Hey everyone. Better late than never right? It’s been a while and I hope you’re all doing well. I’ve been changing up my weekly schedule and I’m hoping that I can fit in more blogging time. Not just with posting but also with reading and being apart of the community. I decided to combine both June & July since I did a haul post that you can check out here. In today’s post I’ll be discussing books read, things watched, and albums I’ve been listening too. The titles of books will link you to the Goodreads page.
Books I Read
Cycling safety / poor visibility to oncoming traffic
- King of Scars (Nikolai Duology #1) by Leigh Bardugo – DNF
This is a YA fantasy that unfortunately didn’t work for me. I was truly looking forward to this one as I had read all of Bardugo’s other Grishaverse books. However, after 100 pages I felt like nothing was going on and I refused to continue on. - The Fade Out: Act One by Ed Brubaker ★★
A graphic novel set in Hollywood’s Golden era in which a murder takes place. This murder includes a famous actress and now someone needs to take her place. I was confused the whole time. However, the graphics were beautiful. - When We Left Cuba (Next Year In Havana #2) by Chanel Cleeton ★★★★★
An adult historical fiction novel following one of the Perez sisters who’s recruited by the CIA to infiltrate Fidel Castro’s inner circle. This book blew me away just like Next Year In Havana. It’s politically heavy, however I learned a lot. - Radio Silence by Alice Oseman – DNF
This book is a YA contemporary novel. I tried getting into the audiobook. After listening to about 2 hours of it, I found that this book wasn’t the right fit for me. - A Nearly Normal Family by M.T. Edvardsson ★★
This book is marketed as a mystery thriller but it feels more like a family drama where the daughter of a normal family kills someone and the parents morals are tested to see how far they would go to protect her. I thought this book was easily predictable and the translation was very choppy. - A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum ★★★★★
The contemporary historical fiction that I absolutely needed in audiobook format!! I highly recommend this book via audiobook because each voice has a narrator. A Woman Is No Man is about three generations of Palestinian women and this is their story. - Circe by Madeline Miller ★★★★★
I didn’t know how much I needed this Greek Mythology Retelling till I read it. I genuinely thought I wasn’t going to like this book but thankfully I was proven wrong. Circe is about a goddess witch who has been outcasted and we follow her journey. - Lock Every Door by Riley Sager ★★★★★
Another audiobook that I would highly recommend. This mystery thriller is about a prestigious building in Manhattan in which a young woman gets hired to apartment sit. However, the Bartholomew has its secrets and things get tense when one of the apartment sitters goes missing. - After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid ★★★★★
A romance novel about a married couple who decide to take a one year break after their marriage has hit a breaking point. I LOVED THIS BOOK!! It had a little bit of everything: laughter, sadness, anger, and happiness. Highly recommend for a quick read with a punch.
Books Read for The Reading Rush Readathon
- Muse of Nightmares (Strange the Dreamer #2) by Laini Taylor ★★
In continuation of Strange the Dreamer which is a YA fantasy, I thought this one fell flat for me. I’ve noticed that I really love Laini Taylor’s first books but I always dislike the sequels because of where the story goes after. - Crown of Lies (Truth and Lies Duet #1) by Pepper Winters ★★★★
An adult dark romance about a young woman who has it all but falls in love with a stranger after something tragic happens, years later though a new guy comes in and he reminds her of this stranger. Pepper Winters just knows how to write dark angsty romances. I do want to read the second one to see how it finishes. - Sabrina & Corina: Stories by Kali Fajardo-Anstine ★★★★★
ONE OF MY FAVORITE BOOKS EVER!!! This is a short story collection about Latina characters of indigenous ancestry. Each story was filled with meaningful messages. This book made me think and I’m so glad that it’s own voices because we need more of these stories. - Wilder Girls by Rory Power – DNF
I found nothing Horror about this YA horror book. I tried 100 pages and was bored. It also kept reminding me of Replica by Lauren Oliver and I don’t want to waste my time reading the same books again.
Shows & Movies Watched
- When They See Us was an excellent mini-series. I remember many years ago I was into this case. I watched YouTube videos and read articles online about The Central Park Five. This show is so important and I loved it. I must admit that it’s hard to watch. However, they didn’t shy away from the realities that are experienced in this world.
- Toy Story 4 was a joy to watch with my brother. I loved it and cried at the end. I was very emotional because this is one of my brother’s and I favorite childhood movies and now he gets married this year so whewwww the tears.
- Jessica Jones Season 3 was a little disappointing to say the least.
- Spider-Man: Far From Home was so good!!!! I’m just really loving this Spider-Man, okay? And by this one, I mean…compared to all the spider-man’s I’ve had in my lifetime already.
- Stranger Things Season 3 was everything I needed and I have a lot of theories for the next season. I cannot wait to see how things unravel. I also loved the new characters included.
Albums On Repeat
OMG BANKS CAME OUT WITH A NEW ALBUM AND THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED FOR MY SOUL!!! I also finally decided to listen to Khalid’s album and think it’s perfect.
That is all I have for you today! I’ve been enjoying the beach this summer and going out more. How’s your summer going? What have you been reading? Oh…can we also talk about how cute my child looks in this photo? xoxo
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