking for a quick, uncomplicated thriller.

Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld
And then things go downhill again when I read Afterworlds. I can't even really explain why I didn't like this book because I still don't really get it. It's the story of Darcy Patel, newbie author, but it's also Darcy's novel. It's a bizarre concept and I didn't like the writing or the characters or the story or anything, really.

The Walking Dead Vol. 27: The Whisperer War by Robert Kirkman
Things picked up a bit when I picked up the latest volume of The Walking Dead. Although there isn't much I can say about this, seeing as how it's volume 27 and all, but it was good. Not one of the best volumes as a lot of the action was condensed into a few panels per page, but good for the amount of content that was included.

Wolf Vol.1: Blood and Magic by Ales Kot
This graphic novel marked the start of the Booktube-a-Thon and I'm really glad that I finally got to this. It wasn't quite what I expected, however, as it was harder to follow and things weren't as explained as I would've liked, but I liked the art. Maybe I'll carry on with this series, but it's not a priority right now.

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
And then we have Nimona. This is easily one of my top three reads for the month and I can't believe I waited so long to finally read it. I was kind of put off by the size of it, seeing how it's a graphic novel, but it still didn't take me too long to read and I enjoyed it so, so much. I'd highly recommend this if you want a funny fantasy story following morally grey characters, that also has bittersweet moments.

The Suffragettes by various authors/sources
This little black classic is one of the most important, in my opinion. Once you get past the old fashioned writing style you're immersed in the history of the suffragettes and the suffragists. However, if you're already knowledgeable about them this may not be too helpful to you, as some of the information did seem quite basic. Three and a half stars rounded up to four because I found it hard to follow the writing at times.

The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr
I still have no idea how to feel about this book and it's been two weeks since I finished and reviewed it. It's just so weird. Nothing like I expected and there's a big focus on the Arctic that just... came at me out of the blue. The ending felt rushed compared to everything else and I didn't like any of the characters. Two and a half stars as I'm very torn between giving it two or three stars.

If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo
Thankfully, I read If I Was Your Girl next and my spirits were lifted and I'm so glad that I got to this little gem. Yes, it's essentially just another teen romance, but it deals with things you don't normally see in YA fiction. Amanda is transgender, there's a theme of religion running through the story, and it doesn't shy away too much from the atrocities that face trans people. That being said, it is very much a happy story and you could argue that the ending is too easy, but I thought it was nice. Sometimes you don't need stories to be sad when the world is already horrible.

The Figure in the Carpet by Henry James
And then I ended my month with this. I don't even know what to say about this, other than I didn't understand a word, it was nothing like what I expected, and I'll never get the time I wasted on it back. I went in expecting a gothic Victorian tale and got... a lot of fuss about an author? Steer clear of this little black classic.

What did you read in July?